Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or anything related to it what-so-ever. The only characters in this fic that are truly mine are:
Lady Aurora Phoenix, Lady Natara Fear (Cooper), Lady Sapphira Star (Raine), Dorian "Chaos" (Stanson), Bryant "Havoc" (Westbrook), Sanura, Zahara, Adais, Shadow, Panther, Lord Theron (yup… they're back…)
A/N: This is a fantasy as you can tell. It is part 3 to the Eternal Love Series. Fair warning, I am not one for writing out duels so you may not see a lot of them- barely any actually, as the fic is about the events that happened outside the duel arena. There will be some familiar scenes to fans of the show but most of those scenes will have a small twist or two in order for it to fit with the plot being laid out.
I understand many will not agree with a lot of what is written but that is why this is in the fantasy genre and not in just the general one. This is purely a concoction out of my own head and I am just going where the ideas lead me.
Awaken Sliefer
"Hey! Can I get a Coke?"
"Here you go," Zahara said with a smile as she filled an ice-filled glass and passed it to a tall blonde, collecting to amount owed and dropping it into the register. Since nightfall, the club had been moving fast-paced and full force. Everyone dueling had decided to relax and chill with friends, while listening to the upbeat music that evening. Aurora had already performed her set and had left the stage, grabbing a tray and helping Natara and Sapphira pass through the crowd, collecting orders and chatting with the duelists.
"Hey, Zahara?" A woman with dark hair that hosted blue highlights dropped her tray on the counter with a pleading look.
"What's up, Natara?"
"I need a break. A large group just came in, too. Do you think you can help Sapphira set them up?" Zahara grinned and nodded.
"Sure thing!" Glad to get away from the counter, Zahara grabbed the dropped tray and placed it under the counter, grabbing a notebook and a pen in its place. Taking a deep breath, she approached the large table. "Welcome to the Moonlight Magic Club. My name is… Oh! Hey guys!" She laughed as she looked down at Yugi, Joey, Téa, Tristan, and Mai. "Done dueling for the day I take it?"
"Hey, Zahara!" Yugi waved, his round, violet eyes sparkling. If she had not already been smiling, she would have been. His was always an infectious smile. "Yeah, just trying to take a break. I had only been in here once… At least that I can remember, and remembered the music being good. I also heard you guys have a mean hamburger plate." Zahara laughed with the rest of the group.
"Tell you what, hamburgers all around, my treat, what do you say?" She offered, making a note on her notepad.
"Make it pizza for us and you got a deal," Joey told her pointing at Tristan and himself. She nodded and took down their drink orders.
"Got it, be back in a sec with your drinks."
" 'K, thanks!" Joey called out after her as she turned to head back to the counter. It was only a matter of minutes before everything was ready and Sapphira helped her to bring it all out.
"Enjoy the food, guys."
"Wanna join us?" Tristan grinned up at Zahara.
"Would love to, but I can't right now. Things are so busy I can barely sit down 2 seconds, let along 2 minutes. But maybe later?"
"Sure thing, great seeing you again."
"Same, and good luck tomorrow, Yugi, Joey, Mai." They thanked her and she turned to head back to the counter. She placed the tray on the counter and sat down on a stool, placing her head in her hands. She had been over tired the last few days and the pick up in patrons to the club had not helped her in the least. But at least the club was a safe place for everyone to relax after dueling.
"Man, this place is awesome," some random kid was saying to his friend as they passed by to head out to the dance floor.
"So are the people in it." Zahara jumped and spun around, quickly finding herself in Ryou's arms. She grinned up at him and leaned in to capture his lips in her own.
"Hey there, and thanks."
"Things are really busy here tonight, aren't they?" She nodded.
"Has been this way ever since Battle City started." She waved her hand around the room. "Mother had to hire extra workers just to keep up with the demand."
"That really is amazing." They chatted in between her gathering and delivering orders throughout the night. At around midnight, the crowds had begun to filter out. Zahara caught sight of Mai and Joey out on the dance floor, laughing as they moved. Téa had dragged Yugi out as well.
"They really are sweet together."
