DISCLAIMER: If you recognise it from somewhere else, it isn't mine.

The Heart of the Cards

Long ago, when the pyramids were still young, Egyptian Kings played games of great and terrible power. But these shadow games erupted into a war that threatened to destroy the entire world. Until a brave and powerful Pharaoh locked the magic away, imprisoning it within the mystical millennium items. Now, five thousand years later, a boy named Yugi unlocks the secret of the Millennium Puzzle. He is infused with ancient magical energies. For destiny has chosen him to defend the world from the return of the Shadow Games, just as the brave Pharaoh did five thousand years ago.

In the city of Domino, in a high school classroom, a group of the students stood around watching a couple of the boys play a card game. The blond one stared at the cards in his hand. He seemed to have forgotten about the other boy.

'Hey, Joey.' The boy with the tri-coloured hair finally spoke. 'Earth to Joey! Hey, are you in there? It's your move.'

Joey pressed his lips together even harder, his fingers dancing over the top of the cards. A brunette girl with a yellow bandanna, which bore some kind of eye, snorted in amusement. Another boy, this one with pointed dark brown hair hooked Joey in a head lock with a laugh.

'Aw! Isn't he cute when he's thinking?'

'Hey, Tristan.' Joey showed the guy his cards. 'Yugi here's teaching me how to play Duel Monsters.'

Tristan pulled a face. 'Drooling Monsters?'

Joey shoved him away. 'Duel Monsters, you nimrod.'

'Shesh!' Tristan huffed.

'They've been at it for hours.' The other brunette girl there explained. 'Joey's starting to get the hang of the game, but Yugi's like an expert.'

'Okay, Yugi.' Joey threw down a card. 'It's time to duel!'

The other girl went on. 'See, each monster has an attack number and a defence number. First person to eliminate their opponent's life points wins the duel.'

'Pretty good move, huh, Yugi?' Joey gloated.

'Yup.' Yugi smiled and nodded. 'Pretty good move.' He threw down his own card. 'But not good enough.' His monster had nearly twice the attack power of Joey's.

Joey jumped. 'What?' He looked up at him. 'Thanks a lot! A card that powerful totally wipes me out.'

Tristan laughed. 'Whoa! You stink at this game, Joey.'

Behind them, the school snob glanced up with a smirk. The bandanna girl turned her head at the same time and raised an eyebrow, the friendliness gone from her face. He sneered and went back to his book.

'Nah, you did fine, Joey,' Yugi said. 'I just have better cards. See, my grandpa owns a game shop and I get all my best cards from him.'

Joey was on his feet and eager. 'Your own game shop? What are we waiting for? Let's go!'

'All right,' Yugi said. 'Maybe I can even get my grandpa to show us this super-rare card he's got.'

The school snob looked up again, this time in interest. But this time Bandanna Girl did not turn around. Instead, she watched Yugi, Joey, Tristan and the other brunette girl, Téa, walk out of the classroom. She went to her desk and started packing her things into her school bag.

As Bandanna Girl walked out of the classroom herself, sometime after the school snob left, she pulled a cell phone out of her bag. A few rings before it was answered. 'It's Sharee. Look, I need you to do me a favour. For the next twelve hours, monitor any deals and orders that Seto Kaiba does. Because he's just gone to check out a super-rare card and if he wants it…well, I somehow really doubt that the owner will agree to hand it over…you know, willingly. Okay, thanks.'

Sharee then slowed her walk. She turned and began walking home. Deciding to take the scenic route, due to the fact that she may have to change direction, Sharee ended up sitting on the edge of the pond in the park. She was watching the sun set and smiled at the golden glow on the water.

The cell phone rang and Sharee pulled it out. 'Hel…he did?' She checked her watch. 'Not tonight? Tomorrow.' She slumped back. 'Well, in that case…I suppose I can always tell Yugi beforehand. Good point. I usually only see him in class, but I'll see what I can do.'

Sharee got up and headed home. The next day she knew she would have to find a way to tell Yugi his grandpa was in danger, but every time an opportunity presented itself Kaiba was within listening distance. That wasn't the way that Sharee had been taught. And then they all got out of the school before she did.

