"Hey, Joey! Earth to Joey!" my oldest friend, Yugi Moto, called out to the taller blonde in front of him. "Hey, are you in there? It's your turn." Yugi and I were trying to teach Joey how to play Duel Monsters.
"Umm... hmm..." Joey waved his fingers over his cards as he thought about which card to play.
"Aww! Isn't he cute when he's thinking?" One of our other friends Tristin teased wrapping his arm around Joey's neck.
"Hey, Tristin, Yugi, and Amara here's teaching me how to play Duel Monsters," Joey said proudly.
"Drooling Monsters?" Tristin asked him confused.
"Duel Monsters, you nimrod."
"Sheesh."
"They've been at it for hours," Tea, the only other girl in our small group, told Tristin. "Joey's starting to get the hang of the game, but Yugi and Amara are, like, experts."
"Ok, Yugi. It's time to duel," Joey said finally putting a monster card down.
"See, each card has an attack number and a defense number," Tea explained to Tristin. "The first player to eliminate their opponent's life points wins the duel."
"Pretty good move, huh, Yugi?" Joey asked impressed with himself.
"Yep, pretty good move," Yugi agreed with a smile on his face. "But not good enough." Yugi played one of his cards.
"What?!" Joey freaked. "Thanks a lot! A card that powerful totally wipes me out."
"Whoa, you stink at this game Joey," Tristin insulted.
"Come on now," I said placing a hand on Joey's shoulder. "He did great for his first duel."
"Yeah, I just have better cards," Yugi pointed out. "See, my grandpa owns a game shop, and I get all my best cards from him."
"Your own game shop?!" Joey exclaimed slamming his hands on the desk and standing. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
"Ok," Yugi laughed. "Maybe I can even get my grandpa to show us the super-rare card he's got."
Once we got to the Game Shop, Yugi called out for his grandfather.
"Grandpa? I'm home!"
"And I see you've brought company," grandpa laughed. "Hello again, Amara."
"Hey, Gramps," I greeted with a smile.
"Gramps, could you show my friends your awesome super-rare card?" Yugi asked him.
"Rare card?" Grampa Moto asked. "My special card?" He placed his hand on his chin in thought. Yugi clapped his hands together and begged.
"Please! Please!"
"Pretty please," Joey added with a grin.
"Ha ha! How can I refuse?" Grandpa Moto pulled out an old box from under the counter and placed it carefully on the counter. "You kids are in for a treat. I don't take this card out too often. Ready? Here it is!" Grandpa Moto held up a Blue-Eyes White Dragon and I ogled at it with the others. "The Blue-Eyes White Dragon, so rare, so powerful, I never let it leave my hands."
"Awesome." Tristin took the card from Grandpa Moto's hand making him freak out.
"Hmmm, doesn't look all that special to me." I took the card from him gently and gave it back to Grandpa Moto.
"Blue-Eyes is so rare they only made four cards in the entire world," I told him. "They're priceless now and days."
"Speaking of priceless, I'm ready to trade," Joey told him.
"Not for this card!"
"Huh?" Joey asked confused. "No, I didn't mean that card, I mean show me some other cool cards to get me started." The door opened behind us.
"Hello, can I help you?" Grandpa Moto asked.
"If you can't, it certainly wouldn't surprise me." I turned to see our classmate, Seto Kaiba, standing in the doorway.
"Seto Kaiba?!" Yugi exclaimed confused.
"Kaiba?!"
"Doesn't he have a big fancy company to run?" Tristin asked. "What's he doing down here?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but I came to see that card," Kaiba told us with a smirk on his face.
"Hey, are you into Duel Monsters, too?" Joey asked good-naturedly. "This is perfect. Maybe we could all duel together sometime."
"Me duel you?" Kaiba scoffed. "I would have more challenge playing solitaire."
"What?"
"Kaiba's into fancy titles in the game, Joey," I explained glaring at the brunette. "Not just for the pure joy and playing the game. Isn't that right, Kaiba?"
"I am the number one ranked duelist in the country, and the favorite to win the Duel Monsters Championship," he bragged and I rolled my eyes. "You wouldn't last two minutes in a duel with me."
"Ooh, I'm shakin'," Joey said getting angry. "Maybe you'd like to settle this with fists instead of cards?"
"Whoa, take it easy, Joey," Yugi got in front of our angry friend and placed his hands on his chest to stop him.
