Author's Notes: Kirani versus Taichi continues!

POLL! READ THIS!: I thought of something I'd like to ask. I know two people's answers already. I want to know what each of you reading this story's favorite character is. It can be anyone from this story or the previous one, anyone at all.

Here are the people who I already know.

G.O.T Nick: Drake (I feel loved, my first OC created for this story and general protagonist gets a vote)

Time Mage: Dalin (So the big bad-ass angel duelist gets a vote. Not surprising considering he's such a deadly duelist)

Seeker of the Soul AKA Me: The Dark Spirit (I'm talking about the one who controlled first Taichi and then Kevin. He just kicks ass! I love the villains!)

Put your vote in your review. Thanks.

Chapter Thirteen: In Search Of Dreams

Taichi glanced at his next card and instantly activated it, revealing Payment of Debt. Thus he was able to draw three more cards, giving him a total of five. "Wow, look at this. Payment of Debt, and now another draw card. Pot of Greed. Looks like I'm really greedy this turn aren't I?" He snapped two more cards off his deck, giving him a total of six cards in his hand. Four of which he were new ones.

"I've got everything I need to cause your defeat right here in my hand. Now I'm going to show you the true power of the unity of my the Kuri Clan! Prepare to lose the duel, and with it will come the loss of your soul!"

He sneered at her as he picked up a cad from his hand, ready to play it. Finally he slipped it into an activation slot on his Duel Pod and laughed as the familiar image of an ankh appeared on a green background. "I play Monster Reborn! This will call back my King Kuriboh(2000/1200) and he will again gain the bonus of the Seal!"

"In case you've forgotten my Gilford the Lightning(2800/1400) has more attack points than your king, even with its power boost. So taking down my Gilford becomes a pure impossibility." Both she and Gilford smirked, and Gilford pointed his blade at King Kuriboh. Then he tilted it back towards himself, as if motioning King Kuriboh to come and get him.

"I said I had everything I needed in my hand, not that it would take just one card. Besides, I never claimed it would be King Kuriboh to be your defeat. I'll do it by activating Song of the Kuri Clan!" King Kuriboh suddenly closed his eyes and started to sing. It was an enchanting merry little tune, which sound like it was describing many small fuzzy animals frolicking. Which it probably was considering the sort of monsters it referred to.

"Did I already mention King Kuriboh's similarity to Lord of Dragons?" Kirani stepped back slightly, realizing what he must mean by that. If King Kuriboh was the Lord of D. for Kuribohs, then Song of the Kuri Clan had to be...

"According to the effect of Song of the Kuri Clan I shall now summon two monsters with 'kuri' in their name from my hand to the field. These creatures have been in my hand since the beginning of the duel and are about to show you true power. Come forth my two Blue Eyed Kuriboh Dragons(2400/2000 X2)!" Two shapes appeared beside King Kuriboh, and the moment the fully materialized Kirani burst out laughing.

A Blue Eyes White Dragon, obviously the name sake of this particular creature, could look quite fearsome. However the monsters that Taichi had just summoned were in no way fearsome by the farthest stretch of the imagination. Each one was big and roughly the same as a Blue Eyes White Dragon in body shape and wing span. "You've got to be kidding me..."

A Blue Eyed Kuriboh Dragon had one major difference from its dragon counterpart. It was brown and furry. That and at the end of its head it had a little round ball that was a Kuriboh, only with no legs. It was like having a hairball as a head. "KURIII!!!!" Kirani couldn't help but sweat drop, even as they become more demonic from the power of darkness.

"Laugh while you can. Because now the power of my dragons kicks in! They gain two hundred attack for each monster with 'kuri' in it's name on the field, counting itself! Therefore my two dragons, with the boost from the Seal and King Kuriboh, hit a power of four thousand!" The now demonic dragons roared this time, in a way that was far more threatening than simply a loud shrill cry.

"Now I'll end you! Blue Eyed Kuri Dragon(4000/2600), attack and destroy Gilford! Bubble Burst Stream!" The massive furry dragon launched a wave of blue energy in the form of combined bubbles. It streaked towards Gilford and then suddenly was canceled out in mid-air, causing no damage and not even touching the warrior.

