Author's Note: Onto another chapter! I cried when I wrote the last one. o.o

Thank you so uber much for everyone who has read and reviewed. =D It's great to know that you haven't given up on me. And NEVER shall I give up on this story! Neva! =3

IMPORTANT: Guess what everyone! I've now made a Facebook page for my fanfiction. =3 I know it may not seem significant, but if you ever wonder where I am in updating with a new chapter, "like" the page and you can have my status right in your Facebook News Feed. I'll also put up reference pictures and a whole bunch of different stuff I can't name right now. But it'll be fun. =) Everyone is welcome. Thank you. ^^

Ahem. Now then. Shall we see what happened next?

Let's get this started again! Poor Sarah... I just realized that I'm torturing her mind by putting her through everything all over again. o.o I'm so evil! (But I never said that I wasn't either so... 3:D)

Anyways... here we go! Hope you guys like it. Thanks for reading. =)

Sarah is living through the pain of losing her friend once more. What is the purpose of these memories... They appear in dreams more vividly than she would have thought. Could this be a sign? If so, then Sarah must work with the Pharaoh together to find the meaning during the second day of the Battle City Tournament. There's still a long way to go. For now, it's the little things between friends that keeps everyone going.

Disclaimer!: Fanfiction, and I do NOT get any money out of it either. Thanks. ^^

(My writing suuuuuuucks! - - No self-esteem. Can't you tell? x3 No, but seriously. I think my writing still sucks. Dx)

BattleCity-NewEvilEmerges, OldFriendsReuniteChapter 30

The next second, I found myself staring at a white ceiling. I was gasping and my forehead was hot. I felt as though I had a fever. After I tried to fix my breathing pattern and body temperature by breathing deeply and calming myself down, I slowly sat up and looked around. My bearings were unrecognizable.

The first thing I noticed was Yugi sleeping soundly on his bed. I realized that I had fallen asleep in his room. That was odd, because I didn't remember when I closed my eyes. We must have gone so late into the night discussing about the second day of the tournament that I eventually passed out.

I looked at the alarm clock Yugi had on his bedside table. It read 5 a.m. and the sky was still a bit dark. Light was touching the horizon, I could see it out the window.

I found a small blanket and pillow by my side. They must have been where they were supposed to be before I went to sleep, but now they were lopsided. I mustn't have had a good night's sleep then.

Actually... I really didn't have a good night's sleep. Instead of dreaming about strategies I wanted to come up with for the tournament duels, I was bombarded with memories of that fateful day that occurred millennia ago. All those thoughts and pictures came flooding back to me in a wave of horror and sadness. I had to witness my friend sacrifice himself again. Images of that day ran past my eyes like a film, vivid and demanding attention.

Sometimes, I wanted to ask my brain why it did this to me.

'Maybe I'm getting these dreams and nightmares all of a sudden because I've finally told the Pharaoh who I was...' It was a possibility, definitely. But I didn't understand how they would help me, because I already knew what had happened with a clear memory.

Either way, I was now attempting to calm my quivering nerves. I'm not used to waking up feeling so... vulnerable, almost. I was traumatized by everything that had happened in my life.

With a few more deep breaths, I managed to calm myself down long enough to find a familiar light glowing next to me. It was Yami in his spirit form, gazing at me curiously, and yet his crimson eyes held sympathy as well. I wondered how long he'd been there for...

I just looked at him. His gaze was fixed on my arms which were wrapped around my body. I was hugging myself. Was I that... terrified?

And the worst part about it was the fact that I was staring at the man who was involved with the memory. The Pharaoh was right in front of me, not a foot away, wondering why I had suddenly woken up while I was sitting there trying not to think too much.

The result of the Sacrificing Ritual was right before my eyes.

Our Pharaoh... who was so noble and brave... gave up his own life for everyone else to survive.

Now here he was. A ghost. A see-through spirit who lives within the Millennium Puzzle and not his own body.

Yami blinked at me slowly. He knew that I was only staring at him thoughtfully, not in my right mind to speak a word at all. I was consciously aware of the same fact. But... I just could not stop thinking about it...

"... Good morning..." I said eventually. My voice was just a whisper, a ghost-like wind that held no positive emotion. I didn't like to feel so depressed about anything or everything that happened, but sometimes I just couldn't help it. All these thoughts cloud my mind each day.

Yami gave me a thoughtful nod. "Good morning to you too," he replied. "But I'm afraid you don't look so good yourself."

I swallowed nervously. "How do you figure?" I still asked.

"Sarah, you're as pale as the moon."

I touched my face thinking that I could feel the colour in my skin. Of course there was nothing there to feel so I dropped my hand into my lap.

"..."

Yami sat a bit closer to me until his arm was touching mine. It felt like a warm wind pressing up against me. I felt comforted - but it just reminded me even more of his position.

I felt his eyes on me, waiting patiently for me to tell him what happened, but I couldn't budge. Nothing could escape my lips other than breath. I was paralyzed.

