The Valkyrie

[Leon]

Created by Leon, pen name Leon L.

Disclaimer

I do not own the Yu-Gi-Oh! names in any way. I only own my own characters, and all locations, cards, and card names featured in this story serve for entertainment purposes only.

Word from the author

This will be a long series. It's a work in progress, but that's how I've always written.

This is my first time writing a Yu-Gi-Oh fan fic, though it's not my first fanfic. I'm a bit experienced (going on 6 years now), but I can be a little off on the writing. Sorry if you feel forced to laugh at my writing skills, but I still do it for the fun of it.

However, if you enjoy reading a lot, then you're in for a treat. So sit back, relax, enjoy that cup of coffee (or cocoa, or anything really) and read this story at your leisure. Just be sure to make time for it, if you can. This is my first time writing entirely in prose form at the suggestion of a certain someone. I look forward to her reviews (if she has any) but I would love comments from my audience as well ^^

Enjoy this fanfic.

The Characters (so far)

Name: Sarah Anderson
Age: 20
Hair: Black
Eye color: Brown
Outfit: Dresses conservatively, usually seen in a green T-shirt with a long-sleeved plain white shirt underneath, and blue jeans.
Signature Deck: Nordic
Signature card: Valkyrie of the Nordic Ascendant
Bio: The main protagonist of the story. She is a Swedish girl whose family immigrated to America, and spends most of her time there quarreling with her father. Generally nice, although she loses her temper at times. When not at home, she would go looking for a job or Duel with anyone at the local park. One night, her life takes a dramatic change, and the story will reveal more on that later. With balanced skills in Dueling, especially with the Nordic cards, she is nicknamed "The Valkyrie" both by her peers, who admire her, and the pros, who mock her.

Name: Leon Nyström
Age: 14
Hair: Blond
Eye color: Blue
Outfit: Mostly rags, wearing a red shirt and khaki shorts.
Signature Deck: Spirit
Signature card: Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi
Bio: Sarah's younger cousin, and possibly her best friend at the beginning of the story. Orphaned at a young age, young Leon is welcomed at first into Sarah's household, but is framed by an unknown thief who stole his uncle's savings, and is forced to live homeless on the streets. Receiving a Duel Disk on his 14th birthday from his cousin, who always believed his innocence, an incident involving Sarah's monsters puts him in a hospital, and as a result he has a fear of dueling with holograms. Despite his struggles and money problems, he has yet to sell a single card from his Deck, his only prized possession.

Prologue

The Northern Lights shined beautifully in the sky. A woman stared at them as if she never seen such a beautiful sight. With a frown in her face, she begins telling her story.

Valkyries. In Norse Mythology, they decide who live and who fall in battle. If they exist in Dueling, I'd say they don't like me at all. I'm not exactly the best Duelist around.

Dueling has been around for a long time. People play cards with images of monsters and spells in order to win. And many types of monsters, to boot. Ritual monsters. Fusion monsters. Synchro monsters. And the new Xyz monsters. Take your pick. You can't go wrong if you are the best. And now that Duel Disks come with the hologram option, kids and grown-ups can't contain their excitement whenever they Duel.

Here's where I come in. I play for fun most of the time, but I can get carried away by the excitement and try to win at any cost. That's when I start losing. Since you're already here, I'm guessing you made time to hear me out. I urge you to listen to my story. I can only tell you once.

-----

Chapter One: The Fateful Night, Part 1.

The story begins at the local park on sunset. A duel was going on between Sarah and Leon. Bystanders watched, while pros would just ignore the commotion and walk away. The duel was casual, and no holograms were involved. It was just a table and the cards in play that made this duel.

"I'm sorry, but it looks like I made a good draw!" Sarah yelled out to impress the audience, as she made her draw. "I tribute both of Tanngrisnir's tokens! And use them to summon this creature: Dark Simorgh!!"

The girl proceeds to place the Monster Card face-up, one that held the image of a bird. A graceful-looking bird with dark plumage, with its wings open and glaring the hold of the card, as if it was roaring at her. But Sarah focused on the matter at hand because she knew this great bird of divinity would help her win with its 2700 ATK points.

"Now I use him to attack your Asura Priest! You lose!"

"Oh, man." The young Leon knew it was coming, but he still couldn't believe that he had lost to his older cousin. Every time they dueled, he would always get close to winning. Close being the key word here as he would always lose in the end. Sarah was not a pro, but she knew enough about the game to come up with strategies without breaking the rules. Many beginners needed a rulebook in hand or a computer nearby just in case there was a problem with rulings. Beginners tend to make mistakes and misplays, and there are those who would give a beginner a hard time just for making an illegal move. In the end, Leon was glad they were both able to have fun. Sarah understood that he was just beginning, and would always offer advice if he really needed it.

The audience was less than impressed, however. These days, if you didn't play the way other people played then you would be boring. And Sarah had just used her Nordic Deck as tribute fodder for her stronger monsters. It was legal and all, but using such a primitive way to play a Deck archetype that's normally used for Synchro Summoning turned people away.

"Dark Simorgh in a Nordic deck?"

"She had the field set up for any of the three Aesir!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't really own any of them." Sarah pointed out with a look of disappointment on her face.

At the sound of this, the people began to leave. They were unhappy about how things turned out. The three Aesir were only the Nordic deck's most powerful cards, compensating for their weak monsters. Having all three was the Nordic Duelist's main goal in completing the deck. Having all three meant absolute control of the Duel. They were based on the three gods mentioned in Norse Mythology. They were Loki, a trickster and son of a giant. Thor, who wore his belt and lift his iconic hammer, Mjollnir, to create thunder and lightning. And Odin, known as the All-Father due to being the main god among them all.

Some have said that Loki and Thor are the sons of Odin, while others say that the trio are actually brothers. Loki would be a malevolent being by playing tricks on others. Legends have stated that he even offered Odin the legendary spear he carries today, the Gungnir, in exchange for a woman's full head of hair.

But whatever the legends say, one thing is for sure. In the game of Duel Monsters, the three were brothers-in-arms. Loki's tricks and pranks were useful in detecting Traps. Thor took care of troublesome monsters. And Odin? His power would protect his brothers from harmful spells and traps. Sarah's eyes would always shine every time she thought about obtaining the cards. "Someday" she would always say. But the spectators' words started to sink in and she had just started to feel the sting of their criticism. But her younger cousin approached her, and made his attempt at making her feel better.

"Ignore them, Sarah. That was awesome, and I had fun!"

"Thanks, Leon. Let me see your hand. I want to see how lucky you were."

"Sure. Here you go." Leon gladly handed over the cards he had left on his hand. "I didn't have much at that point. I just-"

"Leon, you had Honest in your hand?!" Sarah shouted, almost in shock.

"I do. What does he do?"

"Your Asura Priest was a LIGHT monster. If you had sent him to the card Graveyard after I declared my attack, your monster could have gotten a huge ATK boost!"

"I could have won?"

"Yeah! I'm kinda surprised you didn't use him." She couldn't believe that Leon didn't capitalize on the one opportunity he could have beat her, but it seemed obvious now that he just didn't know. "More importantly, I can't believe you were able to get one at all. He's a rare card, you know. And nowadays, every Duelist is allowed to have just one in their Deck."

"He's that strong?" Leon asked with a confused look on his face, unable to believe that a weak monster like Honest had such an interesting effect.

"And that's precisely why I'll tell you to never let him go." Suddenly, Sarah heard some footsteps coming up from behind her. "Hold that thought."

She turns around to see a boy, maybe just a little older than Leon, who had also witnessed the Duel. But he seemed a bit intimidated that Sarah was a bit taller than him; he could only reach her shoulders. Nevertheless, he mustered up enough courage to explain his presence. "Wow. Was that really a Dark Simorgh?"

"Yes it was! Wanna see?" Sarah said as she started looking through her pouch, which was colored in green. She finds the card the boy asked for, and lets him look. "I like to keep powerful cards in my Deck. I don't have any of the Aesir, you know? They are hard to find."

The red-haired boy then went straight to the point. "I don't believe it. Is he for sale?"

Sarah was then about to refuse even the thought of letting go one of her powerful monsters. However, just thinking once about her cousin made her change her mind. "Yeah. With cards like him not being rare anymore, I'm willing to give you Dark Simorgh for just $15." She said this with a smile on her face.

"Are you sure? Most people would set the price at least twice that much."

"Well, I'm just in a good mood today." The girl tried so hard to keep a poker face on. But the boy didn't pay attention at all. He was too busy already making the transaction between them. He pulled out the money and gladly gave it to Sarah.

"Then here you go!"

Sarah takes one last look at the card she was giving away. No longer in her possession, she sighs as the boy smiles at the new addition to his Deck. "Take good care of it, alright?"

"Yeah. He's the last card I need for my Deck, actually." Now happier than ever, the boy couldn't help but smile and nod as he introduced himself. "I'm Roger."

"I'm Sarah. And that's my cousin Leon. We're from Sweden."

"From Europe?" Roger meditated on Sarah's response for a moment, but he quickly stops thinking about it right when he looks at the time. "Well, I gotta get going. Thanks again for the card!" The boy then runs off, still happy about getting Dark Simorgh. Leon was a tad confused why someone would give away a powerful cards like that. "Why did you give him your strongest card?"

"I don't really need him." Sarah began. "Dark Simorgh goes better in a Deck that needs him. If that Roger guy needed him, odds are he has a Deck with WIND and DARK monsters." It was at this point that Sarah knelt down to Leon's height and placed her hands on his shoulders. The boy was in rags and they both knew why. Leon had just realized why Sarah gave away the card. "Besides....you need the money, Leon."

"Sarah....."

"No use thinking about it. It's not any different from the times I've given you money, right?"

"But is that the only reason you did it?"

"And why does that matter? You go ahead and enjoy yourself, okay?"

Leon knew there was no use arguing about it. Sarah was far from perfect, but she was always fair and kind. Stubborn, too, and he knew it. And those three things about her would mean one thing when merged together: When she had something to give him, she never took no for an answer. With a tear in his eye, Leon gladly accepted her offering. "I-I will!" The two end up hugging each other for a bit, and go their separate ways as the sunlight continues to fade.

-----

It was that day that began to change our lives. That night, I stopped by a comic book store to see who I could duel. I didn't have any luck, so I left by 8 in the evening. I waited at the bus stop so I could catch my ride home. But sometime during my wait....I saw him. My cousin was being chased by a group of punks. What confused me a little is that Leon had a bag with him. I didn't know what was going on, so I followed them.

Having cornered Leon as more teenagers showed up, the boy was scared. Leon had nowhere to run. "Give us those cards, kid. We stoled them fair an' square!" Another thug then steps up, this one a bit uglier than the other due to the fact that it looked like the word "soap" didn't exist in his vocabulary. "Unless you wanna end up like that shop owner! All beat up and stuff."

"No!" Leon was already freaking out, like he couldn't actually believe he was being cornered by a group of thugs. "That guy is my friend, and he'd go out of business if I let you steal all the cards he has!"

It was the leader's turn to step in. He actually looked better than his underlings, and better built as well. But his presence was more intimidating than the other thugs. "Forget it, guys. It's obvious the kid's not gonna budge. We better force him."

Sarah had no choice to step in now. If she didn't do anything Leon could get hurt. Or worse. "Stop! Leave him alone!"

"And who's the cutie?" sad the uglier thug.

"Wait a sec, I know her!" the gang leader stepped up, with a slight smile on his face.

And I knew him, too. Cliff Taylor, a no-good leader of a group of punks. Ever since Dueling became a big thing in America, he's been going around beating other Duelists for their cards. Sure, he'd beat them in a Duel, but lots of people say he cheats.

"If it isn't the little Valkyrie. Still as pretty as always."

"Oh, you flatter me too much." Sarah said with a hint of sarcasm. "What do you want with my cousin?"

"Little brat stole our cards, that's what!" Cliff pointed out rather arrogantly. He was okay with placing the blame on someone smaller than him, and he knew he wouldn't fight back.

"That's not true!" Leon protested, as loud as he could. "You stole the cards from the shop-"

"Oh, please. I won them fair and square in that duel with him."

"You cheated!" Leon snapped back at him. And just then, a thug from Cliff's posse then grabs Leon by the shirt collar, making the leader laugh. "Oh, boy. I wasn't expecting this." he said, sneering all the while. Sarah already had enough of the leader's attitude. "Let him go, okay?! He only did what he thought was right!" Sarah was making a brave stand for her family, but inside she was scared. She knew how to fight back in case things got ugly, but she had a doubt in her mind that she'd be able to take on three thugs at once. But fortunately, Cliff himself had other plans. "Sure. I only have one condition, though." Sarah became puzzled at the leader's words". You duel me, right now. I let the kid go, and if you win, I'll give back the cards he thinks I stole."

Now he was talking. Sarah's first response was quickly putting on her custom Duel Disk. It looked simple enough, with the extended parts being mostly white with red sky blue-colored linings. And the main part was almost entirely red. Seeing this, Cliff did the same thing. His Duel Disk, however, had patterns on it not unlike a graphite floor with a hint of purple. Sarah only had one question. "And if I lose?"

Cliff already had his answer. "You and the kid will give me and the fellas your Decks! I know they'll get better if we used them!"

Sarah could not believe what she heard. Putting her own Deck on the line was fine by her, but also putting her cousin's actually made her think twice about her decision. That is, until Leon tosses a small pouch to his cousin. "Sarah! Catch!"

"What's this?"

"Your Extra Deck!"

"But I-!"

"I made it myself!" Leon went on. "I snuck a few cards in there from the cards I got from them!"

"Why you little-!" Cliff almost lost it, but in the end he kept his cool. In his mind, that pouch of cards was rightfully his. "You know what? Fine with me. I've seen you duel anyway, and I still think I'll beat you."

"Save it for when you're actually winning!" The Duel Disk turn on, prompting Sarah and Cliff to begin. "Let's have a fair Duel!!"

-The Duel!-

Sarah
LP: 4000
Cards in hand: 6

Cliff
LP: 4000
Cards in hand: 5

The duel began with both players' Duel Disks projecting a holographic field, which allowed everyone to view the holograms of monster cards and card effects once put into play. And that wasn't all. Thanks to the introduction of the Duel Gazer, the surrounding area could be changed into anything the Duelists wanted without interfering the daily lives of any bystanders that happened to be nearby. Leon was the only one present who didn't have a Duel Gazer so he didn't see any of the changes on their surroundings, but Sarah quickly tossed hers down his way. She figured it would be better if she wasn't distracted by the background holograms, and Leon would enjoy it more if he could see holograms. He loved it so far, as the setting has changed to a factory. The streets within a 100-foot radius were gone, but if Leon wanted to see them again, all he had to do was remove his Duel Gazer.

"I'll start!!" Sarah began by making her first draw.

"Fine by me! Make your move." Cliff said with an angered tone in his voice. But he was patient enough to keep calm.

"I will!" Sarah yelled out. She had just drawn Mimir of the Nordic Ascendant. The rest of her hand included Super-Nimble Mega Hamster, Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts, Garmr of the Nordic Beasts, Mirror Force, and Polymerization. It was a good start, she thought. "What I'm gonna do is lay this card face down!" She then inserts the card in one of the slots on her Duel Disk, and a hologram of a face-down card is soon projected. "Then I lay this monster face down as well! That ends my turn." she had been allowed a good start. She had four cards left in her hand, which is a good amount when card advantage sometimes plays a good role during the game. But now it was Cliff's turn, so Sarah had nothing left to do but brace herself.

"Good. Now I'll draw!" Cliff was quick to make his draw, and wastes no time in getting things done. "I'll go ahead and play the Spell Card, Dark World Dealings!" Sarah didn't like what she was seeing already, even though she wasn't familiar with the Dark World deck. "What is that?! What does that do?"

"It's very simple." Cliff stated with a smirk. "The two of us get to draw one card! Then we both discard one card from our hands. Player's choice."

"Then I'll discard a monster. I'll discard my Mimir of the Nordic Ascendant. What's your pick?" Being able to draw more cards at any given time was also a good thing, since it lets the Duelist(s) involved at an advantage. Being able to get your cards quicker led to different possibilities, but Sarah couldn't help but think what Cliff's plan was. What did he have to gain from both of them drawing a card and then discarding another from their hand?

"My choice? That'll be my Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World!" Cliff smugly pointed out as he was more than happy to send his own monster to the card Graveyard, a section of the Duel Disk where used cards end up in once they have served their purpose. "Then I'll use my monster's special ability! If he's discarded by a card effect, I can summon him from the Graveyard! Now, Beiige! Come out to play!"

A hideous-looking monster then materializes in front of his master. With his weapon in hand, he was ready to follow Cliff's commands. Sarah was frightened at the thought of the monster rushing to attack her and her monsters, and with 1600 ATK points she had every reason to be. Entering the Battle Phase, Cliff makes his command. "Now, Beiige! Attack her face-down monster!" Beiige more than happily attempts to harpoon Sarah's face-down monster. However, the monster is revealed to be an enormous hamster, who uses its super speed to repel the attack. Beiige regains his footing, and goes back to his side of the field. "What just happened?!" Cliff said with a startled look on his face.

