Chapter 18
Brothers in Arms: Part 2
The Miraculous Ark
"Why would Noah pick a magic card, let alone one that takes the form of a giant boat, as his Deck Master?" Rainbow asked. "I have a feeling there's more to Shinato's Ark than meets the eye." Twilight replied. "Hey, the front of the ark is opening, and the monsters from both their graveyards are flowing into it by way of the flood water." AJ pointed out. Soon, all the monsters from both graveyards flowed into the ark before the doors shut.
"Are you wondering what happened to the monsters in your graveyard?" Noah asked. "It crossed my mind." Seto replied. "Just as that sphere holds my brain, my ship now holds a precious cargo of its own, Seto." Noah stated. "I can see that, kid." Seto responded. "And from now on, every time a monster is sent to the graveyard, be it one of yours or one of mine, it will be rerouted into the belly of Shinato's Ark. And there it shall remain for the rest of the duel." Noah explained.
"Let's just say I'm collecting passengers, shall we?" he suggested. "But my question is what happens to those monsters after they enter the ship." AJ pondered. "I got a feeling we're going to find out. And soon." Fluttershy said, worried. Seto soon started to chuckle. "You find this funny?" Noah asked. "I find you pathetic. Thanks to that Giant Flood card, you have no monsters on the field or in your hand, and it's my move. So if I draw a monster now, you have nothing to protect you from its attack." Seto replied.
"I'm afraid your mistaken, amateur." Noah said. 'He's bluffing. All I have to do is draw a monster and I can attack him directly.' Seto thought as he looked at his hand. "Prepare to lose, Noah!" he shouted before drawing. "I summon to the field, the mighty Spear Dragon!" he declared before his creature appeared. "Go, attack him now, with Cyclone Blast!" he commanded before the attack began to charge.
"Is that supposed to intimidate me? Because I can block that attack with ease, Seto." Noah said calmly. "With what?" Seto asked. "With this! A creature you might recognize that lives within my ship!" Noah declared before, to everyone's surprise, Vampire Lord appears on the field in defense mode. "That's my monster you just called out." Seto pointed out.
"Not anymore. He's a passenger of Shinato's Ark, which means he's under my command until he's destroyed. And thanks to my Deck Master ability, I have access to every monster aboard my ship, so go ahead and try to attack me now." Noah retorted before the attack fired and struck Vampire Lord, destroying it. "Nice try, Seto." he added as his life points lowered to 2800 while Spear Dragon switched to defense mode.
"Now I get it, Noah chose Shinato's Ark as his Deck Master so he could use every monster that was pulled into it as a shield, so that means he'd had an unlimited amount of shields that can be reused every time they're destroyed!" Twilight said, finally getting the reason behind Noah's Deck Master.
"You're forgetting one very important thing, Seto." Noah said before drawing. "We're dueling in my own virtual universe, so I can control the environment around us." he stated as Shinato's Ark started to lift. "What's he doing?" Rarity asked. "I think we're about to find out." Tea replied. "Allow me to provide a small taste of my power." Noah said before the water started to recede.
"Whoa! The water's drying up!" Rainbow shouted. "Care to explain this, Noah?" Twilight asked, suspiciously. But right before their eyes, the entire landscape changed to that of a prehistoric one. "Quite impressive, isn't it? I command every part of this place. Welcome to the age of the dinosaurs, otherwise called the Mesozoic era. I summon Giant Rex!" Noah declared before his monster, a level four, Earth attribute dinosaur/effect monster with 2000 attack points and 1200 defense points, appeared.
"Your Spear Dragon may be in defense mode, but its about to go extinct. Giant Rex, attack!" he shouted before the mighty dinosaur grabbed Spear Dragon by the neck, shook it a bit and then tossed it over Seto's head right in front of the rest of the gang. "Your life points may have been spared, dear step-brother, but I assure you, you won't be so lucky on my next turn, Seto." he continued.
"Feeling frustrated that I'm more intelligent than you? Just look up! My practically superhuman brain sees everything, and it grows smarter and more powerful with every passing second." he stated as he pointed up to his brain. "Growing smarter?" Yugi pondered. "Must be some sort of super computer." Twilight figured. "Correct, your highness. When my mind was digitized and put into that super computer, something unexpected happened. It seemed my brain waves were becoming more powerful." Noah replied.
