"It's a good thing we found this virtual pick-up truck," Duke said, as Joey sped down the road.
"Yeah, it beats walking that's for sure," Yugi grinned. "And it should help us to find the –"
Joey suddenly stopped causing us all to jolt forward. Serenity fell into me. My grip on Tristan tightened so he didn't fall, knocking me back from Serenity's force straight into Duke; who wove his arms around me, as he took mine and Serenity's weight. I could see Yami glaring at the way Duke was holding me.
"Sorry Duke you ok? Serenity, are you ok?" I asked them, she nodded. Duke smirked.
"I've don't mind getting a little hurt, if you're going to fall –"
"Tristan, you good?" I interrupted him, as Yami's scowl deepened. The monkey gave me a thumbs up.
"Serenity, can you move back again. I'm squashing Duke."
She moved then I did, then I saw the rocket.
"It looks like some kind of rocket." Duke said, he must have noticed as I did.
"Who do you think launched it?" Yugi said.
"Probably one of the Big 5," Duke said.
"I bet it'll be a card. One of them is probably battling Kaiba!" I said. "Joey hit it; we have to help him!"
"You got it!" Joey said and started up the truck again.
I just wanted to find everyone and get out of this creepy world. We had enough to deal with without this nonscience on top. A transparent hand placed itself on top of mine, I looked at his face and smiled. Letting him know I was ok.
Joey stopped again, Yugi looked up from over the top.
"Kaiba!" he called.
"Yugi? Where's Mana?" I heard his voice. I stood up too.
"I'm right here," I called, jumping out of the truck. I could see that the bridge had been broken so we couldn't get to the other side. Then I saw the deck master. "Crap it's Jinzo," I said.
"Huh?" Serenity said, the rest of them getting out of the truck.
"It means that Kaiba can't play any trap cards, which isn't good." I explained.
After a few turns we found out that the rocket we had seen was from the satellite cannon card. It seemed impossible to get to. Then we found out what he did when he tricked the Big 5, and how he had treated Mokuba to ensure the way that Kaiba got the company. As I was thinking about the situation trying to see it from all sides. Including Kaiba's. Kaiba gave a clever plan to get rid of the Fairy Lily, but then managed to play the magic card again, he then used his blue eyes to destroy the cannon. We all cheered.
"I'm coming Mokuba!" he called out to the sky.
"Awesome! Kaiba crushed the last member of the Big 5." Yugi said. I saw the guy disappear as Kaiba was questioning him.
"Well Seto,"
Noah. Great.
"Now what?" Kaiba said looking up at the sky.
He laughed. "You may have won your duel but you've lost something more important." Two tunnels appeared in front of Kaiba. "Your siblings,"
Siblings?
"Siblings?" Kaiba said, his head turning to me as everyone else's did. I felt a weird squeezing, tugging sensation. Reminded strongly of how the Harry Potter books described apparating. The view of my friends was fading and as they disappeared, I heard multiple voices yelling.
"Mana!"
I looked around, trying to piece together my surroundings. I was in what looked like a living room, my eyes reached the couch.
"Mokuba!" I gasped seeing my little brother beside Noah.
"Mana!" he yelled rushing to me. I wrapped him in my arms keeping him close before glaring at the green haired child.
"Let him go, Noah!" I said. "Keep me, but leave him out of this."
"No can do, I need you both to bait Seto here," he said.
I began to walk towards him.
"Careful now," he cautioned. "You are being treated like a guest. If you would really like to be a prisoner then that can be arranged."
I scowled at him, but went back to Mokuba.
"Don't worry they'll find us," I murmured to him, pulling him in for a hug. I wish I had my magic for the hundredth time since being in this virtual hell.
"You know, you could be kinder to your host. I –"
The door clicked open, and there was Kaiba. He looked around his eye missing us.
"He can't see us," I whispered, Mokuba heard me, his eyes widened.
"Ah thanks for dropping in Seto," Noah said.
"Noah! Where are my siblings. I demand – Mana! Mokuba!"
Guess he could see us now.
"We're fine," I said trying to calm him.
"Please, Seto. I am not going to hurt either of them. Unlike you, Seto. The amount of times you've ignored Mokuba for power, or the times you have made Mana cry with your past actions. I am not the villain here."
My eyes widened, he had access to our memories! Did he know about the Pharaoh? Did he know about my past? Or was it only this life's memories he had access too. He gasped then looked at me looking for a conformation. He apparently found it; his shoulders slumped forward.
"I am sorry, Mana. I promise I will never insult you again." Then his face became determined. "And I will free you from him! Noah, mark my words. You will pay for hurting my family."
He just laughed.
"It's time you knew the truth," he said.
"What truth," Kaiba said, as he did so a scene began to play out for us. Noah and an older man. Judging by Kaiba and Mokuba's face they knew him… it was probably their step father!
"Take a close look at the virtual projection in front of you."
"It's you and my stepfather." Kaiba said.
"Yes, he and I have a history as well."
A door appeared and Yugi and Teaa came out of it.
