Chapter Nine
Spiritual Enlightenment
Author's Note: Okay, I am officially changing this fanfiction's rating to PG-13. Simply because this chapter has two swear words in it that I think could be offensive to a younger audience and I just want everyone to know what they are going to see before their mothers do and end up slapping me with a subpoena. This chapter is also the first in a major three-parter that completes the hype of the very first duel in the entire story: Deirdre vs. Griff.
Enjoy, ya know?
*~*~*~*
Yami Yugi had relinquished control over the body of Yugi Motou back over to his young host, and, consequently, the original owner. Yugi, who had also heard the entire speech between the spirit inhabiting Deirdre Masako and Yami, wandered depressed back over to his friends who had taken refuge from the bitter morning air under the warm canopy over the popular cafe that Skylar and Deirdre visited the day before.
Téa was happily waving him over, and once she was sure he had seen them she turned around and gestured for a waitress to come and take the order of their high school friend. Tristan was inside of the café talking with some girl he had met only seconds earlier and Espa Roba, who had yet to leave the group for the day's dueling festivities, was engaged in an enjoyable conversation with Joey's younger sister, Serenity.
Yugi's mind definitely seemed distracted because he nearly sat down in Joey's lap. Luckily, Joey being the incredibly masochistic individual that he was, took him by the shoulders and directed him into another empty seat next to him. "Hey Yug, maybe it's just me but you seem a little off kilter. Somethin' the matter?"
That clutch by Joey had snapped the Duelist Kingdom champion back into reality and he looked up at him with a light smile of complete innocence on his face. "No, but thanks for asking, Joey. It's just that the spirit and Deirdre had a...an interesting conversation."
"Oh!" Skylar announced, shooting up from her seat. "I nearly forgot! Where is he, Yugi?"
He pointed toward the east but didn't actually look to see where his finger was aiming. "He walked off right after we were finished but I'm pretty sure he was going to watch a duel."
Skylar was all ready to go off on the hunt but Téa's hand locked around her wrist preventing her from either leaving or forcing her to drag the other young woman along for the ride. "Hey, Skylar, c'mon. I'm sure Deirdre can manage without you for a while. Sit down and talk some more. At least finish your cocoa."
For the first time sense Deirdre's accident, Skylar had a flash of reason and sat down with an agreeing nod and a smile that made Téa think she wasn't as selfish and brusque as originally believed. "All right, I'll do that."
Yugi looked over his shoulder and toward the general direction of where he believe Deirdre walked off too, resting his chin in his hand and sighing under his breath so the others didn't hear it. Most especially Téa, who would have instantly been racked with worry.
'I wonder what is in store for us, Yami? What role will Bakura, Deirdre, my friends...even Marik, play? What purpose did they all serve in the days of ancient Egypt? What is too become of them once the battle begins?'
Just like a returning thought, the voice of the spirit rang in Yugi's mind.
'I do not know, Yugi. I wish I could be more specific but be sure that nothing will befall them. They will all come through this unharmed. I'll make sure of it. I promise it. But in the meantime we must prepare. Marik and the spirit of the Millennium Ring will soon begin whatever they have planned and we must be ready. Remember, the fate of the world and all who live on it is at stake.'
Yugi nodded then turned back to his friends and lifted up his recently delivered drink to his lips. "How could I forget?" He whispered, and took a sip of the hot liquid.
*~*~*~*~*
Deirdre was beginning to understand that he might have been the victim of a hostile takeover, because ever sense early that morning he had begun to feel like he was no longer in control of his body, and that fact was only further strengthened recently, when he lost all motion and now saw into a completely different reality.
He was simply floating, or perhaps he was standing upon solid ground, it was difficult to discern. He could, however, see what was happening "on the outside" through his eyes, but it was more like looking through a window than actually seeing the events himself. He was in a pitch-black chamber that had no entrance or exit. Whatever was currently operating his body didn't seem to have malicious intentions but it certainly didn't have much common courtesy, either. Deirdre had tried to contact the being that he believed originated from the Millennium Balance but the spirit had yet to respond.
Now he could see that his body was approaching a circle of people apparently watching a duel, and the spirit was obviously attempting to see over the sea of heads before him. But he was still in the body of Deirdre and therefore had to conform to certain rules and limitations, such as the fact that Deirdre wasn't very tall and it seemed too him that the spirit wasn't used to being so short.
Deirdre had also begun to understand that this spirit must have, at one time, been in a much more limber and robust body, one with much longer and more muscular legs because his strides were bumbling and cumbersome. He heard the spirit grumble angrily the entire way to Battle City while he was still accompanied by Skylar, occasionally having to catch himself or trip over his own two feet. He also experimented with his hands, which probably were much larger and attached to longer arms at one point, because his perception of depth and distance was askewed, and the simple task of touching one hand to the other seemed quite complex.
