Between My Brother and Me: When the World Falls Down
Rated: T
Author: Green Phantom Queen
Summary: What would have happened if Yami won the duel against Raphael? The Chosen are soon warped to a future where the Pharaoh rules with an iron fist, and their allies have turned against them. Their only hope is their bonds to each other and their determination to return to old times past.
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Chapter 3-When the World Spun Lies
Industrial Illusions wasn't faring well without Maximillion Pegasus. Unable to figure out why the Creator of Duel Monsters was stuck in an deep coma, the world continued to be attacked by these monsters. There was never a day that people lived in terror of these monsters waiting to kill them.
People all around the world started to spread rumors as to why it was happening. They would point the blame to the CEOs that related to the Duel Monster craze. No one could prove what was going on, but they had to get a scapegoat to ease their pain.
Then, more and more insane theories popped up. Some say that the monsters arrived as revenge for all duelists who mistreated them. Others said that they were a sign that signaled the apocalypse.
Whatever the theory, the world became divided over these monsters and the fact that they were powerless to stop them.
0-0-0-0-0-
May dodged a burst of wind from the middle section of Gate Guardian before drawing a card. She had already sent at least three Dark Monsters to their death while trying to formulate a plan. As she drew another card from her deck, an idea struck.
"Go, Ritual Raven!" She cried, playing the card. "Come on out!"
A small black bird with small, grey hands and large yellow smiley-faces for eyes appeared on her shoulder. It let out a caw.
"And now, it's time to go." May continued. "Prophecy of the Pharaoh, summon Atem onto the field!"
Ritual Raven let out a large caw as it burst into flames. The flame leapt off of May's shoulder before transforming into the pharaoh himself. Dressed in a long white tunic, purple cloak and golden jewelery, the brave Pharaoh turned his crimson-eye gaze to his Goddess of Joy.
"Are you alright?" asked Atem. May just nodded her head in reply.
"I'm fine," She answered. "Atem, can you use your power to do a mass Dark Resurrection?"
"I am perfectly capable of doing such a thing."
"Good. Summon all the Dark Monsters that were sent to the grave. I have a card that will boost your strength."
Atem slashed a section of Labyrinth Wall with his sword, carving out some hieroglyphics. As he did, he began to chant an ancient spell.
"Come, monsters from the abyss." He cried. "I summon you back from the realms from whence you were born. Rise and serve your Pharaoh!"
A portal made from shadows appeared behind Atem. Rising from the portal were four monsters: Ritual Raven, Gorz-Emissary of Darkness, Chaos Hunter and Kura-The Thief Lord.
"About time I got out of that place," Kura muttered, unsheathing his dagger. "Took you long enough, Pharaoh."
"And now, here's step two!" said May. "I play Revenge of the Dark King!"
The Magic Card appeared, depicting Atem on his throne while a black dragon guarded him. On the Pharaoh's back was a pair of dark, dragonic wings. The card began to glow as all five Dark Monsters felt themselves become stronger.
"Thank you, Goddess." said Gorz. "I shall do this power justice."
"This darkness fills me up!" Chaos Hunter giggled. "You are a generous soul, after all."
Ritual Raven just let out a caw before flying onto May's head. It let out another caw as a thank you.
"You're welcome," May replied. "Now, Gate Guardian...prepare to be attacked!"
Gate Guardian—if it had any eyes—could see the looks on the monsters it was facing. It began to look on in fear as Atem approached it with his kopesh sword.
"Attack!" Atem cried, rushing toward the monster. With two swipes of his sword, Suijin was destroyed. Chaos Hunter jumped into the air and wrapped Kazejin with its whip. With a grunt, the Fiend-type monster hurled it into the air, where it met with Gorz's fierce claws. Kura took Sanga of the Thunder down with his dagger, the thief grinning in delight as the monster was destroyed.
Labyrinth Wall disintegrated as May sat down. She wiped off sweat from her brow and sighed.
"Well," The Coordinator noted. "That was fun. Now we could—AGH!"
Lightning coursed through her body as a figure descended onto the ground. It was a teenage boy with short, white, spiky hair, a mask covering all but his eyes, and dressed in a black body suit with silver lining. Three grey rings wrapped around his torso and legs as a black bracelet wrapped around each wrist. In one hand, he held a whip that held a blade on its cracker. His fingertips crackled with electricity as he looked down at his target.
"Goddess!" said Atem, rushing toward May. "Goddess, are you alright?"
"I'm fine..." May gasped out. "It doesn't hurt..."
"You monster!" Kura snarled, brandishing his dagger. "Who are you?"
"Call me Lightning Punisher," The boy smirked, sparks of electricity dancing in his hand. "And I got called here by my master should the mouse caught in the maze somehow survive the guardian. To ensure that the stranded person stays, I come and kill them when they're down!"
