It's May's first duel, and she must fight a former Duel Monsters Champion! Will she win, or will her soul be taken?
All fan-made cards—created by yours truly—will be in bold and are found at the bottom of the chapter. If you want to use these cards in your own story, please send me a message asking for permission. Should anyone use these cards without my permission, I know that there will be justice.
But for now, let's read on!
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Between my Brother and Me
by Green Phantom Queen
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Chapter 3-Hearts of Darkness and Chaos
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May drew five cards from her deck as both her and Bandit Keith's life point counters raised to 4,000. She was nervous; she never had a chance to try out her deck, and by the way Keith sounded, she had no choice but to duel, or else that was it.
"I'll go first!" Keith began, drawing a card from his deck. He grinned as he placed a card onto the disk. "And now I play my Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode."
A green spherical robot with spindly arms appeared. Just then, a miniaturized version of the Seal of Orichalcos was placed on its body. Its attack power was at 1,850...but then it shot up to 2,350!
"What?" May exclaimed. "How the heck did your monster get a power boost?"
Keith laughed at the absurdity of the question. "It's quite simple, little girl." He answered back. "All monsters on my side of the field gain 500 Attack points from the Seal of Orichalcos. And that's not all it can do. But for now, I'll place two cards face down, and end my turn."
May stared as two face down cards appeared behind Mechanicalchaser. Now she was scared. The only thing she knew about Duel Monsters was from that magazine, and she had no one else to help her. She truly felt alone.
No...I must not think about that...She said to herself. I have to protect the Winged Dragon of Ra from all those mean people, and I have to save Manaphy and Jirachi!
"Shuppet?" May and Keith looked to see the happy Puppet Pokémon floating down. Its grin grew when it saw May. "Shuppet!"
"Shuppet!" May gasped out. "You're here!"
"Shup—PET!" Shuppet screamed when it neared the two duelists. A green force field appeared, knocking it onto the ground several feet away from the Pokémon Coordinator. May nearly screamed at the site of the Ghost Pokémon unconscious, while Bandit Keith could only laugh.
"I guess that little thing learned it the hard way." Keith replied with a grin. "There's no way in, and there's no way out. Now make your move!"
May drew a card from the top of her deck; currently she had two trap cards, three magic cards and one monster. Unfortunately, her monster had 8 stars, so she couldn't summon it. Then, she eyed one of the Spell cards, and an idea formed.
"I play Reasoning!" May cried, throwing the card into the Disk. "Now you have to call a number, and I'll discard cards from my deck until I come across a monster. If the monster matches the number you called, I put it in the graveyard, and if not...then I get to Special Summon it on the field. So what's it going to be?"
Keith rubbed his chin in thought, then smirked. "I call five; someone of your caliber should have something wimpy like Fairy monsters in your deck."
May snarled as she drew one card from the top of her deck. She gasped when she found it was a monster...with only four stars! What luck!
"Guess again!" May cried, revealing the monster to her opponent. "I now Special Summon Double Coston in Attack mode!"
The monster appeared, looking like two ghosts with eyes and blue tongues connected by an energy cord. (1,700/1,650)
"And guess what?" May continued. "When it's used for tributing a Dark monster, it can count as 2 tributes! So now I sacrifice this monster, to summon Dark Horus!"
Double Coston dispersed and in its place was huge mechanical dragon! It looked similar to the Winged Dragon of Ra in appearance, except it had some sort of helmet with a red jewel on top of its head, and it was completely black. It let out a loud screech. (3,000/1,800)
No way! Keith thought to himself, seeing the monster. How could this girl have something this powerful?
I better attack now, before he summons a stronger monster. May thought to herself. "All right, Dark Horus!" She commanded the monster. "Attack that machine now with Dark Flare Blitz!"
Dark Horus let out a gout of black flames, incinerating the monster. Unfortunately, Keith didn't seem to mind at all.
"You activated, my trap!" He replied, one of the cards lifting. It looked like some sort of black chamber with purple smoking surrounding it, and a couple of glass windows. "It's called Time Machine, so even when you destroyed my monster, I can summon it back onto the field!"
The door to the machine opened and Mechanicalchaser appeared. The Seal was back on its 'forehead' as its attack went back to 2,350.
May snarled, but remained calm. "Then I guess I'll end it with one card face down." A card appeared behind Dark Horus as her heart was pounding against her chest.
(Bandit Keith: 3,350)
(May: 4,000)
Bandit Keith drew a card, then immediately placed it onto the field. "I play Ground Attacker Bugroth in Attack mode!"
A new monster appeared, which was purple and had a glass dome, encasing a human brain. It was standing on green mechanical claws, and two cannons were perched on its back. (1,500/1,000) -) (2,000/1,000)
"And next, I activate my second facedown card, Clockwork Night!" The Spell card appeared, depicting a yellow crescent moon hanging down amongst tumbling gears and the roofs of a factory.
"This magic card causes your Dark Horus to become a Machine-type Monster, and it loses 500 Attack points." Keith explained. "But on the other hand, my monsters gain 500 attack points!"
Dark Horus roared in pain, its attack points dropping to 2,500 (although any significant change to the monster was hard to tell). Mechanicalchaser's attack shot to 2,850, while Ground Attacker Bugroth's attack went up to 2,500.
"Mechanicalchaser, attack that giant bird with Swift Strike!" Mechanicalchaser rushed toward the monster, brandishing tools in each of its six arms. With a few quick strokes, Dark Horus was nothing but scrap metal while May used her arms to protect herself.
"Not so fast!" May cried, activating her facedown card. "I play Mirror of Reflection!"
The facedown card revealed, showing a young girl with blonde hair and wearing a pink dress, staring at her own reflection. However, there was no reflection.
"This card lets me copy the effect of one Trap card that's been sent into the Graveyard." May explained. "And since your Time Machine is a Trap, I think I'll use that to bring Dark Horus back onto the field!"
May's trap card began to glow, soon showing the image of the Time Machine card. Then, a real Time Machine appeared, purple smoke escaping the capsule as Dark Horus stepped out. (3,000/1,800)
"Damn it..." Keith muttered to himself. "Guess I'll have to play this: Machina Frontline!"
The former Duel Monsters Champion placed a spell card onto his disk, the image revealing a monster known as Machiners Soldier against charging in a fiery explosion.
