I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did, we'd see more of Professor Hawkins and Grandpa's friendship.
Chapter Fourteen: Moving Forward
Kisara blinked, rubbing sleep from her eyes as she stared at the sunrise out the window. In the distance, she saw the KaibaCorp building towering over all the others. We've made it back to Domino. She turned to face Seto in the pilot's seat, shifting her fleece blanket as she did. I don't remember taking this out.
"Someone's finally up," Seto glanced at her. Gone was his blue trench coat. A glance to the seat behind him showed it was draped over a sleeping Mokuba. The eleven-year-old leaned against Joey and Tristan snoring in their seats. Across from them, Yugi and Tea nestled against each other, also fast asleep.
"Have you been awake all night?" she asked.
"Pretty much, but auto pilot's done most of the flying," he answered. "I wasn't exactly awake yesterday, so I'm not tired, and someone needs to keep the helicopter from crashing. I've gone longer without sleep."
That sounded like Seto. "Did you take this out?" Kisara gestured to her blanket.
"You have it, so might as well use it," he answered.
She rolled her eyes at him. "You could just say you wanted to be nice. Especially since you used your coat to as a blanket for Mokuba."
"Whatever," he said. "You might want to wake up Mokuba and the dweebs. We're almost there."
"Sure thing, Seto," Kisara folded her blanket and took out the pot and serving spoon from her bag. "Heads ups," she warned the pilot. Seto smirked and pulled a headset over his ears, probably to make contact with the landing station. Grinning, she banged the spoon against the pot, filling the space with a loud clanging.
The result was instantaneous. Joey, Tristan, and Mokuba, startled, tangled themselves together and crashed to the floor. Yugi and Tea bonked their heads together. When they realized how close they were, they slid apart and looked away, each flushing a bright red. Kisara smothered a laugh at the scene. "Our gracious pilot would like you all to know we have arrived in Domino and will be landing shortly," she gave her friends an innocent smile and packed away her pot, spoon, and blanket. The way Joey's eye twitched was probably a good indication on how he felt about her Seto-encouraged wake-up call.
Within ten minutes, the helicopter landed and everyone disembarked. "Thank you, Seto," Kisara turned back to face her friend.
"Before you go," he held her back. "May I see your phone?"
"Sure, why?" she handed him her cell. She knew he wouldn't do anything bad to it.
He typed a few things on it before handing it back to her. "Now you have my number," he said. He raised an eyebrow at her. "And you got at me for not having much of a social life?"
"Just because I don't exchange numbers with everyone doesn't mean I don't socialize," Kisara rolled her eyes at him. Yeah, she only had three, okay now four, numbers programmed in her phone, but it was more than when she first came to Domino. Then she just had her guardian's number and didn't know if she would ever get more than that. "Besides, can you say you only socialize with those programmed in your phone?"
"The only other person who has this number is Mokuba," Seto answered. "So, yes, I can."
"I should have known," Kisara rolled her eyes again. "Keep in touch, Seto. I'll see you at school."
"I will." He turned away. "Mokuba, come on. We've got to start undoing the damage Pegasus did."
"Coming, Seto!" the eleven-year-old pulled away from a tussle Joey and Tristan had gotten themselves into and trotted to catch up to his older brother. The two older boys stopped their fighting to the obvious relief of Yugi and Tea. "See you later, Kisara!"
"Bye, Mokuba," Kisara grinned at him before rejoining her group. "So what should we do now?"
"I called Mom," Yugi answered. "Though she didn't care for the early hour, she said Grandpa woke up last night. The doctors want to run a few tests on him before let anyone visit. If everything's normal they'll let him out today. But even they won't start for another couple of hours."
"So let's go catch some more shut-eye," Joey suggested. "After all, my last nap was so rudely interrupted." He glared at Kisara.
"Would you rather I left you sleeping on Seto's helicopter while we all went home?" Kisara asked. "Then you could have had some quality time with Seto. I'm sure you two would have so much fun hanging out."
That shut Joey up, to everyone's amusement. "Let's all head home for now," Yugi suggested. "I'm going to be at the hospital at eleven."
"We'll see you then," Tea said. Nodding, each person headed towards their own home.
Kisara's walk to her apartment was uneventful. As soon as she made it inside, she kicked off her shoes and socks, tossed her hoodie over a chair and set her backpack next to her bed. It may not be much, but it's good to be home.
She took out her deck and flopped onto the bed, flipping through the cards. Who could have guessed a card game would become so important this week? Kisara stopped at the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Shoot… with everything else going on, we forgot to ask about this being fixed. Of course, when we made that plan we only had one soul to save instead of three. She silently apologized to the dragon and slipped the card into its velvet-lined case. At least it would be back where it belonged, though part of Kisara was sad to give it back. It was never mine. She closed the box and set the rest of the cards next to her bed, stretching out. At least things will be normal now.
She must have dozed off; a ringing startled her awake. Groaning, she glanced at the caller ID. Lee. Her guardian. "Hello?" she answered.
"What do you think you've been doing?" he spat at her. "I've been trying to get a hold of you for three days with no answer, and this morning I read your name as a finalist in some card tournament? I'm paying for you to have a decent education after everyone else threw you out, and you're repaying me by blowing off me and school for a stupid card game?"
Kisara made herself count to ten before answering. "Sir," she said, since Lee never allowed her to call him by name, "I did not blow off school. This week was our midterm break, and classes resume on Monday. Yes, I was invited to participate in the Duelist Kingdom tournament along with a few friends. It wasn't an emergency, and we weren't missing school, so I didn't think it would be a problem as long as I had my phone on me. There wasn't any reception there, and I should have taken that into consideration. I'm sorry."
"I'm not sending you to school so you can learn to play card games," he continued. "I didn't have to take you in, and I expect you not to waste what I've given out of my own pocket to you. If you spent less time playing silly games and more time studying, your algebra grade would be higher."
"I'm not wasting anything," Kisara struggled to keep her voice calm. She shouldn't be surprised by his reaction to her absence, but it felt like she couldn't do anything right in his eyes. "I got a B on my last report card, and that was my lowest grade. Duel Monsters is just a game I play for fun with my friends. I'm not planning on making it my career. Like I said, I entered the tournament with my friends. We decided to make a trip of it."
"I don't care if you're friends with the president of a gaming company," Lee snapped. "They're a waste of time and I expect you to do better. If that means giving up your friends, so be it."
Something in Kisara snapped with that statement. Maybe it was the bottled-up tension she'd been feeling since Pegasus first captured Grandpa's soul, or maybe the constant jabs at her life since she'd become his ward, she didn't know, but she was done being nice. "What do you know about my friends?" she yelled into the phone. "You've never met them! You haven't even bothered to get know me! They at least care about my feelings, about what I want! Yes, I'm grateful you gave me a place to stay, but I never cared about the apartment or the school. I just wanted a home where I'd be treated as a member of the family!"
