Hey, Yu-Gi-Oh GM fans. This is The Rainwalker. It's time for another story in Yu-Gi-Oh GM Book 1. This time, David faces some musical mayhem. But in the immediate future, David has his first duel. Get ready, readers. 'Stealing Thunder' begins now!

Author's note: Due to the fact that there were so few cards back in the original Yu-Gi-Oh, I'm inserting some other decks. After chatting with Hollow Omega and Heat about it, I figured since David has enjoyed new technologies and new inventions he'd get a kick out of this deck. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and all canon characters are strictly the property of Kazuki Takahashi. I'm just borrowing his characters for a while but will put them away when I'm done. David Cardigan and all original characters are strictly my property.

Talent, everybody has it to some extent. Some people have more of it than others. For those who dedicate themselves to a craft with luck and practice, they can achieve great things. But for those who slip through the cracks when things don't go as they wish…hatred, resentment, and even desperation can build up. I've dealt with my fair share of jealousy gone out of control. It wasn't a pretty sight. For the powers of darkness that hatred and resentment can bring about are an ample breeding ground for corrupting a soul. I recall one particularly nasty case that occurred as my career in dueling was starting to take off. The dark magic involved in the Stealing Thunder incident can only be described as damn disturbing. Especially as it almost cost one man his career.

Stealing Thunder

It was early morning at the apartment building David had just recently moved into. Being a Saturday morning, the neighborhood was pretty quiet…that is until the sound of a toilet flushing broke the peaceful silence. In his apartment, David stumbled out of the bathroom, his face still slightly tinged with green. "Yeech…" he groaned. "What a night! I'll never mix jambalaya and Kung-Pao chicken again." David smacked his dry lips together three times before he growled, "Bleah!"

David dressed only in his bathrobe made his way to the kitchen where he grabbed a glass from a cupboard and got some water. He slowly drank the water before he made his way back to the bathroom where he showered. His stomach was still feeling a little tingly by the time he got dressed. That extra spicy food must've had something else that made his tummy upset. He was just grateful his trip to the bathroom and some antacid had taken care of business, but still he thought it might be better to have something easy on the palette for breakfast. David found that the easy breakfast helped his stomach feel a lot better. David went to his bedroom where he looked at the top of the dresser. There stood a familiar set of Duel Monsters cards.

It had been six months since David had helped save Rebecca and Arthur Hawkins from being framed for robbery and murdered. Rebecca and Arthur Hawkins had taught David everything they knew about dueling. David had paid attention to each and every word. Rebecca had still managed to wipe the floor with him any number of times. But then he'd finally managed to end one of their practice duels in a tie. Dr. Hawkins and Rebecca had let him know they had taught him everything they could. The two as a parting gift had helped him find the P.D.L.'s website which gave information on upcoming registered amateur and professional level duels. The thing David had found most intriguing was that in order to get into the P.D.L. itself as a registered duelist you had to win at least 6 amateur competitions sponsored by the league. David signed up for 7 of those competitions believing in having an extra competition to ensure he got the hang of things. After winning the 7th, a P.D.L. agent had approached him and given him the name of a game shop owner in Southeast Portland who was a registered qualifier for the league. David gazed on the deck that held among other cards the Celtic Guardian who had become a friend. Things for David had really become interesting a week ago.

The Duel Monsters expo at the Portland convention center was proceeding along nicely. David had enjoyed watching the two amateur duelists go against each other. Yet nothing here had caught his eye. Not cards nor memorabilia. David found himself drawn to one vendor out of curiosity. The man was talking to some kids about dueling. Then David heard his cell phone beep. Picking up his cell phone, he opened it up. Funny Bunny walked on to the screen and looked around before he danced around goofily greeting, "Hey, David. Hey, David. Hey, David. Hey, David."

David's face paled in surprise. No way, no way. He couldn't be here, could he?

As if to answer his message, a text message came through saying, 'Come to Subway in the convention center.' David smirked and did as told. Sure enough, sitting on a bench waiting for David was Maxmillion Pegasus himself. The man was dressed as always in his red business attire and his silver hair covered an ugly eye patch over one eye. David felt a tingle in his being. That's strange. I felt a momentary burst from my magical alarms. I wonder what that was about, the writer wondered.

A big grin crept over David's lips as he pointed at the head of Industrial Illusions with his right hand. "Max Pegasus, you lunatic!" David greeted as he approached the man.

Pegasus clasped hands with David. Both men laughed merrily. Max smiled warmly and said, "David, my dear friend, it's good to see you again. How goes the life of the great writer/detective?"

David said with a snort of laughter, "It's been pretty interesting I'll say that."

"I heard about how you saved Rebecca Hawkins and her grandfather from that lunatic who was associated with C.O.M. Well done I say," the I.I. CEO mentioned.

David simply shrugged. "People should have the right to make up their own minds about what they want to do with their lives. Not have their lives dictated to them by a small group of religious zealots."

Pegasus nodded and said, "You always were well-spoken, David, at least when you wanted to be. You'd have made a great politician."

David shook his head. "I don't have the patience for it. Nah, I'm a writer and detective above all else. Besides, truth be told, while I may be a member of a historically prominent family here in Oregon, I prefer to make my own destiny."

What David didn't say was, Besides which, if they're coming back I need to get ready so I can take down the Necronomicon.

