Chao- Ya know, after that small hiatus for this story-
YChao- Uh, small?
Chao- Yes, yes…. Chao was thinking about cutting down the duel to one chapter. Psh, like that was gonna happen.
"Talking."
"Thinking."
/Yami and Yugi's mind link./
Chapter 8: Duel with a Ghost Part 2
Yugi drew one card. He decided to tack a chance as he ordered, "Alpha! Attack the Magician of Faith!"
The magnetic monster swooped down and destroyed the elf magician. While starting with the usual 4000, the girl's life points dropped down to 2600.
"Yay Yugi!" Mokuba cheered from the side. Kaiba had his arms cross over his chest as he watched his rival carefully.
"It's your move, Miyako." Yugi informed. The girl nodded her head. She drew one card. She smiled as she announced, "I play Mystical Elf in attack mode!"
"Attack mode?" Yugi questioned, "Why did she do that? Is her facedown card a trap? Or is she just trying to buy time for a strategy?"
After obtaining a card, the teen declared, "Alright, I won't attack you this round. Instead I'll place two cards face down."
"OK!" Miyako shouted with joy, "Um… what are we suppose to do next?"
Yugi smiled, "Well, it's your turn."
"Um… I draw a card first, right?" Miyako questioned.
"Yes," the adolescent replied calmly.
The girl picked up one card and stared at her hand. Her hands trembled a little as her features made a face to say she was confused about what to do next. The game she had chosen was quite a challenge for her.
"Miyako, is everything ok?" Yugi inquired.
"Y-yes." the child stuttered.
Kaiba was growing impatient. He wanted to leave as soon as he could. He had no time for his adversary to be playing with a little girl. Mokuba, on the other hand, watched with great attention. He was glad his friend was in the lead, but he knew how the other child felt. He, too, often struggled with the game and its complex rules. Mokuba strongly believed if it wasn't for his brother, he may not have any interest in the game as he preferred Capsule Monsters.
Yami continued his view from where he was. He didn't want to interrupt the duel. He questioned Yugi's opponent. He wondered how much experience the one named Miyako had. He didn't know if she had something planned or if she was a complete novice.
Yugi smiled as he offered, "Miyako, would you like some advice?"
The girl shot her head up. She then shook vigorously as she yelled in a childish manner, "No! I want to do this on my own!"
"Ok, ok." the teen replied. He then figured his opponent was only being stubborn. He instead insisted, "Miyako, just look at you hands then onto the field."
The girl obliged and Yugi continued, "I have a monster in attack mode with 1400 attack points. You have Mystical Elf in attack mode with 200 attack points. If I attack you, your life points will go lower to 1400."
The girl nodded. She understood the setup that could be in play. She then glanced down and brought up, "And I have one card faced down while you have two."
"Yes, that's right." Yugi agreed, "I know what I have but I don't know what you have."
"Um… neither do I." Miyako stated embarrassed. Yugi giggled as he replied, "It's alright if you need to keep checking what you have. Just don't forget to use it if it'll help get you out of a sticky situation."
The child went back to figuring out what to do. While she was busy, Yugi couldn't help but reminisce. He remembered how much fun he and his friends had when the game barely arrived. He was able to play for fun instead of having a life hanging on the other line. He glanced over towards the Kaiba brothers once more. He recalled this was still an important match, but it was one of the few where he was not only in control, but also having a good time.
"Yes!" Miyako exclaimed, "I place another monster in defense mode and then I'll switch Mystical Elf to defense mode as well."
"Alright," Yugi understood, "Now I summon Beta, the Magnet Warrior (1700/1600) in attack mode! And I'll use it to attack your facedown card! And then I'll have Alpha attack Mystical Elf!"
The yellow creature with gray magnets bounced up and used it's claw to destroy the unknown monster. Afterwards, the gray metal card went over and was about to use its sword when the assault was suddenly stopped as a group of people wearing sea green hoods appeared.
"Not so fast!" Miyako squealed, "I activate one of my traps, Wabaku, to block your move!"
