Gema's Personal Disclaimer: I'm putting this in front of every chapter I write, so no one can miss it.
First, the obvious, I don't own anything trademarked or copyrighted.
Second; These are my fics, so y'all will have to deal with my writing quirks. Do not bother telling me about my spelling choices, like Yu-Gi, Joe, Millennial, or whatever else they may be. These are not mistakes, they are intentional. Therefore, I don't want to hear about how they are other wise spelled. If spelling bothers you that much, then leave.
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Now, most of you aren't the problem, but this is for the few that are. This might come across as crabby, and I'm not really like this, but I've been pushed to my limit because of certain reviews.
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The air in the hospital wing felt like a morgue. Joe's bed was closest to the window on the right hand side. Yami was standing beside him, biting his lip. He was promising himself for the thousandth time to beat Marik and save his friends. Right by where Yami was standing, Serenity was sitting, looking like she was about ready to cry as she stared at her brother's unmoving form. She would occasionally glance to her left, bringing Mai's body into view. That only brought fresh tears to her eyes.
Tristan and Duke were standing in the aisle, not far from Serenity. Tristan was standing at the end of Joe's bed while Duke was leaning against the lower railing of Mai's bed. Both looked like they wanted to say something consoling to her, but those words would not come. Everyone was starting to feel dejected from the increasing casualty toll. Hope was dwindling.
Shayla was sitting solemnly in a chair on the other side of Mai's bed. She had been trying so hard to learn how to use her scales properly in order to break the control of the Millennial Rod over her best friend, but she simply wasn't strong enough. Her lower lip trembled at the thought of losing someone else close to her. Ishizu was standing over her, and would occasionally place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. But worry lines creased her forehead. She was feeling the loss of the Millennial Necklace now more than ever. She had always used it to look into the future for hope. But now the future was closed to her. She could hardly see any hope in the situation they were in. Deep in her gut, she feared she was going to lose her brother to darkness forever.
The other bed on that side of the room was empty. On the right hand side of the room, under the window and across from Joe, Kevin had been laid out. Like the others, his whole body was perfectly still. Téa sat in a chair under the window, alternating her glances between Joe and Kevin. She twisted a tissue in her hands over and over again, also trying not to cry. She knew how much trouble their friendship had gotten them out of. She knew they would always stick together. But now, Yami Marik was taking them out one by one, threatening the very foundation of her beliefs as her friends fell one by one.
The middle bed on this side of the room was empty. Mokuba was laid out in the bed in the corner of the room, closest to the door. He hadn't moved a muscle since he was attacked by Yami Marik a couple of hours earlier. Kaiba had pulled up a chair beside his brother's bed. His face was buried in his hands, his elbows resting on the side of the bed. He had not said anything or moved an inch since Tristan carried Kevin into the hospital wing. He was lost in the cycle of his own thoughts.
Drake and Lara were standing by the door, talking in low voices. They were trying to plan a way for everyone to remain safe until Yami Marik could be beaten. So far, all they had was 'safety in numbers.' It didn't make them feel any better, especially after seeing how willingly Yami Marik blasted people with his rod.
No one felt eager to leave the hospital wing. Most everyone had gathered there. The only ones who weren't there were Bakura and Odion. Odion was still recovering where Ishizu had hidden him in her own room. Bakura wasn't fortunate enough to be able to have a bed in the hospital wing.
"We need to beat that creep, and fast!" exclaimed Tristan, who sounded thoroughly frustrated. He flexed his fingers, then tightened his hand into a fist.
"And how are you going to do that without getting your own bed in here?" asked Duke, slightly sarcastically.
"We can't do nothing, Duke!" snapped Tristan. "We need to save Joe and the others!"
"Calm down," said Yami, emotionlessly, with his arms crossed across his chest. "I know we are all anxious and worried, but fighting amongst ourselves is not going to help anything. We need to stick together now more than ever if we are ever to defeat Marik and rescue our other friends from his clutches."
"You're right man," sighed Tristan. "Sorry for losing my cool."
"Y-you have to beat him, Yami," stammered Téa, still twirling the tissue around her fingers. "If you d-don't…" She couldn't finish, she started choking on her own tears. She raised her right hand to her mouth to try to hold them back, but she couldn't. She started sobbing softly, lowering her head so her brown hair covered her face.
"I won't lose, Téa," said Yami, taking a cautious step toward her. "I promise."
