bury the year Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 (Click here for the old thread for "Rise of Kundalini"; is now long-dead, so don't post in it.)OK! I've decided, after much deliberation, to continue my old fan-fic, "Rise of Kundalini". I will attempt to continue updating this thread with new chapters once every two weeks. The first two chapters can be considered "filler", but the third, which I will post soon, will dive into the plot right away. Also, if you're coming here for now cards, this isn't the right place for you. With few exeptions, all cards in this fan-fic actually exist. If a card's name is in red, then check the "Created Cards" section for that character; it should be listed there. If not, let me know. So, without further adieu, I present "Rise of KUNDALINI!" (Yes, that's supposed to be in all-caps.)EDIT: Supreme Gamemaster Yddisac and I will (hopefully) be collabing on this. [spoiler=Chapter 1: A Promising Start]"Let's see... Wow, 120 applicants, and that's for the first-year spots alone..." "Are you sure we'll be able to cut enough of them?" "I hope so. It'll be bad if this class peaks out. Duel Academy has been suffering the last couple of years. Our brightest old prospects have mostly been flashes-in-the-pan, and that doesn't give good rankings." "What about that Yuki kid, eh? He was pretty good." "He was exceptional, I'll give you that. Made it to the top pros in a matter of months. But they can't all be like him..." A group of teachers were huddled around a large table, in the center of a dimmed room. Yards of paper were overflowing from all sides, and a much-frequented coffee maker stood in the center. A definate air of depression hung over the room. None of them were liking the task at hand, but it had to get done. They had been checking over a list of bright potential students, hoping to make it into the most prestigious dueling school in the country. "Alright, applicant #67, check. Put him on. Who's next, Fonda?" The woman in question turned up to look at the speaker. She was very pretty, with chesnut-colored hair. However, the strain of the process was putting lines on her face that wouldn't be there on other women her age. "Applicant #68," she announced. "Taylor Tantruh... Hey, come look at this." Everyone, surprised at her change of tone, got up and crowded around the table. A hushed murmur began to spread around. Whoever this Taylor was, he must've been recognizable. "Taylor Tantrama. Age: fourteen. Only child of the Tantrama family, who run the family-own business Tantric Disks, makers of the best quality Duel Disks in the world?" This exclamation came from an elderly man, wearing a yellow blazer. "Wow. This would be an honor to let him come." "Well then, I say, let him in," Fonda exclaimed, to the shock of many. "We haven't been doing so good, and if he comes from a top dueling family, he'll be the perfect star power that we need." "But Fonda..." came a voice from the corner of the room. "But nothing!" she exclaimed. "I've got a good feeling about him. Heck, I'll even proctor him for the entry duel. I just want to give him the chance." Everyone momentarily stunned, they turned to the head of the table, where a man in a dark-red jacket sat. "Fonda, I'll trust your instincts. Applicant #68, check." [align=center]-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-CHAPTER 1: A Promising Start~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~[/align] It was 10:00 AM in the Domino City Convention Hall, and there were many more people than would normally be there. This would've been surprising, except for the fact that all of them were kids, standing around and on the bleacher seats in the center of the hall, and a giant sign outdoors was directing them inside. The sign read something that every one of those kids had been longing for all year. [align=center]DUEL ACADEMY ENTRANCE DUELS!TRYOUTS ARE LIMITED!GO TO FRONT DESK TO CHECK FOR YOUR POSTING![/align] In the center of this crowd, being jostled around, stood a young boy, only around 14. He had a shock of snowy, unkempt hair, a dark blue vest, and a constantly tired look plastered on his face. This was Taylor Tantrama, and he was not feeling too good. "Hey, kid. Yeah, you. You feeling okay?" "What? Oh, I'm good," Taylor responded good-naturedly. "Okay. Just hoping you don’t puke on the arena floor. What’s your name, by the way?" "I’m Taylor. Just Taylor, " he responded. He didn't want to tell anyone his last name yet. If anyone found out who his parents were, there could be trouble. "What’s yours?" "I’m Cody Diablo, the next big thing in the world of dueling!" Cody was quite tall, standing 6' 2" and dwarfing the slightly-short Taylor. He had a brown wooly hat planted firmly on his same-colored hair, and kept a small silver earring in his right ear. In all, he was a contrast to Taylor's modesty and lowkey-ness, and looked like he could be the life of the party anywhere. "I hope to get into Obelisk, or maybe Ra. But I'm not dealing with Slifer. I've got TALENT, with a capital T, and I'm gonna show it!" "And I'm assuming that the 'talent' you have comes with a capital A, and an L, and an E, etcetera etcetera etcetera," Taylor retorted. He was starting to feel a bit better. At least I'm not going into this alone, he thought. "So what number are you, Cody? I'm #68." "Wait a sec, Taylor," Cody responded. "If your number is 68, you'd better get going to the arena soon. I heard them just announcing the results for duelist 65! You don't want to miss this moment!" Taylor, stunned for a second, listened to the loudspeaker placed overhead. "And now, duelist number 66, please come onto the field..." "You're right, Cody! I'd better get going! See ya later!" Taylor yelled. He was already running off, fighting his way through the flow of