Rage of the Egyptian Gods
Yugi and his friends didn't know which room belonged to Kaiba. Mokuba helped them and pointed to the door with the number one marked on it. Joey pounded on the door, yelling for Kaiba to come out so they could see him. Kaiba opened the door. "If it isn't Wheeler," he greeted unpleasantly. "You're lucky to even be in my tournament, yet you insist on making a nuisance of yourself over and over again." He really didn't want to put up with this, but he decided to get it over with and invited everyone to step inside.
Yugi decides to get to the point. "We need your help, Kaiba. You've got to land the blimp so we can get Bakura to a hospital."
Kaiba immediately refused. "You're asking me to do the impossible. We can't make an unscheduled stop."
"You're very well of Bakura's condition, Kaiba, and you know he needs help," said Emily. "Can't you take some responsibility and help him?"
"Please, Kaiba, this is really important. Show some compassion," Serenity begged. "Isn't someone's health more important than your game?" Seeing Kaiba look at her, Serenity lowers her head and asks for his help.
"This is Bakura's own fault," said Kaiba. "He shouldn't have left the hospital in the first place."
"He may have risked his own health, but we can't leave him to suffer!" Emily tells him.
Kaiba had his own way of helping himself and everyone else. He wasn't responsible for the dangers Bakura put himself in or pain he brought upon himself, but he had to take some responsibility in helping him. He pushed the intercom and sent for the onboard medical staff to examine and look after Bakura. Mokuba assured Yugi and the others that Bakura was in good hands because the doctors onboard had better training than the medical experts at most hospitals.
They left Kaiba's room feeling better now that Bakura would be taken care of. Tristan thought Serenity was being really brave by standing up to Kaiba when she saw him denying everyone's request and complemented her. "It was cool how you stood up to Kaiba."
Duke agrees and holds Serenity's hands in his. "Never have I been so moved by a speech. Oh, Serenity, it's like your words were spoken from the voice of an angel!" Serenity was beginning to see Duke for the kind of boy Max warned her he was. She even sighed of relief when Tristan pulled him away from her. Before the first duel, Max and Serenity were idly conversing. Max had nothing personal against Serenity. In fact, she actually thought she was a good kid. And Serenity was very grateful to Max for looking out for her when Joey was on his way for the operation. The girls had become good friends. Seeing Duke flirting with Serenity disgusted Max and she warned the auburn girl to be cautious around him.
Tristan decided it would be a good idea to look for the Millennium Ring. He decided that this time, it would be wise to hold onto it instead of trying to get rid of it. That way, Bakura couldn't get it back. He decided to go back to the stratos dueling arena and take Duke with him. There was nothing for him to be jealous of because Serenity didn't even like Duke, but he couldn't help how he felt. He just cared too much. Tristan takes Duke with him to the elevator. Duke struggles to get away, calling Serenity's name, but Tristan keeps holding on to him with his hand over his mouth.
They checked the arena for barely a few minutes. "I don't see anything up here," said Duke. "Let's move on."
"Stop complaining and keep looking," Tristan ordered.
"There's nothing up here but hot air," Duke smartly remarked. "And it's all coming from you. What's the matter with you anyway?"
Tristan decides to spill it. "You've been a pain in my neck ever since I ran into you today. So I want you to chill out."
"What's that supposed to mean, tough guy?"
"I'm telling you to lay off Serenity," Tristan answered. "Give the girl some space."
Duke could plainly see that Tristan was jealous. "Do you know what your problem is, Tristan? You're afraid that Serenity may like me more than she may like you."
Tristan's face turns red. "No, I'm not," he says, a little embarrassed.
Duke scoffed. "It's not my fault if ladies can't resist Duke Devlin. I guess I could turn down the charm a little."
"Don't push me," Tristan warned.
But he wouldn't stop. "Well, what do you expect? You're not even a duelist. You're just some wannabe cheerleader shouting from the sidelines, 'Go, Yugi! Go, Joey!' It's really kind of pathetic. Girls dig men of action and you, well, you're no man of action."
That was enough for Tristan. He charged towards Duke and pushed him, but he slipped as well. It was too late for them to get back their balance and now they were hanging from the edge of the deck. Tristan was hanging on to the rail for dear life and holding Duke's hand with the other. They both tried calling out for help, but clearly no one was coming. What was worse was Tristan was losing his grip and felt like his arms were going to tear from his body. His hand slipped, but he didn't fall. Tristan looked up and saw a strange man holding on to his hand and pulling him and Duke up.
"That was not fun," Duke said, catching his breath.
"Who are you?" Tristan asked. "You saved our lives. How can we repay you?" But he looked and saw that the man was gone. "Where'd he go?"
"Something wrong, Tristan?"
"He's gone. The guy who saved our hides just disappeared."
