Back with another chapter! I don't have a schedule set for these last pre-written chapters so they'll just appear whenever I guess.
I'm also debating on changing the name of this story, but I don't know what. If you have any ideas, feel free to pitch them at me!
Usual reminders:
Italics are thoughts or word emphasis. Bold is Malekos' speech.
The two other monsters snarled at Jessica and charged forward, swinging their swords. She darted to the side to avoid one sword and threw the other shadow ball at it. The monster shrieked and scattered into pixels. The third monster was luckier. She felt something slice her cheek and she cried out, somersaulting away before summoning more shadow balls and throwing them both at the monster. With another shriek, it was destroyed.
Are you alright, little one?
She was puffing as she pushed herself to her feet. She reached up to touch her cheek, but she didn't see any blood as she looked at her fingers. I'm fine. I guess I still feel damage even if I don't actually have any wounds.
Watch out!
She tensed and glanced over her shoulder, seeing a monster towering over her with a raised sword. It was too quick, she didn't even have time to defend herself as it brought its sword down towards her head and she braced for the feeling of her mind scattering into millions of pixels.
"Jessica!" She heard Yugi's voice and the call of an attack before pixels suddenly scattered in front of her eyes, and she could see Yugi, Joey, and Duke running towards her now. She was too shocked to move as they reached her side. "I'm so glad we got here in time! Are you alright?!" He had grabbed her by the shoulders and was looking at her face, his eyes locking onto a visible mark on her cheek.
"I… Yes," she said slowly and then she shook her head to regain her composure. She cupped his cheek with one of her hands and gave a reassuring smile, though the dull throbbing in her head was denying it. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch."
"Why didn't you leave yet?" He asked, furrowing his brows.
"Are you crazy?" She asked, and opened her mouth to say more, but Joey cut her off.
"Yo, lovebirds, we gotta move!"
That snapped them to attention and they saw a mob closing in on them. Grabbing her hand, Yugi followed his friends and led Jessica into the arcade. But they had to fight off the monsters that still continued to close in on them so they could escape one by one. Joey and Yugi summoned their favorite cards, destroying the monsters at the entrance.
"Proceed to the stage immediately," Noah's voice echoed overhead, catching their attention.
They looked around and saw the stage near the back. "Joey, you and Duke go first. We'll be right there," Yugi told him, determined to see his friends out safely.
"Alright, but you better be right behind me," he agreed and Jessica watched as the two boys stepped onto the stage and disappeared.
Yugi called for the Dark Magician to attack the monsters and then turned to her. "Jess, it's your turn."
Jessica's eyes widened. "What?" She stepped forward to clutch his arm with a frown. "I'm not leaving without you!"
"I'll be right behind you," he assured her, his violet eyes sincere.
She bit her lip and glanced at the monsters stepping through the entrance. She fought with a decision for a moment and then quickly planted a kiss on his cheek, startling him slightly. "You better be," she growled and then turned and ran for the stage. Skipping a few steps, she leaped onto the stage and stood tall, seeing Yugi running towards her as her vision faded to black.
Jessica blinked open her eyes as a female voice echoed somewhere in the room, and she saw a glass window lift from above her. The pod, she guessed. She sat up and clutched the side of her head, dazed. "Where…?"
"Ya made it!" Joey's voice caught her attention and a hand came into her line of sight. She took it and he helped her out of the pod. "Now where's Yugi?"
Jessica steadied herself with his aide and looked around, spotting a closed pod amongst the open ones where the familiar head of spiky hair and blue uniform still lay asleep. "He was right behind me…"
"Look!"
Téa's voice caught their attention and they looked over at a computer and control panel. In the chair was a familiar head of messy black hair, Mokuba. But his presence felt different, and Jessica frowned. She led the way over to him and stopped beside the chair, looking down at him.
"You're Noah, aren't you?"
He only nodded, seeming to be focused on the computer. The group gasped in shock.
"Where's Mokuba?" Duke asked.
"There. Inside the virtual world with Yugi and Seto," Noah explained, and Jessica's eyebrows furrowed. "That's why I needed Yugi to stay back."
"What?!" Joey exclaimed and Jessica bristled, snatching Noah by the collar of Mokuba's jacket as she turned him to face her.
"Yugi's still inside?!" She growled, her green eyes flashing red briefly with anger as she stared into Mokuba's eyes straight through to Noah.
Sweat formed on his chin as he gulped. Being faced with an angry demon-holder was not something anyone wanted. He nodded and pressed a button before speaking. "Seto is trapped in a duel with Gozaburo. You have to find him." Jessica's grip on his collar slowly loosened, but she didn't let go. "I'll use the central computer to create a virtual shortcut so you can reach him. He's in KaibaCorp Headquarters." She finally let him go so he can press some more buttons to do as he said. "Go through that door and you'll find Seto."
"Yugi," Jessica spoke up, grabbing the mic from off of Noah's head and causing him to gasp. "You better come back in one piece, you got that?!"
