When we last left off, we find our protagonists surviving a fallen train (how often does that happen?)
Now, let's get to the good stuff.
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Between my Brother and Me
by Green Phantom Queen
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Chapter 15-Am I Forgiven or Forsaken?
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In the underwater ruins, Dartz was getting nervous. The train that was carrying the Pharoah fell off of a cliff, and now he could not sense him. Even worse, was that if he could not sense the Pharaoh, then he could not be able to get his soul or the Winged Dragon of Ra.
"Somehow, I lost contact with the Pharaoh." said the King of Atlantis, as Raphael stood behind him. "Not only that, but the Goddess of Joy, Prince of Wisdom and the Defender of the King have vanished, taking Ra with them."
"Maybe they didn't survive the fall." Raphael suggested.
"Of course they survived!" Dartz snapped back. "But something or someone is blocking my vision. Therefore, I cannot see them."
"Then let me be your eyes, Master Dartz." said Raphael, getting on one knee. "I'll find the Pharaoh and his friends. I'll make up for my actions by also nabbing Ra from that...girl..."
"The Guardian of the Sea can wait, Raphael." said Dartz, turning to the tall Swordsman. "I don't want any mention of her until you have Ra in your grasp. But as for the Goddess of Joy...
"Give her to me, I have a special plan that involves her."
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"Are you serious?" said Mokuba. "The darkness is actually creeping into his heart?"
"The wings and shadows are all the proof we need." Max answered. "If we don't do anything soon, then Yami is a goner. Whatever stunt was pulled while I was duelling must've done something...because it seems to slowly take over."
"I know what has happened." said a voice. May, Max and Mokuba turned to see Khonsu walk toward them. The three children were staying in a wigwam house going over Duel Monster Cards and discussing what had happened once the train had fallen. The people who brought them in told them to stay there for a while—mentioning something about "you're too young and innocent to understand what is happening". They wanted to protest, but they had been exhausted from their drop that they couldn't resist having a bit of rest.
"What's going on, Khonsu?" asked May.
"The events that caused the darkness to grow in Yami's' heart." Khonsu explained. "When he played Timaeus, he vanished due to the darkness in his heart. And then, that blue-haired boy lied about holding the card contaning Yugi's soul. He had Yami's hopes rise....but they were crushed when the card was nothing but a fake...but it did the trick. It made Yami angry...
"He was so angry that even after he won the duel, he attacked the boy again and again and again...at least three to five more times. That was when the train fell..."
"Blue-haired boy?" Mokbua repeated. "That's Weevil! Khonsu, was Yami fighting him under the..."
Khonsu didn't say anything but slowly nodded his head. There was some shock and horror on the kids' faces; it was getting bad.
"Yami is resting right now, but he's having nightmares. And I saw something in his mind that even frightened me..."
"W-what is it?" asked May, starting to feel a bit scared.
"I shall need Jouno and Atem for this explanation." said Khonsu. "Give them and I a few minutes and we shall explain."
May nodded her head, bringing out two Duel Monster Cards from her deck and handed them to the Moon God. Khonsu took them into his hand before vanishing in front of them. There was some silence before Max let out a sigh.
"This means that our Decks need to be in their best condition." He stated to his sister and friend. "And since all we have are the cards that we were given before our big journey...then it looks like we might have to trade."
"Trade cards?" asked Mokuba. "Are you sure about this? My cards aren't compatible with your or your sister's deck."
"Max is right though." said May. "We give each other a small bit of our 'power', so that even if we are in a jam, then at least we have the strength to stop the menace."
"I guess if you put it that way, then let's do it." said Mokuba, pulling his deck out of his Duel Disk. In no time, the three had sorted out all their cards, ready to make their transactions.
"Hey, May." said Max, picking up two of his cards. "Take these."
May stared at them: one was his Crystal Seer, the other was a Sleight of Hand Magic Card.
"Really?" asked May, taking the cards into her hands. "But I thought you liked Crystal Seer."
"I do, but you need her more than I do." said Max in reply. "Plus your Gravekeeper's are all Spellcasters, and it works great with Sleight of Hand. If you have Gravekeeper's Visionary on the field, you can activate this card to sacrifice another Gravekeeper's to boost its Attack strength and let you draw more cards! Plus, it's to pay you back for your spare copy of Mirror of Reflection you let me have."
"Okay, then." said May, placing the cards in her pile. She then brought out two Trap Cards—one was called Rebirth Tablet, the other known as Rapid-Fire Attack—showing them to Mokuba.
"So those are for me?" asked Mokuba. May nodded her head. "Okay...but I don't...wait! I think I have a card that I could trade you for."
He brought out a Trap Card, depicting Hara commanding the Nile River to rise.
"What's that?" asked May, taking the card into her hand.
"Rise of the Nile River." Mokuba answered. "It needs a Water Monster to activate, but its worth it for its special effect. Although, I don't understand how its image relates to the Constellations. It may be based on Eridanus, the River, but I'm not so sure."
"Actually it's based on Sothis." May replied. "You see, the rise of the Nile River was marked with that very same star. And it was the same every year; the rise of the Nile River soaked the land with much needed water and made it into mud. The Nile soaked mud would then help the crops—in fact, if you dreamed about eating mud in your sleep, you're in for good luck."
