Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Power of Friendship ❯ The Power of Friendship ( Chapter 1 )

The Power of Friendship

Chapter 1. Evil spirit of the ring

Odds were against him. The life points were 200 to 150 and he only had two weak monsters left on the field, Gazelle and Giant Soldier of stone, defending him against the Red eyes Black Dragon. This last card would decide the outcome of the duel. He pulled the card from the top of his deck and quickly glanced at it. He looked away from the card and smirked at his opponent.

"I sacrifice Gazelle and Giant solider of stone to summon..." He paused for a moment. "The Dark Magician! Last I'll play this card face down and end my turn.

His opponent smiled. "Is that the best you've got?" He drew a card and exchanged glances with his opponent. "I play dragon nails, increasing my Red Eyes attack by 600 points making him 500 points stronger then your Dark Magician. Now I'll attack!"

"Not so fast! I activate my face down card, the de-spell card. It destroys your dragon nails reducing your dragon back to 2400 attack points. "My Red Eyes!" "Now my Dark Magician can attack your Red Eyes but first I'll play the Book of secret arts to power up my Magician by 300. Now I'll attack bringing your life points down to zero.

"Oh man... I'll beat you one of these days Yug." Joey picked up his cards from the table, as did Yugi.

"Yeah that'll be the day when Tea becomes a world champion duellist." Tristan laughed. Yugi shook his head and smiled.

"I'll show you! Lets duel c'mon right now!" Joey yelled angrily at Tristan, then the bell rang. Tristan laughed.

"Saved by the bell." He said to himself.

"You really didn't want to duel him did you Tristan. You're all talk and no action." Bakura laughed. "Next time you talk to yourself don't do it so loudly." He pointed to Joey who was looking at Tristan and tapping his foot. Tristan hit his forehead with the palm of his hand.

This day seamed long to Yugi. After all he had been through at battle city school had nothing on it. He heard Joey say something about pizza and mushrooms. He looked behind him to see that Joey was snoozing in class once again. Yugi almost felt like doing the same but forced himself to endure another long lesson.

"I think hanging around Joey is having an effect on you." Tea nudged Yugi.

"Wake up. Come on class is over." Yugi opened his eyes and looked at Tea, he blushed.

"I don't know which is worse Joey's snoring or the fact that you actually fell asleep in class." Yugi yawned. "Well I haven't really been getting much sleep lately. Battle City is still on my mind."

"You still comin' with me Yug." Joey said as Tea, Tristan, Bakura, Yugi and himself left the building. Yugi looked confused.

"To the arcade, remember? You really are out of it today." Joey said.

"Actually I have some things I need to take care of, I'll meet you guys there in about a half hour."

"Alright c ya later. Bakura you wanna come?" Bakura looked over at Yugi.

"Sorry guys but I'm also busy this afternoon." He walked down the stairs following Yugi.

"Please tell me you two are still in."

"Sorry Joey I work today." Tea said. "They changed my schedule." Joey's eye twitched.

"Tristan?"

"Yeah I'm comin with ya."

Chapter 2. An unexpected duel.

Yugi walked home alone. He had promised his Grandpa that he would help him in the shop today. He really didn't feel like it but he couldn't say no. All of a sudden he could sense a strange energy coming from down the street. He turned around and saw Bakura approaching him. Everything seamed to be fine, Bakura was his normal self but something just didn't seem right to Yugi.

"Something the matter?" Bakura asked.

"No, nothing." He shook his head. The two walked a little ways together and talked, mostly about Battle City.

"Speaking of duels what do you say we have a quick duel right now before we go home?"

"Sorry Bakura but I'm kinda in a hurry maybe some other time." He felt the same strange energy again. Yugi looked at Bakura who had just been taken over by the Spirit of his Millennium Ring.

"But I'm not giving you a choice in the matter." Yami Bakura said as he took them both to the shadow realm. He tossed Yugi a duel disk.

"Like I said it will be a quick match. If I win I get your god cards, your puzzle, and the millennium necklace." Yugi then let Yami take over.

"Let's duel!"

It had been almost an hour and Joey and Tristan were beginning to wonder what happened to Yugi. "I'll go call." Joey said as walked over to a payphone. The phone rang and Yugi's Grandpa picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Gramps is Yugi there?"

