Chapter 19

"Self Destruction"

At Dartz's temple, he saw that the train had went off the rails and was half sunk into a river. "Somehow I've lost contact with the Nameless Pharaoh." he said before standing up. "Maybe he and his friends didn't survive the fall after the train derailed." Raf suggested. "No, they did. However, something or someone is hiding them from my vision." Dartz replied. "Then let me be your eyes, master. I'll track them down and make up for my failure. I'll start where the train derailed." Raf offered as he remembered how he defeated Yami, only to capture Yugi's soul instead.

Meanwhile, Yami was remembering the same thing before he woke up in what appeared to be a tent. "Wait, where am I?" he asked before he saw Tea, Twilight, AJ and Fluttershy all in beds near his own. "Tea, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, are you alright? Wake up." he said. "Huh? What happened?" Fluttershy asked. "Last I remember, that train derailed." AJ said. "Its a miracle we even survived." Twilight pointed out. Suddenly, what appeared to be a wolf walked in on them.

"Uh oh. Nice doggy." Fluttershy said, cautiously. But instead of attacking, the wolf started licking Fluttershy, then the others, one by one before a voice called out to it, calling the wolf, Skye. They soon saw it was a little girl. "Skye, that's no way to greet or treat our guests." she said. "Sorry if my pet woke you up." she added. "It's fine. I'm fine with animals greeting me with a lick of their tongues." Fluttershy replied. "Who are you?" Yami asked. "You can call me Chris." the girl answered before Skye joined her at her side. "You've already met Skye, she's the one who found you." she added.

"I bet she was sniffing out food and sniffed us out instead." Twilight said with a warm smile. Meanwhile, down by the river, the old man who saw the train fall found Yami's deck before pausing to look at the Eye of Timaeus card. "This is strange." he said before looking at the card more closely as Chris and Skye led the group to him. The old man saw Skye at his side and turned to see the group with Chris. "I see you've regained your strength." he said.

"Yes, if you and Chris are the ones who helped us, thank you kindly." AJ said with a tip of her hat. "I'm pleased to see you walking again. You five had me worried after Skye found you. My name is Ironheart." the old man said. "I believe this belongs to you, young man." he added before handing Yami's deck back to him. "Pardon me for looking through your deck of Duel Monsters cards without permission, but I couldn't help but notice you possess the legendary Eye of Timaeus, the only one of its kind." he added.

"Take it, I'm not deserving of its power." Yami admitted before handing Ironheart the card. "That's not true." Tea stated as Ironheart took the card. "I'll hold on to it until you're ready to reclaim it." the old man said. "Did you find a young child around here? He had glasses and beetles on his shoes." Twilight asked. "He was on that train with us when it derailed." AJ added. "Yes, we found him. I had some of my people take him to the nearest hospital. He should be there by now." Ironheart answered.

"I'm afraid the hospital will only be able to do so much for him, there's a greater power at work here." Yami admitted. "Young man, I sense you have a wisdom that reaches far beyond your years. I've encountered many people in my travels, but there's something about you I've never seen before. Something in your eyes." Ironheart said before Skye approached the troubled pharaoh. "I also sense that you carry a great loneliness in your heart." he added.

"That's because I recently lost a very close friend of mine. And now, I'm on a journey to find his soul." Yami explained. "What will you do if you find him?" Ironheart asked. "I'll apologize, for betraying his trust and abandoning him." Yami answered. "I might just be able to help." Ironheart said before walking away with Skye following him. "Follow me." he added before Chris followed him as well.

A little while later, they were all walking along a mountain trail. "Mr. Ironheart? Where are we going?" AJ asked. "Patience, my friend." Ironheart replied. Then Fluttershy stepped on a loose part of the ledge and nearly fell, only for Yami to catch her. "Did I forget to mention that you should watch your step?" Chris asked. "Oh, and I think it's best if you don't look down." she added. "Don't worry, our destination isn't very far from here." Ironheart said, reassuringly. "What happens when we arrive?" Fluttershy asked. "We'll have crossed over to the other side, to the place where spirits dwell." Ironheart answered.

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, curiously. "You see, my people believe that human souls exist all around us. And just beyond this mountain is a sacred valley where drifting souls are said to gather as they wander along." Ironheart explained. "And you think my friend will be there?" Yami asked. "Perhaps, but there are evil spirits there, as well. Finding the soul you seek is easy, but leaving with your own is another thing entirely." Ironheart replied before they stopped. "It's not too late if you want to back out." he added.

