Written: 11/12/14
Author's Note: Well! It's finals season and I couldn't help but write! When I was tired of looking at my textbooks, I was busy writing this new chapter. I hope you're enjoying the story so far! I know I'm enjoying writing it all out. Especially these last couple chapters. This one… was a chapter that I had been waiting to write for over a year. Now I've finally written it out. I just hope it's good. Reviews are appreciated! Thanks very much for reading!
Rewrite Fiasco: So I have deleted the chapters in Past Repeating 1 that were in second person pov, mainly because they were just blah. It wasn't nice to have them ruining the tempo of the story in the middle of Duelist Kingdom. I'll be rewriting all those chapters and everything I've missed hopefully soon. For now, please enjoy the first seven rewritten chapters of Past Repeating 1. They are so much better than the first ones, if I do say so myself. :'D
Disclaimer!: Fanfiction, and I do NOT get any money out of it either. Thanks. ^^
Battle City - New Evil Emerges, Old Friends Reunite - Chapter 37
Locator Cards: Yugi: 6/Joey: 6/Sarah: 6
~Yugi's pov~
LP: Marik/Joey: 2400/Yugi: 1000
Time: 00:20:57
There were twenty minutes left on the clock and Joey was still under Marik's merciless control. I managed to get through to him a few times before but it wasn't enough. Joey needed another push or two to completely break free. Hopefully the Millennium Puzzle would do something. He knew it meant a lot to me, just like his Red-Eyes meant a lot to him. From within the darkness, he'll come to realize that we both had something that was dear to the other and he'll snap out of Marik's control. Marik might have been relishing the fact that he had the Millennium Puzzle, that I gave it to him knowing he would do anything to make sure it would stay with him. This was going to be the greatest test for Joey's heart. Could he break through and return the Puzzle? Or would he be suppressed by Marik who would keep the Puzzle at all costs? I believed that Joey would want to give it back and will try his best to.
I was going to find out if my plan would work.
I hoped Yami was alright.
My friend's dull eyes were now filled with shock, which meant that it was Joey who was fighting for control. He was staring down at the Puzzle with disbelief, wondering why I had put it around his neck. This was the last idea I had - I was tired from the relentless magic cards Marik attacked me with. Yami's spirit was now resting within the Puzzle, but I had walked into my body with it already having sustained damage, so I couldn't be at my best. I couldn't think of anything else that would help Joey regain his control. If something did come up, I could only hope that I had enough time to put that plan into motion.
After finally returning to my spot on the other side of the arena, I looked over the water at my friend. I struggled to stand while Joey struggled to regain control of his mind. We were both fighting as best as we could.
Some things weren't meant to last.
I heard a dark chuckle from Joey's side of the arena and my heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. Joey rose back to his feet, and he had the same evil smirk on his face from before.
Why…
Everything I've tried…
Nothing was working…
"You've made a huge mistake handing me the Millennium Puzzle like this," he said. "Even if I have it now, it's still useless to me. I need to duel against the Pharaoh and win in order to wield its magic. Bring him out!"
"You're facing me right now," I said, standing my ground. "So deal with it."
Joey's smirk remained. "Have it your way," he said, removing the Puzzle from around his neck. I feared for what he had planned. "I'll just toss this into the ocean then. My Hunters can retrieve it later after I defeat you."
My heart almost stopped beating.
"Marik, no!"
The Puzzle sat in Joey's right hand and for an instant I couldn't feel any pain at all. All I could think about was getting to Joey in time to stop him.
But his shaking arm caught my attention before I could start running. I looked at him closely and realized his eyes were fading in and out again as he bared his teeth in concentration.
He was fighting.
Joey was fighting.
He didn't want to throw the Puzzle into the ocean.
Maybe my strategies were working after all...
He stood frozen, clutching the Puzzle in his hand, resisting the voice in his head that was telling him to dispose of the Puzzle and kill the Pharaoh. Marik continued to demand that he'd throw it away until Joey was on his knee, gripping his arm and forcing it down by sheer will. Joey was amazing. He single-handedly fought back against Marik, like he did when he was choosing a card from my hand.
Now with more control over his body, Joey returned the Millennium Puzzle around his neck. He didn't say anything, but his actions spoke louder than his words ever could.
He was slipping out of Marik's control.