Téa nodded, sniffing, trying to compose herself but failing. "I'm j-just so worried. If a-anything else g-goes wrong. If anyone else g-gets hurt…"
Shayla walked up to her, feeling her way along the bedpost railings, carefully stepping around everyone. She knelt down so her face was even with Téa's. The other's nearby watched, curiously. Shayla had walked up so silently that they hadn't noticed her coming until she crossed in front of them.
"Téa, it is time to take your own advice," Shayla said, gently. "Go back to your room and calm down, you're going to make yourself sick by constantly worrying like this. You need to relax."
"No!" protested Téa, sniffing. "I want to be here with my friends."
"I know, I know you do, but you need to calm down a little," replied Shayla, trying to sound as soothing as possible.
Téa lowered her head a bit, knowing Shayla was right. She dried her eyes with the tissue, but did not make any attempt to stand up.
"Is it really safe for us to go back to our rooms alone?" asked Drake from across the room.
"I don't know," answered Duke, slowly letting out a breath. "We're dropping like flies."
"That Marik is a freak!" grumbled Tristan, tersely.
Yami nodded in agreement. "Marik has done enough damage. I will stop him with the help of the heart of the cards."
Ishizu walked over to him, somberly. She bowed a few inches to Yami, then looked at him with pleading grey-blue eyes. "Please, my pharaoh, save my brother from himself. I know there is still good inside of him, but it is trapped by the darkness. Please, beat that darkness and set him free."
"Good left!" exclaimed Tristan, making a broad gesture around the room. "Does this look like he still has a heart!"
"Whatever happened to calming down?" prodded Duke.
"Lay off, dice-boy," muttered Tristan.
"Ishizu, I promise, I'll save your brother and everyone else who has been hurt," stated Yami.
Ishizu's eyes shown with emotion. "Thank you, my pharaoh."
"Are you sure you can do it?" asked Lara. "It's going to be so hard, you're up against so much, and so many people are depending on you."
"That is why I cannot fail," answered Yami.
"I guess then…all that's left for you to do is duel Marik," said Drake, slowly. Yami nodded once. "Then, we need to get back to this tournament." He and Lara walked over, joining them.
"In case you haven't noticed, Kaiba's completely out of it," said Tristan, dryly. "It doesn't look like this tournament is going to be picking up any time soon."
"Tristan!" protested Serenity. "He's worried sick about his brother…just like I'm worried about mine."
"Er…um…sorry Serenity," stammered Tristan, rubbing the back of his head. The last thing he wanted to do was drive her away.
During the entire conversation while they were talking about him, Kaiba had yet to budge an inch.
"Yu-Gi still has the semi-finals to go through, don't forget," commented Duke.
Shayla hardly heard him, or the conversation that happened next. A sudden thought that was tied to a memory hit her. It had been passed down from her late boyfriend, Luther, who had been told it by his mother.
"No matter what, I want you to do your best to help people. There isn't enough people in the world who help others, so help others, because it is the right thing to do."
"Why do the right thing?"
"Because if you don't do the right thing, you might as well not have a soul."
"How do I know who to help? How will I know who needs help?"
"You have a good heart, you will know, so just trust your heart."
And at that very moment, her heart was telling her to help Kaiba. While the others continued to debate about what should be done about Marik, she softly walked over to Kaiba, uncertain about what needed to be done, but knowing nonetheless that she needed to do something.
"K-Kaiba?" she called, softly. She could hear no response, no shuffling movement from him.
Shayla lightly touched him on the shoulder. He jerked up straight, not at all sensing that someone had come close to him.
"K-Kaiba?" she asked again, timidly. "Are you okay?"
He didn't answer. Kaiba leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. His blue eyes were low, focusing on his brother's body. His face was devoid of any expression, which was perhaps the scariest expression he could have had at that moment.
While conversation buzzed lightly at the other end of the room, it was uneasily silent between the two of them. Shayla shifted nervously, not sure what to say or do, waiting for a response out of him.
"What is it?" Kaiba asked, at great length.
Shayla then had an idea about what she needed to do. "Come with me," she said, taking his left hand. "You need to talk with someone…you're not acting like yourself."
Kaiba glanced up briefly at Shayla, before looking down at Mokuba for a long moment. It was clear he was uncomfortable about leaving his brother's side. Shayla wasn't sure that he was going to come with her, but finally he sighed and stood up.
"This had better be quick," he stated and she escorted him into the hallway.
The movement on that side of the room caught everyone else's attention.