kids. Heh, this Taylor kid's gonna be good, Cody thought. He's going to go somewhere, I'm sure of it. [align=center]-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~[/align] "And give a round of applause to duelist 67, for passing his exam!" A sweeping, almost infectious excitement passed throughout the room, as everyone clapped for the lucky duelist. "Alright, will duelist 68 please step onto the field." Taylor was just stepping through the doors when he heard the announcement. "Will duelist 68 please step onto the field. Duelist 68, will duelist 68 please step onto the field..." "I'm here, I'm here!" Taylor was breathless, but he made it. "Who am I dueling?" "You'll be dueling me." A pretty young woman wearing a Duel Academy sweatshirt was standing on the other end of the field. "I'm Ms. Fontaine, the academy nurse, and your proctor. You are...?" "Taylor. Just Taylor," he responded. "Sorry for being late." "That's okay. However, we need to start. Shall we?" Two small podiums appeared next to her and Taylor. Each held a regulation Duel Disk, formatted with the academy colors. "Yes, we shall." Taylor pulled a deck box out of his back pocket and slipped its contents into the disk. He then slid the disk onto his arm. "Let's duel!" FONTAINE: 4000 LPTAYLOR: 4000 LP "I think I'll go first," Ms. Fontaine remarked, while drawing. "And I'll start with Nurse Reficule, the Fallen One, in Atttack Mode (1400/600/LV 4). A demonic-looking woman with blackened wings and bandages all over appeared on the field. She gave a small smirk before settling into position. "I'll now set two cards, and end my turn." "Didn't expect a lady like you to have a monster like that," Taylor said. "I guess I'll draw." "And that's my cue. I activate my trap, Dark Cure. With this out, whenever you summon a monster, you gain Life Points equal to half of its attack." "Thanks, I guess," Taylor responded. "I think I'm gonna summon my Jain, Lightsworn Paladin (1800/1200/LV 4). A knight with white-and-gold armor and a crimson cape jumped out onto the field. There was a small gasp traveling through the audience, including Ms. Fontaine. She had heard about these Lightsworn monsters, but never knew who had them. They were legendary in terms of their mystery. "Your paladin is impressive, but he still activates Dark Cure's effect. Now, you gain 900 life points. Oh, but did I mention my Reficule's effect? If you would increase your life points, you take it as damage instead!" The demonic nurse on Fonda's side of the field began to smile as a reddish aura surrounded her and Taylor. He yelped; even though she was holographic, it felt bad enough. FONTAINE: 4000 LPTAYLOR: 3100 LP "Well, that stinks. But this won't. Now, my paladin is going to attack your nurse. Jean, cut her to bits!" "Not so fast. I may be the school nurse, but I'm no pushover. I activate my trap card, Negate Attack." A swirl of energy appeared in front of the knight. Although he struggled against it, there was no way through, and he was forced to jump back into position. "Fine. Since I can't attack, I guess I'll set a card face-down and end my turn. Oh, and since my turn's over, I have to pay a cost for my paladin. I send the top 2 cards of my deck to the Graveyard." "Why are you doing that?" Ms. Fontaine asked. "That's a bit odd." "All of my Lightsworns do that, in some form or another. I'll have to beat you fast, or my deck will run out. Okay, you go." TAYLOR DECK COUNT: 32 "Sure. My draw." Looking at her card, Fonda thought for a moment. "I'll change Reficule into Defense Mode, set 1 card, and end my turn." Reficule knelt down in a protective stance. "It's your go." Taylor drew, and studied his hand. He was in a tough situation. His monsters couldn't be summoned without him being taxed for it, and their costs would drain his Deck away. "My Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress (1700/200/LV 4) will come out to play now." A woman dressed in a robe with the same design as the knight next to her floated out of the card. "You do know what that means, right?" Taylor nodded, and braced himself for the red, stinging glow. FONTAINE: 4000 LPTAYLOR: 2250 LP "I think I'm going to attack your Reficule with my Lyla." Lyla waved her scepter, and the demonic nurse dissolved into a flash of pixels. "And now, you don't have anything protecting you from Jain. Attack!" The knight leaped over to Fonda and swung his sword in an arc, creating a beam of light that whipped into her. FONTAINE: 2200 LPTAYLOR: 2250 LP "Oof, that hurts," she winced as the knight jumped back. "Okay. My attacks are out of the way, but I'm not over yet. I'll activate my Light Spiral. Remember my Lightsworns' costs? Now you have to pay them too. Whenever I send cards from my Deck to the graveyard, you remove from play the top card of your Deck. I end, and discard 5 cards; 2 from Jain, and 3 from Lyla." TAYLOR DECK COUNT: 27 "Don't worry, though. You now need to remove from play the top 2 cards of your deck; one for each of my monsters." Fonda frowned as the top of her deck glew, then disappeared. She just lost two valuable cards. "I guess I'll draw. I summon Burning Algae (500/1500/LV 3) in Defense Mode." A creature that looked like a tree on fire appeared. It looked slightly scared, if a tree could be scared. "I also activate my face-down Bad Reaction to Simochi. Don't think you can escape my Reficule's effect, because this does the same thing. I'll end." Taylor drew and smiled, a look that unnerved Fonda. "I start by activating Lyla's effect. I can change her into Defense Position to destroy a Spell or Trap on your side of the field. So, I'll destroy your annoying Simochi, and end its effect." The magician rose her scepter, and multiple shards of glowing light rained down on the trap, destroying it. "Next, I offer Lyla as a tribute