.:."I haven't the time for this, Weevil." The Pharaoh says to him. "But you have the time to lose your friends soul?" Weevil asks him. "That's none of your business." The Pharaoh shouts. "Oh really? Well, I have a little bit of information that you might like to hear." He says, pushing up his glasses. "Which makes it exactly my business." "What is it?" The Pharaoh asks him. "Aw, come on. You're being so rude and yet you expect me to help you?" he says. "Weevil!" The Pharaoh roars. "I'll tell you if you defeat me in a duel, Pharaoh." He says sarcastically.
Yami pauses a moment before extending his arm and activating his duel disk. "Be careful Pharaoh!" Tea calls to him. "Don't worry, I'm not falling for any tricks again." He tells her. "I'll go first." Weevil says, and draws his cards. "Hmm…" he says. "I'll play this one, and then these two face down." He says as a wormish monster appears on the field and then two cards face down are played. "Well then, I'll summon my Celtic Guardian." The Pharaoh says, "And next I'll summon my Swordsman." He places two cards on his duel disk. "Celtic Guardian, attack!" he shouts, "Ah ah ah, Pharaoh." Weevil says. "I knew you would do that. Reveal face down card." He holds out his hand and one of the cards stands up. "This card will transform your Celtic Guardian into a cocoon for three turns. Just wait until you see what comes out." He says, laughing mischievously.
"I place one card face down and end my turn." The Pharaoh says. "Alright, I'm up next. Attack!" he tells his one monster. "What?" the Pharaoh shouts as the worm comes right up to his duel disk and saps some of his life points. "Oh, did I forget? My monster's special ability allows it to bypass your monsters and head straight for your life points. So why don't I just summon up another one?" he says, and another appears on the field. "Luckily for you, it can't attack this turn. So I'll just save this for later." He says, putting another card face down, "And end my turn."
The Pharaoh plays a few more cards. "And now I'll use my polymerization to transform them into Kaimera, king of Mythical Beasts."
"Oh, I'm so scared." Weevil says. "You should be." The Pharaoh says. "Attack!" he destroys one of Weevil's monsters. "Parasite!" Weevil shouts at his next turn. "This is a card that, so long as there is a bug on your side of the field, infects your deck, causing all your cards to turn into partial bugs."
"I don't have any bug cards." The Pharaoh says. "But that cocoon is a bug." Weevil says, smiling. "And next I'll play Insect Barrier! As long as this card is in play, no bug can attack me." "Drat!" The Pharaoh thinks. "You can do it, Pharaoh!" Tea shouts to him from the side of the field. "Squash those bugs!" "He has a stronger deck now." He tells her.
"You haven't any idea yet. Now I'll play the Seal of Orycalcos!" he shouts, as the seal falls onto the playing field. Tea and Alyssa are tossed back as it, well seals in the participants of the duel. Weevil laughs, his eyes evil and red from the power of the Orycalcos.
"Now, I'll sacrifice all of my monsters to summon the bug queen." He says. "But you need three for that." The Pharaoh says. "That's why I'm sending one from my hand directly into the graveyard." Weevil tells him as the giant bug appears. "And don't forget, after this next turn my cocoon will hatch."
The Pharaoh grits his teeth. "Poor Pharaoh." Weevil jeers from the other side. "Without Yugi to help you you're nothing."
"That's not true!" Alyssa shouts. "And you'll take it back or I'll do worse than any seal can do to you!" she shouts. "I'd like to see you try." He tells her as she takes a step forward. "Don't waste your time on him." Tea says, holding onto her arm. "It's not like you could get through the seal to pummel him right now anyway. You'll have to wait until he's done." Alyssa sulkily returns to her place by Tea. "Then we'll pummel him." Tea says, and they laugh.
They watch as the cocoon glows brightly, as what appears to be a large moth comes out. It retains two thousand attack points, and is stronger than the Celtic Guardian was. "Why would Weevil give me a stronger monster?" The Pharaoh questions.
