Chapter 2: Duel Monsters
The card game of Duel Monsters, created by world renowned archaeologist Maximillion Pegasus, gained great popularity in its early years. So much popularity that the legendary weapons manufacturer Kaiba Corporation ushered the planet into an era of peace by reinventing itself as a gaming company. Created by them were special devices under an agreement with Pegasus called Duel Disks, which created a hologram of the cards that he released.
Because of these duel disks, many competitions and tournaments were held and it soon became a profession, watched by many on TV. Because of this profitable business, Kaiba Corporation decided that it was in their best interest to start academies meant to train young duelists in the game, and from there its popularity continued to rise. It came to the point where several duel academies began to integrate into actual schools. Classes such as math and science were taught alongside classes that taught deck strategy.
The London Duel Academy was an example of such a school. It wasn't as fancy as some of the private duel academies in England, such as the Boxley Duel Academy for Young Ladies, but it was still rather well known.
One of the strictest teachers at the London Duel Academy was Leo and Luna's homeroom teacher, a fifty-nine year old woman known to the students as Mrs. Kretch. Katherine was a thin, pale women with rich silver-grey hair that was always done up in a bun. Every day she wore the same red horn rimmed glasses and long black dress with white polka dots that went out of style after the 1940s. The clear round lenses didn't hide her bright red eyes even with the glare. While this teacher was known to be a skilled duelist, she preferred teaching the academic courses in the school curriculum, only teaching the dueling classes as a substitute for teachers who had to call in absent for a day or two.
That morning, as most of students talked about Luke and Leo's duel, Mrs. Kretch walked into the classroom and, as she did each morning, scratched her long black finger nails across the chalkboard to get the attention of her students. As soon as everyone got into their seats, Mrs. Kretch rubbed her nails with her thumb and began her morning lecture, which consisted of nothing more than announcements. Suddenly, Mrs. Kretch noticed Leo, who had his chin resting in his arms and a metaphorical dark cloud hanging over him. Mrs. Kretch picked up a ruler, walked briskly over to Leo's desk, and whacked the ruler on it. Leo flinched then immediately sat up straight.
"Am I boring you young man?" Mrs. Kretch asked in her usual stern tone of voice. This was not a question.
"Uh, no ma'am!" Leo quickly responded, still dazed and hungry.
"Then sit up straight and face forward!" Mrs. Kretch commanded in a loud voice. Then Mrs. Kretch returned to her desk and continued the morning announcements.
Leo didn't like Mrs. Kretch. She never smiled, and her thin pale skin along with the way she dressed made her look like a corpse. Plus she was always so strict. She made even the dueling classes she sometimes taught seem like a tedious chore. Always sucking the fun out of the game like a vampire, which was what Leo was half convinced she was. The worst part though, was that Mrs. Kretch seemed to have it in for Leo. It didn't show on the surface, but she always seemed to take a perverse pleasure out of punishing him. Leo knew that Mrs. Kretch would be leaning into him extra hard this morning just for his lack of attention.
Sure enough, Mrs. Kretch called on Leo to answer nearly every question she asked in her English class. Many of them, unfortunately, were questions that Leo didn't know the answers too. Or, were answers he couldn't remember under the pressure and his wandering thoughts. Regardless, many answers eluded him that day.
Luna, on the other hand, seemed to be completely ignored by Mrs. Kretch for as long as she could remember. She hadn't been called for an answer since the first day of school. The only sign that she got that Mrs. Kretch knew she existed at all was when her marks came back. As a result, she would often sneak out of class and just read it later at home. The window was always open on clear days.
By second period, she grew bored and stared out the window to the clear blue sky. Then one lonely cloud blew by that seemed to call her name. She shook her head in disbelief; her aqua hair trying to keep up behind it. Then she hazarded another peek out the window again.
There it was; that one lonely cloud white as rice, blowing in her direction. Once again, it called her name.
She checked on the teacher, who was early into an equation. So she quietly and cautiously stood up, lifting her chair and placing it down so as not to make any noise. Then, she lifted her leg through the open window at the back of the classroom.
"Luna." This time the whisper came from behind her, and with a different voice. Both legs through the window, she turned back, and found that Roxanne had seen her. She put her finger to her mouth and slid through the window, just before Mrs. Kretch turned toward the class.
Once out, she stealthily crouched against the wall. She tried to suppress her panting as she listened to Mrs. Kretch call on Roxanne to explain how to convert a certain fraction to a decimal.
Again the voice called her name, but now she noticed it wasn't a usual voice. There's no way a voice like that, under usual circumstances, would reach her. The cloud hovered over a group of trees off in the distance.
And she seemed to know exactly where the voice came from and how to get there. She was suspicious, of course, but also curious. She knew not who called her, but was called by name with a purpose.
So she went to the place where she was called to go, down the road to a park. There were a few people scattered about, but she continued on to Thames Path to a man who sat on a bench. He just sat there and looked quietly out at the river.
A white cloak covered his entire body, but Luna couldn't see what the gold insignia on the back was. It was mostly covered by the bench, which his hood draped over. His brown hair pointed straight up blew slightly in the wind. He looked to be about her dad’s age. He silently patted the bench with his hand, covered in fingerless black gloves adorned with studs on the knuckles. She sat down next to him with barely a sound.
He tossed some stale bread in front of them, and they sat quietly for a moment while birds gathered at their feet.
"You..." she took a deep breath wondering if she was supposed to speak to him or not. He reached into a bag and pulled out some more stale bread. She tried again.
"You wanted to see me?" she gulped nervously, not knowing how to address this stranger.
"Indeed." He said simply, offering her some stale bread from his open palm in front of her. She accepted. "How's school treating you?" He asked.
While she decided whether or not to answer, she tossed some bread to a bird, which ate it eagerly. "It's going great! I'm acing most of my classes, well, except the sciences of course. Ew. Gym is one of my favourites. My boyfriend and I are almost always on the same team. And there's this field trip coming up... wait a moment. What does all this have to do with you?"
"Is there anyone there talking about a... meteor?" He asked, hesitantly.
Luna looked down mulling it over. "The meteor... uh, yeah. We might be heading there later this week."
"That thing that fell from the sky... it's not what they're saying it is. I need you to stay away from it." He sounded stern, but not threatening. Then his tone softened. "Please."
She didn't know what to say. Her mouth just fell open.
Adrian suddenly, and without provocation, armed his duel disk. She stood up and backed away, mentally preparing herself for a fight. Luna was baited. She looked around the park, and she could only see one person, a hulking fellow. Definitely a body guard of some sort.
He stood up and faced her, but there was no ill intent in his features. "I know this is all a bit sudden. Luna, please duel me, so we have a chance to get to know each other. I promise, no harm will come to you in this."
