DISCLAIMER: Come on, guys. Of course I don't own Yugioh.
Jurassic Heart
'This isn't good', Rex thought to himself as he observed the playing field in front of him. Here he was, finally competing in the regional championships, and he just couldn't seem to catch a break. Sure, he was now in the top 8 of the tournament, but this duel was so much tougher than any of his previous matches of the day. It had started out simply enough. Summoning monsters here and there, and tearing through his opponent's defenses. Rex had been sure his opponent was a strictly defensive player, but now the kid had gone on the offensive! One of Rex's newest monsters,
a powerful velociraptor named "Uraby" had just been destroyed by his opponent's Metal Dragon, one of the newly released fusion monsters, and all Rex had in his hand was Raise Body Heat, an equip spell that would power up his dinosaurs by 300 points. 'Well, that'd be awesome if I had any monsters left!' Rex grimaced. This duel had gone on for quite a while, and both players had used most of their monsters already. There were only a few cards left to be played, and it looked like this going to be the end of the road. If Rex couldn't defend with a monster this turn, his defenses would be considered "breached" and the duel would be lost, life points or no.
'I've come a long way, though', Rex thought as he looked back on his journey through the championship. He'd been through twelve grueling rounds already in the tournement, battled some of the strongest opponents he had ever faced and walked away from each one victorious. It had been a rough two day competition, and he was lucky to still be active. The qualifiers had taken place on Friday evening, where hundreds of unranked duelists had been eliminated. It was funny to think that just two years ago, that's exactly where Rex had been, sulking home on Friday night. This year, however, he'd been smart and gone through the local tournament circuit, where he had accumulated a strong winning record, which allowed him to jump past the qualifiers and into the thirty-two man tournament. Making the most of his night off,
he had gone to eat with his parents, since his dad had taken the time to skip across the pond and visit from America. His dad was a paleontologist in Montana, and had been hunting dinosaurs since before Rex had even been born. Rex lived with his mother in Japan, while his dad was off having grand adventures without them. It stunk, sure, but that's how it goes. And, when he did come to visit, he always had funny stories to share with his loving family. Rex chuckled as he remembered the previous evening...
"And THEN, she says to me, Rex, buddy, you'll love this, she says 'That's no iguanadon jaw, that's an Pteranadon crest!'" Rex's father, Ray Ryuzaki laughed as he delivered the punchline. The trio erupted in laughter at the joke, leaving their server to stand by awkwardly. A quick scan of the room would tell an outside observer that these were definitely a family of black sheep. Ray, dressed in cargo pants, a canvas shirt and hiking boots, ball cap turned backwards to hide his long, though balding, hair. Pam, Rex's mother, meanwhile, was heavily tattooed with various purple streaks throughout her long dark hair. She was dressed normally enough, but her blouse's sleeves had been turned up to reveal her various tattoos on her arms, most dealing with some sort of flora. And finally their son, or at least it was to be assumed it was their son, looked like a wild beast at first glance. Long, untamed brown hair hung down the boy's back, his signature red beanie allowing a few violet strands to be visible while hiding the rest. He was dressed far more casually than the others, wearing khaki shorts, a plain black t-shirt and flip flops. As the laughter died down, the server seized his opportunity to take the family's drink orders before walking back to the kitchen to retreive the beverages. "So, Rex, how's school coming?" Rex laughed in response, always amused by his father's mastery of hopping the line between friend and father.
"It's okay. The teachers are nice enough, I'm just honestly not that interested in most of my classes." He replied. Ray nodded understandingly. "You have to remember," Ray started, "That just because you're not interested now doesn't mean you won't ever be. For example, dinosaurs are super cool, right?" Rex laughed and nodded, always the avid fan. "But to appreciate the dinosaurs, you have to appreciate what came before and after. Fish and amphibians. Understanding differing variations of stone, so you can tell a fossil from a pebble. That doesn't come easy. It takes a lot of effort, and a lot of knowledge." Ray said as he accepted his beer from the waiter. Rex took his own water, while Pam accepted hers as well. "I know," Rex said, but was interrupted by his father waving his hand to cut his son off. The server took the note, and decided to return later. "I know you know," Ray started, "But it's one thing to know, and another to understand. I know that sounds vague, son, but knowledge comes from experience and a thirst to grow. And you'll get there. I'm not lecturing you, I just don't want you to lose your course. After all, you're gonna come study with me in America soon, and I want you to be ready." Rex nodded his understanding.
