"No! I can't believe I lost."
"Believe it hun, that's twelve victories in a row in my book."
The young independent female Duelist replied after crushing her twelfth opponent. Yet as usual, her opponent was less then sad on his humiliating defeat. Or maybe it was her thirtieth or fiftieth, she had lost count already. Finally, she was now getting the attention she deserved as strong willed duelist every made her out to be. But as is, she always prided herself of her own strength and power among others. And there was few opponents, she actually respected.
On her own she traveled participated in multiple Dueling competitions and tournaments to be the best duelist there is, just like Yugi Muto. And each victory only motivated her to push on further. Although, she pushed the mind further, her heart was somewhere else.
"Excuse Mai Valentine, can I have your autograph, I'm a big fan?" A little girl Duelist had approach.
"Sure thing kid," Mai answered bringing a mid-smile to her face. She was overjoyed that someone was finally recognizing her dueling talent after being away for so long. Mai placed her hand on the little girl's shoulder. "Keep dueling kid, and I have feeling, you will become really strong. And when you do I'll be waiting." Mai winked.
"Yay! I forward to your next match." The little girl left in excitement.
Even if she put on her best smile, denial was still written all over her face. No matter how much she tried to bury it, it always came back to her like a boomerang. Deep down, she knew she was still not satisfied with the way things were. No amount of gifted praise, high rank boards, autographs, and prize paychecks could fix the deep emptiness she have felt.
Was she truly happy on the way things are now?
While she was far away from her allies, she still could not escape her dark memories. Nothing could ever change the harm she had done to her friends. Even till this day, it continued to haunt her like an infection. She figured this was for the best. Just then, two of Mai's deadliest foes appeared before her.
"Your soul will be forever in the Shadowrelm." Marik echoed through Mai's head. "Loneliness and misery will be eternal for you my dear."
"Excellent work, for you belong to me now Mrs. Valentine, so there is no escape from the Orichalcos." Dartz reminded as he overcome Mai.
"No! Stay away from me." Mai begged. "Joey, please help me."
Joey and his friends turned their back on Mai. "You've chosen your own path Mai, so live with it."
"Help me..!" Mai called out desperately. Then let out a scream, getting out of her nightmare. Either that or she felt the impact of the floor on her head. Speaking of which, it was already nightfall, and hours have passed. So far rest had proven to be ineffective for this situation.
Throwing on some clothes, she decided to step out for a bit. With the way her dreams and memories pounded her like a Jackhammer, she immediately needed to see something else. At any rate, she had to get away.
She still felt the darkness eating away in her heart, even if she escaped it. What was she going to do at this point? So much was on her mind that she could barely think straight. Was it overwhelming guilt or bitter loneliness surrounding her? She did not know what do anymore.
With as much victories as she gained, it was still not enough for her as she stared at the moonlit night. As she reached out, she almost feel her friend's presences by her side. If only she could touch them. Now she was starting to regret not giving a proper sendoff.
Soon enough, an unknown figure appeared behind her. "Who's there?" She called. She grabbed a little rock, and tossed it at the person in the shadows.
"Ouch!" The person had yelled behind her.
Mai could not believe her eyes of who it was. Joey Wheeler had just fallen from a park tree right in front of Mai.
"Joey." Mai said with surprise.
"Long time no see Mai." Joey greeted with a grin. "And I guess your face seen better days." Joey teased. Mai should have been insulted, and would not hesitate to give Joey a piece of her mind, but was instead frozen by his appearance. Mai's face was two different half's, one of sadness and the other of regret.
Before Joey could say anything else, she took off running. Her unsaid response didn't stop Wheeler from going after her. Like racing across the finish line, Joey went after Mai as far as his strength could take him. She ran through half of the darkened streets, yet Joey would not let up.
Joey called, "Mai wait."
The young duelist chased after the friend he once lost and fought for. No longer did he want to lose her while she was still in her sight. She didn't even reply to the calls him screamed out to her. Knowing she was not going let up, he pushed further.
Finally catching up to her, Joey grabbed her hand. Mai tried to struggle to get free as she could not even look Joey in the eye. "Mai wait, will you just listen for a sec. Please?"
"You're hurting my hand." Mai said.
Joey quickly let go. "I'm so sorry."
Mai retracted her hand. "Never mind; so how did you find me?"
"There was tournament going on here, so I followed my instincts assuming you'll be there. I've been working a lot to save up enough money. You have quite the reputation now, congrats."
Mai still could not face Joey. She didn't even think she deserved to be in the same place as Joey. The guilt caused her to step away from Joey. It was hard to believe after all this time, he would come for her. Just like back then.
Was she even ready to face him after all this time?
So she decided to ask, "Why did you come here Joey?"
"To find you, off course." Joey stepped closer to Mai.
