Finally!!! Let the dueling begin!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: Ido not own yugioh. But I do own Ace!!!!!! Not to mention all of the new cards introduced in this and my other fics. Oh by the way I just figured out that you do the slash marks for Yami and Yugi conversation, but since I'm kinda far along, It will have to wait until my next story. Oh and one more thing, on some of the cards I'm not completely sure of the Atk and Def points. Sorry. :( One more thing, some people are getting confused. If you want to understand this story at all, you have to read the first chapter by soulofeternity. Thanx! -! You're all probably tired of me talking by now but there's one more thing you need to know that I didn't put in my fic. If the fusionist is destroyed then they lose the duel.

Ace: Just start the story.........

Chapter 4: The Titans Clash

The rest of the afternoon was pleasantly spent. But as night began to approach, tension in the group began to rise.

Joey-"Yuge. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Yugi-"Yes. I can't explain why, but I can't wait to duel this guy."

Everyone gave each other puzzling looks.

Yugi-"Listen I know it sounds weird, but to be honest... well, I hope he's as strong as all of you say he is."

Tristan-"I don't think it sound weird at all. At least not for you anyway."

Joey-" I don't get where you're going with this pal......"

Tristan-"Think about it. Yugi's never backed down from a duel. No matter how bad it looked. And he's always come out on top. I think it's only natural that by this time the thought of a powerful opponent would only be another challenge to Yugi, if you know what I'm saying........"

Tea-"Tristan's right. Yugi's always won no matter how tough the fight, and I know he'll win this one too."

Joey-"Well then, what are we waiting around here for? Let's show that Ace Cooper what our little buddy can do!"

It wasn't long before they reached the alleyway where Yugi's duel would be held. However, when they did reach the street, they found it empty and deserted.

Joey-"I don't get it. Where is the guy?"

Ace-"I'm right here."

Everyone jumped as he stepped out of the shadows behind them.

Ace-"Yugi Muto and friends, I presume?"

At this point Yami took over.

Yami-"Yes. And if you don't mind me asking, why did you challenge me to a duel?"

Ace-"I only wish to pit my skills against that of the great King of Games."

Yami-"Then before we do, I want to be sure that no harm will come to my friends."

Ace-"That I can promise you."

Yami jammed his deck into his duel disk, and activated the projectors. Ace followed the same suit.

Yami-" Then let's duel!"

The hologram projectors were quickly dispatched, the scores reset, and the duel was underway. The two opponents glared at each other from across the field, as each awaited the move the other would make. Yami drew a card and added it to his hand then started off the duel.

Yami-"I'll start with Celtic Guardian(Atk:1400 Def:1200) in attack mode, and to finish, I'll set one card face down. It's your move."

Ace-" Then I'll summon Warrior Dai Grepher(Atk:1700 Def:1600) in attack mode as well. Then I'll place two cards face down to end my turn."

Yugi, thinking-" Hmm. This guy must be preparing to play his fusion card, but if I lure him into attacking, maybe I can wipe him out before he draws it."

Yami-" First I'll summon Beta the Magnet Warrior(Atk:1400 Def:1600) in defense mode and end my turn."

Ace grinned as he pulled a card.

Ace-" I'll play Neo the Magic Swordsman (Atk:1700 Def:1000) as well, then I'll play two more cards face down. Now Warrior Dai Grepher attack his Celtic Guardian!"

Yami-" Heh, You've fallen into my trap. Reveal face down card, Mirror Force! Now your attack will be sent bact to where it came from!"

Ace simply laughed.

Ace-" Activate Final Sacrifice!"

Yami-" Final Sacrifice? What does that do?"

Ace-" Final Sacrifice allows me to use one of my own monsters to block the attack, for the price of 500 life points."

Yami-" Then that means your warrior...."

Ace-" Is spared."

The reflected attack hurdled toward Ace's swordsman and destroyed it with all of Ace's life points intact.

Joey-"Aww man, if Yugi can't get at this guys life points then he's done for!"

Yugi, thinking-" Joey's right! I have to beat him before he draws his fusion card, unless I can play my Egyptian God first. But what kind of power would I be unleashing?"

Ace-" It's your move! I came to duel the King of Games, not to take a nap!"

Tea-" Be quiet! You wouldn't know a good duel if it hit you in the face!"

Ace-" Are you apologizing?"

Tea-" uhmmmmm......."