Yugi's voice echoed through the speaker. "I will! I won't come back without Kaiba!" Satisfied with his answer, she handed the headset back to Noah with a sigh.
"So, I have a question," Téa piped up. "Why are you trying to rescue Kaiba? Last I checked you hated him."
Noah placed a fist to his chest. "I was wrong, Téa. I shouldn't have treated you guys the way that I did…" He turned and glanced at Jessica, who blinked in surprise at his next words. "Especially you, Jessica. I was jealous and angry. I'm sorry…"
Jessica was silent for a moment as she wrangled with her emotions, but then finally opened her mouth as she saw Noah's expectant gaze. "You know… Friendship was something I couldn't grasp for a long time after that," she said, causing everyone to look at her. She shoved her hands into her hoodie pocket and glanced at the computer monitors. "For a long time, I thought I was a monster, and I couldn't keep anyone near me because I feared Malekos would just take everything away from me. I used to blame him for the fire…" She closed her eyes and then glanced at Noah. "But you showed me what I couldn't remember through my self-loathing. It wasn't his fault, and neither was it mine. And now, you're trying to make up for your mistakes." She offered him a tiny smile. "And honestly, that's good enough for me."
Noah's eyes wavered in his shock. "Thank you…"
"Uh… I'm sorry too. For da things I said," Joey piped up awkwardly.
Noah shook his head as he turned back to the computer. "I deserved it."
The female voice from earlier echoed from the speakers. "4 minutes to satellite attack. Evacuate now."
Jessica gasped, having forgotten about the satellite momentarily until that moment.
"Time is running out," Noah told them. "Everyone should return to the blimp immediately, it's not safe here now!"
"Noah's right! Come on, you guys!" Joey said and the gang turned to run off, but Jessica stayed where she was. Joey stopped and turned to glance over his shoulder. "Noah, you're the only one who can get those three guys out of there. It's all up to you."
"I know."
Joey nodded and then looked at Jessica. "Jess, come on!"
She gave a small smile. "I'll be right behind you." When he nodded and left, she turned back to Noah and the computer.
"Jessica, you need to go," Noah told her, staring up at her in disbelief.
She shook her head. "Nuh uh. I'm not leaving until Yugi gets back. I want to make sure he gets on the blimp in time."
He furrowed his brows. "You don't trust me? I understand…" He looked down solemnly.
Shaking her head again, she gripped his shoulder lightly and turned him to face her. When he met her eyes, her gaze softened. "It's not that… I believe that you'll bring them back and that Yugi will save Kaiba and Mokuba. It's just that…" She sighed as she thought about how to explain it. "When you care about a person so much, you just can't help but worry for them." She gently squeezed his shoulder, her fingers trembling slightly.
He blinked in surprise at her words and actions, and then smiled softly. "I understand. I'll make sure to bring them back, I promise."
She returned his smile with her own. "Thank you."
"Two minutes to satellite attack."
They both stiffened and Noah turned back to the computer. "Time is running out, Yugi. If you and Seto don't get through that exit soon, your minds will be lost forever!"
She bit her lip. Now came another waiting game, and it was what she hated the most. She placed her hands on her chest and squeezed them together, her hands shaking. Please, Yugi... Come back in time.
"One minute to satellite attack. Evacuate immediately."
"Those two better escape soon," Noah said, staring up at the monitors.
"Come on, Yugi…" Jessica whispered, turning to look at his pod. She walked over to it and placed her hand on the glass, staring at his sleeping face. "You can do it. I know you can. Just hurry…"
"Satellite attack in 3, 2, 1. Targeting Central Computer Network." Noah and Jessica both gasped. "Commencing launch sequence now."
"You've got to escape!" Noah exclaimed as he gripped the mic. "Head to Domino Arcade immediately!" He paused and then leaned forward. "Jump now!" He was suddenly typing frantically and then he got up from the computer. He turned to Jessica and smiled. "I have to give Mokuba his body back. Thank you, Jessica."
Tears pricked her eyes and she jogged over and wrapped her arms around him. "We won't forget you… I promise. And thank you." She let him go and watched him climb into the pod next to Kaiba's. It closed and he was connected to the virtual network. Biting her lip, she whirled around and went back to Yugi's pod just as the female voice announced the missile's approach. "Yugi!" His pod was opening now.
"It's about time," Kaiba said as he sat up.
Yugi barely had time to sit up when Jessica's arms wrapped around him. "Jess?" He blinked in surprise as he placed his hands on her back. "Why aren't you on the blimp?"
Jessica pulled away to glare at him with tear-filled green eyes. "You really think I'd wait there when you were still trapped inside? You idiot…" She bumped her forehead against his lightly, causing him to chuckle quietly.
The sound of Kaiba's frantic voice caused them to split apart. Kaiba was shaking Mokuba's body until he woke up, and Yugi hopped out of his own pod.
Mokuba's eyes shot open to see the three of them staring down at him with relief. He sat up. "Seto, Noah's still inside!"
