The Soul Destroyer, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

"The Soul Destroyer"

A Halloween Storyline by Brandon Taylor

Based upon "Yu-Gi-Oh!" created by Kazuki Takahashi

Friday, October 21, 2005

Dramatis Personae

Yugi Muto

Nameless Pharaoh

Joey Wheeler

Tristan Taylor

Duke Devlin

Téa Gardner

Mai Valentine

Serenity Wheeler

Rebecca Hawkins

The Soul Destroyer

Karim, one of the Pharaoh's advisors

Isis, another advisor

Denizens of the Egyptian Kingdom

And a Computer Voice to announce the duel.

Our Story Begins…

We find our heroes in the backyard of Joey Wheeler's "haunted house." Almost all are in costume: Joey is dressed as a vampire, Tristan as a werewolf, Duke as a Frankenstein monster, and Yugi as a zombie. Even the girls have disguised themselves: Mai looks like an oversized spider (no offense), Téa is essentially your basic ghost, and even Rebecca is a goblin. Serenity is, at present, absent from the proceedings, as she is gathering firewood. The sun is setting in Domino City. It is Halloween evening.

JOEY:"Man! This is more fun than any trick-or-treat I've ever been on!"

TRISTAN:"You said it!"

DUKE:"Way more fun than any I've been on."

But they notice that Yugi is not sharing in their excitement.

JOEY:"Yo, Yuge! What's the matter with you, man?"

TRISTAN:"Yeah! Why are you so quiet?"

YUGI:"I just am. I've always been rather quiet, you know?"

DUKE:"Yeah, we know, but you seem even quieter today."

TÉA:"Are you feeling all right?"

YUGI:"Maybe a little tired. But I'm thinking about the future… about the Pharaoh… about what my life will be like without him."

At these words, Joey and Tristan start to look worried. Téa, however, has an idea.

TÉA:"Yugi, Joey, Tristan, take a look at your left hands."

They do so.

TÉA:"Concentrate hard."

As they concentrate, markings flash on their hands.

TÉA:"Now put your hands in."

They do so. As they come together, the markings combine to form the drawing of "Shining Friendship" that Téa had drawn on their hands more than four years previously. All are amazed, but perhaps none are more amazed than Yugi.

YUGI:"It's still there! The marker may have faded, but the drawing is still there!"

TÉA:"That's the magic of Shining Friendship. Even if we do not know, even if we forget, it's always there, and it always will be. So even if the Pharaoh leaves you, even if some others leave you—" (she throws a nasty look at Duke, Mai, and Rebecca) "—we never will."

JOEY:"Yep! We're with you to the end, Yuge!"

TRISTAN:"Mm-hmm."

YUGI:(Blushes) "Aw, you guys are too much."

The group breaks up and joins the others. Serenity eventually joins Yugi and company. As usual, Tristan and Duke crush over her—and as usual, Joey gets more than a little steamed up.

KONG!

TRISTAN and DUKE together:"Ow!"

TRISTAN:"Yo, Joe! What was that for? Have you lost your mind?"

DUKE:"Yeah, man! What did we do? That wasn't called for!"

For Joey had hit both Tristan and Duke over the head with baseball bats.

JOEY:"It was easier than I thought."

TÉA:(Sighs in exasperation) "Boys."

REBECCA:"Yeah… too bad they can't all be like my boyfriend!" (Looks lovingly at Yugi) "Am I right, Yugi-poo?"

Yugi blushes again. Téa scowls.

YUGI, still blushing:"I say we get the fire started."

And all at once, Téa's sour expression changes to a smile.

TÉA:"Sounds good to me." (To the others) "Is anybody hungry?"

JOEY:"Hungry?"

TRISTAN:"Us?"

DUKE:"We're practically dying of starvation over here!"

MAI:"Humph. I guess that settles it. I'll get it started." (Exit)

A few seconds later, she returns with fire fuel and a matchbook.

JOEY:"Be careful, Mai! You don't wan to burn yourself, do you?"

TRISTAN:"Yeah. You best leave fire to us men."

MAI:"Don't be such alarmists. You think I don't know how to handle a fire?"

She pours some fire fuel over the firewood, takes a match, lights it, and immediately throws it into the firewood. A few seconds later, the fire starts burning at full strength.

MAI, satisfied:"There. You see, boys? It's so easy, even a woman can do it."

JOEY:"Yeah, but fire's not exactly child's play, you know."

DUKE:"No, Joe, it's not child's play, period. I should know. I tried once. It burned up half my left leg. I've still got the scars, too. Of course, it doesn't hurt as much as it used to, but—oh, man, back when it happened, I thought I was going to die!"

Tristan tries to fight back a laugh and wins—perhaps he knows it's not funny. All we hear is a noise halfway between a hiccup and a burp, with a little touch of a cough. Duke, however, thinks Tristan was trying to laugh.

DUKE:"It's not funny, Tristan!"

TRISTAN:"I wasn't laughing, so shut up!"

JOEY:"Don't start, you two!"

Duke throws Joey a nasty look. Tristan sticks his tongue out at both of them.

JOEY and DUKE together:"I saw that!"

TÉA:(Again sighs exasperatedly) "Those three."

MAI:"Yeah. I don't know how they get along."

YUGI, trying to calm the boys down:"So, anybody know any good ghost stories while we wait on the fire?"

JOEY:"Hey, that's not a bad idea, Yuge!"

TRISTAN:"Yeah! I mean, it is Halloween, after all."

So they take turns telling ghost stories. After about forty minutes, Joey has finished his.

TRISTAN:"Man! That was scary!"

DUKE:"I've still got goose bumps."

