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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 11, 2016 12:46:53 GMT
Chapter 31 Yami grimly looked at the darkness surrounding the playing field, not entirely sure what to make of it. He was aware of the fact that while he might still have all of his lifepoints intact, it might not last too much longer. ‘If Bakura was willing to sacrifice Dark Necrofear to play this card, its powers must be as immense as he says they are. I must do something before I feel the wrath of Dark Sanctuary.’
The dark spirit laughed at how helpless his greatest adversary looked. “Yugi you fool! Thanks to my Dark Sanctuary magic card, your chances of defeating me have decreased immensely! This dark magic will leave you in a state of constant fear and destroy you!”
‘I have to remain strong under the circumstances.’ Yami changed his grim expression into a more nonchalant one. He didn’t want his foe to think he had lost confidence or was thinking of giving up. “It is you who should be afraid. Your lifepoints are low and you have no monsters on the field to protect you!”
“Ha! That does not worry me in the least! I have the ghost of Dark Sanctuary protecting me. Your monsters can no longer damage my lifepoints! Therefore, my supernatural deck is invincible!” ‘He will be so surprised when he sees that my ghost has possessed his monster.’
‘I have a bad feeling he is right. However, I must take a chance and strike. If I learn all of the abilities of Dark Sanctuary, I may be able to find a way to destroy it.’ “We’ll see how powerful your Dark Sanctuary magic card really is! Gamma the Magnet Warrior, attack his lifepoints directly!!” The magnet warrior lunged at the dark spirit, preparing to strike, but whilst it was attacking, a ghost came out of it and headed towards Yami. He grunted as it passed through him and drained his energy.
“As you were saying?” the dark spirit taunted.
Yami glowered at the evil spirit. “Explain what just happened right now!!” he ordered.
The dark spirit smiled at his opponent’s indignation. “It is quite simple. The magic of Dark Sanctuary allows me to possess any monster I choose and block your direct attacks, and I have chosen your magnet warrior!”
“It’s possessed?” Yami repeated incredulously.
“Yes, and there’s more! Say goodbye to 750 of your lifepoints! Not to worry, though, they will not go to waste!” Yami watched grimly as his lifepoints were reduced to 3250 and the sinister spirit’s lifepoints rose to nine hundred.
“Now that you know what you’re up against, the wise thing to do is surrender before you suffer even more!” said the dark spirit. “You’re finished!”
“Don’t be too sure! Your lifepoints are still minimal!”
The evil spirit laughed again as he drew his card. “You are more foolish than I thought! Possessing your monsters is one of many abilities my Dark Sanctuary has! For my turn, I play Destiny Board!!” An Ouija board with a bunch of letters on it appeared on the field, hovering in midair.
“Destiny Board?” asked Yami. “What does it do? Answer me!!”
“I’ve seen one of those at a haunted house,” commented Duke.
Vicki gave a groan of annoyance at what the duel was panning itself out to be. “Yes, and I thought this was supposed to be a duel, not some horror film or haunted house.” ‘I hope Yugi hurries up and defeats him...I am so sick of this!’
Joey’s eyes bugged out in fear at the Ouija board. He never liked overly spooky stuff. “Man this stuff is even creepier than the dark magic!” he wailed.
Serenity felt slightly scared, but she was trying to hide her fear. “Isn’t this just a game?”
“Let’s hope so,” answered Tèa. It took everything she had to hold back a shiver from both the breeze and the ghosts.
Kaiba rolled his eyes at all the freaking out going on. ‘Bakura has proven himself to be an impressive duelist. However, if Yugi loses to him, I won’t forgive him.’
“I’ll ask you again, what does your magic card do?” asked Yami.
The dark spirit gave an amused look at Yami’s impatience. “It is simply a countdown to your destruction as it allows me to communicate with the Shadow Realm in order to spell out a message for you, which means in 5 turns you will be history!!”
“Your ghosts do not frighten me! I can assure you I will defeat you before the five turns are over!” vowed Yami.
“You’re such a naïve fool,” the dark spirit said with a laugh. “My card is more powerful than you think! Watch and see!” Just then, the arrow slid across the board, onto the letter F. “The first letter is F.”
Yami looked bewildered. “What is it going to spell out?”
“You will just have to see, won’t you? I play the card, Dark Door, which limits the attacks from your monsters to just one per turn! Next, I play the card Earthbound Spirit, and I’ll sacrifice it to keep Dark Sanctuary in play. I’ll end my turn by setting a trap card face down. Now make your move if you think you can!” The spirit smiled as he watched the wandering ghost travel into Dark Magician Girl.
“Don’t mind if I do!”
“Come on, Yugi!” cheered Tèa.
“Hang in there!” Tristan belted out.
“Yeah, you have what it takes to end this!” chimed Vicki.
Serenity, worried, turned to face her brother. “Joey? You think Yugi can still win this?”
Joey looked at his sister. He could see how scared she was, and he couldn’t say he blamed her. “Yeah. Yugi will pull through. It might be hard, but it takes much more than this to keep my pal down!”
“I hope so,” said Serenity wistfully. Although she didn’t know Yugi very well yet, he was her brother’s best friend and anyone who was a friend of his was also her friend, so she wished the spiky haired teen success.
“Me too, sis.” ‘This horror show is giving me the willies. I can definitely see how he was able to beat Bonz now.’
Yami drew his card and looked thoughtful. ‘Kuriboh…he’s too weak to attack with and I really need to plan my moves methodically if I am to win this duel. But that will be hard knowing I can only attack once per turn and his face down card could mean that he has set a trap for me. Since Gamma the Magnet Warrior is possessed, I can’t attack with him.’“I play Kuriboh in defense mode! Dark Magician Girl, attack!!” As the female spellcaster prepared to emit the burst of dark magic from her scepter, a ghost came out of her and passed through the ancient pharaoh’s body, causing him to groan in pain.
“As you can see, I can choose a different monster to possess each turn,” said the tomb robber, laughing. “I am sure you know what happens next.”
“I lose half of the monster’s attack points and you gain them.”
“That’s right, so say goodbye to 1250 lifepoints!” Yami’s lifepoints decreased to 2000 whereas the evil spirit’s lifepoints increased to twenty one fifty.
‘Oh no,’ thought Yami with a grim expression on his face. ‘Now I have lost half of my lifepoints.’
“And there’s more,” continued the dark spirit. “It’s time for the second letter on the Destiny Board to be revealed! And the second letter is, I.”
“F, I,” spelled out Serenity.
“Time is running out, Yugi. Only three more turns before your inevitable destruction,” the dark spirit reminded Yami.
The ancient spirit of the millennium puzzle had been trying to find the drawback in his opponent’s strategy and now saw the answer in front of him. “Wait!”
“Yes?” The nefarious tomb robber was curious to hear what his foe wanted to know.
“You have been so sure that your strategy was foolproof, but it has a glaring flaw. We are only allowed to have 5 magic or trap cards in play, and you have nearly used up all of the slots on your duel disk, which means you cannot play the final letter.”
The dark spirit laughed. “Very observant of you to figure out the weakness. However, that rule does not apply for me this time. With Dark Sanctuary in play, I can use up to double the amount of slots on my duel disk.”
Yami lowered his eyes. “It can’t be!”
“It is! So you see Yugi, you cannot stop me!!”
“If Yugi doesn’t do something soon, he will lose the duel,” stated Duke.
“Hey, quit being so pessimistic before I throw you overboard!” snapped Tristan, grabbing the ebony-haired young man by the collar of his shirt.
“Okay, okay, let me go. You’re suffocating me.”
“Humph.” Tristan released his hold on Duke.
Mai was surprised at how formidable a duelist the sinister spirit had proven to be after playing so poorly before, but she knew of her friend’s ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. “If Yugi can figure out which one of his monsters is possessed by the ghost, he will be able to launch an attack. I still think he has a chance to win this duel, but he can’t keep losing lifepoints.”
Serenity was even more worried than before. “Joey? Do you agree that Yugi still has a chance?”
“You bet I do! Knowing him, I’m sure he’s thinking of a way to turn this duel around as we speak.”
The dark spirit gave a huffy laugh. He had been tempted to knock Yugi’s friends unconscious to silence them, but decided not to. ‘Those fools are sadly mistaken. Yugi will never counter my strategy and soon his millennium puzzle will be mine!’ “I play Sangan in attack mode!” (1500 attk) An orange gremlin with a wicked grin appeared. “I sacrifice my Sangan in order to keep Dark Sanctuary in play for this turn. I also activate its special ability, which allows me to draw one card.” He drew a card and looked delighted with his draw. “I shall end my turn. It is only a matter of time before you lose everything!”
“Not likely! I will defeat you if it’s the last thing I do! It’s my turn now!” Yami drew a card. ‘Big Shield Gardna…he is too weak for me to attack with, and if I am to win this duel, I have to go on the offense. But choosing the wrong monster to attack with will be very costly.’
The dark spirit gave an evil grin as he eyed Yami’s deep in thought expression. ‘Which monster shall I choose to possess this time? I know. I will choose Dark Magician Girl, for if Yugi chooses to attack with it, I will be that much closer to winning this duel.’ The ghost wandered the field and travelled into the female magician. She groaned softly. ‘He never would have guessed that I would choose Dark Magician Girl twice in a row.’
Yami eyed the monsters on his side of the field. ‘All right, which monster should I attack with? I know Big Shield Gardna was not possessed because I just drew it. He may have possessed Kuriboh, but it is too weak for me to attack with anyway. I cannot afford another attack like the last one. There is one monster that can help put an end to all of this, but the problem is, it is not in my hand.’ He quickly skimmed the cards in his hand. ‘Wait! Card Destruction! Perhaps that card can help! The fate of the duel is riding on it.’ “I play Card Destruction! This requires us to discard the cards in our hands and draw that many new cards!”
The dark spirit looked disgusted. “What are you up to?”
“You’ll see soon enough. Now discard your hand.”
“Very well. Not that it makes a difference.” The dark spirit sent all of the cards he was holding to the graveyard and drew his new cards. “You must be desperate to have made that move.”
“Far from it.“ Yami discarded the cards as well, and drew four new cards. As he had drawn them, he felt a strong force. ‘I can feel it. I drew my Egyptian God card. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to resort to playing the card, but it is the only way I can definitely win this duel.’ “Prepare to experience a force like no other!”
The eyes of the dark spirit and all the observers popped open at Yami’s words, for they knew it meant he had a big plan to turn the duel around.
‘Looks like Yugi is about to play his Egyptian God card,’ thought Kaiba, a tiny smile forming on his face. ‘He is even smarter than I thought. Let’s see if he can control it.’
The force was so strong that the diabolical spirit gave a shout of pain. Yami raised his arm in the air that held the card. “I sacrifice Dark Magician Girl, Gamma the Magnet Warrior, and Kuriboh in order to summon the almighty Slifer the Sky Dragon!!” The weaker monsters disappeared and the clouds started crackling with lightning as the spirit of the ancient pharaoh placed the card on the duel disk. The large red colored serpent shaped dragon materialized and wrapped around the blimp, exhaling a mist in Yami Bakura’s direction.
All the spectators looked at the creature in awe. Most of them had never seen anything like it.
“That’s Slifer the Sky Dragon….?” Mai couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous that Yugi had such a powerful monster in his possession.
“What is that?” asked Serenity.
“It must be one of those Egyptian God cards that rare hunter was rambling about,” answered Joey. Just thinking of the rare hunter made his blood boil. ‘I gotta say, I’m glad Yuge won such a powerful card from that Marik creep.’ He was also nervous about having to contend with the beast if he faced Yugi in the finals.
“This is so awesome,” Mokuba told his big brother. “Yugi will win the duel for sure now.”
“Yes, it is all over for Bakura now. Yugi has proven to be a powerful duelist.” ‘And soon the card will be mine.’
Ishizu peered outside the window of her room, pleased to know the pharaoh did not have to struggle too much. ‘Slifer the Sky Dragon has been played by the pharaoh just like my millennium necklace told me it would. All three Egyptian God cards are on this ship and my brother must not obtain them. The only one with the power to stop Marik is the pharaoh himself.’
Keren looked up from the book she had been reading and spotted the dragon. “Wow, what a magnificent creature.”
“Yes. It is the pharaoh’s duty to prevent the God cards from falling into the wrong hands.”
“I know he can.” Keren was so happy she was in the safety of the bedroom as she was certain there had been lightning when the beast was summoned. It brought back memories of the time when the weaker rare hunters were testing the copies of the Winged Dragon of Ra and got struck with the lightning bolts. ‘I am sure that won’t happen to the pharaoh, though.’
(dueling arena)
For the first time during the duel, the dark spirit was practically shaking in his boots and couldn’t keep from sweating. “This is the card Marik desires. But how can I defeat this all powerful beast? I was so close!”
Marik had decided not to say anything about his ally’s subpar dueling before, since he had managed to pick up the pace. ‘I knew I should have taken control over his mind.’ Disgusted at the appearance of Slifer, the Egyptian appeared in the evil spirit’s mind.
Yami Bakura wasn’t too pleased to see Marik. “What do you want?” he asked rudely.
Marik ignored the evil spirit’s hostile tone. ‘His inability to heed helpful advice will be his undoing.’ “It appears the pharaoh has outsmarted you once again.”
The diabolical tomb robber grunted. Surely Marik didn’t come just to tell him the obvious. “Look, unless you have come to tell me something worthwhile, get lost!!”
“Calm yourself,” said the cornsilk haired young man. “You are facing a monster with powers that are virtually infinite. In order to defeat it, you will need me.”
As much as the dark spirit hated to admit it, Marik was right. He had no idea how to defeat a monster that strong. He sighed. “Go on.”
“The attack strength of Slifer the Sky Dragon is determined by how many cards the pharaoh is holding,” explained the tombkeeper. “Since he is holding three cards, that makes its attack power three thousand.”
“Thank you for that piece of information. However, I will defeat the monster in my own way.”
The dark spirit turned to face Yami with an evil grin on his face. “Yugi, you may have summoned your most powerful creature, but that does not guarantee your victory. Remember, my Dark Sanctuary is still wandering the playing field.”
“I am aware of that.” Yami watched calmly as the ghost travelled towards the large dragon. The ghost dissipated as it hit the monster.
The dark spirit looked stunned at what just happened. “What is this? My ghost had no effect!”
Marik appeared in Yami Bakura’s mind once again. “Magic cards are useless on Egyptian God cards. You have a lot to learn about the powers of an Egyptian God.”
The horrible realization hit the dark spirit that he was now trapped and there was no possible way he would be come up with another strategy. ‘It is all over for me. I have no cards in my hand or monsters on the field to protect me. Dark Sanctuary was my only hope but Slifer has rendered it useless. I have my face down card but it will be of no use to me.’“I can’t lose! There’s too much at stake for me! I must win this duel!”
“You won’t win!” said Yami. “This duel is over!”
“Yeah, nice going, Yuge!” yelled Joey. He clenched a fist and shook it at the evil spirit. “Get ready Bakura, you’re toast!!”
The dark spirit clenched his teeth and started to squirm and sweat.
“It’s not over yet, you fool!” said Marik. “I have a plan to win this duel!” He was not going to accept defeat. He wanted the Egyptian God card and he was going to have it.
“What is it?” snapped the evil spirit. He hoped it was a good plan as he knew all too well Marik’s track record against the spirit of the millennium puzzle.
‘This is it,’ thought Yami. ‘I will win the duel once I call out an attack.’ “Go, Slifer the Sky Dragon! Attack his lifepoints with—“ he stopped in midsentence. ‘I sense something.’ What he sensed was another sinister force. He looked up and saw the tall caped tanned skinned man from earlier. The man was walking towards him, carrying the millennium rod. ‘It’s Marik…what does he want?’ He wondered why the Egyptian would appear now of all times and had a very bad feeling about his presence.
“I would advise you to wait before attacking with Slifer the Sky Dragon,” said Odion in a dark tone.
Yami gave the tall man a hard look. He didn’t appreciate his duel being interrupted one bit. “What do you want, Marik?”
“Hey, you wanna mess with someone, mess with me, you prick!” Joey cracked his knuckles and was about to rush forward and beat up Odion, but Tristan and Duke grabbed a hold of him before he could go too far.
“Joey, calm down, dude!” said Duke.
“I don’t think you wanna mess with him, man!” added Tristan.
The real Marik gave an evil smirk. ‘They think he’s me. Crushing the fools will be simple.’
Mokuba glared at Odion. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing? You can’t just interrupt someone’s duel!”
Odion simply ignored the little boy. He could very well grab him and throw him overboard, but that was not what he had come for.
“What is it?” pressed Yami.
“Listen carefully. Bakura is under the control of my millennium rod, and he will only do what I command him to do,” said Odion, holding up the gold colored item.
“But how can that be?” questioned the ancient spirit of the pharaoh. He was unsure about whether he should believe his adversary or not. “I thought the evil spirit of the ring was in control.”
Odion cracked a smile at the skepticism Yami showed. “I am controlling both of them. Now watch as I prove it by freeing your friend’s mind.”
“Just what do you think you’re doing, Marik?” the dark spirit demanded to know. Marik was really trying his patience with the beating around the bush thing.
“The only way to win this duel is to release the control of your weak half,” said the cornsilk blonde young man.
“Why should I?” asked the evil spirit.
“Your opponent wouldn’t destroy his friend.”
As much as Yami Bakura hated to take orders, he thought Marik made sense. “Fine.” Yugi’s friends gasped as the dark spirit released control of the young man, leaving in place the severely wounded Bakura. He fell to his knees, clutching his left arm. “My arm…it hurts…” he mumbled. It was bothering him even more than he remembered, which worried him.
Instantly, Yami’s eyes filled with concern for his injured friend. All thoughts of winning disappeared from his mind. “Bakura!”
“Are you okay?” Tèa called from the sidelines.
Vicki clicked her tongue. ‘Poor laddie. I imagine those direct attacks must have taken quite a toll on him.’ She thought he was lucky his dark half was in control of him for most of the duel to take the damage, otherwise her classmate would have possibly died. ‘He should have stayed in bed.’
“Yugi help me! I don’t know where I am. Why am I dueling?” Bakura pushed back the shirt sleeve on his bandaged arm and frowned at the blood on it. “How did I get this wound on my arm?”
“It is him,” acknowledged Yami in a low voice.
“As you can see, Yugi, Bakura is badly hurt,” stated Odion. “Without the evil spirit sustaining him, he is weak. The devastation caused by your Egyptian God monster will make your friend’s condition even worse. Would you risk the health of your friend?”
Yami caught on to the plan and it came as no surprise to him. It also brought back the memory of his duel against Kaiba and how the CEO had threatened to commit suicide if he attacked the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. “Only a coward would do something like this to win a duel!”
“That’s a cheap trick, Marik!” Joey spat.
“Bakura, hang on!” yelled Tristan.
‘Well done, Odion,’ thought Marik, smirking. ‘He will never attack his pathetic defenseless friend now.’
Odion proceeded to leave the arena. ‘Master Marik knows what is best. I must obey his commands, even if it costs me the love and respect from Keren.’
Bakura hunched over in pain. “I don’t feel very well.” Besides his arm hurting, he felt nauseated and faint. It was almost as if he would pass out any minute.
“Bakura!” Yami started to run to his friend to help him.
“Stop right there!” barked Roland in an authoritative tone. “You’re not allowed to touch your opponent in a duel! Take one more step and you’ll be disqualified!”
Yami froze in his tracks and grunted. ‘I have to help Bakura, but if I do, I will be kicked out of the finals!’
Yugi’s friends looked at the henchman with disapproval. They couldn’t understand how he could be so cold-hearted about Bakura’s current condition.
“Stop the duel right now!” ordered Tèa.
“Bakura needs to see a doctor right away!” said Tristan. ‘If he dies, there will be hell to pay.’
“Yeah, wake up!” added Vicki. “You’re so concerned about rules for a frivolous tournament yet one of your participants could die! Could you live with yourself if that happened?”
“Vicki…” Mai wasn’t expecting such vehemence, but she agreed with the brunette’s words.
Roland was speechless. No teenager had ever chastised him before, with the exception of his boss. He understood her concern, but felt it was more important to enforce the rules his boss had set.
Marik looked on, smiling about what he had just accomplished. ‘This is the perfect plan. With Bakura in need of medical attention, Yami will lose the duel and his Egyptian God card.’ He shot a quick glance at the Scottish girl. He was oddly turned on by her brashness. ‘Too bad your words will make no difference.’
“If you don’t continue to duel, you will forfeit the match,” warned the referee.
“Yugi, help!” begged the white haired young man.
Yami clenched his teeth and fists, struggling to make a decision. ‘If I attack Bakura to win this duel, he will be hurt even more severely, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if that happened. But if I don’t make my move, I will be disqualified from the finals.’ The ancient spirit suddenly felt anger...anger at Marik for daring to threaten him with Bakura’s life.
“Yugi, what’s the matter with you?” asked Kaiba, getting frustrated with his rival. “Hurry up and make your final move!” He failed to understand how sometimes his rival allowed his soft emotions to get in the way of making much needed choices. Plus, he wanted Yugi to advance so he could face him.
“I offer you a second warning,” said Roland. “Make your move if you want to continue in the finals.”
Joey had enough of the henchman’s heartless attitude. He climbed on top of the deck. “Chill out, man! Can’t you see the poor guy is injured?! Come on! What kind of show are you guys running here?”
“Joey, don’t do it!” warned Duke and Tristan, coming up behind the blonde. They were afraid his temper would get the better of him and he would get in trouble.
“You be quiet!” ordered Roland. “This does not concern you! If you don’t get down from there, you will also be disqualified!”
No way was Joey going to listen to that. “What?!! Are you kidding me? If I come down there, Bakura will not be the only one needing medical attention, you will—aaaaah!” Duke and Tristan pulled Joey off the deck before he could finish his threat.
“Please, someone help me,” Bakura weakly pleaded. “I don’t feel well at all. I must lie down and get some rest. Please.”
Roland decided to pretend Joey’s tirade didn’t happen. He turned to the spiky haired young man. “Continue to duel now.”
“Hurry up, Yugi!” urged Kaiba.
A silhouette of Yugi appeared. He realized Kaiba and his henchman were becoming impatient with him, but he was deathly afraid he would do something he would regret later. His fists started trembling. ‘I have to make a decision. Do I risk Bakura’s health to save the world?’ He shook his head. ‘No, I just can’t do that. I can only hope the evil spirit comes back to duel in time.’
The evil spirit appeared to Marik and watched his foe wrestle within himself to make the correct choice. “We’re about to win this duel. Yugi would never attack his friend Bakura.”
“That’s true, but Yami might, if he wants to win the duel at all costs,” said Marik.
“You are right, and that’s a risk I cannot take.” The sinister spirit turned to face his ally. “Your plan to win the duel is quite devious indeed. You are quite clever. However, I do not participate in foul play. I have my own method of winning my battles. Get lost!” He zapped the silhouette of Marik away, making him scream in surprise. Bakura’s dark side took over once again, giving him the strength to stand up once again. He grinned evilly. “I’m back.”
Yami’s expression was mixed with relief and indignation. “It’s you.”
The dark spirit laughed. “That’s right. I suspect you may attack your friend to win the duel and I can’t risk his health! I still need him. So if you intend to use your Egyptian God monster to attack, why don’t you use it on me right now?”
Yami hesitated, just in case the spirit was just testing him.
“Come on, Yugi!” challenged the tomb robber.
Yami made up his mind. “All right! Now, go, Slifer the Sky Dragon! Attack!!” The lengthy dragon shot a thunderbolt out of its mouth. The dark spirit gave an evil laugh as he took the brunt of the attack and the remainder of his lifepoints dropped to zero. “You may have defeated me this time Yugi, but one day I will bury you in the darkness!” The force of the attack blew his millennium ring away, and with that, he disappeared, revealing his hikari once again. The young man lay down on the field, exhausted and in pain.
Roland raised an arm and declared, “The winner is duelist number 3, Yugi Mutou!”
“Yeah!” cheered Joey. He was so relieved the whole thing was over. “Now lower that arena and get them down here!!”
Roland did so, and Yami and his friends rushed over to Bakura. Yami held up the barely conscious Bakura. The young man slowly opened his eyes. “Where am I?” he faintly asked.
“You’re with your friends, now, Bakura,” answered the spirit of the pharaoh.
Serenity looked worried for Bakura. “He’s still bleeding.” Although she didn’t know Bakura very well yet, it always upset her when people were hurt.
“Yeah, he needs therapy and rest,” said Tristan. “Put him on my back.”
Duke and Joey lifted Bakura and placed him on Tristan’s back. Tristan pulled his friend securely on his back by holding him by his knees and carried him off the playing field, to his room.
Yugi’s silhouette appeared next to Yami. ‘I’m glad Bakura will make it. That was one of the toughest decisions I ever had to make. If the spirit didn’t come back to duel, I don’t know what I would have done. Although the spirit of the ring is evil and controls Bakura against his will, he appears to have the same mission of protecting the host as the spirit of my puzzle does.’
Yugi turned to his alter-ego. “There is one main difference between the spirit of the ring and you, Yami.”
Yami gave a curious look. ”What’s that?”
“You may protect me the way the dark spirit has to protect Bakura, but I want to help you because I consider you to be my friend. I feel we both help each other in times of need.”
Yami looked at his hikari, amazed. He never heard him outwardly admit friendship between them before, but it made his heart feel warm.
“You have been there for me ever since I completed the millennium puzzle, and I want to repay you by helping you save the world from destruction and regain your long lost memories.”
“Thank you.” The ancient pharaoh knew he was quite fortunate to have found a friend in his weaker half.
“I believe our battle has just begun and will become even tougher, but we will be able to prevail with the help of our friends and the Heart of the Cards. There’s no way we can lose with such a strong support system.”
“You’re right! Nothing will get in the way of our destiny!”
“Awesome! Now take a rest from our duel.” Yugi exchanged a high five with his counterpart and regained control.
Yugi realized his friends must have already left, and started to leave so he could check on his ailing friend.
“Yugi, wait!” Roland called after the teen.
Yugi stopped and turned around to see what the henchman wanted.
“As the winner of the duel, you are entitled to take a rare card from your opponent’s deck. “
Yugi gave this some thought, but didn’t feel right about taking advantage of the ante rule. “No way. It’s unfortunate enough that Bakura is badly injured. He doesn’t need this, too.” He left the arena.
Mokuba watched as Yugi left. “That was an awesome duel. I knew Yugi would win.”
Kaiba looked slightly uncomfortable at such confidence in his rival. “Bakura has proven to be a formidable duelist, worthy of being Yugi’s opponent.” ‘Wait for me, Yugi. I will beat you down in the finals.’
Yugi met the gang crowding around Bakura, who was resting peacefully in his bed. He stood on the opposite side of the bed so he would be facing his friends and able to watch over Bakura at the same time. “How is he?” the tri-color haired teen asked.
“His arm has stopped bleeding, which is a good thing,” answered Duke. “However, he needs lots of rest. We need to talk to Kaiba so he could land this blimp and take him to the hospital for proper treatment.”
“Some crazy stuff went down in the duel when Marik showed up,” said Joey. “What happened up there?”
“For some reason, Marik didn’t want the evil spirit to lose the duel, so I suspect he talked him into releasing control over the real Bakura. Since he had been injured, Marik knew I wouldn’t attack him. But the dark spirit must have been afraid I would attack, because at the last minute he appeared again.”
Joey’s eyes widened. A villain letting a hero win? He had never heard of such a thing happening before. “You mean to tell me the evil spirit let you win?”
“Yes, because he depends on Bakura to survive.”
Joey had found it so hard to watch his best friend struggle to decide whether to attack or not so it had been a relief when the spirit reappeared. But he was sure Bakura took some of the impact, judging from his condition. “I’m afraid I don’t completely follow. Even though the evil spirit came back to duel, you still ended up attacking the real Bakura.”
“No,” explained Yugi calmly. “Since the evil spirit was in control of Bakura when I attacked him, the real Bakura was spared.”
“I don’t know if this sounds weird to you guys, but it seems to me Marik and the evil spirit were in this duel together.”
“No, it’s not weird at all,” said Yugi. “I got that impression when Marik threatened me with Bakura’s life.”
Joey gritted his teeth thinking about the Egyptian’s stunt he pulled in an attempt to prevent Yugi from winning. “I’m gonna tear that Marik to pieces one day!” He started shaking with anger.
“Joey, I know how you feel, but just calm down,” said Serenity.
Vicki mockingly rubbed her forehead. Just hearing Marik’s name gave her a headache. “Enough about Marik. Let’s find Kaiba and see if he is willing to land this blimp.” ‘I’m sure getting him to help us will be like pulling teeth, if he is anything like his goons.’
“You’re right. Let’s go.” Tristan got up from Bakura’s bedside. Everyone but Tèa followed him.
Vicki and the others briefly turned back as they noticed Tèa had not followed. “What’s up, Tèa? Aren’t you coming?” asked Vicki.
“No it’s all right,” answered the aspiring dancer. “I’ll just stay here and watch Bakura. You guys can go ahead. We don’t all need to go.“
“I guess that’s true. Well you watch over him then. I am sure he will be in very good hands.” Tristan, Duke, Serenity, and Vicki turned to leave. Yugi let out a gasp.
“Hey Yuge, what’s wrong?” asked Joey.
“The millennium ring…it’s gone,” answered the spiky haired teen.
Tristan rolled his eyes. “That doesn’t surprise me in the least...the thing seems to have a mind of its own.”
“Oh I’m sure your Egyptian God monster blasted it sky high,” suggested Joey. “We can look for it later. We have more important things to do like getting help for Bakura.”
“All right.” Yugi followed his friends out of the room.
All of a sudden, Tèa heard sinister laughter, her eyes went blank and the millennium ring appeared in her hand. She gave a soft evil chuckle.
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 12, 2016 12:31:04 GMT
Chapter 32 “Attention all duelists, our first duel of the finals is now complete! There will be a twenty minute break before the second duel! Afterwards, please return to the dueling hall for the choosing of the duelists for the second match!” Roland announced over the PA system.
All of the finalists heard the announcement. Mai chose to use that time to go over the strategy for her duel so she would be ready regardless of when it would occur and who she would face. Odion and Ishizu sat in their rooms, meditating. Marik was sitting in a chair, stirring the ice cubes around in his drink with his finger. He chuckled to himself as he thought of how Ishizu would react if she saw him doing that. He could just hear her saying, ‘Marik, don’t play with your food or drink’ in her motherly voice. ‘It will be interesting if sister and I cross paths in the finals. It has been such a long time.’ He still had love for the older woman even though he was too caught up in his scheme to show it.
“Well twenty minutes is more than enough time to talk to Kaiba and get him to land this blimp,” commented Joey, whilst he walked through the halls with his friends to find Kaiba’s room. ‘Hopefully I’ll have time to eat a quick snack before Duke and Tristan eat everything.’ He was still a bit sore about how they just crashed his room and interrupted the quality time with his sister, but there were no spare rooms for the spectators, so he had been forced to let them stay.
Just then, Mokuba entered the hall. He looked shocked to see Yugi and his friends there. “Hey, what are you guys doing in this area? It is off-limits.”
Yugi noted the firm expression on the young boy’s face. “We have to speak to your brother. It is important,” he responded, speaking for himself and the others.
Mokuba’s expression softened a bit. “That’s his room,” he answered, pointing out the door which was labeled number one. “However, he will not be thrilled to see you, so whatever you have come to see him for, make it quick.”
Joey pretended he didn’t hear the warning, rushed forward and started banging on the door. “Open up this door, Kaiba! I know you’re in there and can hear me!”
Mokuba was absolutely appalled at the blonde’s rudeness. He started flailing his arms. “What do you think you’re doing? You can’t disturb my brother while he’s trying to prepare for a duel! Stop it!”
Joey simply ignored the little boy’s protests and kept knocking until all of a sudden, the door opened and there stood Kaiba, staring him down. Joey was about to knock one more time, but he realized the ruthless businessman was standing there and he almost hit him. He knew it would not be a good idea even though he honestly felt like doing so at times.
Kaiba sneered at Joey. ‘What a goof…how could he have made it this far?’ “You’re such an amateur duelist, Wheeler. Do you not know the importance of preparing for a duel?”
Joey began to see red. Kaiba was always acting like a snob towards him. “What did you just say?!” He rushed forward to beat up the CEO for real, but Tristan held him back.
“Now is not the time to be arguing, so just calm yourself, man,” said the pointy haired young man.
“Kaiba, we need your help,” said Yugi earnestly.
Kaiba looked at his rival. “Yugi…” He was only slightly more pleased to see him than he was to see the others, but could sense a child-like spirit in him where he couldn’t get very angry. “What is it now?” He didn’t know why, but he stepped to the side so Yugi and his friends could enter. They thought it was strange since he had terrible people skills most of the time, but they took him up on his offer and entered. Even so, they felt uncomfortable in his presence.
‘What’s this? Money bags is actually displaying manners?’ thought Vicki as she walked into his room. She had believed Joey had overdone it in his way of getting Kaiba to open the door, but had to stifle a giggle when the blonde nearly punched him.
Kaiba gave Yugi a look that said to start talking and make it quick.
“Bakura is hurt,” the spiky haired teen explained. “He needs medical care right away or else he will get worse. Would it be possible for you to land the ship and take him to a hospital during our break?”
Kaiba frowned slightly at the request as he sat down. “You want me to stop the ship?”
Yugi nodded.”Bakura desperately needs help. He has been unconscious since the duel ended.”
“We temporarily stopped the bleeding but that won’t last,” said Tristan.
“He had left the hospital before he should have,” said Joey, having calmed down some.
“Well if he was foolish enough to leave the hospital before he had fully recovered, it is not my concern,” said the CEO coolly.
It broke Serenity’s heart that Kaiba was being so cold when she knew he could have a warm heart when he wanted. “Please, Kaiba, if you don’t land the ship, Bakura could die!”
“Huh?” The former world dueling champion glanced up at Serenity and felt his heart soften a bit. ‘Such innocence.’ The innocence he saw in the young girl reminded him of what he saw in his younger brother.
Vicki was thinking of how she could be civil, which was quite difficult to do considering her opinion of the CEO. “The lassie speaks reason, you know. You should listen to her.”
Kaiba grunted at the brunette. “If Bakura was able to participate in a duel, then he should be strong enough to deal with his own injuries.”
“A person’s life is more important than any duel,” said Serenity quietly. She had to pinch herself to keep her lip from trembling. It looked like the CEO was not going to budge, and she couldn’t stand the thought of Bakura dying. Sure, her brother was stubborn at times, but he was definitely more relenting than Kaiba was.
Tristan felt like pulling out his hair in frustration. “Can’t you stop being so selfish for once??”
“Yeah, what’s wrong with you?” agreed Duke.
Joey had just about lost patience with Kaiba and only kept his temper by a thread for Serenity’s sake. “Have you no heart?!”
“It is impossible for me to land the ship.” Kaiba got up and went to the window.
“What?! Then let’s dance!” Joey went after Kaiba, but Yugi blocked his way to keep him from going too far.
“Relax, Joey!” said the tri-colored haired young man.
“Well, answer me this, Kaiba,” said Vicki. “Do you have any doctors on your ship in case things like this happen?” She was starting to get the feeling she was someplace where she would be in danger.
Kaiba briefly glanced at the chocolate haired girl, and turned his head away. “Perhaps I do.” ‘Sometimes I do not know why I put up with these dorks.’ He sighed, for he could see Yugi and his friends were not going to take no for an answer, and he felt compelled to appease them, if only to get them out of his sight. He pressed a button on his collar. “Send some medics to room number six.”
There was a sense of relief in the air. Joey thought he was gonna have to get physical. Before Serenity or Yugi could thank the CEO, Mokuba explained, “This blimp has more facilities than most hospitals in the city do, and the doctors here are better trained. Bakura is in good hands here.”
“All right. Thank you, lad.” Vicki and the others exited the room.
“So you guys think Bakura will be okay in the hands of Kaiba’s quacks?” asked Joey, once he and the rest of the gang were a far enough distance from Kaiba’s room.
“I believe so,” said Vicki. “I do trust Mokuba, so if he says they’re excellent doctors, I believe him.”
“I guess you’re right.” Joey was still skeptical, but he was also aware of the fact that Mokuba and his brother were like night and day.
“Hey Serenity, your speech back there was awesome!” Tristan told the young girl.
Duke turned green with envy. ‘He thinks he’s gonna get her without a fight? No way!’ On an impulse, he took Serenity’s hands in his hands. “Yeah, who would have thought you would be able to persuade someone like Kaiba?”
Serenity’s face turned bright red at Duke’s touch. “I’m not that great. I just told him the truth.”
“No need to be so modest.” Duke released Serenity’s hands, seeing her discomfort.
“Hey guys, let’s look for Bakura’s ring while we still have time,” spoke up Tristan, wanting to change the subject somewhat.
“Yeah, but which one of us should go?” asked Joey. “We don’t all have to.”
“I would, but I am feeling a bit stiff from the cold winds, so I will have to feel a bit of warmth before the second duel,” said Vicki.
Tristan looked thoughtful, as he knew Vicki was speaking of her arthritis pain. “Well don’t worry about it. And you, Joey and Yugi have duels to prepare for.”
“I could have been doing that earlier, if it were not for certain people,” the blonde grumbled, whilst Yugi said, “It’s all right. I know what strategy I will use.”
‘This is my chance to really bond with Serenity.’ “I think Serenity and I should be the ones to look for the ring,” said Duke, taking a hold of one of Serenity’s hands.
A tinge of jealousy hit Tristan. He knew what Duke was scheming and he was not going to allow it. “I don’t think so! You and I will be the ones to look for the ring.” He covered Duke’s mouth to keep him from objecting.
“Let go of me!” protested Duke in a garbled voice.
Yugi and Vicki looked uncomfortable by the bickering going on, but tried their hardest to ignore it.
“All right. See you guys later,” said Joey.
“Right! We won’t come back without that ring,” promised Tristan. He dragged Duke away from Serenity, towards the elevator and inside of it, the ebony-haired young man squirming the whole time.
Joey and Yugi went to their rooms to go over their dueling strategies, and Vicki decided to see what Mai was up to.
Tristan and Duke stood on the upper deck of the blimp, searching around for the millennium ring. Tristan had figured it would have been lost up there since it was the last place Bakura had it. So far, there was no trace of the ring anywhere.
Tristan gave a frustrated sigh at the lack of progress he was making. ‘Dagnabbit, where is that blasted ring?’ He found it so annoying how there seemed to be no control over whether the ring stayed or went.
Duke couldn’t take it anymore. He threw his arms up in the air. “Whose bright idea was it to look for the ring out here, anyway?”
Tristan was already in a bad mood because of how he had no luck finding the ring. “Listen, it would be nice if you would actually make yourself useful by helping instead of complaining.”
“If you would take your head out of your butt for a second, you will see that there is nothing up here but cold air,” snapped the raven-haired young man. “Are you trying to make me catch a cold or something?”
Tristan decided to ignore the first comment as it was nothing worth arguing over. “Actually, I have something to say to you and I wanted to say it when we were alone.”
“Oh?” Duke raised an eyebrow. “And just what might that be?”
“Ever since you have arrived in Battle City, you’ve been getting on my nerves. You’re trying to get much too close to Serenity.”
Duke started twirling a short strand of hair around his finger. “Are you a relative of Serenity’s or her lover or something? Who died and made you police of who I like?”
Tristan began to see red. “And what do you mean by that?”
“I’m saying that unless you’re Joey, you have no right to question me,” replied Duke. “If you have such strong feelings for her, you should just tell her you like her. It’s not that hard.”
“What do you know, dice boy?”
“A lot more than you, pointy haired clown!” retorted Duke.
‘All right, that does it!’ It was one thing when Duke flirted with Serenity, but when he insulted Tristan’s intelligence, he went too far. “I’m gonna make you regret those words!” Tristan started cracking his knuckles.
Duke had an amused look on his face. “Oh, I’d like to see you try.”
“I will!” Tristan clenched a fist and extended the arm in an attempt to punch the young man in the nose, but Duke dodged the blow and shoved Tristan away. He fell against the dueling platform.
Tristan got back up. He could feel his blood pressure rising. “Why you…” He shoved Duke even harder, so hard that the Dungeon Dice Monster creator lost his balance and started to fall off the top of the blimp.
‘Darn! I didn’t mean to do that.’ When Tristan realized what he had done, he quickly reached out and caught Duke by his wrist before he could plummet to his death. He was also falling so he caught onto the edge of the blimp. Seeing that pulling himself with Duke in tow was out of the question, he simply dangled from the edge. Holding on was putting quite a strain on his hand. He wasn’t sure how long he would be able to hang on, and beneath him was a long way down. “Whatever you do, Duke, don’t look down!”
“You jerk!” Duke interjected. “You must be trying to kill me!”
A look of guilt appeared on the brunette young man’s face, knowing he let his temper get the better of him and his friend would pay the price. “I’m sorry dude. I’ll get you out of this! I promise!”
Duke laughed in a cynical way. “I can’t wait for this one,” he muttered.
“Is anyone out there?” yelled Tristan. “Please help us!!”
“That’s your plan?” Duke rolled his eyes.
Tristan knew this was not the time to argue back, as snarky as Duke was being. “Help!” he continued to shout.
Unable to come up with a better idea, Duke started screaming for help with Tristan. So far, no one was coming. He quietly said a prayer that someone would come.
“By the way, how is your grip?” Duke asked Tristan.
Drat. Tristan had been hoping Duke wouldn’t ask that. “Now that you’ve mentioned it, not good! My hand is very numb!” Not only that, but the pointy-haired young man’s fingers felt like they were being chopped off.
Duke cursed under his breath. He didn’t like the news at all. And he felt like he was being dropped. “Try to hang on!”
“I wish I could but my hand is slipping!” Just as he said those words, he could feel he no longer had a grip and he and Duke started to fall. As he was beginning to fall, someone reached out and grabbed him by the wrist.
Duke had been preparing for his death, but noticed he was no longer falling. ‘My prayers must have been answered.'“Hey dude, what’s going on?”
“Someone’s got me!” Tristan looked up to see who it was. It was a tan-skinned man with a turban wrapped around his head, wearing donut shaped earrings and a cream colored cloak. “Hey Mister, will you help us up?”
The man said nothing, but continued to pull Tristan and Duke up, onto the platform. He exited the arena without so much of a word.
By then, Duke was out of breath and had forgotten about the argument. “That was too close.”
Tristan’s mind had started to wander, so he didn’t see when the stranger left. “Thank you so much. I owe you one. Tell me, what’s your name?” Tristan looked around but didn’t see his rescuer anywhere. “Huh? Where did he go?”
Duke could hear the brunette rambling, and wondered what was going on. He turned around so he was facing him. “Huh? Something wrong, Tristan?”
“I was talking about the guy who just saved us,” explained Tristan. “He was wearing a bathrobe.”
Duke frowned. “A bathrobe?”
“Yeah! I’m not making this up.”
“I’m not saying you were. But then, where is he?”
“He must have disappeared.”
Ishizu was aware of Shadi’s presence on the vessel, due to her millennium necklace, and it also revealed he would be coming to pay her a visit. She decided now was a good time to pay her brother Marik a visit and speak with him while Shadi was talking to Yugi. She arose from the chair she had been sitting in.
“Ishizu? Where are you going?” asked Keren.
“I’m going to speak with Marik,” answered the younger woman.
“Perfect timing. I would like to come along as well, if that is all right with you.”
“Keren…” Ishizu had her doubts about this, and not because she was afraid Marik would harm Keren, since she had foreseen that he wouldn’t. She just wasn’t sure if Keren could handle one of Marik’s tirades, especially considering she was dealing with her own emotional pain. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes,” answered the Israel native firmly. “I am through walking on eggshells when dealing with him. I have something to tell him that I think will jog his memory.” Although she never realized it until now, she often had concerns that the tombkeeper considered her to be a romantic fool because of her love for Odion. Although he hadn’t said anything like that to her, it didn’t mean he wasn’t thinking it.
“I understand. Well, come along, then.”
Keren smiled to show her gratitude and followed Ishizu out of the bedroom. They both headed for Marik’s room together.
Marik had just finished drinking his glass of juice and was now making an adjustment to his dueling deck. He wanted to ensure that it would be strong enough to defeat his opponent. ‘Those fools will be in for a surprise once they witness the power of my deck.’ He especially couldn’t wait to use it against Yugi and his counterpart.
‘Knock, knock.’ Marik pretended he didn’t hear the knocking and finished putting his deck together, hoping whoever it was would take the hint and get lost.
‘Knock knock.’ Marik’s first instinct was to banish the person who dared to disturb him to the Shadow Realm, especially if it was Odion. He had given the older man instructions not to disturb him unless it was an emergency. Gritting his teeth, he clutched his millennium rod and went to the door and opened it, prepared to give Odion a chewing out.
Standing there was not Odion, but Ishizu and Keren, both with very serious expressions on their faces. He thought he saw something in Keren’s eyes, like sadness.
“Well, well, Ishizu and Keren, what a very pleasant surprise,” said Marik, his temper subsiding a bit. His lips stretched into a small smile. “It has been a very long time since I have crossed paths with either of you.”
“Yes, it has been a long time, brother,” agreed Ishizu.
Keren looked down at her feet. She was so tempted to let Ishizu do the talking because although she vowed to be more assertive, she still found the young man to be hard to read. ‘Now is not a good time to be a coward,’ a voice inside her head chided her. “You seem to be as healthy as I remember seeing you, and I am glad,” she finally forced out.
Marik chuckled lightly. “In spite of your little accident, I can say the same about you,” he retorted playfully. ’Keren is as witty as ever, I see.’ Then he remembered his manners—at least what was left of them. “Why don’t you ladies come in?” He stepped back so they could enter.
The two young women entered the room without so much of a word, unsure what to make of the invitation.
“What do I owe the honor of your visit?” Marik sat in his chair.
Keren had grown so accustomed to seeing the cornsilk haired young man so quick-tempered, this friendly side to him was scaring her a bit. But at least it reminded her that there was no reason for her to be afraid to say what she had to say to him.
“There’s something important I must tell you,” Ishizu told her younger brother.
“Oh?” Marik arched an eyebrow, genuinely curious. “And what is that?”
“I know for many years you believed the pharaoh was responsible for our father’s death but it is time you learned the truth. The pharaoh would never do such a thing, but for the past six years you have been under the control of an evil force, and it is controlling you against your will.” Because Ishizu knew what she would say to Marik beforehand, the explanation easily rolled off her tongue.
“And it was you who introduced me to Odion,” Keren spoke up. “I remember that very vividly.”
Marik flinched slightly. ‘This cannot be true. To think all of my actions have been for naught? No, I won’t accept that.’ He got the impression his sister was just standing in his way again, as she seemed intent on opposing him. “Nonsense!”
‘Uh-oh,’ thought Keren, ignoring the dull ache in her broken finger. ‘I’m wondering if this was such a good idea.’
Ishizu didn’t seem to be fazed by the outburst, though. She expected such a reaction, and she knew it must be a shock for him. “If you do not believe my words, then perhaps using the power of my millennium necklace to transport you to the time of the events will convince you.”
“I highly doubt that, but I would like to see you try!”
“Very well.” Ishizu placed her hands by each corner of her necklace in a mystic manner, invoking its power.
Marik watched as the light from the necklace engulfed him. He screamed as he was overwhelmed by its power. He couldn’t help it. He never dreamed the millennium necklace would possess that much power. ‘I must have underestimated the power of the necklace.’
*Flashback begins*
Marik and Ishizu returned from the surface and hurried into the bedroom they shared. Keren was right behind them. The sheets on Marik’s bed were rolled back, revealing a pillow of some sort. They could also hear some screams of pain. When they looked to see why, their frantic expressions turned into horror. Keren nearly fainted.
Mr. Ishtar was beating Odion with a whip. The lashes were so vicious that the young man’s clothing ripped and his wounds, which were bleeding were visible. The tattooed face young man collapsed from the pain. Mr. Ishtar stood over him, breathing heavily.
“Odion!” Marik ran over to his older adopted brother and knelt next to him.
Odion was starting to lose consciousness. “Master Marik…I’m sorry I let you down. I tried my best…”
“I know.” Marik bent over and hugged his protector. His blood got on Marik’s clothes.
Mr. Ishtar turned to face his two children with a dark look on his face. “Marik! Ishizu! You know you are forbidden to ever leave underground! I have punished Odion for allowing you two to disobey me! Now, who is this little girl? I didn’t recall giving you permission to invite anyone to our home!” The older man rudely pointed to Keren.
Keren looked away so she wouldn’t have to face the surly man. She didn’t see how he and Marik were related at all. ‘Hmm…if the gentleman is so angry, maybe I should leave, but I still want to meet Odion. What should I do?’
Marik squirmed nervously. He wasn’t sure how to explain to his father who the teenager was without making him angrier, but he knew he would never get away with lying, either. He gulped.
“Answer me!” barked Mr. Ishtar, lashing at the ground with his whip.
Marik started trembling and the palms of his hands started to sweat. He looked into his father’s eyes and saw fury in them. He looked down at his feet. “Her name is Keren. She is a new friend and Ishizu and I brought her here to meet Odion.”
“I-It’s all right. I will leave if you want me to,” stammered Keren, getting the feeling she was not welcome. “I never meant to intrude.”
Mr. Ishtar studied the teenager before him. By her clothing he could tell she was a foreigner. “You should never have come here! I will not have outsiders in my home!”
Keren was stunned. She had never met anyone quite as mean as this man before. ‘I knew this was not a good idea.’ So she would at least be out of his sight, she went in a corner and crouched down as low as she could. ‘Maybe he’ll be gone soon. ‘
Marik’s father turned to face Marik and Ishizu, gnashed his teeth and glowered at them. “So not only did you wander around the surface, but you befriended the outsiders too??! I will not tolerate such treason! You two will be severely punished!” He took out the whip, preparing to give them a beating.
Marik, who was indignant at the treatment both Keren and Odion had received, decided he had enough of his father’s harsh behavior. A sharp pain shot through his head and he clutched it, groaning in pain.
Ishizu, concerned, came over to her brother and placed both of her hands on his shoulders. “Marik? Are you all right?”
Most of Marik’s cornsilk hair levitated so that it looked spiky, and he gave an evil chuckle. He caught the whip and held it in place as the senior Ishtar lashed at him.
Mr. Ishtar tried to yank it back, but his son’s grip was too strong. “You dare to resist my punishment?”
“You don’t scare me anymore,” said Marik in a deep, sinister voice.
Ishizu took her hands off of Marik’s shoulders, unable to believe his change in behavior. No one had ever dared to show disrespect to their father before. And she was not sure what to make of his levitated hair, either.”Marik, what do you think you’re doing?” She hated to think of how much trouble the young boy would be in for his insolent behavior.
“From now on, these items are mine!” declared Dark Marik, wandering over to where the millennium rod and necklace were.
The former tombkeeper too was stunned by his son’s aggressive behavior but he would not be deterred. “Marik, you will inherit those when the time is right and no sooner!”
“Why don’t you keep quiet, old man? I’m making my own rules now!” The possessed young man bent over and picked up the rod.
“Marik! I command you to cease this foolishness at once and put that rod down!!” ordered the older man in his authoritative voice.
Dark Marik turned to face his father. “What if I don’t? You can do nothing against me, you foolish old man!”
“Marik! For the last time, put the rod down!”
Dark Marik did not retort anything this time. Instead, he emitted some power from the item, blasting his father against the wall. “Oh my son...” the elderly man groaned.
Ishizu could not believe her eyes. This cruel person just could not be her brother. “Marik! Stop this madness right now!”
Dark Marik had just witnessed the power of the rod and it felt good. He was not going to allow anyone to oppose him. “This does not concern you, Ishizu!” He zapped his sister against the wall with the rod.
“You’re not Marik,” uttered the young teen.
Dark Marik chuckled. “Very perceptive. Now Father, it’s time for you to be silenced forever! The future is mine!” He pulled out the dagger part of the rod and walked over to his father, plunging the dagger into the old man’s chest. Mr. Ishtar let out a cry of agony.
*Flashback ends*
Marik shook from the intensity of the events and his mouth dropped open slightly. Ishizu was right. There was such a thing as a dark side and he was the one who murdered his father. All this time he had hated the pharaoh for pretty much no reason at all, even though he still felt he had every right to despise his mission. At first, he did not know what to say.
“Do you believe me now, Marik?” asked Ishizu, wondering what her younger brother’s silence meant.
Marik ignored the question. He was not going to give up so easily. “If this is true, why have you waited until now to tell me?”
The young woman could see the hurt on her brother’s face that such facts were hidden from him for so long. “I was unsure how to tell you such devastating news at the time, so Odion thought it would be best to shield you from it all. You were already dealing with a great loss, and you needed time to heal.”
“I see. You and Odion were only trying to protect me.” Marik wasn’t sure if he should be grateful to his sister and adopted brother for protecting him or angry that he had been lied to for so long. On the one hand, he wasn’t sure if he would have been able to handle the truth at such a tender age, but on the other hand, he felt the information would have saved him from feeling so much anger and hatred.
“Yes,” confirmed Ishizu. “Now that you know the truth, the choice of which path you will take is yours and yours alone. I trust that you will make the right decision in time. Good day, my brother. Thank you for your time.” She and Keren exited the room.
Marik didn’t say a word as the two young women left his room. He was extremely confused. He knew he could not deny what his sister had told him, as he had just witnessed the events with the help of her millennium necklace, but at the same time he was not ready to come to grips with it. ‘Ishizu’s visions may have been accurate, but I have come too far to turn back now.’
The twenty-minute break was almost over, so Yami left his room to find his friends so they could all head to the dueling hall together. He had received a visit from Shadi earlier, who had come because there was a disturbance in the mystic alignment and also to tell Yugi about the origins of the Egyptian God cards and how Pegasus had a vision where he nearly faced the wrath of the gods. ‘I must prevent Marik from obtaining those god cards. If he gets his hands on them, who knows what danger will befall the world?’
Yami met the group in the hallway, gathered around and chatting. Tristan had been telling Serenity, Joey and Vicki about his and Duke’s near death experience on the upper deck. “So just when it seemed like we would be done for, someone came to our rescue. Right, Duke?”
Duke gave an embarrassed look. “Well, I didn’t actually see anyone, but someone had to pull us up, I suppose.” His green eyes turned shifty. “Unless, of course, there is a ghost haunting this ship.”
Joey got a spooked look on his face at the word ghost and playfully elbowed Tristan in the ribs. “If you two are trying to rattle me before my duel, it’s not going to work,” he said, trying to mask his fear.
Serenity, however, was able to pick up on her brother’s fear and decided to test him. “Suppose there really was some kind of ghost?” She faked an innocent look.
“Don’t be silly! Ghosts don’t exist!” Joey had been busy trying to convince himself of that when he felt someone resting a hand on his shoulder, which was so startling he gave a real look of fright.
“Are you ready for the next duel?” asked Yami.
‘I know that voice. It’s Yuge.’ Joey whirled around, and was somewhat relieved to see his best friend yet he was discombobulated about the scare he gave him. “Don’t scare me like that! You could have given me a heart attack!”
Serenity stifled a giggle at her brother.
Yami took his hand off of the blonde’s shoulder. “My apologies. I had no intention of frightening you.”
Tèa was still in Bakura’s room, watching over him. Although the medics had tended to his injuries, there was still little change in his condition. The brunette’s eyes were still blank, for she had not been released from Marik’s control yet.
Shadi suddenly appeared in the room, though Tèa was not aware of his presence. He frowned at the aura he sensed. ‘The great disturbance I sensed is strongest in this room. Somehow, my millennium key is shielding me from the girl’s sight. I suspect the reason for the disturbance is that someone has stolen another millennium item. If the thief succeeds in collecting all seven items, the world will be in great peril.’ The guardian of the millennium items disappeared from the room, having found the answer to his question.
Through Tèa’s eyes, Marik watched over the young man with a wicked grin on his face. ’I will hold onto the millennium ring for now. After all, Bakura will have no use for it in his current condition.’ He also decided he would occasionally take control of Tèa’s mind, just in case something happened.
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 13, 2016 12:32:46 GMT
Chapter 33 The recess was over and all of the finalists (minus Ishizu) gathered in the dueling hall once again. Tristan and Duke had decided to forget about the search for Bakura’s millennium ring for the time being. They figured the artifact would turn up again on its own, since it was obviously uncontrollable by mere mortals.
“The finalists for the second match will now be chosen!” Roland announced.
“Bingo!” yelled Mokuba.
Roland pushed the button on the machine to activate it, and shuffled all of the small balls. The ball that landed was revealed to be number 2.
“Joey Wheeler!”
Joey gave a wide grin as he heard Roland call his name. “Yeah, I can’t wait to see who I’m gonna face!” He hoped he faced someone who would give him a real challenge.
Roland activated the machine again and shuffled the balls for the second duelist. Once the balls stopped shuffling, the selected ball landed, which read number 7. “Duelist number seven is Marik Ishtar!!”
‘This is perfect!’ As happy as Joey was about facing “Marik”, who was actually Odion, he couldn’t resist glaring daggers at him. “I have waited for this moment for a long time!” He would make the Egyptian pay dearly for using him as a mind puppet.
Yugi looked slightly worried as he knew how dangerous a foe Marik had proven to be. ‘I know Joey can defeat Marik, but it sure won’t be easy. He will have to remain focused. There is no telling what Marik will do this time, considering he failed last time. I just hope he doesn’t use the rod to win the duel.’
Joey gave the older man a dark look as he said, “I hope you’re prepared to lose because I will defeat you with my own two hands!”
Odion gave the blonde a blank look, unfazed by his threats. ‘Such an insolent fool. He does not have the skills to defeat me.’
Ishizu and Keren had each said a silent prayer that Marik would eventually accept the truth and see the light before it was too late, and Keren also wished for Odion to not make a mistake he would regret later. Still, she had an uneasy feeling, as she suspected once again he was up to no good.
“Well, Keren, according to my millennium necklace, Joey Wheeler is facing Odion in the next duel. Odion is disguised as Marik,” Ishizu informed the Israeli.
Keren lowered her hazel colored eyes. “I see.” ‘That would explain this bad feeling I have.’ She felt a painful jolt in her chest as the disturbing news meant her fears were about to come to fruition that Odion was about to walk on a path of destruction and there would be no turning back.
“So what do you plan to do?” asked the younger woman. Although Keren had not said much she knew she was troubled about the news.
“I will go and observe the duel,” answered Keren. She was gracious in her tone, but firm.
Ishizu was not surprised by the firmness Keren was showing, for she knew the older woman had reached her breaking point regarding the whole saga and she was now determined to do something about it. “I understand. Just be careful.”
“Don’t worry. I will.” Keren still regretted not taking a chance and entering the tournament, but she knew now was not the time to be beating herself up. ‘Perhaps just being there will be enough.’ She understood the warning as there was no doubt Marik would take her presence as a distraction to Odion, and he would not take kindly to that. ‘I only hope I can stand firm until the end.’ She exited the room and made her way to the Stratos arena.
Joey and Odion stood on the upper deck shuffling each other’s decks. Odion was soon done, but Joey faced him with clenched teeth, still shuffling, grunting whilst he did so. ‘I will never forgive this dickhead for turning me against my friends,’ thought Joey, giving Odion a fierce look.
Tristan shook his head as he eyed his best friend. “Man, Joey is such a hothead.”
Yugi, on the other hand, admired Joey’s high spiritedness. “Wow, Joey is sure fired up in his duel against Marik. He will need that fire to face someone as dangerous as him.“
“Yes, but we all know what a horrible temper Joey has. He had better watch what he says to this guy.”
‘Tristan’s right. Joey needs to stay focused. And enough of the deck shuffling already,’ thought Mai. She tapped her foot in boredom.
Serenity gazed around the arena until her eyes were on Joey. She couldn’t help but feel worried for her brother. From what little she knew of Marik, she found him to be quite ruthless. “Hey guys, do you think Joey will be all right?” she asked.
“Of course he will, lassie,” answered Vicki, rubbing her hands together in an attempt to warm them up. ‘Brrrr, so cold…at this rate I won’t be able to move in the morning.’
“I almost forgot,” said Tristan. “This is your first time watching Joey duel, right?”
Serenity nodded.”Mmmhmm.”
Duke was about to ask Yugi something when all of a sudden, the elevator doors slid open. Out stepped a woman they had never seen before. She walked towards the gang and stood several feet away from them. She eyed the dueling field, relieved to see that she hadn’t missed anything.
“Who is she?” Tèa whispered to Yugi.
“I’m not sure, but I am sure we will find out in due time, that is, when she chooses to introduce herself,” answered the spiky haired teen.
Tristan let out a loud whistle. “Man, that’s one hot looking lady,” he commented. He didn’t care that she appeared to be several years older than him. Mai, Tèa and Vicki rolled their eyes at what a big flirt the pointy haired teen was being.