Sharee was racing across the city. She checked her watch as she ran. Yugi would almost be home at that moment. She pulled her cell phone out of her bag as she went. As she was about to begin dialling, it rang.

'What?' Sharee nearly yelled into the receiver. 'Virtual simulator? He's an old man!' She could see KaibaCorp in front of her and bolted up into the building. 'Where am I going? Right. Thanks.' Sharee hung up and ran to the elevator. She hit the button and was in almost as soon as the doors opened.

'Right.' She started dialling and pressed the phone to her ear. It rang…and rang…and rang. 'Come on, come on, come on, Yugi. Pick…' There was the click.

'Hello? Game shop.'

'Yugi? It's Sharee Pertinicle.'

'Oh, yeah. What do you need?'

'Kaiba didn't like getting "no" for an answer,' Sharee said. 'He hijacked your grandpa earlier today. In fact, I expect that's Kaiba trying to get through right now.' She knew they could both hear the tell-tale beeping of an incoming call. 'I'm already at KaibaCorp. You better get down here.' She hung up as the doors slid open and she was presented with an empty room, save the sight of the old Mr. Moto collapsed on the floor.

That conceited little…

I couldn't agree more.

YGO

Yugi led Joey, Tristan and Téa into the building and then into the elevator. Moments later it stopped and the doors opened. Sharee Pertinicle was there, leaning over Yugi's badly injured grandfather. Téa cried out in shock.

Sharee stood up and stepped aside and Yugi ran over to him. 'Grandpa! Grandpa, are you okay?'

Sharee just shook her head.

His grandfather lifted his head. 'Yugi, I failed. I tried to teach that boy Kaiba a lesson about the Heart of the Cards but I lost.' He cried out in pain and slumped.

'Grandpa!'

The doors at the other end of the room opened. Kaiba stood there. 'How's the old man feeling, hmm?'

'Kaiba!' Joey clenched his fist. 'You sleaze! What have you done to him?'

'We had a duel, that's all,' Kaiba said. 'With each of us putting up our most valuable card as the prize.'

Sharee glared. 'Yeah, but not an ordinary duel, I'll bet.'

Kaiba shrugged nonchalantly. 'I guess playing against a champion like myself was just too much stimulation for the old fool.'

Téa pointed at him accusingly. 'Kaiba, you should be ashamed of yourself!'

'It was fair. And look at the sweet prize I won.' Kaiba pulled the Blue Eyes White Dragon card out of his pocket. He tore it in half.

His grandfather, Téa, Tristan and Joey gasped. Sharee sucked her breath in through her teeth.

'Grandpa's most treasured card!' Yugi's words were shaky.

'Yes,' Kaiba said. 'The Blue Eyes White Dragon is a rare and powerful card. And this one will never be used against me.'

'That still doesn't make sense!' Sharee glared at him. 'You go to all this trouble, coercing an aged man into a duel that did damage to his health, all for that card and then you just tear it up? Are you insane?'

'My Blue Eyes White Dragon…' His grandfather tried to reach for the torn card. 'My treasure…'

'Grandpa, hold on!' Yugi looked up at Kaiba, glaring. 'How could you do such a thing?'

'Yugi, here.' His grandfather held his deck out to him. 'Take this.'

'Huh?' Yugi looked down at him. 'Grandpa…'

'I built this deck,' he said. 'I put my soul in these cards. And I taught you everything I know, Yugi. Take them. Take my cards and teach him respect. Teach Kaiba respect for the Heart of the Cards, Yugi.'

'But, grandpa, you need help,' Yugi said. 'I have to get you to a doctor!'

'Sounds like an excuse.' Kaiba stepped down the stairs. 'Your friends can care for your grandfather, while you and I duel. Unless you're afraid.'

Yugi glared at Kaiba, torn. On one hand, he wanted to get up and show this guy what Duel Monsters was really all about, but on the other he felt like looking after his grandpa was his responsibility. Sharee had already taken part of that from here and he owned her for that.

