Chapter 32
Grappling with a Guardian: Part 3: Finale
"Defeat the Darkness of the Heart!"
Atop the Paradius building the duel rushed to its conclusion as both players were within a shadowy dome as lightning struck it from above. "Is this supposed to be part of what the card's supposed to do, Spike?" Tristan asked. "It is. All we can do is wait for the effect to resolve." Spike answered. Inside the dome, both players found themselves surrounded by fog.
"Strange. Is this another vision generated by the Seal of Orichalcos?" Yami wondered. But he soon realized where he was. "Wait a minute! Underworld Circle lets me and Rafael bring back monsters we've lost in the duel, so I must be inside the card graveyard itself!" he said in surprise. "This wasn't part of the plan." Raf said before Yami spotted him in the fog. Suddenly, they both heard someone call for help. It turned out to be a younger version of Rafael. "That's you!" Yami said, surprised, while Raf looked like he saw a ghost.
Raf started to take off after his younger self. "Rafael, wait! This could be a trap!" Yami called as he ran after him. The ancient one pleaded for him to stop, but his words fell on deaf ears. Raf then came to a stop in front of some graves with names inscribed on them. "Wait, if this is supposed to be the card graveyard, which graves are these?" Yami asked as he stopped next to Raf.
"This isn't the Duel Monsters card graveyard, this graveyard is for humans. I've been here only once before. The memory is feint, but I remember coming here before." Raf replied. Suddenly, they heard Dartz laughing before they both turned and saw the younger version of Raf talking with Dartz. "I'm starting to remember it all more clearly. Dartz once took me here, to expose me to the truth. He's the one who told me that my parents and siblings died when the ship was caught in that storm and sank. This is the day we met." he explained.
"You mean, this is a vision from your past?" Yami asked as they saw the event play out. Including when Raf was instructed by Dartz to dig up the remains of his family. "I don't understand, Rafael. Why did Dartz tell you to dig up the remains of your family?" Yami asked. But he got his answered when Raf came out of the hole he dug, took a lighter from darts and burned the remains before being given the Seal of Orichalcos card, even though Guardian Eatos tried to hold him back. But it was of no use as the teenage Raf embraced the dark powers Dartz had given him while Eatos held the skulls of Raf's dead parents and siblings, Julian and Sonia.
It was at that moment when the seal turned Eatos into Dreadscythe before the eyes of the young boy, with Dartz adding that Dreadscythe was born from the darkness within Raf's heart, meaning the two were bonded. The vision soon faded. "Pharaoh, now do you understand the brilliance of Master Dartz? He knows exactly how the world works and more importantly, he knows how to save it." Raf said. "Then answer me this, if you're so loyal to Dartz then why do you deliberately disobey him, Rafael?" Yami asked.
"He told you to forget your past, yet you remain loyal to your Guardians." he added. "You don't get it, do you? He was trying to help me move on." Raf replied. "Wake up! Dartz is a madman! The only person he's helping is himself by convincing you and the rest of Doma to hate the world and abandon everything you care about! He's trying to reignite the Battle of Atlantis and become its king and the ruler of the world, as well!" Yami stated.
"Are you done? Master Dartz gave me the power I needed to survive, and now its time to unleash it on you." Raf replied before Dreadscythe returned. "Guardian Dreadscythe?! That's impossible!" Yami said in surprise as the dome faded and everyone else could see both players again. "Well, now that the smoke dome cleared, I can tell that nothing much changed." Twilight said.
"My Underworld Circle magic card should've destroyed every single monster on the field. It also forces us to remove every monster card in our decks for the rest of the duel. After that, the only creatures we're allowed to use are the ones in our graveyard. That's why my Dark Magician Girl is gone now, so why is Dreadscythe still on the field?!" Yami asked, perplexed.
"By eliminating a card from my hand, Guardian Dreadscythe is able to automatically revive itself." Raf explained. "What do you mean?" Yami asked, still confused. "I mean my monster has a mind of its own." Raf answered. "But how?" Yami asked, shocked. "It was created to be indestructible, much like Exodia, so not even I can get rid of it." Raf explained. "Wait, does that mean Yami can't win?" Fluttershy asked. "Let's just watch and see." AJ replied.
"Thanks to the effect of my magic card, I have access to every monster in my graveyard. But your graveyard is off-limits, thanks to Dreadscythe." Yami said. "Didn't I tell you? There's no turning back. The monsters I sacrificed are gone and I don't need them. There's only one creature I need now, and you're looking at it." Raf replied.
'Dartz gave him that beast to feed the darkness in his heart. Perhaps if I destroy it, I can set Rafael free.' Yami thought. "I use the power of Underworld Circle to bring back my Dark Magician!" he declared before his ace monster returned. "He may have a shot after all." Seto said. "Yeah, especially since he can play cards that are in his graveyard." Mokuba concurred. "I'll set this face down to end my turn." Yami concluded. "You're done, Pharaoh." Raf said before drawing.