Duke smirked at Tristan. “It seems you have given up on Serenity. Well, that’s absolutely fine with me. Nothing will stand in the way of me getting to know her.”
Tristan glared at Duke as he knew what the ebony haired young man was scheming. “Don’t even think about it!!”
Duke was about to start arguing with Tristan, but before he could think of a really good insult, Vicki snapped, “Would you two knock it off?? You are giving me a migraine! Geez!”
Both Duke and Tristan looked sheepish. “Sorry,” they mumbled.
Keren merely drowned out the bickering as well as the whispering about her. She had come for one and only one reason—to watch Odion’s duel and make sure he didn’t make an irreversible mistake, so she didn’t have any interest in the others at the moment. She glanced up at Joey and noticed the hostile looks he was giving her companion. ‘I don’t know what business this young man has with Odion, but I have a feeling I will find out soon enough.’
Mokuba glanced up at his elder brother. “Hey Seto, since Marik is the leader of the rare hunters, he must have a ton of rare cards in his deck, right?”
“Most likely. However, there’s only one of them I am interested in and it is his Egyptian God card. Hopefully that small fry will duel well enough to let me see it and witness its power.”
Joey kept shuffling Odion’s deck until Roland finally said, “You’ve shuffled his deck more than enough times. It’s time to start the duel!” The blonde handed the deck back to Odion and snatched his from the from the older man’s hand. The two gentlemen took their places on the field.
‘I’ll make this mind-controlling freak wish he was never born!’ Joey turned around, angrily facing the tattooed face man, pointing to him. “Hey, listen up, baldy! You’ll be beaten down in 11 turns, got it?!”
Odion, unmoved by Joey’s threats, responded by giving the blonde a grim stare. ‘Foolish boy…you’re no match for me.’
Joey’s friends groaned at his overconfidence. “How did he come up with eleven?” pondered Duke.
“He’s way in over his head,” commented Tristan.
“For once, I agree with you,” said Duke.
“Wow, Joey has the duel figured out already,” said Serenity with a big grin on her face. She was glad to know her brother would be all right after all.
Mai generally found the way Serenity supported her brother to be very touching and admirable, but felt this was one of the times she was going too far. “That’s right, Serenity, you just keep believing everything he says.”
Odion reached into his pocket, pulled out the millennium rod and pointed it at Joey, in an attempt to scare him.
‘Oh no, it’s that millennium item! That’s what he used to control me!’ Joey’s fierce facial expression faltered and turned into one of fear.
Yami’s silhouette appeared next to Yugi, looking horrified to see Joey’s opponent holding the millennium rod. ‘Just as I suspected! Marik will use the millennium rod to win this duel! That coward can’t win on his own.’
Odion’s actions were making Keren feel so queasy to her stomach that she was tempted to leave right then and there. She had doubts that he was even aware of her presence since he did not acknowledge her. ‘No Keren,’ an inner voice said to her. ‘You must remain, no matter how difficult it may seem.’
Joey managed to pull himself together. Once more, he glowered at Odion. “Point that thing someplace else and fight a fair duel.”
“Very well.” Odion stuck the golden colored back in his pocket. He wasn’t very keen on the idea of using the rod, anyway.
“Huh? Did he just say very well?” Joey didn’t expect the caped man to heed his order that easily. ‘There’s something fishy going on about this guy.’
Yugi looked relieved when he saw what Odion had just done. ‘Maybe he realizes Joey’s mind is too strong to be controlled. That’s why his magic didn’t work last time.’
The real Marik gave a wicked grin at what was going on and how easily Yugi and his friends were tricked. ‘Of course these fools do not know the millennium rod Odion holds is merely a replica of the real deal. They will never suspect that I am the one they feel such contempt for and who has caused them such pain and suffering. It should be a piece of cake for Odion to fight my battles for me. In the meantime I will focus on learning Kaiba’s role in ancient Egypt. I have noticed that the sorcerer bears a resemblance to him and he holds the millennium rod, which can cause a problem. I will snatch his Egyptian God card Obelisk the Tormentor before he gets in my way.’ Marik turned to Odion and gave him a stern look. “Listen to me, Odion. If you can’t defeat this pathetic fool, Joey Wheeler, you won’t stand a chance against the pharaoh. So unless you want to be severely punished, I am warning you, do not disappoint me!”
Odion feared the punishment his master had for him if he failed because he knew which one the corn-silk haired young man had in mind. “Yes, Master Marik. I pledge my word that I will defeat this worthless opponent.” He turned his attention back to Joey. “It’s time to duel. I will destroy you. Prepare for defeat!”
“Don’t count on it! You don’t scare me! If you don’t mind, I’ll start, you freak!!” The blonde grinned to show how excited he was about the duel. He drew his cards.
“Stick it to him, Joey!!” yelled Tristan from the sidelines.
“If you screw this up I won’t forgive you!” Mai warned. “Remember, you owe me a rematch!”
“You got it, Mai!” Joey peeked at the cards in his hand, trying to decide what his first move should be. The best card he was currently holding was Gearfried the Iron Knight. ‘Hmm, not too shabby. I don’t have to make a sacrifice and it’s safe to play him while I wait to see what chrome-dome is capable of.’
‘Come on Wheeler. Do your best to make him play his Egyptian God card,’ thought Kaiba, folding his arms.
Marik gave another evil grin. ‘I may not be able to dispute the visions Ishizu showed me, but I won’t turn back. Not now, not ever.’
Keren had been silent whilst listening to everything that was said about Odion before. Of course she couldn’t really fault Joey for his anger, but she felt she had to say something. She didn’t want him to say or do anything too rash. Normally she would be afraid to say something against Odion with Marik around, but she wasn’t this time. She doubted he would try to hurt her with so many people watching. She saw the blonde preparing to make his move. “Joey, is it?”
Joey looked up from his deck at the woman speaking to him. He had thoughts about telling her off for holding him up, but decided to just hear her out, for she might have something important to say. “Yes, that’s me. And who might you be?”
Keren’s faced flushed as she responded, “You may call me Keren. I know you are eager to begin the duel, but before you do, I just want to let you know that not everything is what it seems.”
Joey looked confused at first. ‘Wha? What is this lady talking about?’ As soon as he absorbed what was said, though, his look of confusion turned into the annoyance he had been trying to suppress. He could keep his temper no longer. “Listen here, lady, Marik controlled my mind and that’s unforgivable, so if you’re trying to play mind games with me, you can forget it!!”
Keren cringed slightly. It seemed like reasoning with Joey would be harder than she thought. ‘Looks like I may have angered him…he’s nearly as stubborn as Marik is.’ “My apologies. It is not my intention to distract you. Believe me, I know what you are feeling and even understand it, but don’t forget to keep a clear and focused mind.”
Joey’s expression softened a bit. He thought Keren made sense when she told him to be careful in his decision making. “Ah. Gotcha.”
Keren was pleased to know that she managed to get Joey to listen to her. “You have the power to stop him. Do your best to succeed.”
“Now you’re talking.” Joey grinned, but discreetly he was rolling his eyes. ‘Does this Keren woman think she’s my mentor or something? Either way, I am happy to comply. This nut-job must be stopped.’
Odion looked across the field over at the young woman. Keren’s eyes met his and the two of them exchanged a look. ‘Good. He is now aware of my presence. I trust he will stay in line now that he knows I am here.’
Marik clenched his teeth. He was not pleased to see Keren there, especially after hearing what she said to Joey. ‘If Keren thinks she’s going to interfere with my plans, she can think again. I will send her to the Shadow Realm if I have to.‘ He gave Odion a warning look that said, ‘You had better not allow Keren’s presence to affect your performance.'
Joey put a game face on as he mentally prepped himself. ‘All right, like Keren said, if I am to win this duel I can’t let anything rattle me. If I defeat this evil freakshow, he’ll be out of the finals. That’ll make me famous, as well as a hero. Not only that, but I’ll win his Egyptian God card, too.’ Joey gave a toothy grin at the thought of winning such a powerful card. He began to laugh softly to himself. Unexpectedly, a gust of wind appeared and blew his cards out of his hand. He and his friends gave panicked screams as they saw that his cards were falling overboard and about to plummet into the ocean. He quickly caught one card between his teeth and grabbed the remaining four. He leaned over the railing, panting from the adrenaline.
“Joey, you might want to hold onto your cards for this duel!!” said Duke, baffled at what he just saw.
“You guys, he needs support,” pointed out Serenity. “Nice catch, big brother!” Her compliment made Duke and Tristan fall over in embarrassment.
Joey recovered from the episode enough to take his place on the field once again. ‘Note to self. Beware of gusty winds. What was Kaiba thinking, throwing his duels up here?’ Sometimes he wondered if Kaiba’s mind was in space with his plans. “Ok now where was I?”
“Acting like a fool,” answered Odion.
“That’s enough out of you, Marik! I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in attack mode!” (1800 attk) The ebony colored warrior emerged onto the field. “That ends my turn. Let’s see if you’re tough enough to take him on, unless you’re scared.”
Odion ignored Joey’s last remark. He already proved he couldn’t be taken seriously. “I play Temple of the Kings, a card like none you’ve ever seen!” As the robed man set the card in the side slot of his duel disk, a large ancient golden colored temple rose behind him, covering that portion of the field.
Joey looked taken aback. “Huh? What does that do?”
“It protects the treasure inside and limits the amount of magic and trap cards played in one turn,” Odion explained slowly, as if he wanted to make sure Joey understood. “I’ll also set two cards face down, and with this move, I end my turn. Try to attack me if you dare! You have no idea of the horrors that await you inside the ancient temple.“
“Yeah yeah yeah, enough about the temple, I get it!”
“What on earth?” asked Vicki. “This chap hasn’t played any monster cards.”
“Attack his life points directly!” suggested Tristan.
“That’s stupid,” commented Duke.
Tristan’s eyebrows arched up. “Oh? And why is that, genius?”
Duke had a look on his face that said ‘Duh’ as he responded, “Well, because of the face down cards. He is probably waiting for Joey to attack so he could spring them on him.”
Tristan felt like a doofus for forgetting about the face down cards. “Oops, you got me there.”
As concerned as Joey was about the field magic card, it was the face down cards that worried him more. ‘Those face down cards could be traps and although baldy here has no monsters on the field to protect him, who knows what those cards can do? It’s too early on in the duel to take such a risk.’ He started to sweat nervously. It was all he could do not to squirm as well.
“Joey, are you okay up there?” asked Tristan.
“Yeah you look scared,” added Serenity.
‘That’s what I was afraid of. If I am to win this duel, I’ll have to pull myself together.‘ He looked at the cards in his hand and spotted Giant Trunade, the one Vicki gave to him. ‘Wait a minute...what am I so worried about? I can use my Giant Trunade card to blow his old temple and face down cards away. I know…’ A grin appeared on the blonde’s face as an idea started to come to him. ‘I think I know how I am going to defeat him. I will just build up my attack force by summoning a couple more monsters, but I won’t attack. Then he’ll probably play a few more face down cards, thinking he has me trapped. That’s when I’ll use my magic card to get rid of that temple and face down cards, and then I will wipe out his lifepoints with my army of monsters.’ Joey’s grin got bigger, proud of himself for making what appeared to be a foolproof scheme to defeat his opponent.
“Why the hold up? Don’t you realize no matter what you do, you’re finished, Mr. Wheeler?” asked Odion. “So make your move.”
Joey ignored Odion’s taunts, still going over his strategy. ‘If only he knew what I had in store for him.’ He drew his card. “Say goodnight, Marik. I play Baby Dragon in attack mode.” (1200 attk) The bright orange dragon appeared, growling softly.
“Observe, you fool! I will set 2 more cards face down and end my turn.” Odion now had 4 cards face down on his side of the field, not counting his Temple of the Kings magic card.
Vicki sighed and gave a fake yawn. “This is so boring. Even that evil spirit dueled with more excitement than this.” ‘I should have brought something to munch on.’
Mai stifled a giggle at Vicki’s dramatic flair, but understood the feeling. “That spineless snake is just going to sit back and wait for Joey to attack him, and when he does, he will spring one of his traps. It’s the oldest and wimpiest trick in the book.” It was times like this she was happy she was in possession of Harpie’s Feather Duster.
“Yeah, you’d think he would duel with a bit more originality.”
“Apparently that word is not in his vocabulary.”
“Obviously not.” Vicki felt at the rate the duel was going, she would fall asleep soon. ‘I wish I had a cup of espresso—I could really use it.’
Joey could only smile to himself as the trap cards were being played. ‘Just as I thought...he’s playing right into my hands. Soon, he’ll be history.’ “All right, it’s go time! I play Hayabusa Knight in attack mode!” (1000 attk) A humanoid shaped bird warrior materialized, raising its sword. He mentally calculated the attack points of his three monsters. It was just enough to wipe out the older man’s lifepoints. “Now it’s time to demolish that old palace of yours!”
Odion looked up. “Hmm?” He was becoming worried now. He generally would have thought Joey was just bluffing, but he noticed the blonde had not attacked yet so he figured there was a plan.
“I play the magic card, Giant Trunade!” announced Joey, setting the card in the magic/trap slot of his duel disk.” A large typhoon emerged, swirling towards the cards.
Vicki perked up. ‘Yes! He is using the card I gave him! And I have to say he uses it well.’
“Yes!” cheered Mai, pumping her fist. “Marik will have nothing on the field to protect himself.” She smiled to herself, thinking about how Joey possibly learned the get rid of the face down cards trick from her.
“It appears Joey is the winner,” said Yugi. He was proud of his friend for finding a way to defeat his opponent so easily.
For the first time in what seemed like ages, Keren was able to manage a smile—a small one, but a smile nonetheless. ‘I knew he would be able to defeat Odion. He is truly a powerful duelist.’
Joey gave a smug look as he watched the cyclone travel towards Odion’s face down cards. ‘Winning this duel was much easier than I thought...come on Trunade, blow his trap cards and old palace away!’ Much to his utter surprise, the pale blue colored tornado stopped in its tracks and dissipated. “What?! Why did it stop?”
All of the onlookers looked puzzled. “What’s going on?” questioned Mai.
Keren’s smile disappeared and turned into a frown. ‘It seems Odion is up to something. Stay strong, Joseph.’
“Your Giant Trunade magic card is no more,” stated Odion, eyeing the blonde’s dubious expression. “Your troubles have just begun.”
“What? But my magic card was supposed to destroy your face down cards,” protested Joey, still stunned at what had just happened. “Explain yourself.”
“Your latest move has triggered one of my most dangerous trap cards. See, with all of my face down cards on the field, I knew you wouldn’t attack me with a monster. Instead, you chose to destroy my cards with a magic card.”
It was becoming clear to Joey now. “Oh, so you played a trap card that destroys magic cards?”
“Yes, but that’s only one of its abilities.” Odion revealed one of his face down cards, Judgment of Anubis. “My Judgment of Anubis trap card destroys all monsters on your side of the field and wipes out half of their attack points from your lifepoints! You have made a grave mistake when you built up your attack force!”
Joey watched in bewilderment as a purple figure appeared, with a dog like face and spun around destroying all three of his monsters. “Hey, you wasted some of my favorite monsters!!” he protested.
“Very perceptive, Mr. Wheeler,” said Odion. “And say goodbye to half of your lifepoints.”
Joey’s lifepoints dropped to two thousand. He looked stunned.
“When you see what else I have in store for you, those monsters will be the last thing on your mind,” said Odion.
“What just happened?” asked Tristan. He had never seen anyone’s strategy to get rid of face down cards be blown before.
“You see, Joey thought by not attacking he would be safe from Marik’s traps, but the most dangerous and powerful cards in all of Duel Monsters are trap cards and Marik’s side of the field is full of them. It seems they each have a variety of different abilities,” explained Yugi.
“Let’s hope Joey learned his lesson because one more mistake like that and he could kiss the finals goodbye,” said Mai. “And he’s come too far to lose to a creep with a bad attitude and bad fashion sense.“
“Creep is an understatement,” muttered Vicki. Although Odion had been relenting with her when he briefly had her held captive, she wasn’t impressed by his behavior in the least.
“Do you think Joey can win this duel in spite of all this?” asked Serenity in a worried voice.
“Yes, sure,” answered Tèa. That was what she was hoping, but she wasn’t sure what his chances were.
“Think he can win…I know he can,” said Tristan. “Right, Yugi?”
Yugi nodded. “Don’t worry, Serenity. Joey has been in tougher situations than this before. All he needs is some support and he will be crushing Marik in no time.”
Serenity placed her hands by her face and yelled, “Come on, Joey, you can do it!!”
It was hard for Keren to watch Odion deliver such a powerful blow to Joey’s lifepoints, but she was expecting it as she knew the tattooed face man was a formidable duelist. ‘I know things look dire, Joseph, but do not lose your fighting spirit. The future depends on you.’ She hated to think about what would happen if Odion emerged victorious.
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 14, 2016 13:00:59 GMT
Chapter 34 The fact that half of Joey’s life points were wiped out by just one attack left him speechless. He bowed his head down in shock. ‘Man, I knew Marik would be a tough cookie, but I never thought he would have crushed my strategy that would have rid the field of his trap cards. He is an even better duelist than I thought.’ The blonde had just managed to get over the shock of the attack when Odion taunted, “You should surrender while you can. I have more traps set up for you.”
Joey grinned smugly at the older man. “Yeah yeah, keep talking, baldy. You don’t realize this because you’re so full of yourself, but my strategy was just a test to see how good you are. Now that I know your skills I will give it my all and you’ll be history!”
Groans of frustration escaped the lips of most of Joey’s friends observing. “There Joey goes again, running at the mouth,” muttered Tristan. He made sure to keep his voice low so Serenity wouldn’t hear him. ‘Last thing I need is for her to be mad at me for badmouthing her brother.’
Vicki removed her beret and scratched her head. “Do you think the lad has really been holding back or is he just bluffing?” She placed the beret back on her head. ‘I don’t know whether I should congratulate him for being fired up or not…he could be putting on a show to hide how scared he truly is.’
“I knew it! Joey was merely toying with his opponent,” said Serenity, excitement returning to her face.
Tèa gave an embarrassed look as she thought to herself, ‘This girl really needs a wakeup call about her brother.’ She wasn’t sure of the best way to correct the younger teen nicely, so she didn’t say anything.
Mokuba glanced sideways at his brother. He knew the young ceo had very little respect for the blonde as a duelist, but he found him to have the spirit of a true duelist. “You know, Seto, I think Joey is a better duelist than either of us have given him credit for. I mean, he regained his cool rather quickly and is not letting the pressure get to him.”
“Maybe he is too stupid to feel any pressure.” ‘The small fry will have to show me he is a real duelist before I change my mind about him.’
Keren wished she didn’t have to hear such harsh words being uttered to Odion, but realized it was Joey’s way of making the tattooed face man see the light. ‘It is a relief that Joseph hasn’t lost the passion that is driving him.’
“All right, enough playing around. Let’s continue this duel!” said Joey.
“In a hurry to face your inevitable defeat, are you? Well, suit yourself.” Odion set two more cards face down, ending his turn.
Joey gave a weary sigh. “Is that all you can come up with? I thought this game was called Duel Monsters because you’re supposed to use monsters to fight your opponents, not spend the game hiding behind traps like a coward.”
“My trap strategy is good enough to defeat you. Of course a mediocre duelist such as yourself could never appreciate it,” replied Odion.
“I guess it’s time to show you how to play the game!”
Odion smiled to himself. He found it unlikely that he would learn a thing or two from someone whose dueling prowess was on a lower level than his. ‘This should be interesting.’
Joey drew a card. ‘Great...this monster has enough attack strength to wipe out nearly half of baldy’s life points. He still has no monster on the field protecting his life points. But then he has those face down cards and who knows what they can do? This is such a tough call.’ “I summon Alligator’s Sword in attack mode!” (1500 attk). The alligator appeared on the field, growling. Joey hesitated, wondering if he should take a chance and attack.
“What are you waiting for?” asked Odion. “You said you were going to teach me how to play the game, did you not?”
‘Oh no! He’s trying to force me to attack so he could spring another one of his traps on me. Well, I’m not falling for it.’ “Listen here, tough guy, whatever it is you’re trying to pull won’t work on me. I’ll place one card face down and that’s all for now.”
Yugi looked relieved that Joey had not done anything rash. “That was a smart move for now, but Joey needs to come up with another strategy to counter the traps quickly.”
“I hope he does or else he will be out of the tournament,” said Duke. The blonde’s predicament was really worrying him. He hid his worried look as best as he could, not wanting to scare Serenity or feel the wrath of his friends for sounding like a pessimist.
“I knew it. You have no such plan. Now your destruction will continue.” Odion drew a card. He glanced at it and frowned. ‘This card won’t be of any use to me for this turn.’ “Well, Mr. Wheeler, it seems luck has been good to you because for this turn, I will pass.”
Joey was fighting the urge to say, ‘serves you right’, but then he had a bad feeling about his opponent’s skipped turn. ‘He’s trying to force me to attack him. Well, he’s crazy if he thinks his plan will work!’ He drew a card and said, “Well, two can play at that game, so I pass as well.” ‘I have to hang on for as long as I can.’
“No matter what strategy you have implemented, your lucky streak will end here and now if I draw a card worth using.” Odion pulled another card from his deck, hoping for a winning one. He frowned again. “No, this one won’t do. I’ll pass again. Make the most of your final turn.”
Joey gritted his teeth and gave an angry growl, one he would give when he was having trouble controlling his temper. Odion was trying his patience with his antics.
“This is getting out of hand, Seto. If neither of them makes a move, this will be a long, drawn-out, boring duel,” Mokuba said to his older brother.
“You need not worry about that, Mokuba,” answered the former world dueling champion.
“Huh?” The young boy looked puzzled. “What do you mean, Seto?”
“Wheeler will crumble under the pressure sooner or later.” ‘Quite frankly, it boggles my mind that he has lasted this long.’
“Oh. Well, that’s true.”
Joey had been trying his best not to lose his temper, but it was becoming quite difficult for him to keep it and at this point his patience had run out. “All right, that’s it, you’ve had it!!”
Yugi and the others gasped when they heard those words. They were also worried when they saw the look of fury in Joey’s eyes because he was prone to making rash decisions once he got angry.
“Joey, calm down!” called Mai. “Don’t play into his hands!”
But Joey was too angry to hear Mai’s warnings. “My friends came for a duel. If you want to spend the duel wasting time, that’s fine by me! But I’m gonna give everyone a show! I summon Rocket Warrior in attack mode!!” (1500 attk). Once the humanoid shaped rocket monster appeared onto the field, Joey activated its invincible mode. “Rocket Warrior, attack Marik’s life points directly!” The rocket sped towards the robed man.
Yugi eyed the expression on Odion’s face and noticed he wasn’t showing any fear. In fact, he looked smug. “Joey, call off your attack quickly!”
Keren, however, had her eyes closed, praying that the face down cards were not necessary to block the attack. Even so, she knew it was useless to hope as Odion was very confident.
A smug expression was etched onto Odion’s face. “You have activated my trap card, Eye of Wdjat!“
Fear replaced Joey’s glare as he watched the purple eye appear on his monster. The rocket monster staggered over to Odion’s side of the field and appeared to be hypnotized. “Ah! What is that?”
“The Eye of Wdjat that has appeared on your Rocket Warrior has the power to control any of my opponents’ monsters for one turn, which means your pathetic monster will be my pawn!”
“No!” Although both monsters had equal attack strengths, he would be defenseless if Odion succeeded in his attack.
“I’m afraid so! Rocket Warrior, attack his Alligator’s Sword now!” The monster soared towards the reptilian warrior, about to attack.
Joey’s lips stretched into a small grin. “I’m afraid that’s not gonna work!!“ He revealed his face down card, Fairy Box. It concealed the alligator. “Now your attack has been stopped! Not only that, but you’ll have to find my monster to attack him! Time to play peek-a-boo!”
‘What’s this?’ thought Odion with a stunned expression on his face. ‘Joey has activated a trap card to hide his monster? It seems I have underestimated his abilities.’ The head of Alligator’s Sword popped out of one of the holes in the box, which Odion didn’t miss. ‘Aha. Just as I expected, a pitiful attempt to stop me.’ “Rocket Warrior, attack his Alligator’s Sword at once!” Rocket Warrior quickly launched its attack at the alligator, causing an explosion to ensue. “Ha! So much for that!”
However, when the smoke cleared, Rocket Warrior was stuck in the hole Alligator’s Sword had been hiding in. He looked around as if he was searching for the alligator. In the meantime, Alligator’s Sword’s head had popped out of one of the other holes in the box.
Odion’s smug expression turned into one of disbelief. He never expected Joey would be capable of outsmarting him. “I missed?” he asked, dumbfounded.
“Sounds like you need to play arcade games more often,” teased Joey, pointing and laughing. “Your trap strategy is pretty good, but not good enough. You may have crushed my first strategy but I have another way I can get rid of all your trap cards.”
Everyone watching, including Kaiba and his little brother, gasped in surprise. They wondered if the blonde really was capable of such a thing or if the pressure had gotten to him so much that he decided to start bluffing.
“The fact that you only have trap cards in your deck and no monsters makes you a sitting duck,” continued Joey. “Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket, you egg head. Once I destroy all your trap cards you will be wide open for an attack! You’re looking at the future Duel Monsters champion. You’re nothing but an ugly bald caped freak!”
“You can spew as much insults at me as you like, but the fact is that I have led you deep within my trap. My Eye of Wdjat trap card was just a ploy to get you to waste your face down card.”
“Hmph.” ‘I’m not too worried. He will see later I am telling the truth and I do have another way to crush his strategy. I just need to hang on for these next few turns and draw the right card, then I’ll be all set.’
“Enough talk, Odion,” said Marik. “Finish off Joey Wheeler at once!”
“Yes, Master Marik.” Odion knew that tone and didn’t want to test his master’s patience.
“What do you mean I am deep into your trap?“ asked Joey. “I swear, the barber must have clipped some of your brain when he was cutting your hair.”
Keren cringed at all the insults Joey was making about Odion’s hairstyle. She opened her mouth to tell him to take it easy, but then closed it. ‘Come to think of it, Joseph has quite a sense of humor but I would feel guilty letting him know that.’
Odion decided to just ignore Joey’s insult right then. “I mean not only did you activate my Eye of Wdjat trap card with the attack you called on my lifepoints, but also three other face down cards which disproves your theory about my dueling strategy. They are known as trap monsters—they activate as traps and attack like monsters!”
“There’s no way that can be true!” Of course Joey was sure Odion was cooking up something nasty, knowing the surprises there had been so far, but he had never heard of such a thing as trap monsters.
“It is. I activate my three trap cards, Embodiments of Apophis!” As he revealed the three face down cards, ribbons of purple energy proceeded to emit from each of them. The ribbons of energy swirled around, forming 3 cobra-like swordsmen once they solidified.
Joey’s mouth dropped open slightly. ‘So there is such a thing as a trap monster. How am I going to get rid of them? I’d better draw something good and quick.’
The sight of the serpent swordsmen nearly made Vicki throw up. ‘Ugh...those are nearly as disgusting as Weevil’s monsters...I wonder if this laddie got tips from Weevil or something.’
“So it’s true? Marik has cards that do the job of both a trap and a monster?” Mai asked Yugi, looking astonished.
“It appears so. It must be an extremely rare card as I’ve never heard of it.” ‘Joey, I believe you will pull through, but you have to keep it together.’
Keren looked on grimly. It was the move that always defeated her when she played Duel Monsters against Odion when she was a teenager. ‘Please be careful, Joseph.’
“This is insane!” commented Mokuba, in shock.
“I have to admit, I am impressed by Marik’s dueling prowess,” said Kaiba with a small smile on his face. ‘Still, when I face him, he will not stand a chance against me.’
“I see now my Embodiments of Apophis has left you speechless, Mr. Wheeler. Maybe now you will realize it is not empty threats that win duels, but skill and power and soon you will fall by the superior power of my deck! You’re finished!”
Joey grimly stared at the serpent-like warriors before him, not at all concerned about their repulsiveness. ‘I’ve gotta squash these three snakes or I’m out of the finals. I know I can do it but it’s gonna take time, which I don’t have very much of.’
“Hang in there, Joey!” cheered Tristan.
“Joey’s lifepoints are low,” stated Yugi. “He can still turn this duel around, but it won’t be easy.”
Serenity looked relieved hearing what the spiky haired teen said about Joey’s chances of victory. She believed he could win, but she was afraid she was alone in thinking that. She made a face at the slithery reptiles as they kept their forked tongues in constant motion. ‘Ugh, those snakes give me the willies.’ She tried not to look at them. “Hey guys, what can Joey do to get rid of those slimy snakes?”
“It’s not easy,” answered Mai. “The first thing that boy has to do is keep his lifepoints safe.”
“I am sure he’s thinking of a way to get out of this mess as we speak,” spoke up Vicki. “Remain optimistic, Lassie. “
“I will.”
“Your chances of victory have vanished!” said Odion. “You will never recover from the triple onslaught of my Embodiments of Apophis!”
“Oh yeah? I’m gonna have to disagree with you! It’s my turn now!” He drew the magic card Scapegoat, and looked slightly disappointed. ‘Not the draw I was hoping for but I suppose I can use it to protect my lifepoints and monsters if baldy here decides to attack me with those snakes, which I’m sure he will do. Here goes.’ “I place one card face down and switch my two monsters from attack to defense mode!”
“That seems like a final desperate move to me,” said Odion.
“We’ll see.” ‘I’m not letting you get at my lifepoints that easily.’
“Yes we will see how you will stop me. Apophis, attack!” The three snake- like swordsmen raised their swords, about to attack.
A small grin appeared on Joey’s lips. “Marik, you’re in for a surprise! I activate my magic card, Scapegoat!” Four medium-sized balls of fluff materialized in front of him. “It lets me absorb the hits of all three of your slimy reptiles, leaving my monsters and lifepoints unharmed.“ His grin got wider as he was sure he had outsmarted Odion once again. ‘Now if I draw the right card on my next turn I can start attacking his lifepoints. It will soon be all over for him.’
“I see! It’s a good move, but not good enough to stop me!”
Joey’s grin faltered and fear filled him. “What do you mean by that?”
“I play my trap card, Magic Jammer!”
All the spectators felt hopeful when it appeared Joey had outsmarted his opponent but the feeling died once they witnessed his move was being countered.
“Bad news, guys,” said Mai. “I’m afraid Marik’s Magic Jammer trap card cancels out the effects of Joey’s Scapegoat magic card!”
“Oh no! If Marik wins, that’ll spell disaster,” moaned Tèa. What Ishizu had told her about evil forces destroying the world was still lingering in her mind. ‘Oh Joey...please defeat this evil creep. I know you can do it.’
“It’s time to say goodbye to your furry friends and hello to my serpents!” declared the tattooed face man.
Joey watched in horror as his magic card disappeared. “Then that means I’m toast!” Not only would his two monsters be destroyed but seeing as how there were three serpents, that meant he would have to kiss a large portion of his remaining lifepoints goodbye as well. He punched the palm of his hand in annoyance for not summoning a third monster to protect his lifepoints, just in case this happened. ‘Dang, I’m such a bonehead! No wonder rich boy is always making fun of me.’
“Very perceptive. Apophis, attack his Rocket Warrior, and his Alligator’s Sword! Now attack his lifepoints directly!” Joey cringed as the trio of reptilian beasts reduced his monsters to smithereens and came towards him, slashing him in the shoulder. He gave a scream of pain and his lifepoints dropped to four hundred. Odion laughed as the blonde fell to his knees.
Keren buried her face in her hands. She found Odion’s behavior to be so atrocious that once again, she had to fight the urge to leave. She could only imagine how Joey was feeling. ‘I know how dire things are, Joseph, but please don’t lose hope. There is only so much I can handle anymore.’
“Come on, get up!” urged Yugi.
“He nearly lost the rest of his lifepoints,” said Tristan.
“You have lost all of your monsters, and now you’re down to 400 lifepoints. Play whatever card you like. It will make no difference, for you will be defeated with one more attack.”
“Joey, you can still turn this duel around,” said Yugi. “Remember, you promised to duel me once you have become a true duelist and you also vowed to help me defeat Marik. If you win, he is finished.”
Marik gave an evil smirk at Yugi and his friends directing their anger at the wrong person. Odion defeating Joey was proving to be simpler than he thought. It was unreal. ‘Wrong, you fool. I’m Marik. Your pathetic friend is about to be defeated at the hands of my servant Odion.’
“The end is near for you,” stated Odion.
Kaiba gave a grimace of disappointment. ‘I can’t believe this! Wheeler is a weaker duelist than I thought! He’s not even strong enough to force Marik to use his Egyptian God card. He had better pick up the pace or he’ll be sorry!!’
“What a shame…it seems as if you have made it this far just to lose on your knees,” mocked Odion, feigning sympathy. “Well, you might as well stay down, because I’m about to deplete your remaining lifepoints.”
Serenity was very concerned for her brother, not only because of the direct attack but because he seemed to be shell-shocked and like he was in a daze. It was painful seeing him that way since he was generally a tenacious person. “Do you guys still think Joey has a chance to win this duel?”
“Sure he does,” Tristan answered.
Mai looked down with a doubtful expression. “Well if you say so.”
Serenity looked at the older woman in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Yeah Mai,” said Tèa, frowning. Mai was starting to sound just as pessimistic as Duke was known to be and it was unbecoming of her.
Mai knew they would be on her case for her brutal honesty, and she was prepared for it. “Look, guys, I want Joey to win, but the odds in this duel are completely against him. Face it, Serenity, Marik still has all of his lifepoints and your brother is down to his final four hundred.”
Serenity could feel tears stinging at her eyes. The thought of her brother being defeated by their greatest enemy was too much for her to bear. “But Mai…” she started to protest.
Mai suddenly felt guilty for being so blunt with the young girl. She could see Serenity was on the verge of tears. She looked thoughtful. “Well…there is a slim chance but Joey may have given up. He needs a serious confidence boost.”
Joey glanced at his sister, and hung his head low. ‘Sorry, Serenity…it’s all over for me. I planned strategies that should have worked, but they didn’t. Even if I draw the card I need in order to destroy his traps, who’s to say he doesn’t have some secret weapon against it? It’s no use trying anymore. I give up.’
“No matter which card you play next turn, it will be easy prey for my Embodiments of Apophis!” said Odion. “I suggest you surrender if you do not wish to suffer a humiliating defeat.”
Thinking Odion was right, Joey proceeded to place his hand over his deck in order to forfeit the duel.
Mai gasped. She never knew Joey to be the type to give up that easily. “No way! Don’t even think about listening to this nut-job!”
Joey paused and just left his hand hovering over his deck. He looked up and asked, “Why not?”
“Well for starters, you couldn’t have possibly made it to the finals without fighting until the very end. Also, what would your opponents you faced think if they could see you right now?” Mai gave the blonde young man a look.
Joey considered what Mai was telling him. “You’ve got a good point there.” It was true, he had beaten 3 duelists who were much more experienced than he was and had more powerful decks, too.
“I see I am getting through to you. You have come much too far to throw everything away and remember, you owe me a rematch in the finals. I am sure this is not how your sister wants to see things turn out.”
“No, I definitely don’t want her to see me as a quitter.” Joey removed his hand from above his deck, making up his mind to continue the duel.
“Joey, you can still win this duel!” shouted Serenity. “You’re the strongest person I know. I get my inspiration from you. If it were not for you, I would not have gotten my sight back. Not just because you paid for my surgery, but you being there for me gave me the strength to go through with it. Because of all you’ve done for me, I was inspired to take off the bandages and be there for you when you needed me. When everything was dark, you gave me light. You have never given up before and you shouldn’t start today.”
‘Such powerful words…I feel much stronger already.’ “Don’t worry. I’ll keep going.“ Joey turned to face Odion with a hard look on his face. “I bet you never had anyone who cared about you that way, pal.”
“I did,” the robed man admitted. “But that was a time so very long ago.”
*Flashback begins*
Mr. Ishtar was sound asleep after a hard day of work and study. His wife had been trying to fall asleep but she was having trouble. Feeling restless, she decided to go and take a walk around the underground home. She exited the privacy of the bedroom and walked down the halls. Whilst she was walking, she heard the sound of someone crying. ‘Oh my...who could that be?’ She was both concerned and alarmed because as far as she knew no one else lived underground except her husband and the other tombkeepers. She kept following the crying and as she got closer, she was able to tell the cries belonged to that of a baby. The closer she got, the louder the cries were. She stopped below the stairwell that led to the surface and she saw a small figure wrapped in cloth, wailing as if he were in pain. She picked up the baby and looked into his eyes. “Oh you poor sweet child...there, there, who would leave you all alone in the cold? It’s much warmer down here, my child.” Upon hearing the woman’s soothing voice, the baby instantly stopped crying. He looked up at her with big eyes as she carried him down to the home she shared with her husband.
*Flashback ends*
‘She rescued me from the dark and cared for me as if I were her own. So yes, Mr. Wheeler. I know what it’s like to be loved.’
Keren certainly hoped Odion had not forgotten about the happy moments she shared with him. She wondered if he even knew of her feelings for him. Although she had never outwardly confessed her love, she held on to hope he was intuitive enough to realize it through her actions. ‘Joseph, you still have a slim chance to stop this…take advantage of it.’
“Joey, you always pull through and I know you can beat him!” said Serenity.
Joey turned to his sister and gave a nod, smiling at her. “Thank you sis.”
“All right, then,” said Odion, putting his serious game face back on. “Are you going to stay on your knees and accept defeat? Or be a fool and prolong your suffering by making a move? I suggest you give up and face reality if you truly want to be an honorable opponent.”
Joey swiftly stood up and gave a tough guy look to show he meant business. “I don’t think so. If I were a quitter, I would be letting down everyone who had faith in me as well as letting myself down. It’s true, I have been in tighter spots, and I still managed to pull through.” He thought back to all of the victories that got him to the finals—against Espa Roba, Weevil, and Mako Tsunami. To this day, the hard work he accomplished to win the duels made his heart swell with pride. ‘I fought my hardest to get where I am today and I never let anyone get the best of me, even when all hopes seem lost, so why should I start now?’ “I’ve got news for you, Marik…you may have managed to knock me down, but it takes a lot more than that to knock me out! I’ve come to the finals for one reason only…to win, and that’s what I’m gonna do! Joey Wheeler is back in the game!!”
“Yeah!” agreed Tristan.
Yugi’s face brightened. “Way to go!”
“Glad to see you’re back to your feisty self,” chimed Vicki. “You had me worried for a second.”
Joey continued with his trash talking. “Listen up, I defeated three of the toughest duelists to earn my way onto this blimp, you light bulb head! And I’m not gonna let you or your shiny skull stop me from finishing what I started!”
“That’s right!” said Serenity.
Mai was relieved to see Joey still had a lot of fight left in him. “You tell him!”
Joey briefly turned to his younger sibling and Mai, grinning at them. “Thanks a lot, you guys! You rock! Not to worry. I’ll win this!“ He once again faced Odion with a hard look on his face. “It’s go time!”
Odion gave the blonde an amused look. “It appears you’re more foolish than I thought. It is time for you to lose shamefully. Make your final, pathetic move! Use your last turn well.”
“You got it!”
Yami’s silhouette appeared next to Yugi. “Yami, what’s up?” Yugi inquired.
“Now is the time to remind Joey of the importance of his victory.”
“You’re right.”
Yami merged with his weaker half. “Joey, remember, you have the power to help save the world.”
‘Oh that’s right. If I beat Marik his plans are crushed.’ “Okay, Marik, your scheme ends here! I promised Yuge that I would help him stop you from achieving whatever sick and twisted goals you and your rare hunters have, Marik! And I’m gonna keep that promise by knocking your bald cranium out of the finals! It’s my turn now!” ‘Okay, here goes. I really need the right card or else I am toast for sure.’ He hesitantly pulled a card from his deck, as if he was afraid to draw a useless card. ‘Okay, I got a feeling it is a good one. Let’s see.’ He glanced at his card and gave a smug grin. “I hope you’re ready to say goodbye to everything!”
“Me? Say goodbye?” questioned Odion. “Nonsense! Your false threats do not frighten me in the least!”
“They will in due time. I set two cards face down and play my Swordsman of Landstar in defense mode!” (1200 def) The tiny little warrior appeared onto the field. “Come and get me if you think you can!” Joey looked very confident.
Odion stared at Joey, amazed by his fighting spirit. ‘His determination is surprising. How can he retaliate with only 400 lifepoints? No matter. My serpent swordsmen will easily finish him off.’
“What are you waiting for, you incompetent buffoon?” Marik chided his henchman. “Attack him!!”
“Nice try, Mr. Wheeler, but your bluffs will not work on me!” said Odion. “I hope you have enjoyed your brief experience as a Battle City finalist! Now, Embodiments of Apophis, triple attack!!”
Yami grunted, desperately hoping Joey’s plan would stop Odion.
Joey smiled confidently. “Not so fast! Your snakes are history! First, I activate my Foolish Burial magic card, which lets me place one card from my hand into your graveyard! Next, I reveal my trap card, Graverobber!”
Odion looked on incredulously, not sure what to make of the young man’s strategy. “Now you plan to rob my graveyard?”
Joey faked an impressed look. “Wow, did you figure that out all by yourself or did someone hand you a cheat sheet? Yes, Einstein, I’m gonna rob your grave!” The small lavender colored imp appeared, cackling evilly. “I reveal the card I put in there, Jinzo!” (2400 attk)
Odion was practically quivering in his boots when the android being appeared onto the field with its arms folded. “How is it that a weak duelist such as yourself could possess such a powerful monster?” he pondered out loud.
“I remembered your snake creatures are a special breed of monsters that also happen to be trap cards,” said Joey, ignoring the rhetorical question asked by Odion. “They have the strength of trap cards but there are weaknesses as well.”
Odion couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Weaknesses?!”
“You heard right! Jinzo’s special ability allows him to destroy trap cards! Jinzo, do your thing and wipe out his serpents!” Jinzo shot some cyber beams from his eyes at the snakes, destroying them all.”You know, I won Jinzo in my first Battle City duel against a real opponent. Although he was a dirty cheater at first, once he played fair he really proved to be an honorable duelist.”
“Yeah, that’s the way, Joey!” yelled Mai.
“Good job!” Serenity congratulated her brother.
“Yes,” mused Yami. “Joey seems to be taking what he has learned from his past victories.”
Joey looked at Odion with a smug grin on his face. “Now then, do you still think I’m an amateur or did you learn your lesson?”
Odion hated to admit, it seemed as if he had underestimated Joey’s dueling prowess, but he was not going to stroke the ego of the blonde young man. “I’m not through with you yet, Mr. Wheeler! I still have all of my lifepoints.”
Joey nearly laughed at the fact that his opponent was still so oblivious and overconfident. “That won’t last long, Marik. With my Jinzo on the field, all of your trap cards are useless and now that I got rid of your snakes your lifepoints are wide open!”
“Joey, you go!!” Serenity cheered.
Mai was impressed by Joey’s monster as well. “I knew you would pull through, now show him who’s boss!”
Joey looked proud of himself as he reflected on his accomplishments. ‘If it were not for my Battle City victories, I wouldn’t be here today. I won Jinzo by defeating Espa Roba and now his card is giving me the strength to beat Marik.’
“Well well, it seems Wheeler has decided to pick up the pace,” commented Kaiba with a small smile on his face. “Perhaps he will keep it together long enough for me to see Marik’s Egyptian God card in action after all.”
Joey lowered his head briefly. ‘Mako, Espa, Weevil…lend me your strength to win this duel.’ He looked back up, ready to continue his assault. “All right, now I summon Battle Warrior in attack mode!” (700 attk) The pale blue warrior emerged pumping his fists, ready for battle. “But that’s not all, because I also switch my Swordsman of Landstar into attack mode! (500 attk) Jinzo, blow a chunk of his lifepoints away with your Cyber Energy Shock attack!” The android monster emitted a burst of black energy ribbons. Odion grimaced in pain as he felt the shock. He lost 2400 lifepoints from the attack, taking him down to 1600 lifepoints. “There’s more where that came from. Battle Warrior and Swordsman of Landstar, stick it to him!” The two warrior monsters lunged at the tattooed faced man and flattened him with their blows, which made him groan in pain. He lost 1200 more lifepoints, taking him down to four hundred.
Tèa started to jump up and down. “Yeah, Joey brought Marik’s lifepoints down to four hundred.”
“Yup, now they’re even!” Vicki could still feel chills going down her spine from watching Joey’s attacks. ‘Dang I wish my best friend was here...she would love this.’
“You’re the man, Joey!” yelled Tristan. “Now finish him off!”
A big smile returned to Serenity’s face. “I knew you could do it! You rock!!”
Keren was able to manage a small smile for the first time since the duel had begun. ‘Excellent work, Joseph. I knew you would succeed. Continue to be unwavering in your efforts.’ Although she found herself cringing each time Odion was hit by a direct attack, she knew it was part of the game. ‘As much as I hate the idea of not being the one to stop Odion, perhaps I do need assistance to save him.’
“You don’t feel like such a tough guy now, do you?” mocked Joey. “You’ll have to do better than playing a bunch of traps to defeat me.”
Odion remained expressionless in spite of the onslaught on his lifepoints and it hurt his pride to acknowledge that Joey had given him a real challenge. “Attack me all you want. You can’t win. Remember, my Temple of the Kings magic card is still in play, and it has many surprises inside waiting to be revealed when the time is right.”
“Ha! Your palace doesn’t frighten me! I am just getting started and plan to get even tougher on you! So go ahead and bring whatever it is you plan to throw at me!”
“With great pleasure, foolish boy.” Odion drew a card from his deck. ‘Hmm…excellent card. This will block the attacks from his monsters and also allow me to prepare for the arrival of my all powerful beast. Mr. Wheeler, your winning streak is about to end.’
The entire time Marik was watching his servant be outwitted by Joey he was gritting his teeth. He did not appreciate his plan being foiled one bit. “Listen to me, Odion. You have allowed Joey Wheeler to come too far! Destroy him at once or face severe consequences! He’s worthless, you fool! Now finish him off!!”
Odion always got anxious whenever his master became impatient with him but this time he wasn’t too worried. “Not to worry, Master. I won’t disappoint you. In fact, I already have a plan to stop his monsters in their tracks.”
“For your sake, it had better work.”
Joey tapped his foot. “Let’s go, potato head, what’s the hold up? Have you realized I’m gonna kick your butt?”
“This should hold you up! I play my Swords of Revealing Light!” Blinding bright yellow swords rained down in front of the monsters, blocking any movement from them.
Joey’s eyes bugged out. “What? Oh no!”
“That’s not good,” said Mai. “Joey won’t be able to attack for 3 whole turns.”
“You do believe he can still win, right?” asked Tèa.
“I hope so,” answered Mai thoughtfully. “However, not being able to attack for three turns will only hurt his chances. He is going to have to find a way to hold on and protect himself.”
“That’s true Mai, but Joey can still sacrifice his weaker monsters to summon stronger ones, and although his Jinzo can’t attack, its special effect still applies so Marik’s trap cards are useless,” pointed out Yami.
Keren’s smile disappeared and turned into a look of worry. ‘Stay strong, Joseph.’
“Make your move,” said Odion.
“Gladly!” Joey drew a card from his deck, looked at it and smiled. ‘Awesome! Another one of the rare monsters I won. Chrome-dome thinks he has me cornered, but he has never faced a duelist like me before. He’s not winning this duel even if I have to go down with him!’ “I may not be able to attack you right now, but I can still do this! I sacrifice my Battle Warrior in order to summon the Legendary Fisherman!!” (1850 attk) The fisherman sitting on his shark appeared. Seeing him made Joey remember his promise to Mako. ‘I know how much this card meant to you, Mako, and I promised you I would use it well.’ “I also switch my monsters to defense mode!”
“Prepare to lose everything!” Odion drew a card, chuckling evilly. He glanced at the card and looked astonished. He wasn’t expecting to have it in his possession at all.
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 15, 2016 12:24:55 GMT
Chapter 35 The card Odion held in his hand was none other than an Egyptian God card—The Winged Dragon of Ra. He carefully examined it to make sure he was not hallucinating…unfortunately he wasn’t. Unbeknownst to him, it was one of the duplicates that had been made when the tournament first began.
“Why are you so surprised, Odion? In order for you to convince everyone you are me, you should have my card in your deck, right?” Marik reminded his henchman. “That’s why I slipped it into your deck before the duel.”
For the first time, Odion began to have a very uneasy feeling about his master’s plan. Not that he was ever very keen on following the darkness, but this was just too much. “But Master…this card is too dangerous,” he protested. “I’m not meant to control its great power. You can’t possibly expect me to play it. Please reconsider. I beg of you.”
“Stop whimpering!” Marik scolded. “You sound pitiful! I command you to play that card! It’s the only way to win this duel! You must place it within the ancient arc on the temple steps. When the time is right, you will release its rage.”
Odion winced and his hand trembled. He was facing quite the dilemma. He had never disobeyed his master before, for fear of what the tombkeeper was capable of once his wrath was intense. However, he didn’t want to put his or Joey’s life at risk either. ‘What shall I do?’
Joey folded his arms and tapped his foot. ‘This guy really knows how to test my patience. I can’t stand it!!’ “Hey, I don’t have time to be waiting around! I have a duel to win!”
Odion thought of a move he could make whilst figuring out what to do about Marik’s orders. “First I place this card face down on the playing field! Now prepare yourself, Mr. Wheeler, for the next card I play will be the final instrument of your destruction!”
Marik gave an evil smirk. “Do it, Odion!!” he urged. “Play the card I added to your deck right now. As soon as you place it within the ancient arc on the temple steps, you’ll be invincible, and if you refuse to play it, you’ll have to answer to me. The choice is yours, Odion. Don’t be a fool.”
Odion still had his doubts, but his fear of being sent to the Shadow Realm was even greater. ‘I must obey Master Marik.It is my duty as his protector.’
Tèa eyed Odion’s facial expression and was unsure what to make of it. ‘I wonder what’s on his mind.’ “Check out Marik, you guys. He looks really freaked out. I wonder what has him so scared.”
‘I think Tèa’s right. Ever since Marik had drawn his latest card, he has been acting really strange. I wonder if it has something to do with the box that has the ancient symbols on it. For some reason they look familiar to me but I’m not sure why,’ thought Yugi. ‘Hang in there, Joey.’
Keren pursed her lips, concerned about the expression etched on Odion’s face. ‘Odion seems troubled…what does this mean? Is it because he now regrets his actions? I certainly hope so, but with the way he has been behaving it seems as if he does not remember I am present.’
“Hey! What’s taking you so long to complete your move?!” asked Joey, exasperated. “What are you waiting for, Christmas?!”
“Good moves take time but that is something your miniscule brain cannot comprehend,” retorted the caped man. “Now I seal this card within the sacred arc of the temple!” As he played the card, it emitted a golden aura.
“What the heck?” questioned Joey, looking puzzled.
“You have no idea what I just did by sealing this card within the sacred arc. By sealing this card of the gods, I have also sealed your fate,” Odion informed the blonde.
Yami’s eyes widened at Odion’s words. “Card of the Gods?” he repeated. He knew what those words meant and had a very bad feeling. ‘He’s going to play his Egyptian God card, the Winged Dragon of Ra. If Joey faces its wrath, he could be hurt. I hope he could wipe out the rest of Marik’s lifepoints before he plays it.‘
“That ends my turn,” said Odion.
Marik looked at his henchman, smiling. ‘Wise move, Odion. I would hate to have let you feel my wrath.’
“Finally. It’s my now, so look out! I play my magic card, Monster Reborn. I’ll use him to bring back my Alligator’s Sword! Next, I sacrifice my Alligator’s Sword and Swordsman of Landstar so I can summon my Insect Queen!”(2200 attk) The large female cockroach monster appeared onto the field, giving a shrill battle cry. ‘I won this card from a feisty little germ named Weevil Underwood. My Battle City victories are paying off right now. Those duels got me three incredible monsters. ‘
Vicki made a disgusted face and clicked her tongue. ‘I still think she’s repulsive but since she belongs to Joey I suppose I could learn to like her.’
Kaiba smiled, genuinely impressed. “My tournament has done wonders for Wheeler’s deck.” ‘I have to admit his performance is even better than I expected it to be. If I had known he was able to hold his own this well perhaps I would have invited him myself, for he would find a way to enter whether I invited him or not.’
Mai looked on in awe. “Look at that. Joey was able to summon every rare monster he won in the tournament all at once.” Seeing this caused a big grin to spread on her face as she wanted some real competition if she made it to the finals and Joey was proving to be just that.
“Yes,” agreed Yami. “Joey has come a long way as a duelist since the Battle City tournament began, Mai.”
“I can see that.”
Joey smiled as he eyed 3 of his best monsters on the field, side by side. “You’re in for it now, Marik! Your Swords of Revealing Light will lose their power next turn, and when that happens, nothing will be holding my monsters back! And since you don’t have anything to protect you, you’re finished!!”
Odion shook his head. ‘This boy is so delusional it is pathetic.’ “You think just because you managed to summon a few high level monsters you can defeat me! Well, you are sadly mistaken! I am about to summon a beast that is virtually indestructible!”
“What?” Joey face palmed. ‘This guy has to be bluffing…whatever he has hidden in that arc sounds bad enough, although I don’t know what it is.’
“Trapping your monsters with my magic card enabled me to prepare for the arrival of my great creature, which has been protected by my all-powerful Temple of the Kings!!”
Joey was becoming weary of Odion’s verbose explanations. “Say that again with fewer words!”
“You can’t win, once I play this!” Odion played Cup of Sealed Souls. “I will also reveal my face down card, Seal of Serket! Once these cards are played along with Temple of Kings, they are able to awaken a great creature, a being like no other!”
Joey was trembling with fear now. He tried to tell himself nothing could be worse than the Egyptian God monsters, but that did little to help. “What is it?”
“Patience! You will soon find out! Please hear my call, guardian of the temple! Mystical Beast of Serket, I summon thee!” (2500 attk)
Just as Tristan and the remainder of the gang were beginning to become unsettled by what was going on, a large brown coloured, scorpion-like creature with sharp pointy teeth emerged from the palace and crept down the stairs. The creature opened its mouth, as if to show its hunger.
Vicki’s face started to turn green. ‘At this rate I’m gonna lose my dinner. Good thing I took my Dramamine.’
Joey proceeded to sweat nervously and he clenched his teeth. ‘This is the thing Marik was yapping about? He’s worse than I thought, and not just because he’s so ugly, either.’ “That thing is tremendous! What am I gonna do?”
“You’re very frightened, I see. Well, I’ll have you know that this creature is minute compared to what lies within the sacred arc,” said Odion.
“Then tell me now!” demanded the blonde. “What monster did you hide inside that arc, Marik?”
“Within the sacred arc lies my Egyptian God monster, the Winged Dragon of Ra!!”
Everyone watching the duel gasped. Kaiba was filled with more excitement than dread, for he had wanted to see the monster in action for a long time. ‘That’s right, Wheeler, struggle until he calls upon his Egyptian God.’
The sight of the large scorpion monster made Joey shudder. ‘With that thing outside, and his Egyptian God monster inside, there’s no way I can win! I think there is one card in my deck that can help but who knows if I will be lucky enough to draw it in time?’
Keren observed with a grim expression. ‘Things look very bad now, and it’s not the Mystical Beast of Serket that really worries me, but the Egyptian God card he has played for later. I have a bad feeling what he played was a copy of the card, for I doubt very much that Marik would want to risk losing the original.’ The very thought of Odion summoning the Winged Dragon of Ra brought back the memories of when the unworthy rare hunters were testing copies of the cards and got struck down by the rage. ‘I certainly hope Odion does not end up hurt or killed by it, like they were.’ The thought of Odion dying in the same fashion the rare hunters did made tears sting at the young woman’s eyes. She said a silent prayer that both duelists would be safe, even if Odion did play the card. ‘Maybe he will fare better than the weaker rare hunters.’
‘Snap out of it, Joey! You can’t start doubting yourself now! That’s exactly what Marik wants you to do,’ scolded a voice inside the blonde’s head. “So you summoned a super-powerful monster onto the field, big deal! Don’t count me out just yet! I’ll find some way to take down that over-sized scorpion!”
“That would be quite an achievement considering it has more attack points than either of your monsters,” responded Odion. “The question is, which is the first it should devour? And it’s pointless for you to try and stop my ancient creature, because there’s not a card in your deck powerful enough to do it.”
Tèa muttered to herself about what a pompous windbag Odion was. She turned to Mai. “Please say he’s wrong…I can’t stand the thought of this creep winning the duel!”
Mai sighed.”I wish I could say that, but there are only a handful of monsters that can take out that scorpion, and I don’t think Joey has any of them…it’s possible he can win, but it’ll be tough.”
“Hey Yugi?” spoke up Serenity timidly. “My brother can still win, right?”
“Yes,” answered the spirit of the puzzle. “Even though Marik has the upper hand, Joey can still beat him. He just needs to find the weakness of the mystical beast before it wipes out the rest of his life points.”
“Yes, but what about the card he hid inside the arc?” inquired Mai. “That poses more of a threat than this hideous scorpion monster.”
“Yes. Joey must find a way to wipe out the remainder of Marik’s lifepoints before he summons it. As it stands now they are even but who knows how long it will last?”
Although Odion had done as his master said, he still had doubts about actually using the Winged Dragon of Ra card to win the duel as he felt his deck was powerful enough without it. He made eye contact with Marik. “Master Marik, why did you place your Egyptian God card in my deck?”
Marik smiled a deadly smile. “If you’re going to deceive these fools into believing you are me, you should duel as I would. Of course the card I slipped into your deck is merely a copy of the original. I could not risk losing the most powerful card in creation, so as you remember, I had my rare hunters create copies. These forgeries are equally as dangerous and powerful.” He recalled the incident where the weaker henchmen tested the copies and angered the Egyptian God monster in the process. “Needless to say many of my obedient servants were injured while testing the copies and eventually perished. Eventually I realized only those connected to the ancient scriptures can control an Egyptian God card. I have no doubt, Odion, that you will be successful when you play it!”
Although it was true Odion had more experience with the ancient scriptures than his colleagues did, he still wasn’t convinced playing the card was safe, especially if it was a fake one. “Thank you for your confidence, Master Marik, but I’m sure I can win this duel without it.” He hoped he would be able to prove that to Marik. ‘If I endanger anyone’s life, I would not be able to forgive myself.’
Keren remembered the day Marik spoke of very well--the thunder, the rare hunters being struck down…everything. ‘That was one of the most horrifying days of my life. It was a miracle I didn’t have many nightmares.’ She wondered if the request to play the card was why Odion had appeared troubled. ‘With Marik’s behavior over the past six years, I would not be surprised if he refused to take the two duelists’ safety into account. I trust you to do what you know in your heart is right, Odion. I have prayed to the gods to guide you on the right path once again. ’
Odion looked up and faced Joey, ready to continue with his destruction. “All right, Mr. Wheeler, it’s time to make your final move before my Serket finishes you off for good!”
“I don’t think so! It is you who’s going down!” Joey shot back. “Here I go! I play…” Joey pulled a card from his deck, hoping it would be one that would help him defeat the scorpion-like monster. Much to his utter dismay, the card he drew was Polymerization. “I’ll just leave my three monsters in defense mode and take my chances!” At that instant, the Swords of Revealing Light disappeared. ‘At least the swords are gone…having my monsters trapped was a pain in the rear.’
“What’s his strategy, Mai?” asked Tèa.
“Right now all he can do is buy himself a little time,” answered Mai. ‘He needs to draw a good card and fast. ‘
“A desperate move! Well it’s not going to help you any longer! Feel the fury of my ancient creature! Attack his Jinzo, now!!” The scorpion-like creature grabbed onto the android monster with its claws and devoured it. As the monster attacked, it also changed its shape, growing the same long neck Jinzo had. Its attack strength also increased to three thousand seven hundred and fifty. “As you may be able to tell, when my monster attacks, it is also able to absorb half of the attack points of the monster it attacks!”
Joey’s jaw dropped open in alarm. “It can’t be!!”
“Oh but it can! So as I’m sure you can see, that’s what makes my creature virtually unstoppable.”
Joey finally realized the direness of the situation, but he was not going to make the mistake of considering giving up again, for there was too much at stake for that. “That wasn’t the only side effect...it’s bigger and uglier too,” he commented dryly.
Most of the people watching made squeamish faces. Vicki’s face started to turn green. This time she couldn’t contain the nauseous feeling. She took out a plastic bag, turned away from the others and made a mess in the bag.
Tèa frowned when she heard the noises. She turned to her friend. “Vicki? Are you all right?”
Vicki didn’t want to worry anyone by admitting that the monster’s ability was making her feel squeamish. So she simply answered, “Yes, I’m all right, Lassie. It’s just a mild case of motion sickness. Nothing a couple of Tums cannot cure.”
Tèa furrowed her brow, not convinced. “Okay then. Well you can always go back inside if you’re not feeling well.”
“No I feel fine.”
