A/N: Well, here it is finally! Chapter 5 in all its glory. Keep in mind, I have never played Duel Monsters, and I never imagined that making this duel would be so hard, but I have accomplished what I originally wrote this story for at the end of the chapter. Yay! Anyway, my strategies are not the best, but I am more of a story writer than I am a duelist.
For your information, for those who don't know, Jim Morrison was the singer/songwriter for the 60's band the Doors. He died of drug overdose like most of his fellow musical artists of the time.
And finally, my thanks to Yami Silverdramon for hanging in there during the hiatus. No, not all characters that I have introduced into this story are human. Kel is a half elf, but Galen is human. Other mentioned characters, Tallon is human, Malhavoc, Galen's so loving master, was human some 500 years ago, and now he is rather anundead wizard, Jeriah is human, and Nikodemus is half drowhalf kender . . .makes for an interesting combo!! Anyway, you got more than you asked for!! :)
Chapter 5: Show Me a Sign
Long long ago in a far off land . . . oh, wrong story! Kel and Yugi flipped out their duel discs with a severe intensity not ever seen in Kel, and they each drew their five cards for this world saving duel. An eager crowd gathered around with great anticipation to see a proper duel and perchance some needless bloodshed. The big letters of "L.P." appeared on a transparent blue background with the number of 4000 at each contestant's feet. The banshees gave an enthusiastic shake of their pom poms and shrieked out a cheer not suited for all audiences to encourage their man. The crowd intensified more. Galen just looked confused (and it wasn't only on how what the banshees suggested could be possible).
"Kel, sir," he asked curiously, and therefore serving his special purpose in which he was put in this story for, "What does the 'L.P.' mean and what is the significance of the number 4000?"
"Oh, that's just the number of Lilliputians cheering at my feet, man," the bard happily answered, as he waved to his imaginary miniature fans.
"Uh?" Everyone else responded and muttered amongst themselves in a confused sort of way. The banshees just swooned in a romantic sort of way.
"Galen," Yami Yugi spoke with nobility, "The 'L.P.' stands for 'Life Points' in this game. The winner completely depletes his opponent's Life Points by his monsters' attacks."
"Life Points?" the young apprentice exclaimed. With trembling hands, he tugged at Kel's brightly colored T-shirt, "Kel, sir, you didn't say this was going to be so serious of a game. I don't want to see you get hurt. I don't know if my magic would work the way it should here either. Please, let's go before anything bad happens."
Kel turned to his desperate frightened companion. He gave him one of those big bright grins to calm his fears. It completely failed. All the color drained from the one eyed man's face. "Chill, little apprentice dude," the blue haired psuedo-musician said, "We ain't gonna hurt each other. The life points thingy is a game word only. Yugi ain't gonna kill me . . . yet." The now taller tri-colored haired youth narrowed his slanted violet eyes at him. "We are just playing for the grooviest card in the other's deck. No real bloodshed. It wouldn't be much fun if the other ended up dead, and without the certainty of your own power and without your master around, the corpse would just lie there lifeless and all. That would be a real bummer of a trip!"
Most of the audience booed and threw in the towel. They had better and bloodier matches to watch. "What! No Shadow Game!" Joey complained, "Bummer!"
Yami Yugi narrowed his purple eyes at his best friend. If looks could kill, Joey wouldn't be going to the Battle City Finals in this life. The tall blonde just gave a clueless smile. The manifestation of the Pharaoh just sighed and returned his attention back to the cards in his hand. Since this was not a life and death struggle, Tristain volunteered himself and Serenity to go get some sodas. Joey glared at his tall brunette friend making off with his sister. Oh well, the crowd might miss out and there may yet be bloodshed.
Kel threw back his hair and flexed his fingers, as he looked over the super groovy hand he had drawn. He drew one more card from his way out deck and kissed it reverently before he placed it face down on the playing field. He placed a second card face down, and he held up a third card.
"I play my first two cards face down for that later tea party, and this stellar third card is Flower Child. I play him in defense mode, dude," he announced, as he lay the card sideways on his duel disc.
A youth with long flowing hair with flowers peppered throughout the tresses appeared sitting cross-legged on top of the turned card on the field of play. He wore similar clothes as Kel- a tye dye shirt with a big blooming daisy on the front, and the words on the back read "A Friend in Weed is a Friend Indeed!" He wore hemp jeans and tacky plastic sandals. His arms were crossed, and one hand was held up with two fingers creating a "V" sign and the other hand held a peace pipe, that he drew on in a dreamy way. The number "2000" appeared within a white starburst within a blue square.
