Harry Potter: The Prince of Games
Disclaimer: SEE FIRST CHAPTER
Plot: Harry never went to the Dursleys; instead, he went to James' brother and was raised in a life of fun, mystery and excitement. But, as it always does, destiny soon catches up with Harry as he discovers strange powers, dark destinies and unusual truths about himself.
Author's Note: Okay, so this one is an idea that's completely random and yet fun at the same time; as always, I say that if you don't like it, then don't read it
Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this story to Goodfella96 and Above the Winter Moonlight for being my inspiration for this story; their stories are also my recommended reads: Battle Born by Above the Winter Moonlight and Harry Potter and the Stone of Ra by Goodfella96;
Key Pairings: Eventual Harry/Alexis; Eventual Jaden/Yubel
Normal Speech
'Thought'
'Spirit/Mind Speech'
(OC Cards)
Review Answers:
Flamelily274: Eventually, yes, but I'm thinking of just going straight ahead to GX rather than have it eventually get there;
DragonTamer01: I might just do that, but I have a plan of my own for the deck Harry has;
Drae80: One based on the spirit inside of him, but also because it has to be my favourite deck type to use; besides, it'd be interesting to see our two protagonists use said type against each other;
ShadowlordZane: Perhaps, but not for the moment;
At the same time, however, Harry James Potter's emerald-green eyes changed into a whole-other colour altogether; a colour that seemed to prove that he had magic inside him as well as something…more!
Because when he'd smiled, Harry's eyes had become a vibrant, but almost-cold shade of gold!
"Did you…" Yugi began, but before he could get the attention of the others in the room, he saw his nephew's eyes return to the innocent emerald shade once more.
Chapter 2: The Boy Prince
By the time that his nephew was six years old, Yugi found himself amused at how appropriate his final thought in the office of the lawyer had been: ever since that day, the King of Games had kept a close eye on his young ward and made sure that he was raised in the same family-filled life that Yugi himself had been raised in.
However, it didn't help all that much that Harry had Seto Kaiba as an honorary godfather; almost once a week, if not more during the holidays, Kaiba had Harry visit the mansion and get used to its surroundings. He even allowed Harry to see his legendary Blue Eyes White Dragons in their 'security' forms – as in the holographic projections that fired real White Lightning Lasers at the intruders – as he keyed the boy into the grounds so that he didn't wind up dragon food.
What it was that didn't help, however, was that Seto actually spoiled Harry whenever they were together: while Yugi was attending some fancy dinner or a duelling tournament or even an exhibition match, he left his nephew at the Kaibas and, while there, it was a case that Harry said jump and Seto's cold glare would ensure that the ones he spoke to asked how high.
The only one that didn't fit into that master-servant relationship was Seto's younger brother, Mokuba Kaiba; instead, the Vice-President of Kaibacorp kept a close eye on Harry for Yugi's sake as well as keeping him entertained whenever Seto was out of the house.
In a way, as Seto told Yugi one summer's night, Mokuba had become an honorary brother to Harry despite their age difference and family name.
Outside of Seto's endless reign of gifts and treating Harry like the Prince that he often joked the Potter Heir was, Yugi enjoyed as much time with his nephew as he could. Of course, by the time that Harry was three, news had reached the wrong ears that the King of Games was now an adopted Father and people were lining up to meet the Prince of Games.
Because of the promise that he'd made to give Harry as normal a life as he could, Yugi had Seto arrange it with Pegasus that the only company that could have any legal mentions of his nephew and the family time with Yugi was Kaibacorp's Media Conglomerate, which both Yugi and Pegasus had shares in, so they were involved in what was released and what was trashed.
Despite the spotlight that had been put on him as Yugi Muto's adopted son and his honorary godfather giving him free run of the Kaiba Mansion whenever he was there, Harry somehow managed to remain just as innocent and carefree as ever.
When he started going to school with other kids, it was a bit of a worry for Yugi because of how he would be targeted for being his nephew/adopted son – he hadn't shared the truth of Harry's relation to him with anyone except Seto, Pegasus and Harry himself.
However, to his surprise, Harry managed to avoid trouble and actually had a small group of friends at Domino Academy whom he spent his time with (1)
One of the things that did worry Yugi, however, was the golden-coloured eyes of his nephew: ever since he'd first seen them in the office, Yugi had watched and listened for any signs of trouble or mysterious Shadow Realm-like powers that Harry might tap into. He still didn't know what force had become a part of his young ward, but he was always watching, though he kept his distance as he didn't want Harry to think that he was smothering him.
