Yu-Gi-Oh! Forever

A Fan-Fiction by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: The whole story's winding down to a close now…parting is such sweet sorrow…oh well. For the final time, I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!)

CHAPTER 321

DOMINO CITY, LATER THAT EVENING

The news was in all the headlines and on television stations across Japan and, indeed, the rest of the world: the young duelist, Yugo Muto, had won the Dueltropolis World Championship tournament, and had also played a role in the apprehension of several members of the criminal Zodiac organization. Anyone who picked up a newspaper could see the story spread out on the front page and, in some newspapers, on several subsequent pages in different sections. Anyone who turned on their televisions got a full view of the events that had transpired at Tokyo Dome earlier that day.

And Domino City was no exception.

"This was the scene at Tokyo Dome today, as the Duel Monsters World Championship tournament was won in an upset victory by Yugo Muto over former reigning champion, Seta Kaiba. Yugo, the son of the legendary duelist Yugi Muto, is himself not an entirely new face to the dueling scene, as he had previously won the Kaibacorp Challenge Cup and the Intercontinental tournament in England…"

"…several individuals were arrested at Tokyo Dome earlier today, on charges of terrorism, murder and attempted murder. These persons had held hundreds of people hostage at Tokyo Dome, as well as killed several guards at the Dome the night before…"

"While the Duel Monsters World Tournament Committee and officials at the Dome are declining to comment at this time, it is alleged that the leader of the Zodiac organization, which infiltrated the tournament, was in fact long-thought-dead founder and former CEO of Kaiba Corporation, Gozaburo Kaiba. When asked to comment, current Kaibacorp CEO Seto Kaiba promised reporters that the media will be given an official statement on the issue by tomorrow."

Mr. Muto switched the TV off. "Man…it's all the same on all the stations…everybody's talking about what went down at Tokyo Dome."

"Of course they have a right to do so, Yugi," Grandma Muto answered from the kitchen. "Our very own Yugo's made a big impact, you know!"

"Speaking of Yugo, how is he?" Mr. Muto inquired. "Is he still sleeping?"

"I should think so," Grandma replied. "The poor dear…soon as we got back home, the first thing he did was to go straight to his room and drop down on the bed."

"Well, he HAS had a big day today, and he's won the World Championships for the first time…it wouldn't amaze me that he's feeling a bit overwhelmed," Mr. Muto reasoned.

"So, do we let him rest, then?" Grandma asked.

"Definitely," said Mr. Muto. "In fact, if he wants to sleep for a couple of days, let him. He's only got over a week before time to head back to school, anyway."

"Nine or so days, if memory serves me correctly," Grandma noted.

"Although, once he gets back to school, I doubt he'll be given a break," Mr. Muto chuckled. "Let's only hope he'll be able to deal with the inevitable pressure that comes with being a celebrity."

"He's had enough experience as a celebrity's child, if you catch my drift," Grandma laughed.

"Ha, ha, Mother," Mr. Muto snorted. "Now, then…is dinner ready?"

"It will be in another couple of minutes, dear," answered Grandma. "I'll share out some for Yugo, too, in case he wakes up and is hungry."

"Oh, I thought you knew me better than that, Grandma!" Yugo's voice suddenly sounded from upstairs.

"Yugo! How long have you been awake?" Mr. Muto asked, in surprise.

Yugo bounded down the stairs. "Long enough! Now, where's the grub? I'm starving!"

Mr. Muto smiled. At least some things never change…

----------

KAIBACORP, AT THAT MOMENT

Kaiba sat at his desk, watching the news for a little while. "Bah…same old rubbish…can't they find anything different to talk about on the news now?"

Suddenly there was a knock at his door. "Enter!" he called.

And in stepped Seta and Jillian. "Hey, Dad," Seta said.

"Oh…hey." Kaiba nodded. "Got enough rest, both of you? It was a rather long trip back here from Tokyo Dome, after all, and the tournament's been pretty hard for both of you."

"No worries—I'm feeling quite fine," Seta assured him.

