The Present
Yugi, Joey and their travelling companions arrived shortly before ten. The hotel was set upon meticulously kept grounds, topiaries and flower bushes lined the path, the fragrance of the flowers was strong in the air as the seven duelists made their way towards the main entrance.
The night air was cool, the stars twinkled prettily overhead.
"Hey what's this?" Ryu asked as he bent to examine a square object sticking out of the ground,
"Looks like a painting of a Sailboat." Kelly answered as she too knelt down to look.
"Why would a painting of a sailboat be lodged into the ground?" Mai asked looking at the object, still nestled into it's earthen foundation.
"Maybe it's that, whatcha call it, modern art? Who cares let's get checked in I'm tired" Joey said as he started walking again.
The seven continued on in silence taking in their surroundings and going over their mental inventories. The finals were to begin the day after next and both Sammantha and Ryu were still ineligible.
Yugi and the spirit of the Millennium puzzle were both pondering exactly what it was that this new threat Willem Spring, was after and what it had to do with the God cards.
Kelly just seemed to be incredibly tired as she continuously yawned and had difficulty keeping her eyes open.
Mai and Joey brought up the rear of the troop, walking hand in hand.
Robert was the first to reach the entrance and held it open for his fellow Duelists.
"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Duelist Haven Resort and Spa." a recorded voice boomed as Robert opened the door for his friends, the sudden break in the silence causing him to wince as his ears were assaulted.
"That was unexpected." He grumbled as he followed the group into the lobby, rubbing his ears more for show than anything else.
As the group approached the desk in the lush lobby they were greeted by the smiling face of one of the hotel staff.
"Welcome to the Duelist haven Resort and Spa, I'm Becky will you all be checking in this evening?" Becky asked, her demeanor cheery and peppy.
"Yes, we'll need rooms please." Sammantha took the task of checking everyone in.
Moments later the group was loaded into an elevator headed towards the top floor.
"That was fast." Robert yawned and leaned back against the wall of the wood paneled lift.
"Yeah, all they needed was our names, seems there are rooms set up for almost every Duelist that was invited." Sammantha replied, leaning against the opposite wall in a similar fashion to Robert.
"Think Kaiba was that uncertain as to who would make it into the finals?" Joey asked from the corner he and Mai were sharing.
"Maybe, though it might have been Mokuba's doing. He's always shown a bit more tact than Kaiba." Yugi replied as he shuffled his deck nervously.
"Don't count against the possibility of this being Kaibas doing. After the defeats you've handed him in the past he's become more cautious about other Duelists, looking deeper than he used to." Robert spoke then yawned, mimicking kelly who had just finished Yawning.
"He's still an arrogant jerk and a shrewd business man but he's a little less likely to judge based on the popularity of the Duelist." Robert added and shot a look to Ryu as the younger Duelist almost toppled over, having fallen asleep on his feet.
"Man, this elevator's slow." Ryu said as he corrected his balance and looked around sheepishly.
The night passed uneventfully, with the exception of some loony screaming at the top of his lungs at around three am that is. Mai and Kelly sharing a double room, Yugi and Joey the same. Robert and Sammantha taking a suite and Ryu got a double all to himself.
As day broke on the resort hotel Ryu squinted his eyes and held his hand up to block the light as he sat at the desk by the window.
"Huh, morning already? Man I didn't think it'd taken that long." He spoke to himself as he shuffled his deck. He'd spent all night tweaking his deck enhancing it to the maximum the cards he'd brought with him and those he'd won provided.
"Well, That's about all I can do here." Ryu again spoke to himself as he walked over to his backpack and began looking for something to wear for the day. As he pulled out the blue shirt he'd been wearing on the first day a card slipped out of the breast pocket and floated to the floor.
"Aw man! I knew I was forgetting something!" Ryu chided himself as he picked the card up and rushed to get dressed.
"I've got to get this card to Robert, after the way he bailed me out in that first match it's the least I can do." Ryu commented as he rushed out the door towards Robert and Sammantha's room.
