Author's Notes: Last chapter was intended to be darker, but I just wasn't up to it at the time. Now for some good old fashioned fun and stuff! Get ready, cuz this chapter we've got explanations and kick ass dueling!

Chapter Sixteen: Yin and Yang

"Get out of my head! You're doing this Yumi, I know it! Now stop, I know it's you! You said all that I hate is in front of me, and it is! I'm looking at every ounce of my hate!" She shook her head, laughing as she pressed her body against his. She tilted her head up and captured his bottom lip with her teeth, pulling, biting.

Blood flowed, and Drake pushed her away. "You know you want it Drake. You've always wanted me, this is what you like. Rough and tough. Going for that sort of sweet and innocent act just isn't you. It's me you want, not that little slut Kirani."

Something inside Drake snapped in him at that moment and his eyes filled with rage and hate. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY HER NAME! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO!" Snarling he grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her down on the ground, going down with her. Grabbing hold of her throat with his left hand he acted out on his anger.

"BITCH, I'LL KILL YOU! EVERYTHING I'VE EVER BEEN THROUGH IS YOUR FAULT! EVERYTHING I HATE IS YOU! YOU SAID IT YOURSELF, SO JUST FUCKING DIE!" Every word was punctuated by the impact of bone against bone as he slammed his right fist into her face over and over again. A red fog covered his vision, clouding her from view. All he knew was hate and rage, and he just kept lashing out over and over again.

About a minute or so later he stopped, and pulled his fist away. Slowly the red fog lifted from his vision and he got a good look at the damage. The fact in front of him was barely recognizable as a person's face at all. It was completely ruined, covered in blood. His fist was also covered in blood. "I hate you...I hate you."

"You're right...I'm everything you hate." Drake froze completely as his eyes met the eyes in that ruined face. Those eyes weren't green at all. They were a very familiar color. They were eyes that he had seen so many times. Eyes that he saw every single day in the mirror. They were his eyes. And that was his voice.

Drake stumbled backwards, grabbing his head between his hands. He threw back his head, and then he screamed. It was a scream of agony, because now he understood. The one thing he hated above all else...was himself.

Drake's screams died away as he found himself lost in flashes of the past, scenes of everything that had happened in his life, all that made him hate himself. Times he had come so close to killing someone, times he had just gone too far.

The blood, the pain, the brutality, the hatred. It was all just too much him. And so for the first time in a long time he broke down and he began to sob uncontrollably, his body shaking violently. "Buddha....I'm pathetic. I've never said anything, never praised anybody before...not since that one day. I said I hated Buddha, said I hated so many people, sometimes even those I loved...when all along I just loathed myself. I should just die."

"Damn right you should, it would save the rest of us a hell of a lot of trouble. Particularly me." The smug and arrogant voice that met his ears was distinctly his. Nobody else had it and he'd be stupid to not recognize it. And he was right, because as he looked up he found an exact duplicate of himself looking down.

"I don't know who you are, but go away. I just want to die." The other Drake snorted and placed his booted foot on his shoulder. Then he pushed, sending the first Drake sprawling to the ground. The duplicate Drake folded his arms and started walking around the first one in a circle.

"And I said I don't give a shit. I'd prefer it if you died, because you'd be out of my hair. All your fucking incessant wining! 'I promised Kirani, I must fight on!' Bah! What a fucking load of horseshit!" The original Drake clenched his fists and launched himself at the other one, only to have the second dodge and slam his elbow into the back of the original's head. He went down in a heap, groaning in pain.

"You're wrong...it's the truth. It's the right thing to do, I've always got to keep my promises, that's what dad said I should do. And that's what I will always do!" He forced himself back up to his feet, anger evident in his eyes. The other Drake merely rolled his eyes, still wandering in a circle.

Drake Two put his arms behind his head and smirked broadly. "Man, what a fucking do-gooder pansy. You piss me off so much! I can't believe we're in any way the same person." The original blinked a few times and finally managed a muttered 'what?' before lapsing into surprised silence again.

"You mean you don't know? Damn, not only are you a loser but you're a moron too. Remember when we played that Zelda game, Ocarina of Time. Well, you can think of it this way. I'm Dark Link, and you're Link...I guess. Eh, fuck it, I'm not good at explanations. Let's just say I'm the half that kicks ass and you're the half that whines like a little bitch." He smirked at this explanation, enjoying the shocked expression on his other half's face.

"Like...Ying and Yang? I'm the light and you're the dark? But how did that happen...and where are we anyways?" The two continued to circle each other, the light Drake looking curious while the dark Drake looked like he was sizing the other one up. In fact, the gleam in his eyes was quite predatory.