"Meet Poison Butterfly." Weevil tells them. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" he asks. "His bug queen is still too strong for it. Not to mention his Insect Barrier." He thinks to himself. "I end my turn." The Pharaoh says. Unexpectedly his life points drop by five hundred. "Oh, I forgot to mention." Weevil goes on from the other side of the field. "Each turn you lose five hundred life points. My little present isn't a problem, is it Pharaoh?" he sneers.
The Pharaoh just remains quiet as Weevil sorts through his cards. "Seeing as how you won't be around much longer," he tells the Pharaoh, eyeing his life point counter. "Perhaps I should tell you that little bit of information now." "Tell me." The Pharaoh says, narrowing his eyes. "You didn't say please." Weevil says, shaking a finger at him. "Please." The Pharaoh says.
"Alright then." Weevil says. "In a special room, there are tablets full of souls. On one of them is Yugi. To get him out you need a special card, which I just so happen to hold in my pocket." He says, withdrawing a card. "Give it to me!" The Pharaoh shouts. "You'll have to come and get it." Weevil says, waving it in front of him. The Pharaoh walks halfway to the other side when Weevil takes the card in his hand. "Say goodbye to Yugi." He says evilly, and rips the card in two. "No!" The Pharaoh shouts, his eyes wide. "Yugi!"
"That's what you get for ruining my life." Weevil shouts angrily at the Pharaoh. "I was a champion, famous, but no one even wanted to talk to me after a rookie took me out in the first round of Duelist Kingdom. I was famous, and now I'm only forgotten."
The Pharaoh merely stands there, shocked. "How am I going to get Yugi back now?" he says. "Are you still thinking about that? Come on now, Pharaoh. Don't be ridiculous." Weevil says. "What?" The Pharaoh asks, looking at him. "That was a worthless bug card. Don't be such a fool." "You tricked me." The Pharaoh says. "You'll pay for that." He says as he sets his eyes and returns to his side of the field.
"I'm sure." Weevil says as he withdraws another card from his deck. "Now then, I believe it's my turn."
Meanwhile, Tristan and Joey were in the midst of their own duel. "I'm gonna take you down, Wheeler." Rex said to him from across the field, his own forehead burning with the symbol of the Orycalcos as one of his dinosaurs stomped a card of Joey's into ruin. "What're you, nuts?" Joey says, taking a card from his own deck as it was now his turn. "Crush him, Joey!" Tristan shouted to him. "Don't screw this up or you're a goner man!"
"It's so nice to have some encouragement. Thanks." He said dryly to Tristan. "Kinda wish Tea were here, even if she always is making those speeches." "What is that supposed to mean?" Tristan asks him. "It means she knows how to cheer people on and you should take a lesson, ya dope!" he yells back.
"Hey, pay attention here!" Rex yells at him. "You can just wait a second punk." Joey tells him. "No, no more." Rex said. "I've been waiting long enough for my fame to return to me, the fame you stole when you beat me, a seasoned duelist, and stole my dragon!"
"I didn't steal your dragon." Joey says. "I won it fair and square." "Yeah, right." Rex says. "Whaddya know, my Red eyes Black Dragon." Joey says, throwing the card onto his duel disk. "You've got a lot of nerve to use that card on me." Rex says from the other side of the field. "It's not your card anymore Rex." Joey tells him. "Attack, my Red Eyes!" The Red Eyes Black Dragon goes to the other side of the field, destroying one of Rex's monsters.
"Now let's stop this duel, alright? Before somebody gets hurt." Joey says. "No!" Rex shouts angrily. "Is this really worth losing your soul over?" Joey says gesturing around him. "I'm not losing anything! It's you who should be worried!" Rex shouts. "Go!" he says, pointing a finger at one of Joey's other monsters, and his dino trots off to destroy it.
"You're not gonna win this, Rex." Joey says, shaking his head as he draws some more cards. "Can't you see what a mistake you're making?" 'Just be quiet and play your cards." Rex says, clenching his fists at his sides and shaking with anger.