She was tempted to run. But she doubted she could outrun them. Besides, there are questions I need answered. Luna thought to herself. She armed her duel disk, and their Life Points each went to 4000. They each drew 5 cards.
Luna still wasn't sure what to make of him. He had a look of genuine concern on his face that caught her off guard, like he was someone who knew her and was worried for her. But she couldn’t place the face at all. She braced herself for the coming battle.
"The first move is yours, milady." said the mysterious man.
"Draw!" She looked at her hand. She had Maxx "C", Humid Winds, Aroma Jar, Terraforming, Solemn Wishes, and Lonefire Blossom. She couldn't do much now, but she had a good set up for next turn. "I set a monster and 2 in the backrow." Three card backs appeared in front of Luna. "From my hand, I activate the spell card Terraforming, which adds the field spell Aroma Garden from my deck to my hand. What should I call you?"
The man chuckled. "I am Supreme King Gecko, soon to be at your service." He said with a slight bow of his head. "In time, you may call me Master Adrian."
"It's your turn, Master Adrian." Said Luna, still slightly confused by all this. Adrian drew a card. "During your Draw Phase, I activate the continuous trap Solemn Wishes, then chain my other continuous trap Humid Winds. Finally, as chain link 3, I activate the effect of Maxx "C" in my hand. By discarding this monster, every time you Special Summon a monster this turn, I draw 1 card! " Two purple cards flipped over on Luna's field, and it suddenly started raining. "I use one of the effects of Humid Winds; by paying 1000 Life Points, I add 1 Aroma monster from my deck to my hand. I choose Aromage Jasmine!" Luna's Life Points dropped to 3000. She added the card to her hand and shuffled her deck. "Now, I use the second effect of Humid Winds; because my Life Points are lower than yours, I gain 500 Life Points." Luna's Life Points went up to 3500. "Come at me then!" She said with a wink.
"I'll start with Spell Absorption." Said Adrian, placing a continuous spell in his backrow. "Every time a spell card is played, I gain 500 Life Points."
"Uh-oh." Said Luna. Her monster effects relied on having more Life Points than her opponent. So going up against another heal deck would cause some problems. Then if that wasn't bad enough, the next card he played was in a zone she'd never even seen before.
"I activate Purple Poison Magician in my left Pendulum Zone." He put the monster on the field, and to Luna's surprise, Adrian's Life Points went up to 4500.
"Uh... what just happened? Isn't that a monster?" Luna was a little confused.
"If you hadn't noticed by now, I'm not from here." Explained Adrian. "This card here is both a monster and a spell. While in a monster zone, it uses its monster effect and level. While in a Pendulum Zone, it's treated as a spell and uses its Pendulum effect and scale." He continued.
Luna was still confused. But she got the general idea. "Okay." She figured she’d learn more about these cards as the duel progressed.
"Because I control a card in a Pendulum Zone, I activate the spell card Duelist Alliance. With this, I add one card with Pendulum in its name from my deck to my hand. I choose Pendulum Call!" Adrian's Life Points went up to 5000. "I subsequently activate the spell card Pendulum Call. By discarding one card, I add 2 Magician Pendulum Monsters with different names from my deck to my hand. I choose Wisdom-Eye Magician and Harmonizing Magician." Again his Life Points went up by 500 points. "I activate the effect of my discarded Legendary Exodia Nightmare. When it's sent to the Graveyard, I add 1 Exodi card from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand. I add Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord from my deck to hand."
"In my right pendulum zone, I activate the scale 5 Wisdom-Eye Magician." Adrian now had 6000 Life Points, nearly double of Luna's. But Maxx "C" was about to change that. "With the scale 1 Purple Poison Magician, and the scale 5 Wisdom-Eye Magician, once per turn I can Pendulum Summon level 2 through 4 monsters from my hand and face-up in my Extra Deck. I Pendulum Summon Harmonizing Magician from my hand in Defense Position." A young magician girl in a white costume brandishing a giant tuning fork appeared on the field in front of Adrian. It had 0 DEF.
"By the effect of Maxx "C", I draw one card." Luna added the top card of her deck to her hand. "By the effect of my Solemn Wishes, each time I draw a card, I gain 500 Life Points!" Luna stretched in the healing rain, as her Life Points went up to 4000.
"I activate the effect of Harmonizing Magician. When it's Pendulum Summoned from the hand, I Special Summon 1 Magician Pendulum Monster from my deck in Defense Position with its effect negated. I choose Double Iris Magician." A magician clad in red and black with gold trim appeared beside Harmonizing Magician. It had 1000 DEF. Luna drew and gained 500 Life points. "I overlay the level 4 Harmonizing Magician and the level 4 Double Iris Magician." In a display unlike any Luna had ever seen before, the two monsters swirled toward the sky, dancing around each other, before colliding and exploding into what looked like a galaxy in the rainy sky. "From the peaceful depths of time, gaze upon the night sky. Xyz Summon, Rank 4! Descend, Timestar Magician!" From the epicenter fell a Magician brandishing golden weapons that Luna had never seen before. It had a tall hat, and a cloak that ranged from white to blue to even dark purple. Circling around it were two balls of light. It had 2400 ATK.
Almost a decade in school for this and this guy is still way out of her league. Luna drew and gained 500 Life Points.
"I activate the effect of Timestar Magician; by detaching 1 Xyz Material, I can add one Dark Spellcaster-type monster to my hand. I add Black Fang Magician from my deck to my hand." From the stack under Timestar Magician, Harmonizing Magician went to the Graveyard, Timestar Magician flicked its wrist and... Luna didn't even know what that thing was, but it struck one of its balls of light like a whip.
"I activate the continuous spell Broken Chains of Exodia." Adrian gained 500 Life Points from Spell Absorption. "With this, once per turn I can target 1 Exodi monster that's either in my graveyard or banished. I send 1 Forbidden One monster from my hand or deck to the Graveyard and summon that target. I target the Exodia Nightmare in my Graveyard, and send Exodia the Forbidden One to my Graveyard. I Special Summon Exodia Nightmare!" A shadow resembling Exodia appeared on the field next to Timestar Magician.
Luna drew and gained 500 Life Points.
"Question." Interrupted Luna, who had heard of Exodia in school. "Exodia needs to be in your hand to win the duel, doesn't it? So why are you sending it to the Graveyard?" She didn't really need to know the answer. She was testing the waters to see if she could actually talk to this person.
"I gain certain advantages for having Exodia in my Graveyard. For example, when this monster is summoned, I count the number of Exodi and Forbidden One monsters in my Graveyard, and this monster attacks that number of times this turn. Also, its original attack is equal to the combined attack of all forbidden One monsters in the Graveyard at any given time. So currently, it has 1000 attack points, and must attack you directly once this turn."
