A weak wind blew through my hair as Yugi and I walked home from school. I rubbed my head gently with my fingers, trying to get rid of the huge headache I was having. Yugi noticed it.
"Are you feeling okay?" he asked.
I nodded slowly not looking at him.
"Yeah, I'm just tired. Been a very stressful week."
Yugi nodded in agreement.
It was only a few days after the events of Monster World. Everyone, including myself, was still recovering from the game Bakura had put us through. Though, I was very unsettled by it. I wished things could have gone differently, that it went less violently. I did find it strange that back when I watched the anime or read the manga, the fighting didn't bother me, except if there was blood. But now, in the Yu-Gi-Oh world, I found myself hating it, even though I knew it would happen.
Could it be that because I've become so close to the characters that I don't want to see them get hurt?
"Is there something bothering you, Roxanne?"
I stopped walking and turned to Yugi.
"What makes you think there is?" I asked, trying to hide it.
Yugi smiled.
"I know you better than you think I do. I can tell when you are upset."
His gaze turned serious.
"But, what is bothering you? Is it Jonouchi?"
After the Monster World incident, Jonouchi had been doing all he could to avoid me. I could tell he was still angry at me and wanted to keep his distance. It hurt, but I tried to ignore it. After all, Jonouchi had many mood swings in the series.
"He'll get over it eventually, though I would be lying if I said it didn't bothered me," I finally answered. "I've just been thinking, that's all."
"About what?"
"Just…what are my friends and family doing back home. I haven't seen or heard from them in awhile. It makes me wonder if life is better for them without me."
"I'm sure that they are fine," Yugi said encouragingly. "Even if you can't see it, I bet they miss you right now."
I smiled slightly.
Suddenly, Yugi stopped walking. He looked down at the Millennium Puzzle and held it in his hands. I waited for him, wondering if he was okay. Yugi turned to me.
"Uh…the 'Other Me' wants to speak to you," he explained.
I blinked. Wait…what?
Without waiting for an answered, the Millennium Puzzle glowed and Atem showed up.
I blinked again. "Wait…you and Yugi can communicate already?"
"Kind of," Atem said. "We can feel each other's emotions and tell short, simple messages. We're still experimenting on how to communicate though."
He cleared his throat.
"Anyway, you seem distressed, And you were lying to Yugi again."
"What? I wasn't lying to him! I truly was thinking about my family! Just...a little differently..."
Atem raised an eyebrow.
"I was wondering if they knew if I was gone yet. Are they worried about me? How much time has passed back home? You know, things like that."
Atem nodded.
"I see. So, what's your family like? Are they like the family in your story?"
"Oh, no! They aren't like that at all!" I exclaimed. "They're very nice people and care deeply for me. We just...don't see eye to eye all the time. You see, I always talk about Yu-Gi-Oh with pretty much everyone in my family. They eventually...got tired of it. They won't say anything about it, but they want me to shut up about it. It makes me feel lonely, because I have no one to talk to about it. Which was one of the reasons why I wanted to come here."
"Do you want to see them again?" Atem asked curiously.
"Oh, of course I do! I would love for them to meet all of you! Especially my little sister."
Atem smiled. "Is she into Yu-Gi-Oh as well?"
"Well...not exactly," I explained. "My sister, Jenifer, is the most tolerable of the series. I showed her a bit of the anime, and she liked most of it. She thought the monsters were cool."
I smiled a bit.
"Though, she has a little crush Ryo. When I showed him to her, Jenifer thought he was so cute, she just wanted to see episodes with him in it."
Atem gave an amused smile.
"You do seem to have a nice family. I'm glad your life wasn't so miserable before you came here."
I smiled in reply. But then Atem's gaze turned serious.
"Though, speaking of Ryo, I wanted to ask you this ever since we first met him."
I blinked waiting for him to speak.
"Do I know him from my past? Every time I'm near him, every time I see his face, I feel great anger. I've seen him from somewhere before, and I don't know where."
I avoided eye contact. I didn't remember Atem having any hostel feelings towards Ryo, manga or anime. Could it be that Ryo reminded him of Thief King Bakura?
"Are you talking about Ryo or the Spirit of the Millennium Ring?" I asked.
"Both. But the anger grew when we met the evil spirit."
"You didn't seem angry when we're playing Monster World. You seemed confident to me."
"That's because I was trying to hide it. I didn't want him to see any weakness."
Atem let out a heavy sigh.
Knowing I was going to have to come up with an answer, I thought of a quick explanation without saying too much.
"Well...you and the Spirit of the Millennium Ring have met in the past. Let's just say that you two didn't get along. That is all I can tell you for now."
I walked ahead of Atem, hoping that he wouldn't ask more questions about his past. Getting the idea, Yugi took control and we continued our conversation.
Later that night, I was sorting out my Duel Monsters cards in my room. I was developing my deck, trying to come up with the best cards to use. Some of the cards were actual cards I had back home, so it was cool to compare my card back home to the one in the actual Yu-Gi-Oh world. As I put the final cards into my deck, I heard someone knock on my door.
