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Fanfic Chapter 170: Enter the Shadow Realm
Harold: Okay, so it started out like any normal day. We were on our way to see a movie and Yugi was about to tell Tea how he felt (though it seems like everyone but Tea knows about that). All of a sudden, this strange energy string came out of nowhere and sucked up Tea. We tried following but she was literally sucked into thin air! We didn't know what to do but then this voice said we could rescue her. Man, can't we have a normal day?
The light particles began to take form. The very sight worried Yugi, Joey, Serenity, and Harold.
"Be ready for anything, guys," Yugi warned. Harold aimed his Armlet at the strange sight.
The light particle form finally solidified into the form of a woman. She had a thin body dressed in a green gown that revealed her dainty shoulders. Her blonde hair fell down to her mid-back. She looked pretty if one were to ignore the light blue skin and bone crown she wore.
"A Mystical Elf (1)!" Yugi realized.
Serenity looked around. "But I don't see anybody with a Duel Disk," she said. "So who played it?"
The Mystical Elf opened her eyes which were just as blue as her skin and looked at the kids, "Hello, Yugi," she greeted. "It's been a while."
"Gyah!" Joey screamed. "She just talked!"
The Mystical Elf turned to look at Joey. "It's good to see you too, Joey."
"Do… do we know you?" Yugi asked.
"I looked different from when we last met, but I certainly remember you. Remember, I said that there was one who always loved you and that she would always be close to your heart."
Yugi searched his memory and remembered the line. He remembered hearing it in Kaiba's virtual world as spoken by…
"Edina!" Yugi gasped.
"No way, it can't be," Joey denied. "She's supposed to look like Mokuba; for that matter she's suppose to be a computer game character!"
"Uh… guys," Harold said. "Maybe we should talk about this somewhere less conspicuous." They were currently talking in the middle of the street and were starting to attract a small crowd.
"Of course," the Mystical Elf Edina said. She placed her hands together and all five of them disappeared.
After the fire that almost killed Yugi and destroyed his Millennium Puzzle, the area that was once a warehouse had become a corporate parking lot, the only access point to it was from an alleyway. Since it was Saturday, there were no cars and therefore, no people. It was the perfect spot to carry on their conversation.
"I always thought Edina was part of Kaiba's virtual video game," Joey said. "So how can she be here and how can she look like a Duel Monster?"
"Kaiba originally designed to the character of Edina to look like his brother," the Mystical Elf explained. "But unknown to Kaiba, I took over the form of Edina shortly before his Board of Executives took over the world of Sim Lau."
"The Big-5," Serenity realized.
"After Kaiba and I defeated the Big-5, Edina revealed herself as the Mystical Elf and chanted a spell that resurrected you, Mai, and Mokuba."
"To avoid arousing the suspicions of them, I had to play the damsel role as was the purpose designed for the Edina character."
"Okay, I'll ignore the question about how you got into an advanced virtual computer game," Harold said. "I'll even ignore how you're even real to begin with. What are you doing here?"
"Not long back, Yugi helped save the world of Sim Lau from the clutches of the Big-5. Now his help is needed again."
"But we have our own problems," Yugi protested. "We have to rescue Tea!"
"And that is why I am here," Edina said. "Because the kidnapping of your friend Tea is related to a much larger threat to the Shadow Realm."
"The Shadow Realm!" Everyone gasped.
"That place is bad news," Joey argued. "Give me one good reason why we should care at all about the Shadow Realm."
Edina's face grew solemn. "Because not only is that where your friend Tea is being held but the Shadow Realm itself is in danger of being destroyed by the person who kidnapped her, a person with a vengeance against you, Yugi!"
"Me, but who is this?"
"An old nemesis of yours… Panik."
The boys gasped. Serenity pulled on Joey's sleeve, "Who's Panik?"
"A nutcase," Joey said.
Mai watched in horror as all three of her Harpies were defeated at once, depleting what little life points she had left.
"Your little birdies have been eliminated," her opponent said, his face shrouded in darkness. "Just like you." As the moon shone its light down, his features could be seen. He was dressed all in black with two Dueling Glove that had room for twenty star chips. All but one was filled.
Mai grudgingly ejected all her star chips from her glove. Her opponent came around from his side of the field.
"Mai, are you all right?" Yugi asked as they ran up to the Dueling field.
"You're too late," she despaired.
"This sideshow freak giving you a hard time?" Joey asked.
"Just like Pegasus pays me to do, root out all the filthy Duelists on the island and dispose of them."
"He strong-armed Mai into a duel and forced her to lose her star chips."
Harold took over the narrative from Joey, "Yugi challenged Panik to a duel for Mai's star chips. But Panik was a cheater in every sense of the word. He tried to kill Yugi."
Panik kept asking how anyone could defeat him. He looked at Yugi. "I may have not been able to beat you, Yugi, but I can still ELIMINATE YOU!" He slammed the control button down.
A wall of flames rose around Yugi's side of the field. And with his legs clamped in place, there was nowhere he could go.
"We'll see who's the coward now!" More flame throwers came out of Panik's podium and headed straight for Yugi.
