Opening Notes; I realize it's been some time since my last update, and for that I apologize yet again. Hopefully this more character driven chapter will make up for the trouble. Part of it is the fact my littlest brother is going in for surgery pretty soon, and we're still going through crap with my dad. Even so, hopefully things will calm down and I can get back to this in earnest. At any rate, enjoy guys and gals. See ya!

That last update was some time ago, but things are better now. My dad is still giving us trouble occasionally, but thankfully he won't be getting out of prison for quite some time. Also, my brother's major back surgery went well and he's recovered quite nicely. Anyway, thanks for understanding folks, and here's hoping I can get this story going again. See ya!

Chapter 9; The Fools' Journey Begins

Domino City

The eve of the Duelist Kingdom Tournament….

Thanks in large part to Mitsuru Kirijo and her near limitless resources as head of the Kirijo group, Yu and Nanako were able to make it to the Domino City Docks a couple hours before the boat for Duelist Kingdom was bound for departure. While it had made him feel a little guilty, asking for a ride on one of Mitsuru's private jets, Yu was grateful she'd been so willing to assist them in their critical mission in getting Ryotora's soul back by any means. Despite his misgivings, she had made it abundantly clear she was more than happy to help them in any way, and hadn't hesitated to give them the means to arrive safely at their destination. Not to mention the fact that trying to get his katana through security would have been….interesting, to put it kindly.

Now, after a nine hour flight across the ocean, having slept most of the way there, Yu and Nanako were greeted by the sight of Domino City just as their plane began its final descent. Without a word, both he and his cousin gathered their few bags before heading outside towards the waiting limousine that had been prepared for them. There hadn't been a lot of talking since the day had started. That changed though once they were settled in the back of the vehicle, when Nanako looked up at her 'Big Bro'. "Are you...alright?"

"No….but I will be once this is over Nanako." He replied honestly before managing a small, weak smile for her benefit. "I'm just worried about what we might be heading into."

"Me too…." She muttered softly, before leaning against Yu's side and wrapping her arms around his waist. "But I know we'll be fine."

"Yeah." I really hope so. Yu didn't state his doubts aloud, not with Nanako relying on him so much, but that didn't stop him from looking out the window with trepidation. Pegasus might not have stolen Marie's powers, but he was not to be underestimated. Yu had done that once already and his uncle, Nanako's father, had paid the price. He was damned and determined not to make the same mistake twice. Looking at his reflection in the glass, Yu took some measure of strength from Izanagi's intense gaze before the image reverted to his normal face. It wasn't enough to beat back his personal guilt completely, but it certainly helped.

About twenty minutes and a few text messages to their friends later, Yu and Nanako were soon looking upon the ship that would take them to Duelist Kingdom. It was an impressive sight, to be sure, but after flying first class on a private jet, Yu simply considered the giant boat another means of transportation to their final destination. The luxury liner could have been a hollowed out shell for all he cared, so long as it got them to where they needed to be. With a nod, he and Nanako soon disembarked once the limousine had come to a full stop, gathered their bags, and made for the heavily guarded boarding ramp where Pegasus's goons waited. The fact his gray eyes caught a leather holster, containing a pistol, underneath the nearest guard's black coat didn't bother him. A man with a gun was a far cry from monsters born in the dark of humanity's hearts and minds, but he still made it a point not to piss these guys off lightly.

"Please have your dueling gauntlets and star chips ready before boarding." One of the black suited apes called out, but Yu and Nanako were way ahead of the competition, having been wearing their own gloves since getting on the plane, star chips already in their slots on the white cuff around the wrist. "Names please." The man said once he and Nanako were next in line.

"Yu Narukami, from Inaba, Japan. My cousin, Nanako Dojima." Yu stated softly, his gray eyes sweeping the crowd ahead of him before returning to the guard before him. There had been a much larger turnout than he'd been expecting, but that wasn't his concern. It just meant more opportunities to get what they needed to get a shot at Pegasus.