But I managed to pull myself together. I've been able to hold in all my negative emotions for over five millennia. I could hold them in for a bit longer, if not forever. They were distracting emotions anyways, and I always thought of them as weak points.

I took another deep breath. Finally, I blinked up at him. His crimson eyes were strikingly bright under the dimming moonlight. "I, um... dreamt again. It was another memory from our past..."

Yami pondered the thought. "I always get the feeling that our past wasn't the brightest," he said numbly.

I shook my head. "It's more like... half and half," I said. "We lived good lives but to balance it all out we needed to have bad experiences too."

Yami's gaze hardened slightly. "What did you see this time?" he asked me quietly.

Suddenly, I began wondering why Yami was able to see the dream I had a couple of nights ago and not all the other ones. What was so special about that dream that he was given to see? And how did that even happen?

I wondered about whether or not I should talk to him about my dreams. But like I had explained to him and Yugi before; talking about memories is one thing, experiencing them is another. There has to be a way where Yami can regain his memories properly.

I wasn't going to talk to him about them.

"I saw the day you were sealed into the Millennium Puzzle."

Yami was silent. He wanted to know what happened. He wanted his memories back just as much as I did - even more. But he also knew that I couldn't just talk to him about it. He needs to... I don't know... have the memories transferred from my mind into his...

Or for us to time travel five millennia back into the past.

"... Can't you just-"

"No."

"... How about-"

"Yami, I said no."

"... Sarah, you aren't being very fair..."

I looked at him. His crimson eyes were dark. I sighed.

"I'm sorry, Yami. I really am. But... you know that I can't just tell them to you. You need to know everything about those dreams. Feelings, emotions, scent - not only sight and voice. If I could wish for anything right now, it'd be for me to have the ability to rip my memories from my mind and put them into yours..."

Yami's gaze slowly softened. "I'm sorry as well," he said, which made me blink. "I'm pressuring you. I shouldn't be doing that. I know that you're trying your best to help me but... sometimes, I feel as though I'm nothing but an empty soul without my memories. I just want to know who I am."

Something struck my mind like a brick. Yami saw my eyes widen. "Speaking of who you are..." I stated carefully. We exchanged glances. "This recent dream reminded me of your name."

Yami blinked harshly at me. "That's great!" he said, and for the first time since I've seen him, he was extremely hopeful. His face glowed. "What's my name? Please. You can at least tell me my name!"

"That's right, I can." I nodded quickly. "Ready? Your name is-"

And suddenly, just as quickly as I remembered that I had it, the name disappeared from my mind. I couldn't remember it anymore.

My gaze shifted from Yami's eyes to the floor where my hand was clenched with frustration. I was finally so close to helping Yami more than I have in a long while and it just suddenly escapes me. I couldn't remember his name anymore.

I sighed. Yami tensed. "I'm terribly sorry... but I can't seem to remember anymore..."

A dead weight of silence clouded the room. All we could hear was Yugi's light breathing.

All the hope Yami had suddenly died out. "I knew it was too good to be true," he said depressingly. "Destiny doesn't even want me to know my own name. But Sarah... I won't give up."

I shook my head, angry with myself for not writing it down. But knowing Destiny, Yami's name would have been erased from my mind the moment I'd have pressed a pencil to some paper.

"I'm so sorry."

Yami gently pet my head. My mind felt lighter. "You're stressing yourself out all over again," he said a little disappointedly. "I understand that it might be harder for you each day but you can't simply break down or become frustrated like you are now."

"Believe me, Yami, I'm trying," I said. "I don't want to be this stressed out either, but you have to admit, this isn't easy."

"I agree. It isn't. Let's just remember to take this one step at a time, alright?"

I sighed. "Alright, my Pharaoh." I stopped.

Yami blinked at me.

With a small blush, I said, "... I guess I'm still used to calling you that..."

"I wonder what it was like to be Pharaoh." I watched Yami's eyes grow questionable.

I may feel awful about Yami's Fate, but I was thankful all the same. He was strong about this. I should be too. Although we wished for a better past, we should still walk into our future with our heads held high. Perhaps something better will happen. We should be strong with each other for now.

I had to work harder in being strong. Yami had it mastered already while I was still very sketchy on the topic.

Right then and there, I swore to myself to be stronger from now on or help drag the Pharaoh to his doom. As his Guardian, I should be taking more care of him. I was going to do that from now on.

I had promised myself to stop crying before. Now I'm going to wrap it all up. No more breaking down or stressing over. I have had it.

Now, it's time for the games to truly begin. Kaiba's tournament hasn't left a true mark on us yet.

"You will remember soon," I said. "Everything. You'll remember it all soon. First thing's first: Your power is at risk of being taken. We need to keep Marik's hands off your Millennium Puzzle and those three Egyptian god cards."

Yami nodded. I could tell from his light facial expression that he was glad I was back on board. "Right. Now, as we discussed the night before, we need to do whatever we must in order to win against Marik and his Rare Hunters."