“Okay.” Tèa still wasn’t convinced.
Vicki took out two Tums, placed them on her tongue and started to suck on them. ‘Hope this helps because I don’t know if there’s any food left to take more Dramamine.’ She put on her sunglasses so she wouldn’t have to see as much.
Tèa turned her attention back to the duel in an attempt to take her mind off the repulsiveness of the creature. ‘After all we’re supposed to be supporting Joey here.’ “If he continues destroying Joey’s monsters, that means…”
“The attack strength of Marik’s monster will just continue to increase,” continued Mai.
“Until it’s too late,” added Yami.
“You’re not scaring anyone, baldy.” Joey drew a card from his deck, glanced at it and gave a half-smile. ‘Awesome! I drew Gilford the Lightning! This would have been the perfect card for me to take down that over-sized scorpion, because his special ability lets him destroy all monsters on the field no matter how powerful they are but there’s just one small problem. I need to sacrifice 3 monsters to activate the ability and I only have two monsters on the field now. Unfortunately, there are no weaker monsters in my hand for me to play now.’ “Marik, you’ve gotten lucky because now I have to pass. But next turn I will take you down, so you had better watch out! Now go!”
Odion smirked. “I will. The pleasure is all mine! Now my beast, annihilate his Insect Queen!” The monster grabbed onto Insect Queen, inhaling her and once again, mutating and gaining 1200 more attack points. This time Joey’s friends were smart enough to look away.
It was all Joey could do not to squirm. ‘Oh man, I desperately need to draw a good card on my next turn or else it’s all over for me.’
“You’re down to only one monster, Mr. Wheeler, and then you’ll be defenseless!” stated Odion.
‘Well, it appears Odion is going to succeed, but I do not blame you Joseph, for you have tried your best.’ Keren, looking grim, said another silent prayer that a miracle would happen and things would work out in the blonde’s favor.
“Hang in there, Joey!” cheered Tèa.
“Yeah, this joker has nothing on you!” chimed Mai.
“Farewell,” said Odion in a sinister voice.
Serenity could bear it no more. Her faith in her brother was unwavering but the duel had been like a roller coaster. She knew of him being in trouble before, but never to this level. And Odion’s behavior wasn’t helping the matter at all. “Oh, I can’t watch anymore of this! It’s just too much for me to handle!” She started to leave the arena.
Joey heard his sister’s whimpering and her footsteps. He knew it meant she decided she couldn’t watch him duel anymore and he couldn’t have that as he needed all the moral support he could get. He turned to face her. “Serenity, wait! Don’t leave me now! I need ya! I can’t get through this duel without you here. You’re my biggest inspiration, Serenity!”
Serenity stopped in her tracks, shocked by her brother’s words. “Do you really mean that?”
“Of course I do! Where do you think I get all my courage from? From you. You’re my family. So you’ve gotta stay here and cheer me on. It’s the only way I can win this duel.”
“You’ve got it, Big Brother!” Feeling better, Serenity headed back to the arena to continue watching the duel.
Odion looked thoughtful, hearing the words exchanged between Joey and his sister, and found their bond to be touching, and he hoped someday he would experience that feeling once again. ‘It has been so long, but I have known comfort like that. Families can chase away shadows of fear, like a light from above. I was only an infant, but I remember when I felt the light for the first time. Lady Ishtar took me beneath the desert sands, to raise me as if I were her own. All was peaceful, until the day I learned the family’s secret for the first time.’
*Flashback begins*
Four year old Odion lay in his bed, wide awake. He had been trying to fall asleep, but he had trouble as his parents were having a discussion just outside his bedroom door and didn’t take it upon themselves to lower their voices. He decided he would just listen and hope sleep would come to him then.
Mr. Ishtar faced his wife, looking very grim-the same expression he wore when he was worried about something. “For generations our clan has been guarding the pharaoh’s tomb. I feel our time will end soon and we do not have any children. Who is going to watch over the millennium necklace and rod after our deaths? We cannot fail Pharaoh now.”
Lady Ishtar had that “what are you talking about” look in her eyes she gave people with selective memories and stated, “We do have Odion. He can carry on our legacy. Why don’t you give him the tombkeepers’ initiation?”
Mr. Ishtar got a cold look in his eyes at the mention of the young lad’s name and he set his mouth in a very thin line.”I already told you Odion is not our flesh and blood. I will not break tradition by entrusting him with such an important mission.”
Lady Ishtar’s eyes narrowed a bit. She found it atrocious how discriminatory her mate was to their adopted son, but she didn’t want to start an argument. “He’s our only hope. It was fate that brought him to us on the day he was born. There is no guarantee I will conceive. Please give him the tombkeepers’ initiation on his tenth birthday.”
As much as the older man hated to admit it, his wife brought up a valid point, and he knew she loved Odion like her own. He nodded yes to appease her, all the while hoping Ra would bless them with children of their own.
Odion fell asleep with a grin on his face. He had been impressed by their job and was very excited about the possibility of doing the same thing. He felt a bit of disappointment by his adopted father’s objection, but was optimistic his wish would come true with Lady Ishtar around, for she wouldn’t stand for him being mistreated by her mate.
*Next day*
Lady Ishtar waited for her husband to step out, and called Odion to the study. She hadn’t wanted him to hear what she was going to discuss with the young lad, lest he might change his mind. Odion went to see what his adopted mother had to say. “Yes Mother?”
The older woman filled Odion in on the discussion she had with her husband the night before about who would be the next tombkeeper, and her husband’s doubts about him being the possible one. Odion nodded, not wanting his mother to know he had overheard them talking while he was trying to fall asleep.
“As you know, my dear Odion, I have always thought of you as my son. But you cannot become a tombkeeper until you receive the initiation. You will have this rite on your tenth birthday.”
Odion looked at his mother with big, excited and eager eyes. “How will this change me?”
“You will know all of that in due time, that is, if you still want to be a tombkeeper.”
“Of course I want to. Mother, does that mean I’ll be like you and Father?”
“Yes, dear,” answered Lady Ishtar. “You will finally be our son.” She hoped with all her heart Mr. Ishtar would finally accept him as flesh and blood.
Many months later, Lady Ishtar gave birth to a baby girl, which was a pleasant surprise to her just when she didn’t think she would ever have children. Not that she was complaining, since she considered Odion to be a true blessing. She held the baby on her bed for her husband to see. “She’s beautiful, and her name shall be Ishizu.”
The surly man gave a small smile at this miracle. “Finally, now all we need is a son.” He took the birth of Ishizu as an answer to the many prayers he had petitioned to the gods for so many years. He was optimistic his wish for a son would be granted sooner or later and then he would do everything in his power to show Odion he was not a true member of the family, regardless of what his wife said.
Odion was the best big brother he could be to Ishizu, always looking out for her even when he was not asked to. He enjoyed the big brother role very much. He would get to assume that role again, because four years later, Lady Ishtar gave birth again. Mr. Ishtar stood by the bed, witnessing the event with a small smile on his face. He was confident that his second prayer had finally been answered.
“It’s a boy,” confirmed the woman. “Hold him, dear.”
Mr. Ishtar’s smile grew wider as he picked up the infant boy. “Finally, a true heir. We shall call him Marik. Come, my son.” He carried Marik away, not paying attention to the fact that Lady Ishtar was experiencing the negative effects of afterbirth.
Odion took Ishizu’s hand and led her over to the older woman so they could check up on her. “Are you all right, Mother?”
“I will be. I’m just tired,” Lady Ishtar answered weakly. After she said those words, breathing was becoming a struggle. She reached out to take Odion’s hand. “Promise me you will look after your brother and sister.” With that, she expired.
Overcome with emotion and shock, Odion took his deceased mother’s hand in his. “I promise, Mother.” He felt he owed it to her, since she had been kind to him for as long as he could remember.
Following Lady Ishtar’s passing, Odion kept his promise to her to always look out for his siblings. Her husband had become even harsher and had taken to treating the young lad as a slave and sworn enemy, but his devotion never wavered as he would have kept his promise whether the older man was hard to please or not.
However, Odion secretly harbored feelings of jealously and resentment towards Marik for being a true heir and he still wanted to be a tombkeeper, despite his father’s objections. He was able to keep his feelings of ill-will hidden, though, for he knew he would not hear the end of it if he allowed harm to come to Marik—that is, until one day he started to concoct a plan to make him aware that he resented him.
Marik and Odion were playing catch outside. Marik was pretty average at it for a nine year old, but playing against his elder brother was proving difficult as he missed several. However, he was still having fun.
“I’ll get the ball, Big Brother!” volunteered the little boy after another miss. He ran to get it. Luckily, the ball had not gone far. “Here it is!” He went to pick it up, but unbeknownst to him, there was a baby cobra nearby. The creature sunk its fangs into his ankle, making him cry out in pain and collapse.
Odion heard his younger brother’s cries. “Oh no! Marik!” He raced over to the young lad to see him sitting on the ground, crying hysterically and a serpent was just several feet away from him.
“Help! The snake bit me!”
Odion promptly took out a small knife and threw it at the snake, skewering it. He then bent over and scooped up the young boy, who was beginning to feel the effects of the venom. His stomach was beginning to feel queasy and his forehead felt hot, not to mention the area on his leg where he had been bitten was still hurting. He carried Marik to the bedroom and laid him inside the bed with the intention of tending to him before his father found out. He felt Marik’s forehead and realized the young lad had a fever. He got a cloth and made a compressor that would help break the fever. Whilst he was placing the compressor on Marik’s forehead, Mr. Ishtar strode into the bedroom. He looked at Odion, the barely conscious Marik, and his eyes filled with fury.
“What has happened to my son?” the older man demanded to know. “You had better have a good explanation for his condition or you will face severe consequences!”
Odion gulped. He didn’t know what to say. He could explain what happened, but he knew there was no guarantee he would be exempted from a punishment and chances were he would be blamed for what happened, just like always.
“Well?” Mr. Ishtar placed his hands on his hips, waiting for an answer.
Odion looked his father and master in the eye, just barely managing to keep eye contact with him. He held back a shudder seeing the man’s glare. If looks could kill, he would have died that very instant. “While we were outside playing Master Marik was bitten by a serpent.”
Mr. Ishtar’s glare turned into a look of rage. “What?! You were supposed to be watching him!”
“I was watching him, sir. Neither he or I were aware the serpent was nearby.”
“I do not want to hear your feeble excuse! You will be severely punished for your incompetence! Wait here!”
Odion stood in a corner, sweating nervously and quivering with fear. He knew just what his punishment would be—feeling the wrath of his master’s whip. He had felt the wrath of it once before and it did not feel like heaven, to say the least. From that moment on, he did everything in his power to avoid it and now here again he was going to have to face the dreaded punishment because of an accident. He said a prayer that maybe Mr. Ishtar would go easy on him this time around, although he knew it would be useless to expect.
Mr. Ishtar returned a few moments later with the disciplinary switch. Odion started to back away but a glare from the older man forced him to freeze. The young man braced himself for a severe beating. And severe it was. Mr. Ishtar raised his whip and lashed the young man in the shoulders and back, making him cry out in pain. “I did not allow you into my home to be such a miserable failure!” yelled the senior tombkeeper.
“I’m very sorry, Master,” said Odion, ignoring the pain in his shoulders and back.
“Sorry isn’t good enough to change the condition of my son, whom you vowed to protect!” snapped Mr. Ishtar, lashing at his servant again and again. At this point Odion was bleeding and his clothing was torn. The older man grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the wall once he was done with the assault. “If anything happens to my son I will dig your heart out and rip it! You had better not leave his side until his fever has broken and he has recovered.” In a flourish, he exited the room.
Odion decided he had enough. Besides the harsh punishments he had to endure if there was just one little screw up, he was sick of taking second place to Marik. He took out the small knife he had used to kill the snake with and walked towards the young boy in his bed, intending to stab him to death whilst he was clinging to consciousness.
Still a bit groggy and very weak, Marik opened his eyes. “It’s my fault you’re hurt. I’m so sorry, Big Brother.”
In shock, Odion immediately dropped the knife. He never thought Marik felt that way about him. “Did you just call me brother? What would your father say if he heard you call me that?”
“Forget him. I have always considered you my brother ever since I was born.” Marik smiled weakly. He reached out a hand to his designated protector.
Odion was overcome with emotion hearing those words. Eyeing the ailing little boy in his bed, he began to feel guilty for even thinking of murdering him, much less actually executing the action. Plus he knew Mr. Ishtar would have his hide if he did. His feelings of hatred and jealousy disappeared in an instant. He reached out and took Marik’s small hand into his much larger ones and teardrops fell. “I promise not to fail you again, Master Marik. Please forgive me. I will always protect you.”
“Thank you, Brother.” Exhausted, Marik drifted off to sleep. Odion remained by his bedside and did everything he could to treat the young boy’s high fever.
Ever since Marik’s accident and resulting illness, Odion had become devoted to being his protector more than before, making sure no harm came to him and also was his rock when he was studying the ancient scriptures in preparation for receiving the tombkeeper’s initiation.
Marik was becoming increasingly nervous and terrified as his tenth birthday drew nigh for he knew what it meant. He didn’t dare tell his father that, though, for the older man wouldn’t stand for it if he thought his son was backing out. So he endured the endless studying and kept quiet about the misery he was feeling.
Eventually, Marik’s fear was so extensive that he grew very moody and he was barely able to eat. As he sat at the table reading, the words hadn’t sunk in and were not making any sense, so it looked like he was just staring at the book. He was in such a foul mood that when Odion entered holding a tray of food, he barely acknowledged his presence.
“Master Marik, I have brought you dinner, if you care to take a rest from your studies,” said Odion.
Although the young boy didn’t want to look at another ancient scripture for as long as he lived, the thought of eating was just as unappealing. “I’m not hungry.” He sat there and sulked.
“But you need to eat. At least have some soup,” coaxed Odion.
Marik’s temper rose. “I said I’m not hungry!” he huffed, knocking the tray of food out of his elder brother’s hands.
A bit stunned, Odion bent down to clean up the mess. He had never seen his little brother this grumpy before. “Is something the matter, Master Marik?”
Marik noticed Odion’s facial expression and his scowl softened a bit when he realized he had lashed out at his protector without meaning to. He felt like he could confide in him and not be chastised. “I’m sorry Odion. It’s just that I’m worried about the tombkeeper’s initiation. It will be my job to wait here for the pharaoh to return.”
Odion nodded as if to show he remembered, and he was listening. He felt like a fool for not picking up on that possibility, but then Marik had kept quiet about it for quite some time.
“Oh why did I have to be the son of a tombkeeper?” Marik continued to vent. “I have heard that the initiation is extremely painful. I don’t think I’ll be able to bear it. Not to mention I will be stuck down here for the rest of my life. Just thinking about these turn of events terrify me. I know it is tradition, that it’s my destiny. But why? Why do I have to suffer so much for this pharaoh? It isn’t fair!” He started to weep bitterly.
It broke Odion’s heart to see his master in distress. He had just finished cleaning up the mess. He rested a hand on Marik’s shoulder. “Let me do it. Your family saved me and now is my chance to save you from a life of pain as well as darkness within the pharaoh’s tomb.”
Marik’s face lit up a bit and his tears subsided. “Really?”
“I would be honored. I shall ask for your father’s consent right now.” Odion exited the room.
For the first time in several weeks, Marik felt hopeful that the burdens would be lifted and he managed a small smile at the thought. He closed his book, thinking he would give it to his elder brother if all went well.
Odion knocked on the door of his adopted father’s study. He was a little nervous since he knew the older man was not the most approachable or reasonable person in the world and treated him badly on top of it. But he was hopeful maybe Mr. Ishtar would soften once he mentioned his true motive.
“Enter,” a less than welcoming voice answered.
Odion expected such coldness given the senior tombkeeper’s hatred and disrespect towards him, so he wasn’t surprised. He gulped and entered the study, gathering his thoughts and trying to remain composed.
Mr. Ishtar eyed the young man, not too pleased to see him. “This had better be good, Odion.”
Odion ignored his adopted father’s hostility and knelt down respectfully. “Please forgive me if I have disturbed you, Master, but I have come to ask a favor of you.”
Mr. Ishtar raised his eyebrows slightly. “A favor, you say? And what might that be?”
Odion took a deep breath as he answered, “I would like to be tombkeeper in place of Master Marik.”
“You want to be a tombkeeper?” Mr. Ishtar furrowed his eyebrows as he processed the request. And the more he thought about it, the more angered he felt, partly because Odion actually had the nerve to make such a request.
“Yes sir.” Odion was becoming increasingly nervous by Mr. Ishtar’s silence as he had no idea what the older man was thinking. All he knew was that the facial expression was giving him an uneasy feeling.
“Absolutely not!” answered Mr. Ishtar gruffly. “My family’s sacred duty can only be passed on to a true heir. I will not break tradition!”
Odion flinched a bit at the tone, but decided to try and reason with the senior tombkeeper anyway. “I know I’m not your real son, but Master Marik is too frightened to go through with the initiation. I can’t bear to see him this way. Give me a chance to repay the family for taking me in. I will devote my life so Master Marik will be free.”
There was another period of awkward silence between the two gentlemen which gave Odion false hope that he had managed to convince his superior.
But Mr. Ishtar gritted his teeth and threw a small burning candle at the young man. Surprised, Odion managed to get out of the way of the flames but just barely.
“Idiot!” spouted the older man. “You dare to ask to be treated as real blood? You’re nothing more than a servant and that’s how you will be treated! My son will receive the initiation as planned and that’s final! If you speak of this again, I will cut your tongue! Am I clear?”
Odion was stunned. It seemed his adopted father’s temper was becoming more and more vicious the older he got. The thought of having his tongue cut out didn’t appeal to him so he opted to just drop the subject. “Yes Master.”
“Now get out of my sight!” barked Mr. Ishtar.
Odion got up and left the study without much of a word. He had no regrets trying but he was sorry he would have to tell Marik such bad news that he would have to go through with the initiation after all.
A week or so later, it was Marik’s tenth birthday and also the day he would receive the tombkeeper’s initiation. He wasn’t very cooperative during the preparations and it took some coaxing from Odion for him to endure it from those responsible and even then, there was a lot of reluctance. When he was taken away for the actual initiation, it took two men to keep him from trying to escape. “Help! I don’t want to be a tombkeeper! Ah, please, help me! Odion, stop them!”
Odion stood in the hall with his head bowed low, feeling saddened that he was not in any position to help his master and thought about how all of his efforts to save his master had failed miserably. It was even more devastating to hear all of Marik’s cries of pain as his back was being carved, his father smiling evilly as he did it. He suddenly thought of a way to show his support to Marik. He took out a knife, which was part of the plan he had in mind.
All the pain and suffering had put Marik in such a state of fury that in a fit of rage, he had grabbed his study book which contained the ancient scriptures and threw it at the wall, ripping some of its pages. He knew he would have hell to pay for that if his father found out but he didn’t care.
At the moment Marik was lying in his bed, still reeling from the effects of the initiation. His pain was so intense he wanted to just die. Not even the bandages were enough to soothe the agonizing pain. Odion entered the room to change his bandages. Also, his own face was covered with bandages that concealed something he wanted to show his younger brother. Not even his presence was enough to appease Marik. Instead of greeting his elder brother cheerfully, he just said, “My life has changed forever.”
“Yes. You’re a tombkeeper now,” said Odion.
“Just go!” The last thing Marik wanted was to be reminded of the one task he despised. All of a sudden he felt a sharp pain in his head. “I’m sorry. I feel so alone. Why should I pledge my life to some pharaoh?”
Odion frowned slightly when he noticed how venomous Marik sounded. It was a bit scary too because he had heard Marik voice his displeasure over being a tombkeeper plenty of times, but never on this level. He had a feeling something must have happened whilst he was receiving the initiation.
Marik glanced up at his protector and saw the bandages on his face. “What happened to your face, Odion?”
“As you know I’m forbidden to join this clan so I performed my own ritual,” explained the young man, removing the bandages from his face and revealing an ancient symbol similar to what had been carved on Marik’s back. “I hope this mark proves my loyalty to your family, sir. You’re not alone.”
Marik was relieved to hear that he had Odion’s support, but it did little to calm his feelings of bitterness and hatred.
*Flashback ends*
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 16, 2016 13:16:06 GMT
Chapter 36 Reflecting on the past made Odion regret following the darkness even more. He also remembered his last conversation with Keren, when he had assured her he also wanted Marik’s good side to shine once again and they would rebuild their relationship when that task was complete. He decided he couldn’t go on this way for much longer. ‘Sometime after this duel, I shall tell Marik the truth about his past…I have shielded him from it long enough.’ Unbeknownst to the tattooed face young man, Keren and Ishizu had already revealed the truth to Marik. Thinking about all this caused him to nearly forget about his battle with Joey.
Marik noticed his servant’s mind seemed to be wandering, and found it unbecoming of him. “Odion, you fool!” he chided. “What are you waiting for? Finish off Joey Wheeler so we could move on to our real opponents. We must defeat Yugi and Kaiba and obtain their Egyptian God cards so I can destroy the pharaoh by taking his power!!”
Odion gave a slight nod to show he understood his master’s order. He was still determined to prove he didn’t need an Egyptian God card to win, and so far he was doing an excellent job.
Joey was still thinking of a way to win and besides the possibility with his Gilford the Lightning card, he was at a loss for what to do. ‘I guess I’m just gonna have to rely on the Heart of the Cards this time around. I am sure it will let me draw something useful.’ His friends continued to yell encouraging words to him, which fired him up a little more.
“Surrender,” urged Odion in a condescending tone. “You’re helpless against my Mystical Beast!”
“Whatever, Marik. You’re crazy if you think I’m gonna give up.” Joey drew a card, desperately hoping for one that would help. He frowned deeply when he saw it was another magic card. ‘Just great. I was hoping for another monster but all I have are two useless magic cards and a monster too powerful to summon without making a sacrifice.’ “I’ll just leave my fisherman in defense mode and take my chances.”
“Smart move,” commented Odion. “However, forfeiting would have been an even smarter move.”
“Zip it, Marik!” snapped Joey. “You might look creepy, but I’m not scared. There is no way I’ll lose. My sister can finally see me duel and I’ll make sure I let her see me give you a butt kicking you’ll never forget.”
Odion shook his head in amusement, clicking his tongue. Secretly, though, he admired the blonde’s tenacity. “Is that so, Mr. Wheeler? How very touching. However, nothing will save you now!”
Mai was never one to side with the enemy, but she was beginning to feel Odion might be right. “Too bad. Joey has made some great comebacks, but I think his streak is going to end here on this blimp. He has definitely come a long way since the first time I dueled him.” She sighed, feeling a little disappointed for her male companion. “Oh well, he did the best that he could.”
“Wait, Mai,” pointed out Yami. “Look at Joey’s eyes.”
Mai looked in Joey’s direction to see what the ancient pharaoh was referring to, and she had to admit she noticed something different about the blonde’s eyes when he told Odion it was his turn. “You’re right. His eyes are filled with a fire and passion I’ve never seen in him before. It’s almost as if he knows he’s going to win. But how? I can’t think of a move that could save him.”
“What matters is what Joey feels in his heart, Mai. His determination to beat Marik is very strong. And so, he believes he’s going to win even though the likelihood of his victory is extremely small. He vowed to help me put an end to Marik’s scheme and is on the road to becoming a true duelist, and he is staying true to those vows.”
‘Hmm. I have to admit I admire Joey for being so determined even under hopeless circumstances.’ Mai was able to process what the ancient spirit had said, but was still somewhat astounded by the unwavering faith, given the dire circumstances. “Well Marik is definitely bad news, based on what I’ve seen from him in this duel. I want Joey to stop him, but how is he going to do it?”
“If he trusts himself and in the Heart of the Cards, he’ll find a way.”
Joey was so tired of waiting that he was on the verge of dozing off from boredom. He had to pinch himself to keep focused. “If you’re so confident you’ll win this, make your move already!”
Odion smirked. “Rushing to your impending doom, are we? Well, if you insist. I can assure you that you’ll regret those words. Stand back as my Mystical Beast swallows your last line of defense!” The large scorpion creature grabbed onto the fisherman monster, inhaling it. Just like the previous times, the monster changed its shape, gaining a fish’s tail. “Your monster’s power won’t be wasted.It will be absorbed by my Mythical Beast!” The scorpion monster was given 925 more attack points, raising its power to five thousand, eight hundred twenty five.
Joey’s jaw dropped open slightly as he was stunned. Not only because of how amazingly strong the creature had become, but also because he was defenseless. Not to mention he felt like he had broken his promise to Mako that he would use his one-time prized monster well, although what had happened wasn’t his fault. ‘Sorry, Mako. I didn’t mean to turn your card into a fish-stick dinner.’
Although Vicki couldn’t see very much because of her shades, she was faintly able to see the now extremely grotesque form of the monster, which was repulsive enough at the beginning. She was so dumbfounded that she clamped down on her tongue, causing her to wince in pain, which fortunately no one noticed. ‘Owww…how clumsy of me.’
“I congratulate you on making it this far, Mr. Wheeler,” said Odion. “However, your time has run out. Good luck on your final move. You’ll need it.”
‘As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. It’ll take a miracle for me to take him down at this point, although I’m not sure if even a miracle would be enough to get me out of this mess. Here goes.’ Joey slowly drew a card from his deck, hoping it would be the ticket to turning the duel around. Much to his dismay, it was another card useless for the situation. “Looks like I have to pass. So make your big move you’ve been going on about!” He glanced over at Keren to see how she was feeling about the situation, for she had been silent since her peptalk to him before the duel. She seemed to be deep in thought about something, and he didn’t want to bother her. ‘Don’t worry, lady. Something tells me whatever his big scheme is won’t work.’
“This is it,” said Tristan grimly. Although he was calm, Joey’s impending defeat was like a living nightmare for him, as he couldn’t recall the last time he saw the blonde lose any duels, with the exception of the informal one with Kaiba in Duelist Kingdom as well as against Yugi. And he could recall Joey winning against duelists tougher than Odion.
Serenity lowered her head, giving a sad sigh. “Poor Joey.” This was the moment she dreaded witnessing, hence why she wanted to leave earlier, but she was determined to stick by her brother till the very end.
“He fought well,” stated Mai with a thoughtful expression. “Only Marik fought even better.” Although she was trying hard to face reality, deep down she was disappointed, for one of her greatest wishes for the tournament was to face the blonde in a rematch. ‘Oh well, there’s always Yugi. I want to test my skills against him as well. And there will be other tournaments where I’ll get to compete against Joey.’
Kaiba looked almost disappointed by how things were turning out. ‘Looks like I won’t get to see Marik’s Egyptian God card after all. Then again, I can’t say I’m surprised, for Marik doesn’t need an Egyptian God card to crush Wheeler.’
Marik watched as the events unfolded with a small smile on his face. ‘After this attack, Yugi’s little friend will be finished. You served me well, Odion.’ He was so ecstatic his plan was going well, it didn’t seem to matter that Odion wasn’t using the Egyptian God monster.
All of a sudden, Joey began to feel a sense of optimism and reassurance he couldn’t explain. It was almost as if he had a premonition a certain event would occur before it actually did happen. “I’m not gonna lose.”
“Huh?” Mai and Odion didn’t expect to hear that at all. Odion wondered if the blonde had lost his mind to the extent where he couldn’t face reality, as his defeat was inevitable. Joey’s other friends stared at him in shock, too.
Keren had finished her lengthy prayer and looked up at Joey with a small reserved smile on her face. She had an idea of how Joey had regained his confidence despite how hopeless things looked. She took it to mean her prayers were finally being answered, little by little. ‘After all, the gods work in mysterious ways and they would never allow the tragic events that would come to pass if Odion continues on the path to destruction.’
Joey was oblivious to all the dubious stares and continued, “I really can’t explain how I know, but I have a strange feeling I will win this duel. It’s sort of like a voice inside my head telling me not to lose hope because everything will be all right. So go ahead and take your best shot at beating me, Marik!!”
“Oh I will! And as soon as my beast attacks your life points, it’s over!” declared Odion, seemingly unfazed by Joey’s previous words. “I hope you’re prepared to suffer a humiliating defeat!!”
Joey decided it was a fitting time to be frank with his opponent, and let out the angry feelings he had kept balled up inside for the entire day, now that he had found a way to tell him off in a more civil, dignified manner. It was now or never. “Hold it. Before you make your final move to try and win this duel I have something I want to say to you. I’ll never forget when you controlled my mind and forced me to hurt my best friend in that crazy duel. You didn’t have the courage to face Yugi yourself, so you made me do all your dirty work while you hid like a coward.”
Odion’s facial expression remained stoic as he retorted, “I’m facing you now, aren’t I?”
“Yeah!”
“And look at the score! I’m destroying you in a duel face to face!” pointed out the rare hunter.
Joey had to admit Odion made a strong point. Marik never bothered to confront his foes face to face, so his suspicion that something fishy was going on grew stronger. “Now that you mentioned it, ever since this duel started, I’ve had a weird feeling about you. I can’t put my finger on it, but you don’t seem like the same guy who controlled my mind. That Marik is a good- for -nothing scumbag. But despite being a jerk, you’ve played a fair and honorable duel and gave me a real challenge. Just like how I have a little voice inside my mind telling me I will win this duel, I also have a voice telling me you’re not the rotten snake that controlled my mind and forced me to duel Yugi. And I’m sure of it. You’re not Marik! I always trust what I feel in my gut and right now it’s telling me two things. You’re not who you’re pretending to be, and you won’t win!”
Stunned gasps escaped the lips of everyone watching with the exception of Keren, who merely smiled to herself at how intuitive Joey was. She looked in his direction, clearing her throat to get his attention. Once she saw she had his attention, she said, “I see you are finally beginning to understand what I had said to you.”
Joey’s eyes met Keren’s. Although he appeared nonchalant as if he still didn’t trust her, he had a soft expression on his face. “Yes, I definitely understand where you were coming from. Had begun to see what you were talking about since the duel started.”
Keren gave the blonde a warm smile. “I am happy to hear that. I am confident you will succeed.”
Joey gave a slight nod, as if to reassure the regal looking young woman.
Marik clenched his teeth and growled lowly, both because of the exchange between Keren and Joey and the thought of his identity being revealed sooner than he planned.
Odion glanced over at Keren, and the two exchanged a lengthy stare. Keren figured Odion would despise her for opposing him but what she noticed in his eyes was not anger or hatred at all, but kindness and regret. This allowed the woman to hold onto the hope that Odion would soon see the light, and he still took a liking to her.
“Rubbish!” scoffed Kaiba. “Wheeler must have completely lost it! What does he mean that duelist isn’t Marik?”
Yami watched with a purposeful look on his face. ‘I agree with Joey. There’s something different about the opponent he is facing. Although a powerful adversary, I do not sense a sinister force. But if he is not Marik, who is he?’
Mai, who was generally lost as Alice and Wonderland when it came to the subject of world domination and the like, picked up on what was going on, since she was there to witness Joey’s behavior under Marik’s control. “So who’s the real snake in the grass?” she demanded to know.
Suddenly a possibility popped into Yami’s mind. He glanced back at the real Marik, who was still under the guise of Namu. ‘Could it be?’
Marik’s facial expression grew pinched when he realized he was close to being exposed. ‘No! If I’m exposed, my plan will be ruined! Besides Yugi’s card, I’ll also need Kaiba’s card, Obelisk the Tormentor, and I need to learn his role in this ancient struggle before my secret identity is known!’ The cornsilk blonde young man shot a glare at Keren while he was at it. ‘Keren, you had better hold your tongue if you know what’s good for you. It would not be wise of you to invoke my wrath.’
“Enough of this!!” barked Odion, reaching for the fake millennium rod and pulling it out. “Only the real Marik wields the power of the millennium rod! Think of that before you let those senseless voices delude you into thinking you have a chance at victory! Now my Mystical Beast of Serket, attack Mr. Wheeler’s lifepoints and end this duel immediately!!” The tattooed faced young man smiled, not only pleased about his impending victory, but also because he would prove to his master that he didn’t need such a dangerous card to win against Joey and he would have no regrets.
Joey managed to keep his cool and didn’t even flinch as the large mutated scorpion headed for him. He simply closed his eyes. If his instincts were correct, the attack would fail, so he hoped for the best.
Yami grimly watched as the creature slowly approached his friend. “This duel is over.”
“This is it, guys,” said Mai, her voice sounding as if it were about to crack. She watched with baited breath as she hoped her male companion would be all right, in spite of what was about to happen.
But Marik, who was livid over the recent turn of events, had other plans. “Wait Odion! Stop your attack!”
Noting how frantic Marik sounded, Odion called off the attack. The monster froze in its tracks, just inches away from Joey.
Joey opened his eyes when he realized he hadn’t felt anything. His eyes widened in shock when he noticed the creature’s pinchers were just inches away from touching him. ‘What’s the deal? He’s not attacking.’ He wondered if this meant his gut feeling was right or something else. After Odion had pointed out he held the millennium rod, his faith had wavered a bit.
The spectators of the duel weren’t sure what to make of what just happened either. “Shouldn’t Joey be a scorpion snack right about now?” asked Duke, confused.
Odion turned to face his master. “I held off my attack as you requested, Master Marik. But why did you ask me to?”
“I want you to destroy him with the Egyptian God card. Play the Winged Dragon of Ra!! It’s the only way to convince everyone you are me! I must keep my identity a secret if I am to eliminate the pharaoh once and for all!”
Odion gulped. This was just the moment he had been dreading. He could see in Marik’s eyes that he was still enraged about Joey managing to figure out he was only pretending to be the enemy. A part of him didn’t mind as he didn’t feel good about deceiving his opponent, not to mention Keren was deeply hurt by his actions as well, and he didn’t want to cause any more pain to her than he already had. “But it’s too dangerous, Master. Please don’t make me remove Ra from the sacred arc.” He started to sweat and tremble.
“Play that Egyptian God card now so that I may rule as pharaoh!!!” Marik insisted impetuously.
Odion was really quacking in his boots as his master’s tone left very little room for questioning. And to hell would be with him if he disobeyed. He decided it wouldn’t hurt to reason with Marik one last time anyway. Surely he wasn’t so consumed with evil that he wouldn’t listen to reason in a life and death situation. “Master Marik, playing the Winged Dragon of Ra is too dangerous. Please reconsider your request.”
Marik’s scowl softened a tad when he saw how visibly shaken Odion was by his demands and his servant was actually quite frightened. Still, he felt he had come too far to turn back. “Listen to me, Odion, ever since I could remember, you longed to be a part of my family. Well, this is your chance to join the tombkeeper’s clan by serving me the future pharaoh. Now fulfill your duty, and play that Egyptian God card.”
The robed man nearly forgot about that. It was never pleasant to recall how livid Marik’s father was when he had shown his desire to be treated as a true member of the Ishtar family. Marik’s offer was one he just couldn’t pass up, although he was worried about his and Joey’s safety. ‘I know the dangers are great, but I must serve my master. Keren, I hope you can forgive me someday.’ He didn’t realize until now how deeply he cared for Keren.
“I don’t get it, guys,” said Tèa. “Why isn’t Marik attacking Joey?”
“I’m not exactly sure,” answered Yami in a low voice. “However, I have a bad feeling about this delay.” ‘He could have easily won with the Mystical Beast of Serket and would not cease the attack unless…’ He considered the possibility of a change in strategy, which left a bad taste in his mouth, for he had an idea of what it could be.
“Prepare yourself, Mr. Wheeler, for you are about to experience a force more powerful than you’ve ever face before, nor will you ever face again. I am Marik, and I will now play my Egyptian God card to prove it.”
“Wow. I didn’t see that coming,” muttered Joey. Although it seemed all was lost given how powerful Ra was, Joey was still confident everything would turn out all right even more than before.
“Oh no! Marik is going to play the Winged Dragon of Ra.” Mai looked really nervous and scared for Joey, for she had heard how immensely powerful the god cards were and he was defenseless. ‘I hope he’ll be all right.Shame on Marik for fighting so dirty.’
Keren buried her face in her hands in despair. ‘Oh no…just what I was afraid of. I had hoped Odion would be strong-willed enough to make the right decision but it appears he has succumbed to Marik’s pressuring.‘ She still believed her prayers for everything to fall in Joey’s favor were answered, but she had a bad feeling about the cost the blonde would emerge victorious. ‘Please be careful, Joseph.’ Suddenly her sadness turned into anger that Odion wasn’t strong enough to think for himself and use good judgment. ‘He’s no longer the man I loved. If something terrible must happen to him in order for him to find his way back, so be it.’ She had half a mind to leave but decided to stay to support Joey and an inner voice was also reminding her that she couldn’t give up hope, no matter how angered she was. She wearily rubbed her temples with her good hand.
“I hope you’re prepared for the horror that awaits you, Mr. Wheeler,” said Odion with a smirk on his face.
“Quit with the yapping and just bring it on already!!” snapped Joey, exasperated.
“Very well.” Odion averted his eyes towards the temple. “Ancient one, hear my call! I offer my ancient creature as well as half of my life points to release you! Come forth and reveal your infinite strength in the name of the next great pharaoh, King Marik!” The ancient box moved and emitted a golden aura that glowed very brightly.
Marik gave a small wicked smile. ‘Excellent.’
Kaiba smiled as well, ecstatic that he would finally get to witness the power of the strongest Egyptian God card of the three. ‘Soon, it will be mine.’
Vicki felt chills and shivers going down her spine as a blanket of darkness covered the sky, signifying the arrival of Ra. She raised her shades on top of her head, now that the hideous creature was no longer there. ‘This monster’s power gives me the creeps but at least it’s an improvement over that big old scorpion.‘
“That thing looks unstoppable!” commented Tristan, as he eyed the massive bird shaped dragon.
“It is,” confirmed Yami. He got the feeling it was even more dangerous than the other two.
Under ordinary circumstances, Joey would be squirming when staring into the face of defeat, but the inner voice that had been speaking to him had once again told him to keep the faith and things would definitely work out, so he was able to remain calm, even though Odion was relentless with his gloating. ‘If what my inner voice was telling me is true, then I have nothing to worry about.’
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 17, 2016 12:40:59 GMT
Chapter 37 Ishizu sat in her room as she heard the thunder crackling outside her window. Everything she had foreseen with her necklace occurred so far. ‘The Winged Dragon has awakened.’ All of a sudden she got an extremely uneasy feeling as her necklace had showed her the summoning of the Egyptian God monster would end in disastrous results. She had foreseen it was not the actual card, but a false copy. ‘Such a powerful monster will not take kindly to being duplicated. Joey…be on your guard.’
Joey stared at the all-powerful creature before him. Although astounded by its might, he couldn’t help but notice that something about the monster didn’t seem right. That was one of the things keeping him from squirming. He wasn’t even concerned about how he having more lifepoints than Odion would not last long if the attack worked.
Odion gave an evil smirk. “I take your silence as fear. Well, you should be afraid, because remember, my Mythical Beast had absorbed half of the attack points from your 3 monsters, giving it a monstrous attack power of five thousand, eight hundred and twenty five. All those attack points have been transferred to Ra! Once it attacks you, Mr. Wheeler, you’ll wish you never entered this tournament. Brace yourself, because you’re about to lose the rest of your lifepoints.“ The tattooed face man gave an evil laugh.
“So what are you waiting for?” asked Joey. “Take your best shot, baldy!”
What should have been an exciting moment for Mai as she was witnessing yet another Egyptian God monster had become a terrifying moment since it was her closest friend feeling its wrath. ‘It boggles my mind how Joey can remain calm in this situation. I don’t know why, but something about Ra is giving me the creeps, and not only because it’s unstoppable, either.’ She turned to Yami. “Now what happens?”
“Yeah Yugi,” agreed Tèa. “Remember when Bakura was injured by your Egyptian God card? These things are dangerous.” ‘I hope Joey will be all right.’ She realized this must be the evil Ishizu spoke of. ‘I have a feeling all that has happened so far is nothing compared to what will happen down the road. I don’t know if I can face it just yet.’
Yami merely looked on grimly, lost in his own thoughts so he barely heard the questions he was asked. A silhouette of his weaker half appeared next to him. ‘Tèa is right, and that’s why I have a bad feeling. Joey being hurt is what concerns me more than him losing the remainder of his lifepoints.‘
“What’s taking you so long??” demanded Joey, agitated. “Come and get me already!!”
Marik looked on, smiling wickedly. He could hardly believe victory was just within his grasp but it was a refreshing change, given all the previous failures. “Well done, Odion. You have made our family very proud. Your handling of an Egyptian God copy proves you are one of us once and for all. It has also convinced our skeptical friends you are Marik.” His smile grew wider as he thought about how nothing could possibly go wrong now.
“The end has come for you, Mr. Wheeler,” said Odion. “Prepare to face your worst nightmare that’s about to become a reality!”
Vicki rubbed the bridge of her nose, furrowing her brow in worry, which made her shades slightly rise off her nose. ‘Things are beginning to look horrible for Joey. I want to believe he will win, but I just don’t see how.’
“Poor Joey,” mumbled Serenity. She wrung her hands together wistfully and wanted to cry for him, but she was determined to remain strong.
Kaiba observed as the events unfolded with a smug looking smile on his face. ‘Good work, Wheeler. You have served your purpose in this duel by lasting long enough for Ra to show its abilities. Now you get to fall at the hands of an Egyptian God.’ He chuckled softly to himself. ‘Soon the Egyptian God card will be mine.’
Keren looked on, stone faced, and she was also feeling numb inside. Her greatest fear was about to come true. ‘Did Ra not hear my prayers?’ She lowered her head and buried her face in her hands, unable to watch anymore.
‘I can feel the sweet taste of victory within my grasp!’ Marik wore an evil grin as he barked, “What are you waiting for? Unleash its mighty force now!”
“Yes Master. I was just about to.” Odion eyed his opponent, sneering at him. “You’re done! Dragon of Ra, attack Mr. Wheeler’s lifepoints directly!!”
Joey closed his eyes, bracing himself for the inevitable. He said a silent prayer that even if his intuition was incorrect, he would at least be spared and not to the point of death. ‘Unlike Bakura, I don’t have a millennium item to protect me so if I am attacked, I’ll be in even worse shape than he is right now.’ All of a sudden he had mixed feelings, the same reassurance he had felt before as well as a bad one, similar to tightness in his chest. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up. Much to his surprise, Ra was roaring fiercely and preparing to attack, but nothing was happening. ‘What the heck?’
All the others watching didn’t know what to make of what was going on with the Egyptian God monster either. They had expected to see it deliver that powerful blast and wipe out Joey’s lifepoints, but there was also that eerie feeling.
‘What’s this?’ wondered Marik, rather irritated that his plan appeared to be foiled when it was foolproof and things had been going so well before.
Ishizu was somber at what her necklace had revealed to her regarding what was presently going on in the duel. She began to feel some discomfort in her chest. ‘I sense a great disturbance. Odion has angered the gods, and if my necklace is correct, he will pay a severe price for it. Joey will suffer too.’
Marik started to feel a strong force emanating from his hand, prompting him to take a look. What he saw caused his irritation to turn into shock. There was a yellowish gold aura surrounding his dueling deck. ‘What’s going on? My deck is emitting a powerful aura. One of great rage. It’s as if the real Winged Dragon of Ra in my deck is angry that Odion played a counterfeit card.’
What little nervousness Joey was feeling vanished when it seemed as if he had been right all along. He gave Odion a smug look as he announced, “It looks like your dragon has other plans.” He was fighting the urge to say, “I told you so,” but he didn’t want to say that until he was sure what these turn of events really meant.
Odion glared at Joey. ‘Such an impudent fool. His luck is about to run out.’ He then directed his glare towards the monster defying him. “Obey me!! Attack my opponent right now!” He couldn’t understand why Ra was being so stubborn.
Instead of attacking, the massive golden colored dragon gave a furious roar and started to dissipate with black spots surrounding it.
Everyone’s mouths dropped open as if they couldn’t believe their eyes. Not only was Ra not obeying Odion’s commands but it looked as if the creature was starting to lose shape or something.
Vicki lifted her shades on top of her head as she could feel the lens getting blurry. Her jaw dropped open slightly, and then she closed it again. “What the hell? Can someone tell me why is there black stuff surrounding the Winged Dragon of Ra? Is that supposed to be a part of the summoning process?” There was a hint of amusement in her voice when she asked the last question. ‘Man I should have brought my video camera so I could send a video of this to my friend back at my old home.’
“You got me there,” answered Tristan, shrugging his shoulders. “What I would like to know is why isn’t Ra attacking?”
“Something has gone wrong,” stated Yami.
“It’s like his card has a mind of its own.”
“There’s more to it than that.” Yami wasn’t sure how to put into simple terms that the Egyptian God monster had been angered by Joey’s opponent.
Odion watched as the counterfeit monster disappeared completely. He sighed in exasperation. “Now what?” He stood there, unsure of what he should do. More importantly, he was worried about what his fate would be. Marik was firm in his warnings about what would happen if he failed, which he had, since the card did not work. He knew he would have easily won the duel if he had stuck to his original plan, since he hadn’t been keen on using such a dangerous card in the first place, but then he would have been punished for disobedience. ‘How do I convince Master Marik to spare me because I did as he asked, even though I failed?’ He bowed his head, not daring to look in his master’s direction.
The cornsilk haired tombkeeper grasped his millennium rod tightly and gritted his teeth, frustrated that his evil scheme had failed for the last time. ‘The Winged Dragon of Ra card isn’t working! How can this be?! My rare hunters tested these cards extensively. I know some of my weaker servants perished from their injuries after feeling its wrath, but I thought Odion could control this card.’ Marik rubbed his forehead, trying to relieve it of the tension he was feeling. He knew it would be pointless to punish Odion for failure, since he was the one who gave Odion the orders to play the card.
After the disappearance of Ra, the sky remained covered in darkness and flashes of lightning started crackling, which meant a storm was about to ensue. The sudden flash of lightning made Vicki nearly jump a mile, forgetting about her hips for the moment. ‘Owww...that was stupid of me...but I couldn’t help it.’ She rubbed her pelvic area and placed her hands over her chest to calm her rapid heartbeat.
Keren’s heart leapt in her stomach. She had to wring her hands together to keep them from shaking as this moment brought back the most horrific flashback for her. Not only because of her fear of thunder and lightning storms but because it always brought back memories of the day some of the rare hunters were injured by the rage of Ra and eventually died. Now it appeared as if the same thing was going to happen to Odion and Joey. Tears filled her eyes as she lowered her head, her veil slightly covering her face. She closed her eyes and clasped her fingers together. ‘Oh Ra, please spare Odion’s life should he be struck down. Please don’t allow him or Joseph to die.’ Better judgment was telling her to leave so she wouldn’t have to witness a horrible sight but her legs were paralyzed with fear and wouldn’t allow her to move.
Joey heard the crackling sound and gazed around the playing field to make sure he wasn’t hearing things. ‘You mean to tell me a Duel Monsters hologram caused this to happen? Who would have thought?’ “What’s going on? And what’s up with this storm? “he pondered. “Either this is the best Duel Monsters hologram I’ve ever seen or we’d better run for cover.”
‘The rage of my Egyptian God card is going to strike everyone involved in this duel.’ It was then Marik was beginning to regret pressuring Odion so much to go along with his scheme. Sadly his autocratic demands were about to backfire. ‘Not only may Odion lose the duel, but he will also be hurt...and it’s all because of me. Please forgive me, Odion...and you too, Keren.’ He wondered what was causing him to feel this remorse. Was it because of what Ishizu had shown him about his past or something else?
With each passing second, the storm raged heavily, causing two powerful lightning bolts to flash and hit the ground, nearly striking Joey and Odion. Both gentlemen let out fear filled yelps.
“Joey!” Yami cried out.
“Get out of the way!” warned Serenity.
Ishizu rubbed her forehead and let out a sad sigh as she heard the raging lightning storm outside. ‘Oh my brother…what have you done?’ She had hoped he would reconsider his decision after finding out the truth about his past, but those details whether he ever would were unclear to her.
Keren could feel her legs beginning to thaw out, and her fear filled her with adrenaline. ‘I should go inside before the storm gets worse.’ She turned to leave and headed towards the elevator, but a sharp pain in her chest forced her to stop. She whirled around sharply, only to see a lightning bolt strike Odion in the head. “Nooooooooo!” Her cry just barely left her mouth before his fake millennium rod shattered. She dashed over to the dueling arena, just as Odion was about to collapse. “Odion!” She could feel a bunch of curious eyes staring at her, but she didn’t care. She came closer, started to climb onto the upper deck and reached out a hand to try to steady him.
Odion looked over at the young woman slightly, his eyes filled with tenderness and remorse. ‘Keren…I am surprised she has remained.’
“Ahem!!” Roland yelled loudly.
The sudden voice startled Keren so much that she nearly lost her grip. She immediately pulled her hand back and climbed back down, nearly stumbling when she landed. She looked up at him. “Yes sir?”
“Contact with any duelist during a match is strictly forbidden,” the middle aged man said firmly, shaking his head.
Keren’s eyes widened. ‘Goodness, how could he be so thoughtless?’ She opened her mouth to protest that Odion was hurt and needed help, but she gulped and decided not to say anything, trusting that the middle aged man would get him medical attention soon enough. “My apologies sir.” She watched in horror as Odion collapsed, falling face down, and mumbling something she couldn’t quite make out.
Marik felt a sharp pain in his head immediately after Odion collapsed and he let out a loud groan. It was just like that one time when he had returned from seeing the surface with Ishizu at age 11 and he met his father whipping Odion for their disobedience when they returned. ‘Not this again.’
Joey forgot all about winning the duel for the moment and was filled with compassion when he saw Odion lying practically motionless on the playing field, although he had a strong dislike for him before. “Hey!” he called to the tattooed face man, “you okay?” He started to walk over to Odion so he could check on him but a lightning bolt stopped him and another one struck him in the head just as it did to his opponent. He gave a yelp as he collapsed.
Keren gasped softly, covering her mouth a bit. She didn’t expect for Joey to put himself in harm’s way to be sure her male companion was doing all right. ‘That was awfully kind of him. Joseph certainly is a compassionate person.’
Serenity looked on helplessly as she watched her brother get strike by lightning. “Joey…” she whimpered.
“Joey?” Concerned, Tristan started to climb up on top of the dueling deck much like Keren did. “Are you okay, pal?“
“Get down!” barked Roland. “There’s a duel going on.”
Tristan felt like telling off this henchman, but he opted to keep his cool as best as he could. ‘Seriously though, I am not gonna budge as easily as that lady did.’ “Open your eyes. Both duelists are out cold. How could you say a duel is going on under those circumstances?!”
Roland ignored the question and answered firmly, “That may be but the duel is still in progress, in accordance with Battle City tournament rules. The gentlemen have lifepoints remaining. Now get off the playing field!”
“Forget about the rules, you suit!” snapped Tristan. “My friend needs help right away.”
“Yeah, have you no heart at all?” chimed in Vicki. “Would you be able to live with yourself if either of the duelists died as a result of your lack of concern?”
Keren chuckled softly to herself at Vicki’s directness. ‘She certainly has a sharp tongue. Those are the exact words I wanted to say.’
Before Roland could respond, Kaiba cut in, “Enough!”
Everyone looked up at the former world dueling champion, curious to hear what he had to say.
“I don’t know where that lightning came from, but it had nothing to do with the KaibaCorporation’s duel disk system. I do not have my duel disks set to do damage. The duelists must have received some sort of mental injury from a freak act of nature.”
“Who cares what it was? Just end this duel now!” Mai piped up.
Roland nodded. “I see.” He looked thoughtful. “Should I declare the duel a double forfeit? Disqualify them both?”
“Not yet,” answered Kaiba. “Wheeler has more lifepoints than his opponent so if he could be the first to get up in 5 minutes, he’ll be the winner and go on in the finals.”
“Yes sir.”
Yami’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Kaiba, that’s ridiculous!”he said. He couldn’t believe Kaiba was still thinking about the winner when both duelists were hurt. He and the others realized though, there was no point in convincing him of that, for he could be more stubborn than a mule. Reluctantly, they went along with it.
“Wake up, Joey!” chanted Mai. “You can do it!”
“Please Joey!!” pleaded Tèa. “Snap out of it!” Although she wasn’t sure what to believe anymore, she still was desperate for her friend’s victory.
Meanwhile, Marik was hunched over, clutching his head as the pain was growing more and more intense with each passing second due to Odion’s lack of consciousness. ‘What is causing me this pain? Could it be the evil controlling me Ishizu spoke of?’
Odion was drifting in and out of consciousness. “Master Marik...I have to protect him,” he mumbled.
Ishizu rose from her chair to stretch her legs, as they were cramped from sitting for so long. She walked over to the window and took a peek through it, frowning when she saw how dark the sky was. ‘Marik has angered the gods…now everyone on board this ship is in danger.’
(on dueling deck)
Joey’s friends had a staunch support for him and were rooting for him to win the duel, though he still lay there motionless.
“Come on, Joey, we’re here for you!”
“Stand up now, Joey. I know you’ve got what it takes to beat this joker!” Mai was still intent on facing Joey in the finals. ‘If he doesn’t pull through this, I won’t forgive him.’
Roland observed with his arms folded, keeping track of how much time both duelists had before they would be disqualified. So far, one minute had gone by, which meant Joey and Odion had four more minutes.
(Ishizu’s room)
Ishizu sat back down, having decided she rested her legs enough. Also, she needed a moment to recover from the visions she was just shown. ‘The visions I have just received from my necklace are disturbing. It tells me that the evil within Marik may grow stronger. I will always remember the day he received the tombkeeper’s initiation. It was a day that would change all of us forever. But during that ritual, a great evil awoke within my brother, and now that Odion is unable to protect him, that evil presence will increase in power.‘ She commended Odion on his devotion to protecting Marik, and had felt hopeful that his good side would be brought out one day. ‘Now that Odion is out of commission, those chances have decreased drastically. However, Keren and I must not give up, no matter what happens.’ She sighed heavily, imagining how stressed and devastated Keren must feel at the moment.
(on deck)
After another bout of unconsciousness, Odion managed to regain some consciousness again. He had heard Roland’s announcement that the one who stood up first would be victorious whilst struggling to remain lucid. He figured his cover had already been blown to Joey, but decided it did not matter anymore. The only things he cared about was making sure Marik’s dark side didn’t take over completely and making amends with Joey as well as Keren afterwards. ‘I must get up. It’s my duty to protect Marik.’ He very cautiously began to pull himself up, despite how weakened and exhausted he was.
Gasps escaped the lips of Mai, Serenity and Tèa when they saw Odion trying to get to his feet. Keren wasn’t sure if she should be somewhat happy that Odion was proving what a fighter he was or disappointed that it appeared he might win the duel and continue his madness.
“That’s not good,” said Mai.
“Joey!” screamed Tèa.
“My goodness,” said Vicki in a rather low voice. “To think this laddie is determined to win even though he’s pretty banged up.” She admired him for that, and was also sorry he had gotten hurt, but not enough to want him to win. Her voice got louder as she called out, “Joey, come on! Hurry!”
‘I won’t disappoint you again, Master Marik....’ Odion got on his knees, desperately trying to make it on his feet.
Kaiba smirked, shaking his head as he listened to the cheers. ‘How sad. Don’t they realize it’s hopeless?’ “It looks like we have our winner.”
“And the winner is…” Roland started to announce with his arm raised upward. Before he could finish the declaration, Odion collapsed once again, groaning.
“I’m sorry, sir,” the rare hunter mumbled, hoping Marik had enough good left in him to take his condition into consideration and not punish him for failure. While Marik was very autocratic towards him, he had never come across as black hearted before.
“You can still win, Joey!” said Yami.
“Get up, Big Brother!” said Serenity.
“Joey!” Mai and Tèa cried out.
“Both duelists have three more minutes. If neither duelist gets to his feet as soon as the time elapses, they will be disqualified from the Battle City tournament finals!” declared Roland.
Joey could hear Roland’s announcement as well as his friends cheering for him while in his seemingly-unconscious state. He knew he had to get up, but he didn’t have the strength to. Plus he was currently in a deep dream state. He dreamt that he was at school, getting ready to leave for a Duel Monster’s tournament he would be participating in and his friends had come to show their moral support and wish him well. Of course Kaiba tried to discourage him but that wasn’t enough to shake him. When it was time for him to leave, he had trouble getting up so all of his friends had to help him. A minute later, he began to stir and suddenly felt this burst of energy surging through him. He arose to his feet and stood up with very little trouble. He looked down at his hands, and then looked up. ‘What gives? I’m actually standing.’ Not only that, but he was steady on his feet. Smiles appeared on the faces of all his friends when they saw him standing. Even Keren managed a small smile, as it appeared another one of her prayers had been answered.
“Hey look!” pointed out Yami.
“He’s up.” Mai had a grin on her face, not only because of her friend’s victory, but also because she would get her wish to face a real challenge in the finals.
“You did it!” Yami told Joey with a congratulatory smile on his face.
“That means you win the duel!” said Serenity excitedly.
Joey gazed around the playing field, looking slightly confused and feeling brain fogged. His friends’ words just barely registered in his mind. “Hey guys, I’m lost. Could you fill me in, please?”
Tèa groaned in frustration at the blonde’s ditziness. “You’re dueling in the finals?? Hello, is your brain awake or asleep??”
“And you scared us, you dope!” yelled Mai. “Don’t ever do that again!”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry.” Joey looked straight ahead and spotted Odion lying on the field across from him. “I now know where I am but I’m still clueless as to who that guy is.” He took a closer look at Odion and immediately recognized the hairstyle and outfit. “Oh yeah. I remember.”
*Flashback begins*
“Obey me!” barked Odion. “And attack my opponent right now!”
“Joey!” Yami cried out.
“Get out of the way!” warned Serenity.
“Hey!” Joey called to the tattooed face man, “you okay?” He started to walk over to Odion so he could check on him but a lightning bolt stopped him and another one struck him in the head just as it did to his opponent.
*Flashback ends*
“His card went nuts,” Joey recalled. “And that’s the last thing I remember.”
Roland raised his arm again as he announced, “The winner of this duel is Joey Wheeler!”
“So I won?“ asked Joey incredulously. He had to force a grin.
“Yes you did,” answered Yami.
Serenity didn’t seem to pick up on her brother’s lack of enthusiasm. “I knew you would,” she said, grinning.
Joey was usually ecstatic whenever he won a duel, but this time he looked rather thoughtful, as if he didn’t feel it would be right to celebrate at the expense of his opponent’s catastrophe. He stiffened a little when Tristan came and threw his arm around his neck asking, “Who’s the man?”
“Wait.”
Tristan frowned in concern, releasing Joey. “What’s up, man?”
“I have to check on the guy who got hurt.” Joey started to walk over to Odion. Keren, Yami and Vicki followed, as they were just as concerned, Keren most of all.
Kaiba stared after Joey, looking almost as if he had been run over by a truck. ‘How is it that Wheeler survived another match? This isn’t a cheap endurance contest. And secondly, what happened to Marik’s Egyptian God card? Why didn’t it attack? I have spared no expense to make sure my equipment is problem free. That card should have worked, unless it was a fake!’
Joey knelt on the playing field, sat down, turned his opponent over and held him up so he was in a sitting position somewhat. “Come on, man, wake up.” Keren knelt on the other side of the tattooed face man, held one of his large hands and squeezed it gently.
Odion opened his eyes very slowly, struggling to remain fully conscious. He saw his opponent looking down at him with compassion in his eyes and Keren peering down at him, holding his hand. It took everything in him not to be too distracted by her touch, as much as he enjoyed it. Even though he didn’t sense any anger from either Keren or Joey he knew he owed them an apology for his actions, and he was not the type who was too proud to say he was sorry. “Please forgive me, Joey. I’m sorry. It was an honor for me to duel with you.”
Joey’s expression softened even more so that it was very warm. He knew he wasn’t very nice either, though at the time Odion was deserving of the anger. He respected the older man for admitting he was wrong. “Well, I’m sorry, too...you know, for everything I said about you?” He winced as he remembered the insults he shot.
“No worries at all. It’s in the past.” Odion directed his attention to Keren, who was still holding his hand. “Keren, once again I apologize for all the pain I have caused you. I hope we can start anew from this day forward.”
Keren smiled softly as she intertwined her fingers with his own. “I forgive you. As for starting anew, I would like that. I love you, Odion. I always have.”
Odion’s green eyes widened slightly at the confession. He always suspected she felt that way based on her devotion to him but it was still a shock to hear the words come out of her mouth. “And I you, Keren.”
The dark haired young woman gave a genuine smile to show how happy she was to hear that. She was always afraid Odion wouldn’t return her feelings.
Just about everyone watching was moved by the tender moment between Odion and Keren, whereas Kaiba merely looked elsewhere. ‘Let them gush over each other. I have no time for romance.’
“For the record, I enjoyed dueling with you, too. Thanks to that lightning bolt, I won’t forget our match for awhile,” Joey told Odion, trying to redirect everyone’s focus. ”Now that the duel is done, you’ve got to come clean. If you’re not Marik, then who are you, pal?”
