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Episode
GuideEpisode 209: Village of Vengeance, Part 1 (The Village of the Dead)
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon Jet arrives over Egypt, as Kaiba is informed by his flight command. Seeing the pyramids in the desert below, Kaiba says he could have told flight command that by looking out his window. (There's no dialog here in the Japanese, except for Kaiba looking out the jet window and saying, "Hm.") Presently, the jet lands before the Egyptian museum, where Marik, Ishizu, and Odion wait. Marik tells his sister she's right—Kaiba did show up. (Japanese Malik doesn't say anything. Anyway, how could Ishizu have predicted that Kaiba would come, after she gave up the Millennium Necklace?) Kaiba hops out of his jet and asks who they are, the welcoming committee? Ishizu asks if he could have forgotten them already. He asks how he could forget the three freaks that turned his Battle City Tournament into a circus sideshow. Then he asks them to step aside, because he has some work to do. (Japanese Kaiba says they don't seem to know why he's there. He's not there for them, he's come because of what's here.)
Ishizu tells him not to bother. The stone tablet is no longer here—it has been returned to its resting place. (Japanese Ishizu says that the tablets displayed here are only copies. The real one has been taken back to its resting place.) It is what he seeks, isn't it? she asks. The Pharaoh's tablet? Kaiba says, not quite, and takes the Millennium Eye out of his jacket to show them, and says, that punk Bakura handed it to him just before he walked out on their duel.
Marik is surprised to hear Kaiba mention Bakura. He says Bakura must be planning to prevent the Pharaoh from fulfilling his destiny. They have to make sure he fails. But how? (Japanese Malik says that, besides them, Bakura is the only one who knows about the Millennium Items. Maybe he also.... then he turns to his sister, saying, "Nee-san," which means, "Older sister.")
Ishizu tells Kaiba they need him, and offers to make him a deal. They'll help him locate Bakura, if he helps them to save the Pharaoh. (Japanese Ishizu tells Kaiba to go to the stone tablet. He'll find the truth there.)
(Cut from the US version is this scene at the palace of Isis using her Millennium Necklace to search for the Pharaoh.)
Meanwhile, Mana is cheerfully bouncing up and down on Bobasa's huge belly. Both of them giggle wildly, and Bobasa asks who's next. The rest of the gang pass, and soon Mana is chasing Bobasa down the beach.
Yugi turns to the Pharaoh, sitting beside him on the beach, and says he heard about Bakura—so he's the evil force the Pharaoh battled all those years ago. The Pharaoh says that's right, and now Bakura has their Puzzle—an Item passed down to him from his father. Yugi asks if that means his memory's back, but the Pharaoh shakes his head, saying he remembers only a fragment of his childhood, when he was Prince and his father protected him. His father was a powerful leader who created the Millennium Items in order to restore peace to Egypt, but he's afraid the seven Items have a dark side as well. Tristan says that must be why Bakura wants to get a hold of them, and the Pharaoh says he's right. And he must do everything in his power to stop Bakura, just as he did in the past. (Japanese Honda says, so the Pharaoh's father made the Millennium Items? The Pharaoh says yes, so he won't let them be used for Bakura's ambition.) Yugi says they're all here to help him.
Téa asks the Pharaoh if he ever learned what his name is. The Pharaoh pulls the cartouche from beneath his tunic, telling her to see for herself—it's still blank. No one here calls him by his real name, he says. They refer to him as "King" or "Pharaoh." (Japanese Pharaoh says no one will tell him what his real name is, even if he asks.)
Mana calls to him from the river, telling him to come on in, the water's nice. She and Bobasa splash each other and laugh.
Back at the palace, Seto stands over Kisara's bed, thinking he hopes she'll rest well. She possesses a gift that might save them. (Japanese Seto says, "The white dragon that haunts Kisara....") He remembers when she called forth the White Dragon to save them. (Part of the flashback is cut from the US version, showing Aknadin telling Seto to kill Kisara and take the White Dragon from her.)
