Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction / Monster Rancher Fan Fiction ❯ Monsters Rule ❯ Let the Games Begin ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story takes place immediately after Dungeon Dice Monsters (Yu-Gi-Oh) and Melcarba (Monster Rancher). Yugi watched the screen as Monster Rancher 200x started up. Bakura entered the room with various refreshments. When Yugi turned and lifted his eyebrow, "Well, didn't you say Joey might come? Where did you get this game, Yugi?"
"Grandpa."
"Oh, I see."
Yugi grinned. "He said maybe I should try something besides Duel Monsters."

The Cabalos were gaining. Genki could hear their yammering over the noise of his rollerskates; once again he looked about wildly for a shrine. And this time there was one, just ahead. He looked to Holly, who jerked her head in a nod; she had seen it as well.
"TORPEDO!"
This knocked out a few in the front; more rushed to take their comrades' place. If Genki had been a few years over eleven he might have cursed. As it was, he pressed on.
They clambered up the mercifully few steps, Tiger and Golem occasionally pausing to counterattack when the Cabalos were too close for comfort. Holly placed the disk in the appropriate spot.

Yugi took out the game CD, then put in a random one handed to him by Ryou. When the screen prompted him, he replaced the Monster Rancher 200x.

Holly cried, "Unlock!"

The screen turned white, then shot out dark tendrils.
Yugi was flung violently across stone; someone landed on top of him. As Bakura apologized and Yugi pulled himself up, he heard several exclamations of surprise. Yugi looked around and promptly made one of his own.
There were two who looked somewhat normal- a girl around his own age, and a boy who was just about Mokuba Kaiba's. The others didn't look in the least normal- a pink something that resembled a penguin, a yellow thing with a single tremendous eyeball, a rock behemoth, a tall brown rabbit with a red bandanna, and a blue wolf with horns.
The boy was the first to step forward, grinning. "Hi, I'm Genki-"
The eyeball jumped in front of him. "In case you haven't noticed, we're in a situation here!" This statement was made even clearer by the vibrations of the door.
Yugi crawled over to where his deck had been thrown and shuffled through, finally pulling out the Dark Magician. He held out his hand, the card in his palm, not quite sure exactly what he intended to do.
The Puzzle glowed. The Dark Magician appeared, inciting more gasps. Shortly afterward, the door gave. A wave of more horned wolves- but these were purple- roared in, and he yelled, "Dark Magician! Attack!"
The Dark Magician held out a hand and attacked.

The world's colors seemed to swap for a split second, and Tiger of the Wind reeled backward; the Cabalos screamed and… shattered? Tiger blinked; by the time he was done with the blink the Lost Disks had already formed.
And who had caused this? A human? Wearing purple armor and the most ridiculous hat he had ever seen?
Genki decided it was time to commence the introductions. He pointed to himself. "I'm Genki-" the direction of his arm and his pointing finger changed "-and this is Holly. And here's Mocchi-" the penguin, "-and this is Suezo" the eyeball, "-and Golem, and Hare, and Tiger." Tiger nodded in response. His eyes shot wide open and he took another look at the kid Genki was speaking to.
He looks like… like… I don't know what… just what happened to his hair?
"I'm Yugi, and this is Bakura."
"It's nice to meet you." Tiger blinked once again- he had never imagined that this "Bakura" might be a boy.

"So we're looking for the Phoenix, so it can turn all the baddies into goodies. Even Mu," Genki finished his tale and leaned back.
Yugi blinked. "Like a Monster Reborn?"
"A what?" Yugi produced it after some more shuffling, whereupon Genki, Holly, Mocchi, and Suezo ran up and began to "ooh" and "aah" over it. Hare and Golem would have done so as well, but there was only so much space around Yugi. "But still," said Genki, "it only brings back one, right?"
"Maybe," said Yugi, "but then, Dark Magician's only supposed to attack one at a time." He nodded toward the Dark Magician in question, who was staring off at a wall with an inscrutable expression.
"So. You want to join up with us?"

Mahaad had never been more confused in his life. At least back in Egypt he generally knew more or less what was taking place, even if it wasn't the most pleasant of things. But now… he had absolutely no idea what was going on.
Yugi turned to him. "Dark Magician?"
"Yes?" Yugi blinked, confused, and then Mahaad realized he had been speaking in Egyptian. "I apologize. What do you wish of me?"
"You're real?" A nod. "Well, do you think we should go with them?"
Mahaad couldn't help but admire Yugi's quick adjustment. "I will agree with whatever decision you make."
Yugi turned back to Genki. "All right, if it's to save the world, I will."
"YEAH!" Genki leapt into the air. "Let's go!"
"Er, Genki?" Everyone looked at Hare. "Wouldn't it be more advisable to eat first?"

"Of course!" Bakura cried. "The potato chips!" He ran about the shrine, gathering up the bags. "Oh, and here's a pack of soda, and candy bars- Yugi, I think there's one over there…"
After a while everything Bakura had brought into the room was rounded up and taken outside for them to make camp. Yugi was grateful for Joey's prodigious appetite, as it appeared there just might be enough chips for everyone.
It was right around then that the full insanity of what was taking place occurred to him. Here he was, sharing chips and soda with characters from the video game he had just been playing. It had to be a dream. Maybe Bakura had accidentally dropped the food tray on his head and he was currently delirious.
… did delirious people wonder if they were delirious? No matter. He might as well make the best of it.
Besides, maybe when he woke up he would wake up not only from the dream-sleep, but from the dream altogether.