Author's Note: I am still writing my Center universe stories, but I also felt like dabbling in the universe as well.

Thanks go out to Jem Gryphonkin for helping with the duel, and to Nikki/Padfoot for her awesome editing.
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Chapter 1
Return of the Sorceress

John was riding down the street toward his apartment on his motorcycle. He had just finished picking up some items that he needed for his upcoming entrance exam. To say that he was nervous about it was a total understatement.

Next week, John was to take his entrance examination for entrance into Duel Academy. He was hoping that he would be able to take his motorcycle with him. Dueling and tinkering with various types of machinery were his two favorite things in the entire world. As he was riding through the streets on his way home, he was going over his two decks in his mind. Unlike most duelists, he had two decks with different styles of play; most duelists usually stick with a single deck. What was even more unusual is that they were based off of two different types of monster cards.

John had just picked up the duel disc that he was assigned from the Duel Academy registrar’s office. If he passed the entrance exam, then he was allowed to keep it and gain admittance into Duel Academy. If not, they he would have to return it.

He wasn’t looking forward to that thought. From what he knew, there was a duelist who had yet to beat him. However, he didn’t have too many friends, since he kept to himself a lot. If he wasn’t practicing his dueling skills at the local duel arenas, he was working on his bike.

He was riding past the Kaiba Dome, thinking of his decks and the upcoming exams. He had heard of the drills that they had been performing there a couple of weeks ago, but paid them little attention. Eventually, he pulled into his garage, which was adjacent to his living rooms, and grabbed the duel disk that the Academy had wanted him to become familiar with before his exam in a week’s time.

As he unlocked his door, he noticed a package that was on his doorstop. He wondered how it got there, on the garage doorstep, since the only way in was through the garage door that he had just entered through. The package was in a cardboard box, about the size of a shoe box, with no evidence of it being mailed from anywhere. However, there was a note strapped on the box.

John picked up his package and went inside; he sat his keys down, and placed the two boxes on the kitchen table. After a quick wash, he extracted the duel disk from the box. He definitely was impressed by the new dueling technology developed by Kaiba Corp. He had enjoyed the duel arenas that they had constructed with Industrial Illusions to take the game of Duel Monsters to the next level of game play.

He wanted to take this new duel disk out for a test drive, but he didn’t know of anyone nearby who was going to be taking the examination in a week’s time. So, he just put the disk on the table, and turned to the other package on the table.

Inside the box, cushioned with a form of a motion absorber to protect it, was a very strange looking pendant. The pendant had a triangle with an Eye of Horus engraved upon it. Flanking the central triangle were two Egyptian eagles, with their wings spread. The pendant was decorated with gold and lapis lazuli, two common decorations for people in the elevated positions of ancient Egypt. In the center of the eye, there was a small emerald.

John thought the pendant looked nice, but was baffled as to why he had it dropped on his doorstep. He didn’t know too many people, so he could rule it out as to being a gift. However, he felt some sort of connection to this object. He couldn’t explain it; he just knew there was some sort of connection.

He took the pendant, Duel Disc, and his primary deck, and set them down on his bedroom dresser. After a quick meal and a shower, he returned to prepping his deck and learning how to use the Duel Disc. After he finished prepping his deck, he knocked over the pendant, onto the floor.

As he reached down to pick it back up, it began to emit a blinding light, and John was forced to shield his eyes. This knocked the duel disc into his lap, while he still held onto his cards.

When he opened his eyes, he was still sitting on the chair, but his room had vanished. In its place, was some kind of dark area that made it look like he was just floating in space and was no longer in his room. After a quick look around, he saw a strange figure standing nearby. Hoping that they would know more of what was going on; John picked up his stuff, and headed towards them.

“Hello?” he asked, as he approached this robed figure.

The purple cloaked figure turned around, and John could see that whoever she was she was stunningly beautiful. Her face was framed by her black hair, also bringing out her emerald green eyes.

“Who are you?” she asked defensively. “Why have you taken my pendant from its resting place?”

“Resting place?”

