A Note from the authors: To everyone - we already know that when the card "Card of Last Will" is played, it's text has been altered. We did this because we needed to, so please don't complain - unless of course you want to see Yami lose. Other than that - enjoy!

Chapter 37

"Final Duel, Part Three: Salvation!"

The chamber had suddenly gone quiet, with the only sound being the ragged breathing of the Pharaoh, who was still clutching his wounded shoulder tenderly. His mind was racing with questions, and he thought briefly how, had the situation not been so dire, he would have liked to read through the whole of Jetsu's walls. Everything that he'd ever wanted to know about his past was right here in front of him and he could do nothing but endure Jetsu's taunting displays of the time when he had been revered. He wanted more, his curiosity was overflowing, but he was in no position to really be posing questions.

At that moment, Dedi's soft voice floated through the air, posing the question that Yami was most anxious to find the answer to. "I don't understand…in order for there to have been a grandchild…there would've had to be…a child first…" she said slowly, "Why can't we remember that…?"

Jetsu snapped his fingers and the Jackal raised its arm threateningly at her, the point of his wrist-spear drawing dangerously close to her throat. She pulled her head back, cringing, trying to put more distance between herself and the blade.

"Worthless dessert snake," Jetsu snapped, glancing sideways at her, "You will do to keep your tongue still, if you do not wish it to be removed." He turned back to the arena, "I believe it is your turn, my liege."

Yami's nostrils flared, but he did his best to ignore Jetsu for now, and pulled the next card from his deck (Card of Last Will), "First, I activate the magic card Brain Control, taking your Spirit Reaper into my possession!"

The large brain came out of his magic card and attached itself to the Spirit Reaper. The monster let out a horrible, blood-curdling screech and thrust its own scythe into itself, shattering into hundreds of little pieces and disappearing.

"When the Spirit Reaper is targeted by magic or trap cards that specifically designate a target, he kills himself to avoid disobeying his master." Jetsu placed one foot in the small puddle of blood that the monster had left behind, "If only there were more real beings like him." The man sighed, looking slightly disappointed.

'That's not all that bad, actually,' came Yugi's voice inside of Yami's throbbing head, 'If we can't destroy it in battle, then this works as well.'

"Now, I set one card face-down (Rope of Life) and one monster in defense mode (Winged Dragon (1400/1200))." Yami's eyes weren't really focused on the duel, but rather he was trying to catch Dedi's attention. He wanted to try to reassure her in some way, but it probably didn't look very good from her point of view.

"My move," Jetsu pulled out the next card from his deck (Axe of Despair), "I equip my Jackal with the Axe of Despair, raising his stats to 3700/1200!"

The Jackal turned away from Dedi and raised his right hand in the air. A mini-twister of silver and red dust swirled around his open hand and formed itself into a huge, ornate axe. After it had solidified, the Jackal swung it through the air a few times, as if getting the feel for how it worked.

Yami heard Yugi utter a tiny whimper unintentionally, and he knew they were both thinking the same thing: if they couldn't pull this off, that axe was going to…well…Yami didn't want to think about that…

"Now, my beast, attack his pathetic monster. Soon you will put that Axe to a much better use." The Jackal rushed forward and sliced the down card in two. The Winged Dragon appeared again only for an instant before disappearing again.

Yami pressed down the button on his Duel Disk, "I activate my trap: Card of Last Will! It allows me to draw five new cards when one of my monsters is sent to the card graveyard!" The Spirit of the Puzzle began to pick up more cards, while Jetsu stared in disbelief.

The descendant of Egypt's leading high priest stood rooted to his spot, unable to believe the Pharaoh's good fortune. No! I'm losing control of this duel!

Yami Yugi spread the cards and added them to his hand, examining each (Kuriboh, Slifer the Sky Dragon, Pot of Greed, The Winged Dragon of Ra, Multiply), "Now I draw!" The same card that he had gotten last turn appeared once again (Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress #1), "I will now activate the magic card Pot of Greed allowing me to draw even more cards into my hand!"

He selected his next two cards (Reasoning and Mystical Space Typhoon), "First, I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, to destroy your Royal Oppression!" Two lightning fast bolts of energy shot out of the magic card and struck the two guards that had been standing near their trap card, felling them both.

Maeda eyed the spot on his side of the field where his trap card had been just moments ago curiously, "Why destroy that card? I should think that you would be more worried about my Axe of Despair. That threat seems rather imminent, wouldn't you agree?" The Jackal made another angry swipe with the Axe, cutting through the air with no resistance.

Yami pushed another of his cards into his Duel Disk, "Here's your answer: my Reasoning magic card!" The man smiled at his opponent and another green-rimmed card appeared on the field. There was a rush of green smoke and out of it appeared a tall man in a green cloak and large turban, floating in mid-air in a sitting position, and holding a smoking pipe in one hand. "Fitting, isn't it Jetsu? I've tried to reason with you, but now you'll be forced to play my game."

Jetsu gritted his teeth together tightly, "And what game is that, Pharaoh?"

