"There will be a half-hour intermission before the next duel!"
The announcement rang throughout the airship.
Everyone stood in the hallway.
"We have to help Bakura." Yugi said.
"Yeah! We should go find Kaiba. He should be in one of these rooms." Jounouchi said, looking around.
Just then, Mokuba entered through the elevator.
"Hey you guys. You're in a restricted area." He said.
"Mokuba, where is Kaiba?" Yugi asked.
Mokuba pointed to room number 1.
"But you don't want to disturb him." He said.
Jounouchi, of course, ignored Mokuba's words and was already pounding on Kaiba's door.
"Kaiba! Get out here!" He yelled.
Mokuba jumped.
"J-Jounouchi! Stop it!" He cried. But once again, Jounouchi ignored Mokuba.
Kaiba finally opened the door and loomed over Jounouchi, who jumped back in surprise at the door suddenly opening.
"You're lucky to even be in my tournament, yet you insist on making a nuisance of yourself over and over." Kaiba said.
Jounouchi was about to blow up again until Honda jumped in front of Jounouchi.
"Calm down, Jounouchi." Honda said.
"You have to help us, Kaiba." Yugi said. "Bakura's hurt and we have to land so we can get him to a doctor."
Kaiba retreated into his room.
"It's impossible." He said.
Unsatisfied, everyone followed him into his room.
"C'mon Kaiba!" Otogi said.
"We need you to do this for us!" Anzu joined in.
"Please Kaiba? Show some compassion." Shizuka pleaded.
"Yeah, Kaiba! Listen to Shizuka!" Both Honda and Otogi said at the same time.
"It's Bakura's own fault. He shouldn't have left the hospital in the first place." Kaiba said.
"But he's really hurt. Please Kaiba?" Shizuka continued to beg.
"Kaiba! If you don't land this blimp, I'm gonna knock you to the ground!" Jounouchi snapped.
Kaiba sighed, getting tired of everyone's begging.
"Fine." He said before ordering a medical team to be sent to Bakura's room.
"The on-board medical staff has better training than most hospitals." Kay explained to everyone as she put down her book. She was sitting on Kaiba's bed again, reading.
Kristen sat next to her, looking at everyone else.
"Where did you two come from?" Jounouchi asked.
"Pssh. Don't be stupid Jounouchi. We were in here the whole time, reading, until you practically broke down the door." Kay said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Kristen smiled at everyone.
"Bakura's in good hands." She said.
Everyone accepted this answer and left Kaiba's room.
"That was an amazing speech, Shizuka!" Honda complemented.
Otogi took Shizuka's hands.
"I was moved too." He said.
Shizuka blushed and looked at the ground.
"I'm not so great." She said.
"I wonder if Bakura's really going to be okay." Jounouchi mummered.
"I hope so." Yugi said.
"We still have to find Bakura's Millennium Ring." Honda said. "Leave it to me and Otogi! You and Jounouchi have to focus on the finals."
Honda then dragged a hesitent Otogi away from Shizuka to help him with the search.
"The remaining finalists must now report to the main concourse!"
Shadi had appeared on the blimp. He first saved Otogi and Honda from falling off the blimp earlier. And he just finished having a conversation with Yugi and Yami.
Shadi was the guardian of the Millennium Items. He was an obvious Egyptian who had tan skin and wore a robe and a turban and large gold earrings. He was also the owner of the Millennium Key, which allowed him to look into people's hearts. No one really knew much about him yet. He often just appeared and disappeared at random.
Yami left his room to find the gang in the hallways.
"Dude! A freaky guy in a robe saved Otogi and me! I'm serious!" Honda was telling Jounouchi.
"I didn't actually see the guy, but someone had to have pulled us up." Otogi said.
"Quit playing jokes." Jounouchi said.
"I wonder if there really was some kind of ghost." Shizuka wondered.
Jounouchi suddenly looked spooked.
"G-Ghosts don't exists!" He said.
Yami walked up from behind Jounouchi and put a hand on his shoulder, causing Jounouchi to jump.
"GYAH!" Jounouchi cried.
Everyone laughed.
Cat was still in Bakura's room, under Marik's control and holding onto the Millennium Ring.
"I think I'll keep the Ring for now. Along with the occasional control of Cat's mind." Marik said.
Shadi suddenly appeared next to Cat.
He knew that his Millennium Key was shielding him from her sight.
"The mystic disturbance that brought me here is the strongest in this room! The destinies of certain Millennium Items are being manipulated! And until harmony is restored, the world will be in grave peril!" Shadi thought to himself.
Everyone gathered in the main concourse, where Roland welcomed then all.
"The bingo machine will now randomly select the next two duelists!" Mokuba announced.
Everyone watched the numbered balls bounce around the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Bingo machine.
The first duelist was chosen. Number 2, Jounouchi Katsuya!
