(29/08/11)
Author's Note: Bahahahaha! I'm here with another chapter~
Okay, OJ68 let's get somethin' clear: You are not a pest! I'd like to think of your past review as...a push to get me to start writing! I very much appreciate your reading and support! So, thank you. ^^ Sorry. A misunderstanding that needed to be cleared. (I never even thought of you as a 'pest'.. o.o)
Ahem. Now then. Yeah. I'm back with another chapter; what a miracle! XDD Still...hope you guys like this one! Thanks~ x3
Revisions!: I've just finished updating chapter 5 of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Past Repeating: Season 1. It's called Journey to Duelist Kingdom. Hopefully, it makes A LOT more sense than before. ^^' Check it out if you want! Tell me what you think. Thanks! ^^
Arkana is about to use a deadly combo to bring Yami's life points down to zero. The whole point of the Seal is acknowledged and pointedly useless. Sarah's head spins during a certain turn, Yami's worried whether he'll win the duel or not, and Arkana is nowhere near losing the duel. Could this be over in Arkana's favour? And will Yami's mind go to the Shadow Realm? You'll have to read to find out.
Disclaimer!: Fanfiction, and I do NOT get any money out of it either. Thanks. ^^
Battle City-New Evil Emerges, Old Friends Reunite Chapter 27
LP: Arkana: 1500/Yugi: 1500
Great. Now I've got two kunai stabbing my arms like a couple of darts on a dartboard... Yami shackled to a madman's game... And my phone at my feet, not shattered from the fall from my hand (thankfully)...
Long story short; how will we get out of this one?
Along with the immense pain, which—by the way—felt like a kunai was thrown at me every second (a lot like the slash I received a couple of nights before), I also felt annoyingly angered by the fact and their source; Arkana. Here I am, literally pinned to my doom as I have told Téa, slowing losing blood by every minute passed, while the Pharaoh I'm supposed to be protecting is far beyond my reach, dueling for his sanity!
...What. The. Hell.
How frustrating!
And to top it off? I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm counting on the Pharaoh to save me as well.
The thought was embarrassing! I'm the one who should be helping him. Not the other way around!
I heaved a heart wrenching sigh. No matter how much it hurt... No matter how much I might think of myself as a failure... I have to keep reminding myself that I had no chance. Arkana was at a close range of throwing those kunai—cursed ones at that. If they were cursed to pin me down, pin me down is what they'll do. Whether I run around in circles to try and avoid them or fall down a cliff. They would have caught me no matter what.
But...cursing is something known evil sorcerers can only do. I highly doubt Arkana is that much talented in his 'magic tricks'. To put a curse on an inanimate object is really complex. If Arkana didn't do it, then who could have given him the cursed kunai?
Could Marik have? If so, he must be some sort of a sorcerer. An evil one for that matter. He could be using his Millennium Rod to cast it...
That bastard.
How did he get his hands on a Millennium Item anyway? The Item had to choose whoever was worthy of having it in their possession. How did the Millennium Rod choose a power-seeking-guy like Marik?
Sometimes I wonder if this tournament is really supposed to answer our questions or make us even more confused then we already are.
Either way, we need to get out of here and track Marik down. He's dangerous and he's showed us that he'll do anything for the power he thinks he 'deserves'. Yami must win against Arkana.
At the moment, Yami is faced with a mysterious magic card. Ectoplasmer.
LP: Arkana: 1500/Yugi: 1500
"What does it do, Arkana?" asked Yami, glaring at the crazed man.
Arkana smirked. "This card does what it does to strip you of your life points!
"Allow me to explain. Ectoplasmer will drain the soul of one of my monsters and fire it directly at you!"
"But that will turn your monsters into empty shells," exclaimed Yami. "Who will be of no use to you!"
"I don't care," said Arkana harshly, sending a wave of darkness through out the room. This man just admitted he didn't care about his monsters, when Duel Monsters is all about the opposite; to treat monsters with respect.
I officially despised this man. It was the choice he made to go along with Marik that's pulled him into the wrong direction in life. He could have done something better with a no, like asking for Catherine's love on his own. But he's got Marik betraying him without even knowing.
How sad.
Marik has Arkana right where he wants him, to do whatever he wants him to do.
Like trading his monsters in for a chance to bring down Yami's life points.
"You don't care," I repeated disbelievingly. After hanging out with Yugi all this time and for a long while, I thought I'd get a heart attack from someone saying those words about their monsters. Instead, I feel horribly sorry.
For the monsters.
"That's right," said Arkana with another smirk. "Once I win, I'll have no use for my monsters anyway."
Yami and I watched in horror as Arkana ordered the magic card to drain the soul of his Doll of Demise. The body fell limp while its soul became a ball of blue energy floating beside him. I glanced between Arkana, his Dark Magician, Yami, and his own Dark Magician. Then my eyes fell onto the glowing ball of pure attack power and energy.
Arkana was really going to use it as a missile to attack Yami's life points directly.
Out of desperation to Guard, I tried jerking myself out of the kunai grasps once more. I felt the sharp blades cut even deeper into my flesh, warning me with pain to stop resisting, otherwise I'll be sorry. But I couldn't just stay back and watch Yami get hit! I didn't want to see him in pain.
I didn't want to feel his pain through the Seal. It makes me horrible guilty when I do.
"It's useless fighting, Sarah," said Arkana proudly. "Those kunai aren't going to let you go anywhere. And the more you struggle, the deeper they embed themselves into you. So I'd best be careful if I were you."
