(26/07/2011)

Author's Note: Muahahaha! Another chapter! *-* I have a feeling that I'm beginning to update much faster than usual. ^^' BUT...I like it.

...no...I didn't update faster. xD I started writing this chapter right after the last one, but I ended up finished writing it after three weeks. ~o~ I'm so sorry! x(

XDDD Maybe some of you think the time is longer. *anime fall* lol. Eenyways, I is definitely back with another chapter! ^o^' I hope you guys like it! Thanks for clicking the link to it! ^^'

Sarah's defeated Salex in her first duel of the tournament. Both she and Yami have decided to take a minor break before continuing with the tournament—only to quell Sarah's sudden craving. When they come across a rumour of Joey's duel, they decide to go check it out—only to find something wrong with his opponent. Can he win?

Disclaimer of Yu-Gi-Oh!. Fan fiction, and I am getting NO money out of it either. Thanks. ^^

Battle City-New Evil Emerges, Old Friends Reunite Chapter 24

Just a minor craving.

That's all that it was.

I couldn't ask for a better day to enjoy it anyway.

The sky was still a wonderful blue above our heads, cradling the bright and warm sun in its beauty, making it even more delightful. The day felt light after a couple of duels, even though during them it was like a tonne was put onto our shoulders. It was nice to kick back for even a few minutes. But we had to be careful we didn't do it often and let down our guards more than we mean to.

The day was beautiful to say the least. It's too bad there's evil interfering with it. Though neither Bakura or Marik have down anything yet after Yami and Yugi's duel, which was the only act of abnormality I can think of that's latest, I know that we are never in the clear, not until they're beaten.

"I wish everyday could be like today," I commented, watching a nearby pair of duelists beginning a duel. I opened the small white box in my lap and peered inside, already tasting sweetness. "But without the uneasiness we've got now, from the tension of the tournament."

Yami opened his closed eyes and looked up at the sky, cerise eyes full of thought. "It would be nice," he agreed. "Though you know life is hard some times."

"True that."

Yami and I were sitting on a bench at the park. The sight was beautiful; with lush green grass and trees sparkling underneath the bright blue sky, and all the little kids running around at the picnic areas enjoying time with their families. The hundreds of different coloured flowers made the park positively glow. So did the shimmering graphics of the duel happening here at the moment. The scene looked like something out of a fairytale book; magically sunny and heartwarming.

But reality was much different. Many small details can change nearly everything.

The two boys dueling looked like they were having the time of their lives, just dueling for fun. The holographic images of their cards and monsters were harmless, only reminding me even more of how duels were actually played back at home, 5,000 years ago. With real monsters from the Shadow Realm and where much more was at stake then mere locator cards and rare cards.

At least that time is over. I thought with a slight smile. No one else has to suffer with those horrible games now.

But that was the past. We now had to think about the future.

Like my craving. And how to deal with it.

I pulled out a vanilla cupcake, topped with a swirl of bright yellow icing, from within the box sitting on my lap. The star sprinkles on it were simply inviting, and I can already feel the grin on my face.

Yami sighed, but I thought he was only breathing in the fresh air. "Sarah, I don't like that silence."

I would anime fall, but that would destroy the precious cupcake. "But I told you Salex's talk about cupcakes made me crave for one." I pouted. "It's not my fault they're so good..."

It's true. Way true. When Salex had given me the shop name, it was implanted into my brain right at that moment, nagging me to go buy a few good cupcakes to eat. I only bought two, thinking that a lot of sugar was too much at one time. I fell in love with them the first moment I ate one, sometime when the modern half of my soul was wondering America before I was completely reborn. I don't know the memory, but I vaguely remembered eating something soft and sweet. I'm pretty sure it was a cupcake. Why else would I be craving for that particularly sweet and not any of the other ones I could have tried?

"Salex should have been careful, giving you the name of the best sweets shop in Domino City," said Yami teasingly, but he can always keep a straight face. His arms were behind his head, set onto the back of the bench, and one of his legs was over the other. He looked almost—almost—relaxed. It wasn't close.

"I'm not going to get hyper, I promise," I said with a sweat drop. "And I won't break the promise either. ...I promise."

I heard a small scoff. Teasingly though.

I gazed once at the cute cupcake in my hands before taking a small bite, savouring the sweet taste of the vanilla cake and butter cream icing. It was so good...

"Mmm...Ra... It would have been so cool if there were cupcakes back in Ancient Egypt~," I said with a small pout. A small bush crept its way onto my cheek as I remembered myself moaning over the cupcake. But seriously though, it's called Japan's Top Sweets for a reason. I could eat these cupcakes for the rest of my life.

Yami merely closed his eyes again, waiting for the moment of my miniature pleasure to pass, as his face basked in the warmth of the sum shining down at us. He looked almost peaceful—again with the almost. I wonder what it would be like to see him completely peaceful...

I licked a bit of the yellow icing off my finger, thinking of how it looked like the colour of the sun. I felt like my younger self again, all carefree and after sugar. The tournament's thoughts and burden were still in my head, and I was fully aware of what could happen if I let my guard down (which I'm not going to do) but the moment of simply having one little break made me seem like a little child. I miss those days. Where nothing had gone wrong until shortly before my 6th birthday, when my family disappeared.

I giggled when I licked the icing off my finger, remembering how I used to do that every time I ate something with icing on it.

Yami cracked one eye open, just to see what had caused me to giggle so innocently. He found me happily nibbling on the cupcake.

"...Sarah...you look so young," he said, but a small smile managed to slip onto his face. I bet my younger cuteness could make even the most determined person on the planet smile.

"That, my friend, is the beauty of being young once but immature forever," I said with a smile. I love that quote because it reminded me so much of the gang. Mostly Joey.

"And...I can't help it."

Yami closed his eyes again and chuckled at my remark. His hand reached up to my head, only to ruffle my hair, making it fall all around me like a curtain. I playfully glared at him.

"What's with you people and touching my hair?" I asked irritably, trying to fix all the strands that were falling over my face, while trying to hold the half eaten cupcake at the same time. "You're like Joey now. Well...almost."

Yami shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "But...you look so much like a little girl with this cute little smile on your face innocently eating a cupcake that I couldn't resist."

I momentarily blinked at him, and began laughing silently when I saw him blush.

"Er...Yugi wanted me to say that."

"Un-huh. I'm sure."

Yami went back to looking up at the sky, but this time, he kept his eyes open. When the sudden silence confused him, he turned back to meet my gaze, only to find me holding the other cupcake up to him. He blinked, first at the cupcake then to me.

I smiled. "You don't think I got both of them for me, do you? That would be catastrophic."

A small smile graced Yami's lips at the thoughtful gesture. "Thank you, Sarah, but I am afraid that I am not a very large fan of sweets."

I kept the cupcake held out towards him. "Oh come on," I grinned. "I think the Pharaoh can have a small break too. Go ahead, take it."

Yami glanced between us once again—before switching places with Yugi and leaving the poor boy blinking in his place.

"Er..."

