YuGiOh!, Past Repeating: Book 2

by xyugiohluvrx

Battle City is coming up and there's a new evil around the corner. Sarah's bond with the Pharaoh will need to be strong for the upcoming battle they have to compete in. Will they succeed in defeating this new enemy? Read to find out. Hunters are everywhere... you've been warned... [PharaohxOC]

36. The Coldhearted Duel

Written: 18/08/14

Author's Note: Hello again! Welcome to the most terrifying duel yet! That last chapter was a real head spinner, yes? Wonderful. Muahahaha. =3 I still have so much more in store - and I can't wait until I get started! This chapter, although it took me a long time to put up, I actually wrote it in about two weeks which was faster than any of my recent chapters. I'm actually very excited for the ones coming up so I may start writing them right after this one! For today - I hope you like this chapter! Reviews are greatly appreciated! =)

Rewrite Fiasco: Chapters 1 to 7 are up and running! =D Give those poor old chapters a chance when you can! I've deleted all the old chapters with the second person point of view because they were giving me a headache - and I've put up a warning in the description about Book 1 being under construction. There's a giant gap between the written chapters and the old chapters. So be aware. Thank you for being patient! I'll have those up, hopefully soon. =)

~*Sarah was taken by the Rare Hunters! What could Marik possibly want of her? What will the Pharaoh do now that his Guardian isn't near? Things couldn't possibly get any worse. This day could only be described in one word: terrifying.*~

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

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Battle City - New Evil Emerges, Old Friends Reunite - Chapter 36

Locator Cards: Yugi: 5/Joey: 4/Sarah: 6

~Yami's pov~

Kaiba was finally able to summon Obelisk the Tormentor.

Lumis' magic card, Mask of Restrict, prevented us from sacrificing our weaker monsters. We couldn't summon stronger monsters and had found ourselves trapped within the duel. I had also been losing one thousand Life Points every turn because of two other magic cards involving treacherous masks: Mask of the Accursed which prevented Beta the Magnet Warrior from attacking and defending, and Mask of Dispel which stopped the effect of my Multiply magic card.

During my turns, I had managed to summon each of my Magnet Warriors. When Alpha, Beta, and Gamma were on the field, their combined presence activated their special ability: I was able to transform them into Valkyrion the Magna Warrior. This destroyed Mask of the Accursed, and we were able to successfully attack Lumis' Masked Beast Des Gardius. However, it left behind the Mask of Remnant. Once Lumis placed it on Valkyrion, it became his monster. On his turn, Umbra activated the magic card Masquerade which allowed him to take control of Lumis' monster.

He would have finished me off - if I hadn't activated my face down card Defusion. This negated the attack and separated each of the Magnet Warriors from Valkyrion. Lumis was still in control of the three monsters.

However, Kaiba activated his magic card, Soul Exchange. Although we were prevented from sacrificing our own monsters, this card allowed the holder to sacrifice his opponents' monsters instead. Kaiba needed three for his Egyptian God card, and the Magnet Warriors were enough to get the job done.

I felt relief wash over me as I watched Obelisk tower over us with his might. Even Yugi sighed as though a load was finally off his mind. We now had a strong monster on the field that would not only match the Masked Hunters' monsters but also completely overpower them. We finally had the upper hand.

The Masked Duelists' decks were specifically designed to keep us from sacrificing our monsters to summon our Egyptian God cards. However, Kaiba found the loophole - it didn't mean we couldn't sacrifice our opponents' monsters. Even though Kaiba could be quite stubborn at times, in the end - and maybe even deep down - he knew what he must do to win.

We worked together during this duel. Throughout the match, Kaiba had been frustrating whenever he said he could win on his own, but once I saved him a few times or he saved me, he admitted that he didn't like owing someone a favour and he didn't like it when people owed him. This made settling debts complicated and they had to be dealt with as soon as possible. So he decided that the easiest way to get through this was by dueling as a team.

In our own odd way, we were working together throughout the whole duel.

Now we watched Lumis and Umbra cower in fear as they faced their demise. Obelisk extended above them, glaring down at the two with his fiery red eyes. He was sizing them up pretty well.

"Behold, the monster you cowards didn't wish to see!" Kaiba exulted with a triumphant cackle. It seemed that stress was off his shoulders as well.

"Obelisk the Tormentor! Arise and wreak your ultimate revenge! It's payback time for kidnapping my little brother. So prepare to feel a force like no other! With absolutely no monsters to defend you, Obelisk will tear through your Life Points and run you out of a job! Say hello to Hell, Rare Hunters. Obelisk! Destroy Umbra and attack his Life Points directly!"

As Obelisk reared to gain momentum for his attack, the wind roared in our ears and the sky above us thundered, just like it did when I had summoned Slifer. The power of the Egyptian Gods was so great that even the surrounding environment apart from the duel was affected. Their great power stirred the weather and struck fear within the hearts of duelists down below. They had swarmed the streets at the base of the skyscraper to watch what little of the duel they could witness. The only interesting thing to look at from their perspective was the giant Egyptian God.

Obelisk moved forward and threw his Fist of Justice at Umbra. He had the unlucky position of being right in front of Kaiba, in the sight of his anger. As the heat of the attack struck him, a yell escaped Umbra's mouth. Once the vivid light show was over, Umbra collapsed.

Lumis ran close to Umbra's grid of skylight. "Hey, Umbra! Are you alright...?"

Kaiba smirked. "He's fine for now, but thanks to my Egyptian God card, his Life Points don't look so good. It seems you have fallen victim to your own trap, Rare Hunters."

Of course... Obelisk had an attack power of four thousand, enough to wipe out all of Umbra's Life Points. That would mean he lost the duel, not to mention that this was a Shadow Duel. Once Umbra's Life Point counter on the box behind him reached zero, he'd-

There was a loud beep. Umbra's Life Points reached zero and the box behind him was signalling his loss. Cracks emerged in the glass originating from under the box. Quickly, they webbed towards Umbra's feet. The cracks soon gave way and the glass began to break. The whole grid of skylight shattered beneath Umbra's feet and he plunged into the darkness. Kaiba and I didn't move from our spot. I simply looked on and Kaiba crossed his arms. We watched Lumis call for Umbra.

"Come back! You can't leave me here!" he cried and I almost felt pity for him. Seeing his partner disappear in a moment must have been heartbreaking. However, they had made the choice to follow Marik, and every bad deed had to come with a punishment.

And yet... I couldn't help but wish, deep down, that they could have had a second chance to make the right decision.

"Too late for that," I said. "Looks like you're dueling alone now, doesn't it?"

"The odds are certainly against you, Lumis," said Kaiba. Lumis looked at us, bared his teeth and glared. He didn't want to suffer the same fate as Umbra after seeing how close he was to losing. It was difficult to duel two people without a partner.

"If you want to avoid any further danger, then you'd better surrender," I said.

Lumis fell to his knees, thinking about his options with wide eyes. There was a small fire in those eyes, as though he wished he could fight back, but he had accepted the fact that he couldn't move on.

"Wait just a minute, he's not allowed to surrender," Kaiba said with a glare. "He disrespected my family and kidnapped Mokuba. I won't let him off the hook."

"Kaiba, revenge isn't going to help you find Mokuba," I said, trying to make him understand. "Perhaps if we allow him to surrender, he'll tell us where they're hiding everyone."

Kaiba seemed to have calmed down. He knew I had a point. If we defeated Lumis in the duel as well, then he wouldn't be conscious to tell us where Marik was keeping the others. Kaiba had to get to Mokuba and I had to get to my friends. Joey and the others were held prisoner, and Sarah… who knows what was going on with her. I had to go help!

Suddenly, Lumis grabbed his head and cried out in pain. Then I noticed the glowing Millennium Eye on his forehead.

Marik was taking control.

"No, Master, please!" pleaded Lumis. "We tried our best!"

"What's going on now?" asked Kaiba, glaring suspiciously at the Rare Hunter.

I looked on feeling hopelessly helpless as Marik tortured Lumis in his own mind. Marik wouldn't come out of hiding to face me himself but he had no problems controlling his Hunters' minds. I couldn't do anything to stop him.

"Please don't be angry! Marik, no!" His pleads weren't considered, and Lumis' head was left rolling on his shoulders. Then there was a cackling that grew louder and louder, and Lumis was suddenly back on his feet.

Marik had full control of Lumis' mind now.

"I see that you have defeated my Rare Hunters," said Marik with Lumis' voice. It always gave me a spine-tingling chill whenever I thought about Marik speaking through his Rare Hunters, as though they had a rapid personality change.

"That's alright," continued Marik, as though he hadn't lost much. "They did their job."

I bared my teeth and felt my nails dig into the palm of my hand. "What have you done with my friends, Marik!" I asked him. He simply chuckled darkly.

"This Rare Hunter's gone mad," said Kaiba. His eyes were now slightly wide with surprise. This was only his first time seeing something like this.

I shook my head. "No… this Rare Hunter is under the control of a man named Marik."

"That is ridiculous, Yugi."

"Marik's power is very real," I said, knowing all too well the horrors this man could come up with. "And he is the one holding Mokuba captive."

"What! Is he their boss? Who is he? Tell me where he's hiding!"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Kaiba," said Marik. "Well, I'll give you a hint: I'm closer than you think I am."

Kaiba and I glared at him. He knew that wouldn't help us enough. I despised the fact that he took delight in watching people suffer.

"I hope you enjoyed the special duel I set up for you. You fared better than I thought, but don't think just because you beat my Rare Hunters that you'll be rescuing your friends and family anytime soon. You see, I've been preparing for the next phase of my plan and I've been studying each of your decks through the eyes of my Rare Hunters.

"As for your Egyptian God card, Kaiba, Obelisk pales in comparison to my Winged Dragon of Ra card. I'm afraid there's no way you can stop me, and once I defeat you, Obelisk the Tormentor will be in my deck. And I haven't forgotten about you, Yugi: your Egyptian God card and Millennium Puzzle will be mine as well, and since my Rare Hunters failed, I've come up with the perfect plan to defeat you once and for all.

"By preying upon your greatest weakness, your loyalty to your pathetic friends! Don't worry - they're safe and sound right here with me, but I don't think they're on your side anymore. It seems their allegiance now lies with me!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My eyes widened. What did he mean that their allegiance now lies with him?

What had he done to them?

"It's funny how our friends are so quick to turn."

"I'm the one you want, Marik!" I yelled. "So leave my friends alone!"

"Too late! I'm afraid those fools belong to me now, Yugi!"

