I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did, the rules in Duelist Kingdom would make more sense.
Chapter Three: Preliminary Beginnings
Kisara packed away her blanket into her backpack as the boat drew closer to Duelist Kingdom. She still wasn't sure how she had managed to fit everything inside it. Three days' worth of ramen and canned food, bottled water for cooking and drinking, a pot to cook in, her blanket and sleeping bag, a change of clothes, and her deck. She thought it was ironic that the most important thing she needed took up the least amount of space. She was also lucky she opted to get the largest backpack she could find.
She joined her friends at the front of the ship once she finished repacking her bag. The boat dropped anchor, and the announcer requested everyone disembark from the ship. "Hey, Tea, what if those guys find out we're both stowaways?" Tristan asked. "We should just play it safe and swim back."
"We're in the middle of nowhere, lamebrain," Tea shot down his idea.
"Just stay calm, Tristan," Kisara told her friend. "If they're confident they kept out anyone not supposed to be here before we left, they're not going to check us as we leave. As far as they know, everyone onboard has already been okayed."
They walked down the gangway of the ship with four of them acting normal and Tristan still tense as a stretched out rubber band. Kisara thought he was done for when one of the guards called Tristan out on being so wound, but the guard only reminded Tristan that the passengers were guests and had no reason to be nervous. Everyone sighed in relief and quickly walked away.
Once they were clear, the gang prepared their next move. Yugi and Joey wanted to go after Weevil for what he did to Exodia, even though all the cards had been recovered. Kisara suggested using Exodia to beat Weevil, as it would be poetic justice. Yugi shot down the idea for two reasons: one, he could prove he didn't need Exodia to win, and two, they did have bigger issues to deal with. They had to find Grandpa.
The head of the guards announced all duelists were to head to Pegasus's castle for his welcoming announcements. Tea stopped when they got halfway up. "What's that?"
"What is it Tea?" Yugi asked.
"It looked like Bakura," she answered.
"Bakura from school?"
"Have I met Bakura?" Kisara asked. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. She thought she had learned everyone's name in their class.
"Maybe; he's in our class," Joey answered her. "White-haired guy with a British accent. He keeps to himself for the most part. Though some of the girls have a fan club for him. I think it's the accent."
"That's twice I've seen him now," Tea was still looking through the trees. "But he's not there anymore. Maybe it's all in my head."
"Maybe not," Kisara told her. "The trees are pretty thick over there; it'd be easy to miss him. And if he's as shy as Joey says, he may be avoiding the crowd."
They continued up the steps to the entrance of Pegasus's castle. Kisara heard some duelists talking about the best duelists in the world being there. When one asked where Seto was, his companion told him about Yugi being the one to beat now. Joey heard them as well and nudged his friend encouragingly. Those guys are right, though. This tournament has the best duelists competing, and I've never even entered a tournament. I've only played against Yugi, Joey, and Tea.
Kisara started to feel a little nervous as Pegasus began his announcements. Ten star chips were needed to enter the castle and participate in the finals. If a duelist ran out of star chips, he or she was kicked off the island and sent home. It almost sounds like a bizarre version of Survivor. One of Kisara's relatives had a thing for reality TV, and Kisara had picked on more of it than she cared to admit. Pegasus also announced that duel arenas were set up throughout the island, and new rules were in play. They had one hour before the tournament officially began.
Once Pegasus was done and they climbed back down the stairs, Kisara took out her cell phone to check the time. "Oh, no," she said, holding the phone higher. She tried walking around with it, holding it as high as she could, but still nothing. "No. No, no no no!" she started to panic.
"What is it Kisara?" Tea asked.
"There are no bars here," Kisara was still waving her phone around. "If my guardian tries to get a hold of me, I am so busted. The only reason I have the phone is for him to check up on me."
"Didn't you tell him about the tournament?" Tristan asked.
"I'm only supposed to call him if it's an emergency," Kisara answered. "Going to participate in a dueling tournament isn't one, and he'd never believe me about saving Grandpa's soul. I figured as long as I had the phone, I'd be fine. It never occurred to me there might not be service." She stared at the screen on her phone, willing bars to appear on it.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Joey told her. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. He's a reasonable guy, right?"
"Define reasonable," Kisara let her hair fall into her eyes as she tried to calm herself down."
"Look, there are the fireworks!" Tea pointed to the explosions in the sky.
Kisara took a deep breath to pull herself together. "Well there's no going back now," she said, pushing aside her worries. "Who should we go after first?"
"I was thinking I'd stick with Weevil," Yugi answered. "We do have a score to settle."
"I was hoping you'd say that," Joey grinned.
"I still think using Exodia would be a good way to beat him," Kisara added. "Show it takes more than tossing cards into the ocean to beat someone."
"I'll beat him no matter what," Yugi promised.
