Today is my birthday and tomorrow would have been Takahashi-sensei's. I thought it would a good day to post a chapter. I haven't completed any more chapters passed this point and I'm not sure when there will be more. For now, enjoy.
It was early on a school day and Yuugi's friends gathered around his desk. He had a bunch of cards spread on his desk along with a play mat.
"Duel Monsters?" Jounouchi asked.
"Yeah," said Yuugi. "It became popular when I was in third grade. It's started to become popular at others schools, too."
"Eh, pretty!" cried Miho, looking at all the pictures of different creatures.
"There are thousands of types!" Yuugi told her.
"That many?" asked Anzu.
Jounouchi looked at the cards in his hands. "So . . . how do you play?"
"This is a card battle game," Yuugi explained. "Look! The defense and attack points are written, right? Further, you fight your opponent's cards on this field."
"Seems fun," said Anzu.
Jounouchi leaned back with his hands behind his head. "Really? I don't like these kinds of childish games."
"You don't mean 'childish game'," said Honda. He was wearing a white sash with "Strong Beautification Week" written on it. "You mean 'game where you use your head'!"
Jounouchi got up and stomped up to Honda. "Honda . . . what does that mean?"
"As you heard, no secret meanings here," said Honda.
"You bastard!" Jounouchi growled, balling his hands into fists.
"By the way, what's with the getup?" Anzu asked Honda.
"This? These cards are popular right now, right?" asked Honda. "With such a collection item . . . there will be those who'll obtain rare cards through unjust means."
"Really, over these cards?" Anzu asked, looking at Yuugi.
"No," answered Yuugi. "There are people in America who come here to buy just one card. Grandpa is also a maniac."
Honda got into Yuugi's face. "That's it! I, as part of Strong Beautification Week, will prevent illegal cards."
Yuugi leaned back, a little embarrassed at Honda's declaration.
"Hey! Hey! That's not really a 'beautification' person's job, right?" asked Jounouchi.
"A beautification member doesn't just clean the dirty," said Honda. He then cried passionately, "The first step is to prevent garbage! This is the beatification member's mission! There are few destined for this . . . No . . . I am the only one!" He gave a bow. "So I set up Strong Beautification week to fight that . . . with this, the whole nation . . ."
"Right right!" interjected the teacher. "Mind if I interrupt?"
Honda blinked and realized everyone was seated and staring at him. "Eh, yes." He quickly sat down.
The teacher continued. "Today let's begin by introducing two transfer students."
Outside in the hallway, Mahou fidgeted nervously. Like other students who attended Domino High, she wore the orange and green girl's uniform and had left her hair down. In the hallway with her was a tall boy with green hair shadowing his orange eyes. He wasn't wearing the boy's blue uniform, but a white version from another school.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Mahou startled and looked at him. "I'm nervous." She ducked her head. "I haven't been to public school for a few years."
He smiled. "It's not so bad. It'll be fine."
"I know. I already know a few people here."
"See? You're already better off than I am. I don't know anyone here."
"Please come in!" they heard the teacher call.
"I'll go first," said the boy.
Mahou nodded.
He opened the door and walked in.
"He is Kaiba Seto-kun," the teacher introduced.
"Kaiba . . . you mean that . . ." Miho started.
"From the top class amusement industry, Kaiba Corporation?" finished Anzu.
"Yes, he's the heir," the teacher answered.
"Nice to meet you," Kaiba said.
"Wonderful," Anzu said.
Jounouchi scoffed. "A rich, spoiled brat. I can't stand those."
The teacher turned his attention to Mahou. "And she is Mutou Mahou-chan."
Mahou had a white knuckle grip on her bag. "N-nice to meet you," she said with a little bow.
"She's cute."
"She looks like a doll!"
Mahou felt herself blush.
"There's space next to Yuugi," the teacher said.
Yuugi perked up. "Hey!"
Kaiba and Mahou walked back. Kaiba noticed something on the floor. It was a card with MW on it. He picked it up and turned it over.
"Duel Monsters, right? Yours?" He held the card out to Yuugi.
"Thanks," said Yuugi. "Are you into games?"
"Yeah! I love them!" replied Kaiba.
Mahou sat down to one side of Yuugi. How nice. Yuugi seems to have found someone who will play Duel Monsters with him.
