Power of the Heart Season 2 ~Yami Yugi Love Story~

Rare Hunter Part Two

~Sera~
"It's my move now. I place one card face down and attack with Chimera the Mythical Beast. Demolish his Stone Statue!" Yami ordered. The hunter's monster was defeated. "You're left with one monster."
"That doesn't matter to me! You're done! I knew that even you couldn't beat me in one turn! All I have to do is draw my next card and not only will I win this duel, but I'll score an even greater prize. First I won Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon and now I'll take your Dark Magician. After wards I'll take Sera's Dark Magician Girl. My master will be extremely pleased! Bye, bye, Yugi! Now I will draw the final...!"
"Not so fast, Rare Hunter!" Yami interrupted.
"A trap! What is it?! Time Seal?! That stops me from drawing any cards!" The hunter gasped. I smirked, that's my Yami.
"That means you can't pick the final piece of the Exodia card yet, this duel is far from over, Rare Hunter!" Yami told him.
"A desperate move for my desperate pray," the hunter said.
"Phew, I thought Yugi was a goner," Joey said in relief.
"I know what you mean. Thank god he has a bit more time to figure something out. I have no doubt he will," I said smiling at Yami. Yami then played a trap card called Lifeforce Sword which will randomly attack on card in the Rare Hunter's hand, preventing him from using it for three turns. I just pray that it hits one of the Exodia cards or Yami will be done for! The sword hit on of his cards.
"Not that one! You pierced Exodia's Right Arm!" The hunter gasped. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. He's safe for a few more turns now.
'Don't worry so much,' I heard Yami think to me. I mentally scoffed.
'Forget it. It's my job to worry about you,' I replied. He just mentally chuckled.
"I'm not done yet, Rare Hunter. To wipe our monsters, I'll start by sacrificing my Chimera to summon Summoned Skull. Summoned Skull, attack with Lightning Strike!" Yami ordered. It was then the Rare Hunter's last defense was destroyed.
"Well, alright! Way to put that caped clown on the endangered species list!" Joey cheered.
"You see? Your Exodia may be unstoppable as a whole, but the five cards that make it up are easy prey," Yami said.
"Now it's my turn," the hunter said.
"Rare Hunter, you have no monster to defend you. Looks like this is a whole new game," Yami said. The hunter laughs...like a maniac.
"What's with that guy? He's as nuttier as a fruit cake," Joey said. I nodded in agreement.
"I thought that just by looking at him," I muttered making Joey high five me.
"A whole new game? Hardly, Yugi, you really think you can stop me with one card?" The hunter asked.
"I do," Yami said with confidence.
"A professional card hunter like me is prepared for any attack," the hunter said. He then activated his Swords of Revealing Light stopping Yami from attack for three turns. "Once your Lifeforce Sword wears off, I can used Exodia's Right Arm and summon the beast," The hunter said. Yami just drew one card and ended his turn. "Thanks to my Swords of Revealing Light, that's all you can do. You're reduced to watching your own duel, unable to attack, unable to even move. I should just end your misery. Why wait for you magic card to expire when I can draw another Right Arm from my deck? Exodia cards are so rare that most duelists don't own a single piece, but I have three copies of each, so that means there are two more Right Arms waiting in my deck," the hunter said. I noticed something wrong about his deck then making my chuckle. Apparently I'm not the only one because Yami joined my chuckling. "Hey, what's so funny?!"
"You're decks so loaded down with so many Exodia body parts that finding the Right Arm will be slim to none," I stated as Yami nodded.
"We'll find out, won't we?" The hunter asked.
"Your mistake is that you're relying on one monster, but a good dueling deck requires the right balance of cards and you're still a prisoner of Lifeforce Sword, which means I have three turns to defeat you," Yami stated.
"Hm, wishful thinking, Yugi. It's my draw," the hunter said. Joey groaned.
"Come on, Yug, you can do it, buddy! You've still got two turns to figure out how to stop this card swiping freak!" Joey said. I nodded.