"What a moron. You don't remember all that shit with the Heart of Balance and releasing Eikyuu? Well apparently Eikyuu doesn't like us too much or something, no clue why. And he forced us into a place of our own power, created by the Heart of Balance itself, a place in between dimensions. So I guess the Heart of Balance split us from each other." Light Drake quirked an eyebrow, and then his eyes lit up as the memories came flooding back to him.

Now that he knew that everything he had just heard was true, he had a few more things he needed to say and ask. "So, any idea how to get out of here? And for another thing, what are we gonna call each other? It'll be stupid to call each other Light Drake and Dark Drake all the time."

"Is that all you could think of? I think the answer to that question is obvious. I'm the tough one, the one with fire and rage. So that makes me Drake. You're the little sister's boy who can't keep any promise he makes and fights like a pussy, so you're Daisuke. Get it?" He chuckled at his own joke, one that Daisuke didn't find funny at all.

"And what about the first question? Or do you not remember me asking you two?" Drake rolled his eyes at these words. He walked forward and clapped his hand down on Daisuke's shoulder, grinning as he looked into the identical violet eyes.

"Don't get your panties in a twist. I remember the question. And the answer is 'fuck no.' I don't have a clue how the hell we're supposed to get out of here...but I do know one thing. When the gang kicks Eikyuu's god ass good ol' Drake will be back. And I intend to be the only one there to be that good ol' Drake." Daisuke only had a chance to experience a bit of surprise and to widen his eyes before Drake's knee struck his groin.

His eyes squeezed shut from the pain, but it certainly wasn't over yet. "I ain't sharing my body with a pansy like you! It's all me from here on out, so I'm gonna kill you and get it over with!" The next blow landed in Daisuke's stomach, blasting the wind out of him. The third landed on his cheek, knocking him to the ground. And those that followed peppered his chest and back, all fierce kicks.

"DIE YOU LITTLE BITCH! I WON'T STAND TO HAVE YOU WITH ME ALL THE TIME, BITCHING AND WHINING ABOUT WHAT THE RIGHT THING TO DO IS! I'M TIRED OF PLAYING HERO BECAUSE OF YOU, AND I'M GONNA MAKE SURE FROM NOW ON THINGS ARE DONE MY WAY!" He continued his rain of kicks, hearing only whimpers from the prostrated Daisuke.

Drake sneered as he stopped his assault and glared down at Daisuke. "I think the first thing I'll do is get us...or should I say 'me' back on the horse. Starting by getting that babe Kirani in the sack. Been waiting for that for a long time, but it's been you holding me back, stupid fucking bullshit about love going on in our heads. But not anymore, because it's just gonna be me."

The light half groaned and struggled to put his arms underneath him. Slowly he raised himself into a sitting position. Drake whistled in surprise, not having expected his weaker half to be able to rise at all after such a continued attack. He could have, so maybe he shouldn't be so surprised. "If you want our body for yourself....why don't you really fight for it? A fight not just of skill, but of brains. The best of the two of us wins, and the other ceases to exist forever."

The dark half's eyes widened and he coughed a few times, trying to recover from his shock. Finally he was able to speak again. "Holy Hell...did you just challenge me to a Darkness Game?" Daisuke didn't answer, but he did smile. And that brought a smirk to Drake's face.

"Why the hell not? I'll take you in a Darkness Game, winner takes all. Just like you said. And we'll do like Dalin said he had in his duel with Kevin...we'll use our very souls to create our decks." Both of the two identical men drew in a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled. As they did so duel disks appeared on their arms and their clothing changed.

Daisuke looked himself over, smiling at what he saw. He was now wearing an outfit almost identical to the one he had been wearing when he met Yami for their duel. A blue shirt with silver flames with the word 'Life' in the center in Kanji. And instead of a sleeveless black trench coat he was wearing a sleeveless white trench coat. Attached to his arm was a normal white duel disk. "Let's duel!" (DLP: 8000)

Drake was similarly decked out, only his trench coat was black, and his shirt was dark red with silver flames and the kanji for 'Death' in the center. On his left arm was a Doom Slider, and he seemed quite amused by it. "As the darkness I accepted Dartz's offer, so therefore I'm still a Doom Soldier. Now let's get going!" (DRLP: 8000)

The darker half glanced at his opening hand and sighed deeply. He shook his head and slowly grabbed the cards he wanted to use. "What a damned crappy hand. I guess all I can do is set these cards face down before ending my turn." He smirked slyly as he set five of his six cards onto the field, completely filling up his magic and trap zones.

