Chapter 1: Welcome to Duelist Kingdom
My name is Akira Muto. I originally hail from Domino City. I am the granddaughter of Solomon Muto; owner of Kame Game Shop, and older sister to Yugi Muto. You may think that I was a normal girl in the City, but I was born with a very powerful gift. A gift so powerful that no one on Earth can ever try to obtain and control. I have the power to bring Duel Monsters to life. No holograms. No virtual reality. No kinds of machines whatsoever. The Monsters are full living creatures when I use my powers to bring them to the world. I can even sense their spirits inside the cards; reading their thoughts, emotions, and memories. I don't know how these powers came to me, but I knew that I can't show them off recklessly. I only used my powers at home to bring friendly Duel Monsters to life for me and Yugi to play with when we were kids. My childhood was a happy one in Domino City... until that one cruel, painful day.
I was only 11 years old, walking home from school with a few of my childhood friends, talking about random stuff. Little did we know as we walked, there was a mysterious car that was following us. Someone in that car was driving slowly along the streets; making sure to keep up with me. After walking down a few blocks and watching one of my friends head home, I noticed the car for the first time. I stared at it curiously for a moment and then felt very cautious of it. We walked a little more and saw the car following us; instantly making us run away from it. I tried to get through the crowd as fast as I could, then all of a sudden... I was hit in the back of the head by someone. I fell down to the ground and felt someone pick my arms up in a tight grip. I could hear my friends call me by my nickname, Aki, in fear of what was happening. I tried screaming for help, but another person used a needle of sleeping medicine on me; knocking me out cold. Yep... I was kidnapped.
I didn't know who kidnapped me until I woke up inside a laboratory. Of course I was very scared and confused of what was happening. Questions kept flooding my mind as I saw a bunch of scientists looking at me. As I was having a panic attack, one question came into my mind: Did someone I know talk about my powers in public? Before I tried to speak, I heard a sound of evil laughter in the room. I backed up to the very back of my cell and saw the person for the first time. That person was Gozaburo Kaiba; founder and CEO of KaibaCorp. He smiled wickedly at me and thanked his enforcers for kidnapping me and telling him about my powers; making me shocked to realize the truth. One of these enforcers must've heard about me and my powers a long time ago. From then on, I was nothing but Gozaburo's little experiment. I was forced to use my powers inside a machine with a control helmet that he can use on me; trying to bring Duel Monsters to life and make them destroy things.
When I kept doing that, I felt my powers try to fight back from his commands. Once I retaliated his commands, he became very furious of me and punished me against my will; wanting me to be his most powerful weapon in the world. On some days when he and the scientists weren't doing anything with me, I kept seeing two kids looking at me and trying to figure how to break me out. These two kids were Seto and Mokuba Kaiba; Gozaburo's adopted sons. I've gotten to know them a little bit during my imprisonment. They would secretly bring me food and water to help me stay alive; making me see that they were the only two people in all of KaibaCorp that actually cared about me. We even played games together, like chess and Duel Monsters. I guess you can say that we had become friends throughout all this.
Three months after my kidnapping, during one of my experimentation tests, the lab was suddenly invaded by a group of unknown people. I watched the scientists and a few of Gozaburo's enforcers try to fight the people, but they were defeated. One of the unknown people then destroyed the control unit of the machine I was in; freeing me from it and the helmet. The unknown people then came over to machine and gently pulled me out of it and took off my helmet; seeing all the pain and torture I was going through. After they got me out, we heard an explosion at the back of the Lab, seeing someone leading a group of men and women into the Lab. I looked at them and saw them hand me over to a woman. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart. Gozaburo and his men won't hurt you anymore." the woman said. I was still trying to figure out what was going on as they lead me outside, and then I saw someone with silver hair looking down at me; seeing my condition for the first time.
"Master Pegasus, this is the child one of our agents told us about." said one man. Pegasus? I knew that I heard of that name somewhere before. I looked at the man looking down at me, and then realized that it was him: Maximillion Pegasus! He's the one who created Duel Monsters! I looked at his brown eye and saw a worried look on his face. "Get her inside the helicopter and start medical treatment immediately! Once we're back on the Island, we'll get to the surgery room to remove any kind of tracking devices they put in her." he said. "Yes, Master Pegasus!" his team replied. We went inside the helicopter, flew away, and started my medical treatments. We got to his Island ten minutes later, and then rushed to the surgery room. They had removed a damaged tracking chip from my arm, and made sure to look for more chips just in case. After the surgery was complete, Pegasus and his wife, Cecelia, dedicated their time to take care of me; being foster parents to me. I have lived on Duelist Kingdom Island ever since.
They have helped me train my powers in a slow pace; making sure that I don't over exert myself. This method was a lot more easier for me, and I didn't have to be in a machine. They have also helped me fight my battles with PTSD due to the trauma of the KaibaCorp Lab. Throughout all of this, we have formed a strong bond; learning of our pasts and everything. Some of their people say that we have formed a family relationship. I gotta say, they have treated me way more better than the adults of KaibaCorp. They made sure that I would try to live a healthy life on the Island, and that I got a good education too. We traveled nearly all over the world; watching Duel Monsters tournaments, and finding some inspirations for new Duel Monsters cards. We also went to Egypt to learn about the origins of the seven Millennium Items. That was the first time I got to learn about the other six Items and how powerful they can be. I've only known about one of them when I was little. When we returned home, I began my training to become a super soldier. They must've thought I was crazy for that idea, but when I told them I wanted to do this to find out why Gozaburo and his men kidnapped me, they accepted my request.
What was his goal with me and my powers? Does he want to use me for world domination or for something even worse? Those were the questions that flooded my mind ever since the training started. After seven years of training and mastering my powers, I finally became a super soldier. I named myself "Wolf" and began going on missions to find all of the scientists of KaibaCorp that have experimented on me and get all the answers I needed about Gozaburo. During my training days around the world, I've met three people that became my friends/teammates. They are: Rafael, a.k.a. "Eagle". Alister, a.k.a. "Dyna". And finally was my closest friend of the three, Valon, a.k.a. "Buster". Valon and I have a very strong, powerful bond together. Not only we have known each other the longest... we've also fallen in love with each other. We confessed our feelings to each other when we were 14, and we have been together ever since.
Even after all of this has happened, I always kept thinking about my family. My Grandpa, and my little brother. I kept on wondering if they are okay and that KaibaCorp hasn't gotten to them; trying to get them to figure where I was. Rafael, Alister, Pegasus, Cecelia, and Valon knew how much I missed my family. They all promised me that they will help me find them and keep them safe for me. I'm really glad to have these people in my life now. They've always had my back through thick and thin... and I have theirs too. I'll protect them with all my life. They're my family. I'll risk my life for them, no matter what it takes to keep them safe.
