Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Silenced Legacy ❯ Bowler's Vengeance, Part 1 ( Chapter 20 )

Episode #20- Bowler's Vengeance, Part 1

They all stood puzzled, because of the commotion that has happened recently, almost everyone has forgotten their numbers. "Repeat, Duelist 3 will face Seto Kaiba in the next round." Roland repeated.

"Who's Duelist Number 3, exactly?" Joey asked after a brief moment of silence.

"It's Ashley, you dreg." Kaiba replied with a hard hiss in his voice, "Ashley Guinaldo will be my opponent, and the first to fall to Obelisk." Ashley glanced at Kaiba.

"Get real, Kaiba; my Exodia Deck will have you lying in ruins!" Ashley cried in argument.

"We'll see, Bowler." Kaiba kept his cool and headed for the elevator, "Prepare your Deck and meet me at the Dueling arena when you think you're ready." Kaiba stated before the doors closed in front of him.

"Kaiba..." Ashley growled and her fist shook.

Kaiba patiently waited as the elevator ascended to the roof with his arms folded, 'Ashley Guinaldo, huh? She's probably just as lucky as Miranda Guinaldo. However, Miranda wasn't that fortunate if everyone says that she's possessed. And luck is also with Exodia. That girl is just a fluke like Wheeler, and Obelisk will prove it.' Kaiba thought as his eyes stared into his God Card he pulled from his Deck.

"Ashley, you're going through with this?" Yugi asked with a shocked look on his face.

"I have to. Otherwise, I might not have a shot to save Miranda." Ashley replied.

"Yeah," Joey added, "and with that kind of attitude, she can pull of Exodia in nothing flat. Right?"

Ashley looked back in disbelief of Joey, "Well of course, Wheeler, don't be that doubtful. My Deck has been modified with every asset possible to bring out Exodia." Everyone heard the elevator drop back down to the floor. "Well, show time." Ashley grew confident and led the group into the elevator.

Yugi was one of the lasts to enter. He turned to see Marik still standing behind. "Marik, aren't you coming?"

"I'll stay down here, just in case the Demon pulls something with Miranda." Marik replied with the Millennium Rod tight in his grip.

"Well, alright then." Yugi shrugged his shoulders and went in the elevator. The doors closed behind him and the elevator began its ascend to the top.

Marik waited until the hum of the elevator's ascending was made inaudible. 'Miranda, I thought Dragons are impervious to magic. But Raikoukou is right, the other Zodiacs also take role -- Pisces are vulnerable to spirit-made magic like the Shadow Realm.' Marik thought as the elevator lowered itself again and the doors opened. He paced in and headed for the floor with all the rooms.

* * * *

Ashley made her stand on the closest end with the elevator on the platform, confronting Kaiba with undeniable determination. "Alright Kaiba, we'll see whose strategy is stronger. My Exodia or your God Card." Ashley cried.

"We'll all know the answer to that trivia soon. But what I don't get is how you even got to the Finals." Kaiba stayed in his calm, cocky attitude, "You're all talk and no game, just like Wheeler."

"Say what?" Joey got insulted from the sidelines, "You listen here Kaiba, Ashley managed to bring out her Exodia while fighting a Rare Hunter. May I add that if she didn't draw that last piece, she'd lose on the same turn?"

"All luck, just like you." Kaiba continued denying.

"Enough talk. From now on my cards will do the talking." Ashley engaged her Duel Disc, "And if I win I'll gain your God Card."

"Very well." Kaiba started his up, "And if I win I gain the Dark Necrofear you got from that Rare Hunter."

"No big deal and I'll start off." Ashley stated and drew her hand, 'Yes, two Exodia pieces already!' She thought and pulled two cards from her hand, "I'll place one monster faced down in defense mode and one trap card, which will end my turn." Ashley began as two cards situated themselves in front of her.

"OK, my turn." Kaiba drew his sixth card, "And I'll begin with Ryu-Kishin Powered in attack mode." He declared as a fiend made its stand on the field.

"Kaiba doesn't hesitate to get an early lead." Mai commented in the crowd.

"Next, I'll play this card, Dark Energy. This will increase Ryu-Kishin's attack by 300. Now, attack!" Kaiba announced as his gargoyle charged in.

"You ought to know Exodia Decks are designed with delay. And with delay comes defense, you've attack my Aqua Madoor." Ashley briefed as a tidal wall burst from Ashley's defense monster and forced Ryu-Kishin back, "And as the attack fails, you lose the difference." Ashley smirked as Kaiba's Life Points dropped by 100.

"Big deal, 100 Life Points doesn't make any difference at all, just wait 'til next turn. To finish I'll place two cards faced down." Kaiba ended his turn as two cards aligned behind his only monster. Ashley looked to her hand of four and drew out the fifth one.

'This card won't help me now; I'll have to wait until my first plan fails.' Ashley thought and tucked her new card into her hand, pulling two more in exchange. "OK, this turn I'll place another monster in defense mode and activate my magic card, Graceful Charity." Ashley declared and drew three cards and discarded two, 'Perfect, another Exodia piece.' Ash thought as the Head appeared in her hand.

