Yume's turn at the story! RR or suffer!

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Chapter Two

Regrets

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Yume got up, looking around, seeing the starlit night above mock her loss.

"Kioko... I will get you back... I promise you..."

She gathered up her school things, running home to her aunt's apartment. As expected, she wasn't home. Probably out drinking or something. She went to the room that she shared with Kioko, a tear trailing down her cheek.

"Why couldn't it have been me?"

She looked at the single picture frame setting on their desk near the bed. It was a picture of Kioko and Yume from a year ago, when they were at the biggest pool place in Tokyo. They were smiling, happiness amuck in the air. She took the frame and smashed it, taking the picture and placing it on the bed.

Yume opened her backpack, taking out the paper that she had grabbed earlier. It was a flyer that read, 'Battle City Tournament starts tomorrow!'. Tomorrow was Saturday, meaning there was no school. And the tournament was on the three-day weekend. Yume had wanted to enter this tournament with Kioko, knowing how much Kioko had been looking forward to it all month. Yume threw on a black tang top, and put a vinyl red vest over it. She put on matching vinyl red pants, a belt with a deck box hanging loosely around her waist.

She took the deck out of her blazer pocket, and put it in the box. Yume was remembering it clearly now. The men who took her sister. She knew their purpose, having received warnings a few months ago. In Tokyo, there was sightings of men in hooded capes, called Rare Hunters, going around stealing cards, moving their way northwest to cities beyond Tokyo. Yume and Kioko were sick the days they had struck Tokyo, so they were missed in the duels for rare cards. But now, fate dealing them a bad card, had led the Rare Hunters to go after them here. But why? What did they know about the twins that no one else was supposed to know? Did they know about their rare Spellcasters? They had to... unless they had other ideas... Yume led herself astray from this possibility.

But they had the wrong girl. Yume had the cards right here. And there they were, having Kioko, probably doing bad things to her at this very moment, while Yume was safe with the very cards these men wanted. Yume was filled with regret. Why had she ever begun to play this game?

"I will get you back..." Yume said aloud, now knowing that the men would figure out that Yume had the cards, and they would be at the tournament, itching for a duel to get them. But would they keep Kioko safe, or would they hurt her because of the fact that she didn't have what they wanted? Maybe they wouldn't just want the cards... Yume shuddered at the thought and shook it off again. There were some sick people in the world, and it felt as though her heart would rip out of her chest attempting to revive the hope that told her Kioko was safe.

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"Ugh..." Kioko woke up to the sinister looks of men all around her, laughing.

"Look at her, so scrawny."

"But Master Malik said he wanted her, so we went and got her."

"But now what?"

"Maybe he's gonna make her one of us..."

"But what about the other girl?"

"Don't worry about it! Questioning Master Malik can result in dire consequences..."

All of the voices made Kioko aware of what happened earlier. She screamed as the one with blue hair went to pick her up.

"Don't touch me!"

"Don't worry little girl, our Master wishes to merely speak with you, that's all..."

"Yes, and I am here too."

Kioko looked to see a young man in a purple robe come out, his face hidden in the shadows of the darkness they were in.

"Who... who are you?"

"A friend... or maybe a foe..."

"Don't be so confusing. I'd like to know who you are and why I'm here?"

"Aggressive and right to the point. That's what I like to see in my recruits..."

"Recruits? Where?"

"Right here..."

He took out a golden rod with spikes protruding from the sides, and it glowed. He tapped it lightly on her head. Her eyes switched to a light yellow, possessed.

"Now... you are mine..." Malik said evilly, watching as the girl stood up, already awaiting orders.

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Saturday was bright, but it didn't make a difference to the duelists who had gathered. If it had been snowing, they'd still be prepared to duel their hearts out in an addicting fad of a game. This was especially true for Yume, but in her case, it wasn't because of the game. It was because of her sister. Yume had her duel disk strapped on, having collected it the on Thursday. There hadn't been that many left, so they were lucky to get one. It was agreed that they would share, the same way they shared their deck. If they had ended up in the Finals, they would have engaged in a game of 'Rock-Paper-Scissors' to see who deserved the place. But that wasn't going to be happening like planned...

"Kioko... please be safe... please... anyone... let me find her safe..." Yume muttered to herself, as she arrived at the main starting point of the city, "Duelist Square", its nickname, although it was really known as Domino Park.

She recognized other duelists, famous duelists that she had heard much about, like Yugi Mutou, the most well known. He won first place at Duelist Kingdom, a tournament that ended not too long ago. Other participants from Duelist Kingdom were there too, probably there to win rare cards, and beat Yugi with them. Yume didn't care right now, as long as she found her sister. They had never once in their life been away from each other for so long.

The tournament would be officially beginning that day, even though Seto Kaiba had announced the regulations the night before. Yume had was lucky that she hadn't missed his tournament introduction, but then again, the fact that she was present at the opening ceremony hadn't really made much difference, since she had been too tense to pay attention anyway.