"I was able to access vast amounts of information through the databanks of my father's computer network. I was constantly absorbing more facts and figures than I previously did when I was alive. I figured up the answers to mankind's greatest secrets, before long, I realized I had become superhuman, infused with knowledge unlike anyone on Earth. I became a virtual deity! But all of this wisdom, all of this understanding, all of this intelligence wasn't enough. Something was still missing from my new life." he continued.
"And what was that?" Twilight asked. "One thing, something I was unable to achieve when I was a living human, my father's trust. And once I destroy you, I'll finally prove to him that KaibaCorp should be mine!" Noah answered. "You're just a lowly human, Seto. You're nothing next to me!" he continued, only for Kaiba to chuckle. "I missed the joke." the all-powerful boy said, annoyed. "Behind your so-called superhuman intellect is nothing but a spoiled little boy." Seto replied.
"Is that so?" Noah asked, angry. "For your entire life, people just handed things to you, Noah. But I had to work for what I have. KaibaCorp is mine because I earned it! And the fact that you think you can take it away from me by winning one duel proves what I thought about you from the start." Seto replied. "And what would that be?" Noah asked. "You're nuts! You must've spent one too many years trapped in that metal bubble in the sky, Noah!" Seto replied.
"So, you think I may be insane for wanting to claim what's rightfully mine?" Noah asked. "No, I think you're insane for trapping me and several others in a computer program and forcing us to play in a tournament that clearly you and the Big Five were never up for, just to prove to your father that you're not a failure!" Seto stated. "Well, I'm here to prove that you DID fail! There's a reason why I'm in charge of KaibaCorp and you're not." he added.
"Why's that?" Noah asked, more upset than before. "Because I'm clearly the best man for the job. I'm more fit to run that company than you'll ever be! And deep down, your father always knew that from the day I passed his test and made him billions more yen in a day than he could've made in a year!" Seto answered. Noah soon had a flashback to when he first awoke in his new virtual world.
He remembered the moment his father told him that he really was in a car accident and the doctors couldn't save his body from dying, but he also remembered the joy he felt when he realized that everyone in the virtual world that his father created knew him, and the dog his father made for him as a companion. "I soon discovered the meaning of my father's words after I woke up, he created a virtual version of Domino City, just part of the massive universe he made for me to live in." he said as he remembered.
"But this world was far from perfect." he continued as he remembered a glitch he ran into at the ice cream stand, along with others. "I knew some improvements needed to be made." he continued before remembering a previous virtual birthday he had, in which his father sent him on a virtual trip to Mars before he revealed to his father that he both knew about the whole experience being virtual and that he changed the little puppy his father gave him the day he woke up in the virtual world into a more robotic variety.
"I soon noticed a change in my father's attitude towards me." he continued as he remembered the moment he proposed a plan to improve the capabilities of the virtual world Gozaburo created for him by connecting their computer network to others all around the world, which would mean bringing about a complete virtual takeover within 30 days, impressing his father but worrying him as well.
"But that discussion never happened, and soon father began focusing all his attention on his new family." he continued before his flashback ended. "As for me, my father began to visit less and less until finally he chose to ignore me completely. He didn't believe KaibaCorp could be run properly by a virtual president." he concluded.
"Noah, Gozaburo didn't give up on you because of your virtual state, I think it was because no matter how much knowledge you gained, you'd always be a spoiled child, expecting to get ahead in the world without making any effort at all. As despicable as your father was, he knew the value of hard work. It was his own determination for power that got him where he was, after all." Seto stated.
"And as much as it pained him to admit it, I think Gozaburo knew that I was the best man for the position of KaibaCorp president. And as for you, Noah, his own son, you were better off isolated in your computer world, out of everyone's way!" he continued. But Noah chuckled. "Oh, Seto. That could possibly be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my entire life. Come now. My father wanting you to be president?" he said, thinking that Seto was joking.
"Why do you think he created this digital world for you? No one in the public would trust a president of a company they couldn't speak with face to face, in the flesh, that is." Seto replied. "You actually believe that? You honestly think my father put you here to focus his attention on you?" Noah asked. "Seto, you always thought you were top dog for many years. But of the three Kaiba brothers, you're the lowest rung on the totem pole." he said.
"You seem confused, Noah. Very few people ever have patience for computer programs that won't cooperate, and those who don't cooperate are at the lowest rung fit for them on a company totem pole, and that's your slot." Seto replied. "Why don't we ask Mokuba what he thinks, shall we?" Noah suggested. At the same time, Mokuba, still in a brainwashed, drone-like state, got up and headed for a doorway that appeared right behind him.
