The sun shone brightly in the city of Domino. Birds were twittering and the city was already bustling at 8:30 on a Saturday morning. Téa Gardner trotted cheerfully around the corner, waving to the old man humming to himself and sweeping the concrete outside the Kame Game shop. She said, "Good morning, Mr. Muto!" Solomon Muto looked up and his face lit up. He greeted her with a bright smile.
"Ah, Téa," he said, "Good morning! Yugi's upstairs getting ready. I'll call him for you." She nodded in response and Solomon asked, "Would you like something to drink?"
Téa shook her head and said politely, "No, thank you. We're already going to be late."
She looked down at her wristwatch anxiously as Solomon opened the door and called inside, "Yugi! Téa's here!"
Upstairs, Yugi finished bending the strong links of a new chain into place with two sets of pliers. He lifted it up, draping his Millennium Puzzle, a heavy, golden, pyramid-shaped artifact embellished with a large eye, around his neck. He shouted, "I'll be right there!" He smiled and thought, looking into the small mirror standing on his desk, "This new chain ought to keep the Millennium Puzzle safe." He heard a second voice in his head; that of the ancient spirit that dwelled within his Puzzle who went by the name 'Yami'.
"We're going to need it now, more than ever, Yugi. The Millennium Puzzle connects us and I sense that fate has more in store for us."
Yugi bit the inside of his lip nervously and said, "Well, we're in this thing together, no matter what."
Yami said as Yugi grabbed his backpack and jogged outside, "I wish I knew more, but our future is still unclear to me."
Yugi said, "Well, Yami, I'll help you figure it out." He ran down the stairs and out the door, passing his mother in the kitchen with little more than a goodbye, to join Téa on their relatively short walk to school.
Téa teased, "About time, Yugi. What took you so long?"
Yugi looked down at his Puzzle and said, his voice lowering in uncertainty, "Uh, I was talking to the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. Yami seems a little worried about our future, or at least, I think so anyway. He said something about our destiny being unclear." Téa cocked her head to the side and he continued, "Ever since we defeated Pegasus together in Duelist Kingdom, he's been talking about fate. Almost like there's something more he has to do. He really doesn't know that much about himself like where he came from or why he's here, but I'm babbling and we're running late."
Téa nodded and said, "Oh, right. We should go." The two walked on their way, waving goodbye to Yugi's grandfather as they turned out of sight.
A few streets away, Emiko Kaiba walked at a brisk pace towards Domino High School, her guitar case hoisted up onto her shoulder. She felt herself starting to sweat, thanks to the weight of her instrument, but she was thankful that there was a gentle, cool breeze that day. She looked down at her watch and sighed. She thought, "Dang. The game doesn't even start for another two hours." She shrugged and continued walking, but stopped when she heard a familiar, soft voice behind her.
"Emiko!"
Ryou Bakura was running towards her, his gentle, British-English accent being immediately recognizable, even from a distance. She smiled at him and said, "Hey, good morning!"
He said, stopping next to her, "Good morning. Are you ready for the soccer game today?"
Emiko shifted her guitar case's strap on her shoulder and said, "Yeah. I just hope my song being right before the game doesn't kill the mood. I mean, everyone's so excited and my song isn't even all that...bombastic...you know?"
She looked down at her feet, shifting back and forth nervously, but Bakura said confidently, "I'm certain everyone will love you. You've been working hard all week on it and it sounds great." She smiled, looking up at him. He ran his hands over his long, slightly tangled, white hair and said, gesturing in front of them, "Well, shall we go, then?"
Emiko nodded and said, "Sure. Would you mind listening to my rehearsal run one more time before the game?"
He chuckled, "Sure thing."
Téa asked as she and Yugi walked through the streets of the city, "So, who do you think is going to win? I feel like we've got some decent players on the team this year-" She looked down at Yugi, who was still looking at the Millennium Puzzle, holding it in his hands with a concentrated look on his face. She said, "Yugi? Hello? Earth to Yugi. The soccer game at school?"
He dropped the large pendant, letting it swing lightly and he said, "Oh, yeah. Um, I dunno."
Téa said, "Man, you've never really cared much about sports, huh?"