"That's an interesting story." said Max. "Was that something Atem and Kura told you when you were younger?"
"I guess it is." May answered. "Still it's sort of strange...who would want to eat mud?"
Max shrugged his shoulders as he saw his sister and Mokba trade cards. Finally, he pulled out his own Chaos Burst and Ambush Shield, tossing it to Mokuba.
"Let me guess," said Mokuba, looking at his new Trap Cards. "Spare copies?"
"Yeah." Max replied. "I'd give them to May, but I figure that she's already powerful without them."
"Thanks, Max." May said with some sarcasm.
"I've got something in return." said Mokuba, placing a card in Max's hand. This one had a genie's lamp with three stars above it. "It's called 'Three Wishes'."
"Wow!" said Max, with excitement. "I love it! What does it do?"
Before Mokuba even had a chance to open his mouth, they heard someone clear their throat.
"I hate to ruin this happy moment...but I've returned." May, Max and Mokuba turned to see Khonsu, Atem and Jouno walking into the wigwam.
"So...what was the nightmare?" asked May. There was some silence as Atem sighed at the three.
"Let us show you..." He answered. The Pharaoh turned to Jouno as Jouno nodded his head. The Sorcerer of Dreams muttered something under his breath as the scenery became replaced by a hazy fog. Surrounding them was darkness...
"I don't like this." said May, standing up. "Where are we?"
"It must be Yami's dream." Max answered for his sister. "But what are we looking for?"
Suddenly, the sound of laughter echoed amongst the dark realm.
"Did...you hear that?" asked Mokuba. "Looks like we're not alone."
"Please, don't go! Yugi!"
May, Max and Mokuba turned to see Yami chasing after Yugi. The dream Yugi was laughing as if it was some sort of game. However, this Yugi was different: his amethyst orbs were crimson, and it looked like his body was composed of smoke and shadows. However, Yami didn't notice this...and continued to chase after his partner.
"Join me in the darkness, Yami!" Yugi giggled in a soft voice. "Join me and we'll never be apart again!"
"No..." said Yami, as he stopped running. "I won't go into the darkness; Yugi, you have to get to your senses!"
Yugi stopped, turning toward Yami. There was another laugh as the spectators shuddered in fear.
"But you were in the darkness once." said Yugi. "You liked having that power, and you craved having the Orichalcos corrupt your very being. Didn't you?"
"You don't understand." Yami replied. "I don't want this darkness, this evil...Raphael casted me as an evil king, but Atem..."
"Atem isn't right, you know." Yugi stated suddenly. "What would a Duel Monster know about darkness and evil? It's just ink on paper."
"WHAT?!" May screeched, despite knowing that 'Yugi' couldn't hear her. "Atem was the ruler who...who..."
She kept quiet at that part. She knew what had happened, everyone watching the dream knew what had happened.
"But Atem..." said Yami. "Atem knows about whad happened to me 5,000 years ago. He said I was a good ruler..."
"Really?" asked Yugi. "Doesn't he look familiar? Don't you sense something...'wrong'...about him?"
"W-what are you talking about Yugi?" asked Yami.
"Do you know why he is a Dark Monster?" asked Yugi. "Because 5,000 years ago, he became corrupted by this..."
Yugi brought his hands toward Yami, showing half of a glowing black heart.
"No..." Max gasped out. "The Heart of Chaos....."
"What...is that?" asked Yami.
"Don't you know?" asked Yugi. "This is a key to unlocking your past. It's called the Heart of Chaos..."
"Yami, please don't believe this specter!" said Mokuba. "You'll be playing into his..."
He then saw an aura surrounding Yugi. It was green; in fact, the Seal of the Orichalcos was on the shadow's forehead!
"The Orichalcos!" Mokuba ended. "This is nothing but an illusion!"
"The Heart of Chaos?" asked Yami. "But...Yugi...."
"Don't think," said Yugi with a smile. "Just take it...take it and let the darkness consume you...take it and let you become the ruler you once were 5,000 years ago..."
At that sentence, Yami's eyes darkened...clouded by the words of the seducing shadows.
"What's going on?" asked Max. "It's like...it's like Yami isn't himself."
"He isn't." said Atem. "This scene of him becoming a pawn of evil is a possible event of things to come...if things do not change..."
Atem left it at that as the group of defenders saw Yami grasp the half of the Heart of Chaos into his hands feeling it thump softly in the darkness.
"Take it." said Yugi with an eerie smile on his face. "Let the dark powers corrupt you!"
Mokuba started to sweat...the Heart of Chaos in the dream was actually the shard of the Orichalcos Stone. Yami was just trapped in an illusion, but the darkness emerging from the dream just made him sick. Lately, sensing any form of darkness made his stomach do somersaults and seeing the scene made him feel nauseous.
"Get us out of here, Khonsu!" He screamed, closing his eyes. "I can't take it anymore!"
"Not yet." said Khonsu, placing a hand on Mokuba's shoulder. "Not until you see what we are up against."
Yami's breath came out in pants, heart beating against his chest. Slowly, he placed the heart near his chest...
And everything becme a mesh of darkness as Yami let out a scream...black wings grew from his back and his eyes became crimson once more.
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Yami and Téa—after having met up with a young girl calling herself Chris and her pet wolf Skye—was soon meeting up with Chris's grandfather Ironheart. The Shaman-robed elder had finished collecting cards that were floating upon a stream of water and formed it into a deck.