I laughed at the funny situation. Here I am, giving the high and mighty Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt a delicate little cupcake when he quickly retreats and let's someone else take his place, someone who'd be more willing to eat sweets.

"I take it that he really doesn't want it?"

Yugi sweat dropped. "He says thank you," he said quickly, so as not to give me any doubt. "I just don't think he's in the mood for sugar."

I shrugged. "Oh well, his loss," I said with a small smirk, then I held it out to him, finding the blue of the icing match the sky. "You can have it then, Yugi. I mean, if you want to."

Yugi smiled at the generosity and took the cupcake into his own hands. "Thanks, Sarah," he said. "I'm actually quite fond of them."

We shared a laugh together and turned to the cupcakes, making random conversations the whole while. When we finally finished our cupcakes we threw the box and cupcake liners into the garbage can a few metres away from where we were sitting. I leaned back into the bench and placed my arms behind my head jut like Yami had been seated, before releasing a contented sigh, my craving being filled.

"That was really good," murmured Yugi, watching the duel before us go into intensity. "No wonder the shop was called Japan's Top Sweets."

"I know right?" I laughed. "Oh, how I missed cupcakes."

"For your next birthday, we should get you this huge cupcake," said Yugi with a grin. "It could last a while."

"But...you guys will end up with a very hyper Sarah."

"...oh, you're right."

I smiled up at the sky, thinking of the many different things I could end up doing just with more sugar than normal. "I could end up wearing one of those fancy dresses," I said, scrunching up my nose in thought. "Those ones bother me, but I'll be too high on sugar to notice its difference from normal clothes."

Yugi laughed kindheartedly, thinking the idea was a good one. He could not imagine me in that sort of dress either, I could tell from the look he has on his face. "I honestly can not see you in anything like that sort of stuff," he said. "You might end up ripping it in your quest of being hyper."

I smiled, finding the thought amusing.

We sat in silence for a moment. Suddenly, something shimmered next to me and Yugi, making me turn my gaze to it. Yugi didn't find anything out of the ordinary.

I found Yami sitting between the both of us. He was transparent, like a ghost, and he was back to sitting with one leg over the other and his arms crossed over his chest. I blinked, finding it odd. I mean, who wouldn't be after seeing the ghost of a Pharaoh seated right next to them?

From the total unexpectancy of Yami just suddenly appearing from out of nowhere I jumped a few feet in the air and ended up falling backwards over the bench, my legs dangling over the back.

"Sarah!" Yugi quickly looked over to see me upside down behind the bench. His bright amethyst eyes held concern, and yet, somewhere deep within, there was a hint of amusement at my sudden antics.

The 'ghost' of Yami curiously blinked over as well, watching me rub my head with a groan.

"Are you alright?" both boys asked me at the same time.

I gave them a mild glare. "Alright? Of course I'm not alright! I nearly got a heart attack!"

Yami and Yugi exchanged glances.

"I'm sorry, Sarah," frowned Yami. "I didn't mean to scare you."

I couldn't stay mad at him for something he didn't mean to do. With a sigh I tried to get back up. "Okay, it's okay," I said, still rubbing my head as I sat down on the bench again. I blinked once again at the Pharaoh, tempted to see if he really was a ghost. "But seriously though, how the heck can Yami be...um...?"

Yugi blinked, wide eyed. "Wait, you can see him?" he asked incredulously.

I blinked. "Yeah, I can. Why, is that not normal?"

They exchanged glances once again. "No one other than us can notice each other in spirit form," said Yugi.

"That's very odd," said Yami, blinking back at me as I blinked back. "How could she see me?"

Yugi shrugged. "I have no idea."

I glanced between the both of them, carefully. "So...you guys do this often? When one is in Yugi's body, the other can show up in spirit form? But only you can see each other's spirit form?"

Yami nodded. "Exactly."

I glared at them thoughtfully. "But then..." I murmured, lost. "How can I see your spirit form, Yami? I think if I can see yours, I can see Yugi's."

To double check, both boys switched places, once again nearly giving me a heart attack. Instead of Yugi being solid, it was Yami. And Yugi was in spirit form. His form was as transparent as Yami's. I blinked another time.

"...wow..." I managed to say. "...that's cool."

"But if no one else can see us in our spirit forms, why is it that you can?" asked Yugi thoughtfully.

"Perhaps it has something do with her being Guardian." Yami's eyes seemed different for a split second, when he said that. I couldn't place what it was, exactly, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Maybe he was thinking more intently about how that could be. "The connection between us through her Seal might let her see me in spirit form. And because Yugi and I are connected, she can see Aibou as well."

I nodded. "That makes positively the best sense ever," I said. "And I am not saying this sarcastically either. How in the world did you come up with that?"

Yami narrowed his eyes in my direction. "Common sense."

I anime fell.

"No, actually, it required some thinking," said Yami, leaning against the back of the bench again, casually. "At first, I thought it could have been a coincidence, but then Yugi reminded me that no one else can see us in our spirit forms. So, why is it that only Sarah is able to?

"It's definitely because she's Guardian. There's no doubt about it. No other difference is between her and the others."

"And the object causing this is the literal connection between you and Sarah's Seal." Yugi's eyes held realization. Amethyst eyes bright. "It makes so much sense."

I blinked. "How is it that you two figured this out while my mind is still racing?"

"...you were too busy falling off the bench," suggested Yami.

I anime fell again.

"You're going to hurt yourself if you keep doing that," said Yugi when I sat back down onto the bench, rubbing my head for the third time.

"Nah, I'm fine. Don't worry," I said with a smile. Then I smirked. "So...the high and mighty Pharaoh doesn't want to switch places with Yugi now? Is he done running away from the cupcake?"

"I think it's best if I stay out in case of a duel," said Yami straight forwardly. Holy Ra, he said it with a straight face. Again. "And fresh air is good for me, right Aibou?"

Yugi sweat dropped. "Yup. Yes it is."

"So what do we do now?" I asked randomly. But seriously, though, is it really random? "Now that we know I can see your spirit forms—which by the way might come in handy sometime—what now? Do we wait for the Rare Hunters to "hunt" us? Or should we go find some duels?"

Yami merely blinked up at the sky calmly. His breathing was long and deep; with each breath his chest rose and fell. His arms were still behind his head.

"...good question is what I think he's trying to say," said Yugi, answering for his dark.

"I think he just likes the clouds. Strife is the best, did you know?"

"You're totally right, Sarah! He's so cool."

"I know right? I absolutely LOVE his eyes! They're so blue~"

"...we're getting off topic now. You know that, right?"

"Yeah...yeah, I know. But Yami hasn't said anything."

The Pharaoh turned to look at both Yugi and me. His crimson eyes suddenly held thought. "I just overheard a couple of duelists that just walked by the park," he said. "They said the second place winner of Duelist Kingdom was dueling with someone."

I blinked. "Joey?" I asked incredulously. "Then what are we waiting for! Let's go find that baka blonde and see how he's dueling!"

"Sarah, your sugar rush," Yugi reminded.