I was clenching my fist so hard that my arm was shaking. Joey… Téa… Tristan… Sarah too? Were they all really Marik's mind slaves now? How had he gained control over their strong hearts? Was he really that powerful? No… that couldn't be. Sarah had a Millennium Item. Even if she was suffering from the poison, wouldn't she have been able to block his power? Could Marik even take control of her?

"You… coward…." I seethed. Anger grew in my chest, the feeling was overwhelming. I wished I could have hunted Marik down with my bare hands for even laying a finger on my friends.

But he had the advantage of hiding.

"Why don't you face me already instead of hiding behind your mind slaves!"

"But controlling people's minds is so much more fun."

A curse was at my tongue but Kaiba stepped in.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but you'd better tell me where Mokuba is." Kaiba advanced towards Lumis and picked him up by the collar of his violet robes. The tall CEO was radiating rage.

"I've won your battle, so release my little brother."

"You trust me?" said Marik. "What a fool."

Kaiba glared and tightened his grip on his own captive. "Where is he!"

"Wait, Kaiba," I said. "You're wasting your energy. He obviously has no intention of telling us where he's hiding everyone."

Marik chuckled. "Very perceptive," he said before the soulless eyes of Lumis rolled back and he fell unconscious. Disgusted, Kaiba dropped his limp body to the ground. He was growing more impatient by the second.

"Then what do you suggest I do, just stand back and do nothing?"

"No, we must find another way. I want to find my friends as much as you wish to find Mokuba, but we cannot depend on Marik and his word any longer." Obviously, he didn't harm my friends as he has harmed Sarah, but he certainly didn't leave them as themselves. His word was useless. He wouldn't tell us where he and the others were.

Mind slaves? Is that what Marik has turned them into? He was using them against me, baiting me to wherever he was hiding so that I could give up my Millennium Puzzle and Egyptian God card for them. But... how would we find them? I turned to Yugi. He gazed back at me sadly.

I couldn't jeopardize the lives of his friends because of something Marik wanted from me. There had to be a way where I could save everyone and my power without letting Marik get away with all that he has done.

'For now, we must locate where everyone is being held,' I said. Yugi nodded. His violet eyes mirrored my determination despite our heartbreak.

"I could use my satellite system again," Kaiba suggested. "Wherever they're holding Mokuba, your friends and Joey must be nearby. We'll use the tracking device in Joey's Duel Disk."

"Good idea."

Before he made the call, Kaiba bent down beside Lumis' body and retrieved a Locator Card from within his robes. Then he gazed at the piece of glass as though he was trying to find its meaning, as though he was wondering to himself "Why go through all this trouble for one little Locator Card if I couldn't even keep my little brother safe?" His bright blue eyes were dull with thought. He had this look of regret in his eyes, as though the battles he fought only gave him Locator Cards, not information about his brother.

"I started this tournament to outsmart the Rare Hunters," he said, pocketing the Locator Card with the others inside his trench coat. Now that Umbra wasn't here anymore, neither was his Locator Card. That was the least of my problems. I didn't care for those things at the moment.

"But they ended up outsmarting me."

"You are not at fault here either, Kaiba," I said gently, realizing that even though he seemed like a heartless machine at times, he was still human. He cared for his brother like I cared for my friends.

"This is Marik and his plans. He is the one who needs to answer for what he's done."

"Right..." he said with a nod, although I knew exactly what he was feeling. "Speaking of Marik, he didn't mention anything about Sarah..."

I looked back at Lumis' body, hoping Marik would pick him back up and say this was all a joke. My chest began hurting, because of course, it wasn't a joke at all. It felt as though I had begun stressing out as much as Sarah was before all this. It hurt knowing that anything could be happening to her; she could be in an unimaginable amount of pain, and I couldn't help her. With my friends acting as mind slaves for Marik, they couldn't tend to her either.

What could she possibly be feeling?

"My worry for my friends is growing by the minute," I admitted. "We must act quickly."

Kaiba nodded and held the collar of his trench coat, ready to speak to Dr. Irvine through the built in mic again. He was just about to call him with a press of a hidden button when suddenly we began hearing a strange noise. It sounded like rapid whirring from blades, and soon enough, when we looked to our left, we saw a black helicopter rise above us from the side of the building. The wind stirred up and about from its fast blades.

I noticed the familiar initials on the side of the machine. "Isn't that one of your helicopters, Kaiba?" I asked. The initials were "KC" for "Kaiba Corporation." It was the same one Kaiba was standing from on the night he announced his Battle City Tournament. The CEO of the company looked up at his helicopter, wondering why it had come. He nodded.

From the open side-doorway emerged a familiar raven-haired boy. My heart leapt for Kaiba.

"It's Mokuba!" The elder brother sounded surprised, but I could tell there was a hint of excitement in his voice as well. His little brother had found him.

He escaped from the Rare Hunters.

"Hi, Seto!" said Mokuba, waving down at us. Slowly, the helicopter descended onto a tarmac that was laid out a little ways away from where we were dueling. Kaiba and I ran over. Mokuba jumped off the landed helicopter and dashed over to his brother. We met halfway.

"Tell me, are you alright?" asked Seto, this time not even trying to mask the worry in his voice. His concern simply flooded out of him after knowing that Mokuba was safe. I felt happy for Kaiba.

Mokuba nodded with a smile, happy to see his older brother as well. "Mhm," he said, but soon, a small frown formed on his lips. "But I had to leave Téa behind."

"Is Téa okay?" I asked anxiously. "And what about Joey and Tristan? What happened to Sarah?"

"Well, I'm not sure about Joey or Tristan, but up until she helped me escape from the Rare Hunters, Téa was doing alright."

"Thank Ra. And... Sarah?"

Mokuba's violet eyes became even more sad, and I felt my heart almost stop.

"Sarah said she was in so much pain that she could hardly move."

"..."

"She said there was a magic inside her bloodstream that was causing her body to ache. She looked really pale and tired too..."

"Oh no..."

Kaiba looked at me. "So it's just as Lumis and Umbra said. There's a poison of some kind in her body."

"Dark Magic that affects the human body like a poison? That sounds dangerous," said Mokuba.

"Poison... Dark Magic... whatever it may be called, it seems as though I'm running out of time. We need to get to her and the others now. Please, Kaiba."

Kaiba acknowledged the urgency in my voice and nodded. "Get in the helicopter. We'll locate your friends and take you to where they are, but don't think this is because I care about you and your friends. It seems as though I owe Téa for saving my little brother."

I returned the nod and followed him into the helicopter, taking a seat by the window with Kaiba in the middle and Mokuba at the other window. I closed the door for safety and looked out the window, watching the ground move further and further away as the helicopter took off from the roof.

"On my way here, I had already contacted Dr. Irvine and asked for Sarah's and Joey's location." Mokuba showed us the map on a small laptop that he pulled up from beside his seat. He must have counted on Kaiba's willing to help us. On the map, near the pier, were two little blips that were pulsating.

That must have been them. My heart quickly soared after knowing where they were instead of having an empty thought about it. Yugi also seemed more hopeful.

"They haven't been moved from where I was being held," he said. "It's about eleven miles away so we'll reach our destination in about fifteen minutes."

I had to wait that long? Thinking about it, it would have been much longer if I was on foot, especially if I was still looking for where they were. This was as good as it was going to get.

"Thank you, Mokuba," I said wholeheartedly, to which the younger boy nodded. "You as well, Kaiba. Thank you."

"Tell me, Yugi. Who is this Marik guy? Why is he doing all this?"

I watched as Kaiba crossed his arms and placed one leg over the other. "I haven't actually seen him," I admitted with narrow eyes, wishing that I had a glimpse of him simply to put a face to his name. "He hides behind his Rare Hunters who in turn collect rare cards for him. He gets his strongest Rare Hunters to duel me for a chance to win my Millennium Puzzle."

"Why would he want something like that out of everything else in the world?"

"He wants the power of the Pharaoh."

"... Yugi, are you feeling alright?"

I felt as though I needed to tell Kaiba about who I really was if he was to understand anything that was going on. If he was really somehow connected to my ancient past depending on what the carving at the museum depicted, then he should know. Sarah even mentioned that his past self was a part of the Pharaoh's Court, a group of people who were second in command to the Pharaoh. Even if his reincarnation wasn't interested, he had a part to play. Yugi also turned to me in his spirit form, giving me a nod, saying it should be done.

"I am not who you think I am," I said so dramatically that I gave myself a chill.

Kaiba stared at me as though I had lost my mind. Mokuba blinked.

I continued. "In a way, I am Yugi, but in many ways, I am not. I do not know my name, but I do know that I am a five thousand-year-old spirit living inside the Millennium Puzzle. I share Yugi's body with his spirit."

I had never seen Kaiba's eyes so wide before. Those crystal blue orbs were shining. "That's a lie," he said defiantly, though he was still surprised. He didn't want to believe in impossible scenarios.

"I wouldn't lie to you about such a thing," I insisted. "I was Pharaoh of Egypt. Something happened in my past that trapped my soul within the Millennium Puzzle. When Yugi solved it, he released me and we've become one ever since."

"Amazing…" said Mokuba with awe. He seemed to have believed me. "Maybe that's why you seem so different when you duel!"

I nodded, realizing that Mokuba accepted answers that solved questions. Kaiba simply wished for logical reasons to clarify his inquiries.

"According to Marik, as Pharaoh, I have this ultimate power. However, I don't have any memories of my past life, and therefore I had no idea of this power. Until Marik brought it up and decided that it belonged to him. It was then he began his plans and schemes to try and win it from me for it has to be earned through a duel. Now that I have won an Egyptian God card from him, he wants that back as well."

"What does this have to do with your friends?" asked Mokuba. Kaiba merely listened, probably thinking it was all nonsense, but he paid attention anyways.

"I have won every duel against his Rare Hunters in this tournament," I said. "He must have realized his Hunters weren't enough to win him the power of the Pharaoh, so he took my friends knowing that I would do anything to get them back."

"He's counting on you to come and rescue them," Mokuba realized with wide violet eyes. "It could be a trap!"

"I must go," I said. "Regardless of what Marik must have planned, I need to save my friends. I may not know details on how they are, but what I do know is that Marik will use my friends in order to get what he really wants."

"He mentioned that your friends were under his control." Kaiba had this look on his face that said he was listening, but he wasn't going to believe in it. He still needed to know so much and yet he wasn't even accepting the first half of the story.

In any case, I nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"Yet, he only seemed to have poisoned Sarah. Why would that be?"

Should I tell him about Sarah? Without her permission, it may seem rude, however she knew that Kaiba needed to know as well. And even if he didn't believe in everything I said today, perhaps later on when Sarah tells him herself, he would believe her. For now, I had to mention the major role she played in this life.