"Fine, keep the Puzzle," Marik said gruffly to Joey through his voice. "But destroy Yugi!"
If Joey had gotten this far, he was certainly bound to go even further.
"Marik," I stated confidently, grabbing his attention. "Your brainwashing is losing its influence."
"I believe it's your turn," sneered Marik. "You'd better think quickly this time - there are only fourteen minutes left."
After glancing up at the clock, and harbouring more bad news, I began playing out my next strategy. Red-Eyes regained the 500 Attack Points he lost during Joey's turn, bringing it back up to 900. I drew a new card and saw that it was Beta the Magnet Warrior. He could help. I could destroy Rocket Warrior once I summoned him, but that wouldn't help. Joey's heart won't awaken that way. Just as he broke through before, I had to make it happen again. But the only card that could help with that was Red-Eyes. I needed to keep him safe. If Joey attacked Red-Eyes with a strong enough monster, I'll lose the duel.
I thought up a strategy and began my move. "Alright… I place two cards faced down and then summon Beta the Magnet Warrior to the field. That ends my turn."
The two cards materialized onto the field along with my newest monster. I saw a small glint in Joey's eyes. Then a smirk formed on his lips.
"You could have attacked me but you didn't," he said snidely. "You left yourself wide open instead!" Joey drew his next card, and when the smirk didn't leave, I grew nervous.
"I summon Panther Warrior!"
My eyes widened. Out everything I didn't need, my one greatest fear was instead coming true. I could already tell what Marik was going to do. He was going to destroy my strategy and bury me with it.
"You do realize that I have enough fire power to ultimately win this duel, don't you?" Joey asked. I swallowed nervously. "I'll take that as a yes. Prepare yourself, Yugi! This is it! Say goodbye to your friends! Oh, and don't worry. I'll let Sarah know just how much she's failed at being a Guardian.
"Now then… Rocket Warrior! Attack Yugi's Beta the Magnet Warrior!"
My breath caught in my throat as I watched Joey's Rocket Warrior go into Invincible Mode, his rocket form, and fly straight towards my Magnet Warrior. I blinked, wondering what had just happened, and realized that Joey was still fighting! Of course… Marik's hold on him was growing weaker! Joey pushed through his control and redirected the attack using a different monster!
I decided that this was my chance at making a move too, so I activated one of the faced down cards that I had, and it was the one I had gotten from Joey. "You activated my trap card! Magic Arm Shield! With this, I can redirect your current attack!"
Robotic arms sprung from within the holographic projection of the card and grabbed Rocket Warrior in mid flight. The arms then spun him around so he would fly straight into Panther Warrior instead. Because of Joey's Attrition card, Panther Warrior loses 1500 Attack Points, and since Rocket Warrior already decreases its opponent's Life Points by 500, Panther Warrior had no strength left in him to fend him off. In a moment, what looked like the end of the line for me was actually the end of Marik's strategy instead. I bet he was furious.
Because the strength that Panther Warrior had was now reduced to nothing.
"Damn it!" cursed Joey. Marik must have been very furious. Joey's eyes narrowed and he clenched his teeth together to keep from lashing out.
After Joey's turn ended, his monster regained 500 Attack Points from the finished effects of Attrition. I took a deep breath of relief. That was a very stressful turn - but the outcome was perfect. Marik was slowly losing his control over Joey. It was just a matter of time until he was completely free. And when he was, we could finally begin thinking of a way to get out of these chains.
The panic within me began to grow the more I thought about Sarah's situation. Marik didn't even give us a key to her chain. How could we break through it without hurting her?
She was still unconscious, but I swear the lines on her skin got darker.
We had to move fast.
Time was running out for all of us.
"It's my turn now," I said, drawing my next card and looking over all the monsters and spell cards I had in my hand. I had an idea of what I could do. "I sacrifice Beta the Magnet Warrior to summon Beast of Gilford! Attack Rocket Warrior!"
My new beast appeared on the field and soon after charged at Rocket Warrior, slicing the poor thing in half. Joey's Life Points dropped, but I was glad they didn't go all the way down to zero.
LP: Marik/Joey: 1700/Yugi: 1000
"It's going to take a lot more than that to put me down," growled Joey.
"Joey!" I tried, ignoring Marik's remark. My heart thumped loudly in my chest. "Joey, can you hear me?!"
