Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! This means I do not own the cast or original plotline of the anime or manga. I do not plan to make any profit on this story other than the paying of tribute to a friend lost to me far too soon.
Author's Note: 6 years ago after watching the episode where Yami Yugi/Atem/The Pharaoh defeats Yami Marik/Evil Marik, I couldn't help but think about how close he came to losing that duel. There were so many moments where the duel was almost lost, so many moments when sheer luck, not true skill, was what seemed to save Yami Yugi. Does this mean I don't like the character? Of course not. But it did make me wonder: what if he had lost? This led to the creation of the story of the potential outcome of him losing that duel. That story created a friendship that will always be a part of me with a person who will always take up such a large part of my heart. That person was full of a love and caring nature that will ensure that she will never be forgotten. Sadly, in 2010 she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer. She had her ups and downs, and I did my best for her as I could to be there for her. She was a strong spirit, and fought hard to recover, but in the end, the Cancer claimed her and stole her from me. Every day that passes I miss her, and reflect upon the injustice dealt in that situation. Now, 6 years later, I am rewriting the story that created such a strong friendship in her honor. I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 1
Thump-ThumpThump-Thump-ThumpThump. Yami Yugi felt as though his heart was banging against his rib cage, wishing for escape from the Shadow Duel in which its host currently found himself. He sucked in a deep breath, staring with trembling crimson eyes at Yami Marik, and at the Millennium Ring which had just been revealed to be in his possession dangling from his neck. So his suspicions had been true: The Spirit of the Ring had gone after the madman and suffered the consequences, dragging both himself and his host Bakura to the shadows. That just added more stress to him and another name to the list of souls counting on him to set them free. Sliding his right hand around, he let his fingers play along the chain links of his Puzzle down to just above where the Millennium object hung, and gripped that area tightly, as if to reassure himself that it was still there, that the evil man he now faced hadn't already taken it.
Sweat beaded up on his forehead in spite of the chill the shadows emitted, and he took a slight step back without realizing he'd done it. He'd never dueled an opponent like the one standing opposite him on the Dueling Field. It felt like when they'd first encountered Pegasus's mind reading capabilities firsthand back in the Duelist Kingdom Finals. It was overwhelming for him, to be up against such a strong, powerful opponent. Sure, Kaiba presented a good challenge, but that was NOTHING compared to this. 'This even surpasses Pegasus's cruelty,' he thought, gulping hard as Yami Marik smirked right back across the field at him, arms folded, knowing fully well how stressed he was making the Pharaoh. His hand shook on his Puzzle's chain, making it clank. Suddenly, Yugi's voice broke through the void of nervous energy that was surrounding the Pharaoh's mind, 'WE CAN DO THIS!' Yami Yugi jerked around to gaze at his young host's soul, the tug on his mind along with the message sent to him allowing him to understand that this wasn't something his young friend was saying out loud, but rather something he was saying through the connection between their souls. An exclusive message only meant for the Pharaoh to hear.
Yugi watched the Pharaoh as he blinked at him, the stress from the duel evident on his shaking form. He himself was worse for wear, but he couldn't let Yami see that now. To accentuate what was happening to him as a result of the duel would only make the Pharaoh all the more nervous, more distracted. As if he wasn't nervous or distracted enough by the visual of Yugi being torn apart already. The young boy had a hunch that was a part of Yami Marik's twisted strategy. It made him view the mad man with even further repulse. Why win a duel by such twisted means? Why not just win on merit alone? But then, what else could they expect? Technically, Joey should have won his last duel against the madman, but it was because of the man's damn Shadow games that their blonde friend had fallen. Still, thinking about how unfair the duel was for the two of them wouldn't help matters. If anything, that was probably what Marik wanted . . . he glanced at the other duelist across the field, smirking at the two of them. Well, they wouldn't give that screw up any more satisfaction. Catering to his dark twisted needs would end here!
So, Yugi screwed up his own sweat covered face in concentration, trying to exude confidence to the soul inhabiting his body on the field, 'WE JUST HAVE TO DRAW THE CARD KAIBA GAVE US! ACCORDING TO KAIBA, IT COULD BE OUR ONLY HOPE IN STOPPING MARIK'S EGYPTIAN GOD CARD! KAIBA PUT HIS FAITH IN US! NOW WE HAVE TO PUT OUR FAITH IN HIM!' Yami Yugi gritted his teeth, blinking at Yugi. Whose face softened just slightly, 'This is our most difficult opponent, but then, we both knew he would be. Just like we knew Pegasus would be back in Duelist Kingdom. But as long as we put our faith in the Heart of the Cards, I know we can't lose! Yami Marik might be powerful, but we've gotten powerful, too! You can't forget that! Not when the world needs us now!' The taller man smiled at his younger counterpart, grateful to have him there to help ease his stress. Yugi might not be able to alter anything physically happening in the duel, but right now he was doing more than what Yami Yugi had ever expected by being there for him emotionally. If he just kept faith in the Heart of the Cards, he couldn't lose. He had to believe that. He couldn't let Yami Marik defeat him mentally before actually defeating him on the field. If he thought the duel was already lost, what was the point in continuing on? Closing his eyes, he sucked in one more deep breath before letting it out, and moved his hand from his chain to the top of his deck, gritting his teeth, some sweat from his hand dripping onto his deck. He was about to put all of his faith in the Heart of the Cards, and he could only hope it would pay off. . .