"I'm not one to allow my monsters to be killed so easily. So I defended myself with Negate Attack. Which means your battle phase and your turn are both over!" Taichi grinned and then shrugged, obviously not bothered by her defense. After all, he had two monsters with four thousand attack and one with twenty-five hundred, and all she had was a monster with twenty-eight hundred.

As soon as Kirani drew her next card, she knew she had the duel in the bag. And once she won Taichi would be losing his soul. "I'm going to end you Taichi, not the other way around. I equip Gilford the Lightning with his perfect weapon, Lightning Blade! That will pump him up to thirty-six hundred attack power!"

A large sword appeared in Gilford's left hand, crackling with electricity. Now he had two blades, and a power nearly as great as the two dragons had. But that wasn't her plan at all. "With his added power Gilford has more than enough strength to drop your life points to zero in one strike. Gilford, strike down King Kuriboh with Thunderbolt Cut!"

The lightning powered blade sliced right through King Kuriboh, who immediately split into five different Kuribohs. However the damage was going to be eleven hundred and Taichi only had five hundred points left. Meaning he was finished. But there was no sound of clicking life points. "What happened? Your life points should be at zero!"

"I can see fully well why you're such a weak duelist. You 'can't understand basic strategy. I run a Kuriboh Deck and you think I'd be open for easy damage? She cursed, realizing his meaning. The card he had left in his hand, which was now conspicuously absent, must have been a Kuriboh. He had to have discarded it to drop the damage to zero.

"Don't let that get you down, because I've got plenty going for me. For instance, my trap card which can be triggered when a Kuri Clan member is destroyed in battle. Angry Kuriboh Swarm, tear her Gilford to shreds!" A buzzing sound could be heard as thousands of Kuriboh burst out of his trap and headed straight for Gilford like a living comet.

The normally cuddly creatures turned hellish even without the aid of the Seal, and tore into Gilford. The warrior blew many of them away with his lightnings, but it wasn't enough. They bit into his flesh, and tore away his armor. Soon he was nothing but a bloody corpse, and Kirani's life points took a hit. (KLP: 200)

"Angry Kuriboh Swarm not only destroys the offending monster, but it reduces your life points by one hundred times the offender's level. So now you're down to your last two hundred points. Fun isn't it?" Kirani grimaced and was forced to make the only move available to her. She set a monster on the field and declared her turn as over.

Taichi yawned and grabbed a card, giving him the same number of cards as Kirani had. Just one in the hand. He glanced at his card and then slid it into his Duel Pod. "Let's reveal the true gulf between our power shall we? I play Life Spring of the Kuri Clan. This magic card will raise my life points by the total power of all Kuri Clan members in play."

Kirani did the math and came up with a very bad number, one that didn't bode well for her at all. "That's right! I now gain ten thousand five hundred life points! And that's fifty-five times the total of your life points!" His life points shot up and left hers way behind in the dust. (TLP: 11000)

"You don't stand a chance. I told you I was your better, and now I'll prove it. King Kuriboh, clear a path for your subjects to destroy this wicked human!" The spellcaster vaporized the defending creature, giving Kirani no remaining way to defend herself. No monsters and no magic or trap cards. All she had was a single card in her hand and she hadn't been able to play it so far.

"Bubble Burst Stream Times Two!" The two dragons launched their energy bubbles, each beam going straight for Kirani's life points. Suddenly the bubbles vanished and the dragons settled down on their haunches to wait for another chance to attack.

"Nobody said you could attack Taichi! You're the offender in this case, because you destroyed a monster of mine. This monster never did enjoy life, but in death she strikes back by preventing your monsters from going into battle! The creature you killed was The Unhappy Maiden(0/100) whose effect ends your battle phase!" She smirked smugly, knowing that she had yet another chance to recover now. It wasn't everything, but it was something.

"How very fitting. You save yourself with a monster that's a lot like you. Sad and weak! I'll end my turn knowing that no matter what you top deck it won't save you from my power. I'm just too strong for someone like you to handle!" She grimaced, fearing that he was right. She had one useless card and couldn't think of any way to save herself.
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Dalin's eyes shot open very suddenly. His skin was tingling, and he knew something was wrong. "Some power has covered this vessel. I fear it is malignant." He rose from his bed and grabbed some clothing. He would gather the others and find the source.
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Kirani drew her card slowly, almost afraid to look. When she finally did she sighed with relief and played it. "I use the power of Swords of Revealing Light to lock you down for three turns!" The green swords slammed down around Taichi's monsters, keeping them in place and keeping him from attacking.