"Joey's right! Have faith and believe in yourself as well as your deck, then you beat this psycho!" I told him. Yami sent me a nod. You can do it, love. Yami drew his card and placed once face down.
"And I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior in attack mode," Yami said as his monster appeared.
"You forget about my Swords of Revealing Light? You can't attack," the hunter reminded.
"I can't yet, but once I destroy your swords, my monsters will be let loose," Yami stated.
"You won't!" The hunter refused. I smirked seeing Yami's plan.
"And remember, you deck has a tragic flaw. It's cluttered with so many Exodia pieces that you've squeezed out room needed to protect your life points. You need more magic and trap cards to stop my monsters, but all you have in your hand are Exodia cards. And take a looked in front of you, Rare Hunter, I've already destroyed the only two monsters you summoned. Leaving you without a single monster to guard you against a direct attack. The only thing stopping my monster is your Swords of Revealing Light, a weak and temporary shield. Once my monsters are free I'll begin attacking your life points," Yami said.
"Impossible! You'll never break free from my trap before I summon Exodia and obliterate you and your monsters! It's over, Yugi!" The hunter said.
"You've left yourself wide open for a direct attack, Rare Hunter!" Yami retorted.
"Take him down, Yugi!" Joey and I cheered.
"There's no way you'll summon Exodia in time," Yami stated.
"You forget, your monster are trapped in my Swords of Revealing Light. It's my turn," the hunter draws.
"I bet it's a duplicate Exodia card," Yami said.
"It makes no difference to me. Your Lifeforce Sword will disappear, allowing me to access all five pieces of Exodia for an automatic win!" The hunter told him.
"But not soon enough," Yami said. The hunter then summoned the Head of Exodia in defense mode.
"Now you can't attack my life points," he said.
"That's exactly what I wanted you to do, Rare Hunter. Now it's time for me to destroy Exodia," Yami said to him.
"What?!"
"You activated my trap card. A costly mistake! Chain Destruction!" Yami showed. Chains shot out of the card which passed through the head and straight to the hunter's deck.
"It stuck my deck!"
"While it can't destroy your Exodia Head on the field, it can destroy the ones in your hand and your deck!" Yami stated.
"Oh no! My Exodia Heads!" The hunter gasped.
"Are gone. All of your Exodia Heads have been eliminated from your hand and your deck and with no heads left to play, you can no longer draw all five pieces into your hand to summon Exodia," Yami stated. I smiled happy that he found a way to stop Exodia. "And I'm not done yet, Rare Hunter. I also found a way around your Swords of Revealing Light," he added. He had a Dust Tornado trap card, it destroys one magic card. "Next I'll play Monster Reborn to revive Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast!" Yami said making his monster appear. "Now your life points are defenseless against my attack. I play Alpha the Magnet Warrior! Summoned Skull's lightning raises Alpha's attack power by 200 points! Now my monsters, attack Rare Hunter's life points!" Yami ordered. It's then Yami won the duel. I grinned and ran over to Yami hugging him. He hugged me back with a small laugh.
"You did it! I was a little scared at first, but I knew you could do it," I told him. We pulled back and I saw his smile.
"I told you I would be fine," he said. I smiled and kissed him before we went over to the Rare Hunter. Yami then retrieved the Red Eyes Black Dragon as Joey came over.
"Way to go, my man!" Joey grinned.
"Thanks, Joey," Yami said. He looked through the deck. "Ah, there it is. I'm taking Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon and your locator card. You won't need to find the finals now," Yami said. He flipped through the deck and I knew something wasn't right, I could see it in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" I asked him.
"Something's rubbing off on my fingers...all these cards are marked!" He stated.
"He was a cheat!" Joey exclaimed.
"Not anymore!" Yami said. He grabbed the Exodia cards, ripped them up, and threw them into the air.
"I lost...I failed...I'm sorry, master!" The Rare Hunter said. I grabbed Yami's hand and he gently pulled me behind him. "I tried my best! No, please, don't be angry!" He screamed and grabbed his head. "No, master, please, spare me!"