As soon as he started at school, Harry actually began to notice the colour of his eyes shifting whenever he was stressed, backed into a corner, angry or scared beyond normal means. Whenever that happened, things started to happen that he couldn't explain, such as the incident where he was able to move without moving; one moment he was in a classroom at the Academy and the next he was back at home, much to Solomon Muto's surprise.
When Yugi found out, he obviously punished his nephew, but not too harshly; he also contacted the Academy and apologised for the unannounced absence, making up a lie that said that Harry was taken ill and Yugi had sent someone to collect his kid.
Of course, as he'd stood at the door of Harry's bedroom on that same night, Yugi had kept a close eye on his nephew as he saw Harry's eyelids flickering with the signs of a dream. Whenever his eyes actually revealed themselves through the flickering, the King of Games saw gold in the colouring followed by a low moaning from Harry that seemed almost hurt.
By the time that Harry's seventh birthday came around, Yugi knew that he had to try and find answers, no matter what it meant;
Prince of Games
"It's been six years, Yugi; we still don't have any answers."
"There must be something…anything," insisted Yugi, standing in his room and talking over the computer's webcam with the tanned figures of Marik and Ishizu Ishtar as well as the grey-haired, red-coat-wearing form of Maximillian Pegasus, creator of the game of Duel Monsters and another on-again-off-again friend of Yugi's.
"Perhaps this power, whatever it is, is more than we might understand," suggested Pegasus, his expression actually telling Yugi that he didn't believe his own theories. "It's not like young Harry-boy has a Millennium Item: they are still sealed in the Pharaoh's Tomb, aren't they, Miss Ishtar?"
"That's right," replied Ishizu, her pale eyes filled with a mix of emotions as she saw Yugi put his head in his hands, a look of sorrowful defeat in his amethyst eyes. "I know that you want answers, Yugi, but I do not have the same perceptive advantages that I did when I wielded the Millennium Necklace; neither does Pegasus possess the mind-reading capabilities of the Millennium Eye, so other than the research that we have been performing and searching for because you asked us to, I don't see what else we could say to put your mind at ease."
"Even Shadi vanished after the Ceremonial Duel, so he's no use either," added Marik, his own voice edged by a firm sense of truth and hope that actually seemed to beat the sorrow he felt towards his friend. "And without the Pharaoh there, no matter how much you make us think of him these days, it's not something that you can ask him about either."
"Trust me, I know," sighed Yugi, before he sniggered as he muttered, "Even after all these years, my first instinct is to try and talk with Ya…I mean Atem about these worries of mine, but then I remember that he's not here anymore and…I just wish I knew what it was, guys; that's all. I mean, even Kaiba's looking into dim and distant theories, but so far…"
The words were no sooner out of his mouth before a bleeping sound echoed out of his computer; clicking on the active link, Yugi's eyes narrowed when he saw Seto Kaiba's face appear on screen, his grey eyes filled with a mix of relief and surprise as he explained, "Yugi, I think I've found it."
"Well why not share it with the rest of the class, Kaiba-boy?" asked Pegasus, earning a soft scowl from Seto as he moved his arm off the screen, undoubtedly filling his own screen with the rest of the cross-computer conference that was going on.
"Pegasus, I might have known," sighed the CEO, his eyes returning to the screen as he explained, "Listen, it seems a little…unusual to say the least, but I was looking at times since…since the Pharaoh and…and my…my…"
"Your past life," added Ishizu, earning a slow, but rather-forced nod of agreement from Seto.
"Yes, him," replied Kaiba, "I was looking at the times and conflicts that rose up since then and I found something: a reference to another dark power that was ironically referred to as the Light of Destruction."
Pegasus' eye widened while Marik closed his eyes with a look of dread; at the same time, Yugi looked to both his old friend and the Duel Monsters creator as he asked, "You've heard of this?"
"I thought that it was just a story," explained Pegasus, earning a thud from Yugi as he slammed his fists on the desk.
"And you didn't think it might have anything to do with Harry?" asked Yugi, his amethyst eyes glowing like they usually seemed to whenever he got really angry.
