"Mana? Hey guys she's waking up!" I heard Joey said. My eyes fluttered open. Argh it felt some someone had whacked me over the head with a brick.
"What…" I remembered the shadow game I knew it was real.
"You have that weird dream too?" Joey said, I realised he was holding me so I could sit up.
"Yeah, I guess, we were – "
"Duel monsters,' Tristan said.
There was a loud scream. It sounded like Mai.
"Whoa that sounded like Mai?" Joey said.
"Yeah," Yugi said, as I pulled myself up my head still pounding heart still pumping. It felt like some has just send masses of electrical volts through my system.
"Well lets go help her," Joey said, we all ran towards the scream when we got there we saw a huge guy. And I mean huge, his hand was the size of my head.
"Mai!" Yugi yelled. "You ok?"
"Your too late," she said.
"Too late for what?" Téa asked as we slowed to a stop a few metres away from them.
"This side show freak giving you a hard time Mai," Joey said.
"That's right, just like Pegasus pays me to do. Rule out all the duelling filth on this island and dispose of it."
"Doesn't that making you a garbage man," Tristan said.
"This is no joke, Panic is one of the islands eliminators and if you don't get out of here, he'll do the same to you as he did to me."
"Eliminators, what's that Mai?" Joey asked.
"Look," said Panic, grabbing Mai's forearm and forcing her arm above her head. "This is what she means right here, check out her duelling glove not a star chip left – "
"Let go off her!" I yelled.
"That would mean she was disqualified." Téa said.
"You're out Mai," Yugi said.
"I am," Mai said sadly. "It all happened so fast. The way Panic duels I just lost it."
"LET GO OFF HER!" I bellowed trying to move forward to help her, but Tristan grabbed a hold of me. that was twice tonight he better not make it three.
"This isn't right," Téa said.
"Ha she was one of my easiest defeats yet." He said throwing her towards us, laughing as she nearly fell.
"You creep move it, there's no excuse for pushing a girl." Joey said as Tristan let go of me to help Bakura keep him back.
"Calm down Joey, I know how you feel but that guys more than twice your size." Bakura tried to reason with Joey.
"I can take him." Joey snarled.
"No Joey," Yugi said. "Fists aren't the answer. Violence doesn't solve anything, I've dealt with a lot of bullies in my life and there is only one way to deal with them."
"What do you mean?" Joey said.
"You have to stand up to them!" he said fiercely before the Spirit reappeared.
"But Yugi…" Mai said, Panic grabbed her again.
"Now let's see you use your intimidation tactics against me Panic." He said in that deep voice that seemed even more familiar to me now than ever, it made me think of Egypt. What? Don't be stupid you've never even been to Egypt. "I don't scare easy especially when I am standing up for my friends."
"You twerp, I've eliminated her from – "
"Will you let her go!" I yelled running forward to help her now Tristan was occupied with Joey.
"Mana stay back." the spirit said putting his hand out in front of me. "If you're looking to bully someone bully me. Playtime is now over Panic, it's time to duel."
Panic was such a coward he tied the spirits with chains on his ankles and machines that shot fire at him when Panic choose. They were inches from him when he set them off. The spirit answered back catching Panic out. The best part was when he simply leaned back to doge the shots of fire. Well cool now not at the time. In the end he beat Panic with his own cowardly defence as well as constantly belittling him.
"He won!" Téa cheered.
"And Panic's not taken it well," Joey said.
"I'll say, Panic's having a Panic attack." Tristan said chortled.
"Nobody beats Panic! Nobody! I may not have defeated you Yugi! But I can still eliminate you!" he whacked the fire control so hard that he broke it causing the fire to charge towards us and the Spirit.
"NO!" I yelled throwing my hands forward as I did the fire turned to ice stopping dead in it's tracks. I felt woozy, I clutched my head with my right hand trying to stabilise myself with the other. I felt arms catch me as everything went black…
I opened my eyes to hear Joey crow. "I'm such a sensitive guy!"
Tristan chuckled. "Yeah when you're not being a pain."
"Which is most of the time," Téa joined in, making everyone laugh including the Spirit. He really did have an amazing laugh. No! Stop it!
"Ah my adoring fans," Joey said sarcastically.
"Whoever said I was your fan," I said as I tried to lift myself up out of Bakura's arms.
"Mana!" everyone cried rushing over.
"How are you feeling?" the Spirit said.
"I'm fine thanks," I said as they helped me to my feet, I still felt a little woozy I clutched onto the Spirit for support.
