All was quiet around the Little Turtle Game Store as evening fast approached. Grandpa Mutou was in the back, putting away stock, while Yugi manned the cash register. He couldn't figure out where Joey had gotten to, much less where he could have gone without any pants and taking the recliner with him.
"He needs therapy bad," Yugi said to himself. Just then, the bell over the door rang as a very tan man, dressed in a dark business suit, entered.
"Welcome to the Little Turtle Game Shop," Yugi said cheerfully. "I'm Yugi. How can we help you today?"
"I'm looking for an extremely rare card," said the man, "I'm told you have it."
"We have every card under the sun," Yugi said.
"Precisely what I wanted to hear." said the man. His arm whipped out and a duel disk grew out of his flesh.
"What the-?" Yugi cried. Suddenly, the shop vanished from around him, and they stood on top of the Pyramid of Geiza, staring down at darkness.
"What's going on!" Yugi cried.
"I have taken us to the shadow realm, Pharaoh," said the man behind Yugi. Yugi turned around, and instead of the man in the business suit, there stood a man with golden skin and the headdress of an Egyptian King on his head, and a black cape that looked like it contained the stars of the galaxy blowing behind him.
Yami quickly took control, and said, "You must be the powerful Ra."
"Indeed," Ra said. "I had hoped you would remember me. You did help Amaterasu imprison me after all."
"What do you want with me? Revenge?" Yugi/Yami asked him.
"Not at all," Ra said. "I want my card returned to me."
"I have no card of yours," Yugi/Yami said defiantly.
"No? Look in your deck."
Yugi/Yami quickly realized what he was getting at. "You're here for the Winged Dragon."
"Correct," Ra said. "Once long ago, the Winged Dragon that bares my name was the crowning piece of my Phoenix Card collection. In it's Phoenix Mode it ruled all birds of fire. Then, after she defeated, Amaterasu gave the card to YOU, a mere human man who dared control a creature made only for the gods. It was foolish of you both. I am only grateful that a man with little intelligence and a tendency to obsess such as Maximillion Pegasus was bale to bring the card back from it's resting place."
"I don't care what happened 5000 years ago, or even further than that," Yugi/Yami said, "You will not take my dragon!"
Ra laughed. "You see the effect it has on humans? It's lesser brothers re safer for your kind to use, but MY Winged Dragon makes the desires and weaknesses of an unworthy keeper stand out. I suppose you would rather die than return my creature? I could grant this wish if you want."
'Pharaoh, what are you doing?' Yugi asked his counterpart.
'He wants the Winged Dragon of Ra! We can't let him have it Yugi. It's too dangerous in anyone else's hands.'
"No need to whisper to the other human soul within you," Ra said. "I see him perfectly."
"He can see me?" Yugi exclaimed.
"In fact, I'll do you both a favor. For the duration of our time in this realm, you can both be separate." He clapped his hands, as loud as thunderclaps, and suddenly, Yugi and Yami were looking at each other, totally solid and in real separate bodies! "Hm, you don't pleased," Ra said. "I thought you would like having your own body again Yami.
"I will not play party to your tricks," Yami said. "Return us to normal and take us home at once!"
"Or what?"
"He's got a point Yami," Yugi said nervously, "We don't have the same kind of powers he does."
"You have no power at all. Little Yugi." Ra said. "In fact, without the Pharaoh to protect you, you may soon fall prey to this realm. Devoured by the dark creatures that dwell here." he started laughing again. The laughter seemed to engulf them. "However, I have a deal for the both of you. Pharaoh, if you duel me and win, then I will return the both of you to one body. If you lose you must give me my Dragon."
"Agreed," Yami said quickly.
"Uh, Yami-" Yugi tried to warn him.
"No outside assistance," Ra said, he pointed to Yugi, and sealed his mouth shut.
"You'll pay for that." Yami said. "Let's duel."
"Fine, I'll start things off," Ra said drawing. "I play Claw of the Phoenix which allows me to play Guardian Phoenix (atk1600, 500 def.) Next I set one card face down and end my turn." A Phoenix with golden claws and a crest of silver and gold molded into the figures of a bird and a jackal on it's head appeared on the field. Yami drew next.
"I've seen this sort of strategy before and it won't work Ra. I'll play one card which will take you down next move. The Dark-Hex-Seale Fusion (atk 1000,1600def,) and Offer up my Dark Magician to special summon my Dark Paladin (atk2900,2400def). The Paladin appeared on the field and glared at the Phoenix with contempt.