Yami Yugi's purple eyes grew wide at the happily smoking youth. In all of his experience with Duel Monsters, he had never heard of such a card before, but, then again, each duelist had his own unique deck, and many duelists had cards that he never heard of before his duel with them. Oh well, he was the world's best duelist, and that meant no matter how different the cards in his opponent's deck, he must meet the challenge head on like all the rest.
He chose a card and held it up between his index finger and the middle. "I play Big Shield Guardian in defense mode."
A big dark haired barbarian warrior, whose appearance was quite contrary to his measly 100 attack points, appeared on the field with an equally big shield. The Flower Child on Kel's side of the field was not phased. He just smiled and leaned over to offer the new comer a smoke on his pipe. The Big Shield Guardian only glared and grunted a disheartening noise in response. The Flower Child only shrugged and took back his pipe for a good long inhale. A peaceful oblivious expression crossed his face and glazed eyes as he went to his own private Nirvana.
Ignoring this vivid uncharacteristic interaction between their cards, Yugi held up a second and third card in his signature stance of the series. "I also summon Beaver Warrior and Skull Servant to the field and offer them as tribute to bring forth Dark Magician in Attack Mode."
The two monsters appeared briefly just to be shattered by an imposing tall elven looking fellow with a terribly serious look on his pale face and in his narrow eyes that said he had no interest at all in the Flower Child's offered peace pipe. He wore a curved purple conical hat and deep purple robes over purple armor. The stony faced fellow's hair was a shade of lavender purple. Kel felt a tinge of envy. This wizard even carried a purple staff with a jewel atop it.
"Wow!" Galen exclaimed clearly impressed, but given the nature of the youth, that didn't say much. "I've never seen a wizard with such a serious intense expression before!" He poked his index fingers together and red filled his cheeks. "Nikodemus and Tallon are too lighthearted, and Master tries, but it is kind of hard for him since he doesn't have flesh anymore."
"Oh, don't worry about it, man. That is the wizard Deep Purple," Kel gleefully remarked.
The half elf bard cracked his knuckles and drew another card with his exuberant disposition. He placed a second card face up on the field. It was a magic card that would enhance his far out defense. It was called "Flower Power". A big daisy chain appeared around his Flower Child's neck and a rod with pretty fluffy happy pink flowers appeared in the hand that did the peace symbol.
"I play Flower Power, that ups my swinging swinger's defense to a hefty, but still groovy, 2500 to equal your Dark Magician's wowing power, and finally, I summon that groove meister, that wild monster from Wonderland, Smokey the Hookah Smoking Caterpillar in attack mode."
A gigantic caterpillar sitting on a big red cushion with golden tassels appeared on the field. He inhaled deeply from his pipe, which was connected to a vessel of some oddly bubbling substance. His attack points appeared as 1500, which was quite weak compared to the formidable crossed-armed rather peeved looking Dark Magician on Yugi's side of the field.
"Smokey will invoke his special ability, which allows him to blow out a smoke ring on your stiff upper lipped Dark Magician and make him mellow out a bit. Smokey, Special Smoke Ring Attack," the blue haired anti-bard called out dramatically with his free hand held out in that stereotypical duelist attack.
The banshees huddled together for an important conference. With a proper agreement, they nodded. They started a new dance and a chant.
"Kel, Kel, that's our man!
You wouldn't listen,
Now you'll get it in the can!"
The remaining audience moaned and rolled their eyes. The caterpillar drew deeper on his hookah and blew out a big multi-colored psychedelic smoke ring that shrouded the Dark Magician in its mind-altering aura. The magic user's narrow eyes grew to their wide purple star spangled glory and a most uncharacteristic smile crossed his thin lips.
Yami Yugi groaned and shook his head. His Dark Magician's attack points dropped to 2000, and he was experiencing a trip to the Spirit World for the next round. The wizardry servant of the pharaoh turned to his master with a big goofy grin and a cheerful wave.
"Oh!" Galen cried out, "That's why Master warned me not to smoke anything that you might give me!"
The King of Games only drew a card. He smiled as he laid it faced down on the field and ended his turn.
Kel prepared to jam on his guitar at his first victory, although neither player had lost any life points. Fortunately for delicate ears in the audience, the bard's duel disc was in the way of his guitar. So, being deprived of one of his favorite activities, he continued the game at hand and drew a card.
