Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Of Cards and Chaos ❯ Duel and Invitation ( Chapter 2 )

Title: Of Cards and Chaos

Subtitle: Chapter Two -- Duel and Invitation

Series: YuGiOu

Author: Dark Light Goddess

Genre: action/adventure/romance

Plot Bunny: When her grade ten class go on an end of year trip to Egypt, Lauren Angel never expected to return home with a puzzle three thousand years old that held an ancient Pharaoh inside. Now, with Seto Kaiba's soul in Pegasus's grasp, she must travel with his little brother Mokuba and her friends to Duellist Kingdom and decide the fate of the world.

Otogi Muse's Disclaimer: Dark-sama does not own YuGiOh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi and other people. She only owns the fic, her fragile little mind, her Malik slave, plus myself.

Dark's Forward Notes: Thanks to all who read AND reviewed the first chapter. I'm not so sure how a duel goes, so just bare with me on this chapter. I've had a YGO withdrawral cause I had to give my friend her tapes back so I'm stuck on how a duel works. Yes, I did steal the last bit of it from the first episode you see Yami no Bakura. But, well, as my best friend says -- "Shit happens". And yes, this was inspired somewhat by The Clow Hatter's "I'm Not Weak" on ffn. Oh, I messed up in the duel *blushes* You use Gaia and Curse of Dragon to use the ritual card that gives you the Black Luster Soldier. Black Magician and Jikanbakudon allow you to bring forth the Magician of Black Chaos. Ah, what the hell, I ain't changing in.

Who's Who:

Yuugi Mutou - Lauren Angel

Katsuya Jounouchi/Joey Wheeler - Cassandra Lovell

Hiroto Honda/Tristan Taylor - Alexandra Smith

Ryou Bakura - Alison Carr

Anzu Mazaki/Tea Gardner - *announcer voice* "Unfortunately" Anzu will not be joining us for this fic

Shizuka Jounouchi/Serenity Wheeler - Dale Lovell [I know he'll kill me for this......]

Mai Kujaku/Mai Valentine - Leesah

Ryouji Otogi/*shudders*Duke Devlin - Matthew Bailey

Rebecca Hopkins - Jakeb Angel [my little nephew]

Shaadi - Jerome [in honour of my dead brother who died when I was 2]

********************

The room suddenly grew cold and dark, almost lifeless. The torches were blown out and the only light in the room was coming from the two millennium items. Both duellists stood apart from each other, eyes set firmly on their cards and hearts set on winning the duel. There was a forcefield-like orb around the two, ensuring that none of the attacks of their monsters would get to the bystanders.

"The first move is yours, Pharaoh," Bakura stated, hazel eyes wandering over the one in front of him. Yes, this was the one. Albeit a bit feminine, but nevertheless the Pharaoh that had sealed his fate away.

"As you wish." Lauren's crimson-coloured orbs narrowed as she picked a card and threw it down to the ground. "I call upon the Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress in attack mode!" The blue dragon appeared at her side, wings spread as a roar left its throat. "And I'll lay a card face-down, ending my turn." She smiled. "You may think you'll catch me by surprise, Bakura, but I know Alison's deck like my own as I was the one who helped her build it. I know every monster, trap and magic card she holds."

"Maybe you do but maybe I'll surprise you, Pharaoh. You don't know what modifications she may have made since you helped her build it."

Cassandra looked at Alex before looking at the guide for answers. "The monsters are real. How is that?"

"The game you know now used to be played during ancient times to decide the fate of the entire world. The one who won the duel was named king or queen of games and ruled over the earth. However, the game got out of control and had to be sealed away by the Pharaoh who's tomb we are standing inside."

Alex looked at her best friend. "L-chan, said there was a rumor that duel monsters came from ancient Egypt."

"Yes, but instead of cards, they played with stone tablets and real monsters, just like you are watching now. Now quiet, or they will not be able to concentrate."

Bakura picked a card from his hand and threw it to the ground. "I call on the White Magical Hat and place down the Book of Secret Arts to raise his attack power by three!" The humanoid monster appeared next to him. "Attack!" It did so, wiping out the Winged Dragon with one blow, seeing as its attack points were 1400 instead of its normal 1100. Normally something like that would have created a standoff, but the White Magical Hat was a fiend monster, therefore having the advantage. It took Lauren's life points down by two hundred [1500 vs 2000].