Every part of his being screamed at him just to make sure that the card he drew was the one he needed as he slid it into the trap card slot on his duel disk. His hands trembled on the edge of the card for just a moment before he slowly pulled them off and opened his eyes, gazing at Yami Marik across the field, hoping that the anxiety he felt didn't reveal itself in his face, "I've placed a card face down, Marik. My turn has ended." Immediately those on the platform below were baffled, not understanding what just happened, doubting him. Honestly, he was beginning to doubt himself. Had he gone too far with his faith? He glanced nervously at the card on the field, his very boots shaking in anxiety. Yes, the madman had lived up to that saying he'd heard so many times in the pop culture of the world he'd woken to when Yugi'd pieced together their Puzzle so long ago: his opponent had him shaking in his very boots. What if Yami Marik brought back Ra and somehow was able to boost his attack strength? What if the card he'd played was useless against the Winged Dragon, and not the Fiend Sanctuary card at all?
Yami Marik noticed his nervous behavior, in spite of his best intentions to hide it, and chuckled, eyes narrowing venomously, joy within the pupils. He was thrilled to have elicited such a reaction in the Pharaoh, excited that he was causing such stress. He was no stranger to the fact that stress could win a duel faster than any Duel Monsters card. Now it was time to prod that stress, to have it grow. "Heh heh, it seems that the impending threat of the Shadow Realm must have clouded your thought process! You must have given up! Why else would you place a card on the field without looking at it first, Pharaoh?"
Yami Yugi grit his teeth. Always, he had been sure of himself when it came to moves like this, blindly believing in the Heart of the Cards, and always it had paid off. But now, he wasn't so sure. But he didn't want to admit that here, didn't want to admit that the evil man was right, even if what he was voicing made perfect sense. "You wouldn't understand, Marik!" he shouted right back. It was a weak response, but he felt he had to provide one of some sort.
As he waited for Yami Marik to draw his next card, he couldn't help but glance at Yugi. So much was riding on this duel, Mai, Odion, Bakura, Yugi. . . the entire world! He glanced down at their friends below, and gulped, the regret for what he'd just done growing even more. He was certain that Yami Marik was about to get Ra to make a second appearance. And while he would try to stand strong, in this duel that was becoming more difficult by the second. The Shadow Realm, seeming to sense his stress, appeared to get excited around him, and the cool winds of its deadly abyss whisked about him even closer, making him actually take a step forward in their intensity, trembling, trying to get away from them. But they were nothing compared to his truest threat: the waves of duty and destiny and obligation that were coming over him steadily in waves, threatening to drown him in their intensity. This was too much pressure from the beginning, and he felt himself drowning within them. He could only hope that this move would provide a lifeline, someway, somehow.
"We can just call this quits now, Pharaoh! It will be a lot easier on you if you just hand the Puzzle over now!" Yami Marik called, victory already reigning supreme in his eyes. "NEVER!" Yugi shouted, so that not just Yami Yugi but all the others in the vicinity heard. Yami Yugi jerked his head around, blinking at Yugi who continued, "WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP THE PUZZLE TO THE LIKES OF YOU, MARIK! NOT UNTIL OUR FINAL MOVE IS MADE!" Yami Marik chuckled and shook his head, "Perhaps with the way your friend is dueling down here, that move was just made, you fool. I pity you, putting all of your faith in someone who appears to have given up. Look at him. With each moment that passes he seems to grow smaller and smaller. He can't save the world. Hell, he can't even save himself. Because he can't even win this duel." He held out a hand in Yami Yugi's direction, and the man withered slightly at the evil spirit's words. Was that true? Had he already given up? His thoughts certainly seemed to point in that direction. . .