Present Day- Duelist Kingdom
"This is it, everyone. Today is the beginning of the Duelist Kingdom tournament! All of our competitors should be arriving here any moment in front of the Castle. Eagle, Dyna, Buster, Wolf... Master Pegasus has requested that you four keep an eye on all the competitors; making sure that they don't break the rules and not put anyone's lives in danger." said Kemo; one of Pegasus's top agents. "Yes sir, understood." we said at the same time. "And make sure that your armors stay on. We cannot let the Duelists see your faces." he told us. "Got it." Rafael replied. After that, the four of us got into our armors*, and walked outside of the Castle; seeing the Duelists arrive. *(A/N: Eagle's armor is based on the card, Guardian Eatos. Dyna's armor is based on his brother's action figure, Dyna Dude. Buster's armor is based on the card, Full Armor Gravitation. Wolf's armor is based on the card, Silver Fang, but with claws, a black cape and glowing blue eyes and the glowing blue lines on her suit based on Seto's design at the end of DSOD.)*
"Wow... so these are the Duelists who showed up, huh? I wonder how many of them can actually win this whole thing?" said Alister. "Only one of them can be the strongest, Dyna. We won't know for sure until whoever gets ten Star Chips first, right Wolf?" Rafael replied. "Right." I replied as I walked over and sat on the archway of the Castle; looking at the Duelists. Valon, Alister, and Rafael sat down next to me a few seconds later. We noticed the Duelists looking up at us for the first time; wondering who we were and of our business here. As we looked at them, I noticed one Duelist in particular. I stared at him for a few minutes; seeing his black/magenta spiky hair, blonde pointy, crooked locks for his fringes, purple eyes, and a Item on a lace around his neck. I stared at him silently and then widened them in shock; knowing of the identity. "No way... he's grown up..." I said in a hushed, surprised tone. "Hm? What is it?" said Valon curiously *(A/N: Valon speaks in a American accent in this story)*. "See that kid with spiky hair down there?" I replied. "Yeah... what about him?" he replied. "That's him... that's my little brother." I replied. "What!? That's your brother? That's Yugi?" he replied in a hushed, surprised tone. I nodded my head yes to him.
Rafael and Alister looked at him in shock too, and then noticed some of the similarities we share. Yugi and I have the same hair colors and eyes, but my hair is longer, grown down, and isn't pointy and as spiky as his, and I don't have the blonde locks either... just the black/magenta hair. "Yugi... how did you get here? Are you in the tournament..? Or not..?" I said in my thoughts. "Attention! Please gather around, your benevolent host is anxious to greet you all." said Kemo on a megaphone. As the Duelists gathered around below, I looked down at Yugi and saw him and his little group looking at me.
Down at the Castle Doors
"Man... check out those four in armor. They look like Pegasus's strongest Duelists here." said one random Duelist. "Yeah. I bet Weevil, Rex, and Mako can't even beat those guys. They look intimidating." another Duelist replied. As they talked to themselves, Yugi and his friends looked up at the four armored people. "Yugi... Joey... I would recommend staying away from those guys." said Téa Gardner, Yugi's childhood friend. "She's right. They look really strong... and scary." replied Yugi's friend, Tristan Taylor. "Relax, guys. They don't look that scary to me. Yug can take them down just like what he did to Kaiba back home, right Yug?" Joey replied. Yugi didn't say a word after that. He was looking at the one with the wolf helmet. "Hey, earth to Yugi. Are you in there?" said Tristan. "Huh? Sorry, guys. I was just-" said Yugi. "Staring at that guy with the wolf helmet? Yeah... I've been looking at him too. He looks like he can take down anybody at any second. I wouldn't want to mess with him." Joey replied. Yugi nodded his head in agreement to his statement.
"Wait a second, the wolf looks shorter than the rest of the armored group. Maybe the wolf is not a guy? Maybe the wolf is a girl?" said Tristan. "A girl? Well, that would make sense of the height. But... why is she and those three working for Pegasus?" Téa replied. "Maybe they know where your Grandpa is, Yug." Joey added. "Maybe..." Yugi replied. The four teens stared at the armored people and then turned to the archway; seeing someone appear for the first time. "It's Pegasus." said Tristan. "Boy would I like just to get five minutes alone with that guy." Joey replied in a slight angered tone. Yugi blinked his eyes and then saw the armored people get up and then stand by Pegasus. He still kept his eyes on the one with the Wolf designed armor; questioning every move she made. "Looks like she is Pegasus's Number 1 soldier here. But why would she work for him? I gotta keep my guard up on her... who knows what he wants her to do. But right now, I'm here to find my Grandpa. No matter what Pegasus throws at me... I will get him back." said Yugi in his thoughts.
On the Archway
"Greetings, Duelists! I am Maximillion Pegasus! It is my great honor and pleasure to welcome you all to the Duelist Kingdom. You stand before me the world's greatest Duelists, but come tournaments end, only one shall be crowned King of Games! I implore you all to assemble your Dueling Decks with care, with creativity, and with cunning, for this competition will test your skills like never before! To track your progress in the tournament, you've each been given a Dueling Glove. You've also have been given two precious Star Chips. You must wager these Star Chips on each Duel you compete in. To advance to the final level of competition for a chance at the $3 million dollar prize, you must win ten Star Chips. Ten Star Chips will admit you into my Castle, where you'll face me in one final Duel! This will be a tournament unlike anything you have ever experienced. State-of-the-art Dueling Arenas cover this entire Island, and intriguing new Dueling rules will be in effect. I could tell you what these new rules are, but what fun would that be? You'll discover them as you compete, or you won't last very long. Remember, play boldly, think strategically, and Duel mercilessly! But if my four special soldiers catch you cheating and putting someone in real harm's way, they will gladly toss you off the Island and take your Star Chips with no mercy. You have one full hour to prepare, both your cards and yourselves. When the skies light up with fireworks, the Duels will begin!" said Pegasus.
The crowd cheered and then Pegasus, me, my team, and the agents had left the archway. As we walked back inside the Castle, I took off my helmet and wiped off some sweat on my forehead. "You saw him down there, Akira?" he asked me. My eyes widened in shock to his question and I turned to him. "Saw who?" I asked. "Your little brother. You didn't know that he was in the competition?" he replied. I shook my head no to his question. He lightly smiled at me and then handed me something. "This should give your answer." he said. I looked down at the item and saw a picture of someone I recognized. "Grandpa!" I said in shock. "Wait... her Grandpa? What does he have to do with all this?" said Valon. "Master Pegasus brought him here to see Akira." said one of the agents. "What!?" my team replied in shock. "He had invited Mr. Muto to help him improve his Game Shop, but he didn't know that he is really going to see Akira. In order to do this, we needed a little distraction so that her brother wouldn't know anything. So he had invited Yugi to participate in the Duelist Kingdom tournament not only trying to win or get stronger, but to see if he can accomplish his true goal." said another agent. "And that goal is?" Alister asked.
"To find Akira. He hopes that participating in Duels like this would get her attention and convince her to come back home. Playing Duel Monsters was one of the things that strengthened his and Akira's bond during their childhood. She even helped him understand how to put his heart in the game. She was his source of confidence when playing the game before she was kidnapped by KaibaCorp. For the past seven years, he has been taking Duel Monsters very seriously like she did when she played back home. This game means a lot more to him now than it did in that past." the agent replied. "Because everytime he plays it... it reminds him of her..." said Valon. "Correct." Pegasus replied."How did you know this, Master Pegasus?" Rafael asked him. "I used my Millennium Eye to look into Yugi-boy's mind on the ship coming here last night. It seems that he is keeping his goal of finding Akira a secret from his little friends he brought here." he replied. "He doesn't want to distract them with his main goal then. That's why he is focused on finding his grandfather?" said Alister. Pegasus nodded his head yes to his response.
