Thank you for these characters and their stories, Kazuki Takahashi. Requiescat in pace.
Chapter Five
Dria
Yugi patiently waited as I gathered my thoughts. I couldn't believe I was foolish enough to think I could tell him. For some reason, he hated my father, meaning he would probably hate me as well.
I nervously rubbed my temples. "Well, I guess I'm just going to say it. I'm Pegas-"
"You lost crybaby! Now give me your star chips!" I immediately turned my gaze to the noise close by, losing every bit of nerve I had. Mai Valentine had won another duel. I closed my eyes again, smelling each and every one of her perfumed cards. Some smelled pretty nice; others, not so much.
"I'm psychic."
"Yeah, and I'm a flying rock." I mumbled. Yugi raised his hand to cover his smile.
"Hey Yugi! Are your duels going well?" I rolled my eyes. It's not like you didn't just watch his first due, Mai.
"I'm making progress."
I turned my eyes away from the scene before me. How could I lose my nerve so easily? Normally, Pegasus would say that I needed to rein in my nerves and hold my tongue. It had gotten me into trouble quite a few times. Still, this was Yugi, or Pharaoh. I sighed; they were so similar that it was hard for even me to tell the difference sometimes. But Pharaoh still had his cocky, confident attitude, and it was an energy that I was always influenced by, both positively and negatively.
"I don't care who you are! You could be the goddamn king of the gods themselves and I wouldn't care. You're behaving like a tyrant and nothing more, oh so great Pharaoh!"
The six priests watched in amusement as I dethroned his Majesty. I didn't do it often, except for when he needed a reality check.
"Be reasonable, Alexandria! This man tried to kill you! I apologize for trying to be a good husband and protect you! He deserves to be locked away! Why can you not agree with me just this once?"
I shook my head. He didn't understand.
"Being a ruler is not just about people fearing you, my Lord. Though fear appears to be a better way to rule a kingdom, love can work just as well. If a ruler is kind to his subjects, when one tries to take advantage of that kindness, others will come to his aid. If you force them into fearing you, you will be left alone when trouble comes. There must be a reason that man acted as he did. Determine the reason and solve it, rather than simply destroying someone who was affected by the problem. It is our job as rulers to provide for those in need."
He sat on his throne silently. I lowered my head in reverence to him, "I will take my leave now, my King. I hope my words will help you make the right decision." I bowed and swiftly left the room, ignoring Priest Seto's calls.
I left the palace walls and explored the city. Many people came up to me, asking for advice and help to problems currently disturbing their lives. And, just as I had told Pharaoh, when trouble came, everyone around me was there to help.
"Well, well if it isn't Her Grace herself. We have some unfinished business with you, something our friend began before your slaves killed him!"
A small group of about eight charged at me, swords at the ready. I heard a shout, and moments after that, a mob of around 50 appeared, with me at the protected heart. I heard one man begin an attack order.
"Stop! Please, do not attack!" I cried out. Everyone froze and turned towards me. I shook my head, tears slowly forming. "Please, I can't bear to see any of you die. Surely there is something I can do to fix the problem driving you to these choices." The crowd remained silent for what seemed like hours.
"Brothers! I have been set free! The Pharaoh has a solution to our problem and will provide us the aid we need!" One man came running from the palace. I turned towards him, forgetting about the armed men behind me. I heard a small sigh of annoyance and a "to hell with it" before I heard the screams.
The sword pierced through me, though it did not reach its intended target. Someone had shoved me to the left, causing the sword to cut through my arm instead of my torso. I let out a small cry of pain, and gritted my teeth to keep from screaming.
"How could you? I trusted you! It is only because of Her Majesty that I am with you now! She persuaded the King to find a solution." The freed prisoner jumped on the man behind me. I tried to separate the two, but with a nearly severed arm, it was a little more than difficult. Someone in the crowd pulled me away from the brawl, but not before the hilt of a sword hit my head, knocking me unconscious.
