MLD Volume 2 Chapter 1
"The Terrifying Zera"
It started as a regular morning in Domino City. Solomon Muto was sweeping in front of his store, Kame Game, when Fluttershy ran up to him. "Good morning, Mr. Muto." she said with a warm smile. "Ah, Fluttershy, good morning. Yugi's upstairs getting ready, I'll call him for you. Would you like something to drink while you wait?" he responded. "No thank you, Mr. Muto, I'm worried we'll be late." Fluttershy said as she looked up to the window of her lover boy's bedroom. "Yugi! Fluttershy is here!" Sol called. Inside, Yugi had just finished putting a chain on his Millennium Puzzle. "I'll be right there, grandpa!" Yugi called as he put on his Millennium Item.
'This chain ought to keep my Millennium Puzzle safe. After what Shadi said to me at Duelist Kingdom, I'd hate for someone to try and steal it.' he thought as he looked in a mirror before Yami appeared. "And I think we're going to need it now more than ever." he said. "We are? What do you mean by that?" Yugi asked. "The Millennium Puzzle connects us, Yugi, and I sense fate has more in store for us." Yami answered calmly. "Well, we're in this together, no matter what." Yugi said as he grabbed his backpack. "Good. I wish I knew more, but, our future is still unclear to me." Yami said before returning to the puzzle.
"Well, I'll help you figure it out. And I'm sure the girls will be glad to, seeing as they're from another world. Maybe they know something." Yugi said before heading downstairs and outside where Sol and Fluttershy were waiting. "Oh, there you are, Yugi." Fluttershy said. "Sorry, if I made you wait, Fluttershy." Yugi said. "It's okay, I just don't want to be late for our date at the school soccer game. But what kept you?" she responded. "Well, I was talking to Yami. He seems kind of, worried." he answered. "About what?" Fluttershy asked. "I think about what the future has in store for us. He said that it seemed, unclear." Yugi answered before he had a flashback to the final moments of the duel against Pegasus. "Ever since we defeated Pegasus, Yami's been talking about fate. Like, there's something more that he has to do." he continued as the flashback ends.
"When you think about it, he doesn't seem to know much about himself. And considering he's a spirit, perhaps he doesn't remember who he was...in life. Like, where he came from, or why he's here. But I'm pretty much babbling and we're gonna be late." he said, knowing that the soccer game was about to start. "You're right, let's go. Good day, Mr. Muto." Fluttershy said. "Bye, grandpa. See you later." Yugi added as they both walked toward the direction of Domino High. "Enjoy yourselves, you two. But if the game ends early, feel free to come back and help me sweep!" Sol called out. Soon, the two lovebirds were walking through town.
"So, who do you think will win the game?" Fluttershy asked, but Yugi seemed distant. "Sorry, I don't really know." Yugi responded. "You don't seem to be into sports like Rainbow is, are you?" Fluttershy asked. Soon, something caught Yugi's attention, it was a robed figure with a crystal ball. the key feature on the robe was the Eye of Anubis on the hood. "Futures told, fates unfold. Step forward, my friends and I can show one of you your future." said the fortune teller. Fluttershy soon noticed that Yugi's attention was focused on the fortune teller and walked over to the table. "Can you really see into the future?" Yugi asked. "Yes, I can." the fortune teller answered. "Fluttershy, maybe this fortune teller can help me learn what fate has in store for me." Yugi said to his beloved. "Well, if you say so, but I think we should make it quick or we'll miss the game." Fluttershy responded.
"My boy, in order to tell your future, I need an object that belongs to you. Perhaps your necklace, if I may?" the fortune teller said, eying the Millennium Puzzle. "I'm not sure about that." Yugi responded, cautiously. "I need something of yours to properly read your aura, so that I can properly tell you what fate has in store for you. You did say you want to know, didn't you?" the fortune teller said with a grin. "Okay, but only for this one time." Yugi said as he removed his Puzzle. Fluttershy, however, felt something was off about this whole thing. 'This seems like a possible trick, like something that Trixie would attempt at doing.' she thought as Yugi handed the fortune teller his Puzzle. "Ah, yes. Something is coming into both my mind and into my crystal ball." the fortune teller said as he held the puzzle in his hands. "I see that this item is quite ancient, powerful, and belongs... TO ME!" he continued before kicking the table over and knocking Fluttershy and Yugi on their butts before making his escape.