"That's it." Keith spat out. "Do you worst."
(Bandit Keith: 3,350)
(May: 3,650)
"Gladly!" May cried, drawing another card. She stared at her hand, admiring the artwork in them; even if they didn't know what Duel Monsters look like, she had to admit that those spirits were good at creating them. Goosebumps were formed on her wrists when she stared at one of them.
"I play Breaker the Magical Warrior in Attack Mode!" she said, summoning the card.
A red warrior wearing a pointed helmet with golden lining all over his armor appeared. He also was wearing a red cape and in his hands was a sword and diamond shaped shield. The gem on the shield began to glow. (1,600/1000) -) (1,900/1000)
"Oh, and did I mention that by removing that Spell Counter on him, he can destroy one Spell card?" May added, recalling what her brother was saying earlier about Spell Counters. Breaker pointed his sword at the Clockwork Night spell card, exploding it into shards. Both Mechanicalchaser and Ground Attacker Bugroth's attack points decreased by 500.
What do I do next? May thought to herself. His monsters are still stronger than mine. Wait...I got it!
"Next, I'll play my own spell card known as Revenge of the Dark King!" At that cry, May swore she felt a dark wind surrounding the field. The image of the card depicted Atem, sitting on a throne...except behind him was an evil looking dragon, and Atem had a pair of black wings perched from his back.
"What the?" Keith yelled, seeing the card. "Where did you get a card like that?"
"That's not the point." May replied. "But if you must know, all Dark monsters on my side of the field gain an extra 300 Attack points for every other dark monster that's there. And I see two, so both gain 600 Attack points."
Dark Horus screeched as its attack points reached 3,600. Breaker's attack increased to 2,200.
"Now let's try my attack again!" said May. "Dark Horus, attack Mechanicalchaser once more with Dark Flare Blitz!"
Dark Horus opened its mouth as a gout of black flames incinerated the Machine monster once more. This time, it destroyed Mechanicalchaser for good. Keith's Machina Frontline began to glow once it was destroyed.
"You activated my Spell card's special ability!" Keith smirked. "When a Machine type monster on my side of the field, I can summon one who's attribute is the same as the one destroyed, and its attack points were lower. So, I'll summon my Dark Machine monster called Bowganian!"
Bowganian appeared on the field: a green eye with spikes surrounding the eyelid with arms growing from its side. It was wielding a crossbow with one arm. (1,300/100) -) (1,800/1000)
"Be careful." Bandit Keith continued. "During my turn, he can inflict 600 points of damage to your life points."
"Then I'll destroy him next!" May cried. "Breaker, destroy that eye now!" Breaker rushed toward the Machine, slashing it in half. It exploded into shards.
"And now that that's over, I'll place one card face down. And that's all."
(Bandit Keith: 1,750)
(May: 3,650)
Bandit Keith growled; he thought he had the edge, but apparently he was mistaken. May had barely lost any of her life points, and she was defeating her. Now it became personal. He drew a card, smirking at what he found.
"I play Graceful Charity!" He announced, playing the card. A beautiful angel wearing a green robe appeared, her feathers falling onto Keith's deck. He immediately drew three cards, placing two of his cards into the graveyard.
"Next, I'll play Monster Reborn to summon your Double Coston." May snarled as the handy Spell card appeared, with Double Coston taking its place. (1,700/1,650) -) (2,200/1,650)
"And now I'll use its special ability to summon this monster, my Barrel Dragon!" May stared as Double Coston was soon replaced with a black mechanized dragon with three laser discharging cannons perched on top of it. The Orichalcos appeared on its forehead while it let out a low growl. (2,600/2,200) -) (3,100/2,200)
"Here's the fun part." Keith continued. "If two of Barrel Dragon's three cannons turn red, then I can destroy one monster on the field. Get ready..."
The cannon on the left began to glow red. May started to sweat a bit...then she sighed in relief when the one on the right began to glow blue. The one in the middle began to glow, but then it landed on blue.
Bandit Keith growled at the judgment.
"Fine!" He announced. "Barrel Dragon, destroy her Breaker the Magical Warrior with Neutron Blast!"
Three rounds of lasers shot from the cannons, hitting Breaker dead on. The attack caused Dark Horus's attack points to lower to 3,300.
"I'll end with two more facedown cards, and that's all." The facedown cards appeared behind Keith's last machine monster.
(Bandit Keith: 1,750)
(May: 2,750)
May drew from her deck once more.
"I now play Pot of Greed." She announced, the green, grinning pot appearing on her side of the field.
"And now I get to draw two more cards."
Two more cards were pulled from the top of her deck. Then she gasped in surprise...it was a ritual card with a stone tablet...she knew what she had to do.
"I hope you weren't going to celebrate." said May. "Because you're about to be defeated by me! I play the Ritual Spell Card known as Pharaoh's Prophecy!"
The card appeared, revealing an image of the stone tablet depicting Priest Seto's and Pharaoh Atem's fated duel...however, there was silhouette covering it...all that was shown was that it had spiky hair.
"Usually, I have to sacrifice one of three specific monsters to bring him out." May explained. "But I won't have to because I sacrifice Ritual Raven from my hand!"
"What's so special about that bird?" Keith explained. May could only laugh as she showed it to her opponent.
"If I use it to Ritual Summon a Dark monster, I can sacrifice it alone and it'll be used for the whole Tribute!" She explained playing the card on her Duel Disk.
A small black raven appeared on the field. But it looked different from most ravens: it had a huge head, small hands, grey wings, and its eyes were yellow happy faces. (300/300) It let out a caw as it burst into black flames.
"May I present to you, Atem-The Ancient Pharaoh!" May cried once the flames dispersed. The royal figure appeared, similar to the spirit that had called May a 'Goddess' many times. What completed the look was the earrings shaped like ankhs, and a Kopesh sword in his right hand. Darkness swirled around him, shown on his crimson eyes. (2,400/1,700) -) (3,000/1,700)
Atem stared at Dark Horus, the dragon letting out a small roar as its Attack went back to 3600. Even with the boost, May noticed that Atem would be incinerated due to Barrel Dragon should its effect be successful against Dark Horus. If that happened, then Keith would probably summon a monster and use it and his Ground Attacker Bugroth to win the duel...then she would lose her soul.