Many hours later I awoke in Pharaoh's and my chambers. He was sleeping quietly next to me, his arm tightly wrapped around my waist, tear stains clear on his tanned face. I looked towards my arm, which had recently been bandaged.
"Dria? Dria, are you alright?" I quickly returned my gaze to Yugi, who was staring at me worriedly. I smiled, "What did I miss?" He cocked his head and shifted his gaze towards the closest dueling arena. Joey was dueling Mai. I vaguely remembered hearing Joey agree to duel her. Embarrassed, I rubbed my head and smiled.
"My bad. I really spaced out that time." Joey was down to 1020 life points.
"How the heck do I fight an army?" Joey mumbled to himself. "You still have all kinds of moves left Joey!" Tristan was probably the best encourager of the group. I found myself wondering if that would be a compliment or an insult to him if I said he was the best cheerleader.
"Really? What kind of moves?" I closed my eyes again and caught two quick flashes.
Three Harpy's ladies crashed to the ground, overcome with their newfound age. "The cards came through for me! Go Thousand Dragon!"
"You've gotta learn to care about someone other than yourself."
I smiled as I reopened my eyes. If Joey had the card I thought he had, there was no way he'd lose. I might not be able to see every aspect of the future like I used to, and even if I weren't able catch brief glances, I knew there was no way Joey would lose.
"Ask an expert. Ask Yugi." It was probably about time for me to step in a little and offer my two bits to this conversation, but I really needed to catch up with the duel first. I scanned the duel and listened closely to the monsters' chatter.
He knows her strategy, my Lady. The aroma trick has been discovered.
She's using only one monster! Tell my master quickly, Mistress!
I rubbed my temples as I heard Harpy's Lady and Baby Dragon whispering to me. Yes, I could hear voices in my head; aren't you jealous? Normally, I wouldn't mention anything the monsters said, but Joey needed a little boost.
"Joey!" I shouted, "Look closely at her side. She's been using many magic cards to power up one monster." He curiously looked at me.
"That's true. She's just been juicing up the Harpy's Ladies every turn." I nodded. He figured it out. Now, unless he completely screwed it up, he'd be just fine.
I began to walk away, knowing the duel was nearly over. Papa wanted to meet me around the meadow sometime in the afternoon.
"Dria?" Yugi took half a step towards me. I waved at him as I walked away.
"Joey doesn't need me here. He has you all. I'll meet up with you all later. I have my own duels to win." I waved farewell and walked into the heart of the meadow. I hummed the first ancient tune that came to my mind, skipping a bit as I walked.
"Well, someone looks happy." Papa was standing at the edge of the meadow. I laughed and ran into his arms. "Well, in case you missed it, duels are going on everywhere." He raised his eyebrow. "Or is it because you've met someone?" I blushed. He, of course, had used his Millennium Eye to see that. Most of the time, when I was paying attention, I could subtly block him and avoid all the awkward crush questions he would probably ask.
"Well, there's that. Anyway, how's the tournament looking from your side?" I smiled as he launched into an elaborate story, a brother fighting brother, dog eat dog world. I laughed at his enthusiasm, thankful my distraction had caused him to forget about my newfound crush.
Suddenly, the old clock tower in the castle rang out, declaring that it was 5pm. 3 hours had gone by since I'd seen Yugi and his friends, and I still hadn't dueled anyone yet. "I'd better head to the castle. Call me later tonight so I can know if you're still alive." He kissed my forehead before heading up towards the castle. I watched his figure until he vanished from my sight before I headed back into the dueling area.
The hours seemed to drag on and on, especially when I wasn't dueling. I accepted challenges from 5 other people, bringing my star chip total down to 5. My opponents were completely confused when I left them with an extra star chip, but I was always gone before any of them could stop me.
I decided to head down to the cliffs and spend some time by the ocean. I searched until I found the perfect spot, which was right above the water. I slipped off my shoes and socks and dropped my feet down into the water. The saltwater soothed my somewhat aching feet as it slowly softened my skin.