"Joey's not home right now!" said Marik with a manic cackle. "But thanks for knocking! I suggest you invest these last ten minutes into something that will actually work, or nothing at all, because these will be the last few minutes of your life!"
I wouldn't believe it.
There was still time to get Joey, Téa, and Sarah out of this. I still had some time.
"Marik, you had a lot of nerve dragging my friends into our mess!" I found myself saying. Was it the frustration I was feeling from the duel?
"I swear, once I'm done here, I'm going straight for the source!"
"Well, well, well!" said Marik through Joey. "Little Yugi is beginning to act more and more like his Pharaonic counterpart!"
"I guess when someone is provoked enough, it makes them want to be stronger for those who have always been strong for them!"
"Such touching words. It's just too bad the people who need to hear this aren't within your grasp."
"We may not be right by him," started Téa, shouting from where she was strapped in. "But we're in his heart! Yugi! Bring Joey back to us!"
I gave my good friend a confident nod. "Right!" Then I turned to Joey. "Marik, it's your move! Let's see what you got!"
"Fine then!" He drew his card and smirked. "Well this is interesting. I think I'll set this little number faced down on the field. But why play anything? At this point, all I have to do is wait and time will set the results of this duel for us!"
With nails digging tightly into the palms of my hands, I refused to let "time" be a factor in this. Time never gave up - it just kept going no matter what was going on in the world.
So who was I to give up? I should keep going too.
"Save your breath, Marik," I said sharply. This made the smirk on Joey's face falter.
"Joey, when you were in Duelist Kingdom, all you thought about was winning the tournament so you could get the money you needed for your sister's operation. You did everything you could and never gave up - and in the end, you got what you strived so hard for! Now she'll be able to see. Just think - she's waiting for you right now! And you've made a promise to me: you made a promise that we would defeat Marik together. I can't do that alone! I need you here with me! And your sister needs you here too!"
The colour in Joey's eyes began to flicker between a dark brown and a hazy yellow. He held his head and groaned. I thought for sure that triggered something - it had to! Just look at the reaction I was getting from him!
"Damn this boy…" cringed Marik. "He won't let up…! Leave my puppet out of this duel!"
"He was my friend first, Marik! And he always will be! I will free him from your control!
"Finish your move so I can end you!"
"I place one more card face down and end this turn."
The subtlety I suddenly received only doubled my chances of getting Joey back. He was almost back with us. I hoped Yami could see our progress.
I hoped again that he was alright.
I drew my next card and saw that it was perfect. "I place one card face down and then call an attack. Gilford! Attack Panther Warrior!"
"Fool!" cried Marik. "I left him in Attack Mode on purpose!"
"I know."
"What...!"
My monster reared in for the attack, and Marik activated some face down cards. A small little devil with a red dice emerged onto the field with its opposite, a creature of light, who was holding a blue dice.
"I activate Skull Dice and Graceful Dice!" he said. "You know these two cards really well, yes? Depending on the role of the dice, my points will increase and yours will decrease! Roll away, little fairies!"
"Funny, I play a face down card too! De-Spell! I choose to destroy your Graceful Dice!"
"No matter - your monster's Attack Points will still be reduced!"
The little devil creature threw his red dice and it rolled a two, so Gilford's Attack Points were cut down to 1100. He still had enough power to defeat Panther Warrior.
"What… only half…?!"
"Looks like your tricks didn't work this time," I said. "Gilford, attack his monster!"
Gilford swiped at Panther Warrior who immediately broke into pixels upon impact. I got to listen to the anger in Marik's voice at my move. But I was just getting started.
And there were only five minutes left.
LP: Marik/Joey: 1100/Yugi: 1000
I noticed that Joey and I nearly had the same number of Life Points remaining.
Suddenly, I got another idea: What if both our Life Points reached zero together? Wouldn't that mean that both boxes would open? Then we could free ourselves and help Téa and Sarah! If we timed it right, this could work. Marik never said anything about it, only that when the loser's Life Points reached zero, their opponent's box will open. But what if both Joey and I lost all our points, and not just one of us?
With new adrenaline now coursing through my veins from the thought, I kept the time limit only to a side of my mind, making sure it didn't overpower my reasoning. I had to be thinking strategically, not in a state of panic, in order to pull this off.
We were almost out of this.
We were all going to come out of this safely.
Soon.