"Grow up," Lee spat. "Your family is dead. Get over it. If you want a new one so badly, take that tightly-wrapped money your mother left you and go buy one! I'm sure you'll have a fine time convincing people you're worth their time from the orphanage. I should have just dropped you there to begin with instead of wasting my money. I suppose it was too much to hope you'd one day repay the kindness I tried to show you, but you're just as ungrateful as Satine was."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Kisara snapped. As far as she knew, her mom barely had any contact with Lee. Of course, her mom probably would have had just as hard of a time being in the same room as him.
"It means you're through," he answered. "I'm not going to put up with someone who has such a blatant disrespect for the hand that feeds her. You have until the tomorrow afternoon to get your stuff out of the apartment. And I do mean just your stuff. I'll be by tomorrow to get what I purchased." With that, Lee hung up the phone.
Kisara sat on the bed, still holding the phone to her ear. What was I thinking? Of all the times for me to lose my temper, why now? Why did I have to burn the bridge to my last guardian? She let the phone drop onto the bed, pulling her knees to her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks. What would she do now? She didn't have anywhere to go. She'd never visited an orphanage, but if Seto's descriptions were something to go on, she didn't have much hope there.
Seto. She glanced down at her phone. Just this morning he'd given her his number. Should she call him? Her hand hovered over it. "Not right now," she decided. Not while she was still reeling from her fight with Lee. Kisara needed to calm down and come up with an actual plan. Maybe she could get an after-school job. Tea mentioned working at Burger World for a while, but technically they were supposed to be eighteen to work there. But there could be another place hiring, one that didn't care if she was still in school. After they visited Grandpa, she could go around town and find somewhere willing to hire her. Once she figured out those options, she could find a place to stay. Until she had a plan, she didn't need to worry her friends. Just the hope of continuing to live in Domino was enough to keep her going.
A pounding on her apartment door interrupted her thoughts. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was 10:30. "Just a minute!" she called to her visitor. Kisara quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes, jeans and a black T-shirt. She splashed cold water over her face, pulling herself together before she had to face whoever was at her door.
She opened the door to see Joey and Tristan standing there. "We're heading up to the hospital to see Gramps," Joey said. "You coming?"
"Of course I'm coming," she smiled at him, her hair falling into her face. It'll be okay. We'll go visit Grandpa, and then I'll go from there. Everything will be fine. "Just let me grab my cards and I'll be ready."
"What do you need your cards for?" Tristan asked. "We're going to the hospital, not an arena."
"I have to return Grandpa's Blue-Eyes," Kisara answered. "I still have it from the tournament, so I'll give it back when we get there."
She let the guys into her living room and grabbed her deck and the velvet lined box from beside her bed. Kisara took a smaller bag from her closet and put both boxes in it along with her wallet, phone, and keys. "Okay, guys, I'm ready," she said, sliding her shoes on.
"Then let's go before Tea yells at us for being late," Tristan said. Kisara smiled and locked her door before following her friends.
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
"What's the matter, Yugi? You're not surprised to see me up and about, are you?" Grandpa grinned at the group just as they made it to the elevator. He stood next to Mari, the image of perfect health.
"Grandpa!" Yugi ran forward and threw his arms around the old man, hugging him tightly. "I've missed you."
Kisara smiled at their reunion. At the same time, she felt a pang of jealousy. She sure didn't have anything like that. Stop it. Yugi deserves this after everything he went through. He saved everyone, and he almost died doing it.
"Ready to go home?" Yugi suggested, forcing Kisara to shake off her negative thoughts.
Grandpa nodded, and he signed out of the hospital. Since they couldn't all fit in the Mutos' car, Mari drove it home while everyone else walked to the game store. On the way there, they filled Grandpa in on what happened in Duelist Kingdom, omitting only Yami, Shadi, and the more mystical dangers. They were almost at the game store when they finished. "So you saved me and became champion of the Duelist Kingdom, Yugi?" Grandpa asked.
"I didn't do it alone, Grandpa," Yugi brushed off the praise. "Everyone helped."
"That's right, everybody pitched in," Joey chimed in. "But he couldn't have done it without me!" He took a gulp of the soda he got from a vending machine on the way.
"Well then you've obviously improved since I last saw you duel," Grandpa congratulated the runner-up.
"Not that much," Tristan said.
"A little," Tea added.
"Well he finally beat me," Kisara grinned.
"Grandpa, maybe you should go home and rest," Yugi suggested, obviously still worried about the old man. "You did just get out of the hospital, you know."
"Don't be silly," Grandpa brushed off the teen's concern. "I feel great! One, two, three, four! One, two, three, four!" He began stretching himself to prove his point. "One, two—oh!" He stretched backwards, and the expression on his face proved he shouldn't have done that.
"Grandpa!" Yugi moved to help him.
"Are you okay, Mr. Muto?" Tristan asked.
"Just a little stiff is all," Grandpa assure them, straightening himself out.
"Hey!" a new voice interrupted them. Standing in front of the game store was a little girl with her blonde hair tied in pigtails. She wore a pink cardigan with yellow trim over a green shirt and a pleated magenta skirt. Knee-high black socks and brown boots completed her look. In her left hand she clutched a brown teddy bear in a green shirt and overalls. "I've got something to say to you! That is if you're who I think you are!" She glared at them.
"What in the world?" Yugi said.
"Who is that?" Joey asked. "You guys know her?" Everyone shook their heads. In the game store window, Kisara could see Mari shrug, just as confused as the rest of them.
"Hello," Grandpa greeted the girl.
"Tell me, is your name Solomon Muto?" she asked, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
"That's right," he answered. "And you might you be?"
"Who might I be?" she repeated innocently. "I might be Rebecca. And I might have just arrived here in town. And I might've been waiting for you to show up! The woman in that crummy store couldn't tell me at all where you were. It's not nice to keep a lady waiting, you know!
"Lady?" Yugi chuckled.
"That's right!" Rebecca got in Yugi's face. "Are you saying I'm not a lady, buster?"
"Wait a minute," Joey interrupted. "What's a little squirt like you doing traveling all by herself anyway? That's dangerous."
"Oh yeah?" Rebecca scoffed. "Well I can take care of myself, and if not, I've got Teddy to protect me. Isn't that right, Teddy?" She held the bear close to her face as she spoke.
"She talks to the bear?" Joey watched the interaction, wide-eyed.
"A lot of little girls do," Kisara said. "It's a phase. My version of it was talking to the dragons in my books."
"Rebecca, wait," Grandpa tried to pacify the girl. "What exactly is it you want from me?"
"My card back!" she yelled at him.
"Beg your pardon?" he said.
"You've got my Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Now give it back to me!" She held out her hand to emphasize her point. Everyone stared at her in disbelief. "You heard what I said! I want my Blue-Eyes back right now!"
Kisara's grip on her bag tightened, holding the card safe. "There's a slight problem," Tea said. There was no way this girl would accept the card in its current state, even if she truly had a claim to it. Not that Kisara would let this girl take the Blue-Eyes from Grandpa. She exchanged a look with Yugi, reminding her friend that she still had the card.
