Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Silenced Legacy ❯ Past Allies: One Soul or the World, Part 3 ( Chapter 18 )

Episode #18- Past Allies, Part 3

The Duel stood after Yami took a wallop from Miran's forces, only his Celtic Guardian remained standing even after her onslaught. Miran's field was packed with her Skull Guardian, two Command Knights, and Raikoukou. Yami looked weakened from the attacks.

"Come on, Yugi!" Tea cried from the sidelines.

'Miran is actually faring well against Yugi. Though quite often Yugi will turn his loss to his gain.' Kaiba thought with his arms folded.

"Alright, this turn I will sacrifice my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian to summon- " Yami paused in his call.

'Yami wait!' Yugi called from within, 'If you summon the Summoned Skull, Raikoukou can destroy automatically, regardless of Raikoukou's attack strength. But I have another idea; we can use Ultimate Offering against her.'

'Are you sure?' Yami questioned in thought.

'Of course, the effects of Ultimate Offering work for both players.' Yugi replied; Yami nodded in return.

"Alright, instead of sacrificing right now, I'll use Ultimate Offering to bring a monster in defense mode, Mystical Elf." Yami changed plans as a monster appeared.

'Shoot! I should have seen that one coming!' Miran shocked.

"Now, I'll play this card, the Black Luster Ritual." He continued, "By sacrificing my Celtic Guardian and my Mystical Elf, I summon one of my more powerful monsters in my Deck, the Black Luster Soldier!" Yami declared as two pots appeared on his side of the field.

'Black Luster Soldier?' Miran thought, 'Raikoukou can't handle that much power, but the others can.' Both of Yami's monsters were swallowed by black smoke into the pots as a plate rose up in the middle, a square panel with two swords crossed over each other. A bolt shot through the plate and faded out into a warrior with black armor and yellow rimming.

All of Miran's monsters stood in fighter stance, all except Raikoukou. Its silver eyes stared shockingly at Yami. 'Pharaoh?' it thought. Time seemed to freeze as Raikoukou memories of long ago came to it quickly. 'Pharaoh Yami, the one that my Master served all those years ago. But why do they fight? I know this battle is important to them, but at what cost?' Raikoukou's mind image glanced at both of them. 'Wait, Master and Lord Yin- Yang said an evil plagued Miranda. I have failed to protect her. But what of this Duel? Pharaoh Yami versus Master Mirandragon? Why this?' Raikoukou thought as Yami finished his summoning.

"Black Luster Soldier, attack Raikoukou now!" Yami declared and his soldier lunged with his sword over his head, ready to strike down.

'I remember...what Shadi has told me before.' Raikoukou thought as a vision flashed before its eyes.

A hot day poured into one chamber as bright rays beat down on the clay floor. Raikoukou stride down a set of stairs to see Shadi studying on a wooden table. It's presence disturbed him from his tedious work. "Raikoukou, why do you stay inside? Shouldn't you be out with your Master?" Shadi said in the kindness of his voice, one of which is hardly heard of.

'I want to know why you're isolated from the Pharaoh a lot.' Raikoukou replied in telekinesis, 'You seem to be his most loyal subject, next to the Tomb-Keepers.' Shadi gave a smile and patted Raikoukou on the head.

"I just fear a few futures." Shadi replied; Raikoukou cocked its head in small confusion, "I can see briefly into the future beyond the here and now. Soon the Shadow Games will return and the Pharaoh must do what he can to seal them again, even risking his own life."

'But with Master Mirandragon as an ally, we do not have to fear of the Shadow Games as much as we had before.' Raikoukou replied, its nine tails swishing about.

"That is true Raikoukou, but even Mirandragon's blade alone cannot slay the rising Shadow Games." Shadi argued in the same tone of respect.

Raikoukou paused to question the mystic further, 'What will happen if the Shadow Games do return? Even if the Pharaoh took his life to defeat them?'