"But, Yugi, Kaiba's asking for it," Joey pointed out.
"He's not wrong," I mumbled.
"You're not helping," Yugi told me worriedly and I just shrugged my shoulders.
"Now, does this shop have any worthwhile cards or not?" Kaiba asked before looking down at the counter shocked. I followed his gaze to see him staring at Grandpa Moto's Blue-Eyes and sighed. This wasn't going to end well. He rushed to the counter pushing Yugi into Joey getting a 'Hey!' from Tristin and Joey. "Can it be? The Blue-Eyes White Dragon in a dump like this?!"
"Well, enough window shopping," Grandpa Moto covered the card and pulled it towards him. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" Kaiba growled in anger at him before slamming the briefcase in his hand on the counter, opening it and turning it to Grandpa Moto. I glanced into it and saw several cards of different rarities in it.
"Listen to me, old man. Give me your Blue-Eyes White Dragon card, and I'll trade you all of these."
"Whoa!" everyone else was amazed at the number of cards in the case.
"Ah, nice, but no thanks," Grandpa Moto declined.
"Huh?" everyone asked confused and Kaiba growled.
"Fine, if you won't trade, maybe you'll sell it," he said. "Name your price. I can pay anything you ask."
"I'm sure you could, but this card is worth more to me than you could ever offer," Grandpa Moto explained. "Not because of its power, or because it's so rare, but because of what it means to me. This card was given to me by a dear friend, and so I treasure this card as I do that friend, so parting with it is completely out of the question."
"You'd feel the same even if it were a common card, right, Grandpa?" Yugi asked him with a smile on his face.
"Exactly. You see, this precious card has bonded with my heart," Grandpa Moto told him.
"Fine," Kaiba slammed the case shut. "I've heard enough of your nonsense. Senile old fool." And with that Kaiba stomped out of the shop and left.
After class the next day, we were all walking back to the Game Shop talking about Duel Monsters.
"I hope he has some cool cards today," Joey stated.
"Me, too!" Yugi said excitedly.
"Yeah, my deck could use some upgrading," I stated placing my hands behind my back.
"Couldn't you just ask your dad to send you some new ones?" Tea asked me and I nodded.
"But that's not nearly as good as finding them myself," I explained to her.
"I think I can understand that." We walked inside the shop with Joey leading the way.
"Ok, Gramps! I'm back to get more cards!" Joey called out. "Hey! Hey, Gramps!"
"Grandpa, I'm home!" Yugi called out, but they both got no results.
"Maybe he went out?" Tea suggested.
"And leave the shop unlocked?" I asked her. "That doesn't sound like him." Suddenly, the phone rang. Yugi went to it and answered.
"Hello. Game Shop," he answered before suddenly looking shocked. "Kaiba?!" We all waited as Kaiba spoke to Yugi on the phone. "Kaiba?! What have you done, Kaiba?!"
We all followed Yugi to Kaiba Corp and took the elevator straight to the top only to see Grandpa Moto on the floor.
"Grandpa!" Yugi ran to his grandfather and knelt in front of him. Grandpa, are you okay?"
"Yugi, I failed. I wanted to teach that boy Kaiba a lesson about the Heart of the Cards, and I lost," Grandpa Moto told him before groaning in pain.
"Grandpa!"
"How's the old man feeling, hmmm?" Kaiba asked smuggle and I glared at him.
"Kaiba, you sleaze, what have you done to him?!" Joey asked.
"We had a duel, that's all," Kaiba said. "With each of us putting our most valuable card as the prize, but I guess playing against a champion like myself was just too much stimulation for the old fool."
"Or it was the technology you used," I stated and he just smirked at me.
"Kaiba, you should be ashamed of yourself," Tea told him off.
"It was fair," Kaiba assured us. "And look at the sweet prize I won." Kaiba held up Grandpa Moto's Blue-Eyes White Dragon in his hand before ripping it in half. We all gasped in horror at his actions.
"Grandpa's most treasured card!"
"Yes, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon is a rare and powerful card," Kaiba said while dropping the two pieces of the card to the ground. "And this one will never be used against me."
"My Blue-Eyes White Dragon, my treasure..." Grandpa Moto groaned in pain again.
"Grandpa, hold on!"
"He wouldn't have used it against you, you idiot!" I yelled at him.