"Alright then" Joey says, selecting a card. "Here we go." He says, and slaps it onto his disk.
"Now, attack his Insect Barrier!" Yami calls, and his monster destroys the card. "WHAT?" weevil shouts. "My swordsman has the special ability to destroy one magic or trap card. He may lose some attack points, but it's well worth the price." He says, as his swordsman's points fall to fifteen hundred. "I'll place this facedown," he says, "And end my turn." His life points drop dangerously low as the Poison Butterfly saps five hundred more.
"Grr…" Weevil shouts, as he plays a weak monster in defense mode. How did he go so quickly from being on top to not having any monsters at all on the field. "Attack his monster, poison butterfly!" the Pharaoh shouts, as the monster Weevil had placed on his side of the field. Now Weevil was open, nothing standing in the Pharaoh's way.
"I'm still in this, Pharaoh!" he shouts. "Even if your monster attacks my life points directly, I'll still have plenty left." "Maybe, maybe not." The Pharaoh says. "For this magic card allows me to draw cards from my deck. If it is a monster card I am allowed to attack, so long as the monster I use has fifteen hundred attack points or less, and I am not to stop until I draw a magic or trap card." He says. Weevil's mind echoes back to what the Pharaoh had said only moments before. "My swordsman has the special ability to destroy one magic or trap card. He may lose some attack points, but it's well worth the price."
"He's been planning this all along." Weevil thought to himself, horrified. The Pharaoh takes the first card off his deck. "Oh look, a monster." He says. "Go, my swordsman! Attack his life points directly!" The monster leaps across the field and slashes at Weevil, decreasing his points. He draws another. "Another monster card." The Pharaoh says. "Attack him again!" Weevil takes another hit. "And again!" the Pharaoh shouts. "Once more!" he says, withdrawing yet another monster. "This just isn't your day." He says looking at his card as his monster goes forth to attack again. Weevil slumps to the ground, now unconscious. The Pharaoh draws again "Pharaoh, stop!" Tea calls, stepping in front of him. "It's over. You won the duel, so the Seal took Weevil away. He's gone now. You can stop."
"Yes." The Pharaoh says, glancing down at the card he had drawn. It was dark magician girl. "Up ahead" Alyssa shouts, as they see a curve on a bridge. "We're going too fast." Tea says. "We'll come off the rails!"
Quickly they look around, but there was no safe place to jump. Even if there was though it would be quite a risk at such a high velocity. "Everybody hang on" the Pharaoh says, as they brace themselves. The Car reaches the bend, and flips over, tossing it and it's passengers into the river far below.
"No!" Rex shouts, as he finds himself without defenses. "Please, don't!" he says to Joey. "I'm sorry Rex." Joey says to him. "I promised a friend I would help him. But don't worry; once I've gotten him out I'll help you too." He pauses. "Attack his life points directly!" he tells his monster, as it charges forth and depletes his adversary of their remaining life points.
"No!" Rex shouts as the Seal encloses around him and the strange green light comes and disappears, his soul leaving with it. Joey and Tristan run over to the unconscious body. They sigh. "It's a shame." Joey says, lifting him onto his back. "If only he wouldn't have played that card he'd still be here."
"Yeah." Tristan agrees. "What should we do now?" he asks. "We'll follow the tracks." Joey says. "Eventually we'll come to wherever Tea, Alyssa, and the Pharaoh are." "Right." Tristan nods, as they start off.
.:. Alyssa lay in her bed the next night, still thinking of how it had felt to be in the Pharaoh's arms the night before. She had seen him again today, and felt herself blushing even though all he said was to sleep well so that she would be rested for tomorrow.
But she couldn't sleep. All she could think about was how nice and warm it had been, how protected she'd felt. In those brief few moments she'd felt whole, happy, and secure. She sighed and rolled over, hugging one of the downy pillows to her. She was sure she was being ridiculous. She chided herself for her thoughts. But that didn't mean she'd stop thinking them.
