Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any components from other anime shows, manga, or books (novels, short stories, etc.). I also do not own any songs. I only own the Matsumura family and future original characters. Please enjoy this story.
Unknown's POV (You'll find out who I am later)
If it was a normal day for the Matsumura twins, they'd be at home - with all their siblings, with the exception of Veronica - watching some movie. However, that was not the case. No, far from it. Instead, the two were at the city harbor, ready to board a ship going to Duelist Kingdom. It was my mistake to become too interested in these two girls, but allow me to paint a picture for you:
The sky was already darkening, and there was a fair amount of lights: the stars, the lights on the ship, the city. Tera and Delilah were already on, after finishing a conversation with a young man named Tsukikage and getting into an argument with the men in the suits (though, it was mainly Delilah). Tera wore a deep blue sailor dress with short sleeves. Her long, jet-black hair was tied back in a semi-ponytail with a white ribbon. In her ear, she had an earpiece to make calls with. On her feet, Tera wore black Mary Jane shoes, and strapped to her left thigh was her deck holder with words Yugi Muto written on it (You remember that deck holder, right? It's the one she'll keep always, and little does she know, it will be immortalized in crystal along with her deck after she's passed). In her hand was a small metallic briefcase containing every card she's ever put into her deck. And last, but certainly not least, decorating her right forearm was her Millennium Armlet.
.~~~.
*** SOME FACTS ABOUT ***
THE MILLENNIUM ARMLET
It originated in Ancient Egypt and was found in the tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh.
It was once in possession of Mr. Solomon Muto, who gave it to Tera's aunt and adopted mother, Mona Fujimoto Matsumura (Fujimoto was her last name before she changed it), who then passed it on to Tera for Christmas (or was it for her birthday...).
In a description, it was gold, decorated with small bits of blue glass, and to top it all off, it had the eye of Horus on it in gold.
If you don't know already, it holds a spirit that also originated in Egypt.
.~~~.
Delilah wore a white bandeau top and a dull pink skirt with black shorts underneath. She also had on a pinkish jacket with short sleeves. White knee socks covered her legs, and on her feet, she wore brown combat boots. Her hair was also tied back into a semi-ponytail, though not with a ribbon, and she also had an earpiece and deck within a deck holder. One more thing, both girls had little, light orange backpacks.
.~~~.
*** SOME FACTS ABOUT ***
DELILAH MATSUMURA
Her favorite color is red.
She and Tera jokingly say that they represent the forces of yin and yang: Delilah - yang.
She is an athletic, confident, and outgoing go-getter. She always pushes Tera to do what she dreams of doing while still being protective of her; she is almost completely against the idea of Tera dating, much less getting married and starting a family.
From birth to age three, Delilah took advantage of Tera's timidness.
She likes doing girly things with her sisters.
Both Delilah and Tera are emotionally dependent on each other, though Delilah is better at hiding it.
She is the student council president of Domino High. She is also the source of most of Tera's nicknames.
She has a sometimes complicated love-hate relationship with a certain boy with dirty blonde hair named Joey Wheeler (mainly hate).
It was Delilah's idea to attend a public school (after nine and a half years of going to the same all-girls private school) and "meet new people."
.~~~.
The girls were now comfortably situated in a room, away from the other participants as the boat began its departure. Delilah took a nice long stretch. "Do you think Tsukikage is still at the harbor?" she inquired.
"I would hope not," was Tera's response. Tsukikage, Tera and Delilah's bodyguard, was protective of the two girls. He viewed them as younger siblings, though the feelings were not returned. Tera gently slipped off her shoes and sat down next to her sister. "It'd be pretty bothersome for his brother."
Delilah hummed in response. "Are you ready to compete in this tournament, Tera?" She looked at her sister with mild concern. It would be her fist time competing in a duel tournament without masking her identity.
Tera didn't meet her gaze. Instead, she looked down at her deck, placed securely in her deck holder. "I think it's too late to ask that. Whether I'm ready or not, I have to compete and I have to win."
You're probably wondering: why can't she keep her identity a secret like she's always done? The answer: Tera and Pegasus spoke a little bit before she boarded. She has to go as herself or not go at all and miss the chance to save her youngest siblings. (I'm pretty sure she picked the right option.)