"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is an ultra-rare and powerful card that only belongs in the deck of a true champion," Rebecca continued. "I, Rebecca, am a true champion." She pointed to herself. "I've travelled the world and beaten many top duelists while you were away. Isn't that right, Teddy?"
"You've beaten top duelists around the world?" Grandpa repeated.
"Yep!" she grinned at them. "I dare say I'm the number one duelist in America!"
"Are you a little young?" Tea asked.
"I'm ten!" Rebecca cried indignantly.
"Yeah, inches tall," Joey muttered. Kisara smothered a laugh.
"You really shouldn't tell lies, little girl," Tristan chastised the blonde.
"Wait, it might not be a lie," Yugi interrupted them. "I remember reading something, an article just before we left for the Duelist Kingdom about a Duel Monsters prodigy. She was causing a major sensation." Rebecca nodded along with his words.
"No way," Joey whispered just loud of enough for Yugi and Kisara to hear. "You're not telling me this little pipsqueak's really the national champion, are you? Get real, Yuge."
"What's the deal?" Rebecca shouted at them. "Are you questioning my dueling credentials, pal?"
"Hey, don't give me any lip," Joey chastised her. "I got credentials too: second in the Duelist Kingdom tournament."
"That's true," Tristan chimed in. "But on the other hand, you probably don't know how to spell credentials."
"Knock it off!" Joey yelled at his friend. "You're supposed to be on my side!" Kisara chuckled at his reaction.
"Oh, I know all about that," Rebecca scoffed. "First place in the Duelist Kingdom went to Yugi Muto, second place went to Joey Wheeler, and third place went to Kisara White. But who cares who came in second or third? It's only first place that really matters. Isn't that right, Teddy?"
Joey exploded, forcing Tristan to hold him back. "Let me at her! I'll show her who matters!"
"Joey, calm down," Kisara placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "She's just a little kid."
"Rebecca, I'm confused," Grandpa addressed the girl again. "Why do you think your championship entitles you to my Blue-Eyes White Dragon card?"
"No, I don't think that," she answered. "The Blue-Eyes White Dragon card should be mine because you stole it from me."
"Just wait a minute," Yugi objected. "No way! My grandfather would never steal!"
"Well there are only four Blue-Eyes White Dragons in the world," Rebecca argued. "Kaiba's got three, and my card is missing!"
"What's with you, kid?" Joey asked. "You're not making any sense here."
"That Blue-Eyes White Dragon is mine!" the ten-year-old yelled at them, growing fed up with their objections. "And if you won't give it back to me, then I demand the right to duel for it!"
"Hold it right there," Kisara objected. "You keep saying this card is supposed to be yours. If it was yours, where would you have gotten it? Because Mr. Muto has had his longer than any of us have been alive, so this one can't be yours."
"Who are you to question my right to my card?" Rebecca got in her face.
"Someone who knows this card's history," Kisara answered, keeping her expression calm. Don't let her rile me up. She's just an entitled little kid wanting a Blue-Eyes like so many other greedy people. I'm starting to get tired of people wanting Blue-Eyes. "I know about the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. More than you can guess. That's why I'm calling you out on your accusations against Mr. Muto."
"You're just trying to cover for him," Rebecca scoffed. "That card is mine, and you won't stop me from getting it back!"
"Rebecca, you don't understand," Yugi tried to intervene.
"Oh, I understand!" she cut him off. "Gramps is scared. He's just afraid to duel with me."
"No, he's not afraid to duel you, Rebecca," Yugi insisted. "It's just that card is well, uh…" Kisara could only suspect what this girl would do when she saw the card's current state.
"I've heard enough of your excuses!" the girl yelled. "Duel me, old man! Now!" She pointed at Grandpa as she continued to rant. "Solomon Muto, if I win this duel, you give that Blue-Eyes White Dragon back to me!"
"What does it take to penetrate that thick skull of yours?" Joey asked.
"To the arena!" she ignored him, holding her bear over her face. "I will eat you alive! Grr!" she moved the bear like it was the one talking to them.
I don't have time for this. Kisara bit her lip as the group followed the obnoxious girl. I need to go find a job so I can stay in town. The clock ticked away in her mind. She had to come up with a concrete plan today so she could get all her stuff out of the apartment by the time Lee came tomorrow. Who would have thought everything could turn to crud in a day?
She frowned at Blue-Eyes statues outside Seto's public arena. Everything keeps coming back to the Blue-Eyes. It's a wonderful dragon, especially with the way it's helped us, but the way people go after it is so vicious. First Seto, then that imposter, and now this girl. Why?
"Kisara!" Mokuba called out to her, pulling her back to reality. "I didn't think I'd see you again today."
"Hi, Mokuba," she grinned at him. "No Seto with you?"
"No, I made him take the day off," he grinned. "Plus if we wait until tomorrow with the board of directors, we can make them sweat before Seto tears into them."
"I can't argue with that," Kisara chuckled. "Anyway, we need a favor. Think you can help us?" She explained their situation to the boy.
"You're asking a lot," Mokuba answered. "KaibaCorp's arenas are booked solid for the next three months. But of course, we do owe you guys big time."
Rebecca pushed her way to the front of the group. "So what are we all waiting for? Let's get this duel on the road!"
Mokuba gave them a dumbfounded look. "I'll tell you later," Kisara told him. "Hopefully by then I'll know what's going on."
The eleven-year-old chuckled and led them to an unoccupied arena. "Nice dueling arena," Rebecca addressed. "A little small though." She turned to Grandpa. "Okay, Mr. Muto, are you ready to duel?" He nodded.
"But, Grandpa," Yugi protested.
"Relax, Yugi, I'll be fine," Grandpa assured him.
But last time he fought in an arena, he wound up in the hospital. Kisara tensed, remembering what happened when the old man had dueled Seto. Grandpa didn't help his case when he rubbed his eyes, obviously fighting fatigue.
"What is this?" Rebecca mocked him. "Are we going to duel or settle in for an afternoon nap?"
"You need to shut up and learn to respect other people," Kisara snapped. "You can't expect things to go your way just because you want them to. I don't care if you're a dueling prodigy, you need to take his health into consideration before demanding your way."
"Kisara's right," Yugi said. "He can't duel you. I'll face you instead. Grandpa was just released from the hospital this morning. He's in no condition to be dueling, Rebecca."
"Okay, then," the blonde smirked. "That's even better. Rebecca, the national champion, vs. Yugi Muto, winner of the Duelist Kingdom, in a clash of titans. Of course, it's still ordinary him against genius me, so he doesn't stand a chance of winning, does he, Teddy?" She held the bear up again. "Not a chance! Grr!"
"Err," Joey scowled. "I can't tell if she's just stuck on herself or totally nuts!"
"Or maybe both," Yugi said. "You guys watch from here."
"Be very careful, Yugi," Grandpa cautioned his grandson. "She is strange but smart."
Yugi nodded and took his place in the arena. "Oh, Yugi, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Rebecca asked.