Mai continued to step back. "Why? I mean after all things I done to you, you still pursue me what is with you!?"
"You're wrong. This is totally different Mai."
Mai lifted her eyebrow.
"Ever since you've returned to your normal self and left, I could not stop thinking about you." Joey grabbed her shoulders. "I want to be a there for you just like anybody would be. I care for you Mai."
While blushing red, Mai brushed his hands off her shoulders. "I don't have time for your jokes and insults this time Wheeler." Mai walked away from him.
"I'm serious Mai, deadly serious." Joey continued. "I could only imagine how much you were suffering by yourself in this endeavor, all because of me. But you don't have to be alone anymore, not when I want to be here for you this time. My greatest regret was not being there for you enough, but I want to make up for that now." Mai turned to see a bold serious look on Joey's face. It was the same fearless look given to her in Duelist Kingdom. Right now Joey was like an unmovable stone.
Mai didn't know whether to chew Joey out on his denseness or fall victim towards his embrace. Whether it was shame or bitter regret, Mai still didn't have the heart to face Joey or her other friend's. She knew full well that she was at fault in this situation and not him. "Your friends will never forgive me."
"Yugi and Tea always believes in second chances, but Tristan is going to take some time. And Serenity misses you greatly." Joey replied walking close to Mai. He grabbed her hands. "I know it's been hard on your own, but it doesn't have to be this way all your life. We can start over, just the two of us. I can't live without Mai. I mean it. What must I do to make you see it?" Joey had confessed standing his ground.
Mai still could not believe what she was hearing. After she wiped the last of her tears, she faced Joey. "If you mean what you say Joey from the bottom of your heart, then prove it. Prove it to me, by dueling me here and now, no holds bar just the two of us."
"You got it Mai." As the two of them exchanged decks and shuffled each other's cards, Joey and Mai took their distance.
As they loaded up their Duel Disk, both exclaimed, "Duel!"
As they set their first monsters, they begin their matchup. It was just the two of them now. No friends by Joey's side, evil organization, duel officials, fan clubs, large crowds, just the two of them dueling with their heart and soul. It was their own private duel.
It was a duel between Joey fierce Warrior Deck and Mai's cunning Harpie Lady Deck. With each card, they started to remember their first duel in Duelist Kingdom. Back then Mai always strive her way to the top, crushing anybody or anything that got in her path.
She was a loner with a selfish ambition for attention. Anyone in her path was nothing more but lambs for the slaughter. Having lost to Joey made her ponder, thinking she was unbeatable at first. It had brought about a change in her that she thought she never experience as a loner.
A different side of her opened up.
When Joey countered her monsters with a Trap Card, he also remembered his very first Duel in a Tournament. Although, he may have not had the same experience as Yugi, he gained the skills overall, learning and experiencing duels throughout the island.
As much as Joey hated to admit it, but he was indeed an amateur back then, always using his words instead of his skills. And other Duelist was miles away from him. Even if Mai was his enemy, he did learn from her, learning that there is a bigger world out there.
After taking out Joey's field monsters, Mai reminisced the moments that Joey would often stick his neck out for Mai even if he didn't have to. From the time, he saved her from the fake movie star, to the time where Joey had defended Mai from the wrath of the Wing Dragon of Ra. He was always there by her side, even if the situation was dangerous.
He didn't give up trying to save Mai, despite her betrayal to Yugi and the others. Others may have figured she was long gone, but Joey knew the real Mai was still inside. Nothing could ever keep him away from Mai, not even the Orichalcos that surrounded the playing field. Each hit he had taken was all for Mai.
He either had to be the bravest or the stupidest.
"It's time I wipe you out of my life for good Wheeler!" Mai remembered dueling Joey in a Soul Duel. After playing the Seal of Orichalcos, it became a battle to the death. And losing would prove to be most fatal.
"Mai, don't do this, I'm your friend." Joey begged.
"I told you before; the Mai you know is gone, long gone." Mai shot back. "Goodbye Wheeler." Mai drew her final card to end the duel. "I activate Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation!" And with the call Harpie Ladies transformed in a Phoenix, thus the target was set. Not only did the beast attack Joey's monsters, but it also his Life Points. Judging from the beating taken in the field, Joey's stamina was already taking toll for itself.
Rather than dueling with passion and respect, she now dueled with heartlessness and cruelty. She could almost taste victory within Joey's fatigue state. After taking another heavy hit, it was Joey's move now.
"I set a card face-down and end my turn." Joey replied heavily breathing. "I still want to help you Mai, no matter what."
"It's been fun Wheeler, but now it must end." Mai said. "Go Harpie Lady, attack Joey's…" Mai suddenly paused. It was like hidden force was holding her back. She didn't feel the harshness boiling inside her again. She started feeling like herself from before. This form, power, new attitude and personality were not her. And her eyes only opened further as Joey had already collapsed, thus the duel was decided.
