Chapter 2 – To Duelist Kingdom I Go
"Please, please, please! I promise! I promise! Promise!" Crimson begged. Her foster parents looked at each other and shrugged. Crimson had lived with them ever since she was separated from her parents in a flood. She had washed up in a whole different city, which was definitely strange. If it hadn't been for her locket, which she always wore around her neck, she wouldn't have known who she was. Unfortunately, they didn't really find out who her real family was.
"I seriously don't know why you want to go to this camp," her mother said. "You'll be away from us for two weeks!"
"I'm old enough to be on my own! Heck, if that guy, what's-his-name, is pretty much my age and can run a company, I can go to a camp!"
"Seto Kaiba is an extremely smart kid with a thousand body guards. He'd be safe. You can barely drive safely. I really have to ask how you got your license."
"MOM! Please, I don't care about freakin' Kaiba! This is me! Me! Me! Me!" Both her foster parents looked at each other again.
"Well, if you can really be responsible," her father said. "And not get another ticket this whole week, we'll think about it!"
"Mom! Dad! It starts tomorrow!"
"The first one starts tomorrow, the second one starts the week after."
"MOM! Please. I'll be home sooner if you let me go!"
"Oh fine! And I'll expect you want to drive yourself there?"
"Oh please?"
"Oh, dear. If I hear, however, that you get into any trouble, I will bring you home in an instant and make sure you want to stay home forever more!"
"Agreed!" Crimson raced up to her room.
"I seriously don't know what gets in that kid." Crimson smiled. She didn't really want to go to the camp. It was a free camp for kids, and it was a come-if-you-want basis. No signing up or anything. There were two programs, each on one side of the campsite. Crimson had researched in case her parents asked questions. In reality, it was all an excuse so she wouldn't have to explain her disappearance when she went to Duelist Kingdom.
If the dream was to be believed, then there was some connection to her, Yugi, a certain brown-haired fellow, and Egypt. And if Yugi was connected, then so was Duelist Kingdom. If Duelist Kingdom was connected, Crimson would have to go there. And to go there, Crimson had to have an excuse. And a method of transportation. Cars couldn't cross oceans, she got airsick on airplanes, and magic would be risky. That left...a boat.
"Hmmm...I'll have to get a boat somewhere." She went to pack her stuff.
After ten minutes, she had packed all the stuff she would need on her "imaginary" camping trip. Aside from that, she packed a smaller knapsack. It held many edibles and a map of Duelist Kingdom.
"Now," she said to herself. "I just need to find that boat. Maybe I can go down to the docks and figure out for myself." Crimson clicked her tongue.
"Not enough time. Perhaps if I turn on the television, something might come up." So she did. The screen was displaying a current Duel. Two boys were standing, and apparently they had the same monsters on the field. One, however, was wearing some extra armor. Crimson turned off the TV to avoid getting involved. Nothing was going on at the moment. She needed to find the boat another way.
"There must be a ferry to that island," Crimson moaned. "There has to be!"
"Crimson! Dinner!" Crimson sighed. She would have to wait until after eating to come up with a plan.
Crimson crossed her arms. She had just filled her stomach with turnips and mashed potatoes. Her worst favorite foods. Now her brain was sloshing around. She would never get a plan. Crimson lay back on the couch and let her eyes close...
"Bianca!" The raven-haired girl turned around. "Bianca!" She wondered who was calling her. Outside, near the garden, she saw Seth walking toward her.
"Seth!" Bianca ran over as fast as she could and threw her arms around him. "How are you?" She kissed his lips passionately, but he pulled away.
"Bianca. Please, we are still inside the palace walls. Let us not forget that Atem and I are still enemies."
"Oh, nonsense, Seth!" Bianca moved her arms so they were around his neck. "You love me and I love you. Let's forget about our families." For once, Seth wanted to agree. He couldn't.
"Bianca..." Bianca wouldn't let him continue. She pulled him closer and embraced him in a kiss. He returned it, running a hand through her black hair. His tongue pushed at her lips and she submitted. All of a sudden, she pulled away.
"Oh no!" Seth turned around. He saw the Pharaoh leave from the window. "He saw!"
"Go!" Seth pushed Bianca away and she ran toward the palace gates. She got inside and turned into an empty hallway. She ran toward her room. As long as she didn't meet Atem in the middle, everything would be fine. Hopefully. Unfortunately it wasn't so. A heavy hand made contact with her chest and trusted her back against the wall. She looked into the eyes of one of the Pharaoh's servants. She was in so much trouble!
Crimson's eyes shot open. She rubbed her eyes. Never had she had that dream before. Her dreams had always been about that fight. As if she only knew the ending of the story. Now, she knew a little in between. Maybe, somehow, the dream was telling the story of her ancient past. If it truly was her ancient past. But it had to be, since Yugi looked like the pharaoh and she looked like Bianca. But she couldn't figure out who the brown-haired guy was. She also didn't know why this dream was different from the others. Perhaps it was because Crimson had learned something new from the last time. Yes, she had figured out some of the things in the dream. Perhaps if she interpreted more, she could be allowed more visions.
"That's it, I'm going crazy. Now I'm hoping for dreams to solve my problems." Crimson sat up. "But...it couldn't be that crazy." Crimson turned on the TV. It was like Déjà vu. After a while, she turned it off again and sat back down. Holidays were so boring. Crimson switched the channels back and forth and all around. Skiers in Alaska, a cheesy soap opera, a Spanish newscast, people leaving from a ferry in Duelist Kingdom, and a cartoon kids show. Crimson switched off the TV and leaned back. Almost immediately she jumped back.