"Not as long as my magic card is in play, for I use it to bring back my Jack's Night!" Yami replied before the Card Knight returned to the field. "Alright! He can summon monster's on his opponent's turn to bolster his forces!" Rainbow said, feeling a comeback coming on. "You don't scare me. Your pathetic monsters are still no match for mine." Raf stated. "Dreadscythe, attack his Dark Magician, now!" he commanded. "Not so fast, Rafael, I activate Zero Gravity!" Yami declared before his trap sprung.
Suddenly, all of the monsters on the field switch battle positions. "Thanks to my trap card, every monster in attack mode automatically switches to defense mode." he explained. "That's one way to stop a zombie grim reaper dead in its tracks." Pinkie said, remembering her battle against Zonande at Battle City when she was an enforcer. "I don't think so." Raf replied with a smirk.
"I activate my own trap, Spirit Hunting." he added as his trap sprung. "This card allows my Deadscythe to switch to attack mode. Now it can pick up where it left off." he explained as Seto grit his teeth, truly invested in the match. Right then and there, both of Yami's monsters were destroyed. "That's no fair! He trashed two monsters at once?!" Tristan said, angrily.
"It's my move!" Yami declared before drawing. "I activate my magic card once again to bring back my Dark Magician Girl!" he added before his best female monster returned. "Next I activate Altar of Restoration! By discarding two cards from my deck, I can rescue another monster from my graveyard, and the card I choose is...The Eye of Timaeus!" he continued before his Legendary Dragon appeared.
"Now, Timaeus and Dark Magician Girl, merge together!" he commanded before Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight was born. 'He thinks he can use his new dragon's special effect to destroy my guardian.' Raf thought. "Alright, Pharaoh, let's see what you got!" he dared. "Now, my Dragon Knight, destroy his Deadscythe!" Yami commanded upon discarding a card. The attack soon fired and seemingly hit and destroyed Dreadscythe.
"Let's hope that's the end of that freak of nature." Tristan said. But when the light faded, that didn't seem to be the case. "You don't listen very well, do you? I told you, Dreadscythe is indestructible." Raf stated upon discarding a card. 'He knew that monster could revive itself, so why did he attack it?' Seto wondered. "I set this face down and end my turn." Yami said, concluding his move.
'Yugi better not let this chump defeat him again, for the championship and King of Games crown, no less. I'm the only one who deserves that glory.' Seto thought. "Time to finish you off!" Raf declared before drawing. "Not so fast! I invoke my Underworld Circle card to bring back my Queen's Knight!" Yami retorted before one of his Card Knights returned. "Just face it. Your strategy's not working, now watch." Raf said as he discarded, thought Yami saw it was Monster Reborn that was being discarded.
"By discarding one card, I can activate the Orichalcos Sword of Sealing!" Raf declared before said sword fell from the sky and pierced Timaeus' front left claw. "Well, that's gonna leave a mark, wouldn't you say, Timaeus?" he asked. "Now, Dreadscythe, attack Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight!" he commanded. "No!" Fluttershy shouted. "Yugi!" Seto called.
"This duel's over!" Raf declared as the creature was destroyed, and lowering Yami's life points to a measly 10. "Wait a minute! How are you still standing?!" he asked in shock. "I activated Reduction Barrier." Yami answered as his trap was revealed from the smoke. "Thanks to this, the damage I took was reduced to a tenth, meaning I have 10 life points left." he explained. "That's got to be the closest I've ever seen someone come to losing a duel!" Spike said in surprise.
"And that's the lowest amount of life points I think Yami's ever had in a duel." Rarity added. "This duel is still on! I'll fight till my last life point is gone! And that's a promise, Rafael." Yami stated, boldly willing to fight on no matter what. "Suit yourself. It won't be long now. And once I crush you, your soul will belong to Master Dartz." Raf replied. "You've been brainwashed. Blinded by your own darkness, but I believe that the real you is still inside, and I plan to let him out! Now it's my move!" Yami retorted before drawing.
"First I'll activate Underworld Circle again to bring Big Shield Gardna back to the field." he added before his best defender returned. "Next I play Pot of Greed to draw two more times." he continued before doing so. 'Excellent, just the card I was waiting for.' he thought as he looked at what he drew. "Time to face what you did, when you betrayed yourself and your guardians, for now I activate the magic card known as Spider Web, which allows me to use a card from your own graveyard!" he declared. "What's the point of all this?" Raf asked.
"I'm using Spider Web to take Monster Reborn out of your graveyard. Once I do, I'll use it to save you, by setting you free from that abomination of a monster you have on the field." Yami answered. "Whatever, just go." Raf replied. "I use Monster Reborn to bring back one of the creatures that saved your life and sanity on the island you washed up on all those years ago, and that you in turn deserted." Yami said as Eatos returned to the field.
"Eatos?" Raf said in surprise. "Why'd Yami bring Eatos back?" AJ asked. "I think we're going to find out." Twilight answered. "One more thing..." Yami said before turning to Joey. 'Like Battle City, I'll only win this with your help, Joey. So this one's for you.' he thought. "I now play The Claw of Hermos!" he declared before Joey's Legendary Dragon appeared.