"Who?" Ryou followed her gaze to Yugi and Téa. "Yes, they are." He pulled her close to him. "But I am not really interested in them." She looked up and smiled at him.
"Hey, Natara? I'm taking a break." Natara nodded and cashed out another patron as Zahara and Ryou walked out onto the dance floor. They were unaware of the silver eyes following them as they moved. Eyes that belonged to a plotting man. A man who wore a sinister smile.
"Enjoy that dance now, Zahara. My master has other plans for you."
Aurora walked through the park on her way home from cleaning up the club from the night before. She had been anxiously waiting to crawl into her bed for some much needed sleep. She appreciated the business Seto's tournament was bringing in, but it was finally beginning to take its toll. The last night was the busiest. She saw some familiar faces in Yugi, Joey, Mai, and Tristan. Ryou had even shone up near the end of the night to take Zahara on a spin around the dance floor. As much as she hated to admit it, she liked seeing Zahara so happy with Ryou. She only hoped it would not come with its price as she remembered the evil presence hidden in Ryou's Ring. Aurora looked up as a crowd caught her attention. Standing on a bench, there was a man who appeared to be like a mannequin. Or a mime, she was not sure. She stared hard at the figure and muffled her gasp when it suddenly blinked and leapt away form the bench and the crowd. She caught sight of the Eye of Horus on his forehead and realized that another of Marik's mind-slaves had just been sent into battle.
"Let me guess who you are after," she muttered as she took off after him. They pounded across the streets and sidewalks, winding around buildings and fountains, dodging passerby's and other duelists. It is as if he knows he is being followed and is trying to shake me, she thought as she ran. "Nice try." She leapt easily over a small wall and continued her pursuit. "I don't break that easily." Their sprint across the city brought the to a bridge where she heard the mind-slave call Yugi's name. She watched as he leapt high and vaulted over the bridge, sliding down the slanted edge and landed neatly in front of little Yugi. She came to a halt at the ledge of the bridge and stared down.
"Who are you?" Yugi demanded.
"Prepare to duel, Yugi," was the only response he received. The Golden Eye on his forehead said all Yugi really needed to know.
"Marik!"
"Correct, now I can finally beat you, take your puzzle and make this world mine!"
"Coward! You should face me yourself instead of hiding behind your mind-slaves!" Yugi shouted at him.
"We will meet soon enough, Yugi. When the time is right. I see no reason to waste my time when I can duel you through my puppets."
"No one should be used in that way," Yugi told him, his disgust ringing through his voice.
"Ah, but you see, my dueling with my Millennium Rod is no different from you dueling with your Millennium Puzzle." Aurora watched as Yugi was covered in a golden light and when it faded her Pharaoh was in his place.
"That's not true, Marik, and you know it," Yami's dark voice responded. "You use your Rod to Force your servants to do your dirty work but controlling their minds. I duel with Respect, and Honor, and with permission from the boy whose vessel I share. I force him into nothing."
"I will do everything I can to claim your Puzzle, if that means using mind control then so be it!"
"But in order to do that, Marik you will not only have to break the belief I have in the Heart of the Cards and defeat me. I can assure you that won't be happening. Ever." The puppet laughed.
"How can you call yourself a Pharaoh? You don't even know how to use your own powers. So the destiny you lean on has chosen me to take those powers away from you."
"That ancient power is not yours to take, Marik," Yami told him evenly, his gaze never wavering. "Make your move!"
"Is everything okay, Ishizu?" Adais found his business partner standing in front of the Pharaoh's tablet, lost in thought.
"Adais," Ishizu sighed. "Destiny is being played out as we speak. Marik is facing Yami at this very moment. Adais," She turned to the younger of the Pharaoh's children. "I know that Marik is following a path of evil right now, but I still have to have faith that he can be saved."
"I know, Ishizu. I also know that if anyone can save him, my father can."
"Yes, I know this. He must win against my brother to end Marik's foolish quest." Ishizu grew quiet again. Adais looked at his watch. "Your sister is running late, I see." Adais smiled.
"Yes, she is not always the most punctual of my sisters."