I was honestly very surprised of the responses to why Yugi and my Grandpa were here. I couldn't help but tear up a little bit. Valon put his arm around me, took off his helmet, and gently embraced me in his arms; knowing the tears falling on my face. Pegasus lightly smiled again; knowing how much Yugi and my Grandpa mean to me. "Where is her grandfather?" Valon asked. "He's in one of the vacant bedrooms taking a nap. My wife, Cecelia, is taking care of him now as we speak. Once he wakes up, we will bring him to the main room and have him reunite with Akira." Pegasus replied. I smiled warmly at him and wiped off a tear from my face; making my little group lightly smile at me. "Master Pegasus, I believe it is time for them to survey the Duels." said Kemo. "Hmm. Very well then. We must let them be on their way." Pegasus replied. "Yes, Master Pegasus." Kemo and the agents replied. We watched them leave a moment later, and then we began to leave too. "Akira, make sure to keep your helmet on. You can't let Yugi see you yet. And don't forget to come back for dinner." he said. "Sure thing, Dad." I replied.
We smiled warmly at each other and then I put my helmet back on; leaving with my team. "Aki? Since when do you call him Dad?" Alister asked me. "Since I was 12. I only call him that sometimes." I replied. "Does that mean you call Mistress Cecelia "Mom" sometimes too?" he asked again. "Yeah. She's been like a mother to me ever since I came here; raising me as her own." I replied. "Because she cannot bear any children of her own?" Valon asked. I nodded my head yes to his question. "Wow... I guess with them raising you ever since you came here, you helped them in making them the best foster parents they are now. They've never spoiled you with anything in the world, always gave you the advice you needed, and gave you their love and support for who you are now and helped you grow up into the strong, brave, courageous woman you are today." he replied. "Agreed." said Rafael. "Yep." Alister added. "Thanks guys. That really means a lot." I replied. After that, we went outside the Castle, went our own ways, and began surveying the competing Duelists.
Near the Ocean- A few hours later
I sat on a rocky cliff right in front of the ocean; hearing sounds of the waves gently crash on the sand. As I heard the waves, I began remembering some of my training here; bringing some Duel Monsters that live in the water to life and practicing to control them. The first two sessions were difficult, but after the third session... it was successful. Sure, it tired and stressed me out when I did this in the past... but now I don't feel tired and stressed out when I use my powers. It took a lot of mental training to keep me in a calm state when summoning the Monsters, but once I broke those limits, I felt a lot more stronger than before. Usually I stick to summoning one Monster at a time, but now I can summon five Monsters at once. I would only summon five Monsters if I was in extreme danger, so I stick with one by my side nearly all the time for training and companionship.
I looked around silently for a moment and then took out six cards from a little bag on my hip. I stared at the cards silently and knew exactly what they were. "Grandpa's Exodia cards... and his Blue-Eyes White Dragon card... if it wasn't for their spirits calling out to me for the past few days... I would've never known what happened to them. Blue-Eyes... I'm sorry that you had to go through being torn apart. You never deserved this kind of pain. I hoped that my powers had patched up your wounds and can fly again like the majestic Dragon you are. And Exodia, I'm sorry to hear that you were thrown off the ship by that Weevil kid. I'm just glad that I found you both and brought you here. Once when we see Grandpa, I will see if he would want to take you both back home; where he will keep you both safe again." I said in my thoughts. These cards mean a lot to my Grandpa. They are his best cards, and he has treasured them for many years. I've always heard him talk about them when I was a kid, and saw them twice in my life... but now that they're in my hands... I bet Grandpa would count on me right now to protect them.
I put the cards back in my little bag, stood up, and began to walk away. As I walked, a scent of cooked food had caught my nose's attention. I sniffed the air a couple times and then saw a little line of smoke in the sky. "Hm? Someone's cooking up something... but what is it?" I said in my thoughts. I began following the scent a second later. As I walked, my little bag began to glow and then a Duel Monster started walking beside me. I looked down to my right and saw which Monster. "Silver Fang. My most trust-worthy Monster." I said. Silver Fang looked up at me and barked happily to me; making me pet his head happily. Silver Fang is my signature Duel Monster, and my first Monster companion. He has been loyal to me ever since I first summoned him to the world. He has always been there for me when playing Duel Monsters back home years ago. The one difference between my Silver Fang and all the other ones is that mine has a spiked collar around his neck; to make him look like a real pet in the world.
We walked along the path and saw a little fire burning on a big rocky cliff; surrounded in a man-made rock fire pit. We walked a little closer and saw three fish were being cooked by the fire. Well, whoever is cooking them... I'm glad that they are not cooking them in the forest area. "Hey guys! Over here!" said a voice. I turned around in shock and then saw a group of four people running down the hill; recognizing their faces. "Yugi!" I said in a quiet, surprised tone. Silver Fang and I hid behind a big rock very quickly, and began watching Yugi and his friends; hoping that they don't catch us.
Fire Pit
"Oh man I just love barbecued fish." said Joey. "Smells good." Yugi replied. "Aw yeah, bet it tastes even better!" Joey replied as he jumped over a couple rocks and ran down to the pit and laughed. "What... makes you think those fish are yours to eat?" said Téa. "Hey, trust me. We eat first and ask questions later. Your stomachs will thank me." Joey replied. "Joey! Oh he'll say anything to fill his belly." Téa replied. "Some people have absolutely no self-control." said Tristan. Yugi and Téa turned to him curiously; wondering why he said that. "Joey, save some for me!" Tristan yelled as he ran down the path; chasing after his friend. Téa sighed in disbelief and then both she and Yugi went after them. As they ran down, I poked my head out from where I was hiding and saw Joey and Tristan picking up the fish and try to eat them. "Seriously? Somebody worked really hard to catch those, and you two are just going to take it away from them? Scoundrels..." I said to myself. Silver Fang quietly barked in agreement.
As we watched, I noticed someone climb up the rocks with a harpoon in his hand; staring down Yugi and his group. "Uh oh... now they're in for it." I said. "Enjoy yourselves, you fish thieves! This is your last meal!" said the person. Yugi and his friends looked straight ahead and saw the person with the harpoon for the first time. "How dare you eat my fish, you poachers! Has no one taught you manners-" the person replied. Before he finished talking, a giant wave had hit him and sent him back down to the water; making Yugi and his friends all confused. "So can we eat now?" Joey asked curiously. The person climbed back up and showed an annoyed look on his face. "Alright, let's try that one more time." he said. "I knew this was a bad idea..." said Téa. "How dare you steal my fish, you bottom-feeding thieves?" the person replied. "Hey, chill out, big guy. It's just a few fish." Joey replied. "A few fish that don't belong you, and to steal a fisherman's catch is to prove that you have no honor!" the person replied. "A Dueling Glove? Wait a second! Aren't you Mako Tsunami, the top-ranked Ocean Duelist?" said Yugi. "And who might you be?" Mako replied. "Yeah, you're that freaky fish guy." said Joey. "I am not a freaky fish guy! I am Mako Tsunami, Duelist extraordinaire of the Seven Seas." Mako replied.
"Mako Tsunami... I know that name, but where was the last time I've heard of him? Wait a second! He was in the Regional Championship! He was one of the best Duelists in the tournament. I still remember getting mad when he lost. He played honorably throughout the tournament, and then lost to a cheater... hopefully when I find the person who beat him, I'll teach them a lesson about cheating." I said in my thoughts. I silently climbed up the rock and sat down; looking down at Yugi and his friends. "I'm Yugi Muto. Sorry about your fish." said Yugi. "You? You're Yugi Muto? The only Duelist to beat Seto Kaiba? Ha ha! What a fine surprise! It will be a great honor to face you in a Duel." Mako replied. "Same here, Mako." Yugi replied. "What!? My little brother actually won a Duel against Seto Kaiba!? Wow... his Dueling skills must've really improved over the years... maybe he might give Pegasus a real challenge after all. Good job, Yugi. I'm so proud of you." I said in my thoughts. I blinked my eyes, looked down again, and saw Yugi and his friends eating some fish with Mako. Deep inside my mind, I knew that Mako was up too something. I thought about and then realized that Mako is wanting to challenge Yugi to a Duel! I know that I'm supposed to keep check on other Duels, but this is one Duel I can't pass up on. I wanna see how Yugi Duels now, and find out any new strategies he has up his sleeves.
