.:."Joey….Joey….Joey!" Yugi shouts to him as he floats in his bubble. "Wha?" Joey says, opening his eyes. "What's going on Yugi?" he says. "Where are we?" "I don't know, Joey." Yugi tells him. "We're about to be sacrificed to the Great Leviathan." Pegasus tells him. "Hey Pegasus!" Joey calls to him. "Your driver made me lose some luggage, you'll be paying for that I hope you know!" "Whatever." Pegasus says. "Hey! Look, it's those three goons!" Joey says. "And Kaiba! Wait, what's Kaiba doing in here?" he asks. "Kaiba came in just a bit ago." Yugi tells Joey. "Wha? That means that Yami's out there dueling that Dartz guy alone!" Joey says.
"I wouldn't worry, Joey." Yugi says. "I think Yami can beat Dartz. He just needs some more time." "Yeah, well he'd better if that thing has an attack of twenty thousand."
"He only needs my card!" Pegasus tells them. "What?" they ask. The card that I hid in the room at industrial illusions. He did find it, right?" "Well, yeah. But what's that do? It's just a blank card!" Joey says.
"It may appear to be a blank card, but it isn't." Pegasus says."I went to Egypt. There were tales of three legendary dragons that were used against this evil before, but they were sleeping away their wounds that they had received in the battle. That card will reunite the dragons, calling forth their power and unlocking their secret. I believe that Yugi is the one that can unlock the power of that card and free the dragons."
"My head is aching." Alyssa says as they returned from the flashback. "Perhaps you should lie down then." Dartz tells her. "I would if I could." She says. "Unfortunately, I'm stuck in here!" she reminds him. "Oh, that's nothing." Dartz says, putting the tip of his finger in between her eyes, a small light glowing at the tip. "Stop" she says, trying to push his hand away but is unable to. "Go to sleep." He tells her. "No…" she mumbles, but the Pharaoh can see she is having trouble staying on her feet. "Dartz!" he says. "Don't you dare!"
"Don't dare what?" Dartz says, not turning away from her as she progressively wobbles worse and worse. "You are not going to incapacitate her to retrieve her soul." He tells him. "What? And how would I do that?" he says. "If you are unable to remain in a duel, you have to forfeit." The Pharaoh says. "She did not want to start; you are not going to take her soul if she falls asleep by your doing." He says.
"Oh fine then." He tells the Pharaoh. "I won't take her soul…now. I'll get it later." He says. A light issues forth from his fingers and she gives a small cry as she falls. Dartz pays her the courtesy of catching her before laying her on the ground.
"Thank you." The Pharaoh says. "Have you not begin to wonder yet?" he asks him. "What do you mean?" the Pharaoh says. "Why she was there, in your past." Dartz taunts him. "Of course I have wondered." Yami says. "But now is not the time."
"Really?" Dartz asks him. "Not even after you showed such concern for her, even lifted her up and carried her off?" "Now is not the time." The Pharaoh repeats, more to himself than Dartz. "So you are deserting the memory then?" he asks. "What?" the Pharaoh says confused. "Just as your friends have deserted you." He says.
"What do you mean?" the Pharaoh asks him again. "Take a look around, Pharaoh." Dartz says. "At all your supporters. They aren't cheering for you now, are they?" he asks him. "They can't. You've knocked them all down." The Pharaoh says. "Your not fooling me, Dartz." The Pharaoh tells him. "Your word games are not going to stop me from bringing back Yugi and fulfilling the promises I made to him, all my friends, my monsters."
"Hmph. Mission. Such a thing never existed! What you speak of is merely a gear within the machine of fate." Dartz says. "Gear…of fate?" The Pharaoh says. "That's right. The duel monsters, your friends, my father and my daughter, they had no idea that it was you that is the reason behind this world's destruction. And so they entrusted you with their hopes! The tragedy of ten thousand years past…you are only trying to revive it! No, you weren't satisfied with the destruction of Egypt three thousand years ago."
"So that means everything I have done up till now…my existence…I?" "Had no meaning from the very beginning!" "You lie! I refuse to believe sucha thing! It's my turn. I activate pot of greed and summon my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in defense. I'll place this face down and end my turn."