Over and over she'd replayed the small scene in her head where he'd just all of a sudden taken her into him and spoken softly to her, assuring her that she would never be cast out, that she was no longer an outsider. She remembered his spicy scent and how it filled her entire being, the smell intoxicating her mind with dizziness and inflicting the worst case of butterflies she'd ever received. She'd wanted to stay there forever, but reminded herself that it was just her own wild thoughts. So she'd pulled away. He'd never think of her like that.
Still, it never hurt to dream she thought. And while she was alone she could not see any harm so she felt confident in allowing her mind to wander, her body to tingle and giggle when she would think of some imagined scene. She could feel her face blushing with the silliness of her thoughts, though she knew no one else could hear or see them. And in the end she always sighed contentedly as he would take her in his arms again, and it was on this thought that she fell asleep.
The Pharaoh lay in his own bed in his own chambers, awake himself. He too was having imagined thoughts and playful fantasies of what he might do if she would ever allow herself to be free with him. He recalled the touch of her skin on his, the smell of her hair. He thought of how small she'd felt as he held her, and how tiny her hand had seemed in his later on. He'd wanted to sit like that, holding her forever. She had pulled away though, so he let her be. He was sure that she would have preferred to remain in his arms, just as sure that she wouldn't at other times.
He remembered how his friends had joked when he'd told them they were all staying for dinner in two nights time. "Do we get to meet her then?" they'd asked him. "Well, you'll see her." He'd said, embarrassed. He didn't know how to talk about things like that. They'd teased him a little more and he'd brushed it off. In the end they'd all agreed and he wished them goodnight.
He'd thought then too, of how he felt. He was acknowledging to himself that he was falling fast for this girl he'd met not too long ago. How quickly things were changing. He sighed and turned over again. He wanted to lift her up and spin her around in the air, gently letting her down and kissing her neck, her face, her lips. He wanted to be able to joke with her and laugh with her without worrying that she was afraid. And he sighed again as the doubt came upon him, telling him that she would never want to do so. She was too scared.
This ongoing battle continued within him until he finally drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the one moment he'd held her when he was convinced she'd let him hold her forever.
Right before she'd broken away.
.:. "Pharaoh, no!" Yami heard in his dreams as he bolted upright. Looking around he was confused. He seemed to be in a tent. Tea was on one side, Alyssa on the other. He rubbed a hand over his face as he heard loud barking draw closer. Suddenly a massive dog was sitting on him.
"No, Skye!" he heard a little voice call as a small girl walked through the tent. "I'm sorry. He's very friendly. You don't need to be worried." The young girl said. "It's fine, I assure you." Yami said as the drooling animal licked the side of his face. He wiped it off and laughed, petting the dog on it's head. Next to him Tea woke up, but Alyssa continued sleeping.
"I'm sorry she woke you." The young girl said. "Come on, Skye." And called the dog out of the tent. "Grandpa wanted to know when you were up. I guess I'll tell him now." She says smiling.
"Well well." an old man said, bending over and picking up a duel masters card. "I haven't seen you in a long time." He said to it. "Though I can't say I'm surprised." He adds. "Grandpa!" he hears and straightens up. "I see you woke up." He nods to the trio, Alyssa still rubbing some sleep from her eyes. She'd been woken up as they were leaving so that she knew where they'd be, but had insisted on coming with. "Yes, thank you for your hospitality." He says to the man.
"It was nothing, I assure you." The man says. "And I believe these belong to you." He says, handing the deck of cards to the Pharaoh, Timeaus card on top. The Pharaoh sighed. "I don't think I much deserve this one right now." He said, looking at the card. "Perhaps it would be best if it were in other hands." He says handing it back to the man.
"Come now, Pharaoh. You can't think like that." The man tells him, taking the card. "How do you know who I am?" the Pharaoh asked, catching the piece of information. "Grandpa knows a lot of things." The little girl says. "It has been foretold of your doings to help save both worlds, Pharaoh." The man tells him. "It is no secret to our folk."