"Die then, you fiend!" Chaos Hunter snarled. "You don't belong in this world."
"Ha!" Lightning Punisher laughed. "Who's gonna stop me? Oh wait, NO ONE!"
Lightning Punisher fired bolts of electricity at all five of May's monsters. They screamed in terror as they returned to May's deck. May slowly stood up as she glared at the monster.
"I don't have time for a fight!" She said. "I need to get to Kaiba!"
"Kaiba isn't here," Lightning Punisher replied. "He's not in Death-T, and you won't reach him at the fifth level. So you might as well have a little sparring match with me."
"Don't give me your lies. I know Kaiba is here and he's going to reunite with his brother. Now get out of my way!"
"Ah ah ah..." Lightning Punisher waggled a finger at her. "I can't let you do that. You have to fight me in an Equip Weapon match."
"And what, if I my ask, is an 'Equip Weapon match'?"
"It's quite simple really: Take one Equip Magic Card from your deck and you'll fight me with it. We are only allowed to use a combination of three Magic and Trap Cards each to aid us—no monsters are allowed to interfere. The person who can knock your opponent down for the 3-count wins. If you win—and I know you won't—I'll let you go free. And if not..."
"If not?" May raised an eyebrow.
"You'll be sent into the Shadow Realm for all eternity!" Lightning Punisher laughed as the room became swallowed by shadows. "So dance with me, little girl! Brandish your weapon!"
"If that's what you want, fine!" said May, drawing a card from her fanny pack. She smiled as she announced, "Here's my weapon: Lucky Iron Axe, appear by my side!"
An iron axe with golden writing and a red strip of cloth wrapped around the handle appeared in May's hand. Lightning Punisher smirked.
"Not a bad choice, little girl." He said. "Now..." He snapped his fingers as three cards hovered above his head. "Are you ready to lose?"
"Hope you're ready to to be swallowed by the darkness," May snarled. "Have at thee!"
The two combatants rushed toward each other, preparing to strike.
0-0-0-0-0-
(Pegasus: 4,000)
(Mokuba: 4,000)
My second official duel and it's with the Creator of Duel Monsters himself. The Defender of the King thought to himself. I can't afford to lose.
Mokuba...The voice of the Moon God rang in the boy's head. I feel uneasy about this whole situation. Something is not right.
What do you mean? Mokuba thought, drawing five cards from his deck. Do you think there's some sort of dark force at work?
Yes. Let me investigate this area while you duel. I shall come back once I've searched the area. But I will need something important from you.
What do you need?
Your locket. Do you mind?
...All right, then. Mokuba fiddled with the locket and held it in a tight grip before nodding his head. Do what you need to do. I trust in your judgment.
Khonsu nodded his head as he took the locket into his ghostly hands before vanishing. The Defender of the King looked to his hand and nodded his head.
"For my first move, I summon Celestial Spirit-Andromeda," Mokuba announced. "And I'm placing her in Defense Mode."
The monster appeared, revealing a young woman with blond hair chained to a rock. She was dressed in white, but her face didn't show any sign of struggle. (500/1,500)
"And then, I play one card facedown." The Defender of the King placed a card into the Duel Disk. "And that ends my turn."
"That's it?" asked Pegasus, drawing a card. "I was expecting more from the younger brother of Kaiba-boy. This won't do at all. No bother. I'll be placing one card facedown and ending my turn."
You're toying with me, Pegasus. Mokuba thought to himself, drawing a card. Fine, be that way. While you have fun playing games, I'll be winning.
"I summon a second monster onto the field," said Mokuba. "I summon Celestial Spirit-Cassiopeia onto the field in Attack Mode."
Another monster appeared, revealing a woman dressed in a fancy white dress and crown. She sat on her throne, wielding a staff on one hand, and a crescent moon in the other (1,000/1,500)
"And when she's on the field, I can summon her husband." Mokuba continued. "From my deck, I summon Celestial Spirit-Cepheus in Attack Mode!"
A second monster appeared, revealing the royal king on his throne. With a sword in hand, the king glared at his opponent. (1,500/1,500)
"Those monsters..." Max noted. "Do they all know each other,"
"You can say that," said Mokuba. "There's an old legend concerning these three. Cassiopeia boasted to Poseidon on how she and her daughter were more beautiful than the Nereids."
"Nereids?"
"Water nymphs and children of Poseidon. Poseidon was angry, and summoned a large sea beast to destroy them. So an oracle told them that in order to appease the god, the king and queen would have to sacrifice their daughter. But that's another story." Mokuba pointed to Cepheus. "When Cepheus is on the field, he can give his wife and daughter an attack boost of 600 points."