There has to be something in my hand I could use... She thought to herself. Wait...there were something called Equip Spells, that I could use to strength my monsters...do I have one in my hand?
She looked at the cards in her hand. She had two Equip spells, but one of them needed two monsters activate. Then she looked to her far left, seeing an armored knight with a crossbow on his left hand. An idea came into mind.
"What's wrong?" Keith asked, mockingly. "You figured out that you wouldn't win?"
"No, I just found away to make my Pharaoh a little stronger!" May exclaimed. At that, the Pokémon Coordinator heard Atem whisper Goddess. "I play Ritual Weapon, and equip it to my Ancient Pharaoh!"
Atem's sword was soon replaced with a golden crossbow with the bow looking like lightning bolts. At the center was a purple circle with a green circle of runes surrounding it. Atem's body began to glow as its attack raised all the way to 4,500.
How dare she! Keith yelled in his mind. I'm not going to be bested by a little girl!
"Atem, attack his Barrel Dragon with Dark Slash!" Atem nodded his head as he ran toward the mechanized monster. But as it was about to attack, it was blocked by an invisible force field.
"What?" May gasped. "What's going on?"
Bandit Keith laughed as he revealed his trap card. "You fell for my Negate Attack!" He explained. "Your Battle Phase ends now, so best end your turn, and see what I have in store for you!"
May snarled as she placed one card face down. "That's it." She stated.
Bandit Keith smirked as he activated his own Pot of Greed. Two more cards came into his hand as he smirked. "Now, let's play a game of chance!" He smirked as Barrel Dragon's cannons bean to glow again. The first cannon was surrounded by a blue glow, giving May a chance to sigh.
Then the second one had a red glow.
"This is it..." Keith said with a maniacal grin. "This last cannon will determine what happens next."
May gulped when she saw the third cannon turned blue...the effect was successful.
"Now, Barrel Dragon!" said Keith, pointing to Dark Horus. "Destroy that dragon once and for all!"
Three shots fired from the cannons, hitting May's dark dragon. A loud screeched echoed in the alleyway as it was destroyed. Atem's Attack power went down to 4,200.
"And I'm not done yet!" Keith continued. "I sacrifice both of my monsters to summon Zoa in Attack mode!"
The monsters were soon replaced with a blue skinned fiend with a diabolical face, crouching on all fours. Spikes protruded from its shoulders, and it looked like it was about to devour Atem whole. The seal on its forehead made it look even more gruesome. (2,600/1,900) -) (3,100/1,900)
"What's that going to do?" May said with boastfully. "Even with the Orichalcos, it still can't defeat Atem." Keith laughed once more as he activated his trap card. A type of monster that was coated silver with shining claws and red eyes.
"I equip my Metalmorph to Zoa! Then, I'll sacrifice it to bring out Metalzoa!" May gasped when she saw the mechanized version of the Fiend appeared, brandishing its sharp claws while the Seal of Orichalcos appeared on its forehead. (3,000/2,300) -) (3,500/2,300)
"That's still not enough!" said May. "You have just as much luck in destroying Atem like Team Rocket does in capturing Pikachu; none!"
"That's what you think," Keith said with a grin. "I activate Limiter Removal, which doubles the attack power of my Machine monster!"
Metalzoa roared as it grew larger and larger, its attack points now at a total of 7,000 while its defense was now 4,600! Atem and May stared at the Machine Monster in fear as Bandit Keith laughed once more.
"This shall be your doom!" He yelled. "Metalzoa, destroy her monster with Metallic Glimmer Claws!"
Metalzoa lifted its arm, then attacked...piercing Atem's chest with its claws. Atem's lips turned into a gasp as blood escaped his mouth, before he got destroyed.
"Not so fast!" May cried, activating her facedown card. It showed some sort of tube of medicine with a red Z and the numbers 4,000 painted on it. The stopper was a purple skull with wings.
"Nutrient Z?" Keith gasped out. "But...that means you gain 4,000 life points before you gain the damage!"
"Let's see..." May replied, counting on her fingers. "I had 2,750 life points, and Metalzoa's attack meant I lost 2,800, which means I would've lost the duel. But now, I have 6,750 life points, and that means I now have 3,950 life points!"
Keith's anger was reaching his boiling point; he was getting owned by a little girl, and he couldn't do anything about it! He was grinding his teeth in anger as he played the last card in his hand.
"In case you didn't know, all Machine monsters affected with Limiter removal are destroyed when I end my turn." He continued. "But I'll play Mystic Wok, sacrificing my Metalzoa and converting its attack points into more life points!"
Metalzoa began to glow in a golden light as it soon disintegrated into golden sparkles. Bandit Keith began to glow in a golden light, as he felt himself grow stronger.
"You're lucky I have no more cards." Keith explained. "But whatever you have won't be enough to defeat me."
(Bandit Keith: 8,750)
(May: 3,950)
May was trembling in fear. She had no monsters in her hands, nor did she have any cards that could summon monsters. Her best monster was sent into the Graveyard, and Bandit Keith was ahead by almost 5,000 life points; all she had was one measly Continuous Spell Card. It all seemed hopeless.
I guess...I should give up. She said to herself. If I draw something and it fails...then he can attack, and that'll be it. Max did say that to surrender the duel, all I have to do is put my hand on top of my deck.
Slowly, she let her hand reached the top of her deck. But before she could do so, two hands grabbed her wrist. She looked to see Atem and Kura pulling her hand away from the Duel Disk.
Do not give up, Goddess! Your brother, and the fate of the world is in your hands! Atem yelled in her mind.
You are a Goddess of Joy, not a Goddess of Despair and Sadness! Kura added. Long ago, you lifted our spirits, and now you must save the world from destruction. You are the current holder of the Winged Dragon of Ra...if you lose, then those bikers will take that card and use it for their evil needs like your precious Manaphy!
But I can't do anything! May thought to herself. This next draw is my last, and if I lose...that's it...
As she said that, she suddenly remembered something Max had told her back at the Game Shop...something about the "Heart of the Cards".
"The Heart of the Cards?" May asked, repeating her brother's words. "That's...weird."