"Right...sorry. But seriously, though, guys. We should go watch the duel. I think it'll be exciting."

"The duelists walked by that building," said Yami, pointing to a rather tall skyscraper, one of many in downtown Domino City. "We can watch his duel from the roof of a building to get the best view."

I threw my arms up into the air excitedly, feeling a smile on my face that I couldn't get rid of. "Great! Let's get to it!"

Yugi retreated back into the Millennium Puzzle, saying that he will watch the duel through Yami's eyes, while the Pharaoh and I made our way out of the park and through the busy streets of Domino. We made it to the building with time to spare.

On the roof, the air was swift and cool. I felt like I could stay up here all day. I took a deep, cleansing breath as I stood next to the railing. Yami stood next to me, watching the scene below unfold. It was so peaceful.

A crowd had begun to gather around two duelists, ready for the duel to begin. It looked like a mass of people to us with a ring of emptiness in the middle—a lot like a doughnut. And in the middle of the emptiness stood two duelists, who's holographic projectors were already set. Their Duel Disks were on and they were ready to battle. The street must be one of the many closed down for Kaiba's tournament.

I leaned against the railing on my elbows and watched carefully, trying to identify the two boys in the middle of the crowd.

"That's definitely Joey," I said, spotting the blonde's messy blonde hair from all the way up here. "But I don't know who his opponent is. He's too far back."

Yami scanned the scene before him, a lot like how he used to look at a map when we'd come up with battle strategies back in Ancient Egypt. With his arms crossed, he nodded. "I see Joey," he said. "And his opponent, I can spot from here, has a familiar turquoise colour for his hair. He's dueling Espa Roba."

"The psychic?" I asked incredulously. None for nothing, but having psychic abilities is far fetched. Pegasus led everyone to believe that he could predict the cards in Yugi's hands when he was really using the power of the Millennium Eye to read his mind. Could this guys be a cheat? He doesn't have a Millennium Item though, otherwise, my Locket would have sensed it. Maybe he's taking it differently.

"So he leads everyone to believe," said Yami. "There's a good chance that he really isn't."

I shook my head in disbelief at the opponent. Vaguely, I noticed him and Joey talking about something—could be anything. But then I saw Joey jump. "Wait," I said. "What's Espa doing? Is he throwing Joey off?"

Yami's eyes narrowed further at the two duelists. "I believe he is," he said. "He's saying something about the "cosmos giving him answers". I think he means that the universe is speaking to him, telling him which cards Joey is holding in his hand."

I blinked. I didn't know whether to laugh at how weird that sounds or be fascinated and fall into a supposed trap. "That does not sound good," I said. "I hope Joey can keep his cool and not freak out. He'll make more mistakes that way."

"Mhm," agreed Yami. "At first, I had a troubled feeling that he was going to be dueling a Rare Hunter. But now that I see it's Espa, I feel at ease."

I nodded. "It wouldn't have been a good sign if those hooded enemies of ours decided to target our friends," I agreed, finding my fists begin to clench on their own at the thought. "I hope they don't begin to think that way."

Yami glanced my way, just as Joey's duel began. The two drew their first handful of cards. "Let's not give any shadows ideas," he said cautiously. "This isn't their fight. Joey was caught in the middle because of his rare card. Hopefully, he won't be put into anymore danger now. Along with everyone else."

I nodded, but felt the sadistic thought still hurting me. Would Marik ever go that far?

"I wonder how much further we have to go into the tournament before we can get at least some answers," I sighed wonderingly, leaning my elbows onto the railing even more, while one hand cradled my chin, as if I was sitting bored at my desk in school.

"I wonder the same thing," admitted the ancient Pharaoh, his crossed arms tightening slightly closer to his firm chest. "We must be getting somewhat closer. There should be signs as well, letting us know how far we've gotten."

I nodded meekly, hoping we would get closer.

I saw Joey just about to make the first move of the duel, when suddenly, Espa decides to "call onto the powers of the universe". There were some remarks, and I even thought I saw Rex Raptor, the Dino Duelist, shouting in a couple times. Joey seemed frantic.

"Hey, did Joey do something wrong?" I asked Yami curiously, not being able to see much from up here.

Yami must have the eyes of a hawk. "He did," he said, and he sounded slightly disappointed. "He played a high level monster without sacrificing a lower level monster first. He forgot one of Kaiba's new rules."

I hung my head. "Oh man... Joey, think before you act!"

"He just needed a bit of practice at the Duel Disk first," said Yami. "I know he's read the rules, but he isn't putting them into play because he isn't used to them. Hopefully, he catches on quickly before it's too late."

"Yeah," I agreed. "I think he only has his one locator card too; the default one. He needs to be extra careful, because if he loses this duel, he's out of the tournament."

Sarah and Yami watched the duel on, mentally encouraging their blonde headed friend on to keep trying.

After doing another psychic act, Espa predicted the top card in Joey's hand. Both Pharaoh and Guardian were slightly stunned.

"How was he able to do that?" asked Sarah, her brows furrowing forward thoughtfully. They saw Joey jump slightly from his correct prediction, but then saw him accuse Espa of being a scam. Espa, as predicted from ourselves, only retaliated, saying that Joey was jealous of his powers.

"I don't have any idea," admitted Yami. "Could he really have psychic powers?"

Sarah shook her head. "It's impossible," she said. "Destiny is unpredictable. Not even Isis could predict everything. She had only been given pieces of information from the future through her Millennium Necklace. That's about all I know about this sort of stuff."

Yami nodded, thinking that the concept of being able to read minds and the future isn't possible. The two watched Espa summon a monster and successfully attack Joey's life points directly, knocking the blonde to the ground. Sarah momentarily grabbed for her collar bone, feeling a small bit of pain enter the Seal, wincing.

The Pharaoh's attention immediately turned to her. "What happened?" he asked. "Are you all right?"

Sarah was fond of the Pharaoh's kind words, but she would never admit it. She's missed him so much these past few millennia, he has no idea. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine," she said, straightening her composure and returning her hand over the railing. "Joey just hit the pavement too hard, is all. He should really learn to be careful."

Yami kept his eyes fixed on the Guardian. Yugi noticed this and asked him about it.

'Her Seal bothers me,' he admitted to Yugi, who shared the Pharaoh's concern. 'Sarah said that the Seal was supposed to transmit my pain to her, but it's done the same for Joey the night before we knew anything about it.'

'Pharaoh, I know how you feel,' said Yugi, thoughtfully. 'I don't want Sarah to feel other people's pain above her own, either. But it's something she needed to do. You know that.'

'I do, but as she says; she becomes saddened if a friend of hers is in trouble. What she doesn't understand is the other line; what her friends think of it if it were her in trouble.'

'Talk to her about it,' suggested Yugi. 'You two were friends, and soon will become the same friends again as you were back in Ancient Egypt. If the two of you talk about it, I'm sure you'll find out the reason behind her acceptance of the Seal.'

