Chapter 13

I found it difficult to return to normal life despite my best attempts. The subjects taught at school appeared too boring following the exciting events of the past couple of days. I hoped it would become easier to pay attention as the days passed. I normally enjoyed learning, so perhaps I just needed time to decompress.

I shot up from my seat as soon as we were free to leave. "Do you want to head over to my house or yours?" I asked Bakura like I did most days. The sooner we could get back to our normal routine the better.

Bakura did not meet my eyes as he stood up. "Actually, I think I need some time alone with my family today. After everything that happened, you know…" He finally offered me an awkward smile.

I blinked. "Oh. Okay. That's fine."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

My eyes followed him as he left the room. Over the years I had known him, he had become great at concealing his emotions from me, which was no small feat. I told myself that, if he was mad at me or something, I would sense something. As it was, I decided to give him some space. Duelist Kingdom must have been harder on him since he had been more of an observer and victim than actor.

"Samia, if you want, you can come hang out with us at my grandpa's shop," Yugi said from his desk where he, Tea, Tristan, and Joey were gathered.

I hesitated. "I don't know…"

Before I could finish, Joey slung an arm over my shoulder, causing me to flinch. "Come on, what are you afraid of?" he said, giving me a wink. "We don't bite."

"Yugi's place is fun," Tea added.

I allowed a small smile to form on my face. I sensed their sincerity, and it was greatly appreciated. "Okay. Thanks, Yugi."I quickly grabbed my belongings and then followed my new friends out the door.

The Kame Game Shop was much more inviting in the daytime than it was at night. We were greeted enthusiastically by Yugi's grandpa, who had thankfully made a full recovery after having his soul sucked out of his body from Pegasus. I admired the various board and card games that lined the walls in the store while Joey attempted to improve his Duel Monsters card collection.

I did not realize it had started raining until the doors of the shop slammed open, blowing drops of water in my direction. The distress of the individual struck me first, and I spun around to face a soaking wet Mokuba Kaiba.

"What's wrong?" I exclaimed, his terror sending my heart racing.

"Please, please help me," Mokuba whimpered as he leaned against the door for support.

"Mokuba," Yugi said in shock.

I rushed to the kid's side and helped support him on his feet. Mr. Motou nodded at me, so I helped him inside the house attached to the store. What could be wrong now? Both of the Kaiba brothers had just been rescued. They last thing any of us needed was more trouble.

"Give him this," Mr. Motou said, handing his grandson a large blanket. "I'll make him some tea to warm him up."

I led Mokuba to a simple brown couch and sat him in the middle next to me. Yugi set the blanket around him and took the seat on his other side. Tea sat on a small couch while Joey and Tristan looked on in worry. Once Mr. Motou set tea in front of him, Mokuba began his story.

"Yesterday, my brother fired the Big Five executives who tried to take over Kaiba Corp with Pegasus," he said. "Today Seto wanted to test out the virtual world game he's been developing, so he got into the virtual pod that transports your mind into an adventure game. But now the Big Five have changed the game and trapped Seto inside the virtual world! The only way he can get out is to win the game."

"That's terrible," I said, rubbing Mokuba's back to convey my sympathy. "How do you know about this?"

"The Big Five told me, and then I ran away."

"At least you got away so you can get help."

Tears filled Mokuba's eyes. "I need to get Seto back."

"So you're saying the only way Kaiba can escape is by winning the game?" Yugi said.

"But if those creeps reprogrammed the entire adventure just to keep Kaiba trapped there, how is that possible?" said Tea.

Mokuba stared gloomily into his mug of tea. "I don't know, but I thought – I thought you could help."

"Calm down, Mokuba," said Mr. Motou, "we will, we will. Now tell us some more about this virtual pod your brother was designing."

"I don't know much," Mokuba said. "I was pretty young when he started it. I remember him spending endless hours working on the prototypes, trying to make it perfect."

"Prototypes?" Joey said. "So there are other ones?"

"Mhm hm. In his lab. It was my brother's dream to create the world's ultimate adventure land, but those corporate jerks turned it into a nightmare."

Joey crossed his arms and frowned. "Lousy suits. We'll show them like we did Pegasus."

"Huh?" Mokuba and Tea said at the same time.

I merely smiled. Despite Joey's tough appearance, I knew he was moved by the bond between Mokuba and Seto. Plus, he was driven to do the right thing no matter who was in trouble.

