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

Chapter Fifty-Six

Dria

It had been 20 minutes since Joey had fallen unconscious, which meant the duel between Seto and Yugi was fast approaching. I finally felt like my magic was under control again, but it was still wiser to remain here. I had to prepare myself in every way possible before going to see Joey. So much of this madness had been my fault; if only I hadn't compelled the Ishtar family to remain in the tombs, perhaps Marik would have never rebelled. Tears of frustration welled in my eyes, but I stubbornly forced them back. Crying would solve nothing.

I felt someone approach and sit beside me along the railing. Opening my eyes and turning my head to the right, I found myself staring into Seto's blue eyes. He smiled slightly at me before placing his arm around my shoulders and pulling me towards him. I wrapped my arms around his torso, burying my head into his chest.

"Are you ok? I'm sorry about Wheeler, but I-"

"I know you're not truly sorry, at least not regarding the continuation of your tournament. You had the chance to see the Winged Dragon of Ra again and to solidify your plan to beat him." I smiled as I pulled away from the hug to look into his eyes directly. He huffed in annoyance before drawing me back in.

"At least know that I'm sorry he was injured in my tournament. He may irritate me, but that doesn't mean I want to see him in such a state. He means something to you, and you're upset because of what happened. I do truly hope that he recovers if only for your sake."

I nodded against his chest, knowing that his apology this time was sincere. We stayed in this position for a few more moments before we released one another. He didn't, however, remove his arm from my shoulders, and I thought I could feel a slight tremor in his muscles as he gripped me tightly. I cocked my head at him in question.

"What's wrong, Seto?" He was silent for a while, almost as if he hadn't heard my question. He only stared at me, like he was trying to memorize every inch of my face.

"Marik is obsessed with you. I'm worried about your safety. He seems unconcerned about the damage he leaves in his wake. I don't know if Yugi and I combined can keep him away from you."

I smiled gently at him as he expressed his concern. Though they were unnecessary, I was touched by his fear nonetheless. I extended my hand toward him and held his cheek. He leaned into my touch, sighing deeply as he closed his eyes.

"Marik won't dare harm or touch me so long as he doesn't win this tournament. But he cannot win, no matter what. There's no telling what damage he'll do if he's successful."

I knew Seto didn't believe in the connections we all shared to Ancient Egypt, and nothing I could say would ever convince him, but he at least must have realized that either he or Yugi had to keep Marik from gaining all three Egyptian god cards. Though I was certain of Yugi's overall victory, I would have also been satisfied if they all ended up in Seto's deck.

Seto didn't respond, so I knew he didn't believe any of my magical future nonsense. He reopened his eyes and stared intently at me. I smiled in response and brought his forehead down to mine. I could feel his initial resistance to being so close to me physically, but he soon relented, bringing his free hand to rest against my cheek.

"I will be fine, Seto. You know that I'm stronger than I look, and it'll take more than a creepy laugh to force me to do something I have no interest in doing."

He chuckled lowly, knowing it was true. He always struggled to get me to do his bidding, especially when I had other plans in mind.

"You can only say that because you're clearly from a different planet than the rest of us, Dria, or maybe you're a different species. I'm not so sure you're even human anymore with what I've seen recently."

I jerked my head away from him, my eyes widening at his insult. "I am from this planet, too, thank you very much. The fact I can use magic doesn't make me anything other than human. You're just jealous that I have a talent you can't hope to replicate."

He laughed freely at my defense, clearly not bothered by the fact that I had just admitted to being capable of doing something supernatural. He must have been paying closer attention to me over the last few days than I'd realized.

"Yes, yes, I'm terribly jealous of you. Oh, how I wish I too could conjure fire or shoot electricity from my palms. While you're busy with those things, can you also summon dinner for me? I don't remember the last time I ate."

He continued laughing, thinking his joke was hilarious. I smirked as I pulled myself away from him and held out my hands, palms up. My hands began to glow with golden light, and before he could ask what I was doing, a beautiful plate appeared in my hands, complete with filet mignon with foie gras sauce. It was his preferred meal, so I knew he wouldn't be able to resist. His eyes widened to a near impossible size as he stared at the plate, then at me, then back at the plate.

"How did you do that?"

I smiled widely, "I told you. I can use magic. Now, be a good boy and eat your dinner. I made your favorite."

He hesitated for a few moments after I handed him the plate, confused about what had just happened. He looked back at me to ask another question, but I handed him a knife and fork in response. "Eat, Seto. Like you said, it's probably been too long since you've had a proper meal. We can't have you passing out during your duel, can we?"

He smiled once again, this time more gently, and nodded in response. We sat in silence as he ate, hopefully enjoying the meal. I wasn't much of a chef, so using magic was technically cheating, but I hoped that it would bolster his strength for his upcoming duel. He finished relatively quickly, and with one wave of my hand, his utensils and plate were gone.