"I must go. I owe it to Yugi." Yami said, undeterred. Meanwhile, Rafael arrived at the half sunken train wreck. "Hey, Pharaoh! You in there or not?!" he called. No one answered. "How did he and his friends escape?" he wondered. "I'll find you, Pharaoh! Wherever you are!" he shouted. Meanwhile, the group had arrived at their destination. "Here it is. The Wastelands of Stone." Ironheart said. "So what do we do when we go down there?" Twilight asked. "Not we, only your friend. He must enter the sacred circle on his own. After all, this is his journey." Ironheart answered.

"Very well, I accept the challenge." Yami said before making his way down into the valley. "Are you sure we can't go with him? HIs friend is the one who I love." Fluttershy said. "I'm afraid you four will have to stay." Chris replied. "Only one soul-seeker is permitted to enter at a time. If you proceed, the evil spirits will sense you immediately." Ironheart explained. "Please, be careful, Yami." Fluttershy said, softly. Soon, Yami was at the bottom of the slope. "Yugi, I know you're here." he said before starting to walk forward.

Not too far in, he heard disembodied and evil laughter before another called him out by his royal title of pharaoh. "Who's there?!" the ancient one called as he walked. Storm clouds seemed to gather before voices told him to turn back, causing him to stop. "Show yourself!" Yami demanded. Up on the ledge, Ironheart and the others watched on. "What's going on down there?" AJ asked. "It seems your friend is attracting lost souls that seek revenge." Ironheart answered.

Down in the valley, the lost souls claimed he would never escape and his spirit would join them as they flew around him. One of those lost souls was none other than PaniK. "Long time no see, Pharaoh." PaniK said before flying right through his former opponent. "Surprise, surprise, pharaoh." said the familiar voice of Ventrilo, the demented puppeteer. Yami then saw him off to his left before hearing the laughter of two other familiar faces, the Paradox Brothers.

"You left us defeated within Pegasus' maze." said Para. "But now you'll join us and wander all your days!" Dox added. Yami, undeterred, trekked on. "Better turn around now, punk. You might not live to pass this way again." said the spirit of Bandit Keith. "If you seek to join us, then keep on going, Pharaoh." said another familiar spirit. This time it was the wandering soul of Seeker. "Abandon hope should you enter here." said the voice of Arkana before he laughed maniacally. "Your end is near, Pharaoh." said the all-too familiar voice of Yami Marik.

Yami kept on going, not even the wandering soul of the recently defeated and soul-deprived Weevil didn't stop him as he remembered the last words Yugi said to him before he was snatched away. "Yugi?" the ancient one called. "You see that down there? A spirit is crossing over into our world." Chris said to the others. Soon, Yugi appeared. "Is that really you, Yami?" the boy asked. Yami and the girls were surprised. "Yugi! He's back!" Fluttershy said in great joy.

"I found you." Yami said before realizing that his hand went right through the boy, indicating that it was just the boy's spirit. "You came all this way just to see me?" Yugi asked. "Of course. I wanted to apologize to you." Yami answered. "I'm sorry, too. I wish this whole thing never happened." Yugi replied. "It's my fault. I surrendered to my inner darkness, I allowed my own anger to take over and you paid the price." Yami said. "Now, without your spirit inside your body, the same body we share, that darkness is growing without your light to keep me pure. I'm becoming like those we fought against in the past, Yugi." he continued.

"I'm beginning to worry that what Rafael said about my life in Egypt may be true. Perhaps, I was a wicked pharaoh and brought about the destruction of my own kingdom." he continued before remembering just what Raf said. "If I'm truly capable of such destructive behavior, its my soul that should be locked away instead of yours." he added. "Well, what good is that now? I'm the one who saved you and yet you claim you would've gladly paid the price I paid." Yugi said, somewhat hurt. "I'm sorry." Yami said, solemnly.

"Well, that last thing I need is your pity, Yami. If you think you may be as evil as Rafael claimed you were in your first life, then there's only one thing to do." Yugi replied. "What are you saying?" Yami asked before a Duel Disk appeared on Yugi's arm. "You said it yourself, your spirit should be locked away instead of mine so that I'd at least have both my body and Fluttershy, so I'll do what Rafael failed to do." Yugi answered. "Are you sure you didn't misunderstand what I said?" Yami asked. "I'm quite certain, Yami. You weren't part of this world until I solved the Millennium Puzzle. Now I think it's time you take responsibility for your actions." Yugi replied as Yami backed up.

"And there's only one way for you to do it, and that's be a man and duel me!" the boy continued. "Please, don't." Yami begged. "It's too late for begging, Yami! If you're really sorry and really mean it, then you'll duel me." Yugi said, bluntly. With little choice, Yami activated his Duel Disk as Yugi declared it was time to duel. "Wait, Yugi is forcing Yami to duel him?" AJ asked, surprised. "I don't understand. Why is Yugi making Yami do this?" Fluttershy asked. "It's the only way." Ironheart answered. "That's why we took you all here, so that Yami could face the boy who shares his body with him. He has to face up to what he did so that he can put it all behind him and finally move on." Chris explained.