But the spirit was quickly learning too cope with his new form and his learning apparently involved completely phasing out the factor of the other person inhabiting the same body. Deirdre was scared at first, in fact he was terrified and confused at what was taking place, but those feelings quickly turned into blind anger and hatred for this being. He had no right to trespass into Deirdre's body like he was and something had to be done about it.
'Why are you so enraged, my friend?' Deirdre heard echo through the black room. 'I want you too know that I do not mean you any harm.'
"Then give me back my body! There's a law against what you're doing to me! And you just have no right to be possessing me like this!"
'I am sorry, but I do realize that what I am doing is wrong. However, it is also necessary and it may be necessary again. Know that I am not here to cause you discomfort or harm, but to help you to grow and prosper. Think of me and my power as a guardian of sorts. A guardian who knows what you will soon experience and what you will have to face. You have a world of work ahead of you, Deirdre Masako. An incredible task that will decide the fate of the world will soon be laid upon you.'
Deirdre grabbed large clumps of his hair and shook his head rapidly, attempting to rid himself of the great sense of frustration overcoming his senses. "Look, I can't speak to you like this! Get in here and face me!"
A pause occurred, a short moment of absolute silence that was flat-out unbearable for Deirdre. But it didn't take long for the spirit to respond. 'As you wish.'
Deirdre watched the spirit turn away from the crowd and approach a nearby wooden bench, then sit down and lean back, apparently getting comfortable for Deirdre even though he had none of his five senses working at the moment. Then in a wisp of white and gray smoke, the spirit appeared in his human image. He was an incredibly tall and imposing man, though an aura of incredible calmness and strength permeated from him like a powerful stench. He was dressed in a simple waste-down white cloth that reached to his ankles that perfectly contrasted his golden tan and piercing blue gaze. He was bare-chested though a very long and winding tattoo of a serpent stretched from his waste across his body and over his shoulder. It then looped back; the head of the snake criss-crossing over its own scaly length.
He looked down at Deirdre as if he was staring off a bridge, but then smiled and bent down, meeting Deirdre's eyes with his own. "Again, I apologize for the intrusion my young friend, but it was essential at the time. I hadn't the opportunity to explain my intentions then but I do now."
Deirdre sighed and nodded. "Then tell me who you are and why you chose to occupy me."
The spirit shrugged. "Fate, perhaps?"
"Oh, don't give me any that mystical destiny bullcrap! I don't believe in it and even now I think this is just some weird dream! I am going to wake up from this soon, I will be lying in bed and no ring will be on my finger and no ancient Egyptian spirit will have possessed me."
"What dream do you know of that could be this vivid, Deirdre Masako?"
"I don't know," he said, the rage that had previously built up in his throat gave away to a defeated whisper. "I...don't know much of anything anymore. All these events are happening way to fast and...I-I just came here to duel, ya know? I didn't want and I still don't want any of this. This burden should be put upon some one else's shoulders, not mine. I'm not strong enough for it."
The reaction from the spirit wasn't what Deirdre had expected at all. The great man threw back his head and let out a tremendous laugh, billowing and absolute in its benevolence. "Now that is a lie if I've ever heard one, Deirdre Masako! You are the most able of all! You are, after all, a descendant of greatness whether you know it or not. Your family, for centuries, has been a strong and virtuous clan! I assure you that you didn't miss the hump!"
"What are you blabbering about now?" Deirdre said, becoming irritated all over again.
"I'm simply saying that you are strong enough for this burden, Deirdre Masako." The spirit uttered, growing calm once again. "Your honest and you have a good-heart. Believe it or not, you're even personable. Maybe you haven't noticed but that young lady we were walking with earlier has become quite smitten by you."
"Skylar?" Deirdre responded with a light chuckle. "She's nice and all but I met her only two days ago. She's confused and doesn't know it. She honestly thinks I'm the best thing that has ever happened to her."
"Or maybe she is just as lonely and craving of friendship as yourself. Two people of similar minds often are drawn to one another, you know?"
Deirdre scoffed. "I am not 'craving of friendship' at all. I prefer my solitude over my social record."
The spirit smiled wide again and nodded slowly. "As you say. Now, if you wish you can have control over your body again. In fact, you should get used to some of the powers you now have and this will be a good lesson. I assure you that this isn't a dream and that simple trick of levitating objects you witnessed this morning was only the first bite of the proverbial apple, my friend. I...no, we can do much more now that we have the ancient magic of the Millennium Balance at our disposal."
Deirdre had crossed his arms over his chest at the beginning of the spirit's talking and turned away, but that last part had him rather intrigued. "Like what?" He said, turning his head back towards the man.
