I could hear birds chirping as I groggily found my way back to consciousness, I looked up to see hat Mai and Téa were already up and unpacked the tent.
"Mana," Téa said when she saw I had woken up.
"Fancy going for a walk kiddo?" Mai asked.
"Sure," I said brushing myself off, when I was done the three of us walked into the forest.
"Yesterday was eventful," Mai said casually.
"You weren't even there for half of it," I muttered.
"Sorry?" she said.
"We ran into a lot of trouble yesterday," Téa explained. "So Mai, you want to go shopping when we leave the island? Mana doesn't like it that much,"
"I don't hate it Téa," I said pouting.
"Sounds like fun,"
"Great what's your cell?" Téa said getting her phone out, Mai gave us both her number and we texted her with our name.
"Well I have duels to win," Mai said smirking. "I will see you all at the castle."
"Sure Mai," I said smiling.
"Take this, I've eaten and there is more of you than me," she said handing us the duffelbag.
"Thanks Mai," Téa said.
"Thanks," I said grinning at her.
"Oh and give this to Yugi," she said handing Téa a note.
"See you in the castle girls," she said winking before walking out of the forest.
"We should probably get back to them before they wake up and freak out,"
"Good idea," Téa agreed.
"We should be in the castle by lunch, all we need is for Joey to win one more duel and we're set."
"I just hope one they don't have to face each other." Téa said anxiously.
"If they do I'm sure they'll be fine they've been through a lot together, a duel shouldn't strain their friendship too much."
We were almost back when I heard Joey yell. "Everybody wake up!"
I looked at Téa and she nodded at me we began to run, hoping it was our disappearance scaring Joey and nothing else. We came back into the clearing and heard Yugi saying.
"Joey, what's wrong?"
"What is it Joey?" Bakura asked.
"Nah nothings' wrong," he said, "it's just a brand new day of the tournament and I'm hot to find us a duel."
Well you don't have to shout about it," Tristan said grabbing his coat from the floor.
"Er, Téa why you got Mai's bag?" Joey said.
"Because she is going to kick ass and doesn't need all the food in it," I said grinning at Joey.
"Where is Mai, is she with you?" Joey asked, aw I think he had a crush on her.
"She said she had to go, and to give you this note Yugi," Téa said hanging Mai's note to Yugi, Yugi blushed as he read it, I frowned wondering what she had put in the letter.
"Come on guys best get going." I said smiling, taking a bag of rice cakes from the bag and opening them up.
"Here guys, one more for Yugi and the rest for Joey,"
"I wonder how many duellist are left on the island," Bakura said curiously.
"They shipped a couple dozen home yesterday," Joey said.
"And I bet some more have been eliminated by now." Téa added.
"And some of them were really good players," Yugi said. "With powerful cards,"
"Well we got you in the finals now it is just Joey," I said smiling. "He's only got 2 more to go, we'll be there by lunchtime. I saw Tristan go to open his mouth but I nudged him in warning. As we walked I had the weirdest feeling that we were being followed, I turned my head slightly to see if there was anyone behind us but I couldn't see a thing. Yet… Nah I was probably being paranoid, especially knowing that Pegasus's goons could be anywhere, I was kidnapped yesterday so it's bound to mess with my psyche. Wow I looked back on the day before, I had taught a kid a lesson about sexism, gotten kidnapped protecting Kaiba's little brother, seen a dark part of Kaiba battle The Spirit, whisked off to a shadow game, collapsed after the Spirit's duel with Panic and finally had a screaming match with Kaiba. How uneventful my life was, I was scared to look at the week as a whole.
"Did you hear that? I think we're being followed." Joey said, I looked around nervously, it wasn't just me who felt it, maybe there is someone out there.
"I think you're getting a little paranoid Joey," Téa said.
"You've been acting hyper ever since you woke up this morning, man what's eating you?" Tristan asked.
"I'm telling yah somebodies stalking us," he said running
"Where are you going?" Bakura yelled after him.
"To stalk them," he yelled back as we lost sight of him.
"Stay here till he comes back," Téa sighed, the others nodded in agreement.
We waited for the goof ball to return when we approached the half an hour mark, we began to grow more and more anxious.
"Joey's been gone an awfully long time," Yugi said.
"You don't suppose he got lost," Téa said.
"No way, but he could have been challenged to a duel," Yugi said.
"Guys, I think whoever was following us – '
"Mana no one – "
"I felt it too," I protested against Tristan. "Before he even said it, I felt it."
"Ok, lets split up and try to find him." Bakura suggested.
"Right," Tristan agreed. "Yugi, Mana and Téa you head that way, Bakura and I will go this way."
"OK," we call called before heading in the direction he had been assigned.
"Joey!"
"Joey!"
"Joey!"
None of our cries were answered, I hoped the boys were having better luck than us three. We reached a waterfall.
"He's not here," Yugi said as we caught our breath.
"Where could he be, if he was fighting in a duel I'm sure we'd see the arena." Téa
"Joey's just vanished, I'm worried.' I said biting my lips.
"We'll find him," Yugi reassured me, I smiled at him.
"Let's see if the others have found him alright," he said.