His sickening chuckle was disturbing, and it gave me more reason and determination to try even harder in my escape. In the midst of it all, I cried out in frustration when I felt the kunai dig even deeper into my arm. I felt this white hot pain suddenly exploding from inside and grimaced.
"Sarah," said Yami. I stopped struggling to find him staring back at me. The expression on his face was defiant and it told me to fight.
"Don't let it rattle you," he said. "I have to take this hit, and you know it. Don't endanger yourself anymore when you know it's useless."
Arkana smirked. "That's right," he said. "Now, Energy Shot. Bypass Yugi's monsters and strike his life points directly!"
The bright blue ball of energy shot right past Yami's Dark Magician and Big Shield Gardna, and was headed straight for Yami. The Pharaoh braced himself for the attack.
"No!"
I tried to ignore the pain I suddenly felt through the Seal, but it brought pain in my eyes as well. I felt tears of frustration and anger sting them. I felt helpless. Even Yami's Dark Magician looked on in horror.
LP: Arkana: 1500/Yugi: 0700
Once Yami emerged, slightly scathed, from the blast of energy, the feelings only worsened. The glowing energy disk slowly began to move once again, until it stopped right under the 700 point mark.
"I'm sorry, Yami," I said forlornly. I tried forcing the tears back, my body wracking with pain which already increased the sadness. I felt useless. "There's finally a duel where I have to protect you and...I'm failing miserably. I'm so sorry..."
Yami wiped the edge of his mouth once more before taking a deep breath. Though Kaiba's holographic system is made to seem as life-like as possible, it seemed more like a weapon each time than a Duel Disk for card games.
"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," he managed to say, even if his energy was drained from taking the attack. His voice was as steady as his glare towards Arkana, who was spitefully cackling at his near victory. "It isn't your fault."
"But, can I help feeling so damned guilty?"
Yami's eyes found their way to mine. The tears I had forced back were gone at least, without a trace, but the guilt hadn't left.
"As your Guardian, I should have been able to protect you..."
"I've just about had it with your useless talking, Sarah," growled Arkana. "You're out of the way, so deal with it."
He threw another kunai at me, and because I couldn't move away, it hit. But since Arkana was far away, he missed my torso in less than an inch. I held my breath and looked at the kunai with terrified eyes. It was so close to hitting the stitches. If it had, then I would have bleeding pints of blood all over again.
"Arkana!" shouted Yami. His crimson eyes blazed with anger. "What did you do that for? Leave Sarah out of this fight!"
"Isn't that the same thing she's trying to tell you?" said Arkana, exasperatedly. "When you're in trouble, she's in trouble. It's easy philosophy."
"You bastard. If you throw one more knife at Sarah for any reason at all, you'll be sorry. Especially after using Ectoplasmer. You coward."
I blinked in Yami's direction. Did he just swear?
I guess when someone gets enough anger bubbling inside them, they'll let it all out.
Arkana shrugged, trying to act all innocent though we know he's far from it. "I'm only showing you the truth, Yugi," he said. "Monsters respond best to fear. You'll never gain their respect with kindness and trust. My Dark Magician already knows he's nothing but a pawn!"
I saw something flash through Arkana's Dark Magician's eyes. It was anger. And it was directed towards his cardholder.
"I activate the magic of my Ectoplasmer magic card once more, since it's a continuous spell card!" said Arkana. "Ectoplasmer, extract the soul of my Dark Magician!"
Before the spell card took him, I saw Arkana's Dark Magician look at his cardholder in a horrified manner. Then, his soul was taken and his body fell limp, just like that. The ball of pure energy wavered in the air, the only dominant object on Arkana's side of the field.
I saw the face of his Dark Magician.
I still couldn't believe Arkana would do such a thing.
He's hurting his own monsters...
"Arkana," I called, almost quietly. There wasn't any use talking sense into him, but I couldn't help but say it. "Your monster is crying."
Of course, he didn't listen. "Attack Yugi directly!" he ordered the pure ball of energy. It buzzed to life with rapid power before lunging forward, bypassing Yami's only monster and heading straight for him.
The reality of the situation suddenly hit me with such incredible weight, I felt the breath in my lungs disappear.
"Yami if you get hit, you'll lose!"
He knows.
But there wasn't anything he could play.
He was trapped.
Damn it! The Pharaoh can't lose in this duel! He just can't!
Suddenly, everything seemed to slow down, as if the movie's film was sticky. Yami's Dark Magician's eyes flared with determination I haven't seen since 5,000 years ago, back when Master Mahad had been my teacher. Then, in one swift moment, the soul of Yami's Dark Magician extracted itself, shooting around Yami to step in front of the direct assault.
Yami had his arms up to brace himself for the winning attack, but when the bright flash of a new soul caught his eyes, he gasped. I did as well.
Yami's Dark Magician was sacrificing himself to protect Yami.
Arkana, Yami, and I stared at the scene in shock.
Both Dark Magicians' souls clashed in one huge firework display, exploding blue light everywhere, nearly blinding the room's occupants. When the brightness had finally died down, we reopened our eyes with vague curiosity.
Yami's Dark Magician and Arkana's Dark Magician were nowhere to be seen.
"Did...what just happened?" I asked Yami cautiously.
"That wasn't supposed to happen!" exclaimed Arkana in anger. "What did you do, Yugi? Play an illegal card to get your Dark Magician to keep you safe instead of taking the hit yourself?"