"You just got forced back by this cute little critter! Meet my Super-Nimble Mega Hamster!" Sarah smirked has she revealed her means of defense. The hamster may have seemed cute and cuddly, but its enormous size was enough to repel Beiige with hardly an effort. The hamster chitters while looking at Cliff, not annoyed as normal hamsters would be but it was actually pleased. So pleased it looked that Cliff thought it was mocking him. With its DEF points at 1800, and thus the difference between the attack and defense, Cliff has lost 200 Life points, bringing them down to 3800. The thug wasn't pleased that his monster, as strong as it was, was not enough to kill such a cute critter.

"He's also a Flip Effect monster!" Sarah went on. A Flip Effect monster has an effect that activates after being attacked or summoned from its face-down Defense position. "Thanks to his special ability, I can fetch another Beast Type monster from my deck and Special Summon it, as long as it's a Level 3 or below! And I choose to summon my Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts!"

The hamster then yells out, crying out as if it wanted to be heard. A black goat suddenly appears next to it, but it was only seen to verify Sarah's pick. "The downside of my Hamster's effect is that my Tanngnjostr has to be summoned face down, so I'll do just that. And because of the rules of Duel Monsters, I must shuffle my Deck once I'm done." Following the rules down to the latter, it suddenly occurred to Sarah that Cliff would start cheating at some point, if what her cousin said was true. He remained calm and collected, and above all he gave off an aura of pure confidence. Once Tanngnjostr was flipped face-down, he proceeded to finish his turn.

"Hmph. Now that you're done, I'll activate my Dark World Lightning card! It lets me destroy one card that is face down, and discard one of my cards when it's done. And I choose your face down Trap!" A dark lightning strike suddenly sets Sarah's Mirror Force on fire, burning the hologram to ashes. Cliff was quick to mock his opponent for such an amateurish move. "Setting a good Trap on the first turn? Ha!" All Sarah could do was grunt in exasperation, as Cliff continues his move. "nextI'll discard my Kahkki, Guerilla of Dark World by the effect of Dark World Lightning!" The process of playing a Spell card and discarding a monster reduced Cliff's hand to three cards, but he knew it was well worth the effort. "With Kahkki's special ability, I can destroy any of your monsters after I discard him to the Graveyard! So say goodbye to that precious goat of yours!"

The spirit of Kahkki then appears in front of Sarah's Set monster. Drawing his dagger, the hideous monster slices the card in half. With the hologram revealing Tanngnjostr sliced in half as well, it soon disappears along with Kahkki. Sarah was disgusted not only by the appearance of the Dark World monsters, but also how their strategy leaves no room for mercy. "I can't believe this is happening. He ruined my strategy...."

"Lucky for you, I don't have anything I want to play right now, so I end my turn." Cliff finally said, and ever so confidently. Even his henchmen were impressed.

"Good move, boss!"

"Dark World monsters don't need an Extra Deck to win, especially against an amateur like her!"

But Leon kept his faith on his family, and it hasn't dwindled even for a second. "She can still beat your boss! I've seen her Duel! She won't give up after something like that!"

It was amazing that Leon didn't give up on me. A move like that can scare me, especially if it's seen in a hologram. Come to think about it, I was never used to dueling in holograms. His faith in me motivated me to go on, and focus!

With newfound motivation, Sarah began her turn. "Now I draw!" She began to think of a way to recover from that devastating combo. Sarah still had her Hamster on the field, and its defenses were strong enough to ward off hundreds of monsters in the game. But she knew she couldn't rely on her Hamster forever as she could just lose it to another Dark World Lightning card. "Come on, think! So far, he only has one monster out, and my Hamster has higher Defense Points. A good defense is great." Sarah finally looks at the card she just drew, raising her hopes up. "Des Kangaroo! He's perfect!" She turned to Cliff as she Sets her monster. "You've forced me to be defensive, so I lay another monster face down, and end my turn."

Cliff wasted no time in making his draw. "Is that it?" With not much else to do, he points at Sarah's face-down monster. "Alright, Beiige! Finish off her face down monster!" Beiige was quick to attack again, this time revealing Sarah's monster: Des Kangaroo! Sarah smirked once Cliff realized his mistake.

"You got careless enough to attack a face down monster again! And this one comes with a special ability as well! If my Kangaroo is attacked by a monster with an ATK power lower than his DEF, he destroys the attacking monster!"

"What?!"

"So bid farewell to your Beiige!!!"

The ability of Des Kangaroo then activates. After Beiige swings his weapon and misses, the green-skinned Des Kangaroo counterattacks with a punch to the kisser, sending Beiige tumbling skywards as he is destroyed. The Kangaroo then glares at Cliff with its glowing red eyes. "And since you attacked a monster with a higher defensive power, you lose 100 Life Points, bringing them down to 3700!"

"Big deal. So I made a mistake. It won't happen again! I'll just summon my second Beiige, and end my turn!" Cliff doesn't hesitate to summon another Beiige, which was of course just as ugly as the first. Nevertheless, Sarah moved on with her turn. "My turn!" She grins after seeing what she had drawn, and despite her first strategy getting ruined, she already had a Plan B in mind. "Here I come, Cliff! I activate Polymerization!"

"A Fusion card?! Nordic players normally don't carry that with them!" Cliff retorted.

"And it looks like I was able to throw you off! I will send my Big Koala from the hand, and Des Kangaroo from my field." Sarah then places her Big Koala on the field once she placed Polymerization. The system confirmed it and Des Kangaroo as the correct Fusion Monster materials needed to Fusion Summon, and their appearances begin to distort and swirl into a single point. "Now that it's done, I'll summon a powerful creature! Behold! The two symbols of Australia combine into one! Rise and fight for the ultimate championship, my Master of Oz!" The Big Koala and the tiny Des Kangaroo combine into one. The end result was a large green-skinned koala, with Des Kangaroo's purple vest and red boxing gloves. It also had Big Koala's peaceful look in its eyes, until it suddenly glares at Cliff with a menacing look. It's power is revealed to be 4200, which frightens Cliff a little more.

"No! Why didn't I invest more on Trap Cards?" Cliff was starting to regret challenging Sarah to a Duel, now that it was him who was at a great disadvantage. The Master of Oz was raring to go, and Cliff knew that if he had not placed his second monster on the field, the Duel would already be over.

"Tanngnjostr was destroyed earlier on in this Duel." Sarah began as she suddenly pointed at Cliff. "Master of Oz doesn't have any special abilities, but I guess that's the prize you pay for pure raw power! Now, Master of Oz! Avenge your fallen comrade!" The massive marsupial then makes a great leap towards Cliff's monster. With nowhere to run, Beiige only stood and raised his spear, only for it to snap by Master of Oz's giant fist, which also flattens Beiige where it stood, destroying it. This in turn lowers Cliff's Life Points all the way down to 1100. One more punch from the giant mutated marsupial and it would all be over. "Alright! Way to go!" Leon shouted, as it had now hit him that it won't be long now before Cliff loses.

The thugs could only look on in embarrassment. The uglier one began to snicker, seeing his great leader being beaten by a girl. Cliff quickly caught on, and a glare was all it took to silence his subordinate. He turns back to Sarah with the same stare, but she bravely kept her ground. "Now I wanna know! What's a Nordic player "doing with Fusion monsters?!

"It's simple. Beast monsters go well with the Nordic Beasts, which make a good art of my Deck. They are like wolves in a pack; they may not have a lot of support, but they can definitely support each other! I don't think there is anything you can do, so save yourself from embarrassment and give up! Nothing can beat the Master of Oz! I end my turn."

"You think I'm just going to give up?! Never!" His next draw was exactly the break he needed to rid himself of any further embarrassment. He assumes his confident smile as he reveals his draw. "Now I play my Field card, Gates of Dark World! Watch closely, because this is the card that will bring your demise!!"

Thanks to Cliff playing a Field Spell Card, the battlefield begins to change into the gates shown in the card artwork. With the gates slightly opened, Cliff is ready to make his move. Cold mist began to emanate from the gates, which looked like they could open at any given second. Sarah was already growing worried, as she felt that she was now standing in Cliff's territory. "What are you up to now?!"

"Good question. Why don't you see for yourself! By the effect of my Gates, I can remove one of my Fiends from the game, allowing me to discard another one and letting me draw one card!"

"Oh, no..."

"You're catching on! So I'll start by removing my first Beiige from the game! Next...I'll discard my Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World! And now I draw again."

The aforementioned combo keeps Cliff's hand at three cards, but Sarah remained on her toes as she prepared for the worst. "That's not all. Now that I discarded my Grapha, his special ability activates once my combo is pulled off. I can pick one card on your side of the field....and Grapha takes it along for the ride!"

"Any of my cards?!"

"Right! Now your overgrown koala is a goner!"

The Gates then open, as dark winds try to suck the Master of Oz in, eventually succeeding and thus destroying it. "No....Master of Oz...." Sarah said weakly, her hand halfway extended as if she wanted to stop it, but at the same time realized that she couldn't.

"I'm not done. Your Hamster is also about to get schooled! I play Smashing Ground, allowing me to destroy the monster on your side of the field with the strongest DEF!" Once Cliff plays the spell, the ground began to shake. Leon looked on frightened while the thugs were already pleased that their boss would not disappoint them.

"But I only have one monster!" Sarah said in shock.

"Doesn't matter! That just means your Hamster will be destroyed!" A large fist then hits the ground, creating a hole beneath the Super-Nimble Mega Hamster, causing it to fall on it. "Not my Hamster!"

"Finally, I'll summon my third Beiige! But I won't need him."

"And why is that?" Sarah asked, obviously dumbfounded.

"Because I can return him to the hand, and summon my Grapha from the Graveyard!" The third Beiige disappears from the field as his card is returned to the hand. In turn, a giant dragon-like creature takes his place, ready to follow Cliff's commands. The dragon looked fearsome, and its skin matched Cliff's Duel Disk perfectly. It lets out a loud roar as Cliff continues his turn. "And that's not all. My Gates of Dark World gives my creature a nice boost, increasing his ATK and DEF by 300 points!"

Grapha lets out another roar, as the gates of Dark World increase its power even more. With 3000 ATK points and nothing on its way, Gthe dragon fiend prepared to attack his opponent. "Now, Grapha! Punish the unbeliever and attack her directly!" The strengthened monster launches a powerful breath attack, hitting Sarah directly. Although it was just a hologram, the force behind the attack seemed pretty real, knocking Sarah to the ground as she screamed. The impact knocks Sarah to the ground, leaving her unconscious. "Sarah!!!!" Leon hsouted as he ran to his cousin's side.

"These are holograms. Hmph. She probably passed out from the impact. Tell you what. I'll give her five minutes to get up. If she doesn't get up by then, I'll take both of your Decks by forfeit!!" Cliff began to laugh while Leon began to shed a tear. Sarah showed no signs of getting up. "Please.....wake up!"

To be continued

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Guess That Card!

Normal Spell Card

Effect: Destroy all monsters on the field.

Be sure to guess before the next chapter is posted! The answer will be revealed then!

-----

[Leon]

Here it is, folks. The next chapter, and the climax and aftermath of the Duel.

Guess That Card!

SPOILER!!:

Normal Spell Card
Effect: Destroy all monsters on the field.

Here it is, folks. The next chapter, and the climax and aftermath of the Duel.

Chapter Two: The Fateful Night, Part 2.

I don't know how long I have been out. It felt like a while, but I heard that it was only a few minutes.

I had a dream when I fainted. Nothing prepared me for this. I ended up in a different realm. Anyone who knew Norse Mythology would later tell me....I was on the Bifrost Bridge. The Bridge that connected the mortal realm....to Asgard.

-----

Sarah wakes up on what seemed to be a multicolored bridge. She looked around only to find light mist and mountain peaks. "Where am I?" Not much later did she wait after getting up when a small winged-entity -- about a bit shorter than her -- descended slowly. The upper portion of her dress was covered in red plates for protection. She had a sheath on her lower back that contained a blade, making Sarah think she had ended up in some sort of mystical, medieval land. The woman's blue eyes gazed down on Sarah until she was close enough to speak to her. "Greetings, mortal."

"W-who are you?! And can you tell me where I am?!" Sarah braced herself for the woman's answer. The woman continued to slowly hover above her, and Sarah had yet to see if the woman was friendly or hostile. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming at the time.

"I am a Valkyrie. We are part of a group you mortals call the...'Nordic Ascendants.'" The woman said straight away. She wasn't going to beat around the bush, and Sarah noticed right away.

"THE Valkyrie? And the Nordic Ascendants? The ones who serve Odin in the Duel Monsters game? I must be dreaming."

"Rest assured, you are not." The Valkyrie continued. "You stand in a different dimension, between the human realm and the monster realm."

"The monster realm?"

"Yes. Many years ago, the great Pharaoh rose again to destroy the Great Leviathan."

"Ah, yes." Sarah interrupted. "That giant snake in the sky. Ever since the time of Yugi Muto, people believed there was a dimension where Duel Monsters do exist. Is this true?"

"Yes. Are you frightened?"

"Not at all. In fact, I'm amazed." Sarah couldn't help but smile. She had heard different stories of the past before. But one of her favorites was the one where, long ago, an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh saved the world from an evil creature that threatened his land. And further reading led her to believe that, thousands of years later, the same Pharaoh rose again to destroy a giant snake in the sky that not many people knew about. Even now that decades had passed, some people claim that the snake was no hologram. Sadly, the Valkyrie had some sad news.

"I'm afraid you will not be amazed for long. There is a great evil out there that claims we are long overdue....in the battle known as Ragnarok."

"Ragnarok?" Sarah had learned about Ragnarok from the books she has read on Norse Mythology. It was an apocalyptic war that would herald the end of the world. Sarah was not one to believe in any gods, but seeing the Valkyrie in the flesh had her thinking if the Aesir also existed in the monster realm. "You mean the huge war that has been mentioned in Norse Mythology for generations?

"Yes. If this war were to happen, the Aesir will surely die, and we'll remain without leaders. No Einherjar will enjoy the halls of Valhalla any longer. They would pick up a sword, and fight until they could fight no longer."

"That's terrible! Who would enjoy an eternity filled with violence?"

"This is the fate evil itself would impose on us, unless we acquire every valuable ally and end the war before it starts. And we must definitely move with haste in collecting the cards holding the most powerful of creatures: the DIVINE."

"But....why am I dragged into this?" Sarah hesitantly pointed out.

"There is only one reason." The Valkyrie continued. "The man you are dueling right now is filled with greed. If he were to win the cards he cheated to obtain, we'd have no hope in the battle of Ragnarok. I plead to you, as our Nordic brethren.....do not let him win."

Sarah had trouble believing that Cliff, a mere street thug, would bring the end of the world if he won the Duel. Her cards quickly materialize in front of her, each holding her Nordic monsters. Sarah then remembered that Cliff wanted her Nordic cards, and if Sarah lost there wasn't much she could do to prevent the holy war that the Valkyrie was beginning to fear. "I wasn't planning to lose. But....it isn't long until he wins. There is nothing I can do."

"Your match has already been decided. Your next draw....is the card based on myself. However you use it is up to you. But your cousin has already done you a huge favor. I ask that you not let his efforts be in vain. Do not do this for me, but also for the fate of all Duel Monsters." More cards materialize in front of Sarah, and the spirits of the monsters in them suddenly appear behind the Valkyrie. They were the images of the monsters Sarah had already lost to the card Graveyard; Super-Nimble Mega Hamster, Tanngnjostr, Des Kangaroo, Big Koala, and the Master of Oz. They nod at Sarah, confirming the credibility in Valkyrie's story.

"You guys want me to fight? I'll do it! For your sake and theirs!" Sarah affirmatively replied with a nod. What surprised the Valkyrie is that Sarah was quick to believe her story. Whether it was a dream or not, Sarah loved Norse Mythology thanks to the books she would store in her room back home.

Holding out her arms, the Valkyrie concluded her mission. "Then you must win this battle. Once you win, I shall tell you how to impart the power of the three Aesir. Farewell." The Valkyrie had begun ascending back to the sky, as the Aurora Borealis began to emit its lights in the sky. t was a beautiful sight, but the Valkyrie and the monster spirits were gone within seconds.

"The three Aesir? Wait! Wait!!!!"

-----

Sarah wakes up, back in the duel. She was feeling a warm sensation, and soon realized that Leon was on top of her, in his fruitless attempts to wake her up. His face was soaked in tears, and Sarah soon saw why he cried. She saw something that terrified her. "Shreds of paper on the floor? No...they can't be-!"

"I figured your nap was going to take a while, so I decided to snatch the kid's Deck as collateral." Cliff began. He and his underlings all smiled at one another, one of them revealing a gap that was obviously missing a tooth. The other makes a smart remark about it, and the two start bickering to each other. One cough from Clff was enough to silence them. "Hm. You've only been out for four minutes. And yet you missed the real fun."

The thugs looked at each other before giving off a playful shrug. "The kid's Deck sucks! I was expecting Inzektors or Gishki at least. But Spirits?!"

Cliff then stared at Sarah seriously. "The brat wouldn't let go of one card, but we tore up the rest! He has no reason to go around with his lame-o Deck!" Sarah could see one card on the floor, still intact. It was Honest, the card she advised Leon to hold on to. She then looks up and sees Leon's Spirit monsters floating away. They were led by the Valkyrie, who would probably lead them to the halls of Valhalla. Cliff and his posse look up, but they saw nothing. Only Sarah could see it. "You.....what?" Sarah said in an angered tone in her voice. "How...dare you?!! It was the only thing left in his life besides me!"