to summon Gragonith, Lightsworn Dragon (2000/1300/LV 6). The magician glowed, and was replaced by a giant dragon with a lion-like mane. It roared, filling the room with apprehension. "Oh, and don't think I forgot about your Dark Cure." A glow enveloped Taylor, but it was a healing blue, not the red from before. FONTAINE: 2200 LPTAYLOR: 3250 LP "I forgot to mention that whenever Jain attacks a monster, he gains 300 attack points during his strike. Now, Jain, attack her algae!" The knight released a beam of light from its sword that cut the creature in half. "Oh yes, I know what your algae does. I get another 1000 life points." The blue glow surrounded him again. FONTAINE: 2200 LPTAYLOR: 4250 LP "And now, for my finale. My Gragonith's effect activates. He gains 300 attack for each Lightsworn in my Graveyard." The dragon roared, as its attack peaked at 2300. "No, it can't be..." Fonda murmured. "Yep, it is. Go, Gragonith, and finish her!" The dragon let loose a beam of light that struck her straight in the chest. FONTAINE: 0 LPTAYLOR: 4250 LP The Duel was over. "Fantastic job, Taylor," Ms. Fontaine announced, as the holograms disappeared. "You pass. I am happy to welcome you into Ra Yellow. Everyone, give a hand for Taylor!" A wave of applause swept over the auditorium. Taylor felt proud, but tired. He walked off of the field, but almost walked into Cody, who was standing right next to him. "Great job, Tay! That was amazing!" he yelled, startling two other kids nearby. "Thanks, but all I wanna do right now is nap." Taylor closed his eyes, leaned up against the wall, and was fast asleep within a moment. I knew it, thought Cody. He's amazing. [spoiler=Chapter 2: For the Love! Of Food!]"Cody, you dolt! When you’re eating a pie, you don't just stick your finger into the center! You actually cut a piece out." Taylor looked exasperated, and he had a good reason to be. It was only yesterday that he and Cody had passed their entry tests into Duel Academy, and they were both relieved to be in the same dorm; Ra Yellow. They even were assigned to the same room, which was fortunate. Now, they were relaxing in the Ra dining hall, munching away at a feast fit for a king. "Well, I'm hungry, and when I'm hungry, I eat. Got it?" Cody was still his joking self. He looked different with the Ra Yellow jacket, but he was wearing his favourite hat. "Nah, just joking. Sorry though. I'm starved." "Can't blame you." Taylor looked up from the stuffed plate in front of him. As pale as ever, he had a perpetually tired look on his face. His whitish hair hung over his forehead, and the yellow jacket he wore gave him an even paler look. "God, I'm hungry. Hey, wait. What’s that?" Everyone stopped their feeding frenzy to look up at the main doors of the hall. The doors slowly opened to reveal a Mexican-looking man wearing a coat in the same yellow color as Taylor's and Cody's. He seemed to have an aura of authority around him, as everyone in the room quieted down almost immediately. "Hello everybody, old and new. My name is Professor Sartyr, and I am the Ra Yellow dorm headmaster, as well as the fine arts teacher. I hope to have an excellent year with everyone, and I hope nobody gets into trouble." "Hah!" Cody laughed, before ducking into his pie instinctively. Not fast enough, though, because Sartyr zeroed in on Cody as soon as it slipped out of his lips. "Excuse me, but what is your name?" the professor asked, loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear. "Cody Diablo," Cody mumbled under his breath. He seemed nervous, but Taylor didn’t know why. "Well, Cody," Sartyr said in an even, quiet tone, "you are going to serve a perfect example for my disciplinary methods. Tonight, I will duel against you in the yellow duelling room. If you lose, you will be on cooking duty for the rest of the month. Good luck. You’ll need it." [align=center]-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- CHAPTER 2: For the Love! Of Food!~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~[/align] "Oh no, Taylor, I can’t lose," Cody moaned as he and Taylor were walking to class. "I stink at cooking. I'm hopeless! Did I ever tell you how my cat died?" "No, and I'd rather not hear." Taylor already put together the pieces, and had a good idea of what happened to the ill-fated feline. "So, what do we have next?" "Introduction to Archetypes, but I'm worried, man. I can't lose. It'll crush my rep." "You've said that already. C'mon. Class is almost starting." As Taylor and Cody took their places in the seats circling the room, a small demonstration duel was taking place below. One student had a large baboon equipped with a glowing orb on his side of the field, while the other had a large angler fish on her side. BOY: 2500 LPGIRL: 600 LP "Okay, it’s my go." The girl duelist drew, and stared at the card in her hand. "I start by playing A Legendary Ocean." An ocean swamped the field, complete with fish and ruins and almost drowning the holographic baboon. "Now, I'll activate my Unshaven Angler's effect (1500/1600/LV 4). When I Tribute Summon a WATER monster, I can use it as 2 Tributes. So, say bye-bye to my angler, and hello to my Levia-Dragon – Daedalus (2600/1500/LV 7)!" The fish erupted in a cloud of blue light, and was replaced by a gigantic sea serpent that covered the field. "And because of my Legendary Ocean, he gains 200 ATK and DEF." "So what?" the boy duelist smirked. "My Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest has Invigoration equipped to it. Since he's an EARTH monster, he gains 400 ATK, which still beats out your dragon's. What are you going to do now?" "This. I activate Levia-Dragon’s effect. By sending an Umi I control to the Graveyard, I can destroy all cards on the field except itself. Oh, yeah. A Legendary Ocean is treated as Umi by