"The Pharaoh will return when the Mystic Alignment between our world and the Shadow Games is corrupted. The Pharaoh will stand strong to the challenge and overcome it." Shadi answered in a slow rising tone, "Pharaoh Yami must beat the odds for the safety of mankind here and generations ahead."

'Pharaoh Yami must beat the odds for the safety of mankind here and generations ahead.' Raikoukou repeated itself, 'So, this is the fight. If Yami is to lose, mankind will be destroyed. If Mirandragon is to lose, Miranda will still be that demon's slave. A battle for one soul...or all.' Raikoukou closed its eyes as the Black Luster Soldier struck down.

"No, Raikoukou!" Miran cried as Raikoukou shattered in result and her Life Points dropped by 800.

'Mirandragon, it's for the best.' Raikoukou thought as its monster's form reverted back to its spirit form, out of sight from the others. Raikoukou watched Miran's Life Points drop to 6200. 'Now to see Kikaita.' Raikoukou thought and stride to the door unnoticed.

__________

The darkened Room 7 was silent since Serenity's soul was ripped from her body. Only a crack of light from the door sheltered the room from complete darkness. Kikaita vengefully thought as she was still pinned against the wall with Yami Marik's Shadow Magic, now stronger than ever. Her amber eyes looked to her daughter's living body, but what is a living body without a living soul?

In front of Kikaita were her sword and the bowling ball bag Ashley left in the room. The zipper began to undo itself and the bag opened wide. Kikaita looked to the bag inches from her sword as an object began to levitate from it, Ashley's bowling ball. The hush of different winds sounded in Kikaita's ears as the ball slipped out of the bag and began to rise two feet off the ground.

"Edward, I know." Kikaita whispered to herself, "I already sent Raikoukou to help an ancestor."

'It's not enough.' Ed's words finally became understandable, 'Joey's sister, Serenity, now is trapped in the Shadow Realm as well. But I don't understand why he's doing this.'

"He used to live on Marik's pain and anger." Kikaita replied, "But now he seems to feed off of Miranda's emotions now. Our passing have shattered her into isolation."

'Master Kikaita.' A telepathic voice sounded, Raikoukou fluently slid through the door and looked worried when it came in, 'Master Kikaita, what happened!?' Raikoukou asked as it pointed to tails towards her and released her. Kikaita fell to the carpet, kneel landing, and swept her sword up.

"Yami Marik has Serenity and Miranda in the Shadow Realm now." Kikaita informed her demon ally, "And it's my fault. If I had only protected myself instead of Marik eight years ago, I wouldn't have passed away and forced Miranda to America."

'But still, I would have been dead one way or another.' Ed butted in, the bowling ball shaking in jolts, 'My murder was imminent ever since I've turned pro, even when I had my bad arm.'

'You can't go blaming yourselves for what has already happened!' Raikoukou startled the two, 'Sure, I feel somewhat responsible for breaking one Master's promise, but that doesn't mean I'm giving up, not yet!' Raikoukou growled.

"But what can we do? We're just ghosts." Kikaita reported.

'You two don't know the first thing about ghosts. I'm an animal spirit, and a spirit can do just about the same things as a ghost could do. Well, Ed knows one of them, Possession.' Raikoukou pointed out as the two looked at Ed. The bowling ball spun once.

'Say, you're right.' Ed replied.

'And if he can Possess a bowling ball, then you're more likely to Possess a sword or anything, maybe even a human.' Raikoukou looked to Kikaita.

"You mean...?" Kikaita glanced to her daughter, still sleeping through the argument. Her eyes shot wide as the body was surrounded with black clouds, "No, I can't. She's been tainted by the Shadow Realm. Yami Marik has grown too powerful for me to draw any attention to her body." She argued.

'Good point.' Ed agreed, 'I've seen that freak in the Shadow Realm. He has Miranda locked down tighter than a bank on Sunday.' All three of them gazed at their misfortune.

