I'm also forgetting this! I'm also skipping the duel between Seto and Pegasus (Seto lost the duel and his soul.). So I can get the good moments!
If you feel like Seto needs to face Pegasus in my story, please leave a review saying so, and if a target number is hit, I'll do it! Plus, there might be a chapter or two that DOESN'T involve dueling, but introductory chapters so you'd get the better picture.
I OWN NOTHING WHATSOEVER! The only thing I own is my character, Yume.
Morning came to Duelist Kingdom and Yume was in the castle with her friends, but is having doubts of dueling again. But she needs to push on to save the soul of her great-grandpa!
Her father, Yugi, also told her that he was in the same situation, but needed to trust the presence inside the Puzzle. Yume, of course, countered it by saying that Seto almost got killed by the presence, saying that the presence would do anything to win!
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. When she opened it, she saw Tristan, Téa, Joey, and Bakura. "How's it going, Yume?" Téa asked her.
"Hey, guys." She said. "How're you doing?"
"We're doing okay. But you'll be late for your duel against Mai."
(a/n The pairings for this round are Yume vs Mai and Joey vs Bandit Keith.)
"You'll be disqualified," Joey added, "if you are even one second late!"
"Just need a bit more time, guys! I'll be there." Yume told them, and then they left. Yume got dressed, then head to the dueling arena, where she saw Mai and Keith.
"How're you doing, Yume? I thought you would do a no show."
For someone's soul at stake, I have to! She thought. "I'll be alright, Mai." She told her before an announcement happened to a golden statue of a pegasus.
"The tournament playoffs will now begin! All finalists head to the arena!" The door opened, revealing a dueling platform. Yume took one and Mai took the other as Pegasus came out, being announced as the host.
"Yume," he started, "Joey, Mai, and Bandit Keith. I welcome you all to the playoff arena. This place will be used for the last great Duel Monsters duels shall be waged to determine the championship of the Duelist Kingdom! But the catch is that only one of you will be the victor of this here tournament with the $3 million prize!
"And not only that, but a right to challenge me, and if you win, you get one request, whatever their heart most desires! And if my power is within that request, then it'll surely come true. Not only that, but also earn the title of Duelist Kingdom Champion, ranked No. 1 in the world!
"And any duelist who made it this far would realize that the title, not the money, is the true prize. Who would want to be ranked as top duelist in the world? Some of you want the cash, some want the fame, and the only way to settle this is to duel! So, let's begin! Our first match is between Yume and Mai, so let's begin!"
I'll also, he thought, be keeping an eye out for cheaters! If anyone cheats, they are automatically disqualified, even if they win!
I have to win this, Yume thought. For my great grandfather, Solomon, and the Kaiba brothers! It's time to pay, Pegasus!
"DUEL!" Mai and Yume shouted as the 2000 Life Point count is set as they drew their hand. Yume showed a blank card and Mai showed a prize card for qualification as Yume's friends cheered her on to win.
"It's time," Mai said. "And no tricks! I play Harpie Lady in Attack Mode." Her first played monster showed up, with ATK/DEF Points of 1300/1400. "Your move after a face down."
Yume draws her card. "And I play Gaia. ATTACK!" Her knight charged after, but Mai played her Trap card, which is Mirror Wall, and Gaia's ATK were cut in half from 2300 to 1150.
"You activated Mirror Wall, Yume!" Mai explained. "All monsters you attack will have their Attack Points cut in half! And now it's my turn, so I play Cyber Shield on my Harpie Lady." Her griffin human, having a raised ATK Points to 1800. "Now ATTACK WITH CYBER SLASH!" Her monster slashed Gaia with her claws, destroying him and dropping Yume's Life Points to 1350.
"I can't believe Mirror Wall can drop the Attack Points of my monsters, making me easier to be defeated!"