Yugi sighed, "Yeah, I guess not-"
"Futures told, fates unfold," said a man, outfitted in heavy-looking, black robes and sitting at a small table at the end of a small, dark alleyway, waving one hand mysteriously around a large crystal ball, beckoning to passersby with the other. He said, "Step up, boy, and I'll reveal the secrets of your future." Yugi turned to approach as Téa continued on. She turned, getting a weird feeling about him. Neither one could pinpoint exactly what seemed odd, but they both felt it.
Yugi said, "Can you really see into the future?" The man nodded. Yugi said hopefully, "Téa, this man could potentially help figure out the fate of the Spirit of the Puzzle!"
Téa sighed, "Okay, but we're gonna be late, so make it quick." Yugi smiled and turned back to the man, who smirked.
The man said, "Boy, in order to read your future, I'll need to hold a personal item," he gestured to Yugi's pendant, "Your necklace will work nicely."
Yugi gripped the chain and said, "No, I can't-"
The man interrupted coldly, "Then I can't read your aura." Yugi gritted his teeth. The robed man said, "If I can't hold something near and dear to you, then I can't tell your future." Yugi gripped the chain hesitantly.
Téa said, "Yuge, I don't know." Yugi looked down at the Puzzle.
He thought, "It's to help Yami. I have to help in any way I can." He said, taking the chain off his neck, "O-okay, but only for a minute."
The man said, taking it, "But of course. Hmm." He looked at it and said thoughtfully, "Something's coming to me. I see that this item now belongs to me!" He stood up suddenly, throwing the table and crystal ball at the pair.
"My Puzzle," Yugi shouted. Téa gasped. Yugi yelled after the thief, running past the toppled-over table, "Get back here!" Téa called after him, but he said, running into the alley, "You try to cut him off around the corner!" She nodded and sprinted down the street.
"I can't find any other way through! Oh, I hope Yugi's okay," she thought as she rounded the corner into the bustling shopping strip. She didn't even see her friends as she passed them.
Emiko and Bakura saw her running and he said, "Hey, Téa! What's the rush?"
Emiko asked, "Is everything okay?"
Téa stopped and said, "Oh, Emiko! Bakura!" She explained, "Someone stole Yugi's Millennium Puzzle!" Bakura and Emiko looked at each other in shock.
Bakura asked, "Where is Yugi now?" Téa pointed back the way she came from.
"He's in the alley! We split up to try and catch him!"
Emiko immediately set down her guitar case and reached into her backpack, grabbing her phone. Bakura said, "Well, don't let us detain you!"
Emiko said, "I'll call Joey!"
Bakura said, "Yes, and I'll run back that way and get some help!"
Téa said, running past them urgently, "Great! Thanks, guys!" Emiko pressed her speed dial and held the phone up, listening as it rang and rang. Bakura ran the other way, leaving Emiko standing alone. Minutes passed. No answer. She cursed to herself under her breath and tried again and again. No answer. She tapped her fingertips anxiously on the top of her guitar case. Finally, she snapped her phone shut and shoved it back into her backpack, running in Téa's direction, dragging her instrument onto her shoulder as she took off. It didn't take long for her to reach her friend.
She called, "Téa! No answer! I'm going to go get them!"
She growled and said, "Hey, hold on! I'm coming, too! Is Bakura-"
Emiko interrupted, "I'm sure he'll be fine! Let's go!" The girls took off, running towards Domino High School.
Yugi panted, reaching a warehouse at the end of the long, winding alley. He looked around, but saw no one. He called, "Where are you hiding?! Show yourself!"
The voice of the fortune-teller came from inside the empty building, "In here, boy."
He thought, "Who is this guy and what the heck does he want with my Millennium Puzzle? He's leading me like a rat through a maze." Yugi pushed open the giant, wooden door with a grunt, illuminating the room and revealing a duelling arena and the Millennium Puzzle, attached to the wall by its chain.
He gaped in surprise, but the robed man, his face still shrouded in darkness, laughed, standing up on the arena, "Congratulations, little Yugi, you found me! I've got you right where I want you and your Millennium Puzzle!"