"That's right!" Yugi said enthusiastically, leaping to his feet. "We'll use those pod prototypes, go to that virtual world, and rescue Kaiba!"

"Thanks, guys," Mokuba said.

I nodded. "Of course."

The rest of us stood up and headed for the front door. Mr. Motou handed us umbrellas on our way out, and Yugi promised him we would all be back soon. I hoped he was right.

Mokuba led us to his brother's secret laboratory. We had to sneak inside since no one was technically supposed to be there. Eventually we made it inside and ditched our umbrellas. We soon found ourselves in a room with three human sized pods attached to a large machine that reached the ceiling.

"There they are," Mokuba said, turning on the lights.

"Those are the prototypes?" Joey said in awe. "Wow."

"Now let's see here," Mokuba said as he ran over to the control panel. "Yep, just like the model my brother's in."

"Only three pods," Joey said. "I guess two people are staying here. I say Tristan for sure."

Tristan grabbed Joey in a chokehold and raised his fist. "And I say you."

"I know I'm going," Mokuba said.

"Mokuba," Joey said, gasping after Tristan finally releasing him. "You're the one who knows how to work these things. You should stay here."

"Yeah, but I also know the most about the virtual adventure land we're going into," Mokuba said. Determination and resilience radiated off of him."

"Good point," Tristan said.

"But it's dangerous," I said. "If you lose, you won't be able to come up." I would not want my little sister to do something like this.

"I don't care," Mokuba said. "I have to say my brother!"

His emotions stirred memories from Duelist Kingdom in me. It made me uncomfortable, but I understood. I nodded. "Alright. Good luck."

"So then get in," Joey said. He slapped Tristan on the chest. "Take care of my gorgeous bod, pal." In resignation, Tristan made his way over to the control panel.

"You guys have better be careful," Tea said as Yugi, Joey, and Mokuba each climbed into a pod. I stood beside her and bit my lip in worry.

"We'll be fine, Tea," Joey said.

"Yeah, don't you guys worry about a thing," said Yugi. "We'll have Kaiba rescued in no time."

"Tristan, let her rip."

Tristan examined the control panel for a moment before pushing a button that closed clear lids over the pods. "Virtual upload, now." He pulled a lever, and bright lights shined forth from the pods for several seconds.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt it happen. Tristan stood between Tea and me by the time my heart decided it could resume a normal speed. "Th-they're gone," I said. I swallowed hard.

"Then it worked," Tristan said.

I gazed at Yugi's lifeless body. It felt so weird to not feel anything at all. How was I supposed to know they were fine? Frustrated, I turned away and walked over to a wall to lean against it.

"Samia?" Tea said. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, what's on your mind?" Tristan said.

There was no way to explain the torrent of emotions funneling through me, especially when I did not understand half of them myself, so I chose the simplest answer. "We just got back from being in danger, and now something like this has happened again. What if we never have peace again?"

"Well, this is really just the aftermath of Duelist Kingdom," Tristan said. "The Big Five are grasping at straws since Pegasus failed them."

Tea smiled and nodded. "He's right. Once Yugi and the others win this game, things will go back to normal for sure!"

I smiled weakly. "Sure." I wanted to believe them. I had to believe them. "I guess the hardest part is waiting." I closed my eyes and focused on breathing in order to relax.

Eventually, I grew tired of this position and made my way over to the control panel where Tristan and Tea were both leaning. Neither of them said anything as I found a spot to sit on top of the panel. I looked over the pods, hoping to feel some sort of emotion so that I knew my friends were safe.

It was Tea who finally broke the silence: "They've been gone a long time. I hope they're okay."

"Don't you worry," said Tristan. "I once saw Joey play a video game for three days straight without blinking or nothing."

"Sounds like him," I muttered.

Tea shrugged. "Figures."

The atmosphere drifted towards silence again until Tristan brightened and said, "Hey, I know what will make all this waiting around go by faster: a game. And it's called 'Guess My Facial Hair.' Who wants to go first?"

I looked at him incredulously. What the heck was he talking about?

"Uh, I think I'll pass," Tea said in disgust.

"Aw, come on," said Tristan, "don't tell me you haven't noticed my fine beard growing in. I've got, like, eight whiskers."

I squinted my eyes and leaned in close to examine his chin. "I don't see anything."

