Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Altered Destinies ❯ Chapter 7: Troubles and Lessons ( Chapter 7 )

This is my first attempt at a Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction so please be kind in your reviews, if you review. I might not have many of the characters in character. On another note I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh and never will. I don't know whom it is that owns Yu-Gi-Oh and besides giving these unknown parties credit for making such a kickass manga/anime, I don't really care. Also, I don't have any money right now so, no one can benefit at all when it comes to suing me.

I came up with this idea when I read a couple of stories that I have read on fanfiction.net. One was recently taken off for some reason but it had been a good story. The other focused on the series if Yugi had been born a girl. I decided to take my shot at this kind of story but using Seto Kaiba. I will only mention this once so pay attention:

/Backslash/ - a conversation between a person and their spirit. i.e.: Yugi to Yami and vice versa.

//Double Backslash// - the person is thinking.

-Altered Destinies, Chapter 7-

Yugi stood in front of a huge double door with a slight worry. After yesterday's events, so much was now on his shoulders. Kaiba broke his faith in how reliable his other self was. If it wasn't for him Seto would have jumped off the edge. It didn't make sense at first until he saw the condition Mokuba was in. Now, Yugi has to face Kujaku Mai in the semifinal match in a tournament in which his grandfather, Mokuba, and Kaiba's souls were on the line. //Everything is up to me to win this tournament. I don't know if I can do this by myself, but I must win this.// Yugi opened the doors to reveal the arena where the duel would take place. Mai was on the other side of the room watching Yugi with interest. Pegasus was sitting on a chair across from the other spectators with a huge pit separating him from the duelists.

"Welcome to the first match of the Duelist Kingdom finals," a seemingly old man said. "The match pits Motou Yugi vs. Kujaku Mai. Will both duelists reveal their qualifying cards for eligibility?" Mai shows a card with a treasure horde while Yugi's card has a blank picture. "Okay, both duelists qualify. Now let the first match of the finals begin (Y: 2000 M: 2000.)

"Ladies first," the blonde said as she drew a card. "I'll summon the Harpy Lady card in attack mode." A lady with winged arms appeared on the field (4/1300/1400.) "Then I'll finish my turn by setting one card face down." //Show me what you've got.//

//Okay she's started off with her usual monster card and that means the other card has to be something that boosts her monster's attack power. She's using the same strategy as before so this should be easy.// Yugi thought.

/No, it's a trap card easily./ The other presence within Yugi called out. /Let me take over./

/I can't trust you./ Yugi said telepathically. /You almost killed someone who was fighting for what was most important to her./

/Do you think any of us knew that Mokuba was in that kind of state./ The other Yugi said. /She probably didn't even know his condition. She wakes expecting to see Mokuba and finds out that he disappeared, possibly kidnapped./

/It's still too risky to leave it in your hands./ Yugi finished his mental conversation. "I summon Dark Knight Gaia and attack." Gaia charges the Harpy Lady card.

"You've just activated my trap card, Silver Mirror Wall," Mai said as she flipped her face down card over. A crystalline mirror-like structure surrounded Mai's monster as Gaia's attack connects. "This makes your monster attack a reflection of it causing it to lose half of its attack points (7/1150/2100.)

"Whoa," Jounouchi said. "That move was very costly to Yugi. I didn't expect that."

"Yeah," Anzu responded. "And it doesn't help that Yugi has yet to get over his duel with Kaiba. He hasn't even changed into that other presence yet."

"Now I'll play Cyber Bondage to boost my Harpy's attack," Mai said as she threw down a card and soon, her Harpy Lady has a suit of armor attach to her (Attack 1800.) "Now destroy that knight." Yugi's monster was dispatched with ease (Y: 1350 M: 2000.)

/Yugi, let me take over./

/Not a chance./ Yugi countered.

//Ahhh.// Pegasus thought. //It seems that little Yugi is fighting against the power of the Sennen Puzzle. Will he be able to last any longer?//

"I place a card face down and I summon the Demon Summon in attack," Yugi called and a tall, skull demon with wings and a skeleton on the outside appears (6/2500/1200.) "Attack with Lightning Strike." Yugi's attack approached Harpy Lady and soon Yugi was surprised to see a Mirror Wall erect itself reducing his monsters attack by half (attack 1250.) "How did you activate Mirror Wall this turn."

"My Mirror Wall is a Permanent Trap card," Mai explained. "As long as it remains on the field, all of your attacks have to pass through it. Now I play Harpy's Feather Sweep to remove your face down card and end my turn."

"I'll send my Demon Summon into defense and Summon Gremlin in defense as well," Yugi said as the Demon Summon kneel down to guard itself and a green imp-like creature appeared (4/1300/1400.)

"I'll play my Electric Whip magic card and have once again powered up Harpy Lady with it 2100 attack strength destroy your Gremlin," Mai's monster made short work of Yugi's. //This is a disappointment. Where's the real Yugi? Whatever Kaiba did to him must've really worked?//

"Then I'll set Saiga into defense as well," Yugi countered.