REBECCA:"I'm never going anywhere alone, ever again. From now on, I'm taking my Yugi-poo with me. He'll protect me from the bad guys—" (again looks lovingly at Yugi) "—won't you?"

Yugi blushes again, and again Téa scowls.

JOEY:"Hey!"

TRISTAN:"Hey what?"

JOEY:"What about you, Yuge? Why don't you tell us one?"

YUGI:"All right."

HIS Story Begins… Egypt, c. 3000 B.C.

YUGI, voice-over:"Once upon a clear Halloween day, about 3000 B.C., before the Halloween that we all know and love to this day even became known as Halloween, when the Nameless Pharaoh ruled all of Egypt, things were going well. It was a happy time. Everyone, from the highest of the Pharaoh's subjects, to the lowest of merchants and beggars, knew no problems. The Pharaoh lived high; the big businessmen were bringing home the bacon, even the poor beggars didn't starve for a while. Yes, that day, Egypt was a happy, prosperous place to live, and it felt good to be in the shoes of the Nameless Pharaoh."

Yugi's voice-over pauses to shift to the story scene.

BEGGAR:"Help for the poor. Help for the poor."

MERCHANT:"Twelve dollars, my good man."

BEGGAR:"Twelve?! Every week you only give me three!"

MERCHANT:"Who's complaining? My week was four times as good!"

BEGGAR:"Thank you! Thank you! Tonight, I eat like the Pharaoh!"

MERCHANT:"All hail the Pharaoh! Long live the Pharaoh!"

OTHER DENIZENS:(Chant) "Pharaoh! Pharaoh! Pharaoh!"

YUGI, voice-over:"Yes. That very day was perhaps the best day of the reign of the Nameless Pharaoh. But that night, there arose a terror unparalleled by any other in the Pharaoh's reign. This terror visited and ravaged people's homes and devoured innocent souls, leaving almost three hundred people far, far worse than dead."

Domino City, A.D. 2005

Yugi's last few words have the following effect on the others. Joey's teeth start chattering, and he feels chills down his spine. Tristan starts to clutch Duke, thinking in his fear that he is Serenity.

DUKE:"Hey! Get off me!"

TRISTAN:"Whoops… sorry… thought you were Serenity, dude."

DUKE and JOEY together:"WHAT?!!"

YUGI:"STOP IT!! I've only just started!"

JOEY:"Oh, yeah. Go on ahead, Yuge. Sorry about that."

TRISTAN and DUKE together:"Me, too."

YUGI:"All right. Is everybody ready? Here we go again."

Egypt, c. 3000 B.C.

YUGI, voice-over:"It was a scary thought, to think that such a happy and prosperous day would have to end in a night of abject terror and to think that such an abrupt change could be brought about by this fearsome creature, which was known by no other name than…"

There is a pause in Yugi's voice-over, to show Yugi's creature approaching an innocent Egyptian denizen. The creature taps the denizen on the shoulder. The denizen turns and, upon sight of the creature, screams in sheer horror. But, needless to say, the denizen's screaming does no good—several seconds later, the denizen's soul has left its body, and the denizen is left alone, worse than dead.

YUGI, voice-over:"THE SOUL DESTROYER!!!" (Evil laugh)

Domino City, A.D. 2005

Many scream in fright at Yugi's words, "THE SOUL DESTROYER!!!" and at his evil laugh. Now Joey is shaking all over; Tristan clutches his heart, gasping heavily; and Rebecca is holding on to Yugi, with Téa scowling.

REBECCA:"Please, Yugi, don't let it get me! Don't let it get me, Yugi-poo!"

YUGI:"Aren't you getting a little bit ahead of the story, Becky? Let me go on!"

REBECCA:"Fine… just don't let it get me!" (Starts crying in fear)

YUGI:"Let's go."

Egypt, c. 3000 B.C.

YUGI, voice-over:"Yes, a day that was once happy ended into a dark and scary night for all of Egypt. In fact, it was so scary that Karim, one of the Pharaoh's most trusted advisors, came to the Pharaoh's bedchamber and woke him up…"

KARIM:"Oh, Pharaoh! Wake up, my Pharaoh!"

PHARAOH, angry:"How dare you disturb the Pharaoh's sleep?!"

KARIM:"I cannot sleep! There is trouble in Egypt!"

PHARAOH:"What trouble?"

KARIM:"There is a horrible monster terrorizing Egypt! Almost three hundred denizens have been killed! If we don't do something fast, Egypt itself will be no more!"

PHARAOH:"Get my battle gear! I will destroy this monster or die trying!"

KARIM:"You are infinitely brave, Pharaoh."

PHARAOH:"That I know, Karim. That I know."

KARIM:"Why am I not as brave as you?"

PHARAOH:"Only because you do not believe in yourself. Believe in yourself, and nothing will be impossible. Then, one day, you will become as brave as I."

KARIM:"You are very wise. You have very wise sayings."

PHARAOH:"I am old. This is how I have gained my wisdom. When you are as old as I, you, too, will be as wise as I. Then, perhaps one day, you will become Pharaoh of all of Egypt. But right now, you are young and ignorant, but that will surely pass. Now, I say again, go and get my battle gear."

KARIM:"Yes, my Pharaoh." (Exit)

A few seconds later, he re-enters, carrying the Pharaoh's battle gear.

PHARAOH:"Thank you." (Dons his battle gear)

KARIM:"You are most welcome, my Pharaoh."

PHARAOH:"Now, I will go, for if I stay, Egypt will be no more. Karim, you may take the throne in my absence."

He goes outside the castle, and we follow him. For the first time, he sees what he is up against. Isis joins him, in her battle gear, ready to face-off against the creature.

SOUL DESTROYER:"Destroy the spare."