And his opponent was...number 7! Rishid!
Yami looked at Rishid, knowing that he probably was planning to use his Millennium Rod to win. Jounouchi had better be prepared for anything.
Jounouchi made some threatening noises at Rishid and Rishid only stared back at him, grimly.
Jounouchi and Rishid faced each other on the dueling platform, where they shuffled each other's decks.
"Go Jounouchi!" Honda cheered.
"Jounouchi looks really fired up." Yami pointed out.
"When Jounouchi gets fired up, he tends to shoot his mouth off." Honda said. "He'd better watch that with Marik."
"Honda's right. Jounouchi's got to stay focused." Mai agreed.
Jounouchi continued shuffling, growling fiercely at Rishid.
"I hope Jounouchi will be alright." Shizuka said.
"This is the first time Shizuka gets to see Jounouchi duel, right?" Anzu asked.
"With you here to cheer Jounouchi on, he won't lose." Yami said to Shizuka.
"Yeah." Cat agreed, smiling at Shizuka. Cat had left Bakura's room to watch Jounouchi's duel. "Cheer your best for your brother."
"Jounouchi...I think you've shuffled enough." Roland said to Jounouchi.
Finally the duelists took back their decks and went to their positions.
"I'll make you wish you never tried to mind control me!" Jounouchi snapped at Rishid. "I'll win in nine turns!"
"Where did Jounouchi come up with nine?" Kay asked.
"With Jounouchi, you don't ask." Honda replied.
"Jounouchi's pretty wonderful to have figured out the whole duel in advance!" Shizuka said with amazement.
Everyone just started at her and sweatdropped.
Suddenly, Rishid held up something that looked like the Millennium Rod and Jounouchi cringed.
"I knew Marik would use the Rod." Yami mummered.
"Hey! Point that thing somewhere else!" Jounouchi snapped at Rishid.
Rishid silently put the Rod away.
Marik smirked. He knew that the Rod Rishid had was merely a replica of his own.
"But I'm concerned about Kaiba. Little Yugi isn't the only one standing between me and the power of the Pharaoh. The ancient tablets also depicts a sorcerer who bears a striking resemblance to Kaiba, and who holds the Millennium Rod. But before the finals are over, Kaiba's God card, Obelisk the Tormentor, will belong to me! I'll show Kaiba what true power is all about!" Marik thought to himself before glancing over at Kay and Cat. "And those two women…if they learn about their pasts, then they'll be standing in the way as well. Especially that "Kay" girl. If she were to team up with Kaiba, they would be a very difficult opponent. Hmph, and whether Cat knows about her ancient connection or not, she's too scared of me to do anything."
"If Marik is the leader of the Rare Hunters, he must have a ton of rare cards in his deck." Mokuba said.
"There's only one card in Marik's deck I care about. His God card." Kaiba said. "The Winged Dragon of Ra. I hope that hack, Jounouchi Katsuya, will last long enough in the duel so I can see how Ra works so I can win it for myself."
The duel began.
Jounouchi held Rishid up, who was barely conscious. Jounouchi had won the duel and Rishid had lost. They also had just found out that Rishid wasn't the real Marik.
Plus the Millennium Rod and Winged Dragon of Ra card he had were also fake.
Rishid collapsed because the Winged Dragon of Ra punished him. Only people connected to the ancient scriptures were allowed to use a God card.
Yami came onto the platform with the two.
"I'm sorry Jounouchi...it was an honor to duel you." Rishid said.
"Yeah. You too." Jounouchi agreed. "Who are you really?"
"I am a servant of the real Marik." Rishid explained and pointed at Marik, who was clutching his head, the real Millennium Rod in his hand. He was struggling with his evil side.
"Tell us your true identity!" Yami cried out to Marik.
Marik then turned on them.
"You're all fools!" He said. "I am the real Marik!"
"So this is who has the real Winged Dragon of Ra." Kaiba mummered to himself.
"At last, I can finish the job my pathetic servants couldn't!" Marik continued.
Suddenly Marik's face contorted as his dark side began to emerge.
"I was afraid of this." Rishid said. "Beware the great evil hidden within Marik! He's no longer able to contain it."
After Rishid said these words, he passed out.
Everyone continued to watch Marik as he continued to struggle with his dark side. The Millennium Symbol glowed on Marik's forehead as Yami Marik then took control.
"Now I'm free! And I'll do things my way!" He laughed. "I am the true Marik! And I'll finish the job my weaker self couldn't! Rishid's failure proved that only a chosen few can control the Egyptian God cards! Kaiba is one."
"That's nonsense! I control Obelisk because I'm a master duelist!" Kaiba said.
"You can't escape your three thousand year old memories." Yami Marik said and then glanced at the group of friends and chuckled. "And I see...two others that could use the God cards."
The group looked at each other, confused.