Yugi still couldn't quite pinpoint where he'd heard the man's voice before, but he shouted, feigning confidence, "Give it back to me."
The man said, "It's not going to be that easy for you. If you want it back, you're going to have to duel me for it!"
Yugi said, "I'm not going to duel you!"
The man said, "You will duel me and the winner keeps the Millennium Puzzle!" Yugi growled. The man chuckled and said, "Well? Are you up to the challenge? I've been waiting for you for a long time, little Yugi."
Yugi snapped, "Who are you and what do you want with my Puzzle? Answer me!"
"I desire the power your Puzzle hides within," the man explained, "but, according to the rules of its ancient magic, I have to win it from you in a duel." Yugi clenched his fists and the man continued, "As for who I am, let's just say that I am the one who will control your destiny as I have controlled others and that I am not unfamiliar with the power of a Millennium Item. I understand more about their hidden mysteries than you will ever know." He gestured at the Millennium Puzzle.
"For instance," he said, "your Millennium Puzzle holds ancient secrets. Secrets of which you and even the spirit that inhabits the Puzzle are completely unaware. I intend to add it to my collection."
Yugi said, "I won't duel you! The Millennium Puzzle already belongs to me!"
The man said, "It is in my possession now and if you wish to get it back, you'll have to duel me for it." Yugi grimaced, reluctantly grabbing his deck out of his pocket.
Téa and Emiko made it to the front entrance of Domino High school, carelessly throwing their shoes into their locker and swapping them for their school slippers before speeding through the halls, looking for their friends Joey Wheeler and Tristan Taylor. Emiko left her guitar case next to her locker and caught up to Téa.
As they came upon the boys in one of the empty classrooms, putting together banners for the game, Emiko scolded, "Joey, I called you three times! Why didn't you pick up?!"
Téa said, "Yugi may be in danger! Come on!"
Tristan and Joey simultaneously asked, "What happened?"
Téa said, "Just come on! I'll explain later! Someone's stolen his Millennium Puzzle and he went to catch the guy!"
Joey said, running out, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Tristan nodded and said, "Right!" The girls followed them and they all put their shoes on, rushing out, only to be stopped by their coach, Mr. Morita.
"Where do you kids think you're going," he asked sternly, "You volunteered to help at the soccer game today."
Emiko sighed meekly, but said, "You see, it's just-"
Tristan said, thinking quickly, "Téa's cat is very sick. She needs to take him to the vet."
He sighed and Téa begged him, catching onto Tristan's idea, "Please, sir! We need to help him. This may be my last chance to see him."
Mr. Morita sniffled a little and said, "I had no idea, Téa. You're off the hook this one time." They all gave a polite bow and thanked him before running out into the streets.
"That wasn't cool," Téa said as they rounded the corner.
Emiko giggled, "I had no idea he liked cats so much."
Joey said, "He's always been a real softie at heart."
Tristan said, "Hey, it got us out of there, didn't it?"
Téa said, "Whatever. This way!" She took the lead, guiding them through the busy streets towards the last place Téa saw Yugi.
Yugi thought as he stepped hesitantly onto the duelling platform, "If I'm going to duel this guy, I'll need help from the Spirit of the Puzzle. Maybe I can still reach him."
The Spirit said, his voice sounding distant, "I can barely hear you, Yugi, but it's hard to maintain contact. I'm afraid you will have to finish this duel on your own."
Yugi said nervously, "Alone? But, Yami, I've never duelled without you and if I lose this duel, I lose you forever!"
Yami encouraged him, "You can do this. Just believe in yourself and your deck. You'll find a way." Yugi took a deep breath and set his deck on the table in front of him, watching as the life point counters set themselves to 2,000 and the field lit up, the holoprojectors flashing to life.
He said to the Spirit inside the Puzzle, "Okay. You're right. I've got to believe in the heart of the cards."
The Spirit said, "Please, be very careful, Yugi. I sense a great evil." Yugi heard the words of Yami fading away as the duelists drew their cards and the duel began.
