"Harpy Lady! Attack directly!"
The Harpy lounged forward with an ear-piercing shriek and cut with her nails the opponent to the Duel Arena. The man to the other side that took the attack screamed once covering his face with his arms when the hologram-Harpy hit him directly and his Life Points were reduced to zero.
"I lost!" he mumbled through clenched teeth.
"And the Winner is Kujaku Mai!" the voice from the microphone announced
Kujaku Mai, the "Fierce Harpy", the "Elegant Egotist" and many other nicknames her fans had given her, stood there with a satisfied smirk to her face as her opponent fell to his knees and her victory was announced. She was a beautiful woman and many people could say she was the woman that existed in every man's fantasies. Tall and slim but not skinny, with curvy and desirable body with big, well-shaped breasts, long, wavy blonde hair that reached down her hips like a golden waterfall, beautiful face and a pair of amethyst eyes sparkling like gems, Kujaku Mai lived up all of her names… Men duelists were dreaming to have her in their bed at least once. She did nothing to prevent those feelings from rising. She always wore too revealing clothes to point out every single curve of her body. She knew exactly her strong points and she was doing her best to show them. However it wasn't only her appearance that gave her so many names in world of dueling.
She was one of the greatest duelists in the world, always reached up to the finals to all tournaments. There was no duelist (at least male one) who hadn't heard of her Harpy Lady Deck and her incredible balance with the spells and traps. She was a woman who desired adventure…who desired victory. It was her drug. She was thirsty for glory and compliments. However what woman with her appearance and character wouldn't be? Mai smirked and waved her hand to her audience, she sent a kiss and a wink to some man that was cheering louder than others and started leaving the arena.
She sighed and removed her deck from her Duel Disc and placed it to its box she had tied around her thigh. She walked down the corridor and to the small room she used as a dressing room. She placed her duel disc in front of the mirror and sat to the chair sighing.
"Another tournament ended…" she said to herself.
She had traveled all over the world: China, Singapore, Europe… She had been to the biggest tournaments and almost every time she won… She switched the small TV on and she found the channel she wanted. There was a Duel transmitted at that time. She didn't have to guess, to see who the duelists were. On one corner there was a man with tri-colored spiky hair. He wasn't tall. He was barely the average height however he had a lean and muscular body (pointed out excellently by his sleeveless, leather vest). Yugi Muto, the Duel King, the King of Games. As it was said he was unbeatable and his title was secure those years in his hands. His eyes, round and violet, were shining with determination while looking at his opponent…
Jounouchi Katsuya…
Mai felt her breath being caught in her throat. How much he had grown! Jounouchi Katsuya, the loudmouth newbie she had met was now a man, tall and well built with feisty honey-colored eyes and blonde hair… Jounouchi Katsuya was always one of the top duelists in the world. Of course he was not unbeatable like they said Yugi Muto was, and he was always after Seto Kaiba's shadow however he still was always one of the top three or four duelists in every national or international tournament. Jounouchi was there now…dueling his best friend…
"And now we are back at you, watching the final match of the World Cup of Duel Monsters! We are watching the two best duelists fighting for the Ultimate Title! The Unbeatable Muto Yugi and Ferocious Jounouchi Katsuya! Will Jounouchi win this duel or will Yugi Muto continue keeping his title?"
The voice of the man transmitting the match was echoing over the enthusiastic cries of the audience…
"Alright, Jounouchi-kun! My move!"
"Bring it on, Yug!"
"Dark Magician! Attack his Red Eyes Black Dragon! Dark Magic!"
"Not so fast dude! I activate my trap Kunai with Chain! Your Dark Magician is caught!"
"I highly wonder about that! Counter Trap Seven Tools of the Bandit! Your trap is negated!"
"Den I'll have ta do this then! I activate Graverobber! Now I'll steal a card from your Graveyard! Sorry dude! The card I choose to activate is Magic Cylinder! Too bad bro!"
However Yugi's lips formed a smile.
"I activate Turn Jump! Now the attack never reached me! Also my Silent Swordsman reached 4500 Attack Points! Now my monsters! Attack!"
Jounouchi Katsuya yelled as his Life Points were hit and reached zero…
"And the Winner is Muto Yugi!"
Mai smiled a small smile… Her friends…her two silly and wonderful friends… The two men walked and shook hands in a warm handshake. They were smiling… Especially him…Jounouchi Katsuya… The man with the big mouth and the golden heart…
Later on she was walking alone in the streets of the big city. She was alone. She was used in loneliness… Even after the years she had spent with her friends in the end she was alone… The past four years she had entered in great tournaments but this time she wasn't dueling only for victory. She was dueling for fun…she was dueling for redemption. She hadn't contacted any of her friends for those years but she was watching their news on TV and on newspapers… Yugi Muto had grown up being a fine man, indeed. He was still the King of Games; practically unbeatable in every tournament he had entered to… He had entered in some of the greatest tournaments in the world however not as frequently as he used to… For some reason, Yugi didn't desire so much fame even if he was gaining it in every step he made.