"Hey!" said a voice. Yami turned to see May, Max and Mokuba running toward them, the three panting for breath.
"We...made...it..." Max gasped out. "We're...just...in...time..."
"Indeed you are." said Ironheart, noticing the three. "I'm glad you guys are all right, you three looked like you saw the dead."
"Wait a minute." said Téa. "Wasn't there someone else? This kid with a blue bowl cut, yellow glasses, green shirt with a beetle. Have you seen him? He was on the train with us when it crashed."
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you were the only ones we were able to uncover." said Ironheart. "Perhaps he was able to escape
"I highly doubt that." Max said to himself. He turned to Yami, gulping that he could see black wings on his back. Even though Téa—and Yami, more importantly—could not see it, he knew that things were bad.
May noticed the cards in Ironheart's hand.
"That's...Yami's deck, right?" She asked with some hesitation.
"It must be, since he is the wielder of the Eye of Timaeus." Ironheart replied, handing the deck to the spirit. "Pardon me for intruding though, as Timaeus is one of a kind."
Yami hesitated and reached out to take his deck, but May immediately ran up and grasped Yami's hand into her own.
"Um," She stated. "You just got back from a duel with Weevil...and from what was heard, you went on a bit of a rampage. Don't you think it's a good idea for you to be dueling so soon after you just got out of your shaky state from nearly dying on top of a train?"
"Is something wrong, May?" asked Yami. May shook her head as she tried to give him a big smile, as if to say that things were okay.
"No, everything's...fine..." She replied. "But...would you mind if I held onto Timaeus for a while? I mean...after what happened with Raphael...and all..."
There was some silence as May began to sweat; how could she tell about the Heart of Chaos and the growing thread of evil surrounding him?
"Go ahead and take it." said Yami. "I'm not worthy of this card."
"Really?" asked May with geniune shock; she never expected that the spirit would actually give her the card. "Well, I guess if you say so..."
May lightly grasped the Eye of Timaeus, staring into the eye of the dragon. It didn't seem right that she had to have it like it was right now...but with the darkness inside Yami, she couldn't take back her words; the fate of the world was at stake.
"Well, what now?" asked Max. "We have to get to Florida and find out the solution to destroying the Leviathan, and saving Yugi!"
"That's a good plan, Max." said Mokuba. "But there's no way we can go in our condition. Even if we could summon these monsters, how long can we hold onto their forms? Besides, all of us are pretty much battered from our descent here."
"And it looks like we need to heal something more than our bodies." said May, staring at Yami. The spirit looked depressed, as if nothing could cheer him up. "We need to heal our spirits."
Heh...what's the matter, 'Farrow'? Why the long face?
At the sound of the voice, Yami whipped his head back and forth. "Who's there?" he asked.
"There's no one here." said Téa in response. "Are you all right?"
When Téa placed her hand on Yami's shoulder, the spirit pushed it away, his eyes temporarily becoming crimson instead of amethyst.
"Get away from me!" He growled, his eyes widening, sweat pouring down his forehead. "I won't let you get to me, you evil monster!"
"Yugi, wake up!" said Téa, hands on Yami's shoulders. "You need to listen to yourself!"
What would she know? She wasn't there when that dreaded person took your precious Yugi away, now was she?
"Who are you?" asked Yami, hands on his head, looking around mindlessly, aimlessly. "I know you're here somewhere, now tell me! Tell me!"
"What's going on?" asked May. "Why is he acting so strange?"
The darkness is plaguing his thoughts, Goddess. Said Atem in response. If we do not do something soon, then he shall be consumed by evil, and then the world shall fall into chaos.
Yami was trembling as wisps of whadows started to seep into his very being. His eyes were flashing from crimson to amethyst as everyone stared in horror.
"Ironheart." said Max. "We need help, something happened to our friend."
"He is looking a little pale." said Chris. "What's happened?"
"Well...you see..." said Mokuba, trying to find the correct words. "He betrayed his friend's trust and unleashed some ancient evil inside of him...and he recently lost control of himself, and mercilessly attack his opponent in a Duel. And now we fear that he might succumb to the darkness in his soul."
"I might just be able to help in this situation." said Ironheart, walking away. "Follow me."
The group soon followed Ironheart, all of them feeling some uneasiness. Yami sighed in relief when he found the voice taunting him had disappeared...for now.
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"Where exactly are we going, Mister Ironheart?" asked Téa as the group walked along a narrow trail upon the mountainside.
"Patience, my dear friend." Ironheart said in reply. Just as he said that, part of the trail under Téa's foot crumbled, and she nearly lsot her balance. Luckily, Yami grabbed onto her wrist just in time, right as part of the mountain began to fall down into the chasm.
"Did I mention to watch your step?" asked Chris. "Oh and it's probably better if you don't look down."
"Don't worry." said Ironheart in reassurance. "Our destination isn't far from here at all."
"And what exactly happens when we get there?" asked May.
"We'll have crossed over to the other side; to the place where the spirits dwell." Ironheart replied as the group began to walk once more. "You see my people believe that human souls exist all around us. And just beyond this mountain is a sacred valley, where spirits gather as they wander along."