"My Millennium Puzzle! Come back here!" Yugi shouted as the thief ran down the alley. "He's getting away! What should we do, Yugi?" Fluttershy asked before Yugi started to head down the alley. "I'll follow him this way, you try to cut him off around the corner!" he shouted. "Okay, Yugi, but be careful!" Fluttershy called. "You won't get away with this, you creep!" Yugi shouted as he ran. 'I can't believe I fell for such an obvious trick and handed him my puzzle!' he thought before he saw an arrow pointing in the direction of the next alley, along with many others like it along the alley walls. "Arrows? That thief wants me to follow him!" he said as he followed the arrows. "This seems like a trap, but what choice do I have? I can't lose Yami. I won't!" he bravely stated. Meanwhile, Fluttershy was running and looking for the thief.
"There's no sign of that fortune teller anywhere. I hope Yugi's okay." Fluttershy said before running past Bakura. "Hey, Fluttershy, what's the rush?" he asked. "Oh, Bakura! Someone stole Yugi's Millennium Puzzle!" Fluttershy answered. "Oh, no! Where is Yugi?" Bakura asked. "He's in the alley back down that way. We split up to try and cut the thief off." Fluttershy explained. "Well, no need for me to detain you. Keep looking while I get some help." Bakura said. "Right! Thanks, Bakura!" Fluttershy responded before running off. But little did she know that Yami Bakura had heard everything and took over instantly. 'No one shall have the Millennium Puzzle but me.' the evil spirit thought. "I want its power, and I'll track it down with my Millennium Ring!" he said aloud before dropping his bag and pointing his Millennium Ring in the direction Fluttershy came from.
The pointers all pointed in that same direction. "Show me the way. Trace the Puzzle's mystical energies, and lead me directly to it and the thief that stole it." he ordered. "If I control all of the Millennium Items, I will control power unimaginable. I already have two, both my ring and the Millennium Eye I won from Pegasus. And I will make certain that nobody stands in my way of making the Puzzle mine." he continued.
Soon, Yami Bakura arrives at the scene of the crime. "Which way, my ring?" he asked before the pointers pointed down the alley. 'Yes. The Millennium Puzzle is very close.' he thought before he saw the arrows on the walls. 'Sorry, Fluttershy, but I'm afraid I can't have you or your friends interfering with my destiny.' he thought before switching one of the arrows to point in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, Yugi had followed the trail all the way to an abandoned warehouse. "Where are you hiding?!" he called out. "Whoever he is, he's leading me like a rat through a maze. But why would a thief want his victim to follow him? What's he really after? Well, I guess I'll find out." he continued before opening the warehouse door. "My Puzzle is here. Even though we're apart, I can still sense Yami." he said as he began to look around, but he couldn't see the puzzle anywhere. "I know you're in here!" he called before hearing what sounded like a distorted, twisted and warped voice laughing.
"Congratulations, little Yugi, you found me. Or should I say, I found you. And the Millennium Puzzle." said the thief before a spotlight shows the Puzzle hanging on a pipe, deeply placed into the side of a player's box of a dueling arena, similar to those found at Duelist Kingdom. "Give it back to me!" Yugi demanded. "It's not going to be that easy for you. If you want your Puzzle back, you'll have to fight me for it. In short, Yugi, you and I are going to duel!" the thief responded. Soon, a spotlight came down on Yugi, blinding him. "And the winner gets to keep your Millennium Item!" he continued as the lights came on to reveal the dueling arena. "A dueling arena? In here?" Yugi asked in surprise as he looked at the hooded thief.