Yami's crimson eyes glared Arkana down. "Unlike you, I duel honourably and true," he stated clearly. "Your eyes are clouded with so much of your own illusions that you can't even tell what the truth is anymore.
"My Dark Magician just sacrificed his soul to give me a second chance."
Arkana was baffled. "But, why?" he said. "Why would a servant do such a thing?"
"Because it's what we do," I said. "True, we follow orders like you say. Arkana. But, if the people whom we are owned by treat us with respect, we'll do anything for them willingly.
"You should have seen the fear in your Dark Magician's eyes Arkana. They were almost wet with tears because of your harsh words. He wouldn't have done what you wanted him to, but since it was the rules...the poor guy had no choice."
"These are just cards, you fools," seethed Arkana. "Nothing more! Trusting them would lead you nowhere."
"I'm still standing, aren't I?"
Arkana glared harshly towards Yami. "You may have escaped this one attack, but you're still only one attack away from losing your mind to the Shadow Realm!"
"You've already lost by putting your trust in someone like Marik. How can you believe that he will really reunite you with your lost love?"
Arkana sweated uncertainly as he looked over his shoulder to the woman behind the curtain. "Don't listen to him, Catherine!" he said. "Once I win this duel, we'll finally be together forever!"
"It's useless talking some sense into you," I sighed. "What a drag. Yugi, you can beat him."
Yami gave me a determined nod. "Right. Arkana, both our fields are empty of monsters. Make your last move so I can begin my turn."
Arkana smirked. "Very well," he said. "I place one card face down and then end my turn. I'm the real Master of Magicians, Yugi, as you'll soon find out. No one can defeat me!"
Finally! His turn lasted almost a decade! And boy was that a long and suspense filled decade...
Yami drew his card. "Arkana, you disrespect your monsters and rely on tricks to win," he said. "If you were a real Master of Magicians, you'd hear the mourning of the soul sacrificed by its master."
Arkana mocked him. "You'll have to speak up, Yugi! I can't hear you over the hum of the energy disks! They're too close to you!" His cackle made me shiver again. How can this man be so demented? He scares me to death.
"I can attack you directly if you aren't careful," warned Yami. He's had enough of this man. He disgusted him with his rude behaviour and disregard for anyone other than himself and Catherine. "I summon Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts."
"And with that, I activate my trap card," said Arkana, and with a click of a button, his face down card flipped over. "Shadow Balance! This card makes the number of monsters on your side of the field equal to the number of monsters on my side. And since I have no monsters, both of your monsters are destroyed!"
As the demonic looking scales snapped themselves around both Yugi's Big Shield Gardna and Gazelle, they shattered into a million pieces, materializing into thin air. A look of horror struck the Pharaoh's face. He was left with no monsters to defend himself.
"Oh? My turn again?" chuckled Arkana. I glared icy daggers his way. "Ah, and I drew just the card I needed! I play the magic card Dark Magic Curtain!"
"No!" I said. "Not that card..."
Arkana smirked. He was beginning to look just like Weevil, who also never dropped the smirk on his face to save his life.
A skeleton holding a deep red curtain appeared onto the field. The shadows swirling about it made it seem undeniably full of magic. Evil magic, light magic, who knew? All I know, is that it's full of power. Ancient and new.
"With the payment of half my life points," said Arkana proudly. "I can summon a high-level monster without a sacrifice.
"And I choose to summon my Dark Magician!"
He has more than one Dark Magician...
If this really is a Battle of Magicians, then it's bad news for Yami. Because his Dark Magician is in the Graveyard!
LP: Arkana: 0750/Yugi: 0700
From within the flowing red curtain emerged another one of Arkana's Dark Magicians, clad in deep red robes, as he smirked challengingly at the Pharaoh. He held his sea green staff in one hand as he crossed his arms.
"And to make sure you don't use any of your face down cards..." said Arkana thoughtfully, but the smirk on his face told us everything we needed to know. This man thought he was going to win this turn. "I play the magic card Anti-Magic Arrows to prevent you from activating them!"
What? It was one thing when Arkana summons his Dark Magician in one turn, but to get rid of the last of Yami's defence? With that strategy...he can win the duel...
No... I can't believe it to be the end...!
I looked to Yami desperately. His expression was placid.
Was he accepting defeat?
Arkana's Dark Magician's hands were suddenly filled with a handful of very sharp looking knives, and behind him, many more floated. With a swift thrust forward, he sent the knives flying down on Yami's face down cards, pinning them uselessly.
Arkana chuckled mercilessly. "This is it, Yugi!" he cried ecstatically. "You're going to lose this duel whether you like it or not! Where's your trust in your cards now, hm?
"Dark Magician, attack Yugi's life points directly!
"End this duel!"
Yami's gold bangs covered his eyes as Arkana's monster raised his staff to point it at him, ready for the attack. My heart wrenched at the look on his face.
He was going to lose.
We've only gotten to know so few things about Marik, an obstacle in our path, and already he's lost...
Was this enemy really that strong?
The Dark Magician...he was just about to attack when suddenly...
Another Dark Magic Curtain appeared on Yami's side of the field.
"What?" exclaimed Arkana with utter confusion. I felt my heart racing with fear and hope. I didn't want the duel to end with Yami's mind trapped in the Shadow Realm—what would I do without him!—but this duel was beginning to become extremely tense. Every turn, I felt anxiety course through me with incredible speed and force, and it wasn't stopping.