“Yes, what’s your name?” asked Vicki.
“I am merely a servant of the real Master Marik,” admitted Odion, pointing to the cornsilk haired young man who was still hunched over, clutching his head. “My name is Odion.”
Joey, Yami and Vicki directed their glances to where Odion pointed. “That’s Marik?” all three of them asked in unison.
Tèa noticed the millennium rod in Marik’s hand. “It’s that rod. It looks like the one the other guy had.”
“My word,” commented Vicki. She had to fight the urge to laugh at how ridiculous Marik’s screaming sounded. ‘After all, I should be furious that we’ve been fooled for so long.’ She was so furious about the idea that she didn’t seem to notice he appeared to be in distress.
‘That must be the real millennium rod, which means Namu is the real Marik,’ realized Yugi. Yami gave Marik a hard look as he ordered, “Admit your true identity, Marik!”
Marik stood upright, taking his hands off his head. He sneered at Yami and his friends. “It’s true. I’m indeed the real Marik, you fools!” he spat.
‘Then he must have the real Winged Dragon of Ra,’ thought Kaiba, a small smirk appearing on his face. Whilst the others were obviously ticked off, he was actually glad. ‘It would give me great pleasure to seize the Egyptian God card from him.’
“Does this mean Namu lied to us all along?” asked Tèa, clearly hurt and angry about the deception.
“Ha! Namu? He was a disguise to get me closer to Yugi!” Marik smirked evilly, sensing everyone’s anger towards him.
Joey glared at Marik. “You little worm!” That was all he could say without risking losing his temper.
“That’s an understatement,” Vicki muttered under her breath. The name she had in mind for him was much harsher. ‘To think I actually started to develop a crush on this sicko...ugh! How stupid of me!’ What positive emotions she felt for Marik in his Namu guise instantly faded and were replaced by hatred and contempt.
“He’s the one who brainwashed you,” Yami told Joey in a grim voice. He wasn’t sure if he should be relieved that he finally found out Marik’s identity or not.
“So, Pharaoh, we finally meet face to face. Now at last, I can finish the job my pathetic servants couldn’t!” Marik’s evil smirk grew wider as he continued, “Yugi...you will soon be nothing but a memory and your puzzle will be mine for the taking!” His tone of voice transformed into the distinctive electronic-like one and his face distorted, causing him to grab it in pain.
“Oh no...I was afraid of this. We’re all in great danger,” said Odion worriedly. “Beware of the great evil that’s within Master Marik.”
Joey gave a puzzled look. “Great evil? What do you mean?” The sample of Marik’s evil he had witnessed before was unnerving enough for him. ‘I’d hate to see an even more evil psycho version of him.’
“What you have experienced thus far is just a mere sample,“ explained Odion. “He has an even greater evil inside him that I had been able to keep suppressed, but I will no longer be able to. Please don’t let it prevail.” With that, the reformed rare hunter fell into a deep coma.
Joey still didn’t completely understand, but he nodded. “Don’t worry, I won’t.” ‘Hopefully it will all make sense to me soon.’ He laid Odion’s head in his lap.
“Odion…” Keren pressed his hand to her cheek. His warmth convinced her he was still very much alive, but she was afraid that wouldn’t last. Once again, her eyes started to fill with tears, but she quickly dried them. She was trying to save them for when she had some alone time.
Vicki shook her head sadly. “Poor laddie.”
Just then, Marik let out a choked groan, clutching his face harder, making everyone turn their heads to see what was going on. “Let me out! You can’t restrain me anymore!” taunted a deeper, more menacing sounding voice inside of him. Marik tried his best to hold the evil being back, but it was no use. He put his hands on his head and screamed at the top of his lungs as the evil power took over. A yellowish aura surrounded him.
Joey whistled softly. “I’m gonna file this in the category of not good.”
Vicki shook her head, not sure whether to burst into laughter or be terrified. “Just when I think I’ve seen it all…”
Keren could feel her body tensing up. She knew what had just happened. ‘I wonder how Ishizu is holding up.’
“Marik! What is going on?” Yami demanded to know.
This new version of Marik looked back down, revealing his altered appearance. Most of his hair was spiked up with only some coming down to his shoulders and his eyes held next to no emotion to them at all…only malice. He cackled evilly. “I am finally free again, which means I can do things my way. I was restrained for many years by that fool, Odion.”
Vicki took one look at Marik and snorted with laughter. ‘I know I shouldn’t be laughing but he looks so funny with his hair sticking up.’
Yami gave Marik a hard look as he tried to keep calm. “Who are you?”
“I am the true Marik, and I am very different from the one you have come to know. He was afraid of darkness, but unlike him, I love it very much. I will finish the job he couldn’t complete and dispose of you forever. I deserve to be the pharaoh, not you. So get ready for the real battle. When I’m through with you, your puzzle will be around my neck where it belongs. You will be trapped forever in the realm of eternal darkness, along with your friends, Odion, and his little girlfriend Keren as well.”
Keren shuddered at the thought of being trapped in the Shadow Realm. That to her was even more terrifying than dying a slow, painful death. ‘However I would go before I allow him to hurt Odion.’
‘Yeah right, over my dead body.’ Joey rolled his eyes. “Hey pal. Do us all a favor and get a life!”
Dark Marik sneered at the blonde. “You fool. Thanks to Odion’s failure I now have a life. Of course by failing Odion did prove one thing. Only a chosen few could control an Egyptian God card. Kaiba, you’re one of them.”
Kaiba huffed disdainfully. “Ridiculous. I control Obelisk the Tormentor because I’m the most powerful duelist in the world, not because of some ancient prophecy.”
Dark Marik chuckled. “Fool! Don’t deny your ancient past. Your role in this game runs much deeper than you can imagine. However, that won’t matter once I take over.”
Vicki wearily rubbed her forehead and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay, the only thing more annoying than his voice is the nonsense he is speaking…I need brain bleach.”
Tristan nodded in agreement. “Most definitely.“
“Yugi! The battle for the pharaoh’s power will begin right now! A new history era is in the making!” Dark Marik started laughing maniacally. “The entire world will be plunged into everlasting darkness while I become the new pharaoh!” He laughed evilly again.
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 18, 2016 12:47:34 GMT
Chapter 38 The comatose Odion was removed from the playing field, placed on a stretcher and transferred to his room. A team of doctors were summoned and they started to perform diagnostic tests on him to determine his condition.
“There will be another fifteen minute break before the next two finalists are chosen to duel!” Roland announced. “I would advise you all to use that time to do some last minute preparations just in case your name is called!”
Keren heard the announcement and knew it didn’t apply to her. She went to see if the air craft had any rooms reserved for the non-duelists since no one was allowed in Odion’s room whilst he was being examined and treated. This didn’t bode too well for her since all she wanted was to remain by his side and she wasn’t sure if the doctors could be trusted. Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of him dying without her at his side to say goodbye. ‘At least we got to confess our feelings to each other, so I can at least feel closure knowing that he shares the same feelings I have had for him all these years.’ She bowed her head as she walked so if a teardrop fell it would land on the ground. She walked passed Joey but didn’t see him, so she ended up bumping into him, only realizing it was him when she heard a pain-filled grunt. She looked up with an embarrassed expression on her face. “Oh Joseph, I’m very sorry! I wasn’t as alert as I should have been. Are you all right?” She played with her hair nervously, prepared for the blonde to berate her for not watching where she was going.
But Joey didn’t look angry at all. “Ah, yes I’m okay. No worries...err…” he paused for a moment, trying to remember the young woman’s name. ‘Having such a glitchy memory sucks.’ It was right on the tip of his tongue, but he wanted to make sure he got it right. “Keren, right?”
Keren nodded. “Correct.“
Joey grinned widely at the fact that he remembered. “Are you all right, though? You seemed out of it.”
Keren’s face flushed. She never liked it when she was seen spacing out, for she was generally very lucid and conscious. “Yes, I’m just fine. I just forgot myself that moment.” That was a lie, but she didn’t feel ready to confide in Joey, seeing as how she still didn’t know him very well.
Joey studied the young woman and could tell from her facial expression that she wasn’t being entirely truthful. “You sure? Because I might be able to help with whatever is wrong.”
“That’s very kind of you, but I’m all right. Do not worry about me.” She managed a tiny smile, hoping it would be enough to convince the blonde nothing was wrong.
“Oh ok, then.” Joey started to walk away to see what Duke and Tristan were up to. ‘Hopefully I won’t have to kill them for eating all my food or messing up my room.’
Keren had nearly forgotten what she wanted to tell Joey. Then it came to her. “Joseph, wait!”
Joey stopped in his tracks and turned around. “Yeah? What’s up?”
“There is something I must say to you.”
Joey cocked an eyebrow. “Huh? And what might that be?”
“Thank you for showing Odion such kindness.”
Joey grinned sheepishly, placing his hand on the back of his head. “Don’t sweat it. I did what anyone would have done in that situation. He’s an okay guy, after all.”
Keren’s lips curled up slightly at Joey’s admission. “I am glad you see that now. In spite of his actions it was difficult to witness the hostility dealt to him.”
Joey looked thoughtful, knowing Keren was referring to the insults he had hurled at Odion, which he had not really meant. It was just a case of misdirected rage and mistaken identity. And given her confession to the Egyptian, he wasn’t surprised to hear her say how she felt. “Sorry you had to hear that. He just pissed me off.”
“Yes, I understand that. I was angry with him, too. However, I am glad you were able to look beyond his façade. “
“Me too.” Joey found himself genuinely worried about Odion, as it appeared he was hurt badly. His concerned look turned into a scowl. ‘Oh, that Marik! It’s all because of him we’re in this mess! Next time I see him, he’s gonna be black and blue!’ He stood there, silently fuming about the ugliness of the situation. He started to think of possible ways to inflict harm on Marik. He decided to put checking on Duke and Tristan on hold for the moment. ‘If they had done something out of line, that can be dealt with later. Right now there are bigger problems.’ Joey stopped daydreaming and averted his eyes towards Keren. “Let’s go check up on Odion. I’m sure you’re worried about him.”
“I most certainly am.” Keren felt as if Joey had been reading her mind. She fought hard to remain pokerfaced as much as she could so the blonde wouldn’t sense her somber mood. She was never one for showing her emotions in front of people she didn’t know very well and the last thing she wanted to do was break down when surrounded by Yugi and his friends.
“I thought so. Well, let’s go see him.” Joey turned around and headed towards room number 7, which was Odion’s room. Keren followed close behind, her heart thumping loudly with anxiety, and she also felt a bit lightheaded and queasy. When they were almost to the room, they spotted Yami and the remainder of the gang walking towards them.
“Hey Joey!” Tèa called, waving her arms at Joey and Keren to stop.
Joey and the older woman stopped in their tracks so Tèa and the others could catch up. He thought he could see a look of jealousy on Mai’s face. ‘I hope Mai doesn’t chew me out, but if she does, I could explain myself.’ He turned to face Keren. “You go on ahead. I’ll catch up later.“
Keren briefly glanced at the blonde, then at his friends and nodded, figuring he must feel more at ease around his friends than her, or maybe he picked up on the fact that she wanted some time to herself. “All right.” She walked away.
Joey looked up at his friends. “So what’s up, guys?”
“We were just gonna visit Odion,” answered Tèa. “Are you coming?”
“You bet! In fact, that’s where Keren and I were headed off to. But I thought she could use some extra time with him.“
Tèa frowned slightly when she noticed Joey’s solemn expression whilst speaking about Keren. ‘I wonder what he’s thinking. Maybe I should ask him about it later.’ “All right, let’s get going. There’s not much time before the next duel.“
“Right.” Joey and his friends headed for Odion’s room. Joey took out his key and stuck it in the slot, which opened the door instantly. They entered the sizable room just in time to see a doctor finishing off Odion’s medical examination and placing his arm to his side beneath the covers.
Joey looked around the room and spotted Keren’s veil on the bed, but didn’t see a trace of the woman anywhere. ‘That’s weird. Where did the lady go off to?’ All of a sudden he heard some muffled sniffling sounds coming from the bathroom. ‘Huh? Someone’s crying. Could it be Keren? Maybe it’s just my imagination.‘ But he knew he wasn’t crazy...at least he hoped not. He turned to the doctor. “So what’s the diagnosis, doc?”
“Well, so far Odion’s heart rate was steady,” confirmed the middle-aged man. “His tests were normal. However, he has suffered severe mental strain that has rendered him unconscious.”
Joey let out a soft whistle. “Wow. I can’t say I don’t feel exhausted after the duel myself.”
Tèa gave the blonde a look. She sighed, having the urge to pull out some of her hair. “The doctor means he has been knocked out, Joey? You should be thankful you’re not in the same state. “
“Yeah, you’re right. I was right there when his Egyptian God card went all screwy on him.“
“This isn’t good,” said Duke grimly. “That means we can’t find out who the guy is until he wakes up.”
Vicki brushed a long strand of stray hair out of her eyes. “Well, we could always ask Keren. She seems to have a deep connection to him.” She looked confused as to why her veil was there but she wasn’t. ‘Oh well...she must be using the restroom or something. Guess we’ll have to wait.’
Yami nodded. “That’s true. And what we do know is that he was determined to protect Marik for as long as he could.”
“And why would he do that?“ asked Joey. “Just look at him. Odion is lying in a hospital bed and Marik couldn’t care less if he ever wakes up again. That creep doesn’t have a heart or soul.”
“What did you expect Marik to do, send flowers?” asked Mai incredulously. “Poor Odion. It’s times when you’re down that you need friends around the most.”
“You said it, Mai.” As happy as Joey was about his victory, he felt a bit sorry for Odion that he seemed to have no one by his side except for Keren. ‘I always thought that dream was weird, but now I think it has some meaning. It could be why I was able to stand up after getting hit by the lightning bolt and Odion wasn’t.’ “Hey you guys, I believe I know how I was able to stand up. It’s because you helped me.”
“Huh?” Everyone looked up, awaiting Joey’s explanation.
“I had this dream that I was back in school and getting ready for an important Duel Monsters tournament and for some reason I couldn’t get up, so you all helped me. It reminded me you were all rooting for me and that gave me the strength to stand up.”
“Awww.” Mai, who liked to pretend she wasn’t very fond of mushy moments, was moved by the dream…so moved she wondered if she was in it. She decided to ask him about it in private to minimize the attention that would be on the both of them.
“Well, we certainly are on your side in reality, so that dream was accurate,” said Vicki.
“Yeah, and it was a much better dream than my other one, which was a nightmare about a monkey and a bowl of vanilla pudding.” Joey put his hand over his mouth, almost as if he had said it by mistake. ‘Oh boy…I can just hear the teasing right now.’
Tristan threw back his head and laughed loudly. “What is it with you and monkeys? Man, do you have a monkey fetish or what? But then again the nickname “monkey boy” is a perfect description of you!”
“Okay, that’s it!!” Joey glared at Tristan for laughing then leapt on him and grabbed his neck, choking him, the pointy haired teen squirming in his grasp and protesting.
Serenity chuckled at the blonde’s hotheadedness. “Hey, easy, Big Bro.”
Mai chuckled at the two young men. ‘Such goofballs, but you gotta love ‘em.’
“Attention all duelists! You are to meet in the dueling hall in five minutes!” boomed Roland’s voice over the PA system.
Joey and Tristan stopped fighting each other just in time to hear this announcement. “Hey guys, you hear that? Time to get going.” Joey left the room without seeing if anyone else was coming.
“Joey, wait!!” Mai called. She chased after him and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back a bit. He turned around to face her.
“What’s up, Mai?
“There’s something I have to ask you,” Mai told her male companion. “About that dream of yours…”
Joey’s face turned bright red with embarrassment as he thought about how Tristan teased him about his nightmare and he sincerely hoped Mai wouldn’t make fun of him, too. “Which one?”
“The one without the monkey.“
Joey breathed a sigh of relief although he wondered what Mai could possibly want to know about the dream where he was at school. He got a flustered look on his face as she proceeded to question him, “I was in it, wasn’t I? You know, to help you up.” He paused for a moment, just managing to give an awkward, “Uh…” He wasn’t sure how to respond. Truth be told, he really liked her and regarded her as a friend, but he wasn’t sure if right then and there would be the appropriate to pour out his true feelings. On the other hand, he knew if he said no, she would blow up at him for lying to her and then push him away. ‘Come on, Joey, just be honest. What’s the worst that could happen?’ He exhaled a deep breath as he answered, “Of course you were there. You’re one of my best friends. I have considered you a friend ever since the day you gave me your Duelist Kingdom tournament entry card when Keith stole mine, and you’ve done other things to help me as well, including encourage me to do my best in duels.”
Mai just looked at Joey, not expecting him to say such heartfelt words to her. She threw her arms around his neck and planted a big kiss on his cheek, totally catching him off guard. “Joey, you’re such a sweetheart!”
“Uh…thanks, I think.” Joey’s face turned as red as a tomato and he touched the spot on his cheek where his lady friend had kissed him. In return, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek and walked away before she could say anything.
Tèa stood there, shaking her head in disapproval as she watched the blonde leave. ‘He’s so hopeless.’ She ran after him to give him a piece of her mind.
Joey walked along the hall, still reeling from what had transpired in Odion’s room. ‘I can’t believe I did that. I do like her, but I imagine things will be awkward between us from now on.’ All of a sudden, he felt a tugging on his right ear and heard a stern female voice yelling, “You jerk! Can’t you do anything right??!”
The blonde grunted in pain and pulled away. He turned around and saw it was Tèa yelling at him. “What do you mean? What’s the problem?”
Tèa continued her tirade. “You know what I’m referring to! Why did you have to walk away instead of facing whatever happened?! You’re such a coward! Now Mai is going to think she did something wrong!” She grabbed the blonde’s ear again and marched away in a huff, leaving him dazed.
Mai waited for the butterflies in her stomach to settle down, and then she exited Odion’s room. She stood outside it, taking a peek at his unconscious form. ‘What was I thinking, letting my guard down like that, and right before a duel, too? Now I’ve scared Joey away with my emotions! What’s wrong with me?’ She sighed heavily, balling her hand into a fist and resting it under her chin. ‘Oh well…I have never relied on anyone’s help in a duel before and I won’t start now. After all, at the end of the day, I have to depend on my skills to win.’
Once everyone had left, Keren emerged from the bathroom, having cried all her tears. She sat on the stool next to Odion’s bed and sadly watched over him. She placed her hand on his forehead. “Oh Odion, I hope you’ll be all right soon. It hurts me so much to see you in this condition.” Another tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly dried it. ‘If only I had taken a chance and entered the tournament.’ She leaned over and gently kissed Odion’s forehead. There wasn’t any type of response, not that she was expecting one, given how deep his coma was. At that moment, she heard the door open and footsteps walking towards her. Her heart pounded wildly and leapt in her stomach, afraid that it might be Marik and she would have to run for her life…or stop him from causing further harm to Odion. But then the person knelt down next to her and placed an arm around the small of her back. This produced a soothing feeling, so she knew it wasn’t Marik. After all, if it were him, she would have tensed up immediately.
“Keren?” It was Ishizu.
Keren looked at the younger woman with tear stained eyes. She was sure they were extra red, as well as her face. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now. I feel as if I’m dying inside.“
“I know you’re in pain right now. Everything will be all right,” said Ishizu, giving Keren a small hug.
Keren returned the hug and then placed her chin in her hands, letting her dark hair cover her face. “I hope so.”
“I have faith that it will, and you should, too. Remember, things must deteriorate before they improve.”
Keren had to admit, Ishizu had a point, although she wasn’t sure what the probability of Odion making a quick recovery was. And her faith in the pharaoh had not been unshaken. “You’re right.”
Ishizu gave a small, reserved smile. “And whenever you need someone to confide in, I will be there for you.”
Keren almost smiled, tucking her hair behind her ears. “I know, and I thank you.”
“Of course.”
With the recess over, everyone gathered in the dueling hall, waiting to hear who would be participating in the next match. Mai looked around, deep in thought. ‘I still see no sign of that eighth duelist. I wonder who it could be.’
Joey wanted to defeat the real Marik more than anything. ‘Then again, he doesn’t even deserve to be in the tournament after the stunt he pulled. Convincing Kaiba of that would be like pulling teeth, but I have to try anyway.’ He looked over at Kaiba. “Hey, rich boy…since Marik entered the tournament with a fake name, shouldn’t he be disqualified?”
Kaiba returned Joey’s gaze and sneered at him, giving an amused huff. “I know what you’re trying to do, Wheeler, and it won’t work. This tournament is about skills and not names.”
Joey looked at the young businessman as if he had lost his mind. “And what is that supposed to mean? You don’t care that Marik broke one of the rules?”
Kaiba ignored the last question and responded, “It means my tournament is about getting rid of the competition. You should have enough guts to use your skills and not some trivial technicality.” He gave a smug smile. ‘Besides, if I am to win Marik’s Egyptian God card, I can’t very well disqualify him, now can I?’
Roland cleared his throat. “It is now time to choose the duelists participating in the next match.”
“All right, Roland, let ‘er rip!” said Mokuba.
Roland nodded at the young boy. “All right, remember your numbers!” He activated the large dragon shaped machine, shuffling the balls. One of them landed in the center. “It’s duelist number four, Ms. Mai Valentine!”
Joey shot Mai a big smile. “Way to go, Mai!”
Mai turned away from Joey, as if she were avoiding his eyes. She made an unconcerned sound in her throat.
“Huh?” Joey wasn’t expecting such a lack of enthusiasm. ‘I wonder if she’s mad at me or something. But I hadn’t done anything. I was honest with her although I was tempted not to be.’
Before Roland could activate the machine again and choose the second duelist, Mai started to walk away. “Later, guys,” she said in a flat voice.
“Where are you going?” asked Joey. “Don’t you want to find out who you’re dueling?”
Mai snorted. “Oh, like it really makes a difference. I’ll win no matter who it is. As for you, Joey, and you, Yugi, I’ll be seeing you fellas at the finals.”
Joey was stunned by Mai’s sudden change in attitude, but didn’t want to show it. “Well just know, we’ll be supporting you all the way, no matter who you’re facing.”
“It’s not necessary.”
“But why not?” asked Tèa.
“I don’t need you guys to win. Believe it or not I was a good duelist before I met you, and I happened to be all alone at the time.”
For awhile, Joey was silent, trying to think of how he could tell Mai her defensiveness was unnecessary without making her angrier, as she already seemed to be angry enough, although he had no idea why. “Mai, listen...we’re not saying you weren’t always good, it’s just—“
Mai cut Joey off. “You may need to depend on your friends in order to succeed, Joey, but I don’t!”
“Mai, where is all this coming from?” asked Joey with a puzzled expression on his face.
“You figure it out on your own. Now I’ll be going. I can’t afford to be distracted.“ With that, Mai walked away.
Joey just stared after the woman, confused. He had half a mind to call her back and find out what was going on. Sure, there were times she was snippy ever since their friendship began, but she was never this bad. ‘She must be PMSing, is all I could say.’
The doctor was heading back to Odion’s room to check up on him. Unfortunately, Dark Marik approached him at the same time.
“I’ll take that key, if you don’t mind,” said Dark Marik, the Eye of Horus appearing on his forehead and emitting a bright glow, onto the doctor’s forehead, enough to immobilize him for a bit and make him compliant. He retrieved the key from the gentleman and opened the door, entering the room. He pulled out the dagger portion of his millennium rod and approached Odion’s comatose form with a devilish smirk on his face. “It’s time to do what I should have done years ago. Odion, you poor, pathetic fool. Now, my old friend, sorry to say, you will enter an early grave. I can’t have you waking up trying to contain me anymore.“ He raised the dagger into the air, poising it at the tattooed faced man. “Goodbye Odion. When you see my father, give him a message. Tell him I will be forever grateful to him for creating me.” He started to bring the dagger down, with the intention of stabbing Odion to death, but he paused and directed his attention to the television-like projector, which happened to be on.
“Duelist number 5, Mr. Marik Ishtar, if you can hear this announcement, you are Ms. Valentine’s opponent, so please head over to the Stratos arena immediately!”
Dark Marik frowned in disappointment about his plan of destruction having to wait. “How fortunate for you. But don’t get too comfortable, I’ll be back.” He exited the room, thinking about how he would crush his opponent in the most painful way possible.
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 19, 2016 13:18:35 GMT
Chapter 39 Mai wasted no time heading for the Stratos arena. She walked over to her side of the playing field, folding her arms and tapping her foot as she waited for Marik to show up. She let out a heavy sigh. ‘Come on, Marik…show up so I could give you the butt kicking of a lifetime. I don’t have all night.’ She got a sour expression on her face as she thought about what had happened earlier between her and Joey. ‘Come on, Mai. There’s no time to think about that. You can’t afford to be distracted.’ She mentally told herself those words and put her game face on. The last thing she wanted was for Marik to pick up on her lack of focus and use it to his advantage.
Kaiba started to pace around the arena. “Where’s Marik? He should have heard the announcement. It was projected on the walls in every single room!” Waiting was not something the young CEO enjoyed doing, whether he was the one dueling or not. ‘Perhaps taking Wheeler’s advice isn’t such a bad idea after all. If he doesn’t show up pronto, I think I will.‘ He gave a small smirk, thinking about how easy it would be to obtain Marik’s Ra card if he were to disqualify the Egyptian.
Mai snickered a little. “Maybe he chickened out.” She wasn’t sure if she should be ecstatic or disappointed that it seemed like her victory would be easier to achieve than she thought. ‘I had hoped for a challenging duel but now it seems like that’s not going to happen. It really sucks.’ She pouted slightly. ‘On second thought, it just means I’ll advance to the finals. I can’t wait to crush those two boys, especially Joey.‘ Her pout turned into a smile.
Kaiba opened his mouth to comment, but he heard footsteps and a sinister chuckle. He looked up and saw that it was Marik. “Or perhaps not.” ‘It’s about time he showed up. He’s lucky he’s about to feel Mai’s wrath and not mine.‘
Mai stared at Marik with an amused look on her face as she watched him approach the dueling arena. His anti-gravitational hair, his wicked grin, the evil chuckle...all of the above prevented her from taking him seriously. ‘Well…speak of the freakshow.’ She stifled a laugh.
“This won’t take too long,” said Marik, taking his position on the playing field.
Mai rolled her eyes. ‘Yeah, it won’t take long for me to steal this loser’s prized Egyptian God card and use it to win the Battle City finals.‘
The two duelists readied their decks and activated their duel disks. Mai stared daggers at the young man, pumping her fist to show how fired up she was for the match. “Let’s go! I’m ready to show you what true dueling is all about!”
‘Fool. She will soon see that she is no match for me.’ Marik smirked at the blonde. “That’s next to impossible, but good luck.”
“We’ll see about that. However, I do appreciate your well wishes, although I sense heavy sarcasm. Now ladies first.” Mai drew her first card, her lips stretching into a tiny smile. “Not bad. I play Dunames Dark Witch in attack mode!” (1800 attk) A fairy-like creature with cat-shaped eyes and short pink hair emerged onto the field, levitating slightly. “Take it away, sweetheart.”
“If that’s your best, then it won’t be long before you meet your inevitable demise. Let’s see what my deck has in store for the both of us.” Marik drew his card and smiled slightly as he took a look at it. ‘Excellent. She will never deplete my lifepoints.’ “I play Revival Jam in defense mode.” (500 def). “I also play the magic card, Jam Breeding Machine, which will produce Slime Tokens for the next 3 turns. I’d suggest you attack me right now, while you still have the chance.”
Mai gave a deep frown at Marik’s opening move. She had expected more of a challenge from him and here he was, making things easy for her. ‘Hmmm…if I didn’t know any better, I would say he’s trying to lose this duel on purpose. However, something tells me he’s up to something, and I don’t like the smug look on his face.’ She furrowed her brow and twisted her mouth to the side as she contemplated whether she should play it safe or take a chance and attack. ‘Man, this is so hard. And I don’t want to give Marik any ideas.’ Her thoughts were interrupted by Yugi and his friends running out, Joey saying something about how Tristan took too long to use the restroom.
“Hey Mai! We’re here for you! Show that freak who’s boss!”
Mai could feel her mood shifting as she sharply looked up. Yugi and his friends were the last people she wanted to see. “Why are you guys here? Have you come to distract me from my duel? Because that’s all your cheerleading accomplishes. ” She scowled.
Joey cringed whilst listening to her ranting. ‘I swear, she’s beginning to sound like how she did when we first met. I thought those days were over, but I guess not.’ He felt like putting her in her place, but didn’t want to be a distraction for real. “Of course not. We just came to show our support, just like you did for my duel.”
Mai’s facial expression softened a bit. She still wasn’t keen on it but she knew Joey was stubborn and she wasn’t in the mood to argue with him. “Well…if that’s what you really want.”
Vicki shot the blonde woman an odd look. “Are you kidding? Of course we want to. We wouldn’t miss your duel for the world, Lassie!”
Before Mai could respond, Tèa interjected, “Yugi! What is that?” She pointed to the monster on Marik’s side of the field.
Yami looked up and gasped when he spotted Revival Jam. “It’s the same plasma monster Marik used against me.“
Tèa cocked an eyebrow. “So you went up against it before?”
The ancient spirit nodded. “There is more to it than meets the eye. I should warn Mai that her attacks will be useless before she makes her move.”
“Good idea. I hope she listens. She’s been acting really snippy, and quite frankly I am sick of it.”
Mai made up her mind about what she would do. She didn’t want Marik to think she was stalling or thinking of giving up. “My move!”
“Wait!” Yami called out. “Mai, before you make your move, you need to know, Revival Jam is—“
Mai sharply looked over at the one-time pharaoh and his friends. “Save it, Yugi. Giving advice during a duel is against the rules. I thought you of all people would know that. Besides, I could win without your backseat dueling! Do me a favor and mind your own business. Got that?”
Yami didn’t answer, but instead looked on grimly.
“I guess so,” replied Tèa. She rung her hands and sighed, trying to resist the urge to blow up at Mai that she was sick of her attitude. ‘The nerve of her talking to Yugi like that! It’s not our problem Joey made her mad!’
Marik gave an amused huff. “Do it yourself, eh? Those are brave words coming from someone who has no idea of the horror that awaits her.”
‘It’s true. I don’t know what all he’s capable of, but I won’t give him the satisfaction.’ Mai narrowed her eyes at the evil man and snapped, “Oh zip it! I know what all you can do, and it doesn’t faze me in the least.”
Marik smirked at the woman. He had so much fun toying with his victims when they tried to resist him. “Is that so? Then why do I see such fear in your eyes? That alone tells me your feistiness is merely a façade.“
Mai softly gasped when she realized Marik had picked up on how she was truly feeling. ‘How does he do that? I must not have been doing a good job masking it.’ She gazed at the cornsilk blonde man with a sneer on her face. “That’s where you’re wrong! First I place one card face down! Now, my dark witch, attack his Revival Jam with Spellbinding Flux!!” She gave a look of satisfaction as the fairy monster shot black sparkly dust from her outstretched hands at the plasma being, causing it to splatter. “That’s it for Revival Jam.”
Marik gave a devious grin as the remains of the monster mended bit by bit. “Is it?”
Mai saw Marik’s grin and her eyes widened in shock when she noticed that the monster was mending itself. “Huh? But I could have sworn I destroyed that monster. What’s going on here?”
“I see my monster’s special ability has taken you by surprise. Once Revival Jam stays in defense mode, it will reform itself every time you try to attack it. Therefore, all of your assaults are useless.“
Mai’s mouth formed into an O shape. “I had no idea.”
“That comes of no surprise to me. Perhaps you’re not as capable of holding your own as you say you are. It’s my turn now. You’re about to feel the wrath of my deck.”
Mai let out a frustrated groan. “You don’t scare me. Now quit your yapping and just go already!”
“My thoughts exactly,” Vicki muttered under her breath.
“As you wish.” Marik furrowed his brow, smiling to himself. “I play the magic card, Pot of Greed!“ He drew 2 cards. Just as he did that, his Jam Breeding Machine activated and produced the first Slime Token. “I’ll also set one card face down. It has the ability to render any attack you make against my Slime Tokens useless. That ends my turn.”
Mokuba turned to his elder brother, looking a bit puzzled. “What does Marik mean, Seto? Is there really such a card?”
“Yes, there are a handful of them. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has the rarest one.” Kaiba smiled to himself. ‘Not that it matters. The only card of his I’m interested in is his Winged Dragon of Ra.’
“My turn now. You’re about to enter a world of hurt!” Mai pulled a card from her deck. ‘Hmm. Marik plans to use those three Slime Tokens as a sacrifice in order to summon his Egyptian God monster. I’m betting his face down card is a trap meant to keep me at bay. Well I’m not about to let him do that.’ “Okay, tough guy! Check it out! I play the magic card, Harpie’s Feather Duster! It will sweep all your magic and trap cards off the field!” A pale blue tornado ensued, about to eliminate the face down card and Jam Breeding Machine.
Marik smirked evilly. “Smart move, but not smart enough.”
Mai’s eyes widened and her grin faded. “What?!”
“That’s right! I activate my trap card, Magic Jammer! Looks like your attempt to stop me failed! You were never a match for me!”
Mai grinned once again. “Not likely! I activate my face down card, Trap Jammer! It cancels out the effect of your trap!”
“No!” Marik watched as his Magic Jammer card disappeared, gritting his teeth at the fact that Mai dared to foil his scheme. ‘No matter. I have other ways to crush this fool.’
“That’s right, and you know what that means. Harpie’s Feather Duster, continue to blow those cards away!!”
Marik crossed his arms in front of his face to shield himself from the cold winds, and then he glared at Mai, letting out a low growl.
Mai laughed at his reaction. “You’re nuts if you thought I would let you get away with such a dirty plan! Dark Witch, the coast is clear, so attack that Slime Token with Spellbinding Flux!” The ebony colored sparkled dust evaporated the miniature-sized slime monster into thin air. Marik lost 1300 of his lifepoints as a result, bringing them down to twenty seven hundred.
“Yea!” cheered Joey, pumping his fist and raising it into the air.
Vicki started clapping like a little school girl. “You go girl!”
Marik smirked evilly at Vicki and Joey. ‘That’s right, rejoice, you fools. I want you to be full of hope so it would be that much more devastating when I thrust each of you into the dark abyss!’
Mai shot a sideways glance at the two teens to show she heard them, but didn’t acknowledge their support. She directed her attention back to Marik, who was once again smirking in a way that sent chills down her spine. She shook it off, not wanting him to see her rattled. “And to complete my turn, I think I will place one card face down, and that’ll do it.”
Marik let out an evil laugh. “You may have wiped out nearly half of my lifepoints, but your winning streak is about to end here and now! I summon Melchid, the Four Face Beast! I sacrifice it and Revival Jam in order to bring forth the Masked Beast Des Gardius!“(3300 attk). A blue and sandy brown creature with clawed hands appeared. “Now my beast, dispose of that miniscule fairy at once!” The beast warrior glided toward the witch and bared its claws at her, prepared to rip her to shreds.
Mai gave a smug grin. “Wrong! You have activated my trap card, Mirror Wall!” A translucent looking wall emerged in front of the witch monster, stopping Des Gardius in its tracks. The creature grimaced as it crashed into the wall. “Not only does it protect my dark witch, but your monster has also been attacked by its own reflection, cutting its attack strength in half! Dark Witch, finish off his Masked Beast!” The severely weakened monster was destroyed, draining 150 more of Marik’s lifepoints.
However, Marik was unfazed by the loss of his lifepoints. He smirked, thinking about how he had Mai right where he wanted her. All of a sudden, a light brown mask covered the witch’s face and pulled her from Mai’s side onto his side of the field.
Mai’s jaw dropped open. “My Dark Witch! What the hell is going on here? And what’s that thing on her face?”
“You seem surprised.” Marik gave a dark chuckle before explaining,”When my Masked Beast is destroyed, it leaves behind a little something—the Mask of Remnants, which has the ability to take control of your monster. Now I can do with her whatever I please. But first I will rid the field of your pathetic little trap. I play the magic card, Remove Trap!” As soon as he set down the card on his duel disk, Mai’s Mirror Wall disappeared. The latter looked on, stunned.
“Good riddance,” declared the cornsilk haired young man with a sinister grin on his face.
Mai let out a groan. ‘Just great. Now Marik will be able to attack my lifepoints directly if he summons a monster powerful enough. I have to admit, destroying my trap card was a clever move on his part. However, he will have to do better than that to beat me.’ Mai put her game face back on. ‘Whatever I do, I must not let him see me sweat.’
“Uh oh,” said Tristan. “It looks like Mai is in for it now. She doesn’t stand a chance.”
Joey looked at his friend as if he had lost his mind. “Are you on crack or something? Mai still has all of her lifepoints, and Marik still has yet to put a dent in them. He’s history!”
Mai briefly glanced over at the blonde young man, fighting the urge to smile at him for his level of confidence. It was just so inspiring. However, she didn’t want him to misunderstand, so she kept her expression neutral. ‘I suppose Joey is trying to be nice, but Tristan is right. I have to summon another monster or else I’m a goner.’ She turned back to Marik, scowling at him. “All right, Marik, you may have gotten lucky one round, but I’m about to wipe that smug look off your face once and for all!”
Marik’s grin widened as he retorted, “I would like to see you try that, my dear.” He looked the woman up and down. ‘Mmmm, her sassy attitude turns me on. I must say so far this has been an amusing match.’
Joey clenched his teeth when he saw the way Marik was looking at his lady friend. He saw anyone who attempted to steal her from him as a rival, and he sure as hell refused to lose her to Marik. “I can’t stand that smirk. I want to go up there and rearrange his face right now. He had better not get any ideas if he knows what’s good for him,” he growled under his breath, cracking his knuckles. Tristan looked at him strangely and at first he was clueless as to why. That was, until he realized what he had just said. ‘All I need is for him to tease me about being jealous or some crap.’ “Hey, Mai! Be careful! Marik is not to be trusted.”
Mai had been staring at her deck, trying to put together a new effective strategy. She glanced over at Joey again and gave him a hard look. “Pipe down! You’re distracting me!!”
“Well sor-ry! Excuse me for trying to help,” said Joey.
“I said before that I don’t need your help,” Mai snapped. “Which part of that don’t you understand?”
Joey let out a loud sigh, looking away from the older woman. He was sure there was a tense expression on his face, as he was desperately trying to keep his temper. “Okay, okay! I won’t help! Sorry for wasting my time trying!”
Serenity placed a hand on the small of his back. “Calm down, Joey. She doesn’t mean anything by it.” A grunt was all her words elicited.
Marik listened to the two blondes bicker, smirking evilly. ‘To think they call themselves friends. Well I can use little Joey’s indignity to my advantage, and his pathetic friends will also help me.’ He pulled out his millennium rod, pointing it at Mai. “Now listen to me, you foolish woman. These few turns were merely preparation for our real duel. From this moment forward, our match will take place in the true home of Duel Monsters, the Shadow Realm!”
Mai looked at Marik as if he had just spoken a foreign language she didn’t understand. “Say what now?”
“Oh no,” mumbled Yami, not liking what he had just heard. However, he was not surprised, for he knew his foe had a knack for using underhanded tactics that would enable him to overwhelm his opponents and give him an unfair advantage.
Vicki rolled her eyes. “I’m sure he’s just bluffing. He’s a total loony bin!”
“I agree with you on the loony part, but I can tell you this is no bluff,” said Tristan. “Those millennium items are much more powerful than you know. Yuge here has had to fight two shadow games in Duelist Kingdom.”
“Oh. Okay.” Vicki realized she still had yet to learn everything there was to know about the power of the millennium items. She had only witnessed some of the powers of the millennium puzzle and ring thus far, so she trusted Tristan had probably seen everything. After all, he had been friends with Yugi a lot longer than she had. ‘I should know more when I take that trip to Egypt, though.’
Marik let out an evil chuckle as his rod began to glow brightly. A massive fog of darkness immediately ensued and everyone (minus Kaiba) watched in terror as it surrounded them and engulfed the entire air ship.
Ishizu peeked outside the glass window to see if what her necklace had just revealed to her was true. Surely enough, there was a huge billow of fog blanketing the upper deck. ‘Just as my necklace predicted. My brother Marik has just raised the stakes in his duel with Mai, and the results will not be in her favor.’ Searing pain tore through her chest and stomach, causing her to nearly double over and fall out of her chair. She winced slightly as she adjusted herself.
Keren was sitting on Ishizu’s bed, staring into space. She had been out of it ever since she exited Odion’s room. She didn’t have the energy to shed any more tears, although it was all she wanted to do at the moment. She was presently feeling numb, to the extent where nothing would be able to penetrate her. Suddenly there was a shiver going down her spine which jarred her out of her trance-like state. She then glanced at Ishizu, noticing the pained expression on her face. “Ishizu? Are you in pain?”
The discomfort Ishizu had been experiencing started to fade away. She nearly jumped a mile, not expecting to hear Keren’s voice, though relieved the woman was beginning to come out of her slump. “It’s nothing. Do not worry about me.”
Keren pressed her lips together at Ishizu’s response. Normally when the Egyptian shrugged off her feelings she would let it slide, but her gut feeling told her something was wrong. “Are you sure? What’s going on? I can tell you’re in some sort of distress.”
Ishizu knew the older woman was under enough emotional stress and didn’t want to cause her any more. However, hiding the truth also went against her principles. She wearily rubbed her forehead. “According to my necklace, Marik has engaged in a shadow duel with Mai Valentine.”
Keren’s face turned pale. “What?! Goodness, no!” A part of her expected this new version of Marik would be ruthless enough to challenge his opponents to a shadow duel, regardless of their stamina. Still, she had doubts about Mai participating in such a duel. “Do you know what the outcome will be?” She lowered her head a bit, afraid of the answer. ‘Please, please say she will reign victorious.’ The last thing she wanted was for the blonde woman to end up hurt like Odion was.
Ishizu nodded grimly. “Unfortunately, Mai will lose to my brother.” She also foresaw her facing a penalty for her loss, but decided to withhold that information for now.
Keren buried her face in her hands. ‘Just as I was afraid of.’ This was one of the rare occasions she wished the millennium necklace wasn’t accurate. It was all she could do not to scream because the pressure was becoming too unbearable. She uncovered her face, mentally telling herself to stay composed. “I most certainly hope that she can remain strong no matter what happens.”
“I am sure she will. Mai is a very strong-willed individual.” Ishizu remembered she would be dueling next—against the tournament host himself. Although she had foreseen that she would defeat Kaiba, she knew it would be wise to be fully prepared, especially when facing someone as formidable as he was. ‘The sooner I defeat Kaiba, the sooner I will be able to face my brother and save him before it is too late.’ She pulled out her dueling deck to go over her strategy one last time.
Mai just stood there with her mouth hanging open at the sight before her. ‘What’s going on here? I must be imagining things, because even though Marik is creepy as hell, there’s no way he could do what he just did.’ She closed it and blinked several times just to make sure her eyes were not deceiving her. Unfortunately they were not. She darted her eyes around the arena, only to see that the fog had engulfed it entirely. She finally turned her attention back to Marik, and gave him a hard stare. “What’s with this fog?” she pondered out loud. “This is not part of a game. What have you done, Marik??”
Marik answered her question with a cruel laugh. ‘Her biggest mistake was when she thought she could defeat me, and it will be her last when I obliterate her with the Winged Dragon of Ra.’
“That’s what I would like to know,” piped up Tristan. He glanced over at Yami, who looked very grim. “Do you know what just happened, Yuge?”
Yami nodded. “It’s just as I have feared. Marik has summoned the evil powers of the Shadow Realm.” There was a glint of fury in his eyes, although he had been expecting these turn of events.
“The Shadow what?” asked Duke, looking as lost as Alice in Wonderland. “It just looks like we’ve been engulfed into a fog.“
Tèa wrapped her arms around herself to warm herself up. “This is no ordinary fog. I remember this place.” Her voice was filled with nervousness and fear. ‘I sense things are about to get very ugly, considering Pegasus is tame compared to Marik.’
Vicki rolled her eyes and wearily rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Someone needs to tell Marik this isn’t Scary Movie 2.”
Everyone but Yami looked at her strangely. She felt their stares, which gave the impression there was something wrong. “What? I was just trying to lighten the mood.”
“Well it’s not helping,” said Tèa, her voice edgy. While she usually laughed at her friend’s wisecracks, she wasn’t in the mood this time.
Vicki just shrugged her shoulders and pulled a bag of potato chips out of her knapsack to munch on. ‘Watching these duels makes me hungry.’
Marik side-eyed the spectators with a smirk on his face. ‘So these fools have witnessed the shadow powers before? Interesting. Unfortunately for them, my onslaught upon Mai will greatly surpass anything Maximillian Pegasus may have done.’
‘Come on, Mai. Get it together. You’re much bigger than some fog. It’s not worth being shaken up over,’ Mai mentally told herself in a peptalk. She snapped her fingers, causing the tan-skinned young man to redirect his attention towards her. “Good. I thought I had lost your attention. You thought you could make me give up with the stunt you just pulled, didn’t you? Well, think again. I place one card face down and then I’ll summon the Unfriendly Amazon!” (2000 attk) A girl with long braided hair appeared, tossing her sword into the air before catching it and standing it up. A bright purple aura emanated slightly from her head. Mai observed this, agape. ‘Huh? Why is she glowing?’
Marik let out an evil chuckle. “Confused, Mai? That aura signifies the stakes for this duel. Whenever your monsters go, so does a portion of your mind.”
Yami’s grim facial expression was replaced by fury. He had his fill of the young man using his friends as bait to get to him. “Marik, end this duel now!!!” he demanded, glaring at the cornsilk blonde.
Marik gave a sadistic smirk at the pharaoh’s anger. ‘Never. The shadows are hungry, and they will be fed.’
The ancient pharaoh gritted his teeth and let out a grunt of frustration. Just the thought of Mai falling victim to Marik’s twisted game sickened him. ‘Mai may not want to hear this, but it is for her own safety.’ He softened his scowl a little before turning to face the blonde woman. “Mai, listen to me! You must forfeit the match! There is more at stake than you know! If you lose this duel, you will be seriously hurt!”
Mai gazed at the pharaoh as if he had lost his mind. Her violet eyes were full of indignation, and it wasn’t just because she was interrupted, either. “Yugi, are you implying that I am not capable of defeating this nut job? How dare you underestimate my skills?! I’ll have you know that I have worked hard for this and it will take more than some creepy fog to scare me off! So if you can excuse me, I have a duel to win.”
Vicki was about to scarf down some more potato chips, but felt she had to say something. “Calm down, lassie! He’s only looking out for you. No need to bite his head off.” She continued to stuff her face.
Yami worked hard to keep a stoic expression. He expected that Mai would be defensive, given her stubborn pride and her foul mood, but he didn’t expect her to react quite that badly. “Mai, listen. I do have faith in you, but Marik—“
Mai put up a hand to silence him and let out a sigh. “Look, Yugi, Joey, Tristan, everyone, I appreciate your concerns, but my mind is made up and I will continue to duel. Nobody is going to change my mind, not Marik and most certainly not you.”
“Okay, okay, we get it all ready.” Joey let out a groan of frustration and wearily scratched the back of his head before leaning towards Yami, lowering his voice as he said to him, “Mai sure is stubborn. One thing I know is once she has her mind made up, that’s it. I have a bad feeling about her continuing, though.”
“I agree,” said Yami in a low voice. “Let’s hope she defeats Marik. She still has a chance to.”
“Yeah. We just gotta keep on rooting for her, whether she wants us to or not.”
The Egyptian gave Mai a malicious smirk. ‘That’s right, foolish girl, continue to duel. It will be your most fatal mistake yet, along with thinking it is possible to defeat me.’ “Listening to your pathetic friends would have been a smart decision, but since you didn’t, you will pay the price. I will torture you slowly and painfully. Oh how I love watching you feel the wrath of my dark powers.” His smirk widened as his face stretched to the side. He let out a deep evil chuckle.
She looked at him with bugged out eyes. ‘There is something very wrong with this guy, but I can’t get distracted.’ She coughed a bit to suppress the laughter that was threatening to escape. “Okay, freakshow, it’s my turn now! Unfriendly Amazon, attack the Dark Witch with Soaring Slash!” The female warrior leapt into the air with great amplitude and sliced the fairy-like creature in two. She was destroyed on impact and the attack drained 400 more of Marik’s life points, bringing him down to twenty three fifty.
“Very good. You have wiped out some of my life points,” he mocked with a smirk on his face. “However, Dark Witch was originally your monster, so it is you who will lose the memory of someone dear to you.” He hummed a bit as he decided who would be the first person to erase from her mind. “Hmm...I think I will choose that cheerleader friend of yours.”
Mai let out a gasp as an image of Tèa appeared. “No, not Tèa.” Although she used to poke fun of the girl for her sappiness at times, she admired her caring nature and respected her level of spunk. ‘Now she’s going to be leaving me forever.’
“That’s right. All your memories of her will be gone forever.”
The blonde stood there, stunned. She had wanted to believe Marik was just bluffing since there was no way he was capable of doing such a thing, but what she witnessed next proved otherwise. The image of the brunette girl became blurry and proceeded to fade away. “I can’t see her...” she mumbled.
Marik gave another evil grin. “This is just the beginning of the horrors that await you. With each passing turn, your mind will be wiped clean of everyone and everything you have ever known, making it nothing but an empty shell.”
‘Is this guy high on drugs or something?’ Mai gave him a strange look, as if he had legs growing out of his head or something. “Come on, now. Do you honestly expect me to believe you could do that? You may have pulled off one cheap trick, but wiping my entire memory clean is impossible.”
“Impossible? Ha! Nothing is impossible in the Shadow Realm. Why do you think I brought you here, my dear? In this realm I can torture you any way I please and everything is as real as you are.“ The eye of Horus appeared on Marik’s forehead, emitting a bright glow. An image of Yugi and the gang appeared, along with Mai. Her friends shifted away from her as she ran towards them. “Feel your friends drifting away from you,” said the tan-skinned young man. “Soon you will be in a world of loneliness and despair!” Yugi and the gang disappeared as the blonde woman reached out a hand towards them.
“Wait! Don’t go!!” Mai shook her head to rid her mind of the horrid image. Her eyes snapped open. “No, this can’t be!” Although she had snapped at Yugi and his friends and told them she didn’t need their help to win the duel, she didn’t want them to abandon her for real. Deep down she truly valued their friendship. ‘If Marik’s powers are for real, I have to win this duel at all costs, which means giving up is not an option.’
Marik feigned a look of pity. “Now now, my dear, don’t despair just yet. You are only losing one friend for now.“
Mai let out a bitter chuckle. ‘Is that supposed to make me feel better or something? If so, it isn’t working.’
“Say goodbye to Tèa!”
The image of Tèa shattered, making Mai gasp. “So it’s true then…” she mumbled, visibly shaken. ‘Maybe I should listen to Yugi. This is just too much. Wait, what am I saying? I’ve come too far to quit now.’
“Hey Mai!” yelled Joey from the sidelines, noticing her dazed form. “Are you okay?”
“Mai?” questioned Yami. He clenched his fists and started shaking with rage.
The blonde woman barely heard the voices of her friends calling out to her, for she was too lost in her own thoughts. It was all she could do to not fall on her knees the way Joey sometimes did when losing confidence in his duels. The same thing was happening to her.
Marik gave another cruel laugh. It was amusing watching the two gentlemen plead for her safety. ‘Stupid fools, your pathetic friend is far from all right.‘ He shot Mai an evil grin. “What’s the matter, foolish girl? Are my powers causing your spark to diminish? Well I am afraid it is about to get worse. You will soon be stuck in the realm of an eternal nightmare, only for you, it will be quite real.” His face distorted to the side.
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 20, 2016 12:37:22 GMT
Chapter 40 Vicki let out a groan and had to look away from Marik. “Oh for heaven’s sake!” She could feel the bile rising up in her stomach, and she coughed a bit to keep from spewing chunks. Having lost her appetite, she rolled down the bag of potato chips and placed a small clothespin on it, then placed it back in her knapsack. She coughed some more, causing the others to look up at her. They asked her things like, “What’s wrong?” and “Are you okay?“
‘What do I tell them?’ She was tempted to say she felt fine, but the thing was she didn’t particularly. Yet she didn’t want her friends to worry, either. “I think I’m gonna go inside for awhile. If I don’t return before the duel ends, fill me in on what happened.“
Tèa nodded. “Okay.” She had the feeling Vicki was hiding something and wanted to ask her, but decided not to. ‘She must have her reasons.’
“Thank you. I’ll catch you guys later.“ Vicki walked away from the group and headed towards the elevator. She hated to leave in the middle of the duel, but she needed a moment to recover from witnessing Marik’s grotesque appearance. ‘I can only imagine how Mai feels. She will forgive me if I missed the remainder of the duel, I’m sure.’
Serenity watched her leave before turning back to face the rest of the gang. “I hope Vicki will be okay. She didn’t seem to be feeling very well.” She let out a wistful sigh, worried.
“A psycho-boy like Marik would make anyone sick,” commented Duke.
“Duke!” Tristan warned.
The ebony-haired young man looked sheepish. “Uh, I’m sure she’ll be fine in no time at all,” he corrected himself before Tristan could go off on him for making Serenity more worried.
Mai stared into space, not knowing what to make of Marik’s uncanny abilities. She had thought they were cheap tricks at first, but now she wasn’t so sure. ‘I have to do something or else he will win.’
Marik gave her an evil smile. “Are you feeling lightheaded? That is to be expected when losing your memory of someone.”
Tristan forgot about Duke being a pessimist and redirected his attention back to the duel. “Mai seems to be in a major daze, you guys. I think Marik got to her.”
“Yeah, Marik is bad news,” Tèa muttered under her breath. ‘Come to think of it, I prefer the old Marik-the way he was before this nutcase appeared.’ Her voice got a little loud as she called out to Mai, “Try and hang in there! You can do it! We’re all here for you!!”
Upon hearing Tèa’s voice, Mai slowly turned away from Marik, looking disoriented. ‘That’s funny. Whose voice is that, and where is it coming from?’ She gazed towards Yami and his friends, but she still could not pinpoint who it was. She knew it wasn’t Serenity, since Serenity’s voice was much younger sounding. ‘Weird...I know someone is standing there but I can’t see them.’
Tèa gave a confused frown. “What’s wrong? She’s not answering me. And what’s with that blank stare?” If she didn’t know any better, she would think the blonde woman was so angry she decided to give everyone but Marik the silent treatment. However, she knew that wasn’t the case because if Mai were truly angry, her stare would have been an angry one instead of a blank one. ‘Something isn’t right here.’
Yami also frowned when he noticed the lack of emotion in Mai’s eyes. They looked almost as if she had been hypnotized, brainwashed or like her soul had been stolen. ‘It seems as if Tèa has been erased from Mai’s mind. I hope she wins this duel or she will be nothing but an empty shell.‘
“Cherish your memories while you can, my dear,” Marik advised. “Soon, you’ll forget everyone and everything you have ever known! It’s my move.“ He pulled a card from his deck and checked to see which one it was. The corner of his lips curled into a sinister grin. “I play Makiyura the Destructor in attack mode!” (1600 attk) A faceless dark warrior materialized onto the field. Sharp, pointed claws elongated from its hands. “I’ll also equip it with my magic card, the Mystical Black Pendant! This boosts my Destructor’s attack strength by 500 points!” A necklace appeared around the monster’s neck, giving it a total of 2100 attack points.
‘Now Marik’s monster is stronger than my Unfriendly Amazon. He’s going to attack.’ Mai tried her hardest to mask her worry. She knew she shouldn’t worry since she had a face down card for back up, but she couldn’t help it. For all she knew, Marik’s magic card might have some sort of devastating ability.
“Prepare to be wiped clean of another one of your memories!” taunted Marik, smiling maliciously at the blonde woman.
Mai fought the urge to let out a fake yawn in order to show how weary she was of hearing the cornsilk blonde’s taunting. “That’s enough!”
“Makiyura the Destructor, attack! Three Claw Slash!” The warrior lunged forward with its clawed hands extended, about to slice and dice the Amazon to bits.
Mai gave a smug smile. “I activate my trap card, Amazon Archers!” A group of girls shot a bunch of arrows at Makiyura, weakening it. “Your monster’s attack power has been reduced by 500 points, bringing it back to its original sixteen hundred!”
Marik smiled another one of his wicked smiles. “How clever.”
Mai merely cut her eyes at him, for she could hear the insincerity in his voice. “Go Unfriendly Amazon! Soaring Slash attack!” Once again, the female warrior leapt into the air and severed Makiyura in two. The blonde woman gave another smug grin. “Perhaps that’ll erase someone from your mind. How do you like them apples?”
The tan-skinned young man gave an evil chuckle as an illusion of Strings appeared and then dissipated into nothingness. “Why, thank you,” he said with a smile.
Mai raised her eyebrows and glanced at her opponent with a questioning look on her face. ‘Huh? Why would he thank me for erasing his memory?’ That was something she considered unheard of. ‘But then again, everything about this freakshow is unheard of.’ She wondered if he treasured memories at all. ‘Most likely not, if he’s so happy about what I had just done.’
Marik studied the young woman’s facial expression and chuckled lightly. One of the many talents he had was being able to interpret the look on someone’s face, and he was confident he had read hers accurately. “You have just done me a favor. Go ahead and eliminate the memories of all my servants from my mind. Given the choice I would forget every single one of them. There’s nobody worth remembering. I prefer to be all alone.”
Mai’s mouth formed an O shape at the words Marik had just uttered. ‘That’s the strangest thing I have ever heard. Who am I kidding? Marik isn’t normal.’ Even during the days she was lonely, she felt empty inside and was just masking it with her tough façade. She stared at him as if an appendage had grown out of his head. “You’re nuts.”
Marik didn’t seem fazed. In fact, he looked amused. ‘I must admit, I am rather fond of her fiery spirit. It’s much more fun when she tries to resist me. If I were weak enough to seek out a soulmate, she would be my ideal one.’ He quickly shook his head to rid his mind of such trivial thoughts and cracked a smile at the blonde lady before him. “Perhaps. However, I am sane enough to have caught you in my trap. You see, when a monster wearing the black pendant is defeated, the opposing duelist automatically loses 500 life points!”
Mai let out a little gasp as her life points dropped down to thirty-five hundred. ‘Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I’m still way ahead of him.’
“Wait, there’s more,” continued Marik. “You have also activated my Makiyura’s special ability, which allows me to play any trap card I wish, and I see fit to select this one! Rope of Life!” Not too long after he slipped the card in the magic/trap slot of his duel disk, a rope swung down and pulled Makiyura the Destructor back onto the field. “As you can see, my Rope of Life allows me to resurrect my monster!”
Mai groaned, not thrilled at the thought of facing the monster once again. “It can’t be! I already destroyed that monster!”
“Oh, but it can. My trap card also raises Makiyura’s attack strength by 800 points! You’re a fool if you thought you had seen the last of him!” The creature let out a growl as its attack power climbed up to twenty four hundred.
The blonde young woman cringed, knowing what was about to come. She mentally cursed herself for not playing another face down card on her previous turn just in case this happened. ‘I can’t make that mistake again or he’ll win for sure.’
Marik laughed at her pained expression. “It seems as if you’re beginning to crumble under the pressure! I knew your tough demeanor was nothing but a façade! Your pathetic Amazon is about to become nothing more than a memory! Makiyura the Destructor, attack!” The dark warrior glided forward and swiped across the sword wielding monster’s chest with its claws. She let out a bloodcurdling screech before disintegrating. Mai lost 400 more life points as a result. A feeling of uneasiness appeared in her stomach. ‘He’s up to something. I can feel it.’
“You’re about to lose someone else dear to you!” The cornsilk blonde man gave a malicious grin. An image of Joey appeared.
Mai’s eyes widened and she let out a loud, horrified gasp. Even though she had been anticipating something unpleasant, she hadn’t expected Marik to choose her very best friend this soon. “No, not Joey! Please don’t go!!”
Marik chuckled softly. “Hurts, doesn’t it?”
Usually Mai would retort something like, “What do you think, genius” but she was too stunned to use sarcasm. The image of Joey started to drift away, making her hunch over slightly. “He’s slipping away…I can barely see him. I feel so alone.” She lowered her head in despair. ‘It’s nothing new. This is the same loneliness I felt when I was a kid. I never had any friends because my family was always moving, my parents died when I was young, the relatives I had stayed with afterwards barely paid any attention to me...I had nobody. Even when I got my first job as a casino card dealer and discovered Duel Monsters, I was still just a lonely kid. The powerful harpies in my deck were the closest things I had to friends, but as cool and powerful as my harpies were, deep down I knew they weren’t real. So I decided I was meant to be alone and play by my own rules…until the day I boarded the ship to Duelist Kingdom, when everything changed. As soon as I saw those guys, I felt something that was very new to me at the time: friendship. The more I hung out with them, the more they began to grow on me. Sure, they were a little weird at times, but they were nice weirdoes, and soon my loneliness was gone. Now it looks as if I am losing the only true friends I ever had.’ Her violet eyes grew misty at the thought of going back to the life she thought she had left behind for good. “I…guess I’m a lonely kid again,” she mumbled as she watched the mental picture of Joey continue to fade.