"Then I will activat4e Orycalcos Deteros!" Dartz says. "His points are always three hundred higher than the monster attacking! If I attack, you re gone this turn. Attack!"
"I reveal my face down card!" the Pharaoh says. "By giving up half my life points, I negate the attack and your turn is ended."
"You still linger!" Dartz says. "But look around you, all the friends who have watched over you are gone. The bonds you believe in no longer exist! What have you to gain by suffering through this now? Try to think. Even now, do you still really think you can win?"
"He has twenty thousand life points…his monster is unstoppable, and three seals of Orycalcos…Can I still win?" The Pharaoh thinks to himself. "Accept the facts. What can you do? You are here to give your soul to the Orycalcos, to right all the wrongs you have done. Even if you remember, all that awaits you is tragedies. I am the only one that has shouldered the same fate. Only I can understand you. The least you can do is put an end to your suffering with your own hand…"
"With my own hand?" the Pharaoh says, looking at his life point counter. "Go to your friends." Dartz says to him. "My friends…Kaiba, Joey, Yugi…if I lose them I have nothing…nothing remains. So I will disappear.."
"Go, Seal of Orycalcos!" Dartz says, his words having put an intoxicating effect on the Pharaoh, slowly having warped his mind. He watches. "Let it take you…that's right, don't fight it." He tells the Pharaoh.
A solitary tear falls onto the puzzle and in a wave his friends are surrounding him again. "What's this?" Dartz says as the puzzle glows. The Seal closes in but there is something…something keeping it from holding onto the Pharaoh's soul.
"I have something inside of me." The Pharaoh says as the Seal is once more banished to the edges of the playing field. "Memories, memories that I have formed in this life. Friendships that I had lost thousands of years ago to be reborn, to come here, and change the course of the future! It's my turn!" the Pharaoh says, his old self back.
"This is the card that Pegasus gave me, I'm sure of it." He thinks to himself as he looks upon the card. "Now I play, Legend of Heart!" The Three Dragons are called to the field and soar into the ceiling, where gray clouds and lightning flashes. "Who calls upon us? Who awakens us after our soul's slumber?" One of them calls down. "I call upon you, and turn you into your true forms!" the Pharaoh says.
"We are Tameaus!" Tameaus says as lightning strikes the field and he appears. "We are Critias." Another says, the same thing occurring. "And we are Hermos." The last one says appearing.
"This is the true form of the dragons!" Dartz says. The three knights slam their swords into the ground together and the Seal shatters. "No! This is impossible! The Seal!" Dartz shouts. "Our bonds are absolute!" Helmos says. "Your Seal shall not affect us!" Critias says. "The scar you inflicted upon me…now is the time for my vengeance!" Tameaus says.
"Critias, attack Shonoros with your ability to destroy all monsters with mirror force as well!" the Pharaoh tells him. Soon after, the unstoppable Shonoros is defeated. "No!" Dartz says. "Yes!" The Pharaoh shouts.
"Fine." Dartz says. "But when Shonoros is destroyed, my Leviathan is specially summoned to the field! First I have to give up all of my life points." Dartz says, his counter dropping to zero. "What?" the Pharaoh says. "And Imust discard all the cards in my hand." He says, depositing them in the graveyard. "However I do not lose until my Leviathan is lost!" he says. The portal grows wider as the massive head of a black dragon appears. Yami gasps as he sees the symbol underneath it, that of infinite.
"Draw your card, Pharaoh." Dartz tells him. "It will be your last." The Pharaoh does so and sees that he has drawn the dark magician girl. He remembers his promise to her, and lays a card face down.
"Attack him, my serpent!" Dartz shouts. It does so, destroying Tameaus. "It's over. Ring of Seal!" Dartz shouts, the seal enclosing around the Pharaoh. However it repels backwards.
"What?" Dartz shouts angrily. "I played Relay of Soul." The Pharaoh says. "I summoned Dark Magician Girl to the field. As with your monster, though my life points are now at zero, I will not lose until she is removed from the field." He looks to Dark Magician Girl. "My life is in your hands now," he says and she nods.
Dartz plays Impact revive, and Timeaus returns from the graveyard with a five hundred attack point boost. Dartz now continuously deposits ten cards into the graveyard to use the infinite attack, firing it at Dark Magician Girl.