"Fear not, Adais, she is on her way."
"I am so late," Zahara muttered as she rushed toward the museum. "Adais is going to kill me." She had made plans earlier to meet with her brother for lunch, but clean up at the club had taken longer than she thought. Then there were a few stolen moments with Ryou. She found it odd that when she woke he was no where to be seen, but she could not worry about that. She looked at her watch again as she neared the steps. A familiar figure stopped her in her rush and she stared at him. "Now what is he doing here." Slowly she approached him.
"It seems another Millennium Item is inside the museum." He paused a moment with a smirk on his face. "Don't think I don't know you are there, my dear." Zahara rolled her eyes.
"Not that it is any business of yours, Bakura, but I was here to see an old friend."
"Don't you mean your brother?" His smirk grew wider. Before she realized what she was doing, sheran up beside him to grab and shush him while looking around.
"Stop that! No one is supposed to know that, at least not yet." He wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her in close to him.
"Don't worry, sweetheart, I won't tell a soul." Something about his expression made her sense he was being truthful, but she still felt uneasy around him. She struggled to get him to release her and he only held her tighter. "Now, you shall be my escort inside." He voice was the sound of an order as he prodded her forward and up the steps.
"How dare you order me around," she hissed. "You know full well I can force you away from me if I have to."
"I am," he told her with a nod. "I also know you won't take the risk in hurting Ryou."
Damn, she thought as she realized he was right. She just could not take that chance. Lowering her head, she walked beside him into the museum. The tines on the Millennium Ring guiding their every step.
Adais heard Ishizu gasp and watched as she began to move away from the tablet.
"What is it?"
"Evil approaches," was his only answer as she swiftly moved around the corner. Adais followed her and stood ready for a fight if needed in order to protect her.
Zahara looked around as they passed by several rooms and displays. She found them being led down a short staircase leading to the lower level of the exhibit.
"The Item is close. The Ring tells me that it is here in this room." Bakura let his gaze sweep around the room.
"What are you going to do? Break through one of the glass display cases to retrieve the Item?"
"I am a thief, so yes, the thought had crossed my mind." He grinned down at her while she returned his taunting look with a glare. There was something about him, she did not completely understand, nor was she certain she liked what it made her feel.
"You do that and you will have Ryou rushed out of town. Or in prison."
"Oh, ye of little faith. You should really see how I work, princess." His next words died in his throat as the Ring stopped pointing and the tines dropped to hang motionless at the end of the Ring. "What's this? The force of the Millennium Item is gone!" Zahara looked around their room. Her eyes widened as she spotted the Pharaoh's tablet and she broke Bakura's rasp to run forward. He quirked an eyebrow before seeing what had caught her attention and followed her. "It seems the Pharaoh's Tablets are here."
Zahara reached up to touch the carving of her father, tears in her eyes. "So this was him. This was my father back then." Bakura watched her a moment and felt a small stirring within his spirit. He passed it off as Ryou's heart going out to her, especially when he began to feel the boy struggling to be released so he could be there with her.
Stand down, boy! I'll not use this to hurt her, he snarled at his hikari. This remark startled him about as much as it startled Ryou. This was the perfect opportunity to hurt her. Yet, he did not feel right about it. He turned his attention back to the tablets.
"It has been a long time since I have seen these carvings," Bakura mentioned in passing to Zahara who was still lost in the carvings around her. "But no matter, as soon as I have all seven of the items, I will be the one to unlock the Shadow Magic they talk about in the tablets."
Around the corner, Ishizu and Adais listened as Bakura spoke. Concern flashed in her eyes. She turned to Adais.
"This spirit… He has some knowledge of the ancient scriptures, but he doesn't know all."
"How so?" Adais lowered his voice to a whisper.
"The power my brother seeks is far more greater than that which this spirit is after." Adais nodded, only partially understanding her words as he watched Bakura step too closeto his sister for his comfort.