Pegasus smiled and nodded, "I understand completely."

David's grin fell away as he gave Pegasus a sympathetic look and said, "I…heard about Cecilia, I'm very sorry."

A momentary look of sadness came over Pegasus. And in that moment David deduced something had happened. Something that had shaken Pegasus down to the core. Then Pegasus's usually merry expression returned. "I appreciate that, David." Then Pegasus's grin turned sly. "David, I'm glad you're here. Word's come to me that young Rebecca and her grandfather gave you some training in dueling. As I understand you've been starting to make a name for yourself in dueling."

David nodded. "Guilty as charged."

Pegasus and David moved to take a seat at the bench nearby. "David, you can't imagine how much this just tickles me. You, a person who's legally blind, are dueling and succeeding in this game. If ever there was a true indication that Duel Monsters is a game for all people, you're that proof."

David nodded and said, "I appreciate that, Max."

Pegasus then said, "As I understand it, you're going to be going against Randall McCray soon?"

David nodded. "Yeah, and I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't nervous. As qualifiers for the P.D.L. go, from what I understand, he's one tough customer," he said sheepishly.

Pegasus mentioned, "I sincerely hope you qualify for the P.D.L. I, a number of officials, and duelists in the P.D.L. have grown fed up with the actions of one Gerald "Marilyn" Bennett. On your journey through dueling, I have something that I hope will give you an edge."

Pegasus pulled a container of cards from a coat pocket and then a folder from his coat. Pegasus handed David the cards. David looked over all the cards and said quizzically, "What the…" as he examined the cards.

Pegasus explained, "This is a new experimental type of deck I've been working on. I've managed to get it to the point where it should be fairly balanced even when you add your other monsters in. I know you've always been fascinated with new gadgets and such, so I thought you'd like to have it."

David was momentarily stunned by this act of generosity. David nodded dumbly and said, "Uh, thanks."

Pegasus then handed David a folder. "This is all the information on the cards. I've printed up everything in big bold letters so you can read it."

David sighed with relief.

"Thanks, Max. This'll make memorizing these cards a lot easier."

Pegasus then said, "Get as strong as you can, David, and take Bennett down."

David nodded in confirmation.

David's mind flashed back to the present as he looked over his deck. "Well boys, today's your big test. Let's see how the new cards Pegasus gave me handle."

David then left his new apartment and hopped on a Tri-Met bus for his destination.

A half-hour later David got off the bus. He found himself standing outside a one-level building. The sign above showed a toy robot and a toy soldier marching. The big blue letters read 'McCray's toys and hobbies.' David walked over the window by the public door to the store. On the window there was a certificate that on closer inspection showed it was a validation that the person in question had fulfilled all the requirements and was legally authorized by order of the Professional Duelist's League to qualify any and all people for the league based on appointment only. And it had the P.D.L.'s stamp of legitimacy. David turned his attention towards the door. He took a long, slow breath. Well, this is it, Cardigan. Now the adventure truly begins.

David raised his hand and opened the door. As David entered he heard the merry jingling of a bell. David looked around the store. The inside of the large one-level shop was something out of a child's fantasy. There were shelves full off all sorts of wind-up robots, soldiers, trains, and even dolls. David noticed on the rightmost end of the room a large table which was painted to look like a grassy countryside. On the tables were buildings made of legos, a train set with a toy train full of figures zooming around. On a number of middle shelves were books, character sheets, and things for various paper-and-pencil role-playing games. What stood out the most was on the left side of the room were a couple of very sturdy and comfortable-looking chairs. One sitting in front, the other behind what looked like an arena of some kind. And there were other chairs surrounding it. David stepped into the store. The door slowly closed behind him. David noted behind the shelves with pen-and-paper games was a large counter with a cash register on top of a glass case that held cards for various card games. Behind the counter there was a set of double doors, one of which was open. The music that played over the speakers was the local soft rock radio station in Portland. On the wall to the right of the double doors stood a number of pictures which David noted went all the way back to the early 1800's. It showed a number of couples with various types of toys. The most recent one was of a sandy, brown-haired man who looked in the picture to be in his early 30's. Alongside him was a pleasantly plump woman with a look of unbridled adoration on her face as one hand held a toy while the other was possessively wrapped around the man's waist. The man likewise, had an arm around her. "Just a minute," the contralto voice called from the room behind the counter.

The pleasantly plump woman walked out several minutes later. Seeing David, she flashed her most friendly smile and asked, "Is there something I can do for you, sir?"

David took off his cowboy hat as he said, "Good morning, ma'am. My name is David Cardigan. I'm here to duel Randall McCray."

"You're here to see my husband? Just a moment," the woman, whose hair was tied back in a bun, said as she went behind the counter. David saw her bend down and open a hidden drawer. A minute later she pulled out a book, a day planner, and checked it. She pointed and nodded. "Ah, here you are. You're right on time, Mr. Cardigan."

The woman then looked up and said, "I'm Jillian McCray, his wife. I'll get Randall out here."

She turned and headed over to the door just as she and David heard someone heading their way. "Honey…" the woman called. "David Cardigan is here."

"I'll be right there, babe," a deep set masculine voice answered.

A slender man wearing wire-rimmed glasses, a black bowtie, white shirt, black slacks, polished leather shoes, and red suspenders walked out. David was amazed the man looked no different than he did in his picture. Giving David a warm smile, the man walked over to him. "Hello, Mr. Cardigan. Good to finally meet you."