Daisuke narrowed his eyes at this move, not sure what to make of it. It was hardly their combined style to play like that, but since they were now two different people it was hard to tell how they're playing styles might differ. 'And of course we both have decks formed from our souls, so I don't know what style he'll be playing at all.'

He took a look over at his opponent, not liking the confident and arrogant look on his other self's face. He then took a chance to look at his own hand to see what he could do. 'This is a tough spot. Even if some of those are bluffs, it's not likely all of them are. And since I have no magic or trap removal in my hand I can't risk an offensive yet. I'll just have to wait him out for the moment.'

"Are you just gonna fucking stand there the whole duel, or are you gonna actually do something?" Daisuke rolled his eyes and finally chose what cards he was going to play. Although waiting out the other was a good idea, not doing anything at all was stupid. First he took two of his cards and slid them into his duel disk, then he announced his move.

"Those two cards will go face down. Next I'm going to set a monster in defense mode. That's all." His three cards appeared in front of him, about fifteen feet away from his other self's five set cards. It might not have been an extremely productive move, but he had to start somewhere.

Drake grinned and added another card to his hand, giving him just two to work with. But unless he had drawn a monster it wasn't like he could actually play anything what with his magic and trap zone completely full. "This is a good start. I'll activate a magic card that can be played on top of others. It's called Expanding Shadows, and it doubles the number of magic or trap cards I can play in a zone. Cool huh?"

Dark coils of shadow rolled off his five cards, and they seemed to move closer to the ground. The Expanding Shadows card remained face up above the far right card. Daisuke now understood that cards set afterwards would go on top of those already there. 'Funny...how come Expanding Shadows sounds familiar? I guess it's just my imagination.'

"Don't think that's all I'm up to though. I'm gonna set my last card down on the field right next to Expanding Shadows. Which means I've got six cards face down on the field. I bet you never expected to see something like that happen in a duel did ya?" He smirked confidently and folded his arms, obviously declaring the end of his turn. Even an amateur could see that.

Daisuke added a card to his hand without looking, and started thinking about Drake's strategy again. It seemed really weird that he'd play that way. 'What's he up to? Is he just biding his time until he has a monster, or is he setting up some kind of bigger strategy? Damn...I don't know.'

He grimaced and finally decided on his actions. He was just going to have to keep waiting. After all, attacking in this situation would just be stupid. "I'm going to set another monster on the field in defense mode. End turn!" Another card appeared in front of him, right next to the first one. Now he had two monsters in play, and hopefully when the time came he could stampede over his opponent.

"Hoping to steam roll me once you find a way past my set cards are you? Well I won't make it that easy for you. I draw right here and now!" He snapped a card off his disk and held it up so he could see it. And then a dark look appeared on his face, one that sent a chill of fear down Daisuke's spine.

"You're just a weakling with no comprehension of strategy, so I'm going to show you true strategy by playing a card that will allow me to use any of my card zones for any purpose, and it will allow me other effects as well. So here it goes!" He pressed a button on the Doom Slider and a specific slot opened up on it. And Daisuke's eyes went wide as it did.

"I activate Seal of Darkness! This is the fully corrupted form of the Seal of Orichalcos, and though it lacks the power to increase a monster's attack, it will give me other effects. For instance, instead of just letting me use my magic and trap zones for monsters I can play cards in any zone." Daisuke grimaced as he realized what that meant. And it was going to be bad for him.

"It looks like you aren't so much of an amateur that you don't understand what I've just done. Because I can use any zone for any purpose and I've got Expanding Shadows on the field, I can now play up to twenty magic and trap cards on the field! And I've already got seven of them in play, and I guarantee that number will increase!" He laughed and spread his arms wide, inviting Daisuke to attack.

He snapped a card off his deck and glanced at it, then swiftly slipped it onto his disk. "I'm not stupid enough to attack until there isn't such a large risk. So far your strategy has revolved around increasing your zone usability, and you haven't summoned any monsters. I can't count on you not doing so, so I'll set a card face down and a monster as well. End."

Daisuke stood confident and ready for whatever the other duelist would do. He knew he'd still be waiting, just like his opposite was. But that didn't matter. Unfortunately it looked like things might get worse, because Drake was grinning again. 'I hope this isn't another good card...I don't know his strategy completely yet, so I have to stay cautious.'