Cepheus raised his sword and pointed it toward his wife and daughter. Both Cassiopeia and Andromeda smiled in reply. Cassiopeia now had 1,600 Attack Points, while Andromeda was now at 1,100.
"Now I attack! Cassiopeia, attack with Aethian Blast!"
Cassiopeia smirked and waved her staff at the facedown card. It flipped over, revealing a flower with yellow petals and a cat-like face, shielding itself with its leaves before being destroyed. (300/300)
"What the heck was that?" asked Max. "I've never seen that thing before?
"That, my dear boy was my Dandylion," Pegasus answered. "And when he's sent to the grave, he gives me a little gift."
"What's that? Some dead rats at your doorstep?" asked Mokuba. "No thanks."
"He gives me some tokens for sacrificing," Pegasus explained. "I can't use them on the turn they're summoned, but oh well."
Two dandelion seeds with angry faces appeared in replace of the Plant-type monster. (0/0 x2)
"I can still attack," Mokuba snarled. "Cepheus, slice that seed down!"
Cepheus leapt off of his throne and sliced one token in half. He then retreated back to his throne.
"I end my turn at that," said Mokuba. "Your move."
What have you done, Mokuba? Max thought to himself. Pegasus can use that token to bring out another monster on the field. Who knows what he has in store?
And May, what are you doing? Are you alright?
0-0-0-0-0-
"You can't win, girl!"
"I can try!"
Lightning Punisher and May duked it out in the blank room. The Electro-Whip would crack and send sparks everywhere while the Lucky Iron Axe would block the attacks. Lightning Punisher had an edge with his electric attack, but May was persistent. The two wouldn't back down from the fight, their weapons clashing with another.
"I...can't...let you...win..." May panted, her mouth trying to get air. "Need...to...fight..."
"And that's my opening," Lightning Punisher grinned. "Magic Card 1: Paralyzing Potion!"
A Magic Card depicting a bottle of green liquid in a horned glass vial appeared in his hand. Then, a real vial appeared in his hands.
"What does that do?" asked May.
"It's simple, really." Lightning Punisher answered. "All non-Machine monsters who get effected by this can't attack. And I don't seen anything like that on you, do I?"
The Thunder-type Monster splashed the potion all over May. The Coordinator grunted as she felt her body feeling sluggish. Everything was getting dizzy as her knees got shaky. Still, May summoned the willpower to grab onto a card in her waistpack.
"You won't win!" said Lightning Punisher. "Magic Card 2: Sword of Dark Destruction!"
A sword with a purple blade and feathered hilt appeared in the monster's hand. He grinned as he charged toward May.
"Magic Card...Number 1..." May gasped. "I play...Command Silencer!"
Lightning Punisher's eyes widened when he was met with a large totem pole blocking May. The speakers on its wings emitted a loud screech with pounded in his eardrums. May drew another card from her waist pack and grabbed onto it carefully before bringing out another card.
"Magic Card Number 2," She said. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"
The Quickplay Magic Card appeared and washed away the potion with a powerful torrent. Lightning Punisher snarled as he saw May give him a glare.
"I'm not going down easily," She said. "I'm not going to be weak anymore! I'll fight until I can't stand up!"
Lightning Punisher grinned and let out a laugh. "I love this!" He exclaimed. "Come at me with all your strength!"
"Gladly." May charged toward Lightning Punisher once more, the Lucky Iron Axe in hand ready to slice his head clean off.
0-0-0-0-0-
"My turn!" Pegasus cried cheerfully, drawing a card. "Now I play Toon Kingdom!"
"Toon Kingdom?" asked Max. "What the heck is that?"
"I'm in trouble." Mokuba snarled to himself. "It's like Toon World, isn't it?"
"Think of it as the main attraction!" Pegasus laughed. "And we're here to stay!"
A green story book appeared, the front of the book depicting a comical king and the back a comical bird. Then with a burst of color and smoke, the book opened. A pop-up book with braziers and dead trees emerged from the pages.
"Admission is the top five cards from my deck," The Creator of Duel Monsters explained, taking the top five cards from his deck into his sleeve. "And now I can sacrifice my last Fluff Token for this!"
The token disappeared in a puff of pink smoke. Replacing the monster was Dark Magician Girl. Or rather, it looked more like a young girl dressed up as her. (2000/1700)
"Toon Dark Magician Girl?" asked Mokuba. "Oh no..."
"What's wrong?" asked Max. "You can take her out! Your monsters are stronger than she is!"
"You don't get it, do you? Toon monsters can attack their opponents directly! And unlike most Toons, Toon Dark Magician Girl can attack on the turn she's summoned!"