With a professional joy, he placed the card on the field. "I play the way out stallion Jim Morrison in his divine musical attack mode."
A brown haired man without a shirt swayed onto the field in a sexy sort of way. The audience looked confused except Tea, who had studied music, and Grandpa, who was young during the spirit's musical reign. Galen just shrugged. He had seen stranger things just during this day. The banshees just oooed and ahed him. He turned his attention to them and gave them a mischievous naughty little smile and a provocative swing of his hips. They all three fainted dead away.
"And Smokey blows a smoke ring at your Big Shield Guardian to reduce his defense by 500 points."
The barbarian guardian's eyes opened wide and he sat up straight, as the ice formed down his back. He turned and looked pleadingly at the card master, but Yami Yugi just smiled and gave a little laugh in confidence. He revealed his face down card and announced, "Change of Heart, my friend. Smokey the Caterpillar is now mine to control."
"Whoa, man! What a move!" shouted Kel.
"And he blows a smoke ring right back at your monster," the Egyptian possessed tri-colored haired youth added.
"Hey! Jim is no monster . . . well, just don't ask Janis about him!" The smoke ring enveloped the swinging swaying young man, but his attack points did not decrease. Quite the opposite. Kel's spacey eyes glittered and he gave a toothy grin. "Smokey's special ability or any other mind numbing substance blown at Jim invokes his special ability. It automatically summons the 'Wisdom of the Naked Indian'."
A tall Native American man appeared on the field, and all he was wearing was a black sensor bar over his manhood. He bent his head and whispered the wisdom of the gods to the singer/songwriter. Jim's eyes brightened and with some spooky moves, he began singing "Riders on the Storm". His attack points rose to a grooving 2000 points.
Yami Yugi stood frozen. His upper lip lifted, and his left eye twitched, as he watched the singer jam down with his grandfather. Shock couldn't remain his for long, especially with a duel in progress (and Jim flirting with a giggling Tea and Mai).
Joey held up his fists and rooted for his friend. "Kick him in the pants, Yugi!"
Kel placed a card face down and ended his turn. The Yami snickered to himself. This had turned into quite a duel despite himself. His opponent had yet to attack him directly. Oh well, the time will come. He drew a card from his deck, and with a secure knowing look, he spoke his next move.
"I sacrifice Smokey the Caterpillar to summon Dark Magician Girl in Attack Mode."
Kel's face fell as his favorite bud disintegrated into a puff of foul smelling rainbow colored smoke, but his mourning didn't last long. A pretty cheery blonde elfish looking scantily dressed girl appeared on the field. She had bright blue eyes and rosy cheeks and carried a blue and pink staff with a heart on top of it. She danced around the field in her blue and pink mini skirt that showed a fair portion of her long legs and her matching panties. She was the absolute opposite of her male counterpart, and Kel had to pop his eyes back in his head and roll his tongue off the ground.
"Hey, man! I take it back! You can keep your dreary Dark Magician! I want this groovy babe!"
Yami smirked and announced his attack on the bard's far out musical monsters. Kel's smile spread wider and far enough to show off that clinging mushroom from his hamburger on his incisor. This was the move he was hoping for to spring his special trap.
"Ah, not so fast, my dear pharaoh dude. You played right into my groovalistic trap! I reveal one of my face down cards, and it's 'Love', man! And there will be free love at that!"
An image of a giant heart with a glowing golden light filled the field of play with its illumination. The two magicians stopped their attacks, and then they looked at each other. The already Kel contaminated Dark Magician's rather happier than usual face broke into full unabated rapture. The Dark Magician Girl stopped her attack and clutched her staff with both hands and hugged it close to herself. She giggled like a little anime girl, as she blinked those big blue eyes at her opposite. The Dark Magician's eyes traveled the length of her lithe little body. How could he have missed this lovely flower ripe for the picking before? With a snap of his fingers, a set of deep blue curtains appeared off to the side of the field. The two wizardry people disappeared behind them.
"Your Dark Magicians are under the love spell, and they will be busy for 9 rounds, dude. I wish I could join them! You can't bring them back to the field for that time, because they aren't in the graveyard, although that is a groovy place to do it. Nice and quiet, you know. Anyway, man, I wouldn't be disturbing them if I were you." All the color drained from Yugi's face.
Tristain and Serenity returned with an armful of various cans of sodas. The tall brown haired teen looked at the odd scene before him and asked, "Did I miss something important?"