Some duelists had collected their disks that morning, but others had collected them on Thursday evening, like herself. Yume figured that the duelists who had collected their disks at a later date were the ones who had had to commute from other regions… or duelists who hadn't realised that they had a place until that morning. The Duel Disks were only available in special stores in Domino Town.

There were a lot of Duelists whom Yume did not recognise, but she realised that Kaiba's 'henchmen' - as she liked to call them - had probably randomly selected a lot of the players there. She supposed that she probably fell into that category. Whatever, it didn't matter. She just wanted to start so she could find those robed creeps and beat them at whatever game they were playing and get back what was an important part of her.

When the clock struck 9 o'clock, Yume saw almost everyone immediately split up to go duel whoever challenged them first. Yume didn't want to duel the first person that challenged her. She wanted to duel the first robed bad guy and make him tell her where Kioko was. She searched for a long time, for anyone wearing those stupid, haunting dark purple robes.

About a half hour into searching, she still had no luck. Then she heard voices screaming. She ran to find what was what she was looking for; a duelist in a purple robe. He was on his knees, having fallen to another duelist already.

His opponent had been none other than Yugi Mutou, although he seemed taller and more mature looking. Yume ignored this and went up to the Rare Hunter, but stopped herself, seeing his forehead glow with a mysterious golden eye symbol. Yugi looked as though he was as confused as Yume was right now.

"Ah, just in time Yume... it seems you're searching for something very special to you," the old Rare Hunter said, his words slurring into each other, hints of a demented and distorted mind frame apparent in every syllable.

"Where is she!" Yume shouted, taking him by the shoulders and shaking him.

"Hahaha, I cannot help but laugh at you," he said, "but you're too much. Your sister is safe here with me, working for me..."

"What's going on?" a blonde boy came over asking. Yugi stopped him from going any further to let the possessed Rare Hunter finish his talk.

"What are you talking about? She'd never work for a creep like you! And besides, I know who you are, you Rare Hunters!"

"Ah, so smart, but that won't help you get your sister back. I know, how about a game?"

"This isn't a game! GIVE ME MY SISTER BACK!" she let go of the Rare

Hunter, throwing her fists to the ground. The bottom of them started to bleed, but she didn't care.

"In time. But wouldn't you like to know the rules of the game? I mean, its not like you'll be able to get her back any other way..."

Yume didn't answer, but he went on.

"Hmmm, here's the deal. As you duel each of my Rare Hunters, they will give you not only a Locater Card, but also a hint as to where your sister might be, and a hint to a Rare Hunter that is closer to her. And if you're smart enough, that means the more you defeat, the closer you get to your ultimate goal; rescuing your sibling. How does that sound? But you... if you lose to any of the Rare Hunters, you have to forfeit everything, including yourself..."

"You sicko..."

"No, I mean, wouldn't it be so rewarding working with a powerful nationwide organization that controls all of the best cards?"

"No... I just want my sister back..."

"Well, if you can beat six of my Rare Hunters, and get to the Finals, and duel and defeat me in a duel separate to that of this tournament, you'll get your sister back safe and sound, and you can go home safe and sound to live happily ever after..."

Yume went to punch the Rare Hunter, but stopped, seeing his forehead stop glowing and watched as he fell to the ground unconscious.

"Hey, are you ok?" Yugi asked.

Yume looked up, crying, seeing Yugi still in his mature state. She also saw the blonde, recognizing him as second place at Duelist Kingdom, Joey Wheeler. Yugi bent down to help her up, but she pushed him away, and she collapsed to the ground entirely, crying her heart out. Joey looked at Yugi, as he got up to brush himself off.

"His name is Malik," Yugi said to her.

Yume stopped crying. "Malik?" she sniffled.

"Yes. He talked to us before you got here. He has threatened us as well. He is toying with us all."

"I just want my sister back..."

"I know... and I will help you," Yugi said.

"Yeah, me too," Joey smiled.

"No... I don't need anyone's help... I just need to get my sister back..."

Yume was traumatized. She was being forced to duel some psychos to get her sister back. And it was all because of this stupid game. Her heart crumbled. Yugi held his hand out to Yume.

"I know how it feels to lose the one who is someone dearest to you. But, it always helps to have others close to you to give you a helping hand."

"An' I'm always willing ter help someone in need, specially if it ain't just for 'emselves," Joey chimed in.

Yume sniffled again, and took Yugi's hand. Although it didn't look like the Yugi she had seen on T.V. before, she felt that she could trust him. And if Joey was nice enough to say he would help to, she was pretty sure she could trust him too. They didn't look like cocky attitude duelists. They looked like what Yume was now; a great duelist thrown into a severe and not promising situation.

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Yume: Well that's it for this chapter. Time now for Kitana to take over this story once again... RR please! Do it or I'll explode. I do that sometimes...