Jessica bit her lip as she fought to keep her tears from falling. "He knows what he's doing… But we need to get out of here, and fast."
Nodding, the four of them ran out of the room and down the hallway as the alarms started going off. They stayed quiet as Mokuba complained about the unfairness of Noah staying behind. They were puffing by the time they exited the ship and came out into the open air. The blimp was already beginning to lift off. As they got closer, Kaiba picked up his brother and threw him into the awaiting arms of Duke and Tristan before leaping on easily himself.
"Faster, Yugi!" Jessica panted as she glanced over her shoulder to make sure he was still keeping up.
He puffed, "You go first!"
She grit her teeth and then turned forward. Self-sacrificing idiot! With as much effort as she could muster, she pushed herself to go faster and leaped for the blimp, latching onto the stairs and pulling herself up. She heard Joey and Yugi shout before the platform started lifting and made them all roll into the blimp in a heap. An explosion rocked the ship and she braced herself against the floor to ride out the turbulence.
When everything was calm again and everyone made sure they were alright, they headed back to their rooms after Kaiba's announcement.
Jessica plopped onto the bed in Yugi's room, burying her face in the pillow with a sigh. "What an adventure…"
"You said it." Yugi sounded exhausted and she turned her head to watch him take off his jacket. He placed it on the nearby chair and then walked over to plop down on the bed beside her when she scooted over to make room for him. "I think I could sleep for a whole day…"
"A day?" Jessica scoffed jokingly, "I could sleep for an entire week after all this is over!"
They shared a laugh and gazed into each other's eyes. Jessica scooted closer and snuggled into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her to hold her close. They were silent as they simply lay in each other's arms, enjoying the other's presence. If nothing else, that whole experience made both of their feelings for each other stronger.
Yugi planted a kiss on her forehead and she blushed, lifting her head to look at him. "You're so stubborn," he breathed, his violet eyes glimmering in the light as he cupped her cheek with his hand.
"I know," she smiled fondly at him, placing her hand over his. They shared a brief kiss that left them blushing before they just simply rested their heads together. She played with the chain still hanging around his neck absentmindedly. "I gave Malekos a nickname."
"Oh yeah?" He asked, and she could feel his breath tickle her skin. "It is kind of awkward to say sometimes," he chuckled.
She giggled, "You thought so too?" When he nodded, she smiled. "Malek. It was the only thing he'd accept."
"I could imagine that." He smiled back and then reluctantly pulled out of her arms to get out of the bed. "I should prepare for the next rounds of the tournament."
She frowned slightly but didn't protest against him sitting at the table near the window to sift through his cards. "Alright." She grabbed the pillow and hugged it to her face instead, allowing the events of the day to wash out of her mind if only for a moment. The sound of cards being moved along the table filled the silence.
"Do you remember the card I gave you back then?"
Yugi's question caught her off guard and she jerked her head up in surprise. He was still staring at his cards, his back towards her. She scrunched up her face as she tried and failed to remember. "No…" She said after a moment.
"Come here."
At his gentle urgency, she got up from the bed and walked over to him. She didn't see Yami anywhere so she wondered if the two were discussing strategies in their mind. When he gestured to the seat across from him, she sat down in it and stared at him curiously.
He sifted through the cards he had laid out on the table and reached over to pick one up. "It was this one. I didn't know as much about Duel Monsters back then as I do now, but I felt that it was the right one to give you at the time." He gazed at it fondly as if looking at a memory. "And I want you to have it again." He held it out to her, his eyes meeting hers finally.
Blinking in surprise, she slowly took the card he held out to her and looked at it. It was Mystical Elf. With her long hair, clothes, and the tiara on her head as she prayed, she was a beautiful woman. She remembered how surprised and happy she had been when she first received the card as a gift that day. She herself didn't understand anything about Duel Monsters that day, and she hardly knows enough about it now.
She finally lifted her gaze to meet his, her green eyes glistening with unshed tears at how much it meant for him to give her the card again. She let a warm smile spread across her face. "Thank you, Yugi. This means so much…"
He smiled in return, a light blush dusting his cheeks at her sincerity. "You deserve something nice after so long."
She nodded and rubbed her eyes to make sure they were dry. She then placed the card back in the space he had picked it up from, confusing him slightly. She smiled sheepishly and blushed, "I don't have anywhere to put it, and you have a safe place to keep your cards. Can you hold onto it for now, so it doesn't get wrinkled in my pocket?"
A look of understanding crossed his face and he chuckled. "Of course. It's safe with me."
"Thank you." Her heart fluttering, she got up from the chair and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I'm gonna take a nap now and let you two strategize." When he nodded, she walked over to the bed. Laying down on top of the covers, she kept her eyes on that fluffy hair of his until she felt herself doze off into a peaceful sleep.
Finally out of the virtual world! And back into the chaos of the real world, oh boy.
If you have any title ideas for this story, please leave it in a review for me and thank you in advance!