The main thug couldn't help but chuckle at Sarah's reaction. It was what he had been waiting for. "I like the fire in your eyes! That's exactly what I was hoping for!"

She was mad now. Sarah didn't care anymore if anyone saw her display a strong emotion. She wanted to make Cliff pay for destroying something with great sentimental value. "You're going to pay! I'm going to win this Duel and humiliate you in the worst way possible!"

"Then the Duel is still on!" Cliff said. Sarah stands back up as the duel resumes. She was at 1000 Life Points while Cliff beat her by 100. Grapha was the only monster on the field, and since it just attacked Sarah knew she was safe for one more turn. "I'll end my turn by placing this card face down. Time to lose!"

Sarah prepares to draw her next card. With the whole Duel riding on this draw, she is about to say the line that will be her signature in crucial moments like this. "It's either this....or Ragnarok!" Everyone stood in silence. Leon still sobbed, but even he looked at his cousin just moments later. Sarah looks at her card, and just like the Valkyrie mentioned in their conversation...."It's her! The card I need! I'm not used to her effect, but let's see what she does! I summon Valkyrie of the Nordic Ascendant!" The winged Valkyrie then descends from the sky, ready to fulfill her duties as Sarah's partner not only in this Duel, but all of the ones to come as well. Silently staring at Grapha, the Valkyrie is quick to draw her sword and stands unafraid. Even though Grapha was much stronger and let out a threatening roar, the warrior woman felt she had nothing to fear.

Cliff, however, was quick to point out one important detail. "You do know that's a Normal Summon, right? Anything after this has to be a Special Summon!"The rules of Duel Monsters only allowed one Normal Summon, and that's what Sarah just did. The Valkyrie only had 400 ATK Points, and unless she summoned a monster by Special Summon she wasn't going to get much done.

"A Normal Summon, you say? Thanks for reminding me." Cliff stepped back n surprise at Sarah's choice of words."Because that's where her usefulness reaches its peak! When Valkyrie is Normal Summoned, she calls forth two Einherjars to fight along with her, at the cost of two Nordic monsters from my hand! And I choose Mara of the Nordic Alfar, and Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts!" Once Sarah places the said cards in the Banished zone, the Valkyrie raises her sword and summons the spirits of Guldfaxe and Mara, in the form of Einherjars. They both stood at 1000 in both ATK and DEF.

Cliff was still doubting the usefulness of Sarah's moves. "Is that all? My Grapha can still wipe the floor with any of them!"

Sarah took a moment to look at her Extra Deck pouch. "I'm not done. C'mon, something good!" Sarah pulls out the cards in her pouch. She was surprised to find, as we all expected, the three Aesir! "I don't believe it! L-Leon, how did you-"

"Just go ahead and beat him, Sarah! Let him know what he's up against!" Leon said, wiping his tears away. It was then that it dawned on Cliff that the Valkyrie was a Tuner Monster, the main component needed for a Synchro Summon. But it was too late.

"Gladly." Sarah said responding to Leon. "My Level 2 Valkyrie will tune with both of my Level 4 Einherjars!"

"But that adds to Level 10!" Cliff said in disbelief, unable to believe at the sudden twist of fate.

"I'm pretty sure I'm right." The Valkyrie then transforms into two green rings, while the Einherjars turn into stars. Enveloped in a ray of light, they all ascend to the sky, which briefly emits the Nordic Lights. And while no summoning needed a chant, Sarah felt doing one now seemed like the right time. "Nordic Lights, guide the Valkyrie and her Einherjars to Valhalla! Use their power to call forth the mightiest god in Asgard! I Synchro Summon.....Odin, Father of the Aesir!"

The Nordic Lights begin to shine brightly, catching the attention of anyone inhabiting the nearby buildings. Houses, apartments, even shops that were about to close. Sarah places the card on the Duel Disk, and surely enough, the mighty Odin materializes behind her. The enormous Odin was big enough to scare Cliff's posse away, as he was taller than the city's tallest building.

Odin, Father of the Aesir
DIVINE/Divine Beast
Level 10
ATK 4000/DEF 3500

Author's note: I know in rl, Odin is a LIGHT/Fairy. I'm going by the anime stats, thus adding more DIVINE cards in future chapters.

Sarah stood in awe. The mighty Odin stood behind her not as a foe, but as a powerful being ready to fight for her. And that was not the only thing that made her happy. "I did it! My first Synchro Summon!"

"Just keep in mind I won that card before your kid cousin took it away!" Cliff wasn't ready to lose. His thugs were watching and he had a reputation to uphold. He wasn't about to lose to some girl. He truly believed he was going to win, and the reason behind his confidence seemed to be that face down card he placed earlier. " I got nothing to worry about. Once she attacks, her monster will be removed from the game!"

Sarah didn't hesitate move on with her turn. She points at the Nordic Lights u above as she yells her command. "Now, Odin! Use your hidden power, and become the most powerful being on the field!" The Father of the Aesir followed his master's order by raising the Gungnir, the holy spear of legend. Odin begins to glow in a great golden aura before he lowers his spear. "Then I play Monster Reborn, allowing me to bring back a monster from the Graveyard!"

"That means-?!"

"You got it! Tanngnjostr, come back to me!" The power of Monster Reborn then brings back Sarah's Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts, who had fallen earlier.

Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts
EARTH/Beast
Level 3
ATK 800/DEF 1100

"Is that it? Ha! What's a pathetic monster like him gonna do to me?"

Tanngnjostr was quick to react with an anger cross on the face and a loud snort, and bleats angrily at Cliff's insulting remark. "It's all part of my plan on humiliating you. Destroy his Grapha now!!" Pointing the Gungnir at Grapha, Odin prepares to strike him down with a lightning blast. However, Cliff was ready.

"Hold on! Reveal face down Trap!" Cliff said as he pushed a button on his Duel Disk. "Dimensional Prison!! If one of your monsters even thinks about attacking, my Dimensional Prison removes it from the game!"

"What?!"

"Adios, Odin!" The Dimensional Fissure opens up in front of Grapha, and attempts to suck Odin in. However, a golden aura around Odin began to glow and he remained unaffected. Something was up. "What is this?!"

"Apparently you don't know much about other cards." Sarah said with a sly grin.

"What are you talking about?!"

"I activated Odin's effect before I attacked. Wanna know what it does?"

"Tell me!"

"Odin grants himself the power to become immune to Spells and Traps! So your Dimensional Prison is useless!" The massive Odin continues the attack, as the Dimensional Prison fails to suck him in and thus destroys itself. Sarah then calls out the attack. "Odin, continue the attack! Sacred Scepter Slash!!" Having charged up the spear, Odin slices Grapha with it with little effort, destroying the dragon fiend. Cliff's Life Points go down to 100, and there's one more monster that needed to attack. It was all over for him.

"No! Grapha is supposed to be invincible! How did this happen?!"

"Serves you right for hurting others! And now...I'll let Tanngnjostr finish you off!" The black Nordic goat Tanngnjostr then rushes to attack Cliff directly, and does so by tackling him right on the gut, taking away the remainder of his Life Points.

WINNER!

The Duel was over. Sarah was quick to approach Cliff, who was lying on the ground. His posse, scared off by Odin, the leader could do nothing but look up as his opponent grabs his Dark World deck. "Go ahead, do it! Rip it to shreds like I did to the kid!"

"No." Sarah replies as she drops Cliff's deck to the ground, scattering the cards everywhere. "Everyone was wrong about you on the cheating part. But you hurt my cousin. He has hardly anything left in this world. Lucky for you, you learned a painless lesson on the consequences of hurting others. She was quck to grab the sack that Leon worked so hard to protect from the thugs. "I'll take this as part of the deal."

"Hold on a sec! You're letting me go?" Cliff said in surprise. The thug seemed surprised that he was at the mercy of a girl that was letting him go. A girl he had made suffer.

"I'm going to be clear on one thing, okay? I'm only doing that because Leon and I had enough suffering for one night. Now I really suggest you get lost. And if I catch you hurting my family again....you won't get off so easily."

Standing up after hearing Sarah's excuse, Cliff resumes giving off that overconfident smirk on his face. "You won one duel and you suddenly get an ego boost. Fine." Collecting his cards, Cliff is quick to leave the scene. As she goes to console Leon, Sarah is approached by many people.

"Was that really Odin?"

"I didn't think Dark Worlds could be beaten!"

"Nah, that thug's skills ain't good. There are people who can make better Decks, but this girl was still able to take down a Grapha!"

"Oh, I can't take all the credit. Sarah smiles as she grabbed Leon's hand. "He helped too! Right?"

"All I did was make you the Extra Deck with just a mishmash of monsters. He just so happened to have the three-"

"You chose to add them, Leon. If it wasn't for you..." An older man suddenly approaches the children from amongst the growing crowd, and by the look on Leon's face, Sarah could guess it was the shopkeeper he was helping out. The man appeared to be balding, and his clothes didn't make him look any different from any shop clerks who still dressed like the old days.

"Thank goodness you're okay! I didn't really care about the cards! Your safety came first, kid! It was dangerous, and it was reckless of you to run off after them like that!" The shopkeeper, as glad as he was to see Leon safe, was apparently in a mood to scold him. Leon prepared to apologize, and would have done so if Sarah hadn't stepped up in his defense.

"Lay off, okay? He recovered the cards." Sarah said as she handed over the sack of cards and her Extra Deck ouch that she used during her Duel.

The shopkeeper rummaged through the pouch, and was more surprised to see that all his cards where there. "I don't believe it! You even got the three Aesir I waited for!"

"Yeah. They did good in my Nordic deck." Sarah said in a proud pose. Had she been any more arrogant her nose would definitely have grown.

"You own a Nordic deck? And what did you mean by that, little lady?"

"Well, she just beat the leader of that gang of punks that stole those cards from you!" Leon casually pointed out. "I'm her cousin, and she came to my rescue!"

"Kids these days! Why don't you think twice before heading into danger?!" The shopkeeper said with a palm to his face. But he quickly calmed down, relieved to see that both kids were okay. "But I really owe you for returning those cards. The guy practically took my whole store in that bag. I would be out of business if it weren't for you. That shipment of cards had just came in." A boy then gets past from the crowd, and the shopkeeper is the first to greet him. The boy's hair was colored red and wore a blue jacket with red pants. Sarah and Leon recognized him right away. "There you are, Roger. If you keep getting left behind-"

"Hold on, Dad! Those are the two guys I talked to you about!"

"Hey, you're the guy from earlier!" Leon shouted.

"And that's the girl who gave me that Dark Simorgh!" Roger pointed at Sarah, who couldn't help but blush a little.

"Oh, really? Sarah, you are a good kid. My boy has been looking for that card ever since he started dueling! I tell you what. I'll give you kids a good batch of rare cards for really saving my business, and making my boy happy."

"Dad...."

"I know. Just come on over to my shop. You'll be able to find something you may like."

"I'm sorry to be rude, but I have to go. My father is waiting." Sarah then holds Leon's hand, much to his chagrin. He didn't want to leave yet, not so soon anyway.

"Hold on, cuz! Today's Saturday, right?"

"Oh, yes. Dad would always leave the house and not come back 'til morning." Sarah closes her eyes to think for a minute, and inside her mind she sees the image of the Valkyrie, who greets her.

"Don't be afraid of them. The All-Father has granted me a portion of his wisdom, and the man possesses a kind heart. What's more, he also has a powerful monster who is capable of helping us."

It was truly her. Sarah was meeting once again with the warrior from her dreams. With not much else on her plate, Sarah was quick to accept. "So it wasn't a dream. Then I'll help you if you help me."

"Very well. Follow them and see for yourself the monster you must recruit. It is not one of the DIVINE, but every ally will be valuable."

"Then let's do this. To prevent Ragnarok from becoming a reality." Leon was quick to interrupt Sarah's thoughts, but by then she had already made her decision. She looked at the shopkeeper with a smile on her face. "Okay, sir. I can't wait to see these cards of yours."

"Oh, good. The shop is closed right now, but it's also my house. It'll always be open for you kids. It is the least I can do." The shopkeeper walks off, followed by Roger and Leon. Sarah was last, and distracted herself by looking at the night sky. She could see the Nordic Lights, but they had gotten no one else's attention.

Not a lot of people would follow a stranger under the promise of new cards. But the Valkyrie assured me that he had a kind heart. And a monster that would help in the long run. And Leon must be pretty excited too. This night didn't just change my life. It also changed his.

"Hurry up, Sarah!"

"Coming, Leon!" The girl quickly runs off, giving chase after Leon and Roger, who were obviously racing each other as the shopkeeper looked on. Although Leon made a foolish and dangerous choice that night, she was smiling that everything turned out to be alright. "Thank you, Leon."

-----

Chapter 2 Preview

"Hi, everyone! I'm Leon!"

"And I'm Sarah."

"We're just getting started with this story. That old man has a bunch of crazy stories to tell us, and it's all gonna lead to another duel!"

"Um, y-yeah. Another d-d-duel...."

"Sarah, you're blushing."

"You'd be too if your next opponent spent half the duel flirting with you!"

"Whatever. And we'll see you guys next time in...."Fairy Madness!" See ya then!"

-----

[Leon]

So the next chapter begins! Hold on to your popcorn, kiddies.

The Characters (so far)

Name: Sarah Anderson
Age: 20
Hair: Black
Eye color: Brown
Nationality: Swedish (by mother's side)/Australian (by father's side)
Outfit: Dresses conservatively, usually seen in a green T-shirt with a long-sleeved plain white shirt underneath, and blue jeans.
Signature Deck: Nordic
Signature card: Valkyrie of the Nordic Ascendant
Bio: A young girl chosen by the Valkyrie to prevent the dreaded war of Ragnarok, with the fear started by the ill omen of real Duel Monsters appearing in the halls of Valhalla. She valiantly faced and defeated a Dark World player, but the battle came with the heavy cost of her cousin Leon's Deck.

Name: Leon Nyström
Age: 14
Hair: Blond
Eye color: Blue
Nationality: Swedish
Outfit: Mostly rags, wearing a red shirt and khaki shorts.
Signature Deck: Spirit
Signature card: Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi
Bio: Sarah's younger cousin and best companion. Being somewhat familiar with the rules of Dueling, he loses his Deck when Cliff Taylor and his group of thugs tear it up. Despite this, his resolve to be a better player hasn't wavered, and plans to build another Deck when the opportunity rises up.

Name: Roger Phoenix
Age: 17
Hair: Red
Eye Color: Olive green
Nationality: American
Outfit: Red and blue t-shirt with black jeans.
Signature Deck: WIND/DARK Anti-Fragrance Deck
Signature Card: Dark Simorgh
Bio: A boy Leon and Sarah just met, and the son of a shop owner, much to the children's fortune. With the help of his father, he managed to nearly finish his lockdown Deck. The final piece, Dark Simorgh, was sold to him at a price he could afford.

Name: Shopkeeper
Age: 43
Hair: Balding gray hair.
Eye color: Brown
Nationality: American
Outfit: Usual shop clerk attire, complete with apron.
Signature Deck: Guardian
Signature Card: Guardian Eatos
Bio: Roger's father and a shop owner. Despite his age, he seems to have a passion for games, hinted by the nature of his shop. His merchandise was cheated out of him in a Duel he nearly won, but thankfully the culprit was stopped by Sarah, and to pay her with gratitude he's decided to give Sarah and Leon some rare cards. His Guardian Deck appears to be special to him, and seems to know more about the cards than he lets on.

Chapter Three: Fairy Madness, Part 1.

The group stops at a restaurant while the shopkeeper headed to his shop across the street. He decided to restock the items in it while the kids stayed at the restaurant. Just ordering shakes and chilling at the restaurant, the kids talked about the day's events. Roger had started talking about the use Dark Simorgh has for his deck, and so far it has proven to be useful as he had already won twice with it.

The strategy involved a step by step process of disabling the opponent. While it took a while to build up, Dark Simorgh's effect would wrap it up by preventing the opponent from summoning monsters face-down and setting any cards face-down. Sarah was impressed. "Wow, Roger. That is a good strategy. No wonder you wanted Dark Simorgh so much."

"Pretty cool, right?" Roger said with a smirk. His father was the only person he could talk as his friends wouldn't be into the game as much as he was, so he was pretty happy that someone actually understood him, much more his strategy. "My Deck's not the best around, but maybe I can scare some people with it."

"But if your old man owns a shop, why didn't you get it from there?" Leon said, confused.

"He just doesn't have it. He has a lot of cards, but he never had Dark Simorgh in his store."

"I just don't understand why he's never had it before. Lots of shops sell it. He's not a rare card." Sarah then went on to explain how she actually obtained the card. It was actually a birthday present from her mother, hoping it would get her interested in birds as much as she was. Sarah avoided the rest of the subject with another question. "Say, Leon. Any idea on how rare Dark Simorgh is right now?"

"Beats me." Leon said with a shrug before taking one last gulp from his milkshake.

"Aw, well. What's important now is that I have him." Roger pulled out the card from a red pouch, which contained his Deck. Although the beast itself looked evil, Roger couldn't help but get a feeling of divinity from the card. And it was then that it finally hit him. "I remembered something. This guy is supposed to be the Dark opposite of something else. Pop would always call him 'The Bird of Divinity'"

It was enough to get Leon's attention. "Bird of Divinity? It sounds so cool! I guess you should spend some time looking for the other one, huh?"