They soon spotted the bug creep at the edge of the forest. As soon as Yugi challenged him, Weevil took off running, laughing as he did. The five friends gave chase, venturing farther into the forest. Along their way a swarm of moths flew all around them. Bugs had always freaked Kisara out, and she struggled to ignore them as she followed her friends through the forest.
Weevil finally stopped running and turned to face them. "Welcome, said the spider to the fly," he sneered. "You flew right into my trap again!" Kisara scowled at him. If Yugi hadn't already called dibs on dueling him, Kisara would have challenged him herself.
"It's time you answered for what you did on the boat, Weevil." Yugi's Puzzle glowed, and once again he changed. Taller and more confident, Yugi answered Weevil's challenge. "All right, Weevil, time to see if you're as good at dueling as you are at running away. It's time to duel!"
As if on cue, the ground began to shake. What is this? An earthquake? Kisara looked to her friends to see the same confused expressions on their faces. Even Yugi, confident as he was, was at a loss for what was happening. The ground opened up behind Weevil, and a duel arena rose to fill the space. This must be what Pegasus meant by arenas being all around the island. Kisara had wondered why she hadn't seen any yet. They must store themselves away until they're needed.
Weevil scurried over to the red player's platform, and Yugi took his place on the blue one. It's like when Yugi and Seto dueled. Kisara couldn't get over the need for such a big setup for a card game. She still thought an empty flat surface was enough for a duel, but she suspected the really serious players would disagree with her, Seto especially.
Yugi convince Weevil to wager both of his star chips for Yugi's single one and dueling deck. The cocky little duelist grinned maniacally as he accepted, clearly seeing himself winning the whole tournament after he beat Yugi. You're in for a surprise, Weevil. Seto made the mistake of underestimating Yugi, and look where it got him. Kisara knew Weevil didn't stand a chance against Yugi. Especially if he had to sabotage Yugi's deck before the tournament even started.
The beginning duel drew an audience who were in awe of Weevil. Joey informed them of Yugi's victory over Kaiba, but they couldn't believe a newcomer could dethrone the regional champion. "That regional champion is a cheat," Kisara said. "I saw him try to sabotage someone's deck on the boat. Besides, Yugi isn't one to be underestimated. He is the only person to defeat Seto Kaiba."
Weevil started the duel with his Killer Needle at 1200 attack points. Yugi summoned his Mammoth Graveyard also with 1200 attack points and sent it charging in. Both monsters should have been destroyed, but only the Mammoth Graveyard was. Weevil gloated about how the terrain was perfect for his insects. The playing field was part forest and part wasteland, so by playing in the forest, his bug cards all got a power boost from the arena. He also gloated about stealing the new rulebook to have an advantage over all the other players.
"I told you he was a cheat," Kisara said the other spectators.
As soon as she said it, Yugi laughed and told Weevil to check out his own monster, which was disappearing in a flash of light. The Mammoth Graveyard received the same bonus from the wasteland part of the field, matching the Killer Needle's points and destroying it. Yugi had figured out why Duelist Kingdom was the location of the tournament. With the island having so many different terrains, each monster would have a home-field advantage if they found the right spot. So my dragons would do best in the Mountains. Kisara made a mental note to look for an arena with a mountain bonus.
Weevil summoned his Hercules Beetle in the forest, powering it up. Yugi countered with his Feral Imp equipped with Horn of the Unicorn. The two monsters did battle with the Beetle overpowering the Imp. The insect duelist laughed at Yugi's ignorance of all the new rules: monsters with a field bonus are resistant to magic attacks like the lightning from Horn of the Unicorn. Yugi's LifePoints dropped to 1350.
Yugi went on the defensive, and Weevil summoned his Basic Insect and powered up with magic cards. Weevil looked almost insane as he ordered his Basic Insect to annihilate Yugi's defense monster. Yugi summoned another monster in defense mode, and Weevil blocked his ability to attack with a trap card. If Yugi attacked, it would activate. Kisara noticed Yugi play a face-down card of his own after he set another monster. They each built up their field with monsters, Weevil gloating about annihilating Yugi's monsters in one turn.
"Look at our Yugi," Tea said. "He looks so confident up there."
"I know! When he's dueling, it's like he becomes a totally different guy," Joey added.
"So you guys see it too?" Kisara asked. "I thought it might just be my imagination."
"Yeah, it's like he's in the zone when he plays," Joey said. "I don't know what it is, but it works for him."
"All right, Weevil," Yugi set another monster. "I defend with the Dark Magician!"
"Excellent!" the insect duelist sneered. "I'll destroy your very favorite card first!" The Basic Insect attacked, and Yugi activated his Mirror Force trap card. The trap destroyed all of Weevil's monsters and dropped his LifePoints down to 555.
"Way to go, Yugi!" the gang cheered for him. It seemed like Yugi had the duel in the bag. Weevil had said he put all of his monsters on the field.
"Oh please," Mai's laughing voice sounded behind them. "You losers don't seem to realize who your little friend's up against. Weevil is regional champion. He's got moves your shrimp couldn't even dream of."
