Thank you for these characters and their stories, Kazuki Takahashi. Requiescat in pace.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Dria

"Aw man, Dria, did you have to change?" I felt an incredulous look slip across my face.

"Yes Joey. I did have to change. That outfit was heinous and needed to go."

Joey gave me a look that reminded me of a kicked puppy, though I would never tell him that.

"I'm going to forget about this conversation. You're lucky I like you. Otherwise, you'd be the first flying monkey right now."

He mumbled something about Seto and monkeys, but I just smiled. I was patiently waiting with Joey for Seto to announce the first duel. He had dragged me away from the Pharaoh the second we walked into the main hall so I could tell him what he should eat. I knew there was no stopping Joey when he was hungry, so I guided him towards the shrimp and fancy tuna.

"I can't believe you served up fancy chow and made it all you can eat! You're gonna be sorry when I'm through!"

I chuckled at Joey as he gathered up as much food as his plate could carry. I feared he would drop the plate due to all the food, so I made sure there was a second plate on hold and cleaning supplies ready. I was too excited to eat, though I did help myself to the figs and dates. I smiled as a date's sweet taste coated my tongue. It had been a long time since I'd eaten these honeyed treats.

I quietly followed Joey as he weaved his way through the buffet, nibbling on my treats. As I looked at all the duelists, I realized that there was one missing. Was there no 8th duelist or did this person merely not feel like showing up? I had a feeling I knew the truth since the scent of thyme lightly permeated the air. Joey suddenly stopped and gave Odion, or Marik, a death glare. He then proceeded to bump into Bakura. I shivered a little as the exotic scent of coconuts suddenly tickled my nose. Though he looked like Ryou, that moronic thief was in control of the poor boy. How I'd just love to smack him across the face, just once.

"Neh, it's just the shrimp. I think it's been sitting out too long."

I lightly slapped Joey's arm, jokingly glaring at him. I considered taunting him about being afraid, but I figured Seto did that enough for me already. "You're in quite a rush just to lose, Wheeler." Seto, you never fail to deliver.

I returned to my place beside the Pharaoh, his arm automatically curling around my waist, and watched as Roland began the selection process. The finals would be drawn by lottery. When a duelist arrived, he or she received a security card with a number 1 through 8. Each number was represented on a ball in Seto's Blue Eyes Lottery. All the balls were equal size and weight, so no one could claim the duels were fixed by human hand from the start. Only the first duel would be chosen at this time. Everyone else would have to wait until the next duel to know who would take the second duel.

The machine activated, and I watched as the balls flew around inside the machine. While it might be completely random to a normal mortal, my eyes were fast enough to see which balls would fall. I didn't even have to use my magic and look ahead to know who would be dueling.

"Bakura's opponent in the first duel is duelist number 3, Yugi Moto."

Now this would be interesting. Yugi and Yami clearly didn't believe that Bakura had magically healed. They had probably realized by now that it wasn't the gentle Ryou standing before them. I closed my eyes, allowing snips of the duel to cross my gaze. It would be a difficult duel, but Yugi would learn so much from it. As much as I wanted to shove the thief into the darkest part of hell myself, I had to back off here.

Roland led Bakura and Yami towards the elevator. He would take them to the upper deck ahead of the spectators so the duel could begin immediately. Yami released his grasp on my waist and turned towards me. I touched his face with my hand, stroking his cheek softy.

"Please be careful. Don't do anything rash."

He chuckled and touched his lips to my forehead before following his opponent. I sighed. He probably didn't fully understand what I meant, or if he did, he was blatantly ignoring my worries and doing as he pleased. He was clearly using one of my own strategies against me.

Mokuba grabbed my hand and pulled both of us towards the other elevator. The rest of the group followed as quickly as they could. Mokuba chatted away excitedly, asking me who I thought would win and what I would have to do for him should I be wrong. I shook my head in amusement. He would either be a great businessman or a great gambler. I hoped for Seto's sake it was the former, regardless of how much fun Mokuba would have as the latter.