"How dare you eat my fish! Has no one taught you manners?!" I looked up from my spot. It was Mako Tsunami. But what was he yelling about? Though I probably should have ignored it, I determined it was better to go see what was going on before there were any serious problems. I put my shoes back on and headed up towards the top.
"To steal a fishermen's catch is to prove you have no honor!" Mako, you have got to calm down.
"I am not a freaky fish guy!"
I cleared my throat. "You need to calm down just a little."
I reached up and gently pulled off the rogue squid from his head. It tightly wrapped its tentacles around my wrist in fear. I walked back towards the cliff and softly placed him into the ocean. The squid quickly loosened his grasp and vanished beneath the waves.
"I wanted to eat that!" I slapped Joey's shoulder with my wet hand, soaking part of his shirt.
"Dria? What are you doing down here?" I looked towards Yugi. "I was relaxing by the ocean when I heard someone making a lot of noise. I can't believe it's you guys though. You'd better not be following me."
Yugi and I shared a laugh as the others just watched in silence. Mako looked at me closely. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" I quickly turned away from him, rubbing the back of my head.
"I doubt it. I can't honestly say that we've ever met. If we have, I must have forgotten. Sorry." That was a complete lie. Of course I'd met Mako in person before. I didn't really know him all that well, but I knew him well enough to carry on a decent conversation.
He accepted my lie and invited us all to dinner. I had to resist pointing out his little trap that would involve someone in this group dueling as thanks for the meal. The others stood up to leave.
"Maybe we'll meet up in the competition." I coughed in an attempt to cover my laugh. They weren't going anywhere. My hunch about a trap had been correct.
"Perhaps you will honor me with a duel." I merely sighed and stretched out on the rocks. This was going to be interesting. I knew that the Pharaoh had never dueled against my ocean creatures and I highly doubted that Yugi ever had as well.
"We shall battle beside the majestic sea."
"How do I choose which card to play when I don't even see what I'm fighting?" For those who didn't believe me earlier, you owe me five bucks. You'll owe me another five bucks when Yugi wins.
"I play my Giant Jellyfish." By now, nearly every duelist knew something about Yugi's deck and the strategies he'd used until now. They were all trying to recreate his deck with their own style so they could defeat duelists like Seto as well. I closed my eyes and just listened to the duel as it continued.
"He'll be crying alright, once I combine my Feral Imp with the magical Horn of the Unicorn."
"So they're vulnerable to the Feral Imp's attack? Woah that i-" I had to cut Tea off.
"Not going to work."
Tea turned on me. "What do you mean? Joey is right. If the Imp attacks with electricity, then Mako's creatures don't stand a chance." I shrugged.
"Just watch."
Yugi attacked just as I thought, and nothing happened, just as I predicted. Tea, Tristian, and Joey all gasped. "As an ocean duelist, Mako knows that water will conduct electricity. Normally, Yugi's move would work without a problem. But, the Giant Jellyfish can absorb all electrical attacks."
After I explained, Joey started giving me a strange look. It unnerved me and it felt like he knew what I was hiding. But I chose to ignore it for the time being.
"And I combine him with the power of the full moon to double his ferocity." I snapped my head back towards the duel. No! That was not a good idea! Pharaoh, what were you thinking?
I continued to watch, almost in horror. I knew he had a plan; I just hoped he put it into action soon. If he waited too long, he didn't stand a chance.
"I switch my Stone Soldier to attack mode. Destroy the moon!" I cheered. He'd figured it out. He played his final cards, burning up Mako's monsters and taking away all his life points.
"You're both great duelists." I stood on the edge of the cliff, shaking my head at their stupidity. Suddenly, a huge wave crashed over me, soaking me to the bone and darkening my fake blonde hair. As I shook the water off my head, Mako gasped.