David shook hands with the affable-looking man. Everything about the man told David this guy was the absolute opposite of Gerald "Marilyn" Bennett. David answered, "Good to meet you too, sir. I must say I'm quite impressed with this store." David then waved his free hand around. "How much of this is yours?"

Randall smiled and said, "Well, I only recently signed a deal to sell Legos. But as for the trains, the soldiers, the dolls, they're mine. That is, I built them all."

David, as he released Randall's hand, was surprised, "You built all these wind-up toys?"

Randall McCray beamed with pride. "6 generations of my family have been master craftsmen in toy making. In this era of the Internet, people like me are quite the rare commodity. I love dueling for the P.D.L., and the money helps pay the bills for this place and my home, but it really gives me a thrill seeing a child in this neighborhood or from another state or country play with my creations."

David nodded and said, "You're a true craftsman, Mr. McCray. And kudos to you and your family for keeping a tradition like this alive."

Randall nodded and said, "If you'll come with me please."

The two walked over to the table that looked like a small arena. Randall smiled and said, "This is a nifty little gadget Seto Kaiba's company made. It's based on Maxmillion Pegasus's duel arenas, though it's much smaller and easier to handle."

The two men took their seats. David noted the five slots for monsters, and the five slots for magic cards. He also noted the little slot that read 'Place deck here'. Randall said, "Just so you know, I'm going to be recording this match via this ring and the security cameras in this place. It's just so your victory can be confirmed as legitimate. No offense, Mr. Cardigan, but the P.D.L. can't take any chances."

David nodded and said, "I understand completely. With all those who want to get into the league, a number of aspiring duelists out there might resort to tactics that are well…less than ethical."

Randall nodded and said, "Exactly. Now, shall we begin?"

Just then, the door opened and a little girl and her mother walked in. Jillian gave her husband a quick hug and peck on the cheek. "Good luck, Randall," she said to him.

As the screen turned on, David saw the life point meters of him and Randall charge up to 4000. David watched Randall press a few buttons on his end and commanded, "Computer, initiate duel, commence coin flip!"

A holographic coin materialized from the center of the arena and gently flew upwards. Randall said, "I call tails."

The coin quickly slowed its skyward ascent and then started to drop downwards. "Look, mommy…" David heard the girl call. "That man and Mr. McCray are having a duel."

David heard the woman say in surprise, "What?" then rushed for the door and called out, "Hey, everyone, Randall's got someone wanting to get into the P.D.L.!"

The woman and the girl then rushed to take a seat. A small group of people slowly started to enter the store. Meanwhile, David turned his attention back to the coin in time to watch it land on the ground and land on…Damn, it's heads. I was hoping Randall would win so I could go second. This is not a good start, David thought with a mental wince. David remained stoic as Randall called out, "It's heads, looks like you get to go first, Mr. Cardigan."

The two men drew their first five cards. David held two Saber Slash, Fissure, Effect Veiler, and XX-Saber Gardestrike. David took a breath and drew his sixth card. Looking over his hand, David said, "All right. To start out, I play a monster face down!"

As David played the card, a small holographic version of the facedown card appeared on the field. David said, "And that will do it for me."

Randall then drew his sixth card and said, "For my first move, I place one card face down, and that'll do it for me."

David drew again and shook his head. "I'll place a card face down, and that will do it for me."

Another face down card appeared on David's side of the field.

Randall was openly surprised. "What, you're not attacking off the bat?"

David smiled and said, "I'm a martial artist sir. We seasoned martial artists know that there's a proper time and place to attack. Just going in blindly off the bat is NEVER a good idea. And that's especially true with that face down card I see there."

Randall nodded his approval. "Smart move, David, very smart move. I've come across any number of applicants who have just blindly rushed in. A true duelist knows when and how to attack."

David chuckled and said, "That's what Rebecca-sensei kept telling me."

Randall's face furrowed. "Sensei?"

David explained, "I'm fluent in Japanese. Sensei is an honorific for a teacher or instructor."

Randall asked, "And what was this Rebecca–sensei's last name?"

"Hawkins," David answered.

The small crowd gasped. Randall whistled and said, "Wow, how did you manage to get the intercontinental champion as a teacher? Did it have anything to do with that incident involving that religious fanatic cop, that former KaibaCorp executive, and that mafia couple?"

David nodded. "That's the incident. Rebecca and her grandfather were so grateful to my helping get them out of that mess they gave me training without a second's hesitation. It wasn't easy. I lost track of the number of times Rebecca throttled me."

Randall nodded and said, "I see. Well, don't think that because you were trained by the intercontinental champion I'm going to go easy on you."

David said, "Mr. McCray, with all due respect, if you go easy on me, I'll give you such a pinch!"

Randall smiled in amusement. "Then let's continue, shall we?'

Randall drew and shrugged. "It appears I have nothing so I'll also place a card face down this turn as well."
Another facedown card appeared on Randall's side as well.

David drew his next card and raised an eyebrow at what he drew. Looks like the heart of the cards Yugi Muto has talked of is working for me. I could put this to good use, David thought as he stared at Randall and said, "All right. I'll play XX-Saber Boggart Knight in attack mode!"