"Duel until we win."

"Yes."

The window shone with the early morning light. Beautiful, shimmering, golden rays of sunlight curtained Yugi's bedroom. Some light landed on the teen's face, causing him to stir in his sleep. I stood up and grabbed a piece of paper from Yugi's desk and scribbled a message on it with a pencil.

Yami blinked at me before floating up to my side. "What are you doing..."

I signed my name at the bottom of the note and put the pencil back, leaving the piece of paper on top of his desk. "Get some rest while you can, Yami," I said as I headed for the window. "The second day of the tournament starts at nine o'clock. You and Yugi have three hours to prepare yourselves."

"But what about you? You need rest too. Where do you think you're going?"

I opened the window and sat on the ledge, watching Domino City come to life in the morning like a spring day. "I forgot to mention this last night. I fell asleep too quickly. I need to go to the Domino Museum and talk to Ishizu about this. Maybe, she'll be able to help us."

Yami nodded. "Alright. Good luck."

With a return of his gesture, I jumped out of the window and walked down the sidewalk.

Today was going to be a long day, I could just feel it.

Yugi woke up two hours later to find the shining sunlight brightening his bedroom. Awaking himself from his dream-like state, he slowly stretched, his hands reaching the headboard of his bed, his shirt riding up on his abdomen. He found it climbing and pulled it back down.

"...I forgot to change out of my clothes from last night."

Yami shook his head at his partner. "Even better: Sarah fell asleep in your room."

With a sigh, Yugi sat up, pulled his shirt over his shoulders, and threw it onto the end of his bed. He loved the way his bare chest could breathe.

"Right... I knew that. I nearly choked. Never wearing that shirt before bed ever again."

Yami gave Yugi an amused look. "Speaking of what would have happened if Sarah saw you shirtless..." Yugi gave him a "What the..." look. "She left something for you on your desk."

Now that he was awake, he was more aware of his surroundings. He didn't find the Guardian in his room anymore. He rose out of bed and read the note Sarah left behind.

'Morning, Yugi and Yami. Hope you had a good sleep. I just went out to talk to Ishizu for a bit. I'll meet you at the Square. See you then. PS: Please be careful. Stay on your guard. I'll be with you guys soon. -Sarah

With some reassurance, Yugi put the note away and went to go freshen up. "Ah... So at nine, it all begins?"

Yami nodded, determination suddenly filling his striking crimson eyes. "Yes..." he said. "At nine o'clock, we'll be more vulnerable to Rare Hunters and possibly Marik himself. We need to be the utmost careful now."

Yugi nodded. "I'll be back," he said. Then he locked the bathroom door.

Yami glanced out the window. 'Sarah, please... you be careful too.'

When I was finished at my apartment and ready for another full day of pure Battle City tournament, I headed past the Square and towards my destination.

I was at the front doors of the Domino Museum when I was hit with a wave of sudden realization. Although I knew about this, thinking about it separately from everything else is always scary. Because its true meaning was just that frightening.

Marik. I needed to ask Ishizu about the Tomb Keepers. I could subconsciously feel the card, that my caretaker gave me, in my card sheath. The Egyptian gods were redesigned into cards. Yami's power was at stake. The knowledge of me having any kind of power was unbelievable. So many different things ran through my mind. Behind it all though, I knew that Yami must have felt worse than this. And still is.

With a sharp pull of the front doors, I walked through the entrance. Luckily for me, the museum had opened just a few minutes ago. It was pretty much deserted because of the early morning but the staff was here, which means that Ishizu would be here.

Immediately, I made my way to the same set of stairs Yami and I walked down not a little while ago. The security tape was still on the door but, this time, I opened it with no hesitation at all. My Locket glowed as it did last time. I could sense Ishizu's Millennium Necklace.

As I got closer to the bottom of the stairs, I felt colder than I did just a few moments ago. The silent, cool air made me shiver slightly. I went into the room of the Ancient Egyptian carvings to see if my caretaker was there by any chance.

When I switched my gaze from the other side of the room to the carvings, I stopped immediately. Every bone in my body went rigid and my blood ran cold. My Locket glowed violently against my collar.

There was someone else down here. But it wasn't Ishizu.

It was the last person I wanted to see.

Bakura was standing in front of the ancient carvings, looking at them with a smirk. Since when was there a moment when he wasn't smirking evilly, as if he was coming up with a plan? Never. Because he always had something up his sleeve. He never backed down from anything.

He saw me and turned around. His smirk intensified. My cold blood began to boil at the sight of our major enemy, now out of the shocked reverie.

"Why, if it isn't Sarah Wind..." He said my name like it was fake. "Or should I say... Amira. I haven't even gotten the chance to call you by your real name since the moment we met in this life."

"Oh yeah? Well, don't get used to it," I said harshly with a glare. My fingertips tingled with energy. I was ready to summon my staff and sword should this man trying anything. In fact, I'm ready to strike him down right this instant.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why aren't you glad to see me? Here I was thinking that we had a bit of chemistry."