"What was that about?" asked Lara, who only noticed Kaiba and Shayla leaving together.
"I have no idea," answered Drake. "But I don't think it's a good idea for them to be alone with Marik gunning anyone and everyone down."
"Come on, Drake," said Tristan. "You make it sound like they're a couple or something. We all know Kaiba's too heartless for that."
"Hmmm…" murmured Ishizu, glancing the way they left.
"Well, maybe Shayla can talk Kaiba into starting this tournament back up so Yu-Gi can beat Marik once for all," stated Duke.
Yami nodded. "The sooner he is defeated, the better."
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Shayla stopped in the open-air passage of the airship. She had come here often to clear her head and think, although she always stayed close to the wall because of her fear of heights. She leaned against the wall, gathering her thoughts. Kaiba stopped, looking her over with his arms crossed. It was silent for a moment, with only the wind rippling their clothing.
"You've hardly said a word since Mokuba was attacked…" started Shayla, trying to hide the uncertainty in her voice. "It isn't like you. Are you okay?"
Kaiba let go of a breath and glanced her over once more, not saying anything. He took a few stepped forward and leaned against the railing, looking out over the heaps of scrap metal that covered the small island. He didn't say anything for another long moment, he didn't even look at the girl behind himself.
"It's all my fault…" he said, at last.
"What?" asked Shayla, not expecting this answer.
"Mokuba was hurt…because of me…" Kaiba said, tightening his fists.
"No it wasn't," said Shayla, taking a tentative step to him and the balcony. "Marik was the one who attacked Mokuba. You were nowhere near that end of the ship when it happened. You shouldn't be blaming yourself."
Kaiba straightened up and turned to look at her. "That's not it, Shayla."
"But it's the truth," she insisted. "I can't lie."
Kaiba shook his head sadly. "It was my own foolish pride that allowed this to happen. I knew Marik was too dangerous to allow to roam free. I knew it! But I was blinded by my own desire for power, so I did nothing."
"Kaiba…"
"I didn't care who got hurt, just so long as I could win all three Egyptian god cards," he continued. "And because of that, Mokuba got hurt. There's nothing I can do to wake him up…" His fists tightened even more, the knuckles showing white beneath his skin. Shayla could pick up on the subtle sound of his voice threatening to crack. "It's all my fault."
"Please, don't be so hard on yourself," pleaded Shayla. "There's been so many of our friends who have been hurt, and none of us have been able to do anything about it."
"But I could have!" insisted Kaiba, tersely. Shayla jumped in surprise from his tone. "This is my tournament, and I had the power to stop it before my brother got hurt." He slid one card out of his deck on his duel disk and looked at it. It was Obelisk the Tormentor. "All because of these cards. But no card is worth more than my brother, not one! I can't stand to look at this thing any more, it cost me the most important thing in my life."
"There's still a chance," Shayla said, sounding slightly desperate to convince him not to give up hope. "If Marik is defeated, everyone will recover…that's what everyone is saying, and I can't sense that they are lying."
"You can count on that happening," said Kaiba, firmly, straightening his trench coat. "I'll defeat him myself." He turned and started to walk down the hall.
"You're leaving right now!" gasped Shayla.
"I'm not going to wait around while my brother is in danger!"
"I don't think this is the best way to handle the situation!" protested Shayla. "You're not thinking clearly." She hurried a few steps to catch up with him and he stopped walking. "What if you get hurt, like everyone else?" She sounded genuinely concerned when she said the last part.
"I have nothing to lose," he answered, back still to her.
"Yes you do…" said Shayla, softly.
Kaiba whirled around, blue flames dancing in his eyes. He forcefully braced his left hand against the wall, leaning forward to Shayla. "Then what do you suggest I do!"
Shayla shrank backward and Kaiba instantly knew he went too far. He didn't want to alienate her. "Y-you need to c-calm down first," she managed to stammer.
Seto Kaiba glanced down briefly, but said nothing.
"You definitely need to think straight before you charge into this," Shayla continued, sensing he was waiting for her to go on. "Marik's Winged Dragon of Ra is so powerful…"
"I know that," retorted Kaiba, crossing his arms once more. "While everyone else slept, I translated the text of Ra. I know everything it can do. It is powerful, but not invincible. It does have weaknesses. Though, even with both Obelisk and Slifer and a few other key cards, a duelist can only have a twenty percent chance of beating Ra, maximum."
"…then the odds most be significantly lower considering you only have Obelisk," said Shayla, slowly, trying not to set him off again.