When we reached the upper deck, Roland was preparing for the duel. No moves had been made yet, but the decks had been shuffled and the competitors were in their corners. I walked beneath the dueling platform to join the group on the other side. If this duel was going to play out like I believed it would, they would need far more comfort than Seto and Mokuba. What was I thinking? This group would need comfort regardless of how the duel went.

"If you can't take it, you don't belong here."

The group behind me chatted in excitement at Seto's little twist to this tournament. The duels would take place at 4,000 feet in the air, where the wind was unforgiving, as was the cold air. Only those who could actually focus would be able to succeed and continue on to the semifinals.

The scent of coconuts suddenly became extremely strong. I turned my head towards Bakura, and sighed in annoyance when my thoughts were confirmed. The Millennium Ring had appeared around Bakura's neck, which could only mean that the evil spirit would be dueling the Pharaoh, not Ryou.

"I got rid of it at Duelist Kingdom."

I smiled lightly. As if that would ever stop a Millennium Item. Once it had chosen its master, the Item would never leave the individual until either the Item was destroyed or the master died. The latter was far more likely than the former, especially in these modern times.

"So why all the fuss?"

"Yugi and Bakura both have these really old Items. Yugi's item is good, but Bakura's item is bad."

I couldn't listen to the conversation behind me. Though I shouldn't really criticize them for not understanding because they were only mortal, the gang couldn't have possibly understood the complex beings that were the Millennium Items.

The Items were neither good nor bad. It was the way the owners used them that made the Items good or bad. Despite the way the Items came into being, it was fate that they became real. Even if Egypt hadn't figured out how to make them, their conquerors would have. The Items would have found a way to live regardless of who made them. They wanted to live as badly as mortals wanted eternal life.

I looked at Marik out of the corner of my eye. What could have possibly happened to Marik to make him this way? He acted like such a gentle person. It didn't seem possible for someone like him to be truly evil. Maybe there really was another side of him, one that actually was kept in check by his guardian.

"So many secrets. How do you know that I am working alone? Are you sure that one of the people you believe to be your friend isn't really your greatest enemy?"

"Lies are a part of your game."

I carefully considered what the thief had just said. Roland began the duel, but I couldn't focus. Obviously, Bakura was trying to bring Yugi's attention to the rat in the group, but I didn't understand the reason. I vaguely remembered Bakura and Marik creating some agreement that involved the Millennium Items. But, what did Bakura gain by revealing his current partner? Not only would he lose his shot at the Millennium Puzzle, but the Rod as well, should Yugi understand his message.

"Attack his monster now!"

The Pharaoh already took out one of Bakura's monsters. From the short battle sounds, Bakura's monster must have been relatively weak. Gazelle and Gamma were chipping away at Bakura's Life Points far too easily. I tried to think of what Bakura could possibly be planning with such a strategy.

"Yugi has wiped out half of his Life Points and the duel just started."

He had allowed two monsters be destroyed without hesitation, and just proceeded to summon another weaker monster. All three of his monsters had been ghosts, which meant Bakura must have had a monster that required the sacrifice of three monsters by the opponent's hand.

"This seems too easy."

The Ring glowed for a few moments, and an evil look entered Bakura's eyes. This duel was nowhere near over. In fact, it was just beginning. Yugi and the Pharaoh would struggle from now until the actual end.

"It's a bluff. It has to be. He's got no monsters left."

"There would be no point in bluffing now. This duel is not over."

Most of the group by now had realized that I was hardly ever wrong when it came to duels. Though they probably didn't want to admit it, they believed me. I knew that they wanted this duel to be easy for Yugi, but there was no way it would be.

"I summon Dark Necrofear."

Dark Necrofear was a good card. Not only was it a higher-level monster, but it also had a dark power hidden inside. The group behind me was right to be on edge about this card. Hopefully, they could tell there was a dark aura about the creature, and I wasn't just talking about the black cloud Dark Necrofear brought with him. I heard Seto say something about Slifer, but Yugi didn't need him yet.

Bakura must have thought Yugi laid a trap because he chose not to attack. Then again, maybe Yugi did exactly what he wanted him to once again. Magic Formula increased Dark Magician Girl's attack, allowing her to destroy Dark Necrofear. But, Bakura only laughed.

"Thanks. Watch as the entire playing field is engulfed in a dark magic, known as Dark Sanctuary."