'Is there a reason to begin with?' asked Yami. 'Sarah speaks as if her life is nothing but a shield. It can't be because of it being her job as Guardian, could it? There has to be more to it, but she is letting on that there isn't.'

Yugi sighed, sending waves of reassurance to the Pharaoh's mind. 'You're just about as stressed as she is,' he almost mused, but instead replied wearily. 'The two of you just need to be locked up in one room and forced into talking with the other.'

'I'll speak with her if it reassures you,' sighed the Pharaoh, finding no way out of his Hikari's persuasion. Yugi was right, and he knew it. If he truly wanted to become as close to Sarah as he was back in Ancient Egypt, then he needed to ask her things he didn't understand. More understanding brought more knowledge, and it let's the person know who the other actually is.

'Good,' said Yugi. 'Start with the Seal, and work yourself up. Good luck.'

Yami smiled. 'Thank you, Aibou,' he said, just before the other smiled at his dark.

"The real question now is; Are YOU all right, Yami?" asked Sarah, bringing the Pharaoh out of his conversation. She's seen the mysterious smile on his face.

Yami nodded reassuringly. "Yes, I'm fine," he said. "I was talking with Aibou just now. He was...lending me some advice."

"Advice, huh?" That's funny. I always thought he would come to me for help or something, like friends would always do, thought Sarah, unhappily, wondering of the thought. I'm not saying Yugi isn't a friend...but he seems closer to Yami than me.

Are we...growing apart...? As I have feared?

Ache filled Sarah's heart. He was the closest friend she had ever had. This feeling of losing him...almost killed her.

You think too much, she scolded herself. They're both boys, probably helping each other out with things only they know about. If he wanted, he could've come to me.

Though, the thought of the Pharaoh asking for help was slightly unusual. Unless it was with plans or commitments. Otherwise, he knows everything.

"Yes..." said Yami, trailing off just a bit. His crimson eyes moved from the scene below to the Guardian next to him, who hasn't yet met his gaze. "Yugi was helping me with something; something I was unsure with.

"Is it alright if I ask you a question?"

Sarah blinked. "Of course," she said. "You can ask me anything."

Yami's eyes shifted only slightly, finding the right words to start the conversation off. Both were up high, in the middle of the sky where the wind was drifting smoothly over them, where no one can see them. They had privacy for questions like this, where someone can't wonder what they could be talking about.

"It's about the Seal," started Yami. "I wanted to know what could have made you accept such a task."

It was then Sarah met his eyes; scarlet to crimson. Both blazed with normal courage and determination; both held secrets the other did not know. Friends didn't hold secrets between them.

"The first time someone mentioned the Seal was when I was just starting my Guardianship training," began Sarah, finding no discomfort in the question. "Master Mahad, a member of your Court, was my teacher. He taught me how to control the strongest spells in magic; the elements. He taught me combat and how to use a sword. He was also the one who taught me of the Millennium Items and the Shadow Games.

"On one of the days in the first week, when I learned just the basics at first, Master Mahad had told me about a Guardian's responsibilities and how they must be kept in mind at all times. The responsibilities were important. I couldn't let the Pharaoh and his family down.

"One of those responsibilities was the concern about keeping up with the Pharaoh. In the midst of battles, if we were to somehow become separated, there should be an easy way for me to find you amongst everyone else. It should be a link of some sort so that even when I feel some sort of alarm, I know when to look for you even faster so we can regroup.

"That was the first time the Oath's Seal was mentioned. Through a spell and bounded knife Master Mahad said he can connect you to me by an invisible wire. When you feel pain, I'll be sent the same amount of pain through the Seal and make a dash to get to your side. It's like an alarm clock saying, "Go find the Pharaoh! Guard him!"

"As Master Mahad was telling me of the responsibilities, I was shocked by myself. I didn't feel scared. Instead, I felt this surge of determination to go through with it all; the training, the lessons, and the spells. I was ready and waiting for it all to begin.

"Now...what exactly was the determination from?" Sarah shrugged. "It was from being given such an important task. I knew everyone was counting on me to keep the future Pharaoh safe; I couldn't let them down. I couldn't let you down. Or your father. He was a kind man, and even at the young age I was he accepted my Guardianship."

"So, you accepted the Seal, and everything to do with being a Guardian, all so you won't let everyone down?"

Sarah nodded, but her eyes held some sort of mystery, like a present that hasn't been opened yet. And she was the one wondering about it. Her thinking was showing. "And so I wouldn't let myself down," she said. "I was on the verge of breaking if Isis hadn't shown up and taken me in as her own. I thought that I owed her a great debt, and decided to help her in some way; any way that I can.

"It turns out, that I began helping everyone. With me being Guardian, I've been trusted to keep you safe. Don't worry, it's not like I'm babying you or anything, like a two-year-old. I'm simply keeping harm and danger away from you as far as possible."

Yami's eyes fell to Sarah's Locket, until they wandered down to the collar of her white t-shirt, wondering what the Seal could look like. "Is that really all?" he asked.

Sarah blinked. "Were you expecting more?" she asked.

Yami shook his head. "I suppose not," he said. "Truthfully, Sarah, the thought of you feeling my pain bothers me."

Sarah quirked an eyebrow at the Pharaoh. "Why is it bothering you?" she asked.

The Egyptian Pharaoh could not find the right words.

A few days ago, he was introduced to a friend he's had back in Ancient Egypt. They were supposedly close, and all he can ever see behind Sarah's usual determination and happiness is this large expanse of longed hope. The hope she has for them to become close friends again.

How could one take this?

Should he have been happy that he has someone with him? A personal friend from his home country? He should feel at ease around her since both of them were from Egypt.

Or should he feel saddened that he doesn't remember anything about her, even though she says that it wasn't his fault? There was uncertainty in this emotion.

What he felt, though, was neither. He felt even more confused than how much he already was.

It wasn't about Sarah telling him the truth or not—he trusted her, like a 5,000-year-old instinct. It was just something about her that didn't seem quite right. And it bothered him.

But he wouldn't tell anyone. Not even Yugi knows of the Pharaoh's troubled sense.

He has to find out himself.

Maybe it's from lack of knowledge on her.

They just met after all, though it's been a few days. Maybe all he has to do is get to know her better.

He'd try it.

"Er...I don't understand how it works," he said. "Is the spell connecting the both of us?"

Sarah watched the Pharaoh carefully, worry etched onto her face. For a second there, she had a wild thought that he would have become ill. She doesn't understand how she got the thought. Maybe it's because she was just as confused.

"Yeah, it's a spell," she said. "Half of it was chanted while the other half was bounded to the knife that carved the Seal. Do you want to see what it looks like? Don't worry, it's only just below the neck."

With a steady nod, the Pharaoh answered. Sarah carefully reached up to the collar of her shirt and pulled it down to expose the Seal.

To the Pharaoh, the Oath's Seal looked like the outline of a circle, as if someone took a pencil and drew a perfect round circle on Sarah's skin, assuming it's drawing paper. The outline was a darker skin colour than the fair complexion she has right now, to distinguish the difference, and to tell where the knife was set to carve.