"Don't humor him," Tea said.

"It's hard to see them just yet," said Tristan. "Come on and take a feel."

I backed up and shook my head.

While I was simply bewildered, Tea was absolutely irritated. "Tristan, please!" she said, glaring at the ground. "Why don't you just go and take a nap in the corner so Samia and I can have some girl time?"

Tristan blinked. "Girl time?"

I had only started to relax when my senses picked up on something. Then I heard the muffled voices of several men. I glanced at my friends and nodded. We carefully made our way over to the door and slid it upon just a crack. Five men in suits were making their way down the dark hallway. Thankfully, they did not notice us, for they had ill intentions.

"Looks to me like we've got some company headed our way," Tristan said. "Quick, let's lock the door and set up some kind of barricade to hold them off."

"Good idea," Tea said.

So that's exactly what we did. The only thing movable in the room was the large control panel counter, so we worked together to move it in front of the door. Then we pushed against the barricade to keep it in place. I flinched when I felt pressure from the other side. The Big Five were trying to get in!

"We're not letting you in here, man!" Tristan shouted at them.

I focused all of my energy on keeping the door shut. I did not have enough strength to think or talk right now, and thankfully my friends felt the same way. Minutes felt like hours as we diligently kept to our task. We just had to hold on long enough for Yugi, Joey, and Mokuba to make it back safely.

Finally, one of the executives managed to get a hand through the door. I stood there terrified while Tristan and Tea propped another table against the door, pushing it shut again. I snapped to it and got back to leaning against the barricade. This was no time for fear!

Suddenly, a burst of energy shot through me. I forgot all about my job as I spun on my heels and stared at Yugi's pod. His body looked exactly the same, but I knew something had changed within the game. He had taken over. Almost like my body had an agenda of its own, I strode towards the pod.

"Samia?" Tristan said in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"Is something wrong with Yugi?" asked Tea.

I ignored them and stopped in front of the pod. I could feel energy radiating off it like waves. Why had I not felt it before? Shadi had told me to stay close to Yugi, but was my connection not with him at all? My eyes fell to the Millennium Puzzle. It pulled me to seek answers, to seek the truth, no matter the cost.

In a burst of inspiration, a placed my hands on the clear pod case and focused. I had no idea what I was doing, but I trusted my instincts. I tried to pass strength, courage, and hope through the pod to Yugi – to both of them – unsure how in the world that was even possible. But it seemed to have worked, for I sensed a change. I stepped back and nodded in approval.

I turned around to see my friends gaping at me. Tristan was the first to speak: "Wh-what are you?"

Tea shot him a glare and elbowed him in the side. "He means, what did you just do? What is your connection to Yugi?"

I bit my lip and glanced at the ground, my confidence wavering. They were both still pushing back the barricade. I thought I should help, but my feet would not move. Finally, I looked back at them and gave them a feeble shrug. "Like Pegasus said, I'm an empath. For some reason, my powers are stronger and more focused with Yugi. I – I think it's the Puzzle. I'm drawn to it like he is but in a different way."

The two teenagers exchanged blank looks. "I'm afraid I'm not following you," Tristan said.

"I don't really understand it myself. It kind of frightens me, to be honest."

"I'm sure there's someone who can give you answers," Tea said.

I shook my head. "I don't need answers." I walked back to them and started to push against the door again. "Unless Yugi's in danger and I can help, I'd rather not know."

I sensed that they wanted to say more, but neither of them spoke further. I was all too happy to focus on the job at hand. If those goons broke through the door, even my powers would be of no use.

I struggled to not be pushed back by the continuous force on the other side of the door. How strong were these guys? It became hard to keep it up, so slowly the barricade moved back. Tristan found a rod and stood in front of the door while Tea and I hovered near the pods. I could no longer tell what was going on inside the virtual world.

"We're in!" one of the men shouted as the door opened.

"Oh no!" Tea cried.

Tristan turned his pole and used it to push the men back. "Bring it on!"

My fear evaporated when I felt something behind me. Turning, I saw Yugi, Joey, and Mokuba climb out of their pods. My heart soared in elation. They were safe!

"What?" the executive said in shock.

Tristan turned his head, and his face lit up. "Hey, Joey!"

"Yugi! Joey!" Tea said. "You're all back!"