"I would, but right now Dark Simorgh is all I need." Roger said as he put the card back in his pouch. Seeing the DARK attribute on the card reminded him to ask Sarah something important. "By the way, Sarah. How did you beat that thug?"

"You should have seen her! She sent him running after she summoned Odin." Leon stood up on his seat unaware of the attention he was suddenly getting.

"Wait a sec. That didn't come from the cards that thug stole, did it?"

"It did." Sarah admitted with a saddened look. "Leon managed to nab some from him, and gave them to me before the duel."

"And you gave them back to my dad, right?"

"Yeah. It's kinda sad." Sarah had placed her elbows on the table so she let her head rest on her hands. She stares at the ceiling, thinking of the bittersweet fact that she had the Aesir for a short time. "It was the first time I Synchro Summoned, too." She said after taking a sip from her dessert.

"Hey, you'll probably get them again someday!" Leon said as he pats his cousin in the shoulder.

Roger stands up, grabbing everyone's trash and tossing it away. "He's right, you know. My dad's going to put the three Aesir for sale. They won't come cheap, but a Nordic player like you sure won't mind. Right?"

That was half-right. I'm a Nordic player who wants nothing more than to add the three Aesir to my deck. But money's kinda tight these days for me. It's a mystery why I even offered to buy these milkshakes. Maybe it was Leon.

Leon looks at the window. He spotted the shopkeeper waving at them. "Hey, Roger, look. Your dad's waving at us."

"Then that must mean he's done restocking. He's open for business, and I bet he still hasn't forgotten about your reward." The three leave the building, and head for the store. Across the street, they enter the game shop. The shelves were alphabetized. While the shop itself wasn't big, the shelves had a huge collection of cards. Common cards were placed in special card sleeves, which had a small chip in them that triggered the alarm should it leave the building. Rare cards and structure Decks were sealed tight in special plastic cases. Sarah was amazed at how Roger's family went to the extremes to protect their merchandise from theft.

The shopkeeper greeted the children and leans closer to Roger. "What do you think, Roger? The shop looks nicer, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. I can't wait to see the customers' faces when they see it tomorrow."

Pleased with his son's answer, the shopkeeper turns to Sarah and Leon. "So, children. Would you like to see some of the rare cards I plan on giving you?"

"Sure!" Leon shouted eagerly.

"Sounds good to me." Sarah said casually. She didn't hold her hopes up, as she thought the shopkeeper would probably give them a discount at best.

"Then feast your eyes on these guys!" The shopkeeper then opens up a binder which was full of cards. He had hoped the children would be impressed, but Leon was quick to turn the pages after staring at each one. Sarah was impressed at the collection, but still remained calm. "What do you think? Pretty good, eh?"

"They look pretty good." Sarah motions for Leon to stop turning the pages, and once he had stopped she took a closer look. She grabs a Spell card in particular. "Hm. Advanced Ritual Art?"

"That one's quite rare now that kids stopped buying Ritual cards."

"Ritual cards?" Leon asked, now curious what that type of card meant in the game. He was familiar with many of the rules, but some of the cards were still unknown to him.

His cousin Sarah caught on to her cousin's curiosity, prompting her to explain. "It's kinda like Synchro Summoning, Leon. You need a Ritual Spell to summon a Ritual monster, at the cost of any monsters that add up to the Ritual monster's level. Some cards require you to add up to the exact level of the monster you're trying to summon, while other cards are less strict."

Leon suddenly felt a bit dumb for not knowing before, but he was always thankful having Sarah there to explain things for him. "I see! It sounds good."

Roger then grabbed the card from Sarah. He looked at the artwork, and from the looks of it (so he thought) it looked like a massive ritual was about to take place. He decided to keep it to himself, as he was embarrassed to realize that the name of the card was a dead giveaway. "And what we're seeing here is one of the best Ritual Spells ever. This lets you send Normal monsters from the Deck to the Graveyard so you can summon a Ritual monster from your hand. That way, you use your hand and field less."

Sarah and Leon understood how that was helpful. Ritual Summons would usually remove cards from the hand or field (or both), and sometimes the cost would be high if it was the only option. With Advanced Ritual Art, not only would the player get rid of a monster of two from the Deck (and none from the hand or field), but removing a card from the Deck would thin the Deck out a little, increasing the chances of drawing something that would be needed at that time.

Mr. Phoenix put away the folder back on the shelf behind the counter. The children hadn't been interested in anything so far, so he thought long and hard on what else he could offer. It was then that Sarah decided to speak up. "So, um, sir I wanted to ask something."

There was a serious tone in Sarah's voice, and it succeeded in getting the shopkeeper's attention. The older man had noticed Sarah was mature and polite, but she was still a child to him. "You don't have to be so formal, kiddo. Just call me Mr. Phoenix."

"Okay, Mr. Phoenix." Sarah began, feeling more relaxed. "You were wondering earlier if I had a Nordic deck."

"Oh, I see now. You're wondering if you can get your hands on the three Aesir."

"W-well I wouldn't put it in those exact words, but I think you understand."

"I do!" Mr. Phoenix laughed, seeing now that Sarah was worried about something so menial. The girl couldn't help but feel even more relaxed than she was before. Even if she had been offered something, she had difficulty accepting it. It had reached the point where she felt it was something unusual to accept something that was already offered. "Not many people play the Nordic cards these days. They prefer the new things. You have to admit lots of those new cards are good, but sometimes the old is just as good as the new. And only the holder of the cards can make that happen."

Roger stands up proudly. "That's my dad's way of thinking!"

"He's right, you know. I think every card is good. It's the tactics and strategies you build that make the difference."

Sarah could definitely relate. Despite not having the Aesir, she has had several victories of her own. They were as many as there were losses for her, but at least she had lost track of how many times she had won (she saw it as a good thing). "You are right. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to beat other people with just my Nordic cards."

"And now you want the three Aesir." Mr. Phoenix added, wiping the smile from his face and instantly replacing it with a more serious one. "I CAN give them to you. But first I got to ask. Would you listen to an old man's tale?"

Leon unknowingly let out a sweat drop from the back of his head drop down just from hearing the older man's request. "Do we have a choice?"

"Leon, don't be rude." Sarah whispered in order to shush him, but it seemed obvious that the shopkeeper had heard them.

"It's alright. The boy's just tired of hearing me talk, but I promise that I have some good stuff I want to tell."

"Let's hear it, then." Sarah said as everyone takes their seats.

Leon, Sarah, and Roger take their seats around the counter. Mr. Phoenix grabs a black box from one of the shelves behind him and puts it on the counter. The box was almost entirely black, with only the image of an eagle headdress stamped on top of it. "Yes. They say that out of all the copies of Duel monster cards out there, the real spirit of each one of them rests in one card each."

"You know. If there are a lot of copies of Dark Magician out there, the real spirit would exist on just one of the copies." Roger tried to show off his own example. He inexplicably pulls three Dark Magician cards out of nowhere and puts them on the counter. As he repeated his explanation slowly, he took two of the copies away while leaving one on the counter. Sarah nods immediately once Roger was done, and Leon does the same.

"And I'm fascinated by Norse Mythology, so I have spent a lot of time and money finding the copies of the Aesir cards. Lots of them exist out there, but I have a nice collection of them already." The shopkeeper slowly opens the box he had placed on the counter. "Take a look." The children then take a look inside the box. Roger wasn't surprised, while Sarah saw many copies of each Aesir scattered inside the box. Leon was amazed to see many heavy hitters inside a box.

Sarah was dumbfounded. It was a sweet moment for her, seeing so many copies of the cards she always wanted. She could only point out the obvious. "There are so many of them."

"Legend has it that a chosen few can see where the real spirits are. If they are sealed inside a key, they would know. The key is just an example, though. Nowadays, it's very likely they'll be inside some cards." Mr. Phoenix had begun saying while Leon and Sarah inspect the cards. Each copy was the same. Some came with foiled names and/or backgrounds.

With a booming voice, the Valkyrie makes her presence known inside Sarah's mind. The girl had tried her best not to jump in fear, as she didn't want to alert everyone around her. "Worry not. The three Aesir have chosen you, and will reveal themselves to you." The Valkyrie said as her voice was heard again.

"How come?"

"The spirits of the Aesir shall rest on three of these cards, and you will then see what cards contain them. You alone will be able to wield the power of all three, but heed my advice. It would be better if you entrust two of them to two of your trusted comrades. For if you are to lose all three...Ragnarok will surely begin."

Just then, Sarah spotted three particular cards that began to glow. A Loki card began to glow in red, a Thor card began to glow in blue, while an Odin card began to glow in a golden color. Sarah knew right away this is what the Valkyrie meant, but only she could see it. "Mr. Phoenix? If it's okay with you, I'd love to take these three copies of the Aesir."

The shopkeeper scratched his head, trying to recall what he had said. "Oh, really? I did say you could have them, so be my guest."

"You mean it?!"

"Sure. Anything for the kid who saved my shop." The shopkeeper said without a worry in his eyes.

"But I didn't do it on my own. Leon helped, remember?"

Mr. Phoenix winced at hearing those words. He had forgotten that it was Leon's actions that led into saving his merchandise in the first place. "Oh, right, right. What could I give you, little man?"

"I don't think there's much you could give me. That guy tore up my Deck before he left." Leon held back on his words. He and Sarah had already gone through so much in one night, and the last thing he wanted was for Mr. Phoenix to look for the thugs to give them a piece of his mind. He was sad on the inside, sure, but Leon felt it was best if he moved on as quickly as he could.

The shopkeeper's reaction was not the same Leon expected. "I see. What monsters did it have?"

"They were all Spirits, and some of their Spell and Trap cards." Leon gave Mr. Phoenix a list of the cards he had. The boy had memorized most of them on the top of his head, allowing Mr. Phoenix to get a picture of the deck and style. Spirit cards were powerful, but the drawback was that they always returned to the card hand at the end of the turn they were summoned.

Mr. Phoenix thought long and hard until he came up with an answer. "Hm. I got it. It may take a while, but I can build you a Spirit Deck free of charge."

Leon was immediately overwhelmed with joy. "Really?! Thank you!!"

And so the Swedish duo stand back and simultaneously strike a pose. Sarah holds up her three new cards while Leon's pose was no more than a victory sign. "So now I have the three Aesir...."

"And I'll get a Spirit Deck! Eventually."

"So, Pop. You want to show them your favorite card?" Roger said as he nudged his father with an elbow.

"Good idea, Roger." Mr. Phoenix then reveals a pouch of his own. It had the same eagle headdress stamped on it like the one on the box. The shopkeeper opened the pouch eagerly and easily before he pulls out his card for the children to see. It was a woman wielding a sword and wearing the very same eagle headdress. "I've kept this card for quite a while. This is the reason I believe in the legend. Only the true Guardian spirits would be able to protect me. Until today, I haven't had anyone try to steal my cards. Call me an old loon if you want, but I believe my Guardian Eatos has always protected me from danger."

"Have you always won a duel with her?" Sarah asked. The things the Valkyrie said made more sense as Mr. Phoenix went on, so now she was curious. The monster did look mysterious to her. Besides the clothing that was obviously inspired by the Native Americans, there was hardly anything Sarah could say about Eatos.

"Oh, yes! With her ability to strengthen herself with all of the opponent's monsters in his or her Graveyard, it was a mystery how she was defeated in my last duel." The shopkeeper had said proudly. Everyone else takes a look at the effects of the monster card. Already at 2500 ATK, Eatos was also able to strengthen herself further by removing the opponent's monsters from the Graveyard and out of the game.

"And that's my dad's best card!" Roger added. Everyone looks out from the inside. A crowd had gathered and there was already a commotion.

"Huh? What's that?" Leon spoke up. Without much of a word, Roger and his father rushed outside and were soon followed by sarah and Leon. Outside the shop, a crowd gathers as someone makes their way to the restaurant across the street. Wearing a mask to conceal his identity and fake wings on his back, he was a sight to behold.

Sarah was the first to ask. "Who's that?"

"They call him Angel." Mr. Phoenix replied as he looked down, bothered by the commotion. It was apparent that he didn't want Angel to be here

"Angel?"

"That's him, alright. He's one big flirt! He always has girls following him around!" Roger began as he raised his voice so loud that even Angel looked over his shoulder to see what was up. But he was surrounded by adoring fan girls that he became distracted again. Roger was disgusted by the sight of it all. "That guy just prances around this neighborhood like he owns the place."

"You sound jealous, Roger." Mr. Phoenix said as he goes over to calm and cheer up his son. "You just need to show off your Dueling skills. At least that's how that Angel fella has been getting attention."

Sarah didn't believe what she just heard. The situation suddenly turned awkward when Mr. Phoenix stared at Sarah for a moment, as if he expected her to confirm what he just said. Not sure what to do, she simply smiled. She didn't know if that would help or make things worse, but she had hoped to get him of her back for now. "If you ask me, I don't think that was much of a "Dad" answer." It was then that Angel stares at the group outside the shop. He makes his way there, apparently much to the chagrin of Mr. Phoenix. But the shopkeeper didn't get his attention. Sarah backed away as the masked man made his way towards her. The mask only covered his eyes, and Sarah could still feel their piercing gaze. "Can I.....help you?"

Angel didn't say anything. He didn't seem rude, but it was more like there was something about the girl that he couldn't put his finger on. Dismissing it as an annoying feeling, the masked man turns to Mr. Phoenix. "Hey, old timer. I heard you almost lost your shop tonight."

"He knows you, Mr. Phoenix?" Sarah asked.

The shopkeeper sighed. He thought it would be best to explain what was bothering him. "Of course he does. I was training him to help me run the shop, 'til the day he started winning duels so much that he got full of himself."

"Now it's up to me to help Pop around the shop." Roger stepped between Angel and Sarah. He wasn't about to let someone in a fairy's garbs to prance around on his turf. "So get lost, Angel!"

But Angel did nothing but scoff before gently pushing Roger aside. "Why should I? You have a delicate flower in that tacky shop of yours. Shouldn't I at least say hello to her?"

Sarah couldn't escape Angel's embrace (actually he just put his arm around her). "You better not be talking about me."

The masked man wasn't about to let Sarah get away. As much as Sarah tried, she couldn't escape his grasp. All she could do was look away into the distance, eyes half-closed as if she was already bored. She was going to listen to Angel whether she liked it or not, and Angel spoke once she calmed down. "Tell you what. If I leave, I get to take you with me. What do you say?"

"I'd say back off. I don't have time for you."

"Touche. I just wanted to get to know you better. I heard you gave a Dark World player a run for his money."

That last sentence was repeated in Sarah's mind many more times after it was spoken. She looked at Roger and Mr. Phoenix, but their guess was as good as her. Leon, as caring as he was, didn't want to interfere. Sarah thought hard but she just couldn't wrap around her head how Angel knew about her duel with Cliff. "Just how did you know it was me, anyway?"

"News spread fast in this town. Besides, they gave me a good description of you. Ah. Just like I imagined. The beauty of a Dark Magician Girl. The body of a D.D. Warrior Lady. The grace of a Mystical Elf. And the cuteness of Eria, the Water Charmer."

She was creeped out now. The sad part was that Sarah did know what those card artworks looked like, and thus took offense that she was nothing more than something to be stared at by Angel. "Listen, you!!! If you're done checking me out-!" But just then, Sarah hears the voice of the Valkyrie once again. As it did before, the booming voice took her by surprise. Once Sarah closed her eyes, she could see the Valkyrie deep within her mind.

The angelic-looking woman was quick to address the purpose of her intrusion. "Woman, wait! I came to inform you that one of this man's cards holds a powerful spirit."

"I have a name, you know! And this isn't the best time! You don't really want me to duel him, do you?"

"You must. It may be a great help."

"He definitely wants a date if I lose!"

"You would rather wager one of the Aesir?"

"You're not giving me much of a choice here!" Sarah kept whining, and with good reason. Her history with men (and boys, when she was younger) hasn't been the best. Some had taken advantage of her financial situation while others had seen her as a convenience and thus nothing romantic emerged. She truly believed Angel was either one, so with a fire in her eyes she did the unthinkable. "Fine, I'll do it!"

Angel was very pleased to hear her answer. "Huh? You changed your mind?"

"Huh? I mean, wait! I'll go out with you, but you have to beat me in a Duel, first!"

"Sarah!" It was all a flabbergasted Leon could say.

"I can't believe you just said that! This guy's a womanizer!" Roger knew pretty well what he was talking about. He would recall his younger days where Angel would focus less on his duties at the shop and raise money with his skills instead. Nobody knew where the money went, but it did contribute to Angel's eventual termination from the shop. It took Mr. Phoenix reprimanding him for his work ethic that made Angel decide to quit and pursue the path to fame (which he obviously accomplished).

Angel could only look on very pleased. He was already wearing his Duel Disk, which had angel wings painted on it. "Oh, my! Kinda eager there, aren't we?"

"I'm not done." Sarah continued. "If I win, you'll have to give me your rarest card! Still want to risk it?"

It really didn't take Angel long to think about it. He already had his eyes set on his reward. "Hm. Meh, why not? My adoring fans just love it when I duel. Besides, I haven't much to lose, and a lot to gain from this." Sarah couldn't believe how eager the man was, but there was no turning back now. Once they shook hands on it, Angel turned to his fans. "Listen up, my friends! Looks like your Angel is dueling after all!"