A strange, half-human/half-animal creature appeared on the field encased in shiny, steel armor and a red cape waving in the wind David couldn't feel. The Beast Warrior monster growled and drew a saber into its clawed hands. Randall looked even more surprised as did the audience. "So, I'd heard rumors that Pegasus had given you some kind of new experimental deck. I take it this must be one of those new…Synchro monsters that have been rumored about."

David nodded. "Yup, I don't pretend to completely understand the Synchro monsters. I'm still in the process of memorizing them. But from what I have been able to commit to memory, they're good monsters." David then looked at his Beast-Warrior and said, "Aren't you, boy?"

The beast-knight looked at David and let out a growling purr of agreement. David noted the statistics above the holographic monster read 'ATK 1900/DEF 1000'. The legally blind writer then said, "Now, that facedown monster is about to make its grand appearance. Say hello to my little friend, Giant Rat in attack mode!"

The holographic card flipped upwards before turning into a blue-haired rat standing on its hind quarters, its clawed hand scratching at the air. The creature let out a loud shriek of challenge. The furry rodent's stats read 'ATK 1400/DEF 1450. David said, "And now, Mr. McCray, this is my time for an attack. XX-Saber Boggart Knight, attack Mr. McCray directly with X-Saber slash!"

Randall smiled and said as he pressed a button on his controller, "I'm afraid not, David, as I now play one of my face down cards. Activate trap card, Dimensional Prison!"

A card flipped up showing two warriors trapped by a strange green energy field. Just before XX-Saber Boggart Knight was about to hit he vanished. The slot with David's monster flipped over. David's monster appeared in a new slot black in color to his right. Randall said, "With this nifty little trap, your monster's attack is not only neutralized, it's removed from the game. Good try, Mr. Cardigan."

David smiled and waved a finger. "Not so fast, Mr. McCray. I'm nowhere near done yet! In fact, Boggart Knight did exactly what I wanted it to."

"Huh?" Randall asked in surprise.

David smiled and explained. "I'd heard you could be a tricky one, and I pride myself on being a strategist. Boggart Knight was intended to draw off your trap card, my real attack comes now courtesy of my large furry blue friend. Okay, Giant Rat. Sic em', boy, with a direct attack!"

The giant rat shrieked and leapt at Randall's side of the field. An explosion burst from his side of the field. David watched as Randall's life point meter dropped from 4000 down to 2600. David smiled and answered, "As I said, I'm a strategist and not a beginner to be taken lightly."

The crowd looked surprised muttering things like "He got Randall off the bat. Nobody's ever done that before."

David heard Jillian whisper, "Wow."

David said, "I'll end my turn now."

Randall smiled and said, "Now I draw!" He drew his card and said, "Now it's time for me to do my thing. First, I'll summon Wind-Up Shark in attack mode."

A mechanical shark appeared on the field. Its statistics read 'ATK 1500/DEF 1300'. Randall said, "But wait, there's more. I'll activate the effect of the Wind-Up Shark in my hand too…"

David smiled and stated, "Not so fast, Mr. McCray. I'd heard that a long time ago a prominent member of the P.D.L. gave you an experimental deck, the very first of its kind. And so, anticipating you might try something like this, I activate a card in my hand." David pulled the card he wanted from his hand and showed it to Randall, "A little something that's called Effect Veiler."

The card showed a beautiful girl with long, tied locks of blue hair dressed in a short blue kimono dress and wearing black leggings. Sending the card to the graveyard, David explained, "With this monster's sacrifice I can neutralize your monster's effect."

The crowd looked surprised and very impressed. Randall was impressed also. "Very good, Mr. Cardigan, you've been paying attention to the details. However, it isn't going to do you any good as I can still use Wind-Up Shark's effect to summon the other Wind-Up Shark in my hand."

"Another Wind-Up Shark?" David yelped in surprise.

Randall smiled and said, "You're not the only one who can anticipate contingencies, Mr. Cardigan. I like to have an extra Wind-Up Shark in my hand in case of emergencies. And this fits such an emergency."

Another Wind-Up Shark appeared on the field. Randall smirked and said, "Now where was I? Oh yes. I now overlay both my Wind-Up Sharks to summon my XYZ monster, "Abyss Dweller in attack mode!"

The mechanical sharks faded away only to be replaced by a sinister-looking black mechanical kraken creature. The creature's vital stats read 'ATK 1700/DEF 1400'. David chuckled and said, "It reminds me of something from out of an H.P. Lovecraft novel."

Randall said, "Oh this little creature is far more dangerous than that. You see, because one of the material monsters used was a water monster, Abyssal Dweller gets a 500 attack point bonus."

David let out an "Eep," followed up by a "Not good!"

Randall said, "Yup, not good at all, for you. First though, I'll activate my other face down card Wind-Up Factory which allows me to draw a Wind-Up monster from my deck to my hand…Abyssal Dweller take out that overgrown house pest with tentacle squeeze!"

The creature extended a tentacle and took a hold of the giant rat. The giant rat let out a scream of pain as it was squeezed hard. Finally the creature exploded into pixels. David's life points dropped from 4000 to 3200. David smiled and said, "Thank you, my little friend. Your sacrifice won't be a vain."

"What's that supposed to mean, Mr. Cardigan?" Randall asked.

"It means this writer is far from done. Because Giant Rat is destroyed I can use its effect to summon an Earth monster with 1500 or less attack points. So, now I summon from my deck to the field XX-Saber Fullhelm Knight in attack mode!"

