Yu-Gi-Oh!: Bonds Beyond Time

(Transcriber’s Note: Before we begin, the usual disclaimers in spades. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or anything relating to it, I make no profit from doing this, and I do not intend any copyright infringement in any way, shape, or form. Credit goes to everyone in the credits of this movie, which I'm proud to say are also part of this transcript. I am their loyal fan, and I do this because I love their work deeply. I sincerely hope that anyone who actually does own Yu-Gi-Oh! will accept this work as a complement and tribute to the sentiment at the end of this film; here’s to a bright future for the canon of Yu-Gi-Oh!, and may we never see the day it’s out of any accessible form of media, including this one. Thank you.)

PROLOGUE <0:00>

(A nebulous cloud of grey appears against blackness. As the characters speak, a single dueling card, glowing slightly, emerges from the cloud, shining from the depths of the cloud and slowly moving to the forefront. What follows is a montage of images and snippets of scenes, all familiar from the anime series; an appendix to this transcript has all scenes numbered [#] annotated with more specific points in the anime canon. A narrator speaks in VO throughout.) Narrator: Welcome, fellow duelists. Let's journey together, through the history of Yu-Gi-Oh!, where we shall look at three of the very best duelists to have ever picked up a deck. Yugi (Yami, VO): It's time to duel! Narrator: Three different legends... Jaden (VO): Get your game on! Narrator: From three different eras... Yusei (VO): Let's *rev it up*!! Narrator: A journey through time and space. And every journey, has a beginning...

([1] A deep voice speaks, and a stone eye opens, revealing a small, golden box on a pedestal. [2] The royal guardians of the Pharaoh's Sacred Court-- Seto, with the Millennium Rod; Isis, with the Necklace; Akhnadon with the Eye; Karim, with the Scale; and Mahad with the Ring-- wield their Items against a threat.) Narrator: [1] Long ago, when the pyramids were still young, [2] Egyptian kings played a game [3] of great and [4] terrible power. ([3] Mahad activates his dia-diakh and summons Illusion Magician; [4] Hasan bursts from underground, shining gold. [5] Obelisk shatters walls as he rises, bright blue light shining from his fist; [6] Slifer soars over the top of a tall building, bright red against the full moon; [7] Ra descends from the heavens, shining with golden sunlight, and spreads its wings.) Narrator: [5] But these shadow games erupted [6] into a war that threatened to [7] destroy the entire world, until a [8] brave and [9] powerful pharaoh [10] locked the magic away, [11] imprisoning it within the mystical [12] Millennium Items. ([8] Yami, as Pharaoh, sits on his golden throne, [9] and later wields his dia-diakh against the darkness. [10] Blue-Eyes White Dragon is sucked into a stone tablet, which is instantly engraved with the monster's image. [11] The seven Millennium Items disappear into darkness, [12] then appear placed in the Millennium Stone. [13] The Millennium Puzzle, shining gold with threads of multicolored light and slowly turning the air around it the same gold, hovers slightly out of Yugi's hands as he holds it, completed, before him, his face lit up with awe, and the sudden strong wind blowing his hair and jacket straight upward.) Narrator: [13] Now, five thousand years later, a boy named Yugi unlocks the secret <1:00> of the Millennium Puzzle. ([14] The eye symbol glows on his forehead, then dims; Yami has been reborn as part of Yugi-- an individual who casts two different shadows. [15] Side-by-side, the pharaoh Yami and Yugi from the future race toward their confrontation with danger.) Narrator: [14] He is infused with ancient magical energies, for destiny has chosen *him* to defend the world from the return of the shadow games, [15] just as the brave pharaoh did, [16] five thousand years ago. ([16] Yami is flung backward amidst hundreds of half-forgotten memories. [17] Blue flames appear against a backdrop of heiroglyphic carvings, and seven silhouettes appear-- the pharaoh, and the other six ancient wielders of Millennium Items. [18] The royal guardian Seto blasts with his Millennium Rod, then turns and blasts a stone tablet, transferring the energy of the monster he's battling into permanent storage.) Narrator: [17] The ancient Egyptians could have never predicted [18] that their mystical battles would evolve into the most popular [19] card game in the world-- Duel Monsters. ([19] Seto Kaiba raises a card, and rises toward the sky, standing atop the brow of his mightiest monster, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. It blasts, then darts to the side, attempting to flank Yugi, who stands opposite him on Curse of Dragon. [20] Yugi stands ready to fight the Final Duel, trying to show a small smile. Then he goes to draw. His innocent, round face is set with determination.) Narrator: [20] And one of the best duelists to ever play this game was Yugi Muto. He was always up for a challenge. ([21] Solomon Muto's expression is unusually grave. [22] The golden box is full of irregularly-shaped puzzle pieces just as gold and glittery.) Narrator: [21] One day, his grandfather decided to [22] give Yugi his greatest test to date-- the impossible task of assembling a five-thousand-year-old artifact, known as the Millennium Puzzle. (Yugi is enchanted with the challenge of fitting them together. Finally, only the last piece remains-- the center one, with the upraised symbol of the eye. [23] He places it into its proper spot.) Narrator: But, it wasn't impossible for *Yugi*. He solved the Puzzle, [23] and when he did, he *also* unleashed the [24] great power of an ancient pharaoh. ([24] The Millennium Puzzle, hanging on a cord around Yugi's neck, begins to glow, and shakes and sways on its own. Whether aloud or in his head, we'll never know, Yugi cries out--) Yugi/Yami: Yu-Gi-Oh...!! <2:00> (And as the word is spoken, the voice speaking it grows deeper. From a grey void appears swirling lines, strange symbols, rushing wind, and a column of blue-white light, in which there appears a figure. He's like Yugi, but isn't. This presence radiates power, confidence, and strength.) Narrator: The two became great friends...

[25] (Halfway transparent in spirit form, Yami leans against Yugi's shoulder as he sits at his desk.) Yami: The Millennium Puzzle connects us, Yugi. And I sense Fate has more in store for us. Yugi: Well we're in this *together*, no matter what.

