"Yugi over here!" I heard Mokuba yell, I wished I could see them, I wish I could yell out. "Get him off me!" Mokuba said; I so badly wanted to help him. The last what I was guessing few hours had been horrific, I could hear Mokuba struggling against our abductors and the captors themselves making comments about how Yugi would come and fall into the trap Pegasus had set for him, I couldn't back answer because of my gag, but I made sure I was heard, I could still scream. This had been a mistake, as once refused to be quiet when they yelled at me to be, the took Mokuba and left me in the room alone to worry.
"Mokuba," I heard the familiar deep voice of the spirit. "Put him down. Where is Mana? Where are you keeping her!" his voice was so demanding. When he asked about me shivers went down my spine. Wait what? No bad Mana!
"I'll consider it if you win the duel, the girl is right here," he said clicking his fingers I felt hands grip the top of my arms and lift me from the floor, I tried to struggle.
"Yugi!" I tried to yell but it came out a muffled yell.
"Mana!" I heard everyone cry.
"Release her now!" the spirit bellowed. I tried to yell Yugi's name again.
"Let her go!" Joey snarled.
"When the duel is done we'll let her go," Kemo said calmly.
"At least put her on the floor you're hurting her," Téa said anxiously.
"Very well lets duel," the Spirit said grimly.
"I never said I would duel, there is your opponent," he said. "He's an old friend dying to see you again, he met with an unfortunate end earlier today but he's come back just to duel you. "Rip off her blindfold." He said to one of the goons I looked around to see Kaiba on the platform.
Kaiba was dead…Bullshit I didn't believe a word.
"What are you saying," Mokuba said, everyone else made a confused sound.
"Kaiba," the spirit said looking up at him.
"Yes Yugi," said the fake. "It's me Kaiba," it looked up. "This time you don't stand a ghost of a chance." He said and chuckled under his breath.
"Yeah cause this time he really is a ghost." Kemo said.
"Stop it Kemo," Mokuba said.
"It's true two witnesses saw him fall to his doom,"
The spirit gasped, soon followed by the rest of the gang.
"Liar!" Mokuba yelled. "Take back what you said!"
"Get used to it all that's left of Kaiba are your memories plus a very cranky ghost looking for revenge,"
"It's not him," the Spirit said confidently.
"Well he's seen better days, but now it's time to duel with the ghoul."
"It can't be this guy's nothing but a fake. A trick by Pegasus," the Spirit continued. "Don't worry Mokuba I'll win your freedom then we'll find your brother." I tried to agree but it came out an untranslatable muffle. They got ready to duel.
"Yugi you look like you've seen a ghost," the fake said. I snorted through the gag, how many times were they going to use that lousy pun this was as bad as Weevil, if not worse!
"That's enough," the Spirit said firmly.
"I am no longer of this world and it's all because of you." it said, the Spirit grunted, but the fake continued on. "I could've had it all but when you beat me you took more than just the match you stole my life and destroyed my soul."
"Your nothing but an imposter so stop the lies and lets start the duel."
"Fine with me," Fake Kaiba said, "this time you won't beat my cards."
"You might look like Kaiba, but there"s no way to imitate his deck."
"You mean my deck," it said. The Spirit growled.
"Beat him Yugi; he's nothing but a fake." I nodded in agreement with Mokuba.
"Yeah, that ghost doesn"t even look like Kaiba," Joey cried.
"That's right," Téa said. "Wait I mean it's not a ghost and it's not Kaiba."
"Get him Yugi!" Tristan yelled, the Spirit nodded at them, then looked at me, his eyes fixed on mine for a moment. His eyes suddenly flickered to the fake as thought he had spoken to him directly.
"Kemo once I beat Yugi, Pegasus can have Kaiba corporation all I want is revenge three star chips say I win,"
"Fine by me that means when the duel is over I'll have 9." He said, making me attempt to cheer; I guessed it had been half way understood by tone if anything.
"Be quiet!" Kemo snapped kicking me onto my side.
"Don't touch her!" I heard Joey yell, but I couldn't see him, it tried to get back up to my bum, shuffling to see again.
"Lets duel," the fake said above him causing the life points to show on the side.
The fake Kaiba played the same card the real Kaiba did in their first game, freaking out the Spirit a bit and worrying Mokuba.
"Just because he played the same card doesn't mean it's the same deck," Joey yelled trying to support Mokuba, I shot him a grateful look.