Mai's next draw gave her a smile, "Now for my trump card to kick in. I summon this monster." A huge red, dragon-like monster appears onto the field.

"What is that?" Yugi and Jounouchi questioned at the large monster.

"Harpy's Pet Dragon," Mai answered back. "When this monster is on the field, it gains an additional power boost for every Harpy monster card on the field (7/2300/2500.) "Now my dragon, destroy his Demon Summon." Yugi's demon was promptly destroyed. "This isn't like you, Yugi. Where's that fearless duelist that I met at tournament start."

//I can't put my trust into that spirit.// Yugi answered in his mind as he drew a card and placed it on the field. //If I let him take charge, he just might end up hurting Mai. I can't let that happen.//

"In any case," the blonde woman said. "Harpy's Pet Dragon, destroy his Saiga. I'll finish my turn by placing one card face down."

/Come on Yugi./

/Don't think about taking over./ Yugi said to his other self as he drew a card. "I place one card face down and summon the Black Magician in defense."

/No Yugi./ Dark Yugi called out as the Black Magician appeared (7/2500/2100.)

"You activated my trap," Mai said as she flipped over her face down card. "Seductive Shadow. It forces all male monster into attack mode and any monster that was in defense mode at the time is forced to attack."

"That means," Yugi pondered.

"Yep," Mai answered back. "Your Black Magician runs face first into my Mirror Wall, reducing its attack by half (attack 1250) and my dragon gets to finish it off after I play another Harpy's Feather Sweep." Yugi's monster is easily dragon fodder and his face down cards were swept away in a whirlwind (Y:300 M: 2000.)

"Yugi is down to 300 life points," Anzu said. "And Mai's have remained untouched throughout this entire duel."

"Mai has been ruthless in this duel," Jounouchi followed the brunette's statement. "This wasn't the Mai that I dueled earlier. Had she been holding herself back all this time?"

"Nope," Mai answered the other blonde's question. "I had resorted to the perfume trick to get a psychological edge against my opponents because I was afraid of losing. When you beat me Jounouchi, I thought I was at my limits. I just didn't feel like myself and I couldn't stop thinking about that duel. You've taught me something that day Katsuya. Defeat wasn't something to be feared, it was instead a point of realization. I learned that I would never reach my full potential if my fear of losing kept me enjoying the game and that I had reached as far as I could go."

"Wow," Jounouchi said. "I actually taught you that."

"Must be a whole new different feeling for you to actually teach someone for once," Jounouchi's face hit the railing at Anzu's joking comment.

"Anyway," Mai continued, "Yugi, I don't know what Kaiba did to you, but you should get over it and learn from your defeat."

//She's right,// Yugi thought. //She's improved so much since her duel with Jounouchi just by learning from her defeat. When Jounouchi had his butt kicked by Kaiba, what did he do? He got over it and out dueled an opponent who followed the strategy of an internationally duelist. They have improved so much, but here I am afraid to go all out because of a defeat that showed me just how different 'Other Me' is from me.//

/Let me take over from here. We'll work together and defeat her. For your ojiisan and for the Kaibas./ Dark Yugi said.

/I am down to my last 300 life points,/ Yugi said to his other self. /I don't have much else to lose right now./ The sennan puzzle glowed and the other Yugi makes his presence known. Everyone watched with interest.

"Thank you Mai," the changed Yugi said as he drew a card. "In gratitude for helping me, I will show you a miracle and defeat you."

//Seems like Yugi-boy has finally embraced the power of his Sennan Item, but with only 300 life points, will you be able to keep your promise.//

"I play the magic card Brain Control to take over one of your monsters," Yugi said. "In this case, I'll take over your dragon." Mai's dragon turns on the Harpy Lady but Mai doesn't look concern.

"In case if you didn't know this but Harpy's Pet Dragon is Harpy Lady's loyal pet," Mai said. "Even if brainwashed, he won't attack her."

"Who said anything about attacking with it like you described," Yugi said. "I summon Catapult Turtle to launch the dragon. Since this is an attack, your Mirror Wall shows up, but will it remain." A green turtle with a launcher-like catapult show up (5/1000/2000.) The dragon was placed on the catapult and the dragon was launched, shattering Mai's barrier. "Since Pet Dragon was your monster you lose life points. About half of its attack points are deducted from your life points (Y: 300 M: 850.) I finish by placing a card face down."

Mai draws, "I play Thousand Reflections and turn my Harpy Lady into Harpy Lady Sisters, each with 2700 attack points." Mai looks at the display screen and says, "I'll end my turn there."

"Too bad my face down card wasn't a trap," Yugi said as he turned the card over. "It was Monster Recall. I shuffle my monsters and hand back into my deck and draw five cards." After Yugi was finished with his actions, he saw his new hand. //It's a start.// "I'll summon Holy Elf in defense mode since it is a female monster." A blue-skinned lady arose to the field (4/800/2000.)