The man across from him called, holding his first hand of five cards and staring at Yugi with a glazed-over expression, "Prepare to lose your Millennium Puzzle, little Yugi. Don't you forget, I have seen your future and foretold your fate. This duel will be your last." Yugi took the initiative, summoning Celtic Guardian in attack mode. The mysterious duelist placed a card in defense mode.
Yugi taunted, "What's wrong? Not going to face me head-on?"
The man chuckled and said, "I don't need to. You're the one who should be going on the offensive."
"Alright," Yugi said, drawing a card, "I'll attack your face-down card with my Celtic Guardian!" As the swordsman's blade made contact with the face-down card, the duelist flip-summoned a machine monster, Cyber Jar, causing both of the creatures on the field to vanish and forcing the players to draw five additional cards.
"Now that we've got a new start," the man explained, "we have to special summon any level four or lower monsters in either attack or defense mode." Both players placed their cards onto the field. As his opponent's machine monsters appeared on the field, Yugi furrowed his brows.
"Why does this seem so familiar to me?" Yugi wondered, "This guy's got an entire deck full of machine monsters- wait. I think I got it." The man ended his turn and Yugi chose a small handful of cards to discard to keep his hand under the maximum card limit. Yugi glared at the man and said, "Hey. Show yourself, Bandit Keith!" The man reached up and threw his cloak back, revealing the blonde hair and blue eyes of the former Intercontinental Champion. His face was dusted with unkempt stubble and his hair was quite a tangled mess beneath his American flag bandana. His eyes were glassy and darker than they were when Yugi had seen him at Duelist Kingdom.
"I knew you seemed familiar. What in the world happened to you?"
Keith said bluntly, "I am not Bandit Keith. I merely speak through him since he's become my mind-controlled slave." Yugi gave him a puzzled look and Keith continued, "After Keith was ejected from Duelist Kingdom, he fought for his life against the fierce ocean waters. My followers and I were on our way to retrieve some very special items when we fished him out of the sea. I'm always on the hunt for new minds to control and Bandit Kieth seemed like the perfect puppet to do my bidding." Keith smirked.
"As fate would have it, he led me straight to you, Yugi, the boy who possesses the legendary Millennium Puzzle. Now that I've found you after all these years, I will stop at nothing to take my revenge against the Pharaoh who resides within it once and for all. Now, let us continue this duel. I play Machine King in attack mode and due to the effect of Machine King, my monster gains an extra 100 points for each machine monster that's on the field."
Keith sent an attack towards Yugi, who could only counter by placing another monster in defense mode, merely defending his life points until he could figure out a proper strategy. Every machine that Keith summoned only made his Machine King stronger and Yugi could only watch as his monsters were destroyed one by one. He managed to conjure up enough power using a fusion monster, Gaia the Dragon Champion, to defeat one of Keith's other monsters and deplete his life points by 750, but his victory was short-lived as Keith powered up his Machine King once again, destroying his monster.
"Your machines may be impressive," Yugi shouted, drawing a card, "but they're still made out of metal, so I play Makiu, the Magical Mist to rust over your monsters, weakening them by 300 points. I also summon my Summoned Skull to destroy your Machine King!" Summoned Skull raised its arms above its head and brought down a bright flash of lightning. As the electric blast faded and the duelists' visions returned to them, Machine King had been obliterated, leaving Keith with a grimace over his face. He muttered under his breath as Yugi sighed with relief.
Outside, Téa, Tristan, Joey, and Emiko came upon the alleyway where Téa had pointed out the toppled-over fortune-teller's booth and the shattered crystal ball. Emiko looked around for any sign of either Yugi or Bakura. Joey asked, "So, you're sure he went down this way?" Tristan pointed up at the wall.
"Look!"
Joey said, "Arrows...? Hey, do you think Yugi tacked these things up here for us?" Téa shook her head.
"There couldn't have been time."
Emiko pointed further into the alley and said, "Uh, guys...? Look. I don't think the arrows are there to help us." Joey nodded. There were many arrows, all pointing in random directions. Emiko sighed.
Téa said, "Oh, no. We'll never find him."
Joey said, "Not if we keep standing around here, we won't! Come on, let's split up!"