Yami-" Leave my friends out of this duel!"

Ace-" Whatever."

Yami-" I'll set my Beaver Warrior in defense mode and end my turn."

Ace-" I'll summon Blackland Fire Dragon (Atk:1500 Def:800) in attack mode, then set my last two cards face down. Give me your best shot."

Yami-" As you wish. I'll sacrifice my Beaver Warrior and Celtic Guardian to summon the Dark Magician (Atk:2500 Def:2100)!"

Yami was about to call an attack when he saw Ace's face down cards.

Yugi, thinking-" Those face down cards could be part of a trap to destroy my Dark Magician, so I'll just set my Book of Secret Arts and Magical Hats face down just in case."

Yami-" And to finish my turn, I'll set two cards face down on the field."

Ace-" Humph. Typical."

Yami-" What are you talking about?"

Ace closed his eyes and shook his head.

Ace-" Your two face down cards are Book of Secret Arts and Magical Hats. You'd think after 3000 years your dueling style would have changed a little."

Tristan-" How did you know that?!"

Ace-" Please, how could I not know the style of the person who taught me this game?"

Shock was the feeling the whole group shared.

Tea-" Yugi taught you how to play Duel monsters?"

Ace-" No. It was the Pharaoh who taught me the shadow games."

Yami's eyes widened with surprise, while ace's only fell with disappointment.

Ace-" I see you don't remember. It's easy to forget after 3000 years I suppose."

Ace let out a sigh as the whole group exchanged quizzical glances.

Ace-" Friends, family they all seem to fade with time. Those who can forget are lucky. The past is full of so many memories I wish I could forget........"

Yami at this point, could have sworn he seen a tear forming in Ace's eye. But when he looked up there was no trace of one.

Ace-" But I'm babbling and our duel is underway."

But just as Ace stopped speaking a fleeting image danced before Yami's eyes. A young man, seven dragons, rejoicing people.......

Ace-" It's my move so I'll play a magic card, Tune of the Guardian Dragon!"

A small, roundish flute appeared on the field. It was suddenly seized by Ace's warrior who immediately began to play the same tune that Ace had been playing the night before....... Through the music that began to settle on the field ace began to speak.

Ace-" By sacrificing one dragon type monster on my side of the field, I can summon one of the most powerful and ancient dragons in duel monsters!"

Ace's Blackland Fire dragon disappeared and was replaced by a huge dragon with black and gold stripes and a wild look in its eye. It stretched its massive wings and gave a roar of rage to the sky.

Ace-" Behold, Kyadreon the Guardian Dragon (Atk:2500 Def:1800)

Joey-" Hey! That's the same combination he used to wipe me out!'

Tea-" Be carful Yugi!"

Ace-" And to end my turn, I'll set one card face down."

Yugi, thinking-" That's the same dragon I saw in my dream!"

Yami, thinking-" Maybe so, but we'll have to worry about that later."

Yami-" I'll set one card in defense mode, and one card face down. It's your move"

Ace drew a card and a smirk spread across his face.

Ace-" It's over."

Yami-" Then I'll assume you've drawn your fusion card."

Ace-" Yeah, now behold the power of the Guardian!"

A small slot in his duel disk opened up and Ace placed the Guardian card inside. A second arm slot unfolded, and Ace quickly slipped his arm inside as the two halves of the duel disk parted in a flash of light.

Computer voice-" Fusion hologram projectors activated."

When the light dimmed, a proud warrior stood before them. (Atk:2000 Def:1700) He wore light armor, and a small pendant hung from his neck. Yami stared at him. Now that the Guardian card had been played it almost seemed like this was who Ace truly was........

Yami-" You may have gotten your Guardian card on to the field, but you're still weaker than my Dark Magician!"

The Guardian cocked his eyebrow. (I'm going to refer to Ace as the Guardian as long as his fusion card is in play)

Guardian-" Am I?"

Yami-" We'll find out soon enough. Dark Magician attack the Guardian with Dark Magic attack!"

The attack charged forward with incredible speed until it was inches from its target, then all at once the Guardian jumped out of the way and disappeared

Joey-" Hey! Where'd he go?!?!".

Tristan-" His dragon's gone too!"

Guardian-" Up here."

Everyone looked up, and silhouetted against the sky was the dragon Ace had played earlier, except this time it had a rider..... The dragon swooped down and hovered over its side of the field.

Yugi, thinking-" He dodged the attack!!!"