"Yugi, that wacko's lost his mind!" Joey said.
"No, Sera and I have seen this before," Yami said. I remember when Yugi had to battle Keith...it's happening again. I then saw the Millennium Symbol on the Hunter's forehead making me gasp.
"He's being possessed," I said.
"That's right," Yami agreed.
"Remember me, Pharaoh?" The hunter asked. His voice was now a mixture of his own and another...just like Keith. "Or perhaps you don't, you were trapped in the Puzzle when I dueled little Yugi. Congratulations on defeating my Rare Hunter, though he was the weakest duelist in my crew. My other minions are much more formidable," the man said.
"Yug, what is with this freak show?" Joey asked.
"Pharaoh, I've waited for you for years. Finally after all this time, I will destroy you. I will not allow my other Rare Hunter to fail like this one did. I have little time for his foolishness, so I have taken over his body and trapped his mind in the Shadow Realm. I am in control," the man said. He then starts to dance like he's a broken doll, doing flips and spins in the air.
"This guy's creeping me out!" Joey freaked.
"How do you control him?" Yami asked. Wait...control, the Millennium Symbol on his forehead...it couldn't be...
"Each of the Millennium Items contains its own unique power. So mind control is a simple task for my Millennium Rod," the man said. I gasped at this....No...please...it can't be...
"No good can come from that power," Yami said.
"Allow me to introduce myself. Remember my name...Marik," the man said. My grip tightened a little on Yami's hand and I felt my knees begin to go week. Yami let go of my hand and wrapped his arms around me to keep me from falling. Joey placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Sera, are you alright?" Yami asked extremely worried. I just couldn't say anything and I was shaking.
"Ah, Sera. Wonderful to see you again now that you finally know," Marik said to me. Joey and Yami looked at me.
"You know him, Sera?" Joey asked worried and confused. I still couldn't say anything due to the shock. If I said anything it would be stutters due to the shaking.
"What is it you want from us, Marik?" Yami glared.
"I want what belongs to me and I'll take it using the power of the Egyptian God Cards!" Marik said.
"Egyptian what?" Joey asked.
"A millennia ago, a trio of powerful behemoths rampaged throughout Ancient Egypt. These Egyptian Gods spread destruction throughout the world, until the Pharaoh and his Queen sealed them away for eternity, but when Pegasus created Duel Monster, he resurrected these mighty beasts as cards. With these Egyptian Gods, I can destroy you and claim the power I deserve!" Marik said.
"You'll never claim the Millennium Puzzle or Crystal!" Yami exclaimed.
"You misunderstand, I want more than the powers of the Puzzle and Crystal. I want the Pharaoh's and Queen's power, the boundless energy of the ancient rulers themselves. With them, no one will stand in my way. I'll use the all mighty magic I gained to conquer and lead the world. I will be unstoppable. The end is near Pharaoh and Queen, it's my world now!" Marik told us.
"Not yet, Marik. I'm beginning to see why Ishizu asked us to participate in Battle City. It's our destiny to stand between you and the evil powers you seek...and I will," Yami said.
"Then your destiny is easier said than done, you fool. Pharaoh, Queen, your days are numbered. So enjoy the game while you still can, because your rain is coming to an end. Goodbye, Sera. I'll be back to take your precious dragon away from you, so be prepared," Marik said before he let the hunter fall limp. I let my head rest on Yami's shoulder. Yami picked me up and walked over to a bench where he sat me down. I was still shaking.
"Sera, are you okay?" Yami asked worried as he knelt down in front of me. His hands on my knees. I shook my head.
"Here, Ser," Joey sat next to me handing me a water bottle.
"Thank you," I mumbled taking the water bottle.
"How do you know him, Sera?" Yami asked softly. I took a sip of water.
"I...I knew him...a-a long time ago," I stuttered still shaking. Yami grabbed my hands rubbing his thumbs on them as Joey wrapped an arm around me and rubbed my shoulder.
"How?" Yami asked me. I shook my head feeling tears.
"I-I can't say...I'm so sorry," I whimpered. Yami cupped my cheek making me look at him.