"I do know you! You're Alexandria, Pegasus' daughter!" My eyes widened and I slowly looked up. Yugi was staring at me in disbelief. I nodded. Mako laughed and hugged me, saying it was great to see me again. He then dove back into the water, heading off for another fishing round.
"You're Pegasus' daughter?" I looked into Yugi's eyes. I couldn't really tell what he was feeling, but I could guess it was betrayal. Joey walked up to me and grabbed my shirt, hoisting me into the air. Though I was surprised, I offered no resistance, knowing I would likely hurt him if I reacted in the way my instincts told me.
"Where is Yugi's grandpa? I know you know, so tell us now!" I was confused. Yugi's grandfather? I looked away from Joey, back towards the other three.
"What do you mean? Isn't he back in Domino?" Yugi shook his head. He opened his mouth to say something, but Joey cut him off.
"No, he's not! We wouldn't be here if he was! You set us up! You led your father right to Yugi so he could take Grandpa's soul!" I frantically shook my head, trying to process Joey's words as quickly as possible.
"No, I would never. Why would I do that? Grandpa was so kind to me; I had no reason to set him or Yugi up." Joey set me down and lightly shoved me back.
"How should I know? If you're not going to tell us, then get lost. We don't want anything to do with you. You're as evil as your father." I felt tears gathering in my eyes.
"Now hold on, Joey. Maybe she really didn't know." Tears started rolling down my cheeks. Yugi might have been defending me, but it was obvious that he didn't fully believe his own words; I couldn't blame him for his confusion. I dried my face a little, and lifted my head to meet his gaze.
"I had nothing to do with your grandfather's disappearance. I apologize that my father has done something this serious and I will make it right. I won't bother you anymore. May good luck be your friend in whatever you do and may trouble be always a stranger to you." I turned away from them, and sprinted towards the castle.
I went in through a secret door, skipping as many steps as I could, trying to get to my room. I flew past my father, who called my name in confusion as I rounded the corner. I ran into my room, slamming the door shut, and fell into my bed. Tears resumed their fall down my face, completely soaking my pillow.
Father had followed me. He gently opened the door and, upon seeing me in such agony, hurried to my side, pulling me into his arms. "It's alright Dria; everything's all right."
I wailed. "No, it's not! My friends found out the truth and they rejected me Papa!" I didn't care if I looked like a pathetic child. Normally, that kind of problem wouldn't affect me in the slightest, but this time was different. Oh, how I missed my Pharaoh. He was so close now, and yet, he was out of my reach.
I began to feel lightheaded. "They said you had kidnapped Yugi's grandpa." Papa froze.
"Yugi? Yugi Mutou?" I nodded, slowly getting sleepier and sleepier. What was happening to me?
"Please tell me you didn't use your magic again Papa, please." My eyelids sank. The last thing I saw was a bright light, coming from Papa's Eye.
Pegasus
It tore me up inside to do this to my Dria, but she would thank me in the end. I had to keep her out of harm's way if my plan was going to succeed. So, I sent her soul to the Shadow Realm.
Yugi
I watched in sadness as Dria sprinted away from us. She couldn't have known. She was far too nice to have played a part in Pegasus' twisted scheme. The tears in her eyes couldn't have been faked.
"Joey, how could you be so mean?" Tea voiced my thoughts.
"What? She could have been spying on us for her insane father! We can't trust her."
I shook my head and spoke up, "I think we can. We haven't known her for that long, but I feel like I know her well enough. She wouldn't have knowingly been a part of Pegasus' plan. She was just as surprised as we were when you said that Pegasus had stolen Grandpa's soul."
We began to head in the same direction Dria had taken off in. We had only been walking for around 15 minutes, when a sudden jolt shot through my chest. I clutched at my chest in pain, nearly falling to the ground.
"Yugi! Are you alright? What happened?" I looked at my puzzle. It was glowing wildly and even shaking on its own. Although I didn't know how, I knew what the Item was trying to tell me.
"Something terrible has happened to Dria."