Chapter 1: A Fresh Start / Heart Of The Cards
Author's Note
Hi Solar Force here
My first new story in a while, and this one is special. Me and Mad Page are having a little competition to write two very similar stories to see which one you guys think is better. This is my attempt. Please give me feed back, and also check out Mad Page's story and give him feed back as well. Most popular story wins.
Hope you enjoy, and may the best writer win.
Bye for now
Chapter 1: A Fresh Start / Heart Of The Cards
It was the start of a new day in Domino City.
In a small apartment, a young teenage girl reached for her alarm clock to turn it off, before she sat up in her bed and stretched. She had long red hair with yellow streaks, white skin, and beautiful turquoise eyes. She climbed out of bed and went to the window, opening the curtains wide, letting in the early morning sun, and sighed as she gave a wide, happy smile.
“Ahh. The start of a new day,” She said in a happy, wistful tone, “And the start of a new life.” Her smile then faded as the painful memories of her recent past, still fresh in her mind, resurfaced once more. “At least, I hope it will be a new start.” She then made her way to her small bathroom to get ready for her first day at her new school.
After she had showered, brushed her teeth, and had some cereal and toast for her breakfast, she went over to the closet and pulled out her new school uniform. Scrutinising it closely, she frowned a little. She wasn’t impressed by it. It consisted of a bright pink blazer with white lining, a white undershirt, a short, frilly, navy blue skirt, and was topped off with a large bow tie which matched the skirt. “This so isn't me,” She said in a deadpan voice. “Oh, well, you’ll just have to make the best of it, Sunset.” She then changed into her uniform, before standing in front of a mirror. She looked herself up and down. She had also put on a pair of black pumps along with a pair of long white socks to complete the set. She frowned deeply. “This definitely isn't me.” She then raised up a small necklace, with a red and yellow sun pendant, and placed it around her neck. The pendant was now hanging just below the bow. She looked in the mirror, and gave a small smile. “That’s a little better.” She then checked the time on her phone. “Well, better get going. Don’t want to be late on the first day.” She then grabbed her new school bag and headed out the door. “New life, here I come.”
As Sunset approached her new school, and passed through the front gate, she looked up at the tall building in front of her, with a clock tower in the middle. “This place sure is different to C-...” She paused as her face fell. “To my old school,” She finished sadly. She then shook herself a little. “Chin up, Sunset. New start and all that.” She then looked around, seeing the other students gathered in the courtyard. The girls all wore the same uniform as her, and the boys wore a simpler, two piece uniform, which consisted of a navy blue blazer, and matching pants. Some wore their blazers open, showing white undershirts, and some wore them buttoned up.
She eyed them all warily as she walked across the caught yard, and into the building to try and find her locker. Despite telling herself this was all a fresh start for her, she was anything but comfortable with making any new friends right now. In fact, she wasn’t sure if she’d want to make friends ever again, especially after what happened with those who she thought were her friends back at Canterlot High. She almost wanted to cry at the memory of their angry, disappointed faces, before they all just turned and walked away from her, after accusing her all too easily of a crime they should have known she would never commit.
Amidst her sadness, she felt a spark of something she’d been trying hard to suppress. Hot, burning anger. “Some ‘friends’ they turned out to be!” Her anger only grew as she remembered what happened over the next couple of days, after the confrontation with her former ‘friends’. Practically overnight, she had become the school pariah, an image she had tried so hard to rid herself of, but was now back with a vengeance, and under a new name. Anon-A-Miss. The whole school had hated her, and all for accusations she knew were false. As these memories swirled through her mind, the anger became mixed with a feeling of disgust, both at her former school mates, and at herself, as she remembered how she had collapsed to her knees, breaking down in tears, as the name calling and mocking echoed all around her. How could she have let herself look so weak? Where was the tough, determined, strong willed Sunset she used to be then? The Sunset that knew what she wanted and pursued it with all her being. The Sunset who relished any challenge. The Sunset who fought to overcome any obstacle. The Sunset who didn’t let anyone push her around or get in her way. The Sunset who took no nonsense from no one! The anger was fast becoming a burning, red hot rage, and she felt like lashing out or screaming.
She was so deep in her thoughts, that she wasn’t watching where she was going. One second, she was walking along, trying desperately to retain control, the next, she walked into someone, lost her balance, and fell to the floor, flat on her backside.
“Oh no, my cards!” Cried a young, high voice.
“Hey, you OK, Yug’?” Said another, older, heavily accented voice.
“Your cards are all over the place,” Said another male voice.
“Here, Yugi, we’ll help you pick them up,” Said a young, female voice.
Sunset looked up to see a small group of 4 students. One was a tall boy with an angular jaw, brown eyes, and a head of messy blond hair. There was another boy with short, styled, brown hair that came out at a point, and had hazel eyes. The third was a girl with short chestnut brown hair, and ocean blue eyes. But the most eye catching of them all was the fourth member of the group. He was a young boy with a rounded face, large purple eyes, and the most extraordinary hair she had ever seen. It was large and spiky, mostly black, and tinged with purple highlights around the edge, and blond, spiked bangs that stuck out across his forehead. She also noticed how much shorter he was compared to the others. He wasn’t even half the size of the other boys. Also, there was something else that stuck out about him. Around his neck was a thin rope, from which hung a large, golden pendant, which looked like an upside down pyramid, with a strange eye symbol on the front.
Said boy was crawling around on the floor, gathering up some kind of cards, with his three friends helping. It wasn’t until he looked up that he finally noticed her, scratching the back of his head as he gave her an apologetic smile. “Oh, um, sorry about walking into you like that,” He said. “You see, I was just showing my friends my-”
He was cut off abruptly as Sunset got to her feet and glared down at him. She had just found an unwilling target for her anger. “Watch where your going next time you little pipsqueak!” She shouted. The instant those words left her lips, her hands flew to her mouth in shock, as she looked down at the now bewildered boy as he stared up at her. Her anger was swept away as it was replaced with guilt and shame. “I-I, I… I’m sorry!” She stuttered, before turning and dashing quickly away.
The four friends just stared after her, before the blond boy broke the silence.
“Aw, man, what the heck’s her problem?” He said.
“I’ve never seen her before,” said the brown haired boy.
“Well, didn’t you guys hear we were getting a new student in our class today?” Said the girl. “And, actually, I think I’ve seen her before.”