" I summon Celtic Guardian and combine it with Helmos to defend Dark Magician girl!" Yami cries and so it is done. He draws a card. "Critias, Helmos, attack the Great Leviathan!" he shouts. Dartz laughs as he sees such things. "The attack is futile. They can not beat his infinite points." Dartz tells him.
"Not quite." Yami says. "I activate Attack Transfer Barrier, which allows my monsters to transfer there attacks. See how they bounce back and forth due to the special abilities when used by the card, multiplying them all the way up to infinite." He says as the symbol appears between their swords. "Triple the attack for sacrificing three monsters." He tells Dartz. "Another of their unique special abilities." The magnet warriors are sacrificed and the attack is three times infinite. "And now I'll use the special ability of Timaeus to fuse together my three knights into one, the United Divine Dragon!"
The monsters fuse into one giant one. "Attack!" the Pharaoh shouts and they do, a large crack splitting into the other dimension. "Hey, what's that?" Joey says. "It looks like a crack!" Yugi says. "Let's go to it!" they say.
"Dartz, you have lost, now release the souls as you promised!" the Pharaoh says. Suddenly a large black dragon comes out from behind Dartz and snaps him up. "Dartz!" Yami shouts. A faint song is heard in the background as wind whips around the room. The Knights retrieve the souls of the three chosen duelists, Joey, Kaiba and Yugi.
"These are?" the Pharaoh begins and the knights nod at him. One goes to Kaiba's body, the other outside to Joey's in the plane. A small ball of light stops in front of him. "Yugi." He says, smiling, as it enters into him.
"Mokuba…Mokuba, wake up." Kaiba says, gently shaking his little brother. "Mhmmm." Mokuba groans as he wakes up. "Mokuba, are you alright?" Seto asks him concerned. "Seto!" Mokuba shouts, hugging his brother tightly. Seto smiles and pats his brother on the head, hugging him in return.
Honda wakes up and noticing Kaiba, runs out to check on Joey. "Yugi?" Tea asks, looking at him from behind. "Yugi, are you back?" she asks. Slowly Yugi turns. "Hey Tea!" he says, happily. "Yugi!" she shouts and rushes up to give him a hug.
Tristan walks in giving Joey noogies. "Yugi!" Joey says afer shaking Tristan off, picking up the small boy. "Aw man, we're so happy to see you're back." He says, rubbing his head as Tristan had done his.
"I'm so glad to see everyone's okay again." Mokuba says. "Not everyone." Yugi says quietly, noticing Raphael's limp body still. "Just…us."
"Alyssa…" Yugi hears the Pharaoh say as he kneels over her across the room. "What is it, Yami?" he asks turning towards him. "What're you looking at, Yugi?" Joey says, seeing him turned around. "Oh no!" he says, spying her unconscious body on the floor.
Yugi walks over to him, switching. "Alyssa…" the Pharaoh said, trying to wake her. "Alyssa, it's time to wake up." She merely lays still, unmoving, her body rising and falling with her breath. "She's out of it." Joey says. "No…" the Pharaoh says, his heart stopping and his blood running cold. "I…I believe it's much worse."
"Mr. Kaiba!" a man says running in. "You should come out and take a look at this." Yugi switches with the Pharaoh and they walk outside once more.
All across the sky are heavy black clouds where lightning bolts crash into each other. A whirlpool has formed in the middle of the ocean, and waterspouts were everywhere. "They say it is like this all over the world." The man says. A black shape lumbers through the sky.
"The real leviathan is still out there. That's why all this is happening, why not everyone was released." Yugi decides. Above them they see the city of Atlantis floating. "They say that because of that there is a massive tsunami that is going to hit the East coast of America in an hour." Remembering seeing a portal inside the temple he says "We have to go through that portal. It's the only way. Maybe if we stop the monster things will go back o normal."
"You stay here." Kaiba tells them all, walking back in. "I'll do it." "Not quite, Kaiba." Joey says. "I'm in on this too. I'd still like to get out Mai and Valin." "But you guys, you just got your souls back!" Tea says, distressed. "Tea, if we don't do this, the whole world will be in trouble. " Yugi says. Tea is quiet for a moment. "I understand." She says. "You'd like to see Yami, wouldn't you?" he asks her "No. As yourself." She tells him. "Promise me something, that you'll come back safe, okay?" she tells him. "I promise." He says. "And…" she begins again. "Good luck." "Right." He says, turning to catch up with the others.