The knock off played Blue eyes which unnerved a lot of us, it was impossible. Then I thought this is Pegasus he wants to trick us he would have stolen Kaiba"s deck. I tried to protest my hands tied in front of me so I wrote in the soil.
Stole cards Kaiba escape no way the git would be that easy to get rid of
I nudged Mokuba's foot he looked down and read the message, he smiled.
"Mana's right, they stole Seto's deck before he escaped!" Mokuba yelled.
"You! Quit trying to communicate," one of the goons snapped as he bent down to tie my wrists to my ankles making it harder to write.
"Let go off her!" I heard Tristan yell.
"When the duel is over you can have her," he sneered as the knots were fastened. I tried to comfort Mokuba nudging my head against his leg.
"Not the real Kaiba," I tried to say but it came out "nomthmrwwwkabbbaa"
"Be quiet!" the goon yelled lifting me but the ties putting all the pressure in my wrists and ankles making me scream.
"Let her go now!" The Spirit bellowed furiously.
"Poor choice of words," he sneered, I closed my eyes as he let go bracing myself with impact against the ground.
"Ow!" I yelped in pain glaring at the goon who dropped me. Right on the tail bone that was going to hurt for days, all my friends growled.
"Try and grab her and she'll be in serious trouble," Kemo said, still holding Mokuba. "And we'll just take Mokuba away now. That is the order; they go for the girl we take the boy."
The duel continued there were so close calls; the real Kaiba stepped in, destroying a blue eyes and caused the fake to reveal his true appearance and let me tell you boys and girls. It was not a sight to behold. Though he hadn't been lying when he was Kaiba, he was the part the Spirit sent to the Shadow Realm. The spirit won the match with taking a blue eyes from the graveyard and increasing its strength with the mystical elf's attack points. At the moment the clown wannabe's life points fell to zero I felt a weird warmth flow through me to my wrists and ankles and I saw the rope had been broken. I didn't know how that happened but I was not complaining.
"Grab the kid, leave the girl that was the instructions," I heard Kemo say, I went to scream to warn Joey and Tristan but I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head, knocking my consciousness away…
My eyes fluttered open; hazily I looked up at the person tapping my cheek.
"Yugi," I mumbled.
"It's alright your safe," I heard the Spirit said, I wasn't entirely sure I could trust him. I felt as though I could, but I didn't know him.
"Yugi!" I gasped pulling him into hug. "Wait Mokuba! Where is he?" I cried as I remembered, the orders Pegasus gave the goons.
"They took him, you were our first priority Tristan and Joey ran to find them but…"
"Just another reason to get into the castle, the kids grown on me big time," I said trying to get up, the Spirit helped me up, letting go cautiously to make sure I could stand alone.
Which of course I could, I just wouldn't be running any marathons any time soon.
"We lost them," I heard Tristan's voice.
"Téa go with them we'll split up and look," I said.
"Right," Joey, Téa and Tristan said leaving me alone with the spirit again.
We walked in silence for a while, I was thinking about my mixed feelings towards this spirit. My heart said trust, my head said don't.
"Mana?" said the spirit, I looked up.
"Yes Yugi?" I said smiling.
"Mana, is something on your mind?" he asked concerned.
"Yes, just… I can trust you right? I mean I know you're not Yugi –"
"I'm sorry?" he said stunned.
"Don't insult me with that and besides, how the others haven't notice Yugi grows about 6 inches and voice drops; along with other obvious changes is beyond me."
"You've known all along?"
"Since the first time I saw you appear I've known," I amended, though I felt weird about the puzzle even before it was completed.
~Flash back~
"Here is your dinner Yugi," I said putting the plate beside him.
"Thanks Mana," he said as he placed another piece of the puzzle together.
"How far have you completed that so far?" I said leaning in curiously.
"About half way," he said excitedly.
I leaned over to look.
"It's a pyramid," I said curiously.
"Yeah, I think it'll be about this big," he said gesturing with his hands.
"I won't keep you," I said smiling.
~Flashback~
"I promise I mean no one any harm," he said snapping me out of it.
"I know I feel like I can trust you." I said smiling.
"Hey guys any sign?" I heard Joey yell as they came into view.
"No, I think he'll be in the castle by now," I said sighing.
"You did everything you could," Tristan said putting his arms on my shoulders. I smiled up at him.
"Just another reason to get into that castle," Yugi said.
"Right,"
"Come on Joey let's find you another duel." I said grinning.