"Correct!" Pegasus laughed. "Now Toon Dark Magicial Girl, put a smile on this boy's face!"
Toon Dark Magicial Girl nodded her head and removed her hat. She stuck her hand in it and pulled out a bomb. Then, she hurled it toward her opponent.
"Not so fast, Pegasus!" Mokuba cried. "Go Amorphous Barrier!"
A Trap Card depicting a barrier made of light purple threads appeared. The bomb hit the barrier and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Sorry to disappoint you," said the Defender of the King. "I'm not letting you beat me that easily."
"Oh, what fun this shall be then!" Pegasus laughed. "I'll just end my turn right there."
"And I'll start mine right now," said Mokuba, drawing a card. "And here's where things get fun. I summon Celestial Spirit-Perseus!"
With a mighty cry, a warrior in plate armor appeared, brandishing a large sword and a sack his hands. (1600/0)
"He's too weak to fight against my Toon," Pegasus commented. Toon Dark Magician Girl giggled.
"Really now?" asked Mokuba. "Perseus, why don't you show Toon Dark Magician Girl what's inside your sack."
Perseus opened the sack and pulled out the item. It was the head of Medusa. Toon Dark Magician Girl screamed as she turned into stone!
"Wow!" said Max. "What just happened?"
"Perseus is a legendary hero who slew Medusa and then saved Andromeda from her fate." Mokuba explained. "And when Celestial Spirit-Perseus is summoned onto the field, all monsters on your side of the field can't attack or change positions until my next turn.
"And that's not all. I play my Equip Magic card Hand in Marriage!"
A Magic Card depicting a man and woman grasping their hands in a wedding chapel while rice was toss around them. Perseus turned to Andromeda and took his hand into hers.
"When Celestial Spirit-Andromeda is on the field when I play this card, Celestial Spirit-Perseus gains Attack Points equal to Andromeda's attack score. And since Andromeda received that boost from Celestial Spirit-Cepheus, Perseus gains 1100 Attack Points!"
Perseus felt power rush through him as Andromeda kissed him. (1600/0) -) (2700/0)
"And now I attack! Celestial Spirit-Perseus, attack with Gorgon Slash!"
Perseus rushed toward the petrified Toon and sliced her in half. Then, the halves were joined back together as the Toon freed herself from the stone prison.
(Pegasus: 3300)
(Mokuba: 4000)
"W-what?" asked Max. "How is she even alive?"
"It's quite simple, little boy." Pegasus answered, drawing a card from his deck. "By sending the top card of my deck to the grave, I can keep my precious Toon on the field. So much for your attack."
"I'll just place Cepheus in Defense Mode then," said Mokuba. "And I end my turn."
As Cepheus sat on his throne and nodded his head, Pegasus drew another card. When he stared at the card, he let out a laugh.
"Oh, this is swell!" He said. "I have just the card to put you in your place. First, I activate Cost Down!"
A Magic Card appeared, depicting two swords piercing the stars of a card.
"What's that do?" asked Max.
"By sacrificing one card from his card, all monsters get their levels reduced by two for one turn." Mokuba explained. His eyes widened in realization. "Oh no..."
"Have you figured it out?" asked Pegasus. "Here I go! Toon Dark Magician Girl, take a break!"
Toon Dark Magician Girl waved bye-bye before she vanished from the field. Toon Kingdom closed shut and spun around before opening itself again with a burst of confetti.
"I summon onto the field my Blue Eyes Toon Dragon!" Pegasus exclaimed. "And he's here to stay!"
With a burst of smoke and the sound of trumpets, the toon version of the Blue Eyes White Dragon appeared with a grin on its demonic face. (3000/2500)
"W-what the?" Max exclaimed. "That thing's a monster!"
"Oh don't be like that!" said Pegasus. "He's a real doll when you get to know him. Although, you'll have to wait since he can't attack this turn. So, I'll end my turn with a card facedown." A card was placed beside Toon Kingdom. "It's your turn."
"And I'll start my turn," said Mokuba, drawing a card. "I'll first play my Zodiac Wheel Magic Card."
A Magic Card appeared by his side, depicting a circle with all twelve zodiac signs divided into four sections.
"This lets me draw four new cards from my deck, but I can only keep the monsters that were drawn." Mokuba drew four new cards, stared at them, and then discarded two into the graveyard. "Next, I'm sacrificing Cassiopeia for Celestial Spirit-Cancer in Attack Mode!"
Cassiopeia raised her nose into the air as she was replaced with a warrior in red knight armor wielding two hook swords in hand. A white crab was on his breast plate and a pair of white eyes emerged from the helm. (1800/1400)
"And when he's summoned, I change the position of one monster on the field." The Defender of the King continued. "So now your Toon Dragon is in Defense!"