"You have some chemistry with my sword, not me."

Bakura laughed. "Fun as always, I see."

"You have no business here. Get out."

"Why are you allowed to be here but not me?"

"That's none of your concern. Now leave before I kill you."

"Why won't you strike me down right now?"

"I wish to save the people of Domino City rather than destroy them from letting my wrath go all out on your ass."

Bakura found that amusing. It was taking me all I had to keep my anger in and not attack him right then and there. For if I did allow myself to succumb to my wrath, then Bakura and I might end up destroying the city as we're trying to destroy each other.

"I love your empty threats."

I felt an urge to swipe my sword at his neck - but I stopped in time. It was a strategy. He was trying to get me to release my anger so I would destroy my virtues and promises - not to mention my role as Guardian.

Well played, Bakura. Well played...

"It's too bad you don't know how to fight with words," I said, crossing my arms, straightening my face. "But then again... it matches your physical fighting strength as well. How pathetic."

Suddenly, I was against the wall with two hands on both sides of my head, blocking me from moving away. I glared up into Bakura's deep brown eyes, wondering what sort of "scar" I've left on his ego now.

His smirk simply played with my thoughts. I couldn't tell if he was only smirking because he had the upperhand, or because he was masking his real thoughts, or because he just believed that my internal suffering was amusing.

He had it easy though. All Bakura had to do was think of a way to defeat Yami and gain whatever power he was after. He knew that I will stand in his way and forbid him from passing but he doesn't think of me as a very large threat. I was just another measly soldier who was just another shield. He thought that he could just push me aside and be on his way.

Well, he's wrong.

I matched his glare, challenging him.

"I remember you having a smart mouth but I can't seem to recall how to close it," he said. "How about you put it to good use? Give me your Millennium Locket with no discussion."

All of a sudden, I was hit with a flashback from a little while ago. The first time I had encountered Bakura in this lifetime. At Duelist Kingdom. He had asked me for my Locket then too.

I didn't make a move to even hide it - it was already tucked safely under the collar of my shirt.

"Why the sudden interest in my Locket?" I asked him steadily. "You didn't even look at it back in Ancient Egypt. So why care about it now?"

Again, his smirk was misleading. "If you won't tell me your plans, I won't tell you mine."

"You can't take the Locket."

Bakura faltered by a tiny fraction. "What on earth are you talking about?" he scowled.

I smirked a bit myself. I figured a tiny piece of the puzzle out. "You're not able to take the Locket from me," I said. "You need to obtain it somehow like with all the Millennium Items. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been asking me for it. You would have ripped it from my neck without hesitation."

Bakura glared deathly. I could tell from the darkness in his brown eyes that he wasn't hoping for me to realize it this soon.

Of course... he had to do something to win the Locket from me like winning the Millennium Puzzle from Yugi, all to have the ability to use the Item. My Locket must have to be won in a duel too in order to let whoever wants it to use it.

I suppose that was more reason to believe that I had some sort of hidden power. I just wish I knew what it could be. It had to stay away from evil hands, no matter what kind of power I might have.

To think... in my own body... I've been hosting a power of my own for so many years... And I'm only figuring out about it now.

"I will take your Locket along with the Pharaoh's Millennium Puzzle," said Bakura lethally. He was angry now. He probably expected me to hand it over to him, to trick me. Thank goodness I had those helpful dreams beforehand. Otherwise, I would have been a complete fool just now. Of course... I wouldn't have given it to him anyways, but he likes to threat.

"Of course," I said. "That is, after all, what you've been after since our last battle in Ancient Egypt. I just can't believe that you turned into... that creature."

"I hadn't turned into him, don't worry yourself," he said with another smirk. "I had sacrificed my soul to give him more power. When the Pharaoh imprisoned him, he imprisoned me as well."

"He's a part of you."

"And I'm a part of him."

I matched his glare, focused and ready. If this guy wanted a fight, then he'll get one.

But suddenly, I remembered where I was. Off to my right were the glass casings of the Ancient Egyptian carvings. We couldn't fight here. We'd destroy precious artifacts.

And Bakura was here first. Why though...

He was here for Ishizu's Millennium Necklace. I was here for her too. He must have sensed it when he was walking by the Museum. There wasn't any other reason why he would be here if all his objective was was to get his hands on all seven Millennium Items.

I decided that I couldn't let him find her. I had to help.

"Either way, we will defeat you, once and for all. Just you wait."

Bakura's chuckle was mad. "Just give it a try!" he said. "You're nowhere near me right now, strategically. I have so much in store for you, but you and the Pharaoh are utterly clueless."

I hated it when he stated the obvious.

"It won't be fun finishing the both of you off just yet," he said. "And besides, it'd be more amusing when you know what you're fighting for."

"Bring it."

With one last look, Bakura backed off and disappeared out of the room.