Yami looked at his friends.
"There's another?" He asked.
"The ultimate battle begins now!" Yami Marik laughed.
Everyone was gathered around Rishid's bedside.
"How is he?" Jounouchi asked a doctor.
"His tests are fine. But the mental stress he's been through has left him unconscious." The doctor explained.
"He's lucky to be all right." Anzu said.
"Yeah." Jounouchi agreed.
"First Bakura, now him. So many people have been hurt in this tournament." Kristen said, looking a little sad.
"We were both standing right there when the Egyptian God monster went "kerblooey". But I'm perfectly fine." Jounouchi said.
"We won't find out who this guy is until he wakes up." Otogi said.
"Whoever he was, he was determined to protect Marik as long as he could." Yami mummered.
"And for what?!" Jounouchi cried. "Now he's lying in a hospital bed and Marik couldn't care less!"
"I feel sorry for him. It's times when you're down, you need friends around the most." Mai said.
"I get it!" Jounouchi cried and looked at everyone excitedly. "I was able to get up after getting hit by that lightening bolt because you were all with me!"
During the duel Jounouchi was struck by one of the lightening bolts from the Winged Dragon of Ra. He temporarily passed out and had a dream about everyone. Yugi, Honda, Anzu, Cat, Mai, Shizuka, Otogi, ect. And they were all encouraging him.
"What? Like that dream you had involving vanilla pudding and a monkey?" Honda snickered.
Jounouchi started to fume and jumped on Honda.
"It's almost time for Seto to pick the next two duelists." Kay reminded them.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and left the room.
When they reached the door, Mai stopped Jounouchi.
"Hey Jounouchi? In that dream where you said everyone helped you up...was I in there?" She asked.
Jounouchi suddenly got all flustered.
Mai WAS in there too, but he was to embarrassed to say.
"N-No! You weren't there. Most of my dreams are about manly stuff!" He said, trying to keep his composure and look cool before walking off.
"Idiot!" Anzu mummered to herself.
Jounouchi continued walking down the hallway.
"Where...that was a close one." He mummered. "The last thing I want is for Mai to think I'm thinking about her."
Anzu followed him and grabbed him by the ear.
"Hey! Why are you so mean?!" Anzu snapped. "Mai wanted to feel like your friend, but you were too immature to let her! GROW UP!" She yelled in his ear before marching away angrily, leaving Jounouchi dazed from the words she yelled in his ear.
Mai was still in Rishid's room, looking at the floor.
"He's not the only forgotten one." She mummered, glancing at Rishid. "I'm used to it anyways. I'm a loner. Who needs friends? There's only one person you can count on in the heat of a battle and that's yourself!"
Yami moved away from his friends to walk alone for a little while.
He walked down an empty hallway for a while before stopping.
"Yugi. We have time before the duelists are picked. I'd like you to tell me now." He said.
Yugi appeared next to him in spirit.
"Whaaat? You want to talk about it now?" He asked and sighed. "Okay...I guess now would be the time to do it."
Yami listened carefully to every word Yugi said to him as he explained everything. The further the story went, the more motionless and shocked Yami became.
"So, when you think about it, everything makes sense. Why Marik was after her and your confusion on why she seemed so familiar." Yugi finished.
Yami didn't move or say anything for almost 15 seconds. He stared at Yugi, shocked.
"It...does. A little." He said slowly. "So...I...was in love with her ancestor." He sighed and frowned a little, placing a hand on his face. "I...I don't remember it at all."
"You don't remember anything? Not even the littlest bit?" Yugi asked. Yami shook his head. "Well...at least now you know the connection. We wanted to wait until after the tournament because we were afraid you would lose your focus."
Yami didn't reply.
"Oh! There you are!"
Yami's back was to the person, so Yugi looked past him to see the person. He glanced at Yami before returning to the Millennium Puzzle.
Cat was walking up to Yami from behind.
"Jounouchi asked me to look for you." She said, smiling. "The duelists are about to be chosen."
Slowly, Yami turned around to face her. His hand dropped from his face whlie his expression stayed the same.
The expression on Yami's face caused Cat to stop walking, her smile fading. The two stared at each other for a little while.
"Um...? Are...are you okay?" Cat asked.
Yami closed his eyes and sighed. Now that he knew about the connection, it almost seemed awkward seeing her. But the mere fact that he had been in love with this girl's ancestor was surprising enough. He had to accept the fact that his past was going to hold many surprises and things he didn't expect, like this.
Re-opening his eyes, his face turned back into his normal expression.
"I'm fine. Sorry." He said. "Thanks for letting me know. We should probably head back then."
Cat's smile returned, but it held confusion now. What was his expression earlier all about?
Yeeep. 'Nother chapter. :D
But guess what else? There's TWO chapters today! I went on a writing spree. Lol. :)
Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! See ya next chappie! :D