"Calm down, Yugi," argued Marik, his own eyes fixed on Yugi as he explained, "Even I didn't think that this story might have something to do with all this: it's not as infamous amongst the Tomb keepers as the Pharaoh's secrets, but it's still something that we were made aware of. If this is the explanation that we've been waiting for, then I think that we can all agree that it's something surprising, but given it's you who's a part of all this, we shouldn't be that surprised."
"I know, I know," drawled Yugi, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he mused, "Trouble seems to stick to me like a Spellbinding Circle, so…what's the story about this force, Seto?"
"It's old," replied Seto, his voice edged by a tone that suggested he was reading directly off of notes he'd made. "Probably as old as Egyptian lore, but anyway, there was once a time where the universe was split into darkness and light; the darker side of this force, referred to as The Gentle Darkness, was said to fill the universe, creating life and banishing the light away. However, after some time, the Light returned in a new form, calling itself the Light of Destruction, its objective being to conquer and control the Gentle Darkness and destroy all life."
"Another megalomaniac wanting to destroy the world, then?" asked Yugi, earning a nod from Seto before he sighed, "It must be Tuesday."
Pegasus just sniggered while Seto went on, "The heralds of the Gentle Darkness were said to band together in an attempt to protect the Darkness from the Light's power; to do this, one soul was chosen to be a sort of vessel for the Gentle Darkness. This vessel was then known from then on as the Supreme King of the Gentle Darkness."
Something about the name seemed to give Yugi a chill that made his skin crawl, but he listened as Kaiba continued his explanation, "The legend goes that the Supreme King was a powerful being that could either be completely infused with the soul of his vessel or, in certain cases, he could dominate the soul and create a sort of Dark Side to the vessel…kind of like what Atem used to be like in the early days." (2)
Yugi shivered again while Pegasus asked it, "And what makes you suspect that this Supreme King is our little Harry-boy?"
"The eyes," replied Kaiba, "They're a sign of the King's powers: the golden eyes are a sign of the powers of the Gentle Darkness coming alive in its newest reincarnation: add to that the mysterious way that Harry once travelled from school to home within seconds and how he seems to have the same strength of duelling spirit that Yugi himself has and we have a pretty clear theory."
"However," added Marik, cutting off the train of thought as he explained, "Doesn't the legend also state that the Supreme King has a sort of guardian spirit? That he can actually bring duel spirits to life and command them to do whatever he wishes them to do."
"Yes," agreed Kaiba, looking again to Yugi as he went on, "If Harry does possess a guardian spirit, it hasn't yet revealed itself; however, another possibility could be that this guardian has also followed a reincarnation cycle."
"You mean they could be someone else?" asked Yugi, earning a slow nod from Seto before he asked, "How can we be sure?"
"I don't know," admitted the CEO, holding up his hands in defeat as he went on, "But Harry's eyes do change colour whenever he's really angry or scared and, what usually follows matches the descriptions of the King's powers. I don't believe that Harry himself will fall to the dark power, but with you as his guardian and mentor, Yugi, he will certainly have an easy way to control that power."
"Two souls, one body; it certainly sounds like you, Yugi," agreed Marik, earning a smirk from Yugi before he went on, "Has Harry started to learn to duel yet?"
"Of course," sniggered Kaiba, earning a roll of the eyes from Yugi as he explained, "Though Yugi doesn't allow him to do it at the academy like most of the other kids do, Mokuba and I have been giving him a crash course when he's at the Mansion: not to give you a bigger head than your hair, Yugi, but he has talent that reminds me of you."
"Yugi's only his adopted Father, Kaiba," argued Marik, but Yugi just shrugged while Seto smirked; at the same time, the CEO's eyes seemed to light up as he looked back to Yugi.
"If you want him to prove himself, Yugi, then I might have a suggestion on a way to encourage him," explained Kaiba, earning a raised eyebrow from Yugi before he went on, "Kaibacorp is currently holding a Duel Monsters Card Creator Competition; you might have heard of it?"
"I remember you talking about it a few weeks back," agreed Yugi, his eyes narrowed as he explained, "Something about cosmic radiation being infused with the cards and teaching life out there to duel, though I'm guessing it's more about those weird energies, right?"