The man nodded his head in recognition as they presented their gloved hands for inspection. "Ah, the Persona Duelist. Master Pegasus will be pleased. Welcome to the Duelist Kingdom tournament." With that, the man stepped aside, allowing them up the ramp.

Once they were onboard, they breathed a little easier, glad that the guard hadn't decided to search Yu's gray duffel bag. He'd have found the katana that had served him during his days in the Midnight Channel, and Nanako's newly acquired staff, on top of their respective armors. It'd be real hard to explain that to someone who hadn't been in the same situation. But the guards hadn't bothered to look, so Yu didn't worry too much as he led the way deeper into the ship. "Let's see if we can find our rooms."

"Alright Big Bro. Don't we get luxury rooms because we were in the finals in the Inaba Tournament?" Nanako asked, earning a soft smile as Yu shrugged, honestly unsure given how they had gotten to the finals in the first place.

It was true they had made it to the finals, but they hadn't technically played in the final round against each other. A fact someone made known when she stepped between them, a smug smirk on her gold blonde hair framed face, a bag slung over her shoulder. "Let me see if I got this right. You're the Persona Duelist everyone's talkin' about? Winning by default because the stadium decides to fall apart doesn't make you first rate duelists by anyone's standards kiddoes."

"And you are?" Yu asked, and subconsciously put a hand on Nanako's shoulder and pushed her behind him ever so subtly. He didn't fear for her safety, but he wanted the woman's attention on him alone.

He needn't have worried since her purple eyes were fixed solely on his gray orbs. "Mai Valentine. You might have been hot stuff in the boonies kid, but out here, you're either a champ or a chump." Mai jammed a finger into his chest before she continued. "Let me give ya a piece of advice, since I'm feeling so generous. Lose the big brother act because she's only going to slow you down. You'd be better off cutting her loose now kid. In this game, it's everyone for themselves."

Yu mentally sighed, having a feeling he knew why Mai was here, but it wasn't his place to point out her flaws on their first meeting. Instead, he made his intentions clear regarding his 'Little Sister'. It'd have to be enough to get Mai to back off. "I understand all too well what's at stake in this game, but I won't cut my little cousin loose, even if it would make my own chances of winning that much better. That's not who I am." Yu gently pushed past Mai with Nanako right behind him. She was too stunned to respond, and by the time she recovered, they were long gone.

Stopping at the aft deck of the vessel, Yu thought he saw a glimpse of a young man with silver gray, messy hair on the other side of the deck, wearing a white shirt and blue pants with a strange, golden medallion around his neck, but when he looked again, he was gone. "Did you se-"

"Big Bro?" Nanako asked, having missed the boy altogether.

"Nevermind." Yu replied and leaned on the railing, sighing heavily as he stared out at the ocean just as they started forward once the last of the contestants boarded. Looking to his left, he saw Nanako crossed her arms over the bar in front of them, and was surprised by the beaming smile on her face. "I meant what I said to Mai."

"I know, and that's why I'm so happy Big Bro." Nanako exclaimed excitedly, her smile all but encompassing her face before she put a finger to her bottom lip and seemed to be pondering something. "But why would she say you should 'cut me loose'?"

Yu chuckled warmly and turned around so his back was against the metal railing. "She fights for herself Nanako, and she probably thinks she's better off without someone to drag her down, a fact she made clear by what she said, and there were some physical cues as well. Her sophisticated appearance could have only come from money poorly spent, or well spent if you were to ask her. While that alone doesn't determine character, since Mitsuro is a good example you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but what she said and how she carried herself revealed a lot more than anything else."

"Wow Big Bro, you're so smart." Nanako beamed, smiling widely at Yu's astute observation. "It's no wonder you were able to find Adachi and Namatame and Mitsuo."

"I've had time to learn how to read people." He chuckled softly and smiled. "It took a lot of time to develop the skills we've all gained Nanako, but thanks." Yu replied, and ruffled his cousin's hair before relaxing against the railing. "Mai might be a loner, but if given the right push, she could become a strong, valuable friend, like so many of our friends back in Inaba. We'll see what happens though."