"No, it isn't!" Max exclaimed. "When you look like you're in a tight situation, call for the Heart of the Cards...and it'll give you the card you'll need to win the duel! That's how Yugi defeated Kaiba, and how he was champion at the Duelist Kingdom and Battle City Tournaments!"
"Really?" The Pokémon Coordinator said with interest. "Maybe when I'm in a situation like that, I'll ask for the Heart of the Cards for guidance."
May closed her eyes at the memory; if there was ever time for a miracle, it was now. She felt Atem and Kura's hands on top of hers, helping her draw a card from her deck.
Heart of the Cards...please guide us... May replied. She didn't stare at her card for a while, not wanting to see what she had drawn.
"I don't have all day!" Keith snapped at her. "Play the damn card!"
May opened her eyes, and looked at the card, tears nearly falling out of her eyes...she had drawn a monster...but now what?
Goddess... Atem said in her mind, as May turned to see him. I have a special ability that lets me come back to the field, should I be destroyed in battle. Use that in conjunction with the cards in your hands and you win the battle.
All right... May said before facing Bandit Keith. "I activate Atem's special ability! When he's destroyed in battle by another monster, I can remove a Dark monster from graveyard from play! So I choose Ritual Raven!"
The Ritual Raven card popped out of her graveyard as May grabbed it. She pocketed it into her waist pack as Atem appeared on the field. Anger was on his face as shadows swarmed around him, raising his attack to 2,700.
"That's not going to be enough." Keith explained, taunting the young girl.
"It gets better." May added. "I can still Normal Summon, so let's bring out Kura-The Thief Lord in Attack mode!"
A swirl of shadows appeared next to Atem, revealing the white haired thief, wielding a dagger in his hands. He let out a laugh as darkness swirled around him. (1,800/1,600) -) (2,400/1,600)
Atem and Kura stared at each other, both of them nodding their heads. Atem's attack was soon raised to 3,000.
"That's still not enough." Keith replied mockingly. "Face it! The power that the Orichalcos has given me is stronger than your pathetic monsters and your 'Revenge of the Dark King'! So why bother? You're going to lose in the end!"
At first May wanted to retort...but then, she started to laugh. It was absurd, but she did it either way. Accompanying her were the two warriors, each of them laughing alongside their Goddess.
"What's so damn funny?" Bandit Keith replied. May laughed a bit before taking a deep breath.
"You think your little Seal scares me?" She exclaimed, a rush of power filling her body. "You don't know what true darkness is like until you've actually accept it and used it to fulfill your own selfish needs!"
"What are you trying to get at?" Keith asked through gritted teeth.
"I'm just saying that the darkness I'm about to show you is from ones who didn't expect it coming, but allowed it anyway!" May placed one of her Spell cards into the disk. "I play my Equip Spell Card, Heart of Chaos!"
The card soon appeared on the field. It looked similar to the image on the Change of Heart Spell card but there were many differences: First, it showed half of Atem and half of Kura grasping onto a completely black heart. Also, both of their eyes were completely crimson with no iris or pupil, and a black eye was shining on their foreheads.
"This Equip Spell Card is unique because I can only equip it to two specific monsters, Atem and Kura." May explained. "They both gain 500 Attack points and are immune to any effect that targets their destruction!"
A black heart replaced the Spell card, soon breaking in half. They shot deep into the backs of the Thief Lord and Pharaoh, both of them crackling with dark energy. Their eyes became a complete red as black demonic wings grew from their back. Kura's attack and defense points were now at 2,900/2,100, while Atem's were at 3,200/2,200.
"What have I've been telling you?" Bandit Keith exclaimed. "That's not enough!" May could only smirk at the statement.
"Then, you don't know about Atem's second ability!" She announced. "I can Special Summon one Dark Monster from my Graveyard onto the field, as long as I sacrifice the first two cards on the top of my deck. But that monster is sent back to the Graveyard at my End phase. It doesn't matter anyway, because this is the one that will spell my victory!"
May drew two cards from her deck—which was her Hands of Nephthys and Double Attack—and sent them to the graveyard.
"And guess who's come back for an encore?"
A loud screech knocked Bandit Keith off his feet when he saw the figure of Dark Horus appearing once more. The black dragon let out another roar as May's Revenge of the Dark King Spell card activated. Dark Horus's attack points were now at 3,900, Kura-The Thief Lord was at 3,200, and Atem-The Ancient Pharaoh now had 3,500.
"Can you do the math?" May continued. "That's 10,600 attack points combined! You're finished!"
"NO!" Bandit Keith screamed. "I won't lose to a little brat like you!"
"Correction," said May, interrupting the duelist. "You'll lose to May, Pokémon Coordinator and her deck of Dark Monsters!"
She pointed to her opponent. "Dark Horus, attack with Dark Flare Blitz! Kura, use Shadow Puncture! Atem, end it with Dark Slash!"
Dark Hours attacked first, letting out a burst of black fire, causing Bandit Keith's life points to go down to 4,850. Kura then rushed up to him, stabbing his arm with his dagger, and decreased the life points down to 1,650. Atem ran up to Bandit Keith, fury on his face as he lifted Bandit Keith's chin with his sword.
"How dare you try and insult my Goddess of Joy!" Atem hissed. "May you rot in hell..." Bandit Keith was truly scared at the demonic look in the Pharaoh's eyes.
"Don't hurt me!" He cried. "I didn't mean to attack her! I was just told to..."
"DIE!" Atem screamed, stabbing his Kopesh sword into his stomach. May closed her eyes and covered her ears with her hands when she heard the scream.
(Bandit Keith: 0)
(May: 3,950)
Once she felt it was over, May looked to see the Seal of Orichalcos shrinking...then it centered around Bandit Keith, who looked like he was in a state of panic.
"You told me I was invincible!" He screamed to no one. "How could you do this to me? How could you?" That was the last that was heard when May saw Bandit Keith collapse onto the ground and the Seal vanished. Gulping, she went to the fallen duelist, trying to wake him up.
Don't go near him! Atem commanded. He is the enemy, he tried to hurt you.
"Come on," May replied, nudging him with her shoe. "This isn't funny!" She then saw the Seal of Orichalcos card float down onto the ground. Catching it in the air, she gasped as she saw the scared image of Bandit Keith staring at her...she dropped the card in a panic.
