No Longer Dreaming.

Me: This is the last chapter. For those who have been waiting, thank Bryan Adams.



She sat at the gates and saw Yugi and his friends. Something had happened. Yugi had lost all his chips and his chance to enter the tournament. She didn't think twice, she offered her chips and they were refused. It seemed that Yugi no longer wanted to duel. He was afraid.

"I'll win them for him!" Mai was as surprised as everyone when Tea offered to duel. But she knew the friendship that held them all together and she respected that. She should have known that it would be that friendship that would win, both the friendship in the group and the friendship she had gained with them.

She could have won.

A few months ago she would have.

But, as she had told Yugi, some cards weren't worth playing and her Feather Duster card would be used when it was truly needed. All that mattered was that all of them entered into the castle. Those who needed to had qualified.

As they walked down the hall, she fell into step beside Joey. Both looked at each other and smiled.

"Thanks." He whispered and grabbed her hand, squeezing it once before dropping it. It made all the difference.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. They found out who they would be competing against, she would be against Yugi. Secretly, she was glad. She didn't have the heart to fight Joey. She was pleased even more about that fact after she talked with Tea.

"Why is Joey here? He isn't even known and yet he worked all this time to get here."

"He needs the prize money."

"Huh? Typical guy."

"It's not what you think, Mai. His sister is going blind and if he doesn't get this money, she won't be able to get the operation she needs. She won't ever be able to see. He's the older of the two and he feels that it is his duty to care and protect her. That's his reason for being here."

It had made her think of her own reasons for being there. How selfish she had been. All of them had been driven by a type of love, either between family or that of close friends. She had been driven by greed, and, if she finally admitted it to herself, loneliness.



That night, she went through her bag and found something she hadn't used in a while. A CD player, with only one CD. She put it on and changed it to the song she needed to hear. As she listened she wrote down parts of it. She played it while putting together strategies for the duel tomorrow. She did it honestly and felt at peace when she finally went to sleep. The song stayed on repeat.

The duel against Yugi the next day had been stressful to both of them. Yugi was fighting a battle within and Mai was trying to push him from without. She gave it her all and made sure he did as well. She also used no tricks and for the first time, dueling was an honor and she knew she did her friend proud. Even when Harpy Lady was defeated she felt it was satisfied and she was content to see Yugi win.

The next duel didn't start off so well. Joey's qualifying card had been misplaced, although Mai suspected theft. She saw him break down in the hall and her heart went out to him. She took a cloth and wrapped her card in it and handed it to him. He tried to act tough and she had to smile. But he accepted the card in the end and with it a piece of paper that she had placed with it.

She didn't stay to see the duel, and therefore missed seeing Joey smile when he read it. Missed seeing it placed in the place of honor with the picture of his sister. She missed him holding onto it for strength.

But she didn't miss the letter that found it's way to her; from a certain blond young man. The letter that held the words she had placed on that paper and that she, like him carried with her.

Her dream from all that time ago had come true. She had someone who loved her. It was her dream. The one behind all her false intentions. It was the true dream, the one right from the heart and the one that finally came true.

She read the words daily and smiled.

'Lets make it, all for one and all for love

let the one you hold be the one you want-the one you need

cuz when it's all for one-it's one for all

when there's someone that should know-then just let your feelin's show

and make it all for one-and all for love'

-Bryan Adams

Me: Thanks for being patient and I hope people liked it. I didn't think it needed a long ending. This told it all.