([26] The Millennium Puzzle engraving on the Tablet of Lost Memories matches [27] the Puzzle itself in how brightly it shines; Yugi looks down at it, mystified. Yami switches in, resolute. [28] Marik and Yami slot decks to duel disks against a dark sky, standing on opposing platforms, meeting eyes, ready to clash; [29] in the ancient past, the shadow of Diabound appears at Bakura's back.) Narrator: [26] And it wasn't long until [27] Yugi and the Pharaoh [28] would be working together, to save the world from all sorts of [29] wicked forces. ([30] Kaiba does not look amused.) Narrator: Like the ruthless Seto Kaiba...

([30a]) Kaiba: Draw your last pathetic card so I can end this, Yugi! Yugi (Yami): My grandpa's deck *has* no pathetic cards, Kaiba. But it *does* contain... (shows the card) The unstoppable Exodia! I've assembled all five special cards, all five pieces of the puzzle. (A large, vertical, many-pointed star appears on the field, and through one of the points emerges an arm, then another through the opposite point, then Exodia's head appears in the middle of the star as the great behemoth pulls itself from its prison and faces the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, which are now looking decisively smaller. Kaiba is freaking out.) Kaiba: Exodia! I-it's not possible! No one's *ever* been able to call *him*! Yugi (Yami): Exodia... Obliterate!! (Exodia concentrates energy between its massive palms, and then uses it to blow away all three Blue-Eyeses in a blaze of golden light. Kaiba screams as the blaze obscures him from view.)

([31] Pegasus calmly and menacingly sits facing us on a simple wooden chair, against a warm background of blurry candles. Pegasus and the chair recede into the distance, and duel cards, all facedown, scroll across the screen, an impregnable wall between Pegasus and any attempt to challenge him. [31a] In place of Pegasus' left eye is one made of gold; it begins to shine.) Narrator: [31] ...And Pegasus, <3:00> the coldhearted creator [31a] of Duel Monsters, who coveted Yugi's Millennium Puzzle...

[32] Pegasus: Now prepare yourself for the ultimate merged monster! The Thousand-Eyes Restrict! Yami: Attack, Magician!! With Chaos Scepter Blast!! Your Thousand-Eyes Restrict has been-- destroyed! Pegasus: Ohh, no-o-o-o-o-o-o!!

([33] A mysterious mind-puppetteer wields the Millenium Rod. [34] After his strange transformation, Yami Marik's hair stands mostly on end, and a golden eye shines on his forehead; he suddenly looks even more dangerous. [35] Marik gazes into space, cloaked in purple and holding the Millennium Rod, toward a future without obligations to some ancient pharaoh.) Narrator: [33] And the most fearful of all, [34] the maniacal Marik Ishtar, [35] who wanted to get revenge on the Pharaoh. ([36] Yami Marik's face and even eyes show unhealthy protruding veins, the abuse of power.) Yami Marik: [36] The darkness is here to stay! (In his final duel with Marik, Yami activates a spell card...) Yami: [37] Behold-- "Ragnarok"!! Once this great power is released, every monster on your side of the field will be crushed, including your Winged Dragon of Ra! (Glowing pink bulbs of light begin to fill the golden-amber sky around him and his magicians. Together they wield their might against the Winged Dragon of Ra; it is sucked into a seal in the sky, bound by Obelisk and Slifer.) Yami: The time has come for me to fulfill my destiny, and rid the world of your evil once, and for all!

([38] Yugi holds up a single, brightly-shining card; Slifer appears in a form of light, then substance, and roars, towering over the field and Yugi's first Battle City Finals opponent, Bakura.) Narrator: [38] Yugi fought and won many battles, earning him the title that he's known by the world over-- <4:00> [39] the King of Games. ([39] Yugi dons and activates his duel disk in one smooth motion; [40] he stands atop Curse of Dragon's head, brandishing a card; [41] he places a card on his duel disk and summons Dark Magician Girl.) Narrator: [40] And what a reign [41] Yugi had. It wasn't long [42] before a whole new generation of duelists would follow in his footsteps, and learn the ways of [43] Duel Monsters. ([42] Yugi and Joey face off in the streets of Domino, the rising sun at their backs. [43] In another Duel Monsters clash, a samurai monster throws a smoke bomb, which shatters against the talon of a Harpie Lady...)

(And the scene blurs into clouds, a cloudy tunnel that the camera swoops through, and come out of it [44] in the clear, sunny sky over Academy Island. The sunwashed main building stands with its three brightly-colored domes and sandstone pillars. [45] Incoming freshmen duel school proctors in extrance examination duels. ) Narrator: Now, we'll travel to the future, [44] and meet our next duelist, [44a] the star pupil of a school with one major-- [45] Duel Monsters. Let us meet...

Narrator: Jaden Yuki. ([46] Jaden runs through the park, coasting around a corner, drawing a few stares, and talking the whole way.) Jaden: I got my deck, I got my gear, and I got about *two minutes* to get to the Duel Academy entrance exams before they start! Oh, well-- at least since I'm not a student yet, they can't throw me in detention hall for bein' late! 'Scuse me-- comin' through! (Yugi turns-- just as Jaden tries to slow down, runs right into him, and falls backward, dropping his duel disk.) Jaden: Atcha back! Uh- ah-- ugh! Sorry! Yugi: You're a duelist, aren't you? Jaden: Huh? Yup. I'm just goin' to try out at the Academy. (Yugi smiles, and reaches for the deck box on his hip, popping it open.) Yugi: Huh. You don't say. Jaden: Yeah! (Jaden stands, ready to laugh the whole thing off. Then he sees the face of the person he just ran into.) Jaden: Hahahahaha-- hey. Hey, you're-- (The King of Games offers Jaden a single card.) Yugi: Why don't you take *this*. Something just tells me that it <5:00> *belongs* with you. Jaden: Wow. For *real*? (The legend walks past Jaden and continues on his way.) Yugi: Good luck. Jaden: Uh! Thank you! I'll... make you proud! (Yugi pauses, and gives Jaden a thumbs-up over his shoulder, before continuing on his way.) Narrator: And Jaden had every intention to keep that promise.