The two cards used by Yugi returned to his side. He couldn't help but smirk. He was glad the girl was able to find a way to keep him from his invasion. He complimented, "Nice work."
Feeling more confident in her skills, Miyako went about for her move. She noticed she only had one monster and one card on her side. She then saw her opponent had his two monsters and two face down. She had to figure out a way to remove one of them.
"I play Baby Dragon (1200/700)!" she decided, "And then I'll activate a magic card to give it a little boost!"
The card she activated was Graceful Dice. A little creature with wings carrying a huge dice appeared. It tossed the blue piece with everyone waiting anxiously to see what would appear. Soon, a number three faced up. By having both points multiply by 100 based on the number the die landed on, the dragon grew from 1200/700 to 1500/1100.
"Looks as though you have enough to attack me." Yugi congratulated. The girl nodded.
The orange creature rose its wings up and flew above. With one quick movement, it went and destroyed the gray magnetic monster. The teen was about to lift up one card when he stopped. He allowed the move to continue and his life points dropped down to 3000. Baby Dragon then had its original number set return.
"Let's see," Yugi pondered as he thought about his turn. He smiled when he saw the huge grin on Miyako's face. The ghost couldn't help but giggle.
Xxx
The two males and one female continued to wait with absolute anxiety. The Kaiba brothers were in a coma while the spirit of the Puzzle and the adolescent with tri-color hair were both missing. They didn't understand what was going on. They could feel themselves becoming cold in the heart.
Everyone was startled when they heard the sound of someone snickering out of pure joy.
"Who could be laughing at a time like this?" Tea asked out loud.
"It doesn't sound like anyone here." Tristan remarked.
"Do you think it may have to do with what Yami and Kaiba were talking about?" Joey questioned.
"Oh, right, they both did mention something like that." Tea agreed, "They both seemed to be shaken up by it as well."
"This sure is weird." Joey nodded, "I don't remember hearing anything when he got here."
"Yes, it's been pretty quiet." Tristan concurred, "Maybe there IS something supernatural about this mansion."
"Maybe," Joey shivered as he had a strong disliking of the horror genre. He shook his head and exclaimed, "But let's not give up hope! We still gotta believe in Yug and the pharaoh!"
The two other nodded. Their encouragement warmed themselves up once more. They would spend another night in a creepy, haunted house before they would even think about giving up.
Xxx
Yami placed one hand on his chest as he felt a strange sensation enter him. He glanced up and noticed his partner did the same. The spirit smiled as he knew everyone kept their light burning. Yami continued on to cheer for Yugi while remaining in his hiding spot.
The match continued on. The adolescent had wanted to give Miyako a chance to play while he gained an opportunity to grow. He looked down and remembered he did not have the Puzzle with him. He made his move, "I summon Silent Swordsman Level 3 (1000/1000) in defense mode!"
A small, humanlike creature with gold hair and green skin in a blue and gray outfit with a large weapon appeared. Both Kaiba and Yami were fascinated by the choice. They had yet to see that card played by Yugi. They also knew because its powers were low, there was a mysterious effect on it.
"Alright, my turn!" Miyako exclaimed, "I may have Mystical Elf out, but I want to use Baby Dragon to attack!"
The orange creature was about to strike when it was suddenly stopped by a giant wall constructed out of huge, gray stones.
"Huh?" the child questioned.
"I use one of my traps," Yugi informed, "Castle Walls increases my monster's defense points by 500. Sorry, Miyako, but you lose 300 more life points."
The ghost pouted but she accepted the terms. Her life points were placed at 2300 while Yugi's was at 30000.
"And now I'll activate the card Reinforcements and have my Silent Swordsman attack your Baby Dragon!" the young adult announced.
The new creature's power increased to 1500/1000. The knight ran across the field and sliced the orange monster. Miyako's life points dropped to 800.
The girl wasn't sure what to do next. She had one monsters but nothing available in the Magic/Trap zone. She was becoming a bit scared. Yugi continued to smile sweetly. He understood how scary some of the games could be. He was always glad to have others with him to encourage him.