"But...how can that be? You can't activate your magic cards..."
"It's true I can't activate a trap or spell because of your knives," said Yami, raising his head to glare defiantly at Arkana. When the bangs playing around his face fell away, I saw his crimson eyes filled with confidence. There was no sign of accepting defeat anywhere.
Of course...
This is Yami and Yugi I'm talking about...
They would never have given up until the last point was taken...
Yami's smirk was now dominating. "You forgot to read the fine print, Arkana," he said. "Both players can use the Dark Magic Curtain, as long as one plays it. You're not the only one who can summon a high-level monster this turn."
"B-But I was told that you only had one Dark Magician in your deck!"
"It's true I have one Dark Magician, but this magician is of a different gender."
Arkana's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "A female Dark Magician?" he cried. "I've only heard rumours, but..."
"It's true! Next to the Dark Magician stands not only his master but his apprentice as well!
"Say hello to Dark Magician Girl!"
From within the flowing Dark Magic Curtain emerged a pretty spell caster, clad in a magician's outfit with touches of blue, pink, and yellow everywhere. Her wand matched it perfectly, and above her blonde spiky hair was a pointy hat, similar to the Dark Magician's. She twirled fashionably around the centre of Yami's field, winking challengingly at Arkana.
This spell caster was indeed beautiful. She had this sort of mystic sense to her, other than her magic. A magic I haven't seen before.
I felt a vein in my head throb mysteriously.
Arkana nearly had a heart attack. "A female Dark Magician..." he said in awe. "I can't believe my eyes...! Though she's as wonderful as they say, she still doesn't have enough attack points to stand up to my Dark Magician!"
It was true. She only had 2000 points.
Yami would still be at a huge disadvantage if he lost this new monster...
But the Pharaoh's face still held a small smirk. To Arkana, it could have looked daring—and vulnerable. He'll attack him and win the duel.
Yami looks like he has something planned...could it be true?
I found my eyes still glued onto Yami's new magician. For some reason, I can't look away. Maybe it had something to do with her being a new monster in Yami's deck or he might have liked the card exceptionally, but...something about it...
My head was shot with another blast of pain.
Wait.
Another?
Ever since I've laid eyes on the Dark Magician Girl...my head's been hurting...
What in the world...? I'm so confused.
I tried shaking my head to clear it of thoughts, but they always ran straight into the Dark Magician Girl.
What the heck is going on?
My hands were in my hair, trying to compress the pain in my head, but it didn't work. I tried averting my gaze to lose thought of it.
I saw Arkana chuckling madly on his side of the duel ring.
"In a moment, my dear Catherine!" he said. "Soon, we'll be together forever!
"Now, my Dark Magician! Attack Yugi's monster and bring me to victory!"
Because this Dark Magician was another one summoned by Arkana, he didn't have the same sad face as the deceased one. Instead, his face shone with a challenging smirk. With no hesitation, he raised his staff to Yami's Dark Magician Girl—it charged with dark magic, sparking dramatically. His face said 'Have fun in the Graveyard'.
The Dark Magician Girl wasn't going to be defeated that easily. She stood as confidently as Yami and raised her own wand to attack back. Her coloured magician's outfit shined beautifully underneath the lighting. She looked intimidating when she wore a determined expression, other than her outgoing side which was whenever she wore a smile instead, like the moment she was summoned.
It told me that she could be loving and carefree as well as daring and brave.
My head pounded once again.
Something flashed abruptly through my eyes.
Suddenly, the pain in my arms felt like nothing.
I winced, trying to fight against the scream that wanted to rip its way through my mouth. My eyesight blurred; colourful streaks of light making swirly designs in my vision.
I was vaguely aware of the Dark Magician Girl and the Dark Magician attacking each other with all the power in their staff and wand. The magical display of loose magic was spectacular, illuminating the entire room with light. Both duelists were anxious to know who's magician will win the round—and who's will lose. The blast, however, became so powerful and blinding with light, Yami and Arkana had to look away.
When the light had finally died down, both looked up. And were astonished.
"What?" exclaimed Arkana with dismay. "My Dark Magician!"
Yami's Dark Magician Girl had won the round, even though her attack points were lower than that of the Dark Magician's. Arkana's monster slowly dissolved into air, his face stricken with horrified confusion as well, before disappearing completely.
"For someone who claims to be the Master of Magicians, you know quite little," said Yami with a small frown. "But no matter. A man who treats his cards and monsters with such disrespect shouldn't have won today's duel anyway.
"My Dark Magician Girl has a special ability, Arkana! And it was your downfall.
"For each Dark Magician in the Graveyard, she gains three hundred attack points!"
Arkana was completely horrified. "Three hundred for each?" he proclaimed with confusion. "B-But there's only one Dark Magician in your Graveyard!"
"Take a closer look, Arkana!"
At first, the illusionist squinted at the Dark Magician Girl, trying to locate the source of her power. A faded hologram of Yami's Dark Magician was right next to the Dark Magician Girl; his power within her.
But then, his eyes widened when he saw his own Dark Magician's slightly faded hologram on her other side; another power source. He was instantly confounded. His Dark Magician was angry at his past master, for the dirty crime he had committed against him.
"It's my own Dark Magician! But...why would he be working for you?"
Yami's glare intensified. "Open your eyes, Arkana!" he bellowed. "Dark Magician Girl's special ability counts for both our Graveyards! Since you were foolish enough to sacrifice your own Dark Magician mindlessly for a chance to break my life points, you've only sealed your demise. He also gave Dark Magician Girl three hundred more attack points."