Narrator: [47] But when school got hard, Jaden *hardly studied*. ([47] One day at Duel Academy in Jaden's freshman year, Jaden and Syrus sit at a desk in class, back to back, snoring through an exam proctored by Banner. [48] Professor Banner calmly addresses the class; Jaden and Syrus are awake and in the front row; [49] then Jaden yawns.) Narrator: [48] During tests, without fail, Jaden [49] *always* failed. ([50] Jaden slots his deck, Alexis activates her duel disk, Hassleberry goes to draw, Syrus draws, and Chazz looks at what he drew; finally Jaden slaps down a card! [51] Elemental Hero Neos contains within him several myriad forms from combining with other Neo-Spacians.) Narrator: [50] He might not have been the most studious of students, but when it came to dueling, he was at the [51] top of his class. ([52] Jaden looks at the card Yugi gave him, that saved him his entrance exam match; Winged Kuriboh winks back at him. [53] In the middle of a duel, Winged Kuriboh appears at his shoulder, and he smiles back.) Narrator: [52] Jaden had the rare and special power to communicate [53] with duel spirits, [54] such as Yubel, [55] and Professor Banner. ([54] In a world of multicolored light, Yubel approaches Jaden, her smile calm; [55] Banner appears next to Jaden as he rests beside a distant highway, looking around. [56] Jaden, Syrus, and Bastion face down the next challenge. [57] Chazz appears through a stone trap door, unconscious and lying on his face, his wrists bound to the rock with chains; Hassleberry is revealed the same way; then Alexis; then Atticus.) Narrator: [56] Jaden used that power to help his friends, [57] which was a good thing, because they had the tendency to always get in trouble. ([58] A laser satellite takes aim at the earth. [59] Game for anything, Jaden summons Sparkman and Bubbleman.) Narrator: [58] But it's when the stakes were really high, [59] that Jaden truly got his game on.

Narrator: [60] Like the time he took on the *fiendish* Kagemaru. ([60] A mechanism bursts and gushes liquid. The powers of the Sacred Beasts made Duel Academy's twisted superintendent young and handsome, with long, glossy black hair and truly unbelievable muscles.) Kagemaru: Aaauuughh! (Chazz and Atticus are chagrined.) Kagemaru: ...I *like* this new body. <6:00> But something's... *still missing*. Oh, *I* know-- it's your *soul*, Jaden! Now, let's finish this duel! Jaden: Okay-- Sabatiel the Philosopher's Stone! So Electrum's attack points are now-- (Jaden's EH Electrum bandishes an impressive double-bladed staff.) Kagemaru: --Fourteen-thousand five hundred!-- Jaden: Now go, Hero Electrum! Seal his fate! (Electrum slices right through the Sacred Beast Raviel. Kagemaru is aghast. Big explosion. )

([61]Sartorius, normally just a bit creepy, now looks truly insane, possessed as he is by a crazy alien.) Narrator: [61] Or, when he fended off the depraved Sartorius, who wanted to turn the world into mindless zombies. Sartorius: In mere moments, the people of Earth will worship *me*! Jaden: Hey Neos-- let's *save the universe*, shall we? Punch his lights out, and end this duel! (Neos does just that. Big explosion, and Sartorius' lifepoints deplete to 0.) Sartorius: Aaaaaaagh...!!

(Viper's duel vest is a lot like heavy armor for his shoulders and waist; he activates it, and Jaden activates his duel disk in reply, while Jesse and Hassleberry watch anxiously from the sidelines.) Narrator: [62] And, when he schooled Professor Viper, <7:00> an instructor who had a sinister agenda... Jaden: It's time to *get your game on*, Viper! Viper: Come forth, Venomenon, the King of Poisonous Snakes! Go, Fanged Venom!! Jaden: Meteor Meltdown! (Jaden's Elemental Hero Magma Neos ends the duel with a huge comet. [63] Jaden proudly gazes out to sea as his monsters fly past: Avian, Burstinatrix, and Clayman; [64] and pumps a fist triumphantly into the air!) Narrator: [63] Yes, it's true, Jaden never made the honor roll, but he was [64] *certainly* 'on a roll' when it came to dynamic dueling.

(The image dissipates into clouds once again and we continue down the cloudy time tunnel.) Narrator: And now, let's continue our journey into the future.