"Directly?" Asked Luna nervously. That would get right around her Aroma Jar.
"Yes." replied Adrian coolly. "Exodia Nightmare cannot attack monsters. It must attack directly."
"Alright." said Luna, and tried to think of a way through this.
"Now that you know one of my victory conditions, I may as well show you my other. By returning all monsters in my Graveyard to my deck, I Special Summon Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord." Both Harmonizing Magician and Exodia the Forbidden One returned to Adrian's deck. A tanned spellcaster with giant muscles appeared on the field next to Exodia Nightmare. It resembled Exodia, but it was darker and wore armor. The ATK of both Exodius and Exodia Nightmare were now 0.
Luna drew and gained 500 Life Points.
"This is Exodia's distant cousin. If I get all 5 pieces in the Graveyard by its effect, I'll also win the duel. Right now, there's 0. So we should have some time to play with. Next I normal summon Black Fang Magician." A magician in a blue and green tunic and cape appeared next to Timestar Magician. It held a black pike. It had 1700 ATK.
"Battle. I attack your set monster with Timestar Magician." Adrian declared.
Luna flipped her monster. It had 400 DEF. "Aroma Jar cannot be destroyed by Battle."
"I attack Aroma Jar with Exodius! Forbidden Blast!" Exodius drew back its fist, and it grew bigger. "I activate the effect of Exodius. When this monster battles, I send 1 Forbidden One monster from my deck to the Graveyard. I choose Left Arm of the Forbidden One. Exodius gets a 1000 point attack boost for each Normal Monster in my Graveyard." Its ATK rose from 0 to 1000, and Exodia Nightmare's ATK rose from 0 to 200.
The colorful aromas from Aroma Jar stopped the attack. "Aroma Jar isn't destroyed by battle." Then came the scary part.
"I attack you directly with Exodia Nightmare. I activate the effect of Purple Poison Magician in my left pendulum zone targeting Exodia Nightmare. It adds its strength to its target then destroys itself." Exodia Nightmare's ATK went up to 1400. "Because I activated Pendulum Call this turn, my Pendulum Spells can’t be destroyed until the end of your turn."
Exodia Nightmare's shadow went right through Aroma Jar and attacked Luna directly. Her life points dropped to 4600. As promised, there was no malicious intent in the attack.
"I activate the effect Broken Chains of Exodia. When an Exodi monster inflicts Battle Damage, I can send 1 Forbidden One monster from my hand or deck to the Graveyard. Any Forbidden One monster this card sends to the Graveyard is treated as if it was sent to the Graveyard by Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord. With this effect, I send Right Arm of the Forbidden One from my deck to the Graveyard." Exodius' ATK became 2000 while Exodia Nightmare's ATK became 1600. "That's 2." Counted off Adrian. “With the end of the Battle Phase, Purple Poison Magician's boost wears off and Exodia Nightmare's attack points return to 400.”
"I set 1 card and end my turn." Adrian's hand was empty now, while Luna had 7 cards in her hand. She hoped she could use them against the board he built.
"During your End Phase, I gain 500 Life Points from Aroma Jar. My move." When Luna drew for her Draw Phase, Solemn Wishes increased her Life Points to 5600, while Adrian had 6500 Life Points.
In one turn, her opponent had 2 of the 5 pieces of Exodia in his Graveyard, increased his Life Points higher than hers, and even summoned a powerful level 10 monster. Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord. Luna thought to herself. It’s obviously Lord Adrian’s ace card, so the set card in the back is probably something to protect it. I’m going to have to be careful with that card there.
“I summon Aromage Jasmine in Attack Position!” A young girl in a white five-tailed jacket over a yellow tunic and dark purple pants appeared next to Aroma Jar. She had a yellow purse that matched her tunic. It had 100 ATK. It looked back at Luna and, jumping up and down excitedly. “Hey, Jasmine. It’s good to see you again.” She giggled.
“I activate my set trap card The Spell Absorbing Life.” Said Luna. A trap behind Jasmine flipped over and a ball of violet light rose from it. “With this, I gain 400 Life Points per effect monster currently on the field.” Rivulets of purple light flowed from each of the monsters into the spinning violet ball, which popped. Small shards of violet light floated down on Luna, and she gained 2400 Life Points. Luna now had 8000 Life Points, finally more than her opponent’s 6500 Life Points. And just like that, the candle at the end of Jasmine’s staff ignited.
Jasmine raised her arms into the air. “Once per turn, when I gain Life Points, Jasmine gives me 1 draw. So, with Solemn Wishes, I gain another 500 Life Points.”
“Let me show you what my little friend can do! With my Life Points higher than yours, Jasmine gives me an extra Normal Summon of a plant-type monster. With this, I summon Lonefire Blossom.” A twisted yellow flower bud with purple leaves appeared next to Aromage Jasmine. It had 500 ATK. “By tributing 1 plant-type monster I control, I can activate Lonefire Blossom’s effect, summoning a Plant-type monster from my deck. For this, Lonefire Blossom tributes itself to summon another Lonefire Blossom from my deck.” The flower bud sunk into the ground and another one took its place. “I also activate the effect of this Lonefire Blossom, tributing it to summon a third Lonefire Blossom from my deck.” Again, Lonefire Blossom sunk into the ground and another one popped up in its place. “I activate the third Lonefire Blossom, summoning my friend Aromage Rosemary from my deck.” The final Lonefire Blossom sunk into the ground. This time though, it was replaced with a pretty teen girl in a vibrant blue outfit. She had a five-tailed jacket that matched the one Jasmine was wearing, except that it was a bright blue. Under it she wore a darker blue tunic and matching skirt, with lighter blue thigh-high leggings. It had 1800 ATK.
Luna thought to herself: If I activate Aroma Garden, Rosemary’s 2300 attack points will be stronger than Exodius, who only has 2000 attack points. Also, because my Life Points are higher, Rosemary’s effect prevents it from using its effect to send another piece to the Graveyard when it battles. So I can beat his victory condition!
But it seemed Adrian had already figured that out. “I activate my set continuous trap card Obliterate!! targeting Aromage Rosemary. I send a Forbidden One monster from my hand or deck to my Graveyard and return that target to your hand.” Adrian sent Left Leg of the Forbidden One from his deck to his Graveyard. Rosemary turned gray and disintegrated in front of Luna, and she added the card to her hand. Exodia Nightmare’s ATK went up to 600, yet even worse, Exodius’ ATK rose to 3000 points.
Luna had suspected such a card. “Plan B then. I activate my field spell Aroma Garden.” Luna’s duel disk opened a special compartment for field spells and she played the card in it. Floating unlit candles littered the field, moving slowly and randomly.
“Because you activated a spell card, I gain 500 Life Points from Spell Absorption.” Countered Adrian. He now had 7000 Life Points.