"So is Kaiba," Yugi said as they walked towards us. "He's probably getting out of his pod right now."

"No!" one of the men exclaimed in horror. "He can't be!"

"And without you guys to guard your bosses, I say he's about to kick some butt!" Mokuba said.

"Hey, he's right!" The men turned and fled from the room. "We gotta get back!"

"We did it!" Tea said happily.

"Bunch of wimps," said Tristan.

"I'm glad you're all alright," I said. Yugi caught my eye, and I frowned. It looked like he wanted to say something, but he looked away.

All of us became alert when we heard a loud yawn. Then someone stepped into the room from a side door.

"It's Mai!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"She was here all along," Joey said.

"In the flesh," Mai said, stretching before stopping in front of us. I surmised that the others had run into her in the virtual game. I definitely would have to hear the full story later. "Is everything cool?"

"Sure looks that way," Yugi said.

"Because of you," Mokuba said. "All of you. So thanks."

I smiled and ruffled his hair. "Of course. Now get back to your brother."

Joey nodded. "I bet he can't wait to see you."

Mokuba smiled. "Okay. Thanks again, you guys! Bye!"

"Bye Mokuba!" we all said.

"Yeah, bye," said Joey. "Now where's the john? I had, like, seven sodas before we got into those pods."

I laughed and shook my head. Good old Joey. I glanced at Yugi, and he smiled at me. Maybe now things could finally get back to normal. One could only hope.

Somehow it felt awkward to describe my newest adventure to Bakura, so I stuck with the barest of details. He responded politely and seemed interested in what I was saying. Yet, at the end of the day, he claimed he was too busy to hang out again. When it happened for the third day in a row, I started to suspect that something was very wrong. But we had always told each other everything, and I hated confrontation. How was I supposed to get to the bottom of this?

"Samia, are you headed home?"

I looked to the side to see that Yugi had fallen in step with me as I headed out of the school building. He seemed curious and mildly concerned about me. "Yeah, I guess so. You're not hanging out with his friends."

Yugi shook his head. "Not today. If you're not busy, would you mind going somewhere with me? I would appreciate the company."

His offer surprised me, so I dug into his emotions. He was sincere as far as I could tell. He also seemed nervous about something. I realized the two of us had never had a chance to hang out alone together. For some reason, this made me uneasy. I immediately chided myself. I hung out with Bakura on my own all the time. What as the big deal? "Sure," I finally said. "Lead the way."

Yugi brightened at this. "Okay, let's go!"

I had to job in order to keep up with him. Wherever he wanted to go, he was quite excited about it. Neither of us spoke as we walked, which was just fine with me. I liked the fact that Yugi, like Bakura, did not feel the need to fill silence with useless noise.

We eventually left the confines of the city, and I found myself surrounded by trees and grass. Yugi brushed back bushes and branches as he moved forward. Finally, he led the way into a clearing. He finally stopped and turned around to face me with a smile. "So, what do you think?" he said.

This area was nothing like a traditional Japanese garden; it was even better. There was nothing artificial about it at all. Trees and bushes lined the edges. Flowers of all kinds speckled the field. Best of all, on the left hand side stood a small waterfall cascading over beautiful rocks. Squirrels and birds roamed freely, and I sensed the presence of foxes and rabbits nearby.

"It's amazing," I said honestly. "How did you know I love nature?"

Yugi smiled and shrugged. "Lucky guess. Come on." He started for the waterfall, and I followed.

Several large rocks were placed like chairs in front of the small stream. Yugi took one as his seat, and I sat to the left of him. For several long minutes, I let the peace and calm of nature wash over me, cleansing me from my recent experiences. For the first time since Duelist Kingdom, I felt free.

"I used to come here all the time before I had Joey and Tristan as friends," Yugi said. "It always made me feel better. It reminds me that I'm connected to nature and never alone. They're not huge lovers of nature themselves, so I haven't had a chance to come here recently."

I wondered if he had ever brought Tea here. Shaking off the unasked question, I chose to focus on something else. "How did you all become friends?"

"It was right after I solved the Millennium Puzzle. Joey and Tristan used to bully me, but I could tell they were good guys at heart. Then one day I defended them from a bigger bully. We've been inseparable ever since."