"Forgive me, Ishizu. I need to have a chat with my sister." She nodded and left him in the hall as he stalked up to Bakura and Zahara. Catching their attention with a pointed cough. Bakura jumped and turned, his eyes wide with shock at the man standing behind him. The tri-colored hair, shorter stature, determined look in his eyes, Bakura was certain he was looking at the Pharaoh. Then he saw the violet eyes and thought he was somehow looking at a taller version of Yugi. "Am I interrupting something here?"
"Adais!" Zahara, breathed a sigh of relief and ran to her brother. She loved Ryou's company. But Bakura was too much for her senses to handle. She was torn and confused by this. Seeing Adais made her grateful to change company. Bakura smirked at them.
"I was just leaving as it were," he told Adais in response to his question. They watched him leave in silence before Adais turned on his sister.
"Just what do you think you are doing hanging around with him? Have you any idea who he is!" Zahara did a complete one eighty on her feelings and suddenly would have been grateful for Bakura's company compared to her brother's overprotective nature.
"I forgot how intense you can be, brother. Look, there is an innocent soul in that body. The spirit shares his body just as father shares Yugi's. I have been dating the innocent one. I can't help it the evil one doesn't want to leave me alone."
"Mother knows about this?" Zahara nodded. "And she is okay with this?"
"She knows I have my reasons. Reasons I don't exactly have to give you. I love that you want to look out after me, but I can take care of myself, really, Adais."
"Zahara, listen to yourself. This is Father's enemy…"
"I. Know. This. I made a promise to a friend to help him, to be there for him, with him. I will not go back on my word, Adais. Now, we can go ahead to have lunch, or I can turn around and go back home for some more rest." Adais sighed and lowered his gaze.
"I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"I know, Brother." The hard look left her eyes as she looked back up at him again. "I appreciate it, I do. I just need to learn things for myself, all right? Like you did when you fell in love with Kaori." Adais gave a defeated smile. The mention of his wife's name always had a weakening affect on him.
"All right, Zahara. Just be careful, okay?"
"I will," she promised with a smile. "Now, how about that lunch?" Adais laughed as they headed toward the door. They had no idea the battle that was taking place. They had no idea the trouble Yugi and Yami were in. No idea how close to defeat they were. Lunch would have been the last thing on their minds, had they known.
"Looks like Yugi has been engaged in another duel," Sanura murmured as she tapped on a few keys to bring up the current standing information. Yugi had found himself trapped in Nightmare Cage and the opponent, a man named Strings, was ready to sacrifice three monsters for a larger one. She was thrown off guard when Seto's face appeared on her screen.
"Progress report; has there been any sign of use out of the other two remaining god cards?" She sighed.
What? No hello, how do you do, kiss my… " No sir, not at this time," she informed him before her thought could continue. "We are all still searching however, and I will alert you when one or both have been played."
"Because you are the one heading this up, I trust that you won't be screwing this up. The technology in place for my tournament is of the highest quality and is programmed to scan every card played." She was beginning to grow irritated with him. She knew this information. She had worked with him almost side by side on the whole set up.
"I know this, Mr. Kaiba," she said tensely. He arched an eyebrow at her tone but said nothing. If anything, he was surprised she had not begun biting back sooner. She worked several days with only two or three hours of sleep and his demands were not easy on her. That was only one of many prices for working at Kaiba Corp. There were even more for her as his personal assistant. She had practically given up her family, her social life; and Ra knew there was no real chance at a love life. She watched as Seto's face blinked from view after another order to make sure he was informed instantly upon the knowledge of a god card being revealed.
"I wonder if I can pull up a visual of the duel," she said thoughtfully as she pressed a few more keys on her keyboard. After a brief set of commands, a visual of Yami in the Nightmare Cage appeared on her screen. His eyes were wide with fear, and she noticed one of his hands shaking. She sat upright in her chair, instantly attentive. She was positive only one thing could bring that look to her father's face. The knowledge he was about to be face to face with an Egyptian God.
Lightning struck as the sky suddenly grew dark. Sanura's eyes were wide and glued to her screen. Yami had taken a step back in his cage as bolts of lightning struck the ground in front of him. She slowly raised her hand to the communication device at her ear. She knew it for sure this time. This was the sign of a monster who had earned the right to be feared. The dark sky swirled with shades of black, sliver, grey, blue. Then it came. A dragon with two mouths. Sliefer the Sky Dragon- an Egyptian god card which could hold unlimited power.