"And you think Yami's friends is somewhere in this valley, Mister Ironheart?" asked Max.
"Perhaps." Ironheart answered back. "But there are evil spirits as well; finding the soul you seek is easy, leaving with your own is another thing altogether."
Max, Mokuba and May gulped as the group finally made it to a scenery of more mountains. There was some silence before Ironheart spoke.
"You know, it's not too late to back down." He said directly to Yami.
He's right you know. You don't need that waste of skin, all you need is the darkness. The Orichalcos...
Yami shook away the voice in his mind as he stared at the valley.
"I must go." He said on reply. "I owe it to Yugi."
"Maybe if Yami goes to the valley, the darkness in his soul will disappear." said Max.
"That's a good idea." said Mokuba. "But the question isn't about whether the darkness is going to disapper, it's if he wants it to disappear."
"It's like history repeating itself." May whispered. "Atem succumbed to the darkness of the Heart of Chaos...and Yami gave imself up to the Orichalcos. When is this cycle going to end?"
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"Where are you Pharaoh?" asked Raphael as he was standing upon the remains of the fallen train. The train had fallen into the ocean, water fallen into the cars, and not a trace of anyone in site. This only caused the Swordsman to growl in anger.
"How did he escape?" He asked himself. He then noticed his refleciton in the water, and a memory came to mind.
"Why do you like living here, Guardian of the Sea?" asked a voice. It was curious, hinting some sort of shyness to the person he was asking. "It's hot, it's dry, and it's certainly not fitting for you."
"I like it here, because I can stay with my friends and family." answered the Guardian of the Sea. "But when I'm older, I would love to travel across the river to the other lands. And you know what? Atem said that he would take me with him to visit the people; he said it would be great for the whole world to see my singing and dancing! And maybe he'll let you come with me too; you're a good fighter you know."
"You're right about that..." There was some silence before the boy spoke again. "Say...I've been meaning to ask you this for a time..."
"Yeah?" asked the Guardian of the Sea. "What is it?"
"Do you love me?" asked the boy. "I mean...like the type of love your parents share."
"...of course I do!" The Guardian of the Sea replied. "But...I also love Atem, and I want us all to live together happily."
"...is that so?" asked the voice. "How could you, Guardian of the Sea! I love you more than he has! I'm the one who visits you at night, I'm the one who talks to you, and I am the one who understands you..."
"What's wrong with you Rael?" asked the Guardian of the Sea. "Why are you acting this way?"
The memory faded as Raphael stared at his reflection once more. Rael...this person...was that really him so long ago? And the Guardian of the Sea loved the Pharaoh. It angered him...this whole time he was searching for the one who saved him, and she loved some one else.
Well, that was it. When he got to the Pharaoh, he would take the Guardian of the Sea with her to Dartz. Surely he would know what to do with her and the two would them would help rule a peaceful and gentle land once the Great Leviathan was there.
He clenched his fists as he looked toward the mountains, determination on his face.
"I'll find you Pharaoh." He solemly swore. "And I'll make sure that the Guardian of the Sea comes back to me!"
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"We are here." said Ironheart. There was no need for other words; they couldn't describe the feeling of nervousness and fear staring at the giant circle in the ground.
"So, what are we going to do?" asked May.
"Not we." Ironheart answered. "Your friend must enter the circle on his own. After all, it is his journey."
"You sure you want to go through with this?" asked Mokuba. "I mean...it wouldn't be right with you not having Timaeus..."
"Yeah!" said Max. "What happens if some duelist with the Orichalcos comes in the circle? You won't be able to defend yourself with the Legendary Draogn and..."
"May, Max, Mokuba..." said Yami, interrupting the Prince of Wisdom. "Is there something you guys haven't been telling me?"
"Come to think of it." said Chris. "You guys have been nervous ever since you guys have been awake. Is something wrong?"
May, Max and Mokuba stated at each other, all of them thinking the same thing. They tell what they saw in Yami's dream, then they're pretty much screwed.
"Um," said May. "I mean, after all of the trauma that he went through with the past two duels he's been in...do you think it's a good idea for him to face Yugi?"
"I must do it." said Yami. "I need Yugi to understand that I did not mean to betray him...you would do the same thing, wouldn't you?"
"Y-yeah..." May answered back. "Good luck."
Yami nodded his head as he ran down the side of the cliff. Téa began to follow him, but Chris stopped her.
"Only one soul-seeker is permitted to enter the circle at a time." Ironheart explained to the dancer. "If you proceed, the evil spirits will sense you immediately."
"Be careful, Pharaoh." said Téa in a worried tone.
"That's totally unfair!" said Max. "We should be out there to protect him in his finest hour!"
"But you heard what Ironheart said, Max." said Mokuba. "The evil spirits will sense us and we would be devoured by them. How can we protect the Pharaoh if we can't protect ourselves?"
"I guess all we can do is just wait." said May. "I hope things go well..."
Goddess of Joy Atem whispered in May's mind. I am sensing evil in this area...the power of the lost souls is overwhelming. You must heed this man's advice, lest you want to become one of them also.
"All right." May replied. "But I still have a very bad feeling about this...."
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"You'll never escape!" screamed a ghostly voice. That was accompanied by laughter as a storm of glowing white orbs swirled around the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. The orbs became figures, spirits of past opponents. Grey clouds started to form, thunder boomed and lightning clashed....but Yami ignored this, walking across all of the spirits who wanted nothing more than to destroy him.