YUGI, voice-over:"As it approached Isis, she gave a scream of horror—but like many other Egyptian denizens, her screaming did no good. Her soul left her body, and she was left worse than dead…"

PHARAOH:"NO! ISIS!"

YUGI, voice-over:"And for the first time, with Isis's destruction, even the Pharaoh knew what it would be like to be left worse than dead, at the hands of… THE SOUL DESTROYER!!!" (Evil laugh)

Domino City, A.D. 2005

JOEY:"The Soul Destroyer!" (Faints)

Tristan runs around the group, screaming in fear.

TRISTAN, as he runs:"The Soul Destroyer! The Soul Destroyer! AAARGGGHH!"

Now all four girls are holding on to Yugi, scared.

TÉA, teeth chattering:"T-T-Tell me w-when it's over, Y-Y-Yugi!"

MAI, shaking:"Is he coming to get us? Is the S-S-Soul D-D-Destroyer c-c-coming t-to g-g-get us, Yugi?"

SERENITY, screaming:"AAARGGGHH! Don't let it come near me, Yugi, please don't let it come near me!"

REBECCA, worriedly:"Y-Y-Yugi-p-p-poo?"

YUGI:"Okay, guys, girls, let me continue."

Egypt, c. 3000 B.C.

YUGI, voice-over:"Now, if anybody thought the Pharaoh was angry before, that was nothing compared to what he felt after Isis was destroyed…"

PHARAOH:"Demon! What have you done with Isis?!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"The same thing that I am about to do to you in mere moments!"

PHARAOH:"I am the Pharaoh of Egypt, and I command you to bring her back!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"Never!"

PHARAOH:"You dare to disobey me?! You shall pay the price for your defiance!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"I do not recognize your authority over Egypt, or over me, Pharaoh. If you aren't afraid of me, then why don't you face me in a battle of the tablets?"

PHARAOH:"Very well. We will play for Isis's soul, and the souls of all the people you have destroyed. Here's how the game works. We will draw tablets for monsters. The player holding the stronger monster is the winner."

SOUL DESTROYER:"Agreed. If you win, I will restore all of the souls I have claimed… but if I emerge victorious, your soul is mine!"

PHARAOH:"Fine. Now, let's duel!"

Domino City, A.D. 2005

YUGI:"So the match was arranged. The Nameless Pharaoh against the Soul Destroyer, for the souls of all of the Egyptians that the Soul Destroyer himself had claimed, including that of Isis, under the umpire Karim…"

Egypt, c. 3000 B.C.

KARIM:"So the match is arranged: Pharaoh, against the Soul Destroyer. Stronger monster wins. Combatants, ready!"

YUGI, voice-over:"The combatants stared one another down, as if each knew what the other was thinking..."

KARIM:"Combatants… GAME ON!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"I'll draw the first tablet. I summon the Shadow Monster known as… Gaia the Fierce Knight! I'd like to see you beat THAT, Pharaoh!"

YUGI, voice-over:"The Soul Destroyer laughed evilly and mercilessly as Gaia the Fierce Knight appeared out of the Shadow Realm, from absolute nothingness. Gaia stared down the Nameless Pharaoh, equally as merciless as the Soul Destroyer himself."

Domino City, A.D. 2005

YUGI:"The Soul Destroyer's draw spelled all but certain doom for the Nameless Pharaoh, and therefore for all of Egypt, for at the time, almost nothing was more powerful than Gaia the Fierce Knight."

JOEY:"What did the Pharaoh do?"

YUGI:"Thanks for asking, Joey. I was just getting to that. The Pharaoh felt a thrill of foreboding. Though he had not lost yet, he was already feeling his soul beginning to leave his body… but just as he thought he was almost dead, just as he was about to give up in utter and total despair…"

Egypt, c. 3000 B.C.

PHARAOH:"I do not know what to say to you, devil. I would say you are good, but you are, in reality, the exact opposite. In fact, you are, without a doubt, the third foulest creature ever to inhabit the planet, third to Anubis and Bakura. So I think the most accurate word to describe your draw would be 'lucky.'"

SOUL DESTROYER:"How dare you talk of 'luck,' Pharaoh? Yours has all but run out!"

PHARAOH:"Perhaps… but I have not lost yet. It's my draw!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"Go ahead, Pharaoh. Do your worst! It's still too late to save Egypt!"

PHARAOH:"Now I summon…"

Domino City, A.D. 2005

YUGI:"Hold everything. If I had existed in ancient Egypt during the Nameless Pharaoh's first reign, and if I had witnessed that awful battle between himself and the Soul Destroyer, do you think I would have cared?"

JOEY:"About what, Yuge?"

YUGI:"Would I have cared if the monster that the Pharaoh was about to draw was in existence before? If the monster he was about to draw was a new monster, at the creation of his Millennium Items? If the monster he was about to draw was far more powerful than Gaia the Fierce Knight?"

TRISTAN:"I don't know."

YUGI:"Would I have cared?"

There is a general murmur of uncertainty among the throng.

YUGI:"Well… would I?"

There is a pause, as silence reigns among them.

YUGI:"Man, would I ever!"

Egypt, c. 3000 B.C.

PHARAOH:"I summon… the almighty Dark Magician!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"The almighty WHAT?!"

And all at once, in exactly the same manner as Gaia the Fierce Knight has appeared on the Soul Destroyer's side of the field, the Dark Magician emerges from the Shadow Realm and materializes on the Pharaoh's side.

PHARAOH:"You lose. Dark Magician… OBLITERATE!"

YUGI, voice-over:"The Dark Magician unleashed a furious attack on Gaia the Fierce Knight… and all at once, Gaia exploded, became a thousand tiny wisps of dust and smoke, and was no more. The Nameless Pharaoh was victorious!"