name." "Wha!?! No!" the boy screamed but it was too late. The water swept away the baboon and the orb it held, leaving him vulnerable to the final attack. "Now, my dragon, finish him!" The dragon roared, and a giant wave crashed down, crushing his Life Points. BOY: 0 LPGIRL: 600 LP "So, everyone, give a round of applause to James and Miya for their excellent demonstration of archetypes in a duel!" A less-than enthusiastic clapping responded, and the two duelists bowed, and took their place in their seats. "Her name's Miya, eh?" Cody looked interested at the female duelist. "She's pretty hot, I can give you that", Taylor thought out loud. She was African, with black hair done in tight cornrows. There was a sense of pride around her, a sort of "You can't beat me" look. It made sense, because she was an Obelisk Blue. If I talked to her, she wouldn’t give me a second glance, Taylor thought dejectedly. "Hi. Mind if I sit here?" Taylor looked up, and saw Miya standing next to him. "Oh, no. Not at all." Taylor moved over, and motioned for her to sit next to him. "You did pretty well during that duel." "It was nothing," she laughed. "James is honestly a pushover. I didn’t even bring my best card out." "You didn’t? What would that be?" "You'll see," she said. "I might show you later." "Okay. Hey, wha-?" Taylor found himself sprawled out on the floor. Looking up, he saw Cody, who had taken his place on the seat. “Cody..." "Hey. I was wondering if you'd want to see me duel tonight?" Cody was obviously trying to use the best pickup line he could think of. "Sure. Humor me," she replied with a laugh. "Okay. Meet me at the Ra Yellow duelling field tonight. I’ll be waiting." [align=center]-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~[/align] "Ready, Mr. Diablo?" Sartyr was standing across the field from Cody, with a crowd surrounding them, including Taylor and Miya. "As ready as I'll ever be." Behind Cody’s brave façade, however, was a bundle of nerves. I can't lose this, he thought. My reputation and everyone’s stomachs are on the line. "Let's do this!" SARTYR: 4000 LPCODY: 4000 LP "Since I am your headmaster," Sartyr said, "I think I'll go first. I start by activating Curry Pot. It’s my specialty." A giant soup pot, complete with bubbles, rose up behind him. "Now, any cards that would be sent to the Graveyard are removed from play instead. Next, I summon Carrot Man, in Defense Mode (800/900/LV 3)." A carrot with arms and legs popped up on the field. "I’ll set one card, and end my turn." "Thanks. I'm a growing boy, and I need my food. I draw, and summon Gladiator Beast Bestiari, in Attack Mode (1500/800/LV 4)." A bird covered in armor appeared on the field. "Now, my gladiator, attack that carrot! God, that sounds weird." The bird swooped over the veggie before beating its wings rapidly. The plant tried to resist, but couldn’t, and was beat into pieces. "That's fine with me. My Carrot Man goes into the pot now," Sartyr remarked. The carrot reappeared over the pot, and was chopped up, as if with an invisible knife. The pieces landed in the pot, and the stew within began to burble. "Okay. My bird's gonna use his effect now. Whenever he attacks, at the end of the Battle Phase, I can return him to my deck to Special Summon another gladiator. So, I choose Gladiator Beast Dimacari (1600/1200/LV 4)!" The bird glew in a flash of light, and was replaced by a bull in the same design of armor. "And now, since he was summoned by another gladiator, he can attack twice per turn. I'll set two cards, and end my turn." Sartyr's smile fell. He wasn't in a good situation, but he was known to turn things around. "I draw. Now, I summon Onion Man, in Attack Mode (1200/1200/LV 3)." An onion appeared on the field, with arms and legs like the carrot. "To spice things up, I activate Red-Pepper Spice. With this, I can boost the ATK of a monster I control by 300, and decrease one of yours by the same amount. You don't mind spicy foods, do you?" "I prefer my food plain," Cody responded in an off-hand manner. "Which is why I activate my trap, Disarm! By returning Gladiator Beast Torax from my hand to my deck, I can negate your Spell and destroy it!" Dimacari lept forward at the pepper that was appearing and slashed at it with the claws on his hands. The card twinkled, then shattered. "Hmph. I guess I'll end." Sartyr looked upset at the loss of his surprise play. "'My go. And, with no further adieu, I'll attack your onion. Go, Dimacari!" The bull ran over to the onion and slashed it to pieces, hitting Sartyr in the process. SARTYR: 3600 LPCODY: 4000 LP "All this food's making me hungry," Cody commented, watching the onion fall into the pot. "I think I'll get this over with quickly. Dimacari, attack again!" The bull repeated its attack on the professor, without any annoying vegetables blocking its way this time. SARTYR: 2000 LPCODY: 4000 LP "Oof, that wasn't fun," Sartyr groaned. "I think I should end now," Cody said. "It's your go." "I draw," Sartyr announced, as thought his voice would give him strength. "I activate my Spell Spice Caraway! Now, you take 200 points of damage, and I gain 200 points." A brown sandstorm swirled around Cody, stinging him. The storm then moved over to Sartyr, and deposited the stolen life with a savory smell. SARTYR: 2200 LPCODY: 3800 LP "I will also summon Potato Man, in Defense Position (900/800/LV 3)." A small potato appeared on the field in a kneeling position. "I set a card, and conclude my turn." "Hmm..." Cody drew, and thought. "I summon Gladiator Beast Laquari, in Atttack Position!" A tiger with a ring of fire around him appeared on the field. It growled menacingly. "I attack with Dimacari. Go! Fry his spud!" The bull jumped forwards, and cut the potato into pieces. "Now, Laquari, attack Sartyr directly!" "I don't think that's