"No Joey!" Mai held him in her arms. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
Joey gave grin. "It's better me then you. I won't let you get hurt anymore Mai." Before long, the Seal of Orichalcos had already claimed his next victim. "What have I done? How could I been so selfish?" Sorrow had destroyed her inside and out as she looked over her fallen friend. She wanted to defeat Joey Wheeler, but not like this. "Your sacrifice will not be in vain Joey."
It had been an hour after taking a chuck out of each other's Life Points; both of them started grasping for air. Both of them had taken heavy hits. It was not just a regular duel battle, but a battle of their strength for one another. Mai drew her card. "This is it Joey, don't you dare hold back on my account, okay hun." Mai reminded.
Joey grinned, "On you, never in a million years. And it's been a while since you called me that; I was starting to miss it. It was very charming."
Mai smiled back. "Yeah, well don't get used to it just yet. I'll use Harpie's Feather Duster to blow away your trap cards. Now my Cyber Harpie Sisters, attack his Blue Flame Swordsman."
As Joey watched his Life Points go down, he drew his next card. "My move; and I call my Flame Swordsman to the field since you destroyed my Blue Flame Swordsman. Next, I activate the magic card Salamandra raising his attack power by seven hundred points. And that will do it!"
Mai drew her next card, but it was not the card she wanted. It seemed like her luck in her duels was beginning to turn. "I set two cards face down. Go my Cyber Harpie Sisters, finish off his last monster and win me the duel!" When the Cyber Harpie's attacked, their power was sudden cut in half.
"I don't think so Mai." Joey activated his Trap Card. On the field appeared Joey trusty Grave Robber trap, with his careless grin and his cocky laugh. With a flip, it revealed Mai own Trap Card, Mirror Wall. "And just in case you get any ideas, I had this planned." Joey activated his Magic face down called Giant Trunade, thus taking out all of Mai's face down cards. Now she was defenseless.
Joey exclaimed to his monster, "Flame Swordsman attack the Harpie Ladies!" The Flame Swordsman swung his fiery blade unleashing a devastating fire dragon that wiped out all the Cyber Harpies and the rest of Mai's Life Points.
"It looks like it's over Joey." Mai said softy.
"Yeah it is, sorry Mai."
Mai shook her head. "For once in my life, I'm actually happy to have lost against you Joey." Mai wiped her last tear and gave a heartfelt smile. She felt a great weight lifted off her shoulders.
Joey's arms were embraced around her neck from behind. "How long must you torture yourself like this to know I'm right here now? Believe me, I'm not going anywhere."
Mai felt her heart race. She placed her hand on Joey's. "Oh Joey, I missed you so much. But could you really…"
Joey didn't need to be an expert to know what was on Mai's mind at the moment. "You still have it in you do you?" He turned her towards him. "Then perhaps, it's time you needed a guiding light." Mai could not believe her eyes as she felt Joey's lips on hers.
Was she deserving of this?
Mai's eyes remained wide open over the sudden kiss. As much as Mai wanted to push away, she could not help but kiss back. She felt at ease and at peace with herself. At any rate, Joey had no intention of letting go and neither did Mai.
Mai felt like she haven't seen Joey in years as she gently rested her head on his broad shoulders. Grasping his jacket further, she went in closer to Joey. "So, are you here to stay this time?"
"Yes Mai, I'll never leave you again, not now not ever." Joey embraced her in tears. "Otherwise, you may try work for an evil organization and take my soul my soul again." Joey joked.
Mai jabbed Joey chest. "That's not funny, you jerk! I was waiting to see you again!"
Joey laughed. "Now that's the Mai I know and love." Joey rubbed on her cheeks. "You're cute when you're angry, but even cuter when you smile." Joey confessed. "I love you Mai Valentine, now and forever."
Mai's heart raced from Joey confession. Those were strong words coming from him. And judging by the seriousness of his face, he sounded committed one hundred percent. While walking arm and arm on the moon shore beach, Mai's loneliness was truly gone. No more doubt, no more feeling like a loner, and most importantly no more regret. It was just the two of them, reunited and recovered.
She pushed Joey to the sand. "Hey Mai, what was that for?" Joey asked.
"For leaving me alone after all this time." Mai answered, falling on Joey's chest. Mai kissed him. "That was coming back, regardless of all the times I pushed you away. That takes a lot of guts." Mai laid her head on Joey's chest. "Thank you for always being there for me. And that's what I love about you." Mai replied, going red from her confession. Just confessing to him nearly took all the energy inside of her.
"It's what I do. And what I always do for you Mai, always and forever." As they glanced at the sapphire moon, both Joey and Mai put their hands together to shape a heart. And soon after, both their lips touched together once more. It was not only a kiss of their opened affections, but a seal of their promise together, a promise of a new life together, now and forever.