Just a little ficcie from my other profile. I'm working on switching most of the anime stuff over here. It's been edited a little because this was one of my first fanfics.Yeah, the stuff that came before my Yaoi days. Yes, there was such a time.
Please R andR!
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh does not belong to me. Pegasus' speech comes from the lyrics of the song "Face Up, Face Down" from Yu-Gi-Oh! Music to Duel By.
The headlines read it loud and clear with huge bold words: JONOUCHI KATSUYA IS ANNOUNCED AS THE KING OF GAMES
MutouSugorokuput down his newspaper and looked over it at his grandson and his friend, the one with the Millennium Item and the one without. "I'm surprised to say the least Katsuya but Yugi, why quit dueling?"
"I can't duel," Yugi said quietly as he looked at his brother sitting there with the Millennium Puzzle dangling around his neck. Jonouchi looked down at his own deck in his hand, the deck comprised of cards from both his deck and Yugi's. He still couldn't really believe it. It seemed unreal.
"I'm a little disappointed in that you'd give up on dueling so easily. You could have been one of the best if you had the courage to."
Yugi looked down at the ground. He had always been gramp's favorite but now his favoritism had been switched to Jonouchi. This hadn't seemed to affect Jonouchi and for that Yugi was happy.
"Make your move Yugi!" Kaiba yelled at Yugi as Yugi felt the other presence in his mind order the Celtic Guardian to attack Kaiba's weakened Blue Eyes.
He knew that it was a risk and that if Kaiba fell he would die.
"Yugi! Don't!" Anzu yelled and Yugi finally snapped into focus.
"Stop!" he yelled and his monster stopped the attack. He could feel the anger of the spirit inside of him as Kaiba's dragon opened its attack on Yugi's monster. Kaiba then took his briefcase and left as Yugi fell to his knees.
"I will never duel again." Jonouchi came over to him and knelt down beside his dearest friend.
"C'mon Yugi, let's get going." He held out his arm. "Here, take my starchips."
"No," Yugi let the tears flow and grabbed Jonouchi's hand and when he pulled it away his deck was left there setting in Jonouchi's hand.
"You can't Yugi!" Jonouchi suddenly picked him up by the collar and shook him. "I need ya dere! Yugi!"
"I quit Jonouchi. Free gramps."
Jonouchi set him down and Yugi stood up and headed towards the steps. It was obvious that Yugi wanted Jonouchi dueling. Jonouchi sighed as he watched the sad shape of his best friend.
Jonouchi rolled over in the bed made of leaves that had serve him over the past nightas he woke up for his match. He looked down at his starchip glove that had twenty starchips in it. He had won more because he would be standing for himself and Yugi. He knew he didn't have to but he had wanted to. The rest of them had gone into the castle but Jonouchi had left to get more starchips on his own.
"Hey," he muttered to himself. "I needed the new practice with my deck anyways."
"Who do you think you are?" Keemo said as he glared at him. "Oh, I remember you. You're that looser from the boat."
Jonouchi held out his glove. "I think I'm qualified to enter and if I ain't," he held out his hand and showed the man ten more starchips sparkling in his hand. "Tell Pegasus I'm here ta stand fer myself and my best bud."
"Uh, you may enter."
Jonouchi confidently walked down the hall as he was allowed in. He felt the two cards in his pocket. Yugi had given them to him along with his deck. Jonouchi knew he had to beat Pegasus for his sister Shizuka, for gramps, and for Yugi.
Everyone turned to look at him as he stepped into the dinning hall. He dropped the dingy bag with the food he had been carrying around and walked towards the table. Pegasus looked up at him confused.
"I thought I told my guards not to let anymore beggars in?" he said as he took a sip of his drink. Jonouchi smirked at him and slid all of his starchips across the table and they stopped in front of Pegasus. Mai Valentine and Bandit Keith, the other two finalists turned and gasped at Jonouchi as soon as they saw that he had twenty starchips. "I'm duelin fer Yuge and me."
"Oh, of course, you're dueling for Yugi-boy. Well, please sit down Katsuya."