"Get me a chopper ready- I'll be on the heliport in five minutes." With a swing of her chair, Sanura stood and grabbed her jacket and notebook and headed toward the elevator.
"Face it, Pharaoh! There is no way to defeat my Sliefer the Sky Dragon!"
"Every monster has a weakness, Marik! It is only a matter of time before I find his!" Marik laughed through his mind slave.
"I am afraid time is not on your side, Pharaoh," he taunted. "You are trapped in my Nightmare Cage which means you cannot attack me. Now you are face to face with an Egyptian god with unlimited strength! All you can do is watch it grow stronger!"
"Stronger? But how?" Aurora shook her head against the torrent of vision and strategy he was unknowingly projecting to her through their mind-link. He was desperately attempting to come up with an alternate strategy using the cards he knew to be in his deck.
"Simple, Pharaoh. Sliefer's powers are determined by the number of cards in my hand. The more cards I hold, the more attack points Sliefer receives. At this turn I have only two cards, giving Sliefer two thousand attack points."
"But Sliefer is still weaker than my monster," Yami pointed out to him. The mind-slave laughed again.
"I activate Pot of Greed!" Aurora's hands griped of the bridge. Her knuckles white with the effort. Marik's puppet drew two more cards to add to the one left in his hand and Sliefer's points rose to three thousand. Yami was still confused.
"But there is a limit to how many cards you can hold in your hand at one time in Duel Monsters," he pointed out. "This means that Sliefer will have a limit to its strength!" The evil laughter rang out once again, causing Aurora to inwardly cringe. She knew there was a plan. Marik would not let a limit to the cards stop him.
"But, rules are only made to be broken, and I will enjoy breaking them just for you. Any hopes you may have had about winning this duel have just died. No one has ever beaten an Egyptian god card."
"Then I shall be the first," Yami's dark voice promised him.
"You're a fool! Your reign is over, Yami! You may as well just hand over your puzzle!" Yami glared at him.
"Never!"
"That's right, Yami," Aurora whispered. "You can still win this. I know you can. Just don't lose focus."
"This duel is far from over, Marik. My belief in the Heart of the Cards will guide me to victory!"
"You have already lost so you might as well embrace it. You had your chance to play Pharaoh, Yami. Now it is my turn to take your place and take over the world!"
"That is not the way of the Pharaoh, Marik! At least not a good Pharaoh," Yami growled at him.
"And you would know this how? You have no memory of what you were like as a Pharaoh, how could you possibly know if you were not as insatiable as I am in Power?"
"Because I know the truth, Marik!" Aurora shouted down, unable to remain silent any longer. "As do you! You read the scriptures, you studied the scrolls, you listened to the stories my family and friends passed down to your own family. You know what you say is wrong, Marik!" The mind-slave and Yami both turned to look up at her. The wind brought on by Sliefer whipped her hair back behind her. Yami's eyes widened at a vision before his mind of her with a shorter skirt and a long cloak. Her eyes flashed with her fury over Marik's words.
"What I know and what I say are two different things, Lady Aurora," Marik's puppet sneered at her. "I say you only wanted people to know the good that was the Pharaoh, but deep down you know he was just as greedy as the Pharaohs before him!"
"No, he was not! I will stake my life on it!"
"Easy to say for an immortal." The tension rose and Yami could almost see the white glow beginning to surround her as his words grew more defamatory about the Pharaoh and his past. Even Sliefer seemed to be reacting out of the tension in the air. Marik's words did not phase him, however. He had figured she had to have been some sort of magical being or an immortal. He was still piecing bits of information together and every time these two met, more information seemed to fall into place about her. He watched as Sliefer turned toward her. "I ought to destroy you here and now. You have been nothing more than a thorn in my plan from the beginning."
"I would like to see you try, Marik. Being in the middle of a duel, you would waste your turn on one not even your opponent?"
"Gladly if it meant being rid of you!" Aurora laughed at him.