He preferred traveling around, searching for adventure instead. It was as if all the crazy things he's been through in his life had made him impossible to stay in the same place for too long. He wanted to learn more…he wanted to see more instead of just gaining titles from tournaments. Perhaps he wanted to find his own path…
Second duelist in the world was still Seto Kaiba, the young CEO of Kaiba Corporation. However he too had "retired" from being the "Yugi-hunter" and he was devoted mostly to his company and its new benefits. For example he was hiring Card Professors from all over the world in order for them to become teachers to a new Academy for Duel Monsters. There was a proposal for her as well, but Mai had sent a letter with her refusal to the offer. She wasn't made for teaching or remaining in the same place for too long. She wanted to be free like the Harpies she had inside her deck…
No matter the reason, Seto Kaiba took part only to the greatest tournaments in the world when he got the time and when that happened he was practically unbeatable perhaps except from Yugi Muto. Yugi managed to defeat him in the end… Their fan clubs were kind of disappointed when Yugi Muto spoke on TV live, saying that he intended to return the Egyptian God Cards to Pegasus J. Crawford so he would destroy them once and for all. No one really understood why he decided to do that and destroy the most valuable and the most powerful cards in Duel Monsters world however Mai understood. She had tasted first-hand the power of those cards. Both Yugi Muto and Pegasus J. Crawford were aware of the terrible power those cards hid. So they decided the best solution was for them to be destroyed. Even without them though, Yugi seemed perfectly capable of keeping his title as Legendary Duel King.
Mai scoffed a little at her little flashback… Remembering the past wasn't like her… However she couldn't help herself… The lights of the city around her seemed happy and depressing at the same time. She entered an all-night café and ordered for a drink.
She smiled at the memory of the last duelist… Jounouchi Katsuya… He was the only person that ever stood up for her…that way at least. In the beginning she thought he was just another loudmouth boy who drooled over her but soon she saw the truth about him. He was kind and supportive and behind his loud mouth and his short temper was hiding a wonderful soul and a golden heart… Jounouchi had risked everything to save his sister's eyes…even if his possibilities of winning were slim, he simply went on without giving up and not only he won but reached second place in Duelist Kingdom after Yugi Muto… And he had managed that even if he was there all the time for his friends as well…
Her drink arrived and she took a small sip of it. Yes…she could remember… She remembered also…Battle City…
"Jounouchi…" she whispered
Of course… How could she ever forget about it? It was where she met him once more…and he was way better duelist than Duelist Kingdom. And she had heard, he had given his everything into the duel…so he could set her free…so he could help her… That silly 'Knight in the Shining Armor'… She softly scoffed at herself… And then… She narrowed her eyes…
And then there was Orichalchos… Dartz had promised her victory…and as a result she ended up fighting the best friend she ever had…the only person that truly saw her true self under her eyes… The only person that had ever showed true and honest feelings towards her… She hurt him… She hurt him beyond the point she could ever apologize enough…and so she left… She left and she was still fighting till she could find the courage at least to face him…tell him how sorry she was… She clenched her fist. Four years…it already has been four years…
She felt gazes around her… Men gazing at her…staring at her…undressing her with their eyes… She was used to the feeling… However…He…Katsuya Jounouchi was different… He wasn't lusting over her…not only… His eyes showed tenderness…kindness…true friendship…
She sighed and finished her drink up. For some reason she couldn't stand those hungry eyes on her that evening… She stood up from her chair and after paying for it, she walked out of the shop…
There he was…walking in the street again…in silence remembering…
"Four years… It's been four years since the day I last saw him…spoke to him…" she was thinking
"Jounouchi…Jounouchi…"
He had risked everything for her four years ago…and now…now he had grown…he was a man now… Mai smiled a small, humorless smile.
"What's wrong with me…?" she smiled to herself, "I already act like an old woman!"
Her smile fell.
"But yet again…I am 28 years old…" she thought, "Time flies…"
Once upon a time in Duelist Kingdom the Other Yugi had said "Losing your beauty too…that must be hard for you, Mai!"… He was right. It could be high cost for her. But even higher was the fact that now she was alone…away from her friends for four years…away from him…Jounouchi… Time was kind at her. She hadn't changed a bit since the day she firstly met Jounouchi. However he had changed. He was taller and better built since the last time she saw him (at least from what she had seen in TV)…
"What's wrong with me?" she thought again, "He's a newbie! A newbie around eight good years younger than me!"