Cancer rushed toward the dragon and tripped it up with his swords. The dragon was soon flat on his back, struggling to get up.
"I'm not done," Mokuba added. "Now I equip Fairy's Meteor Crush to Perseus to damage your lifepoints! And with that, I attack!"
A meteor with a glowing pink and white streak appeared before being absorbed into Perseus. The warrior rushed toward the dragon and pierced his sword into the toon's heart. However, the attack made a boing sound and Perseus was pushed back toward Mokuba's side of the field.
(Pegasus: 3100)
(Mokuba: 4000)
"Not bad," said Pegasus, discarding a card from his deck to the graveyard. "You've become a natural at this."
"Stop with the flattering and make your turn," said Mokuba, placing a card facedown. "It's your move."
"Indeed it is!" Pegasus drew a card and smiled. "And now I think I'll just place my monster back into Attack Mode-"
Blue Eyes Toon Dragon stood up, puffing its chest out.
"And then I'll sacrifice 500 lifepoints to attack you directly!"
(Pegasus: 2600)
(Mokuba: 4000)
Blue Eyes Toon Dragon took in a big breath and then exhaled a blast of energy at its opponent.
"Not this time," said Mokuba. "I activate my Trap Card, Easel of the Animator!"
The Trap Card flipped over, revealing a painter at his easel painting a fairy. On the painter's shoulder was a similar looking fairy. The card was replaced with a painter on his easel, furiously painting Blue Eyes Toon Dragon.
"Oh, a fan!" Pegasus exclaimed. "How cute!"
"He's more than that," said Mokuba. "When he's on the field, he can make a copy of one monster on the field for the cost of two Monster cards in my deck. So for my sacrifice, this artist will make a perfect rendition of your Toon which you must destroy."
The painter finished his painting as the painting emerged from the easel. (3000/2500) Then, it was obliterated by the breath attack before retaliating with its own.
"Ha ha ha!" Pegasus laughed, sending another card to the graveyard. "Very good, Mokuba! But it won't be good enough to defeat me! I activate Toon Rollback! And you remember the move I gave your brother, right?"
Mokuba gasped when he saw the canister of film on the field; this meant that Pegasus had another chance to attack him. He knew where this would lead to.
Blue Eyes Toon Dragon laughed as he was replaced with a second Toon Dark Magician Girl. (2000/1700) The Toon grinned as she blasted her magic attack at Mokuba, the Defender of the King not even screaming at the pain that tore through his body.
(Pegasus: 2100)
(Mokuba: 2000)
"That's enough excitement for one turn, don't you agree?" asked Pegasus. "So with that, I end my turn!"
This isn't good...Mokuba thought to himself, staring at his hand. I don't have anything to help me now...I have to make this next turn count or Death T-4 will be lost!
Khonsu, what are you doing at this moment? Where are you?
0-0-0-0-0-
Khonsu walked in the darkness, his body glowing in the dark. All around him were pulses of electricity and wires that hummed with a whirr. That wasn't what concerned him; what concerned him was the magic aura that radiated in the area. The Machine monsters, the Zombies, the Labyrinth...these couldn't be created by technological means. They were alive, and they were being controlled by someone.
Walking deeper and deeper through the area, the Moon God began to hear voices. Curious, Khonsu closed his eyes and concentrated on what he was hearing.
"Please wake up, you can't stay in here forever..."
"I won't leave until I see my brother again..."
"But your brother is here! He's dueling that creat-"
"You're lying! No one's ever been gotten that far!"
"Seto, you can't stay there forever. You've been like that for-"
"GO AWAY! I don't want you here!"
Khonsu continued to listen to the conversation as the two voices continued to argue. He looked at Mokuba's card locket and opened it, showing a younger Seto Kaiba about to make his move in a game of chess. An idea formed in his mind and a smile crept onto his lips.
Perhaps I shall take a walk in my Vessel's shoes...The Moon God thought to himself.
He closed his eyes and began to chant something under his breath. As he did, the white aura that usually surrounded him began to fade.
0-0-0-0-0-
May and Lightning Punisher continued to assault each other for what felt like hours. The speed and agility of Lightning Punisher was equal to the force of May's Lucky Iron Axe, making the two unable to place a significant blow on the other. Still, May was showing signs of fatigue while Lightning Punisher grinned.
"It's time to end this!" The Thunder-type monster said. "I activate Magic Card 3: Harpie's Feather Duster to destroy your Lucky Iron Axe!"
A large feather appeared and swept May's axe away. May gasped as she found Lightning Punisher about to strike her down with his sword. Thinking quick, the Goddess of Joy blocked it with her Duel Disk.
"You...may have destroyed my axe," She grunted. "But I get to draw a card for my trouble."