"Of course Yugi wouldn't dream of cheating, and Weevil's gloated about doing so the entire duel," Kisara glared at Mai. "He stole the rulebook, and he tried to sabotage Yugi's deck. I refuse to believe someone like that will win."
"Yeah, so get lost," Tea yelled at the blonde.
"Look, I'm not going to miss seeing a champion like Weevil turn this duel around," Mai turned her violet eyes on the duel.
"If cheating makes a champion, then sure," Kisara couldn't let go of what Weevil had done. She may not have had many friends, but she could never stand cheating. It was one of her few pet peeves.
Weevil summoned a bug in defense mode, goading Yugi into an attack. Yugi remembered the face-down card Weevil had played, and he recalled his monsters with his Monster Recovery magic card. The monsters were shuffled back into the deck, and Yugi got a fresh hand. Then he summoned his Kuriboh to attack and spring the trap. Little monster equaled little damage.
The bug duelist laughed maniacally at Yugi's move. "I don't give a bee's behind about that stupid trap! I tricked you into recalling your monsters so you couldn't attack this!" Weevil flipped of his Larvae Moth.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Kisara said. Weevil played his Cocoon of Evolution with the Larvae Moth, allowing it to seal itself away. The hologram was beyond disgusting. "I think I'm going to be sick." Kisara pressed a hand to her mouth and turned away from the field.
Weevil continued to gloat about his Cocoon and how in five turns it would unleash his ultimate monster. Yugi promised to destroy it before then, but the field bonus would make that difficult. It would take something almost as powerful as Blue-Eyes White Dragon to destroy it. Yugi tried to attack it with Gaia, the Fierce Knight, but the Cocoon's defense was too high.
"Hang tough, Yugi," Joey encouraged his friend. "You'll pop that puss bag."
Mai laughed at them. "Just what do you think you're laughing at?" Tea asked her. Kisara could see the irritation written all over the brunette's face.
"All that stupid cheerleading you're doing," Mai answered. "You make it sound like you're Yugi still has a chance."
"Of course he does!" Tea yelled at the blonde.
Joey held her back to keep her from clobbering Mai. "Don't listen to her."
"Any duelist who's ever gone up against Weevil has been totally trashed," Mai stated.
Everyone's spirits dropped at that. "Does that include Seto Kaiba?" Kisara asked.
"Why do you ask?" Mai shot back.
"Because Seto Kaiba was the undefeated champion until he dueled Yugi," Kisara answered. "At least that's what I understand. And Yugi beat Seto, so he'll beat Weevil too."
"I'm surprised you actually dare to call Kaiba by his first name," Mai commented. "I don't think I've ever heard anyone call him that."
Kisara tensed. What happened with Seto still bothered her. "He's an old friend of mine," she answered and left it at that, turning her attention back to the duel. Two turns passed, and he still wasn't able to get past the oversized bug pod.
"Come, you can do this, Yugi," Joey encouraged. "You gotta win this for your Grandpa. He's counting on you."
"I know he is," Yugi answered him.
"Then you can't keep letting this little creep push you around," Joey yelled back. "You gotta get fired up!" Kisara saw the inspiration in Yugi's eyes. Score one for teamwork.
"So do you guys sit around making up these lame cheers, or do they just come to you?" Mai taunted them. "I mean, don't you realize that your pep talk nonsense only distracts Yugi from the game?"
"How would you know?" Tea asked. "I bet no one's ever even wanted to be your friend, let alone care enough to cheer you on."
"Calm down, Tea," Kisara told her friend, letting her icy hair fall in her face. Without knowing it, the brunette had struck one of Kisara's nerves while trying to get to Mai.
"Friends haven't helped Yugi any," Mai answered Tea. "He's losing." She looked up to see the tri-color haired duelist giving the group a thumbs-up. Everyone in the gang knew he had a way to turn the duel around, and he had received it from them. Tea taunted Mai for being wrong about their support.
Yugi summoned his Curse of Dragon and activated the magic card Burning Land, allowing the yellow dragon to destroy the forest surrounding the cocoon. With the field power bonus stripped away, the Cocoon was now weak enough for Yugi's Gaia to destroy. The Fierce Knight's lance pierced through the Cocoon, ripping it open. Weevil laughed as a screeching filled the air. How? I thought it needed five turns to hatch. Yugi beat it before that.
Kisara's stomach rolled as the Great Moth emerged from the Cocoon. It had evolved enough to survive, and Weevil gloated about how it was still able to wipe Yugi out. "Stay strong, Yugi!" Kisara encouraged her friend.
Weevil order his Great Moth to attack Yugi's Gaia, but Yugi countered by playing his Polymerization magic card, allowing him to fuse Gaia with his Curse of Dragon to form Gaia, the Dragon, Champion. The Great Moth's attack destroyed Yugi's set monster, but Gaia was equal in strength to it. Until the aftermath of Weevil's attack kicked in. When the Great Moth attacked, it released poison into the air, draining Gaia's attack strength. If Yugi didn't do something fast, the Great Moth would destroy him.