Sarah's Locket was just above the Seal, glinting under the daylight.

"Is there significance to the shape?" asked the Pharaoh, tracing the circle with his eyes. It was hard to believe this mark is being the connection between both Guardian and Pharaoh.

Sarah nodded, still holding down the shirt. "It's supposed to represent Never Ending Loyalty," she said. "A circle is never ending, therefore, the shape fit perfectly."

The Pharaoh understood. At least one or two questions have been answered out of many.

But then more exist in its place.

"Is showing me the memories of us in Ancient Egypt the only thing you're worried about?" asked the Pharaoh, referring to their discussion about memories when the tournament started.

Something familiar flickered through Sarah's eyes, before it was covered up again by her determined glance. "It's one thing I'm worried about, yeah," she said, finding the questions reassuring. "Without witnessing your memories again, you won't think of them the same as you did back in Ancient Egypt. We need those memories in order to defeat Bakura." She was about to continue, to tell him something else important, but decided against it and covered her short stop with a cough.

It might have sounded selfish if she said, "Oh, and you need to know about your memories so you can remember me. You know, because we were friends?" She had thought against it. Hope still reigned within her, believing that one day, they will become good friends again. But her sole reason for wanting the Pharaoh to remember his memories was because of Bakura. He needs his complete strength and knowledge back before he decides to counter the albino.

Yami had noticed it, but didn't comment. "Maybe this tournament will help me with my memories as well," he said, looking at the positive side. "Along with answering questions about our past."

"I don't understand something," said Sarah, finally.

Yami turned his attention to her. "Yes?"

She looked uncomfortable about whatever she was about to say. Wringing her hands nervously, she said, "The part where I felt Joey's pain during that night. The Oath's Seal connects only you and me together. I don't know how Joey's essence was felt through it. And it's no malfunction, either."

Yami remembered Sarah talking about this earlier, at the hospital. It did seem odd, seeing as how only both of them are connected through the spell. "I haven't an idea," he said. "Maybe we'll find out later."

Sarah nodded heavily, though she still looked somewhat troubled. "I hope so," she said. "I don't want the Seal to respond to Joey and not you. Even though it's not a bad idea..."

Yami knew what Sarah wanted. She wanted to feel his pain so she can come help him.

That worried him.

The pain part.

Who wants their friend to feel their pain? It's something they least wanted.

But Sarah was okay with it because it was her duty as Guardian.

Was she so devoted?

The Pharaoh knew trying to talk her out of it would be pointless. The girl had her mind made up ever since she was first told. She really was determined to do her job right.

5,000 years ago, everyone had taken not only their jobs seriously, but their ranks too. Everything was based on status and it kept order. He was the high and mighty Pharaoh who's Guardian was nothing more than a mere servant. Instead of worrying about her, he should have been using his 'shield' to his advantage.

But...he's troubled...because of the instinct.

A 5,000-year-old instinct.

It felt like to him that back in the day, he didn't care for Sarah's low-level rank or her job as his Guardian. They still became friends. Nothing of statuses were included in the matter.

Their friendship wasn't based on ranks, but of heart.

They enjoyed each other's presence; a comforting feeling surrounded them like a warm blanket in the winter cold (though there wasn't any cold winters in Egypt). Needless to say, it was as comforting.

Sarah stills wishes the best to happen for their friendship, but she still holds formality, like the Pharaoh coming first before anything else—as he always does.

That's why she worries about the connection between them.

She wants to help him—as friends do—and yet, it's part of her duty—which she must take seriously.

She's going down two different roads for reasons.

But the problem bothering Yami is that Sarah doesn't know what the other friend might think.

If she says she would have been devastated if something had happened to him, doesn't she know what the other will have to say to that?

Yami's questions...they were normal; curiosity. They didn't bother me or anything. In fact, when he asked questions, it made me feel just a bit closer to him than before. Because it was like he wanted to get to know me better.

I nearly smiled at the thought of us getting closer.

Joey's opponent managed to make a good move. He summoned a monster to attack Joey directly, because the blonde didn't have anything to defend himself with. The attack was almost lifelike, sending Joey a few feet away falling onto his back.

My Seal sent a jolt of pain through me. I winced and grabbed for my collar.

There it was again. Joey's essence.

There was no mistake.

I can feel his pain.

Yami noticed my grimace and blinked worriedly. "Sarah?" he asked.

I held onto the railing. "It's fine. I'm fine," I said, quickly straightening up, with my gaze glaring at Joey who was also getting up to his feet. "Joey falling onto his behind threw me off."

Yami blinked at me silently. "Still feel his essence, I'm guessing?"

I nodded, rubbing at my collar bone. "Yup," I said. "As though I were the one thrown to the ground.

"Gah, it's so confusing. Why would I be feeling Joey's essence? It doesn't make any sense..."

Yami was winging it, though the idea seemed realistic. "Did Master Mahad specifically chant the spell to tie you and me together? Or did he add other people in as well?"

I didn't need much thought. I was there when Master Mahad chanted the spell in Ancient Egyptian. I heard the Pharaoh's addition; no one else's. "Yes, it specifically for you," I said. "No one else was added into the spell. I know for sure."

"Well, Sarah, there isn't any other reason," he said. "Unless by some chance, Joey's essence flowed through me..."

That idea...it was—

"Hey, let's tell Espa what else this guy's got."

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll need more help on knowing what his cards are."

"I'm think I see Graceful Dice under his Swordsman."

Our attention diverted to the left, from where the mysterious and suspicious voices were coming from. On the next rooftop, sat a bunch of Roba lookalikes, who looked to be younger than the one dueling Joey. One had a lollipop in his mouth watching the duel from standing up, two were kneeling next to the raised edge; one had a pair of binoculars up to his eyes and an infant lookalike on his back, while the other held his hand up to his ear, speaking his brother's words to their older brother done below.

They were a suspicious bunch.

And their game is now up.

Espa was cheating! And he was using his brothers to help him with his scheme!

"Well, I'll be damned," I whispered, watching the brothers from the corner of my eyes. Yami was doing the same. We looked like we were paying attention to the duel, based on me leaning on the railing and Yami faced away with his arms crossed in the same direction. But what we were actually doing now, what with our attention veered to a different way; distracted, was regarding the Roba brothers with suspicion.

"It looks like Espa has been cheating," said Yami, just as quietly, so as not to gain their attention. "His brothers are up here with binoculars so they can tell Espa through a radio what Joey's cards are."

"And then Espa uses his "psychic" act to throw Joey off his game," I said. I shook my head in disbelief, but slightly more, in disappointment. "Cheating isn't the answer; no matter what the reason for it."

Yami nodded, agreeably. "We can't interfere," he said. "This is Joey's duel. He said it himself that he wanted to become a True Duelist. In order for him to do that, he needs to gain confidence in his dueling, whether his friends are physically next to him or not."

"You're right," I said. "It looks like Roba is a fake. But we can't let him go either... He needs to be stopped."