a good idea. I activate Physical Double. It summons a copy of your gladiator onto my side of the field." A puddle of slime plopped out of the card. It quivered, then grew into a silver-tone version of the attacking tiger. "Are you sure you want to continue?" Sartyr said with a smirk. "No, I guess not." Cody seemed unfazed by the turn of events. "I equip my Dimacari with Gladiator Beast's Battle Archfiend Shield." A shield with a skeletal motif floated down and landed in front of the bull. "I also set 1 card, and end." "And since you did, my mirage vanishes." The fake beast melted away into the slime it was before. "I go now," Sartyr said, while drawing. "And look, the curry's almost done. I activate the effect of Curry Pot. Since an Onion Man, Carrot Man, and Potato Man were removed from play by its effect, I can Special Summon my trump card, Curry Fiend Roux (0/0/LV 8)!" A gigantic chef jumped out of the pot. It landed with a ground-shaking pound. "My chef has a special recipe that he's going to serve up. He gains 200 ATK for each card that's removed from play, and 300 for each of them that's a spice card. Let me see... 7 cards are removed, and 2 of them are spices. So, my Roux's ATK becomes... Hmmm... Ah, yes. 2000." The chef glew with an intimidating red light. "Now, my chef, attack that annoying Dimacari. Montezuma's Revenge!" A great blob of stew rose out of the pot. It landed in a spoon Roux held, before being whipped at the bull. It hit at full force, throwing up a steam cloud. SARTYR: 2200 LPCODY: 3400 LP "That was good," Sartyr commented. "Wait, what happened?" As the steam cleared, it revealed that the bull was safe and sound, but without its shield. This was followed by a laugh from Cody. "Did you think I'd let you destroy my gladiators so easily? They do know how to defend themselves. Because of my shield's ability, I can destroy it to prevent the monster it's equipped with from taking the blow." "That was very strategic on your part, but you still suffer from your maneuver. Since another card was removed from play, my Roux gains another 200 ATK, for a total of 2200," Sartyr panted. "Oh, I'm not finished yet," Cody commented. "Because you attacked Dimacari, I can return him to my deck to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Murmillo in Attack Mode (800/400/LV 3)!" The bull glowed, and was replaced by a fish, with two barrel-like structures on its back. "And now, since Murmillo was summoned by another gladiator, he can destroy a face-up monster on the field. I'm targeting you, Roux!" The fish fired two shots from the barrels on its back and hit the chef, destroying the hologram. "Oh... I have nothing left to counter you with," Sartyr responded quietly, "so I end. Just make it quick." "I will," Cody said as he drew. "Laquari, Murmillo, finish him off!" The two beasts leaped in, surrounded Sartyr, and pummelled him with all their might. SARTYR: 0 LPCODY: 3400 LP "Good job, Cody," Sarytr said as he stood up. "I'm actually glad that I didn't win." "Why?" Cody asked, as Taylor and Miya ran down to congratulate him. "Because," he responded, "you seem like a horrible chef." Everyone began to laugh as the stadium was cleared out. It was a good night. [spoiler=Chapter 3-1: Come Hell or High Water, Part 1]Taylor was tired. He was curled up in his bunk in the Ra Yellow dorm, trying to get to sleep, but thinking hard. Cody was snoring below, though, and it was very distracting to his train of thought. Some important things were bouncing around in his head. I wish I could simply tell him, Taylor thought. It would be much easier than having to keep silent. He was staring at a small tattoo on his upper arm, which depicted a set of scales. This tattoo wasn’t simply for ornamentation, though. It marked him as one of an elite group, a group, however, that he didn’t want to be with in the first place. "This little mark," he thought out loud, "has made the last few years of my life so very... hellish. I've gone through things that kids my age should never know existed." The little mark, the scales, wasn't unique to him alone. The mark had found its way to him through one hundred generations, through threads of lineage that connected him to Greece and Egypt, to ancient lands that have long-been eroded by the sands of time. It was a bearing that signified him as important, filled with unbridled potential, and could very much make or break his world. "Well, better go to sleep now," he concluded. However, if he knew better, sleep would soon be his worst enemy. [align=center]-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-CHAPTER 3: Come Hell or High Water~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~[/align] "Attention, everyone," Sartyr addressed the huddle of Ra Yellows seated before him in the cafeteria. It was morning, but the emergency assembly that he called wasn’t exclusive to the Ras; it had been called by all of the dorms. "So, Taylor, whaddya think is going on?" Cody was obviously confused, which, knowing him, wasn’t too hard to believe. "Dunno, Cody." Taylor didn’t look like he was in the mood for a serious conversation. "Sorry. I had a terrible nightmare last night, and I'd rather not recall it." "Oh. Okay." Cody turned his attention to Professor Sartyr, who was about to make his announcement. "Good morning," Sartyr started quietly. "While some of you might already know this, I gathered everyone together to inform you of an occurrence that happened around 1:00 last night. Two security guards were found knocked out cold near the docks. Both of them had suffered blunt-force trauma of some kind, and have no memory of any possible attacker. They are both currently in the infirmary, and are expecting to make a full recovery. Therefore, until the perpetrator is caught, Chancellor Sheppard has mandated