As he looked at his hand, he decided to do the same, even to his opponent, "Come on Miyako! Draw a card and see what you can put together!"
"O-ok!" she stammered, "I place three cards face down and then I'll keep Mystical Elf in defense mode!"
"See, you were able to put together something." Yugi reassured, "Now I'll take my Silent Swordsman Level 3 and place it the graveyard! With that, I am able to summon my Silent Swordsman Level 5 (2300/1000)!"
As the small monster disappeared, another came around. This one appeared similar to the first, but was a bit taller. Yugi smiled when he placed down two more cards and completed his round. Miyako was becoming nervous once more, she drew a card but did nothing.
Yugi placed down a monster in defense mode. He thought about attacking, but tried a different idea. He allowed the child to make her move. She was still scared but she gained courage when her green orbs met with charming, violet ones.
"I summon Nin-Ken Dog (1800/1000) in attack mode!" she announced. A canine in a red ninja outfit and blue scarf came out to the field. She then ordered the doglike monster to take on her opponent's facedown. The move was successful.
Yugi may have lost a card, but he was willing to make the sacrifice to try and make Miyako happy. He also didn't want to defeat her new monster yet. He instead, activated one of his magic cards, Pot of Greed, and only drew two cards.
"Oops!" Miyako gasped when she realized her monster had lower points than her adversary. Yugi giggled as he replied, "See, you managed to correct your mistakes."
The ghost realized she didn't have any options to help take down her adversary's strong monster. Yugi thought about his next move. Even though his opponent was a young girl, he was glad he was the one making the decisions. He now felt safe to make his move without doing so much damage to the lonely soul.
"I'll have my Silent Swordsman Level 5 attack your Mystical Elf!" the teen announced. The taller knight ran over and destroyed the blue skin lady.
Despite having one less monster for defense, Miyako smiled. She was having a good time even when the battle was rough. She didn't have anything powerful enough to destroy what was on the field so she passed her turn. She felt confident, though, she still had one monster and three other facedown.
Yugi smiled, "I'll now take my Silent Swordsman Level 5 and place it in the graveyard. Now, in its place, I'll summon Silent Swordsman Level 7 (2800/1000)!"
Another monster with the similar name and design arrived. The main difference was in the attack and height of the knight. Kaiba and Yami were impressed by the monster's effect. Yugi was able to summon powerful creatures without waiting to sacrifice monsters or with the aid of magic. They were curious to know where the adolescent had learned something unique. Yami smiled when he saw how well his partner was doing without him being physically at his side.
The young adult could not attack so he ended his turn. Miyako drew a card. She was aware how powerful Yugi's monster was, but she remembered any monster could only attack once per round. She placed another monster face up in defense mode.
"I play Princess of Tsurugi (900/700)!" she declared, "And with it's effect, you lose 500 life points for every magic and trap card you have on the field!"
Yugi's life points dwindled to 2000. He may have lost a great deal for him only having two cards in the Magic/Trap slot, but he was still having fun. He decided to at least get rid of the monster with the effect so he would not lose anymore.
"I'll have my Swordsman attack your Princess of Tsurugi!" the teen yelled. The female humanlike creature was destroyed with ease. Miyako looked at what she had and said, "I'll activate graceful charity! This way I can draw three more cards and discard two."
Yugi looked at what he had. He needed to still end his match. His heart beat rapidly against his chest. He hesitated for a moment. He had a powerful combination to end the game. However, a part of him didn't want to. He knew what it was like to not have anyone around.
He closed his eyes. He was grateful to have his friends around when he needed them. He knew the Kaiba brothers felt the same way for each other. As much as it pained the light hearted adolescent, he knew he couldn't stay. He also had to help the ghost find a place to rest; it wasn't right for her to be locked up either.
"Sorry, Miyako," Yugi began in a strong voice, "But it looks as though I'm about to win this match."