"How do you know all this?" Twilight asked. "We've always known this would happen. We were taught that a warrior from the ancient past would come to save our world and as soon as we found you all near that train wreck and saw the Millennium Puzzle around his neck, we knew he was the one." Chris answered. "So what's he supposed to do now?" Tea asked. "His first step is to face his inner fears and conquer the darkness that lurks within his heart. But if he loses this battle, the Nameless Pharaoh will remain here, trapped forever." Ironheart explained.

Soon, both players drew their hands and their life points set to 4000, officially beginning the game. "Alright, I'll start things off." Yugi said before drawing. "I'll set one monster on the field." he added as his defensive creature appeared. "Now let's see what you've got, unless you're scared." he concluded, signifying the end of his turn. "If I must, very well, then." Yami replied before drawing. "I summon Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts." he declared before the creature appeared. "Now, Gazelle, attack his defensive monster!" he commanded.

With one swipe of Gazelle's claws, the creature was revealed and destroyed. "My monster was Gazelle, too." Yugi said. "They played the same card?" AJ said in surprise. "I think its because they use the same deck." Twilight hypothesized. "Yugi, we're holding the same cards, aren't we?" Yami asked. "We're about to find out, aren't we?" Yugi replied before drawing. "I'll set another monster in defense mode." he continued before seemingly ending his turn.

"Do these look familiar?" Yami asked before drawing. "I play Polymerization to fuse Berfomet with Gazelle to summon Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast!" he declared before his fusion monster appeared. "Next I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior!" he continued before his second monster appeared. "Now attack his defending monster!" he commanded before, with one slash, the creature was revealed to be Sangan and destroyed. "Your defense is gone. Now Chimera can attack you directly!" he declared before Chimera charged and pounced, GREATLY decreasing Yugi's life points to 1900.

'Strange. If we did have the same cards, why didn't he play Monster Reborn? He could've used it to bring back Gazelle and block my attack. For some reason, he's holding back. Could Yugi be trying to lose the duel on purpose? Or is he trying to throw me off with a strategy he's never used before?' Yami wondered. "When you destroyed my Sangan, you activated its special ability, which allows me to move a monster from my deck to my hand, as long as it has 1500 attack points or less." Yugi said. "Yes, good move." Yami complimented. "I don't need your support." Yugi replied before drawing.

"I set this face down and then I play this, Card Destruction!" he declared. "But why?" Yami asked. "So we can start over and have different hands." Yugi answered before he discarded his current hand and replaced it with a new one. "Disappointed? Guess now you can't cheat off of me anymore." he continued. "What do you mean cheat? Why are you acting like this?" Yami asked, feeling betrayed. "I'm a reflection of you, Yami." Yugi replied.

"Reflection? When we first merged upon your completion of the Millennium Puzzle, we began to share your body." Yami protested. "You don't get it, do you? The darkness that appeared in you, also appeared within me." Yugi replied. "Yugi, you have no idea how I wish I could take back what I did." Yami said, solemnly. "It's too late, you already showed me you're quick to give in to your own anger. Makes me wonder if you only thought about yourself all this time!" Yugi replied.

"You can blame the Orichalcos stone you wore during that duel all you want, but it was your own doing. Now its my turn to show you the very power you threatened Rafael with!" he continued. "Yugi, wait! Are you holding the card I think you're holding?" Yami asked, worried that it was the Seal of Orichalcos. "Sounds like you're catching on. This duel is a chance to look at yourself from the outside and there's only one card that can make that possible; the Seal of Orichalcos." Yugi answered.

Yami tried to convince him not to do it, but it was to no avail as the field spell was played and the Seal appeared around both players. "Now it's payback time, for forcing me to pay my soul to Dartz and Doma instead of yours." Yugi stated. "This is a mistake, and you know it." Yami protested. "Just replace your hand already. I did play Card Destruction, remember?" Yugi replied before Yami did so. "And now, to continue my turn, I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Dark Magician Girl!" he continued before the top female monster in Yami's/Yugi's deck appeared.

"Next I'll summon Obnoxious Celtic Guard in attack mode!" he continued before the warrior appeared. "Yugi, please, stop this." Yami pleaded, but it was no use. "You saw how the Seal of Orichalcos worked for Dark Magician Girl, so now you can see it from the defending side!" Yugi declared before Dark Magician Girl's attack points increased to 2500 and Obnoxious Celtic Guard's attack points increased to 1900. "Go, Celtic Guard, attack Alpha!" he commanded before, with a slash, the Magnet Warrior was destroyed, lowering Yami's life points to 3500. "Your turn, Dark Magician Girl! Incinerate Chimera!" he commanded before Chimera was destroyed with a Dark Burning Attack, lowering Yami's life points to 3100.