Ishizu was all right.

He'll probably come back to try later, though. Bakura's a smart guy so he would have found out that I knew what he was after. If I was going to stand in his way then he would think it was useless looking for Ishizu until I was gone. I just hope she doesn't run into him any time soon regardless...

I had to warn Ishizu just in case she wasn't close enough for her Millennium Necklace to sense Bakura's presence.

With a heavy breath, I got up from the wall and ran down the next hallway.

Yugi was halfway through his breakfast when Mr. Muto headed for the kitchen sink after finishing his own. He placed the dishes inside and grabbed the soap.

"So, here comes another day of the Battle City Tournament, eh, Yugi?" he asked his grandson.

Yugi ate another bite of cereal. "Yup," he said after swallowing his food. "Hopefully I can win some more duels today."

"Oh, you have no problem with that," smiled Mr. Muto. Yugi returned the gesture.

After finishing with the dishes, Yugi's grandfather went back to the dining table and sat down with his grandson. Immediately, the teenager thought something was up. Usually, grandpa went straight to the Game Shop after breakfast.

"Grandpa?" Yugi saw something in his grandfather's eyes. It looked like concern. "Is everything alright?"

The concern was mild but it was there. Mr. Muto made no move to try and hide it. "I was just thinking about something," he said.

Yugi waited patiently for his grandfather too explain. He left his cereal bowl to the side.

"I was just wondering... How are things with the Pharaoh?"

Yugi blinked. He wasn't expecting that question.

"Um... everything's alright," replied Yugi. "We've been getting along quite well. Even with Sarah.

"It's been awhile since we've met," he said. "And over that bit of time, we've begun to get to know each other quite well. Even though we don't know all that much - especially because the Pharaoh doesn't have his memory. But with Sarah's help, and their searching friendship, we can give the Pharaoh his memory back. It's just going to take quite a bit of time."

Mr. Muto nodded, although Yugi knew that was only half the discussion. There was more.

"How are you taking the fact that Sarah is, in fact, related to the Pharaoh?"

"Gosh, I... I was surprised to say the least," said Yugi looking up at his grandpa. "I mean... I might have witnessed a few small things that had happened that may have been a bit odd over the time we knew Sarah, but I hadn't thought that she was related to the Pharaoh in any way because of them. Now, it just seems that because she's the Pharaoh's Guardian, she's going to have to become even closer."

"I was surprised as well," said Mr. Muto. "Who would have thought?"

"Yeah... who would have thought..."

It was strange, to say the least, for Yugi to be having a serious talk with his grandfather. They didn't have many, and the last one had happened around the time he was being bullied. He was still finding it hard to believe that Yami was an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh and Sarah was the Pharaoh's Guardian, but because he was seeing everything happen right before his eyes, he believed it. The gang did too. They may not be able to help them directly, but they could still lend some support. After all, they're all friends. It was what they did for each other.

"I just wanted to know if you're alright," said Mr. Muto.

Yugi smiled kindly at his grandfather's concern. Although they were in deep trouble, he couldn't get hurt. Sarah seemed like she knew what she was doing. She would Guard both him and Yami with her life - even though they didn't feel as though it was right. Still... because Sarah knows how to fight back in these sort of situations, Yugi and Yami can count on her to keep everyone safe, including herself.

So, Yugi didn't necessarily think he was in too much danger.

"I'm fine, grandpa, really," said Yugi reassuringly. That seemed to ease his grandfather a bit more.

"Alright," he said. "But make sure that, if anything goes wrong, you have help."

"Yes, grandpa," said Yugi. "I have a feeling that I'll always have help no matter where I go. What with Sarah being Yami's Guardian and all..."

"Will she Guard you as much as she will Guard the Pharaoh?"

Yugi nodded. "She told me that herself. Just because she's the Pharaoh's Guardian, that didn't mean that she couldn't Guard me at the same time. Even without her status as a Guardian... Sarah's awfully kind when it comes to the people she cares about."

"I can only imagine," said Mr. Muto, concern now escaping his eyes. But now his expression was a bit sad. "She lost everything. She wouldn't dare trying losing you as well."

"Basically."

"... Yugi, I know that you'll find peace for them both. Maybe not now, but soon."

Yugi blinked. What did his grandfather mean?

"Er... I'm afraid I don't follow..."

"Me neither." Mr. Muto blinked. Apparently, he didn't know either. "I have this feeling that... somewhere in the near future, you'll be given the chance to help both the Pharaoh and Sarah in their most dire need of help. What you choose then will classify the outcome of their existence."

"How do you figure, grandpa?"

"It's a hunch," shrugged the old man. "and my hunches are usually right. But that isn't until far off into the future. Right now, you have to focus on the Battle City Tournament. Hurry up and eat your breakfast so that you don't miss any good opportunities."

Yugi smiled and ate the last bite of his cereal. He put his dishes in the washing machine, thanked his grandpa, and ran out the door and into the bright sunlight.