He stood there determined as his glare settled on Pegasus. Anzu, Honda, and Bakura looked at him amazed. They had never seen Jonouchi like this. Yugi was just sitting there poking at his food. Jonouchi finally sat down next to Yugi and the soup was served. A golden eyeball popped each out of Mai's and Keith's soups. Two came out of Jonouchi's.
"There is a letter in each of these, they will be determining who you are to be dueling."
"The opponents will be 'A' verses 'B' and 'C' verses 'D'." Croquet said as Jonouchi opened up his.
"Uh, how am I sposed to be duelin myself?" Jonouchi asked as he held up both the 'C' and 'D' paper.
"Hey mine's eyeball free!" Honda declared as Bakura sitting on the other side of Yugi began poking Yugi.
The bright morning light shone through Jonouchi's window as he shielded his eyes. Today was the day. If he could beat Keith or Mai he would be going up against Pegasus.
Jonouchi rolled over and sat straight up as he felt something poke into his back. "Ouch!"
He rubbed his back and then saw the Millennium Puzzle resting on the bed beside him.
"Yugi," he sighed. "What do I do? How can I get you to duel again?"
Jonouchi picked up the puzzle but didn't put it on as he grabbed his deck and headed towards the arena. Everyone was already waiting there.
"So what's happenin?"
"Mai's in trouble. Keith has just summoned his Slot Machine," Bakura explained as
Jonouchi leaned over and studied the duel. He never took his eyes off it as he learned their styles. It was time he stopped playing around and started acting like an adult. Yugi depended on him.
"I'll attack your Harpy Lady!" Keith ordered his monster and the duel ended.
Mai didn't seem upset though as she smiled at Keith. "Well," Jonouchi said. "Looks like I'm up. Wish me luck."
Honda patted him on the back and Anzu swiped at the tears that fell as Jonouchi approached the arena. Keith seemed a bit too cocky. Obviously he had now idea what he was about to face. Jonouchi approached the arena and set his deck down. "Your day is over Keith."
"Guess again blondy."
"Welcome back Red Eyes," Jonouchi said smugly. "Flash Flare Blast!" The dragon obliterated Keith's last monster and he stood there in a rage. Jonouchi's face had just turned more confident as the guards dragged Keith away. Jonouchi moved towards Pegasus in a calm matter. "It's just you en me Pegasus."
"Uh, yes, in ten minutes." Pegasus retreated to a room in back as his hands shook as he assembled his deck.
"Mr. Pegasus sir?"
"This wasn't supposed to happen! Croquet, he has some special power. I don't understand it. I could read his mind but it makes no sense. He's too lucky. How could an amateur make it this far?"
"I don't know Mr. Pegasus sir."
"I know what to do! I'll throw him off guard!" Pegasus grinned maliciously as he rubbed his hands together.
Jonouchi flopped down on the couch as he held tightly to the Millennium Puzzle.
"Jonouchi?"
Jonouchi turned to see Yugi standing there. "Yeah Yugi?"
"Thanks Jonouchi."
"Yugi, I'd let you do it."
Yugi shook his head meekly. "I know that Jonouchi but I'm never going to duel again. Yami's there to help you."
"Yami?" Jonouchi looked down at the puzzle. He didn't want to wear it. Its power scared him. "You have to Jonouchi."
"Alright," Jonouchi lifted it up and the chain fell around his neck as the weight of the puzzle hit his chest.
Anzu was standing there as she and Yugi helped him to his feet. "Just remember the symbol of our friendship."
"Yeah, I know."
"I am prepared Katsuya!"
Jonouchi got to his feet and approached the arena. "I'm ready for ya Pegasus."
"Let me just say, I'm adding another incentive for you to do your best." Suddenly Pegasus' eye lit up a Yugi fell over. His form appeared on the card he held up.
"No! Yugi!" Jonouchi reached out for it but then hit the area in front of him as he choked back the tears. He suddenly aimed his glare towards Pegasus. "You took him, now you're going to pay!"