The spirit smiled then groaned painfully as he stretched back up to full height, his vertebrae crackling in protest. Strange that a disembodied spirit had bones and muscles but Deirdre didn't think that was the oddest of the things he had experienced this day. "Well," the spirit began, "many things. Just ask me."
Deirdre nodded, understanding only slightly, but immediately one thing shot to the front of his mind and though it was a long shot; after all, he didn't think they had this kind of thing back in the days of ancient Egypt, but it was worth a try. "Can you duel?"
The spirit looked slightly confused at the question but then his wide smile returned and he nodded vehemently. "I like to think I've become quite formidable at the Shadow Games. Duel Monsters is not much different."
"Okay then. One last thing."
The spirit nodded. "Ask."
"What is your name?"
Deirdre saw one last grin spread across the jovial spirit's face before he was launched back in control of his body. It felt like he had been shot from a catapult into a brick wall but he quickly regained his bearings and heard a voice inside of his head like it was nothing but a normal thought. 'Throughout the ages I have had many names, but I have only ever answered too one. You may call me Ahmose.'
"Strange name," Deirdre said quietly to himself. "All right then. Can you start calling me just by my first name, then? Saying my last name makes it sound like I'm in trouble with my parents."
'As you wish.' The spirit repeated.
Deirdre nodded and stood up off the bench and began to walk forward, away from the duel, which originally stirred Ahmose's curiosity, and too another something Deirdre saw in the far distance. He couldn't make it out so clearly from where he was but he thought someone in a small group looked familiar. As he neared, this person's face became clearer and instantly a swell of fighting spirit rose up in Deirdre.
It was Griff Terrace. He hadn't left Battle City after all.
The young duelist grinned, touched his right pocket and felt the bulge of his deck, then took off towards Pegasus' most successful protégée.
A small group began to form around Griff as others also saw him and just knew that where he was, a great duel was sure to follow. Deirdre hoped it would truly be grand. And though his own dueling talents were good, with the spirit also helping him he was sure to leave a deep cut in Griff's self-confidence.
"Griff Terrace!" Deirdre shouted, stopping just a few feet away from the great duelist.
Griff acknowledged him by slightly turning his head towards him, upturning his nose and snickering to himself.
"You owe me a duel, Griff!"
"I know," Griff said, taking a few steps forward and meeting Deirdre's stare. "I backed out for your own good, though. Uhh...oh, what was your name?" Griff watched for the sign of anger in his opponent's face but saw none and shrugged it off. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. I gave you the chance to save yourself the embarrassment but if you really want to lose that badly then I can do nothing but oblige."
"Your too kind." Deirdre said, taking out his deck and then slipping it into the card reader on the Duel Disk, which he completely forgot was still on his arm. In fact he didn't even feel the weight of the device anymore. "I'm gonna give you a battle that Pegasus never trained you for. Now, how about putting up two locator cards?"
Griff nodded with a grin and the two stepped back, giving the playing field ample room. Griff pressed his hand on top of his Duel Disk while it was still aimed down at the ground. The holo-imagers blasted from it, ricocheting off the cold concrete and soaring over to their designated places.
Deirdre pointed his Duel Disk straight into the air, firing the imagers off in a cloud of smoke that briefly blanketed the field. When it was blown away by the chilly morning breeze, Deirdre had already drawn his starting hand and was awaiting Griff to do the same.
"All right, show-off," Griff said with a hint of indigence in his voice, "remember that you asked for this when you're looking back on this defeat later on tonight."
"Keep it up, Griff, I'm not quite tired of you talking out your ass yet." Deirdre drew a card, placed it into his hand and then pulled a different card and set it on the field. "I play the Lady Assailant of Flames in attack mode!" His monster appeared on the field holding a long polished knife and gushing wreathes of fire from her arms. Its attack and defense scores were a strong 1500/1000. "I also lay this one card face-down and end my turn."
Griff growled ferally and drew a card from his deck, set it into his hand and played a card. "I summon Shining Abyss in attack mode!" The holographic image of the creature appeared and towered at least six or seven feet over Deirdre's monster. It had a tremendously long wingspan and a bulbous bottom without legs or any sort of limb dedicated for movement. It simply floated in place.
Griff's confident expression spoke volumes about his strategy. He gloated over the fact that his monster was stronger than Deirdre's in both attack and defense. 1600/1800.
"Okay, kid," Griff taunted with an ominous grin. "Get ready to fork over your rarest card."
Deirdre shook his head then glanced at his hand again while drawing a card from his deck. "I say your the one who is going to be giving me your Toon World magic card after this is all said and done, Griff."
The two duelists stared at one another, neither one wavering in their resolve and both feeling infinitely confident. One of the two would be winning today, and the other would be leaving the tournament in shame. Either way, the spectators, which were now gathering by the dozens, would certainly not be disappointed.