"Come in."
The door opened and I saw Yugi walk in.
"Hey, Roxanne," Yugi said with a smile. "I just wanted to let you know that the Duel Monsters Tournament Finals are about to come on."
"Oh my God!" I grabbed all my Duel Monsters cards, panicking. "I totally forgot that was on tonight! How did I forget something important like that!?"
Jumping off my bed, I quickly put my cards in a secret location that only I knew of. Once I was done, I turned back to Yugi to find out that he had already left.
Oh crap! Don't tell me that it already started!
Without tripping over my own feet, I ran down stairs, go through the shop, and went to the living room. But to my surprise, neither Yugi or Sugoroku were there. Hell, not even the TV was on. I stood where I was, completely confused.
That's strange...where is everyone?
"Gotcha!"
I screamed as I felt someone give me a hug from behind me. I turned to see Jonouchi holding me and Honda behind him, laughing their asses off. Anzu, Ryo, and Yugi came into the room, smiling and laughing.
Still startled and shocked, I freed myself from Jonouchi, him still laughing.
"Oh my God, Roxanne!" he cried, tears in his eyes, "you should have seen your face! It was utterly priceless! The way you screamed..."
"Jonouchi, you almost gave me a heart attack!" I shouted, my voice cracking.
"...And you almost killed her, Jonouchi. Way to go," Honda commented laughing. "Though, that would be a funny way to die! Killed by getting a hug."
I face palmed in response.
Calming down, I looked up at Jonouchi.
"Wait...I thought you were still mad at me," I said puzzled.
"Well, true I am angry that you kept the whole 'Killer Board Game' thing a secret," Jonouchi said, a little coldness replacing the laughter. "But after thinking about it, I can see why you did it. I probably wouldn't have believed you if you told us earlier anyway."
He smiled slightly.
"You've also have been a little depressed lately, and you need your friends more than ever. So, let's just pretend it never happened and not keep secrets from each other anymore!"
I smiled slightly and nodded.
Right. No more secrets...
"Well, let's not waste anymore time," Yugi said walking towards the TV. "The game is about to start!"
Everyone then crowded around TV, all waiting anxiously for the tournament to start. Even Sugoroku came in to join us, bringing some snacks with him. I sat down in front of the TV and took in a huge handful of chips.
"So, you're really into Duel Monsters, Roxanne?" Ryo said as he sat next to me.
With a mouthful of chips, I nodded.
"Yep, I'm improving my deck right now as we speak. Soon, it will be unstoppable!"
Ryo smiled. "That's cool. I've just started to collect the cards. I plan on making a deck pretty soon."
I smiled in reply and the tournament started.
No one spoke as the battle between the two finalists, Dinosaur Ryuzaki and Insector Haga, commenced. The battle was epic, as their dinosaur and bug monsters wEere evenly matched. Towards the end of the battle, Ryuzaki summoned Two Headed King Rex to attack Haga's Basic Incest. Haga smirked as he played his trap card, Infinite Dismissal, to trap Ryuzaki's monster from attacking. He then played the spell card, Insect Gun Armor, to increase Basic Insect's attack points. It destroyed Two Headed King Rex and making Ryuzaki's life points go down to zero.
Ryuzaki blinked. "What? I...lost?"
Haga smiled, his arrogance shinning under his glasses. The announcer guy then took Haga out of the arena to meet none other than the man who created Duel Monsters, Maximillion J. Pegasus.
Pegasus then gave Haga a trophy.
"Congratulations, you're quiet a talented duelist," Pegasus said. "You simply must enter the tournament I will be sponsoring!"
Haga blushed and excepted the trophy without second a thought. The announcer then said a few things, mostly advertising limited addition cards, and then the tournament was over. Yugi turned off the TV in response and we started to discuss about the final duel.
Suddenly, the doorbell Sugoroku walked out of the room. He came back a few minutes later and handed Yugi a package.
"The delivery man just brought this in," Sugoroku explained. "They said that it came in late and couldn't get it delivered until now."
Yugi looked down at the package not sure who or why it was sent to him. He then opened it and inside was a videotape, a glove, two cards, a letter, and two star chips.
My eyes widened.
"Hm, I wonder who sent this?" Yugi asked, mostly to himself.
"Maybe it will say on the tape," Jonouchi suggested.
I gasped.
"Roxanne, did you say something?" Yugi asked, faintly hearing me.
Everyone looked up at me, clearly noticing my discomfort.
I froze.
What was I suppose to say? What would happen if I warned them about Duelist Kingdom? If Duelist Kingdom didn't happened...the whole series would change, and I wouldn't have any control of what would happen in the future.
It was just like Death-T; I didn't know what to do.
"Roxanne, are you okay? Say something," Ryo said, trying to bring me back to reality.
"I...uh...it's just...I..."
It was like I completely forgot how to speak.