“Really, Téa?” Asked the small boy as he got back to his feet. “Where?”
“Around the middle of town while I was shopping,” Téa explained. “I’ve seen her down there every day this week. But here's the thing. She always seemed so down, so sad, so...depressed. And she always seemed to keep her distance from everyone.”
“Well, from lookin’ at her,” Said the blond boy. “I’d say she’s not exactly from around here. Maybe she’s just havin’ a hard time in a new country.”
“No, Joey,” Said Téa with a slight frown. “I think it’s more than that. I don’t think she’d look that bad if it was just mere homesickness.” She thought for a moment, before saying, “Maybe I could ask her if she’d like to hang out.”
“That’s a great idea, Téa,” Said the small boy with a smile. “At least then she’d know that she doesn’t need to be alone all the time.”
After that, the group headed to their classroom, where they all settled into their seats, before their teacher entered, and they all bowed respectfully.
“Alright, settle down class,” the teacher said. “Now, before we begin, we have a new student who will be joining us for this year.” He then looked toward the door. “Miss Shimmer, you may come in now.”
The door opened and Sunset walked nervously in, stopping in front of the black board, and turning to face the class.
“Will you please introduce yourself, Miss Shimmer?” The teacher asked.
“Y-yes, Sir,” Sunset stuttered. “Uh, hello. My name is Sunset Shimmer, and, um, I hope we’ll all get along.”
The teacher then handed her a piece of chalk. “And, now, just right your name on the board, if you please, Miss Shimmer.”
Sunset nodded before turning to the board and started writing her name, but stopped when the teacher spoke again.
“In Kanji, please, Miss Shimmer.”
“Oh,” Sunset said with a blush. “Yes, of course. Sorry, force of habit.”
“That’s alright, Miss Shimmer, please continue.”
“Yes, Sir.” Sunset then proceeded to write her name in perfect Japanese. “And they say you learn nothing from watching anime,” She thought proudly to herself. (Fun Fact: This is what she wrote: サンセットシマー.)
“Thank you, Miss Shimmer, you may take your seat now,” The teacher said, before looking across the classroom, and then pointing. “You may take that seat there, next to Miss Gardner, if you please.”
“Yes, Sir,” Said Sunset before heading her to the designated desk and taking her seat next to Téa.
Later that day, after the noon bell had rung, Sunset was packing up her satchel before heading off to lunch. Apart from her outburst that morning, the day had been mostly uneventful, which was just the way she preferred it. Just as she was about to pick up her bag and leave, she paused as she heard someone speak to her.
“Hey, there. Your name’s Sunset, right?” Sunset looked up and blanched. It was Téa. She was giving her a friendly smile, as she held out her hand. “My name’s Tea. Let me be the first to welcome you to Domino High. It must be hard starting a new school in a new country, huh?”
Sunset remained silent for a moment, before quietly saying, “Uh, yeah, I guess so.” She then thought to herself, “Actually, this is nothing. Try starting a new school in a new world.”
“Hey,” Téa continued, “Since it’s now lunch break, would you like to have lunch with me and my friends?” She pointed across the classroom to where her friends were gathered, and Sunset saw the boy she had shouted at that morning, thinking she should apologize to him properly. This might be the chance she needed to make a proper fresh start. “Uh, sure, I’ll have lunch with you.”
“Great,” Smiled Téa. “Come on.” And so, the two girls got up from their desks and headed toward the three boys. Once they stopped in front of them, Téa turned to the boys. “Guys, I’d like you to meet someone.”
The blond boy smiled. “Hey, glad to meet ya,” He said. “Names Joey. Joey Wheeler.”
“Glad to meet you, too,” Said the brown haired boy. “I’m Tristan Taylor.”
“Nice to meet you properly this time,” Said the smaller boy with a cheerful smile. “I’m Yugi Muto.”
“And you’ve already met me, but I think I should introduce myself too,” Said Téa. “I’m Téa Gardner.”
“Um, yeah,” Sunset said, “Nice to meet you." She then turned to look at Yugi. "Um, sorry about before."
"Aw, don't worry about it," Yugi smiled back. "Things like that happen to me a lot."
"Oh, OK, then," Sunset said in relief. "So, are we gonna head for the cafeteria?”
Téa and her friends all looked at her oddly. “Uh, cafeteria? Didn’t you bring your own lunch?” She asked in confusion.
“Yeah, tha’s what we always do,” Said Joey.
“Wait, what?” Sunset asked. “There’s no cafeteria?”
“Actually, there is, we just don’t use it very often,” Téa explained, “So on most days, you do need to bring your own lunch.”
Sunset blushed with embarrassment as she said, “Aw, man, how could I not know that? What am I gonna do? I just assumed the school would provide food, so I didn’t bring anything.”
At this, Joey gave a huge grin. “Never fear. At times like dis, Joey Wheeler has the answer,” he said, thumping his chest.
“Wait, Joey, you don’t mean…?” Tristan said.
“You betcha, Tristan,” Joey said with a wide grin. “I’m takin’ her to Convenience Corner!”
“Convenience Corner?” Sunset asked, intrigued.
“Just follow me and we’ll get some food in a ya, 1,2,3,” Joey said smiling. He turned and headed for the classroom door as Sunset stood up and followed him. “Be right back guys.”
Sunset followed Joey through the halls of the school and out into the courtyard. All around, students were sitting and enjoying their own home made lunches. To her surprise, some of them were even eating hot food from metal containers. The delicious aromas reached her nose, causing her stomach to growl, reminding her just how hungry she was. However, she paused when she saw Joey was leading her to the school gate.
“Wait a minute, are we actually allowed to leave the campus?” She asked.
“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” Joey said. “We’re allowed ta leave durin’ lunch as long we’re back in time. Now, come on, your lunch awaits.” With that, he headed out of the gate, Sunset right behind him.
Joey led Sunset down the street, before he turned into a side street. He stopped, and Sunset stopped up beside him. “Here we are, Convenience Corner, where you can find everything you need for your lunch or snacking needs. Take ya pick,” He said as he looked at her with another grin.
Sunset looked from both sides of the narrow street with a raised eyebrow. “Vending machines?” She asked. Indeed, there were several brightly coloured vending machines lined up on both sides of the street.