"It seems as though Marik isn't very fond of Sarah," I said, remembering Lumis' and Umbra's words earlier in the duel about Marik's plans for her. "Throughout the tournament, she has tried her best to intervene whenever his Rare Hunters were around, and also gain information in any way that she could. However, her part in this world bothered him the most."

"What part would that be?" asked Mokuba quietly.

"She is the Pharaoh's Guardian," I said finally. "Her duty as such is to stand between me and an enemy. However, when someone challenges me to a duel, she is restricted to standing on the sidelines. Usually, what she might have done back in Ancient Egypt was defeat the enemy with her bare hands before allowing anything else."

Both brothers stared at me as though I had gone completely mad. Kaiba's gaze was a lot harder than Mokuba's, whose violet eyes were wide with astonishment.

"That… has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of," said Kaiba, his cold blue eyes staring me down. I held my composure.

"You can ask her yourself once you see her again," I said. "Marik said that according to the Ancient Scriptures, if the Pharaoh loses his power, he loses his Guardian as well. It makes sense - why would a Guardian guard a former Pharaoh when she or he is obliged to guard the newer Pharaoh? However, Marik didn't want the chance of having Sarah as his Guardian if he managed to win the power of the Pharaoh. He knew she would fight against his wishes even if he did win against me in a duel. So rather than have her against him or with him, he has decided to get rid of her once and for all."

"You don't mean…" This time, Kaiba's eyes were slightly wide. It wouldn't have been noticeable if I wasn't sitting so close to him.

With a heavy heart, thinking about the situation myself, I gave him and Mokuba a nod. "He has decided to kill her."

There was a strange silence, one in which we were trying to contemplate how a man could even think of such a thing.

"Each poison works differently," said Kaiba, breaking the silence. "By the time Mokuba met up with us, it sounded as though Sarah was still conscious. This would mean that Marik must have given Sarah a slow-acting poison, one that would prolong her suffering."

I looked down at my hands, trying to imagine the pain she might be in. Not being in a duel really was different. I would have been thinking about cards and strategies during one, not how much agony my Guardian was in.

"Now that I think about it, making her suffer first would be at the top of his agenda. Why end someone's life in an instant when you can cause them immense pain and hardship first?" I murmured quietly.

Mokuba's eyes grew sad. "That's terrible..." he said. "We have to stop him! Sarah needs medical attention!"

Kaiba was quiet for another moment. "Sarah seems strong," he said. I blinked at him, wondering how he could easily speak about Sarah like this. "Perhaps she's still fighting it off. However, finding the antidote to the poison she's been given will be no easy picnic."

"What if... Marik gave her a poison that didn't have an antidote?" asked Mokuba, quietly again, hoping that really wasn't the case.

I shook my head, unwilling to think about the possibility either. "With every reaction, there's a counter reaction. There is a way to free her from the Dark Magic, but we just need to find it."

"There's the magic talk again."

"Kaiba."

"..."

"Why is it that you are so interested in Sarah's wellbeing?"

Kaiba gave me a sideways glare at the sudden change in subject. His cold blue eyes bored into me with an expression I had not seen from him before. But I had done it. After all this time, I had finally asked him. Now that we weren't distracted from any duels, and it was just the two of us with Mokuba, I could finally talk to him and ask him why he seemed just as emotional about Sarah as he was about Mokuba. The younger Kaiba blinked.

"No reason," Kaiba replied curtly.

Mokuba struggled to hide his smile. "You like her, don't you, Seto?" he teased.

Like?

Kaiba... liked... Sarah? What was that supposed to mean?

I looked over to Yugi for answers, but he was staring at the CEO with bewildered eyes. Obviously, he understood what Mokuba meant, but I still didn't have a clue as to what it could mean. Kaiba seemed to have been thinking deeply about this question. However, to Mokuba's response, he gave his little brother a small glare.

"Mokuba..." he said in a warning tone. The younger Kaiba quickly looked out the window with a small smirk on his face.

I simply stared at the two of them, wondering what the whole conversation had turned into. I didn't understand the hidden meaning behind Mokuba's words.

"I don't like Sarah in the way you're thinking of, Mokuba. I merely think about her at times like I do with everyone else I've run into."

Kaiba's blue eyes faded again, only a little bit this time, as he thought about my question. "She's reckless," he said to which I gazed at him curiously. "Sarah has already been admitted to the hospital countless times, and now she's gotten herself into more trouble. She needs someone to look after her."

"Sarah puts herself in risky positions to try and help me," I said, trying to justify her actions. "Although… I don't think she knows just how much she means to her friends."

"If that's how you treat your friends, I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies."

"I didn't ask for this, Kaiba. I didn't want her getting hurt. It's like I said: Marik is the one behind all this."

The other began massaging the bridge of his nose as though he was about to get a headache. "All this talk about magic is bothersome. Did you talk to that crazy woman Ishizu as well?"

I blinked at him. "Sarah and I visited with her just a few days ago. You met her too?"

Kaiba sighed as though the topic was maddening. "Talked about nothing but magic. She also showed me carvings on stone tablets that looked a lot like Duel Monsters cards and ancient magic hocus pocus. One carving of a person looked… like you…"

I watched Kaiba's blue eyes slowly blink in stunned realization as he turned to look at me. I waited patiently for him to grow comfortable with the idea, or as comfortable as he could get. I was relieved to say the least. It just so happened that he had seen the carvings as well. Perhaps this little chat was destiny's way of saying it was finally time to work together to bring this evil to justice once and for all. The brown-haired CEO continued to stare at me as though he were piecing together a puzzle. He always had a tough time accepting things that seemed out of this world. Perhaps now, with all the evidence that was piling up, he would begin to believe in it all.

"Please tell me this is a joke."

"I'm afraid it's not," I said finally. "You saw me as well as yourself, didn't you, Kaiba? And Sarah. She was carved into the stone too."

"..."

"There are many things you don't understand quite yet. However, in due time, you will know everything. Hopefully, for now, the least you can understand is that we are all connected, one way or another."

Kaiba shook his head as though he was trying to rid his mind of the thought, but I could see the bit of curiosity growing in his brilliant blue eyes. "I'm too busy running a tournament to be playing magic games," he said, insisting his disbelief. "Let's just get your friends. Mokuba, where are we on their location?"

"Another two miles," said the younger Kaiba. His violet eyes were kind of sad. Seeing them made my heart drop too. "Yugi… we'll reach your friends soon. And then we'll get them out. Don't you worry."

I gave him a small smile, hoping with him. He was kind enough to offer me assurance. "Thank you, Mokuba…"

"Alright, here's the plan," said Kaiba. "We'll bust into Marik's hideout and get your friends back. You should focus on Joey and Téa, I'll try to find that antidote for Sarah. This way, we can cut this visit short."

I nodded, all the while still thinking about what the whole deal was with him and Sarah. What Mokuba had said before didn't make any sense to me, and as Yugi looked at me now, he had this look of disbelief on his face as if whatever Mokuba said to Kaiba was the most obvious thing in the world.

'I'm sorry, Aibou. I don't really understand.'

The other simply sighed in his spirit form. 'You'll probably find out what he meant later. For now, you have nothing to worry about. Let's focus on getting the others back.'

I nodded, setting aside my questions and instead focused on retrieving our friends. Our worry for them hadn't gone down. In fact, it may have elevated. I felt my stomach turn. 'Hang on, everyone...'

In just a few minutes, the helicopter began to descend. This was it. I was finally going to be able to see my friends again. I hoped that Marik was only bluffing when he said he had them under his control. However, if he didn't… I refused to even think of such a thing. We needed to get them out as fast as possible. For now, I set aside the willingness I have received from Kaiba. He's been compliant this whole time, which was strangely unlike him.

I saw Mokuba pointing at the window. "Hey… I think I see someone," he said. "On the pier by the docks. It looks like Joey!"

My heart pounded against my chest as the helicopter touched the ground. I couldn't see through Mokuba's window so I decided to take a look after I got out of the helicopter. I slid open the door on my side and stepped out, onto solid ground, followed by Kaiba and Mokuba close behind. The slowing helicopter blades ripped through the air and created wind which guided itself through our hair and clothes. I looked ahead and noticed the familiar looking blond.

"Joey!" I couldn't help but feel my chest swell. Seeing our friend unharmed restored our expectations. Perhaps Marik really had been bluffing this whole time.

Suddenly, I received the strangest of vibes from the blond. The one standing before us looked like Joey - he had the same face as him, the same clothes, his Duel Disk was on the same arm, even the way his hair was styled was also the same. Despite all that, Yugi and I could feel the Shadow Power we sensed from Marik's Rare Hunters. We could feel a dark presence haunting the air around us - the only, major difference in our familiar friend.

Our hopes and anticipation soon crumbled. Marik hadn't been bluffing at all.

The person standing before us was indeed Joey, but at the same time, it wasn't him. Inside, it wasn't Joey at all. Someone else had taken control of his body.

Marik was controlling Joey.

Joey was Marik's mind slave.

Marik's strong power overwhelmed Joey's strong heart.

Now he was in his hands.

"Joey isn't here," said the man standing before me. His voice was layered, one was his and the second was a deeper, much more sinister voice. The honey-coloured eyes I was so used to were now dull, clouded over with a darkness I never wanted to see in him.

I curled my fingers into the palms of my hands, feeling the skin tighten once more for the hundredth time today. I could feel anger towards the dark Tombkeeper rise and boil in my chest.

"Marik…" I growled.

"I've been waiting for you," he said.

Mokuba took a step towards Kaiba. "Seto… Joey seems different…"

"It looks like Marik really has taken control of Wheeler…" said the older brother, quietly.

I disregarded Marik for a moment and focused on my friend. He was still in there, trapped somewhere within his mind. Perhaps I could free him.

"Joey! I know you're in there!" I called. "Fight his control!"

The blond chuckled darkly. It made my skin crawl, knowing who was actually laughing while he hid behind someone I cared about. "It's no use," he said. "I have full control of your friends. If you give me what I want, I might let them go."

"How do I know that I have your word!"

"Easy. We'll solve this with a simple duel."

"Your duels are anything but simple."

"That's good to hear."

I bared my teeth and narrowed my eyes at him. I knew it wasn't Joey now. Marik was the one standing before me, hiding within my friend's body. "What did you have in mind this time?" I asked, giving in to his demands. He might try to hurt my friends if I refused.

That was his plan all along.

Mokuba looked up at his brother, worry evident in his violet eyes, but I could predict Kaiba's answer already. "It's the destiny of a duelist to duel whoever challenges him, whether it's a friend or not," Kaiba said to Mokuba. "Otherwise, he can't keep going. Friendship and cooperation won't work for Yugi this time, seeing the current circumstances. He will have to think of something else. This duel will be his biggest test."