Guardian-" Now do you understand why I played my dragon earlier?"

Yami-" Yes. You can use your monsters to your own advantage."

Guardian-" Precisely, now it's my turn and I'll attack your defense monster with raging thunder!"

The Guardian jumped off of the dragon at a height that would be appropriate for a kamikaze attack. A ball of glowing energy between his hands as he brought them to his side. As he hurdled closer, the defense card revealed itself as the Giant Solider of Stone (Atk:1300 Def:2000).

Joey-" Alright!"

Tristan-" What's the celebration for? Yugi's going to lose another monster!"

Joey-" Maybe so, but the Giant Soldier of Stone's defense points and the guardian's Attack points are the same, so the battle will end in a stalemate, both monsters will be destroyed, including the Guardian, which means Yugi will win!"

But the Guardian had other plans, and just before he made contact, he fired the attack and jumped away. The attack hit its mark with such force that it took a minute for the dust to clear. However when it did clear, the guardian still stood tall.

Yami, shocked-" Why weren't you destroyed? That attack should have ended in a stalemate!"

Guardian-" True, but because I jumped I gave the attack extra force and power."

Yami-" So, you can manipulate your attacks too."

Guardian-" You bet."

Yami-"It's my move."

Yami drew a card.

Yugi, thinking-" Yes it's my Egyptian God Card!"

But as soon as he drew the card, Kyadreon, who had been glaring at the Dark Magician, looked straight at Yami and gave a low growl as if he knew what card he had just drawn. The Guardian shot Kyadreon a questioning look as yami made his play.

Yami-" First I'll use Monster Reborn to bring back my Celtic Guardian, then play Mystical Elf in Defense mode. Can you predict what I'm going to do next?"

Guardian-" Do I need to?"

Yami-" Reveal face down card, Swords of Revealing Light!"

Swords rained from the sky and covered the Guardian's side of the field. The guardian was doing his best to try and side step the falling swords, but one caught him off guard and caught his arm where there was no armor. He winced in pain as it passed. Yami was surprised to see the cut on his arm begin to bleed.

Guardian-" Clever move. What next?"

Yami-" This. First I'll sacrifice my Celtic Guardian and Magnet Warrior to summon my Buster Blader (Atk:2600 Def:2300)! Then I'll play Polymerization and fuse it and my Dark Magician together to create the Dark Paladin (Atk:3600 Def: I have no clue....)! And because you have a dragon on the field my attack power is boosted by 500 points!"

Joey-" Alright! Yugi's practically unstoppable!"

Guardian-" Just because your friend has a powerful card on the field doesn't mean that he's won the duel."

Tea-" Sounds like you're scared!"

Guardian-" You don't know the first thing about fear, but because I can't attack it's your turn."

Yugi, thinking-" This guy's got ice in his blood. He must have one more trick up his sleeve."

Yami-" Since you can't attack, I'll draw two cards and play Feral Imp and Silver fang in defense mode. Now the swords of revealing light disappear and it's your move."

Guardian, thinking-" Great. He's got a Dark Paladin on the field, and judging by the way Kyadreon's acting, an Egyptian God in his hand."

Guardian-" I pass this turn."

Joey-" Looks like you're giving up!"

Yugi, thinking-" that's certainly what it looks like...."

Yami-" You've put up a good fight, but it's over! Dark Paladin Attack!"

The Paladin sprung forward with incredible force, its attack aimed straight at the Guardian.

Guardian-" Activate Tecatsu the Dragon Fang!"

A brilliant sword appeared in the Guardian's hand, and flashed in the dying light of the afternoon sun. There was a brilliant flash, and the sound of clashing metal. The two warriors stood locked in battle. Even though the Guardian had been almost 200 points behind, his new weapon had boosted his strength considerably. He was doing a fairly good job holding his own, but was slowly giving way due to the injury on his left arm. Yami's gut suddenly lurched. He couldn't keep this up much longer. Hologram or not, he was getting hurt and this duel was taking a serious toll on the Guardian. Yami would have given up, if the Guardian hadn't turned things around.

Instead of continuing to resist, the guardian fell back on to his shoulders and delivered a powerful kick that sent the Paladin flying. The Guardian staggered back to his feet, clearly exhausted.

Joey-" Ya' know I've got to hand it to this guy. He ain't given' up without a fight."

Guardian-" I........pass..........Do.........your.......worst..."

