Over the course of the next two weeks we got back into normal routine we all glared a Kaiba when we saw him and I started swimming four times the week. When I wasn't training I was feeling sorry for Joey he had been training nonstop he fell asleep in class when Yugi woke him he had yelled.
"Trap cards!"
Well half of me felt sorry for Joey the other half was killing myself laughing, but can you blame me I mean Mr Stanton's face was priceless as he was in the middle of explaining how some angles had weird letters for different something or others… I AM RUBBISH AT MATH OK! Well shapes but who isn't! All I need is a calculator that can add, take away, multiply, divide and percentage.
Where was I? Oh yeah laughing at Joey.
After a particularly nastily training session, I headed back to see if I could catch the last of the regionals as I ran into the sitting room I heard Yugi cry.
"Your back," Yugi said as I flung my swim bag by the door and headed into the sitting room where Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Téa were all sitting looking at me.
"Yeah, and Miss Lou was brutal that woman is trying to kill me," I said. "Who won?" I said gesturing to the television knowing I had missed the finals.
"Weevil," Yugi said, I nodded I thought he would have.
"In all the excitement you forgot to open your package Yugi," Grandpa said. I saw the box and I instantly felt a bad vibe. Yugi opened it curiously; it was a video, a glove and two mini stars.
"Yug, I don't think that's a good idea," I said nervously.
"Relax it's just a video." Tristan said.
"Yeah, but… I dunno I don't want to watch it," I said feeling weird. "I have maths homework for tomorrow I need to do anyway." I said going up to my room as Yugi slotted the video in the player.
It took me ages to finish the maths but when I did Téa suddenly burst into my room.
"Téa what - ?"
"It's your grandpa," she said, I slammed down the pen before I could even begin my history essay and flew down the stairs behind her to see Yugi clutching the TV screaming "Grandpa!" over and over again. Then I saw him on the floor.
"Grandpa!" I yelled shaking his shoulders. "Grandpa!"
Téa called an ambulance but for some reason I felt as though that would do no good…
When we got back to the shop that night Yugi sighed.
"You know we are going to have to call my mom," he said, I winced Susan Muto nee Jones was a caring, kind woman when it came to her son. In fact she was a caring, kind woman with everyone… except me. She hated the fact she worked away, but cherished the time she had with Yugi when she was here. When it came to me on the other hand, she thought the look that you get when you've stepped in something disgusting was too good for me. She was forever telling Grandpa that he should take me to an orphanage and concentrate on Yugi. She made no effort to hide this feeling from anyone.
"Can we not call Adil," I asked biting my lip. Adil was Yugi's father he was a kind man with a warm heart. His name means noble and reserved which he was. He always treated me and Yugi fairly when he was here, even when he and Susan were arguing about it. I had always felt like it was my fault when his parents split and I had voiced this concern to both Adil and Grandpa.
While Grandpa had assured me that it was not the case. Adil had said.
"Now if you are going to think and say silly things then maybe we should cut out your silly tongue and brain and give you a new one." (Being 9 at the time I freaked out) then he said the same as Grandpa.
"We won't reach him he's said the ship was going near morocco they'll still be crossing the ocean to go back to the north after they picked up the materials. You know they are doing that research on that new volcano in the water near Japan and China. You know we can't get a hold of him till he gets to a port. Sorry Mana it's the only way."
"I know," I said smiling. Looking like he was handing himself over to the police, Yugi had to ring his mother and tell her she needed to come home for a while she wasn't happy, she agreed. She promised she would be there by tomorrow afternoon. This automatically made me nervous. She didn't make it quiet that she didn't like me and thought that I was just a waste of attention and money, and without her watching out for Grandpa this would get a whole lot worse.
Yugi squeezed my hand as we walked to school the next day by the time we returned she would be here. At lunch we filled the gang in about Susan.
"If you want while she's here you can stay with me," Téa said. "My sister has left for Chicago, I could ask mum now and have a response by the end of the day."
"Don't be silly," I said smiling while Yugi said.
"Thanks Téa that would be great, come on Mana it's not fair how she treats you." he said to me before I could protest.
"It feels so weird, knowing he isn't home," I said as we walked towards the shop.
"It's my fault," Yugi said.
"Don't say that," I said astonished he would even think that. "Pegasus tricked you, how were you supposed to know?"
He shrugged and went to open the door but he paused suddenly.
"What's that?" he asked looking at it curiously. There were two envelopes both filled with the same cards.
"There form Pegasus," he gasped flicking through the cards.
"Duellist kingdom," I whispered, then it all made sense that bastard was playing with us.
We opened the door past the shop to see Susan watching the TV she saw Yugi and beamed, it sank as she saw me.
"Your still here then?" She said coldly.
"Mom, leave her alone," Yugi said angrily.
"I'll go pack," I muttered running up the stairs, I could hear them arguing as I shoved my stuff in a bag. I hated making Yugi and his mom fight. It only took me twenty minutes. Adil would be here in a week's time so worst case scenario she'd be here for five days.
I came back down stairs I tried to sneak out but Yugi saw me and hugged me tightly.
"I'll see you tomorrow Mana," he said, I hugged him back and whispered bye.
Téa's house wasn't far I only had to walk a few blocks before I arrived I sighed and knocked on the door.