Now that her secret is out, he thinks, Master Aknadin wants to take that power away from her. What puzzles him is how a man who built his reputation on giving mercy to criminals can be so heartless. Seto remembers that when he first entered the Pharaoh's royal court, it was Aknadin who taught him compassion and reason. Now, he hardly recognizes Aknadin.
One of the guards rushes to Seto, telling him that he's just received word that the Pharaoh's all right. He's on the south bank of the River Nile. Seto strides out, ordering the guard to move Kisara to another room quickly, and make sure no one sees them.
In the throne room, Shimon announces joyous news to the royal guard—the Pharaoh has been found. (Japanese Shimon says that Isis's Spiria has found the Pharaoh, and he is well.) The guards cheer, as Isis consults her Necklace and says that the Pharaoh is in good health, and Shada will see to it that he returns safely. (Japanese Isis says that she's found Shada nearby, and she's told him to go to the Pharaoh.) Shimon says they can all rest easy now. (Karim's expression is changed in the US version from a smile to a more serious look.)
But Aknadin thinks it's impossible! How could the Pharaoh have survived? Then Isis sees something else—she has terrible news. The Pharaoh's Millennium Puzzle is missing!
At the river, Bobasa comes up behind the Pharaoh, who asks him who he is. Bobasa says the Pharaoh is a lot shorter than he thought he'd be, then laughs and says he's kidding. (Japanese Bobasa says, so this is the Pharaoh. It's good to see him.) Yugi introduces the Pharaoh to their new friend Bobasa, saying they never would have found the Pharaoh without Bobasa's help. (Japanese Yugi says, this man says he's Bobasa. Bobasa's like them, in that no one in this world can see him. Yugi doesn't know anything more about him, but they're good friends now.) The Pharaoh holds out his hand and says it's a pleasure to meet him.
Then Isis's creature, Spiria, flies along the river, leading Shada and his men to the Pharaoh. Shada bows before the Pharaoh, glad to find that he's safe. The Pharaoh says he's sorry to have alarmed everyone. Joey sticks his hand in front of Shada's face, saying that Shada can't see him, right? Then Shada stands up, exclaiming, "You!" Joey jumps back, startled, but it's Mana Shada has spotted, as she tries to creep away. She tries to hide behind the Pharaoh, as Shada asks if she knew the Pharaoh's whereabouts all along. She says, "Maybe..." More importantly, Shada says, they've found Bakura's hiding spot. They've traced his trail to a deserted village once known as Kul Elna.
The Pharaoh mounts one of the horses the rescue party has brought, and says, to Kul Elna! Joey tells him to hold it—they're coming, too. The Pharaoh says it's too dangerous for them to join him. Bakura has challenged him to a Shadow Game with the ultimate stakes. (The Japanese Pharaoh says that Bakura has challenged him to a Dark Game. This isn't the Bakura they knew in their world. Cut from the US version is this bit where the Pharaoh continues, telling them that Bakura's a dangerous man, and he doesn't want to involve them. He'll finish things with Bakura.)
The Pharaoh says they should all go back to their world, and let him deal with his. The Pharaoh rides away, with Mana on his horse behind him, and Shada and the guards following. Mana calls out to Yugi and the others that it was nice meeting them.
Joey still thinks the Pharaoh needs all the help he can get. Tristan reminds him that they can't even pick up an apple in this world, so how can they help? Joey doesn't know, but he's not quitting that easily. Yugi says Joey's right—the Pharaoh would never give up on them. Joey says they're not giving up on him, either. The others agree.
Back at the palace, Isis has consulted her Necklace and told Shimon that Bakura's in Kul Elna, and the Pharaoh and Shada are on their way there now. Shimon steps forward, saying that the others must join them and protect their king. The guards cheer, eager to go, but Aknadin says, oh no—not Kul Elna.