So what if there was evil that could possibly be lurking about in every corner? As long as everyone worked together, they could fight anything.

Yami felt the confident vibe within Yugi and wondered how it suddenly got there. It was stronger than how it was back in Duelist Kingdom. A lot has changed in such a short amount of time.

But one thing hasn't changed. Yugi would still stand by his friends no matter what and that was exactly what he was going to do.

"Don't worry, Mou Hitori no Boku," said Yugi as he slowed down to a walk at the intersection. He didn't run the rest of the way, thinking that they might run into Sarah along the way.

Yami managed a small smile. "Worry about what, Aibou?" he asked.

"Everything," said Yugi. "We'll manage. We just have to remember to work hard."

"Right."

Locator Cards: Yugi: 3/Joey: 2/Sarah: 2

Downtown Domino City was once again full of duelists. The noon sun was a few hours away, so everyone was trying to fit in as much dueling as they could before lunch time. The glass buildings glinted magnificently against the bright sunlight. The colours of the city were more vibrant today. Spectators watched every duel with anticipation. Judging by the number of duelists who were still left, today may just be the last day of regular dueling before the semi-finals begin. Yesterday was incredibly busy - almost half the duelists were out! Today may as well be called "The Day of the Strong" because now only the strongest of duelists will survive and move on to the next round.

I brushed past a crowd and dashed towards the small clock tower in the center of Domino Square, where Yugi usually was to meet someone. Or anyone usually was to meet someone. I saw him just a few steps ahead. He was with Mai and Joey who found him before I did. At least I'm meeting him in one piece.

Stopping next to the three with my hands on my knees, doubled over, and trying to catch my breath, I said, "Hey, everyone. I'm here!"

They stared at me.

"Sarah, were you running a marathon?" asked Mai with a curious blink.

"It seemed like one when I was running, but no, I wasn't," I replied, standing upright again.

"Take it easy," said Joey. "No one's going to take your spot in the finals or anything."

"Oh, haha. Very funny." I ended up laughing with the blonde anyway. "I was taking care of something at the museum."

Yugi blinked, remembering the note I left for him on his desk. "Were you able to talk to Ishizu?" he asked.

Slowly, and disappointedly, I shook my head. "I couldn't find her anywhere," I said.

"She wasn't in her office or the artifact room either?"

"No... Unfortunately not. We'll have to talk to her later."

Yugi nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't telling him something. I could tell because there was slight question in his eyes. I must have looked a bit unsure regardless of my efforts to try and hide my emotion. Meeting Bakura all over again was no picnic. I had decided earlier that I was going to tell him of Bakura later on. Only he and Yami know of him.

Joey and Mai waved our conversation away because they had no idea what we were talking about. Mai held up some locator cards. "I'm curious to know how far we've all come in this tournament," she said. "I've gotten four locator cards so far. What about you guys?"

Joey gawked. "You have four already? I only have two!"

"I have three," said Yugi.

"Don't worry, Joey," I said with a nervous laugh. "I've got two as well."

Joey blinked at me. "Some Dueling Legend you are."

"..."

"... I was joking, Sarah. I know what happened yesterday. You were in no condition to duel right after."

"Thank you."

Mai looked at me. "What does he mean by 'the condition you were in', Sarah?"

I faltered. Then my gaze fell on Yugi's. Should I tell her about what happened? There actually was no reason why she would have to become involved in the first place.

"Don't worry about it," I told her. "I was just tired. May have tripped a few times during some duels but mostly tired. It was a long day yesterday."

Mai nodded. "Oh, I know how you feel, hon," she said. "No matter how much you get used to dueling, you always have to feel exhausted right after."

Suddenly, I had a feeling that we would be feeling more tired more often because of the way this tournament was going.

I agreed nonetheless. "That's so true, it isn't even funny."

"Maybe we should grab a coffee or two before we start," suggested Joey. "You know, to help keep us awake."

Yugi quickly shook his head. "That won't be a very good idea," he said. "You and Sarah will be up for a week with only one cup, let alone two. I'm not going to let you guys drink that stuff."

Joey and I blinked at Yugi before blinking at each other. Then we pouted simultaneously. "Aw..."

Mai smirked. "I'll have to agree with Yugi on this one, guys. You two have some sort of coffee machine in yourselves already that will only shut off after you've run a billion laps around a track field."

"... I think it's called adrenaline. But okay. I believe you."

"Let's admit it, Sarah. Our adrenaline is always pumping."

I blinked. "So true. Oh! I want more cupcakes. Let's go to that sweet shop around the corner at the next block~"

Yugi laughed. "... No."

I pouted again. "Well, you're no fun."

"More, like, I wanna stay alive, thank you."

The four of us shared a hearty laugh. It was refreshing to act as normal friends for a change. It lightened the mood and also brought a much needed balance to our lives. We couldn't have made it through the Battle City Tournament with just stress on our minds, both motivational stress and disturbing stress. It would have driven us nuts.