a 9:30 curfew for all dorms. Anyone caught breaking this curfew will be severely punished in a manner best fitting. Thank you for your time. Meeting dismissed." The excited buzz of a surprise rule filled the air as everyone got up and either left the building or went to their dorms to get books and Duel Disks. Taylor and Cody were among the first group, as they headed off to the major building of the campus. As they left the building, Taylor tripped on a step, and was sent flying into the feet of a familiar face. "Hi, Miya. Sorry for landing at your feet like that." Taylor stared up at the regal Obelisk Blue who was currently wearing a mildly amused expression. "Oh, it's okay," she laughed. "I was just going to ask if you and Cody would like to sit next to me in class today." "Sure! I mean, sure, we'd love to." Cody had seemingly popped out of nowhere, and was now trying to be as attractive as possible. Knowing Cody, it would take a lot of work. [align=center]-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~[/align] "Well, that was an tiring day. I can never get used to how much homework Crowler assigns us." Miya dropped down onto her bed in the spacious suite she shared with her roommate, Alexandria. "I'm still getting adjusted from the summer." "You know it, Miya." Alexandria nodded her head empathetically, but suddenly stopped. "Hey, Miya." "Yeah," Miya replied. She was a bit distracted pulling her hair out of their tight braids. "Did you bring your backpack in? Because when you came in the dorm, I didn't see-" Miya suddenly stopped what she was doing, and turned in shock. "Oh, crap! I must've left it in the library after my studying! I need to go get it, or Ms. Fontaine will have me for breakfast!" "Calm down, Miya," Alexandria assured her. "We can wake up early tomorrow to get it. It’ll be alright. Besides, it's 10 at night now. We'll be breaking curfew if we leave now, and that will be worse than losing your Deck, trust me." "No, it's not. I left my Deck in there! I can't just have my cards in the open when I have no control over it. C'mon, Alexandria. I'll need your help." "Fine." Alexandria got up and began to slip her shoes on. It was going to be a long night, she thought. [align=center]-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~[/align] "Yeow!" "Quiet! You don't want us to be caught. Do you?" Miya and Alexandria were rounding the corner to the campus library when Alexandria caught her foot and tripped. Oddly, Miya didn't hear any security guards. The central building wasn't incredibly big, so there must be a reasonable explanation for why nothing happened. "Sorry, Mi- Whoa. What the heck happened here?" Alexandria suddenly stopped and was staring at the doors to the library. Technically, she was staring at what was left of the doors. A large gash had ripped across them, and splintered fragments of wood and metal surrounded the area. "Miya, whoever did this meant business." "Well, we don't have to pick the door, at least." Miya seemed relatively unfazed by this turn of events, and grabbing Alexandria's hand tightly, she stepped past the rubble and into the library.The scene within the library looked strangely calm, in contrast to the destroyed door outside. However, it was quite dark, with none of the lit-up desk lamps that were typical of the campus. Miya pulled a pair of small flashlights out of her pocket and handed one to Alexandria. "We should split up. If anything happens to either of us or we find my bag, wave the flashlight in the air, and we'll find each other. Got it?" "Yes, though I'm none too happy about it." Alexandria turned the light on and began the search throughout the darkened library. Miya shrugged, and turned the other way to begin her search. An hour later, Miya heard Alexandria yelling for her, and came rushing over. "Alexandria, what is it?" "Miya, can we stop now? I'm really tired." Alexandria and Miya had been searching for the last hour, but all of their efforts had come to naught. "Nope. We are not leaving here until we find my bag and my Deck," Miya stated. While she was admired, Miya had a reputation for a one-track mind. "Wait a second. What's over there? Alex, stay there. I'm going to get a closer look." She flicked on her flashlight and steadily made her way down the corridor of books. "Wait, who the-" Her voice suddenly stopped. "Miya?!? Miya!!!" Alexandria ran to the end of the corridor, books towering on either side. "Miya?" Miya wasn't there. The only thing there was a flashlight, which dimmed and burnt out. [spoiler=Chapter 3-2: Come Hell or High Water, Part 2]"Uh…Where…Where am I?" As the red tides of unconsciousness fled away from her view, Miya stood up unsteadily and looked around at her surroundings. Honestly, there wasn't much to see. She was still in the library, but it felt grey-washed, as if someone had turned down the colors on everything. There also was an air of anxiety that permeated her body, and for good reason. Suddenly, a small bundle flew down in front of her. She picked it up, and looked for the source of the bundle. The only possibility was a shaded silhouette that looked oddly familiar. "Get up." "What?" Miya stood up and unwrapped the bundle. Nestled safely within a cardboard box was her deck. "But, how-" "Get up." The voice obviously did not want to wait. "You are going to duel me now." "Wha!?!" Miya was visibly confused. Looking down at her feet, she saw a standard-issue Duel Disk that wasn't there before. "Who are you?" "I am KUNDALINI. I am the id, the amalgam of the unconscious soul, the one who does without doing." Something about the way the figure said the new word, KUNDALINI, meant that it was to be taken without jest. "Okay. I have another question, and then I will duel you. Were you behind the two guards' injuries, and the