I'm sure you would love to hear all the details about the trip, but I have neither the time nor the interest to tell in full detail. Instead, I give a brief summary. While Tera and Delilah were in their room, a certain boy with spiky hair made the mistake of showing a Mr. Weevil Underwood his Exodia cards. His friend with the dirty blonde hair ended up going overboard. Not only that but two non-participants named Tea and Tristan sneaked onboard. But the two sisters didn't know that. Neither did they know that Tera's admiration for Yugi would soon vanish the moment she saw him duel again.
.~~~.
Long ago, when the pyramids were still young, Egyptian kings played a game of great and terrible power, but these shadow games erupted into a war that threatened to destroy the entire world until a brave and powerful pharaoh and his queen locked the magic away, imprisoning it within the mystical Millennium Items. Now, 5,000 years later, two special mortals - a boy named Yugi and a girl named Tera - unlock the secrets of two of the millennium Items, the Millennium Puzzle and the Millennium Armlet. both are infused with ancient magical energies, for destiny has chosen them to defend the world from the return of the shadow games, just as the brave pharaoh and queen did 5,000 years ago. The problem: Tera is a foreseer (people use the word seer, too), and she's reluctant to save the world that rejects her.
.~~~.
I suppose it was a somewhat lovely day the day the Matsumura twins arrived on Duelist Kingdom. The duelists were directed to Pegasus's castle, where the man himself greeted them. (I'm still not sure how Tera didn't know that Yugi was there. She has incredible hearing.)
"Attention," a man in a suit said. "Please gather around. Your benevolent host is anxious to greet you all." Discomfort grew within Tera's heart as Maximillion Pegasus came forward. "Boy, would I like to get just five minutes alone with that guy," Delilah muttered to her sister. It's kind of cute, really, because Joey Wheeler said the same thing. Pegasus stood on a balcony looking over the participating duelists. The black-haired magician shifted uncomfortably under his gaze and gripped her Millennium Armlet as a means to find courage.
Teacher, she thought. You've lured me onto the island but know this: Even if you are my teacher, I hold no personal feelings towards you. As far as I'm concerned, you've taken a part of my family and I've come to take it back.
The voice she knew well projected itself out to reach the ears of everyone present. "Greetings, duelists! I am Maximillion Pegasus! It is my great honor and pleasure to welcome you all to the Duelist Kingdom. " The twins looked on as Pegasus spoke. "You stand before me, the world's greatest duelists! But come tournament's end, only one shall be crowned King of Games!."
"I believe he means Queen of Games," Delilah whispered, so only Tera's ears could hear. Tera responded with a soft smile, though Pegasus continued speaking. "I implore you all to assemble your decks with care, with creativity, and with cunning" - the twins looked down at the silver briefcase - "for this competition will test your skills like never before! To track your progress in the tournament, you've each been given a dueling glove."
Instinctively, the sole magician alive lifted hers closer to her face. She had put it on once she was on the island. "You've also been given two precious star chips. You must wager these star chips on each duel compete in. To advance to the final level of competition for a chance at the $3 million dollar prize, you must win ten star chips!"
He obviously knows that you're not in it for the money, a voice said in Tera's head. "Ten star chips will admit you into my castle, where you'll face me in one final duel!"
Tera's gaze towards her sister was met with one from her. Both thought the same thing: Rini and Ringo are in there. Unfortunately, Pegasus still hadn't finished. "This will be a tournament unlike anything you have ever experienced. State-of-the-art dueling arenas cover this entire island and intriguing new dueling rules will be in effect."
New rules?
"I could tell you what these new rules are, but what fun would that be?" I hated to admit it, but he was right. What fun would that be? "You'll discover them as you compete, or you won't last very long. Remember, play boldly, think strategically, and duel mercilessly! You have one full hour to prepare, both your cards and yourselves. When the skies light up with fireworks, the duels will begin!" The man then proceeded to retreat back into his castle but not before taking one final glance at the two sisters. What he saw were two intense glares directed at him. Strangely, he smiled, even if it was just a little.
.~~~.
Well, here she stood. Witnessing the first duel of Duelist Kingdom. It was Weevil Underwood against Yugi Muto, the youth who defeated Seto Kaiba. I told you that Tera would lose her admiration for Yugi and I wasn't lying.
What is he doing here? she thought. He could ruin my chances of winning.