"I am? How much will it cost me?"
"Your life."
"Croquet," Pegasus clapped his hands. "GiveJonouchi-kun a check for 5.6 billion dollars. That's how much I'm worth and he said it would cost me my life."
"Enough a dis funny business! I'm here ta duel!"
Pegasus held up the soul cards. "Alright, this duel will decide the fate of these." Jonouchi felt a pang in his chest as he saw Yugi's and gramp's soul cards. Along with Mokuba's and Kaiba's. He hated Kaiba but no one deserved this and Kaiba had just been doing it for his little brother. Jonouchi suddenly knew how he felt as he felt the emotional weight on his shoulders growing and for every second Pegasus held up Yugi's soul card Jonouchi just wanted to curl up in the corner and cry more.
"I need to be strong, fer Yuge." Jonouchi looked up at Pegasus, as he seemed taken aback by Jonouchi's determination. "Pegasus! It's time to duel!"
"Well, if you insist Katsuya. You really should quit stressing. It will give you wrinkles at a young age."
Jonouchi glanced over his cards and strongly put one card in defense mode and two cards face down. Pegasus grinned but as he tried to read Jonouchi's mind but something blocked him. Well, at least this mind he intercepted didn't know the cards he had set down.
Yami! I told you to leave this to me.
Jonouchi, you'll need my help. I promise I won't interfere with your wishes like I did to Yugi. It's my fault he isn't dueling any more.
Darn right it is!
Jonouchi, you have to do this with me. We need to depend on each other.
I don't want to do this Yami. I know you feel guilty but I'm not Yugi and I can never replace him!
Never replace Jonouchi, but you can win this. You were meant to do great things but you have to believe in yourself and in me and trust in the heart of the cards.
It hasn't helped Yugi.
Pull yourself together Jonouchi! This battle is too big to break down during! You can do this but we have to trust in each other and in the heart of the cards. Jonouchi, Yugi's heart is a part of this deck and he'll give us the strength we need.
That's right Jonouchi, the small form of Yugi stood there smiling in the landscape of Jonouchi's mind as Jonouchi looked at him.
Thanks you two, you and Honda and Anzu, even Bakura. You're the best friends a guy could have.
Then let's do this!
They all gave each other high fives and Jonouchi opened his eyes as he watched Pegasus closely. Yami had made a move and Pegasus was at a loss. Pegasus' monster, dark rabbit, had knocked out his face down monster but Yami's monster was still face down and as Jonouchi drew his next card he smiled to himself.
"No!" Pegasus yelled as Jonouchi laid it down. "Good morning Red Eyes. And while I'm at it I'll equip it with dese two cards: dragon nails and metal morph!" Jonouchi smiled to himself as he remembered the side bet that had been going on between Keith and him. The winner took two cards of their choice from the loser's deck. Jonouchi had chosen metal morph and time machine.
"Red Eyes! Flash Flare Blast!" Jonouchi looked up and felt a lightening of the weight as he saw every one of his friends cheering him on.
Together we can save Yugi.
Yes, Pegasus made his move. And speakin of together it's yer turn Yami.
Right!
Yami took control and Pegasus growled in frustration. "Enough!" Pegasus finally yelled.
He was looking scared as he looked at his life point counter that was already down to nine hundred.
Only one more attack and we win Jonouchi!
Don't get too cocky Yami. I have a strange feeling about this. I think we've got a long way to go.
Aw, you're no fun.
I think I'm already rubbing off on you.
So it seems. Well, down to business!
The sky suddenly grew dark and Pegasus starting laughing manically. "We will finish this duel in the shadow realm!"
"A shadow game?" Yami whispered.
Yami, is this bad?
This is really bad Jonouchi. I can't allow you to take control.
Whateva happens I can take it!
Be careful Jonouchi. I don't want anything to happen to you.
Awwww, the pharaoh's becomin a softy.
I'm serious Jonouchi!
Yeah, yeah, I know.
"Welcome my honored friends to the ultimate duel with the best of the best. At my invitation you've come to compete for the honor of suffering the final defeat."