"To which I'm surprised!" Mai called out. "Are you already losing your edge on this tournament?" Because of what the presence almost did to Kaiba! Yume thought. "Because I'm thinking that you're starting to hold back!"
She drew her next card: Summoned Skull. The quicker I beat Mai, the quicker I can worry less about the presence inside the Puzzle. Yume placed one card down and played her monster. "I lay a card face down and play Summoned Skull for an attack! LIGHTNING STRIKE!"
Her monster showed up and charged its electrical attack, but a wall of mirrors showed up before Summoned Skull launched an attack, cutting the ATK Points in half to 1250. "Mirror Wall again?!"
"I'm surprised you haven't noticed yet, Yume." Mai exclaimed as Yume gasped. "A permanent trap?!"
"Two turns late, and you may have already lost this duel. You need to show me what you got still!"
"All trap cards I've encountered before would disappear after being sprung, so your trap took me by surprise. An exception to something I encountered!"
"The effect will continue on every time you attack as long as it's on the field. No matter what happens, your monsters will never pierce it, meaning my monsters will be safe! Just remember that you'll have to do your best to keep me interested!"
"Yume's strategy is different," Joey said. "Attacking all the time isn't the way to go! She would see through the cards like I was taught!"
'Yume,' Yami called out in her head. 'Come on. If you want to win, let me help you!'
'I'm sorry, but I can't!' Yume countered. 'It'll be too much of a risk. I can't let you hurt Mai.' "Yume," Mai called out to her and she looked up. "What's wrong with you? I've known about the duels you faced and expected that much pride, but this is lame, using a frontal assault!"
Yume growled softly. "And the only reason I duel," Mai confessed, "aside from island trips, cars, clothes, and the prize money is the thrill of battling an opponent dueling their hardest!"
"So, you're saying I'm not worthy? Is that it?!"
"Believe me, kid. I'd say that your body is here, but your head and heart have split for parts unknown. A complete letdown!"
"So, my fighting spirit is questioned as well?" Yume asked uncertain.
"From what I can tell, you're still shell-shocked from your last duel against Kaiba. He may have did something to traumatize you." She gasped. "Now what I want," Mai added, "is for you to fight your hardest because I want you to get over it. I'm your opponent this time!"
"What do you mean, Mai?"
"I'm saying that I'd rather face you at your hardest, and not a duelist who hides in the shadows, afraid of something that'll go wrong! Shape up, get your gear in act, or you'll be eliminated, Yume!"
"You wouldn't understand, Mai!" Yume said quietly. "It's not about Kaiba. But I can't let you win, either."
"Really, Yume? I want you to know. The way you've been playing, I don't think you can stop me! I'm giving you an honorable duel, and I expected you to do the same. Now, will you duel with all you've got now? Or will you still back down?"
"This is tough," Tristan called out. "Mai's making this more difficult for Yume! Did she really need to brag about this?"
"Yume!" Joey called to her. "She could be trying to psyche you out! Just ignore her!"
"Wait, you guys." Téa said to them. "Mai promised Yume an honorable duel, didn't she? I bet she's going to break Yume out of her trauma from her last duel!"
"I'm giving all I can! Make your move, Mai!"
Possibly, Mai thought, I could be doing too much of this. She'd better lighten up, or this duel is no fun at all! She drew her next card, but noticed that Yume has a card face down.
"I'm not attacking, Yume! But I am using Harpy's Feather Duster, sweeping away your trap card!" Her Harpy Lady had a different form of wings and destroyed her Spellbinding Circle! Yume complimented on her getting rid of it first. "Thanks, Yume. But keep your eyes on me, because I could teach you a thing or two."
I have to alter me strategy in order to get through Mai's Mirror Wall Trap if I'm going to win! She switched Summoned Skull. "Summoned Skull to Defense." She placed another monster in the same manner. "Ending by adding Feral Imp in Defense, as well!"