Arkana knew he was finished. He realized it too late. There wasn't a way for him to get a second chance. It was too late.
"Now, Dark Magician Girl, attack Arkana with all your power. Reduce his life points to zero, and end this duel!"
The Dark Magician Girl complied, pointing her wand accusingly at Arkana. She was angered by the same fact as everyone else, that this man did nothing but think of himself and not his monsters. She was ready to blast him.
A powerful surge of dark magic escaped her wand, blasting at Arkana with force enough to leave him panting. The burst of dark magic she sent at him was enough to let a cry escape his own lips. His life points finally dropped, and this duel was finally over.
LP: Arkana: 0000/ Yugi: 0700
Yami won. And the key box under his feet opened, which held a key for the shackles around his legs and a locator card for the duel.
But like I said...I was vaguely aware of that.
With my hands in my hair, and a scream at the back of my throat, the enormous pain in my mind was nearly killing me. I had no idea where it was coming from and why, but that was the least of my problems. I wanted it to stop.
Right when Yami had won the duel though, the pain had turned into flashes of images flying aimlessly through my eyes.
I saw the Dark Magician Girl firing her attack at Arkana—and then the scene changed to someone else who looked a lot like her attacking at something else with a wand of her own. But instead of blonde hair...it was brown. A rich chocolate colour...
Their wands were similar, however, which really confused me. The pain in my head was dominating, the scream at my tongue—
But then the scene changed into a million different pictures. They showed of smiling faces, enticing magic, Egypt and its tremendous pyramids, and the Pharaoh's palace.
And then I saw it.
The image that changed my life. And how I looked at this tournament from then on.
I saw a small stone plaque, encrypted with hieroglyphs. Dozens of symbols just spinning around in my head with a sandy background. In the centre of the slab, was a hole.
In the shape of several objects put together.
What in the name of Ra is going on? I managed to ask myself, before pain and images mixed together. This was horribly confusing, so confusing, I would have cried if I wasn't occupied with all the pain.
Now I know why the Dark Magician Girl seemed special to me.
She was familiar...
I didn't notice it entirely, but when Yami had unlocked his shackles, the curse on the kunai pinning me to the wall broke, making them fall out of my shirt and clatter to the floor.
I was too preoccupied to hold my stand steady. I fell to my knees, still clutching my head like there was no tomorrow.
Colourful images and confused feelings flew through my mind. The pain was from trying to understand what they meant. But I couldn't help it. I wanted to know what the meaning behind it all is.
As soon as my knees hit the floor, the pain suddenly washed away, leaving me breathless and dizzy. One image was stuck in my mind as the ground rushed up to meet me.
It was of a girl with brown hair jutting downwards, me, and the Pharaoh; all in Ancient Egypt.
Smiling like we were best friends...
And I could remember nothing more. Everything turned black.
Yami grasped the key in his hands and began to unlock the shackles around his legs, pocketing his locator card instantly. Arkana was freaking out about how the dark energy disk was getting closer and closer to him. Yami mentally smirked. It was what he deserved. He has to go to the Shadow Realm for what he's done.
Suddenly, the shouts he heard from the other side of the door made him turn around, especially when he remembered there was a Guardian who needed help out of the kunai. Looks like their friends had found out where they were.
As soon as he saw Sarah falling to the ground, nearly unconscious, he forgot all about Yugi's friends shouting to them and Arkana. All he could see was her body go limp as it hit the floor. The non-cursed kunai still lodged into her arms.
His blood ran cold. He wasn't expecting Sarah to suddenly drop like she's de—
"Sarah!" he yelled, trying for a response. She didn't move. He was about to run over to her when Arkana's sudden shrieks of being unable to see the spare key in his hand rang in his ears.
Yami receded into the Millennium Puzzle and Yugi took charge. Though the Pharaoh would enjoy his enemies suffering after their inevitable loss, Yugi was still soft at heart. He rushed over to Arkana's side and picked up the fallen key, instantly unlocking Arkana's shackles and pushing him under, to let the buzzing dark energy disk fall into place—where his legs would have been, freeing Arkana from a trip to the Shadow Realm.
"Even a cheat like you doesn't deserve to go to the Shadow Realm," said Yugi, standing back up from his rescue. He felt the Pharaoh urging him into the direction of Sarah. He was just about to turn when Arkana was back. Well, back to talking like himself and not like a nutcase.
"I lost..." he whispered quietly, defeated. "I lost it all...but..."
Suddenly, he turned around and ran towards the curtain where Catherine was. He didn't even bother to remove the curtain, hugging her through it as it fluttered to the floor.
"My sweet Catherine," he said. "I'll make it all up to you. This loss was not the least bit important. Just you are. We'll be together and we'll be happy. I promise."
As he hugged, the woman didn't move. And to confirm everyone's thought, the top of the curtain rolled back, to reveal a loose doll's head falling off the body of a mannequin.
Arkana was cheated of his love.
When the doll didn't answer to Arkana, the man looked disbelievingly at the doll. He seemed dazed from loosing the duel. "Maybe Marik is hiding the real Catherine somewhere else to surprise me," he said, trying to reassure himself. He had gone crazy.
Yugi felt sorry for the guy. After all, all he wanted was to get his love back. "Are you all right, Arkana?" he asked, making his way over to the illusionist. But suddenly, he stopped as soon as Arkana dropped the doll and turned around.