"Yugi!" I called, relieved to see him. But where were the others? Then our eyes met.
"Mana!" he ran over to me, hugging me tightly. Yami appearing beside him, his face as anxious. When we pulled apart I saw the picture in Yugi's hand.
"That's Kaiba's stepfather, with Noah." I gasped, looking picture, then at the scene Noah was showing us.
"Pay attention to the show, Seto." Noah said. "I think it will clear things up for you."
We watched as we saw one of Noah's memories. The memory of how Kaiba and Mokuba ended up being adopted by Gozoborro Kaiba. He had meant to be Noah's rival. To push Noah's studies. But something must have happened. Noah was Gozoborro's biological son.
"Not quite what you were expecting was it, Seto." He said. "You and I being step-brothers. But it's all true, I am Gozoborro's one true son and I was supposed to inherit his empire –"
"So, what happened to you?" I interrupted Noah's monologue. Everyone turned to look at me. "Clearly something happened to you, because Kaiba and Mokuba never knew who you were until you trapped us here. So… what happened?"
Noah smirked, shaking his head slightly.
"Smart Mana, it is true that things did not go to plan as –"
"Alert! Alert! Alert!"
The screen behind Noah showed the rest of the group and they were being chased.
"Part 2 will have to wait until I have dealt with this." He said.
"You're staying right here!" Kaiba ordered, but he was already gone.
"The rest of the gang are in trouble." Yugi said anxiously.
"They'll be fine, they have to be." I said.
"We've got to get out of here," Kaiba said, coming closer to the three of us.
"But how, I mean – what the –"
There was a light and the others disappeared leaving only me and Mokuba.
"Mana!" Mokuba cried, his eyes wide in panic.
"Don't worry Mokuba, it'll all be ok," I soothed despite my own nerves building.
"Why don't we talk about something else. Distract ourselves. Why don't you tell me about your favourite classes?"
Hesitantly Mokuba began to tell me about his school life and his plans to follow his brother into gaming.
"I prefer computers so more video and virtual games for Kaiba corp." he said excitedly.
"That sounds like a perfect fit for you," I said smiling at him, he seemed a lot happier. I had at least distracted him a little from our situation. "Make your brother's tech look like a dinosaur."
He laughed, but then looked at me.
"Our brother,"
"I gue – Mokuba!"
I looked around the room. He had just vanished. Noah must have taken him somewhere. Or it was some sick game and I had to find him.
"Mokuba!" I called again and again, seeing if I could open the sitting room door.
I could.
Wandering around the giant home. Wondering if he was in any of the rooms.
I screamed and screamed. My voice hoarse, after what felt like an eternity I slumped against the wall. I had to get out of here. I had to find him, and the rest of them.
I felt the same disapperation type feeling then suddenly I was in the sky, crouched in a light pink sphere. The blue of altered by my bubble prison.
"Mana!" a wonderfully familiar voice called.
"Yami!" I cried, putting my hands on the sphere. Taking in what was below me. My stomach turned to lead. "Yami! Where are the oth – Noah you monster!" I yelled. Mokuba, Seto, Tristan, Serenity, Joey and Duke were all statues. Teaa was the only one left. I bet he had been doing one at a time.
"Noah! Release her now!" Yami ordered. He laughed.
"Relax Yugi, I will not be using her as a pawn. She is here to watch me defeat you."
I scanned the board, Noah had some weird fire shirtless monster on the field that I didn't recognise. Noah added a magic card to the beast, and attacked Yami, knocking him to the ground. His life points at 100.
"Yami!" I cried, I couldn't concentrate on what Noah was saying. I could only focus on the love of my existence and my friends. Would he actually loose? Would we all be trapped here forever? The world doomed, because of this one kid? No, I had to believe that fate was on our side.
"Don't listen to him, Yugi!" Teaa dislodged me from my thoughts. "Get up!"
"Silence!" Noah yelled, lightning struck her and she began to turn to stone!
"No! Teaa!" I screamed my throat burning.
"Yugi! I. Still. Believe." She said as she became completely frozen.
"Yami! Yami get up! You can do this! You have to do this! For our friends! For the world! We have to protect them! Together!"
"Be quiet!" Noah barked at me. He waved his hand, and I felt tape across my mouth. Yami half rose then fell again. Get up, come on you can do this!
"I will save my friends!" he said. Yes! He struggled, but he got to his feet. "Just watch me – Mana! You will remove that –"
"Please! I finally got some peace from your cheer squad down there. She is only here to watch you lose."
"I won't stop until you are defeated, Noah." He drew a card and smirked. Yes! It was Card of sanctity, meaning that they both had to draw till they had 6 cards, and for Yami that was all 6 one for each of our friends, if you classed Seto and Mokuba as the package deal they were. He reburned a blue-eyes that Seto had apparently played earlier. Then fused it with two more, attacking and wiping out the flamed muscle monster. Then he defused them and attacked again, wiping Noah's life points down to zero. I tried to cheer through the tape.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you all next month