"I've got you because of my Mirror Wall, so now it's my turn!" Mai drew her next card. "Time for Rose Whip!" Her Harpy Lady got an added boost to 2400 ATK Points.
Hiding behind the Mirror Wall while powering up her Harpie Lady! Yume thought. Pretty soon, she'll use Elegant Egotist.
'Then let me help you, Yume!' Yami said in her head. 'I can help you win!'
'I still don't know whether to trust you or not. But I feel like I can't!'
"Time for your Feral Imp to feel the stinging pain now!" Mai announced as she ordered her monster to attack the Feral Imp, destroying it using a whiplash!
How can I turn this duel around? Yume thought.
'Can you please let me help you, Yume?' Yami said to her. "I don't think," Mai said, driving Yume out of her thought, "you really are trying your best, Yume." She drew her next card. "And now this monster will bring the biggest surprise ever! The servant of Harpie Lady!"
She played it down, and a huge dragon appeared with a burst of flames and let out a roar! What is that?! Yume thought. "Behold!" Mai announced. "The Harpie's Pet Dragon! Not only he's powerful, but he gets a boost of 300 when he's near his master!" (Power Increase: 2300 ATK.)
"Now, BLAST THAT SKULL TO ASHES! FEARSOME FIRE BREATH!" Her dragon charged up, and let out a fire blast, destroying Summoned Skull, but Yume's Life Points were safe! "My Summoned Skull!"
"I keep telling you, Yume, if you want to beat me, then try your best and concentrate! I mean, there's got to be a way why you're playing poorly. I'm close to winning, but you're not even putting up a fight! There's a limited distance to go. I remember being asked an important question by Joey: Why am I dueling?
"I gave him a frivolous answer, but I was honest! Let me ask you this question, Yume! Why are you here in the Duelist Kingdom Castle in the first place? Can you tell me?"
Yume doesn't want anyone to know about this, so she decides to be honest and truthful. "I'm dueling," she confessed, "for my great-grandfather, Mai."
"Hey, Joey," Tristan asked him. "What's she's talking about?"
"She'll tell you when she's ready, Tristan, but not now!" He then turned to Mai. "Listen, Mai, this is the first time Yume answered why she was here, and it kinda matches mine!"
"I know, Joey! But remember that your reasons are unselfish. I'm trying to be serious!" Joey was about to complain against her, but she still continued.
S-She's right! Yume thought. I can't be distracted in this duel!
'So,' Yami said to her, 'now will you let me help you?'
'Not yet! Let me try one more thing.' She drew her next card: Dark Magician! 'If only I could attack, but I guess I'll try Trap for Trap!' "One card face down, and then Dark Magician in Defense Mode! Make your move!"
Mai drew her next card. "This next one will provide you useless as I play Shadow Of Eyes!" Yume was a bit confused and asked what it does. "A demonstration would be better, but I know you won't like it!" Her Dark Magician was forced in Attack Mode and prepared for an attack. "How is this possible?!" Yume asked her in surprise.
"It's the power of the Trap!" Mai explained. "It exudes an irresistible force that can lure even the mightiest of monsters into battle! And now, he'll be forced to attack my Harpie Lady!" The Dark Magician attacked, but the Mirror Wall prevented that and dropped his ATK Points in half! (1250.)
"And I know that's another Trap card! That's why I have a second Harpie's Feather Duster!" Her Mirror Force was gone. "And now, my dragon, FEARSOME FIRE BLAST ON THE DARK MAGICIAN!" Her dragon did that, dropping Yume's Life Points to 300 while Mai's was untouched this whole duel!
"Please, Yume, what will you do now without the Dark Magician?" I have to win! Yume thought. There's just gotta be a way!
'Yume', Yami called out to her, 'please let me help you! If you don't and hold back, not only will you lose your chance of rescuing the Kaiba Brothers' souls, but also your great-grandfather! And everyone will lose! Your parents are counting on you, also!