"Activate trap card, Robbin' Goblin." Kaiba declared without warning.

"What?" Ashley jumped.

"Robbin' Goblin is a trap card that allows me to discard from your hand every time my monsters inflict damage to your Life Points." Kaiba explained.

"That can't be good." Joey commented.

__________

Yami Marik stood silently after seeing Raikoukou and Serenity disappear into the shadows. Unfortunately, I was still stuck on the stone tablet, shackles and everything. "Quite a persistent bloodline, I'm impressed." Yami Marik broke silence, "Defiantly from Tsunami, the Miko of Kyoto." His anger slowly calmed like the aftermath of a hurricane, not a good sign.

I stayed silent. If I knew him, one word could set him off again. The stone tablet evaporated behind me and I was released, landing on my feet. Though the shackles with four links each remained.

"You're quite lucky I haven't killed you yet, my skills as an assassin are still fresh." Yami Marik spoke and turned on his heel, "But, I must admit, you're already dead."

"And what made you draw to that conclusion?" I asked in a low voice, "I can still feel my body's heartbe-" Yami Marik burst into an evil laughter, cutting off my sentence.

"Of course you can feel your body's heartbeat; Mirandragon is still keeping it alive with her inhabitance!" Yami Marik cawed, "If Mirandragon wasn't in your body, you'd be in a coma and your mortal body at least."

"OK, what are you talking about?" I argued.

"You think you know a ghost..." Yami Marik commented under his breath, "Tell me this then. Your scenario, after I appeared, you were sent to the Shadow Realm and Mirandragon was the one who took your place. Mirandragon remained in your place even while she Dueled my two servants, Lumis and Umbra, even when we closed our deal and you were admitted out of the Shadow Realm."

"Yeah..." I emphasized.

"You still don't get it, do you? You're not human." Yami Marik fell to the bottom line, "Even as we speak, Mirandragon is walking freely in your vessel, and you no longer reside within the Millennium Sword when she takes control of your body."

"I knew that part." I pointed out, "What I don't get is if Miran has my body and I was out there with her... How the heck was I out there?"

"I've been doing you a favor ever since you've walked the streets of the real world once more, you should be thanking me." Yami Marik smirked, "Your image to the mortals...was my doing. I gave you your image of your being to them, and I can just as easily take that away. I've given you more benefits than I've given Marik, think about your actions outside the Shadow Realm next time, I'll limit those next." Yami Marik finished and disappeared into the shadows.

* * * *

'OK, Robbin Goblin's on the field.' Ashley went into small panic, 'If I don't pull something fast, I'm in trouble.' Ashley looked to her hand, 'Oh this might work, wonder why I didn't catch that before.' "OK, Kaiba, to finish my turn, I'll put down one card and another monster in defense. Your turn." Ashley ended and Kaiba drew his next card.

"Alright, this turn I'll sacrifice my Ryu-Kishin for Judge Man in attack mode and play this, Big Bang Shot." Kaiba declared.

"What kind of card is that?" Ashley asked.

"Big Bang Shot will increase my Judge Man's attack by 400, but that will be the least of your problems." Kaiba explained, "Judge Man, attack!" He commanded and his Judge Man charged in. Ashley's Aqua Madoor was destroyed and her Life Points dropped by 600.

"Huh? My monster was in defense mode. How could I have lost Life Points?" Ashley questioned.

"Big Bang Shot not only increases my monster's attack, but it also sends the difference in battle to my opponent's Life Points, and if any of my monsters send damage to your Life Points, then one card is immediately discarded from you hand." Kaiba explained.

'Shoot!' Ashley panicked.

"Now, remove the middle card of your hand." Kaiba demanded.

'At least it wasn't one of my pieces.' Ashley thought and sent her Sinister Serpent to the Graveyard and drew her next card and Sinister Serpent slid from her Graveyard, 'Yes, one more now...' Ashley scanned her hand, 'But this hand can't do me in for now.' "I'll activate my down card, Magical Slots."

"What?" Kaiba shocked.

"My luck has been with me so far, so I'll take my chances." Ashley stated, "Here you see the magic card, Magical Slots. I pull the crank and those slots will start spinning. If I end up getting two 7's, I'll be able to summon a high-powered monster in nothing flat. If I'm real lucky and get a 7 Straight, I can rally up two monsters."

"Any monster?" Joey questioned.

"ANY monster, Joey." Yugi replied, "Ashley must have a lot of luck and confidence to play that card. Otherwise of those slots land wrong, it'll be game over for this turn."

"Alright, let the slots roll!" Ashley cried. A huge, gold slot machine appeared in front of her, it had four faces with all the slots in different mixtures. The lever pulled itself down and jolted back up in recoil. The three slots began to rotate.

__________

I pulled myself out of the Shadow Realm momentarily, ending up on the second floor of the Kaiba Craft. My thoughts sunk in deep to Yami Marik's words. I was just a ghost; Miran has my real body. I paced down the hall to Room 7; the door was wide open. I peered in and saw my body lying on the bed...and Marik leaning on the bedside. He seemed sympathetic, fidgeting with the Millennium Rod in his hands.