The school bell rang to dismiss everyone. Kaiba got in a car and he and Yuugi talked through the window.
"See you, Yuugi-kun. I'll be waiting, so definitely come."
"I'm definitely going!"
The car drove away.
"What a great car!" said Yuugi.
Jounouchi scoffed.
"Hey, Yuugi. You're getting along already?" asked Anzu.
"Yeah. Kaiba-kun is going to show me his card collection," said Yuugi.
"Kaiba-kun's house? Miho wants to go, too!"
"Let's all go!" Yuugi announced excitedly. "I'm sure he'll be pleased! I'm sure looking forward to it!"
Kaiba's house was a mansion with a large fountain and decorative bushes laying beyond the gate.
"Hey! Isn't there some law against an individual having such a large house?" Jounouchi asked.
"Of course not!" Anzu replied.
Honda rode up on his bicycle, Miho riding sidesaddle on the back.
"Not taxi right?" asked Anzu.
Honda let out a growl of annoyance at her.
"Hey, everyone," Kaiba's voice came through the intercom. "Glad you made it. Please come in."
The gates opened for them.
The front doors opened and Kaiba stood in the hall with several maids waiting behind him.
"Everyone came?" he asked. "I'm so pleased."
"What an amazing mansion!" Yuugi commented.
The interior was more opulent than the outside.
"It's no big deal," Kaiba brushed off.
"If this is no big deal, what would mine be?" Jounouchi groused.
Anzu giggled.
"Jounouchi, jealousy is most unsightly," Honda told him.
Jounouchi grabbed him by the collar. "Honda! You saying that pisses me off!"
Anzu separated them. "Can you at least act properly here?"
Kaiba laughed. "It's all right. It's more fun if it's lively."
"That polished pig," grumbled Jounouchi, "I dislike him more and more."
"Really? He's rich but not snobby, seems like a good guy!" said Honda.
Kaiba opened a door. "Come, Yuugi-kun. This is my card collection."
The entire room was filled with cards in display cases, trophies scattered about.
"Wow!"
"What are those?" Anzu asked, looking at the trophies.
"It's from when I won the Duel Monsters national tournament," Kaiba replied.
"Won?" the others cried.
Honda put his hand on Jounouchi's shoulder. "Give it up. He's way above you."
Mahou slowly made her way around the room, looking at the different cards. She vaguely heard Miho asking Kaiba about the amusement parks and Honda having tickets.
"See anything interesting, Mahou-chan?" asked Kaiba.
"Oh . . . um . . . I don't play," she admitted.
"Hey, Mahou, you should show Kaiba-kun that trick you can do," said Anzu. "She has a really good memory. Come on, show him."
"Uh, but I . . ." Mahou began. "Okay. I haven't looked at anything down this side yet."
Anzu turned to Yuugi. "You and Kaiba-kun should pick out a card she hasn't seen before."
Yuugi nodded and walked down to look at the cards on the one side of the display case. "What about this one? Minotaurus."
"I don't remember that name," Mahou told them.
"It is a rare card," said Kaiba.
"That one will do," said Yuugi. "Usual rules, Mahou?"
Mahou took her sketchbook and a pencil out of her bag. She opened it to a clean page. She positioned herself in front of the case, but didn't look just yet.
"Ready? Go!" Yuugi said.
Mahou looked up and stared at the Minotaurus card.
"What is she doing?" asked Jounouchi.
Anzu shushed him. "Just watch."
"Time! Go!"
Mahou dropped to one knee and balanced her sketchbook on it as she began to quickly draw different shapes. It didn't look like much at first until she started adding the shading. The entire time she didn't steal another look at the card. Satisfied, she held up her sketchbook. It wasn't a particularly clean drawing, but it was clear it was the Minotaurus card.
"That's amazing!" Miho cried.
"I didn't know you could do that," said Honda.
"This is very good," Kaiba praised.
"Thanks," Mahou said shyly. "I've been drawing different Duel Monsters in my spare time the last few days. I don't care for the game, but it's something Yuugi and I can enjoy together."
She flipped the page over and signed and dated it. She tore it out of the sketchbook carefully and handed it to Kaiba. She gave a little smile.