"What will you do, Yugi?" he asked me. "Let me see your answer."

Kaiba wished to see how this encounter will end. The previous plan we had agreed upon was now thrown out the window. Besides, we were in an open pier with a ship parked off to the side. There was nothing left to do but listen to Marik. He was counting on this. I would do anything he asked in order to save my friends.

At the moment, I could only see Joey. I wondered where Tristan, Téa and Sarah were.

"I have decided on another duel to the death!" said Marik. "However, this time, you won't be dueling any of my Rare Hunters. You'll be dueling your best friend."

My eyes widened. This was Marik's plan? I knew it would be a duel, but a duel against Joey? I couldn't. Not if it was a duel to the death. If I won, then Joey… he'd…

"Marik, this is ridiculous!" I said. "Come out here and face me yourself!"

"In due time," he said through Joey. "But first… let us see just how you compare to your friends."

I shook my head. "Joey…" I tried again. "You made a promise to me - that we would defeat Marik together! This isn't the duel we agreed upon. A duel for a True Duelist is when you are the one who is dueling, not Marik. This is a trap!"

I watched Joey turn away, Marik leading him astray. "You'll never free, Joey," he said, turning to look at me from over his shoulder. "Follow me. Your final duel is here."

Yugi looked at me, and I knew what he was thinking. We couldn't give up on our friends. They were still within their minds, trapped temporarily, until Marik was pulled out. We needed to get through to them. However, in terms of this duel, there seemed to be no way out. If I refused, Marik will continue to control the minds of our friends. If I agreed, we would have to duel Joey to the death. The winner would be freed while the loser would be left to deal with the consequences. In the latter option, neither one of us could lose our lives. There had to be a way to release Joey from Marik's control without any hitches.

Compliantly, I followed Joey past the large ship. For the safety of my friends, I had to do what Marik wanted me to do. However, the sound of another altered voice made me turn around and look up anxiously.

"You had better do exactly as I say," said the figure, emerging from the darkness of a doorway on the side of the ship. There was a metal staircase leading to the ground. "Remember: I hold your friends captive. Instead of a prison made of bars, I've trapped them in their own minds."

Téa was walking down the gangway steps of the ocean liner. Like Joey, everything was the same, except for the kind ocean blue eyes we were so used to seeing. They were now dull, her sight overpowered by another. Téa and Joey were such lively friends, always helping Yugi and me through everything. Seeing them in someone else's hands was heartbreaking. They weren't themselves, and it showed us just how much power Marik had to be able to control people's minds. He could command more than one person at a time, and that didn't just mean having power over the mind, he had power over their bodies as well. Téa wasn't walking down towards me on her own, it was Marik who was leading her.

I watched with helpless eyes as she touched the ground and began walking away towards Joey.

"Marik…" I said quietly, dangerously. "Téa has nothing to do with this! Leave her alone!"

Téa smirked. It was rather unnerving to see her smirking like that. It was too evil for her. "You're at my mercy if I have your friends," she said, her voice also echoing. "You can do nothing else but listen to every word I'm going to say, because as you are well aware, I have the lives of your two most dearest friends in my hands.

"Well… all except one."

Did he say two? He said two. Perhaps Tristan wasn't here then. He could have managed to escape!

Realization suddenly struck me as I thought about Marik's words. After seeing Joey and Téa, and what Marik had done to them, I had almost forgotten about not seeing Sarah anywhere.

"Where is my Guardian, Marik?" I heard my voice rise, feeling anger boiling inside me. He didn't have one of my friends, or two of them, he had three. Instead of feeling sorry for what had happened, I felt the instinct to fight back. I wasn't going to let Marik get away with hurting my friends in an attempt to get to me.

He would regret making such a decision.

Téa and Joey only seemed to be mind-controlled - they didn't have anything on their bodies to indicate that they were hurt. I was glad they weren't poisoned either, however, Marik must have known that I would have released my full rage on him if I found out that he hurt them. He knew that he wouldn't stand a chance once my power was activated - however it would have been activated, possibly by a trigger like seeing my friends hurt. My Guardian happened to be a different story, or so Marik thought. He said Sarah was "expendable", as though she was merely a tool that I could buy again at any hardware store. He thought I wouldn't fight for her as much as he predicted.

I would show him otherwise.

My friends… I will free you from Marik's control.

Téa and Joey exchanged knowing glances, as if sharing a joke about my question. It was even more off-putting knowing that Marik was doing that simply to torture my curiosity and my worry. I felt my nails dig into the palms of my hands again.

"You will see her soon," said Marik through Téa, her cold blue eyes looking my way. "Although, in her condition, you may never see her walk again."

"Marik!"

"Pharaoh. You are here for one thing: a duel. If you refuse, everyone dies. However, if you accept, Joey and you will only have the chance of dying. Sarah will die no matter what you do. So you should might as well just give up on her."

My eyes narrowed. "When we win the duel, you will give me the antidote to save her!"

"There is no antidote!" laughed Téa and I felt my heart drop into my stomach. What Mokuba had said on the helicopter ride was becoming a reality? I couldn't make myself believe that! There had to be a way to help her!

"Now come. Let me show you your duel arena. Worry about Sarah a little later, when you have to prepare a funeral for her."

With fists clenched, a growl at my throat, and my eyes narrowed murderously, I followed Téa to a dock that was hidden on the other side of the large ocean liner. I couldn't defeat Marik like this, not when it was someone else fighting in his place. For now, I had to focus on saving my friends. Perhaps if I tried hard enough, I could get through to them.

I didn't even want to think about what would happen if either Joey or I lost the duel.

We will all win in the end, and Marik will be the one to lose.

It was a four-sided dock that Téa led me to with a square of water in the middle. Metal beams supported a heavy anchor that was hanging above. Joey stood on one side of the dock so I assumed that I had to be on the other side. Téa stood beside us. The playing field was going to be open, set upon the shimmering water. The wooden boards creaked beneath my feet from pressure but they were still strong enough to hold. The anchor had chains attached to it, of which Téa was holding three in her hands. There was a cuff on each. Small boxes similar to the ones from past Shadow Duels were set up by our feet, probably set to unlock when a winner was declared - and only for that winner. Seeing the anchor and chains unsettled me.

"Now, I will explain the rules for the duel," said Téa.

I had heard her clearly, however, my mind was occupied by the sight of a familiar shade of red that I could see behind Téa's feet. There was a Duel Disk, broken cell phone, wallet, and thigh sheath right next to it - items that looked strangely familiar to me as well. I felt an aching in my chest that wouldn't go away.

"Marik…" I said quietly, before he could make Téa go on. "Where's Sarah…?"

Téa smirked again. Then she stepped out of the way so I could see what was behind her.

And I swear to the Egyptian Gods, I had never been so mortified in my entire life.

Marik had tossed her to the side to torture me and show that he was the one in control of this duel.z

"There. Now you know where she is," said Téa distastefully. "You couldn't even wait until after I explained the rules."

In a moment, I was by my Guardian's side, staring down at her, all the anger seeping out of my body only to be replaced by shock and despair. The sight of her made my heart crumble.

Sarah was lying on the dock with her back to the sky, in a position that seemed as though she was just thrown there. Her clothes were charred and ruined, dirtied from a battle I had no idea took place. The bare skin of her arms and legs were covered in something, I couldn't tell what it was from where I was standing.

I took some time taking in her appearance, stunned by the possibilities of what could have happened exploding within my mind. Slowly, I knelt down beside her and turned her over so she was lying comfortably on her back. I blinked. Then I placed the back of my hand on her neck.

She was as cold as ice.

I could feel a pulse, which meant she was only unconscious. That was a load off my mind, but her cold temperature was still unsettling.

Now that I was close to her body, I could see clearly what it was that I noticed on her skin. In fact, what I saw wasn't even on her skin, it was under it. Lines of black ink were all over her body.

However, it wasn't ink. The colour was just so prominent.

The lines were her veins.

There was something inside her veins that changed the colour of her blood or completely overpowered the plasma.

It was the Dark Magic… the poison…

It had taken hold of her.

Why was she unconscious? Was it the pain? Was it too much to bear? Or was it the effect of the Dark Magic? I looked upon her features, hoping to see those striking scarlet eyes open, but they remained closed. Even her face and neck had faint lines of black, veins full of Dark Magic. Perhaps it was better if she was unconscious. She won't suffer as much as she would have if she was awake.

I felt myself reach out for her hand. When I looked down at it, I remembered the first day we met. She told me who she was, and after that wouldn't even let go of my own hand. I remember her holding it so tightly as though I would slip out of her fingers. She was hopeful that day. Incredibly hopeful.

That I would remember her soon.

"Sarah's reckless. She needs someone to look after her." Kaiba's words hit me like a truck.

I looked at my wounded Guardian. Mokuba was right - she was pale. I tightened my grip on her hand.

Kaiba was right as well. Sarah needed someone.

I will look after her.

Téa cackled, breaking me out of my thoughts. Her laugh was even stranger to hear than seeing her smirk. "Pitiful," she said. "After all this time, I thought you wouldn't care."

Suddenly, the concern I felt for Sarah, for my friends, disappeared. I felt a new emotion grow within me.

Resolve.

Nothing but determination trembled through my body. I felt it swell within my chest, rejoining my heart with Yugi's. Together we grew stronger for our friends.

We had to set them free.

"I will always care about my friends," I said defiantly, effectively removing the school blazer from my shoulders. Then I draped it over Sarah's body, hoping that she would feel warm, and placed her hand back down. I stood up. "You, on the other hand, Marik, I am beginning to despise with a passion.

"Let us start this duel, and you who will be defeated in the end."

"We shall see," said mind-controlled Joey, also with a smirk dancing on his lips. I glanced down at Sarah once more before returning to my spot on the dock across from Joey.

Téa held up the chains above her shoulders to emphasize their importance. "Now then, if we can carry on, Pharaoh. These chains attached to the anchor will be cuffed to your ankles. When a player's Life Points hit zero, after thirty seconds, the anchor will drop, dragging the loser of the duel to the bottom of the ocean. The boxes you see before you holds the key to your cuffs. When one duelist's Life Points hit zero, the other duelist's box will open, and he will be able to free himself from the anchor in the thirty seconds that follow. The winner of the duel will have the pleasure - or displeasure, Pharaoh - of seeing the loser disappear forever."

These rules were outrageous. This duel was completely insane. How evil could Marik have possibly been?