"Are we ready to order?" The server had returned, anxious to get this group of goofballs on their way. Pam began to speak, but Ray waved his hand again. "Not yet, actually. We might be here a while, got a lot of catching up to do." The server obviously meant to sigh to himself, but did so out loud. Embarassed, he covered his mouth and skulked away. Ray grinned. "I love making people uncomfortable. It's too easy, sometimes." Pam sighed as her boys erupted into racouse laughter.
"HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE". Their laughter was interrupted now by someone else's, a young boy around Rex's age, maybe a year younger, with bright blue hair and bug-eyed glasses. "Already laughing about how poorly you'll do tomorrow, Raptor? Expecting to be knocked out in round one?" The young man was Weevil Underwood, a duelist from the East Japan division who was also competing in the regional competition. "I'm surprised to see you out tonight, I figured you'd be scoping out the competition. But I suppose everyone deserves a last meal! HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE! Oh..." Weevil rubbed his head in the place his mother had slapped him upside the head. "Haga, be kind to your inferiors. Happy help is productive help." Weevil's father had joined the rest of the family. He was an imposing man. Impecably dressed with square, thick framed glasses. He was tall, at least a foot taller than his wife, who was roughly Rex's height. A crying girl, probably around four, was clutching her father's hand while she bawled her eyes out. Weevil's mother sighed in an uninterested fashion as she crossed her arms and scowled at the family.
"I think you may be mistaken." Pam said, happy to finally get a word in edgewise, but also irritated at the disrespect being shown her family. She stood to face the family, staring daggers in their direction. "My son is going to win the whole damn contest, and there's nothing Bug-Boy here can do about it." Weevil's parents looked taken aback by the rebuttal, while the young girl began to laugh and exclaim, "Papa, the lady said a bad word!" Weevil's father motioned his family toward the door. "We'll see soon." As he began to exit, he turned back, having just taken notice of Ray's attire, and the dirt that had collected on his boots. "Make certain you're careful eating your chicken fingers, sir. Wouldn't want to dirty your finest suit." He turned and walked out the door with his family, leaving the Ryzaki clan in silence.
"What a bitch." Pam exclaimed angrily as she plopped back down in her seat, visibly fuming. "Where does she get off talking to us like that? No wonder their kids are such brats." She sighed as she looked across the table at her own offspring, and welled up with pride. "Rex, honey, do your best tomorrow. Whether you win or lose, we'll love you just the same." She said as she gripped her son's hand. "But... if you could beat that kid down a couple notches, we'll probably buy you some more new cards." She laughed as she squeezed Rex's hand before letting go.
"Pam..." Ray said, slightly irritated. "You gave away the surprise!" Pam covered her hand with her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Ray!" She exclaimed.
"Sir, are we ready to order?" The server had returned at the wrong time. "I said not yet!" Ray responded, raising his voice slightly, but not enough to sound angry. The server yelped and scurried away. "Oh...crap, I was actually gonna order some jalapeno poppers." Ray said as he slapped his own forehead.
"So... a surprise?" Rex could hardly contain his excitement. His father's gifts were always the best. Last time, he had brought home a collection of Trilobyte fossils, and the time before that, his signature Two Headed King Rex. Whatever it was, this surprise was sure to be a good one.
"Well." Ray started as he locked eyes with his son. "Rex, you're my pride and joy. I love you so much, and I couldn't be prouder of you." Rex felt his cheeks begin to flush. His dad was a pro at making people feel awkward, and he always picked the worst times to have touching moments. "I hate that I only see you sometimes, and that I'm only good for bringing you stuff. I hope that can change this summer when we get to making some memories. I hope we can catch up." Ray said before breaking into a grin. "But the surprise is something I think you'll love." He said as he reached into his bag, and pulled out three Duel Monsters cards.
"Oh wow!" Rex exclaimed as he saw the cards. "What kind are they, dad? Dragons? Reptiles? There aren't too many dinosaur cards, I think I've already got most of them, so it can't be that. Maybe it's an effect monster? Those are entering circulation soon. Is it a spell? A trap? Maybe a..." His father's signature hand wave stopped Rex in the middle of his babbling.
"Take a look, if you really want to know." Ray handed his son two cards, but held onto the third, keeping it face down on the table, not allowing his son to peek.
Rex was amazed. So far, all of the dinosaur cards, save a few, were already in his possession. It was a pretty undersupported type right now, but it had become Rex's signature, taking advantage of the unappreciated monster type to take his opponent's by surprise. His Two Headed King Rex was probably one of the strongest dinosaur cards released so far, and it had won him several duels at the local card shop. But these! One was a black and gray striped velociraptor named "Uraby", and it was only one hundred points weaker than his King Rex! It was sure to come in handy! But the one that had really caught his eye was the high level monster on the right. Rex lost himself as he stared at the card. It was a stegosaurus, but it also could have been a kentrosaurus. "Sword Arm of Dragon..." Rex mumbled to himself in awe. 1750 attack power wasn't too shabby. And if the battle ever got rough and he needed to defend, 2030 was almost always going to be more than enough power to do so.