"Are you up to the challenge, Yugi? I've been waiting for you for a long time." the thief said with a chuckle. "Who are you? And what do you want with my Puzzle?" Yugi asked, demandingly. "I desire the power your item contains within. But, according to the rules of its ancient origins and its magic, I have to win it from you in a duel. As for who I am, let's just say that I'm the one who will control your destiny as I have controlled others, and that I am not unfamiliar with the power of a Millennium Item. Indeed, I understand more about the ancient mysteries of these powerful artifacts than you will ever know. Take your Millennium Puzzle for instance, there are ancient secrets buried within it, secrets that you and the spirit that inhabits it are unaware of. That's why I will add it to my collection." the thief answered.
"I won't duel you for something that belongs to me already." Yugi stated. "It's in my possession now, little Yugi." the thief retorted. "Alright, then I accept your challenge." Yugi said. "Of course you do." the thief said before turning and walking towards his player box. 'If I have to duel, I need Yami to help me. Maybe I can still connect with him.' Yugi thought before trying to do so. 'I can, barely hear you, Yugi. Our bond is weak. It's hard to maintain contact. I'm afraid I won't be able to help you win this duel. You'll have to fight this thief, alone.' Yami said. 'Alone? But, I never fought a duel without you. And if I'm defeated, I'll lose you forever!' Yugi responded. 'You can defeat this man, just trust yourself, and your deck, and you'll find a way.' Yami said encouragingly. "You're right. I've got to believe in the Heart of the Cards." Yugi said aloud. 'Be very careful, Yugi. I sense a great evil coming from your opponent.' Yami said before fading. "Yami..." Yugi said softly before both players took their places on the field.
"Prepare to lose your precious Puzzle." said the thief as the virtual image projectors activated. "I don't thinks so!" Yugi retorted as both players' life points set to 2000. "Remember, Yugi, I have seen your future. Foretold your fate. And this duel, will be your last." the thief pointed out. 'I don't know anything about this guy and now I have to face him alone, and for the highest stakes ever! I don't even have my friends to back me up. Well, here goes.' Yugi thought as he and his opponent drew their first five cards. "It's time to duel!" he declared as he made the first draw of the game. "I summon the Celtic Guardian to the field in attack mode." he said before his trusted warrior appears. "That's my play made, now you make yours." he concluded.
"I'll set my monster in defense mode." the thief simply said before doing so. "What's wrong? Don't have the courage to face me head on?" Yugi asked, tauntingly. "I don't need to. You're the one who better go on the offensive if you hope to win back your puzzle." the thief responded before Yugi drew his next card. "Alright, then. Celtic Guardian, attack!" he declared. "That's exactly what I wanted you to do, Yugi. Your attack has activated the special ability, of my Cyber Jar!" the thief said as his Cyber Jar, a level three, Dark attribute rock/effect monster with 900 attack and defense points, appeared. "This card may not be a machine type monster, but it looks like one. And it can destroy all monsters on the field!" he continued before laughing as the Celtic Guardian is destroyed along with the Cyber Jar itself.
"It also allows us to excavate five cards from our decks, and special summon any level four or lower monsters we draw in attack mode or defense mode before adding the rest to our hands. Let's see what you've got up your pathetic sleeve, little Yugi." he continued as they both excavated their five respective cards. 'Time for a new strategy.' Yugi thought as he looked at the cards he excavated. "I'll play a monster in defense mode." he said aloud as he made his move. "And I'll summon mine in attack mode. Meet the Mechanicalchaser and Ground Attacker Bugroth." the thief responded as his monsters, a level four, Dark attribute machine with 1850 attack points and 800 defense points, and a level four, Earth attribute machine with 1500 attack points and 1000 defense points, respectively, appeared.