"I will not have such a dangerous duel against you, Joey," I said, hoping it would bring my friend back to his senses.

"You have no choice," said the blond, his soulless eyes laughing at my pain. "If you wish to have even a remote chance of saving your friends, then you should accept these terms before they get even worse."

I glared at the shadow mercilessly as Téa first clasped a cuff around Joey's ankle before doing the same to me. Then I watched as she locked the third chain to Sarah's ankle. My eyes widened.

"You said the terms of this duel wouldn't get any worse, Marik!"

Joey tapped the side of his face, mocking the art of thinking deeply, but he was smirking. "I always wondered what the best way to hide a dead body would be," he started, and I clenched my fists so hard that my knuckles turned white. "Now I know that the bottom of the ocean would be perfect. When tied down by something heavy, in this case our anchor, a body won't be swept along by the currents or float back up to the surface. In ensuring my victory against this Guardian, I don't have to worry about disposing her body after killing her so efficiently."

"Marik, you've hurt her enough!" My voice was so harsh even Yugi looked at me worriedly. "Once this duel is over, you will tell me how to save her!"

"I wouldn't tell you even if the world was ending!" cackled mind-controlled Joey. "As you can see, she doesn't have a box in front of her like you and Joey do. I have decided not to give you the key to her chain."

My eyes widened again as I looked to make sure. I couldn't believe it. There really wasn't a box for her.

"Marik! She'll drown!"

"Exactly my intention, Pharaoh! The perfect way to end her miserable life! After being tortured and poisoned, in the end she will die slowly, watching her life flash before her eyes! It's brilliant!"

This man was completely insane. Sinister blood ran through his veins, his mind was clouded over by so much darkness that I wondered how he could even see the path before him. Would he really kill someone in order to obtain power?

"You won't get away with this..." I said with a dangerously low voice. "Once I win this duel with the safety of my friends, I will save her as well…"

"But I'm already at my goal's line. Take a look behind you. The conditions of this duel aren't over yet."

I was terrified to see what he was talking about, wondering what Marik could possibly have done this time, but I noticed that Téa wasn't beside us anymore. In the midst of our argument, Marik had sent her off and I knew not where. I had to know. So I turned around.

Téa was sitting in a chair on another dock. Her wrists and ankles were bound and there was a tall crane standing right next to her. It was carrying a large shipping which was swinging dangerously over Téa's head. I could see a separate box of what looked to be explosives attached to the hook that was holding the crate up.

"What the…"

"You have a time limit of sixty minutes to complete the duel," said Téa with her twisted voice. "If there is no winner declared at that time, the crate above Téa's head will fall, and you, Joey and Sarah will be dragged to the bottom of the ocean. Everyone will be disposed of and I will obtain the power of the Millennium Puzzle before you take it down with you."

"No…"

I felt like I couldn't breathe. Marik had put the lives of my friends in danger. Sarah was already poisoned, and although I was glad Téa and Joey weren't poisoned as well, I liked their new positions even less. Téa could be crushed if we didn't solve the duel in one hour, and if I won, Joey would be pulled underwater. Sarah wasn't even given a way out. No matter who lost, she would join the loser of the duel, and be anchored to the ocean bottom with them. The both of them would drown.

I could feel the blood rushing through my body. Every beat of my heart was telling me to think - think of something that would save everyone! The only idea that came to mind was that I had to get through to Joey. Once he regained control of his mind, we could fight against Marik together, as we were meant to. The bond of our friendship was much stronger than the hold Marik had on him. Once we resolved the duel, one of us would free Téa while the other would figure out a way to help Sarah out of her chain. We would only have thirty seconds. It wasn't a lot of time… but hopefully we could do something.

I wasn't going to let Marik get away with this. This wasn't a fair fight and he knew it, but he didn't care. All he wanted was the power of the Pharaoh.

No matter what he said, there had to be a way for us to free everyone.

Mokuba's anxious voice reached my ears. I had nearly forgotten that he and his brother were here. They stood on solid ground, watching the scene unfold before them. I didn't know what Kaiba could have been thinking. He already found it hard to believe that I was a Pharaoh. Maybe this would all look like a complicated game of Duel Monsters that someone had elaborately come up with.

Surely he didn't find the crate hanging above Téa's head amusing…?

"Seto! This is getting out of control!" said Mokuba, deeply troubled by the whole idea. "You have to stop this duel!"

Kaiba's defiant answer brought hope for him back into my heart.

"This is no duel," said the taller brother. He stepped forward and emphasized his authority with a sweep of his arm. "As head of the Battle City Tournament, I demand that this duel be stopped! Enough with your ridiculous claims, Marik!"

Téa burst into laughter. I felt my skin crawl again. "You wouldn't dare interfere!" she said with a wicked smirk. "One step towards the docks and this little girl gets crushed by the weight of the crate! And my other lovely Rare Hunter will have the pleasure of making sure you don't mess with the duel."

Another Rare Hunter with long hair held up his hand from his seat inside the crane. He had a small detonator in his fingertips that could send the crate falling on top of Téa with a push of a button. I watched as Kaiba scoffed at the gutless maneuver, took a step back, and crossed his arms defiantly. He couldn't do anything to help after all, although I appreciated his attempt. Marik had all possible corners splintered to perfection in his plan. We couldn't do anything to get around them easily.

But… there was one thing I still had yet to try… and that was getting Joey back in the game.

"As I thought," said Marik as Kaiba refused to put Téa's life in danger. He must have known by now that things weren't going as they normally would. He had to start understanding that there was a bigger picture here. "Now then, as everyone else is ready and the rules have been specified, it is time I add another pair of eyes to the audience!"

I watched as Téa slumped forward but was held back by the restraints on her wrists. I was about to call out for her, thinking that Marik had knocked her unconscious, but she began to look back up. She blinked a few times, colour finally returning to those kind blue orbs, and wearily gazed in our direction.

"Mm… Yugi… Joey…? What's… going on..."

She was back. Marik had released his control over Téa. I felt relieved knowing that he retreated from her mind but he had left her to watch this treacherous duel unfold in bounds of her own.

"Téa! Are you all right!"

She leaned back in the chair and then noticed that her wrists and ankles were bound. Terrified at the idea of being trapped, she pulled on her hands. "I'm fine, but… what's going on? What is this…!"

"Marik has trapped us all in a dangerous game," I said remorsefully. "Just… don't look up. I'll get you and the others out of here."

Téa remained still for a moment, soaking in everything that was going on. She noticed Sarah on the floor unconscious, the look in Joey's eyes that wasn't his own, Mokuba and Kaiba standing off to the side, and the chains tied to the anchor. Then she looked up, even though I told her not to, and saw the crate hanging up high. She swallowed nervously.

"This is what… you were trying to warn us about…" said Téa, slowly bringing her gaze back down. The idle crate was too much to look at. It must have felt like it would drop at any moment.

I nodded, realizing what she was referring to. It was the phone call. "I'm sorry I couldn't get to you in time…."

The brunette shook her head, surprising me. "You did your best…" she said. "This was bound to happen. Now we have to focus on getting out of this mess. Joey!"

The blond merely looked her way, emotionlessly. Marik didn't say anything, but his smirk said everything.

"I know you're in there!" said Téa. "Come back to your senses and let's stop this duel! Stop this madness before someone gets hurt!"

"The only way to get to me… is by dueling," said Joey with an empty voice. Téa was taken aback by the coldness in his stare. "Now then… since you've all been settled in… it's time we start this duel. Remember: no one is allowed to interfere, or else Téa will be crushed. Once I'm done here, I'm coming after you, Kaiba. Your Egyptian God card will soon be mine."

"Hmph. You have to beat Yugi first. Don't get ahead of yourself," Kaiba said with a mild glare.

Joey chuckled darkly. "Of course, of course. I shouldn't spoil my winnings. Oh, but before we start, there's one last thing we need to take care of."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "What more could you possibly want, Marik?" I seethed.

"Your Egyptian God card… it's off limits."

Tch. I should have figured as much from him. He had everyone under his thumb and still he wanted more control over the duel. I searched through my deck for the card. "Fine," I said, removing the belt with the deck box from around my waist. After opening the flap, I placed the Egyptian God card inside. I didn't want to use it anyways, Slifer was too dangerous. My fingers stopped moving as I noticed the other special card I kept inside the box.

It was the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Joey's card… from the duel with our first Rare Hunter…

'Aibou...' I said, calling to my other half. Yugi appeared in spirit form beside me. He saw me looking at Red-Eyes.

'Joey's favourite card…' he said, gazing at it curiously, his bright amethyst eyes dim with thought. 'Do you think he'll recognize it if you play it?'

I wasn't even sure if Joey was still able to hear our voices. However, we couldn't give up on him. He had to be in there somewhere, trapped within his own mind and body. If we played Joey's card during the duel, it was possible that he would remember it, along with the promise he made to us about defeating Marik together.

'This could be the key to everything,' I said thoughtfully. 'This card could awaken his heart...'

Yugi nodded. I carefully slid the card into our deck and shuffled all the cards, hoping the Red-Eyes would be drawn at the right time. Then I placed it within the deck slot on our Duel Disk and activated the holographic projectors which flew into position beside us. They began to glow. I watched as Marik made Joey do the same.

"Odd seeing your friend on the other side of the playing field, isn't it?" asked Marik through Joey. His smirk remained intact, never once receding.

"You are not my friend, Marik," I said defiantly. Joey laughed, but I continued. "I have a question that needs answering before we get started."

"I'll allow it."

"Where's Tristan?"

Joey tapped the side of his face again, but this time his gaze didn't seem as evil as before. "I didn't get a chance to meet him," he said, and I felt another load disappear from my shoulders. So he wasn't taken by Marik after all. "It's rather unfortunate. I would have enjoyed doing something with him as well."

"You have tainted my friends with your dark spells for long enough," I said, feeling the wind pick up as my anger flew with it. I only felt determined to save everyone. "I will free them all - and defeat you at your own twisted game!"

"We shall see, indeed!" said Joey with a sweep of his arm. "Let the hour start! This duel will be your last, Pharaoh! And today will be your friends' final days!"

The Rare Hunter who was operating the crane pressed a separate button on a small controller and started the timer that attached to the anchor. Numbers appeared on an LED screen, counting down the seconds and minutes of the hour.

Everyone was counting on me to win this duel. I had to save them and keep Marik from taking the power he claimed was his. I wished with all my heart that Marik had nothing else up his sleeve. He had done enough already. It seemed as though the only way to get through to Joey was to duel. Once he sees his Red-Eyes, it should snap him out of Marik's control. Instead of treating this like a regular duel, I was going to focus all my attention on bringing Joey back to us. It was the only way we could all get out of this.