'Take him, Yugi!'

Yugi turned around and looked at Joey.

'We can take care of your grandpa while you take care of Creepy Kaiba,' Joey said. 'Teach that rich, spoiled brat what a real duel's all about.'

Téa was in complete agreement. 'For your grandpa, Yugi!'

'I don't know,' Yugi said.

'Trust me,' Joey said. 'You're like the best player I've ever seen and you've got the Millennium Puzzle.'

'That's a big one,' Sharee agreed. 'With that thing, Kaiba's chances of beating you are next to non-existent!'

'You can do this, Yugi!' Joey insisted. 'I know you can.'

'We all do,' Tea said.

They were right. Yugi nodded and turned back around, taking the deck from his grandfather. 'Okay, grandpa. I'll do it.'

'I know you will, my boy.'

Téa pulled a black permanent marker out of her skirt pocket. 'Everyone, put your hands together.' The five of them did and Tea drew a symbol on the backs of their hands. 'And I'll mark us with a special sign.'

The boys and Sharee lifted their hands and looked at it.

'What gives, Téa?' Joey asked.

Téa smiled and explained. 'It's a symbol of our friendship so when Yugi's duelling, no matter how tough it gets, he'll know that he's not alone. We're all right there with him!'

They split off after that. Joey, Téa and Tristan took Yugi's grandpa outside. Sharee handed them her cell phone before they went so that they could call the ambulance. She came with Yugi into the Duelling area. Once the two combatants were on the platforms and being shifted into position, Kaiba began gloating.

'I designed this virtual stadium myself. Impressive, hmm? I think you'll agree it adds a bit more life to the game. We each begin with two thousand live points. First player to hit zero loses.' He focused on his control panel. 'Are you ready to play, runt?'

'Play time is over, Kaiba!' Yugi spoke with far more confidence than he had before.

Kaiba looked up and Yugi felt it happening. The words spilled from his lips in a loud yell that no one ever seemed to hear.

'YU-GI-OHHHH!'

His vision went white and he felt a warm pressure against his mind. When this had first begun, Yugi's mind had blanked out the experience. Why, he still didn't know, but he felt as though someone else slipped into his body. It was almost like a divine guide. He always seemed to get taller and his voice changed when this happened.

Maybe there was another person inside of him though. But this someone had a darker personality. His…Yami, he supposed.

YGO

Yami's vision returned in time to see Kaiba draw back with a, 'What the…?'

'Now, Kaiba.' He spoke in a deeper, stronger voice. 'Prepare yourself, because it's time to duel.'

Kaiba quickly recovered himself and both of them drew five cards. Yami could see he had decided whatever he thought he saw was just a figment of his imagination. Oh, don't you wish, Kaiba. Don't you wish.

'Virtual systems ready,' Kaiba said. 'So let's begin.' He drew a card and laid it down on the field. 'I attack with the mighty Hitopsumi Giant.' The field between them began to glow. 'Brace yourself, Yugi. You've never duelled like this before.'

The monster took shape on the field.

'Ah.' Yami took a step back. At the same time, something triggered in his buried memories. This was normal, despite the fact that he couldn't recall ever seeing it. 'He's brought the monster on the card to life.'

'It's my virtual simulator,' Kaiba said. 'It creates life-like holograms of every duel monster.'

In the space of less than a second, Yami found the definition for "hologram" in Yugi's mind: an artificial projection creating a three-dimensional image. It was a relatively new development in technology. An aged man would be unprepared for such a thing. 'So this is how you beat my grandfather.' Better for Kaiba to think he truly was Yugi Moto. He drew a card. 'Well, now it's my turn.' He laid the card down. 'I call on the Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress!'

The dragon took form opposite the Hitopsumi Giant.

'Wha...? Monsters?' Joey cried in surprise from below. 'Real monsters?'

'Holograms, Joey.' That should have been Sharee.

A glance down and Yami remembered because of what he saw. Instead of Sharee's general pose of leaning or sitting on the barrier with her arms folded across her chest and her legs crossed, she was standing with her legs spaced at shoulder width and her hands folded behind her back.