"I'll use Chimera's special ability, to bring Berfomet back to the field in defense mode." the ancient one said before the creature appeared. "Big deal, what else have you got?" Yugi asked, unimpressed. "I've got this!" Yami replied as he drew. "I summon the mighty Big Shield Gardna in defense mode!" he declared before the defensive warrior appeared. 'This should protect my life points from the Dark Magician Girl's attack.' he thought.

"That's all?" Yugi asked as he drew. "I summon Queen's Knight in attack mode!" he declared before the first of the Card Knights appeared, now with 2000 attack points. "And to boost my Dark Magician Girl's firepower, I activate Magic Formula. This will raise her attack points by 500!" he continued before Dark Magician Girl's attack points rose to 3000. "You raised her power to 3000 attack points!" Yami said in shock. "Queen's Knight, attack!" Yugi commanded.

With one slash, Berfomet was slain. "And now for Dark Magician Girl to take out your Big Shield Gardna!" he continued before Gardna was blasted apart with a Dark Burning Attack. "Now for the last attack of my turn! Obnoxious Celtic Guard!" he declared before the warrior slashed at Yami, lowering his life points to 1200. "It won't be long now, Yami." he said. "Yugi, don't do this. Are you really willing to leave your body as a soulless shell? Think of Fluttershy!" Yami said, seemingly begging.

"I'll admit it hurts, but it'll hurt you worse than me." Yugi replied. "But at least now you'll face justice for turning your back on me and the monsters in our deck." he concluded before Yami drew. "I'll set one card face down and summon the Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode." Yami said before the mighty mineral warrior appeared. "Next I activate the Swords of Revealing Light!" he added before said swords appeared. 'This gives me three turns to try to talk some sense into him.' the ancient one thought.

"Your swords mean nothing, I have a card that can blast right through them! It should be familiar, since you played it before." Yugi said before drawing. "I sacrifice my Obnoxious Celtic Guard to summon Catapult Turtle!" he declared before his mechanical reptile appeared, enhanced by the Seal of Orichalcos. "This is what I did at the end of the duel against Rafael!" Yami said in shock. "Exactly, so its time for you to experience the consequences of your own actions and your darkness. You'll never duel again when this succeeds." Yugi replied. "Queen's Knight, you're first to go on the catapult." he said.

In mere moments, the first of the Card Knights hopped onto the catapult. "Yugi, no!" Yami shouted as he remembered how he treated his monsters during his duel with Rafael, specifically Dark Magician Girl. "Catapult Turtle, launch!" Yugi commanded before Queen's Knight was launched and struck Yami in a bright explosion. "Oh, no! Yami!" Twilight shouted as the dust cleared to show Yami okay, but down to his last 200 life points. "One more attack, and you'll join me as a prisoner of the Seal of Orichalcos." Yugi said.

"I can't lose. If I do, I'll never find you and set you free." Yami said as he stood up. "Two worlds will crumble and humanity will be wiped from existence." he added. "You care about the rest of humanity? Surprising, I'll admit, despite what you said earlier about what you said earlier when Rafael claimed you were the one who caused the destruction of your own kingdom in the days of ancient Egypt. But don't worry, I'll end your suffering!" Yami declared as Dark Magician Girl appeared on the catapult.

"Yugi, I'm begging you. Please, don't go through with this!" Yami pleaded. "It's too late." Yugi replied before he signaled for the catapult to launch. "Yugi, no! I won't let you do this!" Yami shouted as the shot came at him. "I activate the trap card, Divine Wind!" he declared before his trap sprung, sending the shot right back at Yugi. "He did it! He reversed my attack and added 500 extra points to it so that he could win the duel." the boy said with pride and a smile before the shot landed and brought his life points down to 0, ending the game.

"What have I done? Yugi!" Yami declared as he saw the scene unfold. "Is he alright?" Fluttershy said, worried. Yami soon ran up to the young boy once the holograms faded. "Are you alright? Speak to me!" he said, worried as he held his partner in his arms. "You past the test, pal." Yugi said. "What are you talking about? Did you plan this all along?" Yami asked as the Seal of Orichalcos faded. "It was the only way. By defeating me, you were able to conquer the darkness inside of you. It wasn't easy, but you did what was best for me and for mankind." Yugi answered.

"You acted like a true hero." he added before touching his friend's Duel Disk. "But now what?" Yami asked as tears formed in his eyes. "Don't give up this fight. Remember, I'm always, with you." Yugi answered before fading away. "I'll save you! No matter what it takes, partner." Yami stated bravely as he looked up at the cloudy, overcast sky.