I looked at him in amazement. "That was very brave of you." I had never met anyone else who saw the good in those who behaved badly. My parents had taught me that this was a character flaw, that I would be taken advantage of, so I had always suppressed it. But if it had worked for Yugi, maybe there was something to befriending your enemies after all.

"I suppose it was. After I solved the Puzzle, I was determined to become stronger. I used to be shy and insecure, you know."

I widened my eyes in surprise. "Really? You? But you're not that way now!"

He smiled. "Thanks. Sometimes I still feel like I am. I know I'm different from others. Those differences shamed me into trying to be someone else. Once I finally started to be true to myself and take chances, that's when I was able to make friends and become truly happy."

I bit my lip. It sounded like he had been a lot like me. Lost in a world that ignored our needs. "Do you – do you think I could be strong too?"

"You're already strong, Samia! You just need to believe in yourself."

His smile disarmed me, and I found myself smiling back. "Thanks, Yugi. I'll try my best."

He nodded. "Good. And your friends are always here if you need us."

I thought of Bakura and my smiled faded. "Yeah…"

Concern crossed Yugi's face. "Is everything alright?"

I hesitated and then decided it was safe to confide in him. "It's Bakura. We used to be close before Duelist Kingdom, but now it seems like he's ignoring me."

"I'm sure that's not the case. He probably just has a lot to process."

I stared at the water. "I want to give him time, but how do I know if something is really bothering him? I don't want to ignore his needs." I hated that even my powers could not help me here.

Yugi fell silent. Then he said: "Do you think he would feel more comfortable if all of us hung out together?"

I glanced at him. Could Bakura be jealous of the time I was spending with my new friends? No, he was not the jealous type, but I could see how he might feel left out. "That might help, actually. At least I would know if the problem is with me or something else." I hoped the problem was not with me.

Yugi smiled. "I'll think of something we can all do together."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." I felt just a bit lighter now that I had his support.

"We're all going through a lot of changes sight now. Everything will work out in the end."

I nodded. My grandmother used to say the same thing. My eyes flickered to the Millennium Puzzle. Not all changes were good. Thankfully, Yugi was content with just the two of us. I did not need any complications. I closed my eyes and let the wind pass through my hair. Now this was relaxing.

Friday began as a normal day. Classes had become easier to manage, and I grew confident I would be caught up soon. My anxiety only returned once school was through or the day and I had to face Bakura again. He started to respond to my inquiry as to his plans – probably some excuse for why he couldn't hang out – when Yugi sauntered over to us, his friends trailing behind.

"Hey, guys," he said, "why don't you come over to my place today?"

Joey walked up and slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, Yugi was just saying that Samia needs a Duel Monsters deck!"

I looked at Yugi in surprise. "What? But I don't duel!" When he said he would find something for us to do, this was not what I had in mind.

Yugi rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously. "I thought you might want to learn."

"It's fun!" Tea said brightly. "Even I have a deck."

"I've tried to teach her for years, but she's never been interested," Bakura said, frowning slightly.

"But you understand it now, don't you?" said Joey. "I saw the way you watched Yugi and me at Duelist Kingdom. It's something we can all do together."

Tristan nodded. "And with our luck, who knows when it might come in handy?"

I hesitated. I had to admit, I did feel a little helpless when I could not offer advice on Duelist Kingdom. It was just that I did not plan on anything like that happening again.

"I thought we could all help you build a deck and then individual teach you how to play," Yugi said. "If you're not interested after that, we can find something else to play. Are you in, Bakura?" He smiled at him in encouragement.

"Yes, this sounds like a good idea," said Bakura. He looked at me earnestly. "I still think it is a good idea for you to at least understand the basics of the game. Your brother works for Kaiba Corp, after all."

I realized this was my chance to reconnect with Bakura. This was something he had in common with my new friends, and it might help him fit in if we could all participate together. I took a deep breath. "Okay. I'll give it a try."

"Great." Bakura gave me a smile, and I actually felt that it was genuine. He appeared more at ease around the group than he ever had.

"Awesome!" said Joey. "Just listen to me, and I'll have you dueling like a pro in no time."

"You'll teach her how to fumble her way to victory by relying on luck," said Tristan.

Joey started to go off on Tristan while the rest of us laughed. Life had finally taken a turn for the better. For the first time in years, I felt hope for my future.

A/N: As you can see, the name of this story has now been changed. There will be one more chapter, and then I will start a new story for season 2.