"What happened? How did you do that with the fire?" Mai said in amazement.
"I dunno, my head's pounding,"
"Rest," The Spirit said taking more of my weight. "We have explained why Mai, she needs rest, we shall see you at the finals."
"Yugi wait," Mai said making us all turn. "I'll repay you for what you did today. You're the one who won these so as far as I'm concerned I still owe you. More than I've ever owed anyone. And when we finally do face each other in a duel, it will be an honourable one."
"Yes an honourable one," the Spirit said smiling, we walked away back into the forest.
"Come on guys let's find somewhere to sleep."
"How about somewhere by the ocean," Téa said.
"Sure," Bakura said. "Sounds like fun."
"Well then let's go!" Joey called loudly and lead the way. It wasn't long till we found a nice spot on the Cliffside tree's on either side of us and a large enough space for us all to sleep. There was even enough room for half of one of the duelling arena's.
"Ok this looks like a good spot lets set up the tent." Tristan said, everyone nodded in agreement and began to set up camp for the night.
"Why don't one of you go in," I said angrily, as Tristan told her that she and Téa were going to be sharing the tent.
"Because you and Téa can share, it would be awkward for one of us."
"Wrong, you want me to sleep in there so it's easier to protect the girls." I said crossing my arms.
"You are the only one who has been kidnapped." Tristan said.
"I was trying to get Mokuba to run and it was six against one, you couldn't even beat Kemo with that kid!"
"Don't fight," Yugi said. "Mana just sleep in the tent. Téa doesn't want to go on the ground, you two are the only girls."
"I am in the tent," Téa said seriously.
"Fine," I grumbled.
"Well I am going to sleep now, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Tristan said.
"Me too," Téa
"Me three,"
"I'm going to stay up a bit, I will go in the tent but not yet," I said before they could argue. Bakura and Yugi nodded. It didn't take long for Joey to start snoring.
"Interesting first day," Bakura said.
"Interesting night," I said thinking to how much we'd gone through even since the sun had gone down. As we gave a small chuckle Bakura's millennium ring was glowing and pointing at the castle.
"Bakura, I'm I seeing things or is your millennium ring actually glowing." Yugi said, Bakura picked up the item that was indeed glowing, but that was not all one of the pointers was pointing towards the castle.
"If not then we are all hallucinating." Bakura said
"That's pretty spooky don't you think?" Yugi said as the three of us stared at it. "The way it's pointing like that."
"Pointing to the castle," I said.
"Why would it do that?" Yugi asked.
"I don't know but it did the same thing the day I met you. I had just been transferred to your school. I was watching you guys play Duel Monsters when suddenly, the ring started to glow pointing right towards your puzzle."
"Wow Bakura so those pointers are somehow able to zone in on other millennium items." Yugi gasped.
"But then why would it point to the castle?" Bakura said puzzled.
"Why do you think Sherlock," I said laughing. "Pegasus has the millennium eye that's why." I said clenching my fists, pansy bastard. "Bloody soul snatching git," I grumbled under my breath.
"It's all rather scary isn't it. I mean grabbing souls with his, and I'll never forget when mine took us all to the shadow realm." Bakura said Yugi nodded, I noticed them both look at me then quickly look away. Something was up...
"Is the evil spirit of Bakura gone now?"
"You know it wasn't a dream," Yugi said.
"Please don't insult how well you know me with that." I scoffed.
"How much of that do you remember?" he asked curiously, I could feel the spirit listening as well.
"The whole duel, well the bits I was in."
"How about the talking?"
"Talking with the evil Bakura? Just about the shadow realm and our souls been in the cards he didn't talk that much really. Strange cause normally the villains unleash their diabolical plans." I joked. "Or taunt the people he didn't seem to do much,"
"Yeah weird," said Yugi, but there was something off in his voice.
"Wow look at that," Bakura gasped as the copter came into sight, the wind from its blades blowing the tree's and our clothes like crazy.
Tristan and Joey woke up.
"Hey what?" Joey yelled as the bright light of the helicopter shone directly at us. "Hey!" he yelled at it. "Some of us are trying to get some shut eye yer insensitive jerk."
Téa's head appeared from the tent.
"What's that?" she cried trying to be heard over the copter. We all watched as it landed, we stood together bracing ourselves for who could be inside.
Though I had an idea.
The door opened and a tall man stepped out.
It was Kaiba. The real Kaiba.