"Come on Yugi," Kisara yelled. "There has to be some way to wash away that poison!"
"I intend to do just that," Yugi said as he drew. "Ready to be rained out, Weevil?" He activated Makiu, the Magical Mist, washing the field clean and neutralizing Weevil's poison. The Great Moth attacked despite the drizzle, and it destroyed Gaia and dropped Yugi's LifePoints down to 50.
"Keep fighting, Yugi," Joey yelled to his friend. "You can come back from this!"
"You're all delusional," Mai rained her negativity again.
"No, Joey's right," Tea insisted. "Yugi never gives up, and we never give up on him."
"You're nuts," Mai countered. "Weevil has totally annihilated Yugi's strongest monster combo. He's down to 50 measly LifePoints. He can't win, so do me a favor and stop yapping."
"Why don't you do the same?" Kisara snapped. She surprised herself; usually she was the most passive out of anyone. But she couldn't let Mai keep bashing on her friends. "Maybe having friends encouraging you is a distraction, but it works for us because we're there for each other. If you want to watch the duel in silence, watch it from over there," Kisara pointed towards Weevil's side of the field, "and stopping telling us to give up on our friend, because that is the last thing we'll do."
"You said it, Kisara," Joey encouraged her. "But right now, Yugi's in trouble."
"What can we do?" Tea asked.
"I told you all along Yugi never had a chance at winning this thing," Mai put in her two cents again. "He wastes too much of his time listening to you losers. Weevil keeps his mind on the game."
"Then why didn't he see this coming?" Tristan directed their focus to Yugi. "Whatever it is, Yugi's grinning about something."
Kisara smiled as Yugi outright laughed at the situation. She knew he had found a way to win, and he was taunting Weevil about the insect-duelist's cheating and rule-bending. Weevil refused to believe Yugi could beat him, claiming it to be a trick, but Yugi's Summoned Skull was no trick. Makiu, the Magical Mist was still drenching the field, soaking the Great Moth, and Summoned Skull attacked with electricity. The water on the field strengthened the Summoned Skull, supercharging him more than enough to destroy the Great Moth and wipe out the rest of Weevil's LifePoints. The gang erupted in cheers for Yugi's victory.
"But I'm the Regional Champion!" Weevil whined. "The Regional Champion!"
"You call yourself a champion, Weevil," Yugi chastised his opponent, "but you only won your duels through lying and cheating. True champions, they play with honor." He tossed his hard-won two star chips as he spoke. "They play fair."
"Don't waste your breath on this sneaky slug," Joey interrupted his friend, getting in the defeated duelist's face. "He's a dueling disgrace, and I hereby relieve him of his dueling gauntlet." The blond swiped the glove off Weevil's hand.
Yugi placed his new star chips in his glove. Kisara knew they still had a long way to go to get into the castle, but they weren't going to stop until they got there.
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
Joey was restless. Kisara could see it as he promised to take on the next duelist they came across. Tristan and Tea worried about him not being ready to take on the tournament-level players, and they hoped Joey was smart enough to realize his limitations. They were proven wrong as Joey ran to the nearest cliff and declared himself the next Duel Monsters Champion. Kisara and the others groaned in response.
He can't afford any mistakes, though. Serenity needs him to win. Kisara knew Joey's enthusiasm and spirit would help him a great deal, but he needed to focus. If he let himself get overwhelmed or distracted, Joey could kiss his time in the tournament good-bye. Kisara put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "You can do this," she encouraged him.
"Thanks, Kisara," he answered.
"Hey, check out all the duel arenas," Tristan pointed to the dueling arenas below the cliff. Several duelists were watching and participating in matches. Joey was ready to charge into a duel, but Tristan and Tea reminded him he only had one star chip and if he lost he was out.
"Don't panic," Yugi told his friend. "Like Kisara said, you can do this."
"I hope you guys are right," Joey answered. "This'll be my first official duel, and I can't afford to get knocked out right at the start."
"We're both in the same boat," Kisara chimed in. "It's not like I've ever been in a tournament match. It is a little intimidating."
"Not everyone here is a pro," Yugi told them. "I'm sure you guys can find someone on your level."
"Yeah, go for someone easy, Joey," Tea insisted.
"And I guess I should think about what kind of field my cards are best suited for," Joey took his deck out to strategize. "They're mostly monsters and fighter types. I guess that makes this meadow here my kind of turf."
"I know I need to find a Mountain field for my dragons," Kisara said. "Is there a way to know what's on the field before starting a duel?"
"I don't know," Yugi answered her. "You might be able to watch other matches and get a feel for what each arena has."
"Get lost, crybaby!" a familiar female voice yelled nearby, interrupting their conversation. "Now give me your star chips!" The gang followed the sound of the voice to see Mai gloating to another competitor. She laughed as she added the guy's star chips to her glove.
