Robert felt himself floating, the ruins that had surrounded him had vanished like foot prints in the dessert sands. Now he was simply floating in an inky black void. Three orbs of light slowly came into focus. One red, another blue and the last a golden yellow.
As the three orbs clarified and formed around him they began to pulse, one at a time increasing in speed until all three seemed to be glowing brightly. Without warning however the bright glow ceased from two of the orbs.
Only the Golden orb remained lit.
Duelist Haven Colosseum
"You're luck has run out Pharaoh!" Apophis gloated as Amun took its place in the middle of the field, connecting itself with the three Egyptian God monsters. Obelisk and Osiris roared angrily as their powers were drained away from them, being fed into Ra through Amun.
Yugi grimaced as both Obelisk and his God monster vanished in a blast of light.
Ra began to shake and glow, its golden form cracking and crumbling away as Amun infused the great beast with its own incredible power and the strength stolen from the other god cards.
In a pulse of light the remaining bits of Ra's golden body blew away leaving a humanoid form standing in its place.
The figure was clad in golden armor seemingly forged from the body of Ra. The golden wings that once adorned the back of the massive dragon now spread out majestically behind the new monster, its helmet bore a striking resemblance to Ras head, the beak of the dragon now hung low over the creatures face, casting shadows over his eyes obscuring them from view yet oddly he was surrounded by a beautiful golden aura, it cast light on everything but his face.
The golden ring that once hovered between Ra's wings now held it's place directly behind the new warriors head spinning slowly, golden sparks popping off of it.
The new creature brought it's right hand to its side and drew a long wicked looking red blade.
"Now Amun Ra, master of all you see. Destroy my enemy, BLADE OF OSIRIS!" Apophis commanded, his voice hissed over the nearly silent stadium.
Amun Ra Raised the blade high above its head and tossed a look towards Yugi.
It seemed almost sorry.
As Amun Ra brought the crimson blade down in a wide diagonal slash the golden ring on its back spinning rapidly, the area in the center began to flash with golden lightning. The energy began to course over the mighty creatures form focusing on the now brightly glowing red blade above its head, at the widest point of its swing the blade launched its attack.
A blood red wave of energy washed across the field, the ground beneath the huge energy wave cracked and buckled as the attack passed over. Faint images flashed along the surface of the wave, images of fallen monsters.
Yugi's Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl. Osiris, and Obelisk. The attack issued forth from the blade of the master of the Egyptian land of the dead was calling on all of the powers of the fallen monsters in this duel to strike down its target.
The explosion was immense, dirt and debris launched in all directions. Apophis laughed madly though his cackling was deafened by the roar of the explosion.
As the dust cleared there were two forms on Yugis side of the field...
Duelist Haven Resort
Bakura watched intently as the crimson light swept over the middle of the stadium. Even though he was a quarter mile away the combination fo the intensity of the attack and his Millennium ring allowed him to keep track of what was happening.
"I hate it when he does that." Bakura spoke softly to himself.
"Yeah, He's always got a trick or two up his sleeve huh thief?" The voice shook Bakura from his distracted state, spinning around he was faintly aware of a green shirt and a painful impact on his right cheek. then blackness.
Duelist Haven Colosseum
... The Two forms became clear as the dust and smoke began to fade away.
"Kuri, kuriii!" the small brown creature floating before Yugi called happily before vanishing.
"You didn't think I would just let you wipe me out did you Apophis?" Yugi laughed as he slid the Kuriboh card into his graveyard, thanks to the small creatures effect he was saved from an attack that would surely have turned him to dust.
"How can a puff ball defy a god?" Apophis cried out angrily, his face turning dark red.
"That's Kuribohs special effect Apophis, the power to drop any and all damage from one attack that would damage my life points to zero. And if you think that's bad, take a look at Amun Ra." Yugi replied.
The majestic god before him began to glow brightly, and just as with Ra, its form began to crack and Crumble. The powerful diety exploded leaving a small crater in the ground and Apophis laying sprawled on his back.
"The Power of Amun only empowers a god card for one turn. You see Amun's power is so great that no Earth bound vessel can contain it. That's not all though, since this match continues we both lose half of our total life points." Yugi explained as he slid the Power of Amun magic card into his graveyard.
Yugi: 3750
Willem: 1500
"At least you've still taken damage." Apophis spat as Yugi drew his card.
"You're right Apophis, but I'm still in the game." Yugi replied.
"I play the magic card, GRACEFUL CHARITY!" Yugi declared, drawing three cards from his deck and sorting through them. Discarding two to the graveyard.