“I activate the effect of Aroma Garden. Because I control an Aroma monster, once per turn I can gain 500 Life Points, and unlock a lingering effect until the end of your turn. With this effect, all monsters I control get 500 points stronger.” As one, the candles ignited. Little Aromage Jasmine now had 600 ATK. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
“Battle. Aromage Jasmine attacks Exodia Nightmare!” She swung her staff at the shadow and they both shattered into golden triangles. “When an Aromage monster is destroyed by battle, Aroma Garden gives me 1000 Life Points.”
“I chain the effect of Exodia Nightmare in my Graveyard. When it’s sent to the Graveyard, I add one Exodi card from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand. With this effect, I add The Legendary Exodia Incarnate from my deck to my hand.”
She managed to beat one of them. Even though it was just a small level 4 monster with low ATK and no protection, Luna felt quite accomplished. “I set 3 cards. During my End Phase Aroma Jar increases my Life Points by 500.”
“I imagine you’d like to know why I called to see you.” Said Supreme King Gecko.
“Yes, sir.” Answered Luna.
“Let me tell you a story. Long, long ago, before my time, in a secret place that not many can find, an injured Dragon crashed landed. A great many trees and homes were destroyed by its arrival. So the usually peaceful locals gathered to talk about how to handle this intruder. They discussed many things, but the Dragon pleaded for someone to save it. In exchange, she promised to do whatever she could to fix the damage she’s done, and to protect their forest. Because she was repentant, all the locals pitched in to heal the Dragon, and provide her with a safe sanctuary. In time they came to call her their friend.”
Adrian sighed and continued. “Then, not too long ago, a delightful young girl stumbled on a way to gain access to the Ancient Forest, where violence is forbidden. It seemed to be a safe place, even for a 3 year old.”
Luna giggled shyly, recognizing that he was talking about her when she was a toddler.
“So I decided it was best not to interfere. That was until some giant hairy ape decided to set up shop close by. All around the forest, duel monster spirits were getting turned to stone.”
Luna gasped, enthralled by the story.
“You see, because petrifying isn’t violence, and any resistance usually was, he was able to take over the Ancient Forest without notable opposition. Even I couldn’t do much.”
It made perfect sense. Luna had never about how Zeman had gained his throne before.
“But fearing for the little girl’s safety, I set up a small task force to look for her, and I hoped I would find her before the apes did. Long story short, we sent her back to where she belonged. With my entire team turned to stone, and even the protector spirit Ancient Fairy Dragon sealed into a mountain, I was forced into hiding.”
“I’m… I’m so sorry.” Luna frowned. “You lost your friends because of me.”
“Luna, while you were there, you made a promise. Do you remember what that promise was?”
Luna thought about it for a moment. She was reminded of it only 2 years ago. “I promised to protect the spirit world. I haven’t been doing a good job at keeping that promise lately.”
Adrian drew a card. “I activate Timestar Magician. By detatching Double Iris Magican, I add Exodia Necross from my deck to my hand.” Once again, Timestar Magician whipped a spinning ball of light that circled it. It now had no Xyz Material. Double Iris Magician went to the Graveyard, and Adrian added his Ritual Monster to his hand.
“I activate the effect of my face-up Broken Chains of Exodia targeting Exodia Nightmare in my Graveyard, and chain the effect of my face-up Obliterate!!. I send Right Leg of the Forbidden One from my Deck to the Graveyard and return Aroma Jar to your hand, then I send Exodia the Forbidden One from my Deck to the Graveyard and summon Exodia Nightmare with 1800 attack points and 5 attacks.” Exodius now had 4000 ATK.
“There’s 5 pieces of Exodia in your Graveyard, but you don’t win yet. The two legs were sent by Obliterate!! and not Exodius.” Commented Luna. “Right Lord Adrian?”
“Yes, that is correct. I am unable to win until I remove both legs from the Graveyard, and send them again with the effect of Exodius. But I have other ways of winning a duel. I equip Exodia Nightmare with One-shot Wand.” A wand with a crescent moon at the end appeared in Exodia Nightmare’s hand. “A spellcaster equipped with One-shot Wand gains 800 attack points.” Its ATK went up to 2600.
Suddenly it wasn’t as weak as Luna remembered it. This thing could end a duel all by itself at full power.
“Because I activated a spell card, I gain 500 Life Points from Spell Absorption. Battle. I attack you directly with Exodia Nightmare. Again, I add Purple Poison Magician’s power to Exodia Nightmare. Then, I use Timestar Magician’s effect to protect Purple Poison Magician by sending a Spellcaster from my Deck to my Graveyard.” He sent a Black Fang Magician to his Graveyard.
Lord Adrian’s monster now had 3800 ATK and would attack Luna Directly 5 times! If Luna didn’t act fast, she would lose the duel this turn. “I activate Rainbow Life! By discarding 1 card, I gain life points instead of taking damage this turn. And, if I remember correctly, your monster doesn’t have a choice whether it attacks or not.” Luna discarded Aromage Rosemary. The mass of shadow turned into a pretty rainbow. Suddenly Luna had 28300 Life Points.
Adrian was shocked, to say the least. “Well played Luna. Well played.” Then he sent his equip spell to the Graveyard. “After the monster equipped with One-shot wand battles, One-shot Wand is sent to the graveyard, and I draw. Because the equipped monster battled 5 times, I draw 5 cards by this effect.” And so he did.
“During my second Main Phase, I normal summon White Wing Magician.” A magician in a blue white and green dress and hat appeared next to Exodius. It held a thin wand. This tuner had 1600 ATK. “I tune my level 4 Black Fang Magician into my level 4 White Wing Magician.” White Wing magician turned into 4 rings of green light which surrounded Black Fang Magician and turned it into 4 balls of white light. The two monsters went face up in Adrian’s Extra Deck. As that happened, Adrian chanted: “Hero's blade that sets forth unyielding light! Here and now, along with a flash, awaken! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Enlightenment Paladin!” A paladin clad in white black and gold armor appeared on the field next to Timestar Magician. It pointed one of its two weapons straight at Luna. Again, she had no idea what they were. It had 2500 ATK. But at least she was a familiar summon mechanic.
Lord Adrian can Synchro Summon. Luna took a moment to process this new information, then nodded. So Lord Adrian continued.
“I activate Enlightenment Paladin’s effect when it’s summoned. I choose one spell card in my Graveyard and add it to my hand. I pick Duelist Alliance.” He said, and added that to his hand. “I subsequently activated the aforementioned Duelist Alliance spell, which adds one card with Pendulum in its name to my hand. I choose Time Pendulumgraph. Because I activated a spell card, I gain 500 Life Points from Spell Absorption.” Adrian now had 8000 Life Points.