The orbs of light continued to dance around Yami, mocking him, taunting him, teasing him. Yami ignored them as he continued to make it to the circle. The orbs soon compacted to make a figure of bright light. Yami stared in shock as the figure became Yugi, who slowly started to become solid. Yugi opened his eyes, shocked to see Yami standing in front of him.
"Is that...really you?" asked Yugi.
"Hey, it's really him!" said Téa in excitement from the cliff.
"I found you..." said Yami, running up to embrace his partner. Unfortunately, he completely phased right through him.
"So, you came all this way just to see me?" asked Yugi.
"Of course." Yami answered back. "I wanted to say how sorry I am."
"I'm sorry too." Yugi replied, closing his eyes. "I wish this whole thing never happened."
"It's my fault." said Yami. "I surrendered to my inner darkness. I allowed my anger to take over, and you paid the price. Now that you're gone, the darkness is starting to grow. Without your light to keep me pure, I'm becoming evil, Yugi.
"I'm beginning to believe that what Raphael said about me was true; perhaps I was an evil Pharaoh..."
That's right...you're an evil king to the core. So why are you trying to ignore the souls in this area? They're just like you...evil, angry, wicked, corrupt...you can't hide forever you know....
Yami shook his head, trying to get rid of that dark voice in his mind. He then stared at Yugi,
"What if I am the one responsible for the destruction of Egypt?" asked Yami. "If I am capable of such horrific behavior, then it should be my soul that should be locked away."
"Well what good is that now?" asked Yugi, turning around to face Yami. "I'm the one who's been locked away forever, not you!"
"I'm...sorry." said Yami.
"Well the last thing I need is your pity, Pharaoh!" Yugi snapped back, walking away. "If you're really evil, then there's only one thing to do."
"What are you saying?" asked Yami.
With a flash of light, a Duel Disk appeared on Yugi's left arm.
"You said it yourself, didn't you?" asked Yugi, turning around to face his darker counterpart. "Your spirit should be sealed along with mine. And I'm going to do it."
"Wait!" said Yami. "You misunderstood me."
"Oh, so now you're taking back what you said?!" Yugi snapped back. "Make up your mind!
"You don't deserve to be a part of this world. And it's about time that you took responsibility for what you've done. There's only one thing left to do and you know it. You need to be a man for once and face me in a duel, now!"
"No..." said Yami. "Please..."
"Too late!" said Yugi, pointing a finger at the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. "It's time for you to pay! If you're really sorry, then you'll do this!"
Yami didn't reply to Yugi's statement but activated his Duel Disk either way.
"It's time to duel!" Yugi announced, as their lifepoint counters went to 4,000.
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"Wait," said Téa. "He's going to be dueling himself? But why?"
"Because this is the only way." Ironheart answered back.
"What?" asked May. "The only way?"
Chris nodded her head. "That's why we took you guys here." She answered. "So the Pharaoh can face his other half. He has to deal with what he did so he can put it all behind him and finally move on."
"How do you even know all this stuff?" asked Max.
"...We've always known this." Chris answered back. "We've been taught that a warrior would come to save our world. And as soon as we found you guys, we knew that he was the one."
"He being the one that's going to save us, that's a hoot." said Mokuba. "And what about all of us, Chris? What about the Goddess of Joy, Prince of Wisdom and the Defender of the King?
"...I'm not sure myself." Chris replied. "We only know about the warrior to save our world...but we were never taught about those three."
Mokuba growled. "Then what are we even doing here in the first place?!" He exclaimed.
Just because they were not taught about you three, doesn't mean that you aren't important, Mokuba. Khonsu replied in his head. But no doubt about it, there will be a time that you guys shall be needed.
"So what is he supposed to do now?" asked May.
"His first step is to face his inner fears, and conquer that darkness that lurks within his heart." answered Ironheart. "But if he loses this battle, the Pharaoh's spirit will remain here...forever."
May gulped as she soon saw both duelists draw five cards from their decks, beginning the duel.
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"All right," said Yugi, drawing a card. "I'll start things off by summoning one monster facedown on the field!"
A facedown monster appeared in front of Yugi.
"Now let's see what you got," Yugi continued. "Unless you're too scared."
"Very well, if I must." Yami replied, drawing a card. "I summon Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts!"
Letting out a roar, a butternut skinned monster with sharp claws, a black mane, tufts of fur on his wrists and a tail appeared. What made him different was the giant horn on its forehead. (1,500/1,200)
"Now Gazelle," said Yami. "Attack his facedown card!"
Gazelle charged toward the facedown monster, slashing it with his claws. It was revealed to be a copy of the attacking monster.
"Mine's a Gazelle, too!" said Yugi as his monster was destroyed.
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"Wait, did those two just play the same card?" asked Max. "Doesn't that mean their hands are identical?"
"Just because they have those cards in your hand, doesn't mean that every card in their hand is the same." May answered back. "But I have a feeling that there Yugi has something Yami doesn't have..."
"What's that?" asked Mokuba.
"I don't know." May replied. "But deep down, we might as well known it from the beginning.
"He's got darkness and anger in his soul..."
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"Yugi, wait!" said Yami. "We're holding the same cards, aren't we?"
