First of all I'd like to apologize for the lateness of my fic being updated, I had computer problems, but they are fixed and I was going through some major computer withdrawal so expect updates on my other ficcies too because im rebounding a whole lot! Anyway, on to the fic! P.s If your looking for some good fics on fanfiction.net that have Mako in them, check out Tash's Choice, by Tash Tsunami, A brand New Start by Mako tsunami, and a really good one that has Malik in it is called Mirror's Reflection by Velvet Rose.
I woke up early the next day, not wanting to be late with my chores. It was long and boring work because I was itching to go out and duel with someone with my new battle city duel disk. Finally, it was late enough for me to close the shop and head out with my duel disk strapped to my wrist. "Hmm, I wonder who I should duel first…?" I wondered out loud.
"Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Or is that really the wretched black widow herself with a duel disk?" I heard someone say.
"Ah, Weevil, I have a bone to pick with you." I said, walking over to the little aqua haired boy. "I can't believe you told the boyfriends of those cheerleaders who I was and where to find me you little snitch! I bet they told their boyfriends that I did that without a reason and forgot to mention how they harassed Joey!"
Weevil smirked and his glasses glinted in the sun. "It was payback from when you cheated me at our duel and forced humiliation upon me!" Weevil yelled and began snickering in that totally annoying voice of his.
"Cheated you out of the duel!? I so totally did not cheat, I beat you fairly and you knew it you little fly paste for brains!"
"You'll pay for that stinging remark you insignificant little worm!" He continued.
"Maybe you want a rematch, oh wait a minute, you can't, you were beaten by Joey and eliminated!" I smirked at him. "So keep out of my business and stop causing trouble. Or I'll start using my fists instead of cards!"
Weevil just kept right on smirking and he shook his finger at me. "You shouldn't talk to a champion like me in that way. I have more powerful insects in my deck that could crush you at any time I want!"
"ARE YOU DEAF OR JUST STUPID!" I yelled at him. I beat you once, what makes you think that I couldn't do the same to you again?!"
"Because I happen to know that you gave your Blue Eyes White dragon to Kaiba and he destroyed it! You're weakling without your super card and I can crush you like a fly in a spider web!"
"You idiot! Just because one strong card is gone from my deck doesn't mean anything, and besides, my Cosmo Queen has 2900 attack points and 2450 defense points, that's not even that far from the Blue Eyes White Dragon that has 3000 attack points and 2500 defense points! Plus I have the heart of the cards so poo poo on you!" I answered him and looked into the distance and smirked. "I'd shut up about now if I were you." I told him
"Why should I, does the truth hurt your ears like the buzzing of many mosquitoes after your blood? You're a disgrace to duel monsters!"
"Weevil…my boyfriend really wouldn't like the fact that your insulting me and my dueling skills." I warned him.
"What's Wheeler going to do?" Weevil sneered.
I slapped my hand over my forehead in aggravation. Not only had Joey defeated Weevil, but he was bigger than Weevil and a fighter besides. I smirked again. "Nope, wrongo again bug breath. We broke up, I'm with someone new now." I told him.
"Whoever it is must be another chump just like Wheeler was to ever go out with you hahahahahahaaaaaaaah!" Weevil was calmly and neatly put in a headlock.
"You're the one who is a chump Weevil, you just never know when to quit!" Mako exclaimed, grinning that shark like grin of his. "Now apologize to my mermaid for all that you said to her!"
"Mako Tsunami!" Weevil exclaimed in shock, and then he got his sly look back on his face. I don't apologize to anyone, because I'm Weevil Underwood, regional champion!"
"Well then maybe I can shake it out of you Weevil!" Mako shouted and began shaking Weevil like a great white shark would shake a seal.
"Come on Weevil, I'd like my apology before the tournament ends…" I said.
"Ok I'm sorry just put me down!" Weevil cried and Mako put him down where Weevil promptly fainted. Hehehe.
After that Mako and I split up to duel other people and agreed to meet up later.
Later…
I saw some kids with duel disks run by really fast and I caught a bit of their conversation as they were running.
"There is a duel going on at the aquarium lets go check it out!" One of them cried.