“Since Exodia Nightmare is treated as a Forbidden One monster, I tribute it to Special Summon Exodia Incarnate from my hand.” Exodia Nightmare sank into the ground, and in its place appeared a golden spellcaster resembling Exodia. “Its strength is calculated based on the number of Forbidden One monsters in the Graveyard, multiplied by 1000. Since there are currently 6, it has 6000 ATK. It also has an effect that makes it immune to all other effects.” Adrian explained. “Now, because Exodia Nightmare was sent to the Graveyard again, I add another Exodi card to my hand. This time, I’ll add the ritual spell Contract with Exodia.”
“Now that I’m able to destroy it, I activate my face-up Wisdom-Eye Magician’s pendulum effect. While I have a card in my other pendulum zone, such as this Purple Poison Magican, by destroying this card, I can place a Magician Pendulum Monster from my deck in the same zone as Wisdom-Eye Magican was in. I choose the scale 12 Five-Rainbow Magician.” Adrian moved his Wisdom-Eye Magican to his Extra Deck face-up. “There’s more to Pendulums that I didn’t tell you earlier. When a Pendulum Monster is on the field, either as a Monster or as a Pendulum, and that card is destroyed, tributed, or would otherwise be sent to the Graveyard, it is placed face-up in the Extra Deck instead. Then, if it’s within the scales, I can Pendulum Summon that monster from face-up in my Extra Deck as if it was in my hand.” Adrian explained. “Now, because of Five-Rainbow Magician’s Pendulum effect, I can only Pendulum Summon face-up monsters from my Extra Deck, and not my hand. Additionally, if a player has no set cards in their backrow, that player cannot declare an attack, but if a player has 4 or more set cards in their backrow, all their monsters are doubled in strength.”
Luna took a moment to wrap her head around all this. So far, Adrian has only been Pendulum Summoning one monster at a time, but by the sound of it, he could be summoning up to 5 monsters every turn, if he had the resources and space to do so. Also, for Luna to declare anymore attacks, she would have to start setting in her Main Phase 1 instead of her Main Phase 2, when she usually sets her cards. And most importantly, thought Luna to herself, if I can set enough cards next turn, I can OTK him!
“From my Extra Deck, I Pendulum Summon my face-up Black Fang Magician.” Black Fang Magician reappeared next to Exodia Incarnate. “I tribute the level 4 Black Fang Magician for Contract with Exodia.” A sad look crossed Adrian’s face. 5 Gravestones rose from the ground in a circle around Black Fang Magician. A lightning bolt struck Black Fang Magician, which turned into 4 balls of light. Adrian removed Black Fang Magician from play. From the ground rose a giant slab of rock with carvings on the front. A single tear dripped from Adrian’s eye, but his voice remained steady. “By tributing and banishing a level 4 DARK Spellcaster-type monster, I Ritual Summon Exodia Necross.”
The face of the rock melted away, magma dripping slowly revealing Exodia himself, skin charred black. When his torso was clear, he slumped forward, held up by his chained wrists. The stone continued to melt down his legs, and when it reached his ankles gave way again. And again when the cleared his entire body and lay steaming on the ground. There, bound to the rock was the most powerful monster Luna had ever laid eyes on, dangling powerlessly.
Then one of the balls of light slashed through the bonds on one of his leg. And another slashed through the bonds on the other leg. One by one, the balls of light attacked the chains until they snapped releasing Exodia. Then the balls of light disappeared into the stone slab, which sank back into the ground.
And then… It stood up.
“Exodia Necross has no real effect of its own. But it gains effects based on the Forbidden One cards in my graveyard.” Adrian explained. “While Exodia the Forbidden One is in the Graveyard, this monster can’t be destroyed by battle. While Left Leg of the Forbidden One is on the field, it is unaffected by spells. While Right Leg of the Forbidden One is in the Graveyard, it is unaffected by traps. While Left Arm of the Forbidden One is in the Graveyard, it is unaffected by monster effects. While Right Arm of the Forbidden One is in the Graveyard, this monster gains 1000 ATK every time it battles.”
“I set 1 card. During the End Phase, the effect of Exodia Incarnate activated. During each End Phase, I add one Forbidden One monster from my Graveyard to my hand.” Adrian added Right Leg of the Forbidden One to his hand. Exodius now had 3000 ATK, while Exodia Incarnate had 5000 ATK.
“Exodia Necross is now affected by Trap Cards.” Luna piped in.
Lord Adrian nodded. “I end my turn.” He declared.
“During your End Phase, I activate my set continuous trap card. Still Winds prevents Special Summoned Monsters from being targeted or tribute. Also, when it’s activated, I Special Summon one Aroma monster from my hand or Graveyard, then gain Life Points equal to its ATK on the field. With its effect, I summon Aromage Bergamot!” A fierce woman appeared in front of Luna, wearing a garnet five-tailed jacket over a white tunic. The candle at the end of its staff lit up. It had 2400 ATK, which rose to 2900 ATK because of the field spell. “I gain 2900 Life Points from Still Winds, which triggers Bergamot’s effect. She gains an additional 1000 attack points until the end of your turn. Also, because my Life Points are higher, plant-type monsters I control inflict piercing Battle Damage.”
“I also activate my face-up trap card, Humid Winds. By paying 1000 Life Points, I add Aromage Cananga to my hand.” Aroma Garden wore off, and the candles went out. Bergamot’s ATK went back down to 2400. “Draw!” Luna gained 500 Life Points, and Bergamot gained 1000 ATK.
She looked at her hand. She had Aroma Jar, a spare Aroma Garden, Pot of Avarice, Magic Planter, Aromage Cananga, and Turbulent Winds. It was a pretty good hand, all things considered. But would it be good enough? First thing’s first though: I gotta get that double stat effect. Luna thought to herself.
“I pay 1000 Life Points for Humid Winds and add Aromage Clove to my hand. Next, I activate my set trap Call of the Haunted, targeting Lonefire Blossom. It special summons that target.” A purple circle appears on the field next to Aromage Bergamot, and from it sprouts a yellow plant that sinks back into the ground. “I activate Lonefire Blossom tributing itself to summon my tuner Aromaseraphy Angelica.” In its place came a small four-winged fairy-like creature in a transparent white five-tailed jacket over silver clothes. It had 0 DEF.
“I tune my level 6 Bergamot into my level 1 Angelica.” Angelica turned into a ring of green light which surrounded Bergamot and turned it into 6 balls of white light. Luna chanted: “Ancient One whose might is revered even among friends, allow this sweet scent to mark your arrival. Synchro Summon, level 7! Ancient Sacred Wyvern!” A great white Dragon with a yellow mane appeared in front of Luna. Its ATK was 2100, but immediately rose to an astronomical 23300. “While my Life Points are higher than my opponent’s, Ancient Sacred Wyvern gains attack points equal to the difference. Since you have 8500 and I have 29700, it gains 21200 attack points. Also, because of Still Winds, Special Summoned monsters can’t be targeted. If you do by chance destroy Ancient Sacred Wyvern by battle, I can pay 1000 Life Points to bring it back!”