The Pharaoh and the others ride up to a deserted village, all in ruins. Shada says he's heard that this village was once populated by criminals and deviants, and one day they just disappeared. (Japanese Shada says, so this is Kul Elna. It's a strange place.) Something ghostly flies past his head as he and his men ride through the empty streets. One of the men says nervously that he's heard that this town is inhabited by ghosts. Mana shrinks down behind the Pharaoh, asking if they can't just leave Bakura a note asking him to meet them somewhere that isn't haunted. More phantoms fly overhead. (The guards don't have any dialog here in the Japanese. The Pharaoh thinks that ever since they entered the village, he's had a strange feeling. He wonders what happened there. Mana says it's strange there.)
A skeletal arm reaches up from the ground to grab one of the horses' legs. The horse rears, and the guard falls to the ground, where more skeletal hands reach for him. Suddenly, an army of skeletons with swords appears, some rising from the ground, others coming from the ruined buildings. Mana screams, as the Pharaoh and his men are surrounded by the ghostly army.
Beneath the village, Bakura sits upon the Millennium Stone, the Millennium Ring jingling around his neck. He says that the time has come. As phantoms swirl around him, he says it appears his royal majesty has arrived. He welcomes the Pharaoh to his humble abode—where Bakura has the home field advantage. (Japanese Bakura says that the Millennium Ring is working. It seems the Pharaoh is still alive. He welcomes the Pharaoh to his home.)
In the village, Shada and his men fight with the skeletons. (Scenes of the battle are cut from the US version.)
Mana cringes behind the Pharaoh, eyes filled with frightened tears, when she hears a voice telling her that she has the power to defeat them.
Mana jumps off the horse, holding up her staff, and says the Pharaoh doesn't need to protect her—she should be the one protecting him. If she wants to be one of his elite spellcasters one day, she shouldn't be hiding behind him. If Mahad were there, he'd say the same thing. The Pharaoh says, very well.
Shada activates his Diadiankh and summons the Two-Headed Jackal Warrior, and it begins smashing the skeletons right and left. With Mana at his back, Shada tells the Pharaoh that they'll fight, while he finds Bakura. Wishing each other good luck, the Pharaoh and Shada part, and the Pharaoh rides into the village.
Bakura tells his ghostly companions that soon revenge will be theirs. The son shall pay for the sins of his father. (Japanese Bakura says that the ghosts are stirring—they know that the hated Pharaoh is approaching. Their hatred will be satisfied soon.)
The Pharaoh has found the stairway leading to the underground cavern, and is making his way down. At the bottom of the stairs, Bakura greets him, saying he's impressed—the Pharaoh's father never had the courage to come here. (Japanese Bakura tells the Pharaoh that the Millennium Puzzle he stole is hanging around his neck.)
Meanwhile, the skeleton army is closing in on Mana, who shuts her eyes and activates her magic. Her staff glows, and the skeletons break up, falling to dust. Mana opens her eyes to see the street empty before them, and Shada tells her, nicely done. She looks up, smiling, to see the Dark Magician Girl appear in the sky.
The Pharaoh challenges Bakura to continue their duel (Japanese Bakura welcomes the Pharaoh back from hell. The Pharaoh replies, "Bakura!"), but Bakura says there's something he should look at first. The Pharaoh asks if that's the legendary Millennium Stone tablet. Bakura says it's the one and only. (Japanese Bakura says that this stone is the doorway between their world and hell.) Then he says that the stone is guarded by the spirits who were imprisoned to create it. The Pharaoh's father destroyed their village and captured their souls in order to gain the power to dominate mankind. Bakura says he knows this because he is the only survivor of the village.