"Draw all the cards you want, lady." Lightning Punisher smirked. "I'm still powerful than you. Even if you did win, Kaiba isn't here. He's no longer in the world of the living."
"What do you mean? Are you saying that he..."
"Took his life? Yes. Yes he did."
"LIAR!" May kicked Lightning Punisher in the gut, pushing back. She drew a card from her deck as she panted for breath once more. "You're lying!"
"If that's what you think, then sure. I'm a big, fat liar that is going to kick your little girly butt and smear your blood all over this room. You're down to your last card and I know it won't be something that can be used as an attack."
"You're right," said May, drawing a card from her waist pack. "And so, I activate Magic Card Number 3: Spell Reproduction!"
Lightning Punisher's eyes widened when he saw a black crystal orb with a Duel Monster card inside it. He then recalled May using Lucky Iron Axe and Command Silencer—it let her draw the two cards necessary to activate Spell Reproduction's effect!"
"And I think I know what card to reproduce," May continued, tossing her two cards into the air. "Harpie's Feather Duster, do it!"
The feather descended onto the ground and swept up Lightning Punisher's two Equip Magic Cards. The monster just snarled.
"I still have my power," Lightning Punisher snarled. "I can still send you to the shadows!"
"Who said you can send me to the shadows?" asked May. "A Thunder-type monster should easily be able to blast me with ten million volts of electricity, and not use the darkness. Who is this master that you speak of?"
"Like I'm telling you anything! You little punk...who are you to judge?"
"I am May of Petalburgh City, and the Goddess of Joy!" May replied. "I am a Guardian to Pharaoh Atem and a Chosen to save the world. If you get in my way, you shall suffer my wrath!"
"You lie! The Goddess of Joy disappeared years ago during the Collapse of the Worlds! You could be an imitator of hers!"
May narrowed her gaze as she brought out an item out of thin air: a sistrum. She then raised it into the air.
"I call upon the Gods of Egypt," She chanted. "Let me reveal my true form to this disbeliever and make him understand my words. I ask for my power of the Goddess of Joy to be shown!"
In a blast of light, May's blue outfit was now a white tunic and a blue hooded cloak with red lining. Adorning her feet were sandals and she also wore a gold heart locket around her neck. Her blue eyes were radiating with energy as she looked at the Thunder-type monster.
"Do you believe me now?" She asked. "Get rid of these shadows and let us return to where we need to be."
"You...really are her," Lightning Punisher gasped. He got on his knees and bowed. "Please forgive me. I was sent here by Master as a test. He needed to know."
"Know what? What is it that he needed to know?"
"He needed to know if the spell he casted work; that he brought the one that would make him happy come back to him. He wants the Defender of the King."
"Who does?"
"His name is—AGGH!"
Lightning Punisher was assaulted by the shadows in the room, pinning the monster onto the ground and blocking the use of his hands. He looked up at May, his eyes showing nothing but fear and horror.
"Save me!" He cried. "Please, Goddess of Joy! I don't want to go back!"
May stared at the monster as she pondered her choices. He did try to attack her, but this Master who hired him was more ruthless than the Thunder-type was. Seeing this monster reminded her of her inability to save Yugi...she wasn't going to let someone be lost into the darkness.
"Go away, shadows!" She cried, raising her sistrum. "Flee from whence you came! Fall back into the darkness and do not harm this darkened soul! Let my light rescue him from the evil within his heart!"
With a blast of light, the sistrum began to destroy the shadows. May waved it around like a wand, letting the light continue to eat away at the darkness. The shadows shrieked and began to fall back as Lightning Punisher got on his knees. He saw the white room returning and the darkness slowly leaving them behind. May closed her eyes and sighed, getting on her knees.
"That came out of nowhere," She said to herself. "I never felt that power before..."
"You..." said Lightning Punisher. He got on one knee and took a hand into hers. "Thank you for rescuing me. You are a Goddess."
"I never want to let anyone fall into the darkness again," said May. "Whether they be human or monster, they all share the same heart and emotions. It is my duty to protect the Pharaoh, but it is also my duty to protect his subjects. I never ever want myself to fail in this mission ever again."
"I understand what you are saying, and I want to help. Will you let me?"
"Yes," May smiled at him. "I need your help, Lightning Punisher. I need you to tell everything you know."
"I will, I will! But you must make an agreement with me."
"For what?"
"I wish for you to become a Vessel, but not just any vessel. I wish for you to become a Weapons Vessel so you could harness my powers and the powers of other willing Monsters. What do you say to that?"
"Anything to help the world," May answered immediately, slowly standing up. "Will you make this ritual for me?"