"Now I'm really starting to wish Joey was awake instead of in a coma, he'd be thrilled to see his boy on the field." Spike said. "Now, Hermos and Queen's Knight, combine together to form the Goddess Bow!" Yami commanded before they formed the weapon, a level four, Light attribute warrior/fusion/effect monster with 1500 attack points and 1600 defense points.
"This mighty weapon doubles the attack points of Guardian Eatos!" he declared before Eatos picked up the bow, GREATLY increasing his attack points to 5000. "And since Eatos has been removed from your graveyard, your Dreadscythe gets weaker!" he added as Dreadscythe's attack points lower to match Eatos'. "What are you up to? Our monsters are even now, so if you attack, they're both destroyed. But mine comes back!" Raf said, still confused as to what Yami's strategy is. "We'll see about that. I have a few more surprises planned." the ancient one replied, causing Raf to worry.
"Guardian Eatos, attack Dreadscythe, now!" Yami commanded before Eatos fired an arrow of light, causing Dreadscythe to retaliate. "I now activate the special ability of my Goddess Bow! Now every time your Dreadscythe revives itself, Eatos attacks again!" he declared, shocking everyone, especially Raf. To his denying cries, Eatos was able to destroy Dreadscythe after SIX light arrows fired. "And don't forget, with each attack, you lose another card!" Yami added as Raf watched his hand dwindle down to nothing.
"I get it! If Rafael runs out of cards in his hand, Dreadscythe can't revive itself!" Mokuba said, catching on to Yami's strategy. "The dark flame of your Dreadscythe is now extinguished." the King of Games said at last as Eatos took Dreadscythe's mask and flew towards the heavens with it. "Come back!" Raf shouted, but it was useless as he fell to his knees.
"Now do you understand what you've done? You turned your back on your Guardians. At one time, they meant the world to you, especially Eatos. But then Dartz convinced you to abandon everything that was important to you. He made you desecrate the burial grounds of your family and fueled your rage. And in a moment of weakness, you allowed your heart to be consumed by the dark power of the Orichalcos. But I could tell the real Rafael was still inside you, fighting to break free. And I knew what I had to do, force you to face the darkness like I had to." Yami said.
"There's only one problem with your plan, Pharaoh. The Seal of Orichalcos still needs to capture a soul, so what do you say we finish this duel and see who goes?" Raf replied. "No, wait!" Yami pleaded. "Too late, it's my move." Raf said before drawing. "I'll use the power of Underworld Circle to bring back Guardian Grarl." he added before one of his fallen guardians returned. "What are you planning to do?" Yami asked.
"Next I'll activate my Soul Charge magic card, allowing me to summon three more monsters from my graveyard." Raf continued as Backup Gardna, Guardian Elma and Guardian Kay'est returned to the field. "That's four monsters total." Fluttershy said, concerned. "But there's one thing, every monster brought back with Soul Charge can't attack for a turn, so Yami's safe for now." Spike said before realizing what Raf's intention were. 'And each monster brought back costs the Duelist using it to give up 500 life points!' he thought.
"Well, that's it. My graveyard is completely free of monsters. My guardians are free." Raf said. "That's true, but now what?" Yami asked. "I think you know, Pharaoh. Each monster I brought back cost me 500 points." Raf answered as his life points dropped to 0, ending the game and sealing Raf's fate. "It's game over." he added as the Seal encircled him. "Rafael!" Yami shouted. Suddenly, Eatos descended from the sky like an angel. "What's Eatos doing here?" the ancient one wondered.
Raf looked up and saw what Yami saw, along with the other guardians surrounding him, free from the Seal of Orichcalcos. "You made the right choice, Rafael. The darkness inside you, has lifted." Yami said. "You're right. Thank you." Raf replied before he realized that his long dead brother and sister, Julian and Sonia, were alongside him, telling him that they missed him and would see him soon. 'I get it now. This is a vision of what's inside my heart. Everyone I ever turned my back on is still here, and they'll always be with me.' he thought as tears streamed out of his closed eyes. Then, Eatos, the other guardians and Raf's family ascended toward the heavens before fading away.
It was at that moment when the seal vanished from Raf's forehead and the fragment of the Orichalcos stone around his neck shattered, sparing him as the sun began to rise over Phoenix. "Rafael?" Yami said, surprised that the man didn't fall into a coma like all the others who lost their soul. "What happened to the seal?" AJ asked. "I don't know, but doesn't it put on a green laser light show?" Tea replied. "Yeah, and it usually leaves the loser in a coma." Raf concurred.
"You're still conscious? Must've been when the fragment of the Orichalcos stone around your neck shattered." Twilight figured. "I think it's the negative emotions of the person who plays the Seal of Orichalcos that powers it. Conquering those emotions must've saved Raf." Yami added. "So I was spared from ending up like Valon and Alister." put in Raf. "More than that, you're free from Doma, and from Dartz." Fluttershy added.
Suddenly, the building started to quake and rumble. "Oh, no!" Seto said in alarm. "Oh, yes." Yami replied. "What's going on, is it an earthquake?" Tristan asked. "I doubt that it's an earthquake because Phoenix rarely gets one!" Twilight replied. "She's right, and I think it's much worse than that." Yami added as the building continued to quake, rumble, rattle and shake.