"Guess again Pegasus."
"Well, this is my shadow game. Isn't it grand what I've managed to do by kidnapping those closest to you I've taken their souls to lay on the line in a winner take all duel for all time."
"You won't get away with this!"
Pegasus led Jonouchi further towards the shadow arena. "Let's play the game. I sure you all know how," he pointed at Jonouchi with the pharaoh's spirit in him. "But watch yourself my foolish friends you're all in my world now. Final arena awaits us all. I built it myself, it's just down the hall." Pegasus made it to the shadow arena. It was just a long empty room. "I wish this day hadn't some so fast you see, I truly wanted your pain to last." He narrowed his eyes at Jonouchi. He knew in here the real Jonouchi wouldn't last near long enough. "All your cunning strategies, all the tricks you've tried look like merely child's play to my Millennium Eye. Your turn Katsuya."
Jonouchi in anger took control but something was wrong.
Yami? What's going on? I feel so weak.
It's the shadow realm Jonouchi every monster's power is drained from your soul. I can last.
No, we have to keep switching. Jonouchi looked at Pegasus determined as he laid down two cards face down. Jonouchi aimed for Pegasus' one monster on the field but the attack never landed as Pegasus activated one card. "This is toon world. It will protect my monsters and turn them into toons!"
"What kind of card is dat?" Jonouchi spat at him angrily. Jonouchi looked down at his hand as he shook. Yami was right; he was starting to feel it.
"What's wrong now? You look so sad. Loosing your soul doesn't feel that bad."
"Is dat what ya told Yuge?"
Jonouchi, please, let me duel. You're wasting your energy.
Shut up Yami! I don't need your help!
Jonouchi, please, I'm begging you. You're one of my closest friends and I don't want to lose you too.
Pegasus knew he was getting to Jonouchi. "Those you love have me so and soon my friends," he smirked at Jonouchi, "you too will know."
Pegasus was standing there looking smug as he saw Jonouchi's breathing become more rapid. "You could just surrender. You won't last much longer and I'm just getting warmed up."
"NO!" Jonouchi yelled as he turned towards Pegasus. "Your turn."
"Hmm, well, I'll play this card. The Doppelganger!"
Jonouchi! I'm taking control now!
No Yami! He'll know what you're planning. I can last for a while longer.
"He can transform to any monster on the field that he wants." The monster wrapped around Pegasus' neck then dove into the drawn in board on the floor and reappeared as the Red Eyes Black Dragon and then dove into the book that was toon world. It bounced around and then out came a toonish Red Eyes.
"What have you done to him?" Jonouchi said angrily. He was getting weak. He had been in control for about twenty minutes. Jonouchi's body shook hard as he leaned down and tried to gain the strength he needed.
Jonouchi! I'm taking control now! Yami took over and stood straight up. "My metal red eyes is stronger than your toon!"
"Guess again! And I reveal my face down card!" Yami growled as he realized Pegasus had managed to get in. "Big two thousand!"
"That's the one you used on Kaiba!"
"Very good Pharaoh! And I think that the card you were about to lay is above two thousand." Yami regretfully put the Dark Magician down and Pegasus grinned as he got it.
"Then I'll play Flame Swordsman in defense mode."
"Good, I summon my new Dark Magician! And oh look, such a wonderful toon!" Yami stood there as the Dark Magician came out.
"You monster!"
"Oh, are you talking to me? Dark Magic Attack!"
The Flame Swordsman never stood a chance. Yami looked down at his hand. Copycat? Tombraider? What good are those?
Jonouchi took control again and drew then played Tombraider, Copycat, Toomrobber and Summoned Skull. "I'll…put…my Flame…Swordsman in your…graveyard and then…take it usin…Toomrobber. Then I'll…copy your toon…world using Copycat. Then…I'll turn all of my monsters…into….toons….and de-equip my dragon…and fuse my dragon and summoned skull using dis…polymerization and add dem again to make it a Metal Black Skull Dragon with an attack over five thousand." Jonouchi was worse off then Yami thought as Jonouchi hit the ground hard.
