Chapter Eleven

I was led to my room, provided by Kaiba Corp - - big surprise there, and slid my keycard through the lock. It beeped and I walked inside. I knew Tea, Tristan and Duke went to go bug Joey since they thought Yugi and I deserved to focus before the duels. I honestly didn't know why, Yugi was in trouble here and needed to focus, not me. But for whatever reason it was, I was grateful for the quiet. I went to the bed and collapsed into it, reveling in a long-needed nap.

However, while I was asleep, all sorts of energies gathered inside the blimp. Whether they be positive and upbeat, like everyone was in Joey's room, or soft and pensive like Odion's room, or worry from Yugi's, and what I feared to be sinister vibes coming from Marik's room. But sleep consumed me before I had time to dwell on that subject.

Yugi and the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle were in their room, quietly preparing for the first duels.

"Kaiba's right." Yugi said out loud, "If I'm going to stand any chance at stopping Marik, I'm going to have to put Slifer the Sky Dragon in my deck."

"You made the correct choice, Yugi." Yami said with a nod, "It is a powerful card and we need to be careful. But the fate of the world depends on us."

Yugi nodded, "I know. But that's not all I'm worried about."

"Go on." Yami encouraged.

"Something's been bugging me about Bakura. Just how did he recover so fast and enter the finals? Unless the person on board isn't Bakura." Yugi said quietly.

"You think it's the Spirit of the Millennium Ring?" Yami asked.

Yugi nodded, "Mmhmm. Even though Tristan got rid of it in Duelist Kingdom, Bakura somehow got it back."

"You can't predict the path of a Millennium Item, Yugi." Yami added cryptically.

"And to add on top of that, I'm worried about Aimee." Yugi brought up.

"Aimee? Why?"

Yugi shook his head, "She's been acting really weird lately. Like she knows something we don't. And that Namu guy, is it just coincidence that they know each other?"

"There is no such thing as coincidence, Yugi. There is only fate." Yami quipped.

Yugi sighed, "She's not herself. Not since Namu's shown up. I'm worried."

"Why?" Yami asked again.

"Because!" Yugi said, getting aggravated, "She's really sensitive and what if Namu really hurts her or something? What if he already has and that's why she's always so distracted and out of it?"

"Yugi, I'm sure Aimee can fend for herself. You aren't her protector." Yami told him.

"I know." He sighed in defeat, "I just feel bad for her is all. She virtually had no one until she met us. No parents, no family. Just Namu, and he was in Egypt."

"Yes, but now she has us and everybody else." Yami tried to cheer Yugi up, "That's a gift in itself."

"Yeah." Yugi shook his head, "I just have a bad feeling, is all. I think she lied to us that time at the coffee shop. The tournament wasn't what was bothering her. I know it. Something else is going on that she's keeping from us."

"How did you jump to that conclusion?" Yami asked with a raised brow.

"Call it a gut instinct." Yugi said with determination.

Yami grinned, "And we live off of those instincts."

"Will the Battle City Finalists please meet in the hall!" one of Kaiba's grunts announced over the speakers. Yugi stood and put his deck in his duel disk.

"This is it! The fate of the world depends on me and the heart of the cards!"