"Yeah it's that Joey Wheeler guy and Mako Tsunami this should be awesome!" Another answered.
"Hmm, Joey vs. Mako, this should be interesting." I said out loud to myself and began following the kids to the aquarium.
When I got there, I saw that Mako had just taken a serious chunk from Joey's life points with his Fortress Whale card. They were in the middle of some kind of platform right in the middle of the orca tank. Also, there was a fishing net near the tank…had Mako been fishing there? I sat down with Tèa, Tristan and Gramps. "What's going on?" I asked Tèa.
"Mako was performing with the aquariums killer whale because its trainer was sick with a fever. Joey challenged him to a duel." Tèa told me. "Mako looks like he's winning."
"Yeah! Go Mako! You can do it!" I cheered.
"What are you going to do if Mako wins?" Tèa asked me.
"Give him a big hug." I answered her.
"Well, what are you going to do if he loses?" She asked.
"Give him an even bigger hug." I answered her.
"Come on Joey!" Tristan shouted.
"Yeah Joey you can do it!" Tèa shouted.
I watched and cheered Mako on but…he didn't win. Joey did. Mako ended up giving him his fortress whale card and the legendary fisherman.
"What a great duel huh?!" Tèa shouted and smiled.
"Yeah that could have gone either way!" Tristan exclaimed.
I looked over at Mako who was sitting Indian style at the edge of the orca tank. He didn't look too happy about losing, even though he had shaken Joey's hand and congratulated him and everything. Joey ran up to us and was grinning as he held up his new two locator cards. "I'm goin right to da finals!" Joey cried.
"I knew you could do it Joey!" Tèa cried out and hugged him.
"Way to go Joey you actually made it!" Tristan commented, slapping him a high five.
"Congrats Joey." I said simply. I kinda figured he would win, being a main character and all.
Joey winked at me. "Your buddy there was tough ta beat, he shouldn't take it so hard on himself."
"Yeah…I'll go talk to him." I said as everyone began to clear out of the aquarium stadium. I walked over to the edge of the orca tank and climbed up onto the side. I dangled my sandaled feet in the water. The orca, aka Shamu swam up to me curiously.
"Hi Shamu." I said and smiled. I began stroking its slick rubbery skin gently. Shamu squealed and opened his mouth. I knew how much orca's love having their tongue's stroked, so I obliged him and began rubbing his tongue. "Will you take me to my friend?" I asked. Shamu nodded his great head and let me step upon his back. He swam with me on his back to the island platform and I stepped off of his back and onto it.
"You ok Mako?" I asked. He barely acknowledged my presence. I gently laid a hand on his shoulder." I saw Mako wiping a tear away from his eye. Poor guy, I felt so bad for him. Mako grasped my hand and stood up.
"Did you see the grand duel I was just in Jade?" He said excitedly and smiled. "We both fought hard but in the end it was I who got the sharp end of the hook. Joey gave me a grand duel; I suppose I'll have to win it next time." I knew he was just putting on a brave face. Mako wasn't eliminated from the tournament, but we both knew that like the last tournament, he wouldn't get enough locator cards in time to enter the finals, except in the other tournament, it was star chips.
I knew he needed some time alone. So I gave him a hug, the bigger hug that I had told Tèa I would give him. I felt him sigh and I patted his back. "Your one of the greatest duelists I know Mako, you'll win someday. I know you will. I believe in you." I said. He didn't respond, only looked at his deck as if pondering how it had failed him. I quietly hitched a ride with Shamu back to the end of the tank.
I began wandering around the city and dueling against smaller minor league duelists who were inexperienced and I earned myself three locator cards and three rare cards. The Millennium shield Holographic, Swords of Revealing light, Holographic, and Red Eyes Black Dragon, holographic. All of the cards would be good assets to my deck. My heart wasn't in it though…
I sat down by a water fountain and held my head in my hands. I still kept thinking about how hurt Mako had been that he wouldn't make it to the finals…again. I knew he probably never would too. He wasn't the main character like Yugi and Yami, let alone a main character at all like Joey Tèa and Tristan. Heck, he was probably one of the least seen minor character, I mean there was much more Rex and Weevil on the show… I just wished someone would cut the poor guy a break…
"Oh hi again Jadey, competing in the tournament huh?" Mai said, smirking and walking over to me. Great, so did not need her obnoxiousness in my face right now. She sat down next to me and held up her locator cards.