* * * * * *

"Miranda, I can save you from a perilous and meaningless future." Yami Marik lowered his voice to a whisper. His hand coiled around my fingers and shifted down smoothly; his lips brushed up against the top of my hand. "Come now, there's something I need to show you. It'll might make you understand more clearly the advantages of my offer." I felt his warm breath on my skin. Yami Marik removed his light grip on me and opened my way to avoid him. I jolted my hand out of his reach and jumped back from the throne, bumping my back into a stone wall.

I was wringing my hands on the back wall as I saw Yami Marik get up from his seat and moved to get his cloak. He pulled it back over his head and looked to me behind him, his eyes beckoned me to follow. I got up to my feet and paced towards im with my cloak enclosing my body. I followed him into the Shadow Realm.

__________

Miran stared shocked as her monster was destroyed. The Black Luster Soldier returned his stance on Yami's side of the field. "I'll place one card faced down. This ends my turn, Miran." Yami stated. Miran made her draw; it was another one of her Warrior monsters.

"OK, I play another one of my Warriors, Gearfried the Iron Knight." Miran called as her next monster assembled itself next to Skull Guardian in Raikoukou's last position, "And just as my other Warriors, Gearfried gains 800 attack points from my Command Knights as well as my whole squadron powering up with The A. Forces." Miran briefed as Gearfried's attack rose to 3400.

"Come on Yugi!" Mai called from the sidelines.

"We're with you. Hang in there." Tea followed. Miran watched them as they cheered Yugi on.

'I can't let them help Yugi win.' Miran thought, 'But the only reason I have no one is because Ashley left and Miranda is who knows where. I won't give in, I have to win...for Miranda.'

Yami Marik and I got view of the Duel from Kaiba's side. After floating through several floors, I felt a little dazed.

"At first, it'll be new. But you'll get used to it." Yami Marik stated and drew his eyes towards the battle. Mirandragon had a solid 6200 while Yugi was at his last 2800. Mirandragon had an army ready to strike and Yugi held his own with Black Luster Soldier. My vision soon refocused.

"Gearfried, attack now!" Miran called as one of her monsters.

"Go Mystical Refpanel!" Yami declared and flipped his trap, "This card will send the effects from one of your monsters to one of mine. Now thanks to your Command Knights and The A. Forces, my Black Luster Soldier gains an 1800 attack boost."

'Oh no, and Mirandragon already called the attack with Gearfried.' I thought in panic.

"Black Luster Soldier, counterattack!" Yami called as his Black Luster Soldier charged in and destroyed Gearfried, dropping Miran's Life Points by another 400.

"Still, the Refpanel's effect only lasts one turn, so my Skull Guardian can easily destroy your Soldier on my next turn." Miran recovered.

"Alright, then." Yami sighed and drew Exchange.

'Yes, there might be a way to win, Miran might be hiding something and waiting for the right turn to activate it.' Yugi perked up from within the mind.

"Now I play Exchange." Yami declared and activated his card, "Exchange allows both players to select one card from each other's hand and make it our own."

"Fine." Miran replied and showed him her hand. Yami did the same.

"I'll take the 4-Starred Ladybug of Doom." Yami exclaimed.

"Then I'll take your Buster Blader." Miran answered back and they both took one's card and returned back to position.

"Now then, I'll place one monster in defense mode and one card faced down, that will end my turn." Yami signaled as a card settled itself next to his Soldier.

'Darn it! That has to be my 4-Starred Ladybug of Doom. And if I attack it, all but my Skull Guardian will be destroyed.' Miran thought.

"It looks like Mirandragon's in a tight spot, don't you agree?" Yami Marik's demonic voice snapped me out of my trance in the Duel.

"So I've guessed." I replied without drawing my eyes towards him, "If Miran attacks that defense monster or not, Yugi can just flip it and destroy her Gearfried and Command Knights, if it is the Ladybug of Doom. This then will weaken the Skull Guardian enough to be vulnerable to the Black Luster Soldier."