"She was kinda pretty." Yu chuckled again and Nanako smiled before a frown pulled at her lips. "Rise might not like her though."

"The thought had crossed my mind." Yu chuckled one last time, imagining what Rise might have done in his place. She would have torn Mai to pieces, verbally speaking, if she had been present for the duelist's tirade against dragging Nanako along. "But be it as it may, Mai did give me something to think about. We are on our own out here. We can't trust anyone, not easily at least."

"Right. We have to win...for daddy's sake." Nanako whispered as she looked down, only for Yu to kneel down and hug her against his chest.

"We will, I promise." Yu replied, before standing to his feet just as something crashed behind them. "Who's there?" He asked, his hand almost reaching for the duffel bag he had dropped by his feet, but he resisted the impulse the moment he recognized its source. This wasn't a Shadow attack, it was just someone listening in.

"I told you to hold still Tristan!" A young woman shouted before pushing her companion in the light. He stumbled and fell at Yu and Nanako's feet.

"Hey, you're the one that kept on stepping on my feet Tea!" A brown coated young man grumbled as he jumped to his feet just as his female companion stepped into the light.

"I wouldn't have been doing that if you could hold still!" The one he had called Tea shouted back.

Yu and Nanako could only stare at the two and feel sweat drop down the back of their necks. "Maybe we should leave them alone Big Bro?" Yu had a similar thought, but before they could start away, Tae and Tristan looked towards them and immediately jumped away from each other, chuckling in embarrassment. "Are you two done fighting?" Nanako asked innocently.

"Y-yeah. Sorry you had to see that." Tea offered and bowed her head slightly.

"It's alright, but why were you listening in on us?" Yu asked and crossed his arms over his chest.

"We….were kinda hiding from Pegasus's goons." Tristan admitted, his cheeks turning a bright pink. "We're here hoping to support a friend."

"Speaking of, have you seen a purple and yellow haired boy about this high?" Tea asked, holding her hand up almost halfway up to her waist line. "Wearing a blue jacket, has a gold pyramid pendant around his neck?"

"No, but we'll keep an eye out for him. What's his name?" Yu asked, curiosity getting the better of him now that he wasn't on his guard. Despite their rough start, he was already starting to get a good feeling about the two young teens.

"His name's Yugi Moto." Tea replied, eliciting a sharp gasp from Yu for his trouble. "I take it you've heard of him?"

"Yeah, we have." Yu replied once he had recovered. It shouldn't have come as any surprise that Yugi, the newest up and coming Duelist, would be here. "He beat Seto Kaiba in an unofficial match in Domino City by summoning Exodia, the Forbidden One."

"Against three Blue Eyes White Dragons, the most powerful dragon type monsters in the game!" Nanako exclaimed, earning a light laugh from Tae as she nodded her head in agreement. With such a high profile duel, it hadn't taken long for the play by play to escape Kaiba's arena since every duel, official or not, was recorded in the stadium's sophisticated computer core and saved to an Industrial Illusions or Kaiba Corp server, depending on where the duel took place according to Naoto's intelligence.

"That's what we heard from our friend Joey, he was there rooting Yugi on the whole time." Tristan explained and nodded his head, as if agreeing with himself. "Yep, that's blondie for ya, and we missed it because we got stuck babysitting Gramps." Despite the insult, neither Nanako or Yu got the impression it was a true complaint.

Tea didn't catch it though and glared up at her taller friend. "If Kaiba hadn't roughed up Yugi's grandpa in the first place, he wouldn't have been in that mess Tristan."

"Whoa! That's not what I meant at all!" Tristan retorted and held up his hands in an effort to calm down Tea. "I know we did the right thing, I just wish we coulda seen Yugi cream that sleazeball was all I was sayin'!"

"Oh….right, sorry." Tea replied before turning back to Yu and Nanako. "And I'm sorry, in all the excitement, we never got your names."

"Yu Narukami, from Inaba, Japan." Yu said as he smiled and held out his hand to the pair. "This is my cousin, Nanako Dojima."