Tristan grabbed Emiko's wrist and said, "Joey and Téa, you two go down that way, Em and I will go this way!" Téa and Joey nodded and the four of them separated, running as fast as they could through the maze-like alleys, calling Yugi's name.
Bandit Keith drew a card and placed Graceful Charity on the field, allowing him to draw three new cards from his deck. He chuckled and said, "You're finished. I've drawn the ultra-rare Zera Ritual card, allowing me to sacrifice my two monsters on the field in order to summon the all-powerful Zera the Mant! Destroy Summoned Skull!" One slash from Zera the Mant's shiny, razor-sharp claws was enough to send Summoned Skull straight to the graveyard, but not before the undead creature let out one final shriek. Yugi bit the inside of his lip hard enough to draw blood. He was trembling, afraid to lose his Puzzle and the Spirit living inside. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself as he drew his next card.
"What now?" Yugi wondered, "I have nothing to fight his monster with. I wish I could call on the Spirit of my Millennium Puzzle. We've lost contact and I'm not sure how I can possibly win this!"
Yugi grimaced as his monsters were easily blown away by Keith's monsters. After the absolute onslaught, Keith retreated, switching Zera the Mant to defense mode and laying down two magic cards. He taunted, "Confused, little Yugi? Don't worry. This move will become clear to you soon enough." Yugi took a deep breath, trying to steady his hands, and drew a card.
"That's more like it," Yugi thought to himself, seeing his ever-faithful Dark Magician and Magical Hats combination. He looked up at the field, tipped very obviously in Keith's favour, then back down at his hand. He picked the cards out of his hand and laid them onto the field. Just as the hats materialized, Keith reached down and flipped over a card, deactivating his Magical Hats and leaving Dark Magician defenseless on the field. He then activated a second card that switched every card's position to the opposite, leaving Yugi very vulnerable to an attack. As Keith's monster launched its attack, Yugi flipped up a trap card, Mirror Force, but the reflection of the attack was then redirected back at the Dark Magician thanks to Keith's Solemn Judgement card. Just as Yugi was about to make his next move, Keith keeled over, leaning over the board, his breathing heavy and ragged.
"What," Keith stammered, "Where am I...? What the hell...is...going on?" He looked around, then shrieked.
Yugi gasped, "Bandit Keith? You're back!"
Keith growled, then said, "There's someone inside my head!" His vocal tone switched abruptly as he snarled, "Shut up and duel!"
Yugi asked, trying his best to stay calm, "Bandit Keith! Who is it that's trying to control you!? Keith!"
Keith growled and shouted, leaping over the ledge of his dueling platform, "If I can't have the Puzzle, no one can!" He sprinted over to Yugi's side, grabbing the Millennium Puzzle, lifting it up, and smashing it hard against the dueling platform's metallic wall. With a loud clang, the Puzzle shattered. Yugi screamed out, his heart sinking as he watched all the tiny pieces fall to the ground.
Behind him, he heard the clanging of a chain falling from the ceiling as Bakura's voice called out, "That's quite enough of that!"
"Bakura," Yugi said, surprised, as he jumped down off of the platform, "Where in the world did you come from?"
Bakura said calmly, "Hi, Yugi. Téa told us what happened. Em and Téa went to fetch Tristan and Joey, but I came to see if I could help you." Yugi sighed, relieved that one of his friends had found him. Bakura walked around and started picking up some of the pieces that had flown or slid farther away and said softly, "Oh, my. Keith certainly did quite the number on your Millennium Puzzle, didn't he?"
"Yeah," Yugi said disappointedly, "But, I'm just relieved that it's still with me and not in the hands of some crazed maniac with mind control powers."
Bakura returned, the broken pieces of the Puzzle in his hands, "Yes, it's better shattered than stolen. You've put it together once, I'm sure you'll be able to do it again."
"It took me forever to put it together the first time, though," Yugi sighed, taking the Puzzle pieces, "But maybe this time, it'll be easier." He turned to walk off, but as Yugi looked up at his golden Puzzle, which was still firmly attached to the duelling platform, trying to figure out how to get it out of the platform side, Bakura turned his attention back to Yugi.
"Wait. Here's one more piece."