After eating some fish and talking to each other, Yugi and his friends said their goodbyes to Mako; hoping to see him again soon. As they walked away, Mako then stood up, picked up his harpoon, and threw it at them! Yugi turned around and saw the harpoon land near his feet; nearly scaring him to death. My eyes widened in shock and I stood up very quickly; feeling very angry for what I've just witnessed. "I treated you to dinner. Perhaps you will honor me with a Duel." said Mako. "He's nuts!" Joey replied. "No, but I am an expert fisherman, and you have taken my bait. Ah ha ha ha!" Mako replied. "What bait?" Téa asked him. "Why, the fish, of course. I laid it out and lured you three right in. But I never expected to catch Yugi Muto." Mako replied. I stared at them very angrily for a minute, and was ready to jump down and defend my brother, but then I suddenly sensed a incredible power coming from the item around Yugi's neck! "That power... it's so strong... no way... could it be... one of the seven Millennium Items... it has to be one of them... but which one is it..?" I said in my thoughts. I stared at the item for a moment, scanned it with my visors, and then found out which Millennium Item it was. "The Millennium Puzzle! That's the item that Grandpa gave to Yugi when we were kids! He actually solved it! But its power... what does it do to him?" I said in my thoughts again.
All of a sudden, I saw the Millennium Puzzle glow brightly! I was shocked of what it was doing and saw its light make Yugi grow a little taller! The light stopped and I saw the change in him. His eyes were shaped differently, a few of his blonde locks were pointed up, and looked a little muscular too. "Mako Tsunami, I accept your challenge." he said with a confident smile. He sounds a little older too!? Okay... after this Duel, I need to get back to the Castle and figure out how this happened to Yugi. As I looked at him, I heard a rumbling sound from the water. I turned around and saw a Duel Arena rise from the ocean; leaving me nearly speechless. Yugi and Mako got to their sides of the Arena, and then Mako saw me on the rocks for the first time; seeing me looking at them. "Ha ha! It seems we have a special guest watching our Duel." he said. Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Téa turned around and saw me on the rock for the first time. "Hey! That's one of Pegasus's soldiers! It's the Wolf one!" said Tristan.
Yugi looked up at me curiously; wondering why I chose to watch this Duel. Joey then made a howling sound to me; making everyone confused and look at him. "Joey, why did you do that?" Téa asked him. "What? I thought since this person is dressed as a wolf... maybe she would've done it too." he replied. Tristan and Téa groaned in agony from his response. Yugi and Mako blinked their eyes, raised their eyebrows curiously as they turned to face each other, and then rolled their eyes in annoyance. "I apologize about him..." said Yugi in a embarrassed tone; scratching the back of his head timidly. "Uh... it's... it's okay... anyways, shall we return to our Duel?" Mako replied in a embarrassed tone. "Yes. Let's do that." Yugi replied. "Alright. The playing field is equally split into two halves. One half is land. The other is sea." Mako replied. "And the stakes, Mako?" Yugi asked. "I wager two Star Chips on this match." Mako replied. "Two stars." Yugi replied. "Two stars huh? This should be easy enough..." I said to myself. "Duel!" said Yugi and Mako.
Dueling Arena- Yugi vs Mako!
Mako (2000 LP) - Yugi (2000 LP)
"I'm curious to see how you will combat my mighty Denizens of the Deep." said Mako as he placed a card down in Attack position. A second later, we all saw a glowing light underwater of the Arena. "What's this? His creature is underwater. How do I choose which card I'm playing when I can't see what I'm fighting?" said Yugi to himself. "The ocean conceals many things beneath its shifting surface." Mako told him. Yugi was a little frustrated of how the Monster Mako played can stay underwater. He looked down at his cards and tried to find which one he will use to take down Mako's Sea Monsters. "Looks like this is his first Duel against Sea-based Duel Monsters. The Sea field gives these kinds of Monsters a 30% field power bonus and conceals them in the water; making them more lethal than before. Come on, Yugi... I know you can find a way to win this! You have to survey the field, and know exactly how people use them to an advantage." I said in my thoughts. Mako smirked confidently at Yugi and then waited to see what he will bring to the table.
"I call upon the Horn Imp!" said Yugi as he placed the card in Attack position. Horn Imp appeared on the field, and was ready to battle. Mako smirked at the monster and then at Yugi; ready to strike. "Now, Fiend Kracken... ensnare him!" he said. A second later, we all saw a few tentacles of the Fiend Kracken appear and grab Horn Imp. "My Imp! Attack!" said Yugi. "Fiend Kracken... end this now!" said Mako. Fiend Kracken used the strength of its tentacles to squeeze Horn Imp; destroying it a few seconds later. "Well done, Kracken." Mako told it. Yugi stared at the creature in shock. I snarled a little bit as I watched. "You're good, Mako. A brilliant open play." said Yugi. "I am pleased you appreciate it, though I very much doubt your Imp did." Mako replied.
Mako (2000 LP) - Yugi (1740 LP)
"Well, now I know what I'm up against." said Yugi in a slight surprised tone. "Yes, the mighty ocean commands respect, as do the creatures that inhabit it." Mako replied. I stared at them silently; hoping Yugi gets the upper hand in this turn. "Feral Imp!" said Yugi. He placed the card down and Feral Imp appeared; snarling at its opponent. "Feral Imp, huh? This should be interesting. Its electrical attack should make a fried calamari with that squid." I said to myself. Mako picked up his cards, looked at them for a second, and then looked back at Yugi and his new Monster. "I am familiar with your feral Monster and its electrical attack, so for my next card, I play... my Giant Jellyfish. Ha ha ha ha. Behold!" he said; making Yugi shocked. "Uh... I don't like the sound of that." said Yugi. Mako laughed confidently and then smirked at Yugi again.
"That is the battle cry of my creature." Mako told him. "Oh, it'll be crying alright... once I combine my Feral Imp with the magical Horn of the Unicorn!" Yugi replied as he placed the card on top of the Feral Imp card. Feral Imp snarled as electricity came around it and then the Horn appeared on its head! It stood up and snarled loudly to the sky as electricity crackled around its body. "Yes! Get 'em Feral Imp!" I said in my thoughts. "Magic Lightning Attack!" said Yugi. Feral Imp successfully used the attack, but nothing had happened to Mako's monsters. "But wait! What is this? Nothing's happening. Mako still has all his Life Points." said Yugi. "Your strategy has failed, Yugi. Ha ha ha ha!" Mako replied as Giant Jellyfish rose out of the water with electricity around it. "How!?" Yugi replied in shock.