There were five cards in his hand: Sangan, Dark Magician Girl, Polymerization, Monster Reborn and Alpha the Magnet Warrior.
"Really?" asked Yugi. "Let's find out."
He drew a card.
"I'll summon another card facedown." He added, a facedown card appearing on the field.
"Do these look familiar?" asked Yami, drawing a card. He then showed them to Yugi. "They're Polymerization and Berfomet!"
The four armed horned fiend appeared to the left of Gazelle as both transformed to a new monster.
"I'll fuse my two monsters together to form Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast!" Yami added as the new monster appeared.
Yugi didn't flinch as he saw the monster: It had the heads of both Gazelle and Befromet, but the creature was on four legs and had white feathery wings. (2,100/1,800)
"Next, I'll play Alpha the Magnet Warrior!"
A second monster appeared, this one being grey with a sword in hand, and a helmet and shield modeled after a horsehoe magnet. (1,400/1,700)
"Now," said Yami to Alpha. "Attack his facedown monster!"
Alpha slashed the facedown card, revealing a orange imp with green arms and legs along with three yellow eyes. (1,000/700) The monster let out a screech before being destroyed.
"Your defense is gone, Yugi." Yami added. "So Chimera, attack his lifepoints directly!"
Chimera charged toward Yugi, the latter unable to defend himself as his lifepoints went down to 1,900.
That's strange. Yami thought to himself. If we do have the same hand, then why didn't Yugi play Monster Reborn? If he played it, then he could've used it to bring back Gazelle to block my attack. For some reason...he's holding back. Could Yugi be trying to lose the duel on purpose? Or is he trying to throw me off with a strategy he's never used before?
Look at yourself...you're attacking him and he's letting you win...doesn't that make you feel so bad, Pharaoh?
Yami snarled at the voice once more as he saw Yugi draw a card from his deck.
"When you destroyed my Sangan, you activated its special ability." said Yugi as he began to shuffle his deck. "Letting me move a monster from my deck to my hand."
"Yes, good move." said Yami, complimenting his partner's strategy.
"I don't need your support." Yugi replied, drawing another card. "I'll place this facedown..."
A facedown card—whether it was a Magic or Trap card it was hard to tell—appeared as Yugi revealed a Magic card, depicting a hand tossing its cards away.
"And then I'll play this!" Yugi ended. "Card Destruction!"
"But why?" asked Yami.
"So I can start over and our hands will be different!" Yugi answered back, discarding his hand before drawing four more cards. "Disappointed? Well, now you can't cheat anymore."
"Why are you acting like this?" asked Yami.
"I'm just a reflection of you." Yugi answered back.
"What do you mean, Yugi?"
"You don't get it do you? You and I are exactly the same; so the darkness that's in your heart is also inside mine!"
"Yugi," said Yami. "I wish I could take it back..."
"Too late." Yugi answered back with a snarl. "You've already shown me who you really are; an evil Pharaoh who only cares about himself. Face the facts! You didn't care what happened to me so long as you had power! Now it's my turn!"
"Oh no..." said Mokuba, seeing the whole situation. "Is he...he can't be..."
"What is it Mokuba?" asked Max. "What's going on?"
"...Yugi has the Seal of Orichalcos." Mokuba answered back, his eyes wide with fear. "He's...going to activate it."
"No...No!" May cried out. "I won't let that happen again!"
She was about to run toward Yami and the others, but felt Max and Mokuba grab onto her arm.
"You heard what Ironheart said, May!" said Max. "Go in there and you become a lost soul!"
"Don't take that chance!" said Mokuba. "It isn't worth it."
"Get off of me!" May screamed. "I have to stop this duel! I need to make sure Yami doesn't go into the darkness! Please..."
She grit her teeth as she then yelled the following sentence...
"Yami, the Orichalcos has entered your heart!"
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There was some silence. Yugi looked up to see May glaring at him, tears brimming down her eyes. That was it...he knew it was going to have to come to this. This was what was needed to make sure Yami strayed off of the dark path he would eventually take.
"This duel is a chance for you to look at yourself from the outside." He said to Yami, the wind starting to blow as to accompany the storm clouds that had gathered. "And there's only one card that can make that happen...the the Seal of Orichalcos."
"No..." Téa gasped out. "YUGI!"
Yugi placed the card into the Field Slot of his Duel Disk, the Seal soon surrounding the two Duelists. To make it worse, the Seal soon appeared on Yugi's forehead, his wide and innocent amethyst eyes gaining a crimson tint that hinted malice and anger.
"Now it's payback time," He hissed at Yami. "For taking my soul!"
"This is a mistake, Yugi." said Yami, trying to snap Yugi out of the darkness.
"Come on." said Yugi, ignoring Yami's statement. "Just discard your hand already; I played Card Destruction, remember?"
Yami snarled, discarding his hand to the Graveyard, before drawing five new cards.
"And now for my next move," Yugi continued, revealing his facedown card. "I activate my Monster Reborn! And...I'll use it to bring back my Dark Magician Girl!"
"Yugi, don't do it!" May screamed, still trying to get away from the grip on her arm. "You'll just be like Yami when he played the Orichalcos! Please!"
Yugi ignored the cry as his Magic Card was replaced by the female Dark Magician. (2,000/1,700)
"Then, I'll summon my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!" He added.