Narrator: Welcome-- to New Domino City... ([65] Begin with a beautiful 3D shot panning up the side of a building with a futuristic KC logo on top. [66] Two runner screens boot up and into duel mode. Speed World 2's shade spreads out from Yusei, Jack, and Crow's runners. DUEL LANE signs go up along the sides of the highway.) Narrator: Where dueling [66] has evolved into a *pedal-to-the-metal* way of life. (The paint on the road lights up, and holographic barriers between lanes warn bystanders away from the part of the road about to become a battleground.) Narrator: A life lived in the fast lane, [67] and no one lives it faster than-- Yusei Fudo. ([67] Yusei rides through an empty, ruined subway tunnel alone, the natural light filtering down from above flashing fiercely across his visor and helmet; his frown would peel varnish. [68] Yusei and Akiza stay up late working on her practice runner in the garage at Zora's. [69] Sunset vibrantly silhouettes a myriad of factory stacks and pipes; among them stands Yusei, also dramatically silhouetted, [70] approaching as the factory towers roll by, pulling and playing a card onto his duel disk.) Narrator: [68] A master mechanic, [69] whose dueling mettle enabled him to rise from the slums of Satellite, [70] and break down the barriers surrounding New Domino City. ([71] Yusei rides on the highway beside the sparkling ocean, deep in thought.) Narrator: [71] Yusei's unrelenting desire <8:00> to make a better world for those around him, [72] was the catalyst that sparked [73] a time of renaissance in New Domino City. ([72] New Domino City is now a shining metropolis, characterized by graceful, futuristic bridges over open, bright blue sea. At their center stands the teardrop-shaped monument, crowning the Daedalus Bridge. [73] New dueling tracks arc in and out of the road complex, and new construction is everywhere in the Satellite. [74] Jack, Yusei, and Crow ride, each as determined as the next, and they and their dragons blaze forth; Crow, in monochromatic orange, draws Blackwing Armor Master, ready for some fight; Jack, in monochromatic blue, raises Red Dragon Archfiend, resolute; Yusei, in monochromatic red, has drawn Stardust Dragon; and together, they are ready for anything.) Narrator: [74] Every time he would rev up his duel runner, it was as though he was revving up something deep inside each and every one of those around him. ([75] Yusei spirals into the air, his monsters appearing around-- Junk Warrior, Turbo Warrior, and Nitro Warrior, Speed Warrior, and Sonic Chick. [76] Crow rides on a highway somewhere in Domino by himself.) Narrator: [75] He inspired people to believe that there was a brighter future in store for all; [76] and there was. ([77] Yusei stands in the dark, dusty stadium, gripping his arm, which is still glowing bright red in a strange design. The Crimson Dragon dives upward into the swirling cloud, spreading its wings over the Kaibadome, shining brighter and brighter like a beacon. [78] The Crimson Dragon flies in the air, lightning crashing around it; it approaches and snaps!) Narrator: [77] Especially once Yusei discovered he was one of five Signers, linked by destiny to uncover the secrets of the Crimson Dragon. [78] With the power of the Crimson Dragon, [79] and unwavering support from his friends, [80] there was no stopping Yusei, [81] even though there were many who tried. ([79] Akiza, Leo, and Luna cheerfully stand outside Duel Academy. [80] Junk Warrior spins through the air, and stops, floating over Yusei's shoulder as he rides, ready to fight. [81] Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu towers mightily. [82] The Dark Signers sit at a table, lit only by candelabra, each an approaching challenge.) Narrator: [82] Like the Dark Signer Roman, and his Earthbound Immortal. ([83] The scene is harshly uplit by the multicolored light from the Reactor swirling below.) Yusei: I am gonna make you pay for all of the damage that you've done! Roman: I now summon Earthbound Immortal-- Uru! (Tendrils of the shadowy cloud above swirl down into the crater that was the first Reactor. Insectoid legs appear out of the purple flames four at a time, revealing the massive spider of red-edged black.) Roman: Unleash your Web of Destruction! <9:00> Attack! Yusei: I activate my trap, "Stardust Flash"! I can use this trap card to summon Stardust Dragon! And now he's going to attack with Cosmic Flare! (Stardust attacks, and it collides with Uru in a blinging flash of light. Roman falls to his knees, defeated.)

([84] Goodwin brandishes the new mark of the Crimson Dragon on his arm, and raises it high. The stepped pyramid he's standing atop grows taller and taller, surveying the entire city.) Narrator: And Director Goodwin, who wanted to destroy the world and rebuild it in his image... (The glowing image of the Condor geoglyph has appeared as a solid path in the sky.) Goodwin: We will duel on the crest of the Condor-- there I will crush you *Signers*. Yusei: So let's go!! (Yusei, Jack, and Crow's runners lift off from the ground as they jump them onto the Condor mark and begin to ride on the glowing path.) Goodwin: Now may be a good time to say goodbye! Unleash your fury, Rasca! Yusei: I synchro-summon, the Majestic Star Dragon! Earthbound Immortal Rasca's goin' down! Go, Majestic Star Dragon, Star Shine Shred!! (Majestic Star Dragon is a creature of magnificence, crystalline and radiating shimmering prismatic light. Majestic Star attacks, flying so fast it becomes a dart of light slicing through the air, with the power of the four synchro monsters in the graveyard at its wingtips; Yusei is about to hit Rasca full blast.) Goodwin: Hmm! I've lost, it's over...! (Majestic Star Dragon plunges straight through the heart of the Condor Immortal, and soars out its back. Rasca caws and cries as it bleeds first turquoise light, then red-violet shadows. <10:00> [85] Yusei races out of a doorway and into the street. He rides the roads of Domino; [86] and summons Junk Warrior, Nitro Warrior, Turbo Warrior, and Road Fighter.) Narrator: [85] But when the odds were *against* Yusei, he *always* kicked things into overdrive. [86] He had to steer through some hard times, but one thing was for sure-- ([87] On the Kaibadome track, Yusei rides resolutely, revs his grip, taps his pedal, and zooms away into the curve on the bright purple track.) Narrator: [87] When Yusei was in the driver's seat, you knew the next stop, was victory.

(Three cards are facedown against a black, slightly shimmering screen.) Narrator: Three duelists. Three champions. (The center card flips to reveal Yugi at the height of Battle City; the left, Jaden on the shore at Duel Academy; the right, Yusei summoning Stardust Dragon.) Narrator: Three heroes. And now-- one epic adventure, in which Yugi, Jaden, and Yusei-- (The three cards fold together, and now depict scenes from the duel ahead...) Narrator: ...Will team together, and battle in a duel that will decide the past, present, and future.

(The opening logos appear against very quiet, slightly ominous, echoing beats, not quite music. TVTOKYO, NAS, Cinedigm, <11:00> 4Kids Entertainment, Yu-Gi-Oh! 10th Anniversary.)