"I'm sure," he answered. He's not relying on Yami for this duel. Of course, Rebecca's demands aren't really serious enough for Yami to intervene. At least I hope Yami doesn't have to. The sooner Yugi finishes this, the better. Kisara rooted for her friend as the arena powered up.
"Okay, but it'd be a lot easier just to give me the Blue-Eyes White Dragon," Rebecca sneered. "You're up against a genius, you know. Aw, Teddy, isn't that right?" She hugged her bear again. "Yup, you're a genius, Rebecca. Grr!" She glared back at her opponent. "Now let's get down to it!"
"Take her down, Yugi!" Kisara yelled to her friend. The more Rebecca talked about handing over the Blue-Eyes, the more it grated against Kisara. The little girl's desire to own the dragon felt more personal with each demand.
"It's your turn," Yugi let Rebecca start the duel.
She looked over her cards. "For my first brilliant move, Witch of the Black Forest in attack mode!" A woman with shoulder-length violet hair in a black and silver dress materialized on her field. "All right, let's see what your worth, witchy woman!"
"An unusual opening gambit," Grandpa commented.
"Its stats aren't that high," Kisara added. "I know several of my dragons that could take that out. Does it have some kind of magical ability?"
Grandpa nodded, "But not one that would interfere with the battle itself."
Yugi deliberated as he stared down the Witch. "He thinks very slowly, Teddy," Rebecca pouted. "Do you suppose he'll ever play a card?"
He sighed. "I'll play, Rebecca." He selected a card. "The Celtic Guardian, in attack mode." The elf warrior brandished his sword at Rebecca and the Witch. "Celtic Guardian, attack the Witch!" The sword sliced through her, shattering her hologram. Rebecca's LifePoints fell to 1700. "So much for Witch of the Black Forest."
"Aaaahh!" Rebecca cried. "That mean old Yugi sent my worthless Witch to the graveyard. Oh, what do I do?" She leaned into her bear. "Huh, what did you say? Oh thank you!" She held the bear high. "If the Witch of the Black Forest is sent to the graveyard, I get to pick another card from my deck—a monster with up to 1500 defense points! And I get to shuffle my deck again! Whee! Thank you, Teddy!"
"Well, that answers my question from earlier," Kisara sighed. "Does she care about how obnoxious she sounds?" If she acted like that with any of her guardians, she would have been kicked out a lot earlier than she had been.
Rebecca drew out the duel as she looked over her cards again. "Well, I'm waiting," Yugi urged her on. "Are you going to play or what?"
"Hey, don't distract me when I'm thinking!" she snapped.
"She is such a hypocrite," Kisara frowned at the girl, wishing she would hurry up. It was already after one. If Kisara didn't get going soon, she would run out of time to get things together. She could just leave, but she still had the Blue-Eyes. Leaving would attract the attention and worry of her friends. It'll be fine. Just wait it out a little longer.
"That kid could drive you crazy really easily," Tea agreed.
"Oh, I guess I'm stuck with this one," Rebecca finally chose a card. "Here we go! I play Sangan in attack mode!" A three-eyed creature with gangly green arms and a wide grin appeared on her field. "Aw, he's so cute, isn't he?"
"If I ever get that bad with my dragons, feel free to hit me," Kisara told her friends.
"Nah, you won't get that obnoxious," Joey said.
"You'd have to beat Joey for that to happen," Tristan added, earning a dirty look from the blond.
"Not for long," Yugi answered his opponent. "You can kiss Sangan good-bye. Celtic Guardian, attack!" The warrior slashed through the creature, shattering the hologram and knocking Rebecca down to 1300 LifePoints.
"Uh! Aaaahh!" Rebecca screamed. "That Celtic Guardian sent my poor Sangan to the graveyard too! You're so mean!"
"Give me a break," Yugi sighed. "I'm not being mean; I'm just playing the game!"
"Did you hear that, Teddy?" Rebecca asked her bear. "Nasty old Yugi is yelling at me!"
"And I'm not yelling at you!" he protested.
Kisara sighed. It's probably for the best Yami's not participating in this duel. I don't think he'd know how to handle Rebecca. On the other hand, this is probably how she wins her matches, throwing her opponents off with her little girl routine. How do her parents put up with her?
"What did you say?" Rebecca pulled her bear close to her ear. "We haven't lost just yet, Teddy? If the Sangan goes to the graveyard, I can pull a new monster?" She nodded to the bear. "I understand that."
"I don't know," Tea said. "That girl is weird."
"Geniuses are supposed to be eccentric, you know," Tristan pointed out.
"At least I know Sangan's ability this time," Kisara said. "Though, that's because Yugi used it to beat me at Duelist Kingdom."
"Come on, you guys," Joey said. "You gotta be kidding. That little twerp's no genius. She's just a nut case."
"But Rebecca's strategy is strangely familiar to me," Grandpa muttered, having been silent for most of the match.
"Now let's get down to business—kid gloves are off!" Rebecca glared at Yugi. "You've met your match, Yugi!
"I didn't even know the kid gloves were on," Kisara said. "But it looks like she's dropping her naïve attitude."
"I play a magic card: Tribute to the Doomed!" Rebecca made her move. "It lets me throw away one card from my own hand. In exchange, I get to wipe out one of my opponent's monsters from the field." She smirked and tossed a card into her graveyard. "Just watch." Bandages rose from the arena and wrapped themselves around the Celtic Guardian like a mummy. A hand rose up behind him, pulling him below the surface. "Celtic Guardian went bye-bye! And to finish my turn, I play one more card in defense mode." Her smirk turned into a full-on grin. "Here is where things start to get interesting, Yugi. Mark my words: the Blue-Eyes White Dragon will be mine again!"
It was never yours to begin with. Kisara bit back her temper, forcing herself to be calm. I never let the bullies get to me before, I can't let a ten-year-old succeed where they failed. I'm a dragon. I won't be riled up by an obnoxious human.
"Am I having hallucinations, or did she just put on a totally different personality?" Tristan asked.
"Uh-uh, she's a lot smarter than she led us to believe," Tea answered.
"She was telling us the truth about her skills the whole time," Kisara said. "Her delivery just made us skeptical of her, and I'm pretty sure she uses the same ploy on all her opponents."
"All right, Rebecca," Yugi make his move. "I attack with Summoned Skull!" The large demon held lightning between its hands.
"Big mistake, Yugi!" Rebecca smirked, flipping over her monster. "The card I played was the Millennium Shield! It has 3000 defense points, and your Skull only has 2500 attack points!" An orange and yellow shield materialized on her field. The center of it had the same symbol as the one on Yugi's Puzzle. I know it's just a hologram, but I can't help but feel on edge when I see that symbol.
The Summoned Skull's lightning bounced off the Shield, and Yugi's LifePoints dropped to 1500. The ten-year-old laughed at her upset. "That little squirt can actually duel," Joey stared at her little victory party.
"Someone's trained her well," Tristan commented.
"But who?" Kisara asked.