"I've got five locator cards, one more and I go to the finals how about you?" She asked.
"Four." I answered holding up my own locator cards.
"Ah, and I heard your rare card is the Cosmo Queen huh. That's a pretty powerful card. My deck could use a card like that." She said and smiled deviously.
"Well your harpies Feather duster isn't that great a card but I could always use it in my deck anyway." I shot back at her.
Mai's eyes glinted. "Maybe that card wouldn't interest you, but maybe this card I got off some chump would…" She said and took out of her deck the legendary fisherman card! That was Mako's favorite card, and he had given it to Joey. "I would never use it in my deck, but maybe you and your loser boyfriend who lost to my new b could find something better to do with it."
I clenched my fist. "You know what Mai…" I snarled. "Get out your duel disk, I challenge you and battle city rules say that no one can refuse a challenge!"
"Oh bring it on you major wannabe." Mai chuckled. Both of us set our duel disks. "I only need one more locator card to get to the finals." Mai smirked. "But I'll offer up two of mine to your one because I know I'll beat you and wipe the floor with you, just like Joey did to Mako."
I felt the fire growing in my eyes as I drew my five cards. "Still dueling for material things Mai? That is so selfish, Joey deserves better than someone like you. As for me I duel in honor of Mako and our love for each other. And If I were you Mai…I wouldn't hurt Joey in any way because not only will you have his friends to deal with, but you have me, his old girlfriend who still holds him dearly, and you should never upset an old girlfriend."
Mai just shrugged and said. "Make your move kiddo, so I can take your precious Cosmo Queen and get it over with." Our life points of 4000 came on the simulators.
I looked at the five cards I had drawn. Cure Mermaid, Feral Imp, WingWeaver, Monster Reborn and Block Attack.
"I summon Feral Imp in attack mode and also lay a monster in defense! I said and laid cure mermaid in defense in case I would need it later or to sacrifice to summon out wingweaver. "And I also play this card face down and end my turn." I continued, playing block attack face down. I knew that Mai would call out her harpy lady card and equip it with several other magic cards, so with block attack, I could bide myself some time. I watched as Feral Imp came alive on the holographic wrist simulators and roared, sounding just like a monkey…
"Oh, I'm so scared already, if that's the best you can come up with maybe you should just back out right now and save yourself the humiliation. I doubt you and him could stand anymore."
"Just call out your harpy lady, add cyber shield to it and get on with it!" I sneered, then clapped my hand over my mouth. "Or…any other strategy you had in minds good too…" I tried to cover.
"What! How did you know I was going to do that? Did Joey reveal all my dueling strategies to you? Why that no good little…!" She said, getting obnoxiously angry.
"I just saw you duel at duelist kingdom Mai, Joey didn't do anything so leave him out of this!" I said.
Mai just composed herself and smirked. "That's right, just because you know about some parts of my strategy doesn't mean you can stop me. I summon Harpy Lady in attack mode! And I add cyber shield to make her more glamorous and even more dangerous!"
Even though I was expecting it, I still grimaced. Her harpy lady was now1800, 500 more points than my Feral Imp. I lost the five hundred and watched as the harpy lady destroyed my Feral Imp.
Mai 4000 Jade 3500 "Looks like your imp is done for." Mai said smugly. "Hurry up and throw out another monster for my Harpy Lady to tear apart!"
I drew another card, ignoring the raving lunatic. It was the magic card called Germ Infection. I read what it said. Germ Infection, the attack of a non Machine type monster equipped with this card is decreased by 300 points at each of its standby phases. It would be pretty useful against Harpy's Pet dragon when Mai eventually brought it out.
"I play this magic card face down, and bring out Cure Mermaid in attack mode!" I said. I watched as my beautiful pink mermaid appeared. It had the attack points of only 1500/800 but had a cool effect. The effect was that as long as this card remains face up on your side of the field, increase your life points by 800 points during each of your standby phases.