"It's not fair!" the guy yelled at her. "You cheated somehow. How could you know what your cards were when they were still face-down?"
"I'm psychic, and you're done," Mai turned a charming gaze on her victim, winking at him as she spoke. Kisara suspected Mai was used to using her looks to get her way. The other duelist ran away crying, and Mai burst out laughing at his plight. She finally noticed the group watching them. "Well, look who's here," she grinned at them.
"Wow. Mai's already won two more star chips," Joey commented.
A light shown in Mai's eyes as she looked the group over. "Hey, Yugi, are your duels going well?" she asked with a sweet smile.
"I'm making progress," Yugi answered.
Mai grabbed his hand and examined the star chips. Kisara could see the irritation on Tea's face. Gee, it's so obvious those two like each other. Why don't they just admit it already? Kisara made a mental note to push Yugi and Tea together when the tournament was over.
Kisara was brought out of her thoughts when Mai challenged Joey to a duel. Everyone stared at her in disbelief, especially the challenged duelist. Mai believed in taking the weak duelists out first, and she had overheard them on the boat talking about Yugi giving Joey his star chip, so she assumed he was the weakest duelist on the island. Tea pushed for Yugi to take Joey's place, but Yugi insisted it was Joey's decision. "Show her what you're made of," he encouraged his friend.
"He's right Joey," Kisara added. "You can do this."
Tea and Tristan were still against the idea, but Joey convinced them he had to accept Mai's challenge. He had to prove he could do it, and he had Grandpa's teachings to help him, even if he didn't get to finish his training. The other relented, but they warned him not to screw up, for Serenity's sake.
The two duelists took their places in the arena Mai had just finished using with Mai taking the red side and Joey taking the blue, and each duelist bet one star chip. Then Joey noticed the field was not completely meadow like he'd anticipated—40 percent was mountain, 40 percent was forest, and the last 20 percent was meadow. Yugi reminded him he still had meadow to use, and Joey calmed down. Kisara made a mental note about that arena for when she dueled someone.
As they readied their decks, Joey asked, "Mai, I gotta know. Why did you decide to take part in this tournament? Why do you duel?" The blonde answered she was in for the money to live a glamorous and expensive lifestyle. "That's selfish," Joey responded to her reasons. "Some of us fight for the people we love."
"You'll show her, Joey," Yugi encouraged him. "Show her what it's like to duel from the heart."
Joey started the duel with Masaki, the Legendary Swordsman. Mai hummed as she moved her fingers over the face-down cards she drew for a hand. She explained she had to mystically choose which one to play, and without looking at the card played her monster Harpie Lady. The light-blue skinned woman with long pink hair and golden talons appeared on her field. Joey ordered his Masaki to attack, but because Harpie Lady could fly, she had an advantage over the land-based Swordsman. The Harpie's talons sliced through the warrior. Mai ended her turn by playing a face-down card without even looking at it.
"Joey, think about what you're doing before you move again," Yugi reminded the blond duelist.
"He's right, Joey," Kisara added. "Just stop and think it through."
Joey summoned his Tiger Warrior to attack the Harpie Lady, but it was the same mistake as before. Since Harpie Lady was a flying monster, it still overpowered the warrior. Mai's next move was another mystery face-down, though she promised it was a magic card that would equip to Harpie Lady and destroy Joey's next monster. Joey went on the defensive, and Mai activated the card she set: Cyber Shield, which boosted Harpie Lady's attack points by 500.
"Calm down, Joey!" Kisara yelled to her friend.
"Remember what my grandpa taught you about Duel Monsters," Yugi added.
"Don't let her rattle you!" Tea told him. "She's just trying to psych you out!"
"Stay out of this!" Mai yelled at the spectators. "Your brainless cheerleading isn't going to help him against the superior power of my Harpie Ladies. Don't you guys get it? Friendship doesn't win duels, never will. It hasn't helped him. He's defeated and he knows it."
"Not true," Tea insisted.
"I beg to differ," Mai pushed her point further. "There can be only one champion. On this island, and in this game, someone can be your best friend today and your worst enemy tomorrow. Once the competition forces you to face each other in a duel, where's your friendship then? That's why the only person a duelist can trust is himself. I hope that your defeat today teaches you that lesson, kid."
The Millennium Puzzle flashed, and Yugi changed again. It's not my imagination. He's definitely taller now. Normally Yugi only came up to Kisara's shoulder, but now he was about eye-level with her. "Don't listen to her, Joey," Yugi commanded his friend. "We're here to help you, just like you're always there for us." The two competitors stared at him in confusion. "She's just trying to divide and conquer, a strategy that's been used for centuries. Believe me, I know."
He sounds like he knows this firsthand. Kisara wished she had been able to find more information on the Millennium Items. Maybe that would explain why Yugi acted so differently at times. Joey trusted his friend, but Mai pointed out that the two of them would have to duel eventually.