"Now I'll set one monster in defense mode and one card face down and end my turn." Yugi's eyes were glowing brightly in the din of the Shadow game.
Apophis drew his card and paused.
'What's the matter? Running out of steam?' Willem spoke in the dark gods mind.
'What's wrong with me? Why am I getting so weak?' Apophis demanded of the fading spirit of Willem Spring.
'You don't know? I thought you knew everything I did. It's called a congenital heart defect. I've got a small hole in my aortic valve, intense strain causes problems. Odds are it's leaking like mad right now what with all of the strain of keeping this shadow game going and trying to defeat little Yugi over there.' Willem replied.
It was true, Apophis' chest felt as if there were a huge knife twisting in it. And his growing pallor hinted at the chance of great internal bleeding.
Duelist Haven Resort
"That'll teach you to go around stabbing people." Robert commented, shaking his now open hand in the air in an attempt to throw off the pain.
"That was uncalled for. You damaged only the vessel not the spirit within." Shadi spoke as he stepped out of the shadows behind Robert, his white robes seemed to glow.
"Maybe but it made me feel a little better, all these memories swirling around in my head. I remember them with crystal clarity but at the same time I know I never experienced them myself." Robert said, dropping onto the bed he'd occupied shortly before.
"In time your memories will balance and it will be as if they've always been there. Integration of past life memories with your current existence is never easy." Shadi tried to explain but only succeeded in drawing a confused look from Robert.
"Yeah okay? So we're supposed to be somewhere right?" Robert brushed aside the confusion and stood again to attend to matters at hand.
As he floated in the void Shadi had reappeared before Robert just before the Golden orb was covered in shadow, telling him that there was still much left to do to end the threat to the world.
"Indeed, we must go." Shadi paused and looked out the window. "The end draws near." he finished, placing his hand upon Roberts shoulder.
Both figures faded into teh shadows of the room leaving an unconscious Bakura resting awkwardly in one of the rooms large cushioned chairs.
Duelist Haven Colosseum
"I summon my Berserk Gorilla and attack your defense mode monster!" Apophis' words were strained and his face had taken on an even greater Pallor than before.
The great dark orange ape snorted fire and bounded across the field on its hind legs and knuckles, chunks of the field that had been torn up by Amun Ra's attack were tossed in all directions as the primate picked up speed and lept into the air.
The beast brought its huge meaty hands together into a single gargantuan fist and slammed them down onto the face down monster card. As the attack struck home Apophis' gorrila was tossed violently aside by a massive shield.
The creature had slammed into Yugi's Big Shield Gardna.
"You're completely lost without the God Cards aren't you Apophis?" Yugi commented as his enemy's life points dropped.
Yugi: 3750
Willem: 900
"Silence!" Apophis shouted as loudly as his straining voice would allow. A small trickle of blood formed at the corner of his mouth.
"You're not well. End this foolishness now!" Yugi called out not wanting to watch someone die.
"I will end this. And then I'll feast on your heart Pharaoh!" Apophis coughed, still more blood issued forth from his mouth.
'Pharaoh, please finish this. I've done terrible things and with the strain he's placed on my already faulty heart my body is beyond hope now.' Willem had called out from across the field, his spectral form barely visible, a testament to his incredibly weakened state.
Yugi's eyes lowered, shadows masking his face from Apophis' view.
"Damn you for forcing me into this." He cursed, snapping his face back up to stare down Apophis.
"DRAW! I play the magic card, MONSTER REBORN!" Yugi shouted, slamming the card into his Duel Disk.
"My target is my Dark Magician Girl! But that's not all, now I activate my Trap card, CALL OF THE HAUNTED!" The purple card flipped up and flashed briefly.
"It's target is my Dark Magician!" Yugi finished.
His two magicians formed on the field ina dazzling burst of purple and pink light. Both monsters locked their eyes on Apophis and looks of distaste swept over their faces.
"Dark Magician, Destroy the Berserk Gorilla! Dark Magician Girl..." Yugi paused. He didn't want to end it like this.
' Pharaoh I know how you feel but you heard what Willem said. Sending him back into control of his body would be cruel.' Little Yugi spoke.
"He's Right Pharaoh. While your heart may nto want to accept it there's no way to save him. If you lose Apophis takes the Earth. If you win Apophis is sealed again and Willem dies slowly due to heart failure." Shadi intoned, stepping from the shadows behind Yugi, a very confused Robert left behind him.
"Dark Magician Girl, Attack his life points directly!" The Pharaoh called out, the anguish clear on his face with his decision.
Yugi: 3750
Willem: 0000
"No! How could this?" Apophis began but was quickly silenced as Yugi fixed him with another cold stare.