LP: Marik/Joey: 4000 / Yugi: 4000

Time: 00:60:00

"I will let you go first," said Marik with a smirk.

I drew my first hand of cards along with the first draw of the duel. We had to bring Joey back to us before the timer ran out and the anchor fell. I couldn't let so many lives be in danger. I had to think of something - and fast.

"Will you be too afraid to play a card?"

I glared. "I'm not afraid of you, Marik," I said. "I summon Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts in Defence Mode." My opening move was standard, a monster with formidable offensive and defensive strength that would be guarding my Life Points. I refused to put Joey's life in any more danger. So if I could, I will refrain myself from attacking. I must stay on the defensive, at least for a little while, until I could figure out a way to stop this cursed duel before time was up.

"How nice of you to set up target practice for my magic card," said Marik/Joey with an intense smirk as he drew his next card. I braced myself for what he had planned. "I play the magic card Raigeki! It destroys a monster of my choosing from my opponent's side of the field. Say goodbye to Gazelle!"

A thunderbolt struck my beast from the heavens, disintegrating Gazelle into a million pieces. I shielded my eyes from its intense light. I hadn't seen such a powerful magic card before. It had the ability to destroy an opponent's monster no matter how strong. It must have been a rare card - even I hadn't heard of it before. I wondered what else Marik had in plan for us.

"Now that Gazelle is out of the way, there's a straight path to your heart." I watched as Joey relentlessly chose a card, without even thinking about it, and played it. "I summon Alligator Sword!"

It was nice to see a familiar card, but it was unnerving to know that Marik had set it against me.

In a mist of pixels, an armoured alligator standing on its hind legs and brandishing a sharp blade appeared. It was one of Joey's good cards, and knowing this, it felt odd knowing he was really the one I had to duel. Indeed we had agreed upon a duel in which he would prove himself as a True Duelist and win back his Red-Eyes Black Dragon, but this was not the duel we had in mind. I knew Joey was somewhere still inside his own mind, trying to break free from the darkness. He wouldn't have wanted it this way either.

"Now that you're completely wide open, Alligator Sword, attack little Yugi's Life Points directly!" As the command came, Alligator Sword steadied his blade and rushed towards me as I braced myself for the attack. With no glint of malice in his eyes, he slashed his sword across my chest, reducing my Life Points by fifteen hundred.

LP: Marik/Joey: 4000/Yugi: 2500

I took a step back, as Alligator Sword retreated to Joey's side of the field, and touched my chest where the blade had hit. It felt as though it was burning. Was this a Shadow Duel? There was no mention of the Shadow Realm from Marik when he was reading aloud the rules. I suppose a Shadow Duel didn't particularly need the Shadow Realm in order to make it a dark duel. Just the chance of someone losing their life was enough to make it an intense game. Everything felt more real. Joey's cards were also very powerful.

I heard him laugh and looked back up. His smirk never left his face. "Had enough already?" Marik dared to ask. "I hope you aren't going easy on me, pal."

"Marik, you will feel my full wrath once I have my hands around your neck."

"... Touchy, aren't you, Pharaoh?"

I grinded my teeth together to keep from lashing out and drew my next card to make sure the duel kept going. Time was still counting down. "You have just gone too far this time," I said quietly, playing a card from my hand. "For now, I will place Big Shield Gardna in Defence Mode. Make any move you want to make. No matter what, I will defeat you and save my friends!"

"Dream on, Pharaoh," said Marik. Joey's lips moved as he spoke, but of course, it wasn't Joey saying those words. I didn't think I'd ever get used to him being on the other side of the duel arena like this. If it was his normal self while in a normal duel, then sure, I would recognize our blond-headed friend. However, with someone else poking around inside his mind, it was hard to imagine someone else standing in his place when clearly it was Joey who was standing before me.

Téa watched the duel go on, knowing that she couldn't do anything to help. The Kaiba brothers also stood by, but I wasn't sure why. Perhaps they stayed back to offer support or to see how they could help when the moment arose. Regardless, I was glad they were here. We could use all the help we could get.

I watched as Joey drew his next card. Then I watched him smirk. His dull eyes stared back at me challengingly.

"Today just isn't your lucky day, is it?" asked Marik, casually placing the card into his Duel Disk. "You're trying your hardest to save your Life Points by playing weak monsters in Defence Mode, but of course, it won't do you any good. Feast your eyes on this rare find! The Hinotama magic card!"

There was a bright light and I looked up to see what it was. It was an enormous fireball, and it crashed down on top of me with the force of a car. The burning flames scorched my skin as I was enveloped by the fiery haze, a yell of pain at the top of my lungs. I felt it drain me of strength and Life Points, as though my life energy itself was being drawn out. When the blaze finally subsided, smoke rose from my body. I struggled to stand, finding myself bent over just a little bit with my breath caught in my throat. That attack was just too powerful… but where had it come from?

I heard Téa call for me in a panic over the ringing in my ears.

LP: Marik/Joey: 4000/Yugi: 2000

"Did you like the taste of my Forbidden Fire Ball?" asked Marik snidely. "My Rare Hunters have gathered plenty of rare cards for me to use in this ultimate duel against you. Not only will you be feeling pain inside your heart from seeing your friends in such peril, but now you will feel the pain of these deadly attacks!

"Your wish is to die by your friend's hands! Die, hateful Pharaoh!"

"Marik…!" Although my voice threatened to crack, I tried to remain strong. I couldn't let him win this duel even in the way he wanted me: dead. I had known all along that he may resort to something like this. His duels had been getting worse each time, and he always had my life on the line. Now that he had my closest friends in his grasp, he could have me dancing in his hands in no time.

Something caught my eye before I could say anything else. For some reason, I thought I saw Sarah's hand twitch. I shook the thought out of my mind, thinking that I was so dizzy, I was seeing things.

"Well?" asked Marik impatiently. "Weren't you going to say something? Or perhaps my threats have finally kicked some gears into motion?"

"You will not hear anger from me," I stated. "Let my cards do the talking!" I wasn't going to give up. I straightened up as best as I could and took a deep breath, feeling how much energy was left in my body after that burly attack. It wasn't much, but I had to hold out. Everyone's lives were riding on this duel.

"I'll let you start your next turn," said Marik. "I'm curious to see what your "cards" have to say."

"You will regret taking it easy," I said threateningly. Joey didn't seem fazed. In fact, a small light in his dull eyes was dancing, taunting me and poking fun at my misery. Marik must have been the spawn of evil itself.

I drew my next card and thought about a strategy. Big Shield Gardna had plenty of defence power against Alligator Sword, but who know how many of those Hinotama cards Marik had slipped into Joey's new deck? There was a large possibility he had hidden other magic and trap cards as well. If I wished to win this duel, then now was my time to attack before anything else happened.

The problem was Joey - I didn't want to hurt him - and Marik knew that. He wanted an easy win in a duel so he could obtain the power he was looking for. In a fair fight, I would duel circles around him as I have done countless times before. In this situation, he was only waiting for me to lose from unwillingness to attack my opponent. This way, he would walk away without a scratch and the power of the Millennium Puzzle - not to mention the Egyptian God card - while I would be left at the bottom of the ocean with my friends.

Our tombs will not be underwater.

I require a proper burial.

Or none at all, if that was possible at the moment.

I had to figure out how to win the duel in such a way where no one would get hurt.

"First, I place one card face down," I said, slipping a trap card into one of the slots on my Duel Disk. "And then, I summon Kuriboh in Attack Mode. That ends my turn."

Joey cackled. "This is what you meant by letting your "cards do the talking"? Pitiful! Nothing here tells me you're even worthy of the Pharaoh's power! Unless of course, you want me to attack and win the duel for your friends. If you wish to save your friends, I will be happy to help."

"I won't lose…" I said quietly. "I will save you… Joey..."

"Hah. Just give up. He is long gone. Now then, for this turn, I will attack your pathetic little Kuriboh with Alligator Sword. Neutralize the little pest!"

As Alligator Sword charged in for the attack, I played the faced down card I had on the field. "You activated my trap card! Spellbinding Circle! It ensnares your beast and lowers it attack points by seven hundred!"

Joey's monster stopped halfway through the attack only to be caught in the bright circles of my trap card. When he was by Joey's side again, he only had eight hundred Attack Points. Little Kuriboh sighed with relief as he saw that he wasn't going to the card Graveyard. Marik scoffed at the strategy.

"Don't blame me when you couldn't see through such a simple trick," I said. "You were too busy sitting on your high horse."

"Grrr… don't test me, Pharaoh! I can do plenty of other terrible things if you keep this up!"

"Come on, Marik… you know a duel against me isn't supposed to go like this."

Joey drew his next card, a merciless scowl on his face. "It will go how I need it to go!" he seethed. "I play another Hinotama magic card! That's another five hundred Life Points, Pharaoh!

"Who is the one begging for mercy this time!"

Before I knew it, I was facing another ball of fire the size of a small truck. Again, I was hit with its intense ferocity. Again, I could feel my body burning. Again, there was the fear of not being able to win. The flames roared, raging with fierce heat. I could hear someone cry out in pain - was it me? I couldn't even tell. It must have been me for my body was in grave pain.

Was this… was this how Sarah had been feeling this entire time? A pain deep inside her body that was too much to bear? I could relate to her agony now. While she was fighting something within herself, I was fighting something outside of myself.

These flaming attacks of Hell.

I staggered within the leftover sparks and twisting smoke, forcing myself to stay awake. The force seemed to have doubled, draining me of even more strength. My vision threatened to blur and the ringing in my ears returned.

If the duel continued this way, I may end up falling unconscious before I could even get through to Joey.

LP: Marik/Joey: 4000/Yugi: 1500

Marik began laughing maniacally, as though he had already won the duel. "I don't even need any strong monsters to defeat you!" he said with a vicious smirk on his face. "These powerful and rare magic cards have enough damage in them already to bring you down!"

No… it couldn't be the cards. No matter how powerful a monster was, I could never falter from their attack. Magic cards were no different. This pain that I was feeling… it wasn't from Marik's cards at all.

"Joey…" I managed to say. Doubled over and grabbing my knees, I tried to steady myself. After the smoke disappeared, I looked up to meet my friend's now empty gaze. "Doesn't this hurt you…? Doesn't this pain that you cause hurt your duelist's heart…?"

I thought Joey might come to, but his smirk only intensified, this time mockingly. "A "duelist's heart?" he asked me, shrugging his shoulders. "What the hell is that?"

Rallying all the strength I had left, I slowly straightened myself up again. My body was shaking - I could feel it ache like nothing before. "This pain that I'm feeling right now…" I said. "It isn't from the burning effects of your cards.