"And that would be?" he asks. "I am Greybeard." He tells him. "This is my granddaughter Chris, and our faithful companion Skye." Skye barked at the mention of his name. "Have you seen another kid around here? Blue hair, and big glasses?" Tea asked. The man shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. I only found you three." He said. "In the water maybe?" she asks him. "No, just you three. I'm sorry."
They sigh. "You look as if something is troubling you, my young man. Is there something on your mind?" he asks the Pharaoh. Yami laughs. "If you know who I am, then you know I'm certainly not very young. But yes, I'm afraid I've lost a close friend and I'm trying to find him."
"Knowing that you should know not all things are as they appear, Pharaoh." He says. "But if you are looking for your friend, I may know a place that he could be." "In the circle?" his granddaughter asks as he nods. "Yes." "Pardon me, but what is the great circle?" Tea asks. "It's a pace where those of our tribe believe you can find the lost souls of others. If, of course, they are there.
"Where would this be?" "I shall show you if you wish." Greybeard says. "Yes, please." He tells him. Greybeard extends out the hand with Timeaus's card in it. "I think you'll be wanting this back." He says. "Not just yet." The Pharaoh says, shaking his head. "Then I will hold onto it for you." Greybeard says, and puts it away in his coat pocket. "Merely ask and I will return it to you. It must one day return to its proper owner."
"I understand." Yami says, sighing. "But I don't think I'm worthy to hold that card right now. Hold on to it just a bit longer for me." Greybeard nods and starts off, the others following him. Eventually they reach the top of a peak. Down below they can see stone formations scattered around the odd circle or circles really.
"Down there you might be able to find your friend." Greybeard says to the Pharaoh. "Then let's go!" Tea says. 'Only the Pharaoh may go." Greybeard says, holding onto Tea's arm. "But…why?" she asks. "Only one soul is allowed to enter the circle at a time, or the evil and restless spirits that are unhappy will consume you and trap you within the circle as well."
"Oh." She said. "Then perhaps we should stay up here." Tea says. "I'll be back soon." The Pharaoh says as he starts off down the slope. "Pharaoh!" Alyssa yells. "What is it?" he asks, turning to face her. "I'm afraid you can not come with me this time, Alyssa. You wouldn't want me to be trapped by restless spirits now, would you?" he jests. "Of course not." She says. "I was just going to say…be careful." He nods at her. "Don't worry. I will be."
"Why, remind me, are we dragging this guy who wants to kill us all over creation?" Joey asks as he and Joey lay down on the ground, Rex's unconscious body, still with them. "Because we're nice guys." Tristan says. "And last time I checked, it was your turn to be nice."
"Hey, why am I carrying him?" Joey shouts as he stands up, holding Rex on his back Piggyback style. "'Cause it' your turn man." Tristan says. "Come on! If we get to town I'll buy you a pepperoni pizza."
"Pepp…eroni…pizza." Joey says imagining a steaming pizza fresh out of the over. "Hey, wait for me!" he shouts, and runs to catch up with Tristan.
The Pharaoh walks through the circles, an eerie calm about him. On the way he sees some black forms take shape, but he merely says "Let me by" and they dissipate. Continuing deeper into the circles he sees the souls of Rex and Weevil, both grinning at him evilly. He passes by though, finally reaching the smallest circle in the center.
"Yugi…if you're hear, please…show yourself to me." Suddenly there is a mass of swirling spirits around him, the mass darkening and thinning into a spiral. Then, there stands Yugi.
"Yugi!" the Pharaoh shouts. "I've found you!" "Hi, Yami." He says. "I'm so sorry, Yugi." The Pharaoh apologizes to him. "I let my darkness take control of me and you ended up paying the price. Can you ever forgive me?" he asks him. "I don't know." Yugi says. "It's so horrible here. There's nothing to do, and I can't leave. It should be you stuck here, Pharaoh, not me."