“That’s right,” Joey said. “Take a look, there's always something good. And not just food, either.” Pointing to the nearest vending machine, he then added, “But for the sake of convenience, I suggest you try that one. It’s kinda my favourite.”
“OK, sure,” Sunset said, walking up to the vending machine and peering through the glass. Her eyes widened in surprise. “A vending machine that gives out sandwiches?”
“You bet,” Joey said. “And some real good ones, too. Plus, you can’t deny the convenience.”
“Yeah, I guess you're right,” Said Sunset. “How else am I gonna get something to eat?”
“Trust me, ya won’t regret it,” Replied Joey with another grin.
“Well, here goes nothing,” Sunset shrugged, as she pulled out her purse, and looked through the selection of sandwiches. She inserted her money, and pressed in the number for her chosen sandwich. She watched as it fell off the shelf, before she reached through the slot for her sandwich. Sandwich now in hand, She and Joey then headed back to the school.
They arrived back at their classroom with plenty of time to spare, and head back over toward the rest of the gang. Once they got back to their desk, they saw Yugi and Téa sitting facing each other, with a mat laid out between them, and they were each holding those cards that Yugi had dropped when Sunset bumped into him. It looked like they were in the middle of a game.
Yugi then put his cards down as he said with a smile, “And that takes your Life Points down to 0. Sorry, Téa, looks I win again.”
“Aw, nuts,” Téa said with a playful frown. “I was so close to beating you that time. Guess you're just too good for me, Yugi.”
“Naw, you did fine, Téa,” Yugi said modestly, “I just got lucky, that's all.”
“Yeah, right,” Tristan scoffed playfully, “Luck’s got nothing to do with it. You're totally the best at this game. No one can beat you, Yugi.”
“Uh, what’s going here?” Sunset asked Joey. “What game are they playing?”
“Don’cha know?” Asked Joey. “They’re playin’ Duel Monsters.”
“Dueling Monsters?” Sunset asked.
“No, it’s Duel Monsters,” Joey said, “Not ‘Dueling Monsters. No ‘ing’.”
“OK, so what is Duel Monsters?” Sunset asked.
“Only the best card game ever made,” Joey said, “Only thing is, I’m only just getting started, so I’m not that good yet, but Yugi’s a real wiz kid at it. See, his Grandpa owns a game shop, and knows all sorts of cool stuff about Duel Monsters. If you wanna know more, you should go ask him.”
“Hmm,” Sunset said thoughtfully, “Well, maybe.”
“Hey, y’know,” Joey continued, “If you start playing Duel Monsters, you might just make some new friends.”
At this, alarm bells rang in Sunset’s head. “Uh, yeah, sure, new friends,” She said uncomfortably.
“Hey, you OK there, Sunset?” Joey asked.
“Uh, yeah, I’m fine,” She quickly said.
Later that day, when school was over, Yugi and his friends were about to head over to Yugi’s Grandpa’s shop. Just as they were heading out of the class, Joey called over to Sunset, “Yo, Sunset! We’re about to head over to Yugi’s Grandpa’s shop! Wanna come with?”
“Uh,” Sunset thought about it for a moment, before replying, “Uh, OK, sure,” and she followed the four friends out of the classroom.
Soon enough, they arrived at a small two story house with a large sign that read GAME.
“Grandpa, I’m home!” Yugi called as they headed inside.
“And I see you brought company,” The old man behind the counter chuckled. He looked much like an older version of Yugi, with completely grey hair in the same spiky style as his grandson, and the same purple coloured eyes. He also had a grey beard and a grey moustache. He wore deep blue-green overalls, a plain white shirt, and an orange bandana over his hair with two criss-cross symbols on it. He then spotted Sunset behind the group. “Ah, and new company, too. Pleased to meet you young lady. What’s your name? No need to be shy.” When Sunset didn’t answer, he looked at her in confusion. “Is something wrong?”
“This is Sunset Shimmer, Grandpa,” Yugi said, “She just arrived at school today from out of the country.”
“Oh, I see,” Grandpa smiled. “Well then, I guess you're still getting used to things.”
“Uh, yeah, you could say that,” Sunset said sheepishly. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr Muto.”
“Oh, please,” Grandpa laughed. “No need for that. Just call me Grandpa. Everyone does.”
“Well, anyway, gramps,” Yugi continued, “Could you show my friends your awesome super-rare card?”
“Rare card? My special card?” Grandpa said, before placing his chin in his hand, and humming thoughtfully.
“Please? Please?” Yugi asked, putting his hands together in front of him.
“Pretty please?” Asked Joey, giving a bow.
Grandpa continued to ponder, before turning his head and smiling. “Ha Ha!” He chuckled. “How can I refuse?” He reached behind the counter, and carefully placed a small metal box on top of it. “You kids are in for a treat. I don’t take this card out too often,” He said as he opened the box and reached inside. “Ready? Here it is.” He proudly held up a Duel Monsters card for them all to see. The art work depicted a dragon-like creature with blue and white scales and blue eyes. “The Blue Eyes White Dragon. So rare, so powerful, I never let it leave my hands.”
“Awesome,” Said Yugi, Joey and Téa as they gazed in awe at the valuable card. Sunset wasn’t quite as blown away as they were, but she was definitely intrigued. Even though she knew nothing about the Duel Monsters game, she could tell just by looking at this card that whoever used it in their deck would be a formidable opponent indeed.
Tristan, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as impressed. “Hmm,” He said as he took the card right out of Grandpa’s hand, making the old man look up at him in shock. “Doesn't look all that special to me,” He muttered, before Grandpa snatched the card back, holding onto it defensively.
“This card is priceless!” He exclaimed in a reprimanding tone. “There are only four of them in all the world!”
“No way, really?” Sunset asked curiously. “Only four?”
“You better believe it, young lady,” Grandpa said. “You could spend your entire life looking for another copy of this card, and you wouldn’t come close to finding one.”
“Speaking of priceless, I'm ready to trade,” Said Joey with a large grin.
“Not for this card!” Grandpa shot back, turning his back and holding the card tightly in his hands.
“Huh?” Joey said awkwardly. “Nah, I didn’t mean that card. I meant show some other cool cards to get me started.”
Sunset thought for a moment, before saying, “Maybe you could help me with some cards, too?”
Yugi looked back at Sunset. “You want to learn how to play Duel Monsters too, Sunset?” He asked.