"As a Sea Duelist, I am well aware that water conducts electricity, so I played my Giant Jellyfish. It has the magical ability to absorb all electrical attacks, protecting all of my ocean creatures." Mako replied. Yugi snarled a little bit after what Mako had said. Giant Jellyfish then began going back down into the water and screeched as it went under the waves. "And now it's time for my counterattack. Fiend Kracken, crush his Feral Imp!" said Mako. Fiend Kracken's tentacles appeared out of the water again and crushed Feral Imp. "Dammit! This isn't looking good... come on, Yugi. I hope you have something that can shrink the water fast... or else you're going to be stuck in the ocean of doom..." I said in my thoughts.
Mako (2000 LP) - Yugi (1480 LP)
"Did you enjoy my Kracken's embrace? Do any of your cards have the power to stand against my ocean pets?" Mako asked. Yugi picked out a card and stared at Mako. "I have the power of Silver Fang... and I combine him with the magic of the Mystical Moon to double his ferocity." Yugi replied. Yugi's Silver Fang appeared onto the field with the Mystical Moon in the sky and howled; ready to fight. "Yugi's Silver Fang! He kept that other Silver Fang card I gave him when he was five! Ha! Mako is in for it now!" I said confidently in my thoughts. My Silver Fang appeared next to me a second later and looked down at Yugi's Silver Fang; hoping it will win. "Ah ha ha ha. Ferocious indeed, but the Moon also controls the tides, causing them to rise... allowing me to unleash my next creature. Arise, mighty Kairyushin!" Mako replied as his new monster came out of the water. "What's this?" said Yugi in a frustrated tone. My Silver Fang and I stared down Mako's monster angrily as it roared and looked down Yugi's Silver Fang.
"Behold, the colossal Kairyushin! A creature so enormous, that when he rises up from the ocean depths, he creates his own tidal wave!" said Mako. "What a beast!" Yugi replied. "Your wolf is brave, Yugi, but he will not stand before my Kairyushin's tidal attack." Mako replied. Kairyushin attacked Yugi's Silver Fang with its tidal waves; knocking it out immediately. "No! Silver Fang!" said Yugi. My Silver Fang growled loudly for a moment after what happened and then turned to me; knowing the mad look on my face. I clutched my right hand angrily at the small defeat and stared down Mako; ready for him to get what he deserves. "Gone... but my Kairyushin's Tidal attack did more than simply wash your wolf cub away." said Mako. "What?" Yugi replied. "It considerably altered our playing field." Mako replied as we all looked at the field and saw its changes. "No way! Most of Yugi's field is gone! But how can it... huh! The Moon! Just like Mako said, the moon controls the oceans tides... but what if there is a way to reverse it?" I said in my thoughts.
My Silver Fang lightly nudged me and then we looked down at Yugi and Mako; hearing them talk about something. I was curious of what they were talking about, but then I heard Mako mention his father, and it hit me. He's playing for his father! After hearing his story, I eased out of my anger for him and gained some respect for him. I turned to Yugi's side of the field and saw him summon a monster in Defense position. "Giant Soldier of Stone! When did he get that card? What's the plan with this guy?" I said to myself. "You may have shrunk my battlefield down to an island, Mako, but my Stone Soldier still gets a field power bonus." said Yugi. Yugi's monster gained an Attack and Defense power boost; ready for its command. "Your massive monster can barely fit on that little rock, let alone do battle with my undersea attack force." Mako told him.
Yugi snarled a bit and saw Mako place down a card. "And he is surrounded on all sides by the ocean, making him easy prey for... Great White Terror!" he said. The Monster leapt out of the water once and began circling around the rock with its allies; ready to strike. "This is it, Yugi. It's over, but you played honorably." Mako told him. "You have been a fair and noble opponent too, Mako, but I also duel with a fate of a loved one at stake... and I can't afford to lose." Yugi replied. After I heard him say that, I knew that he was talking about Grandpa. Yugi... I'm sorry that Pegasus got you worried about Grandpa. I hope that you will understand the real reason why he's here someday soon.
"I switch my Stone Soldier to Attack mode!" said Yugi. Giant Soldier of Stone stood up and was prepared to fight. "Attack mode? But why? He cannot attack my sea monsters while they are underwater." Mako asked him. Yugi lightly smirked at Mako; knowing exactly what he's doing. "But his target isn't your sea monsters. I'm having him attack a card I put on the field myself. The Moon!" Yugi replied as he pointed upto the Moon above them. "No!" Mako replied in shock. "Yes!" I said to myself happily. "Now, Stone Soldier! Destroy the Moon!" Yugi told it. Giant Soldier of Stone took out his blade and pierced the Moon; destroying it with ease. Joey, Tristan, and Téa cheered happily for Yugi; knowing now he has turned the tide on Mako. We all watched the tide go out and it left Mako a little furious.
"As you yourself said before, Mako, it is the Moon that controls the ocean's tides... its ebb and its flow. So I ordered my Stone Soldier to obliterate the Moon, causing the ocean's tides to reverse and recede." Yugi told him. Mako was shocked and surprised to his response. "My Stone Soldier has beached all your sea monsters. You have no ocean left." Yugi told him. "No... my precious fish." Mako replied. "And now I'll deliver the final blow. I combine my Curse of Dragon card with the magic of the Burning Land card to wipe out your remaining Life Points. Burning Land Attack!" Yugi replied as he summoned the cards. Curse of Dragon successfully used the attack and destroyed Mako's monsters; winning Yugi the Duel. "And that takes your Life Points down to zero." he said. Téa, Joey, and Tristan celebrated Yugi's win and then watched them return to the Fire Pit.
Mako (0 LP) - Yugi (1480 LP). Yugi is the Winner!
Fire Pit
"Destroying your own Moon card was a brilliant and unexpected move, Yugi. Ha ha. What a grand Duel. I salute you, my friend." said Mako. "This victory was not easily won, Mako. You're a great Duelist yourself." Yugi replied. Mako smiled happily to him by his compliment. "I am down to one Star Chip, but I will start all over again..." Mako replied. "And I bet you'll do fine." Yugi replied. "You'd win that wager." Mako replied as he shook hands with Yugi; showing a sign of friendship and respect. I lightly smiled at them as they shook hands. As they let go, Silver Fang and I stood up and jumped off behind our rock. As we walked out, we noticed that Mako was gone. I guess that he went to get some more fish. Silver Fang stayed behind me as we walked; not wanting him to be seen by everyone else yet.
I looked to my left and saw Yugi and his friends beginning to leave. As they walked, Yugi silently turned to me and saw me looking at him. He blinked his eyes a couple times at me curiously, and then he silently waved his hand at me. I was surprised of his action for a second, but then I did the same thing he did a few seconds later. After that, he turned away from me, and began following his friends again; ready for their next Duel. After waiting a few minutes, I took my helmet off, and smiled at the direction Yugi was walking towards. "Yugi... your Dueling skills have really improved. I would've never thought of doing some of the things that you just did, but you did the impossible. I'm so proud of you... who knows? Maybe when I come back home, you and I will have a real Duel together someday... just like we promised many years ago..." I said.
Silver Fang walked upto my side and then howled. I looked down at him for a moment and questioned why he howled. Once I thought about it, I knew that he was howling to Yugi's Silver Fang; hoping the howl would reach out to it. I knelt down and petted his head; making him a happy wolf. "I'm sure that he had heard you, boy. I promise you that. You two are brothers. You both recognize each other's howls and many other things. I know that he has never forgotten about you." I said. Silver Fang whimpered happily to me, gently jumped on me, and started licking my face happily. I laughed happily as he did this, and then I heard something ring on me. "Hm?" I said. I took out my cellphone and saw a text from Valon. "Almost dinnertime huh? Alright, come on boy. Let's head back. We gotta make sure to feed you and the rest of the Wolf pack here." I said. Silver Fang barked happily to my response; knowing how hungry he is. I stood up, put my helmet back on, and teleported ourselves back to the Castle.