“Yes, the pendant that you are holding in your hand was buried with me over six thousand years ago.”

John opened his hand, and took another look at it. He thought to himself, ‘This thing is over six thousand years old? How can that be? It looks brand new.’

“I didn’t take it! I just found it on my doorstop this afternoon.”

“Lies! Only the destined person can remove the pendant from its resting place. If you won’t tell me, then I’ll have to banish you to the shadows!”

The strange looking girl whipped out something that looked like a duel disc on her arm, complete with a deck. Not knowing what to do, John put his duel disc on, and loaded his deck.

“If that’s a challenge to a duel, then you’re on. But, I didn’t steal anything,” he maintained.

“We’ll see,” she said. “At least you can defend yourself. Let the shadow duel begin.”

Both of them activated their duel discs and the duel began.

“Ladies first,” the purple-robed declared, drawing a card from her deck.

John: 8000 LP, Woman: 8000 LP

“To start off with I will summon Fortune Lady Wind in attack mode.”

“But, that monster has zero attack points!” John said.

“Not true,” the woman replied. “Fortune Lady Wind’s attack and defense points are equal to its level multiplied by 300. So, it currently has 900 attack and defense points. It also gains one level during each of my standby phases when it’s on the field. Also, I play the spell card Soul Absorption, followed by the field spell Future Visions.”

[Soul Absorption is a spell card that lets you gain 500 life points whenever a card is removed from play.]

[Future Visions is a field spell that removes from play a monster that is normal summoned for one turn, and then returns it to the field in face-up attack position during your standby phase.]

“I end my turn with one card face down. Your move, thief.”

John wished that whoever this person was would stop calling him a thief.

“I draw! First I’ll play the field spell Magical Citadel of Endymion to get rid of your Future Visions.”

[Magical Citadel of Endymion is a field spell with the following ability. Each time a Spell Card is activated, place 1 Spell Counter on this card. When a card with a Spell Counter(s) is destroyed, place its Spell Counters on this card. Once per turn, if you would activate a card's effect by removing a Spell Counter(s) from cards you control, you can remove Spell Counters from this card instead. If this card would be destroyed, you can remove 1 Spell Counter from this card instead.]

“And then I will summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn.”

John thought to himself, ‘I think I’ll play a little defense until she shows her strategy more.’

“Typical of thief to cower behind something when confronted, I draw!”

“First, Fortune Lady Wind’s level goes up to four, and her attack and defense points increase by 300. I’ll play my second Future Visions card to destroy your magical citadel, and have her attack your defense monster!”

“You reveal my Aqua Madoor [Att: 1200/Def: 2000]. Since my monster is stronger than yours, you take damage,” John said.

John LP: 8000, Woman LP: 7200.

The woman growled in frustration and then ended her turn. John drew his next card, and saw that he had nothing in his hand to deal with that Future Visions field spell.

“I summon Crusader of Endymion in attack mode!”

[Crusader of Endymion, Att: 1900/Def. 1200. This card is treated as a Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. While this card is face-up on the field, you can Normal Summon it to have it be treated as an Effect Monster with this effect:
● Once per turn, you can place 1 Spell Counter on a face-up card on the field that you can place a Spell Counter on. If you do, this card gains 600 ATK until the End Phase.]

“Future Visions effect activates, sending that monster one turn into the future, and I gain 500 life points.”

“I’m aware of that, and end my turn.”

John LP: 8000, Woman LP: 7700.

“My turn! Fortune Lady Wind’s attack, defense and level all go up this turn (1500/1500, Level 5). So, I’ll end my turn here for now.”

“My turn! As a result of your Future Visions field spell, my Crusader comes back to the field. Crusader, attack her Fortune Lady Wind!”

“I activate my trap, Slip of Fortune! It negates your attack and removes from play your attack target until the next standby phase.”

John groaned, and thought, ‘So much for getting rid of that thing.’

“Also, my Soul Absorption spell card gives my life points another boost.”

“I end my turn,” John said.

John LP: 8000, Woman LP: 8200.