Lauren let the card return to her hand and placed it in her graveyard pile before drawing another one, almost smiling once more. "So you defeated my Winged Dragon. You'll never stop my Flame Swordsman! Go, Flaming Sword of Battle!"

Bakura winced as his life points were taken down by four hundred [1500 vs 1400]. "Pathetic. Draw any card you want, Pharaoh. But then again, you don't know what I'm laying face down, so you could be putting them in danger." He threw a card down, the other returning to his hand.

Lauren frowned. 'Alison owns a deck with nothing but fiend cards in it. It's probably the Man-Eater Bug she owns. I'll pass this turn while I figure out what to do.' She drew a card to replace the missing one in her hand. Speaking of which, it was a hand. 'Oh, I forgot the others gave me Exodia for my birthday. All I need to do is draw each piece to have him assembled. But the odds are against me.'

"Flame Swordsman, attack!" she commanded, voice hardened.

A maniacle laugh left Bakura's borrowed lips. "You may be taking me down, but I'm not going alone! Man-Eater Bug!"

'So I was right after all. Alison sometimes uses that card during our card battles at home. But it can only be used once. I'm going to have to be careful. There's another one lurking in that deck and from my ancestor's memories of Bakura, he will never give in.' "For this next turn I play Gaia; The Fierce Knight in attack mode. And I'll also place down Curse of Dragon in defence." She drew two more cards; Exodia's right leg and a Black Magic Ritual. 'Perfect.' "Your move, tomb robber."

"What card are you stalling for, Pharaoh?" A cold smile curled as he drew a card. "Axe Raider in attack mode!"

"Gaia, attack!" Lauren thrusted a hand forward. "Destroy his Axe Raider!"

"You've fallen into my trap, Pharaoh. Kunai Whip Chain!" Gaia and his horse became tied up. "Kunai Whip Chain brings Gaia's life down five hundred points and brings Axe Raider's up three hundred! Axe Raider, attack! Axe Slam!"

"Damnit!" 'Without Gaia, I can't summon Magician of Black Chaos. I'm gonna have to toss it all onto Exodia.' She drew her next card and her face brightened visibly. "Oh YES! Just what I needed. Watch out, Bakura, because here comes my favourite monster of all time! I'll play Reborn the Monster to bring back Gaia and now I'll sacrifice Gaia and the Curse of Dragon to summon the Black Magic Ritual and bring forth the Magician of Black Chaos!!" The black mage appeared at her side, golden gaze set on his enemy. "Black Chaos, destroy his Axe Raider!"

Cassandra and Alex were cheering from the side. "Yeah, knew you were gonna make a comeback, L-chan!"

Bakura only smiled. "Well, Pharaoh, it would seem as though you are winning. But not for long, for I play Ouji Board!" The light inside the force-field type object dimmed as the board appeared above his head with the letter "D". "And summon D Human, in attack mode!"

"I'll summon Black Magician. Black Magician, destroy his D Human. Black Magic Attack!"

E

"Hm, perfect. You've played right into my hands, Pharaoh, once more. For now I'll play the Lady of Faith in attack mode and summon up the Change of Heart!"

Alex looked at her best friend in confusion. "Change of Heart?? Isn't that Alison's favourite card or something?"

Bakura chuckled darkly. "And a very magical card it is. The monsters you summoned I can turn against one another. And the Change of Heart can only take over your strongest."

"Shit! Magician of Black Chaos!" Lauren looked down at her feet, loss etched in her somwhat crimson orbs. 'It's all over......' The black mage shot a glance to her from the side, as if assuring her everything would somehow be alright.

"I summon the Change of Heart!" Bakura threw the card down and there was a faint glow of light before the monster was summoned.

Only it wasn't a monster.

"Ali-chan?!" Lauren glanced up at the cry from Cassandra, eyes widening in shock and surprise. It was her best friend as the solemn Change of Heart. Hazel eyes opened, looking at her sadly before hardening.