"I'll believe your magic capabilities since you can prove it to me. But don't expect me to buy into all this Egypt nonsense. I am Seto Kaiba, and I have never been nor ever will be anyone else."

I laughed at his stubbornness but acknowledged the progress we'd made. I knew I was truly lucky to have friends like Seto and Yugi, who accepted my unusual powers in stride and still let me remain at their sides. Roland announced the upcoming start of the next duel, and I knew Seto would return to his hostile demeanor, especially since Yugi and the Pharaoh were his opponents. I had enjoyed the time I'd gotten with his softer side, and it was one of the many moments with him I would treasure for years to come. He quickly stood, his eyes deadening as his impassive mask appeared. He walked away from me to his side of the platform to wait for Yugi. I smiled at him one more time before leaning back again and closing my eyes.

Good luck, Seto.

Pharaoh

Dria was still leaning against the railing when I returned to the dueling platform, but she looked somewhat refreshed with more color in her cheeks. She opened her eyes and smiled as I approached and knelt beside her.

"Dria, I'm so sor-" She shook her head and cut me off, her eyes gentle and understanding, "You have nothing to apologize for. How is Joey?"

I lowered my eyes from hers and sadly shook my head. He was fighting, but it was impossible to know how long he would last. I could only hope and pray that he would be strong enough to overcome the darkness. She placed her hand on my cheek, drawing my attention back to her.

"He'll pull through, Yugi. He vowed that he would help you protect the world from Marik's darkness. Don't lose hope."

I covered her hand with mine, giving her a small smile. Her confident words encouraged my hurting heart; if she still maintained such a strong belief, I could too. As much as I wanted to stay with her, Kaiba was impatient for our duel to begin. I kissed her forehead one more time before asking, "You will stay with me, right?"

Her responding smile nearly blinded me. "Of course, I'll stay. There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Though I wasn't sure whether she was supporting me or Kaiba, I felt relieved to have her alongside me. Crossing over to my side of the dueling platform, I glanced across the tower, only to be greeted by Kaiba's harsh glare. He hated that Dria had chosen me instead of him, and it clearly irked him that I returned her affections. Rather than address our other rivalry, Kaiba chose to insult my friends instead.

"So, why didn't the nerd herd show up to cheer you on? Are they too busy trying to wake Wheeler from his nap?"

I scowled at his ignorant comment, frustrated that he refused to understand the truth. "Joey is in a great deal of danger now, more than you could ever know."

"If getting attacked by an Egyptian god card didn't knock any sense into that kid, then nothing will."

Now, I was angry. There was no reason for Kaiba to demean Joey like this. Whether or not he understood the truth, I knew that he'd believed what his eyes had seen; he knew that Joey was in danger, but he brushed it aside for a reason I couldn't understand. No matter what I said, he stubbornly refused to accept the truth.

"Why don't you save your Girl Scout speech for someone who actually cares?"

"Seto, play nice. Stop picking on Joey, who's not even here to defend himself. You can't beat Yugi if you don't actually start the duel."

Dria had risen from her position against the railing and stood at the halfway point of the dueling platform with her hands on her hips. Though her tone was light and mocking, her eyes were flickering between green and red, displaying her true emotions. Kaiba pointedly ignored her, but Roland did immediately begin the duel.

"You're about to lose your Egyptian god card and your reputation." I almost remarked that he forgot to add 'and Dria' to his list of things he believed I'd lose after this duel. But before I could comment, he changed the atmosphere of the duel, placing us in the center of an ancient amphitheater.

"Welcome to Duelist Colosseum!"

Dria

"In ancient times, Roman gladiators would battle to their doom to prove who was the strongest. Now it's our turn."

I sighed in frustration; not this incorrect, yet overused, misunderstanding again.

"Seto, we've talked about this. Financially, it makes no sense for gladiators to have killed one other. It's not a good investment if your workers, whom you must feed and house, keep dying after the first bout!"

Seto continued to ignore me and only focused on Yugi before him. The duel began with Yugi placing Queen's Knight in defense mode. Seto had likely created a special strategy just for this duel, so it wasn't likely that he'd make his usual moves, apart from summoning Blue Eyes.

He was unusually generous in allowing Yugi to draw whichever magic card he wanted. There must have been a reason he was willing to take such a gamble. His Duelist Colosseum, while it created a fantastic atmosphere, was getting to be irritating with the added virtual crowd cheering for Seto. It must have reminded him of the days when he held the title of Number One Duelist. I rolled my eyes; whatever made him feel better, I guess.

"Now I'll activate this magic card, Soul Exchange."