"A simple game of chance," Yami said, forcing a smile despite the pain, "All you have to do is call out the level number for a monster card. Then I pick up cards from the top of my deck until I find a monster. If the level of that monster is the same as the number you called out, then every card pulled is sent to the graveyard. If the level number is different, than that monster is summoned to the field in face-up attack or defense mode, and any extra cards are sent to the graveyard. The rules are lengthy, but the object of the game is quite easy to understand." The floating man in the green robe blew a few smoke rings from his pipe. "Well, Maeda?" Yami asked, "Shall we start the game?"

"Let's. And I believe that your next monster will be as pitiful as every other card in your deck: a level 4." The smoking man held up a card to Yami that read '4'.

Yami began to draw cards: Polymerization… Dust Tornado… Dark Hole… Obelisk the Tormentor. This had not really been what Yami had been hoping for, but it certainly was an interesting twist of fate. "The card I've drawn is one you should recognize, Maeda, for it belongs to the time of your ancestors!" The Pharaoh placed the blue card down on the DD2 and shouted, "Come forth – Obelisk the Tormentor!!!"

The ground shook and bits of stone and dust fell loose from the walls as the chamber filled with blue light and the almighty God Monster materialized, in full physical form, in the arena. It was so tall that it broke a hole in the ceiling as it raised itself up to its full height. Through the dust that was settling, Yami saw Dedi's eyes widen as she stared up in awe at the magnificent creature.

"Obelisk the Tormentor has 4000/4000 stats," Yami said, proudly gazing up at the huge blue monster, "Which is just enough to defeat your Jackal! Go Obelisk!" Yami pointed towards the Mystical Knight of Jackal, which wasn't even moving, just staring up at the huge monster, unable even to try to defend itself.

Jetsu's wide, green eyes watched as the mighty beast took one giant step forward and swung its almighty fist down upon his monster. Surprisingly, the God monster's attack also managed to clip Jetsu, sending the man sprawling several feet away. Yami: 2700 – Jetsu: 5000.

"You did it, Yami!" Dedi cried happily, "I knew you'd find a way out of this!"

"Silence, bitch!" Jetsu roared, having gotten quickly to his feet and back-handing her across the face, "You will not speak unless spoken too – like a proper woman."

"Leave her alone!" Yami shouted across the hall, "You battle is with me – leave my wife out of it!"

"My battle has always been with both of you," Jetsu said, turning back to face the Pharaoh, "Ever since the days of my ancestors…" The shield glowed and for a third time, the images of the past were displayed in the center of the room, for all to see…

* * *

The stone door of the tomb was slid shut by a team of ten men, and the mummified body of King Yami II was sealed away after days of preparing the dead Pharaoh for his journey to the underworld. Standing at the front of a group of mourners, Queen Dedi was holding her three-year-old daughter, Chaldea, in her arms while both of them tried hard not to cry. As the sound of the slamming door faded away, the group began to disperse, many of them murmuring words of consolation to the Queen as they left. Dedi forced a smile and nodded to each one, shifting Chaldea from one hip to the other. Then she joined them as they retreated from the pyramid.

The palace was particularly cold that day, but Dedi doubted that this had anything to do with the weather. She spent the next several hours praying in her room to the large painting of her departed husband and the Millennium Puzzle that still lay on his desk along with three stone carvings of the God Monsters that he had engraved himself. Chaldea was sitting on the floor, playing with a tiny, sewn-together doll of Osirus.

Though Dedi was sure that she had instructed the servants not to let anyone disturb her, the door opened quietly and closed just as quickly. The Queen tried to ignore the footsteps of whomever dared intrude upon her mourning, but the quiet voice that sounded nearly made her snap on the spot, "It wasn't your fault, my Queen. There was nothing that you could've done."

"Yes I could have!" Dedi said, jerking around and staring up at Basu Maeda, "I could have kept him from listening to you!" Her voice was rising as all the hurt and anger swelled up inside her. "It was you who convinced him to give up his magic to the Millennium Items! You who told him to seal off the Gods – knowing the risk it would put on his life!" She shook her head violently, "Why he ever trusted you is beyond me." There were tears in her eyes now, and Chaldea had stopped playing, clearly sensing that something was wrong.

"I have served this kingdom for many years and my suggestions have often benefited the well-being of this country," Basu held his arms stiffly at his sides, straightening up, "King Yami I, your husband's father, placed his greatest faith in me during his reign."

"Yes he did," Dedi nodded, "And he ended up dead as well, didn't he?"

"Barak's interference was not my fault, I would like to remind you," Basu said, his voice cold and testy, "And since Yami II defeated Barak, I believe he was quiet capable of making his own decisions. Your husband agreed with my advice."

"He wouldn't have agreed if he'd know it would end his life!" Dedi cried, no longer thinking rationally but rather letting her tattered emotions get the better of her.

Basu lowered his hood, his eyes flashing dangerously, "I must agree. He might not have gone along with my plan had he known it would end your life."

"I…you…what?!" she stammered, eyes widening, "What are you talking about…??" She was on her feet now, instinctively glancing over at where her daughter was sitting.

"I thought that my meaning was rather clear. Yes, it was very kind of the Pharaoh to remove himself from the picture for me. Makes my life so much easier," Basu took a step towards Dedi, then another more quickly, raising his right hand and mumbling a spell under his breath.