"Right," agreed Kaiba, his lips turned upwards in an almost-sinister smile as he explained, "With that energy, anything can come out of the spirits and powers that can be awoken from the winning designs, but, aside from being a chance for wannabe duellists to show off their creativity, I'd also like to see the effects that otherworld forces really have on Duel Monsters."
"Good thing Joey's not there; he'd have a field day if he heard you admit to supporting mystic forces," chuckled Marik, earning a stony glare from Seto as he continued talking to Yugi.
"Encourage Harry to enter the competition, Yugi," explained Seto, his words edged by amusement as he added, "Might be a bit biased of me, but what other power can you think of to help my honorary godson control his darker nature?"
"Are you saying that if Harry enters a card design for this competition, you'll send it up no matter who wins?" asked Yugi, earning a slow smile from Seto as he shook his head. "I'll talk to him, but it is a little unfair, admittedly. In any case, if we're right about this force of his, this Supreme King, then we should also be wary of what he can do."
"I leave that part to you," argued Kaiba, before he closed the connection between their computers.
As Marik and Pegasus also ended their calls, Yugi sighed deeply as he wondered about the means that Harry would use to learn to control the power of the Supreme King.
If the legend was true, then it meant that Harry's life was only going to get more-interesting;
'Still,' wondered Yugi, removing several pieces of paper from his desk drawer for Harry to use in the task, 'Who is the guardian and what will they do to get back together with Harry if he really is the Supreme King?'
Prince of Games
"Wow, really: you…you mean it, Uncle?"
"I certainly do," replied Yugi, holding out a box that had a brand new KC Duel Disk inside; as he held it out to a clearly-excited Harry, Yugi then went on, "I think you deserve it for all the hard work you've been doing at school. Though I am a little disappointed that you didn't tell me Kaiba's been teaching you about duelling."
Harry actually blushed and hung his head as he took the box from his guardian, his voice now low and filled with guilt as he explained, "I…I wanted it to be a surprise; cause…cause you're the King of Games and…and I didn't want you to be scared I'd let you down."
Even though the disappointment had come from the guardian side of him, Yugi couldn't help but feel guilty about how he'd spoken to his young ward.
Kneeling down, the young champion put a soothing hand on Harry's cheek before he lifted the boy's chin so that he was looking Yugi right in the eyes as he told him, "I could never be disappointed in you, Harry…and you couldn't let me down either. You're a brilliant little boy that's done so much to become a great person and you haven't let Kaiba's treatment of you turn you into some…well, some spoiled little rich kid. I couldn't be prouder of you even if I were your Father."
Harry blushed again before he asked, "Erm…Uncle?"
"Hmm?" asked Yugi, rising up once again as he turned to retrieve his own Duel Disk and deck.
"Would…I mean, if it's all right and you're not busy, would…would you let me show you what Seto's been teaching me?"
"Oh?" asked Yugi, smiling fondly as he asked, "And how would you do that, Harry? You don't have…"
"It's…in a chest in my room," admitted Harry, earning a scoff from Yugi before he shook his head in amusement.
"Go on, then: meet me around the back of the shop in a few minutes, all right?"
As Harry nodded in agreement, Yugi was thankful that, as part of his new life and the way that Harry had been growing up, he'd installed a private duel field with a covered roof and windows. It was meant as a play area for Harry and his friends, but now that Harry was starting to show off what he'd learned, Yugi supposed that it was time for it to be used for what it was built for.
Thankfully, only those who could get through the door of the arena could actually watch the bout, so they'd be safe…especially if Harry actually managed to beat him.
Yugi couldn't help but chuckle at that thought…
One thing was certain; Kaiba wouldn't let him live it down if his own nephew and honorary son beat him in a duel.
Prince of Games
Standing in the middle of the arena, dressed in his Battle City attire, Yugi seemed almost amused as he saw Harry walk into the arena through the back door of the game shop. What made him smile was because, despite his better efforts, Yugi could never stop his nephew dressing like the one that he owed his lessons to as well as the fact that he had saved him from a would-be trick by the people that had wanted to get rid of him.
In other words, Harry was dressed in an outfit that was almost-exactly like Seto Kaiba: from the dark clothes underneath the long duster to the windswept hair and the determined expression, he was more like Kaiba than Yugi might have thought possible. With his new Duel Disk on his arm, Harry looked just as ready as any duellist might be for the fight of his life.
After all, though he didn't say it out loud, the young boy knew that he was in for a duel that might never be compared in toughness against his uncle.