"You will never be rid of me, Marik. You chose your path, and I, along with your sister, will be there every step of your way!"
"Marik!" Yami's voice cut between them. "I am your opponent now, so bring your attention back toward me so we can finish this!" Marik's puppet spared one last glance at Aurora over his shoulder.
"This isn't over, Lady Aurora! This is far from over!" She spoke no more. Her piece had been said, her words out in the open. He knew that she would not let him get away with degrading the Pharaoh or his memory. That was all she wanted.
"I place these two cards face down and play Kuriboh in defense mode," Yami told him, beginning the duel once again. "Now, make your move, Marik!"
"Now is the time for you to witness Sliefer's strength for yourself! A power so mighty it nearly destroyed the entire world!" The Nightmare Cage faded from view, leaving Yami open for the attack. The mind puppet drew for his turn and Sliefer gained another one thousand points. He was then stronger than Yami's Buster Blader. The warrior readied to defend against the attack, and Yami tried to show more strength than he felt. The attack was ordered and Sliefer fired a golden ball of light at Yami's Buster Blader. Suddenly Yami stood up straighter.
"You have activated my trap card!"
"Trap card!"
"My Life Force Sword! It allows me to slash one card from your hand for the duration of the turn, thus bringing Sliefer's total back to three thousand and making him an easy target for my Warrior!" Marik's initial shock was replaced by his evil laughter as his Revival Jam took Buster Blader's hit, sparing the dragon. Yami gasped in shock. He had forgotten about that monster. Combined with Marik's Jam Defender, it could not be destroyed. It kept coming back and would always be the one to take any hit aimed for Sliefer. To make matter's worse for Yami, Marik added an extra magic card. The Card of Safe Return. It would allow him to draw three new cards for every time his Revival Jam reformed itself. Meaning Sliefer's power would indeed become limitless. To a point. Yami knew he could figure out a way to defeat it. He had to find it and soon.
"There he is, put it down!" Sanura shouted into the headset to the pilotas she spotted Seto in the middle of a larger clearing in the city. There was more than enough room for the helicopter to land, or at least drop low enough for the rope ladder to reach him.
"It's your helicopter, Seto," Mokuba pointed out. Seto looked up, distracted from his impending duel with Joey.
"Mr. Kaiba, sir, the Egyptian God Card, Sliefer the Sky Dragon has just been played. We are ready to take you to it," Sanura told him through their communicator. A smug grin crossed Seto's face.
"Quit stalling, Kaiba! There's duelin' to be done 'ere!" Joey shouted at the CEO. Seto grasped the ladder as it reached him.
"Guess it's your lucky day, Wheeler," he sneered at him.
"What's dat supposed to mean?" Joey dropped his defensive pose and looked hard at the man he had just challenged. Seto climbed up a few rungs and Mokuba followed after him.
"Later, Joey! We've got a date with an Egyptian God Card!" Mokuba's face was as light and cheery as his voice as he called back down to Joey.
"Come back 'ere!" Joey shouted at the bottom of the ladder. "I was ready to wipe the street with ya!" The Kaiba brothers ignored the ranting as they climbed inside the cab of the helicopter. Sanura handed a headset to Seto with a nod and he set it upon his head, nodding in return.
"Mr. Kaiba, the origin of the duel in which the god Card was played was in a duel involving Yugi Motou." Seto's eyes widened in surprise, which caught Sanura off-guard. It was as if he had wished Yugi had not been on the receiving end of that god card.
"Yugi," he murmured. Whatever surprise Sanura had registered with his reaction changed with his next words. "I have a plan. That god card will be mine."
"And now my Sliefer, destroy his Buster Blader!" Marik ordered as Sliefer attacked once again. This time the attack shattered Yami's holographic warrior to pieces. The attack also brought Yami down to twenty-one hundred life points. He growled at the strength of the attack and Marik's puppet laughed. "Surrender, Pharaoh! Sliefer only gets stronger with every turn. There is no way you can attack my dragon as long as my Jam Defender and Revival Jam are in play." Sliefer's head crept forward to rest on the ground while it awaited its next order. "Hand. Over. Your. Puzzle." Yami did not even bother to honor that order with a remark. He concentrated on his deck and took his turn.