"Mana!" she said hugging me as soon as she saw me ushering me inside. I loved Téa's house every room had a theme to it. The sitting room was seaside gentle, the kitchen was red and white pokka dots, hall memories, photo's of Téa and her parents dotted everywhere occasionally between them you would see the cream wall behind, the small toilet under the stairs was a forest based room lots of tree's painted on the walls green long carpet on your feet making you way upstairs I had never been in Mr and Mrs Gardner's room so I didn't know the bathroom dolphins and finally Téa's room was yellow with lots of posters her green carpet. A spare mattress on the floor.
"Thanks again for doing this Yugi need's time with his mum anyway," I said.
"I just wish she'd be nicer to you," Téa said, I sighed me too.
"Well for tonight Susan and Yugi don't exist. What are we doing?" I asked her she grinned at me.
"Mana Muto I am giving you a makeover!" she squealed. I gulped, what was so bad about Susan again?
…
We all had a free first to discuss what had happened last night.
"A tournament a duellist kingdom, isn't that an island?" Téa said leaning behind Yugi to look at the cards. "So that's where Pegasus is keeping your Grandpa."
"Maybe," Yugi replied, "the only way to know for sure is for us to become contestants."
"The boat leaves in two days," I said pointing at the card.
"But you can't go, it could be dangerous," Téa argued.
"I have to –"
"We have to, Yugi." I said scowling at him he had been trying to stop me from going since he found out about it, saying to me it was too dangerous.
"I still can't believe it," Tristan said. "Pegasus used some weird spell to take your Grandpa's soul away. And now he's toying with you two forcing you to compete in the tournament!"
"He doesn't care about me," I said, "he has a millennium item, I've done lots of research on these things and a lot of people are drawn to their power, he'll probably want all seven of them." I said matter of factly.
"So he just wants Yugi's puzzle?" Téa said.
"It's just a theory," I said.
"What about us?" Joey said. "Without invitations we can't go with you. I wish we could help you guys."
"This is bad," Téa said, frowning at the boat card.
"Hey Yugi," Tristan said suddenly picking up one of the cards. "Check this out according to this card the winner gets three million dollars!"
"Three mill?" said Joey in awe.
"So what Tristan," Yugi said. "who cares about money at a time like this?"
"Hey give me that!" Joey said taking the card from Tristan and staring at it. "Ah three million,"
"Joey!" I snapped at him whacking him over the head.
"Three million in cold heart cash," he said ignoring my assault, there was a look in his eyes that made me suspicious he looked relieved; did he need this sort of money for something… or someone?
Everyone decided to go to Téa's to discuss this even further while everyone was cheering about the two weeks off, all I could think of was Grandpa and how we were going to get him back from Pegasus.
"Here you go kids," Mrs Gardner said putting a selection of party snacks and chopped fruit and veg in front of us.
"Thanks Mrs Gardner," Yugi and I said as Joey and Tristan began to eat the party rings and pringles, cheese and onion I snatched them from them.
I cleared my throat pointedly. They clicked and looked up.
"Thanks Mrs Gardner," they said together before eating around the healthy food, Mrs Gardner laughed before leaving us too it.
"What are you going to do?" Tristan asked.
"Well we have to days to come up with strategies from and for every angle," I said.
"And we have to trust in the heart of the cards and put everything Grandpa told us into practice," Yugi said looking at his deck determinedly.
Yugi and I spent the next two days packing and preparing to win the tournament to face Pegasus, if it came down to the two of us. Yugi had to win. Millennium item vs millennium item.
"So this is it," Yugi said after a 20 minute train ride to the coast. We were now cueing to get on the boat. Grandpa here we come, I thought.
"We'll win the two of us in the finals ready to face Pegasus." I said.
"Hey, you! Get out of here! Only official contestants are allowed on board!" we heard a security guard say.
"How do you known I'm not official." I heard a familiar voice.
"That's not…" I trailed off.
"Because official duellists aren't trying to sneak on board through the lower hatches," I could see two guards fighting to pull a familiar blonde haired, green jacket wearing figure away.
"Joey!" we both yelled running over to aid our friend.
"Stop struggling," the guard said. "Or we will have to throw you out,"
"No way, I came to duel and I'm gunna duel." Joey said fighting harder.
"Leave him alone," Yugi said as we got closer.
"Hey guys," Joey said.
"What are you doing here Joey," I said, he laughed.
"Do you really think I'd let you do this by yourselves. Come on help me out."
"He's with us you got to let him on," Yugi said.
"Only people with a starchip can get on board. There are no exceptions, understood," the other guard said.
"But Joey has a starchip," Yugi said.
"Didn't he tell you," he said holding out his hand.
"No, Yugi," I said. "I'll give him one, remember what we said." I said holding out one of my chips to Joey.
"All duelists have two starchips, you'll be at a disadvantage," guard one said, I shrugged.
"I'll still kick everyone's butt anyway and besides maybe this could work to my advantage." I said grinning. The first guard got out a mobile.
"Mr Pegasus," he said. I scowled grumbling in my head. "We got a problem sir," he said, he explained the situation, then there was a pause, we waited holding our breath.
"Go ahead," the guard said leading all three of us on board…