"Yes, I am qualified to do so." Lightning Punisher nodded his head. "I will need some blood of yours for this to work."
May nodded her head as she bit deep within her thumb, deep enough for the blood to draw out. When she felt the metallic taste, she gave her thumb to Lightning Punisher, running the thumb down his mask.
"And with this, we can create the bond." He said. "Repeat after me: I, the Goddess of Joy, wish to help the souls of all the monsters that wander within the darkness. With my power, let me guide their souls into the light, and let them be filled with hope amongst despair."
"I, the Goddess of Joy," May chanted. "Wish to help the souls of all the monsters that wander within the darkness. With my power, let me guide their souls into the light, and let them be filled with hope amongst despair!"
With that cry, May felt power bubbling in her. She closed her eyes and let her body be washed away by this feeling.
0-0-0-0-0-
"My move, Pegasus!" said Mokuba, drawing a card. "And I'm playing Card of Sanctity so we both get to draw cards until we have six in our hands!"
The Magic Card appeared, depicting men collecting coins falling from the sky. Mokuba and Pegasus both drew four cards until they had six. The Defender of the King stared at his hand.
Yes! He thought to himself. I think I have the cards needed to end this duel! I better be able to survive one more round of these Toons...
"I play Mystic Wok!" Mokuba announced. "And by using this card, I can choose one Monster on my side of the field and gain lifepoints equal to either their Attack or Defense! So I'll sacrifice Celestial Spirit-Cancer to gain 1800 lifepoints!"
A Quickplay Magic Card appeared, depicting a wok cooking vegetables under a fire. Cancer vanished as Mokuba felt his lifepoints rise again.
(Pegasus: 2100)
(Mokuba: 3800)
"And now I attack!" The Defender of the King continued. "Perseus, attack!"
Perseus charged toward Toon Dark Magician Girl and tried to slice her in half. The toon just blew a raspberry while she blocked the attack with her staff. Pegasus just shook his head while he sent another card from his deck to the graveyard.
(Pegasus: 1900)
(Mokuba: 3800)
"Will you ever learn, Mokuba?" asked the Creator of Duel Monsters. "They can't be destroyed while my Toon Kingdom is on the field. They're immortal!"
"No they aren't!" said Max. "They have a weakness and Mokuba will exploit it!"
"I'm ending my turn with a card facedown," said Mokuba, placing a card into his Duel Disk. "It's your turn."
"Gladly!" Pegasus smiled as he drew his card. "And now, I play Shadow Toon!"
"Shadow Toon?" asked Mokuba. "What's that?"
"It's a really nice card that lets me take lifepoints equal to your strongest monster on the field," Pegasus answered. "Now tell me, how many Attack Points does Perseus have?"
Mokuba saw a ghostly shadow escaping the book of Toon World before he felt his vision blur. Everything became black and dizzying as he got on his knees.
(Pegasus: 1900)
(Mokuba: 1100)
"And here's the grand finale!" Pegasus continued. "Toon Dark Magician Girl, attack!
Toon Dark Magician Girl smiled as she prepared her staff. She then threw out a display of fireworks that would attack the Defender of the King.
"Not so fast!" Mokuba exclaimed. "Go, Hunter's Arrow! With this card, I destroy one Magic or Trap on the field and then remove this card from play! And I know what I want to destroy."
The facedown card was flipped over, revealing an arrow going through the holes of twelve hatches. Then, an arrow flew straight through Toon Kingdom, shattering it into pieces!
"NO!" Toon Dark Magician Girl cried when Toon Kingdom was destroyed. She disappeared in a puff of smoke just as the attack was about to hit.
"All right!" Max cheered. "He's defenseless!"
"End your turn, Pegasus." said Mokuba. "I know who you truly are—you're an impostor!"
"An impostor?" Pegasus exclaimed. "Impossible! I'm the real Pegasus, head of Industrial Illusions and-"
"LIES!" Mokuba roared. "I knew you weren't the real one when you mentioned how you used the Blue Eyes Toon Dragon-Toon Rollback-Toon Dark Magician Girl strategy. But you didn't; that was Alister disguised as you! Your soul was already taken by that point in time. So that leaves me to ask you again: who are you?"
Pegasus didn't answer, but was instead silent and signaled the end of his turn. Mokuba just snarled.
"I'm going to make you talk," said the Defender of the King, drawing his card. "Celestial Spirit-Perseus, attack directly!"
Perseus roared as he rushed toward Pegasus. The Creator of Duel Monsters didn't even scream as he was sliced in half, nor when he collapsed onto the floor.
(Pegasus: 0)
(Mokuba: 1100)
Andromeda, Perseus and Cepheus vanished from the field as Mokuba approached Pegasus—or at least whoever was Pegasus anyhow.