Yugi Muto was the King of Games, after all.
"Are you ready, then?" asked Yugi, lifting his arm and activating his own Duel Disk as he explained, "We might be family, Harry, but that won't hold me back here."
"I…I wouldn't want you to, Uncle Yugi," replied Harry, taking his own place on the opposite side of the field and, activating his own disk, he actually surprised Yugi when a powerful wind actually seemed to rise up around him, buffeting itself against the King of Games and knocking his hair out of place at the same time.
"You have strength," muttered Yugi, moving to his own place on the field as he explained, "But let's see if it's enough: playtime is now over!"
"Let the games begin!" challenged Harry, using what Yugi assumed to be his battle cry as he stood tall and ready against the King of Games.
"DUEL!"
Harry: 4000/Yugi: 4000
"Why don't you take the first move, Harry?" asked Yugi, drawing his first hand while Harry used his first Draw Phase.
Checking the cards in his hand, Harry smiled softly as he explained, "Okay then; to start, I place one card face down and summon out my Elemental Hero Ice Edge (800/900) to the field in attack mode!"
At his words, a part of the duel field opened up and, from within a field of white light, a small, child-like warrior appeared; he had blue-coloured skin with what looked like icicles covering most of his body as well as a helmet made of icicles that covered his head, revealing two pale-blue eyes that seemed to shine as the new creature faced Yugi.
"So," mused Yugi, smiling softly as he asked, "Your first deck is made up of the Elemental Hero archetype, is it? Interesting choice, Harry."
"I…I don't know why," admitted Harry, smiling despite the blush on his cheeks as he explained, "But, when Seto let me choose any cards I wanted to build my deck, these guys…they seemed to call out to me, is…is that okay?"
"It is, actually," replied Yugi, remembering what Seto and Marik had said about the King's spirit forming alliances with Duel Spirits. "It pays to have a strong bond with the spirits inside your cards, because then you'll always be able to rely on them: allow me to show you how!"
Drawing his first card, Yugi eyed his hand before he explained, "I place one card of my own face down and summon Queen's Knight (1500/1600) and next, I activate the Spell Card Double Summon: with this, I am able to summon one additional monster this turn and I choose King's Knight (1600/1400) and, thanks to my Knight's special ability, I can now summon Jack's Knight (1900/1000) from my Deck in attack mode as well!"
Harry's eyes actually widened with fear as Yugi summoned out three monsters with one turn; each of them seemed to support the other with their strength as they stood like a royal procession, each of them facing Harry and his sole monster with a challenging expression to them.
"And now, Harry," added Yugi, his eyes shining with amused pride as he saw his nephew hold onto his strength despite the disadvantage that he was facing. "I'm going to give you one turn to show me what you can do: make it count…I end my turn."
As Harry's fingers traced over his desk, preparing to draw his next card, his eyes closed as he tried to figure out a way around the three-way warzone that stood in his way. As he tried to think on it, however, Harry felt a strange, unusual energy build up in his fingers and, passing through his body, it made its way into his mind where it seemed to take hold of his voice.
"You…you shouldn't have let me go so easily, Yugi," drawled Harry, his voice strangely distorted while he held his hand over his deck, "Because I won't do the same."
Opening his eyes, Harry declared, "It's my turn: I draw!"
As he drew his card, Harry was unaware of Yugi's eyes widening as he saw his nephew's eyes had changed colour; much like whenever Yugi used to become the Pharaoh, so too did Harry seem to change right before his eyes. His voice had deepened and become distorted by the power inside of him, his stance was more-confident than when it had been moments ago and, as he stared at his card, Yugi saw Harry's lips turn up in a smile that seemed to chill the King of Games right down to the bone.
'Is this…the Supreme King?' wondered Yugi, watching as Harry placed the card in his hand with the four others that he still had from the last round.
"For my move," explained Harry, his eyes filled with golden light that seemed to reflect the energy inside of him. "I activate my Ice Edge's special ability: by discarding one card to the graveyard, I can destroy one face down spell or trap card on your field."
He did just as he said before Yugi watched as Ice Edge's body started to glow, several of the icicles on his body now releasing spores of ice that rose into the air as Harry commanded, "Show him, Edge: go Ice Needle Burst!"