"Why are you so surprised that I won that last exchange?" Rebecca asked. "I told you I was a child prodigy. This duel has been easy so far." She held the bear up again. "Ruff him up, Rebecca! Right, Teddy!" She selected another card from her hand. "I play a magic card: Ring of Magnetism!" Four stones appeared around the Millennium Shield; electricity sparked between them, creating a full circle.
"So what does that do?" Kisara asked.
"Beats me," Joey answered.
"I'm going to pass this turn," Yugi said.
"Aha, he's taking a wait-and-see attitude," Rebecca observed. "Well if you can't think of a move, I can. Cannon Soldier, attack mode!" A purple machine appeared on the field, its cannon aimed right at Yugi.
"Be very careful, Yugi!" Grandpa warned him, drawing the other students' attention. "If she sacrifices a monster next," he explained, "she can turn Cannon Soldier's assault directly on Yugi's LifePoints."
"Yeah, but she's never going to get the chance," Joey brushed off Grandpa's concern. "Yugi's Summoned Skull's going to blow Cannon Soldier away."
"Let's hope so," Tristan said. "Otherwise that Soldier will do a lot of damage."
"Summoned Skull, attack Cannon Soldier!" Yugi commanded his demon. "Lightning Strike!" The Skull hurled lightning at the machine, but the attack veered off course, getting absorbed into the Millennium Shield.
Rebecca laughed at the attempt. "See? The Ring of Magnetism draws all your attacks to my Millennium Shield! Get it? While it's in play, my monsters are all safe 'cause all you can attack is the Millennium Shield! And it's got a defense power of 2500!" She drew her card. "For now, let's summon another wimpy Witch of the Black Forest in attack mode." The violet-haired woman materialized on her field again. "So long, Witch. You get used as a sacrifice to my Cannon Soldier so he can turn all his power directly on Yugi's LifePoints." The Witch screamed as she was sacrificed into the machine. "Cannon Soldier, you got her power, now blow Yugi away!" The purple machine fired a shot at Yugi, knocking his LifePoints down to 1000. "Well that took you down a peg! And now I get to draw another card!"
"She's real good," Joey admitted. "She must've learned dueling from somebody experienced as you, Gramps."
"Joey, you may be right," Grandpa answered.
"I was taught by someone more talented than a Muto could ever be," Rebecca scoffed as she picked her card. "My grandfather was the best duelist ever."
"Is what I suspect true?" Grandpa mused. "Rebecca, what's your last name?"
"Took you long enough to ask," she sneered. "Yes, my name is Rebecca Hawkins. And my grandfather is Professor Arthur Hawkins, the man whose Blue-Eyes White Dragon you stole! And whose friendship you betrayed!"
"I think you have your facts wrong," Kisara said. "I may not have known him very long, but anyone can see Mr. Muto has treasured the Blue-Eyes White Dragon the entire time he's had it. He's shown it a lot more respect than you've shown your own cards. I'm starting to believe you don't have an ounce of respect for anything but yourself. And I suspect you only want the Blue-Eyes because it's powerful."
"You don't know anything!" Rebecca said. "He's a thief, and that Blue-Eyes is mine!"
"No, he's not," Yugi said. "My grandfather would never betray a friend, and he would never steal. He did not steal your Blue-Eyes."
"You're lying!" she snapped. "He did! He did! He did steal it!" She was moving very close to tantrum territory. "It was my grandpa's favorite, and your grandpa took it from him. You won't get away with it you thieves!"
Kisara felt dragon tense with the girls' accusations. She clutched her bag tighter, taking a breath to ease it and herself. "Rebecca, listen," Grandpa addressed the girl. "There's a story you need to hear. It's the story of how I met your grandfather, Professor Arthur Hawkins, and the danger we faced together."
"In other words, more of your lies!" she snapped. "Forget it!"
"No, it's the truth," Grandpa maintained the image of calm. "And be assured, it was one of the most frightening experiences I've had in my entire life."
"Oh, I'm sure," Rebecca scoffed.
"Be quiet and listen to him," Kisara chastised her. "Or there's no way you're ever going to see the Blue-Eyes White Dragon."
"Thank you, Kisara," Grandpa looked the little girl in the eye as he began. "It happened years ago, but it's an adventure I'll never forget. I had travelled to Egypt to participate in an archeological dig. A brand-new discovery had been made not far from the Great Pyramids. We all wondered what ancient Egyptian secrets would soon be unearthed. The desert was hotter and drier than I expected, so it was fortunate that I soon made a friend who offered to share his water with me. I guzzled it down a little too quickly, but my new friend, Professor Arthur Hawkins, was just amused at my enthusiasm. He was a kind and very brilliant man. But in his field of archeology, he was viewed as an extremely radical thinker."
"How come?" Tea asked.
"His theories," Grandpa answered. "He believed that Duel Monsters may have played some mysterious part in Egyptian history. Am I right, Rebecca?" The little girl just hugged her bear and looked away.
"I don't understand, Grandpa," Yugi said.
"His study of hieroglyphics, the Egyptians' writing, kept turning up one particular word over and over again, and that one word was duel."
"It makes sense," Kisara said. "Pegasus said the same thing when he faced Yugi." Not to mention Shadi also said Shadow Games were played until that Pharaoh locked them away. "But why were these duels played?"
"It was a mystery," Grandpa said. "But using the word duel as a keyword, Arthur worked toward a new interpretation of Egyptian history, and he came to an astonishing conclusion. Based on the passages he found, he believed the Egyptians played a game similar to Duel Monsters. I believed he would revolutionize history as we knew it, but Arthur's colleagues ridiculed his theories and dismissed them as wild fantasy. But even in the face of such disbelief, he bravely stood his ground and continued his difficult research into the ancient game of Duel Monsters. He invited me to join him in his work, and I helped him as best I could. In time, he discovered a link between the game and the Millennium Items."
"What kind of link?" Yugi asked.
"It's still very mysterious, Yugi," he answered. "Arthur suspected the games were played for power over the world. Many of his translations spoke of a place called the Shadow Realm. They described it as a place where terrible monsters dwelled and powerful warriors battled for dominion over the earth. Arthur believed the duels played by the ancient Egyptians were actually played in the Shadow Realm."
"So the stories I heard are true," Yugi glanced down at the Puzzle around his neck. Kisara suspected he was also thinking of what Shadi had told them. It was one thing to take Pegasus's or Shadi's word on the Shadow Games, people who treated them as enemies. It was another to hear the same history coming from Grandpa, someone they could trust absolutely.
"And your friend Professor Hawkins," Tea spoke up. "Is that where your Blue-Eyes came from? He gave it to you?"
"That's right," Grandpa said.
"Liar!" Rebecca interrupted them. "You were never his friend! My grandpa would never have given away his Blue-Eyes White Dragon! You stole it! I know you did! Isn't that right, Teddy?" She looked to her bear for confirmation.
"Open your eyes and see the truth right in front of you!" Kisara snapped. Rebecca's attitude was starting to remind Kisara of a foster sister she once had. That girl had been spoiled by her parents, Kisara's then-guardians, and her version of the truth was all that had mattered to them. No matter how much Kisara tried to prove what really happened, it never mattered. They always believed their real daughter over the orphan staying with them.