They enter the Palace again and begin walking towards the portal, Kaiba leading. The millennium puzzle shines and Yugi switches with Yami. "What is it?" he asks. "The God cards!" Yami says, finding them in the mouths of the dragons. "But, it's as if they've been drained of all their power.
Yami and Yugi catch up to the others. "You'll be needing these." He says, returning Helmos and Critias to them. In front of the portal they see Dartz's face. "Come in, I dare you!" he says, laughing evilly. They hop through the portal and emerge on the island. Below them they can see the disturbed waters. Yami sees an image of Dartz in the air and tries to touch it but it vanishes. "Yami," he hears a soft voice say, and turns to see the ghostly image of Alyssa standing before him.
"Alyssa!" he says, and she floats down to him. "Why are you… how come you…" "Sometimes people need a little help. Even legendary monsters, or chosen duelists." She says looking up at him, her voice slightly echoing with her form. "But, why?" he asks her. "I knew you'd need Joey, Kaiba…Yugi." She says. "And they couldn't summon them alone…so I made a deal. That I'd trade myself in for their safe return."
"But Dartz already promised them to us." "That doesn't mean he was going to keep his promise." She tells him. "Listen, this is my gift, what the Seal is giving me for my offering, as it gave Yugi the chance to meet with you while he too was inside. I haven't much time before I have to go back."
"But-" the Pharaoh begins. "Shh…" she tells him gently, putting a finger on his lips to quiet him. "Now, it's going to come, and it will be big and it will be scary. But know this: You can beat it. Not with this." She says, placing a finger lightly on his forehead. "But with this." She says, placing her hand on his heart. He reached up and held it, noticing that she looked at her hand in his with such longing. "I guess there's one more thing I should say." She began, looking back at him. "Something I've been wanting to say for a long while, and should before I lose this courage to do so."
She paused a second. "I love you, Pharoah."
And she reached up and kissed him, the Pharaoh stunned at such forwardness from the girl who would never even look in his eyes. He just stood there, astonished. She, sensing this, grew nervous. "You fool." She told herself, ashamed. "How could you ever think he would want you?"
She froze and began to pull away in her embarrassment, cursing herself before she felt him pull her in and kiss her deeply. Once more she became dizzy and lost in his arms, her head swimming when he finally released her.
"I told you you liked her!" Yugi said, jumping on Yami's back and giving him noogies as Joey whistled. Kaiba merely looked away. "I have to go now." She said, blushing. "I'll see you after you win." She tells him, and disappears in a burst of light.
"So what does this mean, eh Pharaoh?" Joey asked him. "You two datin' now or whatever?" "I don't know." The Pharaoh said, himself a little red. "I-" "May I remind you why we are here?" Kaiba said. "Oh yeah!" Joey says. "But we'll be talking about this later." He tells the Pharaoh slapping him on the back.
They begin walking throughout the town when they hear the surging water beneath them. "You don't think that would be it?" Joey asks. "She said it would be big." Yami reminds him. The monster appears from the Whirlpool and wraps itself around the entire island of Atlantis!
Dartz laughs where he stands. "That is one, ugly pimple." Joey says. "Wait a second, that's Dartz!" he says after taking a moment to look closer. "Yes, how good of you to notice." Dartz tells him dryly. " I decided to fuse with the Leviathan myself to give it the kick it needed. But wait, you're missing one of the main attractions. Why don't I bring her out for show?" he says. The unconscious body of Alyssa appears next to him, laying on top of the ugly monster's giant nose. Black tentacles surround her arms, holding her onto the monster's head.
"Alyssa!" the Pharaoh shouts. Thinking back he remembered that she was no longer there when they went back into the room. He'd been so caught up with the God cards and the portal that he had forgotten.
"Let her go!" he shouted angrily to Dartz. "And why should I do that?" he asks. "Black Magician, Summoned Skull, Kuriboh!" the Pharaoh says, drawing a host of monsters and laying them on his duel disk. "Flame swordsman, Psych shocker, and Red Eyes Black Dragon!" Joey shouts, doing the same. "Come out, Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon! And Gadget soldier!" Kaiba shouts. The monsters fly towards the Leviathan. "And the three legendary dragons!" they say as they each summon their monsters. "Legend of Heart! The Pharaoh shouts and they turn back into their true forms as men. Kaiba and Joey gasp as they see this.