"All you're doing is running away. It won't help at all." She kept a confident face, but inside she felt that he was right. His monsters were just too strong for her to handle, even her most powerful monster couldn't match these behemoths. The swords were just a temporary defense and they wouldn't hold.

'Taichi is right. Even the swords won't keep me safe forever. And when they fade he's going to rip through my life points. And if that happens the Seal of Orichalcos will activate and I'll lose my soul.' She shuddered, and Taichi saw it. He knew without even trying that it was a shudder of fear, not because of the cold.

"Your turn is over, so allow me to begin mine!" He snapped another card off his deck and then flipped it over so he could see it. Laughing he placed it down on his Duel Pod next to the purple card, King Kuriboh. The monster he summoned appeared next to it on the field.

"I summon Cyborg Kuriboh(1000/700) whose power will come in handy sooner or later. Also he gains a total of one thousand attack points from the Seal and from his king. Since I can't attack, I'll end my turn." The monster he had summoned was half-machine and half fur-ball. That was all it could be described as. Simply a part mechanical Kuriboh.

Kirani's next card draw was not what she had been hoping for. She groaned at the sight of the warrior she had drawn. 'Gilford the Lightning....he's a level eight! I cant summon him without a sacrifice and Enter the Storm costs too many life points for me to afford right now. I have to hope he doesn't draw anything that can get rid of my swords.'

"It appears you didn't draw anything. That's fine with me. Oh, and I'd like to take this moment to remind you of something. This time, when your soul is taken, there won't be anyone to restore it. Your friends will fall soon enough and Drake isn't going to show up to save the day!" Her hands shook from his words because in her heart she felt he was telling the truth.

The dark haired duelist activated his newest card quickly, not even waiting for Kirani to declare the end of her turn. It was obvious that she couldn't play anything, so it was all up to him. "My Kuri Clan is happy at how close to defeat you are. Therefore they are going to do a dance."

At the quizzical look she was giving him he decided to give an explanation of what he meant. "Sorry if that was vague, but my next card requires that they dance from happiness. It is Joyful Kuriboh Dance. Now dance my monsters!"

The four creatures began to hop around, spinning in the air and squealing as they did so. Soon they formed a circle and danced that way, moving in a single unified formation, still singing shrilly. "What's the point of making them dance? It's cute and all, but what purpose does it serve?"

"Simple. It produces four Kuriboh Tokens, one for each dancing monster. And since I gain four Kuribohs my dragons gain eight hundred more points. Now take a look at the total power of my monsters! Blue Eyed Kuri Dragons (5000/3600 X2) who are now invincible! Equal to the strongest fusions in the entire game!" And they were at that. What was worse was that there were two of them.

"Consider yourself lucky I haven't drawn a third one or another specific card. Because if I did, you'd be seeing the mighty Ultima Kuri Dragon. But since I haven't, I guess I'll just end my turn and leave you with that fear in mind." His two dragons roared, shaking the field and the other monsters. With eight monsters in play even the Seal would only allow him to play two more cards.

The scantily clad woman drew a new card. But once again she wasn't rewarded with anything she could make use of, and this was her second to last free turn. 'Bolt From The Blue? I can only play this if Gilford the Lightning is in play. Damn, how useless. How can I beat him if I can't draw any worthwhile cards?'

"Kirani!" She turned her head to look over her shoulder and spotted the entire gang standing on the deck of the boat, right outside the Seal. They had at last woken up, and now they were hear to watch and cheer her on.

"Hmph. I knew the Fog of Sleep wouldn't keep you all under forever, but I was hoping to have this finished before you woke up. Not to worry, it won't take anything but a few more turns to end this duel." Several sets of eyes widened in horror at the sight of Taichi, each one having witnessed the horror that this person had inflicted upon their friends.

Dalin stepped forward, his shoulders squared and power raging through his body, waiting to be unleashed. "After the dark spirit was destroyed you were given a chance to get help! It was to be your time of recovery! But you've thrown it away and accepted the darkness back into your heart! And because of that you cannot be forgiven. Kirani, crush him."