"Rebecca, I didn't steal his card," Grandpa insisted. "I couldn't have, because at that precise moment, that ancient tomb caved in around us."
Everyone gasped. "The tomb caved in?" Rebecca repeated.
"Yes," he answered. "And we thought we were lost. Surprisingly, we unharmed in the initial collapse, and Arthur had managed to find the lamp to light up the tomb, proving we had no way out. As time passed, we feared the Pharaoh's tomb would become ours as well. We consumed what little food we had with us. Soon nothing was left but a canteen of water, enough for only one person. Arthur suggested a game of Duel Monsters to pass the time. We had nothing else to do but think about our predicament and hope for rescue. We also agreed that the winner of the duel would get the last of the water, since our survival seemed bleak at the time, and we wanted at least one of us to walk out alive. And so our grim duel began. In his first turn, the card that Arthur played was the Witch of the Black Forest. Sound familiar, Rebecca?"
"It's the same card she played," Yugi said. For a second, Kisara thought she saw Yami standing behind him. It makes sense he'd want to know about this too. He was gone before she could be sure.
"That's right, Yugi," Grandpa set amethyst eyes on the blonde girl. "It was your grandfather who taught you to duel, wasn't it?" Rebecca gave a pout and turned away.
"Never mind her," Tea brushed off the girl's attitude. "Go on with the story."
"Well, you see—"
"No more lies!" Rebecca shouted, cutting Grandpa off. "Why should I believe you? You could be making this whole stupid story up!"
"Mr. Muto doesn't lie!' Tea glared at her.
"So get off your high horse and listen to what he has to say," Kisara added.
"Well I think we should finish this duel," Rebecca looked over her hand.
"Oh, yeah?" Joey pointed at her. "Well some of us would rather hear the rest of the story first!"
"No, let the duel continue," Grandpa silenced him. He exchanged a look with Yugi, a silent message between them. "I think it was Yugi's turn."
"We know that!" Rebecca yelled. "Why don't you butt out, old man, so we can settle this thing?"
One… two… three… four… Kisara counted in her head to rein in her temper. This little girl certainly had the aggravating effect on people. It had been years since anyone had annoyed her this much. Of course, it didn't help that part of her was anxious for the encounter to end so she could go looking for money to stay in Domino. She glanced at her phone to check the time.
"As you wish," Grandpa complied.
"Good," she sneered. "I'll get back to kicking Yugi's butt!"
"Well one thing's for certain," Grandpa told the other spectators. "Rebecca may have learned dueling from Arthur, but she never learned manners from him."
"I could have told you that when we met her," Kisara said.
"Maybe this will teach her some," Yugi made his move. "I play Catapult Turtle in attack mode!" The mechanical turtle with a launch pad on its back materialized onto Yugi's field. "Catapult Turtle lets me sacrifice any monster on my field. When I do, I am then able to deduct half of my sacrificed monster's attack power directly from my opponent's LifePoints."
"What a joke," Rebecca scoffed. "That won't help."
"It will when I combine it with my Brain Control," Yugi countered. "With Brain Control, I can seize any monster and control it for one turn. Millennium Shield, come to me!" The shield moved to Yugi's field, loading itself onto the turtle's launch pad. "And now I use Catapult Turtle to sacrifice your Millennium Shield!" The turtle fired the Shield into the air, shattering its hologram. "And my turn isn't over yet, Rebecca. Now, Summoned Skull, attack!" The demon threw lightning at the Cannon Soldier, obliterating it. Rebecca's LifePoints dropped to 200. "Your Cannon Soldier is toast!"
"Wahhh!" Rebecca cried. "It's not fair!" She slammed her fists on the arena. "I'm still going to beat you, Yugi! I'm going to get you and your thieving grandfather!"
"Go, Yugi!" the gang cheered for him.
Rebecca cheered with her bear on her next draw. "I play Judgement Blaster! With this, I can discard five cards from my hand, and in exchange I get to obliterate every monster you've got on the field!" Purple light filled the arena, blinding everyone and shattering the holograms of Summoned Skull and Catapult Turtle. "And one more thing. Now I summon my favorite monster!" A green monster with several red eyes appeared on her field. "Up from the depths comes the creepy and oh-so-lovable Shadow Ghoul in attack mode!"
"Wasn't that what the Paradox Brothers used in their duel against you and Yugi?" Kisara asked Joey.
"Yeah," he answered. "The creepy thing that ran around the Labyrinth Wall."
"And for each of the lame-o monsters in my graveyard," Rebecca continued explaining her monster's power, "this adorable fella gains an extra 100 attack points."
"Paradox Brothers' monster didn't have that," Kisara said.
"I lost count," Joey said. "How many monsters has she sent to the graveyard?"
"I think it's eleven," Tristan answered.
"100… 200…" Joey began counting the math on his fingers.
"1100," Tea cut him off.
"Uh-huh," Rebecca agreed. "Shadow Ghoul now has an attack power of 2700!"
"What?" Yugi stared at the monster. "You mean you sacrificed eleven monsters to the graveyard just so you could use their energy to power up your Shadow Ghoul?"
"You're just now catching on to my strategy, Yugi?" she asked. "You'll have to think faster than that."
"Rebecca," Yugi sighed.
"Now what?" she spat.
"Duel Monsters isn't about tossing aside all your best creatures," Yugi told her. "Each monster has its own abilities and demands its own kind of respect. If you just throw them away—"
"Are you out of your mind?" Rebecca shouted, cutting him off. "Dueling has nothing to do with respecting your monsters! Everyone knows the only thing that really matters is winning! Besides, what would a family of thieves know about a duelist's real power? I learned my dueling strategy from a master: my grandfather! Anyway, Duel Monsters aren't real; they're just ink on cards! What's to respect?"
Kisara began counting in her head again. I don't care who wins this duel now. No way am I letting her even see the card now. I don't know if other Duel Monsters are real, but Blue-Eyes definitely is. It's saved us too many times for us to doubt its existence.
"That's not what Arthur thought," Grandpa reminded the little girl. The two Mutos nodded at each other.
"You're keeping me waiting, Yugi!" Rebecca yelled at her opponent. "I didn't come here to take a nap! I came to duel!"
"All right then," Yugi drew. "I summon a monster in defense mode."
Rebecca smirked and drew her own card. "Well, well, what you think I lack in respect, I make up in talent. I drew a magic card: Stop Defense."
A purple-robed spellcaster revealed himself, pointing his green wand at the Shadow Ghoul. "She's forced the Dark Magician into attack mode," Tristan said.
"And now, Shadow Ghoul, attack!" Rebecca commanded. "Green Vapor Shrouds!" The green energy blasted away the spellcaster. Yugi's LifePoints fell to 800. "Bye-bye, Dark Magician," she grinned.
"Mr. Muto, Yugi's getting creamed," Tristan protested. "This couldn't be how your duel with Professor Hawkins went."
"Actually, it went exactly like this," Grandpa told them. "But the outcome of this duel may yet surprise you."