My eyes widened at Seto's move. Now he had control over Yugi's monsters. My heart stuttered in my chest. He was planning to sacrifice them to summon a powerful monster, probably Obelisk. This duel would be over if he accomplished that move. Thankfully, the Pharaoh had the same instinct, having already prepared Change of Heart to take away Seto's X-Head Canon. Unfortunately, Seto had already prepared for that move as well, but the Pharaoh had yet another back-up plan. Now, Obelisk couldn't be used for three turns.

I placed my hand over my heart, trying to slow its rapid pace. If the duel continued in this way, I would suffer from a heart attack before too long. This was more intense than even Joey's recent duels, which likely caused me heart palpitations on more than one occasion. Yugi thankfully regained his monsters, but he didn't do much with his turn. He must have been waiting for a better opportunity.

A sudden chill ran down my spine as I sensed the presence of the Millennium Rod. Marik had come to see who his opponent in would be the final. I would have to face him alone since none of our friends were here, and both Yugi and Seto were otherwise occupied. I wasn't afraid of what he might do to me, but rather what I might do to him if he should say or attempt the wrong thing. I hadn't fatally harmed many people in my long life, but with what Marik had done to my friends and what he wanted to do to the man I loved, I wasn't sure I could maintain my composure. I ignored his appearance and tried to not draw his attention.

Seto fused his X and Y Dragons to create the XY Dragon Canon. Though he didn't lose any Life Points, Yugi was in a difficult spot. If he waited too long, Seto would likely draw the final piece of the XYZ Dragon Canon, which would give him three monsters to sacrifice to summon Obelisk.

"You look so worried. Afraid of losing in shame, are we?"

The Pharaoh glared at Seto's taunting, trying to recreate his strategy in light of the recent moves.

"I'll enjoy seeing the Pharaoh squirm."

I turned to glare at Marik, who also happened to notice my presence at the same time. His frightening smile widened as he left his solitary place to stand beside me. I resisted every urge to step away from him, choosing to focus all my attention on the duel instead. A sudden arm around my shoulder rattled my concentration, and I immediately moved away.

"Don't be like that, my lovely lady. You know it's only a matter of time before I take control of all 3 Egyptian god cards and the Millennium Puzzle. Then, acquiring the Pharaoh's power will be all too easy, and you can reclaim your destined position as Queen. Only this time, you'll be Queen of the entire world, not just a tiny kingdom in the middle of a desert."

I refused to acknowledge that I'd heard Marik's words or his laughter when he realized I was ignoring him. Seto had just taken Slifer away from Yugi by using Lullaby of Obedience. While I hadn't lost faith that the Pharaoh would be the victor of this duel, it still hurt to see him struggle.

"It appears Seto Kaiba has outwitted the Pharaoh."

"I wouldn't count him out just yet, Marik. I've seen him work through more dangerous situations before."

"Reveal magic card, Exchange!"

I clapped in excitement, having known that Slifer wouldn't leave Yugi's hands that easily. Seto was furious at being outmaneuvered once again; that marked twice in this duel already. Suddenly, Seto's holographic Colosseum started chanting Yugi's name in approval. I was surprised that Seto would program this backdrop in such a way, but perhaps it was meant to react to the movements in the duel itself. Seto's abilities with technology never failed to impress me.

Marik, who had since moved closer to me once again, began laughing once more. He was terribly amused by this duel, believing that it didn't matter whether he faced Seto or Yugi in the final match. I resisted glaring at him, instead choosing to keep my focus on the man who truly mattered. My Pendant began quivering against my throat, and I felt Aristokles trembling on my arm as well. Marik's familiarity with the Shadows was uncomfortable to be around. I believed the words I'd spoken to Seto, that Marik wouldn't dare harm me unless he won, but I also knew that he would try anything to get me on his side before then.

"Behold, my XYZ Dragon Canon!"

Seto was easily taking down Yugi's defensive monsters, but he also allowed Yugi to bring forth both King's Knight and Jack's Knight. This gave him the 3 monsters he needed to summon Slifer to the field. My heart broke a little for Seto, who was watching his control over the duel slip through his fingers, but the outcome had always been clear to me.

Slifer came forth in a burst of red lightning, his coils covering nearly every inch of the Colosseum. I was so happy to see him in action once more, and when he lowered his head to lick my face, I returned the sentiment with a kiss to his cheek. He resounded in joy before returning to his place behind the Pharaoh.

"I'm not impressed, Yugi. Slifer the Sky Dragon's attack points are equal to 1000 times the number of cards you're holding in your hand."

"That's right! Which makes it 200 points stronger than your XYZ Dragon Canon. So, I can eliminate your Canon right now."