But Adrian would have none of that. “Trap card open: Time Pendulumgraph.” He flipped his set trap. “While this card is on the field, you can’t target my spellcasters with Traps. I also activate its effect, targeting Five-Rainbow Magician and Still Winds for destruction. But I use Timestar Magician to prevent the destruction of Five-Rainbow Magician by sending Dragonpulse Magician from my deck to the Graveyard.” Luna moved her trap to the Graveyard. Because it’s a normal monster, the ATK of Exodius rose to 4000. “Since one of the targets wasn’t destroyed, Time Pendulumgraph sends one card you control to the Graveyard. And that card is…” Adrian pointed dramatically. “Ancient Sacred Wyvern!” A hole opened in the ground and Luna’s only monster fell through.
“Well there goes that OTK.” Luna shrugged nonchalantly. “I summon Aromage Cananga.” A preteen girl in a thick brown dress and green scarf appeared on the field in front of Luna. The candle on the end of its staff ignited. It had 1400 ATK. “While I have more Life Points than you, all your monsters, or at least the ones that can be affected by monster effects, lose 500 attack and defense points.” Enlightenment Paladin now had 2000 ATK. Startime Magician also dropped to 1900. And Exodius was now at 3500. The other 2 the same.
“I banish Aromage Rosemary from my Graveyard to Special Summon Aromage Clove from my hand.” A young woman in a black five-pointed cloak over a silver tunic appeared next to Cananga. Its candle also lit. It had 2100 ATK. “While my Life Points are higher, you cannot respond to the summon of Aroma monsters.”
“I send the continuous trap card Call of the Haunted to the Graveyard to activate Magic Planter, which gives me 2 draws.” Luna and Adrian each gained 500 Life Points.
“Because I gained Life Points, Cananga and Clove activate. Clove flips all spell and trap cards on the field face-down. Then they can’t be activated until the end of your turn. And Cananga returns one spell or trap card you control to the hand. I choose Time Pendulumgraph.” Luna explained.
“Preventing me from using Five-Rainbow Magician.” Observed Adrian. “Very good. But I chain Obliterate!! targeting Cananga.” Adrian sent a second Exodia Nightmare from his Deck to his Graveyard. Exodia Incarnate now had 6000 ATK, for just a moment. Cananga turned gray, and then crumbled to dust. Luna returned it to her hand, and Adrian’s monsters got their ATK back. 2500, 2400, and 4000 for Enlightenment Paladin, Timestar Magician, and Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord respectively. “I activate the effect of the Exodia Nightmare I just sent to the Graveyard, returning Left Leg of the Forbidden One to my hand.” Exodia Incarnate and Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord now had 5000 ATK and 3000 ATK respectively. Then Cananga resolved, and Adrian returned Time Pendulumgraph to his hand. Finally Clove resolved, and all the backrow was flipped face down.
“I also activate Pot of Avarice, returning 5 monsters from my Graveyard to my deck for 2 more draws.” Luna returned her 3 Lonefire Blossoms, Maxx “C”, and Bergamot. Then she drew 2 cards.
“I activate the effect of Aromaseraphy Angelica in my Graveyard. Because my Life Points are higher, I can Special Summon it, but it’s banished when it leaves the field.” Luna’s tuner appeared next to Clove and orbited it happily. “I tune my level 5 Clove into my level 1 Angelica.” Angelica turned into a ring of green light which surrounded Clove and turned it into 5 balls of white light. Luna chanted: “Dark and Light synchronize and form a new aroma, allow this sweet scent to mark your arrival. Synchro Summon, level 6! Aromaseraphy Clove!” Clove appeared in front of Luna again, with Angelica’s wings. Now it had 2300 ATK.
“While my Life Points are higher, Aromaseraphy Clove prevents you from Normal Summoning.” Luna explained.
“I activate the effect of my field spell Aroma Garden. Because I control an Aroma monster, once per turn I can gain 500 Life Points, and unlock a lingering effect until the end of your turn. With this effect, all monsters I control get 500 points stronger.” As one, the candles ignited again. This increased Clove’s ATK to 2800. “This triggers the effect of Clove. I target one banished Aroma monster and Special Summon it, and take damage equal to its ATK on the field. Now Clove can’t attack this turn. Come back my friend, Rosemary!” Clove swung her staff around and drove it into the ground causing a white circle to spread from it. Soon after she ripped it out, there appeared a pretty teen girl, Rosemary, with 2300 ATK. Her candle lit. Luna grunted as she took 2300 damage. She looked back to Luna, who smiled. “You’re worth it, hun.”
“From my hand, I activate the spell card Healing Winds. For each monster on the field, I gain 200 Life Points. During this turn, once per turn effects of cards I control can be activated twice per turn.” With 7 monsters on the field, Luna gained 1400 Life Points. “This triggers Clove and Rosemary. Rosemary targets 1 monster on the field and changes it to defense position.” Rosemary spun her staff above her head, then, with a sweeping motion, dropped Enlightenment Paladin to its knees. “Clove targets Aromaseraphy Angelica.” Again, Clove impaled the grass with her staff and ripped it out. From the white circle, once again, appeared Luna’s trusted tuner. Luna grunted as she took 500 damage.
“I tune my level 4 Rosemary into my level 1 Angelica!” Angelica turned into a ring of green light which surrounded Rosemary and turned it into 5 balls of white light. Luna chanted: “Water and Light synchronize and form a new aroma, allow this sweet scent to mark your arrival. Synchro Summon, level 5! Aromaseraphy Rosemary!” Rosemary appeared next to Clove again, with Angelica’s wings. It’s original ATK of 2000 was raised to 3000, and Clove was raised to 3300. The flame on her candle fired up right away. “While my Life Points are higher, all plants I control gain 500 attack and defense points.” Luna explained.
“Because of Healing Winds, I can activate Aroma Garden again. Because I control an Aroma monster, I gain 500 Life Points, and unlock its lingering effect again. With this effect, all monsters I control get 500 points stronger.” Even more candles ignited, floating around aimlessly while brightly lighting the field. Rosemary’s ATK went up to 3500 and Clove’s ATK went up to 3800. “Once per turn, when my Life Points increase, by the effect of Rosemary, I can target one card on the field and negate its effects this turn. I choose Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord!”
Adrian frowned. The ATK of his monster dropped to 0. It seemed Luna had found a weakness and was willing and able to exploit it.