(The city of Venice, recognizable by the famous bell tower and cathedral of St. Mark's Square, is burning, the air filled with smoke and embers, the sky dark grey with a glimmer of red on the horizon. A figure, in shadow from the dark sky above and the embers below, lands in a crouch beside a winged lion statue atop a column, then leaps again just as the statue gets blasted to rubble. The fearsome Malefic Cyber End Dragon launches another fireball from one of its mouths, then another, soaring lazily after its prey. The figure it's chasing runs along a railed stone walkway, leaps to dodge another blast and keeps running, then leaps to dodge a third; the attacks are getting closer each time. He grabs the rail and vaults over it off the side of the building, just as the latest blast hits the side of the Campanile... Malefic Cyber End Dragon approaches the wounded bell tower, then its prey leaps out the other side of the tower through one of the windows, and lands nimbly on the stone-paved ground of St. Mark's Square. Jaden Yuki straightens up from his landing crouch and gets ready for the next assault; his hair has grown bushier, and he has grown more assured and levelheaded since his days at Duel Academy, but it hasn't been more than a couple years.) Jaden: Huh! Those were some *close* calls. Uh-oh-- (Malefic Rainbow Dragon has just appeared around the side of the bell tower, loosing a blast of white that forms a prismatic rainbow ring around itself.) Jaden: I got a feelin' they're about to get *closer*! (Jaden faces it down, activating his duel disk and summoning Elemental Hero Neos.) Jaden: How 'bout a little help, Neos! (Jaden puts up a hand to guard his face, and Neos appears in front of Jaden, and imitates the motion, shielding Jaden from the worst of the blast. Behind them, the deflected streams of power roar past and crash into historical buildings with impressive explosions, leaving two gashes in the pavement in a chevron pattern backward from where they stand, plus new fires starting in the surrounding buildings. Malefic Rainbow Dragon breaks off its attack.) Jaden: Ohh... (In the shadow of the famous domed cathedral, atop the arching doorway, stands a figure halfway in shadow.) Paradox: Jaden Yuki. <12:00> The duelist who they say can speak with the spirits! Jaden: I see my reputation precedes me. (An orb of golden light floats over to Jaden, and Banner appears at Jaden's right shoulder in spirit form.) Banner: So *he's* the one behind all of this destruction! Jaden: I'd say so, Banner; it's pretty *impressive*, too. I mean, *wow*! Bringing all of these duel monsters to *real life*? (Yubel appears at Jaden's other shoulder, similarly in spirit form.) Yubel: Don't be *too* excited. He *is* trying to destroy you with them, after all. (The duel disk on the strange figure's right arm is glowing, as are strange gold patterns where his eyes should be.) Paradox: Jaden, I've finished what I came here to do. Jaden: Say what? Paradox: Say goodbye-- because now I plan on finishing *you* off as well!! (He sweeps a card off the top of his deck, and a puff of grey smoke appears around it, then gold lightning from all directions crackles and rages from the sky into the card he's holding, culminating in a huge, golden explosion that hides the strange figure from sight. Jaden braces himself. In the bright light, the form of a dragon begins to appear.) Jaden: Agh...! Wh-uh-oh! Whatever's coming, I doubt it's good! (Stardust Dragon appears in the center of the square, wind swirling around it, ready to blast Jaden.) Paradox: Farewell, Jaden!

(Bright red letters scroll across an electronic ticker, reading EMERGENCY. People in lab coats hurry down the fluorescent-lit hallway outside the door, and a computer voice over the PA system can be heard repeating a recorded message.) Computer (over PA): ...Emergency alert. Emergency alert. Evacuate premises immediately... (In a small room off the hallway, a chubby, cute baby is crying, belted into the narrow tube that will carry him safely away from the impending destruction. The hatch doors close. Professor Fudo watches it go, his face chiseled with sorrow, resolved. There is a rip in the shoulder of his lab coat, where he was recently wounded. Zero Reverse is happening.) Computer (over PA): ...Evacuate premises immediately...

(Moments later, the cityscape is devastated; the land shifts and skyscrapers drift apart. Stones and debris are flying through the air. A massive crevasse opens up between ranks of buildings, and horrified bystanders in the street watch a skyscraper leaning directly above them in flames, wondering if it will fall down and crush them. Many others fall, screaming, into an endless abyss that has opened beneath their feet, plummeting into oblivion. A beam of light from the heavens contacts a tall tower, then sweeps outward, vaporizing everything in its path--)

(Yusei starts awake, sweating; it was a nightmare. He was sleeping on a couch in the nearly-empty garage at Zora's place. <13:00> Morning light is filtering through the high windows. He sits up, and silently looks toward the runners parked in the center of the garage; the test runner, Jack's, his own, and Crow's. )

(In the grey light of predawn, Yusei stands at a railing, staring into space across the misty landscape of the city.) Crow: Yusei? (Yusei glances back; Crow and Jack have tentatively approached him. They're standing at the edge of a circular concrete plaza overlooking trees and distant cityscape, with a grassy park nearby; their runners are parked in runner-sized parking spaces at the bottom of the steps that lead up to it.) Crow: Ya had that bad dream again, huh? Yusei: If only it *was* just a dream. Crow: But it was so long ago, and New Domino City's rebuilt itself since your father's research was... compromised. Jack: Right. You need to stop trying to *change* things that can't be *changed*. The past is past, and you need to let it go and embrace the future. Crow: It's true; and you know if I agree with Jack, I must *really mean it*. Yusei: I wish it was that easy. (Yusei hears a noise behind him, and turns just in time to catch his riding helmet; one of them tossed it to him.) Jack: I bet *I* know what'll cheer you up, mate. Crow: Yeah, c'mon, Yusei-- let's ride! (Yusei starts to smile.) Yusei: All right.

(In the early morning, the three guys zoom along the freeways of New Domino, savoring the freedom of just riding. Yusei is still deep in thought, gazing across the landscape as they ride through the heart of the city.) Yusei (think): Maybe one day I *will* be able to forget about all the pain my father's research caused New Domino; but that day *isn't* today. <14:00> The people of this city have suffered so much; I have to do everything in my power to keep them safe! (Yusei twists his accelerator, and Jack and Crow speed up likewise. Then, behind them appears a fourth duel runner. The rider's thick, blond hair flaps in the slipstream. Yusei is the first to notice they're being tailed. It's white and grey in color scheme, and very futuristic, even for New Domino. The rider grates a piece of the runner below his left footrest along the road as he leans into a turn, kicking up bright sparks from the asphalt. The large runner is gaining on them.) Crow: Hey-- looks like we've got a *tailgater*! Jack: I've never seen *that* duel runner before! (Now the strange runner is in full view. Not only is the body of the runner proportionally larger and higher off the ground, but the nose sticks ahead of the seat by a good yard or more. Its rider is wearing a flat mask, painted with black and white designs.) Crow: Yeah, *or* the duelist that's *driving* it! (The other rider flashes his headlights at them.) Jack: I can't believe it; he's challenging us to a *duel*! Yusei: If it's a duel he wants, a duel he'll get! Crow: He's all yours, Yusei, do it! (The digital clock on Yusei's runner screen reads 9:34 AM and the spedometer is fluctuating between the 110's and 120's, when he starts up the "Speed World" field spell.) Computer: Duel mode engaged. Yusei: All right, let's rev it up! Here-- we-- go!!!