She nodded and then turned her attention back to the duel. Taichi harrumphed, and placed his fingers on the top of his deck. "You don't have anything to play, so if you don't mind I'd like to get started." Kirani sighed and motioned for him to continue.

"Before I really begin, I'd like to show you exactly what the cause of your suffering is. It is in fact the one person you trusted most of all!" A miniature tornado coiled around the fog that surrounded them all and pulled it inwards, allowing it to settle specifically on the whole group. And they were thrown backwards in time by less than a day.
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DAISUKE, I UNDERSTAND YOUR DESIRE TO INSTILL BALANCE. IT IS INGRAINED INTO THE POWER THAT FLOWS THROUGH YOUR BODY, THE POWER THAT LONG AGO SEALED ME INTO AN AGELESS PRISON. BECAUSE IT WAS THAT POWER'S PURPOSE I BEAR NO ILL WILL. I TOO HAVE A PURPOSE THAT I MUST CARRY OUT, AND SO I SHALL ENTREAT YOU TO NEGATE THE BALANCE, AND ALLOW ORDER TO REIGN.

As he stumbled away from the figure, his mind and body reverberating with the voice, Drake realized that not all that he felt was pain. There was pleasure, indescribable unstoppable irrevokable pleasure. This must be what hearing the voice of God felt like...and it this was not God. He didn't know what this was. "What do you want of me?"

The scarlet robed figure moved towards him, and he lashed out with his power, trying to stop its advance. A torrent of explosive energies generated by one of the greatest sources of power in this world or any other ripped from his hands and assailed the figure. Every ounce of that power vanished moments before touching the scarlet robes, and Drake knew that somehow this creature had more power than he did.

AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BALANCE OF THE WORLD YOU HAVE WITHIN YOU A PURPOSE TO PROTECT THAT BALANCE. YET AS A HUMAN BEING, MORTAL, IMPERFECT, AND MORAL, YOU HAVE ANOTHER PURPOSE. YOU MUST BALANCE THOSE TWO PURPOSES AGAINST EACH OTHER. ONE PURPOSE WILL KEEP THIS WORLD AS IT IS, IN A STATE WHERE TERRORISM, HATRED, AND INSANITY RULE OVER ALL. I HEED YOU TO CALL UPON YOUR HUMANITY AND CHOOSE THE BETTER PATH. MY POWER CAN BRING ORDER TO THE WORLD, AND ALL THAT IS REQUIRED IS YOUR ACCEPTANCE.

"How can I now that you can really do this? Preaching about bringing order to the world is one thing, but really doing it is another. I can tell you have plenty of power, but power doesn't accomplish things on it's own. I've learned that quite recently. Offer me proof." The figure tilted its head to the side and then gave him a brief nod before flowing forwards across the stone. Now it stood in front of him and raised a robed arm. Despite the fact that he knew it had no hand, he felt a tangible brush across his cheek, and then two hands cupped his face.

Drake's entire body spasmed as his eyes and mind saw something that was beyond human comprehension, beyond words known and utterable by his species or any other. It was perfection. A world of feelings and thoughts so pure and orderly that his mind could barely fathom it all, and under that assault of pure order his mind began to crumble.

Moments before he hit the brink he was pulled back, leaving that perfect world and coming to rest back in his own. He fell to his knees in the front of the figure, and did what he hadn't done in a long time. He broke down and cried.

He did not cry because of the near loss of his mind, or for pleasurable pain that he still experienced when this creature spoke. Instead he cried because the world around him was so disorderly, so chaotic that it threatened to rip him apart. The world was a terrible place, and it was painful to be without that perfection that he experienced when this being touched him. "Please....I don't want it all to be like this. Make it stop, please?"

That masked face tilted to look down at him, and Drake swore he saw it smile down at him. That feeling of a smile washed away a bit of the pain, making it bearable. That smile made him understand how these others that surrounded him were able to stand being in this world. They had his presence to make it all feel right again.

THE WORLD IS CHAOS. YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED A SMALL TASTE OF THE PERFECT ORDER THAT I AM CAPABLE OF BRINGING TO THIS WORLD. ONLY THROUGH MY PRESENCE CAN THIS BE DONE, FOR I AM ALL THAT ORDER IS. IT IS MY PURPOSE TO BRING ORDER, THEREFORE I SHALL DO SO. PART OF MY PRESENCE IS SEALED AWAY BY THE HEARTS OF MAN, THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ALL OF THEM MADE BY THE HEART OF BALANCE. WHEN THIS SEAL IS BROKEN MY PRESENCE WILL PERVADE THIS WORLD, AND I CAN BRING ORDER.