A red fog covered the playing field, and a black building appeared behind Bakura. Goosebumps rose on my flesh as the fog became extremely thick. Eyes and mouths began opening all around the duelists and spectators.

"Neyhh! It's the evil eyes."

I started to laugh, though it wasn't a pleasant sound. I could tell Tea was about to say something along the lines of friendship and supporting one another, but a heart rendering speech wouldn't keep this magic away. I quickly turned my gaze onto the eyes around our little group. They had dared to float closer to the frightened mortals, completely forgetting about who else was standing there.

"There's no escaping the magic of Dark Sanctuary."

Now that was a bluff. The mouths hissed in anger when the eyes caught a glimpse of my eyes. They would come no closer. I narrowed my gaze and bared my own teeth in retort. They immediately retreated to the farthest space they could reach. I turned and smiled at Bakura, who sulked for a few seconds when he realized his trick didn't work.

"How did you do that, Dria? The eyes looked afraid of you."

I smiled widely at Mai, my own green eyes probably burning in amusement.

"Ancient Egyptian culture believed that the color green would ward off the Evil Eye. I guess they were right, since these eyes don't seem too fond of my green ones."

Tea grabbed my shoulder and turned me toward her. Her gaze bore deep into mine, as if searching for the devil himself behind my eyes. I had to resist the urge to narrow my eyes at her. She was one of Yugi's best friends after all, and even if she never grew fond of me, I would never force him to choose between us. She stared at me for a few more moments, but she must have not found what she wanted.

Serenity came up beside me and clung to my side. I didn't really understand why she was so close to me, but one look at the field offered a suggestion. A white ghost appeared on the field, its face forever stuck in a pained look. With my luck, no one except Bakura could actually see the ghost, but they could all feel its dark presence. Yugi commanded Gamma to attack Bakura in an attempt to end the duel. I tried not to slap my hand across my eyes.

"Evil Ghost, counterattack!"

Serenity's grip increased when Dark Sanctuary's ghost attacked Yugi. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt, just confused and short a few thousand Life Points. The ghost came down among my friends and me, looking for someone to haunt. Serenity whimpered a little as it passed by us. The ghost stopped right in front of me, staring at me blankly. It moaned loudly before moving towards me. He passed straight through my chest and flew back to Bakura. A memory flew across my eyes.

"Aw, does the little Queen fear ghosts? How convenient since I happen to have some ghosts who are dying to see you."

The evil thief laughed as his ghosts raced towards me. They all hated me because of what I had done to them. Now, they would forever haunt me.

I tightly clutched my shirt, my heart beating rapidly beneath my fingers and a chill running down my spine. Duke touched my shoulder, and Seto started to move towards me. Yugi spared a glance at me, worry coating his eyes. I shook my head, showing that I was just fine. Bakura would pay for that though. He knew how much I disliked ghosts, especially his ghosts.

"I play Destiny Board."

Destiny Board was an interesting choice. Normally, it wouldn't be a bad move, but this time, it made Bakura look a little desperate. I couldn't deny that it was a good idea, and everything that Yugi had done in this duel had played right into Bakura's hands.

"I saw one of those things once at a haunted fun house."

"You mean there's gonna be more ghosts?"

I giggled at Joey. Here I thought I was the one who was afraid of ghosts. Joey jokingly smacked my shoulder, "You're the one who should be afraid. These ghosts seem to be targeting you."

I shrugged and returned my attention to the duel. Yugi had just received the first letter from the Board. An F? That was unusual. Normally, the Board spelled out death. I mentally shrugged; not the biggest concern now. The Pharaoh boldly declared that the Destiny Board didn't frighten him. While it wasn't something to truly fear, it wasn't something that could be ignored. He also had the Evil Ghost to consider.

"You can only attack once per turn."

F

While the darker, more sadistic side of me relished in the fact that this was truly a duel to behold, the rest of me was extremely irritated. This fool just didn't know when to quit. I felt something behind me and turned to glare at the eyes of Dark Sanctuary again. The mouths hissed and the eyes drew back once more from my presence. I relaxed my glare as I turned to Serenity, who was still clutching my arm. I smiled and brushed her hair back.