The excitement of the first duel lured her in, but she never expected him to be here. You could say that her white-haired sister almost felt the same way. Almost. Although Yugi's presence worried her, it also amused her slightly.
If Yugi manages to beat Underwood, then Tera's got to watch out.
The girls knew better than to underestimate someone who beat Kaiba, and Tera, poor Tera, she knew the consequences of underestimating a human - or should I say sapien.
Tea was the first to notice their presence. "Student pres, class rep, I didn't expect to see you here."
Delilah was the one to respond. "Our class representative here is a participating duelist." Both Joey and Tristan looked at Tera in awe. "Whoa, Tera," Joey said, "I didn't know you could duel."
Delilah took the opportunity to belittle Joey. "Really? I mean, you have the capability to... And I think you meant to say class rep." Let's just say Delilah preferred her classmates to use formalities.
Oh! Silly me! I forgot to mention that a pretty blonde woman named Mai Valentine was there, too. She thought that Yugi - or should I say the Other Yugi - stood no chance against Weevil Underwood.
With Tera, however, she decided to watch the duel play along longer before she stated her opinion. On her forearm, the Millennium Armlet glowed, though not raising awareness from its owner or the people surrounding her.
Yami Tera's POV
This can't be true. And after he amazed me in his previous one. I mentally slapped myself for allowing my natural predator amaze me. Of course, this would happen. When has keeping my family together ever been easy?
The voice of a male child laughed behind me as the owner of the voice appeared. What did I tell you? He spat on my hair. Although I couldn't see his face, I could tell that he was smirking. I clenched my fists. You seers somehow manage to be stupefied by humans of all creatures! It cracks me up just thinking about it!
Not now, Amaterasu. Can't you see that I'm trying to watch?
Amaterasu stopped laughing and lifted his arms as if he were controlling puppets. The field of shadows surrounding us began to crawl up my legs. His voice grew menacing. Oh yeah? What'cha gonna do about it?
In response, my Millennium Armlet glowed, and chains sprouted from my back, capturing Amaterasu. The little demon smiled at me. I almost forgot about those," he said as he began to disappear. Just remember, the sapiens are not to be trusted. You don't want to be a repeat of Cordelia, do you?
With that final comment, he vanished and I was free to continue watching the duel in front of me.
The Other Yugi had just knowingly set one of Weevil's traps. I barely managed to catch what he said about traps being meant to surprise your opponent. That and Weevil giving away his plan.
The bug duelist chuckled, then began to laugh. "I didn't!" he said. "I don't give a bee's behind about that stupid trap! I tricked you into recalling your monsters so you couldn't attack this!"
I must admit, that was a smart move on Weevil's part. Huh? A little larvae moth appeared on the field. Perhaps it was part of a bigger scheme. Once again, Weevil chuckled.
"Sure, he's just a little slug now, but the Cocoon of Evolution will change all that." The Cocoon of Evolution?
"Isn't it beautiful?" Weevil exclaimed. Little strands began wrapping themselves around the larvae in a most disgusting manner.
"Eww," Yugi and I breathed. "Nasty," Delilah said.
"Eww. That's just gross," Tea commented.
"Weevil's bug is sealing itself in a cocoon," Joey said.
I wonder what he plans to do with this.
"Behold!" he declared. "My Cocoon of Evolution! Within that cocoon sits my tiny little larvae moth, and over the next five turns, he will undergo a startling transformation... From harmless caterpillar to unstoppable great moth!"
"Then I'll crack your cocoon before that happens," Yugi said.
"Easier said than done, Yugi," Weevil replied, "for my Cocoon of Evolution gets a field power bonus from the wilderness around us, increasing its defense points. It'll be so strong, you won't even be able to scratch its surface!"
That's right. The special rules of this tournament. Looks like I'll be having a lot of fun.
"Just five more turns, Yugi. In five turns, my great moth will fully evolve and finish you off."
.~We interrupt this story for this brief explanation of the foreseer vocabulary by the unknown narrator~.
Sweet Seraph - a way the Forsir blaspheme
Forsir - the name of the group of foreseers
Seer - another name for foreseer
Sapien - That is the official word for humans without magic. Seers belong to the same genus but not the same species. The binomial nomenclature for forseer/seer is homo pythonicus, and I already know what you're thinking: doesn't pythonicus refer to a serpent? The answer is no. Pythonicus is translated to medium and means magical or prophetic. It'll make sense later in the story.