"Yugi…" the Pharaoh says feeling as if an arrow had pierced his heart. "I said I'm sorry, I-" "Sorry doesn't cut it this time, Pharaoh." Yugi says, glaring at him. "You promised me you wouldn't play that card and you did. And now I'm the one stuck here." He says downcast. "Yugi, I would trade places with you if I could. If I could go back in time I never would have done that again, I-" "It's a little too late for that, Pharaoh." Yugi says to him, cutting him off again. "What?" Yami says, shocked. "It's time you took responsibility for your own actions. If I'm going to be in here then so are you. Duel me, and prove that you're a man." He shouts, as his ghostly duel disk activates and suddenly they are playing a game of duel monsters. "Yugi…" Yami begins. "That's not what I meant, I-" "So now you're taking back what you said before, huh? Now that you might actually be in here like me." "That's not it at all." The Pharaoh says. "Then duel me!" Yugi says. "Yugi this isn't like you," the Pharaoh begins. "There is no more me thanks to you Pharaoh! Now draw your cards and we'll end this right now."
Frustrated, the Pharaoh does as his partner asks. "I'll start." Yugi says from across the field. "I'll play these cards facedown, and play my Celtic Guardian in attack mode." He says, placing the cards in their appropriate places. Looking at his own hand Yami starts as he notices something. "Do these look familiar? Gazelle, Berfomat, and polymerization?" "I don't know what you are talking about." Yugi says across the way, his eyes narrowed at the Pharaoh. Yami plays his three cards. "Kaimara, attack his facedown monster!" Yami says. An image of Gazelle is shattered into thousands of pieces as the card is destroyed. "Yugi, we are playing with the same hands!" he tells him.
"Not for long, Pharaoh." Yugi says. "For this card." He says, showing it to the Pharaoh. "Allows me to throw my current hand into the graveyard and accept six new cards." He deposits his remaining cards into the slot for the graveyards in his disk and pulls out a new set. "What's the matter, Pharaoh?" Yugi asks him. "Disappointed that you can't cheat anymore?" "I wasn't-" "Save it Pharaoh!" Yugi yells. "The Seal of Orycalcos!" he calls as he plays the card. The familiar ring surrounds them.
"Yugi…" Yami says as the Seal locks them in. "I told you you are going to be staying with me." He says. "And I don't go back on my word."
Joey was walking, or staggering more like it, as he followed Tristan down the tracks. "When is it your turn to haul this lug?" he asked him. "Not yet. I think you've still got another hour left." "That's what you said anhour ago." Joey complains to him. "Yep. And I'm saying it again." Tristan says as Joey plods on after him.
"Arg…I wanna just leave him right here." He says, looking off to the side. "You're the one that promised we should take care of him." Tristan says. "Aye…don't remind me." Joey mutters as they continue walking.
"And now, to finish you off." Yugi shouts to Yami across the way. "Attack his life points directly!" "I can't lose him again." The Pharaoh thinks to himself. Just before the attack hits, he shouts, "I can't let you do this to the world, Yugi. Reveal face down card. Divine Wind!" The Pharaoh shouts as it sweeps up and reflects the attack back at the originator. "He did it." Yugi says, smiling. "He won the duel."
Yugi is knocked back from the attack and lays on the ground, unmoving. "Oh no." the Pharaoh thinks. "What have I done? Yugi!" he shouts, running over to him, lifting him up. "Yugi, I'm sorry." He says to him. "Congratulations, Pharaoh. You won the duel. I knew you could do it." He says to him. "What?" the Pharaoh asks, confused, as he looks into his partner's face. "By defeating me you were able to defeat the darkness within your heart. You're free, Yami." "But Yugi-" "Don't forget, I'm always with you." Yugi says, broken, before scattering into hundreds of colorful bubbles blown away by the wind, before disappearing.
The Pharaoh sits for a moment, watching the bubbles as tears come to his eyes. He bangs his fist against the ground. "It should have been me." He shouts. "It should have been me! "