(Explosion; a bright, shining star against a rushing field of them sends out a halo of energy. The three Kanji characters soar into place, then the word 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' bursts into existence on top of them. The whole thing shifts up to fit a great big '3D' underneath, then the words 'BONDS BEYOND TIME' appear underneath that.)

(Down on New Domino's tracks in the grey morning, light glints around a corner, then a huge, fiery, smoky explosion follows it. Yusei's little orange Junk Synchron somersaults out of the smoke cloud, <15:00> followed by Junk Warrior. Yusei rides out of the clinging smoke, the opposing runner in hot pursuit; the turbo-duel is now well underway. Jack and Crow, riding behind the duel as spectators, are the next to burst through the smokescreen.) Crow: Whoever this guy is, he's got some *skills*! Jack: True, but just one more attack and this duel's *finished*! Now come on, Yusei, it's time to take 'im down!

(Yusei looks down at the Stardust Dragon card he's holding.) Yusei (mutters): It's time, old friend. Let's *do this*. (Yusei looks straight ahead; as of now, he means business. Junk Synchron bursts into a golden fireball of light, which catapults upward and divides into three bright stars. Junk Warrior floats upward and flies through the green rings formed by the three stars, turning to golden outlines, its five stars aligning at the middle.) Yusei: I synchro-summon-- (A column of blinding green-white light blasts past Yusei, and he slaps down the card.) Yusei: Stardust Dragon!! (Yusei's mightiest monster appears in the sky, its wings matching the clouds, scattering glittery motes as it hovers above Yusei.) [Stardust Dragon 2500//L8/] Paradox: I don't *think* so! (Yusei's mystery opponent pulls out a card whose front face is completely blank.) Yusei: A blank card! What is *that* for? (The blank card seems to take in light, then blasts out a stream of cards, like a projectile beam, straight for Stardust; <16:00> it shrieks in response and folds it wings; when the card blast hits Stardust's wings it scatters, and Stardust starts to glow pinkish. The cards keep scattering, and soon are forming a flowing sphere, a bubble of cards around Stardust, entrapping it, like a bright pink glowing egg. The whole thing shines brightly, obscuring Stardust from view-- then streams back into Paradox's hand-- Stardust has vanished from the sky, and the image of Stardust has been imprinted into the formerly blank card in Paradox's hand-- but the image isn't quite the same...) Jack: Am I seeing things?! Stardust Dragon, it's--! Crow: Gone! Been stolen! Yusei: But how could that be?! (The strange rider passes Yusei on his ostentatious runner, riding alongside long enough to show him the card he has taken.) Paradox: Heheheheheheheh. A *great many* things are possible, Yusei-- and now that I have the mighty Stardust Dragon, the demise of your era in time is *one* of those things! (Now it's personal; Yusei's tone is ominous.) Yusei: Who are you? (The mystery rider laughs and pulls ahead, zooming out of sight at an unbelievable rate.) Paradox: Heheheheh--! Yusei: Wait, stop! (Yusei lets out a stunned gasp at the sight of a runner going that fast. Paradox is racing ahead, and goes so fast that, with a bright flash, he simply pops right out of existence-- or time. Yusei, Jack, and Crow skid to a halt in the road; Paradox is gone. Yusei looks at Stardust Dragon's card; the illustration on it has only background, no dragon.) Yusei: Stardust...! (The three riders gravely regard the empty track ahead of them...)

(Back at Zora's place, the guys' runners are hastily parked outside in front. The guys stand around the garage, near a bright window for light.) Jack: Can someone tell me *what just happened*? Crow: I would, but, I don't know myself! Yusei: I still can't believe he took Stardust...! Jack: *Why* did that maniac take 'im, that's what *I'd* like to know! (They hear the front door open.) Akiza: What's up, guys? (Akiza stands at the top of the street-side ramp, and the twins walk in behind her, Luna anxiously clasping something in her hands.) Yusei: Akiza. Leo. Luna. Jack: Look, no offense, but this *really* isn't the best time for a social call. <17:00> Leo: Whoever said this was *social*, Jack? We happen to be here on *business*! Yusei: Business? What's up? Luna: Leo and I were surfing the web researching Duel Monsters history, when we saw *this*. (Luna hands Yusei the small cylinder she was gripping; it unfolds into a handheld holographic screen. Jack and Crow look over Yusei's shoulders.) Crow: Hey, *I* recognize that guy! Jack: I should *hope* so. That's Maximillion Pegasus, the chairman of Industrial Illusions. He's the *creator* of Duel Monsters! (They're looking at a picture next to this web article, entitled "Yugi Muto Rules the Duel", of Yugi holding a trophy, with Pegasus on his left giving a thumbs-up, and Yugi's grandpa on his right cheering. The banner above reads DOMINO DUEL TOURNAMENT. For a transcript of the visible article text, please see this transcript's appendices.) Crow: And look who's next to 'im. (The screen zooms in on Yugi's smiling face.) Yusei: Yugi Muto. The King of Games, himself. They say he's the best duelist to have ever picked up a deck. Jack: Doesn't look so *tough* to me. 'Course how *could* you, with *that* dated haircut. Still, even I admit, he's a dueling legend. What I wouldn't give to see Yugi in action way back in his day. Yusei: This is what you wanted to show us? Akiza (urgently): No, scroll over to the next page. (The next article is headlined, 'Dragon Devastation!' and includes an image shows three powerful dragons dominating a dark red and black sky; this is a scene from Jaden's battle in Venice. And right in the middle of the image is--) Yusei: Wait, Stardust Dragon?! Jack: But that card didn't *exist* back then! Luna: Exactly our *point*! Crow: Look. The article says that all sorts of dragons appeared one day and, like, *blasted almost all of Europe*. <18:00> Yusei: But I don't remember ever hearing about this. And this is a *major historical event*! Akiza: That's just *it*, this is *new* history! Somehow the past has changed! Yusei: Huh..! Wait a minute...! (Yusei taps the screen with a fingertip to zoom in; in the background, just beyond Stardust's wingtip, is the sinister figure who stole it.) Yusei: It's that duelist from before...! (The sunlight from outside has darkened. They look up at the windows. The sky is overcast with dark clouds.) Akiza: What's going on outside?