With a glowing Millennium Symbol on his forehead.
The temperature of the room just dropped ten degrees.
"You care too much, do you know that?" said a new voice, speaking directly through Arkana like a radio. His voice was two voices put together, obscuring his own. Arkana's eyes were rolled into the back of his head, just like the other Rare Hunter's.
"Marik!" Yugi gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Why don't you show yourself instead of hiding behind your Rare Hunters! You coward."
"I'll appear when I'm ready to take what I want," he said with smirky edge to his voice. "The power of the Pharaoh. Of the man that's currently residing within your Millennium Puzzle. This power is rightfully mine!"
"What makes you say that it's yours?" challenged Yugi. "Only Yami deserves the power because he is Pharaoh!"
"My family has slaved for centuries, protecting the Pharaoh's tomb until his return," he said, a little bitterly. "I want revenge for me and my family; The Tomb Keepers. Deep underneath the sands of Egypt we lived, protecting the Pharaoh's secrets from all attackers, for 5,000 years. We weren't allowed contact with the outside world, but must stay in the dark, guarding the Millennium Items with our lives.
"But I've had it. We've given up so much—including our lives! And for what? To wait for someone else to come and steal away what we worked so long and hard for? I don't think so!"
"But that power doesn't belong to you!" said Yugi, glaring at the man, though it isn't actually him at the moment. If he can control minds, then he can look through his puppet's eyes. And he can see Yugi, but he can't see him. "It belongs to Yami! I won't let you take it!"
"You don't have the power to stop me," said Marik. "I've studied the Ancient Scriptures and I know how to obtain the power of the Pharaoh for myself! All I need is to harness the power of the three Egyptian God cards and the Millennium Puzzle. But I can't just take the Millennium Puzzle, I have to win it in a duel. And once I do, I'll banish both your souls and his pitiful Guardian's soul to the Shadow Realm, that way you can not interfere!
"Just look at her. She isn't even doing her job right."
At the mention of Sarah, Yugi's blood then ran cold, just like the Pharaoh's had. He slowly turned around.
And found her unconscious on the floor, bleeding but breathing.
"Sarah!"
"How she's unconscious, only the Gods know," said Marik, almost disgustedly. "She's just another obstacle in my way to the Pharaoh's power. But finishing her off isn't the least of my concern. She's easy to deal with."
Yugi didn't like the sound of that. "You leave Sarah out of this!" he said. "She has nothing to do with the fight between us!"
"Oh, but she has everything to do with it!" argued Marik. "Don't you see, Yugi? If she's always in the way, Guarding the Pharaoh, then she has instantly become my enemy as well!"
"What are you planning on doing?"
Arkana smirked—which meant that Marik was smirking. "That is for me to know and for you to witness," he said wickedly. "But if she can just drop dead like she has right now, then I have no reason to do anything further with her."
Yugi's face paled. "She's not dead," he said strongly. "She's just fainted!"
"Unless she has information of the third Egyptian God card, then I have no interest in her! She needs to stay out of my way, or else I will fully show her my wrath. Keep your Guardian on a leash. It's because of her I couldn't challenge the Pharaoh sooner, when I had sent two of my other Rare Hunters out to get you.
"And speaking of my Rare Hunters, you'll meet with one again very soon. This wasn't your last encounter with one. The battle of Battle City is only just beginning.
"Beware the Quiet One, Yugi—if you can!" chuckled Marik. "Because your next challenge holds one of the three Egyptian Gods!"
The light on his forehead dimmed and vanished, Marik's control over Arkana falling, sending the man to fall limp into Yugi's arms. The other was still horrified from the new dose of information. Slowly, he placed Arkana on the ground.
Just as the pounding on the doors from his friends stopped—at the largest bang, ripping the door off its bolts.
"Yugi!" Mr. Muto, Téa, Mokuba and Tristan yelled out in unison, catching the boy's attention. Kaiba was there as well, but of course, his face was still set in cold monotone. If it weren't for the current circumstances, Yugi would have been thrilled to have his friends burst into the room to his rescue. But...the duel and Marik's new information was too much to take in. And so was the unmoving figure on the floor paces away.
As if sensing the distress, as though it was a fragrance from a strong perfume, they too gazed to the floor right next to the wall.
Where they saw an unconscious Sarah with knives sticking out of her arms like a voodoo doll.
Everyone suddenly rushed over to her, worry etched on on their faces. Even Kaiba seemed mildly concerned.
"What happened?" exclaimed Téa worriedly, staring disbelievingly at the three kunai in her friend's body. Tristan, after a moment of trying to register the same fact, carefully tried to pick up Sarah's body into his arms.
"Explanations can wait," said Mr. Muto. "We need to get Sarah to the hospital."
Mokuba found the source of the signal they were tracking. He picked up Sarah's phone from the ground. "It's only a couple blocks from here," he said. "We'll make it in time."
"There's no need," said Kaiba briskly. Momentarily, he leaned into Sarah's face, listening for a breath. When he felt a faint warm breath brush past his cheeks, he nodded. "She's still breathing."
"Why, thank you, Captain Obvious," commented Tristan snidely.
Yugi stared blankly at his unconscious friend. "Actually... It's very reassuring to me," he said quietly. "I wasn't sure if she was..."
"Well, she is," said Téa, removing some bangs from the girl's face. It was a little stiff, as if she was frowning from pain. "But the knives will do serious damage if she isn't taken care of soon. Let's go!"