destroyed door?" "All to call you here. I have already found one of The 12, and I needed to set a call for the second. I must have you," the figure spoke without emotion. "But, who are The 12?" Miya asked. "The marked. That is all. We shall duel now. If you are to lose, you will be mine." The figure moved its arm upward, and a swath of shadow moved around, finally congealing into the shape of a Duel Disk. "Fine. I'm obviously not getting anything else out of you, so let's duel!" Miya placed her deck into the slot of her Duel Disk, strapped it to her arm, and drew 5 cards. I'm all business now, she thought. MIYA: 4000 LPKUNDALINI: 4000 LP "I will start," the shadowed figure announced as it drew. "I now summon Dark Arbiter in Defense Position (0/2000/LV 4)." A shadowy puddle of ink spilled out of the card. It wriggled, and took the form of an all-black humanoid, sitting in a meditative position. "I now activate my Arbiter's effect. Once per turn, I can discard a monster from my hand to declare a word that was in the sent monster's name. Then, I can add a DARK monster from my deck to my hand that has that word in its name. So, I send Warrior Dai Grepher and choose the word 'Grepher' to add Dark Grepher from my Deck to my hand." The shadow held the warrior card out in front of it. Its monster's eyes shone red, and a flash of darkness enveloped the card. When the flash disappeared, the card was still there, but there was a strong dark aura coming from it. "Interesting play, but that isn't going to amount to much. You've already Normal Summoned your Dark Arbiter, so you can't bring out your Dark Grepher," Miya remarked. "Oh, I came prepared," the figure responded. "Grepher has a special effect. I can discard a Level 5 or higher DARK monster from my hand to Special Summon him. So, Dark Nephthys goes to the grave, and Dark Grepher comes out to play! (1700/1600/LV 4)" A spinning vortex of black energy appeared on the ground, and a blackened warrior jumped out. It smiled evilly before taking a battle stance. "I set one card, and end." "Hmm. Two monsters in one turn. I think I can parry that." Miya thought for a while after drawing her card. "My turn will start by playing A Legendary Ocean! This Field Spell boosts the attack and defense of all WATER monsters by 200, and drops their levels by 1." A giant wave began to fill the field. It soon filled the field of play with water, and set the duelists among an underwater ruin. "Next, I summon Oystermeister, in Attack Position (1600/200/LV 3)!" A bipedal fish jumped out in front of her, dressed in ninja-like garb made of shells and carrying an oyster in each hand. "And since Oystermeister is a WATER monster, he gains 200 attack points, for a total of 1800," Miya mentioned. "Now, I'm gonna attack your Grepher with him. Go! Littleneck Chopper!" The fish pulled an oyster out of his pocket and hurled it like a Frisbee. It struck the warrior in the neck, and it shattered into a rain of pixels. MIYA: 4000 LPKUNDALINI: 3900 LP "I was expecting that to happen," Miya's opponent said, taking the damage with a shrug. From listening to the voice, she deduced that the person, or thing, that she was duelling had a male voice, so she assumed it was male. "Whatever," Miya said casually. "I think I'll set one card to close my turn. Your go." "Fine," he said in response. "I draw, and activate Veil of Darkness. Now, during my Draw Phase, if I draw a DARK monster, I can discard it to draw again." A black fog settled over the field, blocking out the light filtering from the virtual sea's surface. "That will conclude my turn." "That's all? Well, I can't say much for planning." Miya studied the card she just drew. From the looks of things, it was a good one. "I now summon Abyssal Kingshark in Attack Position (1700/600/LV 4)." A shark that seemed to be made of bones swam over to the field. "I'm also going to activate my face-down, Fishure Charge! Now, by Tributing Oystermeister, I can destroy 1 card you control, and draw a card." The ninja-like fish shimmered, then disappeared. "Okay. Go ahead, destroy my Arbiter. I don't mind." "Not likely. I'm not just a pretty face; I know what could happen. I choose to destroy your face-down instead." Miya pointed her finger at the hidden card. It flipped up to reveal a trap, depicting a ghost in a black cloak. The card rippled, then shattered, as if it were made of glass, and someone hit it with a hammer. "Well, there goes my Dark Illusion. That was a wise decision on your part, for if you tried to hurt my arbiter, you would have lost your card, and your Tribute would be for naught." Miya's opponent gave off an air of mild amusement. "Thanks. Remember, though, I still get to draw a card." She drew, and looked at the card. "I think I will end my turn here." "Fine. I draw, and because of my Veil of Darkness, I can send my drawn card, Metabo Globster, to the Graveyard to draw again." Her foe drew, and looked at the card. "I drew Dark Crusader, but I'll send him to the Graveyard to draw one last time." Another card was drawn, and inspected. "I like this one. I summon Armageddon Knight (1400/1200/LV 4)!" A knight wearing sunglasses and shattered armor raised itself from the card. "Also, my knight's ability activates. Since he was Normal Summoned, I can sent 1 DARK monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I choose Obsidian Dragon." A brief image of a dragon made of black rock flashed before Miya before vanishing. "What's the point of sending all of your monsters to the grave?" Miya inquired. "It seems rather pointless." "Oh, there's a point," he uttered evilly. "Now, since I have 4 different DARK monsters in my Graveyard, I can offer my Armageddon Knight as a Tribute to Summon one of my most powerful monsters, Darklord Zera-" "NO!" A sudden shout interrupted him, seemingly