… Even if I was the one with supposedly the most of it.

Either way. We'd have been driven up the wall.

"Alright, no coffee." Joey smiled enthusiastically. "How about some more duels? We could certainly use them right about now."

"We've got plenty of time," I said, waving the suggestion off with my hand.

Mai steadied her gaze on me. "You're not usually the one to procrastinate, Sarah," she said. "Usually, you'd dive right into a duel no matter who was on the other end of the field."

I blinked. "I was hinting that Joey shouldn't feel bad. We have a whole day ahead of us. He'll be without two locator cards in no time."

Joey's eye twitched.

I sweat dropped. "I didn't mean that you'll lose them... I meant that you'll gain more!"

"Sarah."

"..."

"It's on."

My eyes widened. "Um... How about some other time? We'll battle for our lives another day, okay? Ehehe..."

Joey smirked.

Yugi and Mai glanced between the both of us. "Okay... let's make it through this tournament first..." said Yugi carefully, ready to bolt in case Joey tackled me or something.

Mai nodded. "We're using up time watching you two threat each other rather than dueling. Let's move already."

"Right! Okay, you guys. Good luck. I'm going to stick around with Yugi for a while."

"Again? Dude, what about me? What if I wanted you to watch me duel?"

I blinked at Joey. "I watched one of your duels yesterday..."

The blonde sighed, looking slightly disappointed. "Alright..."

I blinked again and looked towards Yugi for help. He knew why I couldn't leave him. Even so, I've actually wanted to hang out with Joey, Téa, and Tristan too for part of the tournament... but because of certain circumstances, I couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Joey," I said, sincerely. "How about later on? We could drop by, okay?"

That seemed to make him happier. "Awesome!"

"Good luck with your dueling, guys," said Mai with a small wave. She smiled. "Maybe we'll meet again for the semi-finals. That'll be interesting, won't it?"

We returned her smile and nodded. "Definitely," said Yugi.

She parted from us. The last thing we saw before she disappeared was her shimmering golden hair waving down her back as she turned a corner.

Joey gave me a smile, making me blink again. "I'll see you guys later, too. I've gotta get stronger at dueling or else Yugi will beat me in our duel."

Yugi smiled back at his friend, telling him that his acceptance of the challenge was still standing. "I look forward to that duel, Joey."

"Me too."

Personally, I thought it would be interesting to see who would win between the two when their duel came. The last few duels that Joey participated in, that we managed to witness, whether they were from Duelist Kingdom or from Battle City, proved to be tests of Joey's ability. With each duel, Joey became stronger.

Then Joey looked at me. I blinked for the millionth time. He patted the top of my head, making me blink once more.

"And you, stay out of trouble," he said.

I did a soldier's salute. "Yes, sir."

He gave me a slight nod. After I had told everyone who I actually was, it gave them another reason to do more for me. They didn't know it, but their friendship meant a lot to me, and during such a difficult time in both my life and Yami's life, we could use all the support we could get. But the most meaningful support was the kind we were getting from our friends. So, I understood why Joey would be more concerned for me in particular. It was like that whole 'girls needing more attention' fiasco. Guys just have this instinct to take care of the girls. I wasn't used to the idea, but I seemed to know a bit about it from Modern Sarah, when half of my spirit had left the tomb to study the new world.

I thought it was... rather heartwarming, to know that someone other than family members or guardians cared for me. I wasn't made of steel or anything, even if I was supposed to take my Guardianship to the Pharaoh more seriously than anything else. It didn't mean that I didn't want to feel love too. Frankly, it was a part of development. And knowing Yami and me, we were still developing, or learning, about the new world and its many components.

"Good girl," said Joey. Then he took a step back. "Alright... I'm gonna head off now. Time to get caught up to you guys. Locator cards, here I come."

"Alright, Joey," nodded Yugi. "Good luck."

Joey waved back. "You too." Then he walked off. Yugi walked the other way. It looked like one of those dramatic scenes from movies. They go off in different directions and then meet again completely different.

I wondered what would happen to these two...

"See you later, Joey..." After watching him go, I ran after Yugi to catch up to him.

"So... it's the second day of the tournament..." said Yugi thoughtfully. "Where should we go now?"

"You're making me seem like some sort of... coordinator," I joked. Yugi smiled sheepishly. "I guess we could challenge just about anyone..."

We had just made it to the other end of the block, where the park was on the other side of the street, when a strange wind passed us by. Yugi and I looked around, focused. What could that have been? Just a normal wind? It felt colder than normal...

From out of absolutely nowhere, before I could even question Yugi about the strange sensation, I was on the floor with a large pressure on my back. I heard Yugi yell my name from the surprise.

Eric Hall had tackled me from around the corner.

"Hey, Sarah!" he asked me as if we were old friends. Well... technically, we were new friends, but he treated me as the formal. "How's it going?"