Pegasus's Castle- Dining Room
"Alright, boys and girls, time to eat!" I said as Valon and I walked in with a moving tray of 12 bowls of food. I looked down and saw Silver Fang running around the room with the 11 Wolves; happily barking and howling for their food. These 11 wolves come from my 11 Wolf cards I carry around with me. I've trained them to work together with Silver Fang for a very long time, and they share a powerful bond far beyond you can imagine. Silver Fang is the alpha male of the pack, and makes sure that they don't get into serious fights with each other. I lead this pack as the true alpha. They listen to me and make sure to defend me from someone that would try to come after me. I also help them make sure of who and who not to trust of my friends and family. There are 5 girls and 6 boys of the regular Wolves. Also, Yugi's Silver Fang was originally part of the pack. We're hoping that one day we will get him back to the pack and let him run around with his family again.
I whistled once and saw them all sit down in a line; patiently waiting for their bowls. "Good job, sweetheart. You know exactly how to keep them tamed." said Valon. I lightly laughed happily as I finished putting all their bowls down in front of them. "Wait... wait... wait... remember, do not make a mess in here, and do not fight each other over all this. You all have the same amount of food in there, so don't be picky. You don't wanna make Mommy upset." I said to them. They wagged their tails in understanding. I stood up slowly, walked upto Valon, and then turned back to them. "Okay. Now you all can eat." I told them as I snapped my fingers. After that, they began eating peacefully. Valon and I smiled warmly at them as they ate, turned to each other, and then shared a kiss. "You're amazing with animals, you know that?" he said. "I know. And you are too. I'm lucky that they also listen to you too. Who would've thought after 5 years they let you join the pack and let you take charge when I can't sometimes?" I replied. He chuckled to my answer and then embraced me in his arms.
We stayed quiet for a couple minutes during the embrace, but we made sure to look at our wolves a couple times in case a fight starts. We turned back to each other and gave each other little kisses on the cheeks, nose, and lips; making each other happy. "Well look who's all lovey dovey in here?" said a voice. We turned around and saw Rafael standing by the table. "Hey, Raf. How was the Duel surveying?" Valon asked him. "It was alright. I've witnessed 8 Duels and only had to kick out 3 Duelists for cheating." Rafael replied. "Nice. I watched 6 Duels and only had to kick off 1 Duelist for cheating. He almost got someone burned by one of the Duel Arenas. We had to toss him off and disable the Arena itself." Valon replied. "Huh, that's interesting." Rafael replied. "I know right? Some people think they can do whatever they want to intimidate their opponent here. Not on this island. Once you do something like that guy did, karma is going to bite you in the butt in no time." Valon replied. "I agree 100% on that one." Rafael replied.
I nodded my head in agreement to their statements and then turned to all the wolves; seeing them all finished with their food. I quietly got out of Valon's arms and led the wolves outside to the backyard; letting them do their business. I came back a couple minutes later and saw Valon and Rafael sitting at the table. They turned around and saw me walk in. Valon stood up and pulled out a chair for me. I smiled warmly at him and sat down next to him. "Aki?" said Rafael. "Yeah?" I replied curiously. "How was the Duel surveying on your end?" he asked me. "The Duel surveying? It was good. No one cheated from what I saw." I replied. "That's good. How many Duels did you watch?" he asked again. I felt my face turn a little red for a moment, and I timidly scratched the back of my head. "...Only 1..." I replied. "Only 1 Duel? Which Duel was it?" Valon asked. "Valon? Who do you think she watched?" Rafael replied. They thought about it for a second, and then knew who I would watch.
"You watched your brother, didn't you?" Valon asked me. I blinked my eyes, blushed, and nodded my head yes to his question. "Did he see you with your helmet off?" Rafael asked. "Nope. I've kept it on the entire time. I was watching him Duel against Mako Tsunami. He saw me a couple times, but didn't know who I was." I replied. "Well, as long as your helmet was on, you should be fine." Rafael replied. Valon nodded his head in agreement. "Hey, where's Alister? I haven't seen him since the Duels started?" Rafael asked us. "That's a good question... I have no idea where he went." I replied. "Same here." Valon replied. "Oh boy... this is why I can't trust him going on his own sometimes..." Rafael sighed. We nodded our heads in agreement and then saw a couple of the agents walk by us; talking about something. "So, do any of you have idea who took off with the helicopter for 2 hours?" said one of the agents. "Beats me. Whoever took it at that time said that they needed it for something important." another agent replied. They walked away a few seconds later, and then the three of us looked at each other curiously. "Do you guys think Alister took the helicopter?" I asked. "Maybe... but why would he need it?" Valon replied. "Who knows, but he's going to get in trouble for it." Rafael replied. We nodded our heads in agreement to his response.
A couple seconds had passed and we heard some footsteps come towards the room. We stood up from our chairs and stood by the table; ready to see who it was. "Master Pegasus. Mistress Cecelia." said Valon and Rafael as they bowed to them as they walked in. "Rafael, Valon, Akira. I'm so glad that you are here for dinner." said Cecelia. "It is our pleasure." Valon replied. She smiled warmly at us and then both her and Pegasus looked at me. I raised an eyebrow curiously and then walked over to them. "Raf? What's happening right now?" Valon asked him. "I believe its time." Rafael replied. "Time? Time for what?" Valon asked again. "For her to see her Grandfather." Rafael replied. His eyes widened in shock for a second, and then he calmed down, turned to me, and lightly smiled. Rafael lightly smiled at me too; knowing how long I've been waiting for this moment.
"Hi Mom. Hi Dad." I said to them. "Hello, Akira." Cecelia replied. She gave me a hug and I hugged her back. "How have you been today? Not getting into trouble with the boys?" she asked me. "I've been good. No troubles with the boys at all. I can tell they behaved." I replied. "That's good to hear." Pegasus replied. We lightly laughed happily and then heard some footsteps from the hallway. "Akira? Is that really you?" said a voice. My eyes widened in shock to the voice, and it made me look behind Pegasus and Cecelia. I blinked my eyes and smiled widely at the person; recognizing him. "Grandpa!" I said happily. Grandpa's eyes looked up at me as I walked upto him. Once he looked at the colors of my hair and my eyes, his eyes widened in shock; now recognizing me. He smiled widely at me and his eyes began to tear up. "Akira!" he cried happily. I knelt down to him and hugged him happily. I also had tears falling from my eyes as I hugged him. Pegasus, Cecelia, Rafael, and Valon walked upto us, and smiled warmly at us as we reunited. Cecelia and Valon wiped away some tears from their eyes; knowing how happy they were for me.
"Grandpa... I've missed you so much." I said. "I've missed you too, Akira." he replied. We ended the hug and looked at each other as we wiped off our tears. "Look at you, sweetheart. You're all grown up now, and you look beautiful." he said. "Thank you, Grandpa. I'm so sorry for getting you and Yugi worried about me for the past seven years. If I would've ran faster, none of this would've ever happened, and I would still be home with you two." I replied. "Aki... it's not your fault that you were kidnapped. You've done nothing wrong at all, sweetheart. It's the people who kidnapped you I truly blame for all of this. I want to bring those people to justice for taking you away from us. We were so close to figuring out who had done this, but the police had put the investigation on hold on us. It devastated Yugi more than I could ever imagine. We had that one glimmer of hope, the one chance to know who did this, but then it just stopped. I had never seen him so upset in my whole life when they told us that news. I tried to make him move on from it, but he was so determined to find you. He had spent most of his time after school with all your friends, walking around Domino City, looking for you. He has never given up on you. We have never given up on finding you. We've prayed every single night before going to bed; hoping there would be a sign to know where you were and to bring you home." he replied.