“That’s right,” said Marik, his eyes twitching grotesquely. “Nobody said shadow games were pleasant!”
Mai said nothing...she looked as if she were in her own little world, which felt like it was about to come crumbling down. All she could think about was how soon it would be all over for her. ‘I am terrified to know who will leave me next. Maybe I should just surrender.’
“Feel the pain…the torment of losing your mind,” taunted the evil man. “Joey is gone forever!” Just as he said those words, the illusion of the blonde young man dissolved with a force so powerful that Mai fell to her knees.
Gasps escaped the lips of everyone (minus Kaiba) watching. They murmured amongst themselves about what Marik had done for a bit.
Joey turned away from the group to face the young woman, taking notice of the dazed, distressed look that was still etched on her face. “Hey, Mai! Are you okay? Come in!” The dazed stare was all he received from her. Groaning in frustration, Joey turned to face his friends. “What is this woman’s problem?! First she ignores Tèa, now she’s ignoring me?!” He wondered if he had to rush over to her and shake her by the shoulders, risking disqualification.
“She’s not ignoring you, Joey,” said Yami grimly. “This shadow game has made her forget who you are.”
Joey scoffed, not believing such a thing was possible. “Forget who I am? We’ll see about that!” He turned to face the woman once again. “Hey Mai! Look at me! How can you forget a mug like this? Mai! Over here! It’s me, Joey Wheeler! Duelist extraordinaire?”
Hearing Joey’s pleas, Mai gazed around the playing field with a lost expression on her face. Her eyes hit the sidelines where she spotted a figure that was transparent, like a ghost.
Yami clenched his fists, shaking a bit. ‘All right. If Marik is going to use shadow powers to hurt Mai, then I’m going to use them to help her. That’s right, two could play at this mind game. I’ll have to enter Mai’s mind and show her the truth. She has to know she won’t be wandering alone in the shadows forever.’ His millennium puzzle proceeded to glow brightly, penetrating the fog surrounding Mai and engulfing her.
Marik smirked whilst watching Mai wander around as if she were blind. ‘It won’t be too long before you’re trapped in the Shadow Realm and you perish, my dear.‘ All of a sudden he spotted a yellowish beam of light being emitted. The glare of the bright light hit his eyes, causing him to squint and cover them. He frowned when he spotted someone in the distance, who he believed was responsible for producing the light. “Hmm? What’s going on?” He let out a deep growl, not pleased with being interrupted at all.
Mai spotted the light glowing as well as a shadow of a person. She abruptly stopped in her tracks and tried to make out who it was, but had a bit of trouble because of the darkness. ‘I hope it’s not another one of Marik’s head games. I have had enough of those to last me a lifetime.’ She shuddered a bit. She was about to scream for the person to show themselves when all of a sudden she heard a familiar deep male voice informing her,”You’re not alone, Mai.”
Her heart skipped a beat. ‘Is that who I think it is?’ She certainly hoped it was, and not Marik playing a cruel trick on her because he somehow sensed she could use a little bit of help. She looked further in the distance and spotted a figure with spiky hair. “Yugi? Is that really you?”
“Yes,” answered Yami, finally revealing himself.
Secretly, Mai felt like running over to her friend and hugging him, but kept a nonchalant expression. “I won’t lie and say I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing up here?”
Marik looked at the ancient pharaoh with a scowl on his face. “That’s what I would like to know,” he grumbled angrily.
Yami ignored his foe’s hostility and faced Mai. “Listen to me, Mai. You cannot allow Marik’s illusions to distract you. Remain focused.”
Mai frowned in confusion. “Illusions? What do you mean? This whole thing is a fantasy? It all seems so real.” She wasn’t sure whether she should be relieved about the possibility or not, because it would mean she got freaked out over nothing. Though it was hard not to be overwhelmed, considering the effects Marik’s powers had on her.
“Perhaps, but it is because you are presently in a world that makes it seem real,” said Yami thoughtfully. “Win this match, and you will be able to return to life as you know it.”
‘Hmm. If only it were that simple.’ Mai studied the pharaoh’s features and saw nothing but sincerity, kindness and genuine concern. What was left of her feelings of hurt and mistrust towards the group instantly melted away. She lowered her head a bit. “But Yugi, I…”
“What is it?” asked Yami kindly.
“I don’t know if I can. I feel so empty inside.”
“Fight it, Mai.”
Joey still didn’t fully understand Mai’s predicament, but decided he would go along with it since she needed his support either way. “Hey Mai! We’re here for you!”
Mai furrowed her brow and tilted her head. “Who is it? I can’t see the person, but something about the voice seems familiar.”
“It’s the voice of your friends who continue to support you,” the ancient pharaoh informed her. Having completed the task, he allowed the light from his puzzle to fade.
Mai gave him a solemn nod, letting him know she understood his words and would take them to heart. It was generally hard for her to ask for help or accept it, but she couldn’t help feeling some gratitude for what he had done. “Thank you.”
“Come on!” cheered Joey. “I know you can beat this evil creep! Come on!”
Mai looked puzzled, trying to make out who was cheering her on. ‘It’s that voice again. Maybe Yugi is right and I am not as alone as I feel. I hope I will be able to remember these people once I win this duel, like Yugi said.’ Her facial expression hardened into a serious, all-business one. ‘All right, enough playing around. No more Ms. Nice Mai from now on.’
The tan-skinned young man could sense that the woman was beginning to regain her confidence. He gritted his teeth, letting out a growl. ‘How dare that little runt interfere with my shadow game? He will pay dearly for that.’
Just then, the door to the elevator opened, making everyone turn their heads toward it. Out stepped Vicki, looking a little less sickly than she had earlier. She rejoined the group of friends, giving a slight nod in greeting.
“Vicki!” exclaimed Tèa. “You’re back!”
“Yep, that I am…” The Scottish girl gave her friend an amused look. ‘Man, is she overdramatic or what?’ She reached up a hand to rub at her temples a bit.
Serenity let out a sigh of relief when she saw the older girl had returned. “Are you okay now?” she asked in her quiet voice.
Vicki gave the auburn haired girl a reassuring smile. “Yes, I’m just peachy.“ She coughed a bit.
“Are you sure?” asked Yami, looking concerned to hear her coughing. “Shouldn’t you still be resting?”
Vicki’s cheeks turned bright red. ‘Awww, he’s so sweet.’ She knew Yami looked out for the well being of all his friends, but for some reason her heart always melted when he showed concern for her. “No, no, I’m fine, really. I only needed a little rest and a cup of hot tea.” She laughed nervously before anyone could express doubts over whether she was being truthful or not. She glanced over at Mai and Marik, who were presently doing nothing but staring each other down. “So what is the status of the duel? Have I missed anything major?”
Before Tèa could answer, Joey cut in, “The only thing you missed was Marik being a total dickweed!”
Vicki snorted and rolled her eyes. “So what else is new? That’s all he’s good for.” She was about to say more, but decided not to, for fear she might end up revealing her minor crush she had for him while he was under his Namu guise. ‘Who knows what these folks will think of me if they found that out? Not that I really blame them.’ She adjusted the beret on her head.
Tèa gave the blonde young man a strange look before nodding in agreement. “Yes, Joey is right, in his own weird way. Marik has been so busy messing with Mai’s head. For a moment, it looked like she was going to quit. However, the good news is that she’s still ahead of him in life points, so there is a chance.”
Vicki looked thoughtful. “Well, I’m glad. There’s nothing I want more than for her to stick it to that psycho.”
Tèa looked a bit surprised at the change in her friend’s tone of voice. She sounded as if she were not willing to accept the idea of Mai being defeated. ‘I can’t say I blame her, especially considering who Mai would be losing to.’ She gave an understanding look. “We all do. With our support, there’s no way she can lose. Let’s continue cheering her on.”
Vicki nodded. “Now you’re talking.” She coughed once more and cleared her throat before averting her gaze towards Mai. “Come on, girlie! Keep going! You’re almost there!” Her voice started to get a little bit hoarse. ‘Oh dear. I must be coming down with a nasty cold. I had better make another cup of tea and hit the sack early tonight.’ She pulled out a throat lozenge from the pocket of the jacket, unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth to suck on.
Mai briefly turned to face Vicki, not saying anything, but the latter thought she saw her lip curl up a tad. She faced Marik once again with her game face on.
He sneered at her, giving an evil laugh. “Have you wised up and realized there is no way you can win? Or are you prepared to feel more of my onslaught?”
Mai put on a look of determination. “I don’t think so. Your head games don’t scare me, sweetheart. Whatever you have in store for me, bring it on. I have never backed down from a duel before and I won’t start now. That’s right, I’m back!”
Marik clicked his tongue in amusement. “It seems as if you are more foolish than I thought. The punishment I have dealt you thus far is merely a taste and is nothing compared to what is to come. You will be begging for mercy by the time I’m through with you.”
Mai laughed a short, loud sound. “I guess we’ll see. It’s time to give the scare tactics a rest and get ready buddy, because it’s my turn.” She pulled a card from her deck, took a look at it and gave a small grin. “I play Amazon Chainmaster in attack mode!” (1500 attk) A tan skinned woman with dark grey hair and a muscular build holding a lengthy chain materialized onto the field. She had several black stripes running across her back. “I’ll also place one card face down and that’s all. Take your best shot, tough guy!”
Marik eyed the monster before him, giving an unimpressed look. “With great pleasure. Your Amazon is weak and will fall before my array of powerful monsters!”
Mai stared at him with a smug look on her face. ‘That’s what he thinks, but as soon as he attacks, I will activate my secret weapon.’
“If you are so intent on defeating me, I would suggest that you don’t summon such weak monsters.”
Mai groaned. The Egyptian was getting on her nerves with his incessant taunting. “If you think you can do so much better, then just go already!”
Marik gave an amused smirk. “As you mortals say, patience is a virtue, my dear. Very well, I play Holding Arms!” (500 attk) A golden handcuff-like chain appeared, hovering in midair.
Mai’s jaw dropped open slightly. ‘I swear, he has the weirdest cards.’ She closed it and shot him a puzzled glance. “What is that?”
“This card stops your pitiful Amazon monster from attacking for three turns and drains 500 of your life points!”
Mai brought a hand up to cover her mouth. “What? Oh no!”
Marik laughed. “Yes! Holding Arms attack!” The chain-like monster soared towards the Amazon and cuffed her wrists, immobilizing her. He laughed again. “Observe my monster’s ability!” The cuffs of the Holding Arms squeezed Mai’s monster’s wrists, causing energy to radiate from her.
Mai watched with a stunned look on her face. Her original plan had been ruined. Marik’s monster didn’t appear to be one she could use her face down card on. ‘I need a new plan or else my life points will be wiped out.’ Suddenly another idea of how she could use her card came to her. A small grin appeared on her face. ‘Come to think of it, this new idea may prove to be an even better one, considering my Chainmaster’s special ability. I’ll wipe that stupid smirk off of Marik’s face. He’ll see.’
“It won’t be long before you feel the wrath of my Egyptian God monster and I trap you in the dark abyss for all eternity!” Marik let out a maniacal laugh, which made Mai roll her eyes and mutter under her breath, “Wacko!”
A silhouette of Yugi appeared next to the pharaoh. He worried for Mai’s situation regarding her monster being incapacitated for three turns. “This doesn’t look good. She needs to find a way out of this. If she loses the duel, her mind may never recover.”
Yami nodded somberly. “I know. Even worse, Marik will be able to continue his madness and people will get hurt.” He despised the idea of Mai partaking in a shadow game to begin with and wondered if Marik had any ounce of honor left. He angrily faced the sinister young man. “Marik, forget these mind games and just duel!”
“These mind games are how I duel,” pointed out Marik, smiling wryly. “You see Yugi, Duel Monsters and the Shadow Realm are intertwined. I am simply playing the game how it was intended to be played.”
Yami stared at him incredulously. “You’re insane.”
Marik cocked his head, sneering. His archenemy’s chastising and insults did very little to faze him. “Oh really? Why is that? Because I duel with ancient magic? Last I checked, so do you, by tapping into the power of the millennium puzzle. How is that any different from me using my rod?”
“It’s quite simple. I do not use my powers for evil, which you do.” It came as no surprise to the ancient pharaoh that Marik would try to justify his usage of ancient magic when the difference was quite obvious.
Mai was starting to feel as if she were no longer fighting her own battle, which she was quite used to.“Hey Yugi!”
“Huh?” Yami glanced up at the blonde young woman, letting her know she had his attention.
“I appreciate you helping me, but you have done more than enough and it’s my battle. I can defend myself from now on.”
Before Yami could reply, Joey grabbed him by his shoulders and spun him around. “Yuge!” he protested. “You’re not going to let her keep dueling, are you?”
“I am. Mai has made her choice.“
Joey released Yami’s shoulders. He still had his doubts, but he knew how headstrong the young woman was. “I just hope it’s the right one. This ain’t any friendly game of Duel Monsters. Marik is playing for keeps.”
“I reveal my face down card, Grave Arm!” As the card flipped over, a shriveled looking arm that contained sharp white claws rose out of a hole. “This lets me send any monster I choose to the graveyard.”
“Good plan, except it won’t work on my Holding Arms for two more turns.”
‘Is Marik a terrible listener or what?’ Mai gave a sly smile. “Who said I will be using it on your monster? I have other plans.”
A curious frown appeared on Marik’s features. “Go on.”
“I’m using it to bury my own monster, and since I’m destroying her, my memory stays the same,” stated Mai. “Do your thing, Grave Arm!” The greenish arm tightly gripped the Amazon around her waist and with a strong pull, she was freed from the chains.
“So you are that desperate to save the memories of your friends, are you?” asked Marik, his voice laced with amusement. “I will destroy them sooner or later, so you are just wasting your time.”
Mai let out a sigh of exasperation and narrowed her eyes at him. “Look, Marik, that’s not the only reason I’m destroying my own monster. Get a load of this! Before my Amazon goes to the graveyard, she takes a card from your deck, and I think I know which one I will choose!” She looked at the cornsilk blonde with shifty eyes. “The Winged Dragon of Ra!” The female warrior proceeded to sling her chain around in preparation for seizing the card.
A collective gasp filled the air at Mai’s words, followed by exclamations such as, “Unreal” and “Hooray” amongst most of the spectators.
Marik chuckled lightly to himself when he heard Mai’s friends expressing their excitement over her achievement. ‘Look at these fools. I wonder if they will be in such a celebratory mood once it is proven Mai doesn’t have what it takes to control Ra.’
Letting out a loud kia sound, Amazon Chainmaster swung her chain towards Marik’s deck, retrieving the God card and disappearing into the hole. Mai proudly snatched up the card and held it up with a teasing smile on her face. “You don’t look so tough without your Egyptian God card, Marik. Too bad.”
“So you’ve managed to take my Egyptian God card away from me. I must say I’m impressed,” said Marik. “However, you will have to defeat me if you want to keep it.”
Mai had a “duh” expression written all over her face. “Don’t worry, I plan to,” she assured him. “I just want to take it for a little test drive first.”
Vicki was still sucking on the lozenge, so she opted to just give Mai the victory sign to congratulate her. She held back a laugh. ‘Serves freak boy right! He’s burnt toast for sure!’
Some of Yami’s worry faded away, replaced by a look of relief. ‘Taking Marik’s Egyptian God card was an excellent move. It could be just what Mai needs to win, if she can wield it efficiently.’
Kaiba was trying hard to keep his facial expression neutral, but a smile ended up escaping his lips. “Interesting turn of events,” he commented.
“You said it,” agreed Mokuba, grinning excitedly. “Now that Mai has Marik’s card, she may win.”
“Perhaps, but it remains to be seen if she has the necessary experience to use it. She is definitely a good duelist, but is she good enough?” The CEO folded his arms.
“It’s my move!” Mai announced. She then looked serious. ‘All right. I have to sacrifice three monsters in order to summon the Winged Dragon of Ra. So far I have none and Marik has two, so it won’t be easy.’
“Come on, everyone is waitinggg,” dragged Marik.
“Yeah, waiting for you to kick his butt! Now go get him, Mai!” Joey pumped his clenched fists, showing how psyched he was to see his friend defeat Marik with his own card. ‘I can hardly wait.’ He rubbed his hands together.
Yami looked on intently. ‘Come on, Mai. You know what you must do.’
‘Show me that Egyptian God card,’ Kaiba mentally urged, feeling just a bit antsy. He was more anxious than ever to witness Ra’s ability since the counterfeit copy had not worked for Odion.
“I place two cards face down and then summon Amazon Fighter in attack mode!” (1500 attk) Another rather muscularly built woman with caramel tan skin emerged onto the field. She had spiked up chestnut brown hair and an Indian type bandana tied around her head. Her pumped fists were in a fighting pose, as if she were ready for combat. A sly grin spread across Mai’s face. ‘If you try attacking her, you’ll get an unpleasant surprise.’
Eyes fixated on the Amazon, Vicki looked on in awe, anxious to see the monster in action. ‘That monster may look weak but judging from the look on Mai’s face, she must have set a trap for Marik.’
“Ha!” scoffed Marik. “Another weak Amazon? How sad. It seems as if you were all talk. First I set one card face down. Makiyura the Destructor, attack her Amazon Fighter now!” The dark warrior lunged forward to claw the female combatant monster to death.
Mai’s grin grew wider. “Hold on there, bud! I play Amazon Magician! It swaps the attack strength of your monster with mine, so now yours is weaker!” As a result, Makiyura the Destructor had 1500 attack points whereas Amazon Fighter had twenty four hundred.
Marik’s eyebrows arched up when the realization hit him that Amazon Fighter was now the strongest monster on the field. “What?! No!” He grunted angrily.
“That’s right! Now your monster is history! Amazon Fighter, take out Makiyura the Destructor!” The Amazon warrior leapt into the air and delivered a powerful karate kick to the Destructor, destroying him. Marik’s life points dropped down to one thousand fifty. “Now erase someone else from Marik’s memory!” An illusion of Arkana appeared and faded into nothingness.
Marik chortled a bit. Having memories of his servants wiped from his mind was quite euphoric since all they ever did was anger him with their incompetence. “Hmph! I never cared much for that fool Arkana.“
Joey let out an excited yelp. “Hey, Marik’s life points are almost down to one thousand, guys! One more attack and he’s finished!” He started to grin like an idiot. ‘If Mai wins this, she’ll be a hero.’ He had wanted to be the one responsible for kicking the diabolical man out of the tournament, so he was a bit jealous. On the other hand, he didn’t mind the help, and he was sure his best friend had no qualms with it, either.
“It looks like Makiyura the Destructor is destroyed!” Mai sighed contentedly, not noticing the devious grin on her opponent’s face.
“The destruction of my monster was a small price to pay in order to have you caught deep within my trap!” said Marik, his smile widening.
Mai’s smiled faltered and turned into a look of alarm. “What? A trap?”
“I reveal Card of Last Will!”
“Card of Last Will?” repeated Mai, her violet eyes glazing over. She couldn’t help but wonder where Marik got all the rare cards from.
“This card allows me to draw five new cards and then I could play any trap card of my choice!” Marik pulled 5 cards from his deck and gazed at them to see if he had drawn any trap cards worth using. An evil grin slowly spread across his face as there was a particular one that caught his eye. ‘Perfect. In just 5 turns Mai will be finished. I don’t need Ra to crush her.’
Mai noticed the grin this time, and felt unsettled by it. ‘Hmm...I don’t trust that smile at all. Well, I’m not worried. I’m sure my other face down card will be able to handle whatever he has planned this time.’ She cleared her throat, which got his attention. “Are you gonna play your card or stand there grinning all evening? I have a duel to win!”
“Or to lose! I play my trap card, Nightmare Wheel!” A spinning wheel in the mouth of a fossilized animal with teeth-like spikes appeared on the field, ensnaring the Amazon. She had a horrified expression on her face upon realizing she could no longer move. “As you can see, this card traps your monster and takes it out of play for the duration of the duel. That’s not all. You will also lose 500 life points each turn.”
The young woman glanced at the trap that captured her monster, then at Marik. “Really? Is that the best you can do? I expected more, considering all the yapping you just did.”
Marik frowned at how undaunted Mai seemed to be, considering he came up with a fool proof way to deplete her remaining life points. “Pardon?”
“I thought you would try something like this, so I placed a card face down. It’s called Rescue Operation. This allows me to rescue my Amazon from your trap and also lets me summon a new monster to the field.”
Marik cocked an eyebrow. “Is that so? Do you plan to summon the Egyptian God monster you took from me?”
Mai gave Marik an “are you kidding” look, thoroughly tickled by how he was so quick to make assumptions without seeing what she had planned first. “Of course not!” she quipped, as if it were obvious. “Do I look that stupid? I paid attention the last time it was played, and I know if I summon it now without making a sacrifice, it would have zero attack points. But not to worry. I’ll play that Winged Dragon of Ra card by the end of my next turn.”
Joey’s eyes widened in shock. “Is she crazy? How is she gonna pull that off?“ He knew he sounded doubtful, and he didn’t mean to, but he couldn’t be positive Marik would not pull some kind of trick to prevent her scheme.
Vicki shrugged. “I don’t know, but she seems confident she can. It’s in our best interest to see just how she intends to do it.”
“Right. Forget I said that.”
“First things first. Amazon Fighter, return to my hand, now!” The monster turned into a misty substance, making its way back onto the card. Mai twisted her mouth to the side. “What new monster should I summon?” She glanced at the cards she was currently holding and to her delight, her trademark monster was one of the options. ‘Ah, yes! This will do!’ She smiled an open mouthed smile as she formulated the perfect plan to summon Ra. She wasted no time setting the card down on her duel disk. “I summon Cyber Harpie!” (1800 attk) A half humanoid, half vulture creature with long crimson hair and elf-like ears materialized onto the field with its talons bared. She let out a high pitched battle cry that sounded like an eagle screeching.
Joey grinned excitedly, pumping his fist. “Yeah! Mai’s favorite!”
Vicki’s eyes were glued to the monster. “It’s one of my favorites, too.”
Joey’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Oh yeah?”
“Yup.”
Mai did her best to drown out the chit-chat, focusing on her next move. ‘Okay, this is just the beginning. I need just one more card and I will be able to summon the Winged Dragon of Ra. Come on.’ She closed her eyes to concentrate as she pulled a card from her deck. She opened her eyes and held the card in front of her. ‘Not exactly what I was hoping for, but it could help me get what I need.’ Her lips slowly stretched into a small smile. “I play Graceful Charity, which allows me to draw 3 new cards from as long as I discard two!” She pulled 3 cards from her deck and discarded 2 that were not worth using. ‘Now it’s time to see if I drew the card I need.’ She took a quick peek and grinned. “It looks like my plan is working out after all, Marik. You asked for it. Are you ready, sweetheart?”
Kaiba’s eyes brightened, full of excitement like a child in a candy store. “The Winged Dragon!”
Yami looked bemused. ‘Mai has just one monster. Unless…’
Marik gave a derisive grin. ‘The foolish girl amuses me. She has no idea how to summon Ra and that will be proven in due time.’
“I’m about to wipe that stupid grin off your face for good, with this! I activate the magic card, Elegant Egotist! It turns my one Harpie Lady into three!” Two other harpies split from the original, one with bright orange hair and another with levitated blue hair. They also had 1800 attack points. “Let’s give a Battle City hello to the Harpie Lady Sisters!”
“She’s got three monsters! She did it!” Joey pumped his fists again and gave a huge macho grin. He seemed to have forgotten that he was invisible to Mai, quite literally.
“Next I sacrifice these three lovely ladies in order to summon the Winged Dragon of Ra!” She set the Egyptian God card on her disk. Everyone watched intently as a mighty breeze blew and darkness blanketed the sky. A blinding light shone down, prompting Mai to cover her eyes in order to shield them. The light ensued, and all the spectators looked astonished to see it was not the Winged Dragon of Ra that was revealed, but a golden ball. Due to the sacrifice she made, the monster had 5400 attack points.
Joey’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Say what?!”
Vicki had just finished sucking on the throat lozenge. “What the hell??” she belted out. She shook her head, going Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. ‘Just when I think I had seen it all.’
An evil smirk escaped Marik’s lips. ‘She’s such a fool to think she can control an Egyptian God. I think it will control her instead. That will be an amusing sight to see.’
Mai’s jaw dropped wide open. “What’s going on here? I sacrificed three monsters so why did a ball appear instead??” She groaned loudly and glowered at Marik when she saw him smirking at her. ‘That jerk! He must have known about this all along.’ She pursed her lips.
Marik let out an evil chuckle. “I see Ra’s current form has taken you by surprise. This is how it appears to those who have no connection to the ancient scriptures. If you want to use it, you will have to unlock that sphere!”
Mai stood there stunned for a few moments, not knowing what to think. Everything leading up to this moment had been going well, only for this setback to occur. “But-but how am I supposed to use it if I have to unlock it first?”
The corrupted tombkeeper did not respond. Instead he grinned devilishly, enjoying the fact that the blonde’s plan had failed. ‘You won’t be able to use it, you fool! It is impossible for you to unlock it! Hahahahaha!’
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 21, 2016 12:56:33 GMT
Chapter 41 Everyone stared agape at the spheroid figure that hovered above the heads of Mai and Marik. They didn’t understand what had just happened, since Mai had obviously paid attention and followed the correct steps to summon the monster. Unless, of course, it had something to do with Marik saying only a chosen few could control an Egyptian God.
Tèa eyed the golden sphere with a bewildered look on her face. “I don’t get it. What’s that ball?” She glanced over at Yami, knowing he might have an idea what was going on. “Yugi?”
He briefly faced her before fixing his eyes on the ball again. “Somehow the Winged Dragon of Ra has been locked in that sphere,” he answered grimly.
Tèa’s eyebrows furrowed. The whole situation boggled her mind since the monster had not made that appearance when Odion summoned it, and he was proven to be unworthy. ‘Something fishy is going on here. I wouldn’t put it past Marik if he has something to do with this.’ It was all she could do not to voice her disdain for his underhanded tactics. “Locked inside?”
Yami nodded. “In order for Mai to control it, she must set it free somehow.” Seeing the golden ball triggered a flashback. ‘If I recall correctly, an ancient chant must be uttered in order to awaken Ra.’ Although the monster was not in his possession, he had a strange feeling he would be able to read the text if he saw it. He lowered his eyes as they filled with worry that Mai didn’t have what it took to unlock Ra from the sphere. After all, she wasn’t capable of reading hieroglyphics.
“Well, she needs to find a way to get Ra out of that thing, and fast. So she could end this, now,” said Joey. It was hard enough for him to deal with the fact that she didn’t remember him. The thought of her soul being trapped in the Shadow Realm was almost too much for him to bear. He bowed his head a bit. ‘Mai...even though you may not remember me, know that I’m always there for you.’
Mai could only stand there and stare at what was supposed to be the legendary creature she had been excited about using to win the duel. Now it seemed like she had been gypped. Although she was silent, inside she was cursing Marik for deceiving her. She shot a quick glance at him, only to see him wearing an evil smirk on his features. It only served to build up the rage inside her even more. ‘Calm down, Mai. If you intend to win this duel, you have to keep a clear head.’ She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, trying to wrack her brain for a way out of the mess she unintentionally created for herself. ‘Looks like I’m gonna have to come up with another strategy. There’s no way I’m gonna give this nutjob the satisfaction of knowing he has me trapped.’
Her racing thoughts were interrupted by a sinister chuckle, making her violet orbs pop open sharply. She glared at the tan skinned young man.
Marik ogled at Mai’s indignant form. Although his goal was merely to torture her, he couldn’t help but feel aroused whenever she showed her annoyance. ‘Come to think of it, she would make an excellent love slave. It wouldn’t be much fun if she didn’t possess that fiery spirit.’ He licked his lips as he thought of possible ways he would seduce her if she won the duel by some miracle. He caught himself when he noted the extremely impatient look she was giving him. ‘This is no time to be thinking about ways to satisfy your ridiculous fantasies. You have work to do,’ he mentally chided himself. “I must say, this is quite an amusing turn of events. You had been so verbose this entire duel but now it seems as if the secret of my monster has left you speechless. You were a fool to think you have what it takes to use it. Only the chosen duelists can successfully wield a card of such power.”
The blonde woman sneered at him. Truth be told, he was absolutely correct in his assertion that she had no idea how to control the monster in that form, but there was no way she was going to give him something else to gloat about. “Give me a break. You’re just jealous because you lost your Egyptian God card to a better duelist, and I’m gonna use it to knock you out of the finals, bud. Your Winged Dragon answers to me now.” She shot the cornsilk blonde another glare.
Marik’s evil smirk erupted into loud laughter. Mai being a better duelist than him? He had never heard of such drivel. “Fool! You were never a match for me! Your ambitions will be your undoing.“
Mai let out a groan before rolling her eyes. All she wanted to do was shut him up once and for all. “Keep telling yourself that. Just wait until I unlock The Winged Dragon of Ra from that stupid ball. You’ll see.”
The sinister young man chuckled. “Oh, is that so? You may want to take a look at the bottom of the card.”
“What?” Mai jerked her head up in shock to give Marik a funny look. ‘Somehow I’m afraid to know what this sicko is trying to show me, but my instincts tell me I had better look.’ She peered down at the card as instructed, and once her eyes landed on the bottom, they widened and looked like they were going to fall out and roll on the floor. There was some unfamiliar inscription. “What is this weird writing?! It wasn’t there when I first got the card from you. What the hell is going on here?” She glanced back up at Marik, giving him a look that demanded an explanation.
Marik chuckled lightly. “If you really want to free Ra from the sphere and use it against me, you’re going to have to read that text. However, I very much doubt you will be able to.”
Mai clenched her teeth in response before growling softly. Marik was really trying her patience. ‘Sad thing is he’s right. I have no idea how to read that weird writing. I’ve never even seen it before in my life. I will have to find some way to get Ra out of that ball if I plan to win this duel.’ She had no idea how she would do that, though. As she gazed at the writing, nothing came to her, not even a clue that could help. ‘Ugh! Come on, Mai, think! There must be some way to translate this!’ She smacked the back of her head several times.
“Struggling, are we?” taunted Marik. “Well, that is to be expected. Perhaps I should put you out of your misery by reading the text and taking control of my monster!”
The blonde woman stood there, trembling. She worried about what would happen if Marik did regain control of Ra. She would lose and she had a feeling in her gut she would be robbed of much more than just a chance to face Joey or Yugi in a rematch. ‘After all, considering how much he has messed with my head this entire duel, who knows what else he’s capable of?’ She let out a sigh, shaking her head.
Tèa glanced up at Mai, then over at her friends with worried eyes. “Mai looks really shaken up, guys.”
Vicki took a quick peek at what Tèa was referring to, frowning a bit. “I know. Poor girl.” She didn’t know whether to most feel disappointed about Mai possibly losing the duel or her not wielding the Egyptian God card successfully.
Tèa nodded. “Marik must have known about this all along. That would explain why he didn’t seem to be bothered when Mai stole his card.“
“Bah, to hell with Marik and his stupid, dirty tricks.” Vicki balled her hands into fists, fighting the urge to rush over to Marik and rip out his internal organs for torturing Mai so relentlessly.
“Amen to that!” agreed Joey. “Mai is gonna have to do something to turn this duel around, even if it means having to change her strategy. We can’t let this nut win!”
Mokuba turned away from the spheroid figure to face his brother, knowing how interested he was to see if Mai had the necessary experience to control Ra. He didn’t want him to be disappointed again. “Hey Seto, if what Marik says is true, what will you do to learn all of Ra’s abilities and weaknesses?”
The teen CEO furrowed his brow in thought. This was a minor setback he had not been anticipating, although a part of him had his doubts about whether Mai was experienced enough to successfully control an Egyptian God. “Upload the card into the database and turn on the translator for the text at once.”
“You got it, Big Bro!” Mokuba dashed over to the elevator, pressed a button and waited for the doors to open before stepping inside.
Kaiba smiled to himself. ‘Soon, the Winged Dragon of Ra will be mine. Marik had better enjoy its powers for now because once I strip him of that card, I will be the one who is powerful. No one will be able to defeat me!’
Mai stared at the text on the card once more, desperately trying to make out something. She got the feeling it was only a matter of time before the tan skinned young man took control of the monster again. ‘Something in my gut tells me it’ll be very soon, too.’
Marik gave the young woman a malicious smile. “If you are so confident you will defeat me, then why are you hesitating? You won’t awaken Ra by just staring at the text. You have to actually read it. Or have you realized there is no way you can? It would be the wisest conclusion you have ever come to this entire duel.“ He laughed, not noticing the scowl on her face. “Would you like me to read the chant, so you can know how it’s done?”
Mai made a disgusted face, sickened by the cornsilk blonde’s false kindness that disguised his condescending air. She knew what he was trying to do, and she wasn’t going to give in to him so easily. “Pshhh! Spare me. I’m not that desperate!”
Marik clicked his tongue in utter amusement. “Suit yourself, foolish woman. I see Odion’s accident and failure has taught you nothing. I’m afraid you will have to learn only people who possess a connection to the ancient scriptures can successfully control an Egyptian God the hard way. Like Kaiba, for example.”
Kaiba snapped his head snapped up instantly with furrowed eyebrows. “What does he mean by that?” He then grumbled under his breath, “Don’t tell me because some old legend said so.” He didn’t like the direction his tournament was heading in one bit.
“In fact, several finalists on this vessel have had a role to play in ancient Egypt thousands of years ago, something a puny mortal woman like you could never comprehend,” said Marik.
Vicki snarled under her breath. “Sexist much?” She felt even grimier crushing on his Namu disguise. ‘Mai, you had better not lose to this douche bag or I’ll be pissed.’
‘Why that chauvinistic little…’ Mai clenched one of her fists and trembled, seething. She was extremely close to racing towards her opponent and strangling him to death. ‘Now now, calm down. Sure, he’s a jerk, but seeing your indignation is what he wants. You must not give him that satisfaction.’ As much as she hated to listen to her musings, she knew it would be in her best interest to do so this time. She took several deep breaths to calm herself so she could focus better. “Blah, blah, blah!” she scoffed. “I don’t need a history lesson to learn to control the actions of my monster. Do me a favor and save it for the classroom!”
Marik smiled wryly. “Pegasus certainly needed that lesson. He had his heart set on using the cards when he created them. He may have possessed the millennium eye, but he had no knowledge of the ancient scriptures, and he nearly felt the wrath of the Egyptian God monsters. Show me how a mere mortal such as you plan to control an Egyptian God!” He let out a cruel laugh.
Mai rolled her eyes. “Laugh it up, psycho boy. You won’t be for much longer.”
“Be careful,” warned Yami. He had a very bad feeling about what would happen if Mai lost the duel, for he knew the stakes of the Shadow Games all too well. He didn’t trust Marik to not follow through with them. ‘A fair number of people have already gotten hurt and I am afraid it’s only going to get worse if he succeeds. I have to stop him at all costs.’
Kaiba observed intently with his arms crossed. ‘Things are getting very interesting. Mai is the one who sacrificed three monsters in order to summon Ra. If she can’t read the text, she won’t be able to use it to win the duel. Marik will then regain control of the card, enabling me to witness its abilities.’ He gave a wide smile, ecstatic at the thought of owning another all-powerful card. His eyes landed on Yami and he shot him a smirk. ‘I hope you’re prepared to hand over your Egyptian God card to me, Yugi.’ He was not about to lose another duel to the spiky haired teen.
Marik let out a soft whistle to get Mai’s attention, for she looked like she was in her own world. “I’ll ask you again, are you reading the chant? This is your last chance to try and stop me, foolish woman.” He chuckled darkly.
‘Arrrgggh! He’s on my last nerve!’ Mai clenched her teeth. She was on the verge of wanting to pull her hair out in frustration, both at her opponent’s goading and her dire situation. She realized she was going to have to forget her original plan and come up with something else if she had any hopes of turning the duel around. ‘I hate to give up, but if that’s what it takes to make the freak stop his yapping, so be it. If I listen to him talk about Egyptian history for just one more minute, my head’s gonna explode.’ Mai let her eyes meet Marik’s as she put her warrior face back on. She pulled a card from her deck. “It’s my turn now, freakshow! I place one card face down and then play Amazon Swordswoman in defense mode! “(1600 def) A female warrior with unruly chestnut hair dressed in a very revealing outfit appeared on the field, lifting her sword over her head and thrusting it out. ‘I should be safe for a bit longer. I have a monster guarding my life points, and I have my trap card to back me up if Marik uses his Holding Arms or awakens the Winged Dragon.’
“Your pitiful attempt to protect yourself has failed you miserably, and you’re about to see that first hand.” Marik pulled a card from his deck before letting a devilish smile spread across his face. “I summon Holding Legs!” (800 attk) A golden chain with ankle cuffs appeared. “Say goodbye to that little face down card of yours. Holding Legs’ special ability allows it to send every magic and trap card back to the players’ hand!” Mai let out a gasp as her Gravity Bind trap card emitted a white light and was back in her deck. She gazed around the field nervously, not knowing what to do. ‘I can’t believe he destroyed my trap card. Now what?’ Before she could wrack her brain for another option, she heard Marik’s voice belting out, “Holding Arms and Holding Legs, chain her!” She watched with a horrified look as the chains tightly cuffed her wrists and ankles. She let out a yell of pain.
Marik let out a chuckle, savoring the sound of Mai’s screams. ‘That’s right, scream, my dear. Your cries are music to my ears and a fuel to my onslaught on you.’ “I am afraid this is just the beginning of your destruction! When Holding Arms and Holding Legs are on the field, they are able to call forth the Sacred Stone of Ohjat!” A large brown slab rose up behind her. It contained the legendary Eye of Horus in the center, along with some ancient Egyptian symbols.
With a powerful force, the chain-like monsters sent the blonde young woman flying against the stone. Sharp pain instantly shot through her back, making her cry out in pain once again. “Oh no!”
“Oh yes!” corrected Marik in a sadistic tone, grinning evilly.
Vicki couldn’t help but wince when Mai’s back hit the tablet. She then shot a scathing glare at the cornsilk haired young man and felt her blood boiling inside. ‘Ugh! I could just go up there and rip his internal organs out right now.’ She looked away and pretended she was more fascinated by the elevator instead.
“Hey Mai! You okay?” called out Joey. It ate him up inside to see his friend suffering so much at Marik’s hands. His eyes briefly met the Egyptian’s and once he saw the detestable smirk on his features, he had to resist the urge to race over to him and wring his neck.
Mai lifted her head as best as she could to give Joey a blank gaze. ‘That voice. I’m not sure why, but it sounds familiar for some reason.’ She looked flustered for a bit, but then remembered her predicament. She tried to wiggle herself free from the chains, grunting whilst she did so, but to no avail. “What’s going on here? Why can’t I move? I thought all of these monsters were supposed to be holograms!” Her wrists and ankles were sore from the chains being cuffed around them so tightly, as well as her back from having been slammed against the tablet so hard, but her aches and pains were the least of her worries at the moment.
Marik held up a finger and wagged it teasingly at the distressed blonde. “This is no hologram, my dear. You’re forgetting that this is a Shadow Game. Everything here is as real as you are. You have already had a taste of their awesome powers, but that was just the beginning! Holding Arms and Holding Legs, attack her life points directly!!” The chain-like creatures squeezed her ankles and wrists and zapped her, causing her to wince. Her head drooped and she slumped over as she lost 1300 life points, bringing them down to eight hundred fifty.
Mai silently wished for the nightmare before her to end. It nauseated her to see how the tables had turned so drastically after the duel had been in her favor for so long, even with the minor setbacks. She was more or less out of commission for the remainder of the duel and although she had her Amazon Swordswoman protecting her, there was no telling how long that would last once Marik awoke his Egyptian God monster. She hung her head dejectedly. ‘I have a feeling things will only get worse from this point on.‘ She glanced up briefly to stare daggers at her opponent. ‘Darn that Marik and his cheap tricks.’ She closed her eyes, not wanting to witness the disaster that awaited her.
Marik gave a dark smile. “Since my monster has left you incapacitated, I shall continue with the plan that will bring about your ultimate demise. I’ll begin by summoning my Plasma Eel!!” A large gray eel made out of pearl-shaped beads materialized onto the field.
Tèa made a disgusted face before she went, “Ewwww, what is that thing?”
“Exactly what I would like to know,” muttered Vicki, trying not to retch as well, although the forces of heaven knew how much she wanted to.
Marik glanced over at the two girls and smirked at them. “Let’s just say it is something designed to render your friend’s monster useless!”
Mai listened to the exchange between Marik and the two brunette girls for a bit, before letting out a soft whistle. “Yoo-hoo,” she drawled.
Marik turned back to face her. “What was that, my darling?”
The blonde woman gave him a look. She wasn’t in the mood for any more of the young man’s games. “You are supposed to be dueling against me, remember?”
The corrupted tombkeeper slapped his forehead. “Oops, I had forgotten about you for a moment. You must forgive me for that.” Of course that was a bold-faced lie, since he had done no such thing. He just got a kick out of aggravating his victim.
Mai let out a groan. “Just go.” She didn’t care for him to be wasting her time.
Marik gave her an amused look. “As you wish, my dear. Go, my eel, ensnare that pitiful Amazon at once!!” The large eel slithered towards the female warrior. She grimaced as it wrapped around her, pinning her arms to the side and binding her so tightly that she couldn’t move.
Joey’s jaw dropped open. “Oh no!” he yelled. “Now Mai’s monster is out of commission!”
Marik laughed. “Very perceptive, Little Joey. Your pathetic friend is defenseless. All she can do is watch as my monster is awakened and destroys her.”
A collective gasp filled the air at Marik’s words. They knew what was to come. Kaiba’s eyes snapped open as he knew he had better pay close attention. He could feel the excitement growing inside him.
Marik lowered his head a bit and closed his eyes in a concentrative manner. “Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry, transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight.” As he chanted those words, the sphere started to glow and unfold.
Vicki watched with an awed look on her face. Different emotions were flooding through her. ‘It’s funny. If I wasn’t so disgusted that Marik would win the duel, I would be impressed by his ability to awaken an Egyptian God.’
Joey tilted his head to the side. “So this is the chant Marik was yapping about.”
“Yes, and thanks to it, Ra is under his control again.” Yami had a grave expression on his face, and it wasn’t only because he was worried for Mai, either. ‘Although I have never read the text, something tells me that’s not what it actually says and Marik just twisted it for his own purposes.’ He knew it was just like the tan skinned young man to abuse the powers of an Egyptian God.
Marik pretended he didn’t hear the chattering among the others on the sidelines. He opened his eyes and grinned wildly, his bangs blowing in the wind. “Envelop the desert with your glow, and cast your rage upon my foe. Unlock your powers from deep within, so that together we may win. Appear in the shadow game as I call thy name, Winged Dragon of Ra!”
Kaiba’s eyes widened with excitement as the golden bird shaped dragon appeared from the sphere, letting out a ferocious roar. “There it is!” His lips spread into a wide grin. ‘Not that I ever planned to use Mai Valentine as my guinea pig, but I suppose I should be grateful. Thanks to her, I am about to witness the abilities of Ra.’ His eyes fixated on Marik. ‘Come on, Marik. Show me the strengths of your Egyptian God monster.’ He knew with Mai bound to the stone slab, her chances of defeating her opponent were over.
Mai took one look at the legendary monster and let out a sigh, her remaining determination rapidly dwindling away. She lowered her head so her opponent wouldn’t see the fear in her eyes. ‘Please let this be just a nightmare I haven’t woken up from.’ However, she knew it was sadly reality.
Marik grinned maliciously at her. As much as he loved her fighting spirit before, he loved seeing her broken even more. “You are staring into the face of defeat, Little Mai. Your Amazon is useless and seeing as how you’re trapped, you cannot reach for your deck to surrender.”
Mai didn’t have the energy to lash back. “Nooo...” was all she managed to utter.
“That’s right, and you will fall into the pits of despair with no friends around to rescue you.”
Joey gritted his teeth and then let out a groan of frustration. He was so fed up with the tan-skinned young man, but he feared if he handled it, things would get ugly and he would possibly be thrown out of the tournament. He turned to Yami with a frazzled look on his face. “Yuge, you gotta do something to stop Marik from messing with Mai’s head like this!”
Yami nodded at Joey and turned to face Marik, glaring at him as their eyes met. “All right, Marik, that’s enough! Leave Mai alone! Your grudge is against me, so don’t involve her in your twisted game!!” A bright glow emanated from his puzzle whilst the Eye of Horus appeared on his forehead.
Marik returned the gaze of the ancient pharaoh and sneered at him, amused by the hard look the latter gave him. “Oh, but this twisted game is preparation for when I deal with you, Pharaoh. Unfortunately, fate has chosen Mai to be a pawn in this match.” He chuckled evilly.
“Marikkkkk!” warned Yami, his violet eyes narrowing. The cornsilk blonde was really trying his patience. He was extremely close to Mind Crushing him, although he hadn’t utilized the ability since Duelist Kingdom.
Marik merely ignored his adversary’s tone, totally unfazed by his anger. In fact, it only amused him more. “Not to worry, Pharaoh. You will have your chance to face me soon enough, but you will die before you ever learn of the pharaoh’s secret.”
The spirit decided not to even react to Marik’s threats as it would only encourage him to keep going. Not to mention the cornsilk blonde did manage to say something that got his attention. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “The pharaoh’s secret?” He placed his index finger on his chin in thought. ‘Could it be pertaining to my past, and how to unlock my powers?’
“Yes. It is the secret my weaker half carried on his back since his tenth birthday, which was when he received the tombkeeper’s initiation. It was also the day I had been created. The remainder of my family may have been honored, but I did not share those feelings as this task was one I despised.” Marik buried his face in his hands as if to show how traumatized he was. He then removed his hands from his face and laughed maniacally. “After some time I found a way to end my misery and I convinced my weaker half to do the same. The pathetic fool was unaware of my existence. When I become the king, he will be plunged into oblivion along with you!” He laughed again.
Yami looked grim. He knew that by weaker half, Marik was referring to the moment before the evil inside him intensified and who he was before then. ‘Could this be what Odion meant by his darker side?’ While he was not about to let the wrongdoings committed by the original Marik slide, he couldn’t allow him to suffer such a horrendous fate. ‘I must defeat him and find out that secret before he does.’
“It’s only a matter of time before you become nothing more than a memory, Pharaoh,” gloated Marik. “Everything that is necessary for me to succeed is right here in this tournament. All I need to do is defeat you and I will.”
A crease formed in the center of Yami’s forehead, showing he was on the verge of losing his temper. It seemed like Marik was becoming worse and worse with each passing second. He drew in a deep breath to remain composed. “This madness must stop! Understand? Right now!”
‘Heh. So much anger. It must frustrate him to know he can do nothing to stop me.’ Marik gave the ancient pharaoh an “Oooo I’m shaking” look. “I won’t stop until you’re out of my way and I have the power I deserve, while the world is forever doused into darkness!” A diabolical grin spread across his face. “Winged Dragon of Ra, attack Mai’s life points directly!”
Serenity, Tèa and Vicki let out horrified gasps as they watched a fireball form in Ra’s opened mouth, about to be fired at the young woman. “Look out, Mai!” all three of them cried out.
Marik’s grin spread wider. “Farewell.”
Joey had been red-faced with anger the entire time he was listening to the demonic Marik’s taunts and threats, but when he saw that his dear friend was about to be attacked by the most powerful monster, he swung into action, racing towards the arena. ‘That does it!! I am not gonna stand here and watch Mai get fried to a crisp.’
The ancient pharaoh removed his gaze off Marik and directed it toward his friend. The angry look in his eyes turned into horror when he saw where Joey was headed and the monster about to attack. “No! Joey!” he called. He knew the blonde could have a horrible temper when ticked off and he was trying to stop him from saying or doing anything too rash. Not to mention Marik might get ideas and attack him as well. Yugi’s spirit appeared next to him, his eyes full of fear. “This is terrible.”
“Yes,” agreed Yami grimly. “The attack will harm both of them.”
“Like Odion. We have to do something. We can’t let them get hurt.”
“I know.” Yami tightly gripped the string his puzzle hung from, trying to concoct a way to protect both of his friends.
Joey very faintly heard Yami’s pleas, but he just kept on running. ‘I have to stop that creep before I totally lose it.’ He finally came to a stop, standing behind Roland. He placed his hands next to his mouth yelling, “Hey Ref! Pull the plug on his duel!”
Roland turned on his heel to face the blonde, letting out a sigh. He didn’t know why Joey insisted on making things so difficult, but he wouldn’t be putting up with it for much longer. “That goes against Battle City tournament rules!”
Joey’s eyes narrowed, but instead of blowing up, he just took several deep breaths as if trying to remain calm. “Then I’m doing it for you!” He proceeded to climb onto the top deck.
“You’ll be disqualified!” warned Roland. He looked helplessly at his boss, but the young CEO avoided his eyes. He let out a sigh. ‘This is hopeless.’
“Big deal!” Joey continued rushing to Mai’s side. ‘If making sure my friend doesn’t get hurt means I’m kicked out of the tournament, then so be it!’ He considered his friend’s safety to be far more important than any Duel Monsters title. It disgusted him how Kaiba and his employees didn’t seem to care about the safety of the duelists. ‘Doesn’t he know there wouldn’t be a tournament without us finalists?’
Mai closed her eyes and drowned out the exchange between her opponent and the pharaoh, no longer having the mental energy to chastise Marik for not paying attention to her this time. She let out a sigh. “It’s all over,” she murmured to herself. She spoke as softly as she could, not wanting Marik to think she was giving up because he said so.
Unfortunately the tan-skinned young man heard her words. “That’s right. As soon as I attack with my Egyptian God monster, you’re finished!”
“Don’t listen to him, Mai! You’ll be all right.” Joey stood on the left side of his lady friend, tugging at the chain around her wrist.
Mai’s violet eyes opened slowly and she let out a soft moan. The chains gave her great pain, yet the sound of Joey’s voice brought healing to her. “It’s that voice…who is it?” she mumbled. She was mentally screaming in frustration about not knowing who the masculine voice belonged to although she could have sworn she heard it before.
“Big Brother!” yelled Serenity.
“Be careful!” Tèa didn’t trust Marik one bit, especially not after hearing all the threats he uttered to Yami.
Marik watched Joey fuss with the chains with an evil smirk on his face. ‘Try and plead with her all you want, Little Joey. You’re just wasting your time. She will never remember you.’
Joey frowned upon noticing Mai was still in a daze. She wasn’t giving him any eye contact, and she didn’t sound as vibrant as she usually did. “Mai? Mai! Please stay with me.”
“You sound so familiar to me…like an old friend,” the blonde vixen weakly acknowledged.
Joey felt his face burning with anger when he thought of Marik’s tricks. ‘I have to keep calm, though, if I am to help Mai.‘ He got a desperate look on his face. “Please, Mai!” he pleaded. “You gotta remember who I am. Think!”
Mai could hear the hurt in her male companion’s voice, and she hated making him feel that way, but it couldn’t be helped. “I wish it were that easy…but I’m really not sure.”
The Duelist Kingdom runner-up realized he was going to have to resort to another method of jogging her memory. He cupped her face and slowly tilted it up so her eyes would meet his. “There, look into my eyes. It’s me.” ‘If this doesn’t work, I swear I’ll scream and beat that Marik into a bloody pulp.’
Mai stared into his eyes, concentrating hard. ‘Those warm honey brown eyes...I would know them anywhere. Silly me. How could I have forgotten?’ She paused for a moment before guessing, “Joey?”
Joey gave a triumphant grin, knowing he was making progress. “Yes, it’s Joey. And I’m not going to let anything happen to you, because we’re friends.”
Mai’s eyes, which had been dull and expressionless, began to light up. “Really? We are?” She had a heartfelt expression on her face. It felt nice for her to know she wasn’t alone and she wouldn’t have to listen to Marik’s rubbish any longer.
“We sure are.” Joey’s grin faded and he put on a serious expression, the one he wore when he had something very important to say.
Mai noted the sudden shift in his mood and she stared at him, concerned. “What’s up? Something on your mind?” She knew it was rare he got that serious. She hoped nothing was wrong.
The blonde young man looked thoughtful as he started to compose his thoughts. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing and risk pissing her off again. “Well…I don’t know what happened back there in the dueling hall, but…I wasn’t pulling the wool over your eyes when I said I considered you one of my very best friends and that I really liked you. I meant it. I know things looked bad when I just walked away but it wasn’t because of you. It was just me, feeling awkward and being a coward. I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you.” He was prepared to kiss her again, if that was what it took. And it would be a real kiss this time.
Mai absorbed his words. Her eyes were beginning to fill up with tears, but she blinked them back. ‘Oh wow...he really is a softy...I feel like I’m gonna cry.’ Just as she was about to say something, an image of his face slowly appeared in her mind, making her eyes widen. “Hold on, wait a second…” She was soon able to see his face clearly. “Joey! It’s you!”
“Mai! You remember now?” Joey released the woman’s face, seeing that his duty was done. Inwardly, he was jumping up and down like a little kid. He was tempted to rub it in Marik’s face, but he didn’t want to ruin the tender moment with Mai.
The tombkeeper had been intently watching the budding couple. His smirk faltered and turned into a scowl. ‘That meddling fool broke my shadow magic…he’ll regret it!’ he mentally growled through clenched teeth.
“Look, guys,” said Tèa with a small smile on her face. “Joey succeeded in breaking Marik’s spell that caused Mai to forget him, and it looks like they worked out the misunderstanding, too.”
“Good,” said Vicki impetuously. “That was so bloody ridiculous.” She didn’t know what had happened between the two but she thought it was so weird when all of a sudden Mai flipped the switch on everyone.
Tèa’s smile turned into a dismal look. ‘I just hope Joey can free her from those chains. I have a bad feeling about what will happen.’
It was now Mai’s turn to look serious. “Joey, listen. You don’t have to worry about making it up to me. You’re showing how much you care right now and that’s enough. It was me, not you. I was afraid I had scared you away.” She stopped, realizing she had just admitted one of the insecurities that she had kept bottled up inside for quite some time. She felt proud of herself, for it wasn’t always easy for her to admit those things.
Joey smiled at her softly. “You could never scare me away, Mai.”
“I know that now.” Mai gave him a soft smile back, and then she put her tough girl face back on. “Now be a dear and get me out of these stupid chains.”
Joey smiled wryly at the demand. “That’s the Mai I know. And I would be happy to do it.” He got to work tugging and pulling at the chains again. “Dagnabbit! These chains won’t budge! What did Marik put on them? Crazy glue?”
Mai smiled slightly to herself whilst Joey was trying to unbind her. For the moment, she forgot about her physical discomfort and the impending assault she was about to feel from Marik’s Egyptian God monster, just happy to have Joey by her side. ‘I should have known the knucklehead was telling the truth when he said he liked me. Looks like this relationship will go somewhere after all. I just hope I don’t be an idiot and screw it up. I’m more likely to do it than him.’ She felt a sharp pain in her chest, prompting her to pay attention. She cringed when she saw Ra’s fireball being aimed at her. “Forget about me! Just go!”
Joey looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “No way, Mai! Not until you’re safe and sound!!”
As furious as Marik had been that Joey had thwarted his spell on Mai, watching them together gave him an idea. ‘What a fitting end for two lovers to die together.’ He grinned evilly. “Winged Dragon of Ra, destroy them both!” The bird-like creature leaned forward and tilted its head so the fireball would hit both blondes.
Mai’s eyes widened in horror when she realized Joey was also Marik’s target and even worse, her male companion was still trying to free her from the chains although it was hopeless. ‘What an idiot, didn’t he hear Marik declare an attack on him? If only my arms were free right now.’ She gave him a look that said, ‘You can stop now’ before pleading with him once more, “Listen, don’t be a hero, just go and save yourself!” She felt Joey had many years ahead of him and she hated to see him snuffed out so soon, not to mention he still had his duel in the finals.
Joey stopped fussing with the chains and just stood in front of Mai, looking her square in the eyes. “Look, I’m staying by your side, whether you like it or not!” He leaned closer to her.
Mai knew when he spoke in that firm tone, there was no use opposing him. In truth she was glad to know he cared enough to risk his life for her. “Thank you,” she mumbled, letting out a contented sigh. She smiled a little. ‘What a stubborn idiot…but hey, he’s my stubborn idiot.’ Her eyes drooped a little as if they were going to close at any minute.
“You’re gonna be okay, Mai. I promise. And I never break a promise to a friend.” He pressed his body against hers a bit, trying to shield her from the blast as best as he could. This gesture made her face turn a bright shade of red.
Yami watched with a horrified expression on his face as his friends were about to feel the wrath of the strongest of the three Egyptian God monsters. ‘If the attack hits them, they will get hurt.’ Not willing to witness such a catastrophe he yelled, “That’s enough!” at the top of his lungs before leaping on top of the upper deck, standing in front of Joey and Mai with his arms spread to the side to shield them. He grunted as the flames hit his back like scalding hot water. Pain instantly tore through his entire body, but most severely in his mid-back.
Mai and Joey had been bracing themselves for the blast from Ra and were confused as to why they weren’t hit, until they realized someone was taking the blow for them. They glanced up and their eyes widened in pleasant surprise when they saw who it was. “It’s Yugi!” As glad as they were to see him, they couldn’t help but worry for him and wonder how he would be able to withstand the attack.
Under normal circumstances, Marik would be furious about his schemes being ruined, but instead, he gave a malicious grin. “Well, well, well, isn’t this just my good luck? It seems like I will be destroying the pharaoh sooner than I originally thought!” he gloated.
The ancient pharaoh grimaced before retorting, “Not quite! Your dark powers will never penetrate me! I will shield everyone from your evil!” He continued to absorb the combustive onslaught. Between the dividing and spreading of the flames and the burning pain, he felt as if he were inside an oven. He was aware of the fact that he was taking a risk as well, but at the same time he was able to withstand such powerful attacks more than the two lovebirds could. Despite his best efforts, they were singed as well.
Finally the flames extinguished, but it was evident Yami had taken the brunt of it all. His back felt as if it were on fire, and he let out a scream of pain as he collapsed face down. Tèa gasped and covered her mouth with her hands in horror. Vicki peered onto the field at Yami’s unconscious form, her mouth forming an O shape. “Oh wow. That must have hurt,” she mumbled. Just watching him take the direct hit made her own back ache. ‘That was so unselfish of him.’
“Yugi!” yelled Joey. He shook his head. ‘I can’t believe he put himself at risk like that.’
“Somebody help him!” added Tristan.
“Let me.” With little difficulty, Vicki climbed onto the arena and wandered over to where Yami was lying. Gingerly sitting down, she turned his body over and moved it slightly so that his head was resting in her lap. She couldn’t help wincing a little. ‘Oy...I know my hips will pay for this but right now it’s Yugi I am worried about.’ She studied his face for a brief moment. ‘Have to admit even though he’s been banged up, he still looks so peaceful.‘ She gently rested a hand on his forehead, but that did nothing. “Come on, lad. Wake up.”
Tèa felt a slight tinge of jealousy whilst watching Vicki with Yami, but she let it go since the both of them were good friends. ‘I know he would be in good hands with her tending to him.’
Joey walked away from Mai to check on his best friend. “Yeah. It takes a lot more than that to keep you down.”
Marik chuckled softly at the blonde young man. It was all he could do not to start celebrating over what had just happened to Yami, and his victory over Mai. “That’s what you think, fool, but I’m afraid I beg to differ.” He shot Roland an impatient look. “What’s taking you so long? I’m waiting. Her life points are gone, so announce me as the winner at once!”
Roland nervously nodded, realizing it would not be wise to test the cornsilk blonde’s patience. He cleared his throat. “The winner of this duel is Mr. Marik Ishtar!” The Stone of Ohjat along with the monsters disappeared, and Mai fell to her knees. The duel had left her feeling mentally exhausted and she was still a bit sore as well. ‘I could use a nice ice bath right about now.’ She brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.
The corrupted tombkeeper cackled. “Let’s inspect the damage and cause some more.” He wandered over to Vicki and Joey with a devious smirk on his face, eyeing Yami in Vicki’s lap. “What do we have here? It seems as if the pharaoh is down for the count. I should murder him right here and now!” He pointed the sharp tip of his millennium rod at the unconscious pharaoh.
Vicki shot Marik a scathing glare as she held Yami up in a slight sitting position, snaking her arms around him protectively. “Over my dead body!”
Joey clenched his fists, ready to take Marik on that very minute. “That’s right! You’re gonna have to go through me, too!”
Marik studied the two teenagers before breaking into maniacal laughter. “Fools! Do you really think you can protect the pharaoh from me? Well think again! Fortunately for you, I still need him so I won’t dispose of him just yet.“ The Eye of Horus emitted a glow of energy and so did his rod. “It’s time for you fools to learn a lesson about meddling in affairs that do not concern you!” He froze both of them with the generated energy. He gave a satisfied cackle. “That should hold the both of you for the time being.“
Vicki and Joey were as still as statues with stunned looks on their faces. ‘What gives here? I’m stuck!’