At the sound of that, the many people who had followed Angel cheered on. Both Duelists shuffle each other's Decks and turn on their Duel Disks. But before they could begin, Sarah looks around nervously. She noticed that, this time, there was an audience that was actually interested in the outcome of her Duel.

Leon was the first to notice. "Oh, boy. She's got stage fright."

"Hey, Pop! Aren't you gonna stop this?" Roger turned to his father for an answer.

"Actually, I'm kinda interested in how this turns out. Who knows? I may even have a chance to look at the Aesir." Leon and Roger weren't expecting that kind of answer from an adult, and came to the conclusion that there was nothing they could do to stop the Duel from happening. Roger was worried the most because, despite how much he truly disliked Angel, the flatterer was much older than Roger and thus more experienced. He had actually faced Angel a few times, and he has yet to defeat him.

The younger Leon rushes to his cousin. In an effort to calm her down, he tries to encourage her. "I have no idea why you're doing something crazy like this. But if you're gonna go through with it, I'm right behind you."

"Really?" Sarah said, finally calming down at the sound of her cousin's words.

"Yeah. Now are you gonna make this guy pay for not leaving you alone?"

"Actually, that's not why I'm doing this."

Leon couldn't help but sigh at the sound of that. "Really?"

"It's just...I have my reasons." Sarah knew that Leon wouldn't understand. All the boy could think of was that maybe Sarah did like Angel already, despite how much often she sad otherwise.

Unaware of there being another reason, Leon just wanted to stay quiet for now. "Fine, I'll be over here." He said as he walked away.

Sarah turns to Angel. Both of them had their hands ready. "Okay, you! Let's duel!"

-The Duel!-

Sarah
LP: 8000

Angel
LP: 8000

"How rude of me. I should let my gorgeous opponent have the first turn." Angel said before giving Sarah the honor of the first turn.

But Sarah would have none of his flattery. She could only be cold towards him, and show no mercy. "Whatever. I draw!" Sarah makes her first draw of the Duel. She looks at the card she drew, which had the image of a white goat with lightning strikes on the background. "Tanngrisnir! He'll come in handy!"

The Valkyrie's spirit could be seen, much to Sarah's dismay. The warrior woman saw how much her partner freaked out, so she tried to calm her down. "I am here just to observe."

"I can see you! Am I the only one who can?"

"For the moment. But you must be careful. If people notice my presence-"

"In that case, stand there and just let me concentrate."

"Very well."

Sarah was pleased that the Valkyrie was keeping quiet. Her hand looked good enough to plan a strategy, so she didn't waste time. "I got it all planned out! One monster, face down! I end my turn." Sarah Sets down a monster card on the field in Defense Mode. She thought she was already doing pretty good, but she still had to see how Angel was gong to handle it

"What a pity." Angel said as he began his turn. "I may be a gentleman, but a pretty girl like you shouldn't take me so lightly. First, I'll play the Field Spell card, Sanctuary in the Sky!" The field is then covered with clouds, as the Sanctuary in the Sky rises up in front of both players. The settings on both Duel Disks were configured to adapt to Field Cards, so now a small portion of the sky looked blue. "Next I'll summon the Agent of Creation - Venus in Attack mode!"

The Agent of Creation - Venus
LIGHT/Fairy
Level 3
ATK 1600/DEF 0

The winged Agent then descends from the Sanctuary in the Sky, ready to battle. "Next, I'll use her special ability. I can summon as many Mystical Shine Balls, one at a time, as long as I pay 500 Life Points for each. And I'll summon two of them!" Venus then uses her power to create two Mystical Shine Balls, both apparently posing hardly a threat.

Mystical Shine Ball (x2)
LIGHT/Fairy
Level 2
ATK 500/DEF 500

Angel's LP: 8000 --> 7000

Sarah was confused why he would spend Life Points to summon a couple of weak monsters. "Why would you summon two weak monsters and pay your Life Points for them?"

"Just you wait!" Angel held his hand up. "Now that I have two Level 2 monsters, I can Overlay them, allowing me to build the Overlay Network!!!"

The field briefly changes to outer space, as the two Shine Balls Angel had summoned are sucked inside a space vortex. Sarah was surprised, as she never witnessed anything like it. "What's happening?!"

"It's an Xyz Summon! He's calling a creature from a different dimension!" The Valkyrie pointed out.

"Here we go! Come down and meet my next wife, Gachi Gachi Gantetsu!" Out of the vortex comes a giant rock-like warrior, and kneels in front of Angel as it prepares to protect him. "This guy will truly rock your world!"

Gachi Gachi Gantetsu
EARTH/Rock
Rank 2
ATK 500/DEF 1800
Overlay Units: 2

Sarah was amazed to see the new type of summon, but she was focused enough to hear Angel's remark. "Hey, don't get carried away! Whoever said anything about me becoming your wife, weirdo?!"

The Valkyrie did her best to silence her partner. "Focus, Einherjar!"

"Einherjar? But I'm not dead! And my name's Sarah!"

"You must still focus. Xyz Monsters are known for having powerful effects. Some are even the cause of sending monsters to the halls of Valhalla."

"So they're the enemy?"

"Some of them, yes. Others have taken a neutral stance. You must recruit everyone you can."

"Got it."

Angel stood waiting for Sarah to stop thinking to herself, but he only had so much patience. He raised his voice, loud enough to make her snap out of it. "By the way, my love. I should mention Gachi's continuous effect. For every Overlay unit he has, the attack and defense of his surrounding companions increases by 200. And I count two Overlay units!"

Gachi Gachi Gantetsu
EARTH/Rock
Rank 2
ATK 500 --> 900/DEF 1800 --> 2200
Overlay Units: 2

The Agent of Creation - Venus
LIGHT/Fairy
Level 3
ATK 1600 --> 2000/DEF 0 --> 400

"Venus, attack! Destroy the flower's precious face down!" Venus then fires a beam of light. As the battle commences, Sarah's monster is revealed to be Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts. It gets pulverized by the blast with little effort, and is sent to the Graveyard. "And what is a delicate flower like yourself doing with a savage animal like that?"

Sarah smiled, almost unfazed that her Tanngrisnir was destroyed. "Simple! When my Tanngrisnir is destroyed by another monster, he summons two Nordic Beast tokens to take his place!" The two tokens Sarah mentioned then take the place for Tanngrisnir, laying down once they are summoned.

Nordic Beast Token (x2)
EARTH/Beast
Level 3
ATK 0/DEF 0

"Then I lay one more card face down. Your move." Angel does as he said, laying a card down in his Spell & Trap Zone. Watching in awe, Leon and Roger cheer on as Sarah was able to save herself.

"Say, Mr. Phoenix." Leon said as he grew worried. "Do you think Sarah has a chance?"

Mr. Phoenix thought about his answer. "I'm not familiar with her playing style, but I do know Angel is using a typical move seen in many Agent decks. With his Venus at 2000, there's hardly anything in a pure Nordic deck that can topple Venus on its own. She has to Synchro Summon, or make good use of her Spells and Traps. If she doesn't, she might lose the Duel!"

To be Continued!

-----

Guess That Card!

Lore: This elf is rumored to have lived for thousands of years. He leads an army of spirits against his enemies.

-----

[Leon]

Chapter Four: Fairy Madness, Part 2

Guess That Card Answer:

SPOILER!!:

-----

The crowd cheered on as Angel made his move. He's a star. At least I thought he was by the way people followed him. Everything he did left people impressed. To him, this was a way to impress not only them, but also me. And to me....it was a step closer to avoid the dreaded battle of Ragnarok.

The chapter began with more people rushing to see the Duel between Angel and Sarah. Angel had summoned a total of four monsters in one turn, two of them which had remained on the field. Sarah had played defensively, getting two Tokens at the price of her Tanngrisnir. Angel had just ended his turn, so now it was time for Sarah to make her move.

Angel's LP: 7000

Gachi Gachi Gantetsu
EARTH/Rock
Rank 2
ATK 500 --> 900/DEF 1800 --> 2200
Overlay Units: 2

The Agent of Creation - Venus
LIGHT/Fairy
Level 3
ATK 1600 --> 2000/DEF 0 --> 400

Sarah's LP: 8000

Nordic Beast Tokens (x2)
EARTH/Beast
Level 3
ATK 0/DEF 0

Angel's confidence was growing quickly. Roger knew he was one of the best Duelists he's ever met, so Sarah would have a hard time with him if she wasn't careful. "So, my flower. Ready to give up yet? My monster can overpower your pitiful animals, so I'll give you a head start and let you decide where we'll spend our date." A common strategy for Agents was to receive a boost from the Gachi Gachi Gantetsu Xyz Monster. So far n this Duel, Angel had only lost 1000 Life Points, but that small price had sure paid off. He was forcing Sarah to come up with a defensive strategy for her next turn.

Just like before, the Nordic Duelist was quick to shoot down Angel's advances. "The only date you'll be spending with your adoring fans. I draw!" She had six cards on her hand now. King Tiger Wanghu, Gleipnir, the Fetters of Fenrir, Mara of the Nordic Alfar, Nordic Relic Laevateinn, Mystical Space Typhoon, and the card she just drew.

Roger felt uneasy by the way things were looking. Despite his father being the one that invited Sarah and Leon to his shop, Roger felt he was responsible as well. Angel was his rival, after all. It would have been better for him to just risk humiliation and duel Angel himself if he had known what Sarah was going to do. He would have stood a much better chance than ever before now that his dream Deck was finally completed. He knew Angel would be a gentleman, sure, but it was his flattery that would often come on too strong and get him in trouble. Roger didn't want Sarah, the girl that helped him out earlier in the day, to go through that.

He turns to his father, wondering if Sarah stood a chance. "If she needs to summon the Aesir fast, what does she need, Pop?"

"She's going to need either Vanadis or Guldfaxe. With either one of them, she'll be able to turn the match around. That is, she'll have that chance until her Tokens are gone." Mr. Phoenix was just as hopeful as Roger that Sarah would turn the match around. Things didn't look good for her already despite it being her second turn, but what he really wanted to see was any one of the Aesir to materialize in front of him.

At this point Sarah had looked at the card she just drew. With a smile on her face, she knew she wasn't going down so easily. "Say goodbye to your stone statue! I'll sacrifice both of my tokens....in order to summon Behemoth the King of All Animals!!"

An enormous, pink-skinned beast then makes its entrance, scaring some of the children in the audience. He absorbs the Tokens that were used as sacrifices, and began to grow even more. It was, of course, part of his effect. Behemoth can also be summoned with one sacrifice, but it would have kept the beast's ATK power at just 2000, just enough to tie with Venus. But since Sarah used both Tokens as her sacrifice, Behemoth received a boost in power that puts him as the strongest monster currently on the field.

Behemoth the King of All Animals
EARTH/Beast
Level 7
ATK 2700/DEF 1500

Angel looked at the monster that would spell his doom. He was more unconcerned than he was surprised, but he did wonder one thing. He turned to Sarah, taking his eyes away from the monster. "How could you have such a strong monster in your Deck?!"

"You underestimate my love for animals, Angel." Sarah began. "Didn't you know they have some powerful monsters? My Behemoth is here to reinforce the power of my beasts!"

"To make up for the Nordics' lack of strength, I see." Angel began to understand why such an odd monster would be in a Nordic deck. He knew now not to expect a typical strategy from the Nordic girl, so he smiled at her. He was only beginning. "Heh. Then let's see who's stronger!"

On the sidelines, Leon and Roger were relieved to see Sarah was going to last longer than they all expected. Leon, in particular, had never doubted her. "Alright, Sarah! Nice one!"

"What do ya say now, Pop? Does she stand a chance?" Roger asked with a smile.

His dad, however, looked disappointed that Sarah had missed an opportunity to summon the Aesir this turn. Nevetheless, Mr. Phoenix was impressed that Sarah at least had a way to reverse the situation. "I admit it was a good use for Tanngrisnir's tokens, but she should have protected them until she had Guldfaxe in her hand. Just watch and you'll see what I mean, boys."

The giant Behemoth already had its eyes set on Angel's monsters, and it was up to Sarah to make the decision for him. "Now, Behemoth! Destroy his hunk-o'-rock!" Behemoth, despite his huge size, ran quickly towards Gachi Gachi. Gachi Gachi stands up and blocks the punch Behemoth threw at him, to everyone's surprise. "What's this?!"

"You think such a good defense would come with no protection?" Sorry to disappoint you, my flower, but I can use one of Gachi's Overlay units to prevent him from being destroyed!

Once the Overlay unit was detached, Gachi Gachi Gantetsu was able to push back the massive Behemoth. Mr. Phoenix slowly shakes his head, as if he knew the outcome. "With Thor on the field, this wouldn't have been a problem."

"What do you mean, sir?" Leon inquired, curious how the Aesir could have made a difference.

"Thor has the special ability to negate the special effects of his opponents. It's powerful against effects that protect a monster from being destroyed." Mr. Phoenix then turns his attention back at the Duel. He knew Sarah wasn't going to defeat Angel by hack-and-slash moves. She was going to have to come up with a great strategy and hope for some luck in order to get around Angel's new monster.

Roger nods in agreement with father's statement. The man's knowledge of Duel Monsters was vast and impressive. "No wonder you didn't look so impressed, Pop."

Mr. Phoenix stares attentively at Sarah, who was wiping the sweat off her forehead. Gachi Gachi Gantetsu wasn't going down soon, and she has just ended her Battle Phase. Angel would begin his turn soon. "The girl still has plenty to learn, just like you, Roger."

Angel turned to his cheering fans and spreads his wings. He was able to make a majestic spin, and despite the wings themselves being fake they stretched beautifully and visibly thanks to the street lights. He turns to his opponent, still infatuated with her. Luck was on his side, and he wasn't going down soon. "Don't look so sad, Sarah. Look on the bright side; at least Gachi's boost isn't so hot now." The Duelists then look at the new stat change. Thanks to Gachi Gachi Gantetsu losing an Overlay unit, his monsters were weakened. "You could have gone for my Venus, though. What made you think attacking my Xyz Monster would do you any good?"

Gachi Gachi Gantetsu
EARTH/Rock
Rank 2
ATK 500 --> 700/DEF 1800 --> 2000
Overlay Units: 1

The Agent of Creation - Venus
LIGHT/Fairy
Level 3
ATK 1600 --> 1800/DEF 0 --> 200

"Your monsters get weaker whenever he detaches his Overlay units, and my Behemoth remains strong!" Sarah snaps back as she makes her only move during the second Main Phase of her turn. "One card, face-down! That's all I can do." She Sets her card down, and waits for Angel to draw.

"Is it my turn already? I draw, then!" Angel makes his draw, and while he apparently drew nothing useful at that moment he didn't look so concerned. "Meh, you got lucky this around. I end my turn."

"If you're going easy on me..." Sarah quickly makes her draw. Angel's attitude was getting on her nerves. She was being looked down upon, and that was just a form of disrespect for her. "You'll regret it!" She looks at the card she drew; a Monster card of a black goat.

"You drew Tanngnjostr." The Valkyrie pointed out. "He may be useful."

"You think so?"

"Yes. As you may have noticed, he's an Effect monster. He has a hidden power that carries the potential of summoning an Aesir. It would be best if you left him in your hand for now."

Sarah would nod in agreement and thus couldn't agree anymore with the Valkyrie. "Got it." She then turns to Angel who, as usual, waited patiently for her to make her move. And she was more than happy to. "First of all, I'll summon King Tiger Wanghu, in Attack Mode!!" A ferocious feline monster would materialize in front of its summoner. Despite being feral in nature, it was lightly armored. It snarls at Angel's monsters as it glares at them.

King Tiger Wanghu
EARTH/Beast
Level 4
ATK 1700/DEF 1000

"King Tiger Wanghu, huh? It looks like things just got interesting." Angel made an observation between Sarah's monsters. They both had a difference of 1000 ATK points between them, but each looked as vicious as the other. Both were eager to attack his monsters, but Angel believed that they would survive the turn.

Sarah didn't hesitate to make the call. "Now Behemoth! Attack Gachi again!" Once again, the large Behemoth charges and pounds Gachi Gachi, only for the latter to block the attack. as it did before. It lost an Overlay unit in the process, but it was able to repel the Behemoth's giant fist. The people in the audience, of course, were shouting the whole time as it was a frightening experience to see something so large running so fast.

"How quickly we forget." Angel smirked as Behemoth goes back to his side of the field. "Gachi Gachi may not have any Overlay units now, but he's still on the field!" Sarah smiled, prompting Angel to take a closer loo at his field. He is shocked to see that Venus stands back a little, as King Tiger Wanghu prepared to attack. "No! My Venus is weak now!"

Gachi Gachi Gantetsu
EARTH/Rock
Rank 2
ATK 500/DEF 1800
Overlay Units: 0

The Agent of Creation - Venus
LIGHT/Fairy
Level 3
ATK 1600/DEF 0

"I wasn't done, you know!" Sarah pointed at the weakened Venus, and King Tiger Wanghu was more than happy to follow orders. "King Tiger Wanghu, attack!" King Tiger Wanghu then makes a massive leap, aimed for Venus. It successfully tackles her to the ground, and destroys her. However, Sarah noticed something. "I don't get it. You should have lost Life Points! Why haven't they gone down at all?!"