"What are you talking about?" Duke didn't know what happened because he was looking down most of the time. Tristan didn't bother explaining. He instead decided that they should rejoin the rest of their friends.
Yugi was back in his room looking over the cards in his deck. He was glad to have made it through the first round. Emily was happy too, but she was also mad at herself. She felt helpless because she didn't do a thing to help Bakura back in the duel. And she still couldn't do anything because her powers were being blocked. Who or what was blocking her powers confused her.
She holds her hands together and a light shines inside. "My powers seem to be working now," she says. "I can go back to Bakura's room and help him."
"That's good," said Yugi. "But I think we should just let him rest for now."
"I guess you're right," Emily tells him. "He's been through enough as it is." She sighs in frustration. "I'm such an idiot. I feel completely helpless. I'm supposed to help you and Yami save mankind and I can't even protect my own friends."
"You shouldn't be mad at yourself," Yugi tells her. "There are still many powers you have that we don't know about. Even if you wanted to step in and take action, you probably wouldn't know what to do. You're still just beginning to understand your powers."
"Yeah, but still-," she stops herself.
"What's wrong?"
"I sense another Millennium Item. It's here in this room."
Then they both look up and face the door. Standing before them is the same man who helped Duke and Tristan. Yugi recognized him. "I remember you, you're Shadi."
"Yes, and you've learned so much since we met in Duelist Kingdom, Yugi." He turns to Emily and tells her, "And, Princess Emily, it is an honor to be in your presence. I knew that one day you would return and we would meet. You've grown so beautifully. And you and Yugi are beginning to understand the powers of the Great Goddess and the mysteries of the ancient past as well as your destinies."
Emily could now see that this man was a friend and meant no harm. "Well, we know a little bit about the Millennium Star and the Items, but not much about the Great Goddess herself."
"Did you come here to explain a little more about it to us," Yugi asked, "because we're still confused."
There actually wasn't much Shadi could tell them except that he was the guardian of the Millennium Items and that the reason he was here was because he sensed a disturbance in the mystical alignment once again. He would be able to tell Emily and Yugi about that matter though. "Right now, all seven Millennium Items and the Millennium Star are onboard this vessel. And so are the three Egyptian God cards. Which means the forces capable of saving the world as well as destroying it are right here."
"Really?" Yugi asked.
Shadi nods. "The world's safety rests with you and the princess, Yugi. Heed my words. If the wrong individuals were to gain Millennia's power or the Egyptian God cards, the results could be catastrophic. It nearly happened once before when Pegasus created Duel Monsters. It all began when Pegasus first arrived in Egypt. He was searching for a way to reunite with his lost love. His quest brought him to me and I presented him with the Millennium Eye, for he was destined to possess it.
"Soon after, he discovered the origins of the ancient Shadow Games. Pegasus became obsessed with these games and dedicated his life to creating them. He sought to resurrect the ancient mystical powers he discovered, but to his surprise, it almost destroyed him. Pegasus did not know his limits, be he discovered he would soon unleash a power far beyond his control."
Yugi and Emily were surprised at what they were hearing, but they asked Shadi to continue. "I'm still confused, Shadi," said Emily. "How exactly did Duel Monsters start?"
"Pegasus' obsession over the ancient games grew deeper. By recreating the game, he reawakened the Egyptian Gods."
"And that almost destroyed him?" Yugi asked.
Shadi nods and explains his story. Pegasus dedicated his life to reinventing the game of Duel Monsters and wanted the Egyptian Gods to be a part of it. He returned to Egypt to find the relics depicting the divine monsters. He searched the entire desert and investigated every tomb, but to no avail. But Pegasus wouldn't give up. Shadi knew of Pegasus' struggle and decided to help him. The Egyptian Gods had been sealed and protected alongside the pharaoh's tomb. Fortunately, he knew how to find the tomb and decided to lead Pegasus and his team of archeologists to it.
Below the desert sands was a secret civilization populated by people who had been guarding the pharaoh's tomb for centuries until his return. With the magic of his Millennium Key, Shadi and the others were concealed. They could not be seen or heard by the guards. They traveled for what seemed like hours until finally, Shadi brought them to the tomb. He permitted Pegasus' team to take photographs and record the journey on tape, but warned them not to reveal or remove anything discovered. It all had to be kept secret.
"This moment will make my entire trip worthwhile," Pegasus said as he entered the chamber. And it was worthwhile, for he found what he was looking for. He came to the resting place of the Egyptian God tablets and saw the images of the divine beasts. "There they are!" Pegasus cried in triumph. "The Winged Dragon of Ra! Obelisk the Tormentor! Slifer the Sky Dragon! Hello, my ancient friends! It's a pleasure to meet you! At last, I can unlock the secret powers of the three Egyptian God monsters! Once I immortalize these beautiful creatures in print, my Duel Monsters card game will be complete!" He continued to unleash his excitement as his team took photographs and recorded everything.