"Yugi, jump out of the way!" Bakura cried.
"Get down!" Harold shouted. Everyone dropped to the ground as the entire arena was transformed into an inferno.
"Yugi!" Tea cried out. "No..."
"Yugi, how did you survive?" Serenity asked.
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind knowing that too," Harold agreed. "That fire blocked you from all of us."
Yugi looked down at his Millennium Puzzle. "It was all because of this."
Inside, the fire storm, Panik celebrated the supposed death of Yugi Moto. Until he noticed that the flames were actually going around Yugi's podium. Panik immediately turned off the flame throwers. Yugi was still standing on his podium. His puzzle was glowing and he had a colorful Egyptian-looking eye on his forehead.
"How... how did you survive? It's impossible!"
"My Millennium Puzzle protects me from cowardly assaults like yours. Now I will teach you a lesson about bullying others." Yugi held out his hand. "PENALTY GAME: TORMENT OF FIRE!" All the flames immediately converged on Panik, leaving nothing but his two dueling gloves.
"Panik was supposed to have been sent to the Shadow Realm where he was to be punished in a penalty game," Yugi finished. "The Shadow Realm should've finished him off."
"But it did just the opposite," Edina said. "Instead of resisting the Shadow Realm energies like most victims of Penalty Games would, he absorbed it and became powerful."
"So he transformed from a nut job to a powerful nut job," Joey cracked.
"Yes, and with each passing moment, he absorbs more and more of the Shadow Realm's power. But by doing that, he is weakening the stability of the Shadow Realm. Soon, the Shadow Realm would implode on itself and that would cause havoc in your world."
"Well, I say we have reason enough to go to the Shadow Realm and save it," Harold said. "Because we'll be saving Tea and our world in the process."
"Right, Harold," Joey agreed. "Let's get ready."
Tea groaned and opened her eyes. "Where am I?" She asked. She saw no sign of Yugi or the others. She didn't see the city, in fact she didn't see anything, just black smoke. "Hello, is anyone here? Yugi? Harold?"
A low chuckle startled her. "So I was correct, you are a friend of Yugi Moto."
"Who's there?" Tea looked around but couldn't see the voice.
"My original intention was to capture him but I got you instead." Tea suddenly felt hot breath on the back of her neck. She froze. "And now that you're here, it is certain that he will come to rescue you. This is better than I originally planned." The speaker walked around to her front.
Tea gasped. It was a burly dark-skinned man. He was dressed in a black jacket and pants. He had black tufts of hair. A black aura surrounded him. He turned around displaying his glowing red eyes to Tea.
"Panik!" Tea realized.
"Yes, and soon Yugi Moto will also be panicking, for I will scatter his soul to the four corners of the Shadow Realm. Oh how I love to hear his screams of torment, his screams of horror…" He leaned in until his head was practically on her shoulder. Her eyes emitted tears of fear. Tea could feel his hot breath on her neck. "His screams of death."
Tea screamed.
"You guys carry your Duel Disks around all the time?" Joey asked.
"Well, being the champion of Duelist Kingdom and Battle City, I have to always be ready for a duel," Yugi explained.
"And I haven't removed mine from my backpack ever since I came back from Battle City," Harold added. "What about you, Joey?"
"Uh… well…"
"Joey never takes his off," Serenity said for Joey. Joey cringed as Yugi and Harold laughed.
"What can I say, it's become a permanent part of me," Joey said patting it.
"Looks like we're all set," Serenity said. "So let's get going."
"Hold on, Serenity," Joey said placing his hands on both of her shoulders. "You're staying here."
"But Joey…"
"But nothing, the Shadow Realm ain't a playground."
"Joey's assessment is correct," Edina spoke up. "The Shadow Realm feeds on fear and insecurity. If one was to give in to it, they would be swallowed by it with no hope for return."
"Right, in other words, not the place for…"
"For a girl?" Serenity finished.
"For someone who isn't a Duelist," Joey amended.
"Serenity, this won't be like Noah's virtual world," Yugi said. "The dangers will be constant and everywhere. You'd be much safer waiting for us back here."
"Yugi, I'm as much a part of this team as Joey. I have to be there to back him up. Besides, if you guys fail, no place will be safe. With me along, at least you have a better chance."
"There is strength in numbers," Harold commented.
"Serenity, I… I couldn't live with myself if I let something…"
"Let her come," Harold said. Yugi and Joey looked at her. "I'll be responsible for her safety. If danger is imminent, I can just protect her in my Armlet's shield. She's right we are going to need all the help we can get, especially if we're going to be dealing with an Eliminator."
"Thanks, Harold," Serenity said doing a little jump.
"Ho boy, Mom's going to kill me for letting my sister go to dangerous alternate dimensions to battle ultra-powerful megalomaniacs. Well, all right, not like we have a whole lot of time to argue, with Tea trapped and all. So let's get going."
"But how do we get there?" Yugi asked Edina.
"I can get you there," Edina said. "Everyone stand close to me." She placed her hands together and all five of them disappeared again.