Despite his loss, Angel smiled as he pointed out a small detail. "Haven't you noticed? My Sanctuary in the Sky protects my Life Points if my opponent destroys a Fairy monster I control!"

Sarah then stares at the Valkyrie, and given the warrior woman's look on her face Angel's statement was right. "I'm afraid it's true. The Sanctuary in the Sky is the safest haven for Fairy players. Although the aggressive ones leave it out in exchange for powerful cards, it seems like your foe has taken a tactical approach."

"So he won't lose Life Points at all?!"

"His field mustn't have a Fairy to avoid its effect. Sadly, his Gachi Gachi Gantetsu is in Defense Position, and only Behemoth can destroy him."

"And he already attacked." But it was far from over. Behemoth remained as the strongest monster on the field, and King Tiger Wanghu would prevent entry for monsters weaker than itself. "This isn't over! I end my turn, Angel!"

Angel makes his next draw and begins his turn with great elegance. Once he looks at his card, he became utterly excited. Sarah was scared. "Oh, this is perfect! The curtains are about to come down, my beauty! I summon the Agent of Mystery - Earth!!!!" Angel immediately places the card on his Duel Disk, revealing a small image of the Planet Earth. The Agents' search monster materializes instantly, standing next to Gachi Gachi.

The Agent of Mystery - Earth
LIGHT/Fairy
Level 2 Tuner
ATK 1000/DEF 800

"I also know of your King Tiger Wanghu and his special ability." Angel began. "Whether we like it or not, he instantly destroys any monster that is Summoned on the field. However, my Earth also has a special ability upon being summoned. And with the power of my Sanctuary, it'll bring a monster that will end this Duel....and win a date for me!" Detecting a weaker monster than itself, King Tiger Wanghu pounces on Earth and destroys it. However, due to the effect not being negated, Earth had used its power to allow Angel to search for the Agents' strongest. "Now meet Master Hyperion! I can summon him to the field if I remove any of my Agents from the game, be they on my hand, field, or Graveyard!" Removing his Venus from the Graveyard, a mysterious being materializes in front of Angel. With its magic, it forms a hologram of sorts of the Solar System.

Master Hyperion
LIGHT/Fairy
Level 8
ATK 2700/DEF 2100

The Valkyrie, now worried that Angel had placed a powerful monster on the field, quickly turns to Sarah. "Now would be a good time to activate your face down card!"

"Why is that?" Sarah stared back questioningly.

Back on the sidelines, Leon and Roger looked on as Angel had summoned his monster. They wondered what it could do, so they turn to the shopkeeper. "Master Hyperion, like a few other Fairy monsters, has an effect that varies depending on the presence of Sanctuary in the Sky!"

"So....I'm guessing he's more dangerous when that field card is there on the field, huh?" Leon asked.

"Precisely."

Sarah quickly activated one of her face-down card, before Angel could do anything else. "Hold on! Before you begin, I activate my Set Mystical Space Typhoon! Your Field Spell is as good as gone!" A magical tornado emerges from the card hologram, and destroys The Sanctuary in the Sky. Angel could only seethe as he puts his Field Spell Card on the Graveyard.

"Well done!" The Valkyrie said. "You seem to have caught on to my vague warning."

"Thanks, Valkyrie." Sarah nodded before she displays an slightly unpleasant look on her face. "But don't do that again. I need to do this on my own."

Angel looked displeased that Sarah ruined his strategy, but he smiled soon after. "Not bad, but you can't stop Master Hyperion from making an impact! If I remove a Fairy monster from my Graveyard and from the game, I get to destroy one monster on the field! So I'll remove one of my Mystical Shine Balls, and target your Behemoth!" Absorbing the power of the deceased Mystical Shine Ball, Master Hyperion calls forth a massive solar ray from above, destroying Sarah's Behemoth. Sarah was horrified that her Behemoth was destroyed, but Angel was far from done. "Now, Master Hyperion! I never knew what his attack name was, but I always called it the Solar Strike!! Destroy her King Tiger Wanghu!!!"

Using his own power this time, Master Hyperion calls another solar ray from above. And just before it destroyed King Tiger Wanghu.... "Now!! Tanngnjostr!!!" Sarah shouted just as the ray hits King Tiger Wanghu dead on, and sends it to the Graveyard. But once the smoke cleared, Angel was surprised to see a black goat in Defense position, protecting its master. Angel looked dumbfounded when he saw the new monster, but Sarah would smile at his expression. "Confused? I activated Tanngnjostr's special ability. If a monster I controlled was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Tanngnjostr's lightning-quick speed can bring him from my hand to the field!

Sarah's LP: 8000 --> 7000

Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts
EARTH/Beast
Level 3
ATK 800/DEF 1100

"Awesome! Sarah isn't defenseless!" Roger said.

"But there is a problem." Mr. Phoenix pointed out. "Tanngnjostr should only be summoned if the field is set up for an Aesir. And I'm afraid Master Hyperion still poses quite a threat."

Angel didn't like what Sarah was doing, but he believed all she did was delay the inevitable. "I end my turn, mon ami."

"Perfect!" Sarah shouted before beginning her next turn. She had drawn a Field Spell of her own, but it was not what she had hoped for. "The Nordic Lights? Oh, no. I was hoping for Guldfaxe!"

"Don't worry." The Valkyrie said as she went closer. "The Nordic Lights are still good on their own."

"Oh, right. They may protect Tanngnjostr!" Sarah then faces Angel, ready to make her move. "I activate my own Field Spell, The Nordic Lights!!!" The Field Spell changes the setting to the Aurora Borealis, mysterious lights that appear on the sky. The spectators were amazed. Especially Angel.

"Lovely. You HAVE to do that on our date." He said.

"First you have to get through this! Sarah said as she Sets down two cards in her Spell/Trap Zone. "I end my turn!"

"How pitiful. No monsters except for that tiny goat? Angel said as he began his turn. He was displeased with how long the Duel had gone. "I'm done going easy on you, though. First I'll get rid of your face down cards! Your Traps are too risky to ignore, so Master Hyperion, destroy the one on her right!" Master Hyperion then absorbs the power of the last Shine Ball in the Graveyard, but before he could do anything...

"Not so fast!" Sarah yelled as she pushed a button on her Duel Disk. "Commencing chain! Activating, Gleipnir, the Fetters of Fenrir!!!" Activating the targeted card, Sarah then searches her Deck for a Nordic monster, via the Trap's effect. She adds Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts, and soon after Master Hyperion's move resolves without effect thanks to the rules concerning Chains.

Angel look displeased that his move had failed, especially now that he had Banished his last Shine Ball as the cost. "No matter! Now I switch my Gachi Gachi Gantetsu to Attack mode! I'm gonna shred whatever Life Points I can, but I'll have to get rid of that annoying goat of yours!" Master Hyperion then initiates his attack, calling forth the beam that destroyed Behemoth and King Tiger Wanghu. But once he fires, the Nordic Lights grant Tanngnjostr their power, allowing it to survive the attack. "What now?!"

"You did good in thinking that you would meet a nasty surprise, but it didn't come from my face down cards." Sarah pointed out. "The Nordic Lights allow my Nordic monsters to survive any battle! Had you targeted them or Tanngnjostr, you would have inflicted some heavy damage. The Traps were merely decoys!"

"Darn it...." Angel cursed his luck. "Then I have no choice but to end my turn. But next time, I will use the Earth as the last monster to fuel Hyperion's wrath!"

"That won't happen. I draw!" Sarah said as she drew her next card, and was quick to make a move. "Now I activate Tanngnjostr's special ability! When I switch him to Attack mode, he can call any of the Nordic Beasts from my Deck!" Tanngnjostr's ability then activates, and causes lightning to strike the ground, summoning a second copy of Tanngrisnir.

Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts
EARTH/Beast
Level 3
ATK 1200/DEF 800

Sarah wasn't done. She had drawn one of the cards she needed to turn the Duel around. "Now meet the fastest steed on the world! I summon Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts!!" Hearing galloping, Angel could only brace himself as the new monster makes its way on the field, standing between the two goats. A horse with a golden mane, Guldfaxe was based on the steed that Thor had given his own son as a gift. "The field is set now. With these three monsters, I can Synchro Summon!"

Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts
LIGHT/Beast
Level 4 Tuner
ATK 1600/DEF 1000

"A Level 10 Synchro?!" Angel said in surprise.

"Yeah." Sarah said as her three monsters leap into the air. With their levels adding up to 10, they all dissolve into light. Guldfaxe, as the Tuner, dissolved into rings that engulfed the other monsters. "With them I can summon the legendary hero and champion of Asgard. Come forth! Thor, Lord of the Aesir!!!"

The tall and mighty Thor then makes his thundering entrance, as thunder and lightning scare the people for a moment. With the magical hammer in his hand, the champion of Asgard prepared for battle.

Thor, Lord of the Aesir
DIVINE/Divine-Beast
Level 10
ATK 3500/DEF 2800

Mr. Phoenix was the first to gain his composure and make a comment. "There he is. The mighty Thor."

"He's so...big!!!" Roger said, pointing out the obvious.

Leon was glad that Sarah summoned a powerful monster to her side. "Oh, yeah! She's got this now!!!"

Angel, however, was far from pleased. He had failed to capitalize on Sarah's vulnerability. "You know even he's not enough to help you, so I'm not afraid! I can just destroy him with Hyperion when your turn is over!"

"Then I'll activate this now, and try to wrap it up!" Sarah shouted as she flips a face-down card again. "Activating face-down card, Nordic Relic Megingjord!!! With this, I can double Thor's already-unmatched strength! And seriously? What's Thor without his belt?!"

An enormous belt is then placed around the waist of the mighty Aesir. Sarah knew enough about Thor's belt, which was said to double his strength in battle.

Thor, Lord of the Aesir
ATK 3500 --> 7000/DEF 2800 --> 5600

But she wasn't done. "And guess what? Last turn, you switched your Gachi Gachi to Attack mode!"

"Oh, no!" Angel shouted as he came to the realization. Of course, earlier in the match people had already commented how stupid that move was, though it fell on deaf ears.

Sarah was already prepared to attack. "Thor! Destroy Gachi Gachi Gantetsu with your Pulverizing Pound!!!!" With his overwhelming might, Thor slams down the enormous Mjollnir on Gachi Gachi Gantetsu, finally destroying the monster that gave Sarah so much trouble. The pound was so loud it echoed liked thunder. "And that's where I end my turn."

Angel's LP: 7000 --> 500

"No mercy!" Angel shouted as he began his turn. He was losing it, and thus did not hesitate to call the attack. "Mater Hyperion, activate your special ability, and use your power to destroy your greatest foe yet!" Master Hyperion then removes the Agent of Mystery from the game, and uses its power with his to destroy Thor. Even the powerful Aesir stood no match for the destructive power of Master Hyperion, leaving Sarah defenseless. "I got you now! Attack!" Soon after, Angel doesn't hesitate to command a direct attack, hitting Sarah directly. "And that would end my-" But Angel then saw that, despite the damage, Sarah was still determined to finish the Duel. But how, he thought. Thor was gone, and it would take forever to set up for an Aesir again, unless.....

Sarah's LP: 7000 --> 4300

"Not just yet!!" Sarah stood back up, painfully but otherwise surely. "Thor has a special ability, you know!"

"How?! With him out of the field, there's no way he can do anything!"

"That's where you're wrong, Angel! By removing a Nordic Beast Tuner from the Graveyard and the game, I can revive Thor from the Graveyard!" By removing Guldfaxe from the game, Sarah was able to call Thor back to the field. The mighty warrior arose on the field, raising his hammer and thus preparing himself for the turn to come. "And when he's summoned this way, you feel his wrath! He immediately strikes YOU down for 800 points of damage!"

Thor then releases a lightning attack from the pointed parts on his shoulder plates, shredding away Angel's remaining Life Points and ending the Duel. Angel knelt in defeat, as Leon rushed to congratulate Sarah with a hug.

Angel's LP: 500 --> 0

WINNER: Sarah!

"Awesome dueling, cuz!!" Leon said before letting Sarah go.

"Remarkable, Sarah!" Mr. Phoenix began, excited to have seen such a great Duel. "You impressed me! Looks like your Deck is fit to hold the Aesir."

"Thank you, both of you!" Sarah said cheerfully. Not only did she win the Duel, but she also impressed everyone around her. Even the most loyal among Angel's fans couldn't deny what they had seen tonight, but they also praised Angel for trying.

Roger felt out of place, especially when he heard Sarah praising Leon and his own father. "Um, don't I count for something?"

"Of course! You guys were rooting for me the whole time!" Sarah turned to a camera just in time to have her picture taken by a random stranger. She was about to inquire about getting a copy when she noticed Angel standing up.

"Sarah...you w-won." He said weakly.

Leon stuck his tongue out at the womanizing Duelist. "Yup, so no date for you!"

"I understand. I'm amazed you managed to pull that off."

Something had been on the mind of Mr. Phoenix for a while, and now that the Duel was over he felt it was okay to reveal what he had thought. "What worried me is when she used the Nordic Lights. It has a terrible side effect upon getting destroyed."

"Really?" Sarah didn't know about the side effect, so she was a little curious what it was.

"Yes." Mr. Phoenix continued." If it is ever destroyed, all of your Nordic monsters are taken along as well."

"So I could have done that instead of destroying your face downs with Master Hyperion." Angel had recalled back when he targetted Sarah's Gleipnir Trap Card, right before she started a Chain. If Master Hyperion had destroyed the Nordic Lights instead, Tanngnjostr would have been destroyed and thus leaving Sarah open to an attack.

But now that it was in the past, Sarah kept her eye on the deal. "Oh, yeah. A deal's a deal, mister."

"Yeah." Angel pulled a card from his Extra Deck pouch. Sarah waited eagerly to see what it was. "From me to you." Angel hands over the card, It was an Xyz Monster, one that Sarah had already seen before.

"Gachi Gachi Gantetsu?" Sarah said in a disappointed tone. She had hoped to get Master Hyperion or at least Venus.

"Yeah. Xyz are all the rage these days, and he strengthens my Deck. I want you to have him as part of the deal."

"I will." Sarah reluctantly shook Angel's hand, and to her surprise he did nothing more than to shake back. The man that was hitting on her earlier had already started behaving like a gentleman, so she couldn't stay mad at him.

"Well, I guess this is where I leave. I'll see you around." Angel leaves the area, and his fans, despite his loss, are quick to follow. Mr. Phoenix and the teens head for the shop, while the spirit of the Valkyrie remains behind.

"Impressive. She has made great progress already. She's already managed to summon the champion of Asgard and the All-Father in one night. I must continue to follow her." The Valkyrie slowly hovers behind her partner, as the screen slowly fades to black.

-----

Episode 3 Review

" Hello, everyone. I'm Sarah."

"Ta-da! And I'm Angel."

"Haven't you bothered us enough for one night?"

"Hey, I'm a guest in this story of yours. With any luck, I could even get the spotlight, you know."

"Anyway, in this next episode some creepy girl wants to duel not me, but Leon."

"I wonder why." Leon started wondering.

"Beats me. I guess there's one way to find out, and that's by tuning in for the next chapter!"

"See you then!" Angel said as his voice fades away.

"Hey, that's our line!" Leon and Sarah shouted in unison.

-----

[Leon]

Aloha, everubuddy!

*ahem* Well, it looks like we're gonna have to do things differently here. You see, the motivation is barely coming to me to rewrite everything in prose for, even though it's the best way. So I decided that the remaining chapters (5-8) will be not be written in prose form until further notice. However I have a piece of good news. If you don't mind the script form, you guys can look at chapters 5-8 in my blog entries. What's more, I'll even provide the entries for you.

Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

I have already written Chapter 9 and almost decided on adding it to the above list. However, since it's the beginning of the second arc, I decided against it and thought I should at least rewrite that chapter til the true fun begins. The chapters I listed here will be called "The Unfinished Project", as I don't even know when I'll get around to rewriting them (though I plan to in the future).

So I'm off to rewrite Chapter 9, and expect it to be posted here. If you got any questions, just ask in the comments section. Just click here.

[Leon]

Finally, right? The next chapter is here, so read on!

The Characters (So far)

Name: Sarah Anderson
Age: 20
Hair: Black
Eye color: Brown
Nationality: Swedish (by mother's side)/Australian (by father's side)
Outfit: Dresses conservatively, usually seen in a green T-shirt with a long-sleeved plain white shirt underneath, and blue jeans.
Signature Deck: Nordic
Signature card: Valkyrie of the Nordic Ascendant
Bio: Having achieved victories over two powerful opponents, Sarah's journey finally begins as she begins to travel the world with her close friends. During the week that she has waited to embark on her trip to England, she has gained more monster cards as she trained for the tournament.

Name: Leon Nyström
Age: 14
Hair: Blond
Eye color: Blue
Nationality: Swedish
Outfit: White and blue Nehru jacket and khaki pants.
Signature Deck: Spirit
Signature card: Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi
Bio: A young boy who's getting better at Dueling thanks to Sarah, the cards given to him by the Phoenix family, and the tips he received from Riddel. A young boy terrified of holograms, he hesitates to Duel unless the situation calls for it.