"I want to help, L-chan, but we must act quickly!" She moved towards the Lady of Faith, pushing the monster's soul aside and settling into the body. "I have taken over one of his cards instead of yours." Bakura scowled at his hikari. This wasn't supposed to happen! Stupid woman and her loyalty to her friends. "I'll control her while you attack me." Alison moved her arms wide in acceptance. "You can win against him, I know you and I know you can."

Lauren shook her head in denial, not wanting to do it. "I......I can't! I'd be destroying you, sending you to the graveyard! I don't want to lose you!"

"It's better than being enslaved by an evil spirit, L-chan. Do it!" she demanded, wanting to be free of the torment of living with an evil soul, no matter how she got free of him.

"Silence!" Bakura made to slap her before a bright light came from the puzzle. Lauren's voice had grown deeper.

"I have a better idea!" The Ra eye on her forehead glowed with the puzzle's. "The millennium ring is said to be able to pull souls from people. Maybe my puzzle can put them back!" A dark light flashed between the two bodies before eyes blinked open, showing what had happened.

"Alright!" Alex clapped her hands. "Ali's back where she belongs!"

"But where's the evil guy?" Cassandra scratched her head before Bakura appeared in place of the Lady of Faith, answering her question. His chocolate eyes widened.

"This can't be!"

"Magician of Black Chaos, Black Magician, whichever one of you send him to the graveyard NOW!" The magical blasts hit and all they could hear was Bakura's long, agonizing scream as a whirlpool opened up and dragged him to the graveyard. The monsters disappeared along with the forcefield-like object around them. Lauren merely smiled before falling forward and passing out before she hit the cold ground, her original clothes returning to replace the ones that had appeared once she had entered the chamber.........

******************** -- unknown lapse of time, unknown place -- ********************

She groaned and shifted on the bed she laid on, blinking slightly before opening her eyes fully. Lauren frowned as she sat up and rubbed her temples, feeling like she'd been drinking too much when she was only sixteen years old. Her hands felt the sheets and she glanced down before realizing they were silk. Silk sheets, where the hell was she? She swung her legs over the side and stood up, looking around. A simple enough room, but filled with mountains of toys and literally pouring innocence and light. Whoever occupied this place must be deliriously happy. Wait, what happened after that duel?

"It's good to see you're awake, hikari." She turned, blinking when she saw a male with the most peculiar hair she'd ever seen. It was tri-coloured; gold bangs whereas the rest was black and red outlined the outside. He was wearing something like what she had during the duel with Bakura, only he wore pants and not a piece of cloth that barely covered down to his knees. "You've been asleep for a week."

"A week? What the Hell happened after the duel and who the Hell are you?" She then noticed the puzzle hanging limply around her neck. He only smiled.

"You passed out after the duel from the strength it took to battle in the Shadow Realm. I'm quite surprised you were able to do it, but then again, you are my ancestor I suppose, since the puzzle seems to have allowed you to become its new owner."

Lauren took a step back, shaking her head. "Wait, wait. You said I'm your ancestor, but that would mean that you are......"

"I've been called many things over the centuries." His smile warmed. "Pharaoh, Yugiou, but you may call me Yami."

"Darkness? Why that?"

"Simply because that is what I am, what I will always be." Yami walked over to the bed and sat down, patting the space beside him for her to sit down. "Your darkness now. Just like Bakura is your friend's darkness."

Lauren sat beside him, contemplating everything he was telling her. "So you're saying that the puzzle and the ring hold spirits inside? Spirits of ancients that lived three thousand years ago in Egypt?"

"Three thousand years? Is that how long it's been since I sealed away the Shadow Games?" She nodded and he shook his head. "You are going to have to teach me about the modern times, hikari."

"Why do you call me that? It's a popular Japanese girl's name and it means Light but I don't understand why you call me that. I have no light, just complete and utter darkness."

"So I saw while you were sleeping. I hope you don't mind, but I took a look at your memories while you were unconscious. I wanted to get to know the one I was protecting better than what you would have given me if you had been awake." Yami placed an arm around her shoulders, noticing the droplets that were beginning to form at the mere mention of her past. He pulled her onto his lap, stroking a hand gently through her hair. "I call you hikari because you are the light in my darkness, you were the one who freed me from years of entrapment in darkness. So just think of me that way in return."