"It is the sorrow of fighting against you!"

For the slightest moment, I thought I saw the smirk on Joey's face falter. Perhaps it had triggered something inside him - the beginning of a slow descent back to himself. I didn't want to fight Joey, which was why I had been on the defensive this entire time. He was our friend, a dear friend of Yugi's who happened to get caught in Marik's web. It wasn't his fault… I didn't want to fight him…

Suddenly, the full smirk returned to his face, and I could feel my heart drop. "I will crush you, Yugi," I heard him say. Everything in my being was telling me 'No… just give it time. He'll come back, just keep reminding him of who he is!'

"I'm not... giving up on you… Joey…"

"It's your turn! Make your move."

My words were just brushing past him. Marik had clouded over Joey's mind so much that he had a lot of darkness to crawl through if he ever wanted to see the light again. But I knew that he could do it. Joey was a strong a duelist. He could overcome anything, as long as he himself didn't give up.

"Joey!" tried Téa. "Come on - wake up!"

It was no use. For now, Marik had a good hold over Joey. He needed something that would completely throw him off just to get him thinking straight again.

Speaking of which, Yugi appeared next to me in a heartbeat. His amethyst eyes held a conviction I had never quite seen before.

'Aibou…?'

'Other self… this is the first time that I've felt your heartache,' I heard him say. I looked down, remembering the agony I had felt mere moments before. I tried very hard to make sure Yugi didn't feel the pain I felt just so I could save him from it. Having Joey taken from us was so intense that even Yugi could feel it.

'Let me share half of your pain,' he said and I looked back at him with slightly wide eyes. He was willing to share the burden.

'Aibou…'

Yugi's gaze softened. 'Back when I wasn't much of a courageous person, Joey had still wanted to be my friend,' he explained, and I realized he must have been talking about the time before he solved the Millennium Puzzle. 'He risked his life to help me in that fire. He's helped me countless times.

'This time… this time it's my turn…'

I understood where Yugi was coming from, what he wished to do for his friend.

'But this duel is dangerous,' I said.

'I know…' nodded Yugi. 'But like you had said before, I could make good friends not because of the power of the Millennium Puzzle, but because of my own strength.'

I nodded, remembering the time I had told him how strong he really was. Yugi had always been a good person, but his strength was merely hiding from him. He had to find it - and he did.

'I want to prove that in this duel,' he said, the same conviction never leaving his eyes. 'If I can bring Joey back to us… then I've achieved my wish with my own strength. I want to prove I really made my own wish come true.'

I admired the passion Yugi had within himself. When his heart was set on something he knew was right, he would stand by it. Even though I wished for his safety, he could bring Joey back. This could have been our chance to save everyone.

I offered him a small smile, despite our unfavourable circumstances. 'You have always had the strength of ten men, Aibou,' I said to him.

I watched as his amethyst eyes shimmered and his small smile mirrored my own.

'Alright… I will let you go. However, should you feel that your life is in danger, I will come back immediately.'

Yugi nodded and we switched places.

~Yugi's pov~

Once I was back inside my body, I could feel a heat that was rather uncomfortable. Yami had taken lots of damage from the magic cards Marik had used. While he rested up and caught up with his strength, I will take over.

"Joey…" I said. "I will be your opponent."

I watched the smirk on Joey's face disappear as he soon began glaring. It seemed as though Marik didn't like the fact that I had come out to play.

Good.

"I believe it's my turn," I said, ready to draw my next card. It was time to pick up where Yami had left off.

He soon appeared beside me. 'We have the one card that will awaken Joey's heart,' he said.

I nodded. 'Yes… and we need that card now...' Gazing down at our deck, I wished for all my heart that the card we were looking for was next to be drawn. Time was still ticking, and we couldn't wait for more turns or else Marik will completely annihilate us and we won't be able to save anyone.

I took a deep breath and drew for my next turn.

My eyes widened.

I had drawn Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

The exact card that we needed.

Our bond really was that strong.

"I will fight…" I said, grabbing Marik's attention. Joey showed interest in what I had to say. "To free your heart and to prove our friendship!"

Joey waved his hand dismissively. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you mean," he said, spitefully.

I had no intention of listening to Marik. I only cared about Joey. It was time I got him out of this mess.

'We have two monsters on the field,' I thought. 'They're good as defence, but if I want to summon Red-Eyes, then I must sacrifice them.'

Yami's voice reached my ears telling me soothing advice that aided in me making a decision. 'We only have fifteen hundred Life Points left,' he said. 'Be very cautious.'

I nodded. 'I'll be careful.' After all, this was a death duel. The player who loses all his Life Points will be subjected to an underwater prison. I didn't want that for either Joey or me, so we had to play our cards in such a way where Marik was the only one who would lose.

"You're certainly taking your time this turn," said Marik, forcing Joey's body to place his hands on his hips. "Not that I mind, of course. That just means more time you've wasted. Perhaps Yugi isn't capable of playing such a dangerous game."

"Unlike you, Marik, I don't rely on heavily gunned and rare cards to win a duel," I said. I heard a low growl coming from him.

Looking over the cards in my hand, a strategy indeed formed, but it was one that didn't involve summoning Red-Eyes just yet. I had to make sure of something first. But… if it didn't work… then my life may be over.

It was a gamble, but I had to give it a try.

Téa's voice reached our ears. "Remember, Joey!" she said. "The bond that we share! It's something that'll never disappear so easily! You have to fight through Marik's control and remember!"

Téa was right. The bond we formed was still in our hearts. Joey just needed a reminder. Something that would trigger his mind into remembering.

Like his Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

I believed in Joey. He will come back to us.

'Other me...' I called after choosing a card from my hand. Yami's spirit appeared next to me. 'I hope you see what I'm about to do.'

I heard a faint whisper from sudden realization. 'That card is...' he said with wide crimson eyes.

I nodded, then I made my decision known by playing the card that I had chosen. "The waiting is over, Marik!" I said. "I activate the card known as Exchange!"

Joey glared suspiciously towards me. "'Exchange'?" he said. "Why on Earth would you play that card?"

Suddenly his eyes grew wide. Then he smirked. Soon he began laughing mercilessly.

"I see!" he said. "Your hand is so bad that you have to change cards! Oh, Yugi. I knew you were weak but I didn't know you were stupid."

Marik had always been a harsh person and no matter what he said I tried never to let it get to me. This was no different. He didn't know my true intentions or the real reason why I played this card, and that was how I wanted it. He didn't realize that he was the stupid one to have challenged us. He will see his mistake soon enough.

Joey shrugged, finding the whole idea rather amusing. "Well… can't be helped," he said. "You played the card."

I watched as he made his way over to my side of the dock. I was quite anxious as to whether or not this plan would work, but also because watching a dark Joey advance towards me was rather scary. I noticed that his eyes weren't just dull, but dark as well, as though he hadn't slept for days. Marik's influence was restless. He wasn't about to drop his guard, I had to be careful.

When he was finally by my side, I could practically feel the darkness that overwhelmed him. "Alright, show me your hand," he said. Still anxious about the whole idea, I looked down and showed him all the cards I had. I didn't know what his facial expression would be, especially for the card I wanted him to see.

I wanted Joey to see Red-Eyes and remember the promise we made about defeating Marik together.

"Hmph," I heard him scoff. "These cards aren't even…" He trailed off, and I realized that he might have just seen Red-Eyes. If there was a reaction, that meant that we were close. I kept my eyes closed tight. Perhaps I just didn't want to see the darkness in his eyes. Most of all, I was uneasy.

He hadn't said anything. I tried to act as though I didn't notice his falter.

"Joey, you can have any of the four cards that are in my hand."

He still hadn't said anything. I was too afraid to look. That couldn't be it - I wasn't afraid. I still believed in Joey. I was simply… worried about what would happen.

I heard a small laugh and felt my heart drop again. "That goes without saying, I'll be unbeatable if I have this card," he said, and I felt his fingers brush against one of the cards. He was talking about Red-Eyes. There wasn't any other card in my hand that would interest him like that one.

"So I'll be taking Red-Eyes back."

He sounded so convincing. Would he really take that card? I didn't dare open my eyes.

But suddenly, I felt the cards in my hand begin to shake. Wondering what was going on, I slowly opened my eyes to see Joey's fingers on a card but his hand was trembling. Marik wanted him to choose the Red-Eyes Black Dragon but something was stopping him.

Someone.

It was Joey. He was fighting Marik's control. There was a pained expression on his face, one of narrow eyes and clenched teeth, but he was fighting. He remembered the card like I wanted him to. He was still in there. My plan seemed to have been working so far.

Suddenly, he grabbed his head, confused as to why he couldn't choose that card. It was Marik. He must have thought he was losing his grip on Joey's mind. With his hand still shaking, Joey struggled to fight against Marik's control. Finally, he pulled a card from my hand and held it up high. Relief flooded me like no other.

"Joey!" I said with a hopeful smile. He didn't pick Red-Eyes. He chose Card Destruction instead.

Joey had fought against Marik's command and won. He was fighting his way through the darkness!

"I don't need any monster cards," said Marik/Joey, trying to justify his reason for not taking Red-Eyes. "And Joey's gone. I'm going to defeat you with my arsenal of rare magic cards."

Yami and I exchanged knowing glances. We were close. Joey had come through for a moment.

"Alright… now I get to choose one of your cards, Joey."

The blond held up his hand of cards for me to see. I noticed a card that might help in tight situations and chose that one. Joey's eyes went back to being narrow as they scrutinized my strategy of playing this game. Once he saw that I had satisfied my turn, he turned and began walking back his side of the duel arena. I watched him go.

"You can deny it all you want, but I know Joey is still in there," I said. "Without a doubt, I am sure that you haven't lost the heart of a true duelist."

This seemed to interest him because he stopped halfway. He didn't turn around, but I knew he was listening. I had to make this moment count.

"You made a promise to me," I started. "That we would duel together once this was all over so you could prove to yourself that you really do deserve the power of Red-Eyes."

"... Shut up." I heard him say, but I didn't take it. It was Marik who was making him say such things.

"I believe in you, Joey," I said. "I know you didn't take Red-Eyes because of that promise. You couldn't. I will show you by freeing your heart with the Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

"Bring it on, Yugi," challenged Joey, beginning his way back to his side again.

"My turn isn't over yet," I said. "I still have an important play to make."

This was it. Knowing that Joey was close to regaining control of himself, I knew I was on the right path. Now it was only a matter of continuing. Hang in there, everyone… I've almost done it.

Soon, we'll be able to go back home.