"I play multiply with my Kurribo, and my Knight Timaeus." He says. The action is done and Timeaus attacks the Leviathan with multiple light attacks from his sword. The three think that they have finally beaten it when the dragon unwraps itself, but are surprised when they see it has not taken any damage.
The Great Beast begins roaring and attacks. "Timeaus with Big shield Guardner!" The pharaoh shouts. Timeaus puts up a shield around the players, and all but the three knights and duelists disappear in the blast from the leviathan. There is a bright light and everyone looks up.
There is an aurora, and suddenly all the duel monsters are attacking the leviathan. Consistently and constantly they pound away at it, led by the dark magician girl. The duelists once again place many monsters on their disks, attempting to help in the fight. Dartz laughs once more as the ugly creature lashes its viscous beam upon all the monsters. Each is destroyed. Finally, even the three Knights fall and disappear.
"Is it time now, Pharaoh?" he asks him. "What?" the Pharaoh asks. "Earlier you said that you did not want to pause to consider why exactly this small girl was in your past, why you apparently were so close. I ask you, is it time now?"
Thinking that this may at least buy them some time, not to mention he is curious as well, the Pharaoh finally agrees. "Fine." He tells Dartz. "What is it you are so eager to show me? What is it about her? Why do I know her?"
"The answer is simple, really.' He tells him, as a large portal opens up in the sky. "You see, it all began one night many years ago, as you were walking back to your room…"
And the events of his past played as if a movie on a scre screen in the sky. As he watched, he remembered, his head aching slightly with the memories as they came. He watched as they met, as she desperately tried to hold onto her home. Finally she lost it and came to live with him, at the palace. The Pharaoh noticed some things that were similar as they went on. He remembered seeing her outside sitting on a log. Here she was in the past on a bench, playing.
"This is a rather strange instrument. I haven't seen it before, much less heard it played." He tells her, examining it in his hands. "That's because I am the only one I know of that can play it." She replies. "Really?" the Pharaoh says, interested. "Where did you get this?" He asks, turning it around in his fingers. "I didn't" she says. "You didn't?" he questions. "Then how did you get it?"
She hesitates and looks at her hands.. "I saw it in a dream." She tells him. "I saw what I needed to do to make it. I found what I needed and created it myself. That is why no one else has one or can play." "Surely if you taught someone they could. Do you mind if I try?"
"Of course, my Lord." she says, her head still down. The pharaoh picks it up, looking at it, trying to get his fingers to look as hers did. Figuring he had it close enough, he tried to imitate the way she'd moved it. All that came out were a few squeaks, a meep, and a squawk.
Alyssa begins to laugh a little at this. "Well, no one does it right on the first try." The pharaoh says, slightly embarrassed. At this she stops. "I'm so sorry- I- I didn't mean to insult you. Of course no one gets it right on the first try-I- I was being silly. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-""You know you don't have to worry. I'm not mad." The pharaoh says, looking at her, as she begins to rush into another apology.
Right after she had come to the palace and he was talking with her it happened again.
"So you like the room then?" he questioned her. "Not room, sir, rooms." She told him. "It's wonderful. More than I deserve."
"Not more then you deserve." The Pharaoh said. "Just more than you would ask for."
He remembered something similar happening as they were walking home one night, his mind flashing back.
"How is the room, by the way?" Yami asks her, looking at her as she averts her own gaze. "It's wonderful." She says plainly. I still don't think that I ought to be in it. What if someone important needs to stay?" "Then they can use the other guest room" Yami says. "It took us long enough to get you into their, we aren't going to kick you out." "But-" "Don't bother, Alyssa." Joey says, winking at her. "Once Gramps has his mind set, no one can change it. Not even you." "Oh..." She sighs.
"It's more than I deserve." She says, putting her hands in her pockets as she walks. "It's not more than you deserve." The Pharaoh says. "Just more than you would ask for."