Yugi turned and held out his hand, accepting the final piece, "Oh, hey, thanks a lot! The last thing I'd want is to lose a piece."
Bakura smiled gently and said, "Yes, I know. You can't complete it without them all." He walked to the edge, jumping over the side, but as he let go, he misjudged the distance to the ground, falling on the solid ground with an audible thud.
"Ouch!"
Yugi winced, then asked, "You okay, Bakura?"
Bakura sat up and said, grimacing through the newfound dull ache in his tailbone, "I-I think so. Anyways, we should get going soon. The others are probably worried sick. Besides, we've got that soccer game to get to today."
"Yeah. You go on ahead. I'll be right behind you. I just need to unhook my chain and I'll be right there."
Bakura turned and said, waving, "Alright, then. If you're sure." Yugi nodded and set the pieces of the Puzzle down in a pile next to him. He reached up to try and pull the chain hard enough to break a link, but it was no use. The metal was too strong.
Meanwhile, down below the arena, laying in a crumpled heap of robes, Bandit Keith was stirring awake again. His eyes suddenly shot open, hearing a mysterious voice inside of his head commanding him to stand up and retrieve the Millennium Puzzle. He shrieked and grabbed a loose metal pipe. Shouting unintelligibly, he waved the pipe around recklessly, bashing anything and everything within his range. Yugi tried to shout at him to stop, but it was no good. Keith was too far gone to listen. He finally threw the pipe and it hit an electric breaker, sending sparks flying into the air, lighting a few nearby canisters of old gasoline on fire.
Outside in the alleys, Joey, Téa, Tristan, and Emiko had finally made it to the old warehouse.
"Hey," Téa said, "Is that smoke?" Joey nodded.
Tristan asked, "You think Yugi could be in there?"
Téa called, "Hello? Is anybody-"
"Help! Somebody help me!"
The group gasped simultaneously. Joey said, running up to the door, "Someone's in there!"
Emiko reached into her backpack and said, "I'll call the emergency services!" Tristan and Joey ran up to the door.
Joey held the back of his hand near the door and then he said, "Tristan! Come help me kick this door down!"
"On three," Tristan said.
"Three!"
As their feet made contact with the wood, the door practically shattered.
"Alright," Tristan said, "You're safe!" Joey was about to call out again, but out of the blaze with minimal burns to his robes came Bandit Keith.
"Get out! Th-this place is haunted!"
Emiko and Téa paced back and forth, Emiko practically shouting into the phone in a panic, "Please hurry! The fire's spreading and our friend may be in danger!"
The man on the other end of the line reassured her, "Don't worry, ma'am. An ambulance and fire crew are on their way. Please stay on the line and try to remain calm."
Téa said, "I'll go wait by Main Street to lead them back here."
"Right."
Joey asked, shocked by what just happened, "Wait. Did we just rescue Bandit Keith?"
Tristan nodded and said, "I think so."
Joey shook his head and said, "Forget about Keith. Let's go inside and see if anyone else needs help!"
Emiko overheard them and shouted, "Wait! Guys! Don't be stupid! Stay out of there!" Unfortunately, the two boys had already gone into the building.
Joey and Tristan carefully walked through the burning warehouse, calling out to anyone who could be inside. They looked left and right, trying to see through the thick, black smoke that was filling the enclosed space. Finally, they heard a small cough and a rattling of metal on metal.
"Yuge!"
Yugi looked up and shouted, his voice raspy and his lungs stinging, "Guys...! I got it...! The Puzzle is...finished! I-I just have to...get it...out of the wall..." He slumped over, still grasping the Puzzle as he collapsed. Joey and Tristan rushed to the aid of their friend. As Tristan tried to pull Yugi away, the boy's grip on the Puzzle only seemed to tighten. Joey tried to yank the Puzzle out of the wall. Yugi murmured, "M-my Puzzle...! I can't...leave...without my Puzzle...!"
"Tristan! Grab Yugi's deck! I've gotta find something to use as a lever!"
"Right!"
Outside, the sound of sirens came echoing through the streets and Téa ran back to the alley.
"Help is on the way!"
"Thank goodness! Our friends went inside! Please help them!"