Mai began laughing as she drew another card. "Is that what you're going to attack me with? Your fashion challenged fish girl is definitely going down, Harpy lady attack it!"
"Not so fast Mai, activate magic card block attack!" The harpy lady stopped in its tracks and shifted to defense position as I took block attack and set it in my graveyard. Thanks to cure mermaid's effect I gained 800 lifepoints! I couldn't attack Mai's card because it was still stronger than mine. So my turn ended there.
Mai 4000 Jade 4300
It didn't even faze Mai. "Just because you stopped my harpy lady from attacking doesn't mean she won't annihilate you next turn. She drew another card and set it down smirking. "I use Mirror Wall! If you try to attack it, your monster's attack points get cut in half! And I add Rose whip to my Harpy lady to make her attack power go even higher ha ha attack the cure mermaid!
I watched as my mermaid was slashed in half.
Mai 4000 Jade 3700
Oh great, now the mirror wall was out and harpy lady got 300 points stronger, now at 2100! I got my swords of revealing light! The perfect way to stall against Mai! "I send in Swords of revealing light!" I cried and put the card down.
"Oh wasn't that predictable, just another way to make this lame pathetic duel last even longer. I should have brought a magazine." Mai commented and propped herself up against her elbow. "I draw my one card and end my turn since I can't attack." Mai said.
Ok, now I need a card that can take down Mai's mirror wall. Remove trap is the only thing I can think of that I had in my deck that could get the job done. I would have three turns to draw for it before the effects of swords of revealing light ended. I drew another card. Hyozanryu, my favorite dragon card. The one that I would use against the dragon in Kaiba's new technology if I ever got a chance, I'd talk to him about that later hehehe, back to the duel. Even though I loved that card it was still no good though, It had too many stars on it for me to bring it out and anyway the mirror wall was still in effect. Hyozanryu had a good defense though, so I laid it next to Wingweaver in defense mode.
"My turn again, huh hon?" Mai yawned and picked up her card. "Just what I needed…" She trailed off. "Just wait until your swords of revealing light are done, that's when you'll be crying your eyes out just like your wussy fish bait boy toy did."
"You know what Mai? After I'm done settling this with cards, how would you like to settle it with fists?!" I yelled to her.
"Touchy, just make your move and let's get this show on the road, I'm so board. This is the same trick Yugi pulled on me before bringing out the black luster soldier. But by the look on your face I doubt you have some crazy stunt like that planned out."
I narrowed my eyes at her and drew my next card. The Millenium Shield. It would be good blocking against Mai but that was all it was basically good for. I set it in defense mode. One more turn before the swords wore off. Hopefully Mai hadn't gotten too many good cards yet.
"I guess going on the defense is all you can do huh? Your faring no better than Tèa did in our duel and I let her win…" Mai said and drew her card.
I sighed and closed my eyes. "Got to believe in the heart of the cards…" I murmured.
I heard Mai groan and mutter "Not that crap again…"
I ignored her and concentrated, picturing my deck as a door. I reached for the knob and turned it. Yet in real life I drew my card and it turned out to be the trap card called armored glass. I set that face down, I knew that I would use it later.
On the field, the swords disappeared as I put that card in my graveyard.
"Didn't help you that much huh?" Mai chuckled. "Now first I place down a card called elegant egotist, it allows me to summon my harpy lady sisters!"
"Great…it's an ugly bird freak convention…" I muttered. The harpy lady sisters appeared on the field. Their attack and defense was 1950/2000 but with the edition of the cyber shield and Rose whip it was 2750/2000!
"Attack my harpy sisters the card on the far right!"
"My Wingweaver!" I cried as the harpy sisters attacked my card. Out of all the cards Mai could have attacked, it had to be the one with the lowest defense! I only lost 350 life points though. Mai 4000 Jade 3350.
I drew my card and it was the magic card called pot of greed. "I play this magic card and draw two new cards from my deck." I said.
"Draw away, its not going to help you any." Mai shrugged.
I drew the trap card Waboku and the monster card called Protector of the throne 800/1500. I placed Waboku face down and also placed my monster reborn face down too and set Protector of the thrown in defense mode.