Marik chuckled to himself whilst walking away to approach Mai. ‘Next time my punishment will be worse.’
By then, Mai had recovered from the shock of her defeat. She tensed up a bit when she realized Marik was walking towards her. ‘No...please...no.’ A voice inside her head was screaming at her to run, but her legs had fallen asleep and she knew if she tried to get up, she would take a nasty spill. She looked across the field at her two friends and let out a gasp, filled with confusion, then fear. “Vicki! Joey!” She turned back to see Marik standing right in front of her. Her nervousness had somewhat faded and she gazed up at him with a cold look in her eyes. “What did you just do to them?”
“Not to worry. They will be just fine,” answered Marik. “However, the same cannot be said for you. There is something you and I need to discuss.” He placed a finger beneath her chin to make sure he had her attention, which made her flinch. “You still have my Winged Dragon of Ra card and I will be taking it back. Also, in case you have forgotten, there is a penalty for you to pay for losing our duel. I hope you’re prepared to take a trip to the Shadow Realm.“
Mai’s eyes widened with fear, her eyeballs looking as if they would roll out of their sockets. “The Shadow Realm?” she repeated. She had been under the impression that the Shadow Realm was the darkness he had conjured to rattle her and mess with her head during their duel—not that it was a real place. ‘The scary thing is, something tells me he isn’t kidding. If there’s anything I learned during our duel, it’s that anything is possible and some things can’t be explained.‘ She hung back a bit, for she had an uneasy feeling about this “Shadow Realm” place Marik said he would banish her to. Considering everything he had done to her so far, she knew it would be dumb of her to expect him not to go through with it.
“That’s right,” said Marik, giving her an evil smile. She shuddered looking at it. She just stared at him with her jaw hanging open slightly as he raised the rod over her head. “You and I had an agreement, so--“ He emitted a large burst of dark energy that passed through her body and swallowed something from it. Her eyes closed and everything faded into pitch black.
Mai’s subconscious found herself up high in the air, trapped in an hourglass with quick sand falling. She frantically gazed around, trying to take in her surroundings. The sky was clear blue, there were palm trees, and a body of water surrounded by sand. Yugi, Tristan, Duke, Tèa and Vicki were inside the ocean, conversing with each other. They appeared to be waiting for someone. She looked puzzled. ‘What’s going on? How did I end up on the beach? The last thing I remember is being on a dueling arena exchanging words with Marik after he beat me. I vaguely remember him zapping me with that weird golden staff thing he always carries around, but my mind went blank after that. Speaking of which, where is Marik?'
Just as the blonde woman was beginning to wonder if she were going crazy, Marik appeared, laughing evilly. It still sent a chill down her spine. “So what do you think of your new home so far, my dear?”
Mai looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “This is the Shadow Realm you’ve been blabbering about? It looks like some beach to me. How do you expect me to be tormented here? I swear, you’re terrible at coming up with scare tactics.”
Marik chuckled darkly. “You should know not everything is what it seems. I can assure you this place is much more torturous than you could imagine.”
Mai peeped down below to see what Marik was talking about. “Watch out you guys, because here come the Wheelers!” she heard a familiar voice say. Joey and his sister ran into the ocean to join their friends. Everyone started splashing each other and having a grand old time. She frowned a bit. ‘A beach party? And I’m stuck in here?’ Not only was she missing out on all the fun, but more quicksand was falling by the second. She proceeded to bang on the glass. “You guys, please, help me!!” she yelled as loudly as her voice would allow. However, neither of her friends showed any signs that they heard her.
“Scream all you want. They can’t hear you.” The tan skinned young man shot her a smirk. He got a thrill from seeing her so weak and helpless. “I hope you enjoy your stay here. You will be all alone until you die in your despair. Oh, and before I forget, I will be taking my card back.” He retrieved the card from in between the slot of the hour glass.
The blonde young woman hung her head a bit. She had fought hard to avoid this fate and now there was nothing she could do. ‘If I had a knife or something, I would slit my wrists.’ She felt some hope arise in her when an image of Joey appeared in her head saying, “Hey Mai!”
“Joey! Have you come for me?” She looked up at him with hopeful eyes. Her heart sank when the image of him then said, “later”, while giving her a thumbs up sign. With that, he burst into specks of sand.
Mai felt as if her heart had been ripped out. “Noooo! Come back!” Letting out a groan, she collapsed. The freezing spell had worn off of Joey and Vicki. Vicki went back to trying to wake up Yami. She lightly rubbed the centre of his back to relieve it of the severe ache she was sure he still felt.
Joey saw his friend collapse and mentally cursed when he realized he was too late. ‘I know who is responsible! That’s why Marik froze me...so he could....’ He saw the Egyptian standing over his fallen lady friend with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. “Tell me what you did to her right now, Marik!” He started cracking his knuckles. At this point he was ready to murder the cornsilk blonde.
Marik feigned an innocent look. “I just dealt her a punishment one faces when losing a shadow game. You see her motionless body? That’s because her mind is trapped.”
Vicki stopped rubbing Yami’s back for a second, though her hand still rested on it. Her hair stood on end when she heard what the tombkeeper had just said. “Want to run that by me again?” She looked like smoke was going to come out of her ears.
Marik gave a toothy grin before chortling a bit. “With pleasure. As we speak, your pathetic friend is currently wandering around in the shadows. She is soon to forget everyone and everything she held most dear in her heart. She won’t understand the reason for her existence, and will remain in her deep coma state until she dies…unless I am defeated in a duel.”
‘Of all the…’ Vicki’s eyes narrowed. It was hard enough to refrain from strangling the cornsilk blonde while watching the duel, but this twisted development was the last straw for her. “You’re lucky I’m sitting on this ground right now, chap, otherwise I would give you a serious bruisin’. “
Joey was huffing and puffing from anger, ready to beat up Marik, but when his ears picked up on the word duel, he let out a deep breath. He jumped at the chance to face him in a duel if it meant he would get Mai back. “What?! Really? I’ll gladly duel you and send you to hell!” He put on his best tough guy look and clenched his fists. “It’s go time!”
Marik laughed a short huffy sound. “Anyone foolish enough to challenge me will face the same fate as your friend.” With a flick of his cape, he walked away from the group.
Joey was about to go after him, but Serenity put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Joey, please, just calm down for now.”
Remaining calm was a tall order for the blonde young man at the moment, but he didn’t want to upset his sister. Instead he just watched as Marik left, staring hard at him as if he wanted to burn holes in him. He went over to where Mai’s soulless body lay. He turned her over and pulled her into a sitting position, holding her in his arms. Seeing her eyes so lifeless filled him with emotion, but he knew he had to remain strong and not start blaming himself. He squeezed her tightly, shaking a little. ‘I’m so sorry for letting you down, but I promise I’ll get you out of this mess.’
Marik laughed to himself as he left the duel arena. ‘I feel the power within me growing. With every soul I send to the Shadow Realm, the darkness within me increases.’
Vicki turned to where the cornsilk blonde was standing so she could glare at him once more, but saw he had left. ‘Good. He’s gone. However, next time I see him I’m gonna kill him.’ She couldn’t get over what he had just done to her friend—a friend who had been sisterly towards her from day one. She turned her attention back to the ancient pharaoh, massaging him once more. “Come on, buddy…won’t you wake up for little ol’ me?” She let out a sigh of frustration that her efforts didn’t seem to be working. She didn’t know what else to do, except pat his cheeks. ‘Not sure if it would work, though.’ Just as she lifted a hand to stroke his blonde bangs, his eyes slowly fluttered open and he let out a groan. Everything seemed to be foggy at first, with Joey cradling an unconscious Mai in his arms, Tèa, Serenity, Tristan, and Duke looking at him with worried expressions on their faces, Marik being nowhere in sight, and the realization that he was resting in Vicki’s lap. He also noticed the stinging sensation in his back had faded considerably.
“Hey look! He’s awake!” pointed out Tèa. She breathed a sigh of relief.
Vicki smiled down at Yami as she held him up in a sitting position. “Well, well, look who’s finally awake. I must say, you had me worried.”
The ancient pharaoh managed a weak smile at her kindness and genuine concern. One thing he could say about her was that she had a pure heart of gold. “No need to. I am fine. Are you, Joey and Mai all right?” He slowly rose to his feet.
“I’m just peachy, considering I have dealt with worse,” answered the brunette. She hoped it didn’t sound too sarcastic, because it wasn’t meant that way.
“I’m fine,” cut in Joey, before Yami could respond to Vicki. “But Mai isn’t doing so well. Marik pulled something freaky with his millennium rod. He said he trapped her brain in the shadows.”
“And he also said she will lose all her memories and eventually die,” finished off Tèa, sounding a bit emotional. She wrung her hands. ‘This tournament is turning out to be more dangerous than I imagined. First Bakura, then Odion and now Mai…I’m afraid to know who’s next.’
The center of Yami’s forehead creased once more, and he clenched his fist, shaking. If there was a wall nearby, he would have punched it. ‘One by one, my friends are getting hurt because of a grudge against me. What’s next, Marik?! When will you be satisfied?’ He reached up a hand to rub his temples. His violet eyes were then filled with confidence and determination. ‘I will defeat Marik if it is the last thing I do.’
Ishizu sat at her table with her deck laid out in front of her. She had been prepping for her upcoming duel when a sharp pain in her chest had forced her to stop. It had occurred the moment her necklace showed Marik banishing Mai to the Shadow Realm. ‘I’m afraid the goodness within my brother’s heart will be non-existent if this madness continues.’
Keren looked up from the book she was reading. “Ishizu? Do you feel prepared enough for your duel?”
“As prepared as I can hope to be,” answered the younger woman. She wasn’t too worried, for her necklace had showed her the outcome. ‘Although it hasn’t revealed any events beyond my duel with Kaiba, it hasn’t failed me before and it won’t begin to now.’
“I hope so. From what you have said, this Kaiba person seems to be pretty ruthless and unstoppable.”
Ishizu could see how worried Keren was, and she had good reason to be, given what a powerful duelist the CEO was. She gave the Israeli a reassuring smile. “He is. However, I am one step ahead and I made preparations to ensure that. Kaiba will not realize I am merely toying with him until it is too late.“
Keren look thoughtful. “I understand.” She took a glance at her watch. “Well, you should get going. You don’t want to be late.” The last thing she wanted was for Ishizu to be disqualified.
“You’re right.” Ishizu was not afraid of Kaiba’s wrath, but she did think it would be selfish and impolite of her to rob the spectators of a chance to see a duel. She stood up, picked up her deck of cards, her duel disk and slid the deck in its designated slot. She then placed the duel disk on her arm.
Keren got up from her spot on the bed, stretching and placed a finger on her chin. “Wait...should we first make sure Marik isn’t anywhere near Odion? I wouldn’t be able to enjoy your duel unless I know Odion is safe.”
The ebony-haired woman frowned in thought. “Yes, we should. There’s not much time to waste.” She knew she was cutting it close, but she felt Kaiba needed to realize there were more important matters to pay attention to in life than card games.
“Agreed.” Keren and Ishizu left the room together.
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Post by LadyKeren on Feb 29, 2016 14:19:23 GMT
Chapter 42 Joey walked down the hallway with Mai’s body in his arms. At one point he stared down at her face to admire her beauty. He couldn’t help but feel captivated by her delicate features. ‘Wow, come to think of it, she looks almost like an angel. I hadn’t noticed it until the moment I got her to remember me. Serenity was right when she said she was pretty.’ A low distressed filled moan erupting from her throat snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked down at her face again, only to feel a sharp jolt in his heart. He immediately tore his eyes away from her face and looked straight ahead, opting to just focus on the task at hand. It was a good thing he paid attention when he did, because at that very moment he was approaching the row of rooms for all the finalists. He stood next to Mai’s room, twisting his mouth to the side as he realized the little problem he had run into. ‘Let’s see, how am I going to do this? Crap, I should not have been stupid and left the others behind because I can most certainly use some help getting her inside her room. At the same time, though, I needed to get away so I could clear my head.’
Just as he was about to rest the young woman down in a sitting position so he could open her room door, he heard footsteps. He glanced up sharply, ready to tell off the person for being so sneaky, but then he saw it was one of Kaiba’s medics. His irritable feelings faded considerably. ‘Perfect timing.’ He plastered a small grin on his face as the doctor approached him. “Hey doc, fancy seeing you. I could really use your help.” His arms were beginning to ache a bit from carrying Mai, but that wasn’t his concern at the moment, nor was it enough to deter him from helping her in such a manner.
The doctor studied Joey for a bit before quirking an eyebrow slightly. “And what can I do for you, Mr. Wheeler?” He caught a glimpse of Mai in the young man’s arms. “Does it have anything to do with Ms. Valentine?”
Joey gazed into the face of his female companion, then up at the doctor. “Yes.” He then started to sound frantic. “She’s in a deep coma! She could die!” Of course he knew the situation was much more complicated than that, but he wasn’t sure how he would be able to explain it, or if the older man would believe him. His voice was filled with emotion as he muttered, “I can’t lose her.” He exhaled a deep breath in an attempt to remain composed. ‘Whatever you do, Joey, keep your emotions in check.’
The doctor was filled with compassion when he noticed how distressed Joey seemed to be about his lady friend’s condition. Not that he blamed him, given the severity of the situation. “Calm down. She will receive the best care possible.” He took out the room key and used it to open the door.
“Thanks, doc.” Joey entered the room as the door slid open. The medical technician was close behind him. He gently laid Mai sideways on the bed, pulled down the sheets, stood her up slightly and placed her legs beneath the covers, positioning her so she was lying flat on her back. He then pulled the sheets up to her chest before shaking his arms out and rubbing his sore wrists. ‘Now that feels much better. Not to complain, but my arms were beginning to feel like they would fall off. ’
Kaiba’s medic could only smile to himself as he watched the blonde young man try his hardest to make sure his friend was comfortable. ‘I take it that young woman is important to him.’ He wandered over to inspect what Joey had done. He nodded as if to say good job, before going, “Hmmm.” He noticed Mai was laid down a bit crookedly, so he straightened her body some. That done, he fixed his gaze upon the young man. “I will examine her now, so you will have to leave the room for awhile.”
Under normal circumstances, Joey would adamantly object, since he wanted to remain by his companion’s side for as long as possible. However, he felt the need to let off some steam, so he had no qualms cooperating this time. “All right. Good luck.” He leaned over, gave Mai a quick peck on the forehead and stared down at her. ‘Don’t worry, Mai. I will save you if it’s the last thing I do, and then maybe we can strengthen our relationship.’ His resolve filled him with a new found hope. Removing his eyes off of her, he turned around and left.
As soon as the blonde got to his room, he sat down on his bed. He heaved a sigh of relief that neither Duke nor Tristan had returned yet. ‘I am sure they will soon, though, so I might as well enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts.’ He sat forward, burying his face in his hands. All he could think about was Mai and how he couldn’t save her. ‘Gah, I’m such a freaking failure. I failed the one woman I care about, and all because of someone else, too. Arrgh! I can’t stand it anymore!’
Feeling antsy, Joey removed his hands from his face and got up from his spot to go lean against the wall. He spun around and punched it as hard as he could, not even bothering to wince or cry out in pain although it hurt like hell. He removed his fist from the wall and took a look at it. Sure enough, a bruise was beginning to form on his knuckles. He cursed under his breath, annoyed with himself for getting so carried away. He leaned against the wall once more, closing his eyes to try to block out his physical and mental distress. The throbbing in his knuckles ebbed little by little, but he had yet to completely pacify his fury. He scrunched up his brow and opened his eyes, marching over to the refrigerator. At the corner of his eye, he spotted a coffee cup on the counter. He picked it up and was about to smash it on the floor when all of a sudden he heard the sound of the door sliding open as well as footsteps, which made him jump a little.
“Joey?” a female’s voice called. “Are you in here?”
Joey let out a sigh and massaged his temples before the sweet voice reached his ears. ‘That sounds like Serenity. She probably came to check up on me.I could use a visit from her right about now. ’ He rested the cup back on the counter and went to greet his sister, hopeful she would make him feel better. He looked pleasantly surprised to see it wasn’t just Serenity that had come in, but the rest of the gang as well. Their mere presence was enough to calm him somewhat. “Hey guys, what’s up?” He made an effort to sound like his normal, cheerful self.
Tristan reached up a hand to scratch the back of his head before eyeing his friend. “That’s what we came to ask you. You had us worried with the way you just took off like that.”
“Yeah, are you okay?” asked Tèa. “You look really depressed.” Her eyes were full of concern.
Joey briefly faced Tèa and then ran a hand through his mop of hair. He sighed heavily, knowing there was no point in him saying he was fine and only needed some quiet time. He turned to face the brunette young girl again. “Well, to be honest, I have been better.” He hung his head.
Tèa nodded in understanding, figuring it was because of Mai. ‘We have to figure out how to get her mind back. But there’s only so much I can do. I will have to rely on Yugi and Joey to do most of the work.’ She let out a wistful sigh and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She hated feeling so helpless in dire situations.
Serenity wrapped her arms around her big brother’s waist, stroking his back comfortingly. It broke her heart to see him so down, although she understood completely.
The blonde young man returned his sister’s embrace. When it ended, he smiled weakly at her. “Thanks, sis. I needed that.” He caught a glimpse of Vicki walking over to his bed to have a seat.
Serenity smiled back at him. “You’re welcome,” she said warmly. “I’m glad I can help. After all, you’re always there for me.” She paused, trying to figure out the best way to ask what was really bothering him.”Do…you want to talk about it? You may feel even better.”
“Uh…” Joey hesitated for a moment. He felt like he could vent for hours and he wasn’t sure if he wanted his friends to see his ultra raw side, since it wasn’t a pretty sight. On the other hand, he knew using words to let out his true feelings would be better than destroying any inanimate object he could get his hands on. ‘What do you have to lose? Your friends are here for you to lean on. Confiding in them can’t hurt.’ He drew in a deep breath, giving eye contact to all his friends as he gathered his thoughts. “It’s just…I promised Mai I would protect her, but I let her down. I was right there when that creep Marik zapped her. But he had put some type of weird freezing spell on Vicki and me.” He lowered his head a bit.
Serenity hugged him again. “I know. It’s so awful.” She looked as if she would break down in tears, but she fought them with all her might, wanting to be strong for her brother when he needed her most. He said nothing, but glumly hugged her back.
Vicki stretched out her legs before frowning slightly and wagging her finger at the blonde. “Joey, you’re being much too hard on yourself. It’s like you said, the psycho put us out of commission, and so what had happened wasn’t your fault in the least.”
Joey looked thoughtful as he considered what the chocolate haired girl had said. ‘She’s right. I would have been able to save Mai had it not been for Marik, but it still hurts all the same.’ An image of Marik laughing maniacally appeared in his head. His glum look was gone and was replaced by a scowl. “I guess…but even so, I still won’t be happy until I make that evil nutcase pay!” His eyes narrowed, a shade of purple tainted his face and he clenched his fists, shaking with rage. The pain in his bruised knuckles resurfaced again, but at the moment he didn’t care.
Vicki gave him an understanding look. She didn’t blame the blonde one bit for being so livid. “If it helps, I want to get a crack at his sorry carcass, too.”
Yami had been listening to Joey’s little tirade. He noticed how intense his rage was from his demeanor as well as the force of his words, and he looked worried. He had seen the blonde get angry many times, but never on such a level before. ‘It is exactly how my wrath was when Yugi and I first bonded. I owe Yugi a great deal for helping me learn to control it, and now it is my turn to help Joey.’ He couldn’t say he wasn’t furious with Marik himself, but he didn’t want his friend doing something he would regret later. He walked over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. “No, Joey. I understand your anger, but do not let it cloud your judgment,” he told him wisely.
Joey turned to face the ancient pharaoh, his scowl softening just a tad. He knew his friend spoke reason and he respected it, even if he didn’t feel like calmness was an option. He let out a heavy sigh. ”You’re right.”
Yami gave a hint of a smile, relieved to see that the blonde had calmed down some. “Don’t worry. We’ll defeat Marik and rescue Mai.” He removed his hand from Joey’s shoulder.
“Thanks, Yuge.”
Tèa took a glance at her watch. The 30 minute recess was almost over. “Let’s go see her before we have to leave to go watch the last duel of the first round.”
Joey’s eyes brightened up at the suggestion. He ran a hand over his face as he said, “Yeah, let’s go. I’m sure the doctor is done looking at her now…” His voice trailed off because he knew there was nothing that could be done to help her. He wasted no time bolting out the door.
Tristan looked shocked at how his best friend just ran off without waiting for anyone. “Hey man! Wait up!” He ran after the blonde to catch up with him. Tèa, Duke, Yami and Serenity also followed.
Vicki had just got up from her spot on the bed and was stretching her arms when she saw her friends leaving. ‘Whoops… better get my rear in gear.’ She sped up as fast as she could, hoping she wouldn’t have to pay for it later. Thankfully, their pace was relatively slow, so she was able to catch up with them with little problems. Her heart pounded rapidly and she felt cold inside. She wasn’t sure how she would be able to handle seeing Mai’s comatose form this time around. It was difficult enough seeing her like that in Joey’s arms.
It wasn’t long before the gang approached Mai’s room and the doctor just happened to be walking out. ‘It looks like we came just in time.’ Joey gave him slight a nod as if to thank him for his efforts and entered while the door was still open, as did his friends. They gathered around the young woman’s bed to get a good look at her. Vicki felt discomfort in her chest at the sight of her friend lying so still. ‘If I didn’t know better, I would think she’s dead.’ She went to stand behind Duke.
Serenity sat on the footstool in front of the bed and took one of Mai’s hands in hers. She had been trying to take the situation in stride as best as she could, but a lump found its way into her throat and tears were beginning to well up in her eyes. She blinked them back, not wanting to break down right then.
Tèa put a hand on her forehead before placing it in her other hand to wring it. ‘I don’t know if I can handle any more of my friends getting hurt.’ She let out a distressed groan. “We have to save her. But how?”
“Just leave it to me,” Joey piped up.
Tristan and Duke stared at the blonde like they thought he was crazy. “And just how do you plan to do that?” asked the pointy-haired teen.
Joey returned the gaze. “By facing Marik in a duel, of course,” he responded, as if the answer should have been obvious. He was certain his friends would try and talk him out of it, but he had already made up his mind.
Everyone’s heads snapped up to look at the blonde, blinking several times and letting their brains absorb his words. All but Yami and Serenity gasped loudly, “What?!” They then began to talk amongst themselves, asking questions such as, “Is he serious?” and “Did he say what I think he said?” Yami kept quiet, however, and just stood there with a grim look on his face. Serenity glanced at her brother with worried eyes.
Joey had more or less anticipated such a reaction, since his friends always looked out for his well being. He loudly cleared his throat, clearly inappreciative of them talking about him like he wasn’t standing nearby. They instantly quieted down, almost jumping out of their skins. He exhaled a deep breath before putting on his best determined look. “Yeah, you heard me right. Marik said Mai would be free if he’s defeated in a duel, so that’s what I’m gonna do. And I won’t rest until Mai is safe and sound.” Every time he thought about Marik he felt a burning rage, but he knew it was in his best interest to heed Yami’s advice not to let his anger get out of control.
Tristan’s eyes bugged out and he gaped at the blonde. He didn’t know why such a brazen decision surprised him, given how rash his best friend was, but it did. “Are you nuts? The same thing that happened to Mai could happen to you or worse, you could get yourself killed.”
“He’s right, man,” chimed in Duke. “Marik is bad news. He’s dangerous and he duels dirty.”
Joey sighed heavily and rubbed his temples, trying his hardest to remain patient. “Look, I am aware of all that and I appreciate you all trying to look out for me. However, I made a promise to Mai that I would always protect her. I’m sure if she was awake right now, she would feel let down, and so I want to do everything I can to fix that.” He allowed a little smile to escape, proud of himself for managing to defend his reasons calmly. ‘Whoo. If that doesn’t make them understand, I don’t know what will.’ Not that it mattered what his friends thought, once he had his mind made up.
Yami looked thoughtful. He understood Joey’s inner turmoil very well and knew what it was like to keep a vow, but he still didn’t trust Marik to not do anything underhanded. “Are you sure you wish to go through with this, despite the danger?”
“Yes,” answered Joey. “I owe it to Mai.” He didn’t particularly care to reveal the real reason for that…not then, anyway. ‘Oh boy...when Tristan finds out my feelings for Mai are much deeper than friendship, he’s gonna flip out. I don’t care, though. I don’t need his approval.’
Tèa could see the blonde felt very strongly and knew from the firmness in his tone there was no use convincing him otherwise. And she did have faith he would be able to hold his own against Marik. “I understand and all of us will be right by your side to give you support.”
“Right on,” chirped Vicki, after a long period of silence.
Joey smiled a little, pleased to see that his friends finally understood where he was coming from. “Thanks.”
“What are friends for?” Worry started to show in Tèa’s voice as she cautioned him, “Just promise you’ll be careful. I don’t want to lose any more friends.” She looked misty-eyed.
Joey got a soft expression on his face upon noticing how emotional Tèa seemed to be about the matter. He couldn’t say he blamed her, considering three tournament participants were out of commission thus far. “I know. I promise I’ll be careful,” he reassured her.
“Good.”
“Attention remaining finalists, the final duel of the first round will begin in five minutes!” blared Roland’s voice over the speakers.
Duke rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I guess we had better get a move on if we’re to see this last duel.”
“Yeah, and if I’m right, Kaiba is facing the 8th duelist.” Tristan tilted his head, with a puzzled look on his face. “I wonder who this mystery duelist is. Kaiba definitely seemed excited from the way he kicked us off the playing field. This must be someone he had been waiting to defeat for ages.” He tapped his chin. ‘Who could Kaiba want to defeat besides Yugi?’
Vicki tossed a strand of hair over her shoulders. “Well, we will find out soon enough. As long as the person is not another evil psychopath, I’m good.” A small smirk crossed her features. ‘Besides, depending on who it is, I would get a thrill out of seeing Money-bags squirm.’
“You said it. Now let’s go. I don’t wanna miss a minute of this duel.” Joey stretched his arms forward and then turned to glance at Serenity, who was still sitting on the footstool. “Are you coming, sis?”
Serenity directed her attention towards her elder brother, shaking her head. “You guys go ahead. I’ll just stay here and look after Mai.”
Joey just looked at her, surprised. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to do the same, but he hadn’t expected his sister to sound almost adamant about it. “Serenity…what are you..?” Everyone else turned to face her as well.
The young girl felt all the eyes on her and knew they were waiting for an explanation. She gulped, twiddled her thumbs and ran a hand through her hair before briefly looking down at her lap. “It’s just that ever since I’ve been a part of your group I have learned so much. Mai had been so nice to me ever since I met her, and now that she’s in need, it’s my turn to be there for her. Sometimes I feel helpless since I can’t duel like you or Yugi, but I realized I don’t have to do anything significant to be helpful. The little things count as well. Remaining by Mai’s side would be a good start.”
Joey was silent for awhile, after hearing his sister’s reasoning. He knew she wanted to learn to play Duel Monsters, but he never suspected she felt bad about not being able to do it. ‘She has the same ideals and desires as I do. How can I say no, even if she does miss the duel?’ His brows twitched and he nodded. “All right. You stay here and keep watch. We’ll be back.”
Serenity sat up straight, for her back was beginning to ache whilst she was leaning forward. “Okay. Let me know how the duel went.”
“Will do. Smell ya later.” Joey turned away from Serenity and headed towards the exit before glancing over his shoulder at his friends. “You guys coming or not?”
“Of course we are. Just be patient. “ Tèa and the remainder of the gang followed Joey out of the room, determined not to be left behind again.
Kaiba stood on his side of the playing field with his arms tightly folded across his chest, waiting for his opponent to show up. Besides Roland, he was accompanied by Marik. He barely acknowledged the cornsilk blonde’s presence, instead treating him like he was invisible. Letting out a heavy sigh, he took a quick glance at his watch. Although it was not quite time to begin yet, he wanted to get the duel over with. ‘To show what a gracious person I am, I will give them five more minutes and that’s it.’
The elevator’s gong went off, catching the CEO’s attention. He waited with baited breath to see who his opponent would be, a grin threatening to escape. The doors opened and his grin faded. It was all he could do not to frown deeply when Yami and his friends exited the elevator and gathered around on the sidelines. ‘Oh great. It’s those goody-two shoes.’ He kept a nonchalant expression on his face, despite his lack of enthusiasm at seeing them. One of the buttons on his trenchcoat collar beeped. He pressed it, grateful for the distraction. “Yes, Mokuba. Are you making progress with the ancient text translation?” The corners of his lips curled up ever so slightly as excitement bubbled up inside him.
“A little. The text has been entered into the database, but the internet is taking a long time to translate it.”
Kaiba frowned, not thrilled at the thought of doing more waiting, but even he knew Mokuba had no control over the process. All he said was, “All right. Let me know when the translation is complete.”
“Right.”
Kaiba released the hold on his collar, folding his arms again and letting out a deep breath. He shot a quick glance at Marik with a smug look on his face. ‘Enjoy your ownership of Ra while you can because soon I will snatch it from you.’
Yami walked away from his friends to approach Kaiba, clearing his throat. “Kaiba,” he began, bracing himself for the cold treatment.
Kaiba turned around to face his rival, a smirk on his face. “Yugi, I hope you’re prepared for our duel in the finals. After I defeat this mystery duelist, we will have our long awaited rematch, in which one of us will be crowned Duel King.” His smirk shifted into a cocky smile. ‘It is I who will become Duel King this time.’
Yami looked back at him grimly. He had something very important to say, but he got the feeling the CEO didn’t want to hear it. He turned away and headed back towards his friends. ‘He is correct about one thing. I must be prepared to face him and his Egyptian God monster.’ He rubbed his temples a bit, knowing he would be in for an arduous duel to say the least. That combined with Kaiba’s attitude mounted the stress for him.
Vicki caught a glimpse of Kaiba’s smile and let out a whistle. “Whoa. It seems someone is jittery tonight.”
“Right?” Tristan agreed with a snicker. “His cheeks must hurt from smiling so much.”
Joey snorted. “Yes, well, Mr. Sunshine is automatically gonna win the duel if his opponent doesn’t show up.” His look then became serious. He hated the thought of missing out on what had the potential to be an exciting duel. ‘I hope this person does show up. Rich-boy doesn’t deserve to win a duel so easily.’
Kaiba gazed across the playing field before lowering his sapphire blue orbs. A smug smile crossed his features. ‘This 8th duelist will get a severe beat down from my all powerful Egyptian God monster.’ He slipped his deck inside his duel disk and then directed his gaze towards the door of the elevator, glaring at it as if he could make his opponent appear. At this point his patience was wearing very thin and he was tempted to just have Roland declare him the winner by default. He glanced at his watch again. ‘One more minute.’
Once again, the numbers of the decks on the elevator door lit up as the elevator came to a complete stop. ‘Ding-dong,’ went the gong. Kaiba watched intently as the door opened and two ladies exited. One of them stepped onto the dueling platform while the other stood several feet away from Yami and the gang, carrying a stoic disposition about her. They shot a quick glance at her before turning their attention to the woman revealed to be Kaiba’s opponent.
Joey’s eyes were filled with confusion when he took a close look at the unknown duelist. He could tell from her clothing and her tanned skin that she was Egyptian, but that was all. “I am drawing a blank here. I know the other lady is Keren, but who is that woman over there?” he inquired.
Yami wrinkled his brow in thought. “I suppose we will find out soon enough.” He couldn’t really tell who the woman was, since half of her face was covered and also because he only saw the side of her. ‘I cannot explain it, but I have the strangest feeling I know this woman.’
Kaiba stared down the woman standing before him, his eyes turning into steel. Although his displeasure should have faded, he still felt compelled to let her have it. “You dare to keep me waiting when I have a duel to win? No respect! But then again, if you are scared to death at the thought of facing me, I do not blame you. You have a lot of guts showing up. State who you are right now!” He pointed directly to her.
Ishizu had a nonchalant expression on her face, although she felt like telling him he needed to learn some manners as well. Without a word, she pulled down the cloth mask concealing her nose and mouth before letting her eyes meet his, exchanging a look with him.
Yami let out a soft gasp when he saw her remove her mask, as he recognized her right away. ‘Could it be..?’ He did not expect to see Ishizu, as he was led to believe he would have to carry the weight on his shoulders, with a bit of help from Joey. ‘I take it she must have something of vital importance to take care of. I have a hunch for what she intends to do, and I wish her success.’
Roland put up a hand for calm, as he could see his boss was extremely cross about the long wait. “I’ll take it from here, Mr. Kaiba.” He softened his tone to sound kind as he addressed Ishizu. “Miss, tell me, what is your name?”
The tan-skinned woman broke her gaze with Kaiba and turned to face Roland. “My name is Ishizu. Ishizu Ishtar,” she responded whilst smoothing out her dress.
The original Marik was still able to hear his sister’s voice, despite the fact that his dark side was in full control of his body. He had never been so happy to see her in his life. ‘Perhaps I can still reach her in spite of my situation. It most certainly couldn’t hurt to try.’ He took a deep breath. “Sister, if you can hear me, please help me!!” he cried out, hoping and praying his voice would reach her ears. He poked his head from the side, trying to see if he could regain control of his body. He let out another cry as he felt his strength to do so being snatched away.
His sinister counterpart was alerted to what was happening and he clenched his fist before gritting his teeth. “Stay out of my way you fool! I will not allow a weakling such as yourself to restrain me anymore!” he growled, overpowering his weak side and making him disappear.
Ishizu’s ears jumped a bit and she suppressed a slight gasp. ‘Hmm? Is that you, my brother?’ It was distressing hearing him sound so anguished. Even so, the sound of his voice filled her with a tiny bit of hope that she would be able to save him eventually. She glanced towards the sidelines, her eyes landing on the cornsilk blonde. However, his sadistic side was still very much in control. She frowned. ‘That’s strange. I very clearly heard his cries for help.’ She hoped her mind had not been playing tricks on her because of her desire to return him to his normal state. ‘Either way, I will never give up.’
“Ishizu…” Tèa mumbled to herself. She was trying to think of where she had heard the name before, since it did ring a bell. ‘Oh wait. Something is coming to me. That day Vicki and I went to the museum with Yugi…we were greeted by a woman of that name.’ Her eyes shot wide open. “I know her!” She shot a sideways glance at Yami, who wore his trademark serious expression.”Hey Yugi, isn’t she the lady who told you about your destiny before the tournament began?”
The ancient pharaoh turned to face Tèa. “Yes, she is. Her participation in this tournament will prove to be a good thing. After all, I may not be able to conquer this evil alone.”
“You won’t be able to. The evil is too powerful for one person to stop, and we have already lost several of our friends. I’m almost afraid to know what will happen next.” Tèa placed her hands on her head and gripped it, as if to say she wouldn’t be able to witness much more destruction.
“Well as much of a prick Kaiba can be, I don’t think we will have to worry about that in this duel,” spoke up Vicki, shivering a little from the gust of wind blowing through the sleeves of the jacket she wore. She smiled slightly at Ishizu’s presence, feeling some admiration for the older woman. ‘I always wondered when she would show up. Perhaps some normalcy can return to this tournament, starting now.’
“True.”
Ishizu turned away from the sidelines, allowing her eyes to meet Kaiba’s once again. “So we meet again, Seto Kaiba. I knew we would, and this setting is quite appropriate.”
Kaiba sighed before bringing up a hand to mockingly rub his temples. “Don’t speak to me in such a cryptic language. It bores me and is giving me a headache. However, I do agree with you on one thing. I’m actually glad our paths crossed. What better setting to destroy you with the Egyptian God card you gave to me? That’s why you entered my tournament, is it not? To try to win it back.”
Ishizu looked at the CEO calmly as she answered, “No. I am actually here for a far more vital purpose. I have come to save my brother.”
Kaiba’s brow furrowed. “Brother?” He sounded shocked.
“Yes,” answered the Egyptian woman, mildly amused by his surprised tone. “Marik is my brother. For the past six years he has been under the control of an evil force and has turned against me in the process. It is imperative for me to find a way to purge the darkness from his heart before it is too late.”
Astonished gasps erupted among the gang. They murmured amongst themselves things such as, “They’re related? No way!” and “I find that hard to believe.“
Joey got a skeptical look on his face and his nose started twitching. He tilted his head. “I just hope unlike her brother, she can be trusted,” he said. “He’s psycho enough for everyone on this blimp.”
“Either way, if she is here for the reason she said she is, that means she and Marik will be pitted against each other, making them rivals.” Tristan wasn’t sure what to make of the woman yet, but he decided not to let it be known this time.
Vicki had been thrown in for a loop by the revelation as well, but instead she looked thoughtful and sympathetic. “Yeah, that’s gotta sting…” Her voice trailed off for a bit before saying with utter sincerity, “I hope she succeeds.”
Duke twirled a short strand of hair around his finger. “It’s gonna get worse, I’m sure.”
There was silence among the group after that. They thought it would be best not to say anymore since Ishizu was right there. Even though she didn’t seem to be paying attention to anyone but her opponent, the teenagers didn’t want to take any chances.
Keren could tell Tristan and Joey held some mistrust towards the Egyptian woman. 'I can’t have them passing judgment when they do not know her well.’ She broke the ice by informing them, “Now now gentlemen, there is nothing to fear. Ishizu is very trustworthy.”
“Huh?” The boys jumped a mile and whirled around to face her, looking like they had forgotten she was there. “Really?” asked Tristan incredulously.
“Yes. She is extremely compassionate. Give her a chance and you will see that.”
Joey absorbed all of Keren’s words. He had his reasons for being suspicious, but he was not about to contradict her when he barely knew Ishizu. ‘She does seem to have some sort of connection with these Ishtar people and she was right about Odion.‘ He thought he saw a pleading look in the Israeli’s eyes, which made him soften just a tad. He gave a slight nod. “I will.”
Keren smiled a bit. “Good.”
Ishizu merely ignored the chatter going on. Instead she was exchanging another glance with her possessed younger brother. ‘I will save you, Marik.’
Marik’s good side felt his sister’s eyes on him and used that as an opportunity to try to regain control of his body again. “Ishizu, help me please!” he pleaded.
The evil personality gritted his teeth, fed up with the tortured soul trying to resist him. “It’s time to cast you away forever! I’m in control now!” He conjured a pyramid figure made of glass, encasing his weak half inside. The young man placed his hands in front of him, freezing when his fingers were touching glass. His mouth hung open in horror upon realizing he was trapped. A wicked grin spread across the face of his corrupted form. ‘That should hold him until I completely dispose of him forever!’
Ishizu looked flustered as she heard her brother’s distressed voice ringing in her ear. ‘Hmm? It’s his voice again. I know it was not wishful thinking, but…it has faded away. I have a bad feeling.’ She pushed her troubles out of her mind, facing Kaiba with her best all-business look. “I hope you’re prepared for what’s in store for you. According to my necklace, I will defeat you in this duel.“
Kaiba tilted his head before scoffing, “Don’t make me laugh. I am going to build my future with my own two hands. No ancient artifact has any part in it. I must say, though, you intrigue me in comparison to our first encounter and I respect your determination. To think you gave me Obelisk in order to destroy the rare hunters and yet you secretly entered my tournament. I do not appreciate you using me as bait to help accomplish your task.“
Joey’s jaw dropped open for a second as he processed what he just heard. “What?! You mean to tell me Ishizu had a hand in this tournament as well?”
Tristan eyed his best friend strangely, wondering why he sounded so shocked. “That’s what she just said. I have no idea how she was able to talk him into it, but I am sure we will find out soon.”
The Egyptian woman sighed, wearily rubbing her forehead to relieve it of the slight headache that was beginning to form. Whilst she expected such behavior from Kaiba, she wasn’t in the mood for it. She stated calmly, “History has been repeating itself for quite some time and you would do well to acknowledge it.”
Kaiba let out a disdainful laugh. “The past is of no concern to me, nor will it define my future. When I defeat you in this duel, I will prove that. Winning against you should be simple. Let’s see how long you last against me.”
“I can say the same for you.” Ishizu felt a smirk threatening to escape her lips as she was thinking about how she would allow him to believe he had the upper hand at first. 'I will spring my surprise on him when the time is right.'
“Hmph!” Kaiba turned to face his henchman. “Roland, proceed at once. We are already behind schedule.”
Roland nodded, hearing the tension in his boss’ voice and not wishing to feel his wrath. “Right, sir.” He rose up an arm. “Begin!”
The counter meters on both duelists’ duel disks were set to four thousand life points. Kaiba clenched his fist as his lips stretched into his deadly half-smile. ‘Once I summon my unstoppable Egyptian God monster, Ishizu will be finished!’
Ishizu stared back at the CEO with her best game face on. ‘The creature Kaiba is depending on to guide him to victory will be his downfall.’
Keren had her hands clasped together as she watched Ishizu mentally prepare herself for the duel. One thing she could say was there seemed to be some tension between her and Kaiba, judging from their exchange. ‘Stay strong, Ishizu. You can defeat him.’
Tèa had been filing her nails before she turned her attention back to Kaiba and Ishizu as they took their positions on the field. “Look, guys, the duel is about to start.”
“I know,” said Vicki. “It’s going to be a nail biting one, I can tell.” Her voice got a little loud as she called out to Ishizu,”Go get him!”
Tristan and Duke exchanged puzzled glances with each other, obviously not expecting their friend to be so keen on rooting for the young woman.
Ishizu glanced over her shoulder at the girl. Although she wasn’t used to having cheerleaders, she couldn’t help smiling slightly. “I appreciate your moral support,” she said, and turned back around to face a very impatient Kaiba.
“I would pay better attention if I were you,” said the young businessman coolly.
“My attention was never diverted.”
“Yeah. Sure it wasn’t.” Kaiba was rolling his eyes, as if to show how much he didn’t believe his opponent. “Now that you’ve gotten out of dreamland, I’ll go first. I summon Vorse Raider in attack mode!” (1900 attk) A humanoid shaped creature with cinnamon brown skin, goat horns and a sinister toothy grin emerged on the field. On his feet were light brown boots and he was also holding a razor sharp scythe in his hands. “I will also place one card face down and end my turn. Let’s see your opening move.”
“Very well.“ Inwardly Ishizu was shaking her head at the fact that “ladies first” didn’t seem to be one of Kaiba’s policies. ‘No matter. He shall learn soon enough, be it the simple or hard way.’ She pulled a card from her deck and set it horizontally on her duel disk. “I place Keldo in defensive mode.” (1600 def) The Egyptian styled fairy clothed in an aquamarine cloak rose up out of the card.
Tèa’s eyes were wide as saucers and looked like they would pop out of their sockets. “Did you see that, guys? Ishizu didn’t even look at her card.”
Joey tilted his head to the side, very used to seeing things like that, although it didn’t mean he was thrilled at seeing it once again. “Yeah, I know. It’s just like when Mai was able to tell what her cards were without looking at them.”
Yami knitted his brows together before looking serious. “No, Joey. Mai’s former strategy was based on the distinguishable fragrances she sprayed on her cards. Ishizu has the power of the millennium necklace on her side. Its powers are very real and are not to be taken lightly.” His eyes landed on his rival for a brief second. “It would be in Kaiba’s best interest to not underestimate her.”
“Hell yes, it would,” quipped Vicki. “The question is, will he learn that?” She wasn’t too surprised at what Ishizu had done, given what she had witnessed during the past several weeks.
“Well, if Ishizu’s necklace is really that powerful, then that means Kaiba will lose, regardless of what he does,” concluded Tèa. She had not made up her mind who she wanted to win, although she had to admit the older woman was pretty likable as a person.
“I will now activate a very powerful magic card, Michizure of Doom,” continued the raven haired young woman. “This card allows both of us to choose 2 cards from each other’s hands to discard. I choose Polymerization and Kaiser Glider.”
“What the---“ Kaiba’s mouth dropped open slightly. He then peered down at the cards in his hand. ‘The scary thing is she is right. Those two cards are in my hand. What puzzles me is how could she have known that, and be able to call them out with a straight face? Does she have x-ray vision or something?’ He shook his head, not even wanting to consider such a possibility, as he knew there was no such thing as having x-ray vision. Grumbling, he took the two cards and disposed of them, then gave Ishizu a withering stare. “Duel like a human being, please. Show me your hand.”
Ishizu showed Kaiba the cards she was holding, opting to just ignore his previous snide remark. She knew he was just being cheeky. ‘I refuse to allow him to aggravate me.’ She waited patiently for him to choose which cards he wanted her to send to the graveyard.
Kaiba wrinkled his brow in thought whilst scanning the cards in her hand. “Discard Revival Magic and Monster Reborn,” he barked.
“As you wish.” Ishizu slipped the cards into the graveyard slot of her duel disk. She didn’t consider them a heavy loss since she had no intentions of using either of them in her strategy at the moment. “That ends my turn.”
Vicki had been trying to stifle her laughter at how steamed Kaiba was, but it tickled her insides, spreading until it exploded out of her. She clapped her hands over her mouth to muffle it. Tears were soon running down her cheeks and she quickly wiped them away. “Did you see the look on his face?” she asked, before anyone could ask her what was so funny. She stopped laughing, rubbing at her sore sides.
“Yeah, it was priceless,” agreed Joey. It was his turn to let out a snicker.
Marik watched with an evil smile on his face. Seeing his elder sister’s strategy brought back memories of the days he played Duel Monsters with her when they were much younger. He chuckled lightly to himself. ‘However, although she may have defeated me countless times when I was a weak child, she won’t stand a chance against me now. I wonder how Kaiba will fare.’
Kaiba turned away from Ishizu to glower at the two teens who had laughed at him. ‘Such giggling fools. They would be singing a totally different tune if I were to crush either of them.’ He locked eyes with Ishizu once again, a sneer crossing his lips. “Your destruction is about to begin, Ishizu! Vorse Raider, attack her Keldo, now!” The beast monster raised its scythe, slicing the fairy in two.
Ishizu braced her crossed arms in front of her face to shield herself from the winds. However, with her monster being in defense mode, her life points were safe.
Kaiba shot the woman a smirk. “So tell me, Ishizu, did you see that move coming?”
“As a matter of fact, I did.” Ishizu gave a cocky smile. “You don’t seem to get it. This is all part of my plan in ensuring my victory. I have seen the card you will play in your attempt to win the duel and I know exactly how I intend to counter it.”
Kaiba looked at her as if she had gone insane. “You are the one who doesn’t get it. Your head games have no effect on me whatsoever and you cannot possibly stop my Obelisk the Tormentor from annihilating you.” He stared at the cards in his hand again, his lips spreading into a small grin. ‘Perfect. I happen to be holding the Crush card in my hand. When combined with the Shrink card that I have face down on the field, it creates an unstoppable strategy. With most of Ishizu’s cards destroyed, it will be that much easier for me to win.’ Proud of his plan to defeat Ishizu, his grin grew wider. “I’ll set one more card face down and that’s all. Go ahead and try to stop me.” 'Not that you can. The minute you try to attack, you’ll be finished.’
Ishizu spotted the grin on the CEO’s face, and furrowed her brow. ‘Hmmm. He is so confident he will succeed. He has left me no choice but to rely on the vision of my millennium necklace.’ Other opponents in her shoes would be nervous, but instead she was smiling. ‘What he does not know is that I am in possession of an extremely destructive trap card. When I play it and it fuses inside my monster, it will transfer to his Egyptian God monster after he sacrifices mine. When he calls an attack, his creature will self-destruct, wiping out his life points.’
Her smile faded as she bowed her head, looking contrite. ‘Please forgive me, Kaiba. I know technically it is forbidden to use my millennium necklace in this manner, but it is the only way to save my brother.’ She reopened her eyes and looked up with her game face back on. “It’s my turn now! I draw!” She pulled a card from her deck and held it up to glance at, looking deep in thought. ‘This card will do well to contribute to Kaiba’s downward spiral. However, it will be wise to hold onto it until the time is right.’ She eyed the other cards she was holding for another option, knowing she had to get Vorse Raider off the field for her plan to work. ‘I know he has set a trap for me, but it is a risk I must take. After all, it will be turned against him in due time.’ Her eyes were full of fire and determination. “I summon Mudora in attack mode!” (1500 attk) A pancake colored, thick, muscularly built, humanoid shaped creature materialized, grunting. It wore a gold and blue striped helmet that appeared to be molded to look like some Ancient Egyptian’s face. “I also play an equipment magic card, Sword of Dogra, which boosts my Mudora’s attack strength by 500 points, thus making it more than a match for your monster!” An aura surrounded the creature as its attack power was raised to 2000 by the small bow-like swords that appeared in its hands. “Mudora, destroy his Vorse Raider!” The Egyptian fairy soared towards the mighty beast, ready to slice and dice it to ribbons.
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Post by LadyKeren on Feb 29, 2016 14:56:21 GMT
A/N: I would like to take this moment to apologize to die-hard Kaiba fans in advance as this duel will not conclude as anticipated. This is one of the several instances the show won’t be followed that well and is a case of major AR. But I will make it up to you all, and that’s a promise. Chapter 43 Ishizu waited with baited breath as the fairy soared towards Kaiba’s Vorse Raider, well aware of what would happen once her declared attack hit. ‘It is a part of my plan to defeat him. He will be in for quite a rude awakening once he sees the surprises I have in store for him.’ Her lips curled into a tiny, reserved smile.
Kaiba gave a smug grin as he watched Mudora slice his monster in half. ‘Why thank you.’ His grin transformed into a full-fledged smirk. “I reveal my face down cards, Shrink and Crush!” Vorse Raider’s attack strength was reduced to 950 and Mudora started clutching its chest in pain. The young CEO let out a chuckle. “As you can see, the Shrink magic card cut my monster’s attack strength in half, but that is nothing compared to the unpleasant surprise in store for Mudora.” The young woman said nothing as her creature disappeared and a large number of cards in her deck were debilitated. She maintained her stoic expression. Kaiba’s life points decreased to 2950 as a result of the attack.
Vicki formed her mouth in an O shape before looking puzzled. “What the—does anyone have an idea what happened to Ishizu’s monster? Why did it disappear along with Kaiba’s?”
“Kaiba’s Crush card has crippled all the monster cards in Ishizu’s deck with 1500 attack points or more, including her Mudora,” explained Yami. He was stone faced, as he recalled the time he had to contend with the deadly virus. ‘I was able to find a way around it, but it remains to be seen if Ishizu can do the same. After all, I am not familiar with her deck or dueling strategy.’
“Oh.” Vicki looked grim upon hearing that. “Well, that’s not good news. I hope she can still win. I want her to.” She briefly glanced at the woman, raising a slight eyebrow at her calm demeanor. ‘Amazing. Things look bad for her and yet she is keeping calm. It’s as if Kaiba’s move hasn’t fazed her.’
“Well, in order for that to happen, Ishizu is gonna need a really good card,” spoke up Joey, although in the back of his mind he felt her chances were extremely slim. “Trust me when I say Crush card is not something you want to deal with.”
“That I can see.”
Kaiba chuckled to himself whilst listening to the chatter and then shot Ishizu a smirk. “Yugi is absolutely correct. Your powerful monster cards are useless now and it’s time for you to discard them.”
“Yes, I know.“ Ishizu removed all her high level monsters cards from her deck and hand, slipping them into the graveyard slot of her duel disk.
Kaiba laughed gleefully at her. “All you’re left with now are a bunch of mediocre monsters that will easily be trampled by my superior creatures.“ He laughed again. “What you have just experienced is only a mere taste of the horrors I have in store for you, meaning things will only get worse.” His tone then became critical. “I must say I am disappointed in you, Ishizu. You’re so confident you will defeat me, yet look at how easily you fell for my trap.”
Ishizu wearily rubbed her forehead before eyeing the young CEO calmly and responding, “I have a few surprises of my own in store for you, Kaiba. If I were you, I would remain on my toes and not allow myself to be blinded by my overconfidence.” Although she spoke to him in a maternal way, there was a hint of mild amusement in her voice.
Keren felt a small smile escape her lips at Ishizu’s words. It never ceased to amaze her how the younger woman knew how to keep her cool around Kaiba during the moments he had a condescending air about him. ‘As dire as things seem to be at the moment, I have faith she will be able to turn the tides in the battle. Kaiba will be in for a big surprise when he witnesses how sharp-minded she truly is.’ She rubbed the palms of her hands together, reminding herself to keep calm.
Kaiba tilted his head to the side before letting out an amused huff. “Is that so? Well, I’ll believe it when I see it. It’s gonna take more than just talk to convince me.“ He had very little respect for duelists who couldn’t back up their words.
Ishizu gave him a wry smile. “I will play my trump cards when the time is right, and no sooner. However, the move I am about to make will enable me to prepare for your demise. I play Swords of Revealing Light!” Kaiba watched with a stunned expression as a wall of shimmering yellow swords rained down in front of him. “You are now incapacitated for three full turns,” Ishizu informed him.
Instead of looking fearful or worried, the CEO’s lips formed a sneer. He also had to pinch himself to remain awake. “Enlighten me. If I am the one with the bleak future, why are you stalling for time? Can’t you come up with a better move than that?”
“You will witness my destructive moves soon enough. I am doing more than just biding my time,” responded the young woman.
Kaiba cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Really. Your plan to destroy me will result in your own demise.”
Kaiba looked cross-eyed at the Egyptian as if she were a gremlin. He had to bite his lip to keep from bursting into laughter. “Well, I don’t need a millennium item to predict what I will do to you once I can attack again. If you think I’m buying into your prophesying for one minute, you’re more insane than I thought.”
Ishizu didn’t answer the snide comments, instead opting to just ignore them. ‘He won’t be able to deny my powers for much longer.’ She closed her eyes briefly to envision the CEO’s destruction, and then reopened them to lock with his. “I suppose you will pass this turn. Am I correct?”
Kaiba looked taken aback for a second, thinking there was no possible way the woman could have known since he refused to acknowledge her ability. ‘However, she is absolutely right. That, I can’t deny.’ He hesitated a bit before admitting begrudgingly, “Yes, you’re right.”
“I thought so.” Ishizu pulled a card from her deck, holding it up to glance at and knitting her eyebrows together. “I do not need the card I have drawn as of yet, so for my turn, I will also pass.”
The corners of Kaiba’s lips quirked up a bit. “How sad,” he remarked with false pity. “You stall for time with your Swords of Revealing Light, yet you still can’t destroy me. I knew your predictions were not to be taken seriously.”
“I forewarn you, my predictions are not to be dismissed. I would take heed if I were you.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” dragged Kaiba. He was becoming weary of the back and forth with Ishizu. He just wanted to hurry up and defeat her before he fell asleep or asked for someone to end his misery. His lips slowly curled into a devious grin. ‘All right, it’s time to stop playing around with this wacko lady. One more turn and I will be able to take the necessary steps to send her packing.‘ His grin faded and was replaced by his all-business look. “It’s my turn! I draw!” He pulled a card from his deck and held it up, smiling. ‘Perfect. With Ishizu’s deck so severely damaged, it is easy pickings for my Virus Cannon. It won’t be long before she feels the wrath of my mighty Obelisk the Tormentor.’ He peeked at the cards in his hand and then faced Ishizu, letting out a hearty laugh.
Everyone looked at the CEO with confused expressions on their faces, wondering why he was laughing since he was still trapped. “Do you think perhaps Money-bags is having trouble keeping up with Ishizu?” asked Vicki, muffling a giggle. “That’s bound to make him crumble under the pressure and lose his grip on reality.“
“Ah, who knows what he’s thinking,” said Joey. “But I do hope Ishizu here finds a way to make him squirm even without her powerful monsters.”
Vicki nodded her agreement. “Hear, hear.“
Ishizu just stared at Kaiba for awhile and then frowned. “Well, what will your move be? You do seem to be quite delightful for someone whose future is bleak.”
Kaiba shot the woman a smirk. “How very observant of you to notice, and do you know why? It is because you are the one with the bleak future and you have done nothing to prove me wrong thus far. Quite frankly, I am disappointed, but if you wish to continue dueling sloppily, then be my guest. I hope you’re prepared to pay the price. I set one card face down and summon Dark Gremlin in attack mode!” (1600 attk) A forest green creature with sharp teeth, bat shaped ears, protruding horns and clawed hands emerged onto the field, letting out a fierce roar. Its stomach was off-white, and there were stripes decorating several areas of its body. “That ends my turn. If I were you, I would try to get a monster on the field.”
Meanwhile, Mokuba was still in front of the massive computer, busily translating the ancient text. He frowned at how long it was taking, since he had been at it for more than half an hour. ‘I hope it finishes soon, as I can imagine Seto is probably anxious, even though he is currently dueling. Speaking of which, I wonder how his duel is going thus far.’ As if to answer his question, several images from the duel popped up on the computer screen. He grinned widely upon spotting his brother’s high level monster, only for his grin to waver slightly when he noticed the Swords of Revealing Light preventing the creature from attacking. ‘Oh well. It’s just temporary. Whoever this lady is will have to do better than that to stop my brother,’ he told himself. After the images faded away, he went back to translating the text, knowing it wouldn’t be long before his brother asked him for another update on his progress.
(Stratos arena)
Ishizu took a look at her opponent’s monster, making a slight “hmmm” sound and opting not to respond to his “advice”. She wasn’t about to let him cause her to second guess her strategy. After all, she had taken her time perfecting it beforehand. ‘It is almost time to unveil my series of trump cards.’ She put her game face back on. “It’s my turn!” She pulled a card from her deck, holding it up to glance at and allowing a small smile to escape as the swords disappeared. “Once again, I pass, for it is not the right time for me to summon a monster yet. The effects of my magic card are over. I am prepared for your attack.”
Kaiba gave her a doubtful look as if to show he found her claim hard to believe. “Oh, is that so? We will soon find out. I’m about to make you regret not making use of your three turns, so brace yourself.” He pulled a card from his deck, letting out a slight gasp when he felt a strong force. ‘It’s Obelisk. I can sense its great power. Sorry Ishizu, but I will use my mighty creature to smash you.’ He held up the card in front of him, his lips stretching into a small smirk when he saw it was indeed his god card. ”Dark Gremlin, attack Ishizu’s life points directly!” The massive creature lunged forward and swiped at the young woman with its claws, making her wince slightly in pain. Her expression became stoic as she watched her life points decrease to two thousand, four hundred. The CEO laughed a bit. “That’s enough punishment for now. My onslaught will become worse in time, so I suggest you surrender here and now.”
“You would do well not to be in a celebratory mood when the duel has not concluded as of yet,” Ishizu said wisely. She lowered her eyes a bit to take a glance at the cards she currently held. ‘Hmmm…it’s time to play the card that will begin his impending destruction. He is still reveling in his delusions of victory, but that will end soon.’ A tiny smile crept upon her lips as she glanced back up. “You wanted me to give you a challenge? Well, Kaiba, you are about to get that wish. I’ll place one card face down. That ends my turn.”
All traces of glee drained from the young man’s face upon seeing the card. For the first time since the duel began, he had a look of fear and felt tightness in his chest. ‘For some reason I have a bad feeling about that card. What if it’s something that could cost me the duel?’ He felt beads of sweatdrops forming on his forehead and he bowed his head so neither Ishizu nor the spectators would see him sweat. He just knew they would rub it in, and he wasn’t about to give them that opportunity. ‘This is ridiculous! Why am I so worried about that card? It’s probably something I would have no issues countering, given that a vast majority of Ishizu’s worthwhile cards have already been destroyed and she will lose more very soon. She is only bluffing, which is all she had been doing ever since this duel started.’ He wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand and looked back up, his trademark half-smile reappearing on his features. “You thought I would fall for your bluff, didn’t you? Well, guess again! It takes much more than that to make me quiver in fear! You don’t have what it takes to stop me from summoning Obelisk. Its power is unstoppable, so don’t resist it!” He let out a maniacal laugh.
Vicki cocked her head and then rolled her eyes at the malice tainting Kaiba’s laugh. “Oh, for crying out loud. Who the hell does he think he is? Marik?” she muttered under her breath. Though finding his antics quite irritating, she couldn’t help stifling a giggle, mainly because she knew it would be pointless to feed into them. ‘I just know he’s lucky I’m not the one dueling him. It’s gonna feel so bloody great when Ishizu silences him.’
Kaiba locked eyes with Ishizu, shooting her a smug grin. “Well, well, well, isn’t this amusing. You had been so confident you would defeat me, but I am about to make you fall at the hands of my almighty Egyptian God monster! I can’t thank him enough for choosing me to wield his awesome powers.”
Ishizu stared back at the CEO grimly. ‘No, Kaiba, you are sorely mistaken. Obelisk has chosen a path of failure for you.’