"Relish your mild victory this round, Yugi!" cackled Joey. "You won't be like that for long! The clock is still ticking!"
Suddenly, in the far distance, I heard a rumbling. Even Marik heard it and stopped rambling to listen to what the new sound was. It was low, but it was getting closer. Louder and louder it became, until a blue convertible sped onto the pier from behind one of the warehouses with the driver honking its horn to get our attention.
I noticed many familiar faces as the car approached.
And suddenly, I felt my legs go numb.
"It's the others!" said Téa, but I couldn't tell if she was happy to see our friends or if she was worried for their safety. I knew that I felt both. I watched as Joey turned towards the convertible, his eyes suddenly narrow.
I wonder how they found us…
Kaiba and Mokuba were still at the pier in the position of being able to help but couldn't because of certain conditions Marik put up - like the crate over Téa's head. They were the ones the newcomers first met with.
Mai drove past all the warehouses and parked as close as she could to the dock. Tristan and Duke were the first ones out when the vehicle came to an abrupt halt. I was so glad Tristan really had escaped. Mai followed after them, stepping out of the driver's seat. In the passenger seat sat a young girl with long auburn hair, who Mai helped out of the car. She had bandages over her eyes and she seemed frightened.
My heart skipped a beat.
That must have been Serenity.
What was she doing here?
She shouldn't have been here.
She didn't deserve to see Joey like this. He wasn't himself…!
"What is going on?!" Mai's voice bounced off the walls of the warehouses that were behind them. She was fierce when she wanted to be, and unlike her uncaring behaviour in Duelist Kingdom, she was much nicer and more caring towards us now. I could hear the worry in her voice, even if she was slightly furious.
Tristan was looking at the docks, where I was standing with Joey and where Téa was tied down. His brown eyes were wide.
"What the hell is this?! Yugi! Joey! Téa!"
"Tristan! Thank god, you're alright!" said Téa.
"And what about you, damn it! What is this…!"
"It's Marik," said Mokuba, grabbing everyone's attention. "He took control of Joey and forced Yugi into a duel. He strapped Téa into the chair as leverage to make sure we'll do everything he wants. Seto and I tried to help… but that Rare Hunter over there has hawk eyes over us. He'll make sure the crate falls on Téa if we try to help her."
Tristan's fists tightened against his palm. "Why that… that coward!" he exclaimed. "Hang in there, Téa! We'll figure something out!"
"Don't worry," I said, and they managed to hear. "This duel is almost done." I didn't know if I should have been saying that… but depending on the time… it was all that was left.
I had to free Joey. This was my last chance!
"Indeed, it is," said Joey with a smirk, returning his attention towards me. "Regardless of not being able to get Joey's little sister and Tristan as bait, I'd have to say that I got what I wanted right here!"
He was talking about the Millennium Puzzle. He was going to kidnap Serenity too? This spineless coward only knew how to use our bonds against us instead of fighting on his own. I was going to make him regret he ever laid a hand on my friends!
"Joey!" shouted Duke. "Snap out of it! He's your friend!"
"It's no use," said Kaiba abruptly. The others glared at him, thinking that he would come up with a snarky remark. "It isn't because he's trapped in his mind forever. It's because Yugi has to be the one to bring him back."
Tristan exchanged glances with Duke, slightly surprised that Kaiba said something like that, but in this situation they somehow believed him.
"I suppose there isn't anything we can do then..." said Tristan, although his fists weren't relaxing any.
"That's not true," said Mai, holding Serenity close, as though protecting her. "We can lend our support. Isn't that what you guys do?"
"Yeah… you're right."
"Hey, isn't Sarah always with you?" asked Duke, looking around for said red-head. "I don't see her."
Tristan stayed still for a moment, his brown eyes turning a dark shade of brown. Then he turned to Kaiba.
"Where is she?"
He wasn't harsh towards the man - his voice was strained with concern. He just wanted to know where Sarah was.
Kaiba didn't meet the other's gaze. "She's on the other side of Yugi…" he said, as everyone immediately looked towards the dock again to try and find her. They must have noticed her laying on the ground because I saw their eyes widen. "But… she's not awake. Mokuba said Marik poisoned her with Dark Magic."
"What…! She's been poisoned?! We need to get her to a doctor!"