PHARAOH:"So, villain, I am victorious. Now, you must reunite the souls you claimed with their respective bodies."

SOUL DESTROYER:"And if I refuse?"

PHARAOH:"You are in no position to refuse, for if you do decide to refuse… then may the Egyptian Gods have mercy on your soul!"

YUGI, voice-over:"But apparently, that was not the right thing to say to the Soul Destroyer, as the Soul Destroyer laughed evilly and mercilessly once again…"

SOUL DESTROYER:"Ah, but I have no soul, Pharaoh. I am not even a man. I am far, far more than a mere mortal man, Pharaoh. And now, to show you just exactly how much more than a mere mortal man I am, I will now destroy YOUR soul!"

Domino City, A.D. 2005

YUGI:"The Soul Destroyer moved closer and closer to the Pharaoh, ready to destroy his soul… and it was almost all over for the Pharaoh."

JOEY:"What did he do?"

TRISTAN:"Yeah! What happened?"

DUKE:"We're practically dying to know over here!"

JOEY, choking himself:"Yeah… dying."

YUGI:"Well, stop choking yourselves, you guys. Here we go."

Egypt, c. 3000 B.C.

YUGI, voice-over:"Just as the Nameless Pharaoh believed he was unable to resist the whim and will of the Soul Destroyer, something miraculous happened. The Millennium Puzzle activated…"

PHARAOH:(Chant) "Realm of shadows, in this midnight hour, accept this soul, and grant me power!"

YUGI, voice-over:"The gateway to the Shadow Realm opened up…"

SOUL DESTROYER:"An endless curse on you, Nameless Pharaoh! One day or another, one way or another, I will have my revenge even if I have to wait five thousand years!"

YUGI, voice-over:"And the Soul Destroyer was no more."

The Story Ends

The entire Domino City crowd is cheering.

JOEY:"Way to go, Pharaoh!"

YUGI:"And just as the Soul Destroyer promised, all of the souls that he claimed were reunited with their bodies, including Isis. But there was one thing the Soul Destroyer did not promise…"

TRISTAN:"What's that?"

YUGI:"The Soul Destroyer did not promise to never return again."

He is surprised at their reaction to his ominous line. Clearly, he was expecting fear from most of them, but not a single soul looks afraid. On the contrary, we hear cheering from some.

TÉA:"That was a truly amazing story, Yugi!"

DUKE:"Yeah! I ate a heck of a lot, and I'm still hungry!"

JOEY:"Me, too!"

TRISTAN:"Yeah! Being scared is really hungry work!"

MAI:"Well, you know what they say… it's not good to be scared on an empty stomach!"

TÉA:"Yeah, well, there's one small problem… the fire's almost out. I'll have to get some more firewood."

REBECCA:"I'll go with you, Téa! It's better if you don't go alone. Bad guys might get you."

TÉA:"That's good thinking, Rebecca!"

She and Rebecca exit to gather firewood.

JOEY:"Yo! What about you, Mai? We never heard any ghost stories out of you!"

MAI:"I think we've had quite enough ghost stories this year, boys."

TRISTAN:"Yeah, you're right."

DUKE:"Let's not push our luck."

JOEY:"You chickens! You yellow-bellied sap suckers!"

ALL:"Joey!"

JOEY:"Well, you are!"

MAI:(Aside to Yugi) "He sure loves to hear himself talk, doesn't he?"

YUGI:(Aside to Mai) "More like scare himself, if you know what I mean."

MAI:(Aside to Yugi) "True."

Rebecca in Trouble

A bloodcurdling scream echoes throughout the area. Everybody stands up and looks around.

YUGI:"Did you hear that?"

DUKE:"What the heck was that?"

MAI:"What happened?"

JOEY:"That sounded like Rebecca!"

TRISTAN:"She might be in trouble!"

Yugi makes an instant decision.

YUGI:"Let's go!"

They don't go far before they collide with Téa, who was coming back the other way. Téa goes into a panic.

TÉA:"You've got to come with me! Something's happened to Rebecca!"

YUGI:"Come on!"

And they all head back in the direction from which Téa was coming—but they don't go far before they see something horrible, dark, and monstrous coming at them at top speed.

The Soul Destroyer Rises Again!

It is the Soul Destroyer that Yugi talked about—but they do not know who or what it is.

TRISTAN:"What the heck is THAT?!"

JOEY:"I don't know… and I don't even know if I WANT to know."

DUKE:"That looks a lot like Yugi's Soul Destroyer!"

MAI:"And it's heading right for us!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"Destroy them all."

It makes its first move toward Serenity, who screams—but, as it was for those ancient Egyptians of five thousand years ago, screaming does no good. A few seconds later, Serenity's soul has left her body, leaving Serenity worse than dead.

ALL:"Serenity!"

TRISTAN:"My love, my fair beauty—gone!" (Starts crying)

JOEY:"Tristan, this is no time to pine!"

There is another scream. Duke Devlin is the Soul Destroyer's second victim.

MAI:(Cringes) "I don't know if I liked him anyway."

TÉA:"Mai! Look out! He's headed right for you!"

MAI:"Huh? What the—AAARGGGHH!"

Mai has been destroyed.

JOEY:"Oh, no, Mai!"

YUGI:"TÉA! HE'S ON YOUR LEFT!"

But it's too late…

TÉA:"NOOOOOOOO!"

And she is gone.

ALL:"TÉA!"

TRISTAN:"NOW what are we going to do?!"

JOEY:"TRISTAN!"

TRISTAN:"Holy—HEEEELLP!"

But he is gone.

JOEY:"Oh, man! This is it! DON'T COME NEAR ME, YOU—"

YUGI:"JOEY! NO!"