"HE HASN'T!" Yugi objected, and turned to Yami Yugi, who was blinking at him, a look of loss on his face, and began to speak telepathically with the Pharaoh once more, an urgency to his mental speech, 'I can sense your fear. Why wouldn't you feel it? Everything is riding on this duel. That's too much pressure to ask of anyone, even you. But regardless, the pressure is there, and it's there to stay. But I KNOW that if we just trust in the Heart of the Cards, we can win this! We can't let him defeat our spirit! Then the duel is most certainly lost!' Yami Yugi sucked in a deep breath, overwhelmed at the rush of confidence that broke through the void of his uncertainty and pressure. Yugi had always believed in him, and whether the two acknowledged that, it was a great support for Yami Yugi to lean on, always. Yugi was telling him just what he needed to hear to build his confidence up. He braced himself once more, arms firm at his sides, and smiled at Yugi, communicating right back through their link, determined to turn the duel around, somehow, 'You are right. If we believe in the Heart of the Cards, we can not lose! The fate of the world depends upon it! Upon us!'
He turned to his opponent and smirked, calling across the field, "My young friend is right, Marik . . ." he gripped the Puzzle firmly, "This duel is not over until the last card has been played, and that still hasn't happened yet. So you can quit trying to play your Mind Games with me. You won't win this that easily, in fact, you won't win this at all! As long as we believe in the Heart of the Cards, we can not lose! So go ahead! Make your move!" Marik chuckled, smirking, " 'Heart of the Cards'? You still believe in that? Don't make me laugh! This duel is one of darkness, and of power far greater than your precious 'Heart of the Cards'! That is by far not enough to win!"
He jerked out his next card from his deck, and smirked upon seeing it. 'Perfect. Just as I was expecting!' the man thought, and turned to the Pharaoh. Regardless of whether the card the Pharaoh had just played was the one that could supposedly defeat Ra, the man's fate, and by default the fate of mankind, was now sealed. Turning to his duel disk, he smirked and tossed the card into a magic card slot, "You may have been expecting Monster Reborn to be the first card I would play, but you'll find no such luck! Whether the card you just played was the one you needed or not, this card will destroy it all the same! I activate Heavy Storm! This destroys what little spell card your 'Heart of the Cards' has provided you!" "No!" Yami Yugi shouted, before holding his hands up before him and bracing himself as he watched with squinted eyes as none other than Fiend Sanctuary was destroyed. Yami Marik smirked, the Pharaoh's reaction as well as Kaiba's curse from below confirming that he had in fact just destroyed the one card needed to defeat Ra. Which, in effect, left the Pharaoh wide open for an attack.
Yami Yugi felt a feeling of cold fear take hold within his gut and blossom throughout his body in a wave that left him trembling once more. Kaiba had come up with that as the only card that might hold victory for him, and that was after the businessman duelist had analyzed every play and ability of the Winged Dragon of Ra. He couldn't help the tremble that ran through him at the loss of such a card. He glanced at Kaiba, who had visibly paled, a look of intense concern and concentration of the CEO's face. After his initial curse at the destruction of the card, the CEO's worry was now obvious as he slowly reached out a hand to clasp Mokuba on the shoulder. Even though the man claimed to not believe in the power of the shadows, it was clear to Yami Yugi that instinct was telling him that a threat was all too close. 'I'm sorry, so so sorry', Yami Yugi thought, tears beading at the corners of his eyes. Kaiba's one act of friendship, and it was rewarded this way? He wouldn't be surprised if the man hated him.
Slowly he turned to his friends, gazing at them all with the same look of guilt and apology. And only saw pity in return. That struck him harder than looks of reproach ever could. It was his fault, after all. Whatever came to pass after this moment was all his fault, all because he couldn't fulfill the duty laid before Marik chuckled, "And now the moment we've all been waiting for! I play Monster Reborn! This allows my Winged Dragon of Ra to return to the field! And now, with the destruction of your precious Fiend Sanctuary, you're left wide open for his attack!"
Yami Yugi jerked around, staring as first the dragon's golden wings appeared, soon to be followed by his massive body. "Rise my beast! Stand beside me! And together we'll defeat him and win!" Yami Marik shouted, and folded his arms up before him, "I shall now activate my Egyptian God card's most devastating ability, making Ra completely indestructible and sealing your fate, Pharaoh!" Yami Yugi stared as the shadows began to seem to eat away at the other man's essence, whisking it up towards the blue jewel on Ra's forehead. "Explain yourself, Marik! What's happening to your body?" he shouted, fear evident in his voice. He made no effort to hide it now. What was the point?