A blonde-haired knight dressed in shining armor appeared on the field. David smiled and said, "I've watched a number of duels, and I realized it's never a good idea to leave your field empty if you possibly can. So I make sure to have at least one monster or trap guarding my back."

Randall sighed and said, "All right, Mr. Cardigan. It's your move."

David drew a card. David noted it was XX-Saber Darksoul. David then smiled as an idea came to him. "Okay, time to send that creature from an H.P. Lovecraft novel packing. First, I play the magic card Saber Slash."

He played a card which showed a warrior slashing through some mechanical gear. "With this card I can destroy a number of face up cards equal to the number of X-Saber monsters I control. And since I control quite a few X-Saber monsters, it's sayonara for your Abyssal Dweller!"

Randall raised an eyebrow in surprise. Invisible swords slashed through the Abyssal Dweller which screamed in pain before it shattered into pieces before pixelating. David said, "And now it's time for a little surprise. Synchro monsters can merge together without having to use polymerization. It's called tuning. First though I'll summon XX-Saber Darksoul in attack mode!"

A half-human/half-dog creature dressed in wizard's robes and a tattered red cloak appeared on the field. David said, "Now, Synchro monsters, unite and transform to…"
The monsters suddenly transformed into orbs of light. The monsters seemed to merge together until they transformed into a blue-colored dragon with large tentacles instead of wings. The stats of the creature read, ATK 2500/DEF 1800. The dragon bellowed out a roar on challenge. "Naturia Barkion!" David declared.

David commanded the dragon, "Naturia Barkion, attack with tentacle whip lash!"

The creature roared and rushed Randall's side of the field. The creature swung its mighty tentacles at Randall. The attack was immediate, dropping Randall's life points to 100. David then said, "And because of XX-Saber Darksoul's effect, I get to add an X-Saber monster from my deck to my hand."

David looked over the monster, XX-Saber Emmersblade.Hmm… perhaps I should save him for later.

David then looked at Randall and said, "I have to say, Randall, I'm a little disappointed. I was expecting more of a challenge from you."

Randall, however, was smiling. "I may be down to my last 100 life points, Mr. Cardigan, but I'm nowhere near done. The question is, are you done with your turn?"

David nodded and said, "Yup, I'm done."

Randall smirked and asked, "Before I continue, Mr. Cardigan, I have to ask. Why does a well-respected science fiction and fantasy author like you want to be in the P.D.L?"

That sent alarms through David's head. This was a sticky situation he was in. He couldn't reveal the truth of the supernatural to Randall and all these people. They were innocents who didn't deserve to see the kind of nightmarish things he'd seen and fought. David decided that some of the truth, however, was better than none of the truth. "I want to be part of the P.D.L. to set an example for all legally blind people, that if I can do this so can they. I want to be the first legally blind intercontinental champion in the history of the league. But more importantly, in the immediate future, I want to bring the Pacific Northwest title back to the people."

That took Randall by surprise. "What do you mean bring it back to the people?"

David's face darkened. "There's a man who currently holds the title by the name of Gerald "Marilyn" Bennett who tried to bully his way to beating my sensei. Not only that, but I've seen several of his old matches and how he used dirty tricks and psychological manipulation in order to defeat his opponents. And I've seen that he treats the people of the Pacific Northwest like we're peasants far below him." David let out a growl and snapped, "I've known people in my life who were like that. Nothing but snobbish, opportunistic jerks who got ahead by stepping on or over people and stealing from others. Gerald "Marilyn" Bennett needs to be taught a lesson in respect!"

Randall slammed his free hand on the arena and snapped, his own face darkening, "That's more true than you realize, Mr. Cardigan. You see, I'm one of the people who Bennett cheated."

"What?" David said in surprise.

Randall nodded. "Once back in the early 90's when the P.D.L. was still new, I was the Pacific Northwestern champion. I was respected and a role-model for children everywhere. I always made a habit of giving one special child at every event I went to one of my toys. But then came The Pacific Northwestern Championship of 1995 in Seattle. I knew from the start that goth was going to be trouble. But then when I had him down to his last 300 life points, he pulled one of the dirtiest tricks to date. He'd had his girls kidnap my wife, and they put her in a tank with scorpions. I had to forfeit the duel in order to save my wife."

Randall McCray slammed his other hand against the arena. "Damn him and those witches of his! He stole my championship and became the monster he is today. All because I chose to save my wife instead of beating him. All because he knows that I'd put my wife first and that she's afraid of arachnids."

The crowd and David were shocked at this revelation. I knew you were a complete and utter bastard, Bennett, but I had no idea you were that much of one!

David thought before he verbally said, "Mr. McCray, believe me, when I enter the league, I promise you, everyone here, and the whole of the Pacific Northwest that I will take Bennett down and show him to be the coward, the bully, and the 14 karat phony he really is."

Randall looked into David's eyes and said, "I believe you can, David, I honestly believe. But don't think it's going to be that simple because it's my turn."

Randall drew a card and said, "First, I summon Wind-Up Warrior in attack mode!"

A mechanical soldier appeared on the field ready for battle. Its stats read 'ATK 1200/DEF 1800'. Randall said, "Now I activate its ability to level it up by one."