'More machine monsters? Wait, this seems familiar. There's only one player I know who's got a deck filled with machines!' Yugi thought, realizing whom he was facing. "Go ahead and show your face, Bandit Keith!" he shouted aloud before Keith removed his hood and revealed his face. 'I was right! But why would Keith disguise himself and steal my Millennium Puzzle? The last time I saw him was when he battled Joey in the Duelist Kingdom tournament. He broke the rules, but Joey ended up beating him.' he thought, remembering how Joey defeated Keith in the tournament. 'When Pegasus revealed that he knew Keith was cheating, he had him ejected from the island. We never saw him again after that.' he continued before the flashback ended. "What happened to you after Duelist Kingdom?" he asked aloud.
"I'm not Bandit Keith, I only speak through him since he's become my mind-controlled slave." Yugi's opponent responded, clearly indicating that there was a darker presence at work. "What do you mean? How can this be? Tell me!" Yugi asked, demandingly before the puppet master remembered exactly what happened after Keith was sent for a swim. "After Bandit Keith was ejected from the Duelist Kingdom by Pegasus for cheating, he fought for his life against the harsh ocean waves. My followers and I were on our way to retrieve some important items when we fished him out of the sea. I'm always looking for new minds to control, and Bandit Keith seemed like the perfect puppet to do my bidding." the puppet master explained as the flashback ended. "And, as fate would have it, he led me right to you, the boy who possesses the legendary Millennium Puzzle. Is it all sinking in now, little Yugi? Now that I have found you after all this time, I will stop at nothing to make your puzzle, and all of the ancient powers it possesses within it, my own." the puppet master continued before the real Bandit Keith tried to break away from his demented grip. "Help me..." Keith said weakly. "You'll never free yourself, Keith." the madman said before regaining control.
"Let the duel continue. I summon the Machine King in attack mode." he said before his monster, a level six, Earth attribute machine/effect monster with 2200 attack points and 2000 defense points, appeared. "My new monster gains 100 extra attack points for every machine that's on the field, counting itself, so that means 300 more points!" he continued as his Machine King's attack power rose to 2500. "Machine King, attack with Jet Punch!" he declared before his monster destroyed Yugi's set creature, Silver Fang. "You may as well give up now." he concluded. "It's not over yet!" Yugi retorted before drawing. "I set another monster in defense mode!" he added. "Your defenses are useless against my mechanical army. Especially now that I'm adding this machine to my troupe! Megasonic Eye!" the puppet master stated before his monster, a level five, Dark attribute machine with 1500 attack points and 1800 defense points, appeared. "He'll add another 100 points to my Machine King's attack power, making him even more deadly!" he continued before Machine King's attack power rose to 2600.
"Machine King, attack now! Jet Punch!" he commanded before Yugi's set monster, the Giant Soldier of Stone, was obliterated. "No! My Giant Soldier of Stone!" Yugi said in shock. "That's right, all your defenses are gone. Give up yet? You have no idea the power you're up against, little Yugi." the puppet master said, satisfied with his progress. 'No matter who's controlling Bandit Keith, I can't let him win! But how can I defeat him without Yami? And my friends?' Yugi thought. Meanwhile, at Domino High, Fluttershy had gotten the others for help. "Hurry, you guys! Yugi may be in trouble!" Tea shouted. "Just point the way, Fluttershy. We're right behind you!" Joey said as he and Tristan got their outside shoes on. "Anyone who messes with our little buddy, messes with all of us!" AJ stated. "You said it!" Rainbow concurred. However, the school coach barred their way.
"Alright, just where do you all think you're going? You volunteered to help at the soccer game." he said. "I know, Coach Morita, but we've got an emergency." Joey said. "Yeah, Tea's grandma came down with a bad cold and she asked us to help her." Rainbow added. "Please, we've got to help my dear grandmother." Tea pleaded. "I didn't realize your grandmother was ill. Go ahead, the soccer game isn't important right now." Coach Morita said. "You got it, coach!" Pinkie said with a perky smile before they all ran through the gate and into the city. "I get that we had no other options, but it didn't seem right to mislead Coach Morita like that." AJ said. "Well, it may not be an emergency involving Tea's grandma, but at least it's an emergency. Besides, isn't Yugi like family?" Spike pointed out. "He is to me." Fluttershy said.