"Did I...really kill him?" She said in a whisper. "Did I?" Her heart was beating loudly as she took in a couple of deep breaths. That's when she remembered what Bandit Keith said before the duel started; that the loser of the duel loses their soul.
"Shuppet?" May turned to see the Ghost Pokémon float to her. "Shuppet!"
"Shuppet, you're all right!" She cried, hugging the Ghost Pokémon. "Thank goodness...thank goodness..."
"Shuppet?" Shuppet replied in confusion.
Atem and Kura placed a hand on May's shoulders. Both of them smiled as she felt a slight tinge appear on her face once more. She looked up to see Dark Horus bowing at hear, its wings tucked in and its black eyes staring at her with wonder.
You really are a Goddess... Atem replied with sincerity. Look at how Dark Horus bows at you. You, who is able to command something that powerful means you have marvelous power within you.
You have some skill in luck, also. Kura added. You risked the chance to summon Dark Horus on your first turn and it paid off...there are good things ahead of you.
"Thank you." May whispered. "I hope that I can continue being a better 'Goddess' to all of you, no matter what happens." A smile was on her face as she continued. "Because no matter what, as long as I trust in my cards, then nothing will stop me!"
Dark Horus roared in approval as the three monsters soon disappeared. There was some silence as Shuppet flew near the unconscious duelist. It was staring at the necklace around his neck.
"What are you looking at, Shuppet?" May asked, trying to follow the Ghost Pokémon's line of vision. That's when she noticed the glowing green stone on the man's neck. It didn't seem as if he would need it so May removed it from his neck. She stared at it for some time before placing it in a separate pocket in her waistband.
"Shuppet, can you use Psychic on me?" She asked the Puppet Pokémon. Shuppet nodded its head as it began to glow blue once more. May began to float in the air, her body surrounded by a similar blue outline.
"Come on!" She said as the two flew into the night sky. "Let's find my brother!"
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Max was staring intently at the duel against Yami and the robed man known as Grerimo along with Joey, Tristan and Téa. Once the Seal of Orichalcos was in play, he learned a few things about that card.
First, was that all monsters on Grerimo's side of the field gain 500 attack points. Second, was that no one can escape the duel unless someone won the duel; the loser would lose their soul. Third was that Grerimo could have up to ten monsters on his side of the field. Fourth, and last but not least, no card could destroy it.
Yami was all the way down to 1,500 life points while his opponent was at 2,100. Yami only had Dark Magician Girl on the field who had 2,800 Attack points—she had 2,000 originally but gained 500 due to the effect of Magical Academy and 300 due to her own special effect—and no other card. Grerimo had three Shield tokens, three Bronze Knight Tokens and Warrior Dai Grepher, along with the A. Forces Continuous Spell Card. Forces. Warrior Dai Grepher had 3,000 attack points, the Shield Tokens had 500 and the Bronze Knight Tokens had 1800 Attack points. It seemed hopeless.
It didn't help that the three motorcyclists were watching. Aside from Raphael, there was one with short red hair—Max recalled that his name was Alister—and one with brown spiky hair and goggles—Max was sure his name was Valon. It made him angry at how much fun they were having staring at the show; if only he had Shuppet, then he'd make them pay.
"Max!" Everyone looked to see May floating in the air with Shuppet! "Surprise!"
"May, you're here!" Max cried as May landed safely on the ground. "What happened?"
"Let's just say I had to duel a creep who was cheating with this card known as—" She stopped when she saw the Seal of Orichalcos. "That same card! That was the card he used!"
"The Seal of Orichalcos?" asked Max with surprise. May nodded her head. Shuppet also nodded its head.
"It's a very nasty card." she replied. "I was lucky...if I didn't draw Kura, then I would've been dead."
"How the heck did she survive that duel?" Alister exclaimed, seeing the blue Pokémon Coordinator. "Bandit Keith was a former Duel Monsters Champion!"
"Former Duel Monsters Champion or not, I defeated him!" May exclaimed, staring at the motorcyclists, bringing out a Pokeball. "Now let me introduce a friend of mine! Go, Blaziken!"
The Blaze Pokémon appeared as May got on its back. It then ran toward the unfinished structure of the building, jumping into the air.
"What the?" Joey screamed when he saw May's fully evolved Starter Pokémon jump. "What the heck is that thing?"
"Blaziken, the Blaze Pokémon." Max stated to the blonde duelist. "Due to its powerful legs, it can jump over a ten story building, so the scaffolding is nothing for it."
"But doesn't that seem dangerous?" Téa asked, seeing May grasping onto the Pokémon.
"Téa, they stopped a rampaging Duel Monster with a little ghost." Tristan replied. "I don't think it's strange to see that thing jump."
The motorcyclists stepped back when they saw Blaziken land in front of them. May got off and pointed a finger at them.
"Blaziken, use Mega Kick!" Blaziken responded with one of its legs glowing blue. It then swung its leg, attacking Valon and pushing him onto Alister, both of them hitting the ground with a thud. Now it was only Raphael, May and Blaziken.
"You've got some nerve, doing that." Raphael growled.
"I've got nerve, a pinch of luck, and a whole lot of determination to kick your butt!" May replied with confidence. "Now Blaziken, get him with Sky Uppercut!"
"Blaziken!" It replied, its right fist glowing in a bright blue color. It then charged up to the blonde motorcyclist, intending on punching him in the face...
Only for the attack to miss when Raphael sidestep the attack. It also didn't realize the powerful roundhouse kick that Raphael gave it, causing it to collapse and have swirls for eyes.
"Oh, no! Blaziken!" May gasped. She immediately recalled it before Raphael grabbed her wrists once more.
"Who are you?" Raphael hissed. May tried to pull away, completely frightened at the ordeal. Raphael didn't like that she was ignoring the question and pushed her closer to the edge of the platform.
"May!" Max cried as he and Shuppet noticed the situation.
"She's going to fall!" Tristan exclaimed, seeing May nearing the edge.
Oh no... May thought to herself. This is it! I'm going to die!
"SWABLU!" May's thoughts were interrupted when she heard the cry. Turning her head to the right, she saw a white blur past through her and Raphael. Raphael removed his grip on the Pokémon Coordinator...but it caused May to lose her balance and make her fall.