ALL WILL BE MADE RIGHT IN THIS WORLD, ALL THAT IS REQUIRED IS THAT YOU FOLLOW YOUR PURPOSE AS A HUMAN BEING. DAISUKE IHACHI WAS NOT PUT ON THIS EARTH TO FIGHT, TO DUEL, OR EVEN TO RELEASE ME. HE WAS PUT ON THIS EARTH TO CHOOSE. NOW DAISUKE, MAKE YOUR CHOICE. SET THE WORLD FREE OF THE CHAINS THAT BIND IT IN THE AGONY THAT YOU FEEL. SAY THE WORD, AND EVERYTHING CAN BE PUT RIGHT. EVEN YOUR SISTER.

Whether it was the perfect world he had experienced, the vastly powerful presence that was invading his mind, the creature's words, or the simple mention of his sister that caused Drake to make his choice could not be said. There was simply no way to know what made him make his choice. All that could be known was his choice. "I release you from your bondage."

A prism of energy exploded from Drake's body, sending arcs of energy that moved between every color of the spectrum all that once. These arcs danced across the room, filling it with a heavenly light. Drake and robed figure were consumed by it, a single beacon of light that shone brighter than anything else. The seal was broken.
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The whole group was astonished by what they had seen. And Kirani couldn't help but fall to her knees, the shock evident in her eyes. Someone far away in the distance tried to shout something out to her, but she couldn't hear them. Her faith had been shattered. "Why Drake?"

Taichi laughed as he drew his card, savoring her renewed pain. She had thought she was recovered from her fear and insecurity, but in fact it had merely allowed her to be hurt again by a different source of information. "Because he cares only for his desires! The rest of you are nothing to him, and he cast you and the rest of the world aside, giving in to our cause because we could grant him what he most wanted!"

He finally looked at his card, and then his eyes narrowed into a dark malevolent look. "It appears that the time has come for me to unveil my true power to you. The thing that I desired so much is here, and it will be your end. I play my key card: Heart of Power!"

A golden blaze surrounded him, forging upon his head the symbol of power, granting him an energy that surpassed even the Seal. Should he want to, crushing it would be easy. "The great strength of the Heart of Power will first allow me to create a new monster by unifying three of my Kuribohs into one! So I create this creature!"

The symbol of power appeared on each monster's head, mixing with the Seal. And three of the four Kuriboh jumped together, forming a golden glow. When the glow was gone a tall and powerful looking warrior stood in their place. His armor seemed to have been created by the Kuriboh, as the eyes of a Kuriboh were on the breast plate and it was a brown color. But other than that he was human.

"This is the one human in all of existence to join with the Kuriboh, to become part of the Kuri Clan! He is what I am, the only human to understand their strength, their power! Knight of Kuriboh(1000/1000)!" The knight raised a long golden blade and slashed it through the air a few times.

"My monster may appear weak, but I'll have him absorb the power of each Kuri Clan member on the field, gaining their effects and their power!" The five other monsters were pulled into his blade, leaving the field bare except for this one monster. And his power began to skyrocket.

"He has just absorbed a total of thirty-three thousand three hundred points of power. Meaning his attack and defense raise by that amount, setting him at thirty-four thousand three hundred attack and defense power!" All of them were truly astonished by this amazing display of power, but it didn't appear that it was all that was going to happen.

"Now the Heart of Power will instantly double the new power, setting him at a new grand total of sixty-eight thousand six hundred! At this rate he is unbeatable! But luckily for Kirani this is the last turn for the Swords of Revealing Light, so it is all over." He smirked smugly, and then his turn was over. Now it was up to Kirani to recover from this awesome display of strength.

The calls of her friends fell on deaf ears. Kirani was once again trapped in the darkness of her mind. Fears and insecurities that made him far more fragile than anyone could have guessed. The thing that had made her this way might never be known, but that wasn't important. What was important was saving her very soul.
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The sun was right at the bottom of it's arc, half hidden by the skyline, it's dimmed glow sending waves of crimson across the clouds. A reflection of the sun could be seen in the waters, and it made a rainbow pattern of light appear there. The scene at the Domino Peer was amazing, and standing at the pier gave Kirani a perfect view. She sighed, leaning against the railing as she stared out into the setting sun. "It's perfect."