Shamee, through a loyalty to him, had refused to allow him to go through this task – of which had been removed from his memory – alone. But she too required a vessel. And that, obviously, was Sharee Pertinicle. That was why she had looked out for Yugi's grandfather.

They were two of the same.

The Hitopsumi Giant charged forward.

'Fireball attack!' Yami ordered.

The Winged Dragon spat fire, destroying Kaiba's monster. Kaiba shielded his face from the light and the heat as his life points dropped to 1800. Yami noticed, on the opposite side, a boy of about twelve years ran over.

'Big brother!' he called to Kaiba. 'Are you all right?'

Yami glanced at Shamee. She was looking at the boy in mild interest as Joey cheered beside her. Ah. So Kaiba did care about somebody beyond himself. It would be only his younger brother though. Still, it was better than nothing. It would seem Seto Kaiba was not the lost cause he appeared to be.

Kaiba drew another card. 'Huh. Well-played, Yugi. For a beginner. But how will you deal with this.' He threw that card down and another monster took form with a chilling laugh.

Yami frowned in confusion. 'Soggy, the Dark Clown? But that card has hardly any attack strength.'

'True, your Winged Dragon's attack is 1400 while my Dark Clown's is only six hundred, but if I combine it with this card…' Kaiba laid another card down.

Now it made sense. 'A magic card.'

'Exactly,' Kaiba said. 'The negative energy generator. It multiplies my monster's attack by three. Dark Clown attack with Dark Light!'

The Dark Clown threw an attack and the Winged Dragon was destroyed. Yugi's life points dropped to 1600 as Kaiba gloated.

'As you can see, combining cards can be very effective.'

Shamee scoffed loudly from where she stood.

Yami gritted his teeth and listened to Yugi's thoughts. He's good. He knows every aspect of this game. Yami reached down for the deck and pressed his fingers to it. But my grandpa put all his gaming knowledge, his whole heart, into assembling this deck. A drawback of the situation he was in was that his actions, while still his own, were still synced to Yugi's thoughts while the boy was still somewhat oblivious to his presence. He drew another card. I have to believe it that holds some secret strategy.

The card he drew was vaguely familiar to Yami. It was a shackled leg…something…it was something…whatever it was, Yugi didn't seem to think of that. This card is useless. I can't beat the Dark Clown with this. Well, that was true. I'll have to use a different monster in defence mode. The monster will be sacrificed, but my overall life points will be saved. He laid the monster face-down. The Dark Clown, upon Kaiba's command, attacked and destroyed the monster.

'Hang in there, Yugi!' Joey called, slamming his fists down on the barrier.

Monster after monster after monster fell to Soggy the Dark Clown. Kaiba laughed and Yami ground his teeth as this happened. There had to be a way to get through this duel monster.

Kaiba seemed to like gloating. 'You're not fairing any better than the old man did, Yugi. Your deck is just as weak and feeble as your grandfather.'

'My grandpa is a great man and a better duellist than you'll ever be,' Yami said. 'He entrusted me with his cards and I can feel his heart in this deck.' His eyes narrowed. 'I doubt you have that kind of faith in your cards, Kaiba.'

'Wha…?' Kaiba was sufficiently stunned.

'But I believe in my grandpa's deck.' Yami drew the card. He smirked. 'And my faith rewards me with Gaia, the Fierce Knight! With a destructive power of 2300.'

Kaiba drew back. Gaia charged and skewered the Dark Clown, destroying him and dropping Kaiba's life points to 1300. That was that headache out of the way.

Joey pumped his fist into the air. 'Way to go, Yugi!'

Shamee nodded once.

'All right, Kaiba,' Yami said. 'Your move.'

'Hah!' The fool didn't even care about his monsters. 'This'll be over sooner than you think.' He drew a card. 'I call on the Blue Eyes White Dragon!'

The beast took form. Yami drew back. 'Huh? No way!'

'What?' Shamee's posture suddenly broke, her hands coming from behind her back.

'Impossible!' Joey insisted. 'We all watched Kaiba tear that card in half!'