I strained to look over my shoulder. Eric's grin made his whole face glow. His tousled orange hair was as wild as ever, and his blue hoodie contrasted quite nicely with his dark skinny jeans. He was as good looking as ever, whether it be while he was standing or while he was on the ground.

"Holy Ra..." I moaned, rubbing my head just in case. "Eric, you gave me a heart attack. And you're what's up, thank you very much."

Eric blinked. "Oh, oops... Right, I'm sorry." When he got off, Yugi quickly helped me up.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah... I'm alright..." I replied.

Eric shifted his eyes from one place to another. It was like he had his own coffee machine inside of him as well. He knew what might have been coming.

"If you think you can get any closer to me by starting with the physical principle, then you are dead wrong!"

Eric laughed nervously. "Well... er... I was just excited to see you."

… I still couldn't understand how a guy would like me. It's impossible. I never even thought of the idea. It came up in this life.

"I'm always happy to see Sarah but you don't see me running her over..." said Yugi thoughtfully.

I nodded quickly. "That's right," I said. Then I blinked. "Aw, you're happy to see me?"

Yugi blinked next. "Of course."

"I'm loved."

Eric scoffed. "Of course you are! You just... say that sarcastically rather than realize it as the truth."

I stuck my tongue out at him. Yes, I know. It was very mature.

"Sarah... control your tongue, love."

"I am not your love!"

Eric shook his head. "Not yet, anyways," he said with a smirk.

"... I am very scared of you right now."

"You shouldn't be. I told you that I wouldn't do anything immature like that ever again. I promised."

"I know..."

"... How about a duel?"

I blinked at him harshly. "A duel? With me? Now?"

Eric shrugged. "Yeah... I mean, that's what this tournament is all about, right? Dueling?"

I held my chin. "Well... true... but..."

The other held up his hands in defense. "I won't do anything bad. Like I said: I promised."

I glared at him slightly. I recall every word that he spoke the night Kaiba invited us to the Square for the tournament introduction. He meant every word - I could tell from the sincerity in his eyes. Over the course of time after Duelist Kingdom was over, he realized his previous acts were unacceptable. He was a crazed fan back then. Now, he's matured quite a bit, and realizing his mistakes, apologized. I accepted his apology because he realized what he did by himself.

I wasn't about to regret my decision of trying to be his friend. He said it was all he wanted, if not a relationship. I respected him and he respected me. We were okay now.

That's why... I accepted his challenge.

"Alright," I said. "Let's duel. Whoever wins, sends the other person home."

First, he blinked. Then he held up four locator cards. "I am not giving up all of these..."

I held up my locator cards. "Haha... You're beating me by two..."

Eric shot his arms up. "Aw yeah!"

Yugi looked at me carefully. "You sure you're gonna duel him?"

"Yup! Don't worry about it. I'll be alright." I smiled reassuringly. With little thought, Yugi nodded in return.

"Okay. Good luck!"

"Thanks, but I'm sure that with this one, I don't need luck."

Eric overheard that. "Just for that, we're gonna anti-up two locator cards. Not one."

I smirked. "You're on!"

We put some metres between us right in the middle of the road and set up our duel disks. The pocket-sized hologram devices shot out to either side of us and opened up, shimmering a rainbow of colours. Our duel disks activated once we slid our decks into their designated slots. Our life point counters were set as well.

LP: Sarah: 4000/Eric: 4000

"Let's duel!"

Yugi stood on the sidelines. "Go, Sarah!" he cheered.

A few duelists who were nearby curiously walked over to see who was dueling who. As soon as they noticed all three of us, they grew super excited. Two finalists and one King of Games from Duelist Kingdom were in one place. Apparently, people still talk about that tournament just to recognize how far some people have gotten. Especially Yugi. Someone who wasn't noticed before was now getting quite a bit of attention, like a hidden celebrity who was finally out in the open.

"Ready to lose, Eric?" I asked my opponent after drawing my five cards.

"I should be asking you the same question," he said with a smirk.

"Ahahahahahaha. Funny."

"So, who should begin?"

I drew my first card without consultation. "Ladies first, Eric. Try to keep up."

"Yes, sir."

I smirked. "There's no way you're going to win this duel."

Eric's deep brown eyes shone underneath the sun. "I beg to differ."

I only had two locator cards to begin with. If Eric won the duel, then I was out of the tournament. There was no way I could let that happen. Our journey through the tournament was just starting and this was only my second duel. I couldn't let Yami down. He was my motivation to keep going through challenges. It was because of him I live each day while everything else was taken from me.

I just realized that I wasn't going to duel the same Eric from Duelist Kingdom. He stood more confidently than before and I respected him this time. This duel wasn't going to be about winning me over like a prize, but about proving each other's strengths.

Author's Note: And... I'll leave it at that for now. :D Thank you so much for reading everyone!

Please let me know how I did with this chapter! Thank you. :D

I apologize for any spelling and/or grammatical errors.

This semester is almost done. Good-bye school, hello summer. B-|

x3