Name: Roger Phoenix
Age: 17
Hair: Red
Eye Color: Olive green
Nationality: American
Outfit: Red and blue t-shirt with black jeans.
Signature Deck: WIND/DARK Anti-Spell Fragrance Deck
Signature Cards: Dark Simorgh, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys
Bio: A short-tempered guy with a passion for Dueling, you can believe he's excited about entering the tournament. Knowing how to ride mopeds and motorcycles, he believes Turbo Dueling is the next step he can take to make two of his passions combine into one.

Name: Riddel Mirai
Age: 16
Hair: Blond with brown at the tips
Eye Color: Blue
Nationality: Japanese
Outfit: All-green attire of a blouse and skirt, topped with a beret.
Signature Deck: Naturia
Signature cards: Naturia Beast, Naturia Barkion
Bio: A shy young girl who has a hard time making friends, her personality once she comes out of her shell is one to behold. With the Athena Cup coming up in three weeks from now, she has reserved the group's entry tickets for the event, and has assigned herself and Leon as the pit crew while Sarah, Roger, and John duel in the tournament.

Name: Johnathan Jackson
Age: 24
Hair: Brown
Eye Color: Green
Nationality: American
Outfit: Black jacket and jeans, with a red shirt beneath.
Signature Deck: Blackwings
Signature Card: Blackwing Armor Master
Bio: Or John, as he is often called. He used to win championships at international tournaments until an unfortunate accident booted him off his team. Taking early retirement, he worked as a limo driver for Riddel until the fateful day that Riddel came back to her senses. With his new team, he's ready to satiate his need for speed once more!

-----

Chapter Nine: Hrist, The World Shaker!

The chapter began with a view of Riddel's yacht, which was already on its way to England. Sarah couldn't believe how surreal this was. She hadn't expected for a boat normally used for just cruising to actually make a trip to England. She was snapped out of her pensive mood by a question from the Valkyrie. "Is it really okay for your father to let you go like this?"

Sarah stared at the Valkyrie for a moment before she continues gazing at the sea. "It was no problem at all. He keeps going on these trips, but he really doesn't mind me leaving the house."

"Is that so?"

"Let's just say he and I don't have the best relationship in the world." The more she thought about it, the harder it became for her to forget about it. Sarah and her father have always lived together, but usually one would come home when the other was gone. And when both were home at the same time, bickering would always occur. She had no problem taking a break from all the madness to do what she loved, especially since Leon didn't go to school, Riddel was already at a genius level, and Roger felt indifferent about his education.

Meanwhile, at another section of the boat, Leon and Roger looked on. Sarah simply stared into the ocean with a sad look on her face, which concerned the two. "There she is, in her own little world again." Leon said while shaking his head. Neither one has spoken to the other ever since they got on the yacht.

"I wonder what she's thinking about?" Roger wondered.

"Beats me." Leon crossed his arms. "She really hasn't said much ever since we got on. I wonder if she's going to be alright."

"Maybe she's just seasick." Roger joked.

"Not really. She told me that her only trip to Sweden was a nightmare because it was on a plane. She's scared of heights."

"She sat on the window side, didn't she?"

"Yup." Leon shrugged. "She said she was hoping it was like a car ride."

It wasn't long until John jumped into the conversation. The limo driver - who wasn't much older than Roger - tried his hand at socializing with the boys. "I bet you kids I know what's wrong. Maybe she left someone back at the States."

Amazed that John said something like that, Roger then turns to Leon, hoping the boy would prove John wrong. "What's your take on it, Leon?"

"Nah." The young man began. "She and her dad don't get along very well. Their first argument was about me, and she's been taking my side on every issue since then."

After a moment of frustration and a palm to the face, John reiterates what he just said. "That's not what I meant. I mean someone she likes!"

As if on cue, Riddel makes her entrance by slapping John with a flyswatter, startling the limo driver. To everyone's surprise, she begun talking in her regal tone. "I'm afraid he's not talking in jest. This man's a womanizer, not to mention he flirts with a dark sense of humor. And I believe that's what cost you the match back at that last tournament."

Being able to add one and two together, Roger began to understand what John's nature was. "Uh....tell us again how you lost, Johnny boy." Roger was regretting a little what he just asked, as part of him didn't want to know how a womanizing limo driver lost a Turbo Duel.

"Uh, well, you see...." John began, already embarrassed to be put on the spot. "I got distracted during the Duel and crashed off course."

"Tell them what distracted you." Riddel urged John to continue, not wanting him to leave any details in the dark.

"It was a pretty girl in the stands. But hey, she was a keeper, you know?! You kids believe in love at first sight?"

"Eh, not really....." Leon responded callously.

"Hold on!" Riddel shouted as she pushed John aside. It was no mystery to John and Sarah that Riddel already had a crush on the young, Swedish teen. However, Leon and Roger were oblivious, though on Roger's part it was because he only knew Riddel for two days. "Doesn't the mere glance from a beautiful girl send you to your knees?! Doesn't that chance encounter just stop time for you even for a second?"

"Well, I just never thought about it. I never really thought about things like that." Leon left it at that. He wasn't much of a romantic person, and any love he showed for anyone was through deeds, and not words. Even though he lacked a male role model, he was already acting like a typical guy.

Riddel could only wallow in the disappointment she set herself in. She knew they had just met, but she was already hoping to change the way he was, even a little. "Oh!" With a scoff, she turns to stare at the sea. "Alas, I love him with every fiber of my being but he's still a child! That's the curse of being mature beyond your years!"

Trying to break the silence that followed, John cleared his throat. ".....Anyway, that's how I see it. Besides, we made a bet and she promised to go out with me if I won. Looks like she had more to lose if I won so it didn't kill her to flirt with another guy at the stands. That's what got my eye."

"Ouch." Roger shook his head. "That must have sucked."

"Big time." Leon followed.

Wanting to do away with the embarrassment, John quickly changed the subject. "I'm sure Sarah feels the same way about someone. She's all work and no play."

"Hey, doesn't Dueling count?" Leon said. He knew how Sarah passed the time, and would even duel with children and make wrong moves on purpose just so everyone could have fun.

"There's only so much fun you can have, by yourself, when you play a card game." John said, to Leon's dismay. He couldn't imagine his cousin feeling lonely, even until recently he was all she had.

Looking at each other for a moment before nodding in approval, the group gets closer to Sarah until she noticed their presence just inches away from her. Even if she wanted to leave, there was no way out. "Um, Leon? Remember that talk we had about personal space?"

"Hm.... " Leon thought for a moment. "'Don't get anyone else involved?'"

"Exactly!" Sarah shouted, already a little flustered. "What are you doing?!"

"Chill out, Sarah." John said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "We noticed you were by yourself."

"You haven't said much since we got on." Riddel followed up. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine!" Sarah answered, nervous now that her claustrophobia was kicking in. "Can you guys back away a little?" The group, each person with a confused look on their faces, decides to back away a little before Sarah passed out from the fright of having too many people too close to her. "Thank you."

Once Sarah calmed down, Leon spoke up. Sarah could see it in his face that she had him worried the whole time. "You need to talk more, Sarah. I get a bad feeling when you're this quiet."

"It gives me the creeps when the air is just too....dark." Roger pointed out. "You've been quiet this whole time. You think the boat's gonna crash or something?"

"Not really the kind of thing you kids should be thinking of in the middle of the ocean." John said after a heavy sigh. "The captain said we'd be there in two days. Maybe we should avoid some negative thoughts and think about the future. About our victory at the Athena Cup!" The limo driver had already set his sights in victory, and Riddel was glad he did. For John, coming back to action and winning the Athena Cup was his goal. He hoped that his major comeback would leave the masses talking about him for years, maybe even decades.

"That's the spirit, Johnny!" Riddel began with a smile in her face. "We may look like a ragtag team of children, but thinking positively and teamwork will surely get us a win!"

Sarah couldn't help but silently criticize the mood Riddel was trying to create. "Positive thinking? I'm never against it, but when it comes to competitions, you always have to think about the possibility of losing. You're just setting yourself for disappointment, otherwise."

"You just leave it to me." Roger said with a smirk. "My birds of fury will tear our opponents' monsters to shreds."

John was quick to make Roger's hopes have a crash-landing. "Not if mine get a head start. Blackwings are the new generation of a Winged-Beast deck, and leaves the others in the dust."

"Well, I got your bird right here!" Roger was about to do an obscene gesture with a certain finger, but thanfully Riddel took the liberty to whack him with, of all things, a water bottle.

"Save your filthy nature for the dogs!" Riddel shouted in disgust. "Ugh, disgusting!"

"And the prissy little rich girl steps in...." Roger said as he regains his composure. The shock from the bottle wasn't critical, but it had still taken him by surprise.

"Excuse ME?" Riddel exclaimed, obviously having taken offense from Roger's words. "I'll have you know that I am a Black Belt at Tae Kwon Do! I'm not a prissy little...p-princess!"

"Whatever." Roger replied with a shrug and decided to walk away. But he was the first to notice that someone was laughing at all this. Everyone else immediately noticed that Sarah was laughing at their bickering, which threw them else off.

"Mission accomplished, guys! She's laughing!" Leon was smiling that Sarah was finally taking the time to enjoy their company. Roger and Riddel were baffled at her behavior, while John couldn't care any less.

"What's so funny, Sarah?" Roger said once the girl calmed down. He was glad she was having a good time now, but he was annoyed that it was at his expense.

Once she stopped laughing, Sarah revealed why the whole thing was funny to her. "Oh, you guys. It's just that you were all comparing each other in terms of power. I think it's hilarious." They were even more surprised now that her answer wasn't something typical like "You guys crack me up when you fight" or anything similar. To them, it was unusual.

John was the first to speak up. "Excuse us for being the comedy relief around here, but we were actually serious. My Blackwings can keep up with even the metagame these days."

"My deck really cripples my opponent once I set it up!" Roger said with a confident pose.

"And I can defend myself from anyone bigger than me." Riddel followed with a loud karate cry.

"So you all think you're better than each other?" Sarah stared at them as she asked them slowly.

Nodding to each other, the three were quick to reply with a loud "Yeah!" Sarah then started pacing around. She started walking around the trio as she fell in a pensive mood once again. Once everyone was exasperated from the silence, she spoke up again. "Have any of you ever heard the tale of Gagagigo?"

"Gagagigo?" Riddel tilted her head in confusion.

Leon knew where Sarah was going with this conversation. "Ooh, it's story time already?"

"That's right, Leon." Sarah said as she turns her attention to everyone else. "I know some stories about the Duel Monsters world, and this one's about a monster's quest for power."

It only took Roger a brief moment to remember what monster Sarah was talking about. "I know what monster you're talking about. It's some sort of tall, lizard monster. A WATER monster."

"Tell us the story, Sarah. I want to hear it." John sat on the floor while he said this. Riddel was quick to follow, grabbing Leon's hand as she did. Roger remained standing.

After a few deep breaths, Sarah began. "Here goes." She had an audience, but at least it wasn't as big as it was when she dueled Angel.

-----

The setting changed to that of a desert. A small, two-legged lizard walked with a blue-haired sorceress. "This is the story of Gagagigo. His life started out as a small lizard, and called himself Gigobyte. He traveled with a girl who had the power to charm the creatures of the sea and have them submit to her command. That's right, we're talking about Eria the Water Charmer. Together, they were like two peas in a pod, and Eria once saved the little guy from being eaten one time. It was during one of their travels where Gigobyte was granted unimaginable power in the desert, and transformed him into a taller and stronger monster.

The small Gigobyte then transforms as told by Sarah's description. He continued to fight with Eria, who became possessed by him once she gave away her own soul thanks to a spell. They are then shown parting ways, and Gagagigo engaged a warrior in a fight soon enough. "Gagagigo had possessed Eria when she gave away her soul through a ritual. But they part ways eventually and soon enough, Gagagigo looked like he was wanting a fight against anyone. He met this warrior named Freed, who banished him to a different dimension. Gagagigo was unfortunate enough to get into a lot of trouble even in this new world and almost got himself sacrificed by Archfiends."

On the verge of being sacrificed at an altar, Gagagigo is rescued by a brave warrior. While the two escaped, they are attacked by a mechanical creature and the two work together to defeat it. It later comes back covered in flames, ready to fight again. It was defeated once again, but not before it tried to burn Gagagigo with a powerful attack, which was when the warrior from before stepped in and took the blow. "Gagagigo was fortunately saved by a warrior called the Marauding Captain. The two escape from the Archfiends, who decide to send a machine known as Inpachi to kill them. It was defeated through teamwork, but it eventually came back with new powers. A desperate outlaw, who was also escaping from the Archfiends, lent a hand and defeated the blazing abomination, who had struck the Marauding Captain with a blow intended for Gagagigo. This moved Gagagigo so much that he offered to lend a hand to the Marauding Captain and his men, who were in a war against a powerful creature: The Invader of Darkness."

-----

"The Invader of Darkness?" Roger grins. "Sounds epic! What happened next, Sarah?"

With a warm smile on her face, Sarah already made a decision that disappointed everyone else. "I'll tell you guys tomorrow."

"Leon and Riddel couldn't help but shout in disappointment, but it appeared that John more disappointed than them. "What WAS the point to this silly story of yours, anyway?"

"Don't you guys see?" Sarah began. "Gagagigo was someone who wanted power, and this was evident when he gained some in the desert. He possessed Eria but he eventually left the comrade that saved his life at least once. He was Banished after picking a fight with someone stronger than himself, and was unlucky enough to be picked as a sacrificial lamb by the Archfiends. And when he was saved by the Marauding Captain the second time, he saw that he was in the wrong path all along. A quest for power is never a good thing and shouldn't be followed. At least that's my interpretation of the story."

"But what's your point?" John insisted. "We already got power, at least what we consider to be power."

Sarah thought for a few moments on her response. "Roger, tell me how strong Gagagigo is."

"That's easy." Roger said confidently. "He's pretty strong for a Level 4 monster, with a whopping 1850 ATK points."

"And what about Marauding Captain?"

"1200 ATK points...."

"The way I see it, the source of Gagagigo's bad luck came from his lust for power. He was unlucky until after the Marauding Captain saved him twice. I think in the end he was thinking 'Maybe I had it all wrong. This weaker man risked his life to save me. I could have deflected that attack myself. But why did he step in...?'"

"And that's why he followed the Marauding Captain?" Riddel asked curiously.

"He saw that the Marauding Captain, as weak as he was, had a major role to play in this chess game we call life. Not one person is stronger than the other. Gagagigo decided to follow the Captain to lend a hand, but I also believe he did it because he thought his power had a higher purpose. And that's my belief for each one of us. I may be a decent Duelist, but it was Leon who saved me when Riddel was going mad."

At the sound of this, Leon and John chuckle while Riddel blushed in embarrassment. She couldn't believe such an embarrassing episode. "I-I said I was sorry........."

Leon pats Riddel in the back, as an effort to comfort her. "Lighten up, Riddel. You know she forgave you."

"Now do you guys see what I mean?" Sarah stepped in. "We're all strong in our own right, but we can't let pride overwhelm us. We can't go through life thinking we're all better than everyone else. Sure, we have tournaments nowadays that decide who's the best Duelist around and I can agree with that. It's one thing to be proud of yourself for your own skills and the path they take you to, but it's entirely a different thing when you think your skills - your power - are so much better than everyone in the world to the point of making you feel self-centered and overall selfish. It's just so.....foolish to think that way."

It didn't take long for all of it to sink in. Everyone realized just how right Sarah was. "You're right. I'm just getting the hang of Dueling myself. I can't compare my Tae Kwon Do skills to that." Riddel said.

"And I guess my Lockdown deck only works on certain people. I'd need a teammate who can help me out." Roger pointed out bashfully.

John, however, tried to lift his new friend's spirits. "Way ahead of you, Roger boy. We can compensate for each other's weaknesses."

Sarah stepped in between, smiling that telling her story was not a waste of time. She didn't think just stating the message in the first place would have effect, so she had decided to do it using a subject they all loved. "Let's all put our hands in the middle, and let's promise each other that when one of us is unable to continue down the road, we'll step in and help out. Because that's what teammates - no, friends - do."

In understandable silence, everyone slowly placed their hands in the middle. First it was Sarah, then Leon and Riddel, and lastly Roger and John. The sun was setting, as the scene goes away beautifully.

-----

In the dark room from the dark building from before, Hrist showed off her musical talent by playing the harp rather beautifully. Steelswarm Scout slowly comes in, rather hesitantly. Hrist stops playing with understandable frustration. "You know that door creaks loudly. You might as well report to me now."

Fidgeting nervously, the Steelswarm Scout knew he had nowhere to run. He had to say something to quell the anger of his superior. "I'm sorry for interrupting, Lady Hrist! I-I must say, your talent is just as beautiful as yourself!" He then nervously backs away once he sees Hrist stand up, but the Steelswarm Scout unknowingly entered a field of psychokinesis. He was levitating soon after, and sent crashing to a wall as Hrist opened her eyes and spoke with a booming voice, much to the fear of her underling.

"What did I say about flattery?!" Hrist had little patience for the diminutive monster. She was actually able to frighten a monster from a different world, even if it was just a spirit of it. He was visible to her, and pretty real. "I will ask you again. What's your report?!"

The Steelswarm Scout did not hesitate to speak due to his predicament. "Everything is going according to plan!! As you ordered, Siren is on her way to intercept their vessel! It won't be long now before she drowns them all!"