"It's okay, Sera. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to. I can see how it's effecting you and I don't like seeing you like this," he told me. I smiled a little as he wiped the tears away.
"Thank you," I said still shaking a little.
"That was really weird though. I knew that guy was a creep, but who knew he was a fraud for an even bigger creep?" Joey asked rubbing my arm to calm me down. Yami then took out the Red Eyes and handed it to Joey.
"Here you go, Joey. Take your Red Eyes back," he said. Joey looked at it for a moment.
"Nah, Yug, you keep it. It isn't mine to take, pal. You won it fair and square. Besides, the Rare Hunters have collected tons of rare cards, their decks are totally souped up, so I know they're going to be tough to beat, even for you," Joey told him.
"What are you saying, Joey?" Yami asked.
"I'm saying, one day you're going to need all the power you can get. Plus, you can think of me whenever you play my Red Eyes. It's the least I can do to repay ya. See, during the Duelist Kingdome tournament, you taught me the rules, killer strategies, and everything I needed to know to help me get to the finals. I couldn't have done it without ya help," Joey told him.
"That's what friends do," Yami said.
"That's my point exactly, buddy. You've always had my back, so it's about time I helped you for a change. That's why I want you to keep my Red Eyes Black Dragon. I know it's gonna come in handy for ya sometime. Besides, this means that a part of me will be a part of your deck. It's kinda cool that I know I'm gonna help you and Sera save the world. Don't get me wrong, I'm still in the contest and I still have the rare card covered, well technically, I guess you have it covered, Yugi. See, Red Eyes Black Dragon isn't the only rare card I had in my deck. You gave me another rare card way back when I first started playing Duel Monsters, remember?" Joey asked pulling the card out.
"The Time Wizard," Yami answered.
"Yep, it's bailed me out of Jams at Duelist Kingdom as it has also helped Sera, and I know it's gonna save my butt in Battle City. You know, when ya think about it, Yug; all three of our hearts are in our decks," Joey said. I looked at him when he said three and I saw that he was smiling at me. "We're a team, together we won't let any duelist beat us. It's true, we'll whop this Marik creep and his Rare Hunter goons so hard they won't know what hit 'em. They'll be sorry they ever decided to mess with us," Joey said. Yami and I smiled at him.
"Thanks, Joey. I'll take good care of your Red Eyes Black Dragon," Yami said.
"Don't sweat it, it's yours," Joey said sticking a hand out. Yami took it and they shook.
"You are a true friend, Joey. And together, we can take on any evil that comes our way," Yami agreed. I smiled at the two.
"Yeah! Alright! Which of you wants a piece? Just step up so Joey can knock ya down!" Joey said walking off. I chuckled a little shaking my head.
"He's become more determined than before, hasn't he?" I asked. Yami chuckled.
"It seems that way," he said. He then sat next to me and grabbed my hand. "How are you feeling?" He asked me. I sighed.
"I'm feeling okay now. I'm still a little shaken up....With the evil that's coming...this was the furthest thing from my mind," I said to him. I laid my head on his shoulder and I felt his head rest against mine.
"How bad is Marik?" he asked me. I shivered remembering.
"You don't want to know. I knew his family very well since I visited them a lot. At one point, he actually banished his own father to the Shadow Realm," I informed.
"His own father?" Yami asked shocked. I nodded.
"Marik has become so obsessed with obtaining our powers. He feels as though he should be the one that deserves the Millennium Puzzle and Crystal as well as the Egyptian Gods. I'm not going to let him though. If it's our destiny to save the world then I'm going to stop him too...no matter what it takes," I said. Yami wrapped his arms around me.
"Promise me you'll be careful. I don't want to see anything happen to you," he said to me. I smiled and looked at him.
"I promise if you will. You're one of the best things that's ever happened to me...I don't want to lose you either," I said to him. He gave me a small smile.
"I promise," he told me. We shared a kiss before I let my head rest on his chest as he held me. I just pray that we can stop Marik before it's too late.