"Very nicely done Pharaoh but you've underestimated me. I activate my trap card, Phoenix Tail, this allows me to destroy one specially summoned monster on my opponents side of the field," The Phoenix turned, and used it's tail to blow the Paladin away, "but it unfortunately allows my opponent to bring one card back from his graveyard. "Very well then, I choose to call back my Dark Magician (atk2500, 2100def.)" Where the Dark Paladin once stood, the Dark Magician appeared and then it was Ra's turn again.
"I draw, lay this card face down, and now I play Shadow of the Phoenix, a powerful field magic card which increases all Phoenix cards by 500 points." The already dark landscape grew darker still as it was covered in the shadow of an unseen enormous bird.
"Your monster is still weaker than mine," Yami said. Yugi was jumping up and down, waving his arms as he tried to cheer for Yami. "Now, feel the wrath of my magician! Dark Magic Attack!" The dark Magician raised his staff, but Ra started laughing. "What is so amusing?" Yami demanded of him.
"You walked into an obvious trap. I Phoenix is invulnerable to attacks by Dark monsters." Ra said. The wave of Dark Magic passed the fire bird by, not even scratching it. "Also, an attack to my monster allows me to play this Quick play magic card. Behold, The Phoenix Gate!"
"Phoenix Gate?" Yami asked. "I've never heard of most of these cards. What trickery is this!"
"Do not mistake me for that fool Loki. I play no tricks. These cards are as real as yours. You were never able to destroy them in their stone tablet form. Now, I can conjure them up as the cards you circulate today. But I digress. Phoenix allows me to sacrifice my monster AND yours to summon any monster I choose." In an instant, an altar before a great gate appeared, and robed figures grabbed both Ra's Phoenix and Yami's Dark magician, and tied them down to stone beds. "And The Phoenix I summon is… The Winged Dragon of Ra!"
"You can't summon one of my monsters!" Yami cried.
"No, but I can call one of mine," Ra said. He raised his hand and cried, "Come to me, O Winged One! Return to your true master!"
Yami's deck gloweed, and from it erupted a blazing inferno as the Winged Dragon of Ra in it's Phoenix Mode appeared.
"No," Yami uttered in shock.
"Oh yes," Ra said. "And, with the combined attacks of the sacrifices, it will destroy you! Attack, Almighty Phoenix!" Ra ordered. The Phoenix screeched, and opened it's beak. Form it burst unending streams of fire, engulfing Yami as he screamed in terror and pain, his life dropping to zero.
"Yami!" Yugi screamed, the seal now broken. As the flames died away, Yugi ran to his friend's side.
"Now for the fulfillment of our wager," Ra said as he took the Winged Dragon card from Yami's deck.
"Wait," Yami groaned, "You must… return us to one body."
"That was to happen if you won," Ra said, smiling. "You lost. So therefore you must spend the rest of your pathetic mortal lives in separate bodies, rendering that meddlesome Puzzle no more powerful than an extravagant piece of Jewelry."
"What about the other Items?" Yugi asked.
"They are useless as well," Ra said. "Or did you not know that the fate of the Items was laid in your Millennium Puzzle?"
"You mean-?" Yami asked.
"Indeed. The Items are now mere toys. And I believe a friend of yours has no way to protect himself from the vengeful spirit that plagues him?"
"Bakura!" Yami gasped. Then he went into a fit of furious coughing as the scene around them changed back into the Game Shop.
Transition
At the Sunset Shrine, where work still continued on rebuilding the house and ancient temple, a long forgotten grave was stirred. Then, in a an explosion of soil and mud, a hand reached out form the depths, and pulled itself up into the light of day, which it had not seen for five hundred years.
"FREE! AT LAST! I AM FREE!"
Authors' Note
Bluerain: Oh NO! Li Zhou is loose!
SirLarry: Worse than that, Yami lost!
Bluerian: Dude, how's a guy losing worse than rampaging demon out for blood?
SirLarry: It's terrible! Yugi and Yami are in separate bodies! You know what this means.
Bluerain: Uh oh. Tea's gonna have to choose… What do you guys think they should do?
Fez: Eat candy?
Gandalf: Send a hobbit to do the dirty work?
SirLarry: Well… Yugi is short like a hobbit.
Princess Aiaka: Excuse, what about ME?
Bluerian: What about you?
Princess Aiaka: I'm important! Everything should be about ME ME ME!
Gandalf: Oh shut up ((Raises staff and smacks Princess around))
Bluerain and SirLarry: Please review! (PS, we own nothing)