“I set 3 cards. By the effect of your scale, the ATK of all my monsters are doubled.” Clove and Rosemary were now at 7600 and 7000 respectively. “Battle.”
“From my hand, I activate D.D. Magician. Once per turn during either player’s Battle Phase, I can target 1 monster I control. I inflict damage to my opponent equal to its level x200, then banish it and summon this monster in its zone. I target Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord and summon D.D. Magician in Defense Position!” Behind Exodius, a hole opened, and through it an arm reached out and grabbed Exodius, pulling it backwards. Then a beam of light shot at Luna 10 times, reducing her Life Points to 28800. It pulled Exodius’ heavy mass all the way through, and then came out to stand in front of the hole. D.D. Magician had a tall black pointed cap lined with blue and wore black and blue armor. It had 2200 DEF. “While it’s on the field, it can’t be targeted, and it can’t be destroyed by battle or card effect.” Adrian explained.
Once again, Luna’s plan fell through. But she was far from done. “Aromaseraphy Rosemary, attack Exodia Incarnate!” Aromaseraphy Rosemary called to her 7000 candles and sent them crashing into Lord Adrian’s monster, which shattered into golden triangles. His life points dropped to 7000. “Good job Rosemary.” She praised.
“When Exodia Incarnate is destroyed by battle, I reveal any number of Forbidden One monsters in my hand and draw that number of cards.” Lord Adrian showed his legs and drew 2 cards. “At the end of your Battle Phase, I activate the effect of my D.D. Magician. It returns to my hand, and its target returns to its zone. Behold the return of Exodius, the Ultimate Forbidden Lord!”
“I end my turn.” Said Luna. She had done all she can do. Still, the threat of Exodius was imminent now more than ever for her. There was no denying that she’d been outplayed this entire duel. But she was going to go down fighting.
“Wow!” Said Lord Adrian, a big smile across his face. “That was amazing Luna. I wasn’t expecting you to be able to use my Five-Rainbow Magician. You almost had me this turn.”
Luna giggled. “Yeah. Your Time Pendulumgraph really saved you there.”
“Draw!” Adrian had 9 cards in his hand. “I equip Timestar Magician with Wonder Wand. I send both Wonder Wand and Timestar Magician to the Graveyard to draw 2 cards.” Startime Magician disappeared in a puff of smoke and two white doves burst from the smoke.
“With the scale 1 Purple Poison Magician and the scale 12 Five-Rainbow Magician, I pendulum Summon Wisdom-Eye Magician and White Wing Magician back to the field!” They had 1500 and 1600 ATK respectively.
And now he had Pendulum Summoned 2 monsters at once. He was holding nothing back against her.
"I overlay the level 4 Wisdom-Eye Magician and the level 4 White Wing Magician." The two monsters swirled toward the sky, dancing around each other, before colliding and exploding into what looked like a galaxy in the sky. "From the peaceful depths of time, gaze upon the night sky. Xyz Summon, Rank 4! Descend, my second Timestar Magician!" It had 2400 ATK.
At this point 3 things made Luna realize that this was the final turn. The first was that Adrian can’t Normal Summon while Clove is there. The second was that Adrian had no more face-up Pendulum Monsters in his Extra Deck since Xyz Material go to the Graveyard. And the third, Five-Rainbow Magician prevented him from Pendulum Summoning from the hand. He was running out of ways to summon.
“I activate Instant Fusion. With this, I pay 1000 Life Points to Fusion Summon a level 6 or lower Fusion monster without material, but cannot attack this turn, and is destroyed at the end of the turn. I Fusion Summon Thousand Eyes Restrict!” A brown nut-like thing covered in eyes appeared next to Exodius. It had 0 ATK.
“A Fusion Summon?!”Luna exclaimed. “How many summon mechanics are there?”
Adrian chuckled. “I’m sure even I can’t answer that one. But this deck is capable of 5; Ritual, Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Pendulum. And of course the occasional Accel Synchro, if you want to count that.”
Luna’s jaw dropped. Adrian could Accel Synchro Summon. Only the most dedicated duelists could achieve Clear Mind. Luna had only ever met 2 of them. Also, she had learned about Thousand Eyes Restrict in her history class. It was once a card owned by the creator of Duel Monsters, and that he claimed that it was so powerful that even the gods couldn’t oppose it. So he sold the card to one of those Kaiba Corporation Academy students, and then officially released a banlist with it on it the next day. Eventually he died, and it was taken off the list shortly after. But still, Luna wondered if this was that very same student.
“While this monster is on the field, other monsters cannot attack or change positions. I activate the effect of Thousand Eyes Restrict absorbing Aromaseraphy Clove.” Two flaps opened on the front, and inside it looked nothing like a nut. Its neck stuck straight out, and on the end of it was a gold millennium symbol. At the end of its arms were vicious blade-thin claws. Rather than legs, it had a drill-looking thing. Even its tail had a spiral protruding from it. Around its middle came two sharp tusks. And in the middle itself, was a hole with teeth. And that hole started sucking Clove into it. She didn’t struggle, but looked back at Luna sadly. Its flaps closed, and the shaped of Clove appeared on the shell. Thousand Eyes Restrict now had 2300 ATK. “Thousand Eyes Restrict gains the stats from all of its absorbed monsters. Furthermore, you can’t destroy it while I have one of your monsters.” Adrian explained.
“Unfortunately, I can’t win without attacking. But now that Clove is gone, I can normal summon. I tribute Thousand Eyes Restrict to advance summon the level 5 Stargazer Magician!” Thousand Eyes Restrict sunk into the ground. In its place was a magician in a white robe and pointy hat, with a royal purple cloak. Its weapon was the same as one of the ones Timestar Magician held. It had 1200 ATK.
“I change Enlightenment Paladin back to attack position, then set 1 card.” The ATK of all Adrian’s monsters doubled. “Battle. Enlightenment Paladin attack Aromaseraphy Rosemary!”
Enlightenment Paladin had 5000 ATK, while Aromaseraphy Rosemary had 7000 ATK. Enlightenment Paladin joined its swords at the hilt and spun them through the air in front of it, creating a symbol resembling a clock. Rosemary called 7000 candles to her, and sent them at Enlightenment Paladin. “It’s going to take more than that!” Luna shouted at Adrian, knowing full-well he had something.
“I activate Purple Poison Magician’s effect, increasing Enlightenment Paladin’s attack by 2400! I send Dragonpit Magician from my deck to the Graveyard so Timestar Magician can protect it.” Enlightenment Paladin’s ATK rose to 7400, and Exodius’ ATK rose to 8000. With that Enlightenment Paladin deflected the candles. The 2 Synchros collided, and Rosemary shattered into silver triangles. Luna took 400 damage. Then a massive shockwave hit her for another 7000 damage. “When Enlightment Paladin destroys a monster by battle, you take damage equal to the attack value that it had on the field.” Adrian explained.