"As am I, Sir Kaiba," added Jillian. "Although, one thing still concerns me…"

"What is it, Jillian?" Kaiba eyed her.

Jillian then turned to Seta. "Sir Seta…it's been nagging at me ever since we found out about it. That chip that was implanted inside you…aren't you going to try getting it surgically removed?"

Seta sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I don't think there'll be much of a need for that," he assured her. "Don't forget, as soon as we got back here Dad had our company doctors give me a thorough exam, including searching for any latent activity from the chip. It seems that when I snapped free from its control, it completely short-circuited itself, with a little help from my brain's natural electric energy…so, basically, it's now nothing more than a harmless addition to my body structure."

"Indeed," Kaiba nodded. "But now that that's definitely been dealt with, what concerns me more is how I'm going to explain the whole thing with Gozaburo in a way that the press will understand and won't have to ask the same questions twice."

"You'll find a way, Sir Kaiba; I'm certain of that," Jillian nodded respectfully.

"All right, then," and Seta turned to leave. "If you guys need me, I'll be doing a little Duel Monsters training with GINA's virtual simulator."

"What are you going to do—try to calculate how Yugo could've beaten you when you were so close to victory?" Kaiba asked.

"Nope." Seta shook his head. "I'm just going to train so I don't get rusty by the time next year's tournament comes around!"

"Well, let's just hope next year's tournament is a little more normal," Kaiba grunted, and Jillian nodded in agreement.

----------

THE INDUSTRIAL ILLUSIONS LINER, TOKYO BAY, IN THE MEANTIME

Pegasus and the other members of the Committee were all seated together in the ship's dining hall. "So…you'll all be going back home tomorrow…" Pegasus said thoughtfully.

"That's right," Mr. Von Schroeder nodded. "Now that the tournament is over, we all have to get back to our own daily lives."

"I'm not so sure we'll be able to do that just yet," Mr. Devlin remarked. "I mean, won't we be required to testify at the Zodiacs' trial or something?"

"If that is what it comes down to, then we'll give all the necessary and relevant information when it's asked for," replied Ms. Wong.

"Cassius Princeton, James Truesdale, and Angel Snow will all have to face the disciplinary committee back at Duel Academy within a week's time," Mrs. Rhodes-Yuki interjected. "Best-case scenario, they'll probably be looking at a one-year suspension from the Academy for their involvement with the Zodiacs, and they'll all also have to do some time in a juvenile facility. But I'll do my best to see that the punishment doesn't get any worse than that."

"What about the other Zodiacs?" Mr. Truesdale asked. "What'll happen to them?"

"Regina Brissett, Kyle Welling, Forrest Wiles, Stephen Ingram and Laurel Strong will all likely receive various prison sentences for their actions within the Zodiac organization," Pegasus revealed. "However, I'm going to see if the others—Felix Sanchez, Victor Greaves and Chris Gear—can be given some leniency; after all, they did willingly submit information that allowed us to foil the Zodiacs' plans to rule the world."

"And with Gozaburo dead, several of his henchmen arrested and his ARK battleship destroyed, the entire Zodiac organization is bound to crumble now," and Mr. Devlin nodded.

"Let's just hope it stays that way," Mr. Truesdale returned.

"Oh…somehow, I believe it will, dear Zane…" and Pegasus leaned back in his seat and smiled.

----------

Up on the ship's main deck…Janus was leaning on the railing, looking out at the moon rising over the sea. "Well…it's been a lot of fun," he said smilingly. "Pretty soon, though…it'll be back to Duel Academy…"

"What's up, Janus?"

Turning, Janus saw Ricardo and Natasha standing there. "Oh, hey, you guys," he greeted them. "I was just thinking a little bit…"

"Care to share?" Ricardo asked.

Janus smiled. "Well…I was just thinking about how much fun this tournament's been, and all the people we've met, and the adventure we've had…"

"Too much adventure, if you ask me," Ricardo snorted. "But yeah, the experience was good for us, I dare say."

"Well…I'm only wondering now about how well we'll do, considering our assignment for Duel Academy…" Natasha sighed and looked away.