“Well, then I guess it’s my turn. First my Fortune Lady Wind comes back to the field, and her level is now six. I’ll summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn.”

“My draw!” John said.

He quickly thought to himself, ‘Why did she leave her Fortune Lady in attack mode? I guess she may have forgotten. She did say that she has been here for quite a while.’

“Crusader, attack her Fortune Lady Wind!”

“I activate my spell card, Time Passage. This lets me increase the level of a Fortune Lady by three until the end of the turn. Since I only have one, Fortune Lady Wind becomes level eight, bringing her attack points up to 2400!”

John winced as his crusader was gunned down by the fortune lady.

“I’ll summon a monster in defense mode, place a card face down, and end my turn.”

John LP: 7200, Woman LP: 8200.

The mysterious woman drew her card, and then said, “For a thief, you aren’t a bad duelist. Maybe you shouldn’t have turned to stealing things from others.”

“I told you, I’m no thief!”

She didn’t seem to believe him still, and continued with her turn.

“I draw and Fortune Lady Wind becomes a level 7 monster with 2100 attack points. After placing a card face down, I attack your Aqua Madoor.”

“I don’t think so,” John countered. “I reveal my face down card, Mirror Force! Now all of your monsters in attack mode are destroyed, and the battle is negated.”

“Fine,” she said, with resentment in her voice. “I reveal the Apprentice Magician I had in defense mode, and end my turn.”

[Apprentice Magician. Att: 400/Def: 800. When this card is Summoned, place 1 Spell Counter on a face-up card that you can place a Spell Counter on. When this card is destroyed by battle, you can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower Spellcaster-Type monster from your Deck in face-down Defense Position.]

“It’s my turn!” John said. “I activate Mystical Space Typhoon! This card can destroy any spell or trap card on the field, and I’m getting rid of your Future Visions field spell.

“Next, I reveal my Breaker the Magical Warrior and Defender, the Magical Knight.”

[Breaker the Magical Warrior, Att: 1600/Def: 1000. When this card is Normal Summoned, place 1 Spell Counter on it (max. 1). This card gains 300 ATK for each Spell Counter on it. You can remove 1 Spell Counter from this card to destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field.]

[Defender, the Magical Knight, Att: 1600/Def: 1200. When this card is Normal Summoned, place 1 Spell Counter on it (max. 1). Once per turn, if a face-up Spellcaster-Type monster(s) on the field would be destroyed, you can remove 1 Spell Counter from a card you control for each of those monsters instead.]

“Now, I will sacrifice my Breaker the Magical Warrior and Aqua Madoor to summon out my Dark Magician.”

[Dark Magician, Att: 2500/Def: 2100.]

“The Dark Magician?” the woman cried. “But, only certain people are able to control the legendary servant of the nameless pharaoh!”

“What are you talking about?” John asked.

“Do you not know the legend?”

John shook his head.

“Years ago, when the Egyptian kings battled in the ancient shadow games, the nameless pharaoh defeated an ancient evil to protect mankind. During this war, the pharaoh’s closest friend was forced to become the Dark Magician to protect his pharaoh. It is said that only the pharaoh and other people the magician deems worthy are able to call him forth into battle.”

“Well, let’s just see how well he does then in this duel then. Dark Magician, attack her Apprentice Magician with dark magic attack!”

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that. I reveal my magic card, Magical Dimension! With this card I am able to sacrifice a monster on my side of the field, if I control at least one Spellcaster, and summon a spellcaster from my hand. Come forth, Solitaire Magician.”

[Solitaire Magician, Att: 1600/Def: 1300. Once per turn, you can select 1 face-up "Fortune Lady" monster you control and 1 other face-up monster on the field. Reduce the Level of the selected "Fortune Lady" monster by 3, and destroy the other selected monster.]
“Also, the other effect allows me to destroy one of my opponent’s monsters. So, say farewell to your Dark Magician.”

John grunted in frustration and said, “No. How could you? Defender, destroy Solitaire Magician!”

“You fool. You do realize that they would destroy each other?”