"Damn it, Roxanne!" I shouted at myself. "You're putting your friends in danger again! You have the power to stop horrible events! You should use it!"
"Uh...I think the stress of school is getting to her," Jonouchi commented as he was about to put the tape into the tape player.
"Jonouchi, no!" I cried, standing up.
But it was too late; he already put the tape into the tape player. The TV screen turned black for a minute and then the face of Pegasus appeared.
Everyone gasped.
"At last we meet, Yugi-Boy!" Pegasus exclaimed happily, giving Yugi a friendly, and malevolent, look.
"Pegasus!" Yugi and Jonouchi exclaimed at the same time.
Honda, Anzu, Sugoroku, Ryo, and I stared at the screen, too shocked for words.
Pegasus smiled amused at our reactions to him.
"I'm glad to see I've left an impression on you. But, let us get straight to business."
He lifted up a deck of Duel Monsters cards up the screen.
"I challenge Yugi, the boy who defeated Kaiba-Boy, to a duel. I want to see if you're as good as the rumors say."
"Play against a monitor?" Sugoroku questioned. "That's impossible! How is he going to know what cards Yugi plays?"
Yugi stared at Pegasus, as if he wasn't quite sure he heard him right. He then nodded slowly and pulled out his deck from his pocket.
"I never back down from a challenge, so why should I back down from this one?"
Pegasus smiled. "Wonderful! I'm so excited to get started!"
Yugi nodded and he began to shuffle his deck. Pegasus was doing the same. I watched them work, scared out of my mind of what was going to happen. I then cleared my throat.
"Uh…Yugi, I don't think this is a good idea."
Everyone turned to me, including Pegasus in the TV. Yugi looked at me, as if asking me mentally if I knew the outcome of this duel.
"Well…what's the point of defeating a recording?" I questioned, trying to explain my reasoning. "I mean, it's stupid!"
"I...guess she has a point, Yugi," Honda commented in agreement. "It doesn't seem right."
Anzu, Ryo, and Sugoroku nodded as well.
Yugi turned to Pegasus. Pegasus looked slightly disappointed but he said nothing. He glared at me for a split second then turned his attention to Yugi.
"Alright, if you don't want to duel me here, it is your wish. I won't force you to, though I do wish to invite you to my Duel Monsters Tournament on my private island, Duelist Kingdom. Like I said, I do wish to test your skill."
Yugi studied Pegasus for a moment, as if he was trying to figure out if he was sincere.
"…We'll see. I'll try to come if I can."
Pegasus smiled happily.
"Great! The invitation in the package will explain everything. I look forward to seeing you at Duelist Kingdom, Yugi-Boy!"
The screen turned black and the tape ended.
How did he make that tape anyway? Shadow magic? I never understood that.
A deep silence filled the room, no one sure what to say.
Yugi then turned to me. "Roxanne, you knew what was going to happen if I dueled Pegasus, didn't you?"
I looked down at the floor, not wanting to look at anyone in the eye. "…Yes, I did."
"What would have happened if Yugi dueled him?" Anzu asked worried.
I sighed heavily.
"…Yugi would have been utterly destroyed by Pegasus. He would have lost and Pegasus would have called a 'Penalty Game.' He then would have stolen Mr. Mutou's soul into the video tape."
Anzu gasped while the others started at me, shocked. I then looked at Yugi straight in the eye.
"Yugi, Duelist Kingdom is a trap for you, but you must go. I don't want to put you in danger, any of you, but it is your fate. Duelist Kingdom is the first journey to an incredible and dangerous adventure that awaits you. I can't tell you all the details, as knowing too much could destroy the future, but you must trust me."
Silence filled the air, neither me nor Yugi wanting to speak. I heard Sugoroku asking Honda what I was talking about and he explained to him about my psychic powers.
Suddenly, I saw Atem took Yugi's place in his body and gave me a slight nod.
"Alright, Roxanne. I trust you. I will go and face Pegasus and see what is in store for me."
I smiled slightly at Atem's confidence.
"And you won't be alone," Jonouchi added. "We'll come as well, you know, for support!"
Honda, Ryo, and Anzu nodded in agreement.
Atem smiled. "Thanks, guys."
"And, who knows," Jonouchi said. "I may enter this tournament myself!"
"But didn't Roxanne just say it was a trap?" Anzu questioned.
"Yes…but still! I'm becoming a better duelist everyday! I want to test my skill on real, high class, duelists!"
Anzu sighed heavily but said nothing else.
"But, Roxanne," Atem suddenly asked. "What made Pegasus so difficult to defeat?"
My face darkened.
"It was the power of his Millennium Item, the Millennium Eye. It gives him the power to read minds."
"The Millennium Eye?" Ryo questioned.
I glanced over at him. By the look he was giving me, I could tell he wanted ask me more questions. But before Ryo or I could speak, Jonouchi got up and said, "Well, we should all get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow if we are going to prepare for Duelist Kingdom!"
Everyone nodded in agreement and we all went our separate ways, preparing for what will come next.