"I'm transforming my life points into Ra's attack points!" Yami Marik replied with a smirk, as if it was the most obvious thing. "What?!" Yami Yugi stared at the man across from him, shaking all the more. No! That would be enough to wipe him out! Yami Yugi grit his teeth, and attempted to talk the mad man out of the move, for all of their sakes, "And you think it wise to weaken yourself like this? You're risking your fate on one move!" Yami Marik laughed as he now formed on the blue jewel, minus one eye, "With you defenseless? I think I'll take my chances! Now I'll destroy my Juregado! And transfer his strength to Ra as well! Watch his power grow!" Yami Yugi unfortunately had no choice but to do so, fear causing him to shake. He turned, gazing at Yugi, and the tears were unleashed, 'I'm so sorry, Yugi. I did my best!' Yugi had a look of pity on his own face as he nodded, tears streaking down his own cheeks. They'd put their faith in the Heart of the Cards, and it had let them down for the first time. And at a time when they couldn't afford it to.
Yami Marik smirked, "Pharaoh, it is time I won this duel. But instead of just taking your puzzle and little Yugi, I think that I'll take all of your associates here to the shadows as slaves to the darkness!" Yami Yugi stared, "NO! YOU CAN'T!" It was bad enough that the madman would get him, Yugi, and the Puzzle. That would be power enough to wreak havoc. But to take all of them to the Shadow Realm? No, that was too much! Yami Marik sneered, "Oh but I can. Just you watch." Gripping the Rod, he held it high, and screams from the others were heard. Yami Yugi jerked his head around, staring as everyone, even Kaiba as he was growling and tugging and roaring as he was pulled, had dark shackles latch onto their wrists and ankles and pull them taunt, the chains disappearing into the shadows and drawing them up against the edges of the Shadow Realm that seemed to lap at them with its darkness, hungry for the souls within their bodies. He saw fear, worry, confusion . . . and in Kaiba's face, anger as the man glowered up at him, clearly informing him with his gaze that he knew this was his fault.
"I'm. . . I. . ." he stammered, searching for the words. He wanted so badly to say he was sorry for what was happening. It had been his duty to save the world, and he'd failed. The least he could do, he felt, was say he was sorry. But would that make any difference? The word seemed so hollow compared to their situation. Like a weak bandage offered to a wound that needed a cast. As the creature loomed above them all, the orb of golden light forming in its jaws at the mad man's command, he shuddered, tears racing down. And shut his eyes tightly. Never before had failure struck him so severely. He felt shackles slide around his own wrists and ankles and latch on, pulling him apart, holding him wide open for the blast. As his muscles were stretched as his body was pulled taunt, he whimpered, and turned to Yugi. His younger friend was the only one who could truly feel the regret he felt towards them all, "I'm . . ." he choked out a weak sob, and closed his eyes, "I'm so sorry, Yugi."
Yugi nodded, tears streaking from his own lavender eyes, "I . . . I know. It'll all be ok. We'll get through this, somehow." "We'll just see about that," Yami Marik chuckled darkly, then threw his head back, bracing his arms at his sides, "Winged Dragon of Ra, attack his life points!"
Yami couldn't bring himself to look as the attack took place. There was a roar, and then he felt the heat quickly approaching before it encased him in fiery fury. Throwing his head back, he gave a loud roar of pain, as his whole body was encased in flames. The flames ate away at his skin without destroying him entirely. Normally such a lack of effect would be good in a duel, but all it did was prolong the agony as Ra's attack took place, his friends screaming as the shadows ate them away with each life point he lost. Soon a new scream was adding to them, and it took the Pharaoh a moment to realize that it was coming from his own throat as his jaw stretched wide in agony, his body convulsing and writhing, tugging against its bonds, trying fruitlessly to escape the torture. As his mouth opened wide, the heat moved in and scorched his lungs. Instinctively, he attempted to close his mouth and keep it shut at those moments, only to have it forced open again in a pained scream. After what felt like an eternity of such a state, it was over and the chill of the shadows returned. He flopped his head forward, his body exhausted and heaving with each breath.
His body, Yugi's body, ached, and the fact that it not only belonged to him but also to his host soul made the situation all the worse. He had made an understood, silent vow to his young host to protect that body whenever he was in control, and now, he had broken that vow. That brought him the most shame, as his soul fell into darkness, seeping deep into the pain and guilt until it swallowed him and cast him into unconsciousness, the only sounds in his ears being the beat of his heart: Thump-ThumpThump-Thump-ThumpThump. . .
Author's Note: So, what did you think? I understand that the way I portrayed the Pharaoh is different from his outer portrayal in the show. His uncertainty rarely is shown in the show, and I understand that that does make him OOC in my tale. But let me explain: This was my attempt at realism, in that with all of that pressure on him and with the duel going sideways, I believe that the pressure would be so much that he would start to doubt himself. I hope that this makes sense, and thank you for reading! Hoping to get the next chapter out soon!