Chapter 9

'Is this some kind of sick joke?' Joey growled at the mini-Kaiba.

Confused, the Squire followed Joey's gaze.

'Seto?' He gasped. 'But you're not… No!'

'What is this exactly,' Joey fumed, 'some kind of payback for what the Standings did to our people?'

'I don't know what you're talking about.' The Copycat remained focused on his opponent.

'Yugi,' the Squire turned back towards the Pharaoh, 'I think this creep beat my brother last night.'

'Mokuba,' now it was the Pharaoh's turn to speak, 'what happened to you? How did you become like this?'

'I don't know. I don't remember much about yesterday.' The Squire stared down at the ground. 'But I do know the last time he summoned me it was in a duel against my brother. I know I'm powerful for a four star monster, but Seto had his Blue Eyes on the field.' He blinked back tears. 'The look on his face when he saw me... I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. He froze up and then he got angry and started shouting at this guy who looked exactly like me. Saying it was bad enough battling an imposter without him playing a trick like this. The guy said if he was so sure it was a trick why didn't he attack me. I told Seto it was okay, that he should attack me, but... I guess he couldn't do it. And I think that's what this creep was hoping for,' he glanced back towards the fake Kaiba, 'that Seto wouldn't attack a duel monster who looked like his brother. How else could anyone have beaten him?'

'You're sick you know that?' Joey glared at the mini-Kaiba. 'You're sick. This is sick. How can you do this? Just what kind of monster are you?'

'My turn isn't over yet,' the Copycat ignored him, 'I have one final card to play, the Light to Shadows card.'

Instantly a bright light filled the playing field.

'No! No! No!' Joey pulled at his hair. 'You traitor, you traitor. You evil little traitor. I hate you!'

'You think I'm evil?' For the first time the mini-Kaiba's calm mask began to falter as he stared down at Joey.

'Only an evil person could do something like this.'

'But I... I...' his head moved almost vacantly from side to side, then he appeared to force himself to look away and harden his jaw line. 'You don't know what you're talking about and I believe me and Yugi are in the middle of a duel here.'

'I don't know what I'm talking about when I call you evil?' Joey laughed with disgust. 'You're the one playing the Light to Shadows card knowing full well what it does. If you're not evil, then I pray to all the gods I never meet something that is.'

'I don't understand Joey,' Téa frowned, 'what exactly is so bad about that card?'

'I think I can answer that one.' A figure appeared beside Joey, causing him to start more than a little.

'SK?' The Squire stared down at his cousin.

'I can't believe I'm seeing this.' He shook his head before licking his lips nervously and casting a glance towards Joey.

'So what does the card do?' Téa asked again.

'Jay told me about it when I started asking questions about the connection between the Silkoneons and duel monsters,' SK licked his lips. 'See the Light to Shadows card is one of a pair used to capture and release souls from the game of duel monsters. It might sound a little incredible, but the loser of this duel will become a new duel monster card.'

'What?' Téa's gaze shot towards the Pharaoh.

'Who in their right mind would create a card like that?' Duke glanced back towards SK, who licked his lips nervously again.

'The First…' Joey stammered, 'she... she made it and Shadows to Light card to reverse it.'

'But why?'

'I don't know. I just... I just found them in my chamber one day with this note saying I had to keep them safe. And I thought I had. I didn't think... I didn't think anyone knew where they were but me. But...' he gripped his fingers into his hair, 'I don't... I don't remember... I don't remember what I did with them. I... I just remember thinking they were somewhere safe.'

'It's not your fault Joey,' Tristan gritted his teeth, 'it's hers.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' SK licked his lips as he shot a look in Tristan's direction.

'I...'

'Enough, I believe it's still my turn.' The mini Kaiba cut him off. 'My four star monster is stronger than your Dark Magician Girl Yugi, how do you feel about that?' He laughed. 'I attack your monster with the Squire of Dragons.' Against his will the Squire ran forward and attacked the Dark Magician Girl, wiping out a hundred of the Pharaoh's life points. 'I end my turn.'

'Draw.' Yami drew a new card. 'I play one monster in defence mode and end my turn.'

'Draw.' The mini Kaiba smirked. 'Well this is interesting. You might even say it was the card I was hoping for, because this is going to make things so much fun. I play my Cost Down magic card in order to summon the Blue Eyes Knight.'

A knight in a shimmering blue and white suit of armour appeared on the field.

'Kaiba are you okay?' The Pharaoh stared at the Knight.

'What's going on, what's happening to me?' The Knight stared down at his hands, then towards the Squire at his side and then back at the mini version of himself stood behind him. 'This has to be some kind of bad dream.'

'I'm afraid it's no dream Kaiba.'

'You did this to me, didn't you?' He glared at the Copycat. 'You're the same punk who kidnapped my brother last night, aren't you?'

'Maybe there's some hope for him yet,' Tristan murmured as he folded his arms.

'From what I've seen of my cousin he probably still believes this is a dream and is just going along with it,' SK shook his head before focusing his attention on his cousins. 'Mokuba, Seto, everything's going to be okay, I promise, just hold in there, okay?'

'You again,' the Knight returned SK's gaze.

'Long time no see cousin.' He licked his lips. 'I'd ask how things were going but I have to report this back to the Mistresses, see...'

'No!' Joey cut him off. 'You have to stay. You have to watch the end of this duel. Those are your orders. I...'

But before he could finish what he was saying, a bright light illuminated the far wall revealing a line of cages filled with unconscious bodies. Several of the bodies looked familiar but there was only one the whole group's eyes seemed to be drawn to. Joey's jaw dropped so far open it almost fell off its hinges.

'I don't believe this,' he shook his head, 'Mai!'