The attack points of the creature shot up to 1800. Randall said, "And with this, Wind-Up Factory's effect is triggered which allows me to add a wind-up monster from my deck and put it in my hand. And finally I'll set a card face down. And that'll do it for my turn."

David thought to himself, I'm close, so close to getting into the P.D.L. If I could just take down his last 100 life points.

David took some deep breaths to calm himself. Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm, he told himself and then examined the field. Still, I have a bad feeling about that face down! I'd better not try anything just yet.

David drew a card, and his eyes widened in surprise. Mystical Space Typhoon. Well, well, well. Looks like the heart of the cards has given me something especially useful for later. In the meantime… David said, "I place a card face down and that will do it for my turn."

"It's my move, Mr. Cardigan." Randall said as David watched him draw his card. The man smirked and said, "All right. Now it's time for the real test to begin. First I'll set this card face down."

The facedown card appeared on the field. Uh-oh, David thought. I have a bad feeling about that card.

"Next," Randall declared, "I'll summon Wind-Up Rat in attack mode."

A little toy rat with wheels and a wind up gear shaped like a key appeared on the field. David chuckled and said, "Cute."

The statistics of the creature read, ATK 600/DEF 800. Most people would dismiss this little creature as nothing. But if there's one thing I've learned from this game, it's that things aren't always what they seem, David thought to himself.

Randall said, "Now I switch Wind-Up Rat to defense mode. This allows me to special summon a monster from my graveyard. It also triggers Wind-Up Factory's effect which allows me to add a Wind-up monster."

The little toy rat got on to the ground as Wind-Up Factory appeared. Randall drew a card from his deck. He looked at his card and said, "Well now, it's time for the fun with toys to really begin. From my field I take my Wind-Up Warrior and overlay it with another creature I summon to the field." Randall's monster which appeared turned out to be, Wind-Up Shark. "And with them I now XYZ summon, Gem-knight Pearl!"

The Wind-Up monsters vanished only to be replaced by a powerful-looking knight whose armor looked to be made of pure pearl. David read the stats of the knight. "ATK 2600/DEF 1900." He then looked at Randall and chuckled sheepishly as he said, "Uh, not good!"

Randall said, "Not good indeed. Gem-Knight Pearl, take that dragon down!"

The knight ran at the creature and slammed a hard fist into the dragon, knocking it off its feet. The dragon exploded into pixels. David's life points dropped to 3100. The toymaker/P.D.L. qualifier smirked and said, "And that'll do it for me for now."

David drew his next card. Keep calm, David. Keep calm. Panicking at this stage will keep you from getting into the P.D.L. And remember the world is at stake here. The Necronomicon has to be found and destroyed, David thought to himself. Then he looked over his card and couldn't help but mentally joke, This card kind of reminds me of a certain adamantium claw-wielding anti-hero from the Marvel comics universe.

"Thank you for the compliment," a strange voice said in David's mind.

David nearly jumped out of his seat in surprise at the comment. Randall McCray looked at David and asked, "Are you all right, Mr. Cardigan?"

David smiled and said, "Oh, uh it's all right. Just thought I saw a bee on me."

Randall shrugged. That was close, David thought. I almost gave away my secret that I'm a wizard. Have to be careful with this bunch. Randall McCray, his wife, and this crowd, they're better off not knowing about the supernatural.

David returned his attention to his predicament. He had to get rid of that Gem-Knight Pearl and fast. Then he remembered one of the facedown cards he'd set. A cat-like smirk crept on to his lips. "Okay, I think it's about time I got rid of that Gem-Knight Pearl. I activate one of my face down cards…Fissure!"

One of the face down cards flipped up to reveal a card that showed someone holding onto the edge of a fissure in the ground about to fall to their doom. The ground beneath Gem-Knight Pearl shook. Then a large hand grabbed Gem-Knight Pearl as the monster tried to desperately get free all in vain. The fissure in the Earth then closed up swallowing the knight. David smiled and said, "Ah, much better. Now, let's see, where was I? Oh yes, I was ending this duel. I summon forth from my hand a creature that reminds me a lot of Wolverine from the X-Men. I summon forth X-Saber Airbellum!"

A creature that looked like a cross between Leomon from Digimon and Wolverine from the X-Men appeared on the field. The creature's stats read 'ATK 1600/DEF 200'. David smiled and said, "And I have a feeling he's itching to use you as his scratching post, Mr. McCray!"

Randall activated a button on his side of the field and said, "Sorry, David, but this bad kitty is going to have to come out another day as I activate one of my face down cards, Compulsory Evacuation Device!"

X-Saber Airbellum vanished, and David had to take his card back into his hand. "Oh man, this bites!" David heard that same voice complain.

David pretended to clear his throat to cover the chuckle. David then looked over his hand. Okay, I'm not quite in trouble yet, but I have a little problem here. How to handle this?

Looking over his hand, David's eyes suddenly snapped open when he spotted one card in particular and remembered reading something about it. David explained, "Well, since I have two X-Saber monsters in my graveyard and none on the field, that means I can summon this little beauty. Say hello to XX-Saber Gardestrike in attack mode!"

The beast creature had clawed feet and a long scythe with blades poking out of it on his left hand. That monster's stats read 'ATK 2100/DEF 400'. David smiled and commented, "And from the look of him, XX-Saber Gardestrike wants to take a slice out of your remaining life points. XX-Saber Gardestrike do-!"