"Now I have a rare drawing of a rare card. I'll have to find somewhere to put it up," Kaiba said with a smile. He turned to Yuugi, remembering something. "That's right, Yuugi, I bet you have some rare cards."
Yuugi casually put his hands behind his head. "I don't have any."
"Hey," Anzu said to him. "Didn't you say earlier your Grandpa had an amazing card?"
"I'd definitely like to see," Kaiba told him.
"Yuugi! Show it to him right away!" ordered Jounouchi.
"Yeah! Yeah!" Honda agreed.
Both were envious of Kaiba at the moment and wanted to get a leg up on him.
Yuugi thought about it for a moment. "Then . . ."
"Thank you," Kaiba said. "I look forward to it."
The sun was going down when they got to Kame Game.
"My best card?" Sugoroku repeated when they asked him about it.
"Grandpa, please, can you show it?" Yuugi asked.
Behind him, Kaiba said, "Please, definitely show it!"
"Looks like I've got no choice! It'll be a moment." Sugoroku reached under the counter and took out a Duel Monster card. "Here it is."
Kaiba gasped in shock.
"What?" Miho asked, disappointed. "I thought it'd have diamonds or jewels attached to it!"
"It's no different from the others," said Jounouchi.
"Right," added Honda.
"You guys don't get it," said Sugoroku. "It's called Blue Eyes Dragon. It's so powerful its production was cancelled. Manias would drool at this super rare card!"
"Saying it that way makes it seem more moving," said Anzu.
Mahou leaned closer to inspect it. It was a Western style dragon with a long neck and no horns. It was white with a sheen of blue in its shadowing. Blue eyes looked out of a snarling face with a rounded snout. "The artwork is beautiful," she said reverently.
Honda leaned over the counter into Sugoroku's face. "Grandpa! This kind of card is the most dangerous! As a beautification member, I must warn you! Please turn it over for safe keeping!" he said passionately.
Sugoroku smiled. "Why would a beautification member care?"
Honda deflated. "True . . ."
"Grandpa!" Kaiba came back into the shop with a briefcase. Mahou hadn't noticed him leaving. "Th-that Blue Eyes . . . please take all these cards in trade for it!" He opened the briefcase to reveal it was full of Duel Monster cards.
The boys gasped and cried out in shock.
"Amazing!" Jounouchi managed to comment.
Sugoroku responded with a simple, "No."
The guys cried out again.
"The refusal was also amazing!" Jounouchi yelled.
"There's no way . . . ?" Kaiba tried.
"Kaiba-kun, right? I understand how you feel, but . . . I'm not keeping the card because it's rare. This card is something given to me by a good friend in America." Sugoroku glanced back to a photograph on a shelf. "It's a treasure filled with memory. There's no way I can part with it."
Kaiba gritted his teeth and growled.
"Plus, truly precious treasures have your heart in it," Sugoroku went on. "This card, too. That's why, Kaiba-kun, too, you should cherish each card in that trunk."
Kaiba's angry expression faded. "I was mistaken," he said coolly, closing the briefcase. He turned and headed for the door. "I think I'll go home now." He left.
Jounouchi leaned back on the counter. "Grandpa, you said something great!"
Miho ran around the counter and gave Sugoroku a hug. "I can see you in a new light!"
Mahou sat in the corner of the art room with a canvas up on an easel. She had found the space that morning, not wanting to play Duel Monsters with the others. Now it was after class and the others were cleaning up. Mahou had slipped away to continue the project she prepared earlier. Very light lines had been sketched out on the canvas. The paints next to her were whites and blues and a tiny bit of silver. She began to paint.
"Mahou?"
Mahou paused what she was doing and put her brush down. Yuugi was standing in the doorway to the art room.
"It's time to go home," Yuugi said.
She looked at the time. "Oh. Sorry," she said quietly, hurrying to get cleaned up.
Yuugi looked at her canvas. It was a partially completed Blue Eyes Dragon. The pose was slightly different from the card, the dragon's head turned to look at the viewer, the mouth not open as far.
"It's not done," Mahou said needlessly as she moved the canvas to a drying rack.
"It's beautiful. Much better than what I can do," said Yuugi, trying to boost her confidence.
Mahou gave a little smile.
The pair walked for home, the sun setting. Yuugi was staring at the Blue Eyes Dragon card with a worried look.