"Good." Hrist said calmly, letting go of the Scout. "Come back when you have some good news. I predict the piece of trash will die during my shower, so you better not come in until I'm done. You dare barge in my chambers without notifying my appointed secretary. Do it again, and you won't have to expect me to be as merciful as I was now. Am I understood?"

"Y-yes, my lady! I'm soooooorry!!!!" The Scout runs away as he continued to apologize. Making her way to the bathroom, Hrist looked at herself in a nearby mirror. Seeing Sarah's reflection on it, she punches the mirror with such force that the glass was utterly pulverized. Hrist didn't care that her hand had begun to bleed from the broken glass.

"Sarah....you dared take away what was destined to be mine. No. It's still my destiny to wield the three Aesir. You're just the useless delivery girl."

To be continued...

-----

Guess That Card!

Sea-Serpent/Effect
Level 7
You can send 1 face-up "Umi" you control to the Graveyard; destroy all other cards on the field.

-----

[Leon]

Guess That Card!

SPOILER!!:

Chapter Ten: Siren, Piper of the Sea!

The chapter begins with dark clouds that were starting to gather. The temperature had grown a bit cold, causing Sarah to sneeze.

"Oh, my. Sarah, someone must be talking about you right now." Riddel said with a smirk on her face, recalling an old superstition.

"Puh-lease! That is just a silly superstition, Riddel." My sneezes don't come from people talking about me.

-----

Meanwhile, back in America, we see Angel in the middle of a tug-o'-war between many of his female rabid fans. With a sigh of disappointment......

"Oh.....none of these ladies can compare to the beauty of that wonderful woman. Who can forget those eyes? That black hair? That sweet smile? That gorgeous-"

-----

"And you're just going to call it a cold?" Riddel said as she placed her hands on her hips.

"What else? It suddenly got cold in here!"

Roger tried his best not to laugh. He knew that Sarah was thinking about Angel when Riddel mentioned her sneezing, but kept it to himself. It was getting harder by the minute, since Sarah found herself sneezing at a frequent rate.

"I'm going inside. It's getting cold out here."

"Maybe you should." John replied seriously. "You'll be warmer once you're inside and you can treat that cold easily. Try to get some rest, too while you're at it."

"Thanks, John. I'll be inside." Sarah walked to the inside of the yacht, shivering on the way. Leon and Roger had started to worry, but they knew she would get better in no time.

"So.....any of you guys want to Duel?" Riddel proposed with a grin. She wanted to prove to Leon what she was capable of now after a week of practice, but she was also curious about Roger's dueling style.

"Sure, but n-no holograms." Leon shivered a little as he pulled his cards out. The cold air was suddenly getting to him.

"You know, it's getting really cold here." John then noticed that Roger, wearing only a red tank top around his torso, was not shivering at all. "Uh, aren't YOU cold?"

"Who, me? It's just a little wind." Roger looked around himself. The small crew Riddel had gathered were wearing coats around themselves. John wore a leather jacket while Riddel looked like she was getting for a snowball fight. Leon, despite living in a new home, had forgotten to bring something to keep him warm. Roger was the only one present who didn't feel cold at all. In fact, he felt quite warm.

"Look at him being all tough. Just don't try to quit when I'm winning during our duel." Riddel believed that Roger was just trying to withstand the cold, but she didn't know that Roger really didn't feel anything. It started to feel like a cold winter morning, and there he was just basking in it.

"I'm curious." Leon began. "Why DID it get cold here? It wasn't like this a few minutes ago."

John and Riddel began to think about it as well. Roger, not knowing how everyone felt, was a little clueless. "What are you talking about? I don't feel anything." At first everyone thought he was kidding, but they had begun to think that Roger was really telling the truth. In any case, what worried them now was the sudden change around them.

"Thick fog ahead! Miss Riddel, get yourself and your friends ready to go inside." The captain of the crew Riddel had hired to man her vessel was puzzled by the change of the weather, but was nevertheless confident that they would reach their destination.

Riddel led her group inside of the ship. Sarah was already looking through the glass, and was puzzled by the change as well. The Valkyrie hovered next to her, with a callous expression as usual. "What would this mean? Is the weather this strange in your world?"

"It usually isn't like this." Sarah pointed out. "That's what worries me. In winter, it may suddenly get sunny after a day's worth of snowing. But I've never seen it get foggy after such a beautiful day."

"It's almost nightfall, too. Could it be that the darkness is just getting here sooner?"

"I kinda doubt it. There's definitely fog out there." A feeling of dread suddenly hit her. She had faith in Riddel's crew, sure. But she was beginning to fear that they might have to turn back and delay their trip. They were hours away from home, but still saw going back as a possibility.

But the Valkyrie was thinking something else. "You felt it too, then." Sarah was shocked that the Valkyrie had an idea of how she felt. She was scared to ask exactly what the Valkyrie was thinking, but she predicted what the warrior was thinking. "The enemy is here."

Until then, Sarah had not thought about what she was fighting for. There was the incident with Riddel to think about, which fortunately ended in the purging of an evil monster hat had possessed her. However, she had not asked herself how the Valkyrie knew to deal with it. "Valkyrie.....what do you mean by that?"

Calmly, the Valkyrie began to explain herself. "In our struggle to prevent Ragnarok, there are several groups out there hoping to end the lives of the Aesir. Among them, the Steelswarm have the most active. But you know this already."

Sarah nodded in agreement. "Right. And your world is in turmoil because of that. That's why you've been sent here." Sarah had been thinking about one thing for a long time, and saw that now was the best time to ask her monster companion. "But you're not the only one who has been sent here....are you?"

It was finally out there, and the Valkyrie didn't deny it. "I'm not. Many have been sent to seek a human companion. However, after we crossed the Bifrost Bridge, we got separated. When Odin saw this happen, he sent me to find you. You happened to be dueling at the time, but he knew you were the one."

"That's good and all, but now that the enemy is here....they'll try to stop us, won't they?"

"I'm afraid so." The Valkyrie let out a heavy sigh. She didn't want to impose such a burden to Sarah, who has been so good to her lately. But she also knew that if Sarah continued to be oblivious to such important details, the mission would end in failure. "They are probably the cause of this weather change. If we keep going, we're bound to run into them."

But to the Valkyrie's surprise, Sarah smiled at her. "Then we should see what they want. How do you plan to fight them on your own if things get ugly?"

Looking aside in embarrassment, the Valkyrie replied with a simple answer. "It's my duty to protect you. If I dine in Valhalla tonight then so be it. But it's also my mission to gather my forces that have been scattered in this world. They have no way of reaching me or their world. I'm the only one who can bring them home. I hope....you can help me."

Sarah didn't even hesitate to answer. "You know I will!" The girl saw that her answer was enough to calm her partner's nerves. The two were finally able to get along. The Valkyrie was overwhelmed with happiness for a moment before she remembered the matter at hand. Sarah knew what to do. "Let's wait and see what kind of person his enemy is."

"Indeed." The Valkyrie replied with a determined look in her eyes. "And once we're done....could you tell me why you are helping me?"

"Huh?" Sarah was surprised to hear that. "What's there to say? You're my partner, right? Wasn't my help what you needed?"

"On, no! Of course it is! I just...." The Valkyrie hesitated. She was happy that Sarah was helping her. But never before had she seen the girl this eager to do so. "I just didn't think you would do so without hesitation. You did agree to help me since the beginning, but is quite strange that you are not objecting to anything."

It was at this moment that Sarah heard screams coming from outside. She saw the Captain's crew going inside and crouching beneath the windows. Sarah tried approaching them, but she could tell that they were too scared to do anything. She took a moment to feel embarrassed for them, as each of those men looked strong enough to lift her with ease, giving off the "tough guy" image.

She finally saw Roger rush inside. "What's going on out there?!"

"It's Riddel! She's in trouble!" Roger shouted as he ducks as well.

Sarah tried looking out the windows, but the fog had gotten much worse. She could only see a few feet away. "I don't see anything, Roger! What's happened to Riddel?!

Roger could barley muster up enough courage to speak. "Some girl! I don't know how she got in the ship, but I know she's not part of the crew because the captain keeps telling her to leave! She wants to leave with Riddel!"

"Stay here!" Sarah yelled as she rushed outside. Her heart had started racing. Deep down, she knew that this was the enemy the Valkyrie talked about. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she had to save Riddel one way or another. As far as she knew, the girl Roger mentioned could be a monster in disguise. She hurried once it hit her that Leon was out there too. Her cold had gone away, but the feeling of dread from earlier would only grow.

She finally made it to the deck. Leon just sat on the floor, too scared to move a muscle. John and the Captain stood in front of a woman in green armor. A strange sight, the stranger was fully armored from shoulders down. Her left hip held a sheath, apparently for her weapon. Even her back was not without detail: a set of wings completed the armor and was given the most attention.

The woman callously held Riddel up without a problem. Riddel was not a little girl, but the intruder was strong enough to pick her up by her shirt. As much as Riddel struggled and squirmed, the armored woman would not let go. Sarah looked at the Valkyrie, hoping for some answers. Sadly, the warrior woman was without answers.

John fearlessly shouted at the woman. "I'm not asking you again, lady! Let her go!" John cracked his knuckles, which was enough of a giveaway that he would use force if he had to. Since James stayed home to take care of the mansion in Riddel's absence, it was John's responsibility to ensure Riddel's safety. He wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to her.

The Captain felt responsible as well. He was hired to take his passengers and his crew to their destination safely. He never would have thought that someone would suddenly arrive in the middle of the sea and threaten Riddel's life. So much ran through his mind, but he kept calm. "Have you stowed away in our ship? If the fee is a problem, we won't charge you for this trip. Just don't endanger our passengers!"

John was just flabbergasted at the Captain's reaction to the situation. "Hey, pal! This isn't the time to talk about the fare! A life's in danger here!"

"I'm only trying to help! This woman is using such primitive efforts to get what she wants! We have to think like her!"

"And you think she wants a free ride? This was supposed to be a private trip!"

"Could you two buffoons stop arguing and just heeeeelp me?!!!!" Riddel had started freaking out and continued to squirm. The Captain and John had to save their argument for another day. "This isn't how you treat a lady like myself!!"

The woman, having not spoken at all since her arrival, was tired of Riddel's squirming. "Shut up, you brat." She was quick to backhand her much smaller hostage, to the shock of everyone present.

John was ready to charge at her when Sarah yelled at the top of her lungs. "Stop!!!" Everyone looked in her direction. Leon quickly rushed to her side while John and the Captain were glad to see a woman who looked strong enough to intimidate the intruder.

The armored woman, however, smiled at Sarah for a moment before she frowned. "I see. Heh, my boss told me you'd be here. Your name's Sarah, right?"

Gasps could be heard in the immediate area. Sarah herself couldn't believe that the intruder knew who she was. "How do you know? Who are you?!"

The armored woman began to laugh. She couldn't believe how easy it was to frighten her target. But as much as she wanted to toy with her a little longer, she had a schedule to keep. "If you really have to know, I go by Siren. My REAL name's just too good for you guys, so just call me that."

"I got something else I want to call you." John retorted angrily. Siren's attitude had proved to be very annoying on him.

"Please calm down, John." Sarah was hoping that Siren would go away if they could reason with her. It was the only option they had, as the armored woman was strong enough to pick up a 16-year-old with one hand. Sarah calmly turns her attention back to Siren, who stared back with a sneer. "What do you want? Is it really necessary to use a hostage for this? If what you want is reasonable, we could give it to you if you let Riddel go."

"Hey, hey, hey!!" Siren snapped back. "You think I'm just here to reason with you? .....Well, I am!" One sudden movement from John prompted Siren to hold Riddel several feet above the water. If Siren wanted Riddel to land on the water, all she had to do was let go. Riddel let out a scream as everyone realizes that Siren wasn't playing around.

"I only have one demand." Siren said with a sneer. "I want you in exchange for the brat. Now come with me, sweetie. We don't have all day."

"What do you want with me?" Sarah asked curiously. "And where would we go?"

Siren began to pace around, waving Riddel around as she did. "Really?" Each stepped clanked loudly on the wooden floor, causing Riddel to flinch back each time fearing that each step would be the last. "That's funny. Since you're asking, there's a chance you might back out on our deal here." Siren began swinging her arm carelessly, frightening Riddel even more as she tried to hang on (in a futile effort) for dear life.

"Cut that out! You're going to kill her!" John shouted furiously.

"I'm holding the cards here, now. You guys either do as I say or it's curtains for the rich girl." Siren stops pacing around and makes a jump. Still holding on to Riddel, she lands feet-first on the very tip of the front of the yacht. Riddel's face was already soaking in tears, a sight John in particular did not want to see.

"Okay, fine!" Sarah said after a sigh. "You win. Just please let Riddel go!"

"Not until you step closer, honey." Before Siren could do anything, Sarah made her way closer to her with understandable hesitation. Despite John's protests, Sarah had decided to leave with Siren if it meant Riddel's safety.

However, it was Riddel's turn to protest. "Don't do it, Sarah! It could be a trap!" Seeing an opportunity, Riddel bit down on Siren's unprotected fingers. Hoping Siren would tend to her bleeding fingers, she still refused to let go.

"You. Dense. Little......." Siren had lost it. Without hesitation, she tosses Riddel away from the ship. "Brat!!!!" Everyone else was horrified that Riddel was tossed like a misused toy, now splashing in the cold sea. Leon and Sarah were petrified, while the Captain quickly calls for his crew to man the lifeboats. Siren used this opportunity to make a grab for Sarah, but fortunately John had acted on his first instinct and surprisingly decks Siren with a fist on her face. Her face was protected by her helmet, but her head was still ringing in pain. "Haven't your parents taught you to never hit a lady....." Siren stood back up, her hand bleeding and cheek red.

"You're no lady!" John snapped back. He has had enough of Siren and, now having nothing to lose, he was ready to apprehend her so the authorities could take her in when they reached the shore. "You're just a criminal! A monster!" John was about to make a run for it and jump in the sea, but Siren was quick to pull a weapon from her sheath - a flute - and whacks John so hard he was sent flying across the ship and into a window.

"Funny how you'd call me a monster." Siren said before playing a few notes from her flute. She then makes a massive backflip into the sea, placing herself about 20 feet away from Leon and Sarah. Moments later, she slowly rose from the waters and everyone saw why: Siren stood at the head of a large serpent that rose from the sea. The Captain and his crew were too horrified to drop the lifeboats. John, bleeding from the broken glass but otherwise feeling okay, was shocked to see the snake being the first thing he saw after getting up. Everyone was too scared to make a move. Siren, of course, could only smirk at the look on their faces. "They call me the Piper of the Sea because I can summon a monster with just a few notes from my flute! And my Roaring Ocean Snake looks hungry!"

Sarah was less surprised than anyone else but still too afraid to do anything. This was the enemy that the Valkyrie mentioned, and it came as no surprise that monsters from the Duel Monster world would be involved. But she didn't think that the monsters seen would be real. Just what did the Steelswarm want from her? Now because Siren's demands weren't met, Riddel floated away in the sea with nobody to rescue her. The Ocean Snake would surely gulp down on anyone that tried.

The Valkyrie knew that the Snake was there to wreck the ship if anything went wrong with Siren's plans. And if the ship was wrecked with no survivors, no one would suspect the existence of Duel Monsters, much less the Steelswarm, that wanted to harm the world like they did with Riddel. Now that the Captain and his crew witnessed the existence of a creature outside their world, the Valkyrie knew what the Siren was thinking: They shouldn't be allowed to live.

"Roaring Ocean Snake!" Siren shouted at the Snake's ear. The huge monster then responds with a loud roar that terrified everyone around it. "Let's go after that girl I tossed into the water. You haven't eaten since we got here and I'm sure she'd make a nice appetizer...." Siren then stares back at the yacht and its passengers. "....Before we move in for the main course!" Siren roared with an evil laugh. The Roaring Ocean Snake searched for a minute before finding his prey. Riddel did what she could to stay afloat, but the cold water and the fear of the new monster weakened her muscles. She couldn't get far.

Sarah didn't know what to do. She didn't have any options. If she jumped in, perhaps the Snake would swallow her instead and allow Riddel some time to escape. But what if it didn't work? And if the Snake was given time to eat Riddel, then it was likely it would destroy the ship and kill everyone else when it was done. She turned to the Valkyrie for answers again, but the small warrior obviously was no match for the enormous monster. She was beginning to lose all hope.

But suddenly, a bird's cry was heard right behind John. He saw that the ship caught fire, increasing their worries even more. What puzzled him even more was when he saw Roger coming out of the flames unharmed. "What's wrong with you, man?! Can't you see what's going on here?! And now you set the ship on fire?!!"

"Sorry." Without another word, Roger snapped his fingers, which turned off the flames completely. Dumbfounded by this, John could only stutter as Roger walked closer and closer to the edge of the yacht. He stood unafraid as the Roaring Ocean Snake spotted him. "I'm saving Riddel!"

-----

Chapter 11 & 12 (Episode 6) Review

"Ah, quite." James cleared his throat as his turns his attention to the audience. "Good evening. My name is James and I am here to provide the preview for the next couple of chapters. There is really not much to say, but....it looks like Roger has discovered some powers. And because of that, he has found the courage to rescue.....what?!! Riddel is DROWNING?! John, just how could you let that happen?!!!"

(Stay tuned for the next chapter! See you there!)

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