"Aw, don't let it get to you too much, Natasha," and Ricardo patted her on the shoulder.

"Yes, I agree—especially considering how well you've all done, from my viewpoint!"

The trio turned in surprise. "Old man Crowler!" Janus exclaimed.

"That's Dr. Crowler to you, young man!" Dr. Crowler answered, slightly irritated. "But seriously, though, the three of you have done your assignment quite well. As far as I'm concerned, you all deserve high marks for your performance in this tournament."

"How do you figure that, sir?" Natasha asked.

"Well…" Dr. Crowler had a twinkle in his eye. "Janus, as we all know, you came in third place in this Dueltropolis tournament, which is very noteworthy in my book; plus, you had a hand in foiling the Zodiacs' plans when you sneaked on board their ship and aided in its sabotage. Ricardo, you demonstrated great dueling skill in your match-up with Wade Ocean, and of course you were the one who came up with the plan to go on board the Zodiacs' ship. And you, Natasha, showed good grace toward your opponent James, even though you lost to him, and also helped make it possible to apprehend one of the Zodiacs' more noteworthy members. All of that is going to mark you as some of the finest students Duel Academy could ever have!"

"Aw, gee..." Ricardo grinned and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"So…I guess, since we've all got celebrity status now, maybe that means we'll be getting less homework?" Janus suggested.

"I'm being courteous enough here—don't push it," Dr. Crowler said darkly.

----------

On the upper deck of the ship…Honey and Raven were standing together, looking out at the sea. "So…I guess that prophecy you were telling me about came to pass, after all, sis," Raven said quietly.

"Yeah, it did." Honey nodded. "And don't worry, Raven; I forgive you for your unbelief."

"Yeah." Raven nodded. "Only question is now…how long are we gonna have to put up with them?"

He jabbed his thumb in the direction behind him—where, at the other end of the upper deck, David and Luke were squabbling with each other as usual, Miriam was looking up at the sky while acting like they weren't snapping at each other inches away from her ear, and Malachi was standing a little ways off acting like he didn't care one way or the other. Honey giggled a little. "Well, they are houseguests, Raven—Father invited them to stick around until they were ready to move out on their own," she told her brother. "At least it'll work both ways."

"Work both ways?" Raven asked quizzically.

"Yep!" Honey replied. "They get to have some of that sociality that they've been lacking most of their lives…and in exchange, I get to have some female camaraderie in Miriam, and you get some Duel Monsters training—enough so that you don't get knocked out in the very first round of the next tournament you enter!" And she winked mischievously.

Raven rolled his eyes. "Oh, brother…"

----------

DOMINO CITY AIRPORT

"So, you guys decided to come see us off, huh? That's really very sweet of you," Flora said smilingly.

She, Wade, Marcus, Blaze and Shigeo were standing with Kyo, Jenna and Miki at the departure lounge of Domino City's airport. "Well, we figured it was only right that we should," said Kyo.

"What'll you guys do now, with the tournament being over and all?" Miki queried.

"That's a no-brainer, kid; we'll continue training so that next time we see you guys, we'll be able to beat you," Blaze nodded.

"And maybe by then, we'll bring along a little one for you to play with," Wade chuckled.

"Shut up!" Blaze snapped, elbowing Wade in the ribs.

"I must admit, I was pretty surprised when you announced that you guys were engaged," Jenna remarked. "How soon do you plan to set a date?"

"You'll know when the time is good and right," and now Blaze smiled. "Who knows, maybe you'll be lucky enough to be a flower girl or something…"

"Hey, Shigeo…" Miki turned to him. "You better keep training, for the next time you and I meet up."

"Don't worry—I won't disappoint where that is concerned," Shigeo answered with a knowing smirk. "Next time around, though, be prepared to lose."

"As if!" Miki laughed.

"Well, everyone, this is it now," said Marcus. "Till next time, you guys."

"Yeah, you take care!" Kyo nodded respectfully.

"See you again soon!" Jenna added.