JOEY:"It's been nice knowing you, Yuge! AAARGGGHH!"

YUGI:"NOOOOOOOO!"

Joey is no more.

SOUL DESTROYER:"Your race is run."

YUGI:"Nooo… Noooo… please…"

But Yugi's soul has been destroyed. Now there is no one left to fight against the Soul Destroyer.

SOUL DESTROYER:"So, I am victorious. Master Bakura will be more than pleased to hear about this, that I have captured the Millennium Puzzle and brought it to him. He will rise as Pharaoh of Egypt, and I will be honored by him beyond the dreams of Egyptians."

It bends down to pick up the Millennium Puzzle… but as the Soul Destroyer touches the Puzzle, it shines violently, and the Soul Destroyer is thrown back several feet, writhing in pain… and we learn that the Soul Destroyer is not as victorious as he believed! As the Millennium Puzzle continues to shine, a soul emerges from inside it. The soul takes a human form and solidifies into none other than the Nameless Pharaoh himself!

SOUL DESTROYER:"What?!"

PHARAOH:"Devil! Unless you are able to destroy my soul, I am still the Pharaoh of Egypt! And as Pharaoh of Egypt, I command you to let my people go!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"Once again, I defy you. To me, there is only one Pharaoh whom I obey and serve. That is the most honorable Pharaoh Bakura."

PHARAOH:"How dare you call Bakura 'Pharaoh' or 'honorable,' villain? He was once a loyal subject of mine, but he betrayed my kingdom to Anubis and his empire, and Egypt has been locked in a civil war ever since! Bakura is a traitor!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"Perhaps a traitor to you, Pharaoh, but Bakura is my hero! He saved me from death once, and I have served him ever since!"

PHARAOH:"So that's why you serve Bakura? For saving your life when you were an inch from death? Then know why you were banished to death in the first place, and the beginning of Bakura's treachery: Five thousand years ago, you terrorized all of Egypt by destroying souls of innocent people, not unlike what you have just done mere moments ago!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"And soon, your soul will be next!"

PHARAOH:"You will never destroy my soul unless you happen to be victorious in a duel against me. But if I am victorious, you must once again restore all of the souls you have destroyed!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"Agreed. Prepare to die, Pharaoh!"

PHARAOH:"This duel shall determine who lives or dies!"

Activate Duel Discs… Load Decks…

BOTH:"DUEL!"

COMPUTER VOICE:"Game start."

SOUL DESTROYER: 4000 LP, PHARAOH: 4000 LP

Game On!

SOUL DESTROYER:(As he and the Pharaoh each draw five cards) "This time, Pharaoh, you shall make the first move."

PHARAOH:"Very well." (Draws) "I'll start by placing a monster in defense mode."

SOUL DESTROYER:(Draws) "And I'll start by summoning Enraged Battle Ox in attack mode!"

Enraged Battle Ox: 1700 ATK

SOUL DESTROYER:"And I believe you know its special ability?"

PHARAOH:"What?!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"That's right. It doesn't matter what position your monster is in… you still take Battle Damage in Life Points! So, Enraged Battle Ox, attack his defending monster!"

Enraged Battle Ox unleashes its attack on the defending monster.

PHARAOH:"Reveal facedown monster, Mystical Elf!"

Mystical Elf: 2000 DEF

PHARAOH:"So YOU take Battle Damage in Life Points… 300 points, to be exact!"

SOUL DESTROYER: 3700 LP, PHARAOH: 4000 LP

SOUL DESTROYER:"My turn ends."

PHARAOH:(Draws) "Now I play the Spell Card known as Card Destruction! This allows me to discard my entire hand, and draw the same number of cards that I discarded, upon condition that you do exactly the same thing."

Both hands are discarded, and new hands are drawn.

PHARAOH:"Now I play the Spell Card Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three new cards and discard two from my hand."

HAND + 3 8, HAND - 2 6

PHARAOH:"Next I play Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards."

HAND + 2 8

PHARAOH:"Now I sacrifice my Mystical Elf to play Summoned Skull in attack mode!"

Summoned Skull: 2500 ATK

PHARAOH:"Summoned Skull, attack Enraged Battle Ox!"

Enraged Battle Ox: DESTROYED

SOUL DESTROYER: 2900 LP, PHARAOH: 4000

PHARAOH:"And that ends my turn, but first, I must discard one card from my hand."

HAND - 1 6

SOUL DESTROYER:"My, we are playing rather aggressively, aren't we? Well, perhaps I can play that game as well." (Draws) "Now I play the Spell Card Shield and Sword, switching the Attack Points of all monsters on the field with their respective Defense Points! Oh, wait a minute… there's only one monster on the field, isn't there? And it's none other than your very own Summoned Skull! Well, that's too bad, because in mere moments, it will be no more!"

Summoned Skull: 1200 ATK

SOUL DESTROYER:"Now I play the Spell Card known as The Warrior Returning Alive, and I'll use it to bring Zombyra the Dark back into the game, in attack mode!"

Zombyra the Dark: 2100 ATK

SOUL DESTROYER:"Now, my warrior, destroy the Summoned Skull!"

Summoned Skull: DESTROYED

SOUL DESTROYER: 2900 LP, PHARAOH: 3100 LP

SOUL DESTROYER:"There are two small problems with this monster. For every monster I destroy in battle, its Attack Points drop by 200."

Zombyra the Dark: 1900 ATK

SOUL DESTROYER:"And I can't use it to attack your life points directly. But it is no matter, for I have already achieved my purpose, so I end my turn."

PHARAOH:(Draws) "Now I play the Spell Card, Swords of Revealing Light, thereby shutting down your offense for three turns. And then I summon Queen's Knight in defense mode!"