Normie - the slang for homo sapiens (humans without magic)
.~Now back to the story~.
The duel was nearing its end. I could feel it. Although Yugi had both Gaia, the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragon on the field, Weevil Underwood had managed to bring out his prized monster. If luck is on my side, then Yugi will be the loser.
"So, Yugi, feeling outclassed yet? Or perhaps you're enjoying your first major-league dueling loss. Heh heh."
Yugi kept his composure. "You may have gotten your prized monster onto the field, Weevil, but I'll still find a way to squash that over-sized bug."
Weevil laughed. "You'll pay for that stinging jab with your life points! Great Moth, take flight!"
"So be it," Yugi said. "We'll settle this in the skies!"
"I think it's high time I pay back your knight for demolishing my cocoon."
That seemed to trouble Yugi.
"This is it, Yugi. My Great Moth will crush your defenses, slay your knight, and blast your dragon from the sky."
"Not if I can help it."
Yugi placed down a card, but from where I was standing I couldn't tell what it was.
"But that's just it, you can't help it. Moth Hurricane Attack!"
The Great Moth attacked and destroyed Yugi's face-down monster.
"No! My Beaver Warrior!"
Weevil seemed to take delight in Yugi's struggling.
"It's hopeless. Nothing can stand against the gale-force winds fo my Moth Hurricane. Your knight will be totally blown away." He cackled. 'That'll teach 'em to mess with my cocoon!"
"Don't count on it!" Yugi said, confusing Weevil. "Weevil, you were so busy fawning over your moth, you didn't I played a polymerization card."
Weevil's eyes widened. "But... I thought..."
"If I have two compatible monsters on the field," Yugi explained, "I can use my polymerization card and fuse them into one ultimate creature." An interesting move by Yugi.
A scowl was Weevil's response. "I'm not some beginner. I know what fusion does."
Yugi smiled. "Then you must know it increases my attack points. My fused dragon/knight combo is now powerful enough to go head-to-head with your Great Moth."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Look again!"
As Weevil was speaking, the dragon/knight fusion began losing attack points by the hundreds.
"What? No!" Yugi said. "My knight- he's losing points. And fast." So this is what the Great Moth can do. "But how? And why?"
"It's poison, Yugi," Weevil explained. "Poison particles from my Great Moth. Each time it uses its Hurricane Attack, it releases tons of these tiny toxic particles. And your precious dragon/knight combo is being poisoned by their deadly touch. Ha ha!"
At this rate, Yugi can kiss his spot in the tournament goodbye. I almost considered leaving at this point, but I needed to actually see the outcome.
"Looks like I won't have to worry," I muttered to myself.
The dragon/knight monster continued losing attack points.
Weevil said, "Looks to me like my poison particles are taking their toll, Yugi."
The boy with the spiky hair drew a card from his deck. He seemed to have been lucky, much to my frustration. "Yes! Ready to be rained out, Weevil? Makiu, the Magical Mist!"
Weevil grred. "No! My poison!" he shouted. "You're washing it all away!" I crossed my arms over my chest, after placing down my briefcase.
"That's right. Magical Mist washes the field clean."
"No fair. I was about to win, and you save yourself with a little drizzle?!" Yugi smirked, before looking in my direction. I met his gaze with one of confusion.
"All right then," Weevil said, "you may have stopped my poison attack, but I promise you've only won a brief reprieve because my next move is one you won't be able to think your way out of! Brace yourself for my ultimate insect's ultimate attack!" Great Moth had 2600 attack points and 1900 defense points.
"Great Moth, Tornado of Doom!" Weevil's monster landed a direct hit. "Your little rainstorm didn't save you from that one now, did it? Your knight is toast. And you're almost out of life points." It's true. Yugi was down to 50 life points.
"Yugi, keep figthin'," Joey encouraged. "You can come back from this."
"Are you kidding me, Joey?" Delilah said. "You're all delusional," the blonde woman next to Delilah said.
"No. Joey's right," Tea replied. Yugi never gives up, and we never give up on him."
"You're nuts," the woman retorted. "Weevil has totally annihilated Yugi's strongest monster combo. He's down to 50 measly life points. He can't win, so do me a favor and stop yapping."
That only succeeded in angering Tea. "I won't stop yapping, you selfish, pompous, bleach-blonde, know-it-all windbag. Do us a favor and get lost. Right, Joey?"