One of Roba's brothers looked through the binoculars again. "Wait, I think the other guys just drew another Graceful Dice," he said, telling his brother with the radio earpiece.

He held it steady with his hand. "Okay bro, now listen up. Your opponent just drew another Graceful Dice."

We saw Roba try "tapping into the powers of the universe" to guess Joey's next card, a few seconds after his brother sent him the message. The crowd looked impressed while Joey was still slightly frantic, though I could sense a sort of disbelief from him. He didn't think his psychic powers were real either.

He gave Joey a remark, which made him take a step back.

"By the look on his face, Joey really did draw a Graceful Dice card," I said nervously, tapping my lip thoughtfully. How will he get out of this one?

"But did you hear what the younger Roba brother said?" asked Yami. "He said that Joey drew another Graceful Dice. He only has one in his deck."

I blinked. "He does, doesn't he?" I said wonderingly. My eyes widened. "Holy Ra, you're right. When Roba just predicted Joey drawing another Graceful Dice, he just blew it. Unless Joey catches on, he'll be in trouble. That mistake just can not go un-noticed."

Yami nodded. "This little scheme may have gotten them this far in the tournament, but I know Joey will defeat these cheats."

"I hope so."

Joey and Espa were almost at each other's throats. With a look over his hand, Joey managed to come up with a move. He took a little longer than normal to make it though. A monster was summoned and two cards set face down.

He'd better know what he's doing.

Judging by the looks on Espa's brothers faces, Espa thought Joey put down two Graceful Dice cards, just like he predicted. Or tried to.

"Oh. He's screwing up."

Yami nodded. "Yes, he is. Joey will show him, now, never to mess with him. Especially while cheating."

Espa sacrificed his current monster to summon a stronger one. Then he went on attacking Joey's swordsman, but he activated one of his face down cards.

It was Graceful Dice.

"Woah. He's activating the card Espa predicted two of," I said, slightly amazed. Mostly, I was anxious to see what will happen next.

"It must be a plan," said Yami, noting his other face down card beside his Graceful Dice card. "The one still face down could be the card to help his Graceful Dice effect be successful."

I thought about all the cards in Joey's deck, or which ones I know of. Then an idea hit me and I gave Yami a look of thought. We exchanged glances.

"Skull Dice."

"That's the card Espa's brother mistook for a Graceful Dice," I realized.

Yami nodded, gladness visible in his crimson eyes. "Joey figured it out."

"And he's going to prove Espa a fraud."

Even though Joey used his spell card to increase his monster's attack power, it didn't gain enough points to beat Espa's monster. He was thrilled his monster would defeat Joey's monster, but our blonde headed friend wasn't finished yet. He was activating his next face down card.

Roba at first seemed arrogant, accusing Joey of playing another Graceful Dice card, but Joey activated the card to show him how wrong he was.

Cheating can mess up.

Joey had Skull Dice in play. The dice rolled and lowered the attack points of Espa's monsters considerably. Joey's monster wiped him out.

Espa fell at his monster's loss and point loss. Not to mention at getting wrong information from his brothers about Joey's cards.

"Yes, Joey's done it!" I said, trying not to get over excited, in case Espa's brothers didn't know we were here.

"Nice job," Yami agreed, complimenting Joey from the distance. "He's exposed Espa for the fraud that he is. Now, he's in control."

We heard the Roba brothers say, "Uh-oh, busted." Busted indeed.

Joey's definitely harnessed the courage needed to face opponents.

He's on his way.

"You know what? I think this tournament isn't just ours to gain answers from."

I blinked in Yami's direction. "What do you mean?"

Yami turned to face me, a thoughtful smile on his face. "It means that this tournament is also a road made for Joey. Battle City will be Joey's personal path to becoming a stronger duelist. Much stronger than before. Mentally and at heart."

I nodded, finding Yami's concept surprisingly touching. Joey's trying to prove to himself and everyone around him that he knows how to duel.

Suddenly, a whistle blew from out of nowhere. I nearly ran into Yami, turning around to see what it was. The whistle rang clearly through my ears. Whoever blew it was close.

And he was right here.

"Violation!" cried Mokuba Kaiba darting across the wide rooftop to get to the Roba brothers. They were all startled by the younger Kaiba's sudden presence. The brother with the earpiece shot up to his feet.

"Run!" he yelled to the others, running for his life to the other side. Mokuba rushed past, taking the binoculars from out of the other brother's hands, which in turn almost knocked him over in the process, and ran after the retreater.

The Roba ran under a bulletin to get away, but Mokuba was fast, sliding expertly on his side to catch the Roba's ankle before he completely got away. He couldn't keep his balance in his mid run so he toppled to the floor, defeated.

"Gotcha!" said Mokuba, standing on his feet, giving a look of superiority to the brothers. "You guys were cheating! And for that, your brother will never duel in this town again."

The brother with the baby tied to his back appeared from around the other side of the huge bulletin, his face solemn and pleading. "We've learned our lesson," he said. "Please, you gotta give him another chance."

"As the Battle City Tournament Commissioner, it's my sworn duty to bust cheaters," aid Mokuba, dusting off his yellow vest that was over his blue shirt and jeans. He crossed his arms, annoyed by the excuses. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cancel this duel."

"You just can't!" he said lamely. The Roba brothers didn't want to give their reason. Were they ashamed?

"Let's stay out of it," said Yami, placing a hand on my shoulder. His cerise eyes held reassurance. "Mokuba can handle them."

I switched my gaze from Yami to Mokuba and the Roba brothers. The brothers seemed almost helpless, like this duel counted on a lot. Suddenly, I felt a little bad for them. Their sorrowful faces reminded me of something.

With a hesitant nod given to Yami, I turned away from the neighbouring rooftop and resumed resting my elbows onto the railing. Yami and I paid attention to the duel, but since the commotion was beside us, we couldn't help but hear everything that happened.

"Have some mercy, Commissioner," said the Roba brother Mokuba tripped. "Our brother isn't doing this for the dueling glory, he's doing it for us."

That threw us off. And confused us. Even Mokuba.

"We're carnival folk," said the other brother. The baby kept occupied by his pacifier while the fifth Roba was busily eating his lollipop, glancing at the scene nervously. "Or, at least we used to be. Since we've left the show, he's kept the bullies off our backs."

"Your big brother protects you from bullies?" asked Mokuba, surprised. I could tell just by the way he said it that he was reminiscing. Did he share the same thoughts as the Roba brothers?

"You see, everyday after school, the big kids will gang up on us."

"But even bullies respect a good duelist like our brother," said the one who was caught by Mokuba, standing up onto his own feet. "As long as he wins, they leave us alone. We're just trying to make sure he does."

Mokuba sighed and looked away to try and understand what to do. His sight just happened to fall on both me and Yami, and from the corners of our eyes, as we watched the scene on, we saw Mokuba become surprised to see us.

"Aw man...Yugi and Sarah were here the whole time?" we heard him ask himself. He looked up at us, slightly troubled on how to handle the situation. He could let the brothers go, but they might end up getting into more trouble later on. If he brought them in, it'll seem unfair because they weren't doing it for fame, but to keep bullies at bay.

