Yu-Gi-Oh!:
Guardian of Death
DUEL 1: Duel with Death
It was a cold day in February when Patrick Kingston awoke with a jolt. His eleventh birthday was fast approaching and he had begun to feel in a daze, as if it weren't real. He awoke at 5:00 a.m. and without even realizing it put his duel monsters deck that he worked so hard to create in the pocket of his blue jeans as he slipped them on. He still remembered the first day he learned to play. He still remembered that first card…
Patrick slipped on some house shoes and crawled out of his doorway. He heard the garage door below his room and knew his dad was already gone for the morning. "He's probably getting the good coffee from the gas station down the street," Patrick thought to himself, "But mom's not up yet, I'd better be quiet." Patrick slowly walked downstairs. He had about two hours before he had to get going for school.
"Such a small town," Patrick thought, "hope something interesting finally happens today." A small town boy from the East Coast, Patrick rarely was entertained. Unlike other kids his age Patrick had trouble with people. He was very anti-social and his parents worried about him constantly. If it wasn't for Duel Monsters occupying his thoughts he'd be a lot worse than he already was.
Patrick walked up to the fridge and opened it up. He took the carton of milk and began to drink from it.
"That's very rude," a deep voice said. Patrick gagged a little before returning the milk to its proper place. He closed the door and turned to see an odd boy, possibly in his teenage years, standing in an odd garment like he was from ancient Greece or Egypt. A white linen smock resembling an elegant loincloth. The young man, oddly enough for his attire, wore his hair short, and slightly messy, much like Patrick himself.
"Breaking and entering is very rude as well," Patrick responded, "Now who the hell are you?" He began to ball up his fist, ready to take the intruder out if necessary.
"Such languages for a young boy," the boy began, "tsk, tsk, tsk."
"That's enough." Patrick snapped, getting ready to burst, "Who are you, how did you get into my house and what do you want from me?"
"I am not a person, per se; I am more like a spirit. I got here through you and you are what I want."
Patrick turned red, "I don't swing that way bub."
"Not like that," the boy said calmly, "I wish to duel you."
Patrick reached into his pocket, just realizing he had his deck. He didn't understand why someone would dress like this, break into his house and demand a duel. It made no sense
"Very well," Patrick said warily, "But the moment we're done, you leave or I'll call the cops."
The boy produced his own deck as Patrick shuffled his. They set their decks face down to their right then each drew five cards.
"You have no idea what's at stake in this duel. I'll go first," the boy said smugly. He drew a card from the top of his deck.
"I summon Skilled White Magician in attack mode," he proclaimed placing a monster face-up in attack, "then I play my spell, Yin and Yang, allowing me to special summon a LIGHT or DARK attribute monster of the same level from my deck when I normal summoned the opposite attribute this turn. So I summon Skilled Dark Magician to the field as well," he stated putting another monster in attack. "Finally I set two cards face down on the field and end my turn."
"Very well," Patrick began, "then I set this monster face-down in defense. Then I activate Dian Keto the Cure Master to increase my Life Points from 2000 to 3000!" Patrick cheered himself on. Whenever he dueled, all of life's troubles seemed to float away. "Now I activate Ookazi decreasing your Life Points from 2000 to 1200!. I set one card face down and end my turn."
"You are a very good duelist; however can you handle a Shadow Game?" As the burglar to be said these words darkness surrounded them. The number 3000 was etched in the kitchen table by Patrick and 1200 by his opponent, as if some invisible knife was clawing the wood surface before them. Then the real weirdness began. The monsters the boy had summoned appeared on top of their cards, each holding little orbs that appeared to be crystals.
"What is this?" Patrick demanded. He looked up slowly and saw a horrific sight; the boy had morphed into a large black dog creature. A Nubian Jackal to be precise. His jet black fur and fearsome fangs made the young boy's knees quiver.
"This is the Shadow Realm, let it consume you," the hound said. The shadows, like a pervading black fog, closed in all around Patrick, "I am Anubis," the Nubian spectre announced, "As Judge of the Dead I had to experience the torture death is. Now you must feel my pain." The hound laughed in his triumph, believing the young boy to be no more.
"Heh, heh, heh. You've experienced the pain of death, but have you endured the torture of living?" Patrick's sick laughs came from the shadows. He emerged unshaken, even smiling. "I live in the dark Anubis, you have nothing on me."
Anubis smiled, "You are the one I have been waiting for. Finally, a challenge."
"So then," Patrick said, "are you going to take your turn or do you just surrender?"
Anubis looked down his long snout, "I will go but I also wish to announce the stakes of this game. If I win I get your body. In other words, your mind will be trapped in a soul-shattering void within the recesses of your heart and I will take over your vessel."