Triumphant, Pegasus returned to America to design the cards based upon the images he saw. Little did Pegasus know that he was about to unleash a great threat. Not even Shadi knew for sure if he would be able to comprehend the power of the Egyptian Gods. He knew Pegasus was destined to reawaken the Egyptian God cards, but whether or not he would be able to control their power would soon be found out.
Signs bringing about the answer were showing. "So let's see if I understand you correctly," Pegasus was saying to Croquet, "You say everyone involved in my Egyptian God card project has met with disaster?"
"Yes, sir," Croquet answered. "Each one has disappeared, and I mean completely gone, without a single trace. I can only think of one solution: you must stop the production of these cards."
"Never!" Pegasus shouted, pounding his fist on his desk. "The production of the cards is essential to my game and to the entire corporation! We can't let these little incidents stop us; we're on the verge of making history here, Croquet! I don't care if the cards are cursed. I'll do it myself, under the protection of my Millennium Eye!"
And he did so. Pegasus returned to his private home and designed images for the monsters for their cards. He even managed to see what they really looked like through his Millennium Eye. He finished the portraits for the designs and fell asleep. Nothing happened so far until he started having a nightmare. But it wasn't really a nightmare. The Great Goddess Millennia was trying to convey a message to him through the vision.
"What's going on? And where am I?" Pegasus asked. Looking around, he saw Egypt being attacked by the Egyptian Gods.
Shadi appeared and told him what was going on. "Hear me, Pegasus, by attempting to recreate the images of the Egyptian God monsters, you've unleashed a dangerous force far beyond your comprehension and have put the people at risk."
Pegasus continued to watch the scene. "Even if it is true, I'll accept the burden of these cards as my own and contain their great powers! But I must bring the legacy of Duel Monsters to a new millennium!" But the Great Goddess herself would not be able to protect him from this.
It was now clear to Shadi that Pegasus was not meant to control the Egyptian Gods. "Your only hope is to return these monsters to their resting place. If not, they will consume you and the entire world," Shadi warned Pegasus. And all three of the monsters unleashed their wrath on Pegasus by attacking him.
The shock woke Pegasus and made him realize the meaning behind it all. "I've angered the Egyptian Gods!" he said fearfully. "And I felt their rage!" He stared at his hands and found himself shaking. "That wasn't a dream. It was a warning from Millennia herself. Their powers were very real. Shadi's words were true. Now I must lock the cards away or face destruction!"
Pegasus completed the first cards and brought them back with him to Egypt. He knew the cards had to be sealed alongside the pharaoh's tomb. It was the only way to spare the world from destruction. Ishizu welcomed Pegasus. "I have been awaiting your return to the land of the pharaohs. I am Ishizu Ishtar. Come with me." And with Ishizu's help, Pegasus buried the cards away. But it wasn't long until Marik began to seek out the cards. He got two of them, but Ishizu saved the last one in time. It came to no surprise to Marik that his elder sister would take the card and give it to Kaiba. The Ishtars knew that if Kaiba got one of the cards, he would seek out the other two by throwing a tournament out of greed.
Shadi didn't reveal that last matter. He concluded his story to Yugi and Emily by saying, "If Marik were to obtain all three of the Egyptian God cards, the results would be devastating."
The Millennium Puzzle activates and Yami steps in. "I can assure you, Marik will never hold all three Egyptian God cards."
Shadi gets down to kneel. "My pharaoh, it is an honor for me to be in your presence once again. I have great confidence in you. I know you will restore order to the world and put an end to this chaos just as you did five thousand years ago. My complete faith is in you."
Yami and Emily heard the announcement that it was almost time for the next duel of the finals to begin. They still had much to talk about with Shadi, but noticed that he was already gone. It was weird that he just disappeared, but they agreed that it was time to join their friends in the main concourse. They saw everyone in the hall and heard Tristan explaining how a mysterious man showed up and saved him and Duke from falling to their death. Joey and Serenity weren't sure about it. Emily asked them to fill her and Yami in.
Ishizu remained in her room, once again refusing to join the other finalists. Her presence was still not required, it seemed. She was lost in her thoughts until she noticed Shadi sitting beside her. Ishizu was startled, but at the same time, she wasn't very surprised to see him. "With so much at stake, I should have known you'd be here," she tells him.
"Yes, evil once again walks the earth bringing madness in its wake."
Ishizu sighs. "I just never thought my own brother would be the medium for this evil. Oh, Marik. The world must be saved, but at what cost? I don't want to lose my brother." She looks away for one moment, but when she looks back, Shadi is already gone.
He came to Bakura's room and used his Millennium Key to conceal himself from Max. It was in this very room that the disturbance was being sensed. Shadi could sense that the power of the Gods was being tampered with once again through the Millennium Items. The world would be in grave peril until harmony could be restored and only Millennia's chosen warriors had the power to restore harmony.