"No I thought he was with you."

"Oh great...Alright bye."

"What's wrong?" Tristan asked.

"Yugi didn't head home and I think I know why."

"Why?"

"Well Bakura told me in class that he was free all day..."

"You don't think..." Joey nodded his head.

They stopped at the restaurant that Tea worked in. They saw her serving someone's table.

"Tea!" Joey yelled scaring her and almost making her drop the food.

"Joey! What are you doing here!?"

"We gotta talk."

"I'm a little busy."

"We think Yugi might be in danger."

"What! Hang on I'll meet you outside in a second, Tony, tell the boss that I'm taking my break." She called to one of the other waiters. She went outside and Joey and Tristan told her what was going on. The three began to walk the way Yugi took home.

Chapter 3. The duel end

There it was, the Black cloud of the Shadow Realm. Dozens of people were gathered around it including Seto Kaiba. Joey swallowed his pride and walked over to him.

"Who's duelling?" Kaiba didn't answer. "Kaiba!" Kaiba's head turned towards Joey with an angry look on his face. "I'll ask again who's duelling!"

"If I knew that I probably wouldn't be standing here!" Joey walked back over to Tristan and Tea and shrugged his shoulders.

It wasn't to long before the realm began to disappear. People were in aw to see what was going on. Joey, Kaiba, Tristan, and Tea could see Yami Bakura but not his opponent. The battle wasn't over yet; his opponent still had 100 life points while he only had 50. The shadow Realm was slowly disappearing.

"Dark Necrofear attack." They heard Bakura say. The blast made it clear whom he was fighting.

Yami Yugi changed back to little Yugi and his bloody lifeless body dropped to the ground.

"Yugi!" Joey, Tristan, and Tea yelled as they ran over to their friend. Kaiba stood staring at Yugi.

*He lost? And to Bakura, of all people. This is a shock.*

"Yugi! What did you do to him Bakura!?" Joey demanded.

"Isn't it obvious? I sent his mind to the shadow realm. If he hadn't been so stubborn His fate would have been a lot less worse, he would have died instead but he insisted on fighting it through to the end." Joey clenched his teeth. "Now move out of my way so I can claim his god cards, puzzle, and necklace." Joey stood in front of him. "Get out my way you fool!"

"If you want Yugi's millennium items then you'll have to defeat me in a duel!"

"Joey don't!" Tea and Tristan both yelled.

"Why should I? I've made a deal with Yugi. The items are mine."

"Yeah but...Don't you get stronger with every soul you trap? Why not become stronger?"

"Hmmm maybe you have a point. All right Joey I'll duel you. If I win then you will be joining Yugi in the shadow realm."

"Fine but if I win you'll release Yugi and leave without his millennium items or god cards! Also you've got to release Bakura and stop taking over his mind."

"Joey you can't!" Tea called as the mist of the shadow realm began to ensnare Joey and Bakura.

"I have to. Since I started playing duel monsters Yugi has saved my butt dozens of times. Now it's my turn to save his!" Joey took Yugi's duel disk off his arm and placed it on his own. He stepped up to face Bakura. "C'mon Joey kick Bakura's butt! I know you can!" Tristan called as he picked up Yugi's lifeless body. Joey nodded his head.

"Lets do this Bakura!"

They were completely surrounded by the Shadow Realm now. Tristan and Tea were waiting impatiently outside to see what would happen and they were trying everything they could think of to wake Yugi up.

"I have a bad feeling about this Tristan..."

"So do I but we have to keep believing that Joey can do this." Tea looked at Yugi.

"I hope your right. But if Yugi couldn't win, even now that he has all three Egyptian god cards, what hope is there for Joey?"

"I don't know."

Kaiba had been listening in on their conversation.

"There's an easy answer to that. There's no hope for Wheeler whatsoever. If Yugi couldn't win then Joey doesn't stand a chance."

Chapter 4. The duel begins

The duel started with Yami Bakura placing The Man-Eater Bug face down in defence mode and laying one card face down. Joey did the same thing only he laid his flames swordsman in attack mode.

"Attack his defence monster!"

"Not so fast! I reveal my face down card Mirror force. It directs your attack right back at you!" Joey felt the attack and droped to his knees. He griped his stomach, it felt like a thousand swords had just pierced through him.