“Well, maybe,” Sunset said. “I’m not fully certain, but after seeing your Grandpa’s card, I am interested in learning more about the game.”
“Oh, is that so?” Grandpa said as he perked up again. “That’s wonderful to hear. In that case, I would-” He was interrupted when the shop bell rang as the shop door was opened. “Hello, can I help you?” He asked.
“If you can’t,” Said a deep, cold voice, “It certainly wouldn’t surprise me.”
Everyone turned, seeing a tall young man in the doorway, wearing the Domino High boys uniform. He had sharp blue eyes, dark brown hair, and carried a metal briefcase. His eyes were narrowed in a constant scowl.
“Seto Kaiba?” Yugi said in surprise.
“Kaiba?!” Exclaimed Joey.
“Doesn't he have a big fancy company to run, what’s he doing down here?” Wondered Tristan.
“Hey, who is that?” Sunset whispered to Téa.
“That’s Seto Kaiba,” Téa whispered back, “He goes to our school, but he’s actually a super rich big shot and the heir to this big company called the Kaiba Corporation.”
“Kaiba Corporation?” Sunset said thoughtfully. “I'm sure I’ve heard of them before. Don’t they make high tech gaming systems or something?”
“Yup,” Téa nodded, “They're a big time gaming company.”
“And he’s the head of the company, but at the same time, he’s still in school?” Sunset said with a raised eyebrow. “Is that legal?”
“Not that it's any of your business,” Kaiba continued, “But I came to see the card.”
“Hey, are you into Duel Monsters, too?” asked Joey. “This is perfect. If Sunset decides to start playing, maybe we could all Duel together sometime?”
“Me, Duel you?” Kaiba said smugly as he stepped closer. “I would have more of a challenge playing solitaire.”
“What?” Joey said.
“I am the No1 ranked Duelist in the country and the favourite to win the Duel Monsters championship,” Kaiba said, before turning his head and saying, “Heh, you wouldn’t last two minutes in a Duel against me.”
“Oohh, I’m shakin',” Said Joey, raising his fist, “Maybe you’d like to settle this with fists instead of cards!”
“Whoa, take it easy Joey,” Said Yugi as he jumped in front of him, holding up his hands.
“But Yugi,” Joey protested. “Kaiba’s asking for it.”
“Yeah, what’s your problem?” Asked Sunset with an annoyed look. “He just asked if you’d like to play a little card game, there was no need to act like a jerk about it.”
Kaiba looked over at her with those same cold eyes. “Duel Monsters is no little card game,” He said. “You're obviously new around here, so let me give you some advice. Don’t get involved in things that don’t concern you, and also, find yourself some better company before it’s too late.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Sunset asked, her eyes narrowed.
“It means you don’t want to be seen with the wrong sort,” He answered, glancing around at Joey, Yugi, Tristan, and Téa.
Sunset scowled. She already didn’t like this Seto Kaiba. “I think I can decide who I spend my time with for myself, thanks,” she said in a hard voice.
“Whatever. It’s your loss,” Kaiba said with a smirk. “Now, does this shop have any worthwhile cards, or not?” He looked at the counter and gasped as he saw the special card resting in it’s box. He pushed his way to the counter and stared down at it. “Can it be!? The Blue Eyes White Dragon!? In a dump like this!?”
He continued to stare until Grandpa closed the lid on the box and pulled it back behind his hand. “Well, enough window shopping,” He said dismissively. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
Kaiba glared at him, before lifting up his briefcase and slamming it down on the counter, before opening it and turning it around to show Grandpa the contents. Grandpa, who was at first shocked by the abrupt move, now gazed in awe at what was inside.
“Listen to me, old man!” Kaiba demanded. “Give me your Blue Eyes White Dragon card and I’ll trade you all of these!” Inside the case was a huge assortment of Duel Monsters cards. Everyone looked in awe, except Tristan and Sunset, who didn’t see the big deal.
“Ah, nice,” Said Grandpa, “But, no thanks.”
“Huh?!” Exclaimed Yugi, Joey and Téa.
Kaiba just grunted. “Fine! If you won’t trade, maybe you’ll sell it!” He said. “Name your price. I can pay anything you ask.”
“What’s with this guy?” Sunset thought. “Mr Muto already said no. Can’t he take a hint?”
“I’m sure you could,” Said Grandpa calmly. “But this card is worth more to me than you could ever offer. Not because of its power, or because it's so rare. But because of what it means to me.” He paused, before continuing in a nostalgic, heartfelt tone, holding up the card's box in his hands. “This card was given to me by a dear friend. And so I treasure this card as I do that friend.” He then looked up at Kaiba, and finished firmly, “So parting with it is completely out of the question!”
“No!” Kaiba exclaimed in shock.
Sunset, meanwhile, couldn’t help but let Grandpa’s words warm her heart. “That’s such a beautiful sentiment, Mr Muto,” She said with a smile.
“Why, thank you, my dear,” Grandpa said with a smile of his own.
“You’d feel the same even if it were a common card, right Grandpa?” Yugi said, also smiling.
“Exactly,” Grandpa said. “You see, this precious card has bonded with my heart.”
“Fine!” Kaiba snapped, seething with fury, as he slammed the case closed. “I’ve heard enough of your nonsense!” He grabbed the case and turned, before storming out of the shop. “Senile old fool!” He growled as he left. They all heard the engine of a car as it drove away.
“What a complete jerk,” Sunset said with a frown. “Just who does he think he is, barging in here and making demands like that?”
“Ahh, don’t even give that rich boy the time of day, Sunset,” Said Joey dismissively. “He’s always been a jerk to us ever since the day we met him.”
“Yeah, just ignore him,” Téa agreed. “He’s not worth the effort.”
“Anyway guys,” Yugi said, “It’s starting to get late. Maybe you should be getting home.”
“Yeah, I guess you're right,” Said Tristan with a yawn.
“Yeah, Ok,” Sunset agreed. “But, I think I’ll come back tomorrow so I can check out some of the cards, and maybe see about building myself a deck.”
“And I would be delighted to show you as many cards as you’d like,” Grandpa said kindly. “Your welcome to come visit my shop anytime.”
“Thank you, Mr Muto,” Smiled Sunset.
With that, Yugi walked outside with the others, and they all went separate ways. “See you tomorrow guys!”
Sunset waved as she walked away. “I think I’m gonna like it here in Domino City,” She said happily to herself.