"Oh don't get so nervous, all I'm doing is playing another magic card. This one won't increase my number of zones. It's called Hell Greed." He slipped it into his disk and it appeared on the field right next to Expanding Shadows, floating above another card. Its image was of a little demon carrying a treasure chest while surrounded by flames.

"At a meager cost of one hundred life points per turn, not optional mind you, I get to draw two cards in my standby phase. Of course if you do the math and add those two to my regular draw phase, I'll be getting three new cards each turn." And with three new cards each turn he would quickly have the advantage, and Daisuke would be in big trouble.

Daisuke drew in response, knowing his opposite wouldn't be doing anything else. What he saw didn't satisfy him, so he lowered his hand and looked across the field. "I pass, there's nothing I can do this turn."

The other duelist picked up a card, and then his life points dropped by a tiny amount. After making the payment he drew two more cards from his deck, and immediately slipped them into his duel disk. And each one appeared above his first line of cards. "Would you look at that? That makes nine face down cards doesn't it? Scary huh?" He smirked, obviously confident in himself and his strategy. (DRLP: 7900)

"I'm not scared at all. But because I can't yet risk an attack, I'll pass this turn as well." Drake snorted and once again went through the motions of drawing, paying for Hell Greed, and then drawing twice more. And once more he had a decent hand of three to replenish what he had used up. (DRLP: 7800)

"Damn, looks like I was right. You don't have any talent as a duelist. Oh well, makes this Darkness Game an easy win for me. Now watch, I'll set three more cards face down and end my turn. Come and get me why don't you?" He smirked, causing Daiske to narrow his eyes.

There had been something bothering him for a little bit. So far Drake hadn't played a single monster, and it didn't look like he had drawn one yet. Maybe after top decking that was a possibility, but now with drawing three cards each turn it seemed unlikely. "Are there even any monsters in your deck at all?"

"Like I'm gonna tell you. Now get to the dueling and quit your fucking yapping. It's getting on my nerves." Daisuke rolled his eyes, not amused by the theatrics. This other verison of himself talked way more than he did, way more than even their combined self ever had. He seemed so much different from what Daisuke would have expected, even from his dark side.

As soon as he laid eyes on his newest card he knew he had a way to undo the trouble he was in and manage to go on the offensive. Things were about to get good. He grinned and reached down, grabbing hold of one card on his duel disk. "I'll flip up White Magic Summoner(1200/500) into attack mode!"

The little magician appeared, ready to act under Daisuke's command. "Next I flip another of my three set monsters, Guardian Magician of the Day(1400/1900)!" The next monster had sky colored robes and was somewhat more powerful than his White Magic Summoner. Together they would make an attack force that could dent Drake's life points by a nice amount.

"But that's not the best part, this is! I activate the magic card Magician's Storm! It can only be played when I have a face-up magician, and it then destroys all of my opponent's magic and trap cards! So say goodbye to all your face down cards and strategies!" The two magic users crossed their wands and lowered them to aim at Drake's field, electricity crackling.

An explosion of lightning shot out from the end of that wand, sending wave after wave down upon all of the magic and trap cards on his opposite's field. "Idiot! Don't think I'm totally defenseless from such an attack! Reveal Spirit Mirror, which will reverse the direction of your magic card and blow away all three of your sets!"

A fairy carrying a big mirror materialized in front of the blast of lightning and reflected it backwards, sending it streaking across the field to blow away Daisuke's sets. 'With his cards still on the field I can't risk an attack...and that was probably my best chance to really go on the offensive.' He grimaced and slid two of his cards onto his disk, giving him extra cards to use.

"Since you look like you're done for good, I think it's time I begin my turn. And of course you know it's time to replenish that card I used up and add more. Of course it still costs me one hundred life points for Hell Greed, but it's well worth it for the three cards I'll be getting." He slid the three mentioned cards off his deck, giving him more to work with. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of one, and a small smile creeped onto his features. (DRLP: 7700)

"Beware little Daisuke! I'm about to unleash the true pinnacle of this deck, the source of its power! I activate the permanent magic card, Death Awaits!" As he did so a dark shadow reared up behind him, and then circled around the field before settling above Daisuke. The duelist started to turn back but suddenly felt a pressure against his neck. What he saw was a silver blade pressed lightly against his throat.

"The card I've just played is a permanent magic card. Each of your turns it will inflict one hundred points of damage to your life per face down card on my field. Currently I have eleven, but in moments that will change. But that's not the best part." Daisuke grimaced, getting the feeling that he wasn't going to like whatever his other self had to say.