Joey glanced over at Ishizu, letting out an awed whistle. Seeing her calm, cool, and collected composure in such a grave situation was mindboggling. “You know, guys, I have to give the lady a lot of credit. She’s about to get creamed, but she is keeping her cool.” He spoke with genuine admiration, trying his hardest not to let any hints of envy slip into his voice. ‘Man, I wish I could be like that, but it’s hard for me unless I know for sure I’m gonna win.’
Tristan quickly eyed the woman before facing his best friend. “Now that you’ve mentioned it, you’re right. Perhaps she does know something we don’t.”
“How could she?” Duke pondered aloud.
Tèa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear whilst twisting her mouth to the side. “I wonder…what is her strategy?“ She looked confused. “I mean, she’s confident she will win but hasn’t done much so far.”
“I have a feeling she will reveal her strategy very soon,” spoke up Yami, eyeing the young woman’s face down card. His serious expression then became pensive as his mind drifted elsewhere. ‘I know the power of Ishizu’s millennium necklace enables her to see into the past and predict the future, but I cannot recall its limits.’
Marik looked on intently, chuckling softly to himself, which sent chills down everyone’s spine. They tried their hardest to ignore him, deciding he wasn’t worth the effort. ‘I see my sister has not lost her touch. She has strung Kaiba along just as she had done to me as a child. Too bad she is no longer a match for me.’ His lips stretched into a devilish grin as he thought about facing his sister in a duel and how much “fun” he would have with her. ‘I will make her regret all the times she stood in my way and do away with Keren, that foolish woman as well.’
Kaiba stared daggers at Ishizu with a devious grin on his face. ‘I’m about to make that smug look disappear.’
Ishizu put on her best “I can take whatever it is you have in store for me” smile, clearly not worried about Kaiba’s upcoming move. ‘He’s about to come after most of my magic cards. Unfortunately, that will only be a ploy for me to spring my surprise.’
Kaiba’s grin widened as he announced, “I activate my face down card, Virus Cannon!” As the card flipped up, a spider-like machine materialized, generating some power. “Prepare to say goodbye to 8 of your magic cards!” Ishizu held her breath as she watched the cannon’s lightbulb shaped laser zap her deck, causing smoke to ensue and surrounding the damaged cards. She exhaled and removed the destroyed magic cards, sending them to the graveyard without so much of a word.
Keren turned away slightly as she found the whole thing hard to watch. While she did commend Kaiba for putting up a fight, it was him practically destroying Ishizu that raised her anxiety level off the charts. She lightly shuffled her feet and wistfully wrung her hands, being careful of her broken finger. ‘Mr. Kaiba is proving to be just as ruthless as Ishizu says and something tells me what he has done so far is only the tip of the iceberg. I don’t know everything she has planned, but I do trust her.’ She briefly closed her eyes, making a wish that the younger woman would bounce back.
The young CEO broke into hearty laughter, smirking at his opponent after he calmed down. “It won’t be long before your deck becomes too weak to defend yourself against my assault, not that you ever had a chance to begin with. First my Crush card obliterated all of your powerful monsters, and now most of your magic cards are gone. Tell me Ishizu, do you still believe I will be defeated in this duel?”
Ishizu’s lips slowly spread into a confident smile. She felt excitement bubbling inside her, for the moment she had been awaiting had finally arrived. “I know you will be defeated. You have played into my hands and sealed your own demise.”
Kaiba’s icy blue eyes narrowed slightly for a moment before allowing a small sneer to escape his lips. “Nonsense!” he scoffed. “I’m tired of hearing your bs predictions!” He knew it was far from the most gentlemanly thing he could have said, but at the moment, he didn’t care.
Ishizu fell silent, her only nonverbal communication being an eyebrow raise. It took everything she had to suppress the motherly side of her that wanted to drag the young man inside and hand him a bar of soap, even though he didn’t actually say the words. “My predictions are not to be taken lightly,” she responded calmly, trying to mask her frustration. “I have led you into my trap.”
Kaiba looked at the woman with wide eyes. This was the first moment he got the feeling she wasn’t bluffing. “How can that be? I destroyed most of your cards.”
“You have yet to come after my trap cards and I am about to activate an extremely powerful one!” Ishizu informed him. “I reveal my face down card, Exchange of Spirits! After sacrificing 1000 life points, this trap card requires both of us to replace the cards in our decks with those in our graveyards. You destroyed a vast number of my cards, so you know what that means.” Her life points plummeted to 1400 as she swapped her current cards with the ones that had been destroyed during the previous turns.
‘It can’t be! This means I am left with only 6 cards.’ Horror came over the young man’s glacial features, his eyes looking like they would roll back into their sockets and his mouth hanging open. ‘If for one minute I thought that woman was capable of this outrageous….’ Once he recovered from his shock, he lazily sent all of the current cards in his deck to the graveyard, grumbling about how his strategy would be near impossible to pull off now. He clenched a fist, shaking with rage. ‘She will pay for this!’
Yami’s eyebrows knitted together. “Of course! Not only has Ishizu destroyed most of Kaiba’s deck, but she has also gotten all of the cards she lost back, including her most powerful monsters. How very clever of her.” He sounded as if he were truly impressed by her move. ‘What does she have planned next?’
“Uh oh, it looks like Rich-boy is in for it now,” commented Joey, letting out a whistle. “There’s no way he can win a duel with only six cards.”
“I’ll say,” agreed Vicki, before covering her mouth to muffle a giggle at how pissed off the CEO was, only for a snort to escape in the process. ‘Oh my…it’s a good thing I’m not eating at the moment.’
Keren let out a soft sigh of relief, for she had been worried for a moment that Kaiba’s stunt would have been the end of Ishizu. ‘She should have a chance for certain if she continues to perform at her full potential, which I am sure she will.’ She felt a small smile escaping her lips.
Kaiba let his eyes meet Ishizu’s once again, his own hardening. “Make your move,” he ordered through clenched teeth, still ticked off about being so sorely outsmarted.
“I’ll do so with great pleasure,” responded the woman tersely. She pulled a card from her deck, keeping her expression nonchalant although inwardly she was smiling. “I summon Kelbek in attack mode!” (1500 attk) A yellowish fairy shaped like the letter V with an Eye of Horus symbol in the center and clawed hands emerged onto the field.
Mokuba was still working on the translation, beginning to make some decent progress for a change. He leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh of satisfaction. ‘Now we’re getting somewhere…don’t know what was up before, but oh well...at least I will have some good news to give to Seto.’ He straightened up his posture and was about to check on the progress again when all of a sudden an image of his brother and Ishizu popped up, revealing that Ishizu had taken control of the duel. He let out a horrified gasp. ‘I had better go check on Seto.’ Worried, he sprung up from the chair with a jolt and dashed to the elevator, pressing a button. Once it opened, he stepped inside and hit the upper deck button. His heart pounded loudly as he waited for the elevator to take him up to the top deck. ‘I hope I don’t get there too late and Seto isn’t in any real danger.’ He inhaled a deep breath, trying to keep calm as he waited for the ride to end.
As the elevator came to a complete stop and the door opened, the young boy exhaled and scurried out as if he were being chased by his worst enemy, standing several feet away from the gang. He took a few moments to catch his breath before calling out, “Seto!” His elder brother certainly didn’t look harmed in any way, but he knew something had to be up from how the image appeared on the screen.
Having heard the running footsteps, Yami and his friends took their eyes off the two duelists and looked over to the side to see the younger Kaiba looking quite apprehensive. “Mokuba…” Yami acknowledged in a low voice.
“No doubt he is here for his brother,” added Vicki, smoothing down her lengthy hair a little. She then looked thoughtful as she knew what the young boy’s presence meant. ‘I had better be careful how I express my displeasure or joy and make an effort to bite my tongue, no matter how hard it may be. I wouldn’t want to upset the young lad.’ She knew how much the CEO meant to Mokuba.
Kaiba broke the stare he was engaging in with Ishizu and glanced over at the sidelines to face his younger brother. He made an effort to soften the glare that had long been etched on his features, as he was always happy to see the young boy.
“What happened up there?” Mokuba asked worriedly. “Are you all right?”
“Of course I am. What had happened was very minimal and it’s nothing I can’t recover from,” replied the CEO flatly. His tone then changed into its all-business one. “I trust that the translation of the text on the Winged Dragon of Ra card has been completed?” He still had his heart set on winning the card, regardless of how the duel ended.
Mokuba looked a little sheepish. “Almost…but it’s coming along slowly for some reason. I’m worried there may be technical difficulties.”
“Hmm.” The former champion frowned a bit before tightly pursing his lips together. It was all he could do not to go into a rage and rant about how his translation software is the best. He let out a sigh. ‘I suppose I will have to look into it after I conclude this duel. I am losing my patience.’ He turned away from Mokuba to face Ishizu. ‘First order of business is to get this creepy woman out of my sight before I lose it. I have the feeling I will be seeing her in my nightmares.’ He shot the woman a look that read, ‘What’s taking you so long? I don’t have all night! Complete your turn already!’
Ishizu saw the impatient look etched on the young man’s face, and while it usually didn’t move her, she felt compelled to honor his wishes this time. ”Pardon my delay, but you will not have to wait a second longer. I place one card face down. That ends my turn.” She gave him a small devious smile.
Kaiba’s impatient expression quickly faltered at the sight of Ishizu’s smile, his eyes bugging out. He ground his teeth together, trembling as he visualized what would happen if the young woman continued to play potentially devastating cards. The mere thought of being kicked out of the tournament in the first round, losing his chance to face his nemesis and enduring ridicule from critics was enough to make him have an emotional meltdown. ‘I will not be disgraced in my own tournament! Ishizu is not worthy of a championship title!’ He shook his head to rid it of the irrational fears, putting his game face back on.
Yami’s eyes were filled with concern upon noticing how visibly shaken Kaiba appeared to be before. Throughout most of the duel, he struggled within himself to decide whether he wanted Ishizu or his rival to win. On the one hand, he was on friendly terms with Ishizu, but on the other hand, he knew how keen the CEO was on having a rematch with him. ‘He may still be able to win if he plays methodically.’ He cleared his throat to get Kaiba’s attention. “Kaiba, I want you to listen to me carefully.”
Kaiba turned his head to the side to face the ancient pharaoh. He had to resist the urge to give him that “now what do you want” look.
“There may be a way for you to create your own destiny that is different from the future Ishizu’s necklace has predicted.”
“Huh?” The CEO tilted his head to the side, looking genuinely interested in hearing what Yami had to say. “And which way is that?” He was also hoping he wouldn’t receive terrible advice.
“If you wish to win this duel, you will have to use your 6 cards wisely. You cannot afford any mistakes. Also, do not underestimate Ishizu’s dueling prowess. She has proven to be a formidable duelist.”
Kaiba grunted at Yami’s last piece of advice, for he had no intentions of boosting Ishizu’s ego by acknowledging she was more skilled than he thought. ‘However, he is absolutely right when he says I must make use of the 6 cards.’ He nodded. “Continue to wait for me.”
Yami gave a light nod, just as Kaiba turned away to face Ishizu once again, his eyes hardening. “All right, Ishizu, it’s my turn now, and I’m through with the theatrics! Your lucky streak is about to end here and now!” He reached toward his deck, about to pull a card from it.
Ishizu smiled wryly. “Well, it is nice to see that your fighting spirit hasn’t diminished. Right now you’re about to draw Virus Cannon.”
Under normal circumstances the CEO would show his irritability at the psychic tactics, but instead he looked flustered and almost scared. He nervously held up the card to glance at, looking stunned when he saw that the young woman was correct. ‘I don’t know how she did that, but she won’t be able to for much longer. That antique necklace will fail her soon enough.’
A small smirk threatened to escape Ishizu’s lips. She secretly liked seeing Kaiba so timid and unsure of himself. She bit her lip to remain serious. “Judging from your expression, I must have guessed correctly. Go ahead and play your trap card. It won’t be enough to save you from your inevitable defeat.”
Kaiba’s expression grew pinched at that. “Rubbish!!” he belted out as he set the card down on his duel disk and prepared to activate it. He didn’t know how as of yet, but he was determined to find a way to bring out his Egyptian God monster.
Ishizu gave a sly smile. “I activate my trap card, Muko! It immediately sends your card to the graveyard, thus ridding the field of your Cannon! Sad to say, this is the beginning of the end for you, Kaiba.” Kaiba clenched his teeth as he watched his trap disappear, glowering at Ishizu. ‘Curse that woman!’
Keren’s eyes brightened up a little. She was pleased to see things were now in Ishizu’s favor and that she had the young CEO on the ropes. It came as no surprise to her, considering she knew firsthand what a formidable duelist the younger woman was. ‘I have a feeling her strategy is about to become even more unstoppable.’
“It’s my turn! I draw!” Ishizu pulled a card from her deck and added it to her hand. ‘This monster is strong enough to defeat Dark Gremlin. I’m coming closer and closer to achieving victory.’ Her lips quirked up a bit. “I play Zorga in attack mode!” (1700 attk) The ebony colored fairy materialized. The tail of its cape swished in the wind and its eyes flashed bright red. Ishizu closed her eyes for a bit, mulling over the ending part of her strategy in her head. ‘I know Kaiba will try to destroy a portion of my deck again on his next turn. I will have to force him to negate that draw. Because of the fact that he has no weaker monsters left to sacrifice, I foresee he will sacrifice mine with his magic card. However, there will be an unpleasant surprise waiting for him once I play the card that will ensure my victory and his destruction.’
Kaiba raised an eyebrow at Ishizu’s pensive state and transformed his disgruntled expression into a disdainful one. “Wake up, Ishizu! Now is not the time to be dozing off…unless, of course, you wish to forfeit the duel.”
Ishizu’s eyes shot open instantly as the CEO’s chilly voice filled her ears. She gave him an amused look to counter the hint of sarcasm she detected. She spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, “I was not asleep, but concentrating on the following steps I plan to take in order to defeat you. I have no intentions of surrendering to you. It is not who I am as a duelist. If you do not see that, I pity you.” She hated to sound patronizing, but she was beyond weary of his scare tactics.
Kaiba held his breath, resisting the urge to bristle or scoff at the last remark. Instead, he sneered at the young woman. “Is that so? Well then make your move already!”
Ishizu met the CEO’s sneer with one of her own. “You should be careful what you wish for, Kaiba. However, I am about to proceed. Zorga, attack his Dark Gremlin with Cape of Destruction!” The fairy’s cape flipped up and emitted a strong gust of wind at the gremlin, blowing it to smithereens. Kaiba crossed his arms in front of him as he watched his life points decrease to two thousand, eight hundred fifty. “Come forth, Kelbek, and attack his life points directly!”
Kaiba slumped over slightly as he felt a shockwave hit him in the chest, making his life points drop to one thousand, three hundred fifty. He grunted in pain, and then glanced up at Ishizu with an indignant look. “Are you done?” he asked through gritted teeth.
Ishizu gave him a look that said to be patient before responding, “No, Kaiba. I place one card face down. Now my turn is complete.”
“Finally,” muttered Kaiba, his teeth still clenched.
Joey snickered a little at seeing the former champion look so furious, only to quiet down when he remembered Mokuba was there as well because he didn’t want to feel of the young boy’s wrath. He put on his best pokerface. “Wow, Ishizu sure can duel.”
“Yeah, maybe she will win after all,” agreed Tristan. ‘I think I may have misjudged her, too. She doesn’t seem too bad.’
“You said it.” Vicki grinned widely and then gave a thumbs up sign. ‘That’s it, you go girl!’
“Seto…if he loses, he will be devastated…” Mokuba gazed up at his elder brother with scared eyes. The duel was becoming increasingly difficult for him to watch, mainly because he could see how distressed the CEO was. ‘Come on, Mokuba, now is not the time to be scared. If Seto is to win the duel, he will need your support. You have to be strong,’ said a voice inside his head. He made an effort to give a cheery smile, though he was only partially successful. “Seto, don’t give up! You may be in a tough spot, but you can still win! Remember your ace you planned to use!”
Kaiba’s ears perked up at that and he snapped out of his dazed state. ‘Mokuba is right. There should be a way for me to summon Obelisk. But how?’ He mentally cursed himself for allowing the woman to nearly break his spirit, and also her for bringing him to such a low point. ‘Rest assured she will get her just desserts.’ A tiny part of him was impressed by her tenacity and domineering nature, although he would never outwardly admit it. He took a few breaths to compose himself before peering down at the remaining cards in his hand and scrunching up his brow in thought. ‘All right, let’s see…I have another Virus Cannon, Soul Exchange, Silent Doom, Vorse Raider.‘ His lips slowly stretched into a smile as an idea came to him. ‘Soul Exchange allows me to sacrifice my opponent’s monsters in order to summon my own. I will need help from Ishizu. There is no doubt she will summon another monster to try and attack my life points again.’ He grinned, thinking about how he would tribute her monsters to bring forth his Obelisk. ‘For now, I will destroy more of her cards…’ He looked up from his cards and froze when his eyes landed on Ishizu’s face down card, knowing it could very well be a trap waiting to destroy him. ‘It doesn’t matter. I will have to take that chance if I am to win this duel.’ He reached for his Virus Cannon trap card, about to slip it into one of the slots of his duel disk.
Ishizu fought the sly smile that was threatening to escape her lips, feeling great satisfaction from having ensnared the CEO once again. “I activate my trap card, Muko!” she declared before he could play the card, raising up an arm for added effect.
Kaiba cursed harshly under his breath and disposed of his trap card, grumbling. He then gave Ishizu a sneer. “That was just a desperate move on your part. It won’t be enough to save you from the wrath of my Egyptian God monster.”
Ishizu suppressed a laugh at his delusions of defeating her, but decided not to contradict him this time and let him learn the hard way. She just said, “We will see about that. Now I shall place one card face down.” She smiled slightly, thinking about how she had just sealed the CEO’s fate. ‘My trap card, Sacrifice’s Blast is slowly beginning to take effect. Its bomb will hide deep within the body of one of my creatures and when Kaiba sacrifices them, it will infuse itself into Obelisk the Tormentor, waiting to be activated when he attacks.’
Kaiba’s sneer faltered a bit. It seemed to him that Ishizu was trying to ruin his strategy again and he wasn’t having it this time. ‘Play a monster!’ he mentally urged, half anxious, half impatient.
Tèa, who had been silently observing the latest turn of events, turned to face Yami with a confused expression on her face. She had seen how the tables had turned and knew Kaiba was often unwilling to admit when he was in dire straits, yet she had a feeling he was serious about summoning Obelisk. “Yugi? What do you think Kaiba’s chances of winning are?” There was no answer from the ancient pharaoh. She frowned. “Yugi?” Noting the pensive expression on his face, she opted to just leave him be.
Yami was so deep in thought that he very faintly heard the brunette speaking to him, though he was able to make out some of her words. ‘I am wondering the exact same thing. He has a very slim chance, depending on what he has planned. I do know he is in possession of Soul Exchange. I have a feeling he will use it to call forth Obelisk, once Ishizu summons another monster.’ He gave a curious frown at the face down card Ishizu had on the field, remembering how she predicted the creature’s attack would fail, leading to Kaiba’s defeat. ‘That card...is it a part of Ishizu’s winning strategy? What is it?’
Ishizu put on her best focused look before the CEO could chide her again for falling asleep when she wasn’t. She had no intentions of missing what was to come in the first place. “I conclude my turn by summoning Agido.” (1500 attk) A small bright reddish circular pixie appeared hovering in midair. It had a sharp edge jutting from the bottom and the legendary Eye of Horus in the center. Kaiba’s lips quirked up into its trademark half-smile. ‘Perfect, and about time.’ The young woman couldn’t help smirking. “This is your final turn. Use it well.”
Kaiba smiled even wider, then his smile shifted into a sneer. “We agree on something for once, and I have every intention of using my turn well, so there is no need to worry about that.” He laughed a little, holding up a card. “Kelbek! Agido! Zorga! I sacrifice you all in order to summon my ultimate creature! Show yourself, Obelisk the Tormentor!!” Numerous balls of white light materialized, lumping together as if trying to form a cloud and lightning flashed in the sky. Everyone watched with awed expressions as a large blue beast rose out of the ground behind Kaiba, letting out a mighty roar. Giddy with excitement, he broke into incessant, uproarious, spine chilling laughter, which made the females shudder. Vicki had a “Really, Kaiba?” expression on her face before rolling her eyes, staring straight ahead while she did it so Mokuba wouldn’t have to see. ‘Don’t want the young lad to be upset with me, but seriously, Moneybags must have inhaled laughing gas or something.’ Mokuba didn’t seem to notice. He observed with a hopeful expression on his face, clasping his hands together. ‘Come on, Seto. You can do it.’
Ishizu merely drowned out the piercing laughter. Seeing that she had already anticipated the creature’s arrival, she just stood in place with a stoic expression on her face. A smug smile lazily spread on her features as she knew the biotic blast would have immediately transferred into Obelisk’s body the moment her three monsters were sacrificed. ‘I can hear it currently pulsing within Obelisk’s heart. It is a ticking time bomb that is set to go off the moment Kaiba calls out his attack, and it shall destroy him.’
Joey glanced over at Ishizu and got a puzzled look on his face at her calm demeanor, then turned to his friends. “Check out Ishizu, guys. She’s about to get squashed big-time by one of the most powerful creatures in all of Duel Monsters and yet she hasn’t broken a sweat. You would expect her to be scared to death.”
Tristan was about to comment something like, “Just as you would be,” but thought better of it because he knew he would feel of the blonde’s wrath. Before he could offer his opinion, Duke suggested, “Maybe she’s in denial and the pressure has gotten to her so much that she is unable to accept defeat.” All of a sudden he felt a sharp elbow jab to his ribs, eliciting a grunt of pain. He turned to see Vicki shooting him a disapproving look. ‘Man that girl packs quite a punch!’ He gulped, stammering, “Er, I mean she probably has some elaborate plan to stop him.” He reached over and rubbed his sore ribs.
Kaiba smiled to himself, recalling the time he first met Ishizu at the museum and she told him about the Egyptian God cards. ‘She thought she would be in my good graces by giving me Obelisk, but it will prove to be her greatest mistake yet when I defeat her. That’ll make her think twice about making a fool out of me.’ His smile then turned into a smirk as he locked eyes with Ishizu. “Let’s see which is stronger, your necklace or my Egyptian God monster.”
Ishizu gave him a tight-lipped smile. “We shall find out.”
“Yes we will and when I win, perhaps you’ll learn to rely on your own strength. Remember this! The events of the past mean absolutely nothing to me! Obelisk the Tormentor, attack her life points directly with Fist of Fate!”
Ishizu smirked slightly. ‘And here it ends.’ She closed her eyes as if trying to lure the CEO into a false sense of security, then reopened them, as she did not want to miss what was about to transpire.
There was a hush among all the observers as they awaited the attack that would wipe out the remainder of the young woman’s life points. Yami’s expression was somewhat grim. Vicki and Keren were stone-faced and had their fingers crossed with the hope that whatever Ishizu had planned would work or even if it didn’t, she would be spared.
“It’s all over…” mumbled Tèa. “How sad, too. Ishizu sure did fight well during the second half of the duel...” She slowly began to bow her head, not wanting to see the Egyptian get blasted. However, a sharp jolt in her heart made her look back up. Her eyes widened in shock and she let out a gasp at the sight before her. “Look, guys!”
Everyone looked as the short haired brunette instructed. The massive behemoth was preparing to thrust out his fist to emit a beam of energy from it, but he began to grimace as if he were in pain. Letting out a pain filled roar, he clutched at his chest and his head was on the verge of falling off his body. The gang widened their eyes in shock, their jaws dropping open. Vicki let out a whistle, though she could feel the ends of her mouth twitching.
Kaiba just stood there staring at his most prized creature with his mouth hanging open. ‘What the hell is going on here? My Obelisk!’ He was at a complete loss for words upon seeing Obelisk self-destruct before his very eyes. He then faced Ishizu indignantly, his anger rising when he saw the smile on her features. “Tell me what you did right now! My monster should be destroying you!!” His nostrils flared and he looked like smoke would arise from his ears.
Ishizu chuckled softly, unfazed by the CEO’s outburst. “Allow me to explain. During my final turn, I played a very powerful trap card called Sacrifice’s Blast. It is a biotic blast that was first hidden deep within the body of my Zorga, and once you used your magic card to sacrifice my creatures, it transferred to Obelisk. When you called out your attack, its power activated. It has the ability to incapacitate and obliterate its target. I am sure the rest needs no explanation. “ She folded her arms, watching as the immensely powerful beast crumbled to the ground, a massive billow of smoke ensuing. The burst of energy hit Kaiba from behind, causing him to let out a shout of pain. All of his cards slipped out of his hand, scattering all over the playing field. With that, his life points dropped down to zero. He hung his head and closed his eyes, wanting to block out the nightmare before him as well as process it. His face turned as pale as a ghost, and he remained uprooted in his spot, frozen.
Roland, looking very sorry for his boss, rose up an arm and declared, “The winner of this duel is Ms. Ishizu Ishtar!” The latter wore a reserved smile, not one to show her excitement openly. Keren let out a slight breath, feeling as if a burden had been released. The corners of her lips then curled up slightly.
Mokuba looked stunned for a moment. “Oh no! Seto lost!” He fixed his eyes on his elder brother, who was still in a state of shock. His heart instantly broke at seeing him in that condition, but he blinked back the forming tears, not wanting to cry there. ‘I just hope he’ll be all right. He did just lose in the tournament he worked so hard to prepare for and organize. But still, I’m proud of him for doing his best, even though that lady was tough. She did beat him fair and square, so I don’t have any hard feelings.’
The arena then fell into complete silence. One would be able to hear a pin drop. The group of friends didn’t know what to make of the situation. After all, there was no such thing as being able to predict the future...or was there?
After awhile, Joey spoke. “So Ishizu actually won? Didn’t really see that coming, but then again, she has turned out to be really good.“
“You said it,” agreed Tristan.
Duke played with his earring a bit before chiming, “Yeah I have to admit I’m impressed.”
Joey placed a hand on the back of his head and grinned widely. He had been trying to stifle his smug feelings, but he couldn’t any longer. “I especially liked seeing Rich-boy squirm.” He started snickering, which earned him a glare from the younger Kaiba. He instantly quieted down, putting on a pokerface instead.
Yami looked thoughtful. He had been hoping his rival would win, but on the other hand, he was fine with Ishizu’s victory, as he knew she had an extremely important task to take care of. ‘She has proven her strength in this duel. I wish her success in all her endeavors.’
Kaiba was beginning to come out of his brain fog, little by little, but he was still lost in his own turmoil. Not only had he lost his chance to regain his title, but he was about to lose his Egyptian God card, too. As much as he wanted to reassure himself his defeat was only a nightmare, he knew that wasn’t the case with the way his employee’s proclamation had rung in his ear. And Joey’s gloating did not help matters, though he decided to ignore it this time. ‘How? How could I have lost to someone like Ishizu? She is a novice compared to me! My strategy was full proof!’ He replayed the image where she had revealed the abilities of the trap card which led to his creature’s destruction, silently cursing himself for not anticipating that move. ‘Have I sorely underestimated her? It seems I have. Even so, I refuse to acknowledge her as my equal.’ All of a sudden, the sound of footsteps interrupted his musings. He slowly opened his eyes just in time to see his opponent approaching him. ‘Oh great. I wonder what drivel she is going to spout now.’ It took everything in him to hold back his groan of annoyance. She was the last person he wanted to deal with right now. He stared blankly at the woman, waiting for her to speak.
Ishizu cleared her throat to get the CEO’s attention. “You have fought well in our duel, Kaiba. You gave me quite a challenge. However, it was your unwillingness to accept your destiny that has led to your defeat.” She spoke slowly, making sure her words sunk in.
Kaiba was quiet for a moment before letting out a scornful huff. “Save it, Ishizu. I don’t need your pity. I’ve heard enough of your crap about destiny and fate. You won out of pure luck, not because of some piece of antique jewelry.”
Ishizu sighed heavily. She had more or less expected such a response, but she had been hoping he would see reason for a change. And quite frankly, her mental energy for dealing with his surly attitude had dwindled considerably. “Very well. I see you are not willing to accept the truth, even when it is right in front of you. Keep it up and you will continue to fail.”
“Whatever,” scoffed Kaiba. “You can spare me your doom and gloom predictions. Nothing you say will change my mind. There will come a time when you won’t be successful. I still find it hard to believe you defeated me, but the rules still stand.“ He bent over and retrieved his cards, removing Obelisk from the pile and tossing it to Ishizu. “Here. Take it. You had better show you are worthy of wielding it.” Though taken off guard, Ishizu managed to catch the card before it could slip through her fingers. The CEO then turned on his heel, marching away stiffly, only stopping once in front of Yami to tell him, “Don’t think you’re off the hook. We will duel again someday.”
The ancient pharaoh nodded. “I know, and when that day comes, I will be ready.”
“Hmph! You had better be.” Kaiba glanced over his shoulder at his brother. “Let’s go, Mokuba.”
Mokuba nodded and ran up to catch up with him. “Right!” The two Kaiba brothers left the arena together.
Ishizu watched the boys leave with a small smile on her face. ‘Soon, he shall see the truth.’ She was about to put the Egyptian God card in her deck when she felt a hand on the small of her back. She glanced up, seeing it was Keren.
“Do not allow Mr. Kaiba’s words to affect you, Ishizu,” advised the older woman. “Your victory was well deserved.”
“I know, Keren. There is no need to worry about me. “ Ishizu smiled, feeling proud of herself. “Phase 1 of our plan to save Marik is complete.”
“That it is.” Keren then looked serious. “However, we have our work cut out for us.“
“You are right. We had better be going.” Ishizu slipped the card in her deck. Just as she and Keren were preparing to leave, Vicki approached them. They stopped in their tracks.
Vicki nervously twiddled her thumbs and then looked the tan skinned woman in the eye. “Ishizu, I just want to say congratulations and how happy I am for you. You did great, girl.”
For a moment, Ishizu looked surprised. She still wasn’t quite used to the idea of having “fans”, but she knew she would be lying if she said she wasn’t flattered. She managed an awkward smile. “Well, I thank you for your kind words, Vicki.” The two women turned around and exited the arena.
Marik stared after the women, smiling evilly. The duel had been quite amusing for him to watch, with one of his greatest foes feeling the sting of defeat. ‘I have to say I am not surprised Ishizu emerged victorious. However, her glory won’t last once she has to face me.’ He let out a quiet chuckle. ‘Now to move on to more important matters, such as disposing of that fool Odion permanently. This time, no interruptions will be tolerated. I will see to it that he and Keren never have the opportunity to rekindle the fire in their relationship ever again. Hahahahaha!’ His millennium rod emitted a bright glint as he clutched it tightly.
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Post by LadyKeren on Mar 1, 2016 13:09:47 GMT
Chapter 44 Kaiba sat in his room with his head hanging between his knees, brooding. It had taken everything he had to curb his fury at having lost his Egyptian God card to Ishizu back at the arena. It was hard enough losing to his greatest nemesis, but to be defeated by someone who was a novice in his eyes was unacceptable. A part of him wanted to go find her and challenge her again, but he resisted that urge, seeing as how he couldn’t bear the sight of her at the moment. ‘It was your unwillingness to accept your destiny that has led to your defeat,’ warned a voice inside his head. An image of Ishizu’s face appeared immediately afterwards.
The young CEO sat up with a jolt, grimacing. That dreaded voice, the smug countenance…he felt his spirit becoming increasingly vexed. Ishizu’s warning repeatedly echoed in his brain like a broken record, causing a frustrated growl to erupt from his throat. He had to bite his lip to keep from screaming for her voice to get out of his head. ‘That woman will be the death of me! She’s becoming a thorn in my side!’ He shook his head to rid his mind of the tormenting image and let out a heavy sigh.
Mokuba returned from using the restroom and was about to sit on the bed when he noted his elder brother still looked somewhat dazed. He could tell that the CEO was more distressed about losing his duel than he let on. ‘The last time he was like this was before Duelist Kingdom. I hope he doesn’t do anything too rash.’ He wandered over to him, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Seto? Are you going to be all right?” he asked.
Kaiba relaxed a bit, feeling his younger brother’s hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at him and saw concern in his eyes. He hated to make him worry, but he couldn’t help how he was feeling. He heaved another sigh. He thought about saying he was fine to reassure him, but he knew the young boy wouldn’t be buying it. “I will be, but it is going to take time for me to come to terms with this defeat. Plus quite frankly, I have half a mind to cancel the remainder of this tournament,” he answered honestly.
Mokuba’s eyes went wide with shock. “What? Why? There’s still the finals.” He hoped his brother wasn’t doing it just because he lost a duel.
The CEO looked at Mokuba as if he found the question to be ridiculous. “Seeing as how I have lost in the tournament I put together, there is no reason to continue,” he replied dejectedly. “All of my hard work has been nothing but a waste of time.”
Mokuba gulped. He had hoped those days when his brother spoke that way were over, though he couldn’t say he entirely blamed him. After all, the old him would have been furious at Ishizu for breaking his spirit. However, he had passed that stage, and he knew he had to be strong, no matter how hard it was. He cupped his brother’s chin. “Seto, don’t say that. Even though you lost, you did very well. In my book, you’re still one of the greatest duelists in the world. You did your best and for that reason I am proud of you. You should be proud of yourself as well.” He let his arms drop to his side.
“It isn’t that easy, Mokuba. I had organized the tournament specifically so I could obtain all three Egyptian God cards and reclaim my title as the number one duelist in the world, yet that creepy woman ruined my plans. Not to mention that small fry of a duelist, Joey Wheeler, will actually rank higher than me.” The CEO looked very disgusted at the thought. ‘I should disqualify him here and now.’ A devious smile was threatening to escape.
Mokuba detected raw bitterness in Seto’s voice, and for a moment he went quiet, unsure if he should keep trying to get through to him or just leave well enough alone. ‘Do not allow him to intimidate you,’ his inner voice urged him. He drew in a deep breath, let it out and took the CEO’s hands in his. “Look,” he began gently but firmly. “I know it’s hard, but think of it this way. Even if you are no longer participating in the tournament, you are still its host. You can still keep an eye on things and make sure everything runs smoothly in terms of all the policies. You will be letting everyone down if you give up. What would Yugi think if he saw you like this?”
‘He’s right. I can still be host, but it will be difficult.’ Seto looked surprised at Mokuba sounding firm with him. He opened his mouth to say something along the lines of how he didn’t care if people were bothered by him not continuing the tournament, but then closed it, remaining silent. He had to admit, his younger brother told no lie in regards to his archrival. He could just hear the lecture from the ancient pharaoh. ‘Hmph! I’m not in the mood for one of his pep talks.’
Mokuba felt a glimmer of hope rising inside him, taking his brother’s silence to mean he had given him something to think about. “Please, Seto,” he pleaded. “Consider what I am saying. Don’t let your defeat cause you to stop the tournament. There will be other opportunities for you to face Yugi and you can participate in other tournaments you decide to throw. Besides, you don’t even need a tournament to challenge Yugi for Slifer and the other god cards, should he win them.”
Kaiba’s eyes hardened at the thought of his rival winning all three god cards. The possibility had crossed his mind before, but he had been determined to do everything in his power to make sure it didn’t happen, believing Yugi held the championship title long enough. ‘Now it seems I have no choice but to allow Yugi to hold onto the title of Duel King a bit longer. He had better take care of it and not hand it over to some nobody or else I’ll never forgive him.’ He then looked thoughtful. “You know what, Mokuba? You’re right. I can face Yugi in a duel anytime and I have already warned him to be ready.”
Mokuba, who had grown fidgety under his brother’s long period of silence, heaved a sigh of relief that the CEO was starting to sound more like his usual self. His face slowly relaxed into a smile. “That’s the spirit! You really had me worried there. “ He patted Seto gently on the back. “Now let’s go check to see if the text is still translating or not.“
For the first time since the duel ended, Kaiba’s eyes brightened a bit. He wanted to know Ra’s secret more than ever. “Yes, let’s do that.” He stretched out his legs and arose from his chair, wandering over to his computer desk with Mokuba close behind. “How much of the text has been translated?” he asked.
Mokuba went over to the computer so he could check on the progress again. “I would say about three quarters. However, for some reason Industrial Illusions is having trouble translating the last few lines. I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Let me see.” The young CEO peered at the image of the card on the screen, his eyes widening when they fell on the text. He let out a soft gasp. “Hold on, wait a second! This is impossible! I can actually read it clearly.” His voice was filled with utter amazement.
Mokuba looked shocked at that. “You-You what?”
“I can read the text as if it were written in English,” Seto reiterated. “How can this be? I have never seen that language before until now.” He wasn’t sure what to make of it. ‘I suppose I should take it as a good thing I would be spared the headache of trying to translate this text, but it just doesn’t make any sense that I don’t have any difficulties reading it.‘ His perplexed expression faltered a bit when he recalled Marik saying how only chosen duelists could read the text and Ishizu telling him he was the sorcerer in ancient Egypt. Those memories triggered a flashback where he was dressed in his regal garb, with a young woman standing by his side. ‘What the hell? Someone is toying with my mind! I’m not some ancient magician! I’m the president of KaibaCorp!’ Overwhelmed by the vision, he fell to his knees.
Mokuba’s eyes were filled with worry when he saw his brother collapse. He rushed over to him. “Seto! Are you okay?”
The young man rested his hand on his aching forehead, so deep in thought that he barely heard Mokuba. ‘These Egyptian myths are beginning to affect my head…’
“Seto?” Mokuba asked again. He frowned at the sudden change in his brother’s behavior. ‘I hope he’s all right. It’s so weird to see him in such a daze.’
“Attention all duelists! The first round of the Battle City finals is now complete! The finalists are Yugi, Joey, Ishizu and Marik! Congratulations to you all! The second round will begin at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning as soon as we reach our new dueling site!” Roland blared over the PA system.
Yugi, back in control, heard the announcement as he and his friends walked down the corridor, making their way to Mai’s room to check up on her. He cocked his head a bit at the announcement. “Well, I guess we’re not dueling on the blimp anymore.”
Joey reached up a hand to scratch the back of his head. “Yeah, well, that’s fine by me. I was getting airsick anyway. I used up three barf bags.”
Vicki felt her stomach wrenching around at the blonde mentioning his motion sickness, but she gave him a sympathetic look. “Oh, you poor thing. I know how that feels all too well.” She walked stiffly, for the cold air had done quite a number on her joints. ‘It feels so great to be inside, although it’s pretty cold in here, too. Hopefully I’ll have a good night’s rest, though. Lord knows how much I need it…but first, another cup of hot tea with lemon is in order.’
Joey smiled gratefully at her. “I’m glad someone does,” he responded, resisting the urge to shoot Tristan a dirty look for always teasing him. However, a part of him had a feeling the pointy-haired teen wouldn’t be that insensitive and tease Vicki for having a weak stomach if he knew what was good for him. ‘Vicki would totally have his head.’
Yugi played with his bangs a bit before a serious expression found its way on his features. “That aside, it’s a good thing we will have this break. We really need it. After all, this tournament has been so intense, and not because Kaiba lost the duel to Ishizu, either.” He wasn’t concerned about that, seeing as how he trusted Ishizu a great deal.
“I know that’s not what you meant,” said Tèa. She and the others saw Mai’s room coming into view and slowed down their pace. The short-haired brunette continued wistfully, “I would hate it if the tournament got much worse than it is now. Besides Mai being trapped in the Shadow Realm, let’s not forget both Bakura and Odion are unconscious.” It took everything she had to keep her voice from shaking, but the emotion was still there.
“I know, and it’s all because of Marik and his evil plan,” Yugi stated, his voice hardening slightly. He was nearing his breaking point where the corrupted tombkeeper was concerned.
“Don’t worry, Yuge. We’ll make that dickweed wish he was never born,” Joey reassured his best friend as the group finally came to a stop in front of Mai’s room. He took out his key, about to use it to open the door when all of a sudden there was the sound of faint footsteps.
“Greetings, Yugi,” said a familiar sounding female’s voice.
“Huh?” Instantly recognizing who it was, the spiky haired teen turned around, as did his friends. “Ishizu…it’s good to see you.”
“Likewise,” returned the young woman. “I’m sorry about what happened to your friend. Would it be all right if I paid her a visit with you?”
Yugi looked surprised for a moment before his face relaxed into a warm smile. “Sure it’s fine. Right, guys?” He glanced over at his friends to make sure it was all right with them. They nodded their okay, Joey saying, “No problem, pal.” He used the key to open the door, whilst Yugi turned to Ishizu and said, “Come along.”
Ishizu gave the young man a reserved smile, pleased that Yugi’s friends were being gracious although most of them, with the exception of Tèa and Vicki, were a bit wary of her. ‘Now is a perfect time to earn their trust.’ Her smile faded and was replaced by her usual stoic expression. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” responded Yugi as the door slid open. He entered the room with his friends and Ishizu in tow and gathered behind Serenity, who had not moved from her spot by the bed.
Joey went up to his sister, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Have you noticed any change in Mai at all?”
The young girl peered down at her lap, then at her brother. His eyes were so full of hope that she hated to tell him bad news, but she knew she had no choice. “No,” she answered, keeping her voice just above a whisper so it wouldn’t crack. “She is still unresponsive.”
Joey looked away from Serenity, fixing his gaze upon Mai’s comatose form. “Poor Mai...I’m so sorry I let you down, but mark my words. I promise you will get your revenge against that Marik.” His vow was spoken venomously, resembling that of a serpent’s.
Serenity cringed slightly and then shook her head, looking serious. “No, Joey. I understand how you feel, but anger and revenge will only make things worse. If you stoop to Marik’s level, that makes you no better than he is. He’s so full of anger and hatred that he gets pleasure from watching other people suffer.”
The blonde young man felt his blood boiling to the extent where his body was becoming hot. ‘One of these days I’m gonna wipe that smirk off his face for good.’ A string of expletives were threatening to slip out, but he bit his tongue, not wanting to say such words in front of the ladies. “That scumbag,” he spouted bitterly, scowling.
Serenity allowed several strands of her light auburn hair to cover her face. “I wanted to see happy things when I removed my bandages. All of this fighting is too much for me,” she confided, her voice cracking. Her eyes immediately filled with tears and she began to whimper.
Tèa moved a bit closer, resting a comforting hand on the young girl’s shoulder. She couldn’t say she didn’t feel like crying herself, but she knew she had to try to be strong. “Oh Serenity, it will be all right,” she reassured her. ‘At least I hope so.’ Serenity’s sobs ceased, and she dried the tears that were beginning to blur her vision, letting out one last sniffle.
Joey could see that the animosity was causing his sister great distress, and he didn’t like upsetting her any better than he liked Marik. He also recalled Yami’s warning to him earlier about not allowing his anger to consume him. ‘I definitely don’t want to be like that slimebucket.’ His scowl softened into a thoughtful expression. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
It was a little difficult for Ishizu to listen to the harsh words spoken about her brother, although she understood the bitter feelings. ‘It is time to tell them about his past. Perhaps they will understand and help me to save him. After all, accomplishing this task will be a challenge for only Keren and me.’ She addressed the entire group with her eyes. “I know things may seem abysmal right now in regards to my brother, but you mustn’t despair. Where there is evil, there is also good. Marik was good once.” The girls let out soft gasps at that, as it was news to them. “He began life as an innocent child like everyone does. However, that innocence disappeared on the day he received the tombkeeper’s initiation. As the first born Ishtar son, it was his duty to bear the pharaoh’s secret on his back and protect the tomb, which he always resented. His hatred caused a great evil to be created and it filled his heart with darkness.”
There was silence among the group as they absorbed everything Ishizu said thus far. The fact that Marik wasn’t always evil did little to reassure them, considering how black hearted he appeared to be at the moment. Joey was tempted to laugh out loud and make a snide comment like, ‘Marik, good? I’ll believe it when I see it,’ but decided that wouldn’t be very tactful. Instead, he gazed around the room, trying to think of something else he could say. ‘Now that I think about it, it’s unusual to see Ishizu without that Keren woman.’ His eyes landed on Ishizu again. “Not to go off- topic, but where is Keren? That is, if you don’t mind me asking.”
“Of course I do not mind,” Ishizu replied in a gracious tone. “Keren is currently watching over Odion. She didn’t want to risk anything happening to him at Marik’s hands.”
Joey nodded in understanding, knowing Odion would need protection with Marik on the rampage. ‘Odion sure is lucky to have a woman like Keren by his side. I can tell she is really hung up on him.’ From the corner of his eye he saw Vicki going over to the chair behind the circular desk to have a seat.
Yugi, however, was still quiet, as he was trying to make sense of the situation. He knew there had to be more to it than hating a certain task. ‘At least I can now understand where some of the hate is coming from….but it still doesn’t explain why he wants to kill Yami and me.’ He scratched his head before facing the young woman. “There’s something I’m confused about. I get why Marik hates being a tombkeeper, but why does he want me and the pharaoh dead?” Wanting to hear the truth as well, the ancient pharaoh appeared next to him in spirit form. ‘Perhaps then I will be able to help Marik purge this evil.’
Vicki stretched out her legs and pulled out her small orthopedic pillow from her knapsack. She stood up enough to slide it underneath her buttocks and sat back down. ‘Ah, much better.’ She clasped her hands in her lap whilst saying, “Yes, I would like to know that as well. Also, I have noticed Keren seems to have a close connection with you and your family. How did you become acquainted with her?” She had thoughts about mentioning how the young woman didn’t say much to anyone besides Joey, but decided against it, not wanting to jump to conclusions. ‘She probably has her reasons and she is going through a hard time right now. People do deal with those situations differently.’
Ishizu gave a light nod. “Yes, I do realize there are many unanswered questions. Well, I’m about to reveal all.” She cleared her throat, and everyone stopped what they were doing, giving her their undivided attention as they waited for her to begin. “It was one year after Marik received the tombkeeper’s initiation that he had begun to act upon the evil controlling him. As a tombkeeper, he was forbidden to ever see the outside world. He struggled to obey this rule until one day…”
*Flashback begins*
It had been a full year since Marik had received the tombkeeper’s initiation and he grew to despise his designated task more and more each day, but he sucked it up, for fear of angering his father.
One night, however, sometime after telling Ishizu he would be going to sleep, he lay in his bed wide awake. No matter what he did, sleep refused to come to him. Many things lingered on his mind, but the main thing tormenting him was the fact that he would never be allowed to visit the surface. The curiosity was getting the better of him. All of a sudden he pulled himself into a sitting position before bringing up a hand to rub his eyes. ‘That’s it! I don’t care what Father says I am not staying cooped up in this underground prison anymore!’ he yelled inside his head. It was all he could do not to start screaming at the top of his lungs. He saw when Odion wandered in and stood next to his elder sister, but he failed to acknowledge the young man’s presence, which made the latter frown.
Ishizu looked at her brother with concern when she saw him sit up with such a jolt. “Marik, what’s the matter?” she asked. “Are you all right?”
Marik looked down at the floor, then at his sister, heaving a loud sigh. He hadn’t been confiding in her as much lately, but he knew she wouldn’t buy it if he said nothing was wrong. “I just can’t fall asleep.”
Ishizu nodded knowingly.”I figured as much, judging from how restless you seemed.” She sat on the bed, just several feet away from Marik. “Any particular reason?” she asked.
“It’s-it’s because I’m sick and tired of being stuck down here!” the young boy blurted out. “I’m going to the surface and that’s final!”
For a moment, Ishizu looked stunned at the outburst, but she recovered and placed a finger on her lips, making a “Shhhh” gesture. “Marik, you mustn’t speak so loudly. What if Father comes to check up on us?”
“Stop worrying. It’s late. I’m sure Father is asleep by now. You promised you would take me outside one day. Why can’t we go now?”
“If Father finds out, we would both be in big trouble,” Ishizu reminded Marik. “You know the tombkeeper’s code. The outside world is off-limits to us.” She sounded almost sad at the last part, as if she wished things were different, which she did. She hated seeing her little brother so miserable.
Marik felt a “you’re being ridiculous” laugh trying to escape, but he bit his lip to keep a straight face. “Relax, sis. Odion will cover for us and Father won’t suspect a thing.” He gave his elder brother eye contact for the first time. “Right?”
Odion nodded in agreement. He wanted to help soothe Marik’s suffering just as much and it ate him up inside during the occasions he failed to do so.
Marik could see how firm his sister was being. ‘I hate sweet-talking her, but it looks like it may be the only way to get her to reconsider.’ He rested one of his hands on top of Ishizu’s hand. “Please sis? No one will ever know.” He looked at her with pleading eyes. She started to hesitate as if she were struggling within herself to make the right decision. Marik’s begging wasn’t making it easy for her to stick to her answer of “no,” and she wasn’t entirely keen on it anyway. “Oh come on. Just this one time, Ishizu. Aren’t you the least bit curious?”
Ishizu had to admit, she was curious about the way teens her age lived their lives and their interests, but she didn’t want to take such a risk. Before she could answer, Odion cut in, “Miss Ishizu, you don’t have to worry. I will take care of everything. I promised I would always protect Master Marik. With you by his side, he will be safe.”
The young teen still looked unsure. “I don’t know…” Even with the young man’s reassurance, she had an unsettling feeling in her gut that something terrible would happen if she gave in. ‘I have to hold fast, no matter how difficult it is.’
Alarm bells rang in Marik’s head when he saw he was losing. ‘Rats! I’m running out of ways to convince her.’ There was a voice inside him, a darker one telling him he didn’t need to listen to his siblings and he could just do what he wanted, but he tried his hardest to ignore it, although such a task was becoming increasingly difficult.”Please? Just for a little while…long enough to see what it is like.”
That was all it took. Ishizu rested her hand on top of her brother’s. “Okay, Marik, if it’s that important to you,” she relented with a small smile on her face. As firm as she was trying to be before, she found his curiosity endearing.
Marik’s face lit up for the first time that night. “Thank you, sis!” He threw his arms around her in a warm embrace, which she graciously returned. Her smile faded and was replaced by a serious expression, making him wonder what was up.
“Just promise me this. After one hour, we return home and never speak of this again,” said the teen girl.
Marik nodded profusely. “I promise.” He ended the hug and rolled over on his left side. His eyes were finally starting to become heavy. He yawned a bit before resting his head on his pillow. Within minutes he was fast asleep.
Odion and Ishizu smiled at how peaceful their younger brother looked, and headed to their beds as well.
*Next Morning*
Marik groaned when he felt the light in the room touching his eyes. He sat up, rubbed the remainder of sleep from his eyes before stretching his arms and legs. He gazed around the room to see his elder siblings already awake and ready for the day. He gave a confused frown and was about to ask them what they were doing up so early until it suddenly hit him. ‘That’s right! Ishizu is taking me to see the surface! How could I have forgotten that?’ His frown slowly turned into a wide grin as he swung his legs over. “Good morning, Ishizu. Good morning Odion,” he greeted.
“Good morning,” they responded. “I trust you slept well?” asked Odion, smiling.
“Oh yes. Surprisingly I did,” the young boy answered.
“I’m glad to hear it,” said Ishizu. “You must hurry if we are to return before Father awakes.”
“Of course! I’ll get ready right now!” Marik sprang to his feet in a flash to go freshen up for his little outing. After he left, Odion found a large pillow with a tan-coloured case and slipped it into the bed, covering it up to make it look like Marik was still asleep. ‘This should work for now.’ He said a silent prayer that everything would go smoothly. The last thing he wanted was for Marik’s father to find out. He knew the old man would surely have his hide.
It wasn’t long before Marik was ready to go. He slipped on his shoes and turned to his sister. “I’m ready, sis!”
Ishizu smiled slightly at her brother’s excitement, though a part of her was afraid of what would happen if their father did find out about their disobedience. “Let’s go.” She and Marik exited the room and climbed up the steps that would lead them to the outside world. “Remember, one hour and then we return home,” she reminded Marik. “No one must ever know about this.”
“I know,” said the young tombkeeper. A bunch of butterflies swarmed in his stomach as a part of him was nervous and wondered if he was making a mistake. But the larger part of him felt like doing a happy dance.
*Flashback ends*
“I knew I was violating the code, but I also knew Marik deserved to see the light at least once in his life,” reflected Ishizu, keeping an eye on Yugi and his friends to make sure their attention had not been diverted. “I did not realize at the time that the exposure to the light would increase the darkness within him.“
*Flashback begins*
Once the Ishtar siblings made it to the surface, Marik was so giddy with excitement at seeing such a different world that he skipped ahead like a bunny rabbit and left his elder sister behind. Ishizu shook her head at this, breaking into a sprint. “Marik! Slow down, brother!” she reprimanded gently. “I told you to stay by my side!”
Marik slowed down enough for Ishizu to catch up with him. “Sorry, sis,” he said sheepishly. “I’m just so excited about being here. Just look at all these people! This place is even better than I dreamed of...in fact, it’s amazing!” He spun around with his arms open wide. ‘Hopefully I’ll end up finding someone my age to be friends with while we’re up here...that person could visit our home or I could secretly come up here to see them.’ The thought of having his first friend caused his lips to spread into a big grin. It faltered slightly when his sister’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“This is not our world, so don’t grow too attached,” the young teen warned, coming up to stand by her brother’s side.
“Relax! Let’s have a little bit of fun while we’re up here!” Marik took off to do more exploring, laughing gleefully, barely hearing his sister call after him in protest. All of a sudden he bumped into someone, his laughter ceasing when he heard an “oof” sound. He glanced up to see a girl who looked as if she were just a couple of years older than his sister. She was fairly tall and quite thin with hazel eyes and unblemished, lightly tanned skin. Her long dark hair mostly covered by a tichel fell down in waves to her midback. The young boy’s eyes practically popped out of his head and his jaw dropped open. ‘Wow! She’s so pretty...almost like a princess. And that dress she is wearing…I wonder where she is from...it is different from what the women here are wearing. Too bad she looks too old to be a possible playmate...oh well...she would probably make a good friend for Ishizu or even Odion...yeah that’s it. I just wish Odion was able to come with us. Looks like I will have to ask her to come to our home and I don’t know if Ishizu will agree to that. Not to mention the horror of Father seeing her…’ Holding back a cringe at imagining his father’s hostility, he removed his eyes from her when what was meant to be a quick glance was beginning to turn into a stare. He could just hear Ishizu reprimanding him for that. “Oops, I’m so sorry!” he apologized. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
The unidentified teenager, who was blushing under the young boy’s scrutiny, gave him a small smile. “No worries, sweetie. I wasn’t watching where I was going either, which is unlike me.” Her face turned bright red. ‘Goodness, what is it with me lately? Ever since my father’s death, it’s like I just lost it. I had thought taking a walk would help me free my mind, but so far it isn’t working.’
For awhile, Marik was silent, as he was thinking of what he should say next. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, embarrassed by how tongue-tied he felt. ‘Just say something simple,’ a voice inside his head coaxed him. He then cleared his throat before forcing eye contact with the girl. “Well, my name is Marik. Marik Ishtar. What is your name?” Before the teen girl could introduce herself, he heard a voice calling sharply, “Marik!” making him jump. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting he was there with Ishizu. “Sorry about that. That’s my sister Ishizu…”
The teen girl nodded. “Ah. I see. She seems to genuinely care for your well-being.”
Marik looked a bit uncomfortable at first, then responded, “She does. She is like the mother I never knew.”
“I understand. To answer your previous question, my name is Keren Mizrahi.”
“Keren…” Marik repeated, allowing the syllables to roll off his tongue. “That’s a pretty name. “ He paused, pondering whether he should ask her where she was from since the name didn’t sound Egyptian, but decided to hold off on that, not wanting to offend her.
Keren’s face turned several shades of red at the compliment, eliciting a giggle from the young boy. “Why thank you. I am very flattered. Pardon my intrusion, but is there any reason your sister is looking for you? If so, I wouldn’t want to keep you away from her.”
Marik chuckled sheepishly before saying, “No, you’re fine. It’s just that we don’t live up here and are just visiting so we could explore. After awhile, we will have to leave.” His heart skipped a beat when he heard footsteps approaching him, followed by his sister’s voice chiding, “You’re not supposed to speak to strangers!” He turned away from the teen girl and faced Ishizu, who was giving him a reproachful look. “I’m sorry…we just happened to bump into each other. “
Ishizu’s frown softened a bit, although she still looked a bit stern. She was failing, though, because a tiny part of her wanted to smile at the fact that her brother’s social skills seemed pretty good considering this was his first time interacting with outsiders.
Keren stepped forward, desperately wanting to remedy the awkward situation. “Shalom! (Hello)You must be Ishizu. I’m Keren.”
Ishizu smiled politely before giving a slight curtsy. "It is a pleasure to meet you." She had to admit, the girl seemed nice enough, and if she were allowed to have friends, she would have definitely considered getting to know her more. ‘Even so, I must not allow myself to get too close to her.’
“Likewise. “ Keren brushed a strand of hair from her face, tucking it beneath her tichel. “Listen. Marik mentioned you two were touring this place. I can be your guide, if you like? I am originally from Israel, but I have been living here for eight years, since age nine, so I know the ins and outs.” She spoke slowly, as if afraid neither sibling would take her up on her offer.
“Well…” Ishizu hesitated for a moment, since she had strong doubts. Her conscience was nagging at her for even trusting Keren enough to engage in small talk with her. She knew her father would fly into a rage at the current scene. She opened her mouth to decline, but then she caught Marik looking at her as if he were sending her a message with his eyes begging her to let Keren show them around, since it would take less time. She took a deep breath. “All right. I suppose there is no harm in it. “
Keren breathed a small sigh of relief and then smiled. “Wonderful! Follow me.” She turned around and walked away. Marik wasted no time following and he let out a yelp when Ishizu caught him off guard by grabbing his hand because she didn’t trust that he wouldn’t run off again and get into mischief. They were led through the city, braving the hustle and bustle as best as they could, although Marik was grinning widely. At one point Keren glanced over her shoulder to make sure the Ishtar siblings were not too far behind.
Marik felt something beneath his foot, making him stop and let go of Ishizu’s hand. He looked down to see what he had stepped on, his eyes full of curiosity. “Huh? A book…? Who would do something so terrible as to throw it on the ground so carelessly?” he wondered out loud. He reached down to pick it up, freezing when he heard Ishizu say, “Don’t touch anything!”
Keren frowned slightly upon noticing Marik and Ishizu were no longer following her but hearing Ishizu chide the young boy reassured her she had not lost them. Even so, she stopped in her tracks to wait for them, chuckling softly to herself. ‘Marik is quite the curious one, I see…he seems very lovable, though. He is also correct when he says books should not be tossed around like garbage.’
Marik picked up the book anyway, brushing the dust off the page before looking closely at it. His eyes widened in awe at the image of a young man riding a motorcycle. “What is that?” he asked in wonderment. “I’ve never seen anything like that before. This book is not like my scriptures at all! It’s fun.” He looked away from the picture to see Keren waiting for him and Ishizu. He gave her a light nod to let her know they were ready to continue before turning to face his elder sister. “Come on, sis. Let’s go.”
“Yes, let us get going before our time is up.” Ishizu took Marik’s hand again, leading him towards Keren. She didn’t have a watch, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t be too long before they would have to leave, and the young boy’s curiosity certainly wasn’t helping them to save time. “My apologies for the delay,” she said, once caught up with the older teen.
Keren faced the siblings with a reassuring smile. “Oh, no worries at all. You two are fine. Shall we continue?”
“Yes, please,” answered Ishizu. “We will have to leave soon.” She got a sharp pain in her chest as she had the feeling their father was stomping around in a rage, demanding to know where she and Marik were, and most likely taking his anger out on Odion. She ignored the feelings as best as she could, passing it off as her mind playing tricks on her. ‘Still, we cannot take the risk.’
Keren nodded.”I understand.” She turned around, gesturing for them to follow, and they did just that, wanting to cover as much of the city as they possibly could with the limited time remaining. She led them past different Egyptian and Arabic eateries, houses, boutiques, bakeries, jewelry stores, as well as supermarkets. Marik looked at all of them with wide gooey eyes, like a child who spotted a jar of candy. ‘I wonder if the cooks in that Egyptian restaurant are good at making koshari. ‘ A sneaky grin threatened to escape his lips at the possibility of begging Ishizu to let them have lunch there one day.
The youngsters came to a straw vendor where a bunch of people were crowded behind a man with a turban wrapped around his head, watching television. There was some show airing where a young man was standing by his motorbike saying he was a rebel and a loner. Marik went ahead to get a better look. His eyes popped open wider than before and were filled with genuine intrigue. “What is that? The machine looks like the one in the book I found…”
The gentleman heard Marik and glanced at him, chuckling softly at his amazed expression. “Hey, kiddo…you’ve never seen a TV before?”
“Um…” Marik looked down at his feet, for he was ashamed to acknowledge the fact. Although the man didn’t sound mean, he couldn’t be positive that the crowd of people wouldn’t make fun of him. ‘I can just feel them staring at me as if I’m some freak or weirdo.’