"I play Swords of Revealing Light!" Yugi fell back on his trusted magic card. "That will keep you from attacking for three turns, Rebecca."
"Well, that's really irritating," Rebecca pouted. "Okay, then, if that's the case I pass this turn."
"Yeesh, it didn't even faze her," Joey commented.
"I can use this: Monster Reborn!" Yugi resurrected the Dark Magician.
"Hmm… he's trying to resemble his forces, Teddy, while I'm prevented from attacking him," Rebecca narrowed her eyes at Yugi's play, stroking her bear's head as she talked to it. "But that won't save him." She drew. "I'll play my next card in defense mode, and I'll tell him what it is, 'cause there's no way he can beat my genius brain." She played the monster. "Whee! Another Cannon Soldier!" The purple machine huddled on her field.
"You want an attack, well here it comes," Yugi went in for the strike. "Dark Magician, attack Cannon Soldier! Dark Magic Attack!"
"Thank you," she grinned. "You've just raised Shadow Ghoul's attack power by another 100 points!"
"No matter what Yugi draws next, that Ghoul's more powerful than ever," Tristan said. "Rebecca's strategy seems to be working. Maybe she is a genius."
"Don't count Yugi out yet," Joey told him. "He learned from the master."
"Yugi will pull through," Kisara said. "He took down Seto and Pegasus, and he'll find a way to take Rebecca down too. Besides, I can think of a few cards in his deck that would let him over power that green monster."
"Oh, I understand now," Rebecca mocked her opponent. "You're using the Swords of Revealing Light to stall for time, hoping for some special card to come up. But that isn't going to help him at all, is it, Teddy?" She turned back to the bear. "Now when Shadow Ghoul can attack again! I'll pass this turn too. But next time, when my Ghoul's free to attack, I'll wipe you out!" The Swords vanished from the field.
Yugi drew his card, not saying anything. His blonde bangs hung over his eyes, concealing his expression. "What's the matter, Yugi?" Rebecca sneered. "Didn't you get the card you need?"
Yugi placed his hand over the deck. "I surrender, Rebecca."
What? Kisara held her bag tighter. Why would he give up? Where's his crazy come-from-behind combo that takes the match? Beside her, her friends voiced equal outbursts of surprise. The only one who didn't seem surprised was Grandpa. Yugi's expression remained concealed to them all by his hair.
"The game's over, Rebecca," Yugi insisted.
The girl squealed in delight. "You mean I win?"
"Yes, you win," he said.
"Bravo! Yay me!" she tossed her bear in the air and caught it again. "We beat him, Teddy! Rebecca the genius wins!"
"I don't get it," Tea said. "Why did you surrender?"
"Yeah, what's up with that, Yuge?" Joey asked.
Rebecca marched up to them. "I won, now give me the Blue-Eyes!" she demanded.
Kisara gave Yugi one last look before she took the card out of her bag, holding it out to the little girl. Rebecca gasped when she saw the taped pieces. "You tore it!" she stood on her tiptoes to lean into Kisara's face. "You destroyed my grandfather's favorite card! What were you even doing with it? And I thought the old man was bad for stealing it!"
"I didn't tear it, and neither did Mr. Muto," Kisara said evenly. "And it still works on arenas. I can vouch for that."
"First he steals it, then you all lie, and now it's ruined!" the little girl crossed into tantrum. "You're all despicable!"
"I treasured that card, Rebecca," Grandpa insisted. "I would never have destroyed it."
"The person who did do it has been dealt with," Kisara said, remembering all that Seto had gone through since he ripped the card. She still didn't like what Seto had done, but he had been punished enough. "And like I said, the card still works in arenas."
"I've heard just about enough of your lies!" Rebecca yelled at all of them.
"Rebecca, behave yourself," a new voice entered the arena. A man about Grandpa's age with gray hair and a gray mustache smiled at them. He wore a cream suit with a red-bow, and he had the air of a gentleman.
"Grandpa?" the little girl stared at him.
"Arthur? Is it really you?" Grandpa asked.
"It's been a long time, Solomon," the man answered.
"Far too long, my dear old friend," Grandpa smiled.
"I do hope my precocious granddaughter hasn't caused you too much trouble," Professor Hawkins said. "Can you forgive her?"
"Define trouble," Kisara muttered.
"For what?" Rebecca cried indignantly.
"Rebecca, did you know Yugi was actually the winner of your duel?" the professor asked, walking to Yugi's place in the arena. The other spectators followed him. The tricolor-haired duelist still stood there, not meeting anyone's eyes.
"No, Grandpa, I won!" she screamed.
The professor ignored her. "Yugi, you're just like your grandfather," he said. "You're a generous young man and a very fine duelist." He picked up the last card Yugi had drawn. It occurred to Kisara that Professor Hawkins may have been watching the duel for quite a while, choosing not to enter until the duel had completed. "I knew it," he said, staring at the card's image. "Rebecca, have a look at this card. It's called Soul Release. If Yugi had played this card in the final turn, you would have been defeated for certain. With Soul Release, Yugi could have freed up to five cards from his graveyard or yours. Do you realize what that means?"
"The Shadow Ghoul's attack points would have dropped," Kisara answered, realizing the possible combo. "With that much difference, Dark Magician could have destroyed Shadow Ghoul along with the rest of Rebecca's LifePoints."
"Exactly," Professor Hawkins smiled.
"So Yugi never really had to surrender?" Rebecca's green eyes were wide as saucers. "Then why!" she glared at him.
Yugi looked away, opening the door for Professor Hawkins to answer. "Don't you understand? Yugi wanted to show you that there's much more to dueling than just winning and losing. He wanted you to see that the way to the Heart of the Cards is through your own heart." He looked at the rest of the group. "I heard Solomon tell you about how the tome collapsed and we began our duel. After the duel was declared, Solomon also sacrificed a victory to save my life.
"I felt weak, overcome by the heat. And Solomon surrendered the duel so that I could have the last of the water. Fortunately, the rest of the crew broke through our prison soon after that. But if Solomon hadn't given me that water, I might not be here now." He turned his gaze on his granddaughter. "He saved my life, Rebecca. But there's more. In my duel with Solomon, it's true that I sent any number of monsters to the graveyard to bring the Shadow Ghoul to its ultimate power, but I never failed to honor those monsters for their sacrifice. In their own way, they were every bit as important to me as the Shadow Ghoul card itself. Even more than the monsters, though, a duelist must always respect his opponent. In Solomon's case, I felt such respect and gratitude that I gave him my Blue-Eyes White Dragon."
"Yeah, and he showed his respect and thanks by ripping it up!" she glared at Grandpa. Kisara looked away from the two Hawkins.
Grandpa took the card from her. "It was damaged, Arthur," he apologized, holding the dragon out to his old friend. "Forgive me."
"That doesn't matter, Solomon," Professor Hawkins assured him. "What matters is that you kept it as a token of our friendship. You valued the card not for its rarity but for what it represents: the bond between us." He turned back to his granddaughter. "Now do you understand, Rebecca? Great duels can form the basis of great and lasting friendships because the cards are about heart."