At the hospital, in one of its many rooms, everyone who had freed Sarah and Yugi from Arkana's 'magic show' was gathered around Sarah's bed, waiting for her to wake up from unconsciousness. Confusion, but mostly worry, was etched onto their faces, wondering what had happened during that duel to make Sarah fall.
The red head didn't look frail as she lay in the hospital bad, but only troubled. Her eyes were shut tight and her lips were pulled down in a frown, as if she was in a nightmare and in pain. The doctors had given her a tetanus shot for the kunai that had stabbed her, and had also removed said weapons from her arms. The three kunai now lay in a plastic bag on the side table, as evidence for a supposed attempted murder case now filed. Sarah's arms were now bandaged, along with her torso which had been stressed from the stitches and vast movement during the duel, when she was trying to escape from the cursed kunai. Doctors had commented on how straight the stitches were at one time, making Yugi blush just the slightest bit, but that was after they reassured everyone she was overall all right.
Apparently the health report had come back with questions. There was evidence of large amounts of brain activity right before she had collapsed. Doctors think she might have been scared to death from something or...certain information might have caused her mind to overload. They think her previous amnesia could have been working up again.
(Author's Note: Chapter 4 of season 1. ^^' I've rewritten it to make more sense. That is what this is referring to. x3 If you read it, it'll make so much more sense about her, a 5,000 year old spirit, being the Dueling Legend in the modern world. ^^ Thanks for bearing with me, and I apologize for my sketchy chapters. xD)
"I thought she overcame the amnesia," said Téa sadly, who was carefully seated on the edge of Sarah's bed. She brushed some stray bangs away from her eyes, troubled herself from seeing her friend in so much pain.
"We all thought a lot of things," said Mr. Muto. "She's a 5,000 year old spirit from the ancient past, not to mention a Guardian to a just as ancient Pharaoh. The stress could have affected her enough to cause her to faint."
"But Sarah's the kind of girl to always stay on her toes," said Tristan, furrowing his brows forward in thought. "She always seems like she's stressed out. This is the first time it's actually affected her so much."
"Maybe she's tired of hanging out with you geeks," suggested Kaiba smartly.
A vein pounded on the side of Tristan's head. "Maybe it was the 'sultry' sound of your voice from when you talked to her on the phone that's made her dizzy!"
"Enough you two," said Mokuba, breaking up a fight that's going to happen. He kept a hold on Sarah's phone until she wakes up. "Why don't we just get to the bottom of her attacker? And who were you dueling, Yugi? He seemed creepy with that mask on..."
Yugi, who was sitting on a chair next to Sarah's bed, was looking down at the red head thoughtfully, wondering exactly the same thing. "His name was Arkana," he said. He was saddened, looking at his friend in the hospital. "He was a Rare Hunter."
"Was he the one who harmed Sarah?" asked Mr. Muto.
Yugi nodded. "It was him," he said. "But he was only following someone else's orders."
Téa was surprised. "You've figured out who's behind all of this?"
All eyes turned to the star haired boy. He fiddled with the Millennium Puzzle, curious how this Item could be the source of all the troubles.
"Yes," he said with a small sigh. "It's a guy named Marik. He wants the power of the Pharaoh because he thinks it's his. In order to get it, he needs to win a duel against me. He also wants the three Egyptian God cards."
"Egyptian Gods?" Mr. Muto was incredulous. Kaiba remained calm by the door with Mokuba next to him, who was listening to Yugi intently. Tristan scratched his head, trying to incorporate this new information with the old, making it fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. He was having little luck.
"Pegasus apparently resurrected them into cards," said Yugi. "So says Marik, the man behind all of this."
"Gods in any form or shape are mighty and powerful," said Tristan. "If these three cards live up to these standards then it could mean the end of the world if they're fallen into the wrong hands."
Kaiba smirked to himself, thinking about how ironic the situation was. He, of course, already had one of the three, given to him by Ishizu Ishtar herself when she invited him to her private exhibit. But he won't tell Yugi or his friends. He decided to keep the information to himself. For now. Until he gets a chance to beat Yugi with it in his own duel against him.
And he needed more time to win the other two Egyptian God cards. That way he could have the strongest monsters in his deck to help him defeat Yugi.
Mokuba looked up at his older brother. "Seto, don't you think we should..." The younger thought it might be best to tell Yugi about the God card. If it could help track the man who hurt Sarah, they can put him in his place quickly and easily.
Kaiba returned his little brother's gaze. It was soft, but to others, it wouldn't look any different. "We can't do anything about what happened," he said briskly. "And it isn't any of our business in the first place."
Mokuba nodded, knowing that once his brother sets his mind on something, it's the answer every time. "But I still wonder who could have done something like this..." he said, unable to stop himself from saying it. "She must have lost a bit of blood. I mean, did you see the pool starting to grow at her arms when we found her?"
Kaiba's eyes momentarily flashed with the image of Sarah's unconscious form. He tried shaking his head a little bit to get rid of it. It disturbed him, like it would any other human—of another laying on the ground like Sarah was at the time—looking like they're dead. But what could he have done? She didn't respond when they were talking on the phone after discussing a strategy to find both her and Yugi. He'd figured she might have collapsed then, because the line went dead after a second of him calling for her.
Deep down, even he was curious to know what could have caused the Dueling Legend to suddenly drop, even though she knew she had injuries on her arms.
But he won't admit it to anyone. It didn't mean anything, but a simple curiosity.