Every eye in the room widen. Kaiba and Yami were interested in the final combination. Mokuba was excited for his friend, but felt a little dejected for the young girl. Miyako was also in a mix of feelings. Only Yami, however, was able to pick up the little sadness in his friend's pitch.
Yugi took a big breath, "I use my magic card Reborn the Monster to bring back Silent Swordsman Level 3 (1000/1000)! Next, I'll use my next card, Black Pendant, to increase the attack points by 500, raising it to 1500! I'll use it to have Silent Swordsman Level 3 to attack your ninja dog!"
Miyako gasped as her canine monster was assaulted by a giant, metal staff. She clinched her fists together as she knew what was next. Yugi swallowed as he continued, "And next… Next I… I'll have Silent Swordsman Level 7... Attack and destroy… the rest of your life points."
The taller swordsman raised it's own weapon and leaped over to the opposite side. The young girl had no other options. Her entire life points were wiped out. The monsters and facedown cards vanished. The game was over.
Miyako looked down at the ground. Yugi had won, but he also had mix feelings about the outcome. The moment he saw tears threatening to fall on the girl, he rushed over and embraced her. He may not have liked what he had done, but did so for everyone's freedom, including the lonely ghost child.
"Miyako?" Yugi gently called out. The girl sniffled a little as she said with a small smile, "That… was a great game."
"I'm glad you had fun." the young adult whispered.
"Even though I lost, I am happy." she mentioned quietly, "And I'm happy that you had a good time, even while you seemed lonely."
Yugi laughed a bit, "Sometimes it's better to lose a good match with a friend than win a single player game. I know life can seem cold, but I'm always grateful for the ones I have. I'm sure you were always happy when you were with your sister."
"I was," the girl admitted, "And I wish I could be with her."
There was a moment of silence between the two souls brought together by a common sentiment.
"Miyako!" another young girl's voice called out. The ghost gasped as she realized, "That's my sister!"
"Miyako!" the same voice called. Soon, another girl with wavy brown hair and green eyes appeared. She wore a green dress with a pink bow wrapped around her waist. She even had a green bow as a head band. She seemed to be displeased with something.
"Miki!" Miyako gasped. Her sister marched over and reached for her sibling's arm as she scolded, "Miyako! Where have you been? Grandma and I have been waiting for you, for like, ever!"
"I'm sorry," the smaller one apologized. She turned her head a bit and explained, "I've been playing with my new friends."
The taller sibling glanced over and saw three males, two of them were smiling and waving a bit. She noticed how happy Miyako appeared. She did a little bow and said, "Thank you for playing with my dorky sister."
"Hey!" the younger protested, "I'm not dorky! You are!"
"No, you!" she teased backed, "Now let's go!"
Miyako ran up and gave Yugi one last hug. The adolescent returned the kind gesture. He was so happy for the young child; she was able to have a final play day and she was now welcomed into a new place with her sister.
"Bye Mokuba! Bye Yugi!" she waved with a smile, "Thanks for playing with me!"
The two sisters giggled and were now gone. The room around the boys vanished. Everything went from a child's play room to an abandoned attic with boxes of junk.
"So, now what?" Mokuba questioned. Yugi looked around and replied, "I don't know."
Soon, a glow grew over the Kaiba brothers. All the eyes widen.
"Seto!" Mokuba yelled as he raced towards his sibling. Kaiba healed his arms open and embraced the boy. He refused to let go as he called, "Mokuba!"
They then vanished.
"Kaiba! Mokuba!" Yugi bellowed as he tried to find a way out. He was a bit afraid when no one else was around. His heart soon became troubled. He was alone once more. He could feel water form under his eyes. He nearly started to cry when he heard someone call him, "Yugi!"
The teen turned around. He was shocked to see who else was with him. He ran up and embraced his other half. He was so happy to be reunited with a friend.
"Yami!" Yugi cried, "I missed you!"
"Are you alright?" the spirit asked, feeling the same way.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Good, then let's return to our friends."
Yami concentrated hard. A glow grew over him and the boy. The teen soon felt himself on something soft. He slowly opened his eyes. He sat up and rubbed his head. He was startled when he heard so many people call out his name. He was ecstatic he returned to see his friends.