"They won't come any closer, Serenity. You're completely safe with me around."

She nodded and smiled a little at me. I winked at her, before returning to a poker face to watch the rest of the duel. Bakura whittled away his remaining moves by summoning and sacrificing monsters to keep Dark Sanctuary in play. The Pharaoh did his best to work around Bakura's ghost, but it was a slippery devil. Their Life Points were about even now, thanks to Bakura's ghosts. There was only one card that would effectively help Yugi now. I just had to hope that he could draw it in time.

F I

Yugi tried to expose the loophole in Destiny Board, but he didn't take the Sanctuary into account. He was right though. Normally, Destiny Board couldn't be finished due to the number of cards if the duelist wanted something like Dark Door in play as well. But with Dark Sanctuary, Bakura could play more than the normal 5 magic cards. This duel was far more difficult and entertaining than everyone thought it would be.

"Maybe he's over thinking all this, and the key is not to think at all, like Tristan does."

"Joey, Yugi's gonna win, right?"

I smiled and nudged Serenity. Joey smiled at her as well, saying exactly what I was thinking. We just had to keep believing that Yugi would be fine. He needed all the support he could get right now. Bakura sacrificed another monster for Dark Sanctuary's sake. He was speeding through his move to watch as Yugi tried to find another loophole. I saw his ghost floating around him, swirling around his legs. It suddenly flew over to Yugi's side, circling each one of his monsters. Bakura must have been choosing a monster to possess. I watched closely as Bakura's eyes focused on Dark Magician Girl again. It didn't matter if I knew which monster was possessed. Yugi needed to figure it out.

The Pharaoh's eyes darted back and forth between his three monsters. He couldn't afford to choose wrong. His eyes darted to mine. I smirked a little and raised my eyebrow. He didn't need me; he could do it on his own. I nodded my head towards Bakura, and he returned my signal. I breathed a sigh of relief when Yugi didn't select the possessed monster, but something about Bakura was bothering me. Surely, he wouldn't let Yugi attack him that easily. He must have something that would defend him. Unfortunately, I was right. Bakura's trap stopped Gamma and forced Dark Magician Girl to attack. Now, Yugi was the one against the wall.

"He's a goner!"

I fought the urge to punch pretty boy Duke. Thankfully, Tristan stepped in and nearly did it for me. Yugi needed our support right now. We couldn't do much from the sidelines, but the one thing we could do was never lose hope. Without hope, we had nothing. The Pharaoh's eyes suddenly widened in excitement. He must have thought of some way to begin his comeback. With only 750 Life Points left, he had no choice but to take chances. He wasn't one to hang back and play it safe anyway. Thankfully, he was still his confident, cocky self, even with these odds.

F I N

Bakura sacrificed yet another monster for Dark Sanctuary during his turn. Now it was time for Yugi to show part of his plan. If he could get rid of the evil ghost, he wouldn't have to worry about possessions anymore.

"I play the trap card Collected Power."

I smiled, approving of his strategy. Though Dark Magician Girl would lose her attack boost, the ghost would be forced away from her and into Kuriboh. Speaking of the little creature, he turned towards me and waved happily. I smiled widely and waved back. He turned back to the spell book now in front of him and tried to read it. When the Pharaoh played Exile of the Wicked, Kuriboh looked at me one last time before vanishing. That little guy knew exactly how to pull at my heartstrings.

On a brighter note, the evil ghost was gone. Now Yugi was able to attack without fear. I was about to cheer for him when my necklace went ice cold against my neck. I felt an evil presence pass by me as it moved towards Bakura. The scent of oranges was prevalent as well. It was Marik. So, he and Bakura were working together. Now, Marik was unhappy with Bakura's dueling. The ice against my neck lasted a few moments before disappearing completely.

"Dark Necrofear, return!"

Yugi was doing a great job after being down by so much. He not only rid the field of Dark Sanctuary, but he also brought Bakura's Life Points down again. Though I knew Bakura wasn't going to give up so easily, it was nice to see him struggling again.