" Alright, I sacrifice my Kuriboh to bring forth my Dark Magician Girl!" Aurora gasped at the Magician he called forth and she leaned forward. The hair was different, as were the eyes, but Dark Magician Girl was just too similar to the young magician in training back in Yami's reign, Mana.
"She did do her Pharaoh proud, and her skills are what he will need. She followed fate and truly became a great Magician, just as I once told her," Aurora whispered with a sad smile.
"I place her in defense mode!" Yami finished when she had completely appeared on the field. Marik's puppet laughed.
"Now, now, Pharaoh, by summoning a monster to the field, you have activated my dragon's special ability."
"What? No!" Yami watched as the second mouth of the dragon began to open and an electrical light began to appear. The Dark Magician Girl held a look of fear n her face as Yami watched the light grow stronger.
"It may be your turn. But every time you summon a monster, Sliefer will automatically destroy it with its second mouth," Marik explained. "This wipes out two thousand points from whatever mode your monster is in. So say goodbye to your Magician!"
"No! I will save my Dark Magician Girl!"
"It's too late, Yami!" The Magician stared wide-eyed at the blue and purple ball of light racing toward her.
"It is time for you to know your place, Marik!" Yami raised his hand up to call upon a face down card.
"It is such a shame such a pretty little monster had to leave us so soon," Marik laughed, not hearing Yami's comment above the roar of the dragon.
"Whoever said she was gone?" Yami told him with a smirk. Marik growled with flashing eyes.
"I did!"
"Guess again, Marik! I activated Magical Hats just in time. Saving her from the attack!"
"Yes!" Aurora grinned, her eyes beaming brightly with her pride for him. "Now is the time to show him your strength, my Pharaoh," she added softly, her smile still lingering. He glanced up only briefly and noticed the smile. The knowing smile. Things were going just as they should be. It gave him more hope, and more strength.
Guess it is true, he thought. A man can be better with a good woman on his side, and they just can't get much better than her. His eyes narrowed again as he turned back to a seething mind puppet.
"So she is in hiding inside one of those hats?" Marik asked in shock. Yami smiled his dark smile at him.
"Not just hiding, preparing for a counter attack the likes you have never seen," he informed the Rod wielding Egyptian. Marik lost his shock and began to laugh again.
"You have got to be kidding me! Your pathetic monster is not strong enough to take out my dragon!"
"That may be true that your dragon is more powerful than my own, but I have my faith." Yami pulled two more cards from his hand and placed them face down on the field, underneath his Magical Hats.
"Bah, your Magical Hats merely provide you with a temporary hiding place. Meanwhile, I play my own magical card and it will make my dragon's power infinite!"
"How so?"
"The magic card, Infinite Cards, allows me to exceed the six card limit so I may hold as many cards as I wish!"
"No!" Aurora and Yami both shouted out.
"That can't be!" Yami added with his shock. Marik's puppet mimed the smirk Aurora could picture on Marik's face. There was no need to explain what that meant for the monsters on the field. So Marik just proceeded with Sliefer's Thunder bolt attack on Yami's right hand hat. Yami scowled.
"You made a lucky guess, Marik." Marik grinned.
"You couldn't hide her forever," he taunted.
"Marik! This duel is not over!
Well, because of the new rule being passed around I am sorry I cannot respond to my reviewers as I used to. But I do want to thank my faithful readers and reviewers again for continuing along on this little journey. DDCfreak, Atemu Fangurl, Ishizusan, Pastelblue, Lady of Perfection and her Yami- Nefera, Luna Dusk, Marik 360,and mugen thank you all! Please- just because I cannot respond- don't let that stop you from reviewing. It helps me to remember one of the reasons why I am writing to begin with (smiles)
I am trying to keep updating as I can. It has been difficult, but I am trying so please continue to bear with me. I swear I haven't forgotten you all. And hopefully one day I can respond to the reviews again… (waves) Till next chapter!
