Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh!

Beginning of the End

"Joey," Tristan whispered in horror as he stared at his fallen best friend, his soul was gone, stolen from his body. He slowly stepped towards Joey with the Pharaoh and Téa by his side but it was only when he crouched down and raised Joey's head did he realise that there was only one set of feet beside him. He looked up to the Pharaoh who seemed to be struggling with his own emotions, he could see the inner struggle he was dealing inside even with his eyes closed. He looked for Téa and frowned as he saw her knelt beside Valon, her face pressed into his hair.

Téa had started walking with Tristan to Joey and she fully intended reaching her best friend but her feet had obviously ignored this intent and had side tracked to the fallen brunette. She dropped to the floor, her knees scratching as it made contact with the rough concrete floor. She cupped his face with her hands and raised his head, he was gone, there was no signs of life inside and she could feel a wave of anger hit her. Whey hadn't he listened? Why didn't he see how dangerous Dartz truly was? She dropped her head on to his hair, breathing in the soft reminder of sea air. Valon was dead, his soul would be feasted on by the Great Leviathan and if they couldn't beat Dartz then she'd never see him again.

"Téa?" she could hear the confusion in Tristan's voice and closed her eyes tighter than before. She had some explaining to do.

She looked up and stared into Tristan's confused eyes and as she glanced up to the Pharaoh she could see a mixture of horror, acceptance and confusion, she turned away and looked back at Valon with a sigh.

"I didn't mean to fall for him," she admitted softly. "It started off small, I found him attractive and the more I got to know him the harder it became to dislike him. He's been through too much and it wasn't fair. Before I knew it I was teaching him to dance on a beach and curling up on the sofa watching movies."

"You fell for the enemy? He's been trying to take our souls since we arrived here and you're declaring that you have feelings for him?" Tristan was angry, he was hurt and confused. Téa was his partner in crime, while Joey and Yugi duelled he'd always stood beside her supporting his friends, now she was all he had left and to hear that she had feelings for the enemy was too much. "He's taken Joey's soul Téa."

But Téa shook her head, she reached for Valon's hand and slipped off the ring. She could feel the power of the Orichalcos in her hand and it sickened her. She slipped the ring into her pocket and turned back to Tristan.

"If Valon had taken Joey's soul Tristan then why is he without one also? Valon lost to Joey and it was Mai that took Joey's soul. And yes, he was the enemy but he was also so much more than that. He became a friend."

"Now isn't the time to argue," Stated the Pharaoh, "we need to stop Dartz, that's the only way we'll rescue Yugi and Joey…" he looked over to Valon and he added Valon's name to the list. "If we want to save our friends we have to go to Paradius now, Kaiba is already on his way there as we speak."

"Then what are we waiting for, let's go get our friends back." Tristan reached down and threw Joey's arms over his shoulder and reached for his friends legs. With an umph he pulled Joey safely on to his back. He and the Pharaoh turned but Téa stayed where she was, she knew they couldn't take Valon with her but leaving behind just seemed so wrong.

Closing her eyes she reached for the necklace around her neck, she slipped the chain around his neck and pressed a kiss on to his forehead. She slipped off his goggles, now they'd have to meet again, they had something they had to exchange. With a final glance back she turned and followed Tristan and the Pharaoh, who had waited at the gates for to follow.

Neither said a word at the goggles that she had placed on her head, they quickly turned and jogged back down the road, the heaviness of her heart weighing Téa down.

Téa frowned as she watched Tristan struggle with the weight of Joey on his back, she wished she could help him with the struggles but she knew she wouldn't be able to take Joey's weight herself.

They turned left, following the directions on the Pharaoh's phone, after left they turned right and continued down the road, the roads were barren and it unnerved her, the roads shouldn't be that quite.

"There!" said the Pharaoh pointing to the building in the distance. "Kaiba!" he shouted as he saw the two brothers in the distance.

Seto looked up at his name and sighed as he saw the group coming towards him. He had headed back for Mokuba and unwillingly he was forced into the trailer and the group drove to Paradius, he had to admit it was quicker but he was stuck with the losers. He saw the Pharaoh running towards them and he noticed Wheeler was missing.

It was only as they neared did he see him on the back of Tristan, he shook his head but stayed quiet as they neared. He could see Téa approach but something was different about her, she also had something weird on her head.

"Yugi," he replied coldly. "Wheeler lost I take it?" turns out he couldn't stay quiet for long and smirked wider as Tristan scowled at him.

"We need to get to Dartz Kaiba," said the Pharaoh, "we've lost Yugi and we've now lost Joey. Two of the three bikers have lost their soul and…" the elevator to the buildings slowly started to descend and the group stared at the doors waiting for Dartz to appear.

The doors slowly started to slide forward, both the Pharaoh and Kaiba stepped forward but everyone gasped as they stared at the person in the elevator.

Slumped on the ground with her duel disk still attached to her arm was Mai, her soul was gone and the Orichalcos stone around her neck had vanished.

"Oh no," muttered Téa as she stared at Mai. "What has she done?" Téa slowly stepped towards Mai and gently shook her but her violet eyes remained closed. She looked back at the others who seemed to be staring at her in shock.

"I don't want to be mean but who's carrying her?" said Tristan and Téa rolled her eyes.

It took a few minutes of discussion but Mai was to be left behind, Duke and Kaiba slowly moved her out of the elevator and lent her against the building.

"Wait, what's in her hand?" Duke asked and he peeled the note from her clenched fist. He quickly scanned the note and stared at the Pharaoh.

"It's a note to you Pharaoh, it say you are to go to the top of this building to duel." The Pharaoh nodded and with Mai in a safe place the group quickly boarded the elevator. The Pharaoh silently watched as the numbers ascended, Dartz was going to pay for what he had done to his friends!

Finally, after what seemed like forever the elevator stopped at the last level and the doors slowly opened, he stepped outside only to be faced with a familiar face.

"Raphael! Have you done that to Mai?" asked Téa as she stepped from behind the Phararoh. The Orichalcos was becoming stronger, she could sense the power on the building and it didn't go unnoticed by the others. Raphael had become far more dangerous.

The towering blonde said nothing as he removed the duel monster at the top of his card, "Pharaoh I have something for you," he flung the card through the air and the Pharaoh reached out to catch it, fully expecting to the seal of Orichalcos but was surprised to see the Claw of Hermos. Joey's dragon.

He looked up to Raphael frowned. "How did you get this?" the Pharaoh demanded and Raphael chuckled.

"It seems Mai had a change of heart." Was his only reply and Téa lowered her head in sorrow. Joey had taken Valon's soul, Mai then took Joeys who's soul was then taken by Raphael and now it appeared Raphael intended to do the very same to the Pharaoh. This madness had to end but she knew it was only just starting, it was the beginning of the end.

So as the chapter stated it's the beginning of the end, we are into the final few chapters now and Téa is slowly loosing everyone as this story seems to go on. Thank you all for reading the last chapter, I had always planned to write a chapter ,for whatever story it turned out to be, on the 29th of February as it only comes around every four years and I've never done it before so at least I now can say I have, and for all those who read this then it's for this story aha.

I do hope you all have enjoyed this chapter, it'll be great to hear what you all think but until next time... Lottie!