The Pharaoh insists that his father created the Millennium Items in order to gain peace and prosperity for Egypt. Bakura says that's what he's been told by his guardians, but they lied. He tells the spirits to show the Pharaoh the truth. (Japanese Pharaoh says, his father killed so many people to create the Millennium Items? Impossible! Bakura says that without the Millennium Puzzle, the Pharaoh won't be able to summon the gods. Then he tells the spirits of the dead to rip the Pharaoh apart.) The phantoms circle the Pharaoh, and he cries out in pain. Bakura says that soon the Pharaoh's spirit will join theirs, trapped for all eternity. The Pharaoh falls to his knees, clutching his chest. Bakura tells him that without the Millennium Puzzle, he's powerless. Finally, the town of Kul Elna strikes back! (Japanese Bakura laughs, and says, how's that? He asks the Pharaoh if he can hear the spirits' lament. As he kneels, the Pharaoh asks his father to tell him if the Millennium Items were really created this way. Bakura tells the Pharaoh he'll redeem the sins of his father.)
In the Pharaoh's tablet sanctuary, the Dark Magician's stone tablet glows. The spirits surrounding the Pharaoh are blown away, and the Dark Magician stands in front of the Pharaoh, telling Bakura that when he threatens the Pharaoh, he threatens him. (Japanese Black Magician says his soul will always be with the Pharaoh.) The Pharaoh exclaims, Mahad!
Bakura says that getting destroyed once wasn't enough, so Mahad is back for round two. (Japanese Bakura asks if Mahad is worried that the Pharaoh's unreliability means he won't get into heaven.) Dark Magician says he's there to save his King. The Pharaoh tells him he doesn't have to put himself in harm's way again, but the Dark Magician says he made a vow to always protect the Pharaoh, and that vow will hold no matter how powerful their foe. (Japanese Black Magician tells the Pharaoh to stand up. The Pharaoh asks if it's really Mahad. The Black Magician says he only exists by the will of the Pharaoh. If the Pharaoh loses his courage, he will disappear, too.) The Pharaoh asks the Dark Magician if his father truly destroyed a village to forge the Millennium Items. (The Japanese Pharaoh says he always believed that the Millennium Items were created for justice.)
Bakura interrupts, saying that he can answer that, since he was there when it happened. It was an evening that he'll never forget. He watched in horror as the Pharaoh's father's henchmen harnessed the souls of his fellow villagers to further his own selfish needs. (Cut from the US version is this shot of little Bakura hiding, while the shadows on the wall show Bakura's fellow villagers falling into the cauldron.)
How could he? the Pharaoh asks. His own father!
Dark Magician tells the Pharaoh that what Bakura has failed to mention is that every person in this village was evil. (Japanese Black Magician tells the Pharaoh that it's true—the Millennium Items were created using living sacrifices.) The Pharaoh asks how he knows that.
The Dark Magician says that he always sensed the darkness within his Millennium Ring, so he began to research the spell used to create it. Then he reported his findings to the former Pharaoh, who was as surprised as Mahad when he learned what had occurred at Kul Elna. In flashback, Aknamkanon reacts to the news Mahad has brought him, asking how can these Items bring peace, if they're plagued by evil? Mahad says it's not the king's fault—he didn't know.
Later, the flashback shows Mahad kneeling at Aknamkanon's bedside, as Aknamkanon says that every task carried out by his guards is his responsibility, and now he must pay, by confessing his crime to the Egyptian gods. (Japanese Aknamkanon says that he made a terrible mistake, but he doesn't want his son to suffer for his sins. He asks Mahad to protect his son.)
The Pharaoh says his father was innocent! The Dark Magician tells him that his father took the blame so that he could continue his legacy, by finally bringing peace to Egypt. (Japanese Black Magician says that the former Pharaoh wasn't wrong to desire a lasting peace. Now the Pharaoh has inherited his father's will.) The Pharaoh says he's right.
Bakura asks if they're finished, then laughs and tells the spirits to destroy both of these fools!