"You set him up…" Dedi said, the full horror of the truth settling down upon her, "You knew…YOU KNEW!!!" She reached behind her back for the Millennium Scale and her eyes widened as her hand patted the empty sling that had been specially designed to hold her weapon of choice. 'Where is it?'

"Oh dear…you've been careless, my Queen. You never even noticed when I managed to unhook your scale and set it in the burial chamber with your husband. It still resides there now, sealed away by the guards. Funny, how his last gift to you still wasn't enough to protect you," he turned his head, now gazing at the confused child, "…or his daughter."

At that moment, the door to the bed chamber opened and a tall man with his long black hair tied back at the nape of his neck came running into the room. "Mistress!" he said, stopping short as he surveyed the area quickly, green eyes narrowed, "What's going on here…?"

"Shem!!" Dedi cried, running towards their faithful bodyguard, "Basu's betrayed us all! He –" She stopped moving suddenly, as if frozen.

Basu was walking up behind her, hand still raised and muttering non-stop. There was a flash of light and Basu lowered his hand, breathing hard. Dedi was still rooted to the spot, but her eyes were glazed over and chalk white. She collapsed in a heap on the ground, her head hitting the stone with a hard Crack!

Chaldea screamed and Shem was shaken to his senses. He rushed to Dedi's side, pressing his fingers to her throat, checking for a pulse. There was none. He glared up at Basu, "What in the name of the gods did you do to her?!"

Basu ignored him, walking towards the quivering child and raising his hand once again.

"Don't you dare!!!" Shem cried, leaping up and quickly throwing himself in front of Chaldea, pulling his sacred Mirror out from the folds of his cloak. "Don't try anything, Maeda!" he warned, "Anything you direct at me will be reflected right back at you! And I plan to keep myself between you and the Princess." Shem felt the little girl's small arms cling to the back of his robes and sincerely hoped that he would be strong enough to keep her safe.

The High Priest stopped, glaring at the bodyguard with distain, "Don't kid yourself, Matoh. I can and will shatter that pathetic little toy of yours. Get out of the way if you value your life; The Pharaoh is no longer here to protect you, either." He craned his head back towards Dedi, "And the Queen won't be much help from inside the Scale, miles away."

Shem swallowed hard. Maeda was right – without the Pharaoh's magic to guide him, his mirror might have lost its power. There was only one way to make sure that it was preserved. "That may be so…" he said slowly, "But there are more ways than one to protect her!" With this, he turned his back on Basu, hiding Chaldea with the long sleeves of his robe, muttering rapidly to himself. A bright light began emitting from the mirror, filling the dim room.

As it faded, he slumped over, struggling to keep himself up on his elbows. The Pharaoh's daughter clung to him, sobbing. "Please, Princess…" he whispered, "Keep the mirror…it will protect you as long as you are strong…I have poured my heart into it…my love and devotion for you and your parents…never show signs of weakness…and you will never need to fear evil in the world…" He rubbed his cheek against hers, feeling her warm tears on his skin, "You'll keep this promise for me…won't you…?"

Chaldea nodded sadly and Shem hit the floor, gone. She turned wet eyes to Basu, clutching the mirror and trying to be brave for Shem's sake.

"Idiot! Absolute rubbish!" Basu stomped forward, kicking Shem's dead body away, "The fool has no idea of what he's dealing with!" Maeda raised both of his hands towards the child, and nearly shouting out his next incantation.

"No!" Chaldea cried, "Go away! Leave me alone!" The mirror began glowing again, and Basu found himself being pushed backwards, away from her by what felt like strong, invisible hands. He didn't have time to wonder about just what Shem had done with his final act because there were hurried footsteps in the hallway outside and seconds later, five of the Council of Priests and a few of the servants came running in.

"Basu!!" a Priest with a shaved head gasped as he was the first to enter the room, "What happened?!"

There was a shriek from the servants as they all spotted the two dead bodies and poor little Chaldea standing between them, shaking and still clutching the mirror.

"It was…horrible…" Basu said, his voice now soft, "Matoh killed the Queen! I arrived here just in time to save the Princess…"

"Young mistress!!" one of the female servants said, swooping down and scooping Chaldea into her arms, "You poor little thing…it's all right now…don't you cry…"

The little princess squirmed in the woman arms, crying out, "It wasn't Shem! It wasn't! He didn't kill Mama – Basu did it! Basu did it!"

Basu didn't even flinch, but rather patted the girl gently on the head, "The poor child is so shocked that she's delusional. Perhaps she should be taken away from here. Such a trauma certainly risks her ending up with serious brain damage."

"An excellent idea," another Priest said, "Thank goodness you were able to save her, Basu."

The man clenched his fist tightly by his side, but then allowed his cloak sleeve to cover it, "Yes… a miracle."

* * *

Jetsu was standing his tallest now, holding the shield almost in front of himself, "My ancestor was able to defeat you, Yami, and I'm twice the mage he could ever hope to be! I don't care how many of your precious gods you summon; Nothing you do can save you!"