F I N A

It didn't take a rocket scientist to decipher what the Destiny Board was spelling out. But, if Bakura wanted to spell it, Dark Door had to go. Once it did, Yugi would be free to attack more than once at last. So, Bakura could either give up on spelling his word, in which case he'd lose, or he could remove Dark Door, in which case he'd still lose. The only way he could wiggle his way out of this was by drawing a card strong enough, or with the right special ability, to destroy Dark Necrofear. While it wouldn't shock me if he had such a card, it would shock me if he managed to draw it.

It figured he'd make me eat my own words. Bakura managed to draw Jowgen the Spiritualist. I brought my free hand up to rub my temple. Well, Bakura did know how to keep a duel interesting. He was like an old Japanese proverb: Fall seven times, stand up eight.

"I've never seen it, alright?"

"Well excuse me. I thought you knew this stuff."

I turned towards Tristan, smiling widely, "To be honest, he's not much on his own. But, Jowgen has an amazing hidden ability. Just watch." We both turned back to the platform just in time.

"By sacrificing one card in my hand, I can use Jowgen to destroy all specially summoned monsters on the field."

Mai stepped in and explained a little more thoroughly, relieving me of the duty and allowing me to continue watching. I hadn't expected the duel to be this good, and I even knew it wouldn't be a quick duel. I considered looking ahead and double checking on the victor, but I stopped myself; I had to believe that the Pharaoh would emerge victorious.

Soon enough, Dark Necrofear was gone again, and Dark Sanctuary returned. This time, the eyes didn't bother trying to come any closer. I sneered at them; it seemed like they were capable of learning something.

Unfortunately, now the Evil Ghost was back as well. This must have made Bakura feel unbelievably confident because he told Yugi what his facedown card was. Admittedly, if I had been Bakura, I probably would have done the same thing. He was in a good spot. If Yugi attacked, the ghost would automatically possess the attacking monster, which would cause Yugi to lose most, if not all, of his Life Points. However, if Yugi didn't attack, then Bakura would be able to play the 5th and final card on the Destiny Board. Time to pull out a miracle victory, Pharaoh.

"Yugi has no options left."

"Show a little faith, will ya?"

There was one option left. Yugi had been left with this option for quite some time, but he hadn't managed to draw what he needed yet. Since Bakura wasn't going to attack Yugi's monsters, Yugi had the monsters he needed to make this option work. He just needed one more card.

"But nothing! He can do it!"

"Pull the sheet off this ghost!"

I closed my eyes and smiled. I loved listening to this group of friends as they supported each other. Even when the odds were completely against them, this group never failed to stand together until the very end. Since I had been forced to move around so much, I had forgotten what it was like to have true friends. Before I joined the Pegasus family, I had no one. Sure, I had my monster companions, but they couldn't come see me whenever they wanted thanks to the magic of the Items. Plus, it was human company I craved, and it was that craving that led me to becoming a 4 year old in an orphanage.

"Just make your move so I can win this duel, Yugi."

I reopened my eyes to see Yugi staring at his deck. He knew which card would save him, but he feared its power. There was so little that he knew about this monster that his fear was understandable. But some risks were worth taking.

I almost called his name, but he already knew. He turned towards me, a battle raging in his eyes. Determination to win fought against fear of the card. His eyes stared into mine, searching for advice on what he should do. I cocked my head and put my free hand on my hip. If that didn't say 'you must be joking,' I didn't know what would. He smiled lightly at me, but he didn't fully believe me.

I slowly nodded my head. This moment was the one I had described in his room earlier. He needed to trust my dragon to lead him to victory. If Yugi didn't trust him, then Yugi would go no farther in the Battle City finals. He would fall here and now. We stared for a few more moments before he shifted his gaze back.

He placed his hand on the next card and drew. Lightning blasted through the sky, throwing light in every direction as all three monsters were sacrificed. A giant red tail curled around the entire blimp three times as his great roar echoed through the sky. My great dragon, Slifer the Sky Dragon, was finally here.

"I am afraid you will have to explain it one more time, child. How is the red dragon god your ka?"

I sighed. Shimon had known that I was older than Egypt itself for five summers now, so why was he so confused? Admittedly, it was strange that one person's ka was another kingdom's god, but surely something similar has happened before. It might have been rare for a person to have a powerful ka, but it wasn't unheard of.