"I've felt the same way every time I've been here." Kirani turned around, discovering that the speaker was none other than Drake Ihachi. She let out a string of laughter and quickly embraced him in delight. He returned the hug, and Kirani couldn't help but remember the past like this. Being in his arms felt so right...but no. He only saw her as a good friend. After all, they didn't really know each other that well.

Kirani pulled back from the hug, grinning up at Drake, who she hadn't seen for close to three months. Not since he had last departed Domino. "Good to see you ya big lug. How goes things with Kaiba? I hear you two are becoming close." She laughed at the thought of that. She had heard about the duel the two had fought, and what had happened. What was amazing was that they were dueling in a mainly friendly manner. Anything friendly and Seto Kaiba didn't seem to mix in her mind.

"Not close per se, he still considers me something of a rival though. The money is definitely good, it's better than my last job with KC. It lets me pay for my sister's hospital fees, pay for Tenjiku's apartment, my own, and with enough left over for some perks. Plus job security is great, and there are other benefits. But enough about me. I wanna hear what you've been up to." She smiled that amazing smile of hers that out shown the sun, and turned to lean against the railing. He joined her there, both of them watching as the sun set.

"After the Ghouls disbanded I did some dueling. But I was at a little fishing village when I found what I really wanted to do. There was a family there who was looking to hire someone to be a pilot for their boat, drive them around a bit on the waters. It fit me so well, I knew I could do it and love it. I've had plenty of experience piloting boats, and I just love the ocean. So I took the job. I've had several others, but at the moment I'm the personal pilot for some rich family's yacht. The pay is decent, and I get to be on the ocean all I want." There wasn't a sound for several seconds, but then Drake spoke up again.

"What is it about the ocean that you love so much?" The older girl sighed a bit, a wistful look on her face as she began to speak.

"I love the ocean because of its beauty, and because it seems to be an endless dream. I feel that I can get lost in its great depths and yet still be happy. The ocean is freedom, and that's what I've always wanted in life. To be free to do as I wish to go where I wish. That was the real reason I joined the Ghouls in the first place, in order to escape the mediocrity of normal life. But it just ended up being a different version of the same thing." She let out another sigh and leaned in against his shoulder, relaxed at being so close to him.

"The Ghouls saw you as sort of a mother figure you know. Malik may have created the Ghouls, but you were the one who kept most of them together. Not those psychos that Malik had as his heavy hitters, but the regular people amongst us. Some of the things Malik wanted us to do weren't exactly good things, but no matter how bad it got they said you were always there. And I guess they agree with me on one thing. One look at your smile just sets everything right." Kirani had no idea what to say to that, so she merely tried and came up empty. A sputtering response that didn't get her meaning out.

"I've always thought dreaming was best when you're awake honestly. To really live your own dream in life is the best thing I could possibly think of. One day, maybe we should both take a trip on a boat of our own. Nobody to keep us in line, no mediocrity for us. A life of freedom, a dream of life." He didn't look at her as he spoke. Instead his gaze stayed focused on the horizon where the sun was continuing its descent. Her gaze followed his, and they continued to enjoy the view.

"You're always dreaming Drake. That's one of the things I like about you. The times I've heard you say "Kirani, I've always had a dream of doing this, or doing that" makes me feel happy. To know that somebody in the world still has joy from simple things. Despite your tough exterior and your fighting spirit, I think you're more of a kid inside. Always chasing after dreams." Drake laughed at this, but he didn't bother to deny it. Kirani leaned in closer to him, and if this meant something to Drake he didn't let on. She placed her head on his shoulder and felt herself drifting off.

"I'm that way because of one simple fact. We're most alive when we're chasing dreams. Don't you think so Kirani?" The lonely duelist felt something inside her snap, as with these words she became aware that once again her mind was replaying events that had already happened.

"You betrayed us Drake. It's all your fault. I just want to know why." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Taichi folded his arms and stared smugly across the field, focused on not his opponent, but those outside the Seal. "Now you see. She has fallen into a pit of despair, one of her own making as a matter of fact. Her mind has fallen apart, and soon she'll be consumed by her darkness and that of the Seal of Orichalcos! And each of you will follow her!"