"Hello." Nanako said and bowed her head slightly, a beaming smile pulling at her lips.

"Wait, why do I know those names?" Tristan asked as he grasped the offered limb before jerking his hand back as if he'd been burnt. "No way! You were in the Inaba Regionals! We saw your matches on TV!"

"You're the Persona Duelist!" Tea exclaimed in excitement while pointing at Yu, her blue eyes sparkling before she bent down and smiled widely towards Nanako. "You were especially good Nanako, the way you tried to cheer up your friend even though you had just defeated him."

"Hehe, thanks!" Nanako replied and managed to widen her smile even further at the praise.

"You're a pretty tough customer yourself Yu." Tristan stated as his brown eyes fell on Yu's face. "Where'd you get a deck like that?"

"It's a long story, but let's just say that like some duelists, I consider my cards an extension of who I am." Yu replied honestly, although they had no idea just how true that statement was, for both of them now. Nanako didn't miss the subtle hint and only nodded her head sagely in agreement.

"Are you sure you don't know our friend Yugi?" Tea asked, and when the pair shook their heads, her thoughtful expression only deepened. "That's strange, because he's often said something similar. Although I guess similar ideas wouldn't be exclusive to just our side of the ocean."

"Yep." Tristen agreed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Plus, you seem pretty cool. We need to find little Yugi, and an extra pair of eyes would help out in that crowd." He emphasized his point by pointing to the horde of young and old duelists alike that were milling about behind them.

Nanako and Yu shared a look, and while his cousin was excited by the prospect of meeting their friend, he had a different reason for wanting to meet him. He remembered Mitsuru's warning regarding Yugi Moto and the fact the Shadows had become active again not long after he had taken down Seto. Then there was the fact that Marie had been stripped of her powers before the first Shadow attack in the Regionals. There was just too many coincidences stacking up, and all of them seemed tied to Yugi somehow. Even so, Yu kept his suspicions to himself and merely nodded at the offer. "We'll be happy to help you look for him." He said at last before swinging his duffel bag over his shoulder while Nanako picked up her own with a cheer.

"Great! Thank you for your help guys." Tea said, earning her another nod from Yu for her trouble before she took off with Tristan doing his best to keep up.

"Hey wait up!" He shouted after her, even as his mind turned inward. Something seems….off about that Narukami guy. While he didn't seem threatening, Tristan had seen too much in the last couple of days to brush off his suspicions easily. He didn't believe in magic, not yet, but something strange had definitely happened when Yugi had popped in that video, only for Solomon Muto to fall over what had felt like moments later to him, Joey, and Tea. And before that, there had been the two times the screen had faded out during the Inaba Regionals, the second of which had seen the stadium destroyed during what authorities had claimed had been a small gas leak. Something weird was definitely going on, and Tristan had a feeling Yu was one to watch.

Still, he pushed those thoughts to the side and aided in the search for Yugi, but with so many other duelists, it wasn't an easy task. It also didn't help that the ship was huge, even if most of it was barred off to the passengers by Pegasus's goons. The guest and luxury quarter levels alone were a big enough area to slow down their progress substantially. Their search came to an abrupt end though when they heard a cackle off in the distance. "Say goodbye to Exodia!" Yu gasped just as Tristan, Tea, and Nanako saw someone throw several cards over the side of the ship.

Turning towards the source of the cry, Yu was the first to see a blonde teenager jump into the water right after the cards with a small, dark purple and yellow haired boy standing at his side, yelling at him to stop. He also saw a blue haired kid, no taller than the boy standing by the railing, cackling as he walked off. I'll deal with him later. Yu thought to himself as he ran to their side, having only one path before him as far as he was concerned. "Get a life preserver, now!" Yu shouted over his shoulder as he dropped his bag, dropped his cellphone into Nanako's hands, and followed after the blonde idiot without a second thought. Springing off the railing, Yu dived into the water. There wasn't time to think as he swam towards the floundering blonde just as he started to go under. Idiot! Cards aren't worth your life! Yu mentally screamed as he took a deep breath before going under the surface. Catching sight of the young man's green jacket, Yu grabbed hold and promptly started back up. Breaking the surface, he was relieved to see his cargo was still breathing. "Good, you can help get us back to the ship."