With that, the group of five turned and headed for the departure lounge's exit. As they walked along, Flora remarked to Blaze, "Say, Blaze, I'm wondering…could I be your maid of honor?"

"Only if Marcus is the best man," Blaze answered.

"Yeah, and only if Blaze and I can get to return the favor for you guys someday," and Wade laughed loudly even as Marcus scowled at him.

Shigeo chuckled. "This is most interesting…most interesting, indeed…"

Meanwhile, Kyo, Jenna and Miki turned and began to walk in the opposite direction. "So, where to now?" Miki asked.

"Well, you and I have to get home," answered Jenna. "Our folks are getting together tonight, remember? Dad and Aunt Serenity insisted on it, after the events of the tournament."

"And I have to get home, as well," Kyo added. "Mom and Dad will probably have dinner ready by this time…"

"Then off we go!" Miki said in singsong. "And tomorrow we'll go and hang out at Burger World!"

"With Yugo, of course," Jenna nodded.

"Quite so, quite so," said Kyo. "I just hope I can get him to not eat any of my burgers this time around…" And the three of them laughed.

----------

DOMINO CITY, EARLY THE NEXT MORNING

After all the excitement of the day before…

The sun was slowly rising, a brilliantly glowing ball of dark orange that lit up the dawn sky and chased away the night clouds. Crickets chirped; birds twittered and tweeted. Dogs barked in neighboring yards. Paperboys threw early-morning editions onto doorsteps as they rode past on their bikes. The front doors and of various houses were opening up. The occasional car drove along the street. Once again, life was normal.

At the Muto house, in his room, Yugo was slowly but surely waking up. "Mmmm…"

Yawning, he sat up in his bed and looked over at the clock. 6:50 a.m. Wow…is it really that early? That's pretty rare…

Suddenly he heard the sound of a stone hitting his window. "Huh?"

Quickly he jumped out of bed and ran over to the window, opening it and cautiously looking outside. His eyes widened at what he saw. "Seta?"

Indeed, standing below his window was Seta Kaiba. Dressed in his familiar white outfit with his Duel-Disk on his arm and a smirk on his face. Parked at the side of the road was his Blue-Eyes White Motorbike. "Yo," Seta greeted him. "Hope I didn't just wake you."

"Nah, nah, I just woke myself up a while ago," Yugo answered. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I just thought I'd pop by and challenge you to a short duel before we both have to have our breakfast," Seta replied good-naturedly. "You up to it?"

"Am I! Just gimme a sec!"

With that Yugo swiftly ran around his room, changing out of his pajamas and into his regular black outfit. In a matter of minutes he was trotting down the stairs and out to the front of the yard where Seta was waiting, putting his Duel-Disk on as he went. "All right, here I am now!" he announced. "Of course, it's going to a bit difficult dueling on an empty stomach, but against you, I'll do my best!"

"I'm sure you will," Seta nodded. "And, of course, like I said, it's going to be short."

"You sure about that? Because our duels tend to be longer than short," Yugo laughed.

Seta laughed, too. "Well, if that's the way it turns out, who can blame us?"

"Got that right!" Yugo slotted his deck into the Duel-Disk's appropriate slot. "Ready?"

"Whenever you are, man!" Seta replied, readying his Duel-Disk too.

And as the sun brightened the sky overhead some more, the two friends called out: "IT'S TIME TO DUEL!"

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neomage: And there you have it! That's a wrap!

kriztrigun: I feel a little sorry that the story's over…

rampagerkriz: But not to fret! Like neomage promised, there's definitely going to be a sequel to this!

krizrampage: Of course, he'll have to do the obligatory writing up of character biographies and storyline settings for that sequel. And then there's his own real life to deal with, too. So, let's not expect it to pop up too soon…but it'll definitely come!

kRiZ: And we'll be there as well, giving neomage all the support we can give!

yamikriz: Let's only hope the next one isn't everlastingly long like this one was…

neomage's fans: (deathglare at yamikriz)

yamikriz: O.o;;; Gulp…

neomage: Till then, everyone, take care!

THE END