With a cry of ferocity, Ice Edge released the icy shards onto Yugi's side of the field, destroying the card that the King had set down, which was revealed to be the Trap Card Magic Cylinder, sending it straight to the graveyard, much to Yugi's amusement as he saw Harry's lips turn upwards in a new smile, this one of amusement.
"You let me take this round knowing I'd probably attack and so you set Magic Cylinder to trap me, which would have caused me to lose life points," explained the golden-eyed duellist, earning a nod of agreement from Yugi as he went on, "But now that's gone, so is your only chance of halting my assault as I now activate the special ability of the monster I discarded…"
As he said the words, Harry's graveyard seemed to glow before a dark-skinned creature appeared as a spirit in front of Harry's graveyard, much to Yugi's shock as he asked, "Necroshade? But that means that for this turn, you can…"
"Summon out a high-level Elemental Hero without a sacrifice, yes," replied Harry, holding the card he'd chosen in his hand as he explained, "And I have just the card needed to put a dent in your life points, Yugi: rise, Elemental Hero Blade-Edge (2600/1800) and next, my Elemental Hero Ice Edge attacks you!"
"Erm, Harry," argued Yugi, "You might want to reconsider that: after all, my three knights are more powerful than your Ice Edge."
"Maybe," agreed Harry, "However, because I activated his special ability in this round, my Ice Edge can attack you directly: go Ice Edge, attack with Ice Needle Barrage!"
This time, Ice Edge leapt into the air and, throwing both of his arms forwards, he released several larger icicles from his body, each of which shot right past the three Knights and struck Yugi, dealing first blood in the duel and actually surprising the King of Games.
Harry: 4000/Yugi: 3200
"I told you that you shouldn't have done that," argued Harry, smiling with a sense of purpose and strength as he went on, "And now I'll show you why: Elemental Hero Blade-Edge, take down Queen's Knight with Slice and Dice Attack!"
Charging forwards, Blade-Edge's sharp blades cut straight through the weakest of the three knights, earning another cry from Yugi as his life points were hit once again.
Harry: 4000/Yugi: 2100
"And now," finished Harry, "I end my turn: so, come on, Yugi, what are you going to do now?"
With an amused laugh, Yugi straightened himself up as he remarked, "You certainly have the duelling banter down, Harry: nice work on the unexpected move. Admittedly, if I had attacked you with my Knights in the last round, I would have won this duel…but then again, I haven't forgotten about your face down, which I'm guessing is meant to stop me somehow, so let's see. It's my move."
Drawing his own card, Yugi eyed the newcomer before he smiled as he explained, "I was hoping to hold off on this before you were ready, but time waits for no duellist: so, I sacrifice my King's Knight to summon out one of the highlights of my Deck: Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700) and next, I activate the magic of Sage's Stone!"
Harry still seemed to observe the move with a quiet contemplation as Yugi revealed the card that he'd drawn, which was Sage's Stone, but it also left the King of Games with one card in his hand.
"When the Dark Magician Girl is on the field and Sage's Stone is activated," explained Yugi, smiling as he grabbed his deck before he leafed through it for the right card, "It allows me to automatically summon out the card that many claim to be the highlight of my Deck: come forth, my mighty friend: Dark Magician (2500/2100) in attack mode!"
Now Harry's eyes widened with actual delight as he saw the power of the stone illuminate the field before, in a blaze of violet energy, the purple-clad legend of his Uncle's deck appeared on the field. At the same time that he did so, however, Yugi then noticed that Harry's eyes had gone back to emerald-green; almost as though the sight of the legendary spellcaster had somehow allowed Harry to regain control of his senses.
At the same time, Yugi then smiled as he explained, "I gave you one turn to try and stop me, Harry, but now, it seems that I must do what is necessary to show you the real meaning of a duel: so, Dark Magician, attack Hero Ice Edge with Dark Magic Attack!"
Thrusting his staff forwards, the magician released a burst of black energy that cut clean through Ice Edge, dealing damage to Harry's life points and, at the same time, showing Yugi that it was his nephew he was facing and not the spirit inside of him as Harry actually cried out; whereas, had it been the Supreme King inside of him, he probably would have brushed it off as nothing.
Harry: 2300/Yugi: 2100
"Are you all right, Harry?" asked Yugi, watching as his nephew slowly staggered to his feet, his eyes still emerald-green, but he was smiling.