He smiled as he greeted, "Hey, guys."
"Hey Yug!" Joey greeted with a giant grin, "Glad to see you're back where you belong!"
"Are you and the pharaoh ok?" Tea questioned. Yugi nodded. He stepped off from the couch and instructed, "We should go and check on the Kaiba brothers."
Yami watched from within. He was pleased to know his partner was fine. He was also content the boy still displayed strong leadership skills, even after the little adventure with the ghost girl.
The group quickly made their way down the hallway. They stopped when they finally reached Mokuba's room. All were glad to see the siblings awake and feeling fine.
Kaiba and Yugi glanced at each other. Despite the little mishap, there was still a bit of duelist pride sparking around. Yugi, however, chose to still smile. Even though the CEO was still cold, the teen considered the journey to rescue the younger Kaiba was another set in their relationship.
"Mokuba, are you both alright?" Yugi asked. The boy nodded as he stood up. Kaiba chose to remain silent. Despite not liking the others, he was pleased to have his brother back.
"Thanks for saving me!" Mokuba said with a little bow.
"No, it was nothing at all." Yugi replied as he grin widely.
"Well, I would like to pay you guys back by having everyone stay for a late dinner!" the child insisted.
"Yay!" the males cheered, hungry after their supernatural adventure.
"No! We are not allowing guests over!" Kaiba ordered with animosity.
"What! You mean after all we did for you, you're just gonna kick us out!" Joey spat, annoyed.
"Please, Seto!" Mokuba begged. He was very grateful for everyone's help. If it weren't for them, he may still have been stuck up in the attic. Kaiba looked at his brother. He clearly saw how much a simple meal meant to him. He closed his eyes and sighed, "Fine, they can stay."
"Yay!" the group applaud once more.
Yugi laughed a bit. Everyone moved over to a giant room with fancy furniture where they would have more space to talk and party. Yugi stood up and walked away for a bit.
He glanced out the window. The moon was out with many shiny stars. He had another unexpected journey with his friends with everyone being ok. He was thankful with all his heart for the companions he had. He was ecstatic the young girl with black hair and green eyes was finally at peace after enduring so much loneliness for years.
He recalled the game choices he made. He had no regrets. He closed his eyes and thought about his final move. Despite his little heart ache, he had do finish the match. He even saw himself in some of the cards. As his relationships and his personality alter, he grew his strength.
/I saw what you did,/ commented the spirit, referring to the duel. Yugi blushed. He was proud of what he had done, but he didn't think anyone else was watching him let alone know what he had planned during his strategy.
/That was a nice thing you did for her./ Yami praised.
/I figured it would be fair for Miyako to get some play time./ Yugi replied, still a tad red.
/You won your match even though you allowed the child to have some fun./
/She deserved to. After being a ghost for so long, I can imagine how lonely she must have been./
/At least now she'll be able to be with the ones she cares about./
/And now the Kaiba's place is ghost free. But, thanks for everything, Yami./
/Yugi,/ the spirit was about to bring something up when he stopped.
His light looked at him and waited to hear what needed to be said. The pharaoh was about to ask about some of the card options the adolescent had used. He had never seen the Silent Swordsman nor was aware of its ability and yet his partner had an idea about it. He glanced over and noticed how happy the other teens were. He decided to talk about the situation another time.
He smiled as he said, /Let's discuss our cards at a later time./
Yugi was a bit surprised about what was mentioned. He nodded his head. He returned to the party at hand. His pals were glad he was back to his normal, cheerful self. Only the spirit of the Puzzle picked up a small emotional battle in the teen's heart.
To be continued…
Chao- Yay! Mokuba is safe!
Yugi- Hey! What's with this "emotional battle"?
YChao- Um, you kinda had that from the start.
Kaiba- Yes! And now I can be done with my part!
YChao- Hey! This story ain't done yet! And you're in the second character option.
Yugi/Kaiba- ARGH!
Chao- Please review!