Yami-" But......"

Yami caught the Guardian's glance. He was about ready to drop dead, but his eyes still held the same determined look they had from the start.

Guardian-" Well? What are you waiting for?"

Yami-" I play Griffor in attack mode(these don't have atk and def because there not going to do any thing.)

Joey-" Alright Yugi! One more turn and you can summon your Egyptian god card!"

Yugi-" Yes, but what kind of danger would I be putting the Ace in? So far the monsters I've played are nothing compared to Slyfer and he's some how hurt. What should I do........."

Guardian-" Don't worry about it."

Yami-" What?"

Guardian-" I can see it in your eyes that your conflicting whether or not to play your Egyptian god. If I were afraid to face it, then I wouldn't of challenged you in the first place."

Tea-" Wow. He reminds me so much of Yugi. (Flashbacks of Yugi's duels) The way he never gives up and keeps fighting, no matter what the odds.

Yami-" Fine. Since you think you can take on an Egyptian god, I'll grant your wish. I'll sacrifice my Feral Imp, Silver Fang, and Griffor to summon Slyfer the Sky Dragon!"

No sooner was the card played did the sky grow dark and the massive Egyptian god descended from the sky. Everyone was stunned, save Yami and the Guardian, even though they had seen this incredible beast before. The wild look in Kyadreon's eye came back stronger than ever as Slyfer took its place on the field. Kyadreon gave him a roar of rage to let the Egyptian god know that his presence was not wanted.

Guardian-" Knock it off Kyadreon."

But the Guardian felt the same way. Slyfer had to go.

Yami-" Because I have 4 cards in my hand Slyfer gains 4000 Attack points. 1000 for each card in my hand."

Guardian-" Nothing new."

Yami-" What do you mean?"

Guardian-" (sigh) I guess your memory does fade fast. Remember I said you taught me the Shadow Games, something Duel Monsters hasn't been called in over 3000 years, a time when these Egyptian gods ravaged across the planet. Except then they weren't holograms, they were real. And their power was a force to be reckoned with."

Yugi, thinking-" He sure knows an awful lot....."

Yami-" It's my move. And I'll use it to end this duel. Now Slyfer attack the Guardian And end this duel!"

Guardian-" Now Kyadreon!"

Before Slyfer could complete his attack, Kyadreon launched one of his own, Making Slyfer recoil in pain and halt the attack in its track. But in the confusion, the guardian had once again slipped away. Suddenly, there was the sound of drawing steel to the side of Slyfer. Yami, much to his surprise, heard the somewhat familiar sound at the same time as the Egyptian god, and saw Slyfer whip his tail out at the Guardian with rage ensued lighting speed. The Guardian hit the ground with a sickening thud and lay motionless as Kyadreon rushed over to his side. The dragon gently nuzzled his master, and when he made no move, Kyadreon charged Slyfer. Big mistake. The God simply swatted the dragon away as if he were no more than a mere toy. The dragon landed unconscious just as the guardian began to struggle to his feet. Yami stood frozen. Here before him was a man that did not know the meaning of defeat. He simply would not stay down. He had felt Slyfer's wrath and now seemed more determined than ever to beat the God that loomed before him. The Guardian rose painfuly to his feet.

Yami-" How are you still standing? You took a direct blow from Slyfer and you're still standing."

Guardian-" Heh. Just before Slyfer hit me I activated a magic card called, Endurance, which allows any monster stronger than I to attack 3 times before I'm destroyed. It hurts, but it will keep me in the game."

Yami, thinking-" No wonder he's the Martial Arts champion,..... He's taken a blow from Slyfer and still wants to continue."

The Guardian stood on the other side of the field trying to collect himself and figure out his next move when a strange presence settled around him, and a strong hatred of the Egyptian god began to grow. But why he did not understand.

Guardian, thinking-" There's only been one thing I've ever hated like this in my life. But could Slyfer......"

Joey-" Come on! Make your move already! We came to see a duel, not a chess match!"

Yami however was not paying attention to his friend. Instead he was watching the Guardian. It was like there was something in side his mind that was trying to surface, but couldn't. Like the harder you think about something, the more you forget.

Yugi-" You ok?"

Yami, thinking-" I'm not sure. Ace, the Guardian.......his determination, he himself seems so familiar, but where have I seen him before? Could it be true about what he said?"