"Taylor, I know you're worried, but now is not the time to be freaking out," said Kaiba, tuning Tristan's voice down. "Besides, if it's a dark form of magic that's poisoning her, then doctors will be useless. We need Marik to tell us how to save her."
"Damn it…"
I felt my heart ache. There was just too much going on. I could feel my muscles aching just from trying to stay on my feet. Téa was just behind, fearful of the mass that was hanging above her, but she was still showing strong. Kaiba and Mokuba wished to help for which I was grateful, but they couldn't do anything without jeopardizing Téa's safety. Sarah was still unmoving, although I swear the position of her hand had changed. Maybe I was slowly losing my mind over the fatigue. Now Tristan, Duke, Mai, and Serenity were here as well, onlookers of what was to become of us.
The sun slowly dipped into the sky, floating just above the horizon. The air was suddenly cold and it hurt as it touched my skin. We've lost too much. I wished Sarah was awake so she could help. Her magic would have been really useful right about now. But she wasn't even conscious…
I worried so much about that poison. Marik despised Sarah with a passion I had never seen, he would do anything to torture her. She looked so pale that her red hair seemed more vibrant than ever. The expression of pain on her face wasn't reassuring.
"This reunion is great and all," said Marik snidely, snapping me out of my thoughts. "and probably something you need before you drown, but I'm afraid I have to remind you of the time on the clock."
I looked up and felt my heart drop into my stomach. There were only three minutes left. Three minutes… and then we would both end up at the bottom of the ocean!
Unless I found a way out of this first.
I rallied up what strength I had left and stood my ground.
"Good. That means I still have some time to beat you!"
"You can't possibly find a way to get yourself out of this," said Marik. "The card in my hand… will see to it."
I felt the blood rushing in my ears. Marik had a strategy?!
"Although this card requires that I sacrifice 500 of my Life Points," said Joey, and his eyes shimmered as he smirked. "It's well worth it when it can take out 1500 of your Life Points!"
My eyes widened and I grew weak in the knees again.
Marik was going to drain the rest of my life in one move.
"Joey… come on…" I said, finding it harder and harder to blink away the pain in my eyes. "We can end this if you can just… open your heart…"
"Hahaha! Yugi, you are absolutely pathetic! Nothing will bring this loser back into reality! He has long been faced with the darkness, never to return!"
"Come on, Joey!" cried Tristan from the sidelines. "You can break through! You know this isn't you - it's that Marik creep! Break out of his spell and help Yugi free the girls!"
"Serenity is here to see you!" helped Duke, and suddenly Joey's eyes shifted. Maybe no one else saw it because they were too far away, but I know I did. Joey realized what that meant.
"Don't let her see you like this!"
"Serenity…?" murmured Joey, turning towards the others. The younger girl was still by Mai's side.
"Big brother!" shouted Serenity. She sounded extremely worried. "I'm not sure what's going on, but… listen to your friends! You need to come back to us!"
This was it. This had to be it - in the last few minutes, we would know our fate. Serenity being here must help Joey back to his senses, because if there was anything else he loved more than Duel Monsters, it was his little sister.
Joey's gaze grew wide with realization, and his hands went into his hair again, trying to push Marik from out of his mind.
"My… friends…" I heard him say, and this time, it was his voice. It was Joey's voice.
He was pulling through the darkness Marik had so boastly spoken about mere moments before.
"That's it, Joey!" I was so relieved. So utterly relieved, I could have fainted. Joey was almost back to being himself. All the times he nearly broke through were building up to this one moment. Marik was finally losing his complete control over him!
I just needed to do one last thing to ensure my friends' safety…
"You're hiding like a coward!" I yelled towards Marik. "But I've got news for you. There will be a loser in this duel, but it won't be me or Joey - it'll be you. Joey's free and even if the timer runs out, you can't win, because you're not dueling anymore!"
Suddenly, I felt a surge of dark power in the air and watched Joey's eyes turn dark again. Marik must have been using the last of his mind-control strength on Joey, just as I planned.
Joey's hand fell back down to his side. "It's over," he said, his voice returning to the harsh emptiness that it was before.
"I activate your killer, Yugi - Meteor of Destruction!"
LP: Marik/Joey: 0600/Yugi: 1000
A meteor engulfed in flames blasted towards me at an alarming speed from within the card, but I stood my ground. I felt my eyes hurt again, but this time, the tears emerged.