"Since this is a Darkness Game the thing behind you, the Grim Reaper itself, will press its scythe into your neck with a little bit more pressure each time you lose life points. The amount of pressure depends on the damage inflicted. Of course it will generally just be enough to slowly draw blood, but when your life points hit zero he'll slit your throat. Now the duel is really getting interesting." Daisuke gulped, unable to agree any less with that statement.

"Of course that effect only activates in your turn, so standing around and doing nothing is just dumb of me. So I guess I'll set my remaining two cards on the field and end. Remember that it means you'll take thirteen hundred damage in your turn. Soon I can defeat you without ever attacking..." The two cards appeared in front of him, giving Daisuke more to worry about. Things just kept getting worse and worse for him.

Slowly the light duelist drew his card, keeping himself still as he felt the sharpened still press against his neck. A quick glance down showed him just a few lines of blood flowing down it. It was a superficial cut, but it wouldn't stay that way forever. 'Damn...that card could be the death of me pretty quickly.' (DLP: 6700)

He eyed his hand and the rest of the field, considering the situation he was in. And he began to come to a decision. 'His whole strategy focuses around cards like Death Awaits, it's his primary weapon and it would drain me fast. So in this case I can't remain cautious, I have to make him use up his cards, because the less he has the better off I am.'

Confident that his decision was the right one he raised his arm and pointed to his opposite. "White Magic Summoner, launch an assault directly on Drake's life points!" The white magic user raised his wand and called forth a powerful creature made of rock. The beast began to charge across the field in order to bash down Drake.

"Your monster is too much of a coward to ever connect. Wanna know why? It's because not only Death is hovering on the field, but so is fear. Reveal set card, Fear's Release!" One of his traps flipped up and a cold chill went through Daisuke's body. White Magic Summoner began looking around in fear, and finally crouched down, hugging his knees to himself. Without his focus the rock golem vanished, meaning no attack had been connected.

"Fear's Release moves all your monsters into defense mode, and means you can only have monsters in defense mode as long as it's active. Of course that applies to me as well. But here's the best part, because you declared an attack I can activate this card....Dark Barrier, Mirror Force!" A black dome appeared over Drake, and energy formed at the center. It launched out and crashed into Daisuke's three monsters, and they vanished.

"Dark Barrier Mirror Force activates when you declare an attack and it instantly removes all defense mode monsters on your field from the game. Since all your monsters were in defense mode, that makes all of them. So get rid of them." Daisuke grimaced and picked the monsters off his disk, sliding them into his pocket. His opposite just smiled smugly.

"I may have lost my monsters, but at least I got rid of a few of your traps. And now I'll end my turn by summoning Red Magician of the Cross(1700/1200) in defense mode." The monster wore scarlet robes with a white cross in the center, and a holy aura around it. It was the best Daisuke could do for the moment since he had just lost all his monsters.

Drake snapped three cards off his deck in quick succession, barely noticing the draining of his life points. After all, it was a rather meager amount compared to what Daisuke had just lost. "You can try all you like to force me into losing my cards, but it won't matter. After all, I'll just replenish them faster than you can make me use them up. And you'll lose life points much too fast for your own sake." (DRLP: 7600)

Daisuke knew that his other self was right, but he also knew he couldn't give up. He had started this Darkness Game, and he had to finish it. He couldn't let an asshole like this guy have completed control of their body. "No matter what you say, I'm going to keep fighting, and somehow I'll win."

"Keh, whatever you say. But you'll have to prove that to me, not just say it. Oh, and remember my mentioning restoring my number of set cards? Well I will, because I set three cards face down. Let's see you win now." His three cards materialized, giving him a total of fourteen. He also had Hell Greed, Fear's Release, and Expanding Shadows face up on the field, giving him a total of seventeen cards in play.

"The most damage you can do to me will be seventeen, because you've only got three remaining zones. And once you fill those up you won't even be able to play any other cards. So be careful, or you'll lose to your own strategy." Daisuke grinned at his own comment and then started off his own turn, drawing and feeling the blade press against his neck again, draining him of even more life points than before. (DLP: 5300)

"Just you wait Drake, I'm going to unravel your strategy and win this duel! And I'll start by placing one card face down on the field. But that's all I can do for the moment, so it's back to you." Now he had Red Magician of the Cross and three cards, but that was all. Not compared to the number of cards that his opponent had. It really wasn't impressive at all.

"Such big talking and nothing to back it up. You gotta try a bit harder if you're going to defeat me. I on the other hand will easily be able to defeat you in just a few more turns. Because when I draw I'll set all three of my cards and that will mean you'll be losing seventeen hundred life points each turn." He cracked his knuckles, the confident gleam evident in his eyes.