"How could you do such a thing?!" Yugi shouted angrily.
"Yugi, here! Take this," Grandpa Moto ordered and I saw from the corner of my eye him handing Yugi his deck.
"Huh? Grandpa?"
"I built this deck. I put my soul in these cards, and I taught you everything I know, Yugi. Take them," he ordered. "Take my cards and teach him respect. Teach Kaiba respect for the heart of the cards, Yugi."
"But, Grandpa, you need help," Yugi pointed out worriedly. "I've got to get you to a doctor."
"Sounds like an excuse," Kaiba said and I glared at him again. "Your friends can care for your grandfather, while you and I duel unless you're afraid?"
"Take him, Yugi!" Joey shouted at him.
"Huh?" Yugi looked back at us confused.
"We can take care of your grandpa, while you take care of creepy Kaiba," Joey told him. "Teach that rich spoiled brat what a real duel's all about."
"For your grandpa, Yugi," Tea said.
"I don't know," Yugi said staring at us.
"Trust me, you're, like, one of the best players I've ever seen, and you've got the Millennium Puzzle. You can do this, Yugi," Joey cheered. "I know you can."
"We all do," Tea pointed out. Yugi nodded, encouraged by our words.
"Ok, Grandpa, I'll do it." Yugi took the deck in his hands.
"I know you will, my boy," Grandpa Moto encouraged.
"Everyone, put your hands together," Tea ordered pulling out a black marker. "And I'll mark us with a special sign." We did as she said and she drew a symbol on our hands.
"Huh? What gives, Tea?" Joey asked her.
"It's a symbol of our friendship," Tea told him. "So, when Yugi's dueling, no matter how tough it gets, he'll know that he's not alone we're all right there with him." Yugi nodded confidently.
"Not that he's ever really alone," I pointed out. "No matter where we are or what we're going through, we'll always have each other's backs." We put Grandpa Moto onto Tristin's back carefully and I called an ambulance to meet us at Kaiba Corp before we got back into the elevator. The minute we saw it, we rushed him to it. Tea stopped us before we could put Grandpa Moto inside.
"Joey, Amara, Tristin and I will take Yugi's grandpa to the hospital. Why don't you two get back in there and cheer Yugi on?" she suggested.
"That's a good idea," I told her.
"Ok," Joey agreed. "Take good care of him, Tea."
As Joey and I ran to where Kaiba and Yugi were dueling, I felt my Millennium Pendant get warm. I picked it up and stared at it confused.
"Something wrong, Amara?" Joey asked me and I quickly shook my head.
"No, not at all," I lied. The warmth must have been a figment of my imagination. When the elevator finally stopped, Joey and I ran to the duel only to stop and stare up at the hologram monsters on the field.
"Wha-Monsters?!" Joey asked confused. "Real monsters?!"
"No," I told him. "Just holograms. This is how Kaiba beat Yugi's grandpa." We watched as Kaiba's Hitotsu-Me Giant attacked Yugi's Winged Dragon.
"Fireball attack!" The Winged Dragon shot a fireball at the giant and destroyed it bringing Kaiba's Life Points to 1800.
"All right! Go Yugi!" Joey cheered.
"Well, played, Yugi, for a beginner," Kaiba partially complemented. "But how will you deal with this?"
"Saggi the Dark Clown?" Yugi asked as the monster appeared. "But that card has hardly any attack strength."
"True, your Winged Dragon's attack is 1400, while my Dark Clown's only 600, but if I combine it with this card-"
"A magic card!"
"Exactly. The Negative Energy Generator. It multiplies my monster's attack by 3. Dark Clown, attack with Dark Light." Kaiba's Dark Clown attacked Yugi's Winged Dragon with what looked like a black hole and made it disappear from the field bringing Yugi's Life Points to 1600. "As you can see, combining cards can be very effective." Yugi placed a card face down and Kaiba attacked it with another Dark Light attack.
"Come on, Yugi!" I called out.
"Hang in there, Yugi!" Joey cheered. Every card Yugi seemed to use, Kaiba was able to destroy with Saggi.
"You're not fairing any better than the old man did, Yugi," Kaiba mocked. "Your deck is just as weak and feeble as your grandfather."