'They also told me in advance that if you lose even just one duel, be it on purpose, then you will go back to the Shadow Realm! And then this time, you'll never leave that place again, trapped there for all eternity, and that would mean that you let your parents down, too!'
'I'm sorry! I don't trust you enough! I wouldn't forgive you with what you happened to Kaiba!' "Yume!" Tristan called out. "You're going down, but you need to get right back up!" He turned to Téa. "What's going on with her?"
"It's Mai. She's gone and put aside all of her card tricks and played this duel flawlessly! Yume seemed much better, but this ridiculous!"
"Could it be luck that I beat Mai?" Joey asked, and Mai turned to them. "Joey to let you know, it wasn't luck when you beat me. It was because you knew something that I didn't. I learned more from duel than any other I played."
"What're you talking about?"
"I learned a lesson from you that day that I never really wanted to know. I didn't know it then, but it changed me and the way I looked at dueling. I took a hard look at myself and admit the reason I relied on tricks is that was because I was afraid."
Yume looked up at her. "Afraid," she continued, "to trust in my own abilities and trusting myself! Like you trusted in yourself, Joey."
"Mai," Yume said, "you really have changed!"
"Now what I want to ask you, Joey," Mai said to him, "is how you really made it all the way here to the finals?"
"That one's an easy one, Mai!" Joey exclaimed. "The reason I got this far is because I have my friends who'll support me: Yume, Tristan, Téa, and Bakura behind me! Yugi, though, it's been so long since I last saw him, but that doesn't mean I don't have faith in finding him again! And my friends have been cheering on and telling me to go the whole way!"
"Too true, Joey." Mai said. "Not only that, you also had the guts to look inside and face up to what you saw there. You looked at the demons in the eye and dealt with them, coming up top! A lesson everyone should learn."
Yume finally realized what Mai is saying and gasped lightly! "And Joey," Mai continued, "in that duel, you taught me that a duelists learns more from defeats than victories! You also taught me to face up to my fears, and not bottle them up."
Now Yume realized that what Mai said was the same way that her father told her! Accept your fears and face them head on! She thought. Father always said that whenever I get scared as a kid!
"Yume," Mai said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Are you ready now to face your fears? Because if so, then I'm ready to face you with everything you've got! Since that battle with Kaiba, you've been freaking out a little, so are you still holding a grudge against that?"
I don't believe this, she thought as her duel with Kaiba brought back as a flashback. He was willing to risk everything to win the duel, even sacrifice his life! But the spirit inside the Puzzle was willing to go all in.
If I did attack, Kaiba may have been seriously hurt, even dead! So I prevented that, even if that means I may not get another chance in rescuing Father! No matter what happens, hurting someone is not the way to go to win this!
'I have a preposition, Yume!' Yami said in her mind calmly. 'If you can let me help you, I vow to never go against your wishes.'
'But how can I believe you, spirit?' Yume asked her.
'Because,' she explained, 'your parents urged you to trust in the power of the Millennium Item, isn't that right?'
'I,' Yume started doubtfully, but then stopped the doubt. 'You're right! I'll see the outcome of this duel!' Her Puzzle glowed as she changed to Yami.
"Mai," Yami said to her, "Thank you for reminding me that a true duelist faces their problems head on. You were right about me holding back, but no more of that!" Yami drew her card: Brain Control. "I play the Magic card, Brain Control!"
She placed it down. "And with it, I can brainwash an enemy monster and control it for one turn! Because I'm controlling Harpie's Pet Dragon!" Mai's dragon roared as brain waves was reaching it, having Yami in control of it.
"Nice try, Yume, but Harpie's Pet Dragon will never turn on it's master. A mistake that makes you lose this duel!"
Yami gasped, but then smiled. "I knew that, but I never planned on attacking!" She placed two cards down. "First, I play a face down, then Catapult Turtle!" Her mechanic turtle showed up. "Now to place the Pet Dragon on in Attack Mode!" The dragon went on the launcher of the turtle and was adjusted.