"They were just released in the states." Ray said. "There was a vendor at the airport I picked them up from right before I got on the plane. Odd looking guy, too. White dress, turban. Wore a key around his neck." Rex couldn't care less about the vendor's dress habits. He was holding in his hand the key to his victory! He was sure to win the tournament now! But then he remembered something.
"What about that third card?" Rex asked. He knew his father, and he wouldn't have held onto it if it didn't come with a catch, or it wasn't important.
"Well, I thought maybe I'd reward you with this one after you make it to the finals. After all, such an AMAZING card as this one can't go to just ANYBODY!" Rex grimaced. He knew there was a catch. There was always a catch.
"But...what if I need that card to get there?" Rex asked, hoping to ploy his way into changing his father's mind.
"Then. This one will be sure to help you. Say hello to the strongest monster in your deck!" Pam said with a smile as she pulled yet another card out of her purse to surprise her son. "It's called Megazowler." She stated as she watched her son admiring the card. "I think it's based on a Styracosaurus." 1800 attack power! Few things could stand up to that in duel monsters!
"Guys, thank you so much." Rex sniffled. "You didn't have to do all this for me. It means a lot." Rex knew money wasn't the most readily available resource for his family, and duel monsters cards didn't come cheap. In fact, it was the most expensive card game to play now that the new hologram system had been introduced. Rex had even had to pay to transfer most of his old cards in for the new, hologram compatible cards. Being spoiled to this extent was not something he was used to, and the feeling left him almost speechless.
"Go get 'em tomorrow, son." Pam said, squeezing Rex's shoulder.
"Are we ready to order, sir?" The server had returned once again, hoping to finally make progress with this table that was taking up room in his section. Ray groaned, "Not yet, I said!" The waiter scurried off, and Ray remembered that he had wanted to order an appetizer. "Son of a bitch." He mumbled, frustrated with himself, earning a quick kick in the shins from Pam and a laugh from Rex.
"I gotta tell you though, Rex," Ray began as he rubbed his freshly wounded shin, "There really was something weird about the guy I got the cards from." He said, lowering his voice and looking around the room, seemingly concerned someone may be listening. "He only accepted payment for the "Uraby" and "Sword Arm" cards. This one," Ray said, pointing at the face down card on the table, "He demanded I take and give to you. He even used your name. Said 'Rex will need this soon.'" Rex's jaw dropped hearing the tale. It wasn't fanciful or full of adventure like some of his father's usual exaggerated tales. It was just weird. What could it mean? Who was this guy? How did he know him? And what was this card? Whatever it was, it had to be his! "Did he say what I'll need it for?" Rex asked, to which his father responded by shaking his head. "No, he handed me the card, and as soon as I got done looking at it, he was gone." Ray replied, causing Rex and Pam both to gasp. "I'll give you a hint though, kiddo. It's a dragon that has something to do with someone that's dead." Rex looked puzzled at Ray's clue, wanting more. Ray just shook his head. "That's all I'm gonna tell you, kid. If you really want to know, make sure and make the finals tomorrow. If it really is this important, I want to make sure you're ready for it before I give it to you." Rex nodded, accepting the challenge, a new fire lit in his heart. "Well, this Sword Arm of Dragon and Megazowler are stronger than anythin else in my deck right now. They're gonna mop the floor with the other duelists!" Rex exclaimed excitedly. "And then, that dragon, whatever it is, is gonna take me higher than ever before!" Rex couldn't help himself, he jumped up, full of excitement, scaring the approaching server back into the kitchen.
Ray and Pam beamed at their son, so proud of the young man he was becoming. Ray was the first to break the silence. "Jeez, where is that waiter?"
...
Rex was broken from his reverie by the sound of the announcer. "Rex Raptor, the dinosaur duelist, has yet to make a move! Has he gone extinct?!" Blaring over the loudspeakers, Rex could feel the audience's eyes upon him. He looked back down at his hand, seeing only the equip card. 'Either one of those new monsters would really help me out right now...' He thought as he looked at his deck. 'But I haven't seen either yet. They're probably both at the bottom...' Rex couldn't seem to take his eyes off his deck as every possible scenario raced through his head. There were so many cards he had played already that could have saved the day. Knowing his luck, he'd draw ANOTHER Raise Body Heat and that would be that. Still, he couldn't help but feel that this was finally his year.