At that moment things went from bad to worse. Slyfer's eye caught the Pharaoh staring at the Guardian, and how or why, the god did not want the ancient king to remember who this stranger was. So, slyfer launched an attack at the unconscious Guardian Dragon. At the same instant, the Guardian broke out of his daze, and rushed to defend his dragon. The results were disastrous. The to titans attacks met in a clash of raw power and flashing steel, that split the God's attack in half buying time for the dragon to escape. And for a second it seemed as if the Guardian would come out on top, but Slyfer just unleashed more power into the attack, sending the Guardian's sword flying out of his hands, and striking the Guardian with the full force of the attack. The impact sent the Guardian and his dragon flying to opposite sides of the field. When the smoke cleared the guardian was laying face down in the dirt, struggling in and out of consciousness and obviously in a lot of pain. The brilliant armor he was wearing at the beginning was dirty and broken. His clothes shredded, and body decorated with bad cuts and bruises as a result of his battle with Slyfer. But through it all, his eyes were unchanged, still set with the strong determination to defeat the monster that loomed before him. The Guardian had made it to his knees when he finally lost consciousness.

At that moment, Slyfer saw his opportunity to rid himself of this persistent warrior, and began to launch one, final attack. Yami now saw the true nature of the danger the Guardian was now in.

Yami-" Slyfer! Stop!"

But the god paid no attention to Yami, or anything else for that matter. The only thing that mattered was the destruction of the unconscious warrior at his feet. Before Slyfer launched his attack, Two small familiar children rushed out from the shadows and on to the field in front of the Guardian. The young boy stood with his arms out wide trying to shield the Guardian, while the girl tried to shake his battered form awake.

Girl-" Get up Ace! You're gonna get hurt!"

Slyfer was about ready to launch his attack, when Tea rushed out on to the field.

Yami-" Tea!"

Joey-" Tea are you nuts!!!! Get out of there before you get hurt!"

Tea-" Kids, we have to leave now!"

Boy-" But what about Ace....."

At that moment Slyfer Launched his attack with a deadly aim, as the three stood petrified with fear. Then out of nowhere all of them, including the Guardian, were scooped up and into the air by Kyadreon in the nick of time.

Tea-" Where did you come from!?!?!?!"

The dragon snorted his reply, then gave a taunting roar to Slyfer. The noise woke the Guardian. It only took him a moment to realize what had happened and when he realized the danger that Slyfer had put three innocent people in because of him only added to his fury even more. He took a flying leap off of the dragon's back and dashed for his sword. Slyfer slashed at him only to realize that he had disappeared. Ace reappeared in midair then broadsided Slyfer, hard, then grabbed on to his neck and held on. Slyfer instantly started thrashing, in an attempt to throw off his rider. Yami stared in disbelief as his memory finally surfaced. He knew only one man that would ever be foolish enough to even dare to hold on to the neck of the god.

Yami-" Katon!"

The Guardian whipped around at the mention of a name he had not used for so long. A slight smile spread across his face in the midst of the fray.

Guardian, thinking-" I guess friendships do last forever....."

Suddenly Slyfer lurched, catching the Guardian off guard and threw him to the ground. Then the God launched another attack, and all the Guardian could do was put up his arms and try to defend himself. The force of the attack began to drive the Guardian's feet into the ground. The Guardian looked hurriedly around for a way to finish the duel before Slyfer finished him.

Guardian-" Pharaoh! Attack my warrior with your Paladin!!!"

Yami-" But that means you'll lose the duel!"

Guardian-"Some things are more important than winning!"

Yami, thinking-" Some things never change....."

Yami-" I'll play Spellbinding Circle, and lower your monster's attack points by 700! Now Dark Paladin, attack his warrior with Dark Blade Slash and end this duel!"

Yami's Paladin charged and destroyed the Warrior Dai Greffor with one, swift stroke bringing The Guardian's life points down to zero. The Hologram merciful disappeared quickly, along with Slyfer. Ace, now rid of his hologram exterior dropped to his knees, as the others, including the two children rushed over. Ace managed a weary smile.

Ace, weakly-" Some duel, eh Yami?"

Yami shook his head and returned the reply with a rare smile.

Yami-" That's Pharaoh to you, my friend."

YAY!!!!! I FINALLY FINISHED IT!!!!!!!! Sorry it's taken so long but this will probably be the last chap for a while. Any way I hope you liked it, and thanks to all who reviewed...... PLZ R&R!!!!!!!!!!