"Wow!" gasped the seven year old duellist, "So that's what that attack feels like: guess I'll have to watch out for it, but…for now, I activate my Trap: Hero Signal!"
Yugi just smiled as the face-down that Harry had set in Round One rose up, revealing a spotlight that held a black letter H in its centre.
"Thanks to you destroying my Hero Edge," explained Harry, coughing slightly as the dust finally settled from the attack by Dark Magician, "I can now summon out one Elemental Hero from my hand or my deck and I choose my Elemental Hero Stratos (1800/300) in defence mode!"
At Harry's command, a blue-armoured hero with silver highlights seemed to launch from the signal onto Harry's side of the field where he hunched himself down, his arms crossed over in the usual defensive stance.
"However," added Harry, still smiling through his pain as he explained, "My Stratos has a power all his own too; when he's summoned, either normally or through an effect, I can add one monster with Hero in its name from my Deck to my hand, but I'm not showing you which one it is. You'll have to wait and see."
As Yugi watched, Harry shuffled through his deck and drew one card out of it; as he placed the new card in his two-card hand, making three cards in his hand to Yugi's one.
"That won't stop my attack, Harry," argued the King of Games, giving the command as he exclaimed, "Dark Magician Girl, take down Stratos: Dark Burning Attack!"
As the pink energy flew from DMG's staff, striking down Stratos, Yugi actually smiled as he went on, "It was a good plan using defence mode considering that neither my Jack's Knight nor my Dark Magician have the strength to combat your Blade-Edge, but that's all that it was, Harry: a single move. For now, speaking of moves, I place one card face down and end my turn."
'Another trap card, no doubt,' thought Harry, drawing his next card before he explained, "For my move, I summon out a new hero, one that Seto had Mr Pegasus create just for me: Yugi, say hello to Elemental Hero Marauder (2000/1000) and next, I activate his special ability!"
Even Yugi was impressed as he watched the new hero rise onto the field; it looked like a human warrior, but this warrior was clad in the skin of what looked like an elder stag, the horns of the stag attached to the chest and waist of the new hero like a set of throwing knives.
(Elemental Hero Marauder: ATK: 2000/DEF: 1000/4Star/EARTH/WARRIOR: Once per turn, if you have another Elemental Hero on the field, you can summon one Elemental Hero from the Graveyard. If you activate this effect, neither this card nor the summoned monster can attack this round.)
"And with his special power," explained Harry, unaware of a reminiscent look filling Yugi's eyes as he realised why the stag reference looked so familiar. "And because Hero Blade-Edge is in play, I can now summon one Elemental Hero from my graveyard: welcome back, Hero Stratos!"
Once again, the blue-armoured warrior rose up, though this time, he was in attack mode while Harry went on, "That activates his special ability and so, I draw one Hero from my deck, but that's okay, because as you always taught me, Uncle, I have to watch my cards and I have done."
"How so?" asked Yugi, smiling warmly as he saw Harry's eyes shine with bright emerald-coloured determination.
"Because," replied Harry, "I activate my Fusion card: Poly…Poly…merry…sation! Yes, Polymerisation!"
'Big word for a little kid,' thought Yugi in amusement, watching as the fusion card rose up, its design more like the swirling vortex artwork that Industrial Illusions had created rather than the two-monster artwork of the card in Yugi's deck.
"And with my fusion card's special power," explained Harry, indicating Stratos as he explained, "I fuse Elemental Hero Stratos with the Elemental Hero Wildheart that I added to my hand with his effect to summon out my mighty Elemental Hero Great Tornado (2800/2200) to the field in attack mode!"
A violet wind suddenly blew across the field as Stratos' energy combined with Wildheart's; the end result was a green-skinned creature with amber-coloured highlights and a raggedy-looking bluish-green cape swirling around his body; his hands and shoulders seemed to have circular-shaped instruments that were the source of the wind and, as he appeared, the new monster stared intently at Yugi's field.
At the same time, Yugi's eyes widened when he saw Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl and Jack's Knight all lose some attack points; half of them, to be exact.
Dark Magician: 1250/2100
Dark Magician Girl: 1000/1700
Jack's Knight: 950/1000
"Wonder what happened?" asked Harry, a smug tone in his voice as he explained, "Then I'll tell you; thanks to Great Tornado's special ability, when he's summoned, all monsters on your side of the field lose half their attack strength, which means that I have more than enough firepower to end this duel right now!"