"MAY!" Max cried, running toward his sister. May screamed as she felt her body fall and fall and fall...her life past her eyes as she waited for the inevitable to hit.
"SWABLU!" The voice cried once more. May opened to see a little Swablu began to glow in a bright light. Its body began to change...it began to grow a neck and its white wings grew larger. Small blue feet were seen as the light dispersed. The new Pokémon had white cheeks and two feathers sticking out of its head along with a couple of long, blue tail feathers.
"ALTARIA!" The Pokémon cried, flying faster. May couldn't understand what happened but seconds later, she soon felt herself on top of the Pokémon. "Al! Al!"
"That Swablu evolved into Altaria!" Max gasped as the Humming Pokémon landed near the ground. May got up, hugging the Flying Pokémon.
"Thank you so much!" She replied, giving it a kiss on the cheek. "But...do I know you?"
"Al!" Altaria cried. "Al-Altaria!" May stared into the Pokémon's eyes, trying to recall where she had seen it. Then...a memory of a Swablu with its wings wrapped in bandages, and how she used flour to help it fly...and when she had to let it go...they all came back to her...
"Swablu? Is that you?" Altaria nodded its head, nuzzling against the Pokémon Coordinator. "I can't believe it! You came back!" May wrapped her arms around the Dragon/Flying Pokémon, tears forming in her eyes.
"That's so sweet.." said Joey, sniffling a bit. "It's just so nice when best friends are reunited."
"Oh, please." Max replied to the statement. "You don't even know what type of Pokémon it is."
While the discussion was on board, Yami drew a card from his deck. He smiled as he played it on his Disk.
"I play the Spell Card, Diffusion Wave Motion!" He cried. "By sacrificing 1,000 life points, Dark Magician Girl can destroy all monsters on your side of the field."
Yami's life points went down to 500 as Dark Magician Girl readied her scepter. She threw waves of black magic against the Shield Tokens and Bronze Knight Tokens until all of them were gone. Then, all that was left was the lone Warrior Dai Grepher, who only had 2400 attack points.
"The more monsters you have, the more life points you lose!" Yami replied as Dark Magician Girl destroyed Dai Grepher.
"I lost..." Grerimo gasped as his life points went down from 2,100 to 0.
"Yugi did it!" Joey replied. "He won!"
Yami was on knee, panting for breath as he said to Grerimo, "Hand me those cards!"
"No!" Grerimo snapped, pulling Obelisk from his deck. "The Egyptian Gods are OURS!"
"Hand him the cards!" Tristan replied. It was too late as the Orichalcos duelist threw it into the air, Raphael catching it as it neared him.
"Why I ought to..." May snarled, seeing Obelisk in the motorcyclist's hands. "Give us Obelisk!"
"And Slifer and Ra!" May nudged her brother at the ribs when he mentioned 'Ra'. "Oh yeah..." he whispered.
"NOOOO!" Grerimo screamed as the Seal of Orichalcos started to shrink around him. "This wasn't supposed to happen! Please, spare me Master!" A green column of light appeared, reaching up to some vortex to the sky. After a loud scream, the man collapsed onto the ground.
Alister and Valon soon got up, rubbing their stomachs and moaning in pain.
"What hit me?" Alister muttered. "It was if I got hit by a truck."
"Watch it..." Valon snarled. He then saw Yami staring at the three motorcyclists. "Great...we missed the whole show."
"But, we know how the Pharaoh duels now." Raphael replied to his bitter partner. "After all, it was Grerimo's fault. Now let's go."
"Hold it!" May cried, the three motorcyclists turning to see the Pokémon Coordinator talking to them. "Give him back those cards right NOW!"
Raphael smirked at the command. "Sorry, little miss. But if you were here when it happened, then you would've known that the Pharaoh has to defeat all of us, not just one of us." May snarled at the comment. "But, here's a consolation prize..."
He brought out two cards and two orbs escaped from them, nearing the palm of his hand. He then moved his hand away from his chest, causing the green orbs to fly amongst the bright lights of Domino City.
"What's going on, Max?" asked May. "What's with the lights?"
"Remember those two duelists who told us about the 'Age of Destruction?" May nodded her head in reply. "Well, their souls were probably taken by the Orichalcos...and now this Raphael person is returning their souls into their bodies."
"That's scary..." May said in a whisper. "That they can control that Seal of Orichalcos like that..."
"Enjoy your gift." Raphael replied. But not before Joey answered back saying, "I'll give you a gift! Just come down and get it!"
May brought out a Pokeball, ready to use it if necessary. "Yeah!" She added. "Come down here and get your present! It's a gift that I like to call 'Just Desserts'!"
Valon laughed. "Isn't that girl so cute?" He replied. "If she were much older, I'd like to date her." May snarled at that comment as the three cyclists left.
"Why you little-" May muttered, smoke nearly coming out of her ears. "The next time I see you, I'll make sure Blaziken burns you to a crisp after I tell it to give you two Mega Kicks and three Sky Uppercuts!"
"Al! Al!" Altaria replied, anger shown on its face.
"Thanks for the support, Altaria." said May, hugging the Humming Pokémon. "By the way...where's the rest of your family?"
"That's right." said Max, recalling the flock of Swablu and Altaria. "Where are they?"
As if to respond, the flock soon came into view, chirping their names. They circled around the brothers and sisters as they laughed.
"But..." May asked, staring at the Altaria near her. "Are you sure it's alright that you want to stay with me?"
"Al! Al!" Altaria replied. "Al-Altaria! Al!"
"What? You wanted to stay with me to begin with?" asked May in shock. "And you're saying that you missed me?" Altaria nodded its head. May could only smile as she pulled out a spare Poké ball.
"Then who am I to say 'No'?" May replied. "Go, Poké ball!"
"Al!" Altaria said simply as the Poké ball tapped it lightly on the head. The sphere opened as Altaria became a red beam that soon got sucked in. The red lid of the ball closed as the Poké ball began to shake. Then with a 'beep', Altaria was captured.
"All right!" May cried picking up the Poké ball. "I've just caught an Altaria!" The Swablu and Altaria around her echoed the cry.
Meanwhile, Yami walked near the fallen body of Grerimo. He soon picked up a fallen card and muttered, "I was right."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Tristan. Yami then showed his friends the Seal of Orichalcos, except that now it showed the panicked look of Grerimo staring at them.