A few more times, little things as they went along. "No wonder you had the hots for her." Joey says to him. "You two were married!" he says as they're wedding passes. Yami remembers a few other things from that night and is exceedingly happy that Dartz either did not know them himself or had the grace not to display them to the world. Some things were better left private.
He gasped as he watched the past when she had tried to warn him.
"No, I don't." she admits quietly. "Just my visions." She looks away before returning her entreating eyes to his. "Please, trust me on this?" she asks him. "I'm afraid not this time." He tells her. "You're having nightmares because of what happened. That is all. You're scared and it's okay, but I'm not going to stop because you can't get over your fear. There is no reason to do such an action." The Pharaoh says. "Please, Believe me!" she says, her voice growing louder as she pleads. "Don't raise your voice to me." He says, narrowing his eyes. "When do I tell you not to do something?" she attempts. "Please, believe me when I say, don't do this! Stop this now, before it is too late! No good can come of this. Stop this now, before it is too late." She repeats, softer.
"I've had enough of this." He says. "I'm leaving." He tells her. "No", she says defiantly, holding on to him. "Let go." Yami says as she tries to hold onto his arm. "Do I have to get on my knees and beg you?" she asks him. "You need to rest and clear your mind of these foolish thoughts." He tells her. "Yami don't be a fool!" she says loudly.
"Don't you speak to me like that!" he barks at her. Shocked and frightened she takes a step backwards, away from him. "You may be my queen, but you are still one of my subjects, and you will not argue with me!" "Yami, I-" she begins but is cut off by his next statement. "I'll remind you that if it weren't for me you wouldn't even be here now. You'd be in the streets or some poor, broken down old house while you take care of those who could hardly be considered parents as you work yourself away trying to form some pathetic excuse for a life."
And then it had been excruciatingly similar in the present.
"But I know, I just know if you do that something bad will happen." She tries to explain, the flickers of her vision coming quick enough for her to receive these feelings but flickering away before she could even begin to remember. "Oh? And have you any proof of this? Any evidence that will help to prove your cause?" he asks her. "No, I don't." she says, looking away before returning her entreating eyes to his. "Please, trust me on this?" she asks him. "I'm afraid not this time." He tells her. "The only thing standing between victory and I, and my ridding us all of this nuisance is five hundred attack points, five hundred attack points that I can gain with this card. I'll take him down with his own card," The Pharaoh says. "Please, Believe me!" she says, her own voice growing a louder. "Don't raise your voice to me." He says, narrowing his eyes. "When do I tell you not to do something?" she attempts. "Please, believe me when I say, don't do this! Stop this now, before it is too late! No good can come of this. Stop this now, before it is too late." She repeats, softer.
"I've had enough of this." He says. "Release my arm now." He tells her. "No", she says defiantly, holding on to it. "I said let go!" the Pharaoh yells, pulling back on his arm harshly so that it flings her to the ground. She lands on her side, bleeding from the various rocks and pebbles that lay on the ground. "Pharaoh," She says, tears in her eyes.
"Please, believe me when I say, don't do this! Stop this now, before it is too late! No good can come of this. Stop this now, before it is too late."
"She tried to stop me." He said, shocked as the words rang through his mind once more. "Twice, with the same words. And twice I cast her down." He says, angered at himself. He watched as she went searching for him, room by room after he had sacrificed himself to stop the very games she had told him he needed to.
Finally it comes to a close. "Why did you show me this?" the Pharaoh says quietly, having actually remembered the events as he saw them. "The more memories you have, the stronger a soul you become." Dartz tells him. "Next to mine, there is yours and than that of your wife's. Unfortunately she did not realize what strength there was in her soul from her age when she decided to hand it over. She did not know it would replace that of the chosen ones that exited when combined with my own."
The Pharaoh remembered how his head had hurt when he was with her. "You!" he asked Dartz. "What did you do?" "Finally realized it Pharaoh?" Dartz said, grinning down at him evilly. "I knew that the moment you two found each other that memories of what had happened between you in the past would come crashing down like a waterfall. I couldn't take the chance of your becoming too secure, so I blocked them."
"That's right." He said, seeing understanding in the Pharaoh's eyes. "Every time your head hurt, when you thought you knew her but couldn't be sure, that was me at work. I think I did a good job of suppressing all your memories." He said.