"It's a real shame," he said, trying not to sound cold, but it ended up that way anyway. "You should be more careful, Yugi. I thought putting your friends in danger was the last thing you always wanted."
Yugi frowned. "I didn't ask for this to happen, Kaiba," he said.
Tristan showed the other brunette a clenched fist. "It wasn't his fault, damn you! Can't you hear that there's another guy behind all of this?"
"Tristan, stay calm," said Mr. Muto. The brunette shot one last warning glare at the other brunette before sitting next to Yugi on another chair, crossing his arms a little angrily because of Kaiba's snide remark. "Now then, Kaiba. Don't you have a tournament to run if you don't want to be here?"
The CEO considered this only for a moment. "You're right," he said suddenly. "Let's go, Mokuba. Battle City is our first priority anyway. I hope Sarah gets better."
His last sentence could have been sarcasm. Everyone believed it to be that way, knowing him. But it actually had some concern. Very little concern. And only because Sarah was a fellow Champion of Duel Monsters.
Even though he isn't one anymore.
As Seto Kaiba and his little brother Mokuba walked out of the hospital, he had only one thought on his mind, and that was to win the other two Egyptian God cards so he can win his Duel Monsters Champion title back. He was set on that goal. And he wouldn't stop until he defeated Yugi.
Back in the hospital, everyone was once again waiting for Sarah to wake up. She has been unconscious for nearly a half hour now, and the anxiety worsened every minute.
Suddenly, as if their prayers were answered, she finally began to return. Yugi was the first to notice her eyes tighten for a moment before they slowly began to open, revealing blazing scarlet orbs, drowsy from sleep. Téa, Tristan, and Mr. Muto smiled with joy.
"Hey there, sleepy head," said Téa with a relieved smile. Sarah slowly blinked at the brunette, trying to regain her bearings.
"...hello," she said after a minute. Her head felt as though it was run over by a truck. At the moment though, she couldn't remember anything after Yugi summoning the Dark Magician Girl. She doesn't even remember all the images that had run through her mind like a broken film. All she knows is that she is in a hospital room with Mr. Muto, Téa, Tristan, and Yugi gathered at her bedside, with concern evident in their expressions underneath the relief.
What had happened?
"How are you feeling?" asked Tristan.
Sarah reached for her head, testing whether or not it hurt from touch. When no pain was felt, she heaved a long sigh. "Like I ran straight into a semi," she answered.
Smiles broke out. Everyone was happy Sarah was awake and feeling her normal self again. Well, almost. There was a hint of confusion lining her scarlet eyes.
"But...what happened?"
"Yugi won the duel," said Téa. "Against that Rare Hunter."
Sarah smiled, regardless of the fatigue. "That's awesome," she said. "Congrats, Yugi. I knew you could do it."
The other returned the smile. "Yeah, but I'm glad I made it out alive."
"And...Arkana?"
Yugi's small sweat drop disappeared and was replaced with a frown. "Marik took control of him after he lost," he said. "Then he sent his mind to the Shadow Realm."
Hearing the illusionist's Fate made Sarah clench her fists in anger. "Marik..." she seethed with as much strength as she could muster. "...you bastard. All he wanted was to be with Catherine again. He must have cheated him of her as well, huh?'
Yugi looked down.
Sarah sighed, finding no use to stay angry at an invisible enemy. "Now, I'm beginning to feel bad for Arkana," she admitted. "Even he doesn't deserve to go to the Shadow Realm. Maybe another punishment for losing the duel would have been appropriate, but not this one..."
"I agree," said Yugi. "But there's nothing we can do now."
"And he chose the path of following Marik himself. You're right. There's nothing we can do."
Silence dawned over everyone. Until the doctor knocked on the door and walked in, happy to see the red head awake.
"Ah, finally," he said, checking something on his clipboard. "I was wondering when you would be up. Feeling any better?"
"With rest, I'm sure I'll be back to my normal self."
The middle-aged doctor nodded. "You were a little different than normal statuses. We have reason to believe your previous amnesia diagnose might have had something to do with your collapse. It took a lot out of you. I also talked with your friends, trying to get a feel of how you usually are and how you act. As in, are you cheery most of the time? Or sad? Things like that.
"It turns out that what they said doesn't correspond to your test results now. You seem...a bit different to me."
Sarah took a moment for some deep breaths. They felt heavier than normal and her head felt numb. Her heart was in a much weirder tempo; it felt foreign and not her own.
After today's events, once she remembers them, she won't feel exactly like herself anymore. Not only will she be trying to reconnect with the ancient Pharaoh, but she'll also have two powers to help protect from evil clutches.
Yes. She'll believe Ishizu.
She'll begin to accept that there might be a power within her that should not be set free.
At least not in the hands of either Bakura or Marik.
"I think...I think I feel it too..."
Author's Note: I felt like writing this chapter. :/ I had the most enormous urge to write it out, I don't know why. Actually, maybe I do. It's probably because it's such an important and suspenseful chapter. X'D
Next chapter, it's just going to be a mellow and soft one. You'll see once I write it up.
Hope you liked this chapter! ^^
And I'd personally want to apologize to Princess de la Luna. :/ I know I said I'll write up the second chapter to Remember Me but...I just couldn't get into the groove. To make it up, I'll write two consecutive chapters for the new story. I hope I can write them... For the past month, I've felt...odd. :/ And, again, I'm really sorry.
Reviews are always appreciated! Thank you so much. :D