"Oh I forgot to mention, in this Shadow Duel you and your monster will feel the same thing." Yami Bakura laughed. Joey looked up at him with a look of anger in his eyes. It wasn't long before Joey had been knocked to the ground.

Outside the Shadow Realm Tea and Tristan were becoming sick with worry about Joey. They new something was terribly wrong.

"There must be something we can do to stop this duel and still help Yugi!" Tea cried as she looked at Yugi's bloody body.

"There's no way. We just have to keep rooting Joey on from the sidelines."

Joey tried to stand up. After about three tries he succeeded. The pain was becoming far too intense; one more attack like that and it was over for Joey. His life points were still high but his body could no longer endure any more pain. Joey new he had to finish this duel and fast. Joey stared at his cards and placed his shaking hand on top of his deck. He drew very slowly and looked at his card. It was the Red Eyes Black Dragon! This duel looked hopeless for Joey the life points were now at 500 (Bakura) to 100 (Joey) He new he had to end this fast but how? Bakura attacked Joey's face down monster. The pain was to much, Joey feel to the ground unconscious.

Chapter 5. End of the Evil Spirit

"This was much harder then I had anticipated. Time to send you to the Shadow Realm my friend." Yami Bakura laughed.

"I'm not finished yet!." Joey forced himself up once again, blood dripped from his mouth.

"I'm not gonna let you win this duel, I have to win for Yugi and Bakura!" Yami Bakura looked angrily at him. "You're a fool for continuing this duel, you were a fool to challenge me. Do think it's really worth your death?" Joey didn't answer.

This was it; this last card would decide the duel.

"Heart of the cards please guide me." He placed his hand on his deck to draw his next card. All of a sudden he could feel Yugi's presence. It was like he was standing right beside him. Joey drew his card.

*How'd this get in my deck?* Then Joey remembered His duel with Yugi that morning.

*It must have gotten mixed up when we were pickin' up our cards.*

"By the look on your face I'd say you drew the wrong card. " Yami Bakura smirked.

"No, it's the complete opposite. I just drew the card that will win me this duel. I sacrifice My Red Eyes and my Maha Vailo to summon Yugi's favorite card, The Dark Magician!" Yami Bakura just laughed.

"Your Dark Magician still is not strong enough to defeat my Dark Necrofear. Did you forget, It's powered up by the Horn of the Unicorn. Dark Necrofear is still 300 attack points stronger then the Dark Magician!"

"I haven't forgotten... I'll also lay this card face down and end my turn." Yami Bakura drew.

"Dark Necrofear Attack The Dark Magician!"

"Not so fast, I activate the De-spell card. It reduces your Dark Necrofere back to 2200 attack points! Do this for Yugi, Dark Magician... Dark Magic Attack!" Yami Bakura's life points dropped to 0. "Phew..." Joey looked at Ryou Bakura but noticed he was back to a confused Bakura. "Joey?" He looked around as the mist of the Shadow Realm began to disappear.

Kaiba turned around. He had begun to grow bored and started to walk away until he saw the Shadow Realm disappearing. Curiosity was killing him, he was convinced that Joey had lost but he had to know for sure so he stayed. Joey didn't wait for the mist to clear, he ran over to his friends to check on Yugi.

"Joey!" Tea and Tristan called to him relieved but also a little surprised that he was still alive. Joey ignored all pain he felt, all he could think about was his friend. Kaiba's eyes opened wide he couldn't believe that Joey had beaten someone that Yugi couldn't.

*Since when did Wheeler become stronger then Yugi?* He grunted and walked away.

"Yug... Yugi?" Joey said concerned as he looked at Yugi still lying lifeless in Tristan's arms. Yugi's eyes slowly began to open.

"Joey..." He said in a weak voice. "I knew you could do it." Bakura then walked over to them.

"I'm sorry Yugi...and Joey" Yugi shook his head as he signalled Tristan to put him down. He staggered a bit; he was still weak from the battle.

"It wasn't your fault Bakura, it was the Spirit of the Ring."

"Speaking of which... Did The Spirit keep his promise?" Joey looked at Bakura.

"I'm not sure, but we'll find out." Bakura answered as the five of them walked home.