from nowhere, and a brilliant light appeared on the figure's left arm. It began to glow with a steady fierceness, and was causing him great pain. His monsters seemed upset, too; they screamed and writhed before disappearing into shadows. "Stop! What are you doing?! You fool!" The creature was rolling on the floor now, clasping the brilliant mark. Miya could only help but to stand and watch as the odd event took place and the holograms from the aborted duel fade. "I…can't…let you hurt…her!" The voice grew stronger as the shadow's screams grew louder. Suddenly it stopped. They greyed-out world around them reverted to its normal colors. A body fell from where the figure was standing, seemingly knocked out. "Hey!" Miya rushed over to the curled-up person. "Who are yo- TAYLOR!?!" [align=center]-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~[/align] Her classmate was sleeping, a brilliant mark on his upper arm. As Miya watched, the mark faded into a recognizable shape: a pair of scales. "Oh, Taylor. Who, or what, did this to you?" She was silently sobbing as she watched her friend's chest rise and fall. "When you were possessed, you said something about KUNDALINI. Was that what was driving you to do this? Whatever it is, it is after us. The 12. You are obviously one of them, and…so am I." She carefully pulled back her sleeve. Tattooed onto her right arm was a pair of fish, swimming in a circle. [spoiler=Chapter 4: You Don't Know Everything…]Coming soon... [spoiler=Character List][spoiler=Taylor Tantrama]Name: Taylor TantramaGender: MaleAge: 14Deck: LightswornDorm: Ra YellowZodiac Bloodline: Libra, the JustA shy, not-too-quick student, Taylor comes from the Tantrama family, makers of the world's highest-quality Duel Disks. This entitlement has led to a sheltered life for him, which dampened his view on the world. However, his personality changes completely on the duelling field. Duelling is his passion, and while he keeps a detached manner, he rarely loses. He specializes in quick defeats, for if he doesn't, his signature Lightsworn monsters will clear his Deck out. [spoiler=Cody Diablo]Name: Cody DiabloGender: MaleAge: 15Deck: Gladiator BeastsDorm: Ra YellowZodiac Bloodline: UnknownReckless and headstrong, Cody is the life of the party, and perfectly balances Taylor's quiet nature. Born in the inner city, he's had to adapt to a fight around every corner, and carries this into the world of duelling. He can be quick to anger, but has a heart of gold, and will stand up against anything that isn't working out. [spoiler=Miya Natsume]Name: Miya NatsumeGender: FemaleAge: 17Deck: Aquatic ThemeDorm: Obelisk BlueZodiac Bloodline: Pisces, the RhythmicAn African teen adopted by Japanese parents, Miya (pronounced MY-uh) is regal in her disposition and outlook. However, she doesn't have the same sense of self-entitlement that the other Obelisks do. Her parents own a seafood restaurant, and Miya has learned how to think on her feet from working there over the summer. [spoiler=KUNDALINI]You'll see... [spoiler=Created Cards][spoiler=Taylor's New Cards]None as of now... [spoiler=Cody's New Cards]None as of now... [spoiler=Miya's New Cards]None as of now... [spoiler=KUNDALINI's New Cards]Dark ArbiterFiend/DARK/Level 4/ATK 0/DEF 2000Once per turn, you can discard 1 monster to declare a word that is in the monster's name. Then, add 1 DARK monster from your Deck to your hand that has the declared word in its name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bury the year Posted May 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 I'm splitting Chapter 3 into two parts: 3-1, which I just finished and will post, is mostly story, while 3-2 will have the big Duel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Supreme Gamesmaster Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Nice. Never did see Episode 3. Muahaha to the flashlight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bury the year Posted May 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Yes, it's a flashlight... Chapter 3-2 is done; hope you like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Supreme Gamesmaster Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Nice! That chapter is pure pwnage. Can't wait for the next one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bury the year Posted May 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Bump! C'mon people, I've worked hard on this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Supreme Gamesmaster Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Bumping for tectonix. This is a really good story, peeps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bury the year Posted May 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Bump! Expect a new chapter by 6-05, I hope! Plus, I have a surprise coming... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Supreme Gamesmaster Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Goodie to surprises. Wonder what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bury the year Posted May 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2008 Lemme give a semi-spoiler. Actually, it's more like a big spoiler, so don't look if you don't want to know: The "Inter-League Freshman Expo" is announced at DA, and Taylor and co. see this as a convenient opportunity to hunt down the other 10 Royal Bloodlines! Plus, Taylor duels in his sleep. :? So, are you going to take me up on my offer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Supreme Gamesmaster Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 ^^Just realized this post was here. Yes, I am (turns out I'm better at sneaking on the computer than I thought). Oh, and bump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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