"Wha? Who are you?!" The blonde asked weakly, having no doubt exhausted himself. Before he could press for answers, a red and white flotation device to land right next to his head. "Nevermind, thanks for coming to get me!" Yu only nodded as he did his best to assist the blonde back to the ship, securing him in the life preserver before those onboard dragged him back up. Yu didn't have to wait long before they threw it back down and got him up just as quickly.

Once they were safely back on deck, Yu and his companion were sprawled out on the deck, soaked from head to toe and cold to boot. He hardly noticed, just glad both of them were alright as Nanako ran up to his side. "I'm alright, I promise." He reassured her as he sat up slowly once he had gotten his breath back.

"Thank you for saving his life." Looking to his right, Yu met the young boy's purple eyes and nodded.

"It was the right thing to do." Was all he was able to say before Joey, Yu figured given Tristan and Tea's earlier description, jerked his hand out, clutching three cards between his fingers towards his friend.

"Sorry Yugi...I was only able to get three of 'em." Joey said, his head hung low in shame.

"Joey it's alright. You're far more important to me than a few cards." Yugi replied before taking them and putting them in his jacket pocket. "Still, I can't thank you enough trying to get them back after Weevil threw them overboard, but all this will have been for nothing if I lost my best friend. Besides, what would your sister do without you?"

"Yugi….thanks pal. You're the greatest." Joey sniffled and wiped at his eyes with the back of one green sleeve. It was all he was able to do before Yu dragged him to his feet, his hands clenched tightly around the front of his jacket. "Hey! Lemme go!"

"Not until you listen." Yu growled dangerously in his throat before pointing at Tristan, Tea, and Yugi with his free hand. He didn't need both to keep Joey in his grasp. It had the added side effect of freezing the three to the spot. "While I understand why you'd do something so utterly moronic, your life is far more valuable than a few cards. Throwing that away just to save them is the worst idea I've ever heard." With a jerk of his hand, he let Joey drop to his butt in front of his friends before his hard visage softened somewhat. "Your loyalty is admirable, Joey, but not if it costs you everything over something that can easily be replaced." It was here that he looked to Yugi directly, who met his gaze and nodded in reluctant agreement. "Sorry, I know it's not my place, but-"

"It's alright." Yugi said and managed a small smile in gratitude for his saving and even chastising his friend. "I'm just glad everything turned out okay." It was here that he looked up to Tristan and Tea, bemused by their being there. "Uh, not to sound ungrateful, but just what are you two doing here?"

"We couldn't let you face Pegasus alone Yug." Tristan said and crossed his arms over his chest before nodding his head.

"That's right. Besides, we're your friends too Yugi." Tea stated next. "That and Joey would be lost without us." She teased, which earned her a playful growl from the aforementioned blonde.

"Thanks guys." Yugi said, looking up to his close friends, his purple eyes shining in silent thanks and joy for their continued support.

Yu and Nanako let them continue on in peace, a small, wistful smile of his own pulling at his lips as he remembered his own close friends back in Inaba. He and his cousin were drawn out of their thoughts when Yugi closed the gap between them and held out his hand. "Sorry, in all the excitement, I forgot to introduce myself." The boy said, but Yu smirked and waved him off before grasping his hand firmly in his own. "I'm Y-"

"Yugi Muto, I know. Tea and Tristan told us about you." Yu said as he shook Yugi's hand. "I'm Yu Narukami."

"Hello." Nanako said, her cheeks a little red as she shyly introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Muto."

"Haha, it's just Yugi. It's nice to meet you too though Nanako." Yugi replied and rubbed the back of his neck in mild embarrassment. "Sorry you got dragged into that mess earlier." Again Yu waved him off.