Next day, after school had ended, Sunset had once more met up with Yugi and his friends and they were heading for the game shop. They chatted casually as they approached the shop and opened the door.
“Ok, Gramps, I’m back to get more cards!” Called Joey. There was no answer. “Hey! Hey, Gramps?” Joey called again.
“Grandpa, I’m home!” said Yugi. Still no answer.
“Mr Muto, are you home?” Sunset asked, but there was no sign of Grandpa in the shop.
“Maybe he went out,” Téa suggested.
“Maybe, but why would he leave the door unlocked?” Joey asked.
“That is an odd thing to do,” Sunset agreed. “Something seems off about this?”
“What do you mean, Sunset?” asked Yugi.
Before she could answer, the phone on the wall behind the counter began to ring, and Yugi went to answer it. “Hello? Game Shop.” A moment later, the others all turned to look at him as he gasped. “Kaiba?!” Another moment passed before he shouted into the phone in worry, “Kaiba?! What have you done Kaiba?!”
“Yugi, what’s wrong?” Sunset asked, also worried.
“It’s Kaiba!” The boy exclaimed. “He says he has Grandpa at his building and he’s not feeling well!”
“What?!” The others all shouted in shock.
“Why that underhanded sleaze ball!” Shouted Joey angrily. “Wait till I get my hands on him!”
“Well, let’s not just stand here, let’s go!” Téa said.
With that, they dashed out of the shop.
Soon, they approached a tall office building with a sign with the letters KC on it, ran inside, and straight into the elevator, riding it all the way to the top floor. As soon as the door opened, they gasped in shock at what they saw. There was Grandpa, lying on the ground, grunting in pain.
“Grandpa!” Yugi shouted, kneeling down beside him. “Grandpa? Are you Okay?” He asked, his voice strained with emotion.
“Y-Yugi,” Grandpa said weakly. “I failed. I wanted to teach that boy Kaiba a lesson about the Heart of Cards, but I lost.” He furnished with another weak grunt.
“G-Grandpa,” Yugi whimpered.
“How’s the old man feeling,” asked an all too familiar voice. They all looked up to see a smug looking Kaiba standing on the opposite side of the room.
“Kaiba, you sleaze, what have you done to him!?” Shouted an angry Joey.
“Oh, nothing much,” Kaiba said, “We just had ourselves,” he looked over at Sunset and narrowed his eyes as he said ,“a little card game.”
“What?!” Sunset snapped as she glared at Kaiba in disgust. “Is this still about that card of Mr Muto’s?! Just look at him?! There is no way that playing some stupid card game caused this! What did you really do to him?!”
“It’s exactly as I said,” Kaiba went on with an amused smirk. “We had a Duel, that’s all. With each of us putting up our most valuable card as the prize.” He closed his eyes, and his smirk grew as he went on a condescending tone, “But I guess playing against a champion like myself was just too much stimulation for the old fool.”
Téa pointed her finger at Kaiba and shouted, “Kaiba, you should be ashamed of yourself!”
“You would hurt a kind old man just to get your hands on one little card for one little card game, even after he made it perfectly clear he would never let you have it?!” Sunset shouted angrily. “You're despicable!”
“It was fair,” Kaiba said, not caring in the least about the insults being hurled at him. “And look at the sweet prize I won.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Blue Eyes White Dragon card, holding it up for all to see. He turned it sideways, gripping it with both hands.
With horror, Sunset realised what he was about to do. “DON’T YOU DARE!!” She screamed, as Kaiba proceeded… to rip the precious card in half! Everyone gasped in horrified shock!
“Grandpa’s most treasured card!” Yugi sputtered in utter disbelief.
“Yes, the Blue Eyes White Dragon is a rare and powerful card,” Kaiba said, completely unfazed, as he tossed the two pieces of the now ruined card to the ground, “and this one will never be used against me.”
“M-My Blue Eyes White Dragon… M-My treasure…” Grandpa whimpered before grunting in pain once more.
“Grandpa! Hold on!” Yugi begged, before looking up at Kaiba with tears in his eyes. “How could you do such a thing?!”
Sunset wholeheartedly agreed, as she was now livid with fury. “You heartless monster!” She yelled. “That card was his most prised possession and you just tore it up like it was trash right in front of him! And for what?! Just to prove how superior you are?! Just so you can have an edge in some ridiculous game?! I’ve heard of being obsessive and wanting to be the best, but come on! It’s just a game!”
Kaiba just continued to give that same cold, irritating smirk as he said, “You know, you're really starting to bore me, little girl,” He said. “Like I said before, why don’t you just stay out of things that you don’t understand or concern you? And again, Duel Monsters is not some little game. But then again, you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
“I know enough to know that it’s not worth beating up an old man for!” Sunset snapped back.
“Yeah, you tell that jerk, Sunset,” Joey agreed.
“Y-Yugi here,” Grandpa stuttered as he held up a deck of Duel Monsters cards, “Take this.”
“Huh? Grandpa?” Yugi replied sadly.
“I built this deck. I put my soul in these cards, and I taught you everything I know, Yugi,” Grandpa said with determination despite his weakened state. “Take them. Take my cards and teach him respect. Teach Kaiba respect for the Heart of the Cards, Yugi!”
“But Grandpa,” Yugi objected, “You need help, I’ve got to get you to a doctor.”
“Sounds like an excuse,” Kaiba interrupted.
“Stay out of this, you selfish jerk!” Shouted Sunset in warning.
Kaiba completely ignored her as he said, “Your friends can care for your Grandfather, while you and I Duel, unless you're afraid?”
Yugi hesitated until he heard Joey say, “Take him, Yugi!” He looked back at his friends as Joey went on to say, “We can take care of your Grandpa, while you take care of creepy Kaiba. Teach that rich spoiled brat what a real Duel is all about!”
“For your Grandpa, Yugi!” Téa said encouragingly.
“Uh, I don’t know,” Yugi said uncertainly.
“Trust me, you're like the best player I’ve ever seen and you’ve got the Millennium Puzzle,” Joey said. “You can do this Yugi! I know you can!”
“We all do!” Téa put in as well.
“I don't really know what the big deal with this game is yet,” Sunset said, before giving him an encouraging smile, “But this Kaiba seriously needs to be taught a lesson. You go and take him down!”