To the left of Dark Magician Girl was the Effect Monster version of Celtic Guardian, sword in hand. (1,400/1,200)
"And Pharaoh, you know what happens next..." said Yugi, an evil glint in his eye.
"Yugi, stop this!" said Yami, knowing what was going to happen.
"Now the Orichalcos serves my monsters!" Yugi announced as both of his monsters had the same Seal on their foreheads. Their eyes were washed in a crimson glow as their Attack strength was raised by 500.
"Celtic Guardian, destroy his Magnet Warrior!"
Obnoxious Celtic Guardian obeyed and immediately slashed the Magnet Warrior to pieces. Yami's lifepoints went down to 3,500.
"You're turn, Dark Magician Girl!" He added. "Incinerate his Mythical Beast!"
Dark Magician Girl raised her staff, releasing a blast of energy that destroyed Chimera. Yami's lifepoints then went down to 3,100.
"I'll use Chimera's special ability to bring back Berfomet in Defense Mode!" said Yami, once the attacks stopped. The four armed Fiend appearered in front of its master, crouching in defense mode. (1,400/1,800)
"Big deal." said Yugi, unphased by the move. "What else have you got?"
"This!" Yami stated simply, drawing a card. He then placed a monster in Defense mode. "The mighty Big Shield Gardna in Defense Mode!"
The black spiky haired warrior appeared, grasping onto a giant shield. (100/2,600)
This should protect my lifepoints from Dark Magician Girl's attack. Yami thought to himself.
"That's all?" Yugi asked mockingly, drawing a card.. "Well here's my move; I summon my Queen's Knight in Attack mode!"
A female Warrior appeared with long blonde hair and dressed in ruby armor. She grasped a sword in one hand and a red shield containing a diamond, spade, club and heart. (1,500/1,600) -) (2,000/1,600)
"And to boost my firepower," Yugi continued, placing a Magic Card into his Duel Disk. "I'll activate Magic Formula!, which raises my Dark Magician Girl's Attack by 500"
A brown book appeared in Dark Magician Girl's hand, who was reading it with interest. (2,500/1,700) -) (3,000/1,700)
"3,000 Attack points?!" Max, Mokuba and May cried simultaneously.
"Queen's Knight, attack!" said Yugi, pointing to Beformet. The female Warrior let out a battle cry, slicing Berfomet in half.
"And now for my Dark Magician Girl; take out his Big Shield Gardna!"
Raising her staff in one hand—and holding onto the Magic Formula book in the other—Dark Magician let out a giant blast of energy which destroyed Big Shield Gardna.
"But wait..." said Yugi. "There's more..."
Obnoxious Celtic Guardian rushed toward Yami, attacking him with a deep slash with his blade, causing Yami's lifepoints to go down to 1,200.
"It won't be long now, Pharaoh." said Yugi, with a grin on his face.
"Yugi..." said Yami, trying to talk some sense into his partner. "Don't do this!"
"It hurts, doesn't it?" asked Yugi, his voice getting a bit softer. "And it only gets worse. Soon, you'll be locked away forever...where you belong!"
Yami drew a card.
"I place one card facedown," He said to Yugi. "And then I summon Giant Soldier of Stone in Defense Mode!"
A facedown card appeared as a giant soldier of stone appeared—exactly as Yami had stated. (1,300/2,000)
"Next," Yami continued. "I activate my Swords of Revealing Light!"
Five swords of light appeared from the clouds, crashing down onto Yugi's side of the field.
This gives me three turns to talk some sense into Yugi. Yami thought to himself.
"Your swords mean nothing!" said Yugi, breaking Yami out of his thoughts. "I have a card in my hand that could blast right through them! You should've known that; it's a card you've played before..."
As Yugi drew a card from his deck, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian soon vanished. In its place was a green mechanical turtle with a modern catapult on its back. (1,000/2,000) -) (1,500/2,000)
"This is what I did last time." said Yami, recalling the strategy.
"Exactly." Yugi said in reply. "So it's time for you to experience the consequences of your own evil. Once I sacrifice my monsters and deplete your lifepoints, you'll never duel again...it's all over."
"Not good!" said Max. "With the combined attack score of Dark Magician Girl and Queen's Knight, Yami will lose the duel and his soul!"
"He's only got 1,200 life points!" Mokuba pointed out. "And by using Catapult Turtle's effect, Yami will be inflicted with 2,500 points of damage!"
Queen's Knight moved to position on top of the catapult. Then she was launched into the air, becoming a giant fireball and slammed herself directly at Yami, causing a burst of light and smoke to appear. Yami's lifepoints soon dropped to 200.
"Oh no..." said Téa. "Pharaoh..."
"One more attack, and you'll become a prisoner of the Orichalcos just like me." said Yugi with a hint of insanity in his voice.
"I can't lose..." said Yami, standing up. "If I don't, I won't be able to set you free and two worlds will crumble!"
"So what?" asked Yugi. "You're evil, remember? Last time, you didn't care who suffered!"
Dark Magician Girl soon transported onto the back of Catapult Turtle.
"Yugi," said Yami, his voice cracking with fear. "Don't do this!"
"...too late." Yugi replied. "Dark Magician Girl, attack!"
