Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and references belong to their respective owners. The song Invisible belongs to Clay Aiken and the company that recorded it and was used in this story with the best of intentions. Story elements © Hideki LaShae. No money was gained in the writing of this story.

WARNING: This story contains sensitive cultural practices and references that might offend some readers. The views and opinions of the cultures which condone these practices are not shared by this author, but they are included in this story for awareness purposes only.

Time to Duel, Mariko!

By

Hideki LaShae

Chapter Eight

So Complicated

FLASHBACK

'Mai! Don't go! I need you!' Joey's mind screams out the words, but no one hears them. He hadn't said them aloud after all. In fact, he couldn't have said them aloud. His entire body, including his vocal chords, has been paralyzed.

Mai falls to the floor of the duel field. Her closed eyes make her look like she's sleeping, but Joey knows that her mind is no longer in her body. Marik has sent her mind to the shadow realm.

'Marik! I hate you! I hate you for controlling me, but I hate you even worse for doing this to Mai!' thinks Joey. He tries to move, and, suddenly able to move again, he rushes to Mai's side. "Mai! Marik, you freak! Bring her back!"

Marik scoffs at Joey. "Bring her back? Now why would I want to do that? After I went to all the trouble and effort to send her mind to the Shadow Realm!"

"I'll give you ten good reasons!" exclaims Joey clenching his fists.

Marik turns away from Joey and walks away confidently.

"Let him go, Joey! We've gotta take care of Mai!" exclaims Tristan.

Joey growls at Marik's back. "Next time will be different, you freak!"

Yugi opens his eyes and pushes himself up onto his knees drowsily. "Is everyone okay?"

Joey kneels beside Mai and pulls her into his arms. "Marik sent Mai's mind to the Shadow Realm!"

"Oh, no! Mai!" exclaims Yugi moving to her side.

"We gotta get her to her room!" exclaims Joey standing up with Mai still in his arms.

Yugi stands up and nods. "Will you be okay carrying her?"

"I'm fine! She's not that heavy," says Joey, but his mind thinks rapidly, 'She weighs a ton! What has she been eating?'

Yugi guides Joey over to the elevator, and Joey carries Mai inside.

Joey and Yugi's friends climb into the elevator with Joey and Mai.

"Kaiba! We need to land so we can get our friends to a hospital!" exclaims Yugi looking at Seto with pleading eyes.

"I already told you… we aren't landing for anything!" exclaims Seto glaring at Yugi.

Yugi moves into the elevator, and the doors close.

"How is she doing, big bro?" asks Serenity looking at Mai.

"I don't know," says Joey leaning back against the wall so it can lend some support to Mai's weight in his arms. He clamps his eyes tight. "All I gotta say is she better be alright!"

"I'm sure that we'll be able to bring her mind back from the Shadow Realm after we beat Marik!" exclaims Yugi nodding his head confidently.

"I hope you're right, Yuge!" exclaims Joey. He looks at Mai. 'She looks so peaceful… like she's just sleeping… a sleeping beauty…'

"Damn that Marik!" exclaims Tristan punching the wall of the elevator.

"Yeah…" Joey nods but doesn't take his eyes off Mai's face. He cradles her so that her head rests against his chest, and the golden tresses of her hair tickle his arm.

"What about you, Joey? Are you okay?" asks Yugi.

Joey snaps his eyes away from Mai's face and looks at Yugi's concerned face. "Yeah, Yuge! You know me! I'm fine! It's that Marik creep we need to worry about! When I get my hands on him, he'll wish he never messed with Joey Wheeler!"

"Now that sounds like the Joey we know," says Téa smiling. She looks at Mai and her smile turns to a frown. "What if we can't wake Mai up?"

"Don't say that!" snaps Joey forcefully, "She has to wake up! We just have to get her mind back from the Shadow Realm so she'll wake up! We have to! She has to wake up!"

"Okay, Joey," says Duke staring at Joey in shock, "We'll figure it out!"

The doors open, and Joey pushes through with Mai in his arms. He carries her down to her room and places her lightly in her bed as his friends follow him. He brushes her hair away from her face. He whispers, "Please, wake up, Mai…"

Are you really alone
Still in your dreams?

"We'll bring her back, Joey," says Yugi, "I promise."

Joey clasps Mai's hand in his own and squeezes it. He sets her hand gently on her stomach, and he turns towards all his friends. His brown eyes glow with a fiery passion. "We'd better! She's my friend!"

"We all know that," says Duke setting his hand on Joey's shoulder, "No one is doubting your friendship with Mai!"