"You're talking just as big, so how about you just shut up and duel? I told you I'd unravel your strategy and I will, just take your turn so I can do so." The two halves of the same whole glared at each other, neither moving a muscle to continue the duel. Finally Drake sighed and picked up his three cards, paying the life points necessary to do so. (DRLP: 7500)

"Like I said, I'll now set all three of my new cards down on the field. And now all of my zones are completely and totally full. This is too easy of a win, but hey...why should I complain right?" He grinned smugly and slid his three cards onto the disk, thereby completing his line up. Now he had two rows of magic and traps, each row being two cards tall. It was a scary sight indeed.

As soon as Daisuke drew his card he felt the blade press harder, draining more of his blood. His vision wobbled for a second as a twinge of weakness set in from blood loss, but he quickly shook it off. Now was not the time to get dizzy. 'Gotta stay focused, otherwise he'll eat me alive in this duel.' (DLP: 3600)

"Looks like you're losing it. And unless you can unravel my strategy in the next three turns, you're going to lose the duel. And hell, even attacking won't do much good since I've got so many face down cards. Not that you could though, considering Fear's Release is still on the field." Daisuke couldn't help but get a bit annoyed at his other self as he was taunted. It wasn't like he didn't know the situation, he didn't need to be reminded.

"I know what I'm doing, and now you're going to have to see for yourself the true nature of my power!" He lifted the card that he had drawn so that he could see it, and smirked as he saw the card text and image. He had never seen the card before in his life, but obviously his soul had created it. And now he had everything he needed.

"My soul felt my need and responded with a very powerful card indeed. So here it comes, I summon Magician of the Storm(1600/1400)!" He slapped down his monster, watching as the yellow robed magician appeared, clutching a staff that crackled with lightning at the top. And though its attack strength wasn't incredible, it did possess quite a bit of power. And that was what he needed.

"But his power isn't all I need, because I'm going to combo it! And I'm doing it with my set card, Amendment! I'll be changing the effect of Magician of the Storm slightly, in a way that will bring all of your strategies crashing down!" The magician raised his staff over his head, and a cloud began to form over the two of them. Bolts of lightning began to flash down, crashing amongst Drake's cards, making him look around in a panic.

"What the hell is going on? What's its effect?" Daisuke smirked and clenched his left fist, feeling victory in his grasp. This two card combo would turn the entire duel around, and there was nothing that Drake could do about it.

"Magician of the Storm has an effect that would normally destroy all of my magic and traps on the field. But by using Amendment I changed it so that it would be destroying all of your magic and traps. So say goodbye to everything you've got! Lightning Pulse Strike!" Multiple blasts of lightning streaked down from the sky and blasted down on Drake's cards, tearing them apart.

"You think that's all there is? You fool! Reveal set card, Fake Trap! When an effect is activated that would destroy magic and traps on my field it will immediately absorb all of that and be destroyed in place of those others, so you failed!" The one card took a combined bolt of lightning and was destroyed, but the rest of Drake's cards remained unharmed. The combo had failed.

"It may not have worked this turn, but Magician of the Storm activates that effect during each of my turns. So next turn it'll go off again, and I'll still get victory. For the moment since its effect failed it just remains a normal monster. But that's not a big deal, I'll just end my turn to hasten the coming of my next turn and the end of you." He folded his arms confidently, waiting for his other self to begin his turn.

"It's not my turn yet, because I have cards of my own to use! Your magician won't be around long enough to have its effect activate. Here's why, I activate Invitation of Earth Spirits, which will force your monster to attack right here and now!" Daisuke's eyes widened in horror as his monster charged across the field, staff raised up like a club. And he was running straight towards a veritable mine field of traps.

"Say goodbye to your magician forever, because I activate my trap card, Drag To Hell! This trap will now send your monster to hell by removing it from the game and that means no attack for you!" Pitch black chains launched themselves from the ground, covering Magician of the Storm from head to toe. And though it struggled, it was in vain and soon it was gone, removed from the game.

"Now I'll trigger this trap, Devil's Tempest! I can only play it when a monster is removed from the game. It instantly ends the turn and destroys one card on the opponent's field per level of the removed monster. Guess what? That means I'll destroy your two face down cards and your one monster!" A black wind whirled around the field, creating dark tornadoes that collided with Daisuke's three cards. Each one was blown away, leaving his field empty even as his turn ended.