"The creature chose his host at birth. During the time of my homeland, the portal between this world and the monster world was flexible, allowing monsters and humans to cross over. Two kings before me, around 150 summers, a deal was struck between the realms. Since Atlantis held the only viable portal, we agreed to protect the other realm from human invasion. In return, they agreed to live amongst us and to teach us how to respect the monsters. At my birth, just as any other normal birth, my father took me across and Slifer chose me. I don't know why, and I don't know how he became your god. But, he is my dragon regardless."

Shimon remained silent for a few moments. I could sense his mind trying to understand what I had just said again. I knew he wasn't trying to judge, interrogate, or pester me about the situation. He was simply curious. He didn't think it was so inconceivable for a human soul to house one of the gods. It had just never happened before. Was I not the luckiest girl in the kingdom?

"Uh, Joey?"

"It's the h-hugest duel monster I've ever seen!"

I laughed at the group behind me; what cowards these mortals had become. Slifer looked scary, but there was hardly a sweeter creature in the world, at least to me. "He's nothing more than a giant teddy bear. There's no reason to fear him."

I smiled widely at the dragon. He turned his head and met my gaze. Tea was probably glaring at me from behind, but I didn't care enough to turn around. I gently removed Serenity's hand from my arm, placing it into Joey's hand, and slowly walked towards the red monstrosity.

He growled a little as I grew closer to him. His snake-like body slithered around the blimp, never ceasing its movements. I stopped just below the platform and extended my hand, like I had always done, and waited for him to make the next move. He lowered himself, breathing deeply as he came closer to me. His giant head somehow managed to make it all the way down, and his eyes were soon staring straight into mine. I softly touched his face with my hand and leaned my forehead against him, closing my eyes.

"Forgive me."

I waited, restraining my tears. I had hurt him and I didn't deserve his forgiveness. But I wanted to be close to him once more, so I had to ask. His response wasn't quite what I was expecting. Instead of just nodding like I expected, both his tongues began to lick my face and hand. I laughed freely as I fought off my playful attacker.

"Alright, alright, you crazy dragon!"

I playfully shoved his head back towards the Pharaoh, who looked confused, but smiled at me nonetheless. He'd probably be asking questions later. When I rejoined the group, the others just stared at me, as if I had suddenly grown a dragon tail. Mokuba looked the same way, but Seto just rolled his eyes like that was a normal, everyday event.

Bakura's eyes showed fear. It was a look I hadn't seen in a very long time. Marik was probably telling him about Slifer's powers, which included his barrier against the evil ghost. Bakura was going to lose. He had nothing left to play.

My necklace trembled again against my neck. Something was coming. I turned toward the elevator and saw Odion holding the Millennium Rod. What had Marik planned for him to do? The Item Odion held was the real one. I couldn't believe my eyes. Marik actually let the Rod out of his hands? It had gotten my and the Pharaoh's attention instantly. No fake Millennium Item would have caused my necklace to react this way.

"Perhaps you want to wait."

I turned to face Odion and stepped slightly in front of the group. Joey stepped forward and stood beside me. I felt Serenity grip the back of my shirt, hiding her face in my back.

"Come up here and get a piece of this!"

Joey leapt forward, fists raised, ready to take Odion on. As entertaining as that spectacle would have been, this was not the time for it. As Tristan and Duke reached forward to grab Joey, I snapped my fingers, never taking my eyes off Odion. Joey would freeze long enough for his friends to grab him. I didn't consider him noticing his frozen state, but he most likely did. It was time to let the chips fall. I had bigger worries than the mortals knowing about my magical abilities. I would worry about the repercussions later.

Seto and Mokuba narrowed their eyes as Odion raised the Rod. I maintained my position in front of the others on board. Odion was not foolish enough to try to actually use the power of the Rod. I was completely positive now that the thief was in on it.

"Now I am in control of both Bakura and the Spirit."

Marik and the spirit must be using Odion as a diversion. If they could convince Yugi to not attack Ryou, who was still suffering from his injury, they must have thought Bakura could end up winning. Ryou's body collapsed as Bakura relinquished control over him.