"I bet I know why your monsters are all in defense mode. It's because you have nothing in your pathetic deck that can beat my harpy lady combo." Mai commented and drew her card. "I play Harpie's brother in attack mode! Attack the face down card she just placed down!"
"Not so fast Mai, activate trap card Waboku! I believe in your duel with Tèa you know what it does." I said and smirked.
"It takes any damage an opponent's monster might make is turned to zero." Mai said dryly. "A lot of good that's going to do you." She commented.
"It does me a lot of good, especially if I want to save my maneater bug for your Harpie's pet dragon!" I said and smirked. I hoped my little bluff would work on Mai.
"I choose not to attack with my Harpy Ladies." Mai said dryly with her nose to the air. "I'll get rid of your bug some other way…"
I smirked evilly. Hehehe…looks like she isn't the only one who can psych her opponent's out. I drew my card. "Just what I needed! And this is only the first step in bringing you down!" I yelled and practically slammed down the card I had just pulled out. "Remove trap card! Bring down her mirror wall!" And I also play my magic card called Reborn the monster! Reborn my Wingweaver! Attack Harpie's brother! Flying Hope Attack!" I watched as Wingweaver soared across the field and took down Happie's brother. After Wingweaver was done, she flew back to her place in front of me and gave me the thumbs up sign. Ha, I knew those cards had a mind of their own. Mai 3050 Jade 3350.
"Grrrrr…." Mai growled and picked up a card. "This duel isn't over yet and I'm just getting warmed up." I place one card face down in defense and I also place one magic card on the field called Soul exchange! It's a special card that allows me to sacrifice your card instead of mine so that I can bring out my Harpie's Pet dragon! I sacrifice my face down card and that card over there that I didn't attack, the Maneater bug, so it can't be used against my dragon!"
"Oh boy…" I trailed off. Normally a Harpie's pet dragon only has 2000/2500 but its attack gets raised by 300 points for every Harpie lady on the field, which was three, so it was now 2900/2500.
"Hey! That wasn't a Maneater bug at all you big lyer how dare you lie to me like that!" she shouted.
"I wouldn't be talking miss really needs perfume because her attitude stinks so bad." I commented. "There's a big difference between cheating and psyching your opponent out."
Mai cackled. Yes cackled, like a deranged chicken, and pointed at my Wingweaver. "It will be my pleasure in destroying your card just to shut you up!"
"But you don't know what I've placed here…" I said and patted the two cards I had face down. "Could be a magic card that will wipe you outta this duel…" I said.
"Oh no I'm not falling for that again." Mai shouted. "Fool me once and never fool me again is what I say." She commented. "Any way's I have just the card for this. De-Spell!"
I frowned. I hadn't expected that. If she chose my Germ infection, then I wouldn't be able to equip it to Harpie's pet dragon. And if she chose armored glass and she had Harpie's feather duster in hand, then it wouldn't matter either. Crud, wish I had remembered about her De-spell card! Mistakes like that could cost me the duel… Thankfully she chose my armored glass.
"Hmmph, I'll just have to wait to get my Harpie's feather duster to get that out of my way. In the meantime I…do not attack."
I drew another card and found it to be my Cosmo Queen! I couldn't play it yet…first I needed to play other things to bring her out.
"I activate my magic card. You know, the one you didn't quite choose. It's called Germ infection, it decreases the attack points of a monster by 300 points at each of its standby phases and it's a permanent one too! I watched as the ugly green germs attacked Harpy's pet dragon and begin to make it look weaker.
Mai grunted. She picked up her card and smirked. "Harpie's feather duster! Sweep that trap away! Her Harpie lady grew an extra set of wings and swept my trap card away. "Now! Harpie's Pet dragon attack her WingWeaver!
Mai 3050 Jade 3200. I was amazed at how many moves we had both made yet how little the duel had really progressed. I picked up my card and it turned out to be the trap card called Just desserts. "I play this card Mai, it does 500 direct damage points to you for every monster you have on the field! Which means three harpies and one dragon 1500 points to you!"
Mai 1550 Jade 3200.
Mai drew her card and looked on as her Harpie's pet dragon lost 300 attack points. She looked at her card and smirked. "I have that card too hon. Lets see you have three monsters on the field also so that's 1500 points to you I believe."