“Yes, I do, and I end my turn.”

“Fine with me.”

“I draw and play Monster Reborn! To bring back your Dark Magician onto my side of the field, and he is going to attack you directly!”

John screamed in pain as his magician ripped into him with its attack.

John LP: 4700, Woman LP: 8200.

“That really hurt,” John said, gasping for air.

“What did you expect? This is a shadow duel after all. I play my third Future Visions field spell, and end my turn.”

“A third one? This can’t be good. I draw.”

“I remove Breaker the Magical Warrior and Defender, the Magical Knight from my graveyard, in order to summon Chaos Sorcerer.”

[Chaos Sorcerer, Att: 2300/Def: 2000. This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by removing 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK monster in your Graveyard from play. Once per turn, you can remove 1 face-up monster on the field from play. If you activate this effect, this card cannot attack during this turn.]

“I gain 1000 life points due to my Soul Absorption spell.”

“Well, I guess you are going to gain more life points, since I activate Chaos Sorcerer’s effect, removing Dark Magician from the game as well. Your turn.”

John LP: 4700, Woman LP: 9700.

“I draw and play another Soul Absorption and end my turn.”

“No monsters? Fine then. I draw!”

John looked at his cards and said, “Yes! Time for a game changer! I play Monster Reborn and bring back Crusader of Endymion from the graveyard. Now, both of my monsters will move in for a direct attack on your life points!”

The two spellcasters launched their assault, as the woman writhed in pain.

John LP: 4700, Woman LP: 5500.

“Wow, it appears that you may have the upper hand, but let’s see what I can do about that. I draw!”

“I summon another Fortune Lady Wind to the field in attack mode [Att: 1200/Def: 1200]. But, due to my field spell, it’s sent one turn ahead and I gain 1000 life points due to both of my Soul Absorptions. Your move.”

John LP: 4700, Woman LP: 6500.

“I draw, and play a second Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your field spell.”

“What!”

“That’s right, now your Fortune Lady is removed from the game for good, since without that field spell in play she can’t come back. Now, brace yourself for another direct assault on your life points!”

“Aaahh!”

“I end my turn.”

John LP: 4700, Woman LP: 2300.

“I draw and play the spell card, Misfortune. With this card you take damage equal to half of one of your monster’s attack points, but I can’t attack this turn. Your move.”

John LP: 3550, Woman LP: 2300.

“Let’s end this now!” John said. “Chaos Sorcerer, finish off the rest of her life points!”

The woman shrieked in pain again as her life points went to zero.

John LP: 3550, Woman LP: 0.

“Well done,” the woman said. “I would expect nothing less from my successor.”

“Successor?” John said.

“Indeed. Before I went into my great slumber, a prophecy foretold of my return to battle the forces of the shadows once again. However, you and I will become as one, as my knowledge of the past will help you in the future.”

The woman said this, as she walked over to where John was standing.

“Wait! What does that mean?”

“Oh, you’ll see. Remember, I’ll be here whenever you need me.”

After she had said that, she kissed him deeply.

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John woke with a start in his room. He thought to himself, ‘Was that all a dream? It seemed so real.’

He climbed back to his feet, and noticed something that didn’t look right. He quickly ran over to his mirror and saw a reflection that he had never seen before.

“What? How am I a girl now?”

This girl looked extremely beautiful, and was visually stunning. However, her most striking feature was her purple hair and green eyes. The same shade of purple that the woman he had dueled just a few minutes ago. His clothes also had changed to a set of girl’s clothes.

A voice that sounded like that woman he had fought in that duel said, “This is what your soul inside looks like. I simply brought it out to help you fulfill you destiny. Good luck, Mika.”

“My destiny? What does she mean by that?”

She looked at her identification in her wallet, and saw that it had changed. Her name was no longer John Michaels, and now she was Mikaela Vale.

She glanced at her application to Duel Academy; everything on it had been changed to reflect that he was now a she. However, now she had a few questions of what was going on. She thought to herself, ‘Who was that woman? What did she mean by my destiny? And why has everything changed?’