Edina and the kids materialized in the Shadow Realm. Dark smoke was far above them. There was very little light yet somehow they were able to see each other. "Okay, which way to Panik's place?" Joey asked.
"Wait a second, Joey," Edina said. "There is one thing we must do first."
"What's that, Edina?" Yugi asked.
"You must choose your Guardians."
"Guardians?"
"The Shadow Realm itself is a dangerous place with many things lurking for travelers such as you. Your fear and insecurity amplify the strength of the Shadow Realm's traps so you must stay strong. A good way to do that is to have a monster fight by your side."
"I get it," Serenity said. "It's kind of like that Deck Master System we used during the Virtual Wars."
"Deck Masters, huh?" Joey asked holding up a Duel Monster card. "Then I'll choose a monster that hasn't let me down yet: Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2)!" A black skeletal dragon appeared.
"Same goes for me," Harold agreed. He mimicked Joey's movement, "Come on out, Wingweaver (3)!" A six-winged woman with purple hair in a gold dress appeared.
Serenity looked through her Duel Monster deck. "I'm not sure what to pick."
"Let me see," Joey said looking over her shoulder. "Hey, this one looks good."
"Okay then, I'll use Queen of Autumn Leaves (4)." A red-haired elf with pale skin and wearing a wine-colored dress appeared.
"There's only one monster I want by my side," Yugi said. "Dark Magician (5)!"
Nothing happened.
"Huh?" Yugi looked at his monster card to make sure it was the right one. "Dark Magician, come forth!" Still nothing happened. "What's going on? Why won't the Dark Magician appear to me?" Is it because it's me whose calling upon it and not Yami? Will the Dark Magician only respond to him?
Edina quelled Yugi's worry. "The Dark Magician is an enigma, Yugi, it is neither a Shadow Realm monster nor is it… not."
"But that doesn't make any sense," Yugi said. "I've called upon the Dark Magician hundreds of times both in a duel and outside a duel with very little problems. Heck, even Tea called upon it once."
"These aren't Duel Monsters like you're used to, Yugi," Edina said. "These are actual creatures, ancient spirits from an alternate dimension channeled through the cards. Attack and defense points mean nothing to Shadow Guardians, only the spirit of the person who called upon it matters. But as for the Dark Magician… it is a mystery nobody can understand, not even the Shadow Realm."
"Yugi, couldn't you just call out one of your Egyptian God Cards?" Joey asked.
Yugi looked down abashed, "I didn't bring them."
"WHAT?" Joey cried grabbing Yugi by the shoulders and shaking him. "What are you thinking, coming to the Shadow Realm and not bringing your Egyptian God Cards?"
"I didn't want to risk having them stolen from my dueling box while I wasn't looking so I thought it would be safer to leave them at home. Besides, I didn't know I would be actually entering the Shadow Realm."
"Joey, calm down," Harold said. "Remember what Edina said, any negative emotions only make the stuff the Shadow Realm throws at us stronger."
"Sorry, guys," Joey said.
"Yugi, you must have other strong monsters you could use," Serenity commented.
"I do," Yugi confirmed. But if it was the Dark Magician, I could have peace of mind. Yugi searched through his deck and finally settled on Buster Blader (6), an armored warrior.
"Good, you're all ready," Edina said seeing the guardian monsters standing by their summoner. "Remember, Panik controls the Shadow Realm now, and he'll use all its resources to halt your progress and discourage you. His anger only amplifies the Shadow Realm's magic. Keep the light inside your heart and your minds and you'll do fine. Now follow me." Edina led the group in a direction.
Unfortunately for them, Panik was watching them from his citadel. "So, that miserable elf thinks she prepared her champions for what lies ahead. Well she's about to learn that I have prepared too." He turned to several shadows. "Go and halt their progress at any cost."
"Yes, Lord Panik," they said before disappearing.
Tea couldn't help but let out a whimper. Panik came up beside her. "Do not fret I will not kill your precious Yugi yet."
"You… won't?"
"No, first I want to crush his spirit. I want to take away any sliver of hope he has and once I broke him spirit, I'll break his body and then my revenge will be complete. And the best part is you'll be right in the front row for the greatest spectacle of all time: the downfall of Yugi Moto!"
Tea closed her eyes hoping Panik didn't see the tear role down her cheek.
The End
Duel Monster Database
(1)
Name: Mystical Elf
Level: 4
Type: Spellcaster
Attribute: Light
ATK: 800
DEF: 2000
(2)
Name: Red-Eyes Black Dragon
Level: 7
Type: Dragon
Attribute: Dark
ATK: 2400
DEF: 2000
(3)
Name: Wingweaver
Level: 7
Type: Fairy
Attribute: Light
ATK: 2750
DEF: 2400
(4)
Name: Queen of Autumn Leaves
Level: 5
Type: Plant
Attribute: Earth
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1500
(5)
Name: Dark Magician
Level: 7
Type: Spellcaster
Attribute: Dark
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2100
(6)
Name: Buster Blader
Level: 7
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
ATK: 2600
DEF: 2300