Joey closed his eyes as he tried to shut out Mai and the stakes of the duel. After a minute, he opened his eyes and called out Mai on her trick—she sprayed her cards with different perfumes so she always knew which card was which. "Go get her, Joey!" the gang cheered for him. Joey vowed to defeat Mai and summoned his Baby Dragon. "Aw, it's so cute!" Kisara grinned at the creature.
Mai activated the magic card Elegant Egotist to multiply her Harpies into three. "Come on, Joey!" Tristan yelled to his friend. "You've still got all kinds of moves left!"
"What moves would those be?" Tea asked.
"How should I know?" he countered. "Ask an expert." Tristan turned to Yugi. "Ask Yugi."
"It's Joey's duel," the tri-color haired teen answered. "He has to figure it out."
"Yugi's right," Kisara chimed in. "Joey has to come up with his own plan. It won't mean anything if he doesn't figure it out himself."
They could see the amount of Harpies was starting to overwhelm Joey. "Don't give up, Joey," Yugi instructed him. He pointed out Mai's strategy was one monster and several magic cards. Joey connected the dots and figured out defeating the Harpies was the key to defeating Mai. "Now just think of which card will help you win."
"You tell me," Joey answered. Then his eyes widened; Kisara could tell he knew just which card he needed.
"You can do it, Joey!" Kisara yelled to her friend as he drew his card.
Joey grinned as he summoned his Time Wizard. The Time Wizard's magic made one thousand years pass on the field, aging Baby Dragon into Thousand Dragon. "It's less cute, but it's still cool," Kisara grinned at the powerful dragon. The Time Wizard's spell also aged the Harpies a thousand years, making them old and feeble. Thousand Dragon roasted the Harpies with his fire breath, and Mai's LifePoints dropped to zero. Everyone cheered for Joey as the arena powered down.
"Hey, Mai," Joey called to his opponent. "I tried to tell you. There's more to Duel Monsters than just kicking the other guy's butt. If you're ever going to be a real champion, you gotta learn to care about someone other than yourself."
Serenity would be so proud of him. Kisara imagined what Joey's sister would be doing if she was there with them. She was sure the auburn-haired girl would be grinning proudly at her big brother's victory.
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
An hour passed, and Joey was still gloating about his victory over Mai. The rest of the gang was torn about how long he was allowed to do so. On one hand, he deserved to celebrate his victory. On the other hand, the hour-long celebration was starting to run its course.
Joey's celebration came to an abrupt halt when his stomach growled. "All that dueling made me hungry," he said as he held his stomach. "Did any of you guys remember to bring food with you?"
"Sorry, Joey," Yugi, Tristan, and Tea said at the same time.
"I brought some, but not enough for all of us," Kisara answered. "It's only enough for maybe two people for the whole tournament. It's mostly ramen and canned food. If I'd known all of you were coming, I would've packed more."
"At least you brought something," Yugi told her.
"Seriously, what were we thinking coming here with no food?" Joey grumbled.
"Am I the only one who thought about what might be needed while we were here?" Kisara asked.
"Apparently," Yugi, Joey, and Tea answered.
"Hey, I've got us covered," Tristan took a book from the pocket of his long, light brown trench coat. "Check it out. The Great Outdoor Survival Guide."
"Can we eat it?" Joey asked.
"Better," Tristan answered as he flipped through the pages. "It lists all the plants, roots, berries, and grasses we can eat."
"Eww!" His friends said at the same time.
"I think I'll stick with what I brought," Kisara told her friend. She shifted the straps of her backpack on her shoulders. The downside of bringing all the necessities was that the bag they were in got heavy after a while.
Joey suddenly sniffed the air. "I don't need your dumb book," he said, turning towards whatever he smelled. "I smell cooking that-a-way!" He took off running.
"He's hallucinating," Tea said as she watched him run.
"Don't be so sure," Tristan reminded her. "It wasn't his brain that beat Mai, it was his nose."
"Should we go after him?" Kisara asked. The others nodded and ran after their wayward friend.
They found him on the edge of the island, greedily eyeing campfire roasting fish. Before anyone could stop him, Joey ran for the food, ready to chow down. He told the others it'd be fine and grabbed one of the skewers. Thirty seconds later, Tristan was right behind him. "I have a bad feeling about this," Kisara said as she watched them run. She, Yugi, and Tea went after them and sat down at the campsite. At least Kisara could take off her backpack for a while.
Kisara was proved correct as a muscular man with spikey navy-blue hair tied in a ponytail and wearing dark blue swim trunks climbed over the edge of the cliff. He carried a harpoon in his left hand. "Enjoy yourselves, you fish thieves!" he yelled at the group. "This is your last meal!"
Before the man could say more, a tidal wave crashed over the cliff and swept him away. Less than a minute later, the man climbed back up. "All right, let's try that one more time," he muttered. Tea slapped her forehead with her palm as the guy marched up to the group. "How dare you steal my fish, you bottom-feeding thieves?"