I felt a tremble at the base of my neck. Though the math worked in the Pharaoh's favor, something told me attacking now was a terrible idea. Seto had planned for every possible move in this duel, so his current face down card must have been something that he could use in this exact scenario. Seto might have been an arrogant jerk who never believed his opponents could defeat him, but he was also a brilliant strategist who was very rarely caught off-guard. Even when we dueled, Seto always seemed prepared for my every decision. The Pharaoh seemed to have had a similar thought because he hesitated to attack.

"Don't you realize you're going to lose whether you attack me or not?"

If Yugi waited, Seto would summon Obelisk. If he attacked, Slifer could be destroyed. It was worse than being trapped between Scylla and Charybdis. One of my hands drifted up to grip my Pendant, feeling the cool metal reassure me once more. I hadn't stopped believing that the Pharaoh would be the victor of this duel. The Pharaoh spared a glance at me as the decision raged in his mind. I looked up to Slifer, who seemed to nod his head in approval, before looking back at the Pharaoh and nodding myself.

Lightning crackled across the sky again as Slifer's attack missed. Seto's move had worked brilliantly, but the Pharaoh seized the opportunity to make a move Seto hadn't been anticipating. He purposefully played a card that lowered Slifer's attack points.

"I'm wide-open. You can attack me with your Canon, right Kaiba? Unless you're afraid to attack?"

I covered my mouth with my hand to prevent a stream of giggles from escaping. Seto had used the same taunting tactics throughout the duel, so it was only fair that the Pharaoh do the same. He looked at me once again, a well-known mischievous and playful look in his eyes. There must have too many memories within the Pendant of that particular look for it to choose only one to show me. While it wasn't a side he had showed often, since being the heir to the throne brought certain expectations with it, my heart always fluttered at seeing such joy on his face.

"I sacrifice my XYZ Dragon Canon. Come forth now, Obelisk the Tormentor!"

My final brother was at last making his appearance, and it was a dramatic one at that. Obelisk always did have style when he entered the battlefield.

"Yugi, the Egyptian gods are about to clash." Slifer and Obelisk stared each other down, posturing all they could in front of their respective masters. I rolled my eyes at their silly contest; overstuffed peacocks, the both of them. Obelisk reached his hand down towards me and touched my head in a surprisingly gentle manner. As the quietest of the three, Obelisk had always been ready to sit by my side and listen as I prattled on about anything that came to mind. I beamed under his touch, and he mussed up my hair before returning to his staring contest with Slifer.

"Let the chaos and destruction begin!"

I glared at Marik once again; he had no idea how gentle and kind both creatures were. Yes, they would fight when bidden, but they didn't revel in the madness like he did. I wanted to defend the true nature of my brothers, but it was hard to prove when they were about to fight one another.

The two men continued swapping trap and magic cards, each one preventing the other from attacking with their Egyptian god. Kaiba' Command Silencer rattled my hearing with its sharp, high-pitched tone, but Yugi's use of Card Destruction and Disgraceful Charity left my nerves flustered. Not that Seto tried to spare them in any way. By sacrificing two monsters, Seto was able to activate Obelisk's special ability, which would damage even Yugi's Life Points despite having Slifer.

Pharaoh, don't give up.

When the smoke cleared, Yugi's Life Points were safe, and the duel wasn't over. Kuriboh had come to his rescue once again. As soon as I thought of the little creature, he appeared before me, quite proud of himself for keeping the Pharaoh in the duel. He danced around me for a few moments before settling down in my arms. I hugged my dear friend close, wishing Seto could understand why he was one of the best monsters in my game.

Slifer and Obelisk were finally locked in their own duel. My red dragon wrapped his long body around his opponent, but Seto's Power Balance trap card evened the playing field once again. The Pharaoh, of course, had his own magic card to counter Seto's move. I shook my head in disbelief. These two men were so talented and brilliant. If only they could leave their rivalry on the battlefield and consider the things they'd be able to accomplish together.

Though Seto's laugh left something to be desired, I could tell that he was truly happy with how this duel was going. While he hadn't been able to win quickly, as I was sure he'd hoped, this had to be the best duel he'd had in a long time. He reveled in a challenge, always wanting to push himself beyond his current limits. The Pharaoh was forcing him to not only react at a moment's notice, but to also think multiple moves ahead. He'd never admit it, but dueling Yugi brought him true joy.

At long last, Slifer and Obelisk were equal in attack power, and their attacks landed on one another. A bright light shone between the two of them, blinding everyone around. I shielded my eyes from the scene, but glancing down, I noticed my Pendant was also glowing. My magical energy began to rise as the gods tapped into my power to supplement their own. What on earth were they doing? As the present scene faded before me, I called out to two of the most important men in my life.

"Pharaoh! Seto!"