"And to us, too. Now he needs us!" Joey added. "I hope we can find him." Rarity said as they ran. Meanwhile, at the warehouse, the duel continued. "Come on, Yugi, stop stalling. Unless you want to admit defeat." the puppet master said. "I'll never give up!" Yugi retorted. 'Foolish boy, he has no idea what he's up against. His Millennium Puzzle is as good as mine.' the puppet master thought to himself. "I have too much at stake to quit now, so let's go!" Yugi declared before drawing. "I play Double Summon, which allows me to summon two creatures instead of one for this turn. First, I summon the Curse of Dragon in attack mode!" he said before his dragon appeared. "And then I'll summon Gaia the Fierce Knight!" he added before his knight appeared.
"But that's not all, I also play Polymerization to fuse these two monsters, in order to create Gaia the Dragon Champion!" he continued before his two monsters combined to form his only fusion monster. "This monster will take one of your machines apart! Dragon Champion, attack Mechanicalchaser, with Double Dragon Lance!" he declared before the machine was cut apart and destroyed. "With your Mechanicalchaser gone, Machine King loses a hundred attack points and you lose 750 life points!" he concluded as the puppet master's life points dropped to 1250. "Very impressive. But what will you do, when I put my weaker monsters in defense mode to protect them from your Dragon Champion's attacks?" the puppet master said before drawing and switching Megasonic Eye and Ground Attack Bugroth to defense mode. "And now I play Machine Conversion Factory, it's a magic card that increases the attack and defense points of all machine monsters on my side of the field by 300." he continued before playing said card, allowing Machine King's attack and defense points rise to 2800 and 2300, respectively, increasing Ground Attacker Bugroth's attack and defense points to 1800 and 1300, respectively, and finally increasing Megasonic Eye's attack and defense points to 1800 and 2100, respectively.
"Oh no! You raised Machine King's power even more!" Yugi said. "That's right, enough to overpower your Dragon Champion! Machine King, attack!" the puppet master responded before Gaia the Dragon Champion was destroyed, dropping Yugi's life points to 1800. "Your time going on the offensive is over, Yugi, and your Dragon Champion's destroyed. I made Keith's machine monsters' attack strength overwhelming! So why don't you stop resisting and just hand over your Puzzle to me? It's the inevitable conclusion to our game anyway." he concluded. 'What am I going to do? I have to stop him somehow! But how? He's assembled an army of the most rare and powerful machines in all of Duel Monsters!' Yugi thought before drawing and seeing what he pulled. 'Wait! The Summoned Skull! This gives me an idea. But first, I'll have to play a magic card.' he continued. "Your machines may be the most impressive I've seen, but they're still made of metal, so I play Makiu the Magical Mist!" he said aloud before playing said card. "You think a little mist will destroy my machines?" the puppet master asked. "It won't destroy them, but it will cause them to rust, which will lower their points." Yugi answered as the three machines started to turn rusty.
As the machines rusted, their attack and defense points dropped back to how they were before Machine Conversion Factory was played. "And now your machines are nothing but a large lightning rod, which makes them the perfect target for my Summoned Skull!" he added before his Skull appeared. "Summoned Skull, attack Machine King with Lightning Strike!" he commanded, knowing that his monster's attack power increased to 3250, thanks to Makiu, before the attack landed and Machine King was destroyed, dropping the puppet master's life points to 500. "Anymore machines for the junk heap?" Yugi asked, triumphantly. 'The boy is good, he plays much better than I had expected without the spirit of the Puzzle to aid him. But he has no idea of the power he's up against. My deck is full of rare monsters, the likes of which he's never seen, and when I'm through with Yugi, his Millennium Puzzle will be mine!' the puppet master thought, clearly impressed with how Yugi was keeping up so well without Yami's help.