Yugi nodded with a resolute look before turning back to his Grandpa. “OK, Grandpa. I’ll do it,” he said, taking the deck.
“I know you will, my boy,” Grandpa said proudly.
“Everyone, put your hands together,” Téa said, holding up a pen. Yugi and the others did so, but Sunset just looked on in confusion. “You, too, Sunset.”
“Uh, why?” Sunset asked, “Do we really have time for… whatever this is?”
“Just get in here,” Téa smiled, as Sunset reached out her hand, “So I can mark us with a special sign.” To everyone's confusion, she proceeded to draw what looked like a smiley face across all of their hands, everyone with a different part of the face.
“Huh? What gives, Téa?” Asked Joey.
“It’s a symbol of our friendship,” Téa said with pride as she held up her marked hand. “So when Yugi’s Dueling, no matter how tough it gets, he’ll know that he’s not alone, we’re all right there with him!”
Even though she thought the whole thing was a little weird, the gesture wasn’t lost on Sunset. “You really consider me your friend? We’ve only known each for a couple of days.”
“Of course we do, Sunset,” Téa said.
“Yeah, you’re one of us now,” Joey said, giving a friendly smirk.
“Besides, everyone deserves to have a friend,” Tristan said, “And when you first arrived, it looked like you needed it.”
Yugi nodded resolutely and smiled. “Yeah, from now on, you will always be our friend, Sunset Shimmer.”
Sunset couldn't help feeling touched as she smiled warmly at her new friends. “Thanks guys,” she said appreciatively.
“If you're finished with your sickeningly sweet banter, I say we get this started,” Kaiba said, “If you care to step this way.”
Yugi made to follow Kaiba as Tristan picked up Yugi’s Grandpa, but paused when Sunset stepped up to him, making him look back at her. “Sunset?”
“Mind if I tag along?” She asked. “I want to see what this game is really like.” She then smirked. “Plus, I can't wait to see you kick this jerk’s butt at it.”
“Sure, I could use the support,” Yugi said gratefully.
With that, they followed Kaiba down a corridor, and stepped out into a huge room with two large pedestals with a platform for someone to stand on, what looked like stone stands around the edge, and a green glassy floor with two rectangular grids. Sunset looked around, both impressed and confused. “What is this? A stadium? This guy has a whole stadium in his company’s building for playing a card game? Kinda overkill, don’t you think?” She went over to the stands as Yugi and Kaiba climbed up onto each of the pedestals as Kaiba began to speak.
“I designed this virtual stadium myself. Impressive, hmm? I think you’ll find it adds a bit more life to the game,” He continued as the two pedestals moved forward, placing both players out above the field. “We each begin with two thousand Life Points. First player to hit zero loses. Are you ready to play, runt?”
The ceiling of the room went dark and shadowy as Yugi called out, “Playtime is over, Kaiba!”
At that moment, Sunset looked up at Yugi as there suddenly seemed to be a brief flash of golden light around him. She blinked in surprise at the young man that now stood on the platform. “Is that Yugi?” He looked basically the same, but there were very subtle differences. For one thing, he looked slightly taller, and if she looked closely, his hair looked different, one of his bangs was now pointing straight up from the middle of his forehead. But the most striking difference was the look in his eyes. They were now brimming with strength and a confidence that wasn’t there before.
Kaiba seemed just as taken aback. “Uh, what the…?" He said in confusion.
And then Yugi spoke. “Now, Kaiba. Prepare yourself, because it’s time to Duel!” He stated in a deep, powerful voice.
Sunset couldn't help but stare up at him. “OK, this whole thing just keeps getting weirder by the minute,” She muttered. “Does Yugi have some kind of magic or something?” Before she could ponder it further, Kaiba seemed to shake off his confusion.
“Virtual Systems Ready,” He stated as the screens above the middle of the field showed the players scores, and both players drew five cards from their decks.
Kaiba: 2000 / Yugi: 2000
“So let’s begin.” He picked a card from his hand and placed it down in front of him. “I attack with the mighty Hitotsu-Me Giant!” The corresponding square on the grid below began to glow. “Brace yourself, Yugi. You’ve never Dueled like this before!” Kaiba gloated as a huge muscular humanoid creature with one eye and dark green skin materialised on the field. Sunset and Yugi were stunned by this.
“Huh, he’s brought the monster on the card to life!” Yugi said in shocked awe.
“Ok, I admit, that is pretty cool,” Sunset said to herself. “But at the same time, this is still kind of overkill. This is still just a card game, right?”
“It’s my virtual simulator,” Kaiba explained boastfully. “It creates life like holograms of every Duel Monster!”
“That thing is a hologram?” Sunset muttered.
“So this is how you beat my Grandfather!” Yugi said angrily. “Well, now, it’s my turn!" He then played his own first card. "I call on the Wing Dragon Guardian Of The Fortress!” A huge blue dragon appeared, with three sharp spines on its back, and claws on its wings.
At that moment, Sunset looked over as Joey came running into the stadium and stared with wide eyes up at the two monsters facing each other. “Whoa! Monsters?! Real Monsters?!”
The one-eyed giant lunged at the dragon. “Fireball attack!” Yugi shouted, and the dragon released a ball of fire from its mouth, catching the giant in it’s chest before consuming it completely.
Just then, a young dark haired boy ran into the stadium. “Big Brother!” He called as Kaiba’s score dropped.
Kaiba: 2000 - 200 = 1800
“Alright!” Joey cheered. “Go Yugi!”
“Hey Joey, over here!” Sunset called to him as Joey ran up to her. “What are you doing here?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Joey said. “I’m here to cheer for Yugi, of course.”
“What about Yugi’s Grandpa?” Sunset asked.
“Don’t worry,” Joey said. “Gramps is in good hands. Tristan and Tea are taking him to the hospital right now.”
“Well, that’s good,” Sunset replied with relief, before turning back to the field, as Kaiba began his next turn.
“Heh, well played, Yugi, for a beginner,” He said before playing his next card. “But how will you deal with this?” On his field, a creepy masked monster in a jester’s outfit appeared.
Yugi seemed confused. “Saggi The Dark Clown? But that card has hardly any attack strength.”
“True, your Winged Dragon’s attack is 1400, while my Dark Clown’s is only 600,” Kaiba said, before playing another card from his hand, “But if I combine it with this card…”
Yugi gasped. “A Magic Card!”