Dalin, with his arms also folded, stared down the young duelist. His body language as always spoke of supreme confidence. "Don't be so certain Taichi. Take a look at her eyes. Look deep within them, and tell me what you see."

The other duelist did so, staring carefully into the girl's eyes. Suddenly he jolted backwards as if stung, apparently seeing something that didn't sit well with him. "Her eyes...they're filled with fire..." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Well, don't you have anything at all to say for yourself? It's your fault isn't it?" She glared at Drake, her eyes trying to pry the information out of him. He continued to stare off into the sunset, almost as if stunned.

"I'm only a fragment of Daisuke Ihachi, you know that right?" Kirani blinked in surprise, not knowing what he was talking about at all. She shook her head, and he sighed, lowering his to stare down at the water below.

"Daisuke himself doesn't realize it. In the moment that Taichi moved to shatter his soul, to wipe it out utterly, there existed a piece that he could not possibly touch. You see, Daisuke learned a little bit later by his own will that small echoes of his soul in other people had been returned together to allow the regeneration of his soul." She listened raptly, even though she had in part heard this story before. It was always interesting.

"Like I said, there was on piece of his soul that Taichi couldn't have destroyed, even if he had known to strike out at those echoes. It was a piece that was in his possession the whole time and he didn't know it. Because that piece was part of a soul he had taken. Yours." This wasn't something she had heard before. And she found herself speechless.

"That piece of his soul bonded with yours, and I'm the result. I'm the part of Daisuke that will be with you forever. I am the piece of him that was granted to you without him ever realizing it." He turned to her and placed his big hands on her shoulders. His violet eyes stared deeply into hers, and she felt as if she were falling from a great height.

"But then why? Why did you do it?" The fragment grimaced, but refused to turn his head away. This was something that needed to be said, something that absolutely needed to be done. There was no turning back now.

"It happened because of the power Eikyuu holds. But please believe me, I would never do anything to hurt you! I couldn't do anything to hurt you." Kirani saw, to her surprise, wetness building up in his eyes. He was holding back tears!

"Damn it! I could never hurt you, I'd die for you! Kirani, don't you understand? I don't care anymore if you return these feelings. I'll tell you now what part of Daisuke's soul I am! I'm his love for you!" And then his lips met hers.
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Kirani threw back her head and screamed. And as she did a pillar of bright red light shot up from around her, covering her and shooting high into the sky. It expanded rapidly, washing over Taichi until it hit the barrier of the Seal of Orichalcos. "DRAKE!"

The red energy pressed against the Seal, and cracks began to appear along it. With on last surge of power it blew the Seal of Orichalcos apart, and then the red glow dimmed down so that it only surrounded Kirani. And in red upon her forehead was a special symbol. "Taichi, I've realized my power. Witness the Heart of Love!"

"So you do possess one of the Hearts of Man. I'm surprised. But don't think it can save you, because my Heart of Man is simply too deadly to be defeated. Or should I say 'too powerful'." He started laughing, but was cut off when she gave a quick response.

"I don't care how powerful you are. If you think you can, defeat me with all of your strength. My Heart card versus yours. My turn is over." She folded her arms and stood ready with utmost confidence. She was counting only on her Heart card to win the duel for her, because she had no other cards on the field and three useless cards in her hand.

"This is pathetic. The Heart of Power is ten times the weapon that Heart of Love is! You don't stand a chance against it!" He smirked and drew his next card, which meant he had one card to use and his incredibly powerful Soldier of Kuriboh on the field. With its power no amount of life points could save her.

"You make the mistake of thinking Love is a weapon. But since you're so confident, why don't you show me the full extent of Power." He nodded and then raised his arms up above his head, allowing a massive golden aura to shimmer into view above him. He started to chant, calling upon the energies of his Heart card.

"Prepare yourself Kirani! I activate the ultimate ability of Infinitum! By paying ten thousand life points I can set one monster's attack power at Infinity for good!" He laughed as the golden energy shot down and washed over Knight of Kuriboh, giving it an enormous amount of power. His life points dipped severely, but that didn't matter as he now had a monster with infinite power. (TLP: 1000)

"Don't forget the effect of my Knight! Whenever it gains a power boost it automatically sets itself at double that amount. Therefore Knight of Kuriboh now has two times infinite attack power!" All those watching were in awe, hardly able to believe that Taichi had created a monster with double infinite power.