(The six of them run outside; black motes are drifting down on them like snow.) Jack: I don't like the looks of this, guys! (The sky is dark, ominous gray; the vibrant cityscape of New Domino has turned gray and lifeless, and the city's iconic skyscrapers are disintegrating, slowly becoming ash that is absorbed into the dark sky above. The scene is more than a little bit like that of Zero Reverse.) Luna: Leo, what's happening?! Leo: Our city's vanishing! Akiza: But why? Jack: Maybe I've seen one too many movies, but whenever something *changes in the past*, isn't it supposed to somehow *change the future*? Crow: Yeah, *so*?! Yusei: If the past *has* changed, then that would mean that-- huh!

(Flashback. The mysterious rider shows him the corrupted, imprisoned Stardust Dragon card, and remarks that many things are possible, including the destruction of Yusei's era in time.) Yusei (VO): What the masked man said was true...! (End Flashback.)

Yusei: Our era, our period in time--

(As he speaks, bystanders flee through the front doors of a disintegrating building, screaming and covering their heads.) Yusei (VO): It's meeting its end!!

(Luna stares, wide-eyed with fear. Her arm is the first to light up, and everyone stares at it. Akiza's glows next, then Crow's, Jack's, and the Seal of the Crimson Dragon appears completed on Yusei's back. He looks over his shoulder, surprised, and the other Signers turn to look as well.) Akiza: It's the Mark of the Crimson Dragon...! (Yusei's runner, parked outside the front door with Jack's and Crow's, is smoldering with red light.) Leo: And look-- its power's surging through Yusei's duel runner, too! (Awed, Yusei stares at it. The form of the Crimson Dragon seems to appear in the runner's red fire, belling its strange cry; Yusei gasps. His feet move reluctantly, almost of their own accord, as he hurries to the runner.) Akiza: What are you *doing*?! Yusei: I'm not sure, but it's calling to me!

(Yusei and his runner blaze out onto the highway, riding side-by-side with the Crimson Dragon as it flies. Yusei looks up and speaks to it.) Yusei: I don't know where you're taking me, but if it's somewhere that'll give me a chance to stop this, lead the way! (The Crimson Dragon responds with a proud cry. Yusei is resolute; that's a yes.) Yusei: Let's go! (Black specks are rushing past in a blur; the spedometer and even the clock on Yusei's runner screen go haywire as he speeds up, imbued with the power of the Crimson Dragon. The air around is shining brighter than daylight, scattering even brighter off of every reflective surface on Yusei and his runner. He accelerates and vanishes...)

(Back to Jaden, cornered by giant vicious dragons, including Stardust, in the streets of Venice...) Jaden: That's *some dragon*. Know where I could *score one*? Paradox: Jaden Yuki; calm, cool, and collected to the very end. Now, *perish*! (Stardust Dragon lets loose a blast of blue and white energy.) <20:00> Jaden: Neos...!! Uuuaaaagghhuaagghhhh!!! (Jaden is still behind his Elemental Hero Neos, but the blast nevertheless slams him back across the plaza. Stardust averts the rest of the blast into the sky. Jaden grimly faces down the end; he's cornered.) Paradox: Finish him! (Stardust turns its head back toward the ground, ripping up the pavement, ready to blast Jaden; Jaden and Neos face it down. Just then, The Crimson Dragon roars through between Jaden and the blast, absorbing the attack.) Paradox: What's *this*? (The Crimson Dragon evaporates and leaves behind Yusei, riding at top speed; he skids and comes to a controlled stop several yards ahead of where he appeared, then takes in the situation.) Yusei: Huh! My Stardust Dragon...! Paradox: Yusei! *How* you followed me back in time, I do not know; but I *do* know, it changes *nothing*, for you and Jaden! (Jaden recovers and gets to his feet.) Paradox: If you don't perish by *my* hand, the *hands of time* will do you in! (Neither duelist likes the sound of that.) Jaden: Hands a' *what*? Paradox: Hahahahahaha! Yusei: Hold on!! (Paradox doesn't. He and his huge white runner jump the edge of the building and, in midair, begin to glow. As soon as he hits the road, he speeds up and flashes out of sight; he's gone. Jaden and Yusei stare after, stunned.)