"She is an excellent strategist," noted Kaiba. "She found that flaw instantly…"
Shayla heard nothing from him, so she continued. "And if Marik were to win either Obelisk or Slifer…"
"Then the odds of beating him become virtually non-existent," answered Kaiba.
"And then there's no hope of saving our friends…"she added, sadly.
"Yes, I see…" said Kaiba. He started walking again, but this time it was back the way they came.
"Kaiba? What is it?" asked Shayla, quickly following him, with one hand on the wall to guide herself.
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"We cannot wait any longer," said Yami. "Our friends' conditions might worsen. Tournament or no, I have to duel Marik now. He'll accept my challenge, he wants my Millennial Puzzle more than anything."
"You have to be careful! I don't want to see you hurt either," protested Téa.
"Don't worry Téa," answered Yami. "I believe in my deck and I know we will prevail."
"But Ra is so powerful, and when Marik uses Monster Reborn on it, it's almost invincible," stated Duke. "Is there anything in your deck that can stand up to it?"
"Of course!" exclaimed Tristan. "Yu-Gi has Slifer! They each have a god card, so they're equal."
"I'm afraid not," said Ishizu, solemnly. "Ra is the most powerful of the three god cards. It will take more than just Slifer to beat it."
"But Yu-Gi can do it, right?" asked Serenity. "He has too! My brother…"
"You should duel Kaiba first and win Obelisk," said Drake. "Having two god cards would give you a definite advantage."
"As nice as that would be, there is simply not time," answered Yami. "Marik must be defeated now before anything worse happens."
"We'll be right by your side, like always," said Téa, holding up her right hand so the back of it showed. Tristan did the same.
"There still is a way to give your deck a power boost," said Lara. "And to show the strength of our friendship at the same time."
"What's that, Lara?" asked Duke.
Lara reached into the pocket of her violet glitter covered jeans and pulled out her deck. She flipped through it for a moment, then pulled out a card and handed it to Yami.
"This card is Fire Princess," said Lara. "She's my favorite card. And her special ability will help you get around Ra and all of Marik's other powerful monsters."
Yami accepted it, quickly scanning the text of the card. "Thank you Lara."
"Yes, let's all put in our favorite cards. We can strengthen Yami's deck with our bond of friendship," said Téa.
"Fine with me," said Tristan. "As long as we don't end up being the cards."
"What are you talking about?" asked Duke.
"Please don't ask," groaned Tristan.
Téa handed Yami her favorite card, Magician of Faith. "I know she's not the strongest monster in the game, but her special ability to bring a magic card back from the graveyard can really help out in a tight situation."
"Yes, I remember the last time I used her in a duel," said Yami with a nod, adding the Magician of Faith into his deck.
"Cyber Commando all the way!" exclaimed Tristan, handing Yami his card. "Monsters don't get any cooler than that."
Duke snorted. "What a weak card."
"I bet you don't got anything better, dice-boy," shot Tristan. He chuckled. "Skull Dice or Graceful Dice fit you and the earring."
"Very funny," said Duke, dryly, pulling a card out of his deck.
"Is it Orgoth?" asked Serenity.
"Nope, Orgoth is my second favorite card," answered Duke, handing his card to Yami. "My favorite is Strike Ninja. It really came in handy during our duel against Nesbit, and I'm sure it will help you now, Yu-Gi."
"I agree," said Yami, looking truly touched by his friends' eagerness to help. "Thank you."
"My turn," said Drake, stepping forward. His card was already held in his gauntlet-covered hand. "I know exactly which card I want to give you."
"Ten bucks says it's a dragon," muttered Tristan.
"Tyrant Dragon," said Drake, handing his card over to Yami. "Use this dragon to defeat Marik's dragon. Tyrant Dragon's special abilities will also serve you well."
"Thank you Drake, I know how much your dragons mean to you and I will use this one with all the honor it deserves," replied Yami.
"I wish I could give you my favorite card," sighed Serenity. "I really like Goddess with the Third Eye. But I don't own any cards."
"Do not worry, Serenity," said Ishizu. "If you do not mind, I have a Goddess with the Third Eye you can give to the pharaoh."
"Really?" asked Serenity, hopefully. "Thank you so much, Ishizu."
"It is nothing, child," answered Ishizu, handing Yami two cards, the Goddess with the Third Eye for Serenity, and her own card, Zolga. "My card will help you greatly, especially if Lara's card is on the field pharaoh."