"I sacrifice the two monsters I have on the field in order to summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Big Shield Gardna and Kuriboh broke into pixels and merged together to form the black dragon. Its striking red eyes peered at his former card owner, Joey, whose eyes had now widened, surprised by the change in events.

"R-Red-Eyes Black Dragon…" he murmured.

"You should know that Red-Eyes' red eyes must be filled with sorrow to see you in this state," I said. "He also wants to win your heart back."

Suddenly, I felt tears at my eyes. I didn't want to do what I had planned, but… I needed to. This could be a crucial step in bringing Joey back to us.

"And so… we're going to fight! Red-Eyes, attack Alligator Sword!"

'Joey… I believe in you.'

The dark dragon reeled in energy between its jaws. His hot attack of fiery light blasted Alligator Sword away and Joey's Life Points went down.

LP: Marik/Joey: 2400/Yugi: 1500

As the smoke from the attack cleared, I noticed Joey falter.

"Joey!"

He stood up straight again, his dull eyes becoming even darker. Marik was trying to regain control. "That attack didn't work," he said. I grinded my teeth together, refusing to back down. "Next turn, I'll play a magic card so powerful you will lose all your Life Points, and this duel can finally be over. Soon, the power of the Pharaoh will be mine, and everyone standing in my way will be too busy fighting off the depths of the ocean.

"You're finished, Yugi."

The Pharaoh heard this threat and rushed to my side. 'Aibou,' he said. 'This is getting dangerous. Let me continue.'

I shook my head and held the chain that was attached to the Millennium Puzzle. 'No…' I said, surprising him. 'This is something I have to finish.

'Besides… I have one more idea left.'

Yami's crimson eyes gazed at me thoughtfully. I had always thought it strange to see someone who looked a lot like me have different eyes. I removed the Millennium Puzzle from my neck and held the chain tightly in my hand.

'Ever since I met you, you have given me courage and bravery, and because of my wish, I made good friends. But… somewhere in my heart, I've been thinking: if I hadn't met you, then I would have always been weak. In order to win Joey's heart, I have to prove to myself that I have my own strength. I need to know that without the Millennium Puzzle, I can still be brave and help my friends. So please… stand by me.'

I could see the uneasiness in his eyes. 'This is a dangerous duel, Aibou,' he said. 'You could lose your life.'

'I know,' I replied. 'But I'll believe in Joey until the end.'

My other self gazed at me once more. 'I see...' he said. 'If your determination is so strong, I won't stop you.

'But… you absolutely can't die!'

I gave him a small smile and nodded. 'Right. Thank you, Other Me...'

He held my gaze for a little while longer before retreating into the Millennium Puzzle. 'If you believe in yourself… then I believe in you too. Good luck, Aibou…'

I held the Puzzle close to my heart. We had gotten so close that we worried about each other often. But Yami understood that this was something I had to do. However, if I took off the Millennium Puzzle, then we couldn't switch places. It was a chance I had to take.

"Giving up, Yugi?" asked Joey. "Finally decided on giving me the Millennium Puzzle willingly? What a turn of events!"

I was always dependent on the other me… but I needed to know if I had any strength of my own.

"Well, I'm afraid I still have the urge to blast you away with my magic cards. So I'll be taking my turn now!"

Joey… this is my chance to win back your heart!

"Would you look at that? Another Hinotama magic card! Time to destroy more of your Life Points!"

I braced myself for the attack that Yami had seen first hand. From out of the sky, I saw a glint of a massive fireball. It crashed down on top of me in an explosion of fire and I felt its blazing flames burn my skin. It was an intense pain that rivalled the fire from that warehouse the other day. It hit me with such a force that I was knocked to the ground.

LP: Marik/Joey: 2400/Yugi: 1000

"Hey, hey," said Joey as I struggled to regain my bearings. "It's too early to go down."

I now understood what Yami had experienced. This attack felt as though I myself had been hit with everything the world had. Grinding my teeth together, I rose to my feet, trying to bear with the pain, and saw that the Millennium Puzzle was alright. From out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Sarah move. Perhaps I was in so much agony that I could barely see straight.

"Yugi!" called Téa. She was getting more worried by the minute. "Stop this already, Joey!"

Marik simply laughed at the thought.

The brunette turned to the brothers who were standing by, watching on with concerned expressions. "Kaiba! Mokuba! You've gotta do something!"

Mokuba looked at the crate hanging above her head uneasily. "B-But… Téa, if we try anything…" Téa looked above her, probably double-checking to see if the crate was really there.

"That Rare Hunter will send the crate falling on top of her with just the push of a button," said Kaiba, and he sounded disgusted by the idea. "Those cowards…"

Mokuba leaned in towards his brother. "But we have to try and stop the duel before it gets any worse…" he said quietly.

His older brother nodded. "I'm trying to think of something," he said.

I didn't want anyone else to get hurt, so I tried to brush off the pain as nothing - though it was quite difficult. It still weighed me down, regardless of what I tried. And to think… Yami dealt with more than one of these… My body was scorched. There were burn marks all over me, none that were too severe.

"Joey…" I called, catching the other's attention. "I don't want your Life Points to hit zero…

"So… I hope you promise me one thing…"

I've decided to put my idea into motion, and without a second thought, I began my slow walk towards Joey. My body was aching like nothing I had ever felt before. My legs were like lead, but I forced myself to keep going.

This idea was a long shot, but it was worth a try. I had to make an effort on anything that would break Joey free. He was so close to freeing himself before, and knowing that he was slowly coming back gave me more hope. He just needed another nudge.

Joey didn't seem taken aback by my sudden advance. Marik wished nothing more than to continue his turn and reduce my Life Points. I allowed him to do whatever he wanted. What I had in mind was completely different from a mere duel.

"Don't speak nonsense when you know you're going to lose," said Marik snidely. "I will now continue my turn! I summon Rocket Warrior to the field! It's special ability decreases the Attack Points of the monster he's attacking by five hundred until the end of the turn. The only monster you have on your side of the field is Red-Eyes, so he will take the damage!"

The little green warrior materialized onto the field in a flash. He pointed his sword at Red-Eyes who readied himself for the attack.

My body was still shaking from the effects of the magic card, but I pushed forward. I had to get to Joey, regardless of the pain I felt. I must have looked as though I had run into a wall, but I didn't care. My friends were all I was concerned for.

Téa… Sarah… Joey… I had to free them all…

I needed to reach inside my own heart and bring out the bravery that was hiding within myself.

I tried to reach out to Joey again. "Joey…" I called. "I…"

But he didn't listen. Marik made him play another card. "Next I play the magic card Attrition!" he said. "Rocket Warrior, go into Invincible Mode and damage Red-Eyes even more!" The little warrior did as he was told, bringing his arms and legs into his armour and locking everything in place. From a warrior to a rocket, Joey's monster flew straight into one of the black dragon's wings, completely demolishing it and sending his attack power down to nineteen hundred. A roar of pain echoed throughout the pier from the jaws of Red-Eyes, and I could feel my heart tear at the sound.

Holding the chain of the Millennium Puzzle tightly in one hand, I continued towards Joey. I didn't think the Hinotama magic card would leave me this weakened by its effects. This duel really was dangerous - it was a lot more than I expected, but I wasn't going to give up. Even though Marik was relentless, I wasn't going to give up. My legs didn't want to move, but I forced them to.

"I have to… give you something…"

"Now for the wonderful magic of Attrition! This card allows Rocket Warrior to deal damage equal to its attack power, reducing your monster's Attack Points to a mere four hundred! You're at a critical point in the duel, Yugi! If your dragon dies by any strong monster, you will lose a large portion of your precious Life Points - maybe even all of them!"

In the midst of his boasting and gloating, he didn't once listen to a single word I had said. And yet, something made Joey stop laughing and smirking. I turned to see why and saw Red-Eyes in bad shape. Part of his wing was missing from Rocket Warrior's attack. Instead of standing on his hind legs, he was laying on the ground, injured and tired from battle. The sight of him pained me.

When I looked back at Joey, he was gazing at Red-Eyes with wide eyes, as though he was wondering what he had done. After making him mercilessly attack his own monster, Marik sent Joey over the edge. It shook him up to see his monster hurt so badly. He grabbed for his head.

"R-Red-Eyes…" he said. Realizing what he had done shocked Joey back to himself. "Argh, what is this pain… it hurts…!"

He fell to one knee with his hands still in his hair, fighting against the hold Marik had on him and the pain inside his mind. When I finally reached his side, I bent down to his level. He had his eyes closed tight and his teeth gnashed together. I felt tired and my head began to ache. I didn't like seeing my best friend in so much pain.

"Joey…" I called as though I were coaxing a child into looking at me as I spoke. Joey did just that, opening his eyes to meet my gaze but his were clouded over, his honey-coloured orbs were masked by a fading darkness that seemed to return every time he tried to shove it back. He looked scared, wondering what was going on - what was happening to him.

This was all part of his recovery. In order for Joey to overpower Marik, and for him to regain control of his mind completely, he needed to find the path to the light through to maze of darkness in his mind. Marik's influence ran deep and only Joey could navigate through it. I could only remind him of what he was fighting for.

I held the Millennium Puzzle up for him to see. "I want you… to take my Millennium Puzzle..." I told him. I could feel my chest tighten, finding it harder to speak.

He understood what I was saying, because I could see the shock in his eyes. I placed the chain around his neck so the Millennium Puzzle sat against his chest.

"Just as you… gave me Red-Eyes… I will give you… my Puzzle. We're best friends, Joey… now we have a piece of each other with us…

"Take care of it… it's yours now…" I offered him a small smile, one that I managed with what little energy I could muster.

The fate of our lives was in Joey's hands.

Locator Cards: Yugi: 6/Joey: 5/Sarah: 6

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Author's Note: Whaaaaat….! How could I possibly stop there! -insert evil laughter- I shall come back with more soon! As a side note, I know what you might be thinking: Seto wasn't that understanding in the anime! In fact, in the Japanese version, he wasn't as egotistical as he was in the English dubbed. He was more understanding and a tad bit more concerned for Yugi and his friends during this duel. I really liked that and wanted to incorporate it into my fanfiction. =3

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. It was just… one of the many chapters I was looking forward to writing just because of the intense ideas I had in mind. Now that I have written it out, you are the judge of my work, my fellow readers! Reviews are appreciated! Tell me what you think! =D

I have a recommendation for making this a better reading experience! Read in the "Georgia" font . =D The personlization tool has given us is near the top of every story. I'm pretty sure there's a "Georgia" font there. Read it in that font! It'll look cooler. =D And it's my favourite. =3

~xyugiohluvrx