Meanwhile, the others had arrived at the scene of the crime. "So, they went running down this alley?" Rarity asked, having gone into detective mode once more. "Yes, he told me to try and cut the thief off, but I didn't see anyone." Fluttershy answered. "Hey, you think Yugi tagged the walls with these arrows?" Joey asked as he saw one of the arrow signs. "Unlikely, he wouldn't have had the time." Twilight answered. "Well, shoot, look at that!" AJ said as they all looked at the arrows pointing in various directions, obscuring the true path forward. "Oh, no. How are we gonna find him?" Tea asked. Meanwhile, at the warehouse, the game continued. "Now you're the one who's stalling. Are you gonna draw or what?" Yugi said before his mind-controlled opponent did so.
"I play the Graceful Charity card. By playing this, I'm allowed to draw three new cards from my deck. And I'm confident that they'll be the cards I need to end this duel once and for all" the puppet master responded with a laugh before making Keith raise his hand a bit, allowing a machine to put three new cards in his hand before placing them on top of the deck and then proceeding to "draw" them. "You're finished, little Yugi! I play the ultra rare Zera Ritual card! It's used to summon one of the most powerful monsters in the game!" he declared before activating said card. "Whoa. I've never even heard of the Zera Ritual card before, but I've got a sneaking suspicion that I'm about to learn more about it than I really want to know." Yugi said, clearly unsure of what was about to happen.
"How perceptive. For once I put the Zera Ritual into play, this duel is all but over." the puppet master responded. "Maybe, but activating a ritual card takes more than just talk. You also need the right monster card in your hand and what are the odds of that?" Yugi retorted before he ended up eating his own words as the mind-controlled Keith showed him the very card the Zera Ritual was meant to summon. "No way!" he said in shock. "Maybe now you understand the power you're up against, Yugi." the puppet master said before putting the ritual into effect. "Now, the Zera Ritual forces me to sacrifice my two remaining monsters in order to bring forth the greatest of my creatures!" he continued as Megasonic Eye and Ground Attacker Bugroth were sacrificed. "Behold the instrument of your destruction, one of the strongest beasts in Duel Monsters! Behold, Zera the Mant!" he continued as his new monster, a level eight, Dark attribute Fiend/Ritual monster with 2800 attack points and 2300 defense points, appeared.
"Our battle is about to end here! Say goodbye to your Millennium Puzzle. Zera, attack now!" he declared as Zera sliced the arms and wings off of the Summoned Skull, destroying it and dropping Yugi's life points to 1500. "Zera obliterated my Summoned Skull! But, I can't give up! You'll never get my Millennium Puzzle!" Yugi declared, not willing to give in so easily. Meanwhile, outside the warehouse, Yami Bakura had arrived. 'So, my Millennium Ring has led me here. The Puzzle and the thief that stole it must be inside. I also sense a dark presence from the Shadow Realm.' he thought. "Seizing control of the Millennium Puzzle might be more interesting than I thought." he said aloud. Meanwhile, Yugi's friends were looking for and calling out him in the alley.
"Yugi! Where are you?!" Fluttershy called out. "Yugi! Say something!" Joey shouted. "Did you find the thief?!" AJ shouted. "Where could he be?" Tea asked. Meanwhile, the puppet master was laughing in triumph. 'You're finished, little Yugi. With Bandit Keith under my mind control, you'll never win this duel.' he thought before Keith tried to break loose. "Help! Help!" Keith shouted, though the puppet master wrangled him again. 'Keith, your resistance is futile. It's time for me to end this duel, and take what's mine.' he thought. 'What do I do now? I have nothing to fight his monster with. If I could only call for Yami and ask for his help, but we've lost contact.' Yugi thought. 'I think Yugi's finally figured out it's hopeless. He will fall against my superior monsters, and his Millennium Puzzle will be in my possession!' the puppet master thought with wicked glee while Yugi stood fast, trying to think of a way to win.