"Hey, chill out," Joey said to the guy. "It's just a few fish."
"A few fish that do not belong to you!" the guy yelled back at him. "And to steal a fisherman's catch is to prove you have no honor!"
Kisara noticed the duelist's glove on the guy's right hand at the same time as Yugi. "Wait a second!" Yugi exclaimed as he connected the dots. "Aren't you Mako Tsunami, the top-ranked ocean duelist?"
Mako turned to him. "And who might you be?"
Joey recognized the ocean duelist then too. "Yeah, you're that freaky fish guy!"
"I am not a freaky fish guy! I am Mako Tsunami, duelist extraordinaire of the seven seas!" Tea's laughing interrupted Mako's rant. "What are you laughing about?"
She pointed to the little pink squid on Mako's head. "You're head. You've got company."
Mako ripped the squid off and threw it to the sea, to Joey and Tristan's disappointment. Even though it was still alive, the two friends wanted to fry it up and eat it. Kisara slapped her own forehead at that. She was beginning to suspect food was going to be their favorite topic throughout the tournament.
Mako turned back to Yugi and the girls. "Do you mean to tell me those two are here as duelists?"
"I'm Yugi Muto," the short duelist answered. "Sorry about your fish."
"Apparently these two think with their stomachs," Kisara added.
"You're Yugi Muto?" Mako's eyes widened. "The only duelist to ever defeat Seto Kaiba?" Kisara ignored the heartache she felt at the mention of Seto. "What a fine surprise! It would be my great honor to face you in a duel!"
"Same here, Mako," Yugi answered.
"I must apologize. I've been ungracious," Mako gestured for the guys to return to the campsite. "If you are friends of Yugi Muto, please, come, sit down. Eat your fill."
"Thanks!" Joey and Tristan took their places next to Kisara. Each person took a skewer and began to eat their fish. It's really nice of Mako to share with us. Maybe we should ask him about how he caught them so we can catch our own. Kisara began thinking of ways to acquire more food for the group, especially since they weren't sure how long they were going to be there. Her rations wouldn't last forever, even with Mako sharing his fish.
"So what brings you to the competition?" Yugi's voice brought Kisara back to reality.
Mako explained he was raised on a fishing boat by his father, who also taught him to fish and cook. Mako dreamed of owning his own boat and sailing the seven seas, so the prize money would help him accomplish his dream. He had a bond with the sea, and he believed he could tell its moods.
The gang got up to bid farewell to Mako. They thanked him for the fish and started down the path, and then Mako yelled, "Sooner than you think, my friend!"
Kisara barely registered Mako throwing his harpoon before pushing Yugi out of the way. She froze when the harpoon landed directly in front of her feet. What the heck? Everyone muttered about how fast she responded. "What's the deal, Mako?" she yelled at the navy-haired duelist.
"I treated you to dinner," he answered nonchalantly; "perhaps you will honor me with a duel?" He explained the fish was part of his ploy to attract duelists, though he never expected to catch Yugi Muto. He believed dueling Yugi would be a true test of his skill.
The Millennium Puzzle flashed, and Yugi grew taller. There's that change again. I can't be the only one who notices it. Kisara stood aside as Yugi accepted Mako's challenge. A duel arena rose from the sea behind Mako, and he took his place on the red side. Yugi stood on the blue, and each duelist wagered two star chips. Mako's half the field was covered in water, and Yugi's half was a rocky shore. If Mako's an ocean duelist, then he's going to have a real advantage here. Kisara wondered what kind of challenge her friend may face.
Mako started the duel by summoning a monster, but because of the ocean no one could see what it was. Joey, Tristan, and Tea worried for Yugi's odds. Their worry increased when Yugi summoned his Horn Imp, and the tentacles from Mako's Fiend Kraken surfaced and ensnared the Imp, destroying it in its powerful grip.
Yugi then summoned his Feral Imp, anticipating its electrical attack to damage the submerged monsters. Mako countered by summoning his Jellyfish. Yugi powered up Feral Imp with Horn of the Unicorn and used its electrical attack on the Jellyfish. Unfortunately, the Jellyfish was immune to electricity and absorbed at electrical attacks, so Feral Imp was unable to destroy it. Mako ordered his Fiend Kraken to attack and destroy Yugi's Feral Imp, reducing him down to 1480 LifePoints.
Yugi brought how his Silver Fang and increased the wolf's power with his Full Moon magic card. The Moon was a double-sided coin though; it affected the tides, powering up Mako's next monster: Kairyu-Shin. Kairyu-Shin attacked with a tidal wave, drowning Silver Fang and submerging most of Yugi's field. He only had one spot of land left to summon his monsters on.
Mako compared Yugi's predicament to one he himself had faced. He told the group of how his father was lost to sea. They were fishing one day, and the calm, blue sea suddenly turned into a raging maelstrom. It tossed the boat around like it was nothing. Mako couldn't hold onto the boat himself, so his father tied him down. When the storm passed, the boat was washed ashore, and Mako had been safe. But since his father had stopped to help Mako, he didn't have time to secure himself. Mako thought his father was gone, until he saw the lifeboat was missing. He believed his father was out there somewhere, and he promised to win the tournament and prize money so he could buy a boat and search for him. He was determined to find his father, no matter what.