"Really? Cause she sure did!" exclaims Joey turning away from Duke and storming out.

"What's wrong with him?" asks Duke.

"He… well… I think he…" Téa bites her lower lip and sits down beside Mai, keeping her eyes fixed on the unconscious girl's face.

"What is it, Téa? What did Joey do?" asks Tristan.

"I think he lied to Mai… He told her that she wasn't in his dream, the one he had when he was dueling," says Téa, "And it upset Mai. She just wanted to know that he thought of her as a friend, and he told her she wasn't in the dream."

"Do you think she was in his dream then, Téa?" asks Serenity.

"I don't know, but she just wanted to feel like his friend. He couldn't even do that," says Téa with a sad sigh.

"You guys should go watch Kaiba's duel," says Serenity, "I'll sit here with Mai."

"Are you sure, Serenity?" asks Tristan.

Serenity smiles. "Someone should sit with Mai, and you should all watch the duel. I am sure, Tristan. Go ahead."

Tristan nods. "Come on, guys. Let's go watch Kaiba duel!"

"I'm not really that tired right now, guys. I'm gonna go get a breath of fresh air. Maybe that would help me sleep," says Joey trying not to yawn.

"Do you want company, Joey?" asks Téa.

"No, thanks, Téa," says Joey smiling, "I won't get lost."

"If you're not back in an hour, we're taking the bed!" exclaims Duke.

Joey scoffs as he walks out the door. He walks down the halls and into Mai's room. He sees Serenity leaning forward in her chair fast asleep.

If I was invisible
Then I could just watch you in your room…

Joey moves up to the bed and sits down on the edge of it. He smiles at Mai. "Hey, Mai… Can you hear me in there? Or wherever you are?"

Mai doesn't move.

"Mai… You're my friend. You know that don't you?" whispers Joey.

Serenity shivers in her chair.

Joey turns to look at his little sister. He stands up and pulls his jacket off. He places it carefully over Serenity's shoulders being extra careful so as not to wake her. He brushes a strand of her brown hair away from her eyes before he sits down beside Mai again. He lifts Mai's hand from her stomach where he had placed it earlier. He squeezes her hand gently and leans towards her to whisper into her ear, "I like you, Mai… Come back to me."

The scent of Mai's floral perfume wafts up to Joey's nose.

Joey inhales deeply and he smiles. He sits back up and pulls the blanket over Mai's body. "Can't have you freezing to death, sleeping beauty."

Joey sits beside Mai, just watching her in her sleep-like state. He sighs happily as he gazes upon her porcelain-like skin. His lips curl up in a mischievous smile. "Sleeping beauty… I wonder if a kiss would wake you up."

If hearts were unbreakable
Then I can just tell you where I stand…

"I want you to know, but then again I don't," says Joey, "If you don't feel the same for me…" He leans over and lightly kisses Mai's lips. "I promise to do that properly after you've woken up."

Joey sighs and caresses Mai's cheek. He whispers, "I want to tell you how I feel about you, Mai, but I want you to be awake to hear it. But more than that… I'm afraid that you might not feel the same way. I don't think my heart could bear your rejection. I just want you in my life, Mai…"

Mai lies in her bed, seemingly unmoving except for the slight rising and falling of her chest, the only indication that her body is still alive even if it is mindless.

Joey kisses Mai's forehead before standing. He heads to the door. "Good night, sleeping beauty."

"Good night, Joey," mumbles Serenity in her sleep.

Joey blushes and ducks out of the room quickly. He hurries back to his room to rest for the night.

ENDFLASHBACK

Joey peeks into the room where Mai sleeps, and he smiles. "Soon, Mai… soon."

"Hey, Joey! How's Mai doing?" calls Yugi from down the hall as he jogs towards his taller friend.

"Looks like the same," says Joey still looking in at Mai.

"Don't worry, Joey. She'll wake up after we return her mind from the Shadow Realm!" exclaims Yugi, "Come on! Kaiba said we were landing this morning for the final round of the tournament!"

"Too bad she can't watch me duel!" exclaims Joey sadly, "But she doesn't even know I'm here!"

If I was invisible
Wait… I already am…

"That's not true… I'm sure that our voices can still reach her, even though she is in the Shadow Realm," says Yugi, "You can tell her all about how you win your duel later! She'd love to hear it!"

"You think so?" asks Joey finally turning his eyes to Yugi.

Yugi smiles and nods.

Joey smiles. "Let's go, Yuge!"

Yugi leads the way at a brisk pace down the hallways.