Ishizu came up behind her brother, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Marik?” She noted the funny looks the group of people were aiming at him and groaned inwardly. ‘Now what has he gotten himself into?’ She shook her head. “Marik, let’s go! You’re impossible!” She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him away before he could protest. Keren frowned a bit, but then shrugged and went after them.
As soon as the trio had reached a safe distance and after Marik had recovered from the mild shock, he inquired, “Ishizu, what was that glass box?”
“It’s a TV,” answered Ishizu, resisting the urge to face palm at the embarrassing moment back at the vendor.
“Ooooh…TV,” said Marik, sounding as if he had known all along but just forgot. “Well, what was that strange machine inside the TV?”
“A motorcycle.”
Marik got an expression of longing and his eyes lit up as he declared, “I wanna ride one. I just have to.” He stopped in his tracks, the sparkle in his eyes fading. “As long as I’m a tombkeeper I’ll never be able to ride a motorcycle, or watch a TV.” He turned his back to his sister, letting out a dejected sigh. ‘It stinks that I have to miss out on so much….to hell with my miserable life!’ He clenched a fist to keep his displeasure from raging out of control.
Keren watched him with pity in her eyes, smoothing out the crease in her dress. ‘Poor thing. I do not know all that’s going on, but no one should be robbed of an opportunity to experience their childhood.’ Although she didn’t know Marik and Ishizu well, she couldn’t help but want to become more acquainted with them so she could help with whatever seemed to be troubling the young boy. She shook her head lightly. ‘No, Keren. It is not your concern,’ she mentally told herself.
Ishizu set her mouth in a line at the sudden change in Marik’s mood before looking thoughtful. ‘Hmmm...I anticipated this would happen if he grew attached to this world. We had better take our leave before he becomes more upset.’ She cleared her throat, making him face her again.”Our time is up. We must go.”
Marik felt his heart sink and a look of disappointment appeared on his features. “Not yet…” he protested. “There’s no way an hour could have passed already and we didn’t see much.”
The young teen put up a hand for silence, before firmly reminding him, “You promise you would obey, remember?”
Marik knew when his sister spoke in that tone it was unwise to question her. Plus he had a feeling the longer he stayed, the more he would wish he could live on the surface. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” He lightly licked his dry lips. “One more thing…by any chance, would it be all right if I took the picture of the motorcycle from my book?” He paused for a moment to side-eye Keren. “And can Keren come home with us for a little while?”
Ishizu looked at him as if he had lost his mind, but mostly because of his second request. “If Father sees either Keren or the picture, we are bound to be severely punished.”
“Please, sis? It’s just one picture, and I only want to introduce her to Odion. It’s so unfair that he works so hard and he never gets to have any fun.” Marik’s eyes were earnest with every word he spoke. ‘Plus, he’s 20 now…a grownup. He should have more freedom.’
Ishizu considered everything the tombkeeper had said with a pained expression on her face. It was like she didn’t know whether to give in or not. ‘Marik is absolutely correct when he says good things should come to Odion for all his services, but…by the same token, I hate to imagine what Father would say in regards to Keren…she doesn’t deserve his hostility…but if he is still asleep when we do arrive and all Marik wants to do is introduce her…’ She let out a sigh, wondering why standing her ground had to be so difficult. Apart from being afraid of facing their father’s wrath, she saw no harm in either request. “Yes, to both of your questions. Just promise me you will hide the picture and you’ll allow Keren to leave after the introduction.”
Marik’s eyes brightened up as a wide smile spread across his face. “Of course!” The part about hiding the picture especially sounded good to him.
Keren had been silent as she listened to the entire exchange between the Ishtar siblings, trying to think of the nicest way to decline the invitation without seeming rude. Not that she didn’t appreciate the gesture, but based on what she heard the younger teen say about their father, she didn’t want to be responsible for causing any problems.”That is very kind of you, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t want to impose…”
Marik’s facial expression was becoming downcast again when he realized what appeared to be his only chance to give Odion a taste of the outside world was diminishing. His tone then turned desperate. “No, it’s all right! I only want you to meet our big brother...Father will be asleep and we’ll be careful to keep it down so there’s no need to worry. Just think of it as a thank you for taking time out to show us around.”
Keren scrunched up her brow in thought. She still had uneasy feelings from what Ishizu had said about their father, but at the same time she was curious about this older brother Marik spoke of and was open to seeing if he was as friendly as the Ishtar siblings seemed to be. ‘Perhaps it will be enough to free my mind.’ Her face relaxed slightly and she nodded. “All right, I will accompany you two, just for a short time,” she conceded.
Marik was so happy he wanted to jump up and down and race around in circles, but resisted that urge, instead allowing a small smile to escape his lips. “I’m glad. Trust me, Odion is very nice.”
“Well then, I look forward to meeting him. You lead the way.”
“You bet.” Marik and Ishizu left the city with Keren following behind. She made sure to stay close by so she wouldn’t get lost. Before they could get very far, a man with dark tanned skin, dressed in a cloak and a turban wrapped around his head appeared in front of them. He had a stony expression on his face and a key shaped pendant hung from his neck. Keren shivered, feeling slightly unnerved from the way he undressed the trio with his blue-green eyes. She dropped her eyes to the floor so he wouldn’t see her discomfort.
“The pharaoh will soon return to this world. Prepare for him,” said the cloaked man. His voice was just as stoic as his expression.
Keren jerked her head back up, freezing in place for a moment before letting out a slight gasp. “Pharaoh?” she questioned. Ever since she and her parents migrated to Egypt, she had heard stories of a pharaoh time and time again who once saved the world during his reign. ‘Could he be the same one my parents and History teacher spoke of? If memory serves me correctly, he is nameless for now.’ It was then she realized there must be more to her new “friends” than she knew.
Marik gaped at the stranger a few times, unable to say anything as the questions he had eluded his mind. His eyes then landed on the pendant around the man’s neck. ‘He holds a millennium item…who is he?’
Ishizu looked at the man with wide eyes. “Who are you?”
The stranger smiled. “Just know that I am a fellow tombkeeper as well and the tragedy that is to befall you both is the will of the pharaoh. Bear in mind that if you reject your duty, you will regret it.” With that, he disappeared.
“Wait!” Ishizu called after him. “Don’t go! What else do you know of our clan?”
*Flashback ends*
Yugi furrowed his brow knowingly when Ishizu had mentioned the encounter and warning. “The stranger she speaks of…it must be Shadi,” he said to his alter ego.
“Yes, I agree,” responded Yami. “After all, he always appears to warn us about impending danger or if there is a disturbance in the mystic alignment.” He and Yugi turned from each other to face the young woman once more, having a feeling she wasn’t done with her story just yet.
“It was during our expedition I began to understand why Marik was forbidden to visit the outside world,” continued Ishizu. “Little did I know, I would pay the price for my mistake. I exposed Marik to a world he should never have seen. It caused him to reject our family duty, and his evil side grew.“ She wrung her hands, her eyes full of regret.
*Flashback begins*
After Shadi had left, Marik and Ishizu began to run home, Keren following close behind. Try as they may to dismiss his words, it was easier said than done, and the fact that he left so abruptly without answering any questions only intensified their bewilderment. It was then Ishizu began to wish she and Marik were not there. ‘I have a feeling this will haunt me for a long while.’ Oddly enough, she did not regret meeting Keren, although she sensed things would turn ugly very soon.
Marik panted several times, feeling slightly out of breath from running so fast. “Ishizu, what do you think the stranger meant when he warned us? What is this will of the pharaoh he speaks of?”
“Marik!” Ishizu yelled out of the blue. She stopped running, turned around and rested her hands on his shoulders, making him stop as well. “You mustn’t speak of the pharaoh right now! Coming up here was a terrible mistake. Forget all that you saw, forget about the stranger and let’s go home!!” She turned around to leave.
The young boy blinked several times upon hearing how tense and panicked his sister sounded. He had thoughts of asking her what was up, but didn’t want to put her more on edge than she already was. ‘If the stranger got to her, I can’t say I blame her. He gave me the heebie-jeebies as well.’ He just nodded and glanced over his shoulder at Keren. “Come on, Keren, let’s go.”
Keren looked flustered for a brief moment before agreeing, “All right.” She followed the two Egyptians as they continued to make their way home, all the while pondering everything that had happened in town. ‘Well…that was quite an interesting turn of events…but unexpected…I still have yet to be able to wrap my mind around it all.’
Soon, the trio was approaching the desert area that led to the underground dwelling, the sun shining brighter than it had been earlier. Keren placed a hand to her forehead to avoid being blinded, although she was used to the scorching rays and humidity.
By then, Marik’s mood had taken a nosedive. For him the visit ended much too soon and on top of that, not finding a friend his own age was a little disappointing. ‘I suppose Keren is better than no one at all, even though she would end up being Ishizu’s friend more than mine. Sometimes I hate the fact that I give in so easily.’ He hung his head, looking forlorn as he dragged his feet towards the entrance. “Sister, why do we have to go back to the darkness? It just isn’t fair.”
Ishizu let out a sigh, trying to hide her frustration with the constant questioning. “I know, Marik, but it isn’t our choice.”
Marik let out another dejected sigh. “I know.” He ran a hand through his cornsilk hair and wandered over to the stone wall.
Ishizu looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “What do you think you’re doing, Marik?”
“I just need a moment to think about something.”
Ishizu opened her mouth to object, but Keren shook her head. She looked at the older girl in surprise. “Let’s give him a few minutes alone,” advised Keren. “He probably needs a bit of time to process this.”
The tan-skinned young woman looked a bit unsure, but she nodded. “You’re probably right.”
Marik turned to give Keren a grateful smile, and then sat on the stone wall, ignoring the discomfort it was causing him. He held the picture of the motorcycle in his lap, staring at it longingly. ‘Someday I will ride one of these…I’ll ride right out of the darkness below. I’ll finally be free, and no one will be able to stop me…not my father, not some stupid pharaoh, no one! I will be in control of my own destiny.’ His lips curled into a small impish grin and before he could stop himself, he let out a quiet chuckle.
“Marik, you’ve sat there for long enough!” Ishizu called out, interrupting the boy’s thoughts. “It is time to go.” She and Keren headed over to the entrance.
“I’m coming!” The young boy lazily climbed off the stone wall, making it look like she had interrupted something important, but in all honesty, he was more than happy to get off since the rocks were really making his buttocks sore, not to mention he looked forward to having Keren meet Odion. He joined his sister and Keren, making motorcycle engine noises as the three of them walked down the steps together.
“Remember, we can’t wake Father,” Ishizu reminded her younger brother, doing her best to drown out the noises.
“Don’t worry, I won’t. I would never dream of it. I know how much he hates his rest being disturbed.” Marik tilted his head, spotting a peculiar looking reel with a rope wound around it. “What’s that thing up there, sis?” he asked, stopping in his tracks and standing still.
Ishizu stopped as well and looked at the reel Marik had pointed out, letting out a gasp. ‘That must be an alarm…I hadn’t seen it in the dark…Father must have put it there to act as a notification when we leave the tomb.’ The guilt she had been feeling multiplied tenfold as the realization hit her and a look of horror appeared on her features. She felt cold inside and several knots formed in her stomach.
Marik glanced over at his sister with concern etched on his face when he saw how scared she looked. “Ishizu, what’s the matter?”
Ishizu couldn’t answer. She was too busy screaming, ‘What have I done?’ in her head. “Oh no!” She began to quickly run down the steps.
Marik ran after her, his heart pounding loudly. The suspense was driving him insane. “Please, tell me what’s going on! Is Father going to be angry with us?”
Keren wore a grim expression on her face as she followed Marik and Ishizu. ‘Something must be seriously wrong for Ishizu to be so frantic.’ A voice inside her head was telling her to stop and turn around while she still had the chance. ‘No…I should stay and stick it out...they may need my help.’
“We have to go back to our beds!” was all Ishizu would respond. She, Marik and Keren hurried to the bedroom. The sheets on Marik’s bed were rolled back, revealing a pillow of some sort. They also heard some screams of pain. When they looked to see why, their frantic expressions turned into horror. Keren nearly fainted.
Mr. Ishtar was beating Odion with a whip. The lashes were so vicious that the young man’s clothing ripped and his bleeding wounds were visible. The tattooed face young man collapsed from the pain. Mr. Ishtar stood over him, breathing heavily.
“Odion!” Marik ran over to his adopted older brother and knelt next to him.
Odion was starting to lose consciousness. “Master Marik…I’m sorry I let you down. I tried my best…”
“I know.” Marik bent over and hugged his protector, not caring that blood was getting on his clothes.
Mr. Ishtar turned to face his two children with a dark look on his face. “Marik! Ishizu! You know you were forbidden to ever leave underground! I have punished Odion for allowing you two to disobey me! Now, who is this little girl? I didn’t recall giving you permission to invite anyone into our home!” The older man rudely pointed to Keren, not caring that she was a long shot from being a small child at seventeen.
Keren looked away so she wouldn’t have to face the surly man. She didn’t see how he and Marik were related at all. ‘Hmm…if the gentleman is so angry, maybe I should leave, but I still want to meet Odion. What should I do?’
Marik squirmed nervously. He wasn’t sure how to explain to his father who the teenager was without making him angrier, but he knew he would never get away with lying, either. He gulped.
“Answer me!” barked Mr. Ishtar, lashing at the ground with his whip.
Marik started trembling and the palms of his hands began to sweat. He looked into his father’s eyes and saw fury in them. He peered down at his feet, unable to bear it. “Her name is Keren. She is a new friend and Ishizu and I brought her here to meet Odion.”
“I-It’s all right. I will leave if you want me to,” stammered Keren, getting the feeling she was not welcome. “I never meant to intrude.”
Mr. Ishtar studied the teenager before him. By her clothing he could tell she was a foreigner. “You should never have come here! I will not have outsiders in my home!”
Keren was stunned. She had never met anyone quite as mean as this man before. ‘I knew this was not a good idea.’ So she would at least be out of his sight, she went into a corner and crouched down as low as she could. ‘Maybe he’ll be gone soon. ‘
The old man turned to face Marik and Ishizu, gnashed his teeth and glowered at them. “So not only did you wander the surface, but you befriended an outsider, too??! I will not tolerate such treason! You two will be severely punished!” He took out the whip, preparing to give them a beating.
Marik, who was indignant at the treatment both Keren and Odion had received, decided he had enough of his father’s harsh behavior. A sharp pain shot through his head and he clutched it, groaning in pain.
Ishizu, concerned, came over to her brother and placed both of her hands on his shoulders. “Marik? Are you all right?”
Most of Marik’s cornsilk hair levitated so that it looked spiky, and he gave an evil chuckle. He caught the whip and held it in place as the senior Ishtar lashed at him.
Mr. Ishtar tried to yank it back, but his son’s grip was too strong. “You dare to resist my punishment?”
“You don’t scare me anymore,” said Marik in a deep, sinister voice.
Ishizu took her hands off of Marik’s shoulders, unable to believe his change in behavior. No one had ever dared to show disrespect to their father before. And she was not sure what to make of his levitated hair, either.”Marik, what do you think you’re doing?” She hated to think of how much trouble the young boy would be in for his insolent behavior.
“From now on, these items are mine!” declared Dark Marik, wandering over to where the millennium rod and necklace were.
The former tombkeeper too was stunned by his son’s aggressive behavior but he would not be deterred. “Marik, you will inherit those when the time is right and no sooner!”
“Why don’t you keep quiet, old man? I’m making my own rules now!” The possessed young boy bent over and picked up the rod.
“Marik! I command you to cease this foolishness at once and put that rod down!!” ordered the older man in his authoritative voice.
Dark Marik turned to face his father. “What if I don’t? You can do nothing against me, you foolish old man!”
“Marik! For the last time, put the rod down!”
Dark Marik did not retort anything this time. Instead, he emitted some power from the item, blasting his father against the wall. “Oh my son...” the elderly man groaned.
Ishizu’s eyes became as wide as saucers. This cruel person just could not be her brother. “Marik! Stop this madness right now!”
Dark Marik had just witnessed the power of the rod and it felt good. He was not going to allow anyone to oppose him. “This does not concern you, Ishizu!” He zapped his sister against the wall with the rod.
“You’re not Marik,” uttered the young teen, groaning in pain.
Dark Marik chuckled. “Very perceptive. Now Father, it’s time for you to be silenced forever! The future is mine!” He pulled out the dagger part of the rod and walked over to his father, plunging the dagger into the old man’s chest. Mr. Ishtar let out a cry of agony as he slid down and bled to death.
The possessed young boy let out a sadistic laugh at his accomplishment. ‘That’s right, die, you old fool.’ After his laughter died down, he peered down at the tattooed face young man, whose blood loss left him barely conscious. A sneer spread across his lips. “It’s time for me to destroy my past.” He walked over to Odion and pulled out the dagger portion of the rod again.
Odion slowly opened his eyes. Things were a bit blurry at first, but after awhile, he clearly saw his younger brother standing over him pointing the sharp edge of the rod at him. “No…Master...you need me to protect you…” he muttered.
The evil essence faded, enabling Marik to return to normal. With a look of horror on his face, he dropped the rod, which made a clanging sound when it hit the stony tiles. He gazed around the room, freezing when he saw his father slumped down with his back against the wall. “Father!” He raced over to the man and hugged him fiercely. “Father, wake up!” he cried. There was no response from the old man. His eyes were squeezed shut, and he was cold to the touch. Marik’s heart dropped in his stomach as he realized the ugly truth…his father was dead. His lower lip began to tremble. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! What have I done?!” he wailed before breaking into hysterical sobs. Although the elder had been brutal and unnecessarily so, he still had love for him.
Odion rose to his feet and dashed over to his younger brother, using his bound hands to pull him away from his dead father. Marik turned around in his arms and buried his head in his chest, weeping bitterly. He held him close to him, just allowing him to let out his anguished feelings. “Shhhh…calm down, sir…it’s going to be all right,” he whispered soothingly.
Marik’s cries gradually subsided, turning into sniffling. “What happened?” he asked through his tears.
“Never mind that…you will be fine.”
Keren came out of her hiding spot, thinking it was probably safe now. She had heard all the screaming and crying, along with the spine chilling laughter, but she didn’t dare be a witness to any of it. Dealing with Mr. Ishtar’s hostile attitude was bad enough. ‘Speaking of which, where is he? I thought I heard him screaming…’ She looked around the bedroom to see a crying Marik being consoled by some young man. She let out a horrified gasp at seeing the old man’s limp, lifeless body and the blood stained wall. A sharp pain pierced her chest, forcing her to look away from the gruesome scene. She spotted Ishizu leaning against the wall, who looked extremely shaken, but otherwise unharmed. She raced over to her. “Ishizu, what’s going on? I mean, I have a vague idea, but I don’t want to draw the wrong conclusion.”
“Father has died,” the young teen answered gravely.
Keren’s face turned pale. “Ooooh…so that’s what has Marik so distressed…” she realized in a low voice. She knew not to ask how it happened since the wound was very fresh, not to mention it wasn’t her concern. “I’m so sorry…” While she found the old man’s behavior to be positively atrocious, it was not within her nature to wish pain and suffering on others.
Ishizu made an effort to give a weak smile, although she was sure it looked pitiful. “Thank you for your condolences. I appreciate it very much.”
“Think nothing of it. The pleasure is mine. I know what it is like to lose a parent,” responded Keren, doing her best to keep her voice steady. “Also, I am here to help if you need me.”
Ishizu was about to thank her when all of a sudden, she heard a familiar voice saying, “Things are about to go on a downward spiral.” She and Keren both glanced up to see that Shadi had returned.
Marik, still in Odion’s arms, whirled around sharply, his body stiffening upon hearing Shadi’s voice again. Letting out a loud scream, he belted out, “The stranger!! Stay away!” He gripped Odion’s garment tightly and gazed at Shadi with wide scared eyes, trembling.
Shadi merely dismissed the young man’s fear of him, for he had grown used to it. “Your father’s demise was necessary for the pharaoh’s return. Now you must continue your task to wait for him.” In a flash, he disappeared.
Marik’s eyes glazed over as he stared at the spot the mysterious stranger stood. “Wait! What do you mean by that?” He clenched his teeth, letting out several grunts before facing his elder brother again, lightly facepalming. “Oh, I almost forgot. Ishizu and I brought someone here for you to meet.”
Odion quirked an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”
Marik nodded. “We met her during our trip outside. I’m not sure if she is still here, though. Father may have scared her off.”
“Ah. Well, that’s a shame. I would have loved to meet her.”
“There is no need to worry. I’m still here.”
Both Odion and Marik looked up. The young woman was standing next to Ishizu. Marik breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Thank the gods.’ He broke out of Odion’s embrace and gestured for her to join them. She did just that. Marik turned to his brother and took him by his bound hands to lead him over to Keren. “Odion, I want you to meet Keren. Keren, this is my big brother Odion.”
Keren nodded slightly before giving the young man eye contact. His eyes met hers. Despite his somber exterior, she could see that his eyes were filled with kindness. She felt her heart beginning to race. ‘Oh my, his eyes are expressive and beautiful…wait, stop it, girl! You are just getting to know him!’ She waited for her conscience to fall silent and her heartbeat to calm down before drawing in a deep breath. “I am pleased to meet you, Odion.”
“Likewise, Keren. I must say, though, if I had my way, I would not want you to see me in such a battered and bruised state…especially someone as attractive as yourself.” Odion gave her an apologetic smile, although he found no humor in his predicament.
Keren’s face turned bright red at the compliment. She forced a shy smile. “Well, thank you, kind sir.” Her smile then faded and she looked serious. “There is no need to apologize. I understand, and I can help.”
*Flashback ends*
‘Wow…now that’s quite the first meeting…I must say Keren is strong for not being frightened away by Marik’s prick of a father.’ The retelling of the first encounter between Keren and Odion had made Vicki’s heart turn into mush. She let out a wistful sigh, hoping her first meeting with her destined soulmate would be just as memorable.
Yugi listened whilst Ishizu concluded her story, looking thoughtful as he absorbed it all. ‘Marik’s anger and hatred must have fed the darkness inside. Everything makes sense now…Keren’s role in all of this…even the curse he kept speaking about.’ He wasn’t sure how long it would take for him to forgive the misdeeds, but at the same time he knew he would be lying if he said he didn’t feel an ounce of sympathy for his foe.
Joey gave the young woman an incredulous look. “Sorry, lady, but while I enjoyed hearing how you and your folks met Keren, if you’re trying to make me feel bad for Marik because he grew into an evil nutcase, it ain’t working. Look. He trapped Mai’s mind in the Shadow Realm, and she’s living her worst nightmares. I won’t rest until he pays!” He clenched a fist and punched the palm of his other hand.
“Joeyyy…” warned Serenity, shooting the blonde a disapproving look.
Joey looked sheepish. “Sorry, sis. I guess I kind of got carried away there…but still, I’m not gonna let him off so easily.”
Ishizu sighed heavily, realizing just how headstrong the blonde was and it would take awhile before he was able to let his grudge go. On the other hand, she knew it was best not to push the issue since he did have his reasons. ‘I just hope he won’t allow his anger to consume him.’ She faced the spiky haired teen. “Yugi…” she began, shrugging off Joey’s animosity. “There is a way to destroy the evil within Marik without destroying the good.”
“I would like to be able to do that. I really would. The question is, how should I go about it?” Yugi wasn’t trying to be a pessimist or discourage the woman, but he did want to be realistic.
“I have come to realize that Keren and I cannot save him alone. We will need help, including yours,” replied Ishizu. “As the pharaoh’s vessel, you have the power to discover the best way.”
Yugi still looked unsure, but he nodded, seeing the direness of the situation. “All right. I’ll do my best.”
“I will help as well,” piped up Vicki, adjusting the pillow beneath her as it was starting to fall out from behind the chair’s back.
Everyone, including Ishizu, looked up at her in surprise, not expecting her to say that.
Vicki began to collect her thoughts, realizing that an explanation was obviously in order. ‘Hopefully they won’t think I’m a loony.’ She focused her attention on everyone, but mostly Ishizu. “While I am not about to just brush everything under the rug, I can see how difficult this has been for you. I want things to return to normalcy for you.”
Ishizu was quiet for a moment before her face finally relaxed into a reserved smile, happy that she was receiving some support. “Thank you for understanding.”
“No problem, doll. I am always glad to give a helping hand to someone who needs it.”
“That I can tell, and it will take you very far in life.”
“Attention, duelists! Lights will be out in 2 minutes!” Roland’s voice blared. “You will all be awoken by an alarm first thing tomorrow morning!”
Joey stretched his arms above his head. “Well, guys, I guess it’s time to go hit the sack.”
“Sounds good to me,” said Tristan. He then got a sneaky grin on his face and shifty eyes. “I especially look forward to crashing into Joey’s suite.”
Joey whipped his head around sharply, giving the pointy-haired teen a “don’t even think about it” look. “What are you talking about, Tristan?” he demanded to know, raising his voice slightly. Not that he had issues sharing, but he didn’t like how the young man more or less took over the room.
“Awww come on,” dragged Tristan, brushing his friend’s annoyance off. “Your room is like a palace. You won’t even know I’m there.”
“Oh, I’ll know. I’ll know by the smell,” Joey reminded him in a smart aleck way. ‘Oh, just give it a rest. He is a friend and there is no other place for him to sleep.’ He clenched his teeth, wishing his conscience would be quiet but deep down he knew it spoke the truth. ‘However, he had better not try anything funny or he’ll be sorry.’ He glanced over at his sister, forgetting the squabble with Tristan. “Well, Serenity, sweet dreams.“
“You, too, big brother. Get some rest.”
“I will most certainly try,” said Joey with a nod. “Yuge and I will need all the rest we can get just in case one of us has to duel Marik.” He got a wide grin on his face, hoping it would be him. ‘I have to say, though, Yugi giving him a beat down would be awesome, too.’
Serenity gave her brother a funny look. She knew he had the tendency to get ahead of himself. “Oh Joey...question. How do you know you and Yugi won’t be dueling each other in the finals instead of dueling Marik?”
“Eh?” Joey’s grin faltered and was replaced by a look of fear. “Watch what you say, sis, you’re gonna jinx us!” he yelled, at which she giggled. He had every intention of dueling his best friend, but not just yet.
Ishizu cleared her throat as she fixed her eyes upon Yugi. “Yugi, there is something I must give to you.“
“Oh?” The young man tilted his head to the side, his eyes full of curiosity. “You do?”
“Yes,” answered the young woman. A chuckle was threatening to escape, but she bit it back. “It is a powerful object I no longer have any use for.”
Yugi’s brow furrowed slightly. “Thanks…what is it?” He sounded mildly surprised.
Ishizu reached behind her neck and proceeded to unlatch the necklace she wielded since she was a teenager. “It was my task to guard the necklace until the pharaoh’s return, and now that he is here, it is now time to give it up. You see, it has not shown me the future beyond my victory over Kaiba. Take it,” she said, finally getting the antique jewelry loose and handing it to the spiky haired teen, who looked mystified as he slowly accepted the item. “My task is complete.”
Yugi fingered the necklace in his hands whilst examining it. ‘Perhaps this will make it a little easier to try to spare Marik’s good side…I wonder what Yami thinks. I want to make sure we’re in agreement first.’ He made a mental note to speak to Yami before going to sleep and then looked up at Ishizu. “Thank you again.”
Ishizu smiled slightly. “The pleasure is all mine.”
Yugi nodded and turned to see if Joey was ready to leave, knowing it was about time for the lights to be turned off. He spotted the blonde heading towards the exit with Tristan and Duke. He started to follow them, glancing over his shoulder at his friends. “Well, good night, guys.”
“See you in the morning,” answered Tèa.
“Try and get some sleep,” said Serenity.
“Yes, it has been such a long day,” Vicki added, stifling a yawn. She got up and went to check to see if Mai had anything to make tea. ‘If only this hadn’t happened…oh well. She won’t mind…knowing her, she would have insisted I drink a cup of hot tea for my throat.’
“Good night,” the boys called over their shoulders as they exited the room.
Ishizu gave a brief curtsy to the girls. “Good evening to you.” She walked out of the room.
Tèa took the opportunity to go after Ishizu while the door was still open. Lucky for her, the woman was not out of earshot as of yet. “Ishizu, wait up!”
“Huh?” The young woman stopped in her tracks, turning around slightly.
“I have a question for you. If Yugi defeats the dark force possessing Marik, does that mean the world will be safe from danger? Tell me, is there another threat we don’t know about?” Tèa knew she was babbling, but she couldn’t help it. Not knowing much was driving her insane. ‘Besides, with all that’s happened, we can’t guarantee that another tragedy won’t strike.’
Ishizu made a “hmmm” sound whilst frowning in thought. “I’m not sure, but Yugi possesses the power to discover those answers. Have a blessed evening, Tèa.” She walked away.
Tèa watched her leave for a bit. “See you later, Ishizu.” Before she could head back to the room, what was left of Marik’s original self materialized inside her body. She let out a soft grunting noise as her eyes went blank. “Ha! I won’t be discarded that easily. That fiend may have taken over my body, but a portion of my spirit lives within you, Tèa. Please, take me to Odion’s room. I must speak with Keren.” He guided the brunette to his elder brother’s room.
Keren sat by Odion’s bedside, wiping off a bead of sweat from his forehead with a damp cloth. There hadn’t been any noticeable changes in his condition as of yet, which was to be expected since the doctor had said the young man might be comatose for 24-48 hours. She placed the towel back inside the container of water and rubbed her hands together, letting out a sigh. ‘I guess I will just have to be patient and continue tending to him. I can only hope his condition doesn’t worsen.’ Her eyes grew misty at the thought of losing him. ‘Pull yourself together! Worrying isn’t going to help him. You have to remain optimistic!’ Although such scoldings from her conscience normally made her cringe, she took it in stride as she knew the reminder was well needed.
The cold air in the room was beginning to lull her to sleep. Just as her eyes were closing down, she heard the sound of the door sliding open and footsteps, jarring her awake. Before she had time to wonder who it was, a vaguely familiar female’s voice spoke, “Keren.”
Keren turned around slightly to see who had entered. Standing in the room was Tèa. At first the young woman had to quirk an eyebrow since she didn’t know the girl well at all, only that she was one of Yugi’s friends. She frowned when she noted there was next to no emotion in Tèa’s eyes. “Tèa? Is there something I can help you with? Why do you look so dazed?”
“I am not Tèa. It’s me, Marik,” corrected mind controlled Tèa. A silhouette of Marik’s good side appeared next to the teen girl to provide proof.
Keren’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped open slightly. “Marik? But how can that be? Your dark side had completely taken over your body.”
Normal Marik gave a small cocky smirk. “That is true. However, shortly after the first duel, I transferred a portion of my spirit into Tèa’s mind. At first I intended to control her mind in order to trick her into helping my plan to eliminate the pharaoh, but that has all changed.” His smirk faded and he looked serious.
Keren cocked an eyebrow slightly. “Oh? If you don’t mind me asking, what changed your mind?” She had an idea, but she wanted to be sure it was for the reason she thought. ‘If it is, then that means things are about to improve. I must admit, his backup plan is clever.’
“It was hearing Ishizu tell the story about our past for the second time while occupying Tèa’s mind. I didn’t want to believe it when she first showed me, but with my dark side in control of my body, I am now ready to come to grips with it.” The young man paused, trying to think of what he should say next. Over the years it had become difficult for him to admit he was wrong, but he knew it was part of the process of stepping on the right path again. He took a deep, shaky breath. “Keren, I am truly sorry for how I disrespected you. From this moment forward, I will treat you like the sister figure I originally viewed you as.”
Keren felt her heart melting at his words, especially when he admitted to seeing her as family. For as long as she had known him, he had never outwardly said so before. ‘I wonder what other feelings he kept buried deep within him due to his desire for power. I suppose time will tell.’ She smiled warmly at the cornsilk blonde. “That’s very kind of you to say. I also see you as family…like the younger brother I never had. And you’re forgiven. You have no idea how long I have been awaiting your apology.”
Marik gave her an apologetic look. “I can imagine and that’s why I didn’t want to wait a minute longer. I also want you to know when you were hurt by my rare hunters, my concern for you was genuine.”
The young woman nodded. “That I do know. The fact that you saved my life proved it and I knew your caring side still existed.”
Marik smiled at how forgiving the woman was. Somehow he had a feeling making peace with her would be easy, as well as with Odion, and Ishizu. His smile disappeared when he remembered he had loads more people to deliver apologies to—some of whom wouldn’t be as forgiving. ‘Never mind about that. It still must be said, and I do not expect their forgiveness right away. Even if they are unable to forgive me, I can have the satisfaction knowing I did my part.’ He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, thinking he would cross that bridge when it came. “I see you are taking care of Odion. Excellent. I was going to ask you specifically to protect him from my dark half, but I see that isn’t necessary.”
Keren glanced down at her lap, then at the essence of Marik’s good half. “Yes. I suspected your dark side would murder him as soon as he had the chance, and I couldn’t allow that.”
“That was my greatest fear as well.” Marik then looked somewhat wistful, for he knew Odion’s accident happened because of him—his selfish desires. “As much as it pains me that I am unable to assist, I know Odion is safe in your and Ishizu’s hands. I want you to promise me something.”
Keren tilted her head to the side, giving a curious frown. “What is it?”
“I intend to banish the evil controlling my body, but in case I am unsuccessful or I have to give up my own life in the process, I want you and Ishizu to look after Odion for me.”
“Of course we will.” Keren’s tone of voice then became stern, though it was still gracious. “However, don’t ever speak of sacrificing your life. You will succeed, and remember, you are not alone in this battle. You have me and Ishizu, and although Odion has yet to regain consciousness, he is with you in spirit.” She spoke slowly so the young man saw how serious she was.
“Keren…” Marik began in a surprised tone, biting back a gulp. However, even he knew not to protest. He went quiet as he considered everything the woman said. He did want to make it through the battle alive, but he wasn’t sure what his chances were, given how powerful his evil counterpart was. ‘She is right about one thing…I cannot fight this battle alone.’ He smiled a little. “Thank you…for both your help and confidence.”
“Of course.”
“I shall be heading off now, but know that it has been a pleasure conversing with you. Goodnight.” The remains of Marik’s weaker half disappeared into Tèa’s body once again and led her out of the room, feeling as if a burden had been released. He walked down the still and quiet halls with a meditative expression on his face. ‘Now, who shall I have assist me in reclaiming my body? It must be someone who is competent and dependable.’ He had thoughts about using the millennium ring to awaken Bakura from his coma and luring out the dark spirit, since they had joined forces before, but then recalled how sloppily he dueled against the pharaoh. He shook his head, deciding the tombrobber was too reckless. His mind then landed on Yugi and his counterpart, Yami, the other possible choices. He got an uneasy feeling in his chest and stomach at the thought of facing them. He made Tèa stop walking and had her lean against the wall. ‘Hmmm...I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this. I had every intention of making amends with those two, but not so soon, although I probably should. But it seems as if there is no other choice. According to what Ishizu said, they have the power to defeat my dark half, and as much as I hate to admit it, she’s right.’ He breathed out a deep sigh. ‘There is only one thing left to do.’ Swallowing his pride, he re-entered Tèa’s mind, making his way to Yugi’s room.
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Post by LadyKeren on May 23, 2016 4:59:17 GMT
Chapter 45 Yugi finally drifted off to sleep after spending a bit of time pouring his heart out to the ancient pharaoh about his concerns and troubles. It was a relief that Yami hadn’t objected to the idea of freeing Marik from the darkness. He felt the eyes of his friend watching over him, making sure he rested peacefully. He was unsure if he would be able to with everything that had happened thus far. ‘I know I should have more faith, but what if we fail to defeat Marik or save his good side? I would hate to think of what could happen then.’ He sleepily reached a hand up to his face to wipe the tearstained area.
All of a sudden there was a faint sound of footsteps outside his room door. He stirred a bit, but otherwise ignored it, thinking it was just Roland on his night stroll doing a check to make sure everyone was inside their rooms. Just as he was falling into a deeper slumber, the door opened. In walked Tèa with a somber look on her face. She cleared her throat softly.
Yugi awoke and sat up with a start, letting out a soft groan. His eyes widened with shock to see his childhood friend, only for a frown to cross his features when he noted how different her eyes and expression looked. He also felt the energy in the room changing. “Tèa, is something wrong? It’s kind of late, especially for you.” He rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
‘Hehe...if he only knew.’ “Tèa” ignored the question, instead studying the young man. “Yes, forgive me for disturbing your rest. However, I must speak to the pharaoh. It’s very important.” A silhouette of the young man appeared next to her. He crossed his fingers and closed his eyes for several minutes, saying a silent prayer that his longtime foe wouldn’t be wrathful or vengeful if he appeared. ‘Ra knows how much I deserve it, but I would at least like a chance to redeem myself.’
For a moment, Yugi had a confused frown on his face until he realized what was going on. ‘Marik must be in control of Tèa’s mind.’ He hesitated, not sure whether he should trust the tombkeeper or not. Luckily, the spirit of the ancient pharaoh was still sitting on the bed. He turned to face him, asking, “What do you think, Yami? Do you think we can trust him not to try anything?”
Yami furrowed his brow in thought. “I think we should at least hear what he has to say…give him a chance to explain himself. I see no harm in it. After all, I do not sense any evil.”
“All right.” Yugi turned back to face Marik/Tèa and gave a light nod before placing his hands by his puzzle, belting out, “YU-GI-OH!” A golden light from the puzzle swallowed him up, leaving in place the former king of Egypt. He undressed the possessed young girl with his trademark intense gaze. Marik managed to hold back a shiver, but just barely. ‘Ridiculous! Why am I intimidated by his stare now?’
After exchanging a lengthy stare with the young man, Yami finally spoke. “What is it, Marik?” His tone was all-business, yet free of any hostility.
What was left of Marik’s original self breathed a soft sigh of relief that the ancient ruler was actually going to listen to him. Even so, he gulped and squirmed a bit as he gathered his thoughts. “I have a small favor to ask of you.”
Yami’s brow furrowed heavily. “What is that?” he asked with a bit of skepticism in his voice. He certainly hoped it wasn’t some sort of ruse to make him hand over his millennium puzzle. ‘Don’t think that way...listen carefully before drawing any conclusions,’ advised a voice inside his head.
Marik didn’t seem to be fazed, since he more or less expected Yami to be mistrustful. The fact that he didn’t say “absolutely not” gave him a small glimmer of hope. ‘Even so, it would be foolish to expect him to forgive me promptly.’ He drew in a deep breath. “As you are fully aware, I have lost complete control of my body due to the darkness controlling me, so I was forced to take refuge within Tèa’s body in order to speak to you. I tried to regain control numerous times, but to no avail.” He spoke cautiously, wanting the ancient pharaoh to know he was no longer acting out of malice.
Yami nodded in understanding before saying, “Go on.”
“Like Ishizu had said, it was my hatred for the task of protecting your tomb that created my dark side. For years I blamed you for my father’s death. I now realize you were not at fault and I was the one responsible, although I had no knowledge of the dark presence, and I had a severe memory lapse during the time of the incident. My sister and Keren revealed the truth to me before Odion’s match with Joey, but I didn’t want to believe or accept it at that time. However, I’ve come to grips with it and I now wish to own up to all my transgressions.“
Yami remained quiet, keeping his expression stoic whilst searching the young man’s eyes to determine whether he was sincere or not. He felt a small smile escaping upon noticing there was no deceit in them, but genuine remorse.
Marik’s voice became low as he concluded, “I understand if you’re furious and are having a difficult time forgiving me, but please, I need your help to reclaim my body and destroy my dark half before he becomes too powerful. Give me a chance to prove to you how sorry I am. I will do all I can to redeem myself.“ He stopped, realizing how desperate he sounded, and almost wanted to laugh at himself, considering in the past if anyone had told him he would be begging his enemy’s forgiveness, he would have scoffed at that. ‘He must find me pathetic. However, I cannot lie to myself any longer.’ He looked down at his feet, then back up, surprise appearing on his features to see that the pharaoh’s eyes were not filled with rage like he had anticipated they would be. Instead, they had softened quite a bit. ‘I can’t believe this…after everything I had done to cause him pain and suffering, he doesn’t seem angry in the least.’
“Of course I’ll help,” responded the ancient pharaoh, remembering his discussion with Yugi earlier. Then, as if he had read what was on the tombkeeper’s mind, he continued, “As for redeeming yourself, you have already begun the process. As far as I’m concerned, you have been punished harshly enough, so it isn’t necessary for you to feel my wrath. I can see you are truly contrite.”
Marik’s eyes widened with shock, but at the same time a wave of relief washed over him at the fact that the pharaoh understood and was willing to spare him. His chest also felt a bit lighter, as if it were releasing another burden that had plagued him ever since he had succumbed to the darkness. He smiled a bit before saying, “Thank you. I shall take my leave now, but we will meet again very soon and make plans.“
Yami nodded. “All right. That’s fine.”
“Farewell.” The essence of Marik’s weaker half materialized back into Tèa’s mind, ushering the girl out of the room. ‘Well…that went much better than I thought it would. I know it is a bit too soon for friendship, but so far this is a wonderful start to being on amicable terms.’
Once Marik/Tèa had left, Yami sat down on the unmade bed, mulling over his conversation with the cornsilk blonde young man. ‘Well...it looks as if our task has become more challenging…we have to find a way to save Marik and defeat the evil within him.’ While it was not a part of his original plan, he remembered Ishizu’s wish and had no qualms honoring it, not to mention he didn’t want Marik to suffer any longer. ‘However, it must be done as soon as possible. Enough people have gotten hurt already.’ He disappeared, allowing Yugi to take control again.
Yugi ran a hand over his face before letting out a weary sigh. He heard his counterpart’s conversation with Marik and realized the stakes in the tournament had just increased with one more reason to win it being added. ‘There is a lot riding on my victory. As overwhelming as it feels, I have to remain strong. Marik and Ishizu are counting on me. It’s gonna be hard for me to go back to sleep, but I must try.’ He crawled back beneath the covers and laid his head on the pillow, waiting for sleep to claim him. ‘Don’t worry, Ishizu. I will save your brother if it’s the last thing I do,’ he mentally vowed, hugging his pillow tightly. A thought occurred to him that his decision might not sit well with the others, especially Joey. ‘Either way, I have to do it. They will eventually come to understand, at least I hope so. I know Vicki will.’ After what seemed like an eternity of staring into the empty darkness, he dozed off, hoping nothing would interrupt his sleep this time. He needed all the rest he could get in order to be at his best for his duels the next day.
Most of the other finalists were settled into their beds. Tristan and Duke were crammed into the king sized bed with Joey, who was snoring like a freight train. The pointy haired teen groaned in his sleep as if to say, ‘This is just great. I won’t get any sleep if he keeps it up.’ He lazily lifted his head up and reached over to shake Joey’s shoulder.
Joey stopped snoring and turned over, groaning before looking at his friend through half-lidded eyes. “What?” he asked groggily.
“Keep it down!” hissed Tristan. “I bet everyone on this blimp can hear you!”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” the blonde muttered. He rolled over and closed his eyes again.
Tristan just shook his head and laid back down. He couldn’t help but feel a little peeved at Roland and Kaiba for not having rooms for the non-duelists. ‘I just know if Joey snores again, I’m gonna kick him out of this bed.’
Joey slept soundly for a couple of minutes until all of a sudden he grew restless beneath the covers, tossing and turning the way he would when having a dream. “Who you calling Monkey-boy, Kaiba?” he mumbled in his sleep. “No one speaks that way to Joey Wheeler!” He did an uppercut as if he wanted to hit Kaiba, only he ended up striking Tristan in the jaw instead. The pointy-haired teen grimaced, letting out a pain-filled grunt at the sharp blow. Joey let out a deep breath. “That’s right.”
*Dream sequence begins*
The infuriating image faded into white and Mai materialized before him. He got a big grin on his face as he greeted, “Hey Mai.”
Mai flashed a bright smile at her male companion. “Hello, Joey.”
Joey wiped his sweaty palms on his shirt before peering down at his feet, then up at Mai. “I’m glad you’re back on your feet. I was freaking out about you. No joke.”
Mai’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red at that. It made her heart feel warm inside to know there was someone who cared that much about her. “Really? Thanks, Joey.” Her smile disappeared, replaced with a melancholy look. “But you’ve got bigger things to worry about than little old Mai. Don’t forget me, handsome, okay? See you later.” With that, she faded into nothingness, bound to the Stone of Ohjat with chains just as she had been during her duel with Marik’s sinister side.
All traces of happiness were drained from Joey’s face as he watched his friend vanish before his very eyes. “No! Wait! Don’t leave me!” he cried out in despair.
*Dream sequence ends*
Joey mentally cursed, clearly disappointed that he was only dreaming. “Don’t go…I need you…Mai...I’ll get you back from the Shadow Realm…I promise.” He rolled over on his side and tightly gripped his pillow, wishing morning would hurry up arrive so he could see who his next opponent would be. ‘I hope it’s Marik…he’s gonna get a serious beat down.’
Mai, Odion and Bakura remained in their deep comas, whilst Serenity, Vicki and Keren were asleep in the spots they had been sitting. At one point Keren had woken up briefly to remove the tichel. She then grabbed ahold of one of Odion’s large hands and leaned forward, resting her head on top of his abdomen. His body warmth enabled her to sleep peacefully, but a large part of her longed for him to regain consciousness and wrap his arms around her. Ishizu was sound asleep, her long black hair spread across the pillow. She subconsciously heaved a loud sigh in her slumber.
Kaiba, however, was still awake, sitting at his computer desk. He didn’t seem to have any intentions of closing his work down or calling it a night. He made sure to work as quietly as he possibly could, for Mokuba was sound asleep in the chair beside him and he didn’t want to wake him up. He shot a quick glance at the young boy, letting a small smile creep upon his lips at how peaceful and innocent he looked with the trenchcoat draped over him like a blanket. He tore his eyes from his younger brother, redirecting his attention to the content on the screen.
‘All right, seeing as how I can understand the text on the bottom of the Winged Dragon of Ra card, there’s no need to waste time trying to translate it any longer. Something tells me there are secrets waiting to be discovered.’ The young CEO shut down the translating program and sent an e-mail to Industrial Illusions inquiring about information in regards to the creature’s secret powers. ‘All I need is for Yugi to win the tournament as well as the Egyptian God cards so I can challenge him and win them all for myself. As much as I still hate the idea of him having the title longer, I can use it to my advantage by having him act as my guinea pig. He had better not give his championship crown to that vapid woman.’ The fury he felt towards his defeat was still there, and he sensed there would be a long lasting grudge with Ishizu, possibly worse than his grudge with Yugi. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make any thoughts of the young woman disappear, for he knew they had the potential to spoil his night. ‘All right, let’s see…it’s time to focus.’
After ridding his mind of all irrelevant subjects and distractions, Kaiba put on a pensive look as he considered possible strategies to defeat Ra while he waited for Industrial Illusions to contact him with the requested information. He knew he would need a methodical method to defeat the most powerful Egyptian God monster. ‘I already know the weaknesses of Slifer and Obelisk. However, Ra is in a class by itself, so finding a weakness for it will be more of a challenge. However, that won’t stop me and I won’t rest until I do find it.’ He tapped his chin as he mentally recounted all the best moves he was known for. ‘There are many possibilities…which one shall I use?’ His lips slowly curled into a smile as he thought of an idea. ‘Let’s see what would happen if Ra was infected by my Crush card combo.’ He furiously entered the query in the database out of curiosity, even though he wasn’t sure if he would use that particular method. He awaited the results with baited breath, his eyes widening in shock when they came up. ‘What?! Only a 13% chance of victory? Ra has even more power than I thought.’ He decided that strategy was out of the question, for he wanted a full proof scheme and with such a slim chance of victory, making such a move was too risky. He muted the sound on the computer so when he got the notification for the response from Industrial Illusions, the noise wouldn’t wake up Mokuba.
Just then, a small window popped up on the right side of the screen, getting the CEO’s attention as he peered closely to see what it said. It read: “Mr. Seto Kaiba, you have one new message from Industrial Illusions.” His eyes began to light up. He clicked on the window before it could disappear and held his breath while waiting for the e-mail to load. There was an image of the card and Instant Attack was listed as one of its secret abilities. He knitted his eyebrows together, drawing his mouth in a line. ‘I have an idea what that means. Once summoned onto the field, it can attack right away.’ He continued to read the information that was sent, silently mouthing the words. ‘Magic cards only last for one turn and most traps are useless….interesting. ’ He could have allowed the anger of losing Obelisk to bubble inside him all over again, but instead his lips spread into a wide grin. ‘I must win that card for myself. Once I do, I will be unstoppable!’ He had to bite his lip to keep from letting out a loud, hearty chuckle. However, his attempt was only partially successful, and a quiet one erupted deep within his throat. He whipped his head around to see if Mokuba had woken up. Fortunately, he remained asleep, without so much of a stir. Inwardly sighing in relief, Seto turned back to face the computer screen.
Ishizu had been sleeping peacefully for awhile when all of a sudden a dream surfaced, making her moan softly. She stirred a bit and an image of her brother Marik being burned alive appeared in her head. She let out a gasp as she sat up, ignoring the discomfort in her chest and stomach. “Oh no…my brother…” As much as she wanted to shrug it off as being nothing more than a meaningless nightmare, the unsettling feelings were much too strong. ‘I sense something terrible will happen to Marik if he is not saved soon….that must be what the nightmare is telling me.’
“Ishizu,” she suddenly heard a voice call out. ‘Huh?’ Her head snapped up just as the door opened. Her brow furrowed with confusion when she saw it was Tèa walking in and standing against the wall. Not that she wasn’t happy to see the girl, but it was awfully late. “Tèa? Is something wrong?” she asked, her voice full of concern. She thought she saw a somewhat earnest look on the brunette’s face.
“Sister, it’s me...your brother.” Tèa’s voice distorted as Marik’s good side appeared next to her.
Ishizu widened her eyes in astonishment, but they were also filled with joy. She felt like climbing out of bed and doing a happy dance, but decided it was too out of her character. “You’re Marik? Can it be?”
Marik gave a little smile, then it faded as he answered, “Yes, and I have come to ask you to move Odion to a safe place, for my dark side intends to kill him. Keren cannot watch over him on her own and she may drift off to sleep at some point, if she hasn’t already.”
The young woman let out a loud gasp, horrified at the idea of the older man being murdered in cold blood, though it came as no surprise to her. ‘Marik is right. I know Keren does her best to protect Odion, but she needs to rest as well.’ She nodded and hurriedly climbed out of bed, slipping on her shoes. She then placed her hands on both ends of her bed and began to wheel it away before leaving the room. Marik/Tèa followed behind her, grabbing one of the ends of the bed to make pushing it a little easier for her. The two of them walked in silence for several milliseconds before the tombkeeper finally spoke.
“I’m so grateful for this opportunity to speak with you, sister, even if it is only by inhabiting Tèa’s body that I am able to. I had called out to you several times during your duel with Kaiba, but I was overpowered by my dark side.”
Ishizu lowered her eyes before giving a slight nod, looking relieved that she had not been hallucinating and her brother was still very much alive. “Yes, I did hear your cries for help. And yes, I am beyond delighted to hear from you as well. It gives me reassurance that you are all right. Not to worry, you will be saved from the evil inside of you.”
Marik made an amused noise in his throat before letting his lips curl up into a wry smile. “When you say that, I feel as if it is guaranteed to happen.“ He was about to tell her about the deal he made with the pharaoh when he noticed they were standing outside Odion’s room. He stopped in his tracks, and Ishizu did as well. She took the key out, using it to open the door. As it opened, she tiptoed quietly inside the room, wheeling her bed inside next to Odion’s bed.
“I will wait outside for you,” said Marik/Tèa, deciding to give Ishizu some space.
Ishizu nodded. “All right,” she agreed, watching as the door closed. She took a moment to catch her breath and then stood several feet opposite of Keren, averting her eyes around the darkened room.
Keren was in a deep slumber, just as the cornsilk blonde had surmised. She had not moved from her position lying on Odion’s tummy. She looked content and peaceful as if nothing could dampen her spirits. Ishizu smiled a bit at the sight, not surprised in the least as she knew of the feelings the older woman and Odion shared. She felt guilt arise inside of her for what she was about to do. ‘However, I have no choice but to awake her, for Odion’s safety is at stake.’ She went over to Keren and reached out a hand, gently shaking the woman’s shoulders.
“Hmm?” Keren stirred a bit and slowly opened her eyes, blinking sleepily. Her first instinct was to chew out the person who dared to interrupt her beauty rest, but those feelings faded when she saw Ishizu standing over her. She sat up groggily and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “What is it? Is something wrong?” she asked, doing her best to rid her voice of the drowsiness.
“Yes. We must move Odion to a safe place, for my brother’s dark side intends to kill him,” answered Ishizu with a grave expression on her face. “He could be on his way here as we speak.” She didn’t wish to take any chances where the tattooed face man’s welfare was concerned.
Keren felt her heart dropping, her face turning pale. “Oh no!” Suddenly the lethargy faded and she jumped to her feet. “We must make haste.”
“That we must.” Ishizu went over to her empty bed, standing behind it. Knowing what the Egyptian had in mind, Keren joined her. ‘Pushing with one hand will be difficult, but I have to do my best.’ The two ladies pushed the bed closer to Odion’s so it would appear as if he were sleeping in a king sized bed, making light straining noises as they did. Ishizu glanced over at Keren, who was slightly out of breath. “Are you all right? I hope that wasn’t too much of a strain on your left hand.”
“It was a bit, but I’m fine.”
Ishizu pressed her lips together and studied the young woman for a few minutes, assessing whether she was being entirely truthful or not. “All right, then,” she finally responded, going over to one side of the bed. She pulled the covers off of the unconscious man and then rolled down the sheets on her bed before carefully moving Odion’s body onto it. Swinging into action, Keren helped out as best as she could. The task was a bit difficult for both of them, given how muscular Odion was, but they did it. They spent some time adjusting the man’s body so it was straight and fixed properly in the bed before pulling the sheets over him.
The two ladies then rose to their full heights and let out deep breaths. Ishizu turned to Keren, whose face looked slightly flushed. She could see helping to move Odion’s body took a considerable amount of energy out of her. “The most difficult part has been taken care of, but it is not over yet. Do you think you will be able to keep going? I don’t want you to overexert yourself.”
Keren waved both of her hands in a reassuring way. “No need to worry about me. I will be fine. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get Odion to safety.” She ran a hand through her mussed hair and retrieved her tichel, draping it over her locks. “Besides, we’re only taking him a short distance away from here.” She had to admit she was glad about that.
Ishizu nodded to show she understood. “Good, let us go. I don’t wish to cut it too close.” She placed her hand on the headboard whilst Keren grabbed the ends of the bed, and the two of them rolled it towards the exit. Ishizu stopped long enough to use the key to open the door, and once it slid open, she took ahold of the bed again, wheeling it as Keren pulled it out to roll along. They came to a stop in front of Ishizu’s room. Ishizu took out her key again and placed it inside the key hole, pulling it out when a lime-green light flashed. As the door slid open, both women continued their task of pushing and pulling the bed until it was against the wall.
Keren let out a satisfied sigh, pleased that everything was finally taken care of. She wearily rubbed her forehead and the bridge of her nose. She was sure all the heavy work would be hard on her back later on, but she didn’t care. ‘Nothing is more important than protecting Odion from harm...if that demon wishes to lay a finger on him, he will have to go through me first.’ She got a purposeful look on her face at the thought as she lazily sat on the stool next to the bed.
Ishizu took off her shoes before sitting down and stretching out her legs. She glanced over at the older woman. “Will you be all right? Because if you like, I could ask Roland for a mattress or a cot for you.” She wanted to make sure Keren slept comfortably.
Keren hesitated for a moment before scrunching up her brow in thought. On the one hand, she longed to feel Odion’s warmth again, but on the other hand, her back was beginning to feel a bit stiff. Not wanting to further exacerbate the problem, she finally answered, “Well, actually, a cot would be nice.” She looked around at all the available space. ‘Hmm...this room isn’t particularly large, but with a little rearranging, it can work.’
Ishizu looked relieved that Keren took her up on her offer since there was only so much one could take sleeping sitting up. “All right, a cot it is, then.” She arose from her chair, slipped her shoes back on and opened the door, exiting the room to go find the henchman.
While Keren waited, she removed the tichel from her head, rested it in her lap and began to braid her hair to prevent it from getting tangled. After that was done, she picked up the tichel again, and wrapped it around her head, tying it like a scarf.
Dark Marik sat in his room, gazing into the pitch blackness and rubbing the top of his golden rod. Unlike the mortals, he saw no reason to sleep. ‘Besides, I won’t be able to rest until my thirst for world domination is quenched.’ He grinned widely at the amount of darkness surrounding him. ‘Ah, so much darkness...this is the perfect feeling.’
His lips spread into a malicious smirk as he pondered all the events that took place since his emergence from his weaker half’s soul. Feeling a sudden urge to cause even more destruction, his malicious smirk changed into a devious one. ‘Hmm, now that those fools are asleep, it is the perfect time to wreak some chaos. After all, there are several tasks I have yet to complete, which includes the demise of a certain someone.’ His smirk transformed into a scowl and his eyes hardened as he thought of the moment when he was about to permanently do away with Odion, but was interrupted. He despised delays even more than his former self did. ‘I do understand there was a duel I had to partake in, but I will not tolerate any more delays. I refuse to chance that pathetic weakling waking up and restraining me again.’ He gripped his rod tightly, his scowl melting for the smirk to return to his face. ‘Nothing will stop me now,’ he mused to himself as his smirk grew wider.
Letting out a soft evil chuckle, the corrupted tombkeeper rose from his chair and exited the room. As he walked down the halls to make his way to Odion’s room, his smirk never wavered. He could practically feel a strong force surging through him—the power he felt whenever he disposed of his foes. ‘Soon I will be the most powerful being in the world and everyone will grovel before my might!’ He let out another soft chuckle as he approached the man’s room, taking out his key and using it to open the door. He wasted no time entering as soon as it opened.
Whilst walking over to the bed, Dark Marik lowered the sharp end of the rod, grinning evilly. ‘Prepare to die, Odion.’ He froze, and his gleeful expression drained from his features, replaced with a frown. The sheets were rolled down, but there was no trace of the tattooed face man. ‘What?! He’s not here?!’ If he hadn’t known any better, he would have thought the man awoke from his coma and went to hide, but he recalled hearing some noises and muffled voices just a few rooms down not too long ago. His confusion turned into fury when the realization hit him. “Ishizu must be behind this!” he snarled through clenched teeth. He let out a feral growl. ‘That miserable woman has gotten in my way for the last time! It’s time to put an end to it once and for all.’ Turning around, he marched away from the bed and out of the room. With each step, the force of his anger caused the tail of his cape to flap. ‘I will deal with Ishizu later…and I think I will have some fun with that pathetic wench as well.’ His lips quirked up slightly at both plans, as they appeased his anger considerably.
Kaiba spent more than an hour gathering all the information he needed on the Winged Dragon of Ra card. Satisfied, he exited the site and turned on the desk lamp, making sure it wasn’t too bright. He then pulled out his dueling deck and rested it on the computer desk. ‘Hmmm...I should have something here that’ll help me crush Ra.’ He took ahold of the cards and began flipping through them, being mindful of the sleeping boy beside him.
The glare of the light pierced through Mokuba’s grey colored irises, rousing him out of his sleep. He blinked several times and let out a groan. “Seto…what are you doing up?” he inquired sleepily. “You need sleep, too. You may not be dueling anymore, but you still need to be alert for when you continue to host the tournament.”
Seto’s eyes twitched a bit at the mention that he was no longer dueling. He hated being reminded of it. He spun his chair around to face his brother. “I may not be in the tournament anymore, but I still have important work to do. “
Mokuba tilted his head to the side. “Huh? And what is that, Seto?”
“I’m preparing a strategy to defeat Ra. I am depending on Yugi to win this tournament so I could strip him of the three Egyptian God cards. Our next destination site is another symbol of our adopted father Gozaburo and he still haunts me to this day. Once the tournament is complete, I intend to destroy the tower, which will get that scumbag out of my head for good. Now do you understand why I chose KaibaCorp Island for the next dueling site?” Without waiting for a response, the CEO continued, “Hopefully I will be able to put this entire nightmare behind me, including Ishizu humiliating me in my tournament. When I win all 3 god cards, I will show the entire world that I am a far better duelist than Yugi and Ishizu could ever hope to be, especially Ishizu!” He gave a sinister sounding laugh. As soon as he calmed down, his lips curled into a smug smirk. ‘I will never acknowledge Ishizu as my equal or superior. Her luck will run out soon enough.'
“Seto…” Mokuba began. He wasn’t entirely sure what to say. He knew his elder brother felt strongly about his defeat at the hands of Ishizu and to an extent, he understood, since there was much work put into the tournament. ‘I just hope he doesn’t let his grudge against that lady drive him to insanity. After all, it’s only a game. You win some, you lose some. It was Yugi who taught me that, and I will never be able to thank him enough for helping me look at the game differently. I hope one day Seto will, too.’
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