'Surprised?' Kaiba asked. 'Did you think your grandfather was the only one to possess a Blue Eyes White Dragon?'

The Dragon attacked the Gaia was vaporised. Yami grunted as he covered his face from the light. It could've been his imagination, but he swore that he could feel heat from it too.

'Huh,' Kaiba said as Yugi's life points dropped to 900. 'Your Fierce Knight is destroyed. Faith or no faith, you will fall before my superior monsters, Yugi. Power is what this game is all about, you fool. Faith is for losers, like your pathetic grandfather. In your entire deck, there's not a single card that can stand up to a Blue Eyes White Dragon…so what hope do you have against two?' He held up a second one.

'How many of those things do you have?' Shamee demanded as the second one appeared on the field. 'Oh, what am I asking for? You can only possibly have one more!'

'Why do you say that?' Joey asked her.

'Because there's only one more in the world.'

Kaiba ignored them. 'Why don't you just admit defeat, Yugi?'

Yami felt a gentle curtesy prod at his mind and he knew it was Shamee trying to establish communication. He allowed her through.

'Because the last time you lost, everyone did.'

A flash of a burning city came to his mind. That wouldn't happen here, but the point was the same.

'I won't give up.' The next part was sentiments of Yugi's. 'Grandpa's counting on me.' He drew a magic card and immediately put it to use. 'Swords of Revealing Light! It stops all monsters on the field for three turns.'

'How desperate,' Kaiba remarked. 'What possible good will a three-turn delay do you?'

Yugi, it seemed, was a lot more prone to giving up than Yami was. He's right. What do I do? I can't figure out what to do with these cards. Neither of them could. They're just a bunch of…pieces. How can I use them to battle an expert like Kaiba?

'For someone claiming to have faith, you're giving up too easily, Yugi.'

The man had reached out to his grandson's mind. Yami shifted them, then he turned and allowed Yugi control of the mouth. He was just a boy, after all. He needed advice from an authoritive figure that he trusted. In the back of Yami's mind, he remembered that.

'Listen, sometimes the cards are like a puzzle,' his grandfather said. 'You have to put all the pieces in their proper place.'

'Oh! Like the Millennium Puzzle?' Yugi asked.

'Exactly,' his grandfather said. 'Each piece helps build a greater entity.' He disappeared.

Yugi reached for him. 'Grandpa!'

'Like the piece of a puzzle, Yugi,' his grandfather called. 'Remember!'

Yugi suddenly remembered something. Puzzle? Line up the cards like a puzzle. Wait! Grandpa once said…"Duel monsters contains only one unstoppable monster: Exodia. But he can only be summoned by drawing all five special cards. A feat that, to this very day, no one has ever accomplished!"

Kaiba's voice drew him out of his head. 'Quit your stalling, Yugi! Or you will forfeit the match.'

'I never forfeit.' Yami took control again and drew a card. It was an arm. Yugi's excitement grew. Another piece of the puzzle!

'Draw any card you like,' Kaiba said. 'It won't change a thing. My Dragons maybe frozen for another two turns but my new monster is under no such spell.' He threw another card down. 'The Judge Man!' The monster appeared on the field. 'With an attack power of 2200.'

The Judge Man destroyed Yami's defence.

Yami drew another card, finding it to be his favourite. He always felt a certain…strange attachment to this monster, like he was an old friend. Yugi seemed to feel something similar. I can attack with the Dark Magician, but he won't stand a chance once Kaiba's Dragons are free of my spell.

All the same, Yami threw the card down. 'Dark Magician! Attack!'

The Dark Magician attacked and destroyed the Judge Man. Kaiba's life points fell down to 1000.

'Your Judge Man falls,' Yami said.

'Oh, a sacrifice that doesn't even faze me.' Kaiba looked down at his newly drawn card. 'And though neither Dragon can move for one more turn, my next card is…a third Blue Eyes White Dragon!'

Ancient Egyptian profanity shot through Yami's head. Though how he knew it, he had no idea. The third Dragon appeared and attacked, on Kaiba's call, destroying Yami's Dark Magician. Yami grunted in frustration and covered his face. He definitely felt the heat of the attack from that one. His life points dropped to 400.