"Let's see who you really are," said Mokuba, seeing the defeated Creator. "Who are you and why are you even here?"
"C-congratulations on winning Death T-4," 'Pegasus' just said with a wicked smile on his face. "If you made it this far, then you know that I'm not the real Maximillion Pegasus. I'm just a golem created in his likeness to see whether if you are the one."
"The one?" asked Max. "What do you mean?"
"Take the five hundred steps to Death T-5, and that's where Kaiba-boy rests." 'Pegasus' let out a laugh. "Step into his shoes and find him before the madness takes over his mind! You better hurry before he can't see what's real and what's illusion!"
The golem let out a bitter and cruel laugh that echoed in the area. Mokuba snarled and summoned his crescent blade. Without even flinching, the golem's body was sliced into hundreds of pieces. The laugh became softer and softer until there was no more sound left.
"Something is definitely wrong here," said Max. "We need to figure out what's wrong."
"May should be there by now," said Mokuba. "Let's see whether or not 'Pegasus' was telling the truth. I want some answers."
"We all want answers, but sometimes the answers we want are the answers that change everything." Max stared into the darkness and nodded his head. "But it's up to us to discover those answers and use it to help the world."
"Let's go," said Mokuba, taking Max's hand into his own. "We're off to see my brother."
The two boys walked toward the darkness, counting their steps until they reached that fated number.
0-0-0-0-0-
Celestial Spirit-Andromeda (Monster Card)
Type: Spellcaster
Attribute: Water
Level: 3
Attack: 500
Defense: 1500
Description: The daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus, she is the sacrifice to Poseidon for her mother's vanity
0
0
Celestial Spirit-Cassiopeia (Monster Card)
Type: Spellcaster
Attribute: Water
Level: 4
Attack: 1000
Defense: 1500
Description: When this card is Normal Summoned or Special Summoned onto the field, Special Summon one "Celestial Spirit-Cepheus" from your hand or deck onto the field.
0
0
Celestial Spirit-Cepheus (Monster Card)
Type: Warrior
Attribute: Water
Level: 4
Attack: 1500
Defense: 1500
Description: Increase the Attack Points of "Celestial Spirit-Andromeda" and "Celestial Spirit-Cassiopeia" by 600.
0
0
Celestial Spirit-Perseus (Monster Card)
Type: Warrior
Attribute: Water
Level: 4
Attack: 1600
Defense: 0
Description: When this monster is Normal Summoned or Special Summoned onto the field, all monsters currently on the opponent's side of the field cannot attack or change position until your next turn.
0
0
Hand in Marriage (Magic Card)
Type: Magic/Equip
Attribute: -
Level: -
Attack: -
Defense: -
Image: A bride and groom at a wedding chapel holding hands
Description: Equip to "Celestial Spirit-Perseus". Increase this monster's Attack Points equal to the Attack Points of "Celestial Spirit-Andromeda"
0
0
Zodiac Wheel (Magic Card)
Type: Magic/Normal
Attribute: -
Level: -
Attack: -
Defense:-
Image: A circle showing the signs of the Zodiac, divided into four sections.
Description: Draw four cards. Discard all Magic and Trap cards drawn to the graveyard.
0
0
Celestial Spirit-Cancer (Monster Card)
Type: Warrior
Attribute: Water
Level: 5
Attack: 1800
Defense: 1300
Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, you can change the position of one Monster card on the field from Attack to Defense or Defense to Attack.
0
0
Easel of the Animator (Trap Card)
Type: Trap/Normal
Attribute: -
Level: -
Attack: -
Defense: -
Image: An artist painting a fairy on an easel while a fairy is on his shoulder.
Description: Activate during your opponent's Battle Phase. Select one monster on your opponent's side of the field. Special Summon one 'Painter Token' which will have the same Type, Attribute, Level, Attack and Defense of the selected monster. On the turn this card is activated, the token is the target of all of your opponent's attacks until the end of his turn.
0
0
Hunter's Arrow (Trap Card)
Type: Trap/Normal
Attribute: -
Level: -
Attack: -
Defense: -
Image: An arrow flying through the holes of twelve hatches.
Description: Destroy one Magic or Trap card on the field. This card is then removed from play.
0-0-0-0-0-
May: So this whole thing is just an entire lie?
Max: But something is just off about this...I'm not liking where this is going.
Mokuba: Death T-5 awaits, and we can't let the host of this game get into our heads. We're almost there.
May: But are you sure it's alright? I have a bad feeling aboutt his.
Max: Next time, "Chapter 4: When the World Left Reality"
Mokuba: Seto, I'm here...just wait for me a little longer.
May: We need to get into Seto Kaiba's head and fast...he doesn't have that much time left.