I hadn't wanted the duel to end this way… but it was the only outcome I could think of where Joey would be freed.
"I activate the trap card Mystical Rift Panel…" I said. The card that I had placed faced down now righted itself up and a fairy dressed in a white dress emerged carrying a large, round mirror. The flaming meteor and all its effects poured into the mirror, trapping it within a reflection. The card's effect was that I could redirect the attack wherever I had wanted.
"Yugi!" I heard Joey yell at the last second, and I watched the colour return to his eyes. I was finally peering into the honey-coloured orbs I was so used to seeing. Joey was back. Marik's power was overlit by Joey's courage and heart. He broke through after Marik called the attack. Perhaps that was all that maniac had wanted to do before he sent me under.
After all, the rules to this duel were still in play.
Someone had to lose in order for the other to be freed.
At least…. everyone else would be safe… if I lost...
"Joey…"
"What the… Yugi, what's going on? Why are we… chained up? Is that an anchor? Why do I have your Millennium Puzzle? What's happening…!"
He was completely confused, absolutely unaware of what had been done.
"Joey, you're free of Marik's control now," I explained. His honey eyes were wide and frantic, as though he had walked out of the darkness all of a sudden to be blinded by bright light. "He took over your mind and forced us to duel, but you're okay now."
"Oh god…" His hand went into his hair. "What have I… I attacked you…"
"That wasn't you, Joey… and it certainly wasn't your fault. Marik is the one behind all this. And he needs to be stopped.
"There's not that much time left… and there's no point in both of us losing a duel that Marik started…"
As though Joey already knew what I was planning to do, he quickly shook his head. "No… no, I won't let you!" he cried.
The tears from before now fell from my eyes. He wasn't making this any easier. "It's my decision," I said. "I played the trap so I could buy some time…"
Joey's eyes had begun to glisten too as he slowly realized what I was about to do. "No… it can't end like this. There's gotta be another way, Yugi!"
"It's because of you… that I'm not alone anymore," I began, and Joey's eyes widened. "You give me courage, Joey… you're my most important friend… and this is why… I can't let you lose this duel… I love you, Joey..."
"Yugi… Yugi, don't-"
"Mystical Rift Panel! Direct your attack back at me!"
The fairy turned the mirror around so I would be facing it, and suddenly, in the midst of my bravery, I felt scared. Staring into my demise, I wondered… if there really was another way out of all this…
I wished there was… but there wasn't…
I braced for the attack as I was hit with a sudden wave of opposing calls. My friends were calling out for me to stop.
But I had already made my choice.
Joey was free. He could help Téa and Sarah now.
I didn't know what was going to happen… I doubt I would have any strength left within me to stay awake after this attack. So I took off the Duel Disk and set it aside.
I wouldn't be needing it in the water.
An explosion of flames suddenly surged out of the mirror, engulfing me, and robbing me of 1500 Life Points. A cry escaped my lips as the fire seared my skin, and I couldn't hear anything subtle anymore. Everything was a blur, I felt the energy being stripped away from my body. I went numb, and when I finally emerged from within the plume of smoke, staggering and unable to keep my balance, I knew I wasn't going to wake up for a while.
But… this was the way it had to be…
I couldn't attack Joey…
He was my best friend…
Before I hit the ground, I saw a bright golden light, and someone standing in fire.
Then everything went black.
~Joey's pov~
LP: Joey: 0600/Yugi: 0000
I watched Yugi's body fall forward onto the ground. I cried out his name in a moment of desperation, but to no avail. Horrified by what I had done, I barely noticed the box at my feet open to reveal a key.
My best friend… how could have I done that to my best friend?!
"No… no, Yugi! You should have attacked me instead!"
Yugi didn't respond. I could feel my eyes stinging again.
"No… what do I do...!"
The clock above suddenly ticked to zero but then quickly began timing a minute. These sixty seconds were meant for me to unlock my chain and free myself, but I couldn't think of such a thing. I had to help my friend! Yugi had sacrificed himself for me but I couldn't let him!
I wouldn't.
Now I knew what the anchor was for. It was there to drag the loser of the duel to the bottom of the ocean.
"Damn it, Yugi! How the hell do you expect me to just leave you here…!" I was so confused and in a panic. With half a story to work with, I couldn't think straight, and this was when time was critical.
What could I do…?