Personally, if I ever got my hands on bullies, any kind at all, I'll teach them to mess with normal people trying to lead normal lives. I don't know what their reasons could be for picking on innocent kids like they do, but I would gladly show them the limit line.

But poor Mokuba. What's he going to do in this situation?

"It's still cheating if you help him but for good reason!" he said finally. "If I let you guys off the hook, what's to stop you from pulling this stunt again?"

"We beg you!" said one of the brothers. "Let my brother duel or we're toast after school."

"Just give him a chance to go legit," said a new voice. "Espa may be a bogus psychic, but he's a great duelist."

The Roba with the lollipop finally spoke. He grinned sheepishly, being old enough to give his opinions, but not old enough to quite understand what might be going on.

Everyone looked at the Roba surprised for a moment. Mokuba looked back at Yami and me, thinking about what we could possibly do in this situation.

Yami tilted his head forward a bit before returning his gaze to the ground below where the duel was happening. I mimicked the gesture, but added a tiny, sympathetic smile with it. I thought it was best if we added a hint to do whatever he thinks is right. Mokuba's look became even more thoughtful.

"What do you say?" asked one of the brothers.

Mokuba sighed once before looking directly at the Roba brothers. He came to a decision. "This is your last chance," he said. "If he cheats again, then it's no more Mr. Nice Guy."

The brothers were thrilled. "Thanks, Commissioner!" they cried. Joy filled their hearts.

Mokuba blushed, and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Big brother stories get me every time."

Now that Espa won't be able to cheat anymore, with Mokuba watching over the younger Robas up here in the rooftops, we can finally see some real talent other than bogus lies.

"Come on, Joey," I encouraged in a whisper, feeling a light wind rush over both me and the Pharaoh. It wavered through my hair and clothes, cooling my overloaded mind.

Now, both boys were near the halfway point of their life points. Roba claimed that his psychic abilities were real, but even without them he could beat Joey. He places one card face down for his turn.

"Now that Espa can't cheat, he'll have to duel with his skills," said Yami.

I nodded. "And with Mokuba here guarding the Roba brothers, he can't cheat at all."

"But, it's sad," said Yami with a small frown. "Espa was only dueling for his brothers."

"I agree; dueling to get his brothers out of pain and trouble. But, there's always another way. They didn't have to cheat."

Yami nodded. "If Espa's as good of a duelist as he claims to be, even without his psychic abilities, then he could have used them to get to the top."

I nodded.

Joey summoned another monster, and after some thought, he sends them in to attack Espa directly. I think if they successfully attack him then he wins the duel.

But, he pulled something. A trap card. And by the acts of one of Joey's monsters, he's controlling him. Joey puts one card face down and ends his turn, finding no way to get his monster back from Espa's control.

The monster now on Espa's side of the field was curtained in a shower of white sparks; he was summoning a stronger monster. Even from all the way up here, we could tell it the monster was dangerous.

"It's..." my eyes widened. I knew what the monster was. "It's Jinzo! A powerful, trap destroying monster! Oh gosh, Joey'd better be careful..."

Yami agreed, watching the match cautiously.

Just as I said, "trap destroying", Espa's new monster destroyed the face down card Joey had placed onto the field.

He's in trouble.

Espa played another card, which boosted Jinzo's attack points.

He's in real trouble.

Jinzo attacked Joey's only monster with no trouble at all, sending his life points down.

Oh boy.

Now Joey summons another monster during his turn. It's small and quite hard to see, but it looked like Baby Dragon. And just as I thought, he added Time Wizard to make him grow..

...while Espa's monster was supposed to rust.

It didn't work.

Turns out, Jinzo is made of some sort of dititanium alloy which doesn't make Jinzo rust or corrode. I hung my head as Joey's monster was destroyed. Based on the duel and how it was going, I don't think Joey has very many life points left.

"He'd better stay calm," said Yami. "Otherwise, he'll lose."

I ran my hand stressfully over my face. "Yeah," I said. "Espa's a strong duelist, but Joey can beat him. It's just a matter of him taking a deep breath during troubled times."

Yami looked at me suspiciously. "Kind of like how you did when you were dueling Salex?" he asked.

I sweat dropped. "Hey, I learned my lesson," I said sheepishly. "And...thanks again for helping."

He showed me a simple smile. "No problem."

Suddenly, my phone decided to ring, nearly scaring me out of my skin. The ringtone switched to "Don't Wanna Go Home" by Jason Derulo. Does this phone have its settings switched to "random ringtones" or something? I guess so. Ah well, it's more refreshing.

I liked this song, too bad I had to answer whoever was calling. I saw that it was Téa's caller idea and got excited. I pressed the talk button and held it up to my ear, saying a quiet "Excuse me" to Yami before I did.

"Hello~ This is Sarah. How's it going?'

"Hey there. I thought I'd phone in to say hi."

I smiled. "That's cool. I miss you."

Téa laughed from the other end. "I miss you too," she said. "I just ran into Mr. Muto. Well, actually, he scared me to death, but he's here."

I blinked when I heard Mr. Muto say sound sheepish on the other line, and something about Téa being scared so easily.

"O...kay, I take it that he caught you off guard?"

There was some shuffling and Mr. Muto got on the line. "I didn't mean to scare her so much she nearly breaks my nose," he said. "I just came up behind her is all."

"Ah, well Mr. Muto, that would be called scaring."

He chuckled. "Yes, I suppose. So, where's Yugi? And how is everything going?"

"Oh, Yugi and I are going around watching duels at the moment. Him and I both won one locator card so far."

"Ah, excellent! You two be careful now, here's Téa."

There was more shuffling as Téa came on. "I had a question, actually. Where's Joey?"

I blinked. "You mean...you haven't caught up to him yet?"

"No, not exactly. We just couldn't find him."

"Oh. Well, if it helps, he's one street over to the right from the main, when you're looking into it."

"Thanks, Sarah!" she said. Then I heard some beeping. "Oh, I'm getting another call. We'll talk to you guys later!"

"Alright. Take care." I hung up the phone and sighed. Yami looked over.

"What happened?" he asked.

I sweat dropped. "Yugi's grandpa is funny," I said. "Apparently, he almost broke his nose surprising Téa."

Yami blinked. "That's...er..."

"Yeah, I know. Interesting," I said, finishing his sentence. "But, they're doing good. Téa said she hadn't found Joey yet. I thought that was odd."

Yami shrugged, very lightly though. "Joey must have moved too fast," he said. "She probably didn't see him because of the crowd in the way."

"Yeah, you're right."

Now, back to the duel. Since Joey's Baby Dragon trick didn't work, Joey summoned Scapegoats to at least give himself protection.

It was Espa's turn now, and he liked what he drew. He summoned the monster to his field. It had a tonne of mirrors on it. I was slightly confused.

"Reflex Bounder," said Yami. "It can reflect an attack back at the attacking monster."

"...oh no..."