Randall interrupted David swiftly. "Sorry, David, you walked into another trap of mine."

"What!?" David yelped incredulously, causing the crowd to cheer.

Randall smiled and answered, "Yup, I activate another of my face down cards, Torrential Tribute!"

David's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he realized, "And since I'm the only one with monsters on the field…"

Randall smiled like a fox who had gotten into the hen house. "Yup, XX-Saber Gardestrike is sent to the graveyard!"

XX-Saber Gardestrike let out a scream of agony as it was drenched in a downpour of water that was more like acid. The creature exploded into pixels and vanished. David chuckled sheepishly before he said, "Uh, Houston, we have a problem. And I appear to be out of options."

Randall said, "I'll take that as a sign your turn is over. Remember this, David, it takes only one turn for things to turn around in Duel Monsters. The game is NEVER over until someone's life points reach 0."

Randall drew a card and said, "And now, Mr. David Cardigan, it's time for you to feel the pain! For starters I set a card face down." A holographic version of the facedown card appeared on the field. Randall continued. "Next up, I activate a face down, Pot of Avarice!" A face down card flipped up to reveal a picture of a disgusting blobby creature, its long red tongue sticking out and snot dripping from its nose in a macabre fashion. Randall explained, "With this card I can take 5 monsters from my graveyard, shuffle them into my deck, and then draw 2 cards." Randall did as he explained. He smiled and said, "And it looks as though the pain is really about to get unleashed on you. First, I'll place one card face down on the field and then I'll summon my Wind-Up Rat back to the field."

The toy rodent and the face down card appeared on the field. Randall said, "But wait, there's more. Now I'll use the effect of a monster in my hand, Wind-Up Shark and special summon it." The shark appeared on the field. "And now, Wind-Up Factory kicks in, and I'll draw a card from my deck." Randall proceeded to do just that. "Now, David, I'll set Wind-Up Rat into defense mode. Now I can use its special ability to summon Wind-Up Warrior from my graveyard to the field in defense mode." The mechanical warrior reappeared on the field.

David's face furrowed in bafflement. David thought, I know Randall McCray is up to something. The question is what?

David got the answer to his question as Randall declared, "Next I'll use my Wind-Up Warrior's effect to target Wind-Up Rat to increase its attack by 600 and its level by 1." The mechanical rodent's attack went from 600 to 1200. Randall said, "And now here's where your defeat begins, David. I overlay Wind-Up Shark with my Wind-Up Rat and my Wind-Up Warrior in order to XYZ summon Vylon Disigma!"
The three toy monsters vanished. A strange creature that looked like a bird with a human face appeared on the field. The creature of light glared at David's side of the field. David read the stats of the creature ATK 2500/DEF 2100. Randall said, "Now, Vylon Disigma, launch a direct attack against David!"
The creature launched its attack, sending beams of light to David's side of the field. An explosion rocked his side of the field. David watched his life points drop from 3100 down to 600. Randall smiled and said, "All right, David, you and I are in the same boat now. You have 600 and I have 100, and Vylon Disigma is on my side of the field. What do you do, what do you do?"

David felt panic surging up. Holy crap! This guy is REALLY good! He's got me in a really tight situation. What do I do? What do I do? Heart of the cards, where are you when I need you?

At that moment David heard voices in his mind and felt presences enter. They were chanting something. David didn't know what at first, but the chanting got louder, breaking through the panic that had overwhelmed him. David closed his eyes listening as he committed each word to memory. "So, Mr. Cardigan, are you ready to make your next move, or are you going to forfeit?" Randall asked.

David opened his eyes and placed a hand on his deck he then chanted. "Analyze…compartmentalize…visualize…synchronize!"

The world around him slowed to a stop as a blue haze fell over everything except him and his deck. All around him cards flew off his graveyard and his deck to form a perfect circle around him. Celtic Guardian and all the monsters of his deck appeared before him, and they were cheering. David was almost floored at the realization that hit him. It was Celtic Guardian who could now talk that told him the truth of it. "It is done! The spell is cast and our duelist has come to us at long last!"

David looked at Celtic Guardian and asked, "Celtic Guardian, you can talk now? What happened, what is this?"

"Thanks to the power of your magic, your belief in us and the supernatural, we helped you create a magic spell with which to utilize the heart of the cards. Each duelist utilizes the heart of the cards differently. This is your way of accessing it. A magic spell based on your belief in yourself and the magic that comes from the bonding of friendship with your monsters in your deck."

The realization sent a surge of pure elation through David. Yes, he thought.This has been my secret dream for years. To create a magic spell that doesn't do any harm to others but can help me without causing me any strain. Magic based on friendship and ability. This is a true and ethical use of magic if ever there was one.

"Hey, David!" a familiar voice called. He turned to see a very impatient-looking X-Saber Airbellum tapping a clawed foot as he said, "Are we gonna' take care of business or what? I got a hankering to sink my claws and teeth into a certain Goth creep and his conniving wenches!"

The monsters began to chant David's last name. "Cardigan, Cardigan, Cardigan, Cardigan!"

Celtic Guardian said, "We stand ready to assist you. Even in our world we know of the terrible soul-stealing power of the Necronomicon! We shall aide you in destroying it and in whatever battles are beyond should we be successful in defeating the dark jackals who hide in the shadows!"