I was honestly speechless after what he had said. I felt my heart warm up and I began to tear up again. They've never given up on finding me... they were so determined for seven years to keep on finding me... my family and my childhood friends... they really have never given up. I thought that many people back home would tell them it was all pointless now and to move on from me, but they listened to their hearts and continued their search. I felt so happy for them, but as I thought about it, I began having flashbacks of my experimentation's and pain at KaibaCorp Lab. The flashbacks were so dark and painful, I closed my eyes and put my hand on my head; feeling pain in my head. Everyone noticed what was happening to me and looked at me worriedly. Valon knelt down to me and gently held me in his arms; knowing how to comfort me. "Akira? What's wrong?" Grandpa asked me. "She had flashbacks, didn't she?" Rafael asked Valon. "Yeah... she did. That's one of the symptoms of PTSD. Those flashbacks must've gotten to her pretty good." Valon replied.
"PTSD!? How did this happen? Who did this to her?" Grandpa asked Valon. Valon, Rafael, Cecelia, and Pegasus looked at each other for a second, sighed, nodded their heads, and looked at my Grandpa; seeing the slight angered, confused look on his face. "Mister Muto, we know who has done this to Akira." said Cecelia. "You do?" Grandpa asked curiously. "We do." she replied. "It was Gozaburo Kaiba." Pegasus told him. "Gozaburo!? The founder and CEO of KaibaCorp!? What did he want with my granddaughter?" Grandpa replied. "He wanted her powers." Pegasus replied. "Her powers!? How did he find out about her powers? She has only used them at home, and made sure that no one else except me and Yugi was watching her use them." Grandpa replied. "Did you see anyone acting suspicious inside your Shop? Probably seeing what both your grandchildren were doing?" Rafael asked him. Grandpa thought about his question for a moment, and shook his head no to the question.
Valon helped me stand up slowly and let me rest my head on his shoulder. I slowly opened my eyes and saw his blue eyes looking down at me worriedly. "Valon?" I said. Before he said a word, we heard a bark coming from the hallway. We looked straight ahead and saw Silver Fang running upto us. Valon and I gently sat down on the floor and Silver Fang walked upto me; gently nuzzling my face. I gently hugged him and let him lay down on me; petting his fur to comfort my senses. Grandpa looked at Silver Fang for a moment and then began to recognize the collar around its neck. "No way... Aki? Is that your Silver Fang?" he asked me. I looked up at him and nodded my head yes to him. Silver Fang looked up at him and stared at him curiously. "It's okay, boy. It's Grandpa. You remember him, right?" I said. Silver Fang slowly got off of me, walked upto Grandpa, sniffed him, and then gently licked him happily; recognizing who he was. Grandpa was very happy to see Silver Fang remember him. He was the one who helped me train him to behave like a regular dog and protect us when we're home.
"Ha ha, nice to see you too, Silver Fang. Thank you for protecting Akira for all this time." said Grandpa as he petted Silver Fang's head. Silver Fang lightly barked happily, wagged his tail, and then walked back to me; nuzzling me again. Grandpa noticed how he was being gentle on me; realizing that he is now trained to help me handle my PTSD. "Anyways, back to the topic at hand. It is unknown how Gozaburo had heard about Akira and her powers, but he had clear intentions to use her for a dark and cruel purpose. So, he had his enforcers secretly travel to Domino City, and ordered them to find and capture Akira. They captured her on the fateful day you, Yugi, and Akira know very well. She tried to put up a fight, but they knocked her out with a needle full of sleeping medicine. Once she passed out, they took her to the top secret KaibaCorp Laboratory. When she woke up, she was forced to be Gozaburo's experiment/weapon during her time there. She kept on refusing his commands and had to endure painful punishments. During that time, a few of my agents that had worked there had told me and Cecelia about her and how Gozaburo badly treated her. We then planned to infiltrate the Lab and rescue her from Gozaburo and KaibaCorp's scientists. Three months later, we successfully infiltrated the KaibaCorp Laboratory and rescued Akira. We brought her here to my island and healed her wounds." said Pegasus.
"When she was starting her physical therapy, that was when we discovered her PTSD diagnosis. We talked about what we should do with her, and then we decided to foster her and help her train her powers. We were all very lucky that this island is far from Domino City. KaibaCorp wouldn't even try to come here and find her." said Cecelia. Grandpa was shocked and surprised of what they had said, and then looked at me; seeing my armor for the first time. "Then what this armor she is wearing? Is this what they had used on her?" he asked. "Nope. It's a special kind of armor. She decided to become a super soldier ever since she felt her powers get stronger. She wanted to find out why Gozaburo wanted her and his true intentions. We refused at first, but once we saw the determined look in her eyes, we had accepted her request. We traveled nearly all over the world to help her learn many fighting techniques and find someone to fully customize her armor. Once all of her training was complete, she became an official soldier. She had went on missions to find former scientist that had experimented on her and get files and answers from them about Gozaburo. But, we knew that she couldn't do this mission alone. That was when she meet her three partners: Rafael, Alister, and Valon. They were trained as soldiers too, and became friends with Akira." Pegasus replied.
Grandpa was very surprised that I took this path. In his wildest dreams, he would never expect me to become a special kind of fighter, but now after understanding the whole story, he smiled warmly at me. I turned to him and saw the smile on his face; knowing that he is happy that I am now safe from Gozaburo and is proud of the path I'm taking. I smiled warmly at him too; making everyone else happy too. Silver Fang got off of me and helped Valon get me back on my feet. "You okay, Aki?" Valon asked me. "Yeah... I'm okay. Thank you, sweetheart." I replied. Valon lightly blushed, smiled warmly, nodded his head, and kissed my head; making me smile lovingly at him. Grandpa was shocked of what Valon did to me, and then saw a different look in my eyes. Once he saw the look, he remembered his wife many years ago giving him the same lovingly look at him when they were my age. After remembering that, he began to realize that Valon and I are together. We looked at him and saw the shocked looked on his face; making us curious. "Grandpa? You okay?" I asked him. "Akira? How long have you and this boy been together?" he replied.
"4 years." I replied. "4 years? That would make you 14 when you started dating... that means now you're-" he replied. "18." I replied. His eyes widened in shock to my answer. "I know, I have a lot of explaining to do." I said. "No... it's alright, Akira. I think I can see how two have fallen for each other." he replied. "You do?" Valon and I replied curiously. He nodded his head yes to my question. The three of us smiled warmly at each other, and then all of a sudden, we heard a door open. We all looked down the hallway and saw someone walking upto us. "Hey everyone, sorry that I'm late. I had something very important to pick up." said Alister. He stopped in his tracks and saw all of us looking at him; wondering what he was up too. "Uh..? Did I miss the reunion?" he asked us.