"My heart?" she turned big green eyes on him.
"The heart of every duelist," he answered, "and the Heart of the Cards. That's what Yugi was trying to show you."
"I'm sorry," Rebecca turned to face Yugi.
"It's okay," he said.
"You mean you forgive me?"
"Sure," Yugi smiled and held out a card. "Here take this card."
Kisara recognized the image of the card, the one he received when he became King of Games. "The Ties of Friendship?" Rebecca read.
"Yeah," the younger Muto nodded. "I'd like you to have it."
"Thanks, Yugi."
"Say, Solomon," Professor Hawkins turned to Grandpa. "It's been ages since you and I have dueled."
"Is that a challenge I hear, Arthur?"
"Oh, this I gotta see!" Joey grinned. "Dueling Grandpas!"
"Mr. Muto, remember you just got out of the hospital," Tristan cautioned.
"Yes, but I could outduel any of you young turks even if I was still in a coma.
Kisara grinned and backed away, slipping out of the arena. I wish I could stay longer, but I have to get stuff done. She glanced at the time on her phone—2:20 p.m. The duel had taken longer than she had hoped. Please let me find something.
"Hey, Kisara, where are you going?"
Kisara ignored Joey and walked faster, determined to make it out of the building. "Kisara, wait!" Joey sprinted to catch up, cutting her off. "What is going on?"
"I have things I need to take care of," she answered, peering at him through her bangs. She stepped past him, intent on continuing her exit.
He grabbed her hand. "There's more to it than that," he said. "You think we didn't notice you were on edge the entire duel? You were checking your phone every five minutes. And you're hiding behind your hair. You only do that when there's something you don't want to talk about."
We really don't give Joey enough credit. He notices things without us realizing it. "I had a fight with my guardian," she admitted. "He kicked me out because of Duelist Kingdom and other things. I have until tomorrow afternoon to get my stuff out of the apartment. I need to go so I can find a job to pay for a new place and an actual place to stay." Kisara took a shaky breath to steady herself. "I didn't want to say anything because it's my problem. I burned my bridge with him, and I have to deal with the consequences of it."
"You could have told us earlier," Joey stared her down. "Aren't we your friends?"
"You are," she answered, her eyes misting a little. "Which is why I didn't say anything. I didn't want to worry you."
"Hey, you know Yugi and I didn't become friends under the best circumstances," he told her. "And after everything we just went through, I think we can handle this. And if you want my advice, I'd ask Tea to stay at her place. It's not as big as Rich Boy's mansion, but it sure beats scrambling for a place to stay."
"I don't want to be any trouble."
"You won't know unless you ask," Joey grinned. "Come on, let's go talk to her. And if we're lucky, we'll get to see Gramps and Professor Hawkins duel."
"I thought we agreed Grandpa wasn't supposed to duel?" Kisara smiled and followed Joey back into the arena.
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
"So what do you think?"
"Are you sure it's okay I stay?"
"Yes. For the hundredth time, yes."
"I'm sorry, it's just…" Kisara looked over the light blue room offered to her. A twin-sized bed was pushed against the wall under the window. Next to the closet was a four-drawered dresser, and in the opposite corner stood a desk. They must be used to guests having some kind of work to get done while here. "Tea, you know my life hasn't been simple. I haven't had someone willingly take me in. I guess it's given me some trust issues; it just seems too good to be true."
"It's okay," Tea slung an arm over her shoulders. "I don't want to pressure you, but you are more than welcome here."
"Thank you," Kisara smiled at her friend, pulling her into a full hug. "If there's anything I can do to repay you or your parents, please let me know."
"Just help me keep Joey and Tristan in line," Tea grinned. "And to be honest, I always wanted a sister."
"And more female friends?" Kisara laughed.
"That too," the brunette laughed with her. "Can you blame me when before you came my three closest friends were all guys?"
"I guess not, but my two closest friends were both guys too," the white-haired girl replied. "Though Seto and Mokuba didn't get into brawls like Joey and Tristan."
"I keep forgetting you and Kaiba knew each other when you were kids."
"Despite everything with Gozaburo, those were good times," Kisara reminisced the days spent in the Kaiba Mansion library.
"Kisara, do you want to go get your stuff tonight or wait until tomorrow morning?" Yumi Gardner stepped into the room. It was obvious Tea had gotten most of her looks from her mother, except Yumi had black hair and brown eyes. "It's supposed to rain tomorrow, but if you'd rather wait, that's fine too. We can get an early start and beat the weather. Gabriel has to go into the office in the morning, but I'm sure we can manage without him. Tea also said your friends would be willing to help move stuff."
"Whichever is more convenient for you, Mrs. Gardner," Kisara answered. "I don't have that much stuff as it is."
"Please, call me Yumi," she said. "You don't have to be so formal with me."
"Thank you, Yumi," Kisara gave the woman a polite bow. "I do appreciate you letting me stay here."
"How about we get your stuff tomorrow," Tea suggested. "It's already been a long day. I'll call the guys. If we all pitch in, we'll have the rest of the day to hang out at Yugi's."
"Sure," Kisara agreed.
"Okay, I'll go tell Gabriel." Yumi left the two girls alone.
"Well today was definitely interesting," Kisara sat on the bed.
"Yeah, I'm surprised I didn't strangle Rebecca with the way she was going on," Tea admitted. "Not my proudest moment."
"I was on the verge of losing my temper with her too," Kisara said. "I did not want to hand over that card when Yugi surrendered."
"Yeah, it's too bad you can't have your own Blue-Eyes," Tea said. "You kicked butt with it at Duelist Kingdom."
"Yeah, but I only put it in my deck because the situation was desperate," Kisara replied. "I never thought someone would try to impersonate Seto and steal his deck. This whole week was crazy. I hope our next midterm is more relaxing."
"We can hope," Tea chuckled. "Let's get some sleep. Knowing Mom, she'll want to get the move taken care of pretty early."
"Sure thing," Kisara smiled. "I think I'm ready to call it a day."
"Same. Good night, Kisara."
"Good night, Tea. And thank you again."
"What are friends for?"
So a couple of notes. I had planned on Kisara moving in with Tea from the beginning. I'm going to touch back on her guardian down the road, and I admit I'm not 100 percent sure of how I wrote the situation for him throwing Kisara out. But like her other relatives, he doesn't really care about her; this was just his excuse to get rid of her. And by doing this, Kisara has the opportunity to live with people who will actually want her, something she hasn't had since her mom died. And for reference on the name drops: Lee=guardian, Satine=Kisara's mom, Yumi=Tea's mom, and Gabriel=Tea's dad.
As for the Hawkins: I think Professor Hawkins gave Grandpa the Blue-Eyes before Yugi was born. The way the two talk, it seems like Grandpa had the card for years. If Grandpa had received the card when the grandkids were alive, then Yugi and Rebecca would have been more familiar with how the Blue-Eyes ended up with Grandpa. The show made it seem like neither knew the specific circumstances of what happened.