"Again, thank you all very much," replied Yami, accepting the cards and wiping a tear away.
"Just go out there and kick butt!" said Tristan.
"We'll all be right there with you," added Téa. "Both in the sidelines and in your deck."
"Now, all you have to do is find Marik," said Duke.
"I'm not worried, somehow, I think he'll find me," replied Yami, adjusting his duel disk.
At that moment, Kaiba and Shayla returned. Kaiba stood straight and tall in the doorway, looking confident like he always did. Shayla looked a bit confused. Kaiba had not said another word to her since he started back to the hospital wing. Everyone went silent for a moment, glancing up at Kaiba. Kaiba crossed the room to Yami. The group had been talking loudly enough that he hard heard them halfway down the hallway and knew what they were planning.
He glanced at Yami's deck. "You still don't have enough power to defeat Ra."
"Who asked—!" started Tristan, raising a fist. But Kaiba continued, cutting him off and completely ignoring him.
"If you hope to win, you'll need this," said Kaiba, in the same arrogant tone he always used. He handed Yami three cards, all on top of each other so Yami could only see the face of the very top card. Yami glanced at it briefly, noticing it was a magic card.
"Kaiba…" started Yu-Gi, but again Seto did not give anyone else a moment to speak.
Kaiba had already turned to leave the wing. "Consider the last one to be a loan. You have thirty minutes to be on top of the duel tower." As he passed his brother's bed, he glanced down only briefly, once more feeling like he had swallowed lead. "This is all for you, Mokuba." With that he walked out of the room and down the hall, his trench coat waving slightly behind him.
"What's with him?" asked Duke, blinking the way Kaiba left.
"He was being mysterious to me too," said Shayla. "But I heard what you were planning, and I want to help too. …I know I haven't exactly been there for everyone during this tournament, but I want to change all of that now." She was shuffling through her deck, looking for one card.
"Eh? What do you mean you haven't been there for us?" asked Tristan.
"Here it is," said Shayla, pulling out her favorite card. It had raised text on it from when she attached stickers from her label maker on it, so that she could read it. "Mystical Sand. She was my first rare card ever, and I've never dueled without her in my deck. She doesn't have any special abilities, but she has always been there when I needed her."
"Thank you, Shayla," said Yami, once more accepting the card being offered to him.
"Hey, Yami, what card is it that Kaiba gave you?" asked Téa.
"It sounded like he wants to help Yu-Gi, I'm surprised," said Lara.
"What do you mean?" asked Drake.
"Well, he did give Yu-Gi a card, and he did say he expected Yu-Gi to go to the duel tower…it sounds like he's arranging the duel," answered Lara. "You must really be a convincing speaker, Shayla."
"But I hardly said anything," replied Shayla.
Yami was scanning the lengthy text of the magic card in front of him, the one that Kaiba had handed him. "It's Fiend Sanctuary…but why would Kaiba give me this?"
"I've never heard of it," said Duke. "But it's probably a really powerful card. You should hang onto it."
"Hmm? There's two more cards behind this one," said Yami, not noticing them before. He fanned them out. His violet eyes suddenly went wide when he recognized the two other cards Kaiba had handed him.
"What's with the malfunction?" asked Tristan. "What else did he give you?"
"I-I-I don't believe this…" stammered Yami, blinking several times to make sure he was seeing the cards correctly.
"What is it?" asked Serenity, curiously.
Duke walked over and looked over Yami's shoulder. His venom green eyes went wide and his jaw dropped for a moment. "It's Obelisk the Tormentor and one of his Blue-Eyes, White Dragons!"
"WHAT! No way!"
"Yes…it's really them," replied Yami, still stunned.
"So that's what Kaiba meant!" exclaimed Drake. " 'Consider the last one a loan.' He wants the Blue-Eyes back."
"But he's just giving up Obelisk! It has to be a fake!" protested Tristan.
"No…I believe it's real," said Shayla. "Kaiba is taking Mokuba's attack hard. You know he'd do anything for his brother. That's why he gave you those cards. He'd rather have his brother safe than have a god card in his possession."
"I'm still stunned," said Téa.
"Thank you, Kaiba," Yami said, under his breath, adding the four cards he had just received into his deck. He straightened his shoulders. "With all of our hearts in this deck, there is no way we will be defeated. It is time to stop Marik and save our friends." With that, he walked purposefully across the room to leave the ship and head to the top of the duel tower.