Patrick's face turned grim, "And if I win?"
"You may have any one desire fulfilled."
"Any?"
"Yes," Anubis said drawing a card.
"Hold on," Patrick said, "I activate my face down spell Poison of the Old Man, to increase my Life Points by another 1200," Patrick said gloating. An old man in a cloak emerged from the card and splashed Patrick with the contents of a green vile.
"Not quite," Anubis said flipping a trap over, "I activate Bad Reaction to Simochi, making you lose 1200 instead of gain." The 3000 etched in the table by Patrick faded as the green liquid began to burn instead of cool. In the numbers place was etched the number 1800.
"Congrats, you actually did damage. Not that it matters," Patrick said with a cocky attitude.
"Oh but it's not damage that you should be concerned with, it is your spells," Anubis said pointing to his monsters. Another crystal appeared on each magician's staff.
"What are those?" Patrick asked.
"You've never heard of Spell counters? When ever you activate a spell one appears if needed," Anubis said with a grin, "You'd better remember these, it'll be important in the future. But these monsters can only hold three at a time. So thank you."
"What are you going to do with them?" Patrick pondered.
"Sacrifice both of them. Sacrificing Skilled Dark Magician with three spell counters summons the mighty Dark Magician." Anubis put his card in the graveyard and put a new monster in attack, a powerful new magician, standing regally in blue and red-clad armor holding a green Mage's staff.
"Next, sacrificing Skilled White Magician with three spell counters summons Buster Blader!" Again, Anubis sacrificed his monster to the graveyard bringing out one brandishing a giant sword. He was covered in odd designs resembling a dragon.
"Finally, I activate my face down spell Polymerization to fuse!"
"Fusion?! You can do that?!"
"Of course!" Buster Blader and Dark Magician flew at each other colliding with brilliant arrays of light forming a new entity with a combination staff blade and an evil look on its face. "Meet Dark Paladin!" Anubis announced triumphantly.
Anubis began to grin his sinister little grin, "Have you ever heard the tale of your father's grandfather?" Anubis asked a shaky Patrick.
"My great grandpa? What about him?" Patrick responded.
"He was an Irish archaeologist who came to Egypt once. I was entrapped within his body and he discovered the Shadow Games. Unfortunately he couldn't take it and died, but not before he had a son, Brian Kingston."
"That's my Grandpa's name!"
"It was the discovery of Dark Paladin that killed your great grandpa. Ironic, eh?"
"How do you figure?" Patrick asked.
"Because you will now be destroyed as that old fool was! Dark Paladin! Magician's Blade Slash!" Anubis announced the attack.
"Idiot!" Patrick yelled back flipping his monster face-up revealing a Man-Eater Bug, "Man-Eater Bug will be destroyed but its flip effect will take you with it!"
The Man-Eater Bug is sliced in half as a beam shoo from its jaws piercing Dark Paladin's chest. They both are destroyed and sent to the graveyard. Anubis sets a monster face-down and three other cards and ends his turn. Patrick summoned Jinzo #7 in attack mode. The monster's cybernetic body slowly took shape from within the card.
"And now attack!" Patrick orders.
"I don't think so, block attack!" Anubis flips over the spell that causes Jinzo #7 to go to defense. Patrick ends his turn. Anubis draws then flip summons Magician of Faith. As she forms from her card she brings with her a spell card; Anubis' Polymerization spell, and adds it to Anubis's hand. Then he summons Legion the Fiend Jester in Defense. A monster resembling a marionette in a jester's cap takes the field
"My turn," Patrick says drawing a card. He sets a card face down then tries to attack with Jinzo #7 but Anubis activates a trap.
"What is that?!" Patrick yells staring at the coffin with a pentagram on it.
"This is Dark Renewal," Anubis says as the coffin opens with four panels. A dark smoke is inhaled into it sucking in Legion and Jinzo #7 before closing. "It takes one monster from each player's side of the field and sacrifices them to bring back a monster from my graveyard." The coffin reopens and Dark Magician is revealed as it saunters out of its former tomb.
"Then I'll activate my final face-down card!" Anubis announces. The spell card produces a boot with a crest on it. Patrick recognizes it as the same crest that was on Buster Blader. "This is the Emblem of the Dragon Destroyer. It brings back Buster Blader from my graveyard." An energy beam emits from the boot forming the rest of Buster Blader.
"One guess as to what comes next," Anubis taunts.
"Fusion," Patrick responds.
"Bingo." Anubis plays the Polymerization that Magician of Faith returned for him. Once again, Dark Magician and Buster Blader fuse to form Dark Paladin.