"Jonouchi!" Yami stood there in his own form as he knelt down next to his friend. "Jonouchi?"
"'member me," he whispered. "And git Yuge back. Tell him and my sis bye fer me."
Yami's anger grew as he held Jonouchi close. "No! You can't! You can't! Jonouchi!" Yami looked directly at Pegasus. "You killed him! It's all your fault! Everything is your fault! You took Kaiba and Mokuba and gramps and Yugi! You made Yugi stop dueling! It's all your fault! I hate you! If I could I'd kill you!"
"Are you done with these tirades yet?"
"You'll pay for what you did Pegasus." Yami looked down at Jonouchi's form and started to cry. "You'll pay for what you did to all of them. I promise that."
"Whatever."
"I'll finish what Jonouchi started! Your Magician is still out! Toon Metal Black Skull Dragon attack!"
Pegasus didn't look happy when it worked and even less so when the metal dragon retreated to its safe confines inside the book that was toonworld. "This is it!" Pegasus laid his next card and Yami just looked strangely at it.
"With this I can summon the ultimate beast! Relinquished!"
Yami snorted at the sight of the monster and called his next attack but suddenly something happened. His dragon was gone. "No!"
"Relinquished! Attack!" Yami felt his heart drop as he saw his monsters be destroyed one by one.
"Haha! You're a goner! And that time wizard you just pulled won't help you. You aren't lucky enough."
Yami swallowed hard but then something happened. Jonouchi pulled himself up as he looked to face Pegasus.
"What? It's not possible?"
"He may not be lucky enough but I am!" Jonouchi struggled to stay on his feet. He grabbed the two cards from Yami and played them. "Time Wizard and Baby Dragon! Go Time Roulette!"
Pegasus looked scared as he started praying for a skull but he wasn't lucky, unlike Jonouchi. The dragon on Pegasus' side was fossilized and now Relinquished didn't stand a chance. "Go Thousand Dragon!"
Pegasus looked pale as the sky cleared and Yami smiled in respect at Jonouchi as he disappeared and Pegasus ran.
"Jonouchi!" Honda, Anzu, and Bakura came running as Jonouchi fell. He still felt weak but Honda helped him up. "You did it! Yugi will be proud!"
"Yugi!" Jonouchi stumbled to his feet and started chasing after Pegasus. When he found Pegasus he was being carried out by Croquet but several blank cards dropped from his hand. Jonouchi jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Yugi standing there smiling. "You did it Jonouchi. I knew you would."
Jonouchi took off the puzzle and separated the two decks and handed both the puzzle and Yugi's old deck to him.
"No Jonouchi, they belong to you now. I couldn't imagine my deck or my puzzle being in better hands."
"Please Yugi."
"No Jonouchi, I'm not dueling anymore. Besides Yami would hate to be separated from you now."
Jonouchi nodded his head and put the puzzle back around his neck. "Oh! Wait a sec! I gotta git my money still!" Yugi nodded his head and they went up the steps where they had last seen Pegasus. On top of a thick book there was a letter addressed to Jonouchi.
"Here Jonouchi." He opened it and took a look at the check inside. It was the prize money plus the check Pegasus had told Croquet to give him along with a letter.
Dear Katsuya,
I hope you have not hard feelings about this. This is me wishing you the best of luck in the future. Your future will not be easy, my Millennium Eye tells me that much but I think these cards here will help you. I believe you have the power to use them. Best of luck to your sister with her eye operation. That was a magnificent duel and I am starting to regret that I made such a thing as Time Wizard but you pulled it off perfectly, my young Trap Master. A piece of advice from one King of Games to the next, keep your head high and small but always remember life has its price. I wish you the best of luck on your journey because it appears I did not fare that well on mine. Katsuya, I see you as the son I never had. Keep your head high and your mind clear and never give up.
In all admiration,
Pegasus J. Crawford
Jonouchi shrugged his shoulders as he looked at gramps. "Really, I'm not that good."