“Yes,” Continued Kaiba, “The Negative Energy Generator. It multiplies the attack of Dark Attribute monster by three.” A wave of dark energy surrounded the Clown as it grew in size and strength. ATK: 600 - 1800 “Dark Clown, attack with Dark Light!” Kaiba commanded with a sinister smirk, the Clown raising his hands, a black ball of energy forming in its hands, which it hurled at the Dragon, annihilating it.
Yugi: 2000 - 400 = 1600
“As you can see, combing cards can be quite effective!” Kaiba said.
“He sure likes to hear himself talk,” Muttered Sunset, rolling her eyes. “I mean, wouldn’t Yugi already know all this stuff? Who’s he even explaining this to?”
“Beats me,” Joey shrugged.
Yugi drew his next card, starred at it for a moment, before playing another card from his hand. This time, no monster appeared, but the square on the field did glow. Kaiba called his next attack and destroyed the monster, too fast for Sunset to see it properly.
“Hang in there, Yugi!” Shouted Joey.
“Yeah, you can beat this jerk!” Sunset called encouragingly.
The next couple of turns were repeats of the last one, with Kaiba destroying Yugi’s defending monsters, smirking and chuckling darkly all the while. Eventually, he gloated more by saying, “You’re not faring any better than the old man did, Yugi.” His smirk only grew as he went on, “Your deck is just as weak and feeble as your Grandfather.”
“My Grandpa is a great man and a better Duelist than you’ll ever be!” Yugi stated firmly and defiantly, glaring at Kaiba. “He entrusted me with his cards and I can feel his heart in this deck.” His frown deepened as he said, “I doubt you have that kind of faith in your cards, Kaiba!” Kaiba seemed caught off guard for a moment as Yugi reached for his deck. “But I believe in my Grandpa’s deck!” He drew his next card, looked at it, and then smiled. “And my faith rewards me with Gaia The Fierce Knight! With a destructive power of 2300!” He played the card and a powerful warrior on horseback appeared, wielding twin lances. Kaiba recoiled as It charged across the field. “Spiral Shaver!” The knight thrust his lance at the clown, finally ridding the field of it.
Kaiba: 1800 - 500 = 1300
“Wait ago, Yugi!” Joey cheered.
“I guess this means he has the advantage now!” Said Sunset with a smile. This was getting exciting now.
“All right, Kaiba,” Said Yugi, now looking rightfully smug himself, “Your move.”
Kaiba, however, didn’t seem worried at all. “Ha, this will be over sooner than you think,” He said mockingly as he drew his next card. He looked at it, and narrowed his eyes. Sunset didn’t like the look in those eyes, and she was proved right a moment later when... “I call on the Blue Eyes White Dragon!” All Yugi, Joey and Sunset could do was stare in utter shock as a huge dragon with blue scales and deep blue eyes appeared, as it let out a loud, fearsome roar.
“Huh? No Way!” Yugi exclaimed, eyes wide.
“Impossible!” Joey shouted in disbelief. “We all watched Kaiba tear that card in half!”
“You mean he actually had one the other 3 cards this whole time?!” Sunset shouted in a mix of shock and indignation.
“Surprised?” Kaiba asked, sounding more smug and condescending than ever. “Did you think your Grandfather was the only one to possess a Blue Eyes White Dragon?” He then calls for his dragon to attack. “White Lightning!” The Dragon opened its mouth wide, a ball of blue-white energy forming in its mouth, before it launches a stream at Yugi’s knight, blowing it out of existence, and causing Yugi to cringe from the blast.
Yugi: 1600 - 700 = 900
“Ha! Your fierce night is destroyed!” Kaiba began speaking again, going into an arrogant rant. “Faith or no faith, you will fall before my superior monsters, Yugi. Power is what this game is all about, you fool. Faith is for losers! Like your pathetic Grandfather!”
“Does this guy ever shut up?!” Sunset mentally screamed in complete annoyance, her right eye twitching. “Geez, did I sound like this when I was still bad?!”
Unfortunately, over the next couple of turns, with Yugi barely holding off the devastating power of the Blue Eyes, Kaiba kept on gloating. “In your entire deck, there’s not a single card that can stand up to a Blue Eyes White Dragon!” He then held up a very familiar card. “So what hope do you have against two?” The second identical Dragon appeared next to its fellow, snarling angrily. “Why don’t you just admit defeat, Yugi?”
“Oh, come on!” Sunset thought in indignant anger. “Seriously?! One of the rarest cards in the world, and he happens to have two of the only three remaining copies?! Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if he has all three!”
Meanwhile, Yugi just glared across at Kaiba. It really didn’t look good for him. But still, his resolve wasn't broken yet. “I won’t give up!” He said firmly with determination. “Grandpa’s counting on me!” He then drew his next card, and a hopeful look crossed his face. “A Magic Card! Swords Of Revealing Light!” Swords of bright light rained down on the field, forming a wall in front of the two dragons. “It stops all monsters on the field from attacking for three turns!”
“How desperate,” Kaiba said smugly. “What possible good will a three turn delay do you?”
“Do you ever shut up?!” Sunset yelled, finally losing patience with the young CEO. “This game would have ended a lot faster If you’d just stop running your arrogant, egotistical mouth, you pompous windbag!”
“Whoa, Sunset,” Joey said in surprise.
Kaiba just glanced at her briefly, before going back to concentrating on the Duel. Sunset hissed through gritted teeth at his attitude, before looking across at Yugi. He wasn't doing anything, just standing there, seemingly deep in thought. Sunset wondered what was going through his mind. Was he trying to come up with a plan? Was he unable to make a move? Her thoughts were interrupted by Kaiba.
“Quit your stalling, Yugi!” He snapped impatiently. “Or you will forfeit the match!”
“I never forfeit!” Yugi snapped back, as he drew his next card. He seemed surprised by what he had drawn, before playing his next monster and ending his turn.
“Draw any card you like, It won’t change a thing,” Said Kaiba. “My dragons may be frozen for another two turns, but my new monster is under no such spell!" He summoned his new monster, a tall, bulky man with a grey beard, tusks poking out his mouth, wearing bulky red armour, a long purple cape, and wielding twin maces. “The Judge Man, with an attack power of 2200!” The monster swung his mace, wiping out Yugi’s monster, an armoured reptile, with ease.