David then saw several cards light up with numbers. David smiled. "Yes, yes, I understand completely now. This is a great way to utilize the heart of the cards," David said out loud. And then he told his monsters, "All right, everyone. Let's take the enemy down and protect the souls of Earth's people from total oblivion!"
David looked at the cards as first in ones, twos, and threes fell away until only the numbered cards remained. The blue haze and the numbers on the cards faded away. The cards returned to their positions. David opened his eyes and said, "There is a solution!"

Randall smiled and said, "So you think there's a way out for you, David, huh? Well, you're welcome to try."

David smiled and said, "Time for me to qualify for the P.D.L. I draw!"

David drew a card and noted it was Compulsory Evacuation Device. I could set this…but wait…that center left face down card of Randall's looks awful suspicious. On second thought, maybe I'd better leave Compulsory Evacuation Device in my hand. Instead, let's see about getting rid of that leftmost card, and I think I know what it is. David smiled and said, "To begin my march to victory, how about I get rid of that nasty leftmost face down card by activating a facedown card I have, Mystical Space Typhoon!"

David pressed a button and the card which showed a whirlwind flipped up. A whirling gust of wind blasted the face down card upwards revealing. "Hah! Just as I thought! Dimensional Prison! Good try, Randall, but I'm not falling for that trick again!"

Randall smirked and retorted, "So you found my trap card, so what? You're still not out of the woods yet."

David smiled and said, "Ah yes, there's still the little matter of Vylon Disigma on the field. I think it's about time to use the other face down card that's been sitting there for some time waiting for use. Your fairy monster is literally going down the hole as I activate Dark hole!"

"DARK HOLE!?" Randall yelped in surprise and shocking the crowd.

The card flipped up and appeared underneath Vylon Disigma. The creature didn't have a chance to do anything before a powerful force sucked the creature into the vortex. The hole vanished. David smiled and said, "Mr. McCray, you've shown me that Bennett is unworthy of that Pacific Northwestern title and that you should've kept it. You've been a refreshingly honorable and magnificent opponent. But now it's time for me to end this and take my place in the P.D.L. And to start me down that road, it's time to bring out my fine feline friend. Give a warm welcome to X-Saber Airbellum!"

The feline monster appeared on the field. David heard the creature say, "Oh yeah, you can't keep this cat from the spotlight!"

David said, "All right, X-Saber Airbellum, help me win this duel with a direct attack, saber claw slash!"

The beast launched an attack at Randall's side of the field, slashing with its fierce, long claws. Randall's life points dropped to 0. Instead of yelling, Randall closed his eyes and smiled. "Well what do you know. Congratulations, David, on a fantastic victory!"

Randall extended a hand which David took and shook. "Thank you, you took me to the ends of my wits, Randall."

The crowd began to clap slowly, then more and more until a loud chorus of people cheered for both duelists. Jillian walked over to her husband and wrapped her arms around his chest and laid her head on his shoulder as she said, "You were great, Honey."

David felt another pang of jealousy and longing which he quickly suppressed. Randall smiled and said, "Thanks, Jillian."

Jillian then gently moved into the crowd and came back with a laptop. She presented it to Randall. Randall took a cord from the laptop and plugged it into the small dueling arena. After clicking on some buttons for several seconds, he pressed some keys on his laptop. Randall explained, "I'm sending all the data from this arena to the P.D.L. to show them proof of your victory over me. I'll send them the footage from the security cameras a little later as extra proof that your victory was legitimate. Congratulations, David, you're about to enter the big time. Hold on to your seat because you're in for a wild ride."

David said, "If what I've heard about the P.D.L. is right, then I expect no less."

Jillian whispered something to Randall whose eyes brightened. "Hey, that's a great idea. Why don't you go get em', Hon?"

The crowd by now was breaking up. Some were leaving the store; others were looking at the merchandise. Jillian returned a short time later with a pass. David's face furrowed in puzzlement. Randall explained, "I won this from KJAZ radio a week ago, It's a free pass to the Jazzland jazz club in downtown Portland. I like jazz but we have a shop to run, and well Jillian and I realized that place isn't really for us."

David's eyes lit up with joy. He loved jazz, and the Jazzland jazz club was one of the most popular places in Portland. David took the pass and said, "Thank you," in a gracious tone. David smiled, Things were looking up for him.

Wow, what a duel! For starters I'd like to thank maydrock270, a fellow from off , for his help coming up with this duel. Thanks to Hollow Omega and Heat from the Crazy Authors Society for redoing the duel and helping me perfect it. By the way, some of you may have noticed the change in the cover picture for this story. Well, that's an interesting tale. In my journey across the internet, I've made the acquaintance of a splendid individual name of Autobot00001. After seeing a cover for one of Autobot00001's stories I went on DeviantART and found the person who made the cover for their Serenity/Tristan story. That person is a young lady on DeviantART by the name of Cleopatrawolf. I commissioned some cover art for my first novel of the trilogy, and the results I must say are…spectacular! Cleopatrawolf gave me exactly what I wanted and then some. Which is why I give Cleopatrawolf on DeviantART a hearty endorsement. And I hope you enjoyed this part of the story as much as I had fun writing it. So David's now in the pro-leagues. But this story has only just begun. In the next part the fun really begins. Come back next time for part 2 of 'Stealing Thunder'. Until then, read and review.