"You idiot! What were you thinking of taking Master Pegasus's helicopter without his permission!? Do you realize how much trouble you could be in!? What if someone saw you that was hunting for Wolf!?" Rafael told him in a angry tone. "H-hey! I knew exactly what I was doing with that damn thing! No one saw me! I promise you that!" Alister replied. I let myself go from Valon and saw that Alister had something over his shoulder. "What the hell..? Is that... is that a kid? Why did he kidnap a kid? I don't know why he did this, but I can tell that we are about to be in serious trouble..." I said in my thoughts. I stayed silent as everyone was talking to him, and then a few seconds later, I saw the kid begin lifting his head up. I took a good look of the hair, eyes, and face for a moment... and then my mind clicked as I stared at the kid! I recognized who he was!
"Mokuba!" I said in shock. Everyone turned to me, and saw me run upto Mokuba; taking him off Alister's shoulders. "Hey! What are you doing!" said Alister. I gently sat Mokuba down and knelt down to him. His eyes slowly looked up and he saw my face for the first time. "Huh? Hey... who are you? Where am I? All I remember was watching people in the theme park back home... and then someone knocked me out." said Mokuba. I blinked my eyes sadly and curiously; wondering what Alister wanted with him. I gently put my hand on Mokuba's face; cleaning off some mud on his cheek. "There you go, Mokie. Don't want you to have a dirty face now, right?" I said in a calm tone. "Huh!? How do you know that nickname!? Only my big brother has called me that!" he asked me in shock. "Only your big brother? I'm pretty sure he also let someone else call you that too." I replied. "Someone else? Hm... who was that person?" he replied. He stared at my face, eyes, and hair for a moment; trying to figure it out. "Wait... those eyes... I remember those purple eyes. And those hair colors... I swear I have seen them before when I was younger..." he said.
He stared at me silently for a moment; putting all the pieces together. Once he stopped staring, his eyes widened in shock. "No way! Akira? Is it really you?" he said. I smiled and nodded my head yes to him. "Hi, Mokuba. Long time no see." I replied. He smiled widely at me, stood up, and jumped into my arms; hugging me. "Aki! You're okay! You survived the explosion!" he said. I lightly laughed happily, stood up, and held him in my arms. "I sure did, Mokie. I sure did." I replied as I hugged him. "Seto and I have missed you so much! We were so worried about you when the Lab was destroyed. We didn't know what to do when it happened, all we cared about was you! I'm so sorry, Aki. I'm so sorry that we couldn't save you." he said as he cried. "It's okay. As long as you two were safe, that's all that matters to me." I replied in a comforting tone.
Everyone was surprised of how I was with Mokuba; seeing the older sibling side of me. Grandpa then began to remember how much I would hug Yugi whenever he was sad or hurt. He had one flashback of me comforting Yugi when he came home from school after being picked on by kids his age. I stayed by his side and hugged him tight; letting him know that I love and care about him. I said some things to him that eased his mind and stop the tears. Words of love, courage, and compassion. He smiled at the memory and wiped off a tear on his face. "That's my granddaughter. Always caring about others before herself. Just like her mother before her. She may have my and her father's confidence, but she truly has her mother's heart." he said in his thoughts.
Mokuba and I ended our hug, and I gently put him back down on his feet beside Silver Fang. We smiled at each other happily and then turned to everyone else. "Aki? How did you know him and his brother?" Valon asked me. "I've met them when I was captive in the Lab. They would sneak in after my punishments and give me food and water." I replied. "So... they've saved your life..." Alister asked. I nodded my head yes to his question. "Wow... that's..." said Valon. "That is incredible. I guarantee that they also tried to break you out of the Lab too. It must've hurt their hearts to see you in so much pain during the time." Cecelia added. "It sure was. Seto and I had tried everything we could to let her escape, but the machines in the Lab were too difficult to operate... and she was too weak to move on her own. The only thing we had to do was keep giving her food and water; hoping that it will help her get her strength back. We were the only people in KaibaCorp that actually cared about her. For those three months, we became friends. She even helped Seto learn new strategies in Duel Monsters." Mokuba replied.
"Really? Is that true, Akira?" Pegasus asked me. "It's true." I replied. I could tell that mostly everyone was surprised to my response. I did teach Seto how to put his heart into the game, not for power. He realized during the times in the Lab that if he played for power, he would become just like Gozaburo. He promised me that he will never be like him, and will Duel with heart and pride, and will treat his opponents with respect. I just wonder what he has become now. Will he remember me if I see him again? Time will tell, I guess. After our talk, we all went into the dining room and began eating together. As we ate, Rafael, Valon, and I knew that Alister was going to be in serious trouble for taking the helicopter for kidnapping Mokuba. As I thought about it, I wondered where Seto was during all of this. Was he busy with something back home? Or was he trying to find a way to Duel Yugi again? Those questions flooded my mind throughout the whole dinner.
As we finished up dinner, we heard a few agents run into the room. "Master Pegasus! We apologize for interrupting your dinner, but we have some important news! A helicopter has been spotted in the skyline! We believe that it belongs to Seto Kaiba!" said one of the agents. "Seto!?" said Mokuba and I in shock. We stood up and ran to the archway outside of the room; looking up at the night sky. Everyone else followed us and began looking up at the sky too. "Akira? Do you see him?" Mokuba asked me. I looked around and then saw a light in the distance. "Over there!" I replied as I pointed to the light. We all looked at it silently and heard the helicopter in the distance. "What do we do now?" Valon asked. "We wait for him to come and let him inside. And let him deal with Alister. I wanna know exactly why he kidnapped Mokuba." I replied. "What!? Why are you throwing me under the bus for all this!?" Alister replied in shock. "Well, you did kidnap the kid." Rafael replied. Alister looked at us in shock and then lowered his head in defeat.
"Rafael is right. This is you and Seto's battle now. And you better give him a good reason why you kidnapped his little brother." said Valon. "And if I don't?" Alister replied. "You'll be deranked and be forced to work with an amateur soldier class." Rafael replied. Alister looked at him in shock for a moment and then gulped in fear; not wanting to lose his rank. We all looked up at the sky again silently, and began waiting for Seto's arrival.
Thank you so much for reading Chapter 1 of the story! This has been a project I have secretly been working on for quite sometime now, and I am so excited now I can finally reveal it! I've always wanted to do an AU Yu-Gi-Oh! story with Yugi having a older sister with special powers. Once I had that idea in my head, I had to study the lore of the series for nearly 9 months to figure how I can make Akira's powers unique, and then it clicked. I won't say how these powers exist yet, but they will be known as the story goes on.
I had a lot of fun studying the characters during the development of the story, but... I also wanted to challenge myself with them a little bit. As I studied them, I began to wonder how some will be impacted by Akira, mostly for Yugi and Seto. One of them might have a big change that you wouldn't expect. I know that I might be testing the waters on this one, but I feel pretty proud of the choice I made to one of them.
As for the Duels, I'm only putting in Duels that I personally liked in the series. The Duels I have to say are the hardest part to put in the story because of the amount of them I want in most Chapters, watching certain episodes of the Duels nearly over a hundred times just to get the dialogue just right, and how much of the Duels take over the Chapters(with little twists in some of them as well). Now I just have to figure out my schedules for this story and my other story, Calamity of Subspace, by trying to type both stories Chapters at certain times before my mind goes in a loop.
Anyways, thank you so much for reading, and have an awesome day!
Next time, Chapter 2: Unexpected Reunion. Seto Kaiba arrives at Duelist Kingdom to rescue Mokuba. When he finds him, he reunites with Akira for the first time. How will he be when they reunite? Find out in Chapter 2! (feat. Duel in Chapter 2: Seto vs. Joey).