"It's fine. I've been in worse situations than that." They had no idea, but Yu shrugged out of his jacket and sighed as he folded it over his arm before hefting his duffel bag. "I'd stay and chat-"

"Ah no sweat it Naru." Joey chimed in, and smirked before jerking his head to the passenger dorms on the boat. "If ya gotta change, no sweat. 'Sides, you did good saving my butt and all. It was kinda harebrained now that I think about it."

"Gee ya think?" Tea muttered with a roll of her blue eyes.

Ignoring their light hearted banter, Yugi beamed and started away with his friends in tow. "It was nice to meet you both. I'm sure we'll see you in the tournament. Good luck."

"You too Yugi." Yu called out after them before looking down towards Nanako. "What do you think Nanako?"

"I like him, he seemed nice." She replied before a thoughtful look crossed her face and she put a finger against her bottom lip. "But there was something...strange about him." She couldn't put her finger on it, but Yu knew what she meant.

"Yeah, I felt it too." He had no idea what it meant, but Yu put it to the back of his mind for now. Something about that strange golden puzzle around Yugi's neck had set Yu's nerves on edge. Not in alarm exactly, or to the point he felt the need to draw his katana and defend himself, but it hadn't set well with him either. It was just...off, like that gray haired boy he had seen earlier. Shaking his head, Yu sighed tiredly. "There's no point in worrying about it right now Nanako. Yugi seems like a truly nice kid, and his friends reminded me of our own back home. Whatever's going on, I don't think he's an enemy exactly, not like Pegasus anyway. In the tournament though we might have to duel him."

"But we might be able to be friends with him?" Nanako asked excitedly, to which Yu chuckled warmly and nodded. She immediately gave a cheerful shout in response. "Yay!" Not two seconds after that, Nanako put a hand in front of her mouth and yawned mightily.

"Alright you, let's get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day." Yu said and led his cousin away from the railing. Whatever tomorrow brought, he was sure the start of the tournament would reveal just what they were going to be facing later.

Asking directions from one of the guards, they were soon in the hall that led to their quarters, and were just in time to see another height challenged purple haired boy with a red beanie on his head being tossed out of his room by none other than Mai Valentine. "Drat. I think I'm in love." They heard him say, but whatever had happened, neither he nor Nanako stuck around to find out. Not that they had far to wonder when they came to their door seconds later, the front of which had their names plastered on the front.

They shared a look before Yu shrugged and pushed the door open, revealing one large, king sized bed and a smaller one across the lavishly appointed room, right by a rather large bathroom. "Gotta give Pegasus this much credit, he doesn't skimp on anything." Yu mused aloud, unsure if he should feel honored or creeped out. He settled for a combination of both, especially given the situation they found themselves in.

It came as no surprise then that when Yu settled in for the rest of the night, his dreams revolved around his confrontation with Pegasus. Of the master duelist holding up the Soul Prison card, a name the team and himself had come up with, between his thumb and index finger, with Ryotaro Dojima's face plastered on it. Yu woke up with a sigh, his gray eyes searching the ceiling for answers that weren't there. I will get you back. He vowed to himself before looking to the side, where Nanako was resting comfortably at least. He almost envied her, but Yu knew this wasn't any easier on her. I will get him back Nanako, I promised and I intend to keep my word.

He wasn't sure when he fell back to sleep, but the next conscious thought he had was of Nanako shaking his arm. "Big Bro, Big Bro! We gotta get going or we're gonna be late!" He yawned, blinked his eyes, and nodded when his brain caught up with the rest of him before throwing the covers off. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Nanako's armor was missing from his duffel bag. When he looked towards her in her pink top and jean pants, she blushed and pulled the top of her shirt down just enough for him to see the robe like attire underneath. He nodded his approval before doing the same, feeling far less naked with his old armor back underneath his gray shirt and black leather jacket.

He kept his katana and Nanako's staff in his duffel for now, and simply carried it on his shoulder as he'd been doing since this mess began. Leading the way out of their room, Yu couldn't help but wonder what awaited them as the island came into sight over the starboard side.