"My grandpa is a great man and a better duelist than you'll ever be," Yugi defended. "He entrusted me with his cards, and I can feel his heart in this deck. I doubt you have that kind of faith in your cards, Kaiba. But I believe in my grandpa's deck!" Yugi drew his card. "And my faith rewards me with Gaia the Fierce Knight with a destructive power of 2300." Gaia attacked Saggi and Kaiba's Life Points dropped to 1300.
"Way to go, Yugi!"
"That's showing him!"
"All right, Kaiba. Your move."
"Ha! This will be over sooner than you think," Kaiba told him before drawing his card. "I summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"Huh? No way!" Yugi exclaimed.
"Impossible! We all watched Kaiba tear that card in half," Joey reminded us.
"No, we watched him tear a Blue-Eyes White Dragon in half," I reminded him. "There are three other cards in the world."
"Surprised? Did you think your grandpa was the only one to possess a Blue-Eyes White Dragon?" Kaiba asked him as Blue-Eyes attacked Gaia. We watched Yugi's Life Points drop to 900. "Your Fierce Knight is destroyed. Faith or no faith, you will fall before my superior monsters, Yugi. Power is what this game is all about, you fool. Faith is for losers, like your pathetic grandfather." Kaiba destroyed monster after monster Yugi played. "In your entire deck, there's not a single card that can stand up to a Blue-Eyes White Dragon so what hope do you have against 2?" Kaiba summoned his second Blue-Eyes. "Why don't you just admit defeat Yugi?"
"Don't give up, Yugi!" I called out to him.
"I won't give up," Yugi said. "Grandpa's counting on me." Yugi drew his card and played it. "Swords of Revealing Light! It stops all monsters on the field for three turns." Three swords appeared in the air and dropped onto Kaiba's monsters.
"How desperate," Kaiba mocked. "What possible good will a 3-turn delay do you?" Yugi seemed to be deep in thought for a moment. "Quit your stalling, Yugi, or you will forfeit the match."
"I never forfeit," Yugi told him before drawing his card.
"Draw any card you like. It won't change a thing," Kaibe mocked while drawing his card. "My dragons my be frozen for another 2 turns, but my new monster is under no such spell." Kaiba placed his card on the field. "The judge man with an attack power of 2200." Kaiba's monster attacked and destroyed another of Yugi's facedown cards. Yugi drew his next card. Yugi summoned his Dark Magician and ordered it to attack. With its attack power of 2500, it dropped Kaiba's Life Points to 1000. "Your Judge Man falls."
"Oh, a sacrifice that doesn't even phase me," Kaiba sighed as he drew his card. "And though neither dragon can move for one more turn, my next card is the third Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Kaiba summoned the third and final Blue-Eyes to the field. "Now, my dragon, attack!" Blue-Eyes destroyed Dark Magician lowering Yugi's Life Points to 400. "So tell me, Yugi, how's your faith now? On my next turn, all three Blue-Eyes White Dragons are free to attack. This game's over, no matter what card you draw. You can't possibly stand against my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. It's over, Yugi. You were never a match for me."
"Don't listen, Yugi!" Joey told him.
"Show Kaiba the deference between a power-hungry jerk and someone who truly believes!" I cheered.
"Draw your last pathetic card, so I can end this, Yugi," Kaiba ordered.
"My grandpa's deck has no pathetic cards, Kaiba," Yugi countered and I smiled. He had to have a plan up his sleeve. "But it does contain The Unstoppable Exodia!"
"Impossible!" Kaiba screamed.
"I've assembled all five special cards. All five pieces of the puzzle." We watched in amazement as Exodia was summoned onto the field.
"Amazing..." I breathed out.
"Exodia- it's not possible!" Kaiba called out. "No one's ever been able to call him."
"Exodia, obliterate!" Exodia's one attack was enough to destroy all three of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes and knock his Life Points down to 0.
"You did it!" Joey called out. "Yugi, you won!"
"You play only for power, Kaiba," Yugi told him. "And that is why you lost. But if you put your heart in the game, there is nothing you can't do."
"But-but how?! How could I have lost to him?!" Kaiba questioned.
"Kaiba, if you truly want to know, open your mind!" A symbol appeared on Yugi's forehead and my pendant grew warm once more as Yugi gestured to Kaiba with an open palm. Kaiba fell to his knees. "There, Kaiba. Maybe now, you will begin to see." With that said, Yugi was lowered from his place in the duel and we all went to the hospital to check on Grandpa Moto.