"You said it, Tea," Joey replied.
"I hate to break to you guys," Delilah spoke up, "but..."
"Mai Valentine."
"Yeah," Delilah continued, "Mai is right. Your friend is in trouble, and it's going to take a miracle to get him out of trouble."
"Who's side are you on?" Tea inquired. Delilah just looked at her and replied, "Neither. I wasn't aware we were taking sides. I'm just stating the obvious."
Ultimately, Delilah and Mai were correct. I'd love to see Yugi get out of this one.
"I told you Yugi never had a chance at winning this thing," Mai said. "He wastes too much of his time listening to you losers."
I took this time to speak up, "Weevil keeps his mind on the game."
"Then why didn't he see this coming?" Tristan asked, grabbing all our attention. "See what coming?" we inquired.
His answer was, "Whatever it is Yugi's grinning about." I turned my attention to the duelist in question.
"You're right," Joey said. "He's got a big smile." Yugi began to chuckle, and within a few seconds, he began laughing.
"Uh," began Tea, "he's not smiling. I think he's laughing."
"How can he be laughing at a time like this?" Delilah inquired.
"Hey, Hey!" Weevil snapped. "What are you so happy about? Stop that snickering!"
Yugi began with, "Weevil, I know it will be very difficult for you to accept losing a duel... especially after spending so much time finding inventive ways to cheat. But if you thought bending the rules would help you win this match, you're wrong."
I feared this would happen. Well, I suppose it was my mistake for making assumptions.
"No! This is a mistake!" Weevil shouted.
"You play dishonestly, so you expect the same of your opponents. But I duel with honor, Weevil, and that makes all the difference."
"You got nothing!" Weevil retorted. I could sense the slightest bit of fear coming from him.
"Here's what I've got," Yugi replied. "The mighty Summoned Skull (ATK 2500/ DEF 1200)!" I admit, the monster managed to catch me off guard.
"Whoa, what's that?" Mai asked.
"This is it, Weevil," Yugi declared. "You ultimate insect won't withstand my next attack."
At first, Weevil didn't seem to be fazed, until he heard Yugi chuckling once again. "There's something you overlooked, Weevil," Yugi mentioned. I didn't take me long to realize what it was - Magical Mist.
"My Magical Mist is still dampening this entire field." Both Mai and Weevil gasped. The mist blanketed the entire field, making everything wet. Worry began to cloud Weevil's face. "He's right. Everything's wet. My Great Moth's totally soaked."
Yugi added on, "And my Summoned Skull attacks with electricity, making your waterlogged bug a giant-sized lightning rod. I hope you're in the mood for some fireworks, Weevil, because all this water boosts my monster's electrical attack by 1000 points (ATK 3500).
3500 attack points. Amaterasu's annoying laughter filled my ears once again.
"Summoned Skull, lightning strike!" The Great Moth groaned in pain as it took the brunt of the blow and burned. "It's over. I've won."
Weevil: 0
Yugi: 50
His opponent couldn't really believe it. "No! Impossible! My moth's unbeatable!" He collapsed in disbelief.
Yugi's friends began cheering for him as I picked up my small briefcase, before sharing a look with Delilah. This isn't going to be a walk in the park.
"Impressive," Mai admitted. "I didn't think Yugi could ever beat Weevil."
Delilah and I stayed a bit longer to see Yugi take Weevil's star chips. Joey then took his dueling gauntlet since he no longer needed it.
Once that was done, Yugi approached us. He and Deliah greeted each other before he turned his focus to me.
Unknown's POV
The small conversation began with Tera - well, the spirit. "I suppose I should congratulate you on your first victory." She looked down, not facing her fellow spirit, against his wishes. But, as much as he wanted her to look at him, he didn't do anything. Just nodded and said, "Thank you, class rep."
Tera's heart skipped a beat, much to her frustration. "Well," - she began to turn in order to walk away - "now I know to tread lightly." She and Delilah said goodbye to their classmates and began to leave. They stopped when Yugi wished Tera good luck.
This time, Tera's gaze met Yugi's, making his heart skip a beat. "Wishing luck to your competition" - she smiled slightly - "How kind of you."
They continued on their way. Tera's thoughts, however, remained on Yugi. Why do I feel that we are more similar than we appear to be? she wondered.