"What am I doing here? What happened to my arm?"

"Will you risk the health of your friend?"

I glared at the space above Ryou's head, knowing that the thief could see me. I couldn't believe he would actually stoop to this level. It was bad enough that he injured his host, but to stand by as the poor boy cried out for help was more than cruel. He was worse than he had been before his imprisonment. Odion departed as quickly as he had come. The others tried to get Roland to stop the duel. As much as I wanted to make sure Ryou's health wasn't jeopardized, it wouldn't matter if Yami lost. He needed to win this duel at any cost. I let out a short whistle, gaining Slifer's attention.

His tail wound around my body and lifted me into the air. Everyone around gasped and called my name, but I knew exactly what I was doing. I has done this once at Duelist Kingdom, and I knew I could do it again. Slifer was far too powerful and far too big to attack Ryou without hurting him. I could tell by looking into his eyes that he didn't want to harm the young boy, but he didn't want to lose this fight either. When I was finally eye level with him, my necklace lifted itself off my neck. My body started to glow, as did my dragon's body. His tail released me as the two of us joined forces, and after a final burst of light, I slowly drifted down to the playing field.

My outfit became a white, strapless dress with thick red designs across the edges. The dress clung tightly to my body from my shoulders to my thighs, and it split into three sections when it reached my hips. Two sections flared out around my body, forming a cape around the third, which ended the dress at mid-thigh. Red boots adorned my feet, crisscrossing in a gladiator pattern. A black headband rested on my head, with a blue diamond placed in the center, just as on Slifer's head. My nails had grown into sharp claws and had been covered in a golden polish. Energy crackled between my fingers.

I was now Slifer's human form, and though I couldn't see them, my eyes likely changed to a blazing red to match my dragon's body. Everyone around me gasped, including the Pharaoh who now stood behind me. I turned my head and laughed at his shocked face, "Why are you surprised? I've done this before, back at Duelist Kingdom."

I turned back and began to walk towards the injured Ryou. Roland tried to stop me, but I passed right through him, just as any other regular hologram would. I cheered in my head when I saw Marik's scowl increase. He hadn't planned on my interference at all. Bakura would lose one way or the other now. I stopped in front of Ryou and kneeled down. He whimpered a little as he clutched his bleeding arm. I felt so horrible, and I wasn't even the one who caused him this pain.

Bakura, I thought, hoping he could hear somehow and would listen, if you care at all for this boy, even if it's just because his body hosts your spirit, help him through this. This is wrong and even you know it. You used to be more honorable than this.

I didn't want to hurt Ryou, so just a light, gentle punch should do it. I raised my hand, energy bouncing between my fingers. I heard familiar evil laughter as the Ring glowed once more. I smiled gratefully. At least that wretched fool cared enough to protect his host while the boy was severely injured. His hands shot forward to grab me, but with one flip back, I was on the Pharaoh's side again. It was now or never. My necklace glowed once more, separating my dragon and me back into our individual forms. The red monster reappeared behind the Pharaoh. I moved back to the lower platform and nodded my head towards Bakura.

"Go Slifer the Sky Dragon!"

The duel was over. Thankfully, Ryou seemed unharmed, excluding his older injury. The others took him back towards the rooms in hopes of landing the blimp. That would never happen, but Seto was already prepared for some unusual accident. Maybe, he would be nice enough to share his expertly trained medical staff on the blimp. Yugi and Yami switched once again, and Yugi took off after the group, refusing to take anything more from Ryou, even though the rules allowed him to take Ryou's best card. I stayed behind, leaning against the railing. Seto and Mokuba had followed Yugi, after Seto made me swear that I wouldn't fall off the blimp. I smiled a little at the thought. Red smoke covered the sky above me, and a low roar vibrated the air.

My dragon appeared before me once again, though in a much smaller form this time. Now that his barrier had been broken, I could see him freely again. His twisted his now tiny body around me, licking and nipping at my skin. I giggled as he tickled me mercilessly. He yapped happily and snuggled against my neck. Slifer, the big scary dragon, now clung to my shoulder, curled up like a domesticated snake. I sighed as I looked back over the city.

The battle had only just begun.