"When he lost our duel, his soul was trapped in this card." Yami answered. "But where did that power come from?" Téa looked and saw a shiny stone on a chain.
"Take a look at this!" She replied, showing Yami the necklace. "It was around that guy's neck. Maybe it has to do with all of this..."
"Well, whatever it is...it can wait." said Joey, stifling a yawn. "I need sleep."
"Me, too." said Max. Shuppet also yawned as Max brought out its Poké ball. "Take a good rest, Shuppet. You deserve it." Shuppet nodded its head before returning into the Poké ball.
"Hey Max," said May, pulling out the necklace she found earlier. "Can you hold onto this for me? It was on Bandit Keith's neck when I dueled him."
"Wait!" Max said in shock. "You had a duel?"
"It's a long story Max," May explained. "And you might not want to hear it."
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The next day, right after Yugi and his friends got out of school, May and Max met up with them at the Park. Max had kept the necklace in his backpack while May was looking at the Pokeball containing her new Altaria. The two arrived in time to see Joey and Tristan grabbing onto Weevil and Rex's shirt collars, both of them suspended in the air.
"Get your hands off of me, you Sasquatch!" Weevil cried. May and Max looked in confusion at what was going on.
"Yeah, don't make me go all ninja on your butt!" Rex added.
"What's going on here?" asked Max once they reached the group.
"We're trying to see if we can shake some information out of these dweebs." Joey replied. "I say we see how far we can throw them!"
"Or lets see how many times we can pound them before they squeal." Tristan suggested.
"I have a non-violent suggestion." May replied raising the Poké ball into the air. "Go, Altaria!"
The Poké ball opened, revealing the newly caught Dragon/Flying Pokémon. It chirped happily when it saw its surroundings.
"What the heck is that thing?" Rex asked, pointing to the Humming Pokémon. "Some type of Peacock?"
"Oh, you'll see." said Max, winking at his sister. Both of them covered their ears with their hands, confusing everyone else.
"Altaria, use Screech!" May yelled. Altaria inhaled as much air as it could taken and then...
"Al! Al! ALTARIA!" It screeched, causing the six teenagers to scream in pain.
"This noise is hurting my ears!" Téa moaned, trying her best to block the attack.
"What the heck?" Joey screamed. "What's with it this thing?"
"Okay, okay!" Weevil yelled amongst the noise. "We'll talk, we'll talk!"
"You heard them Altaria, make it stop!" Altaria heard its Trainer's call and closed its beak shut, causing Yugi and the others to sigh in relief.
"Now that that's over with, tell us what you did yesterday." said Yugi to both Rex and Weevil."
"First, I woke up and went to the bathroom..." Rex began before Weevil interrupted him by saying, "He means after that!"
The two then explained about how a cloaked man challenged them to a duel with Rex mentioning about Weevil being squashed like a cockroach—Weevil barked back that Rex was holding him back—and then mentioned something amongst the lines of the Seal of Orichalcos.
"And I thought it was one of those knock-off cards." Rex mentioned.
"So that man didn't mention anything about a plan to steal the Egyptian God Cards?" Max asked before May covered his mouth.
"Not so loud!" The Pokémon coordinator hissed. "Everyone is itching for those cards, and you just blabbed to them about what happened!"
"What, they're gone?" Rex exclaimed.
"He took them...well, he and his gang of thugs did." Yugi mentioned.
"Seriously?" Weevil replied in shock while everyone else nodded their heads in reply.
"There's no need to worry, though!" said May as Altaria flapped its wings. "As long as we have the King of Games here, then we'll get them back just as easily as we get Pikachu back from Team Rocket!"
"Pikachu?" Joey repeated.
"Team Rocket?" Tristan also repeated.
"It's...a long, long story." Max replied as the six left Weevil and Rex alone. "You see, it all started when our friend Ash..."
Weevil and Rex laughed as the group vanished, the thoughts of having the Egyptian God Cards clinging into their minds.
"Soon, they'll be all mine!" They cried simultaneously. Hearing it they stared at each other, then immediately looked away.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"First, things got freaky at the museum," Tristan explained while the group walked down the strip of sidewalk. "Then monsters started appearing all over the world, and now a group of bikers are stealing people's souls with a Duel Monsters card!"
"I'm thinking that this is all related to one another." said Téa in reply to Tristan's theory.
"It's hard to believe, but Téa's got a point." May added, Altaria flying above them all. "I mean, the way Bandit Keith looked...it was so scary when I dueled him last night." The mentioning of the name caused Yugi, Téa, Joey and Tristan to flinch. "What?" She asked. "You know him?"
"That scumbag!" Joey muttered. "That guy nearly defeated me with cheating! But I showed him back at Duelist Kingdom!"
"Well, I'll have you know, that if it wasn't for some luck, I would've been destroyed by him." May added. "But...to see him under the Seal of Orichalcos...it's sort of sad now that you think of it?"
"I hope they guy crawls into a corner and dies for all I care." said Joey. "And why does all this stuff happen to us? You have to admit...it is true."
"Hey Yugi!" Yugi, who had been silent the whole time, looked up to see a young girl with long blonde hair and pink half-glasses run up to him. She also was wearing a blue-green plaid skirt, white socks, brown shoes, a white blouse, pink jacket and green necktie as she hugged the King of Games.
"Um, do you know this person?" May asked Yugi.
"Oh, no!" The girl replied, still not letting go of Yugi. "Don't tell me you forgot about me now that you're a big time, Champion duelist!"
"Yugi," asked Téa. "Who is this girl?"
"Let's see, this should ring a bell." The girl replied, bringing out a card. "You did give it to me after all." May and Max peered at the card. It was a girl in a white dress and feathers surrounding her, and in her hands was Duel Monster's card.
"Rebecca!" Yugi cried, the name clicking in his head as he recalled giving her the card months ago.
"Ah, no!" Joey screamed. "You're that brat!" The image in his mind was her with short pigtails and a teddy bear.
"Hi." Rebecca stated simply.
"You look different." Joey stated. "Did you change her hair?"
"No," Tristan stated bluntly. "She traded her teddy bear for glasses."
The conversation only caused question marks to float around May and Max. Altaria flew down and looked at Rebecca interestingly, the young duelist staring in shock.