Drake picked up three cards, and started to make a move, however he was stopped when his other self suddenly made an exclamation of surprise. "Holy hell...I just realized something." Drake quirked an eyebrow, surprised by the outburst. He was getting curious as to what his other self just realized. (DRLP: 7400)

"Its weird as hell that, even as our dark side, that you'd have a card like Drag To Hell in your soul deck. I mean, I know some of our darkness had a little bit in common with him, but not that much. He was way darker than any part of us could ever be." Drake leaned his head on one hand, a quizzical look in his eyes.

"And what the hell are you talking about?" His other self narrowed his eyes, and began to explain. And when he did so things became far more obvious. In fact, Daisuke wondered why his other self hadn't caught it.

"Drag To Hell...Taichi used it, don't you remember?" XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Taichi laughed as the attack knocked Ihachi off her feet and sent her tumbling end over end for several feet. Finally she landed on her gut and slid backwards for a few more seconds before coming to a halt. He could feel her energy severely diminished by the attack, and it only got worse as his little toy activated. He grinned, soaking up the sounds of her agonized screaming. (ILP: 50)

He let out an unhappy sigh as Ihachi managed to force herself to her feet so she could take her turn. She was breathing heavily and blood trickled down her lip, but it wasn't enough. She grimaced in pain as she drew her next card and returned a card to her hand, giving her three cards. "Begin with Altar of Resurrection!"

She drew two cards off the top of her deck, bringing her up to four cards. Then she activated the magic card fro her cemetery. "I choose to activate Double Spell, and I'll discard the magic card from my hand to pay for it! Now for its effect....I choose to activate Called From the Depths! Return to me, Obelisk the Tormentor!"

The image of Obelisk slowly faded in, until the mighty beast was once again real and on the field. It would only last for one turn, but that was enough. "Next, the card I recovered. More draw power, Pot of Greed!" She slipped two more cards from her deck, replenishing her hand to four cards again, possibly enough to finish Taichi.

"I'll set a card face down and summon another Skilled Dark Magician(1900/1700). Now, Obelisk will destroy Invader of Chaos!" The massive god monster clenched its fist and then swung it horizontally. The invader tried to stop the fist, but being the size of its own body it was unable to, and that swing destroyed it easily. (TLP: 400)

Taichi doubled over, both in laughter and in pain. Whatever he found funny, she certainly didn't. She had just crushed his best monster, and now she had an open attack. Well she'd show him when to laugh. "Direct attack!" Her magician raised its staff and unleashed a beam of magical energy at Taichi.

"Your last Skilled Dark Magician fell prey to my chains, and so shall this one. Drag To Hell!" Black chains exploded from the ground and covered the magician. It struggled against their force, but found itself unable to fight back. In moments the spellcaster was dragged beneath the ground to the hell that awaited it. "Poor creature is removed from the game. Bu-bye. So...are you done?" XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So what? It's just a trap that happens to be in my deck. It makes sense considering my deck is a Dark Trap Deck. Are you done with your stupid revelations?" Daisuke shook his head, knowing that the next thing he said was a bigger deal.

"That can be accounted for, but here's one thing that count. When the dark spirit as Kevin dueled Dalin they used rules like the ones we're using, where decks were forged by souls. And I happen to remember a specific card that Kevin's soul created that you shouldn't have at all..." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Upon Kevin's draw another Lost Soul token appeared, giving him an option of sacrifice for Thanatos. The demon duelist grinned at the sight of his new card, which allow him to open up some options for himself. He was certain Dalin would find it interesting. "Alright then, I think I'll start by sacrificing my Lost Soul to Thanatos."

The grip of Thanatos turned the token into dust, putting him one counter away from using his effect again. Dalin knew it wasn't extremely deadly, but any card he lost might be a critical one, so he had to find a way out of this trap. "Now I'm going to use a permanent magic card of my own. It isn't as long winded but it's equally effective. Expanding Shadows lets me use each of my magic and trap zones twice, expanding my options."

A stream of shadow raced across the field, granting Kevin the stated effect. Dalin didn't know how much of a danger that could be, but anything that helped Kevin wasn't good for him, that was for certain. What was worse, the effect of Circles of Hell had just pumped Thanatos above five thousand points and made Satan as strong as the Ultimate Dragon. The Devil Servant now had over two thousand points.
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"What the hell is going on here Drake? How the hell does a part of our soul, even the darkness that is you, have that much in common with the dark spirit that it'd create the same card his soul created. How about an explanation for that huh?" Drake remained silent for a moment, and then a big grin spread across his face.