A footstep warned me and I turned around. A white, nine-tailed creature strides in gracefully from Joey's room. It stopped suddenly when one of its tails tagged my leg. It looked towards me, but I couldn't tell if it'd seen me or not.

"Raikoukou." Marik's voice sounded and the fox followed into the room, "What's wrong?"

'I thought I felt one of my Master's spirits before I came in. It felt remarkably like Miranda's.' The fox replied in telekinesis, 'Her soul is separate from her body.'

"It's that demon." Marik clenched a fist, "Kikaita, forgive me..."

'Kikaita?! My mother, HE knew my mother?!' I thought in denying shock.

"But what I don't get is why He decided to possess her now." Marik squeezed the Rod in his grip.

'Miranda has been through more than you have Marik.' Raikoukou tossed the necklace over its head and ringed it in mid air, the fuchsia bead out in front.

"What? I was the one destined to live in total darkness." Marik objected.

'At least you changed that. But that darkness, or worse, Miranda lives in now.' Raikoukou gazed towards her Master's sleeping body, 'Think about it, Marik. Both of Miranda's parents died at an age in which the scars remain today.'

"You're right." Marik looked over his shoulder, "But both of mine have as well. I cannot remember my mother dying because she passed away right after I was born. And my father...that demon possessed me and sent him to the Shadow Realm with no way to return. We're just lucky Miranda hasn't suffered that yet." He replied.

I looked at the both of them, unable to do anything in my state of matter. Cross that, no matter. I turned around to head back for the Shadow Realm when something hit my 'sixth sense' harder than a brass pipe to my head. I looked back behind me and into the room again, standing off to one side was a ghostly figure, also unnoticed by Marik and Raikoukou. Her resemblance... Undeniable. No imitation could surpass her amber eyes and the red front streaks, about the only things I could recognize her by. Her wear was about the same as Miran's. She looked to me, even behind her brown, thick bangs; her face glowed past the pale color.

"Miranda." She recognized quickly and opened her arms. I couldn't help but rush in and embrace her; we were of the same no-matter so I could feel her just the same.

"Mother." I sighed in her embrace, a tear began to well in my eye, "After ten years, I see you again." We still went unnoticed by Marik and Raikoukou.

"Miranda, you've grown. But if you're here, then that means you can return to your body." Kikaita released her embrace. I let go as well and slowly turned my head towards my sleeping body.

"I can't." I stated and dropped my shoulders.

"Why not? You're not in the Shadow Realm."

"I'm still connected to it." I showed her the black shackles cutting into my arms, "But I've been trying to keep the demon inside me from getting to the others. He nearly went for Serenity." I brought my arms back down.

"The young girl with the red hair?" Kikaita asked; I nodded in return. She held her tongue and looked to Marik, still in a mood that has never been seen in her own eyes. "Miranda, I think I know why that demon inhabits you, and your father and I are partly to blame."

"What do you mean?" I asked in a whisper.

"He, the demon, feeds off of emotion." Kikaita answered, "Our passing must have scarred you emotionally, sensing your despair. Miranda, I'm sorry." Kikaita wrapped her arms around me again.

"Mom, don't. The past cannot be changed." I sighed in her embrace, "I'm glad to see you again, but I have to get back to the Shadow Realm." I released and paced out the room, unnoticed by Marik or Raikoukou. I made it out the hall and entered into a tunnel of darkness.

* * * *

Ashley's four-face slot machine has spun for nearly a minute; everyone held their breath in that time-lapse. The left slot on all the sides' faces stopped first, on a red "7."

"OK, that's one." Ashley announced as the other two kept spinning, "If anyone wanna make any bets, now is a good time."

"Ashley's riding on luck this bout." Yugi mumbled.

"Huh? What do you mean, Yuge?" Joey asked.

"Think about it, if those other two don't land on a red Seven for any of them, then that magic card will be useless and Ashley will be open for an attack with some heavy damage." Yugi explained.

"That's right." Duke added on. His gaze was set on the slots that faced the sideline, "And with Robbin' Goblin on Kaiba's side, he can easily ruin Ashley's Exodia. Four cards are in her hand, chances are they're all Exodia pieces, and if those slots land wrong, Ashley's in for a world of hurt because Kaiba's won't be her only problem." The slots continued running until the middle one began to slow down.

To be continued...

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

New cards played

Magical Slots: Magic Card. Toss 3 coins. If two out of three are heads, Special Summon one level 5 or higher monster from your Deck to the field in face-up attack mode or defense mode. If all three are heads, Special Summon up to 2 level 5 or higher monster(s) from your Deck to the field in face-up attack mode or defense mode. If all are tails or one is heads, inflict 500 times the number of cards in your hand as direct damage to your Life Points. The summoned monster(s) cannot attack on the same turn they were summoned to the field and they cannot attack the opponent's Life Points directly.