Robert and Sammantha were laying together, his arms wrapped around Sammantha he could feel her heartbeat and the gentle movement as she breathed.
They'd been awake for about an hour, just laying there. When they'd awoke they'd exchanged a few words but the tension of the impending Finals and the conversation from the night before about Kelly was heavy on their minds.
Even with everything that was going on though Robert had an odd feeling. Somehow, someway everything was going to work out. It felt almost like he was on a rollercoaster there were moments when he was scared and worried about what might be next but he knew, almost instinctively that they'd be safe in the end.
A knock at the door roused Robert from his thoughts, Sammantha too was pulled from her thoughts.
"Who could that be? It's only six thirty." Samantha griped as she relinquished her grip on Roberts arms as he began to get up.
"Maybe Kaiba got impatient and the Finals are starting now." Robert joked as he pulled on a robe and laid a second robe on the foot of the bed for Sammantha.
The knock came again at the door as Robert was reaching for the handle. Rolling his eyes he opened the door expecting to see one of Kaiba's suit wearing lackeys, needless to say he was pleasantly surprised.
"Robert, listen man I'm really sorry to bother you this early but I meant to get this to you sooner, I just forgot what with the duels and all." Ryu quickly blurted out as he held out a card to Robert.
"Ryu you don't have to do this. Really there's no reason." Robert replied as he looked at the younger duelist, while wondering just how bad his morning breath and bed hair were.
"No, I do. My father always taught me that a debt between friends is never a good thing. And when you saved me from elimination after my first match that's exactly what was created. I owed you a debt and this is my payment. Now our friendship can be clear no matter what happens from now on." Ryu said and pushed the card into Roberts hands.
Robert looked at the card, Barrel Behind the Door. "Thanks Ryu, I really appreciate it." Robert said as he slid the card into his robe pocket.
"No Problem Robert, Well I'm going down to get some breakfast. You and Sammantha coming?" Ryu asked before he departed.
"We'll be down in a few minutes save us some seats okay?" Robert replied as the young duelist walked down the hall tossing a wave over his shoulder in acknowledgement.
Yugi, Joey and their travelling companions arrived shortly before ten. The hotel was set upon meticulously kept grounds, topiaries and flower bushes lined the path, the fragrance of the flowers was strong in the air as the seven duelists made their way towards the main entrance.
The night air was cool, the stars twinkled prettily overhead.
"Hey what's this?" Ryu asked as he bent to examine a square object sticking out of the ground,
"Looks like a painting of a Sailboat." Kelly answered as she too knelt down to look.
"Why would a painting of a sailboat be lodged into the ground?" Mai asked looking at the object, still nestled into it's earthen foundation.
"Maybe it's that, whatcha call it, modern art? Who cares let's get checked in I'm tired" Joey said as he started walking again.
The seven continued on in silence taking in their surroundings and going over their mental inventories. The finals were to begin the day after next and both Sammantha and Ryu were still ineligible.
Yugi and the spirit of the Millennium puzzle were both pondering exactly what it was that this new threat Willem Spring, was after and what it had to do with the God cards.
Kelly just seemed to be incredibly tired as she continuously yawned and had difficulty keeping her eyes open.
Mai and Joey brought up the rear of the troop, walking hand in hand.
Robert was the first to reach the entrance and held it open for his fellow Duelists.
"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Duelist Haven Resort and Spa." a recorded voice boomed as Robert opened the door for his friends, the sudden break in the silence causing him to wince as his ears were assaulted.
"That was unexpected." He grumbled as he followed the group into the lobby, rubbing his ears more for show than anything else.
As the group approached the desk in the lush lobby they were greeted by the smiling face of one of the hotel staff.
"Welcome to the Duelist haven Resort and Spa, I'm Becky will you all be checking in this evening?" Becky asked, her demeanor cheery and peppy.
"Yes, we'll need rooms please." Sammantha took the task of checking everyone in.
Moments later the group was loaded into an elevator headed towards the top floor.
"That was fast." Robert yawned and leaned back against the wall of the wood paneled lift.