"You're smarter than I thought you would be. So, why don't I shake things up huh?" Suddenly Drake's entire body seemed to shimmer, and in moments there was no Drake. In place of Drake there was Yumi, smiling seductively. And that change was a very creepy one indeed.

"I like this form just as much as the other, but then again I have no real preference. Of course women have natural tools for manipulation, so that's a plus. It's been a long time since I've been a woman. So waddya say Drakey-boy? This form, or yours? Which freaks you out more, which do you like seeing less as me?" Daisuke's jaw tightened as he realized exactly what was going on.

"But...but you died! You should be dead, we all saw the explosion and then..." His eyes went wide as he realized something. Something very important. "We saw the explosion, but that was all. And we just assumed you were dead and gone." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Slowly Dalin brought the card up and slipped it into his duel disk, activating its effect. The card that materialized in front of Dalin displayed a series of Egyptian characters, which spelled out a name. Kevin blinked when he recognized what it said. "In His gods....together." Kevin shook his head in denial, unable to comprehend how it was possible. And yet it was happening. The three gods were being pulled together into a vortex of light, and something was coming out of it.

The thing that rose from the point of light was a heavenly being. That was the best way to describe it. It was a figure of such intense light and beauty that Kevin hated it instantly. He wanted to destroy it completely, he wanted to blot it out of existence for all time. He had to, it sickened him! It all sickened him! With this creature's appearance Dalin seemed to regain a little bit of his vigor, as if its light was renewing him.

"Creator of Light, Horakhti. To attack requires that I pay all but one of my life points, however its attack....like that of Exodia." Kevin shook his head in denial, refusing to believe that this was happening. Slowly the giant being of light turned its gaze on him, a gaze so full of purity that he wanted to vomit. Bile rose in his throat and he fought it back. Drawing on all of his power, all the powers of the dark and Hell itself, he reached out to attack.

"Horakhti, Light of Purification. End it, please, just make it end." With these words spoken the angel duelist fell the ground face first, his blood pooling around him. Light exploded from the mere presence of Horakhti, and Kevin reacted violently with all the power within him. Millions of years of hatred and darkness all combined into one strike. Titanic waves of darkness and light crashed against each other, and the entire world was suddenly consumed.

Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Earth back to Earth. Heaven back to Heaven. All things must return to the way they were. Yet nothing could possibly return to the way it was before there came Taichi, before there was Kevin, before there was this thing that took them both and stole the lives of so many for the purpose of ending its own suffering.

Perhaps it was only proper that he who would use the power of the lost souls to do battle with would be the one to hear the last string of their fateful ballad. The Ballad of Lost Souls sang for Kevin Hunter, for the thing within him. The hateful creature that desired an end to its own life and all others had been granted that one special thing. Release from its burden, the burden of life.
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"That's right, I'm not dead. And do you wanna know why?" Daisuke slowly nodded his head, uncertain exactly what he wanted to hear. It all seemed so impossible, yet the proof was right in front of him. And it was beginning to laugh in an eerily familiar manner. Even with Yumi's voice that laugh was instantly recognizable.

"I'm not dead because I was never alive to begin with! And now here I am as part of you, and when I win this Darkness Game not only will I gain your body, but I'll gain the powers of the Heart of Light and Dark, together in one form thanks to the Millennium Disc and the spirit that resides within! I'll be unleashed with more power than ever when Eikyuu is defeated!" Yumi smirked smugly, fiddling with the cards in her hand as she looked across the field at Daisuke.

"And with that power within me, it will be easy to strip away the other Hearts of Man, and then I'll have more than enough power to unleash the destruction I wished for. When I win this duel I'll have guaranteed the absolute end of the universe!" XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's Notes: Yep, that's right. The Dark Spirit is back and ready to rumble, so look at Universe, cause here it comes!

G.O.T. Nick: Nice work Nicky. Yes indeed, the order does have signifigance. You'll see why once we see them again.

Time Mage: Oh, Autumn and Kirani are about the only people without a bad past. Ryu was involved in gang wars as I said early in the first story, meaning unlike Drake (who was just involved in gang fights and street brawls) he has killed people and seen people killed. And now you know where Drake is.

The White Mage: Yep, he does hate himself most of all.

VoidTemplar: Yep. I like my protagonists with angst.

WolfGeneral: Watch out, cuz she's psycho!

Original Cards

Drake: Expanding Shadows, Seal of Darkness, Hell Greed, Death Awaits, Fear's Release, Drag To Hell, Devil's Tempest

Daisuke: White Magic Summoner, Guardian Magician of the Day, Magician's Storm, Red Magician of the Cross, Magician of the Storm, Amendment