Dark Magician Girl became a pink orb of energy and was launched from the back of the monster.
"I can't look!" said May, burying her face into Mokuba's shoulder. Mokuba replied by wrapping his arms around her neck. Max wrapped his arms around May's waist, his eyes squeezed shut.
"I activate Divine Wind!" Yami screamed, revealing his Trap Card. It revealed some sort of whirlwind trying to attack a giant tornado. The orb of energy soon hit a giant tornado, bouncing back onto Yugi's side of the field.
"No way!" said Mokuba, pointing to the circle. "Now Yami deflected the attack and returned it to Yugi. And get this; Yugi would receive double the damage that Yami would've received if the card wasn't in play. Since Dark Magician Girl's Attack score cut in half is 1,500..."
"Then that means Yugi gets hit with 3,000 points of damage!" Téa ended.
"He did it..." said Yugi, his face no longer showing the evil and wickedness from the Orichalcos. "He was able to redirect my attack and double the damage to win the duel."
He soon let out a scream as he was soon hit with the full force of his original attack. His lifepoints then dropped all the way down to 0.
"What have I done?" asked Yami, seeing Yugi collapsing onto the ground.
"Yugi!" said May, pushing Max and Mokuba out of the way. "YUGI!"
"Wait!" said Chris, stopping the Coordinator. "My grandfather said..."
"Forget what your grandfather said!" May snapped, eyes brimming with tears. "Yugi's hurt, and now he'll be taken away by the Orichalcos! I don't care what you have to say about me being a lost soul if I go there; you and your grandfather are nothing but lost souls for not noticing how much this duel has hurt Yami!"
She said nothing more as she slid down the cliff, before hitting solid ground. Orbs of light surrounded her vision, but when they tried to attack May, they were repelled by an invisible force. May ignored the orbs—which were the lost souls as she recalled—and ran toward the site.
The monsters on the field disappeared as Yami went to cradle Yugi in his arms. His eyes were also brimming with tears as Yugi slowly stared to open his eyes.
"Speak to me, Yugi." said Yami. "Please..."
"...You passed the test, pal." Yugi said weakly, the crimson glow in his eyes and the Orichalcos on his forehead disappearing. The giant Seal of Orichalcos also vanished as May finally caught up to Yugi and Yami.
"A test?" May gasped out, getting on her knees. "What are you talking about? Don't you see what could've happened? Yami was taken to the darkness in his heart by you Yugi! He was going to act like he did with Raphael and..."
She gasped as she realized the meaning of the dream; Yugi corrupted by the Orichalcos, coaxing Yami to accept the darkness...it didn't mean that Yami was going to be corrupted, it was telling how Yugi was tempting him in a test to make sure he wouldn't go into the darkness.
"Now you understand what I mean, May." said Yugi, turning to the Coordinator. "By defeating me, the Pharaoh was able to defeat the darkness that was inside his heart. It wasn't easy...but he did what was best for me and mankind."
"Don't say that Yugi." said May, slowly standing up. "Don't say that!"
Tears fell down her face as she ran toward Yugi, with some desire to punch him for his deeds. As she was about to punch him, she stopped, and fell onto the ground. She beat the ground with her fists and started to sob uncontrollably. Yugi noticed this and stared at her sadly.
"I'm sorry, May." said Yugi. "I know that this was hard on you, but it had to be done. Yami acted like a true hero...and now, you must be with him in his darkest hour in order to save the world."
"R-really?" asked May sniffling a bit as she raised her head to match with Yugi's gaze.
Yugi nodded his head. "You and your brother, and Mokuba...you three were chosen for a reason." He continued. "Now...I leave it to you...stop the Great Leviathan and the Orichalcos from destroying the world."
"But what now, Yugi?" asked Yami, tears starting to form in his eyes. Yugi smiled, placing a hand on Yami's Duel Disk.
"Don't give up this fight." Yugi answered back, as he became surrounded in white light. "I'm...always...with you..."
With that last line, he became nothing but particles of light and floated into the sky. May and Yami stared as the motes began to disappear before both of them stood up.
"I'll save you, Yugi!" Yami swore, looking up at the dark clouds in the sky. "No matter what it takes..."
May stared at her Duel Disk, drawing a card from the top of her deck. She soon took a good look at the Eye of Timaeus before closing her eyes.
Timaeus... May thought to herself. Please, guide Yami to being worthy of you again...For the sake of everyone on this planet, and for everyone in the Dominion of the Beasts...please...
As if to answer May's thoughts, Timaeus soon began to glow...
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Max: This whole duel was just a ruse to make Yami fight off his darkness? That's amazing...
Mokuba: And that's not all; it looks like Timaeus is willing to forgive Yami for what he's done.
May: Guys, we're not out of the forest yet....there's a GIANT monster heading this way, and he's wielding a Duel Disk!
Max: He's not the only one here; I see Raphael coming for Ra!
Mokuba: He's caused so much suffering...when I get my hands on him, I'll...
May: No, Mokuba...you stay here, I'll handle Raphael.
Mokuba: What?! But May....
Max: Next time, "Between my Brother and Me" chapter 16-"A Soldier Emerging from the Shadows"
May: Someone help me! Raphael...he...he..
Mokuba: No! Come back here, May!
Max: Raphael...you evil monster...you'll pay for your actions!