Queen's Knight: 1600 DEF

PHARAOH:"And that ends my turn."

The Soul Destroyer draws.

CARD RESET

Soul Destroyer

Nameless Pharaoh

In the Hand

In the Deck

In the Graveyard

Removed from Play

On the Field

1 (1 Monster)

2 (1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap)

So the Nameless Pharaoh has no more than 22 turns to live.

SOUL DESTROYER:"First I play the Spell Card known as Mystical Space Typhoon, allowing me to destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field. And as there's only one Spell Card on the field—which happens to be your own Swords of Revealing Light—it's the only Spell Card I can destroy, and that means I am free to attack on this turn, so… Zombyra, destroy his Queen's Knight!"

Queen's Knight: DESTROYED

Zombyra the Dark: 1700 ATK

SOUL DESTROYER:"Now I play two cards facedown, and end my turn."

PHARAOH:Whatever those cards are, they cannot be good. I'll have to plan my next move carefully. (Draws) "My turn ends immediately."

SOUL DESTROYER:Unbelievable. He left himself wide open for a direct attack on his Life Points. How could he make a stupid play such as that? (Draws) "Now I sacrifice my Zombyra the Dark to summon… my Ancient Gear Beast!"

Ancient Gear Beast: 2000 ATK

SOUL DESTROYER:"And my monster also has a special ability. Once I declare an attack, all of your Spell and Trap Cards are useless until my turn is over! So now, Ancient Gear Beast, attack his Life Points directly!"

As the Ancient Gear Beast prepares to unleash his attack on the Pharaoh…

PHARAOH:"Hold on! I discard Kuriboh to the graveyard, so I take no Battle Damage to my Life Points!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"WHAT?!!"

PHARAOH:"So your own attack is useless!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"It is no matter. Soon, your own soul will have met its demise, and Bakura will become Pharaoh of Egypt!"

PHARAOH:"We'll soon see about that. It's my draw!"

CARD RESET

Soul Destroyer

Nameless Pharaoh

In the Hand

In the Deck

In the Graveyard

Removed from Play

On the Field

3 (1 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap)

2 (2 Spell/Trap)

So the Nameless Pharaoh has no more than 20 turns to live.

PHARAOH:"Now I play the Spell Card known as Fissure, to destroy your Ancient Gear Beast!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"Reveal facedown card: Magic Jammer! By discarding one card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can negate the effect of your Spell Card and destroy it!"

Fissure: DESTROYED

PHARAOH:"Lucky play. I'll end my turn by putting a monster in defense mode."

SOUL DESTROYER:(Draws) "Now I summon my Spirit Monster, Inaba White Rabbit, to attack your life points directly!"

SOUL DESTROYER: 2900 LP, PHARAOH: 2400 LP

PHARAOH:Oh, no! If he keeps playing that card and attacking my Life Points directly, everyone will lose! I've got to find some way to get that card to the Graveyard! But how do I do it?

SOUL DESTROYER:"And now, Ancient Gear Beast, destroy his defending monster!"

PHARAOH:"Reveal defending monster: Man-Eater Bug!" Now, what monster is more important for me to destroy? If I destroy his Ancient Gear Beast, it means I can play Spells and Traps at will… but if I destroy his Inaba White Rabbit, I can save my Life Points! "I'll use the effect of Man-Eater Bug to destroy your Inaba White Rabbit!"

Inaba White Rabbit: DESTROYED

Man-Eater Bug: DESTROYED

SOUL DESTROYER:"That play was no more than sheer luck. But it is no matter, for soon, very soon, luck will begin to favor me once again, and I will come away victorious in this duel, allowing Bakura to rise to the throne of Egypt!"

PHARAOH:"Fine. But for now, I trail by only 500 life points, and it's my draw!"

S.D.: 1 in hand, 25 in deck, 12 in graveyard, 0 removed, 2 in play (1 Monster, 1 S/T)

PHARAOH: 6 in hand, 19 in deck, 14 in graveyard, 0 removed, 1 in play (1 S/T) (Statistics include the Pharaoh's most recent draw)

PHARAOH:"Now I'll put a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

SOUL DESTROYER:(Draws) "Now I play the Spell Card Axe of Despair and attach it to my Ancient Gear Beast, giving it a 1000-point power boost on offense!"

Ancient Gear Beast: 3000 ATK

SOUL DESTROYER:"Now, Ancient Gear Beast, attack his defending monster!"

The monster is revealed as Big Shield Gardna, which is DESTROYED.

SOUL DESTROYER:"And that ends my turn."

PHARAOH:(Draws) "Now I play two cards face down on the field, ending my turn."

CARD RESET

Soul Destroyer

Nameless Pharaoh

In the Hand

In the Deck

In the Graveyard

Removed from Play

On the Field

3 (1 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap)

3 (3 Spell/Trap)

SOUL DESTROYER:"My draw!" (Draws)

PHARAOH:"Immediately following your draw, I activate the Trap Card Raigeki Break!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"WHAT?!"

PHARAOH:"This card allows me to destroy one card on the field, as long as I discard one card from my hand to the graveyard. And I choose… your Ancient Gear Beast!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"Clever play, Pharaoh… but not clever enough! I reveal the Counter Trap Card known as Seven Tools of the Bandit! By paying 1000 Life Points…"

SOUL DESTROYER: 1900 LP, PHARAOH: 2400 LP

SOUL DESTROYER:"…I can negate the effect of your Trap Card and destroy it!"

Raigeki Break: DESTROYED

PHARAOH:"Again, your play was nothing short of lucky!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"Silence! Now I summon Neo the Magic Swordsman in attack mode!"