"You've analyzed the strategies quite well for a Middle Duelist." Yami Marik commented.

"I've seen just about every strategy possible at my last school." I answered.

"Alright," Miran sighed and drew, 'Yes, Tribute to the Doomed!' "Now then, I activate my card, Tribute to the Doomed: by sacrificing one card from my hand, I'll destroy your defense monster." Miran did so as Yami's card disappeared, leaving nothing to hid behind but his Black Luster Soldier. "Now Skull Guardian, attack now! Double Scythes Slash!" Miran declared as her Skull Guardian charged up.

"Go Mirror Force!" Yugi called and activated his trap. Skull Guardian was thrown back by an invisible barrier and destroyed himself with the two Command Knights, making Miran defenseless.

Marik watched with the crowd the whole thing. A slight shock broke this trance and looked again to the empty area beside Kaiba, 'It's 'Him,' and he has Miranda...' Marik thought.

"Mirandragon's finished." Yami Marik sneered. I couldn't help but to stare shocked.

"Now it's my turn." Yami stated and drew Monster Reborn, "Miran, you've played honorably. But this ends here. I play Monster Reborn to bring back Valkyrion, the Magna Warrior!" Yami declared as one of his earlier monsters reappeared on the field.

'No, I've failed Miranda.' Miran began to think in despair.

"Black Luster Soldier, attack now with Chaos Slash!" Yami commanded and the Soldier struck down directly on Miran, knocking her Life Points to 2800. Miran quickly recovered and glared vengefully at Yami. "My apologies, Miran; but if I lose, the world is in danger." Yami solemnly stated.

"And if I lose, Miranda will stay a slave to the demon that possessed Marik!" Miran cried and startled everyone, "Miranda was the only person who understood me because we both grew up with undesirable pasts. She had to leave her old school district she attended for nine years; you have no idea how hard that was for her! If He is exorcised from Miranda, she'll at least have a chance in the life of which I wanted!"

"OK, I'm confused." Mai commented, "What does Miran mean by freeing Miranda?"

"Miran, think about it." Yami calmed her down, "According to the both of us, this Duel is a life-or-death situation. But the question is 'which is worth the loss?' If I lose, this could mean the world's imminent destruction after this tournament. But if I win, I can assure you, Miranda will be freed by the duration of the Finals."

Miran hesitated in his response, 'Which is worth the loss? I can't help leaving Miranda for a minute. But since He appeared, I've been separated from her. But I still have her body...her body!?' Miran's thoughts came to a shocking discovery.

I couldn't help but to cry out at MG, "Miran, let him win!" I cried at the top of my lungs. Yami Marik grabbed my shoulder and jolted me back. Miran looked towards us, but we all know no one can see us.

"Valkyrion, finish this Duel!" Yami declared as Valkyrion was next to charge in for an attack. Miran stared in the eyes of her defeat, but thinking off into space.

'If I'm in Miranda's body, then what is she?' Miran thought and Valkyrion struck her heart. Miran reacted as the blade went through. After the attack, Valkyrion disappeared and the Duel Discs disengaged.

"The winner is Yugi Motou!" Roland declared but no cheer came from the crowd, all of them were staring at Miran. Miran dropped to her knees with her arms hanging like dead weights and her eyes darkened in shadow.

"Miran." Yami began to approach her.

'Miranda, I've failed you.' Miran thought as a tear welled up in her eye.

"Well, there goes a foregone conclusion." Yami Marik commented, "But it was quite entertaining."

"The next Duel will begin in a half-hour." Roland declared, "Everyone to the main concourse."

To be continued...

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

New cards played

Raikoukou of the Blue Lightning: Beast/Light. Monster/Effect, 6/2200/1900. If your opponent has any DARK monsters on his/her side of the field, you can Special Summon this monster from you hand without a Tribute. While this card is face-up on the field, destroy all DARK monsters.