“And now, Exodius, attack her directly! Forbidden Blast!” Exodius drew back its fist, and it grew bigger. "I activate the effect of Exodius. When this monster battles, I send 1 Forbidden One monster from my hand to the Graveyard. I choose Right Leg of the Forbidden One.” Now with 10000 ATK, Exodius’ attack reduced Luna’s Life Points to 11400.
“One more piece, Lord Adrian.” Said Luna, who knew that once Left Leg of the Forbidden One hit the Graveyard she would lose.
“Indeed. With that in mind, I activate D.D. Magician, banishing Exodius. Then I return it to my hand and return Exodius to the field in attack position! It’s all over!” Shouted Adrian passionately.
But a wide grin stretched across Luna’s face. “Not if I activate The Transmigration Prophesy.” Countered Luna, as she flipped her set trap card. “With this, I target Exodia the Forbidden One and Right Leg of the Forbidden One and return them to your deck!” Exodius now had 8000 ATK.
“Exodius, attack her again! Forbidden Blast! I activate the effect of Exodius. When this monster battles, I send 1 Forbidden One monster from my hand to the Graveyard. I send Right Leg of the Forbidden One back to my Graveyard.” Exodius had 10000 ATK once again. Its fist struck Luna, reducing her Life Points to 1400.
“You know what sucks about having a lot of Life Points?” Luna confided with her new friend.
“What’s that?” Lord Adrian asked, curious.
“All that damage you end up taking because of it.” Luna answered.
“Ah, I know the feeling.” Adrian agreed. They laughed together for a moment. “I attack you directly with Exodia Necross.”
Luna’s eyes started to zone out. She looked drained, and that laughter didn’t help much. “I activate Turbulent Winds. While my Life Points are lower than yours, I can discard 1 Aroma monster from my hand.” Luna discarded Aromage Cananga. “Except Winds cards, all cards on the field are sent to the Graveyard, and I gain 1000 Life Points for each. There are currently 15 other cards on the field. So I would gain 15000 Life Points, but I chain Oberon’s prank, negating that effect and dealing 15000 damage to each of us.” She explained. Then she just went limp and collapsed. Both player’s Life Points hit zero.
Adrian took a few steps back as he was hit with 15000 damage. Then he saw Luna lying on the ground. He whispered her name and ran to her, but was intercepted by a giant gold Dragon that seemingly came out of nowhere. He didn’t dare look at in the eye. He bowed his head before Life Stream Dragon and submitted the back of his hand in surrender. The dragon slowly placed one red claw against Lord Adrian’s neck, to let him know that it was actually there and could kill him with the slightest motion if he dare decide to make a move against Luna. Adrian held his breath.
“No.” Mumbled Luna. “He’s a friend.”
Life Stream Dragon pulled away its claw and exhaled through its nose. Adrian waited a moment. Then it stepped aside, giving him permission. Finally, his lungs started working again. He nodded to the Dragon then jogged to Luna. He knelt beside her. “You’ve gotten stronger.”
“Have I? I guess you could thank my friend Aki for that. Now help me up.” Luna insisted.
* * *
At the end of the day, Leo began to walk home alone. He thought about the light across the sky, and how Luke said his father was bringing him to the meteor. Leo had never seen Luke's father. From what he heard, he lives and works in Greenwich, and doesn't come down to this area much. Luke lives with his childhood friend Simon and his family during school, and his father picks him up on Weekends and Holidays. Smart, strong, and fast, Leo hadn't ever beaten Luke at anything.
"You had a pretty bad day, huh?" A voice from behind asked, just as he left the school yard.
Leo turned to see who it was, and to his surprise he saw Luna. He stopped to let her catch up.
"Aren't you going with Luke and Roxanne to check out that meteor?" Leo inquired. He wasn't about to let on so easily that he was feeling better now that his sister was with him.
"No, silly. The field trip starts tomorrow at 6am at Luke's Lair." Luna said, smiling.
"Oh. I thought it was 6 tonight."
"Besides, I never said I'd go. That was Roxanne. She and a bunch of friends are having a sleep over there. I'm going to Luke's later to bid them farewell. Are you coming?"
"I... I..." Leo blushed, his throat tense. He didn't want to confront Luke so soon, yet there was something inside him telling him he should go see Roxanne. Because the weekend was coming, he wouldn't get to see her again until Monday. He sighed. "I'll think about it."
His sister playfully nudged him. "You'll think about it? I guess it's better than nothing."
"Heh... ya." Now Leo had something else on his mind: Roxanne.
"You know, I've been thinking." Luna began. "Even if you used Morphtronic Cord's effect to destroy 1 of Luke's traps, Luke still had 2 face-down cards."
"I guess." Leo said as he looked down at the ground thoughtfully. "I don't think I had anything in my hand at the time that could get rid of face-down monsters. Still..."
The smile vanished from Leo's face.
"Hey, cheer up!" Luna said as she nudged Leo's shoulder. "You'll get him next time!"
"Yeah!" Leo said as the smile on his face returned and became a grin.
The twins arrived at an intersection. From here, home was left, and Simon's was right. Tomorrow, Luke's father would be arriving there tonight to help over-see the sleepover and the field trip that follows. "I'm going to Simon's at 5. I'll knock on your door before I leave." Luna said quietly.
Leo's thoughts darted around in is head as he tried to decide whether to go with her or not. "Thanks, I guess."
The two siblings turned left and walked home, conversing all the while.
* * *
Nearly an hour and a half had passed by when Luna heard her phone ringing. She checked it and it was a text from Roxanne, saying that she was headed to Simon's and would wait for her there. After replying with confirmation, Luna closed her homework and piled her notes and text books neatly on the corner of her desk. She stood up and tucked in her chair, then made her way to her door. Quietly she opened it, walked out of her room, and closed it behind her. She knocked on the door across the hall.
"Leo?" She knocked again. "Hey, Leo." Then she was quiet for a moment. She couldn't hear anything going on behind the door. She knocked again, then listened quietly for a moment.
Silence.
"I'm going to Simon's. I'll be back before dinner."
She stepped away from the door and went downstairs. "Hey, Mom. I'm going for a walk. I'll be back before dinner." She called to her mother in the kitchen as she walked to the front door.
"Yes. Leo told me the two of you are going to bid a friend farewell. How nice of you."
"Um... Ya. I didn't think he was coming."
"Come on, Luna! We're going to be late!" Leo called from the front door.
That idiot. Luna thought to herself. I TOLD him I'd knock on his door. Doesn't he listen? "Coming." She called, her voice annoyed. That almost stopped a smile from flickering across her face, but she hid it again as soon as he looked back.
And soon they were out the door.