The Pharaoh looks up, remembering his father kneeling before the altar of their ancestors, saying that, by bringing the Millennium Items into the world, he has unleashed a great threat, and asking them to guide his son in using the Items to restore peace. The Pharaoh insists that his father was a worthy king. He stands up, saying he owes it to his father to take Bakura down and restore the land to prosperity. The Dark Magician holds out his hand, putting up a magical barrier against the oncoming spirits, as the Pharaoh demands that Bakura return the Millennium Items to where they belong. (Japanese Pharaoh says he believes in his father. He'll inherit his father's will, and fight as Pharaoh.)
Bakura says he supposes the Pharaoh thinks the Items belong with him. If he'd been paying attention, he'd know that the Items were meant to be back in their original resting place, which is where Bakura plans to put them. The Pharaoh says, Never! (Japanese Bakura says, so the Pharaoh has recovered his memory. Then he says that the spirits of the dead don't mean anything to him. The Pharaoh says, it's coming!) Bakura activates his Diadiankh and summons Diabound. (Cut from the US version is this shot of the Pharaoh and Black Magician looking at Diabound and saying that he's evolved.)
Diabound has evolved yet again, and is now even bigger and more vicious-looking. (Japanese Bakura says that Diabound has evolved using the evil power of the Millennium Ring and Puzzle.) The Pharaoh tells the Dark Magician to be careful, as Dark Magician moves in front of him. Bakura tells Diabound to use Thunderforce Attack, and Dark Magician responds with Dark Magic Portal, absorbing Diabound's attack and redirecting it. The attack blasts one of the columns, which starts to fall onto the Millennium Stone. Bakura orders Diabound to stop the pillar, and the monster wraps its serpent tail around it, stopping it just above the stone.
Dark Magician attacks, blasting Diabound's eye. With his hand over his own eye, Bakura staggers back, saying Mahad will never destroy Diabound–and just wait until they meet Zorc the Dark One. (Japanese Bakura says that he can't believe they'd attack the stone tablet—he needs it to revive the Dark God Zork.) The Pharaoh gasps, remembering when Hasan warned him that Zorc the Dark One would awaken. (The flashback of Hasan in the US version replaces a shot of the Pharaoh with Hasan over it.)
Bakura says that the stone tablet conceals the source of his true power, so he'll call upon another Shadow creature to protect it. Raising his Diadiankh, he calls upon Skeleton Fiend, which forms around the tablet. Next, Bakura asks if anyone's up for a game of hide and seek, and Diabound disappears. The Pharaoh says they mustn't let it get away, and Dark Magician sends a series of attacks around the cavern, trying to search out Diabound. The attacks blast holes in the walls and ceiling of the cavern, and sun shines in through the roof. Bakura says his Diabound is concealed by the darkness, so trying to attack him is pointless. The Pharaoh says they weren't attacking him—and Diabound is revealed in one of the shafts of light. Then the Pharaoh tells the Dark Magician to finish him off.
Dark Magician attacks Diabound, and Bakura is thrown back by the blows his creature receives. Diabound begins to sink to the ground, and the Pharaoh says it's over. Struggling to his feet, Bakura says, not yet. (The blood dripping down Bakura's face is removed from the US version.)
Bakura says that Mahad may have improved his skills, but he's still not good enough to keep Bakura down.
Standing up, Bakura asks the spirits to fill him with their power, so he can avenge their suffering. Laughing, Bakura begins to glow bright red with their strength, and Diabound rises again. Dark Magician attacks again, but Diabound blocks his attacks. Then Diabound counterattacks with Spiral Shock Wave, and Dark Magician is thrown back into one of the columns, then falls to the ground. Finally, Bakura calls for Diabound to attack with Lightning Blast, and Dark Magician disappears, leaving only a hole in the ground. Game over, Bakura says. The Dark Magician is no more.
Then the Pharaoh hears a voice saying that Mahad is safe, and he looks up to see Dark Magician Girl carrying Dark Magician by the arm towards one of the holes in the roof. Dark Magician asks who summoned her, and she says a former student of his. Mana kneels on the roof, eyes closed, working her spells. The Pharaoh says her name, and she looks at him and smiles. She thought he might need some help!
To Be Continued