Lauren dried her eyes beneath her glasses, shaking her head slightly. "Damn, I've been asleep for a week and I missed out on everything that happened. Damn, I didn't even get to buy anything and I had my money changed to Arabian currancies."

Yami blinked at her. "What......are you talking about, aibou?"

She giggled a little, placing a hand over her mouth. "That's right. You still don't know about the modern times. I live way over the other side of the world in a small country called Tasmania. We have to change our money to another country's money if we ever want to have the hope of doing anything that involves money. Such as finding a place to stay or buying food and whatnot." She shrugged when he looked confused. "I'm confused about it too, I say let us get stuff for free and then it would be a trouble-free world. We were going to stay for two weeks, though, so I only missed out on one."

Yami smiled and laughed. "You're confusing me even more, hikari. It's time you woke up, anyway."

******************** -- lapse of time, unknown place -- ********************

For the second time that day, Lauren awoke, rubbing her eyes and she looked at her watch. 'Two in the afternoon, what Ra damned time did Yami want me to wake up? There's no second digit in the hour!'

"You're awake!" She was tackled back down on the bed by her hyper best friend. Alison looked at her with hazel eyes, grinning. "We thought you would sleep forever! Even Kaiba was worried."

Lauren blinked in surprise. "Kaiba? As in the cold-hearted Seto Kaiba who cares for no one but his little brother?!" She frowned. "Are you alright?"

"Yep, that Kaiba." Alison backed away, sitting on the side of the bed. "Sorry, I've just never been able to control that bastard. He's almost always in control of my body and this time I didn't have any time to warn you. He placed my soul into the Change of Heart card once he learned I was going to warn you." She looked at her, grinning. Lauren could see the millennium ring hanging around her neck. "That was some wicked transformation you went through! By the time the duel was finished, half the guys had turned the chamber into a swimming pool! They think more highly of you now and a majority of them visited you while you were sleeping. Looks like you got a fanclub." She jabbed her in the stomach, her grin turning teasing. "And Kaiba's been by almost every day to check on you."

Lauren felt her ears start to blush and was glad her hair hid them. "Yeah, well, maybe Kaiba isn't a bad guy after all." A lecherous smile grew. "Although those pants he wears makes his ass look tight!"

"So the heroine is awake, hm?"

The two girls jumped at the voice and glanced to see the said brunette in the doorway. The blush spread further across Lauren's cheeks. "Um, hey, Kaiba-sempai. Um......just how long have you been standing there?"

Seto smiled and leaned off the doorframe, walking into the room with his hands in his jacket pockets. "Long enough to hear the last comment." Lauren felt like face-faulting if she was in an anime. He glanced at Alison. "Can you leave us alone for a minute?" She only nodded and scooted towards the door, giving her best friend a wink before leaving. Seto sat down beside her, leaning back on his hands. "You had most of us worried; we didn't think you were going to pull through."

Lauren scratched the back of her neck, her blush disappearing. "Thanks. For being worried, I mean. I can't remember the last time anyone worried about me." She shrugged and tried to avoid his piercing gaze. "Parents just didn't care I guess." There was silence for a moment before the older spoke.

"I wanted to talk to you because I need a favour."

"I'm listening. But I expect something in return. I've learned not to do favours for nothing."

"So I was told." It was Seto's turn to be embarrassed. "Well, the Kaiba Corperation ball is coming up in the next couple of weeks and I......haven't exactly arranged for a date......"

"You want me to go with you?" He blushed and nodded. This was hard. "Why me, out of all the other girls in the school, in the world? You could pick anyone you wanted, why me?"

"Because, well, I......think your special. I also need you to pose as my girlfriend while we're there and if those damn reporters start hounding me."

She laughed nervously. Nobody had ever asked her out on a date before. Okay, that one time with Bradley when they were six and seven [her being the older number] didn't count. "Sure, I'll do it."

"Great. Thank you." He leaned over and did something unexpected.

He kissed her on the cheek.

END OF CHAPTER TWO