"Yeah," I said, we began to jog back, looking around the trees for any sign of Joey.
"Any luck?" I called out as I saw, the others, we spotted the guys by a cave
"Tristan look," Bakura
"Hey that's Joey wallet," Tristan said, "with a picture of Serenity."
"Joey would never be careless enough to lose that his sister means more to him than anything," Yugi said.
"Look over there!" Téa said.
"A cave," Tristan said. "I don't like the look of this,"
We all began to run towards it…
"What's is this place?" Tristan.
"Be careful could be some kind of trap." Yugi said.
"What's up with those coffins," Téa said.
"Beats me, who would leave them just standing here," Bakura said touching one of them.
"I wouldn't touch those guys," Yugi said.
"Be careful," Tristan said.
"Don't be silly," said Téa going to the other coffin. "It's just a wooden…" the chain began to move. Téa screamed as it fell open and a skeleton fell out onto her and Bakura at the same time. I began to laugh as the two ran in a circle yelling. Yugi and Tristan helped get them off.
"That's Pegasus has a sick sense of humour," Tristan said.
"Come on it was obvious what was going to happen." I said trying not to laugh at Téa and Bakura horrified faces. "We have to keep going, God knows where Joey is in here."
"Mana's right lets go," he said running, the rest of us followed his lead.
After another five minutes of running we slowly came to a holt panting, our hands on our knees.
"Still no sign of Joey," Tristan said.
"Yeah," Yugi
"We'll find him," I said.
"Hey where's Bakura?" Tristan said. "We didn't take any turns so where could he have gone."
"I don't know," Téa said, we suddenly hear him yell, he appeared yet another skeleton his back, we all yelled and ran from him.
"Get this thing off me!"
Tristan threw the skeleton away as we all lay exhausted from running.
"From now on, don't go and pick up any hitch hikers," he said.
"Is it safe to open my eyes now?" Téa said.
"Guys we have another problem, which way do we go now?" Tristan said in frustration, I knew he was worried about Joey. I looked up to see why he was so stressed to see a fork in the road. Ah. "Anyone got any ideas," he said.
"Gee they both look so inviting," Téa said sarcastically.
"Yeah well if Joey got invited down one of those tunnels we need to find out which one," Tristan said darkly.
"Tristan's right, we need to find Joey now." Yugi said.
"Hey," Bakura said sounding puzzled as he moved off something that looked like a trap.
"What's that sound?" Téa said nervously.
"I stepped on something," Bakura said puzzled.
"Shh, be quiet," Yugi whispered.
"I think it's coming this way," Tristan said.
"Yeah, but what?" Téa said.
"Indiana Jones moment," I whispered.
"Oh dear," Bakura said, his hands over his mouth as we saw the giant bolder coming towards us, we all hurried down the left tunnel the bolder followed us.
"Why is the boulder chasing us," Téa cried.
"We're going downhill!" Tristan and I yelled together.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Bakura chanted as we ran, I saw him trip out of the corner of my eye and watched in horror as he fell. I went to help him back up but Tristan grabbed me, pulling me forward.
"No!" we all yelled as Bakura fell below the boulder.
"Just keep running." Tristan instructed.
"It's a dead end!" I said I could feel my stomach drop, we were trapped.
"Right, behind me now all of you." Tristan said. "There's nowhere to run –"
"Don't be stupid it's a freakin' boulder!" I yelled at him.
"You can't punch a boulder," Téa cried.
"I'm gunna try!" he grunted as prejected his fist forward when it connected the boulder… popped.
"It's a balloon?" Téa questioned.
"Yeah and that's a speaker," Yugi said crouching down. "Somebodies wired that thing for sound and I bet it was Pegasus."
"Of course, he couldn't have things that could kill contestants it would make him liable." I said, how had we been so stupid of course we weren't going to be killed.
Téa ran to Bakura and helped him up, I think he was in shock. "Are you ok?" she said gently, shaking his shoulder.
"Pegasus has spared no expense to scare us half to death." Yugi said.
"Sick bastard," I muttered before walking back the way we came. "Come on Joey must be down that other tunnel,"
Everyone began to follow me as we walked back the way we came.
"What would you guys do if you had as much money as Pegasus, we know that he is a sick pig who tries to kill people. What would you do?"
"I'd buy a mansion with a pool filled with gravy," Tristan said. We all stared at him. "What?"
"Never mind, Bakura?"
"I'd probably find somewhere in the country and live there,"
"Shopping, plus I'd pay a studio in New York so that I could audition every day, for the roles I want."
"What about you Yug?" Tristan said.
"I'd buy the shop from Grandpa so he could relax and get some more staff to help him out." He said smiling.
"Maybe add another bedroom," I said grinning, everyone laughed. "That too," he grinned. "What about you Mana?"
"Mine is kind of a combo between Yugi's and Téa's." I said winking, as I went to speak again I heard the sound of duel monsters.
"Guys did you hear that?" I gasped.
"Yeah," Tristan said staring to run again, it didn't take long until we saw a creepy graveyard duelling arena and on the blue side we a mop of messy blonde hair… We found him.