"And since," she added as Mirror Wall protected the Harpies Lady, "your Mirror Wall is in effect because I called an attack, I'm knocking it down with your own monster! CATAPULT LAUNCH!" The launch happened, breaking Mirror Wall to pieces!
"And not only that," Yami added, "the assault did more than break your Mirror Wall. And because since it was your own monster I fired, half of the Attack Points from it goes straight to your Life Points!" Mai's Life Points dropped to 850 as she gasped. "The tide is turning, now!"
"Let's see for my turn!" She said as she drew her card. Destroying Catapult Turtle would give me the duel, but her face down is troublesome! A trap would have me walking in on it! The toughest decision is to whether to attack or not!
"I'm waiting, Mai! Bring the assault!" Mai kept an eye on the face down, then made a decision not to attack, but played Elegant Egotist instead, giving her three Harpie Ladies! "And so my turn ends!" Yami just laughed. "What's the big idea now?!"
"If you attacked Mai," she explained, "you would've won this duel!" She revealed her card to not be a Trap, but Monster Recovery! "Thanks for falling for the bluff, Mai." Yami placed her Turtle, as well as her hand, in the deck, shuffled it, then draw a new set, only to not get a good set! "I play a monster in Defense Mode!"
"Shadow Of Eyes, remember?" Yami revealed her monster, Mystical Elf. "Shadow of eyes work on male monsters, but female monsters are completely immune to the Trap!"
Mai drew her next card. "First off, before I attack, I play Monster Reborn, and bring back an old friend!" Yami gasped as a dragon came back on Mai's side. "Harpie's Pet Dragon, come back from the dead! And he's back with 2900 Attack Points, 2000 for starters, then 300 more for each Harpie's Lady I control!"
"Not only that, but the Mystical Elf will protect me this turn!"
"Harpie's Ladies, EXTERMINATOR ATTACK!" Her three monsters charged together, making an X inside a triangle, then released the energy on the Mystical Elf, destroying her, but with Yami's Life Points safe!
All her friends gasped. "That's the last of Yume's defenses!" Téa cried out. "She's finished!" Yami was harsh on this. "You've lost, Yume! Your last defense is gone, and your Life Points are next! Taking me to the finals!"
'We have to win this,' Yume called out to Yami. 'The fate of Father and everyone connected rests on this next card, as well as others! But what'll happen if we draw the wrong card?'
'Then we failed, Yume.' Yami said to her. 'And you go back to the Shadow Realm!' Yami drew her next card: Swords Of Revealing Light! "It doesn't matter anyway." Mai shrugged. "Any card you draw will never help you win."
But then a bright light occurred as Yami shouted out, "Swords Of Revealing Light!" Swords made from light prevented Mai's monsters from getting past them, giving Yami three more turns! "A surrender would've been easier," Mai suggested. "But now I'll have to take you down by force. The next three will never get to you!"
"Oh, it will, alright! I'll win after three turns!" Yami promised. 'But how can we do it?' Yume asked her.
'It's very risky, Yume. But the Black Luster Ritual is all we've got, considering that Mai's dragon is the most powerful one to beat!'
'Black Luster Ritual? What does it do?'
'With the right cards, Yume, you'll soon see!' Yami placed a monster down. "I'll end my turn by playing KURIBOH!" It showed up.
"Huh?" Mai said confusingly. "Wow! You planning to attack it? Because it looks ferocious at Harpie's Pet Dragon and wants to attack it!" She laughed as though it was a joke.
"Not really! The one thing you must learn, Mai, is to never underestimate monsters, especially Kuriboh!"
"Wow. I can't attack because of your Swords, so I'm just going to draw and pass my next turn!"
"We'll see soon enough!" Yami draw the next card: Polymerization. Useless! Two cards left to get one, or I'm history! "This one worked for you, Mai!" Yami said as she placed down Monster Reborn. "But I'm working it to bring back Gaia, The Fierce Knight!" Her knight came back.