"THE FERRY!" She eagerly switched back to channel 33. The Duelists were being loaded into a small ferry.
"The day's defeated Duelists depart on the daily depressing ferry ride, demurring of their departure. Now try saying that ten times!" Crimson ignored the news reporter. She tried to memorize the place where the ferry would be. Tomorrow at this time, she would be on it.
Seto Kaiba looked determined as he made his way to Pegasus's castle. It was almost nightfall, and his eyes were getting a little droopy. No, he couldn't sleep. Not while a maniac in a red suit held his brother captive. No, not until Mokuba was free. He wouldn't rest until he rescued his kid brother. Unfortunately, his body had other plans. His eyes were getting immensely heavy. It was too late at night. Maybe a little nap would do. He slowly leaned up against a tree and relaxed, unaware that sleep had already claimed him.
"Seth! Help me!" Seth turned around. Everywhere he turned in the stone chamber, Bianca's voice echoed back. Yet, the chamber was empty, with no hidden areas at all.
"Bianca!" Seth spun around in frustration. The girl was nowhere in sight. "Bianca, where are you?"
"Help, Seth, I'm drowning!" Seth gritted his teeth. He had to help her, he just had to. But he was trapped in the chamber. He went over to the wall. It looked very solid. Seth gave it a powerful punch. Unlike an ordinary wall, it disappeared into dust. Seth stood there, blinking at it. Then he gasped. Instead of a hallway, the chamber opened directly into the desert. There was a large river. Unlike the Nile River, which it resembled, there were no plants or any sign that what was there was really water. Sand just melted into a chuckling river. Even worse, Bianca was trapped in the middle.
"Bianca!" Seth ran forward, but the closer he got, the farther away from the bank she seemed.
"Seth!" Bianca flailed her arms. Seth had gotten to the water's edge, and he was trying to find someway to rescue Bianca. Suddenly, to his horror, dark vines shot up from the river, coiling around Bianca's hands and pulling her down.
"NO!" Seth dived into the water, but the same vines tossed him out. At the same time, they coiled around every limb in Bianca's body.
"Se..." A wave of water crashed over her. When the waters settled, she was nowhere to be seen.
"BIANCA!"
Seto bolted up. He was still in Duelist Kingdom, in the middle of the island. The moon shone through the cloudy sky. Seto gripped his head.
"I've been having that dream for six months now," he said. "Six months! I've always ignored it, but today it was something different. Today, I actually felt every vine coiling around that guy's body. Every feeling of dread about not being able to rescue that girl. The girl...who is she? She seems so familiar. I think I've seen her somewhere. No, that's impossible. By the look of it, she lived in ancient times. How could I have known her?" Seto got up. The nap had done him little good, besides bringing up that dream.
"I've still got to save my brother!" Seto headed off. He decided to pause his thoughts about the dream and the girl with lightning-bolt bangs.
The next day, Crimson got together her bags and set them near the door. It was time for the big departure. Her mother and father were busy organizing some last minute things. While they did their stuff, Crimson over looked her apparel. She was wearing a thigh-long full-sleeve shirt that read, "Lost and Not Yet Found!" in black. It was yellow and made of denim. Underneath, she wore a pair of black sparkle jeans that flared out over her pink sandals. Her long, black hair was tied back with a yellow silk ribbon. If her bangs didn't get in the way, she'd be okay. Her bangs were one of the reasons she knew she was related to Yugi. They were shaped like lightning bolts, a very striking form.
"Are you ready to go, dear?" Crimson's mother asked. She came over and put her arms around Crimson. "I'm going to miss you!"
"I know..." Crimson managed to choke out. Her father stood to the side.
"If you need anything, just call. I'm sure the camp has a phone!" He also hugged Crimson. In the middle, she was squished.
"Okay, mom? Dad? I have...to...go...now!"
"Of course dear!" They pulled away, and Crimson straightened her shirt. She picked up her bags.
"Okay mom, I guess I'll see you in a couple of weeks."
"Right dear." Crimson skipped down the path to her car. She loaded her bags into the trunk and got in.
"BYE!!" her parents waved to her very energetically. She grinned back and sped off. All the while, she though about the great adventures she would be having in Duelist's Kingdom.
An hour later, she arrived at the docks. After parking her car in the least noticeable area and cloaking it with her Millennium Item's Invisibility, she took the knapsack and headed to the docks.
Her timing had been just perfect. The boat just arrived and "the day's defeated Duelists departing on the daily depressing ferry ride, demurring of their departure" got off. After they all went their ways, Crimson swiftly approached the captain, her Millennium Item swinging in her hand.
"Does this ferry, perhaps, carry people back to Duelist Kingdom?" she asked.
"Sorry, Miss. I have orders that this is an exit ferry only. The competition started a while back. You can't enter in the middle." Crimson's Item glowed.
"That's what you think." The man staggered back. In a second, he froze rigid before toppling onto his back. "You won't be waking for a couple of hours, and by that time, I'll be long gone!" Crimson stepped onto the boat and used her Item to levitate it a foot above the water. After tying her Item back onto her ankle, she moved the ferry forward.
"Watch out!" she proclaimed, her hair blowing out in the wind. "To Duelist Kingdom I go!"