"I'll play my Raise Dead to bring back an old friend," Mai said as a red dragon returns to the field.

//It's that dragon.// Yugi thought. //Although Harpy Lady Sisters is one card, it counts as three monsters and gives that dragon attack strength of 2900.//

"Yugi had trouble the first time with that dragon," Anzu said. "And now it's back and even stronger than before."

"Harpy Ladies," Mai said pointing at the Holy Elf. "Destroy his last defense with Triple Ecstasy Attack." The three harpies attacked as one and destroy Yugi's last defense monster. Yugi draws his next card. //It doesn't matter what card he draws this turn. I'll wipe out his next monster and the rest of his life points. It's over.//

"I play Sealing Swords of Light," Mai gasped at Yugi's play.

//He drew Sealing Swords of Light. That had to be the luckiest draw ever. Now I have to wait three full turns.//

//This will buy me time.// Dark Yugi thought. //Hopefully by that time, I can play the Chaos Ritual.//

/What's that?/ Yugi asked.

/If I get the right cards in time, you'll find out./ The other Yugi said. "I'll play Kuribo." A fuzzy little creature takes its place on the field (1/300/200.)

"That's all you can do," Mai asked. "That little fur ball couldn't fight its way out of a wet paper bag much less defeat one." Steam is blowing out of the monster's nose from the insult. "I can't do anything right now so I only draw a card."

Dark Yugi drew his next card. //Fusion, a powerful card, but it isn't what I need.// "I play my own Raise Dead card and bring back another key element for my plan. Dark Knight Gaia, reveal yourself." Yugi's knight returned to the field after it had been destroyed long ago.

"I send him back soon enough," Mai said as she smiled at her next draw. //I did it. I drew another Harpy Lady. I can power up my dragon to 3200 attack points, but if I summon her now, she can't attack and will be vulnerable to that knight.//

//That would be quite the plan, if it were to work.// Pegasus read Mai's thoughts. //But Yugi is planning on using the legendary Chaos Ritual to summon the Chaos Soldier. If he can get the card he needs within the next two draws, it's over for you my dear.//

Yugi just saw the card he needed and called out, "Looks like the pendulum for this duel has completely changed in my favor for the remainder of the duel. First I'll set this card face down and then I summon Griffol." Yugi's monster appeared as he flips his face down card. "Now I'll reveal my face down, Chaos Ritual."

"WHAT!!" Mai yelled out as Kuribo and Griffol disappeared from the field.

"I'll sacrifice Kuribo and Griffol to form the Chaos Vortex," a vortex of powerful energies appeared and Yugi just sent Gaia into the vortex. "When this is done, Dark Knight Gaia will be infused with a powerful magic that will transform him into the Chaos Soldier." Gone were the horse and the lances, and a heavily armored swordsman stepped out of the vortex (8/3000/2500.)

"Is that really the Chaos Soldier," Mai panicked at the strength of Yugi's new monster. Everyone watched in awe, including Bandit Keith.

"And now," Yugi continued. "Attack her Harpy's Pet Dragon." The Chaos Soldier sent out a wave of energy as he slashed his sword. Mai could only watch in shock as her dragon took the attack head on and lost.

//One more turn and I would've won.// Mai thought. //How did he do that? My only Harpy's Pet Dragon is destroyed and I have no more Cemetery Recursion cards. My three harpies are maxed out and I have nothing else that can stand up against that.// Mai placed her right and on her deck and said, "You've won this duel Yugi. I have run out of moves. I'll duel you on a later date."

Just as Mai was about to leave Yugi called out, "Mai, I've learned something important in this duel. If it wasn't for you, I would have lost." Yugi looked at the image of his shorter host smile at him.

"I've learned that I still have a ways to go," Mai said and walked out of the room.

"Yugi has won the first match of the finals," Pegasus' attendant said. "The next match will start right now. The participating duelists will be 'Bandit' Keith Howard vs. Katsuya Jounouchi."

-To Be Continued-

Well the first match of the finals is done and it is time for what I think is Duelist Kingdom's finest duel. In the manga, Yugi's rituals were done differently than the anime's or real card games. I'll now have a feature card or cards for the next few chapters at least. This chapter features the cards that Yugi used to win this duel.

Chaos Soldier
Card Type: Ritual Monster
Main-Type: Light
Sub-Type: Warrior
Attack: 3000
Defense: 2500
Notes: Has to be specially summoned onto the field by Chaos Ritual first.

Chaos Ritual
Card Type: Ritual Magic
Spell Speed: 1 (I guess since it can only be used during a main phase.)
Effect: Used to summon Chaos Soldier. Sacrifice up to eight levels of monster on the field or in your hand.

Cemetery Recursion: There is a deck call Cemetery Recursion. It focuses on getting a strong monster into your cemetery and using a card like Raise Dead (Monster Reborn) to bypass the sacrifice requirements. Some monster cards (Ritual Monsters) can't use this strategy right away and some can't use this strategy at all (Five God Dragon, and Black Paladin to name two.)