Suddenly there was movement on my left. I quickly turned to find Sarah getting to her feet. My eyes widened.
Since when was she here? Did I… oh, god… did I hurt her too?
What did Marik make me do…?
"S-Sarah…?" I wondered out loud.
I heard gasps from the crowd behind me and noticed everyone standing at the pier.
"She's up!"
"Awesome! She can help the guys!"
A Rare Hunter suddenly jumped out of the crane nearby and held a remote up in a threatening manner. "Nobody's moving!" he said. "Wait until the duel is over!"
"You obsessive freak! It is over! Your boss has abandoned you!" said Kaiba, clearly outraged.
"I will hold my ground!" the Rare Hunter yelled back.
I never thought I'd live to see the day when Kaiba would stick up for us.
Was I dreaming?
I saw the remote in the Hunter's hands and wondered what it was for - but then I noticed the huge container hanging over Téa's head right in front of me.
My heart felt like it stopped beating.
"Joey…" called Sarah, and my attention returned to her. I wanted answers, but it looked like I had to ask questions later.
I couldn't see her eyes - they were covered by the shadows of her bangs - and her stance was steady as though she was trying to keep her balance. I was close enough to see that she was trembling, but somehow I knew she wasn't shaking from fright. It must have been from something else. She was on the ground before… how did she get there...
But why would she be shaking? She seemed to have trouble standing, as though she was on her feet on mere willpower alone. The Seal on her neck was glowing a fierce orange. I remember her telling me and the others about what she did for a living. About her being a Guardian for the spirit of the Millenium Puzzle. Was that glow a part of it? That was how she knew if someone was in trouble, wasn't it?
My eyes widened again.
Yugi was unconscious.
She must have woken up from feeling his pain.
Maybe that was it.
But… what were those dark lines all over her-
"Joey… you know what you have to do…" she said, and suddenly the air got cold. I would have been shivering if I wasn't in a state of panic. But what did she mean by that?
I looked at the playing field and noticed that the holograms were still in place.
The duel wasn't finished.
I suddenly realized that I could still play a number. Maybe I could do something to help Yugi after all.
"R-Right," I said. I was about to continue when the sudden freezing temperatures made me look at Sarah again but this time with wide eyes.
There was a small tornado surrounding the girl.
"W-Wha-"
The Rare Hunter who held the remote began advancing. "Make one move, Guardian, and I drop the crate!" he threatened without a hitch.
Sarah didn't reply; she was saving time to say what was important. She stood still, unwavering, with the fast winds coursing around her at an incredible speed. Her oversized clothes billowed in the wind she was creating.
It was definitely her magic.
She said another name with a voice that was quiet, yet strong.
"Kaiba."
The older brunette was drawing a card from his Duel Disk when she called and he didn't even stop to acknowledge the fact that Sarah was awake. Or maybe he did, but his reaction time was quicker than mine. Even Téa and the others were still left with wide eyes. But why would he be drawing a card at a time like this?
"Don't tell me what to do," came his curt reply and he sent the card flying at the Rare Hunter with a quick flick of his arm and wrist. It ripped through the air like a kunai, pinning itself into the Hunter's hand. He dropped the remote and held his targeted limb, yelling out in pain.
Now he couldn't press the button.
At the same time, Sarah's tornado spun upwards and out towards the crate that was hanging above Téa's head, all at a speed my eyes had trouble following and my mind had trouble comprehending. The mouth of the tornado opened up, swallowed the crate, and pushed it up and over the neck of the crane. The immense force and pressure from the crate sent both structures crashing into the water, well away from Téa. I saw the brunette take a deep breath of relief. Mokuba ran over to help her out of the restraints.
The Rare Hunter stared at his drowning office, afraid of what Marik would say about him getting beaten by a mere card and an injured Guardian. Before he was able to contemplate what even happened, witnessing the strength of Sarah's power and Kaiba's teamwork, said CEO had already come up behind him. He kicked the Hunter in the back of the knee, forcing him down, before bonking him on the head and knocking him out, finally subduing him. Then he retrieved his card from the Hunter's hand.
This was all too much to take in.
What amazed me was how swiftly Kaiba and Sarah worked together without even making it completely obvious that they were thinking the same thing. All Sarah had to do was say his name and Kaiba seemed to have understood what she wanted. Maybe he saw the wind in her hands.
Now that I thought about it, he saw her magic.