"Yuugi, Mahou!" Anzu jogged up behind them. "Aren't Jounouchi-tachi with you?"
"No," replied Yuugi.
"Well, they said they're going to play Kaiba in Duel Monsters," Anzu told them. "I thought you'd be with them, Yuugi."
Yuugi was shocked. "Jounouchi-kun and Honda-kun did?"
Yuugi and Mahou ran back to school, sprinting up the stairs to the roof when they couldn't find them in any of the classrooms. Yuugi threw the door open and gasped.
"Jounouchi-kun! Honda-kun!"
Mahou stared. Both boys were on the ground, two large men in suits and sunglasses standing with their feet on their backs. Kaiba stood watching.
"Please listen, Yuugi-kun," Kaiba said. "These two made an unbelievable false accusation!"
"Did they say you switched my Grandpa's card?" asked Yuugi.
Kaiba's eyes widened.
"I noticed," said Yuugi. "But . . . I thought you'd reconsider and would return it. You also love games."
Kaiba smiled mockingly.
"But it seems I'm wrong," Yuugi went on. "Give it back! You have that card, right? That card is so important to my grandpa!" Yuugi went up and took Kaiba's arms. "That card is my grandpa's heart! Please give it back!"
"Filthy hands . . . do not touch me!" Kaiba swung his bag and cracked it against Yuugi's face.
Yuugi was knocked back to the ground.
Mahou ran to Yuugi's side.
"Kaiba-kun," Yuugi whispered in disbelief.
Kaiba stood above them. "A card is a heart? Ridiculous! A card is a card. When the proper person has it, its true power is revealed."
Yuugi cowered back against the fence around the roof.
"Tell your gramps this . . . games are not hearts!" Kaiba continued, a wicked smile on his face. "You have to have the tenacity to win by any means." He turned and walked away. "I never imagined I'd get my hands on such a great find!"
The two men with Kaiba started for them. Yuugi got up and chased after Kaiba. One of the men grabbed Yuugi by his backpack and hoisted him up in the air.
"It's no use, boy!" he said, pulling his fist back. He punched Yuugi in the stomach and dropped him.
"Yuugi!" Mahou ran to him again.
The other man grabbed her by the arm and pulled her around. "Where do you think you're going?"
Mahou struggled. "Let go!"
"Whether it's 'no use' or not . . ."
Mahou froze. He's here!
"Let's find out," Yuugi's deeper voice finished.
A chill went up Mahou's spine and there was a quick flash of bright light. Blinded, Mahou closed her eyes and felt something cold jerk her out of the man's grasp. The men let out screams of pain and went silent. Mahou didn't dare move from where she now found herself on the ground, hands and knees scuffed slightly.
A hand appeared in front of her face. She lifted her gaze and saw the crimson eyes of the other Yuugi looking back at her. She looked at the offered hand again and took it. Yuugi pulled her to her feet.
"Are you hurt, Mahou-san?" he asked.
Mahou shook her head. She looked behind her and saw the two men collapsed and leaning against each other, beaten bloody. A gentle tug on her hand brought her attention back to the other Yuugi standing in front of her.
"Set up a table in one of the classrooms for Duel Monsters. Kaiba won't get away with this," said Yuugi.
Mahou looked at Jounouchi and Honda. "What about them?"
"Don't worry about them," said Yuugi. "Prepare for the duel."
Mahou gulped and ran for the stairs. She went down to their classroom and started moving the desks. She shoved a desk to the middle of the room and put a chair on either side, spreading the game mat across the desktop. Mahou stepped back and thought about what else could be needed.
"Ah, Mahou-san has finished preparations," said Yuugi.
Mahou turned and saw him walk in with Kaiba. Yuugi made a motion to her to sit in a chair off to the side. She would be able to see field, but not the cards in the players' hands. Yuugi and Kaiba took their seats, crossing their arms across their chests, staring each other down. Mahou sat down, hands folded in her lap and trying to keep calm.
"Yuugi. You know you're challenging a Duel Monsters expert. Think you can win?" Kaiba taunted.
"I don't know," said Yuugi. "However . . . This Duel Monsters game . . . will be different from before."
"I'll look forward to it, Yuugi," said Kaiba. But this confidence . . . it's like a different person!