"I'll end this duel in a Blaze of Glory! This magic card triples the attack power of one monster, only it would die at the end of the turn. So Knight of Kuriboh(6 X Infinite/6 X Infinite) then doubles it again to become twelve times infinite attack and defense power!" Nothing like this had ever been witness before, and the water around them was starting to churn under the power being generated by Knight of Kuriboh.

"Do you think that's all? You asked me for all of my power, so I'm giving it. I'll play three cards from my deck which can be activated at any time! Three Kuri Support Cannons, which will double the attack of any monster with 'kuri' in its name for the duration of the turn!" To their shock Knight of Kuriboh's power doubled, then again, and again, and again, and again, and again. At long last it settled at seven hundred and sixty-eight times infinite power.

"When I attack Knight of Kuriboh is going to destroy a huge swath of this planet and all of you with it! Because when I attack I can automatically double the power of one monster with a base of fifteen hundred or under using the Heart of Power! Now, Knight of Kuriboh, attack with Divinity Slash!" The soldier raised his blade overheard and an aura of golden energy surrounded it. The water around them was pushed upwards, created an effect similar to that which had occurred in Egypt thousands of years earlier with the parting of the Sea of Reeds. The boat was suspended in mid-air, and the soldier's power was continuing to grow.

"Finish her off now Knight of Kuriboh(3072 X Infinite/3072 X Infinite)!" He swung his blade and a massive ball of golden power erupted from the end. It streaked towards Kirani and then all of what surrounded them was consumed by a ball of gold fire that roared miles into the air, forming a dome of flame and a mushroom cloud that could be seen for hundreds of miles away.
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Miles away on the shoreline two men were watching the ball of fire. One with boredom, the other with amusement. D'harim turned to his companion in the white robe and spoke in his cruel tones. "It would seem that Taichi has crushed his target. But I'm still wondering. Who do you have to eliminate first?"

The white robbed man turned away, shadows falling across his robed face, making it impossible to see under half of it. "I'll destroy my initial targets. But only because I must. They're just one step between me and my real target." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The golden light suddenly reversed directions and imploded, leaving no trace that it had ever existed. And neither player held any glow or extra power whatsoever. The duel was over. "What the hell just happened? All of you should have been vaporized!"

Kirani sighed and turned away from him, walking back towards the others. "I told you before you made your move that the Heart of Love wasn't a weapon. So I used one of its initial abilities to allowed me to surrender in order to drop your life points to zero. Therefore the duel ends as a tie, and your attack didn't connect." (Kirani: Forfeit, TLP: 0)

"Bitch! I'll depart for now, but when I return none of you will be safe!" A tiny tornado formed around him and lifted him up and away. Soon he was completely out of sight, and Kirani let her act drop. She dropped to her knees, exhausted from the power it had taken to have Heart of Love absorb the enormous attack.

Dalin stared out towards the shoreline that was barely visible in the now rising sun. "The power we just saw was astounding. But despite the incredible strength of two of our opponents we must press onwards."

Kai stepped up next to him, his two-colored eyes also staring out into the distance. "I have a feeling this battle is just getting started. But whatever comes our way, we'll fight back. No power in the world can keep us from success." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's Notes: Holy rusted metal Batman! 3072 X Infinite attack power!

Void Templar: I'm surprised you caught that thing from the original Taichi in the original story. Good work.

The White Mage: Yep, he is sick. But it's fun to write those characters.

WolfGeneral: I enjoy writing a duel with the Kuriboh Deck so much. A lot of the cards are funny, which makes it just as good as Pegasus with a Toon Deck.

G.O.T. Nick: Looks like you were wrong. Taichi will live on, as will Kirani. Prepare for more Kuriboh! MWUAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Original Cards

Taichi: Payment of debt, King Kuriboh, Song of the Kuri Clan, Blue Eyed Kuri Dragon, Angry Kuriboh Swarm, Life Spring of the Kuri Clan, Cyborg Kuriboh, Joyful Kuriboh Dance, Heart of Power, Knight of Kuriboh, Blaze of Glory(Vaurnut's), Kuri Support Cannon

Kirani: Heart of Love