He's just like us. Kisara realized just how much Mako was in the same boat as them. All of them were fighting for those they cared about. If only there was a way for everyone to get what they needed.
Yugi acknowledged Mako's reason for dueling, but he couldn't give up either for Grandpa's sake. He summoned his Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode, powered up by what remained of the land power bonus. Mako summoned his Great White Terror, a large shark ready to devour Yugi's monsters. Mako's fish surrounded the Soldier's island, ready to devour him at Mako's command.
Yugi switched his Soldier into attack position, startling Mako since the Soldier was unable to attack the ocean creatures. But Yugi was aiming for the Moon he still had in play. With the Moon destroyed, the tide receded, drying up Mako's field and leaving his sea creatures vulnerable. Yugi finished the duel by summoning his Curse of Dragon and activating Burning Land, roasting Mako's monsters for the second fish fry of the day.
Mako was a gracious loser, and he commended Yugi for his victory. The two duelists shook hands, and Kisara hoped Mako would find his dad someday. Mako's stomach growled, and he dove into the sea to catch his next meal.
"Wish he'd bring us some fish," Tristan said as they watched the ocean duelist swim away.
"We'd have to duel him again," Yugi reminded him.
Everyone laughed. "Forget about it," Joey said, "though I am getting seriously hungry."
"Not a problem," Tristan told him. "We still have my Great Outdoor Survival Guide."
"No way," the girls said at the same time.
"Go ahead, Tristan," Joey nudged his friend, "eat all the pages you like."
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
"Hey!" Kisara turned to see a duelist running up to them. "You guys are still in the tournament, right?" he asked.
Kisara, Yugi, and Joey nodded. "Right, then I challenge you," he pointed to Kisara.
I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. Yugi and Joey are making progress, so now it's my turn. I hope I can do this. "Alright, how many star chips do you want to wager?" Kisara asked.
"I have three, but you only have two, so two it is," the duelist said. "There's an arena over there." He pointed to the closest playing field.
Kisara nodded and took her place on the blue side. We all seem to be playing blue. Maybe that's our good-luck charm. She placed her deck on the designated spot on her field, and she removed her two star chips. Taking a page from her friends' book, she yelled, "It's time to duel!" as the arena powered up.
To her relief, the field was mountain and wasteland, so her dragons get a bonus from it. "I'll start with my Skull Red Bird in attack mode," the duelist said. The hologram of the large, red bird appeared on his field, also powered up by the mountain. The Bird originally had 1550 attack points, but the field bonus raised it 2015.
"Then I'll play my Crawling Dragon," Kisara summoned a light brown dragon. The Dragon's original 1600 attack points was pushed up to 2080, more than enough to destroy the bird and drop her opponents LifePoints down to 1945.
"Then I'll summon my Blue-Winged Crown," the duelist summoned a large blue bird, matching Kisara's dragon point-for-point. The Blue-Winged Crown and the Crawling Dragon destroyed each other at the duelist's command.
"I'll summon my Blackland Fire Dragon," Kisara summoned her long-necked green dragon. It snorted fire at her opponent as they waited for his next move.
"I play Wing Eagle," the duelist summoned another blue bird, this one large and more powerful. Its 1800 attack points were raised to 2340. The Eagle sliced through Kisara's dragon, and her LifePoints fell to 1610.
Come on. I need something good. Kisara could hear her friends cheering for her as she drew her next card. Yes! "I summon Seiyaryu!" The large pink dragon materialized on her field, the mountains raising her 2500 attack points to 3250. Seiyaryu was the strongest card in Kisara's deck. "Attack his Eagle with Razor Fire Blast!" The dragon decimated the eagle, and the duelist's LifePoints dropped to 1035.
"Whoa, that thing is awesome," the duelist stared at Kisara's dragon. "I don't know if I have anything that can beat that." He placed a monster in defense mode.
"I play the magic card Stop Defense," Kisara said. "It switches your monster into attack position." The duelist's Queen Bird revealed itself, its long neck poised for an attack. "Seiyaryu, finish this with your Razor Fire Blast!" The pink dragon vaporized the Queen Bird, and the duelist's LifePoints dropped to zero.
"Here, two star chips," the duelist handed Kisara her earnings. "You're something else. I never expected you to have a dragon like that."
"I like dragons," she smiled at the duelist. "Good luck earning more."
"Thank, I'll probably need it." With that, the duelist took off in search of another opponent.
"Nice work, Kisara," Joey congratulated her.
"Yeah, I'm up to four star chips now," she smiled at her friends. And we're just that much closer to facing Pegasus. She stared at the four chips gleaming in her glove. Just a few more duels to go.