Yuugi began explaining the rules of the game. "We'll each have forty cards. Life point: two thousand points. You lose when it hits zero. Game . . . Start!"
They drew their cards.
"I'll start first," said Kaiba. "Level 5 Gargoyle. I place him on the Dark Forest field!"
The desk shook and the card that had been placed began smoking green. The monster on the card emerged with a roar, beating on its chest.
"What? It can't be!" gasped Kaiba.
Oh, my gosh! Mahou choked back a gasp, leaning back in her chair.
"Didn't I tell you?" Yuugi smirked. "'This game would be different from all others.' I block your attack with this card." He placed down a card. "Dark Dragon. I place him on the lake field."
A large dragon came up from the water and screeched at Gargoyle.
"Battle!" ordered Yuugi.
"Go, Gargoyle!" shouted Kaiba.
Yuugi's Dark Dragon breathed fire and incinerated Kaiba's Gargoyle.
"The card . . ." Kaiba whispered.
The card disappeared from the field.
"That's right," said Yuugi. "The loosing card is completely destroyed. This is a Duel Monsters Yami Game duel!"
Kaiba laughed. "Interesting! Very interesting, Yuugi! This is the ultimate game that I've been searching for!" He drew a card. "However, this duel won't last very long it seems. One of the strongest, rare card . . . Minotaurus! His field is the desert!"
The monster burst up from the sand holding its battle axe.
"Go!" Kaiba commanded.
Dark Dragon shrieked and attacked, but Minotaurus deflected it.
"It's no use. Minotaurus's attack and defense is higher than Dragon's!"
Minotaurus cut down Dark Dragon.
"So, pull your next card," said Kaiba. "You won't find a card better than Minotaurus so quickly."
Yuugi drew. "Holy Elf. Her defense is high, but almost no attack. She'll have to do for now." He placed the elf on the field. She stood with her hands folded, chanting.
"If I act carelessly my life points will be lost," said Kaiba. "I'll put Minotaurus in defense. But . . . he pulled a good card pretty quickly. I can't use this, so let's put this aside for now."
A magic card, Yuugi and Mahou thought at the same time.
If combined with his current strength . . . I won't be able to resist, Yuugi thought. He drew. "The next card – Wight! This won't work."
Kaiba flipped over the card he had just put down. "So here I come. It's the magic card I put down earlier. Growth!"
Minotaurus began to grow.
"Minotaurus's attack power is further increased. Any monster you pick will be useless!"
Mahou's eyes widened. Oh, no!
Minotaurus destroyed Holy Elf.
Kaiba laughed. "No card you pick can beat Minotaurus! Give it up, Yuugi. It's over. Now . . . pull your last card!"
Yuugi . . . Mahou looked at him. Does he have a card in his deck that could beat that?
Yuugi chuckled. "Of course I'm not giving up." He drew a card.
"Fine with me," said Kaiba.
Yuugi looked at the card he drew, confidence shining on his face. "I also have a super powerful card in my hand . . ." He turned the card around to show Kaiba. "Summon Demon! The field: Dark Forest."
Kaiba reared back in surprise. "What? One of the best 5 rare cards?"
A broad skeletal demon with horns and fleshy wings rose from the table. It immediately attacked Minotaurus with bolts of lightning.
"Of course, Minotaurus is no match . . ." said Yuugi.
Kaiba started to sweat. "One of my best cards . . . Minotaurus . . ."
"Hmph. We no longer know how the game is going . . ." said Yuugi. "There's no card you can pull."
Mahou observed the players. It's close. Yuugi's ahead in life points right now and he has the strongest monster on the field. She looked at Kaiba. He's rattled. He wasn't expecting Yuugi to have Demon. He wasn't expecting any of this! But . . . those trophies in Kaiba's house aren't just for show – he earned them. This can't be the first tight spot he's found himself in. Wait . . . what is he doing?
Kaiba's hand left the desk and put it to the side, like he was reaching for something in his pocket, but Mahou was on the wrong side of him to see.
Her eyes widened. Is he . . . cheating?
"That's not true," Kaiba said to Yuugi. "What controls the game isn't the heart . . . it's tenacity!"
Mahou watched him lay his hand on his deck.
"My card is . . ." He drew and looked at the card. He smirked. "Blue Eyes Dragon!"