'So, tell me, Yugi. How's your faith now?' And, back to the gloating. 'On my next turn, all three Blue Eyes White Dragons are free to attack. This game's over no matter what card you draw.'

'Don't listen, Yugi!' Joey called.

It now made sense. Kaiba had three Blue Eyes all along. He only wanted grandpa's card so it couldn't be used against him. And he'd torn that up out of spite. He didn't need it and he knew that, but he knew it'd hurt them to do it. My only chance now is to assemble all the piece of Exodia. But the odds are against me. Yami reached for the deck. I don't think I can do this.

Yami jumped. The deck seemed to drift away. 'The deck, it senses my…' our '…doubt.' Yugi cried out. Yami reached back and gently guided Yugi. 'Don't loose focus, Yugi. Don't lose faith. Concentrate!'

Yugi suddenly caught sight of the mark on his hand. Our friendship symbol! Modern day humans and the things they felt they needed to do to connect! It was silly – you were connected no matter where you are and you didn't need an ink mark to prove it – but he was glad for it. Yugi drew on the bond he shared with his friends. All he had to do…

'Draw your last pathetic card so I can end this, Yugi,' Kaiba said.

'My grandpa's deck has no pathetic cards, Kaiba,' Yami said. 'But it does contain…' He held up the fifth and final card. '…the Unstoppable Exodia.'

Horror, as if he was being attacked by a real monster, crossed Kaiba's face. 'Impossible!'

'I've assembled all five special cards,' Yami said as the Forbidden One began to emerge. 'All five piece of the puzzle!'

'Exodia!' Kaiba fell back against the railing behind him, as he stared up as the creature before him. 'It's not possible! No one's ever been able to call him!'

Exodia began building up energy in his hands. Yami remembered a state of exhaustion the last time he'd called this particular monster. He'd just wished he'd had more energy to enjoy it…where did that thought come from?

'Exodia!' Yami called. 'Obliterate!'

The Forbidden One threw the attack and Kaiba screamed as his Dragons were blown to pieces. His life points hit zero. Shamee nodded in satisfaction.

'You did it!' Joey called. 'Yugi, you won!'

Yami also heard Kaiba's younger brother say, 'This can't be! My brother never loses.'

'You play only for power, Kaiba, and that is why you lost,' Yami said. 'But if you put your heart in the game, there is nothing you can't do.'

'But…' Kaiba stared at the score. 'But how…? How could I have lost to him.'

'Kaiba.' The Millennium Eye appeared on Yami's forehead and he focused his energy. 'If you truly want to know…open your mind!' Extending his hand, he banished the dark part of Kaiba's soul into the Shadow Realm.

Kaiba fell to his knees.

'There, Kaiba,' Yami said. 'Maybe now you will begin to see.'

Pegasus Castle

A man in a suit stood at a door and addressed his boss. 'Mr. Pegasus, sir. Seto Kaiba, our uncontested champion. He's been defeated in a duel, sir, by someone named "Yugi".'

'Hmm.' Maximillion Pegasus looked forward and his Millennium Eye flashed. He'd long ago realised that Seto Kaiba could only be defeated by someone in possession of one of the seven Millennium Items. And the quick scan he just did showed him that this Yugi-boy did indeed have one.

Excellent.

Oh…what was this? He was, at that very point in time, walking out of KaibaCorp offices with another boy and a girl who was wearing a bandanna that also had Shadow Powers.

All three were teenagers.

The girl was saying that she wanted to warn him about Kaiba's interest in Yugi's grandfather earlier but every time there was a chance, Kaiba-boy was within earshot. She was telling him she never liked to let the enemy know that she knew what they were doing, because then they liked to change plans.

One to be cautious of.

Whew! There's the first chapter. I'd actually like to know what you think of Sharee and Shamee so far.

Sorry, guys. I've just gone back over these. I found a bunch of grammar mistakes and I'm a bit of a grammar Nazi when it comes to my own work. It won't take too long.