"Curse you and your family…" I muttered. Mai 1550 Jade 1700. I was still ahead but not by much…
Mai passed her turn, saying something about waiting for a remove trap so she could use her dragon to wipe me out.
I drew the trap card called Reinforcements! "I sacrifice my Millenium Shield and my Hyozanryu to bring out my Cosmo Queen! And I equip her with my trap card called Reinforcements! Attack Harpie's pet dragon Cosmic blast!" My Cosmo Queen concentrated and blasted the dragon in a huge explosion. You see, my Cosmo Queen normally was 2900/2450 but with the reinforcements card, it was now 3400/2950 and the Harpie's dragon, weakened by the virus, was only 2300/2000.
Mai 450 Jade 1700
Mai gasped and recoiled from the realistic explosion. She took her arm away from her eyes and asked me, "Why didn't you just destroy my harpies and get it over with. Why did you destroy my dragon?"
"Maybe I wanted to destroy your best monster right in front of you to get you back for all crap you said about me and Mako." I growled.
"I play reborn the monster and bring back my old friend Harpie's pet dragon! And since he doesn't have that virus you put on him, he gets his old attack points of 2900/2000 plus I add this card I won off some chump a while ago. It's called Horn of the Unicorn and it will raise my dragon's attack power by 700! Making it even stronger than your Cosmo Queen. Honey, you should have attacked when you had the chance. The dragon and my Cosmo queen were equal in attack power and canceled each other out.
"Grrrrrrrr Stupid stupid stupid!" I said, hitting myself repeatedly over the head with my hand. "Go ahead Mai, have your harpies attack my life points…" I said. I felt sick, battered and defeated.
"Maybe I want to give you one last glimmer of hope before I crush you into the dust. There's not a card you can play to kill my Harpie ladies so take your one measily turn so I can attack you and claim my prize. It's not worth killing someone so pathetic like that." She added.
I sighed and closed my eyes. "Heart of the cards…guide me…" I whispered and thought of Mako. How I was fighting for him and how his bravery and kindness never stopped inspiring me. It was an illusion, but I thought I could feel Mako's hand put itself on top of my own as I reached for the one final card of the duel.
"You can do it Sea Star, I know you can." Mako whispered, before his spirit faded from view. I reached for the card and closed my eyes, hoping against hope to draw something that would help me. Some kind of magic or trap card, because Mai knew that I needed a lower level monster to sacrifice to get bigger ones, that's what she was probably counting on, because I didn't put that many magic or traps into play during our duel. She must have assumed that I didn't' build my deck with too many. Well, I would surprise her with what I pulled out.
"I call upon Ookazi. The magic card that takes 800 point's directly from your lifepoints." I told Mai calmly. "I believe that wins me the duel." Mai 0 Jade 1700. "Maybe you should have attacked when you had the chance.
"What! The one card that could help you and you get Ookazi! How could such an ametuer like you have beaten me! This is not happening! It's just not possible!" She sank to her knees and got a sad expression on her face. I set my duel disk into place and walked over to her. I took many deep breathes, the tension and stress of the duel was taking its toll on me.
She practically shoved her locator cards and the legendary fisherman card into my hand. "Here, just take them and leave me alone." She muttered, sounding absolutely wretched. Losing like that had to hurt her.
I looked down at the locator cards. "Why don't you keep these? The cards all I want anyway." I said and threw the cards back down at her except for the fisherman.
Mai opened her eyes. "But you won them from me, I can't accept them back.
"Let's just call it…a thank you, for helping Joey in the tournament with the glory of the king's hand card, about the only nice thing you did for him back then. And besides, I fought and won standing up for the person I love. I think you could learn something from that." I said and walked off without saying another word. Then I doubled back, pulled Mai into a headlock and began giving her hard hard skull noogies.
"Nat the hair nat the hair you little!" She hissed trying to shove me off.
" I began walking around; trying to find Mako so I could give him the card I had won for him. I knew I should have taken the locator cards too and tried to go for the finals. But I didn't want to disrupt the flow of the show and besides, it wasn't really the cards I was fighting for in that duel. I was fighting for Mako's Honor…