Yugi noticed Harry's eyes glance towards the face down card that the King had set, but since this was probably going to be the only chance that he had against his uncle, Harry was willing to take the chance. "Elemental Hero Blade-Edge, take out the Dark Magician with Slice and Dice Attack!"
As Edge charged forwards, Yugi's hand slipped towards the activation switch of his disk; if he activated his card, Harry would lose his only real defence against Yugi's onslaught and that would mean that Yugi would win the duel. On the other hand, the young boy had asked Yugi for this chance to prove his mettle and, as Yugi could see from the battle here, he was more than capable of turning into a great duellist, possibly even the next King of Games in due time.
With a fond smile, Yugi moved his hand away and watched as his prize monster was cut down by the Elemental Hero, reducing his life points even more.
Harry: 2300/Yugi: 750
"And now," added Harry, "Great Tornado, take out the Dark Magician Girl with Whirlwind Wipeout!"
Spinning around much like a great tornado that he was named for, the elemental hero swerved his way towards Dark Magician Girl, his firepower taking out the last of Yugi's life points while Harry, smiling only slightly as though he recognised what his Uncle had done, announced, "Game over!"
"Indeed it is," agreed Yugi, watching as the holograms vanished before he added, "A good duel, Harry; I see now that I was wrong keeping you from this. Keep your deck and your disk and go out there and make me proud."
As Yugi deactivated his disk, however, he was surprised when Harry suddenly ran across the field and snagged the card that he would have been the victim of had Yugi used it. To his surprise, it was a trap that showed a human spewing flames into the air; as he read the information, Harry's eyes widened even further when he saw the card that remained in Yugi's hand.
"You…you could have won the duel, Uncle!" gasped Harry, holding up the card that Yugi hadn't activated as he explained, "With Soul Shield, you could have stopped me from attacking again for only half your life points, but then, on your next turn, you could have unleashed…"
"But I didn't," Yugi cut in, holding up the remaining card in his hand as he told Harry, "An old friend once told me that some cards aren't worth playing, especially not when you showed me more than enough reasons for me to know you're ready to become a great duellist."
"But…it's an Egyptian God Card!" gasped Harry, looking to the card in question:
Obelisk the Tormentor (4000/4000)
"And, if it were a real duel, I would have used it," explained Yugi, returning the card to his deck as he added, "But given how your body reacted to the Dark Magician's attack, it was my decision that you weren't ready to take on and feel the power of an Egyptian God. Maybe next time, but not now, Harry."
Here, he placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder as he added, "No matter what it is between us, I will always put your health first, even if we are opponents: so, for now, you're going to toughen yourself up so that you can withstand the force of monsters just as powerful, if not more than my Egyptian God Card, understand?"
Harry nodded, though Yugi could tell that he was disappointed; with a gentle smile, the young duellist then lifted Harry's head so that he could meet his gaze as he added, "That doesn't mean that there isn't room for a rematch in future, you know?"
Harry's smile lit up Yugi's life once again, though he was still a little worried about what he'd seen in the duel: Harry had awoken the power of his other side and relied on it to stand strong against the assault by the King of Games.
If that meant that the King's spirit was slowly infusing with Harry, then maybe it was a good thing that Yugi introduced Harry to the pressures of a real duel.
If anything, it might help him understand the same thing Yugi had done in Duellist Kingdom: that there was another spirit inside of him and, if they worked together, then there was nothing that they couldn't do.
Only time would tell, but still, it didn't stop Yugi worrying…
Chapter 2 and Harry has experienced his first taste of battle, but will Yugi be able to help him work with his spirit as well as the King of Games worked with Atem?
Also, what is Kaiba planning by allowing Harry a free pass to the 'card creation' competition and what'll happen if/when another winner of said competition meets the vessel of the Supreme King?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: Harry experiences the power of his other side for himself when he meets an unusual, but friendly young man: his name? Jaden Yuki; plus, in experiencing the power, Harry refuses to let the spirit of the King control him, so…hmm…let me think: how can they settle this dilemma?
Please Read and Review
AN (1)
I don't know if the school actually has a name, but I used this one because it seemed simple enough;
AN (2)
This is a reference to the alleged Season 0 when Yami used to challenge his opponents to 'Shadow Games' rather than duel them;