Téa gasped, "They did what?!"
Emiko said, tears in her eyes, "I tried to stop them!" The lead firefighter leaped into action, helping to direct his crew in putting out the blaze while the emergency medical crew wheeled out a stretcher.
Inside, Joey had found a metal pole. He grabbed it, but quickly dropped it, yelping in pain as his palms throbbed. Tristan took off his jacket and threw it to Joey, who wrapped it around the pole before picking it up. He grinned and said, "Great idea, man! Help me pull this thing out of the wall!" They threaded the end of the metal pole into the loop that kept the Puzzle chained to the wall, then put all of their combined weight on it, yanking it clean out of the wall, sending the three of them all tumbling to the ground. Joey grumbled a bit before handing Tristan his jacket back and gently putting his arms under Yugi's back and legs, lifting him up with the greatest of ease.
Outside, the fire crew had taken strategic action and were spraying water over the entirety of the warehouse building while the girls stood outside, watching for any sign of Joey and Tristan. Emiko had bitten her thumbnail down to little more than a stub and Téa had tears in her eyes. Finally, two figures appeared in the fire and smoke. Téa and Emiko gasped. It was Tristan and Joey, but they were holding another, smaller figure.
"Yugi," they shrieked in unison as they both ran to their friends' sides. Joey smiled.
"Don't worry," Joey said comfortingly, "He's safe and sound. So is that Millennium Puzzle of his. Now, we should get Yuge to a doctor. He's inhaled a whole lot of smoke."
Emiko said, "We've got an ambulance!" As if on cue, the doctor and his crew rolled the stretcher over and helped to strap Yugi in. The ride felt long and agonizing as the friends rode in a cab to the hospital where Yugi was given medical care. Emiko called Yugi's mother and grandfather, telling them what happened to the best of her ability before going in to visit him. Yugi was covered in little bandages where the flames had burnt him more severely, but his injuries were miraculously minor. He had an oxygen tube over his nose and wires hooked up to his arm, as well as an IV tube just in case.
"How can I ever thank you guys?" Yugi asked, "You put yourselves at risk to save me. You're the greatest friends a guy could ever ask for."
Joey, his face also spotted with bandages, said, "Well, what else are friends for? Right?"
Tristan butted in, adjusting one of the bandages on his hand, "Right. Good thing I spotted him." Joey frowned.
"Hey, what about me? I had the brilliant idea that got the Puzzle out of the wall!"
Tristan jeered, "Yeah, let's stick the pole into the hole and pull on it."
Joey snapped, "Haven't you ever heard of leverage, you jerk?!"
Yugi said, "Knock it off, guys! I won't share my hospital food with you if you keep it up."
The two calmed down and Tristan said, "Yeah, ok." Joey chuckled.
Emiko, still a bit shaken up by everything, said calmly, "Look. The important thing is that everyone made it out safe and sound. She jumped when the tone of her cell phone sounded through the room and she pulled it out of her backpack.
"Uh-oh. It's Seto."
Yugi said, "Oh, no. Is he mad?"
Emiko shrugged, but she said, "I kind of forgot to tell him what was going on while everything was happening."
Joey said, "Well, you better answer it or rich-boy might blow a Blue-Eyes White gasket." Emiko answered the phone, glaring through narrowed eyes at Joey.
"Hey, Seto."
She stood up and walked out of the room, going out to the lobby as she told her brother about everything that happened.
"Are you alright, then?" Seto asked. He was surprisingly calm about the whole thing.
Emiko answered, "Yes. I'm alright. Yugi's in the hospital for now, but he should be out by tomorrow."
He hummed gently into the phone and said, "Right."
Emiko sighed, then said, "So...can you send a driver to pick me up? I'm at the hospital and it looks like it's getting dark out." Seto sighed.
"Yes."
She smiled awkwardly and said, "Thank you. See you soon." She heard a click, then nothing. He hung up.
"I wonder if he really is mad at me. I mean, I didn't exactly keep him in the loop. Well, I'm just glad Yugi's okay. Still, what in the world could someone want with his Millennium Puzzle? What exactly are we in for moving forward?"