"Now to end this once and for all, I call upon the powers of the Millennium puzzle! Banish this evil from this plane once and for all! Soul Crush!" Yugi's hand shot out, palm facing Apophis and a wave of golden energy was launched at the dark god.
Apophis' form shook and warped as the ancient energy took hold of him. Briefly Willems spirit could be seen, enveloped in a golden light and drawn up a serene look on his face. It was hard to see due to his form fading quickly but Yugi was sure he saw Willem mouth the words "Thank You."
Apophis on the other hand wasn't as fortunate. His form was racked with pain and slowly began to sink into the ground. His blood red eyes darted around quickly, his hands clawed at the earth digging deep furrows into the ground, twin orbs of light shot from his Duel Disk to Yugi's feet, materializing into Ra and Obelisk.
"I won't forget this Pharaoh! I will have my Reven..." The ground closed over him before his threat could be finished.
As Yugi's Duel Disk shut dow the sky over head crackled with lightning. The dark clouds swirled and churned as the Shadow game began to break up.
The darkness faded, giving way to the dimming light of the setting sun as the audience came out of their stasis, they looked at the field in confusion. Yugi stood alone with no sign of Willem Spring. Antony approached Yugi and leaned in.
"Ummm, Mr. Muto where's your opponent?" He whispered to the slightly shorter man.
"He... left." Yugi replied, the Pharaoh having withdrawn back into the Millennium puzzle to rest and reflect upon what had happened.
"Did he say where he was going?" Antony pressed further as a low murmur began to spread through the audience.
"No, but it did sound like he intended to return." Yugi replied, a tear rolling down his cheek.
"Well that just won't do. There's no leaving a match halfway through." Antony complained and pulled away from the purple haired young man.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sorry to say it seems Yugi's opponent has forfeited the Duel by leaving before the results could be finalized. As a result Yugi Muto, the current World Champion will take a Technical victory. Let's hear it for Yugi!" Antony announced, slightly confused as to how it had gone from four in the afternoon to seven thirty at night in the blink of an eye.
The crowd was slow to respond but Joey, Mai, Sammantha, Kelly and, Ryu got it started by cheering loudly for the young man. Sammantha and Kelly's cheers rose even higher as they spotted Robert at the sidelines smiling at them and waving slightly.
Yugi knelt down to retrieve the two god cards and paused as he noticed Ra's forehead bore the mark of Amun.
The award proceedings were held shortly afterward in the courtyard of the Resort. Only friends and family of the top four contenders were permitted, the remainder of those who had watched the matches had to enjoy the ceremony via the islands television network.
"Yugi Muto, By the power vested in my by the Kaiba Corporation it is my pleasure to award you the full prize package for defeating all other competitors in the Duelist Haven Tournament." Mokuba Kaiba spoke the lines he'd memorized, filling in Yugi's name for the blanks he'd left in the speech in the event the victor was someone other than who he'd hoped.
"And further more, it is on that note I officially open The Island, Duelist haven to the public." He added turning to the cameras placed at the foot of the small stage.
After the awards ceremony over dinner Yugi told the others what had happened, leaving out very little.
"Man, I can't believe all that happened and none of us saw it." Ryu commented.
"You get used to this stuff with Yugi around." Joey replied, his voice deadpan, as he took a sip of coffee.
"Yeah, when Yugi's involved in a Tournament this stuffs almost par for the course." Mai added.
Robert shifted his gaze between Joey, Mai and, Yugi. "You're kidding?" He asked, a look of disbelief on his face.
"Nope, If you hang around Yugi long enough you get used all this weird ancient magic stuff." Joey answered, grabbing Yugi and ruffling his hair playfully.
"As long as I don't get knocked into a coma by some deranged ancient god bent of world domination every time I think I can cope." Robert replied.
"Yes it tends to make you cranky." Bakura added, rubbing his left cheek slightly.
"Bakura, again I am so sorry about that, I was disoriented and angry." Robert replied apologetically.
"It's alright, only a bruise." Bakura shrugged it off.
The next day the three Ships made their way back to the mainland. The cruise was far less eventful this time around.
Robert leaned upon the railing of the lead ship, watching the Island as it shrank in the distance. The midday sun was bright overhead.
Sammantha stepped up beside him and placed her right arm around his shoulders, resting her head on his left shoulder and hugging him she spoke, "We've got lifetime passes. We can go back anytime we want."
Robert chuckled softly "True, but I certainly hope it's just a fun Duelist holiday next time. I think I've had about enough of this fate of the world stuff. And here I always thought it was just a game" he replied.