"Oh my gosh, Yugi!" She cried, hugging onto the King of Games. "What is that thing? And who are you?"
"How dare you call Altaria a 'thing'!" May snapped. "I'm May, and this is my brother Max. It's impolite for you to call Altaria a 'thing', you know. Altaria is a powerful Pokémon that used to be a Swablu I took care of."
"It doesn't matter what that thing is called, as long as I have a boyfriend to protect me from it." Rebecca replied, blowing a raspberry at the Pokémon trainer. Vein marks appeared on both Téa and May at the comment.
"Can I unleash Blaziken's Overheat on her, Max?" May asked the younger brother.
"Nah, it wouldn't be as much fun like what I did to those bikers with Shuppet's Psychic." Max replied back.
"Al?" Altaria asked, cocking its head to the side.
"And yet, another weird event to add to the list." said Joey, commenting the situation.
"Yep, and this one tops them all." Tristan added. "It's best not to get involved."
"Oh come on Yugi." Rebecca said while more vein marks appeared on Téa. "My grandpa also wants to see you!"
"Professor Hawkins wants to see me?" Yugi asked, repeating Rebecca's words.
"Professor Hawkins?" Max asked. "Who's he?" Rebecca turned with anger on her face.
"How could you not know who he is?" She screamed to the young boy. "Professor Arthur Hawkins is the best archaeologist ever, and he's my grandpa!"
"Sorry, I didn't know!" Max replied in defense. May sighed as the whole group started to walk toward the Museum.
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After returning Altaria to its Pokeball—the Security guard wouldn't let it in—May and Max made it to the lower levels of the museum. They soon met up with Solomon, and an another man. He was taller than Solomon by about a foot, thin and was wearing a cream tuxedo and pants along with a red bow tie. His grey hair was neatly combed as he smiled at them all.
"Yugi Muto!" Professor Hawkins exclaimed. "You're just the person I needed to see."
"What do you mean by that?" May exclaimed. That was when she stared at the stone tablet, completely frozen in ice. It looked similar to the one from her Pharaoh's Prophecy Ritual Card...except that there wasn't a big chunk missing at the bottom.
"Well, miss." said Professor Hawkins. "I have a theory that all of these monsters sightings has to do with Yugi Muto, the King of Games."
"Huh?" Yugi asked in confusion.
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"Home sweet home." Valon stated, staring at the conical fortress on top of a small island.
Raphael smirked as their plane flew closer and closer. "Wait till we tell the boss that we've just found the Pharaoh...and taken the Egyptian God Cards."
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Mirror of Reflection (Trap Card)
Type: Trap/Normal
Attribute: -
Level: -
Attack: -
Defense: -
Image: A young girl with blonde hair and pink dress staring at her reflection in the mirror—however there is no reflection in the mirror.
Description: Activate this card to copy the effect of one Trap Card that has been used in the Duel and has been sent to the graveyard. Can only have one copy of this card per deck.
0
0
Revenge of the Dark King (Spell Card)
Type: Continuous/Spell
Attribute: -
Level: -
Attack: -
Defense: -
Image: Atem, the Ancient Pharaoh sitting on his throne with a black dragon behind him. He also has a pair of black dragon wings on his back.
Description: All Dark Monsters on your side of the field gain an additional 300 attack points for every other Dark Monster in play on your side of the field.
0
0
Pharaoh's Prophecy (Spell Card)
Type: Spell/Ritual
Attribute: -
Level: -
Attack: -
Defense: -
Image: A spiky haired silhouette, staring at the Tablet of the Pharaoh.
Description: This card is used to Ritual Summon "Atem-The Ancient Pharaoh". You must sacrifice either "Kura-The Thief Lord", "Seth-The Dragon Priest", or "Jouno-The Sorcerer of Dreams" from the field or in your hand.
0
0
Atem-The Ancient Pharaoh (Monster Card)
Type: Warrior/Ritual/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
Attack: 2,400
Defense: 1,700
Description: This card can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card "Pharaoh's Prophecy". When this card is destroyed in battle, remove from play one Dark monster from the graveyard. Once per turn, you can Special Summon one Dark Monster from your graveyard onto the field by discarding the top two cards from your deck. The monster Special Summoned by this effect will be destroyed by your End Phase.
0
0
Kura-The Thief Lord (Monster Card)
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
Attack: 1,800
Defense: 1,600
Description: If this card is targeted by the effects of a Trap card, discard one card from your hand to negate the effect. Remove from play one trap card from your graveyard for this monster to randomly discard one card from your opponent's hand.
0
0
Heart of Chaos (Spell Card)
Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: -
Level: -
Attack: -
Defense: -
Image: Half of Atem-The Ancient Pharaoh and half of Kura-The Thief Lord grasping onto a black heart. Both of their eyes are open and glowing red and the Millennium symbol is glowing on their foreheads.
Description: This card can only be equipped to the monsters "Atem-The Ancient Pharaoh" and "Kura-The Thief Lord". Both monsters will gain 500 attack and defense points. Monsters equipped with this Spell Card are not affected by the effects of Spells, Traps or Monsters that target these monsters. If this Spell Card should be destroyed, you lose 1500 life points. Sacrifice this card, along with "Atem-The Ancient Pharaoh" and "Kura-The Thief Lord" and "Revenge of the Dark King" to special summon "Apep-Serpent of Chaos" onto the field from your hand.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Max: Wow, May! You now have an Egyptian God Card, you won your first duel, and you caught an Altaria!
May: I know...but somehow I feel as if things are going to go bad.
Max: I know...I hope I get a chance to duel soon.
May: I don't mean that, I mean about what Professor Hawkins was telling us...you didn't see what I saw last night...
Max: Hey, why are those Duel Monsters bowing to you May? And why do they all keep calling you the "Goddess of Joy?"
May: I don't know the answer to that question myself, Max...
Dark Magician Girl: Goddess of Joy, the Pharaoh needs your help!
May: Which Pharaoh? Atem or Yugi?
Max: Next time, "Between my Brother and Me" Chapter 4: "Legends and Myths"
May: I truly don't know what's going on now!
Max: So May, if you're the Goddess of Joy, does that make me the God of Wisdom?
May: Don't start with that, Max!