Yuugi's mouth twisted into a half smile, crimson eyes alight with excitement. "After all you . . ."
"Of course the field is the Lake!" Kaiba put the card down.
The Blue Eyes Dragon rose from the lake and roared
"Go, Blue Eyes Dragon!" Kaiba laughed.
The Blue Eyes Dragon didn't move.
Kaiba stopped laughing. "What's happening? Finish him!" he ordered angrily, pounding his fists on the desk.
The Millennium Puzzle was glowing around Yuugi's neck. "Kaiba. You don't get it, do you? You don't understand why Blue Eyes Dragon doesn't attack. It's because your heart isn't in that card!"
"Wh-what?"
"I can see it," said Yuugi. "It's Grandpa's heart in that Blue Eyes Dragon."
The dragon began to disappear.
"It can't be! Blue Eyes Dragon is disappearing?" cried Kaiba.
"Its fate to fight . . . and loyalty to Grandpa is clashing," Yuugi explained. "It eliminated itself as a resolution."
The Blue Eyes Dragon disappeared.
Kaiba snatched up the card and looked at it. "That's impossible! The cards possess no will of their own!"
The card disappeared to Kaiba's horror.
"Think that if you want," Yuugi said, drawing his next card. "The card I've picked . . . is Revive the Dead! It can revive one monster whether enemy or friend."
"What?" cried Kaiba, the finger pointing at the magic card shaking. "That card . . . !"
"And of course I revive . . . Blue Eyes Dragon."
The dragon appeared on Yuugi's side of the field.
"It's over, Kaiba," said Yuugi. "Any card you pick is useless."
Kaiba drew from his desk. "I can't lose!" He looked at the card. "Gremlin! No! This is just a weakling! Wait a moment . . . the field that draws the most power from a gremlin is . . . there!" He threw the card onto the field. "Split the Land!"
Yuugi was shocked. "What?"
Mahou wasn't prepared to see the pink monster appear on the field and the volcano behind it to start erupting. A fissure appeared and all the monsters fell into it. Smoke and dust began to fill up the room.
Kaiba laughed. "If the field is split, the duel becomes a draw! We will meet again!"
Mahou was blinded by heavy smoke. When it cleared, it was her and Yuugi in the classroom, the desk broken in half and laying in a heap. Yuugi was standing and looking at Kaiba's chair.
"Just as expected from one called Duel Monsters Expert, picking that card in the end," said Yuugi, impressed. He bent down and picked up Blue Eyes Dragon. "Grandpa's heart . . . I've retrieved it."
Mahou let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Mahou-san."
She turned to see Yuugi addressing her, tucking Blue Eyes Dragon safely in his pocket.
"You seem a bit distressed," Yuugi went on. "What's wrong?"
Mahou swallowed hard. "I . . . I think . . . I think Kaiba cheated."
Yuugi's brows raised slightly. "Oh?"
"I think he slipped Blue Eyes Dragon on the top of his deck to make it look like he drew it," Mahou went on. She quickly added, "But I can't be sure."
Yuugi seemed to think about this for a second. "Come. Let's go home and return Blue Eyes Dragon to its rightful place."
He walked out of the classroom, Mahou on his heels.
The next day, Yuugi-tachi were headed for school.
"I'm glad you found your grandpa's card," said Anzu.
"It's thanks to Jounouchi-kun and Honda-kun," said Yuugi.
"We didn't do a thing," said Jounouchi. "But just who did . . . ?" He glanced at Mahou.
A squeal of delight came from behind them. They turned around to see Honda coming towards them on his bicycle, Miho sitting on the back.
"This is better than a taxi!" she cried.
"R-really?" asked Honda. He saw the others ahead. "W-we have something to do together."
"Honda-kun, go faster!"
"Right!"
They rode by only for Honda to lose control and hit a pole. The others ran over.
"You okay?" asked Anzu.
Miho was lying on top of Honda, both stunned.
"So happy . . ." Honda moaned, dazed.
Yuugi rubbed the back of his head. "That's nice."
Honda continued to babble. "One merit . . . Miho-chaaan . . . Miho-chan."
"Man," said Jounouchi, his hands behind his head. "Useless beautification guy."
Next chapter could be a long way off. I would like to have it up for Christmas, but we shall see.