"He has a chance," said Yami. "But, he'll have to be careful."

Espa sent his monsters in for an attack, knocking down two of the four Scapegoats Joey summoned with his magic card.

"I don't think he's going to stay positive anymore," I said, worriedly now, for our friend. "Why don't we go down there to support him?

"On second thought...why are we on the roof in the first place?"

Yami glanced my way; thought in his cerise eyes. "Joey needs to stand on his own," he said. "And..." He suddenly stopped.

I grew even more worried. "What? Why did you stop?"

Yami searched for the right words. "And...I don't think it'll be appropriate for me to be down there."

"What does that mean?"

"Joey doesn't know much about me," he said. "Actually...he only knows that there is a spirit sharing his friend's body. I don't know if our friendship..."

I understood immediately. "You aren't sure whether or not he considers you, the Pharaoh, a friend, am I right?"

He nodded, thoughtfully gazing over the duel.

"Yami...sure he knows that you're a spirit from 5,000 years ago...but he won't give you the cold shoulder or anything. I've known Joey for a while now, and I think he considers you as a friend."

Yami's eyes shone briefly. "Really?"

"Yeah. He thinks that whoever is a friend of Yugi's, is a friend of his. He wouldn't mind your support."

I could tell Yami was soaking in the info. But how could he think that way? I suppose I couldn't blame him. So much has happened in the past amount of time, he could have been thinking he was a part of Yugi and not his own person.

But, now, he knows. I'm not his only friend. And we're not in this world alone. We've got Yugi, Téa, Joey, and Tristan by our sides too. They mean well and they want to help us.

I told this to Yami.

"I suppose you're right," he said. "I haven't got that feeling of being alone for a while now. I think it's from you guys."

"Me neither," I said. "I've been feeling better too."

Yami gave me a smile. "Thank you, Sarah," he said kindly. "But, if we go down now, the duel will most likely be over by the time we get down there."

"Then we'll have to do it next time," I said with a small smile. "Alright?"

"Alright."

It hurt to see Joey so down like this. I felt as thought I was the one falling onto my knees in defeat but trying not to give up all at the same time. I saw Joey's hand hovering over his deck, and my heart nearly skipped a beat.

Oh no...he's about to surrender.

"No! He can't just give up like this!"

Yami shook his head. "It looks like he's given up."

"Come on! Give him a sign or something that he can't give up!"

As if Ra himself heard me, I saw Joey stop his manoeuvre and look up. I saw Téa and Mr. Mutou standing right by him.

"Yes! They've found him in time!" I sighed in utter relief. "Thank you, Gods above...!"

Both teams exchanged words. Téa showed Joey a peace sign and told him something; something important. Joey's hopes seemed to rise right out of the roof.

"Something tells me that Téa said something to Joey to get him going in the right direction..." I said thoughtfully, watching the duel intensely.

Yami blinked in my direction, before poking me hard in the shoulder. "Did you just notice?" he asked.

I jumped and held my arm, glaring accusingly at Yami. "Yes, so what?" xD

Yami was about to say something, but smirked and kept the thought to himself. We watched the duel on.

With more belief this time, Joey draws his next card. It turns out to be just what he needed. He played it—and unveiled his victory card; Roulette Spider.

What a game of chance!

The colourful spider attached itself to Jinzo's head and was put into the middle of the circle of monsters. Everyone was astonished.

This was it! This one move will determine who wins the match. It was risky, but Joey had the spider to spin. And it's his only hope.

Jinzo spun around; around and around it went, making everyone put into suspense and waiting mode. Then...Espa orders the spider to stop spinning his Jinzo.

Very slowly, Jinzo began to stop...

...only to be pointed at Espa's Reflex Bounder. Jinzo attacked, destroying the Reflex Bounder, but in turn, he got blasted by his own attack thanks to those mirrors.

Espa's life points dropped to zero.

I wanted to cheer, but remembered to keep my cool in front of Mokuba and the Roba brothers. The crowd below us were shocked. Because the psychic duelist lost.

"Nice work," said Yami. "Close duel."

I hung over the railing, as though I just ran all around the city. "You can say that again."

The Roba brothers had watched the whole duel. Though they were disappointed, they didn't let any comments go by.

"Espa put up a good fight," said one of them."But the other guy beat him."

The other one banged lightly on the raised edge of the roof. "Ah, he was so close!" he cried.

Espa fell to his knees, defeat written on his face. Some of the guys behind him began to poke fun at him, teasing about how his ESP didn't help him predict he would lose.

Joey strode up to him, asking for his locator card. But Espa refused, looking angrily frantic at the crowd around him. He was trying to read everyone's expressions, wondering about what they would say about him now.

He was worried about his brothers being bullied again.

On his knees, trying not to cry from his loss, Espa explained to Joey about how much winning meant to him. That, if his status as a loser spreads, his younger brothers will be picked on by bullies again.

Joey explained that he knew what it was like to duel for someone else; he's an older brother too. Then he tries to give Espa a hand to get up, but the other simply knocks his hand away in misunderstood anger, thinking Joey doesn't understand. He needed to win. For his younger brothers.

But his earpiece fell out and landed a foot away in the thrash.

Joey was about to walk away for his behaviour, but ended up hearing voices from somewhere.

It was Espa's younger brothers. They'd come down from the rooftop and were now there in the crowd. Mokuba let them go to go back to work from supervising them.

Espa's little brothers told him that even though he lost a duel, he's always a winner to them. Then they had a group hug and I could hear the crowd's awe from all the way up here. Téa and Mr. Muto met up with Joey who was given a locator card and rare card from Espa. I'm so glad things worked out. Hopefully his younger brothers wouldn't get bullied anymore.

I smiled. Just by the look on my face, I know whoever sees me right now, can tell I'm thinking about my own older brother.

"That's so sweet."

Yami looked my way, and noticed a stray tear lingering near the corner of my eye. He hesitated a moment, but made a move to gently wipe it away. He placed a comforting hand on my arm.

"It is," he agreed. My cheek felt oddly cold from his touch. I smiled up at him.

"Now that Joey won...do you want to leave? We have to get going on our duels as well."

Yami gave me careful look and nodded. "Joey's done a good job. I knew he would find his strength."

I smiled again, sadly this time, and you could actually see it if you looked hard enough, and fingered the Millennium Locket around my neck. "Yeah," I said, remembering my brother's caring face. "Me too."

Author's Note: -falls- I'm so sorry it took me over three flipping weeks to update! ~o~ Even after typing past MIDNIGHT I couldn't get this chapter done on time! It was because I didn't have it written down already, unfortunately. ^^' I had to come up with it on the spot.

Eeenyways, I'm really really sorry for being late, and I'm really really sorry if this chapter was bad. I tried. :/

I still hope you liked it! Now, I have to get to bed, because it's 11:30 pm here, and in less than 12 hours, I have an ortho appointment for my braces. -.- Baka... XDD

See you guys until next chapter! ^^ Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated! Thanks. :)

I'm sorry for any grammatical errors. ^^'