Neo the Magic Swordsman: 1700 ATK

SOUL DESTROYER:"Now, Neo the Magic Swordsman, attack his Life Points directly!"

SOUL DESTROYER: 1900 LP, PHARAOH: 700 LP

SOUL DESTROYER:"So, Pharaoh, your reign as Pharaoh of all of Egypt is over, and Bakura shall arise as the new Pharaoh of Egypt! Ancient Gear Beast, end this duel!"

PHARAOH:Oh, no. Once that attack hits, I'm done for. I've got to think of something, and quickly, or everyone will lose!

The Soul Destroyer, sensing victory, laughs maniacally.

PHARAOH:Think, Pharaoh, think…

FLASHBACK: Earlier This Episode

TÉA:"The magic of Shining Friendship is this: Even if we do not know, even if we forget, it's always there, and it always will be. So even if everyone else leaves you, we never will."

JOEY:"Yep! We're with you to the end, Yuge!"

TRISTAN:"Mm-hmm."

YUGI:(Blushes) "Aw, you guys are too much."

Back to the Game

The Pharaoh stares at the Soul Destroyer showing both confidence and defiance.

PHARAOH:"Hold on. I still have at least one more play up my sleeve."

SOUL DESTROYER:"Huh?"

PHARAOH:"By removing one Water Monster in my Graveyard from the game, I can summon a monster known as Aqua Spirit, in defense mode!"

Aqua Spirit: 1200 DEF

SOUL DESTROYER:"How? How are you constantly able to escape defeat?"

PHARAOH:"The Heart of the Cards is strong with me. Now that I have a monster on the field, do you wish to attack?"

SOUL DESTROYER:"Oh, most definitely. Ancient Gear Beast, attack his Aqua Spirit!"

Aqua Spirit: DESTROYED

SOUL DESTROYER:"Well, since I failed to defeat you, my turn ends."

PHARAOH: (Draws) Now I need to think of a way to bring that Ancient Gear Beast onto my side of the field. More important, though, I need to replenish my Life Points. (Looks at his card) And this card will do just the thing! "Now I play the Spell Card Emergency Provisions! This card allows me to destroy Spell and Trap Cards on my side of the field, and regain 1000 Life Points for each. I count two cards…"

The two cards on the Pharaoh's side of the field are DESTROYED.

PHARAOH:"…so that gives me an additional 2000 Life Points!"

SOUL DESTROYER: 1900 LP, PHARAOH: 2700 LP

PHARAOH:Okay, that's done. Now, however, I've got to do something to save them, or I'll lose the duel for sure! "Next I'll put one monster in defense mode and one card facedown on the field, ending my turn." That should cover both bases, so in case he attacks my monster with Neo the Magic Swordsman, I can activate Negate Attack and end his turn immediately!

SOUL DESTROYER:"My draw!"

CARD RESET

Soul Destroyer

Nameless Pharaoh

In the Hand

In the Deck

In the Graveyard

Removed from Play

On the Field

3 (2 Monsters, 1 Spell/Trap)

2 (1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap)

SOUL DESTROYER:"Now, Neo the Magic Swordsman, attack his defending monster!"

As Neo the Magic Swordsman unleashes his attack…

PHARAOH:"Reveal Trap Card Negate Attack! Your turn is over, and it's my draw!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"What? No!"

The Nameless Pharaoh now draws a card.

PHARAOH:"All right. Here we go. First I bring my defending monster into attack mode: Magician of Faith! Her special ability allows me to bring one Spell Card back from the graveyard into my hand. And I select the Spell Card known as Enemy Controller!"

Magician of Faith: 300 ATK

PHARAOH:"Now I play the Enemy Controller card I just brought back from the graveyard, and I'll sacrifice my Magician of Faith to take control of your Ancient Gear Beast!" (Pause) "Now, Ancient Gear Beast, destroy Neo the Magic Swordsman!"

Neo the Magic Swordsman: DESTROYED

SOUL DESTROYER: 600 LP, PHARAOH: 2700 LP

PHARAOH:"Finally, I'll play the Spell Card known as Cost Down, allowing me to sacrifice your own Ancient Gear Beast to summon none other than the almighty Dark Magician!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"What? No! That's impossible!"

PHARAOH:"Believe what you like, demon, but I see nothing in the rules against it, so it must be legal!"

Ancient Gear Beast: DESTROYED

Dark Magician: 2500 ATK

SOUL DESTROYER:"Dark Magician… it's not possible! Not after you've attacked with my own monster!"

PHARAOH:"Unfortunately for you, I see nothing illegal about that move! So all I can say to you is, try to destroy it, if you can! I play one card face down on the field, and my turn is over."

CARD RESET

Soul Destroyer

Nameless Pharaoh

In the Hand

In the Deck

In the Graveyard

Removed from Play

On the Field

2 (2 Spell/Trap)

3 (1 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap)

SOUL DESTROYER:"Then it's my draw!" (Draws) There is nothing in my hand that can destroy that magical behemoth… but at least I can try to save my life points. "Now I'll play a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

PHARAOH:I know I have Knight's Title somewhere in my deck. If I can just draw it right now, I can win this duel! (Draws) Yes! This game is over! (Laughs)

SOUL DESTROYER:"What are you laughing at, Pharaoh?"

PHARAOH:"Only at your impending demise, demon! Now I play the Spell Card known as Knight's Title!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"What?!"

PHARAOH:"By sacrificing my Dark Magician, I am able to summon directly from my deck a monster unseen by the eyes of mortal man: a monster known only as the Dark Magician Knight!"

Dark Magician: DESTROYED

Dark Magician Knight: 2500 ATK

PHARAOH:"Oh, and did I mention that it has a special ability? Once this monster is summoned, it can destroy one card on your side of the field instantly! And I choose to destroy your defending monster!"