(The sun is beginning to rise, illuminating the square's earlier demolition, including the deep trenches eaten out of the pavement by dragon blasts; the fires seem to have burned out, but smoke trails through the air like early morning fog.) Jaden: Uh, 'Yusei', right? Any chance you could tell me what's goin' on? Or better yet, who that *masked dude* was? <21:00> Yusei: I wish I knew. You took quite a hit there; are you okay? (Jaden and Yusei sit on a rooftop between ruined patches of it, with Yusei's runner parked below in the square.) Jaden: Who, me? I-I'm all good. Just a few scratches. Yusei: You're a tough kid. 'Jaden', that's what he called you, right? Jaden: Yup, that's my name-- and *duelin's* my game! 'Course it didn't seem like much of a game to *that* guy! (Jaden's confidence falters as he realizes the gravity of the situation.) Jaden: ...At all. Yusei: It's not, he has *another* agenda. Jaden: Whatever-- I'll get my payback! (thumbs-up) You'll see! (They look down at Yusei's runner.) Jaden: That's quite the ride ya got there; looks like somethin' outta the *future*! Yusei: It *is*. Jaden: It *is*?! Whaddaya mean, *it is*? Banner: He means as he says, Jaden. Yusei is from another time. Jaden: Another *time*? Ah, quit messin' with me! Besides, how would *you* guys know? Yubel: We *know* because, like you, Yusei has a gift. Banner: A gift that connects him to the world of Duel Monster spirits. (Pharaoh the cat meows. Yusei shows Jaden his Sign.) Yusei: I think they mean this mark. Jaden (wink): Well, then, it looks like you and I have somethin' *new* in common, don't we, Yusei. Yusei: Yes, Jaden. Now tell me how this all got started with you and the masked man. Jaden: Well, some classmates a' mine, kept reportin' that their duel cards were getting snatched! <22:00> I went lookin' for the thief, and found *you-know-who*. Yusei: Listen, Jaden... I know we just met, but *believe me*, we need to stop this man. Because if we don't, life as you know it... well, *won't* be as you know it! *My* time, *your* time, it will all change! And trust me, it's not a change for the *better*. Jaden: Hold up. You askin' me to team up with you to take this dude down? Yusei: That's right, Jaden. Jaden: Sweet; but uh, how are we gonna take 'im down, if he's not even *here*, I mean, the dude split. Yusei: I know. My guess is, he hopped back in time to the era when he makes his big move, when he changes history and alters the future forever. Jaden: Whoa, *whoa*, whaddaya mean, 'changes history and alters the future'! History hasn't *changed*. Here-- I'll show ya. (Jaden's knapsack also contains a couple of books, a bottle, a CD, and what might be snacks; he pulls out a small laptop. Yusei, Yubel, and Banner watch the screen over his shoulder as he types.) Jaden: Lemme check the Domino City Database for a newspaper article that'll *prove* to ya that history has... (reads it) completely changed!! Ahh, and not for the better. How's this guy *doin'* all of this? <23:00> Yusei: I dunno, but he's doing it as we speak. Jaden: Ah...! No, way. Well, as long as I got-- (He looks at his E-H Neos card; as he does, the image of Neos disappears, leaving, as Yusei's Stardust Dragon card had already, a background but no monster.) Jaden: Neos is gone! Ah...! (Rumbling. St. Mark's Cathedral starts to disintegrate, and the bell tower spontaneously bisects and begins to collapse. The rooftops beyond it are imploding, and black dust is falling from the sky.) Yusei: And it's starting here, too. Your era in time is crumbling away! First your Duel Monsters cards, now everything else! (They see the bell tower collapse into the middle of the square before them, throwing up a cloud of debris.) Jaden: So what're we s'posed to do *now*, Yusei?! Yusei: Now we move. Jaden: Where?

(Fireworks explode in a bright blue sky above Domino City's iconic clock tower-- the original Domino City, hometown of Yugi Muto. Surrounded by tall buildings, Clocktower Square is full of people mingling cheerfully. Announcer (over microphone): Welcome to the Domino Duel Tournament!! (A guy with a duel disk is getting his picture taken with two girls dressed up as Magician's Valkyria and Harpie Lady #1. The sign over the stage reads 'Domino Duel Tournament'. Yugi and his grandpa stand near the edge of the crowd, watching the gathering.) Grandpa: It certainly is a good turnout. Yugi: And it's no wonder why; the rumor is Pegasus himself is gonna be here today! (A helicopter lands on the helicopter pad in the square; clearly the main event has arrived. There are two male announcers, 1 and 2, both wearing pirate hats, and a female announcer, 3, all stirring up the crowd.) Announcer 1 (over microphone): And now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've been waiting for! Announcer 2 (over microphone): The man behind the monsters and the magic, the creator of Duel Monsters-- Announcer 3 (over microphone): The one, the only, the great Maximillion Pegasus! <24:00> (The door to the helicopter opens, and Pegasus, ready with a wireless handheld mic, greets the crowd of fans.) Pegasus (over microphone): Greetings, duel fans! It's wonderful to see you, but I'm sure not *nearly* as wonderful as it is for *you* to see *me*, so please, enjoy my splendor! (The crowd roars. Paradox is watching the distant gathering from atop a building across the square.) Paradox: And enjoy *your* last moments, Pegasus! (The clock atop the tower clicks from 11:59 to 12:00-- high noon. A shadow blocks out the sun. Yugi is the first to look up. Malefic Cyber End Dragon is soaring above in the peaceful sky, followed by Malefic Rainbow Dragon and Stardust Dragon. The crowd has begun to chatter and point, their attention diverted from Pegasus.) Grandpa: Wow, my laser eye surgery sure makes those duel holograms look real! Ooh! (Stadust raises its head, and blasts a swath across a row of buildings. Debris begins to rain down on the crowd. Everyone starts to run away, but Yugi and grandpa look up at the trouble. Yugi: I don't think those are holograms, grandpa! - Move it! (The tide of the crowd forces them to move, and separates them. Grandpa calls over his shoulder as the wave of people carries him away.) Grandpa: Yugi! (Yugi dodges the running people, trying to find grandpa again.) Yugi: Grandpa! (Malefic Cyber End Dragon looses three fireballs from its three mouths, that in turn slam into three different spots on a building, leaving flaming, smoking craters where they land. The people who were about to flee in that direction stop short; the building that just got blasted looms right over Pegasus, who hasn't left the stage and doesn't see what the people before him are staring at behind him.) Pegasus: It's my worst fear-- I've been *upstaged*! (The weakened story collapses, and the upper half of the building shifts down, offbalances, and collapses straight toward Pegasus... finally he notices, but can only watch it tip over on top of him.) Pegasus: Oh no-- the building!! Ohhhhhuuuaaaaghhh!! (And it crashes down. There's no way he could have survived.)

(From the chaos and noise of a moment before, silence. <25:00> The three dragons circle the harsh sun above, like carrion birds. Yugi awakens alone in a field of smashed concrete and rubble, half covered with it. He winces in pain, raises his head, and looks around, struck dumb by the ruin around him; the silent, still desolation is enough to horrify him, but then, among the debris and a few other abandoned hats, he spots a very familiar bandanna, ripped and mangled. It's grandpa's. He unsteadily runs closer, then kneels and picks it up off the ground, tears welling up in his eyes.) Yugi: No...! Grandpa... he's... NO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O!!!! (His cry of grief echoes hollowly in the wrecked wasteland. An evil laugh answers. Yugi looks up; Paradox stands triumphant atop one of the few buildings still standing.) Paradox: Huhahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! At *last*, my work is complete! It took some doing, but history is now forever changed! Changed so that Duel Monsters is no more! (Yugi looks up at him, stunned. Then, he hears a rumbling and turns toward a red burst of light behind him. The Crimson Dragon lunges from the light, straight for Yugi!) <26:00>

(The Crimson Dragon travels through a multicolored tunnel, shrieking...)