"Let's finish this. It's my move!" Seto said before drawing. "Excellent. I play Pot of Greed to draw two more times." he said before doing so. "As if a refreshed hand will save you." Noah taunted. "Now's the time to activate my Deck Master's special ability. Kaiser Sea Horse allows me to summon a Light attribute monster from my hand without sacrificing, so I call to the field my Different Dimension Dragon!" Seto declared before his new monster, a level five, Light attribute dragon/effect monster with 1200 attack points and 1500 defense points, appeared in defense mode.
"Then I'll set these three cards face down and end my turn, Noah." he concluded. "What's Kaiba thinking? Noah's dino is gonna make a meal out of his dragon, just like the last one." Joey wondered. "At least its in defense mode, otherwise Noah would win in his next turn." Spike pointed out. 'Kaiba's no fool I bet those three face down cards are part of his plan to win this.' Yugi thought.
"Is that all you've got? What a pity." Noah said before drawing. "Looks like this duel's about to end in my victory, Seto, then I'll take the Kaiba Corporation by storm. But for now, I'll activate the magic card, Deepest Impact!" he declared before his card activated, causing a meteor shower to rain down. "Whoa, looks like Noah's bringing an end to the Mesozoic era!" Twilight shouted.
"HIT THE DECK!" Pinkie shouted as the meteors came down with devastating force, seemingly destroying Seto's dragon and the entire landscape around everyone. "According to many scientists, paleontologists and historians, the Mesozoic era and the mighty dinosaurs came to an end when a great meteor shower rained down on the planet, along with volcanic activity. Then the Earth began to cool, beginning the Cenozoic era, better known as the Ice Age. And because of the volcanic activity, meteor shower and the great drought that followed, the dinosaurs went extinct, so goodbye, Giant Rex." Noah said before his dinosaur froze to death.
"Destroying his own monster? Especially one that represents an extinct species?" Fluttershy pondered. "Guess Kaiba was right about this kid not being right in the head." Joey suggested. "You're probably wondering why I used my Deepest Impact card to destroy both of our monsters and cut our life points in half. Well, it's all part of progress, Seto." Noah said as his life points sliced in half to 1400 while Seto's hit 700.
"All I'm doing is weeding out the weak to allow the strong a chance to survive." he added. "Then I guess I'm safe." Seto said. "Guess again. My magic card, Ice Age Panic, is about to lead to your own extinction, by allowing me to summon a creature that was considered one of the largest in the Ice Age. Meet Last Tusk Mammoth!" Noah declared before his new creature, a level three, Earth attribute dinosaur/effect monster with 800 attack points and 1200 defense points, appeared.
"Guess that's what the Mammoth Graveyard or Mammoth of Goldfine looked like when it was alive." Spike said. "Well, the change in weather won't stop this!" Seto declared as his Different Dimension Dragon returned to the field in the same mode it was in. "My dragon has the power to travel between dimensions, and now he's back in this one. And, unfortunately for you, my dragon is stronger than your mammoth. Now brace yourself, because I'm about to rewrite history by cutting the Ice Age short, so prepare to lose your mammoth! His time is up." he stated.
"You should know better than anyone that the past can't be changed. My Last Tusk Mammoth will destroy your dragon." Noah retorted. "Is it just me, or is Noah planning to attack the monster that's stronger than his?" Tristan asked. "It's definitely not you, cause we all heard what he said." AJ replied. "You're all in for quite a surprise. Seto will never defeat me since I rule this entire virtual universe." Noah stated. "Mokuba understands that now, so why can't you, Seto?" he asked. "This world is under my rule, and like our spectators, you'll be my prisoner, forever!" he declared.
"Go ahead and attack me then. My monster has greater defense points." Seto dared. "I don't think Kaiba should've said that! Last Tusk Mammoth has a special ability that'll seal his doom!" Spike shouted, remembering what the monster's special ability was. "Wait, so you're saying Kaiba is pretty much attacking himself?!" AJ asked. "Now, my mammoth, attack!" Noah commanded. "I activate my trap card, Ring of Destruction to stop your mammoth in its tracks!" Seto declared as his trap sprung and the ring strapped itself around the neck of the mammoth.
"I see that you're getting desperate, Seto. It's true that your Ring of Destruction will destroy my mammoth, but you'll also lose life points, too." Noah said, smugly. "Not if I activate Ring of Defense to shield my life points!" Seto retorted before his magic card activated, saving him from the blast of his Ring of Destruction while the Last Tusk Mammoth was destroyed.