"You can do it, Rex!" The sound of a young girl's voice rang over the audience's cheers and chatter. Rex looked up to see Meg, another duelist in the competition. She had been knocked out the round before, but they had become friends during the local circuit tournaments. He didn't know her very well, but she sure was supportive. "Yes, my friend! This duel is yours! Turn that boy into a can of tuna!" Rex laughed as he heard Mako's voice over the crowds. Rex liked to think of Mako as a friend, but the truth was that he was more of a mentor. After his humiliating loss at last year's regionals, Mako had sought him out and gone out of his way to educate him about some of Duel Monsters' more subtle rulings and strategies. For whatever reason, Mako hadn't entered this year's contest, but was still here to see his protegee succeed.
As Rex scanned the audience, seeing familiar faces as well as strangers, he heard his opponents shrill voice from across the ring.
"Hey Dino Doofus, it's your move! If you want to give up just say so, but stop wasting my time!" The boy yelled.
Embarassed, Rex's gaze drifted back down toward his deck. The kid was annoying, sure, but he was right. It was crunch time now, and he had to make a play, good or bad.
'It's silly to think I'll draw one of those new monsters...it'd be way too convenient.' Rex thought to himself. He placed his fingers to grip the edges of his next card and closed his eyes. He could feel a surge of emotion, mixed with a feeling he didn't know. 'It's definitely not my kind of luck...Still...' Rex shook his head furiously, attempting to clear his head. He could feel his cards pulsing.
'I must be losing it...like my cards care if I win...' as he prepared to draw a card, he saw a flash of bright light from behind his closed eyes.
"Mom...Dad...Mystery Card...whoever. I need a lucky break!" He exclaimed as he drew his card. When he worked up the courage to look at what he had drawn, his jaw dropped. "No way...no way..." He couldn't believe it! He'd drawn "Sword Arm of Dragon", and his new monster was about to make it's debut!
"Get ready, punk!" Rex shouted across the ring, donning his game face once more. "Because I'm summoning the terror of the Jurassic forests! Make way for Sword Arm of Dragon!" Rex shouted as he slapped the card onto the hologram projection box. There was a flash of light one second, and the next an orange and cream colored stegosaurus meterialized, slamming it's heavy tail onto the battlefield. Rex grinned, and looked into the audience to see his parents smirking and waving peace signs.
"But that's not all, because I'm also equipping him with a spell card, Raise Body Heat!" Rex played the card, and his monster grew bright red-orange, and increased in size. "This card gives a dinosaur 300 extra attack points!" Rex's opponent let out a gasp as he realized this next attack would be enough to wipe out his remaining life points. "That's right! This'll be enough to wipe out your monster, and end this duel! Sword Arm of Dragon! Attack!" His opponent recoiled in fear as Rex's monster charged, and slammed into Metal Dragon, destroying the monster in a burst of light and decaying particles, reducing the opponent's life points to zero.
"Oh yeah!" Rex cheered as the platforms descended to the ground. Rex collected his deck, and went over to shake his opponent's hand. "Great job, man!" Rex smirked. His opponent was silent, but shook his hand before running off. The sound of the tournament bracket reshuffling caught Rex's attention, distracting him from his parents running up to him. "And Rex Raptor's next opponent will be Daisuke Shigara, the Beast Tamer!" The announcer blared over the loud speaker.
"One more to go..." Rex said as he heard the news, gazing at the updated bracket. 'One more until I meet the mystery dragon...'
...
Author's notes: Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this little introductory chapter! In case anyone is confused, this is definitely taking place in the anime, not the real world. At the beginning of the series, there were lots of little oddities in the rules, so I decided to try and incorporate them instead of skating over them, i.e., the "breached" clause. For the next little while, this will be a common thing. If a player is unable to play a card, their defenses will be breached, and the opposing player will win.
I'd also like to say that this is all Rex's story, following him instead of Yugi and the gang, and we'll get to see him develop. For now, I'll be following the main story fairly closely, but at some point, assuming this series continues, I'll deviate pretty heavily.
And finally! When I was much younger, there was site called Geocities, where one of my favorite fanfiction authors wrote her own stories regarding Rex. If anyone remembers, her site was called "Shining Friendships", and she went by Ryuzaki13. Since Geocities is no longer a thing, of course, I've been unable to find her work. But I loved her stories so much, and the glimpse into Rex the anime didn't show, that it inspired me to do the same. That said, this story will in no way be a copycat. This is my perception of my favorite character's journey, and I can't wait to go on this adventure with y'all.
If you have any criticism, ideas, or anything, I'd love to hear from you, even if you just want to make fun of me. Thanks for reading, and I'll try to have the next chapter up ASAP!
-soup.