Yugi drew his next card, looking at his new card thoughtfully, before playing it. “Dark Magician!” A tall man with purple hair, wearing purple armor and spell casters robes appeared. He carried a long green spell casters staff in his right hand.
Dark Magician: ATK: 2500
Judge Man: ATK: 2200
“Dark Magic Attack!” (How could 4kids not have Yugi say this the very first time we see him use his most famous and favourite card?!) The man raised his hand and unleashed a powerful spell, shattering the Judge Man completely. “Your Judge Man falls!”
Kaiba: 1300 - 300 = 1000
Sunset looked between the two combatants. She could feel that the end was near.
“Ahh,” Kaiba sighed, still looking unbearably smug. “A sacrifice that doesn’t even faze me.” He drew his next card before saying, “And though neither dragon can move for one turn…” He narrowed his eyes, before announcing, “My next card is… the third Blue Eyes White Dragon!” Yugi grunted, recoiling in shock.
Sunset just rolled her eyes and face palmed. “Saw that coming,” she muttered bitterly.
The third dragon reared up, letting out its signature roar. “Now, my Dragon, attack!” Kaiba commanded. The dragon proceeded to do so, wiping out the Dark Magician in a huge explosion.
Yugi: 900 - 500 = 400
“So tell me, Yugi? How's your faith now?” Kaiba gloated once more. “On my next turn, all three Blue Eyes White Dragons are free to attack! This game’s over no matter what card you draw.”
“Don’t listen, Yugi!” Joey shouted up to his stricken friend.
As much as she hated to admit it, as much as she now hated the sound of Kaiba’s voice, Sunset could see that the situation did look dire for Yugi. Was there any way he could pull himself back from the brink? Either way, the outcome of the Duel would be decided on this next turn. She looked up at Yugi, who seemed to stare at the cards in his hand in a daze, before slowly reaching for his deck, and then freezing, his face scrunched up in indecision, like he couldn’t bring himself to draw. Sunset then looked down at her hand, seeing her part of the mark that Tea had drawn. Then, it hit her. “Yugi!” She shouted, lifting up her hand as high as she could. “Remember, you're not alone! We’re all here for you! We believe in you! You can do this!” Yugi broke out of his trance and looked down at her, seeing the mark on her hand, as well as her encouraging smile. He looked down at the mark on his own hand and smiled as well.
“Sunset’s right. I’ve got to believe in the cards like she and my friends believe in me!” He said with renewed courage.
“Draw your last pathetic card so I can end this, Yugi,” Kaiba said smugly, positive of his victory.
“My Grandpa’s deck HAS no pathetic cards, Kaiba!” Yugi said back with a triumphant smile as he drew his final card. “But it DOES contain...” He held up the card for all to see, “The unstoppable Exodia!!”
At this, Kaiba’s smug smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a look of utter shock and horror. “Ahhh!! Impossible!!” He cried in complete denial.
“I've assembled all five special cards,” Yugi announced as he laid five cards from his hand out in front of him, “All five pieces of the puzzle!” A large star symbol appeared in front of him, before a brown muscular arm emerged, followed by another, and then the rest of the torso pushed its way out. Sunset was awestruck. This new monster was enormous, and radiated power! It’s appearance was very ancient Egyptian inspired, with a large ankh on its chest, and a figure like the head of a cobra above its face. It also had shackles and chains on each of the arms and legs.
“Exodia!!” Kaiba yelped as he recoiled in fear, “Ahh, It’s not possible!! No ones EVER been able to call HIM!!”
Yugi then said the final words of the Duel. “Exodia! OBLITERATE!!”
Exodia formed a ball of bright orange light in its hands, before thrusting its hands forwards, unleashing all its power in one massive attack, lighting up the entire field like the sun, as all three dragons were vaporised like they were nothing, and Kaiba let out a final yell of defeat.
Kaiba: 900 - 900 = 0
“You did it!” Joey cheered. “Yugi, you won!”
“He won?” Sunset said slowly, before her face lit up in a wide, delighted smile. “He won!” she cheered, raising her hands in joy. “He did it, Joey! He actually did it!”
“This can’t be,” the raven haired boy said in disbelief. “My brother never loses.”
“You play only for power, Kaiba, and that is why you lost,” Yugi said wisely. “But if you put your heart in the game, there's nothing you can’t do.”
“But,” Kaiba said in protest, unable to accept what had just happened. “But how? How Could I have lost to him?!”
“Kaiba,” Yugi said as a symbol which looked like an eye appeared on his forehead. “If you truly want to know, I must shatter the evil in your head!” He thrust out his hand and shouted, “MIND CRUSH!!” A moment later, a dazed look crossed Kaiba’s face as he slumped to his knees. “There, Kaiba," Yugi said as he lowered his hand. "Now that I’ve smashed the evil within your head, maybe now you’ll begin to see.” He then climbed down from the platform as Sunset and Joey ran up to meet him.
“That was amazing!” Sunset said happily. “Congratulations!”
“Yeah, Yugi!” Joey said. “You totally kicked snobby Kaiba’s butt!”
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Yugi said proudly, before looking at Sunset. “Especially you, Sunset.”
“Me?” Sunset said with a raised eyebrow. “What did I do?”
“When I thought it was all over, and I was starting to lose hope, you were the one who helped me remember that I was not alone out there, that all my friends were with me, both here, and in spirit, which gave me the courage to make that last draw,” Yugi said with a grateful smile. “I could not have won without you. Thank you.”
Sunset could only smile and blush bashfully. “You're welcome, Yugi.”
“Aw, come on,” Joey said. “Enough of this mushy stuff. We gotta head over to the hospital and tell everyone the good news, as well as check up on Gramps!”
“Your right, Joey,” Yugi agreed.
“Yeah, let's get out of here, already,” Sunset said. She couldn't agree with Joey more. “This place is stuffy after all the hot air escaped when dragon boy’s blimp sized ego got popped.” They all laughed heartily as they left the arena.
Somewhere, in a darkened room, a silhouette of a man stood in a lighted doorway, as he reported to his boss.
“Mr Pegasus, Sir. Seto Kaiba, our uncontested champion, he’s been defeated in a Duel, Sir, by someone named Yugi.”
His boss, a man with long silver hair, with one side covering his left eye, and holding a half filled glass in his hand, smirked. “Hmm,” he said as something flashed beneath his hair where his left eye should be.
To Be Continued...