"Alright! I know that combination all too well!" Yugi said with a smile. "Way to put that spoiled runt in his place!" Rainbow shouted. "Looks like your Ice Age is ending. Looks like you don't control everything here," Seto said, proudly as the snow settled and his step-brother's life points decreased to 600, giving Seto a slight lead. "Looks like they're down to their final chunk of life points, each." AJ said. "Let's just hope that Kaiba can wipe out Noah's first." Yugi replied.
"Alright, now it's time to finish you off!" Seto declared as he drew his next card. "I'm shaking in my boots." Noah replied, sarcastically, with a scoff. "You should be. First, I'm switching my dragon from defense to attack mode." Seto said before doing so. "Next, I'll send my Thunder Dragon to the graveyard, where it'll be absorbed into Shinato's Ark, but not before its special ability kicks in, giving me my other two Thunder Dragons." he continued. "But that's not all, Noah. I'll activate Polymerization to fuse them both together! Forming the Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon!" he declared before said dragon appeared.
"Well, looks like Seto and I have a few cards in common." Rarity said with an impressed smile. "And thanks to my Quick Attack magic card, my fusion monster doesn't have to wait a full turn before attacking!" Seto pointed out as he activated said card. "And with no monsters to protect you, your life points are as good as gone." he continued. "I'm afraid you forget about the power of my ark, Seto. Every monster that was destroyed is aboard, and I decide to bring two out to protect me!" Noah said before he did so, specifically Giant Rex and Giant Soldier of Stone, both in defense mode.
"Looks like Spike was right." Tea said. "Told ya, an unlimited number of shield." Spike replied. But Seto just laughed. "You fool. You fell right into my trap! Now I can wipe out what's left of your life points and end this family feud." he stated. "I certainly didn't forget about your Deck Master's ability, I WANTED you to use it, for one reason; so I can play this!" he continued as his trap sprung.
"It's called Dragon's Rage, and here's how it works; if my monsters' attack points are higher than your monsters' defense points, and the difference comes directly out of your life points!" he explained. "Prepare yourself as Different Dimension Dragon attacks your Giant Rex!" he shouted before his creature struck and destroyed the dinosaur, lowering Noah's life points to 400. "One monster down, and one more to go." he concluded as some of the gang celebrate.
"One down and one to go, then it's home, here we come!" Rainbow shouted. "Take him down like Antonio Inoki would!" Joey shouted. "This is where it all ends." Seto said, ready to finish the game. "One blast from my other dragon and your done!" he added before Mokuba's drone-like voice faintly called for him to stop before the boy himself appeared through a portal, to everyone's shock.
"Mokuba?! What's going on?! What have you done to him, Noah?!" Seto asked, both angry and completely flabbergasted. "Whoever you are, if you want to attack Noah, my brother, you'll have to go through me." Mokuba said, still in a drone-like state. "Mokuba! Please, snap out of it! It's me, Fluttershy!" the gentle girl called, but to no avail.
"I know that look! He's been completely brainwashed by Noah!" Joey said, remembering what it was like to have his brain completely taken over as Noah laughed. "Good job, Mokuba. I'm glad you've decided to protect me from him just before he could land a possible final blow. He's the stranger I told you about, the one who wants to keep us apart and prevent me from running my father's company as the rightful heir." the all-powerful child lied.
"No, please. It's me!" Seto insisted. "Mokuba's chosen what side he's on on his own free will, Seto." Noah lied. "Looking back on it, maybe you should've treated him with more respect. The whole incident where you branded him as a false traitor to you and the Big Five ring a bell? I gave him the support you never did nor could." he continued before hugging Mokuba, to Seto's absolute horror.
"It really didn't have to be this way, Seto, but you left me with no choice. Now you have a decision to make. Forfeit this duel and step down as president of KaibaCorp, which may or may not result in you and your compatriots returning to the land of the living, or continue with your final attack plans and risk injuring Mokuba if not lose him for good. Your little brother's fate is in your hands." he said.
"This is almost the same predicament that I was forced into back at Duelist Kingdom when I dueled Kaiba." Yugi said as the memory of him having a choice of attacking Seto's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and winning and potentially killing the man to save his grandpa's soul, or not attack and risk losing the chance to save his grandpa's soul, came rushing back to him.
"So, what'll it be? Your family bond, or your control and power over KaibaCorp?" Noah asked. "Decide soon, for your choice will impact the rest of your life." he added.