"Oh, posh! It's not like you'll be working it out anytime soon!" Mai drew her card, then passed her turn again. "Two left."
Yami nodded, then drew her next one: Winged Dragon. Again, useless! This last card has to be the last one!
Mai drew her next card: Harpie's Lady! "Alright, Yume! I'm ending my last turn, and the Swords are gone!" The light swords vanished, and Mai's monsters can move again. "And now, you're finished!"
"We'll see what I draw, Mai!" Yami called out as she drew her next card slowly, thinking it might be the wrong one, when the Puzzle glowed! 'I know what to do, spirit!' Yume called out to her. 'You seem very doubtful, so we're going to see my parents!'
~Shadow Realm~
Yume opened her eyes, to see the spirit next to her in the Shadow Realm. "Why did you bring me here, Yume?" She asked her.
"Because," she explained, "you need to know what my parents have to say! They always help me in the most tightest spots I'm in!" She sees Yugi and Dark Magician Girl. "And there they are!" She waved them over, and they came to them.
"Yume!" Yugi said surprisingly. "I didn't expect you to be here and-" He noticed Yami. "She's having doubts?"
"This is a first timer, Father!" Yume said as she explained the situation of what needs to happen and the progress. "I'm also told that a purposeful lost brings me back here. True?"
"It's not true, Yume." Yugi countered. "If this spirit told you that, it was a small white lie to get you back in motion to win this." He looked at Yami. "What Yume said about believing in the heart of the cards is true. Pharaoh and I had a reputation of coming back at a tight spot by believing in the heart of the cards!"
"I get it now, Yugi!" Yami said, then turned to Yume. "I know now why your parents are so special to you."
"Of course you do, spirit! Let's head back."
~Duelist Kingdom Castle, Yume Vs. Mai~
Yami opened her eyes and gathered up her courage and faith as she drew her next card. This is it! She thought. Heart of the cards, don't fail me now! She looked: Black Luster Ritual! "Mai," she said, "it's been an honor dueling you, but this one belongs to me!"
"But how?! None of your monsters are powerful enough to withstand my dragon's attack!"
"True, but I also know that you have a Harpie Lady in your hand!" Mai looked and gasped. "If you would've played that, you would've won! Because," Yami played down the card, "I play the Magic card, BLACK LUSTER RITUAL!"
"WHAT?!" Mai exclaimed as a floor tile with a swords cross symbol in front of a shield with two jars next to the tile, one on each side.
"Black Luster Ritual," Yami explained, "works by the sacrifice of all monsters I control!" Her two monsters went in the jars, one each. "And with the combined powers of the two separate monsters."
Two energy pillars came out of the jars, one each, and combined together! "And the forces of light and darkness intertwined, opening the Gates of Chaos!" The floor tile lifted and release a monster, letting out a short roar. "THE BLACK LUSTER SOLDIER!" (ATK/DEF Points: 3000/2500.)
"And now, you're finished Mai!" Yami called out to her, then her monster. "CHAOS BLADE ATTACK!" Black Luster Soldier raised his sword, then let it down, creating a shockwave, to which Mai's Harpie Ladies easily flew to safety, but their pet dragon was unlucky, causing him to take the blow, splitting him in half and destroyed! "He's now gone! VANQUISHED!"
Mai is still shocked at this experience as her Life Points dropped to 750. When she came to her senses, she placed her hand fully on her deck. "I surrender, Pegasus! This duel belongs to Yume!" She turned to her. "I'm sorry, Yume. If what you said is true, then I don't want to see one of my Harpie's Ladies destroyed. You win!"
"Mai," Yami said and she looked at her in the eyes. She smiled. "Thank you! Thank you for your help!"
a/n FINALLY! I was SO delayed because I couldn't continue this, but now I'm moving on!