But she knew what was wrong with her…
"…But…I want to see him again…I want to meet Jounouchi again…to tell him…how sorry I am…"
She felt a small tear running down her cheek. She mopped it away quickly. She walked a little further. She heard steps around her and she looked. They were four men. One of them was the guy she had defeated a little while ago. The others seemed like his friends or his gang or anything. They were all the kind of 'body-building' guys.
"What do you want?" she asked harshly
She didn't want to feel fear.
"If I show or even feel fear, I lose everything!" she thought
The men grinned.
"Ya know, missy…" her ex-opponent said licking his lips, "Ya look better that way! Against the wall! It is really arousing!"
Mai saw they were right to a point. She was trapped in the dark alley and couldn't go away with all those guys blocking her way.
"Now, listen up boys" she said, "Back off and leave me alone. I have no interest in dueling someone that has lost to me already!"
The men smirked.
"Who said we were talking about dueling, honey? We are thinking of something more…manly to do so!"
"What?!" Mai exclaimed disgusted but then someone grabbed her wrist
She struggled to get free but the second guy rushed at her pushing her against the wall. She kicked and gave the one of them a good scratch on the face with her nails. The man cursed.
"Damn you woman! You'll pay for this!"
She was alone against four. There was nothing she could do. They grabbed her hard from the wrists and one other torn her top leaving her breasts bare. Mai screamed in surprise and pain as one of them grabbed them and squeezed them leaving marks on them… One other placed his hand between her legs opening them forcefully. Mai was ready to scream but someone's mouth blocked hers in a kiss… She bit down the man's lip and the man pulled back growling in pain and wiping his bleeding lip however the other didn't give her the chance to scream. He held her mouth with his palm. She tried to scream but now her mouth was useless…
The other opened her legs forcefully and drove his hand further between them… Mai gasped at the sudden unpleasant intrusion. She was still struggling to get free…
"Is this it…?" she thought
Tears emerged out of her eyes even if she was swearing to herself not to give them the pleasure or the satisfaction to see her cry…
"Save me…" she thought
Images of her nightmares…her running alone after her friends…nightmares she had forgotten were coming back to her mind…
"Save me…"
She managed to get her mouth free but the only thing she could scream now was…
"…JOUNOUCHI!"
The cruel laughter of the four men was still echoing in her ears as the man gagged her again with his dirty hand. She was ready to give up her trying when suddenly she heard a voice…
"OI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
There…at the entrance of the alley…with the light on its back was a human, a male, silhouette… But it was a silhouette she knew…a voice she knew…someone she knew…
"J-Jounouchi…" she thought
The four men looked over and when the person looked and saw who was on the ground, nearly raped by them, gasped in terror.
"MAI!" Jounouchi screamed and ran there
"YOU SCAMS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAI?!" screamed
The next thing he did was to punch a man on the face and kick another. They were so shocked by his appearance that they didn't even defend against him.
"You brat!" one of them cursed, "You'll pay for this!"
Mai gasped as she saw him, the only man in the world she would die for, was there now with his honey eyes burning like fire… He soon got lost within a hurricane of punches, kicks and curses… She crawled at a corner trying to cover her nudity with her hands while her eyes were staring at her hero… The man she admired… The man she loved…
It had started to rain… Jounouchi was panting heavily, exhausted by his battle… The four men had run away after a little… Only then Jounouchi turned to look at her. His eyes…his face… Now there was no doubt! It was Jounouchi!
"Mai…" he whispered softly
"J-Jounouchi…" she whispered back, tears running down her cheeks
Jounouchi rushed at her and covered her with his jacket. She clenched it on her. It smelled like him; A slight essence of wet soil and clean sweat with the slight scent of mint… She looked up at him… Oh, how tall he was! How beautiful he was!
"Are you alright?" he asked her, "Did they hurt you?"
Mai shook her head negatively.
"No…" she said, "Thanks to you…"
He had a couple of bruises on his body and a small cut on his bottom lip, probably because of some punch. He was hurt for her…one more time he had saved her… That newbie…her guardian angel… Jounouchi then hugged her tightly… It was so unexpected that Mai gasped…
"Mai…" Jounouchi whispered, "I found you at last…"
Mai felt more tears coming to her eyes and she hugged him tightly
"Jounouchi…" she whispered in shaking voice
And then there were Jounouchi's warm hands cupping her cheeks and then his lips on hers…kissing her…consuming her… And she killed him back…
The man with the golden heart…
This is the fic birthday gift to arashi wolf princess by request from vampygurl402
First I apologize for being so late... Forgive me...
As for the plot I know it is not something special...I kept it simple. If you do not like it, then please send me a message to write something else when I get the time. Again I am sorry if I disappointed you either with my delay or my writing...