The defending monster is revealed as Big Shield Gardna, which is DESTROYED.

PHARAOH:"And THAT means I still have its normal attack to use on your Life Points! So, Dark Magician Knight, attack him directly and end this duel!"

The Dark Magician Knight unleashes its attack on the Soul Destroyer, and there is nothing the Soul Destroyer can do to save his Life Points.

SOUL DESTROYER: 0 LP, PHARAOH: 2700 LP

COMPUTER VOICE:"Game over. The Nameless Pharaoh wins."

Endgame

SOUL DESTROYER:"No! How could I lose? Master Bakura, I tried to defeat him, I tried my hardest… Please do not punish me…"

PHARAOH:"Spare your breath, devil. You did indeed try and try to defeat me, but all your efforts have now come to naught. I have still emerged victorious in the duel. And THAT means that you must now reunite the souls you claimed with their bodies!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"And if I am to refuse?"

PHARAOH:"Once again, villain, you are in no position to refuse. I will send you back to your master, and oh, will he be most unpleased with you for failing to defeat me in this duel… so unpleased, in fact, that I would say that he would kill you, except that you have no soul, so I will say, for lack of a better word, that he will obliterate you! And I would say 'may the Egyptian Gods have mercy on your soul,' but that's the wrong thing to say, because once again, you have no soul… so I will say that may the Egyptian Gods have mercy on whatever you are!"

SOUL DESTROYER:"Another endless curse on you, Nameless Pharaoh! One day or another, one way or another, I will have my revenge on you!"

The Soul Destroyer explodes, becomes a thousand tiny wisps of dust and smoke, and is no more. Soon afterward, we hear several faint moans around the Pharaoh, as his friends are waking up.

JOEY:"Man… what a weird dream."

TRISTAN:"Hey! Where the heck am I?"

YUGI:"Pharaoh?"

PHARAOH:"Yugi?"

YUGI, smiling:"You won."

The Pharaoh smiles back. The Millennium Puzzle shines violently, and the two Yugis become one, as the spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh flows back into the Millennium Puzzle.

TÉA:"Huh? Where am I?"

SERENITY:"The last thing I remembered, that scary thing approached me, and my body just sort of seized up, and I was floating away."

MAI:"I think it's best if we forgot what just happened."

ALL:"Yeah."

JOEY:"Yo! Where's Becky?"

TÉA, sour:"I hope that freak forgot her."

DUKE:"Oh, boy. Somebody's ticked off." (To Téa) "My, but we're becoming a little possessive, huh?"

TÉA:"Shut up, Devlin!"

We hear another faint moan. Yugi turns and sees an awakening Rebecca, and moves over to her.

REBECCA:"Where… where am I?"

She opens her eyes, and the first thing she sees is her beloved Yugi.

REBECCA:"Yugi-poo?"

YUGI, smiling:"Hi, Becky."

But she pulls him down and kisses him endlessly.

REBECCA, between kisses:"Oh, Yugi-poo… I can't believe it's you… Did you duel that freaky guy? … Did you win? … Oh, my Yugi-poo… you're my hero!" (Continues kissing him)

YUGI, as he is being kissed:"Yeah, I know. I'm everybody's hero."

But the kissing stops abruptly, as we hear Téa's angry voice:

TÉA:"HAWKINS!"

REBECCA:"Yikes!"

She takes off, with Téa chasing her at full speed.

MAI:(Sighs) "Can't you just feel the love?"

TRISTAN:"I can!" (Looks lovingly at Serenity) "Can you?"

JOEY and DUKE together:"TRISTAN!"

TRISTAN:"Aw, shut up!"

He kisses Serenity and sticks his tongue out at both of them.

JOEY:"GET HIM!"

Tristan takes off, with Joey chasing him at full speed and Duke waiting to tackle him… but Duke reaches out, misses Tristan, and tackles Joey instead. Again Tristan sticks his tongue out at them both, and manages to kiss Serenity again. At this second kiss, Serenity blushes. Tristan takes off again.

JOEY:"Devlin, get off of me!"

DUKE:"Don't worry, Wheeler, I've got him this time!"

And he takes off after Tristan, who dodges him so that Duke misses him and tackles Mai. Tristan sticks his tongue out once more. Tristan's two kisses were mainly due to luck, but his luck has run out—because as he makes to kiss Serenity a third time, Joey grabs him by the legs and pulls him down to the ground.

JOEY:"Gotcha!"

TRISTAN:"Aw, man! You're no fun, Joey!"

JOEY:"Shut up!"

MAI:"DEVLIN!"

DUKE:"Uh-oh."

Now Mai is chasing Duke at full speed. Téa sighs at the whole throng.

TÉA:"Boy. Talk about tough love."

YUGI:"Yeah."

TÉA:"I just want you to know, Yugi… even if everyone else leaves you, we never will. We'll be with you until the very end… especially me."

YUGI, blushing:"Aw, Téa… you guys are too much."

REBECCA:"Don't forget about me, Yugi-poo!"

Téa starts to scowl again—but next second, Yugi has both of them in an embrace.

YUGI, still blushing:"Aw, Becky… Téa… I love you both." (To the others) "I LOVE YOU ALL!"

And everybody cheers… and that is the way we leave our heroes in this story. What the future holds for these eight brave souls, plus the Nameless Pharaoh, only time will tell.

FINAL DUEL STATISTICS

Soul Destroyer

Nameless Pharaoh

Winner/Loser

LOSER

WINNER

Life Points Remaining

2700

Cards in Hand at Duel End

Cards in Deck at Duel End

Cards in Graveyard at End

Removed from Play at End

Cards on Field at Duel End

THE END A Brandon Taylor Production