"When you get some monsters on the field you're history."
Patrick draws. Usually he's happy drawing Giant Soldier of Stone, but this time it won't be enough. He puts it in defense.
"Go," Patrick says.
"I suppose I should end it," Anubis starts, "Okay. Dark Paladin, destroy Giant Soldier of Stone. "
Patrick smirks, "Gotcha." He flips over a trap, "This will stop you from attacking me"
"You should know," Anubis says discarding from his hand, "after I discard this card Dark Paladin negates spells and traps that deem it the target."
"You should pay more attention. My trap is Gravity Bind, and it stops every monster on the field level four or higher from attacking, not just your Dark Paladin, so it wasn't targeted. Too bad. My turn now." Patrick plays a spell. A golden pot with an eye on it on top of a pillow rises from the card along with two black goblets rise behind it. Patrick puts a card in the left goblet then orders Giant Soldier of Stone into the right one.
Odd Flames erupt from the goblets and pour into the gold pot. "This is the Black Illusion Ritual!" Patrick announces, "Come forth, Relinquished!"
The flames and items disappear revealing a horrid beast. Its wings open revealing an odd hole. "Now Relinquished, absorb Dark Paladin!" Patrick orders. Dark Paladin is sucked into the hole and the wings close.
"You see Anubis, Dark Paladin's Attack and Defense Points become Relinquished's while relinquished keeps it single Level Star. So he can, and will attack. Too bad you left Magician of Faith in attack!" Patrick merely points and Relinquished obeys, destroying Magician of Faith with Dark Paladins Magician Sword Slash. Anubis' Life Points reach Zero.
The scratches on the kitchen table disappear. The monsters fade back into their cards. The darkness seemingly explodes around them. Anubis' form as the Nubian Death Dog fades and he looks mortal again. He looks up as his cards disappear into sand.
"They're fake," the Egyptian Grim Reaper says, "Now as part of our duel, what is your desire?" Patrick rests his chin on his palm and ponders.
"First," he starts, "I have more questions."
"Very well," Anubis acknowledged
"Why did you need my body?"
"For many decades now, I have searched your bloodline for one with your power. Powers to handle the Shadow Games like the one we have just competed in. You finally seem to have gained this power, so it was time for me to strike. The darkness in your soul will be the power I need to escape being trapped in your family's blood."
"What could my "darkness" as you call it, help you with?" Patrick insinuates.
"Your monster, Relinquished, is a real monster as are all Duel Monsters. However, if I can use this card's power as a catalyst to summon the real monster, I could use its power to seal an ancient power away, quite possibly for good, as it's ability is to draw in other, more powerful forces."
"Wow," Patrick stammered with a shocked look on his face. He straitened up with a serious look, "I have made my decision Anubis. I wish...for you to join with me instead of taking over my body. We will work together to restore what has been undone."
Anubis looked with tears in his eyes, "You know you would have to sacrifice your Relinquished."
"Yes, my first Duel Monsters card. But it could help you more than me," Patrick looks over at the stove clock that glows at 5:34 a.m.
"We can use shadow powers to get there and back fast, right?"
"Yes," Anubis says extending his hand, "We can." Patrick shakes his hand and Anubis fades and enters Patrick's body. Patrick strains as Anubis finds where he belongs in the soul of Patrick Kingston. The pain stops and darkness surrounds them again. When it clears, Patrick is at the entrance of an Egyptian tomb. He walks in, as if he knew all along what he was doing, and grabs a torch.
Patrick walks on until he finds the cavern he feels is their destination. Anubis appears beside Patrick in spirit form.
"Is this it?" Patrick asks.
"Yes. Put the card in that panel on the arch," Anubis responds. Patrick walks over, deck in one hand torch in another. He positions the torch to look through his deck for his card when he gets and odd feeling. He holds up the torch to see a statue of a Nubian Dog. The arch is written in hieroglyphs that have been worn away. This was a shrine to Anubis.
"It's...it's your power. Isn't it?" Patrick asked.
Anubis bowed his head, "Yes."
"But, why?"
"When your great grandfather discovered this, he accidentally broke my seal. I killed him as punishment and became inherit to your bloodline. But as Judge of the Damned, I am responsible for feeding Ammit, the soul devourer. I fear if I can't return to my duties, he will have to feed on living, innocent souls."
Patrick looked at his Relinquished. He gave it a kiss and put it where Anubis instructed. Anubis went from Patrick to the shrine statue. The darkness that surrounded Patrick in the process faded, revealing that he was home. He looked at his deck and took out the Black Illusion Ritual card.
"Better get ready for school," Patrick said as he walked upstairs.