"Yeah, all they needed was our names, seems there are rooms set up for almost every Duelist that was invited." Sammantha replied, leaning against the opposite wall in a similar fashion to Robert.
"Think Kaiba was that uncertain as to who would make it into the finals?" Joey asked from the corner he and Mai were sharing.
"Maybe, though it might have been Mokuba's doing. He's always shown a bit more tact than Kaiba." Yugi replied as he shuffled his deck nervously.
"Don't count against the possibility of this being Kaibas doing. After the defeats you've handed him in the past he's become more cautious about other Duelists, looking deeper than he used to." Robert spoke then yawned, mimicking kelly who had just finished Yawning.
"He's still an arrogant jerk and a shrewd business man but he's a little less likely to judge based on the popularity of the Duelist." Robert added and shot a look to Ryu as the younger Duelist almost toppled over, having fallen asleep on his feet.
"Man, this elevator's slow." Ryu said as he corrected his balance and looked around sheepishly.
The night passed uneventfully, with the exception of some loony screaming at the top of his lungs at around three am that is. Mai and Kelly sharing a double room, Yugi and Joey the same. Robert and Sammantha taking a suite and Ryu got a double all to himself.
As day broke on the resort hotel Ryu squinted his eyes and held his hand up to block the light as he sat at the desk by the window.
"Huh, morning already? Man I didn't think it'd taken that long." He spoke to himself as he shuffled his deck. He'd spent all night tweaking his deck enhancing it to the maximum the cards he'd brought with him and those he'd won provided.
"Well, That's about all I can do here." Ryu again spoke to himself as he walked over to his backpack and began looking for something to wear for the day. As he pulled out the blue shirt he'd been wearing on the first day a card slipped out of the breast pocket and floated to the floor.
"Aw man! I knew I was forgetting something!" Ryu chided himself as he picked the card up and rushed to get dressed.
"I've got to get this card to Robert, after the way he bailed me out in that first match it's the least I can do." Ryu commented as he rushed out the door towards Robert and Sammantha's room.
Robert and Sammantha were laying together, his arms wrapped around Sammantha he could feel her heartbeat and the gentle movement as she breathed.
They'd been awake for about an hour, just laying there. When they'd awoke they'd exchanged a few words but the tension of the impending Finals and the conversation from the night before about Kelly was heavy on their minds.
Even with everything that was going on though Robert had an odd feeling. Somehow, someway everything was going to work out. It felt almost like he was on a rollercoaster there were moments when he was scared and worried about what might be next but he knew, almost instinctively that they'd be safe in the end.
A knock at the door roused Robert from his thoughts, Sammantha too was pulled from her thoughts.
"Who could that be? It's only six thirty." Samantha griped as she relinquished her grip on Roberts arms as he began to get up.
"Maybe Kaiba got impatient and the Finals are starting now." Robert joked as he pulled on a robe and laid a second robe on the foot of the bed for Sammantha.
The knock came again at the door as Robert was reaching for the handle. Rolling his eyes he opened the door expecting to see one of Kaiba's suit wearing lackeys, needless to say he was pleasantly surprised.
"Robert, listen man I'm really sorry to bother you this early but I meant to get this to you sooner, I just forgot what with the duels and all." Ryu quickly blurted out as he held out a card to Robert.
"Ryu you don't have to do this. Really there's no reason." Robert replied as he looked at the younger duelist, while wondering just how bad his morning breath and bed hair were.
"No, I do. My father always taught me that a debt between friends is never a good thing. And when you saved me from elimination after my first match that's exactly what was created. I owed you a debt and this is my payment. Now our friendship can be clear no matter what happens from now on." Ryu said and pushed the card into Roberts hands.
Robert looked at the card, Barrel Behind the Door. "Thanks Ryu, I really appreciate it." Robert said as he slid the card into his robe pocket.
"No Problem Robert, Well I'm going down to get some breakfast. You and Sammantha coming?" Ryu asked before he departed.
"We'll be down in a few minutes save us some seats okay?" Robert replied as the young duelist walked down the hall tossing a wave over his shoulder in acknowledgement.