What could he be thinking about it?
"J-Joey," said Sarah, and this time she couldn't hold back the stutter. She was definitely fighting something off, but I had no idea what. Her voice snapped me back to attention. "You have…. thirty seconds… to do what you're… thinking…"
She staggered forward and I called out to her but she caught herself.
"Sarah… you have to… we need to…!" I wanted to say that she had to get out, that she needed help, but nothing could be done because we were in chains, and we didn't even have anything to break through them with except the keys for the locks.
I looked at Sarah's feet.
She didn't even have a box for her key.
Oh my god… what was Marik doing…?!
Sarah shook her head, even when realizing what this could all mean. "You need to… get out of here…" she said. I shook my head but she refused to think of anything else. Even after waking up from whatever torture Marik must have put her through, all she could think about was helping us. First, she helped Téa with her scary situation, and now she's only concerned about Yugi and me getting out of here.
Was this… how she always was…?
"Tell… the Pharaoh… that I… " But it was already too late. She fell on her side, gone into the world of unconsciousness again, before she could finish her sentence.
But who knew how long she would be out for the count this time?
"Sarah!" I called out. She had woken up only to do that bit before she was completely wiped out. But now Téa was safe and the Hunter was taken care of. At least two things were out of the way.
It was up to me to finish this, once and for all.
I had to make sure that both the three of us got out of this alive.
'Hang in there, guys...'
I quickly looked at the card that I played during my turn and noticed that there was another effect in its description. The cardholder was allowed to control the attack of one of his opponent's monsters.
I knew what I had to do.
I decided to attack myself with one of Yugi's monsters.
"Red Eyes!" I called, and the dragon responded with a weak tilt of his head. I felt awful as I looked at my old dragon. I didn't know I was doing such horrible things, including attacking my own monster. Marik was going to pay dearly for everything that he made me do.
I'd make sure of it.
I promised Yugi.
"I'm sorry for everything, Red Eyes…" I said quietly. "But we have to save Yugi. So attack me!"
Red-Eyes powered up the attack in his mouth - a roaring fireball the size of my head. Then it came rushing at me, damaging my stature and taking the rest of my Life Points.
Now Yugi's key box opened.
LP: Joey: 0000/Yugi: 0000
But he was out cold. He wouldn't be able to unlock his chain.
I had to go over there and do it myself.
I took off the Millennium Puzzle and the Duel Disk, and placed them on the ground. Then I grabbed my chain and ran forward, launching myself into the air and swinging myself over to Yugi's side of the field with help from the chain.
"Yugi, hold on!"
I was still in mid air, just reaching into the box for Yugi's key, when the timer suddenly beeped and the anchor fell. The heavy mass shattered through the water and yanked the chains down with it. The next thing I saw was Yugi's key between my fingers and a sudden rush of cold water surge around my legs as the anchor began pulling me in.
Tristan bolted across the dock towards me with his arm outstretched.
"Joey!" he yelled, reaching for my hands in an attempt to pull me up.
"Tristan!"
In a last effort for dry land, I reached out as well, but our fingers merely grazed before I was pulled completely underwater.
He was the last person I saw before the darkness of water clouded my vision.
Tristan's eyes were heavy with fear.
The water wasn't just cold though. It was freezing.
I tried to gain my bearings and looked around through the bubbles created by the anchor as it slowly descended, dragging me down with it. It tugged on the chain around my ankle.
I wasn't alone.
I saw Yugi and Sarah in the water as well. They were floating nearby, the three of us being pulled towards the ocean floor together by a massive piece of metal.
Keeping a hold on my breath, and making sure I tried to ration it, I swam over to Yugi and unlocked his chain using the key I got from his box. The shackle opened, and his chain was finally off. Then I gave him a gentle push towards the light up above. He slowly floated back up to the surface.
After the sudden rush to get things done, I was glad to see that my best friend was going to be alright after all.
'I'm sorry for everything that happened, Yugi…
'Thank you for showing me what a True Duelist's heart looks like.'
I saw him break the surface and arms quickly grabbing him, helping him up out of the water.
Thank goodness, he was safe…
Then I remembered Sarah and turned around to see her floating a few feet away. Maybe there was still a chance that her shackle could be opened with Yugi's key. Who knows? Marik must have never thought of the situation where someone would manage to get the key underwater.
I swam over to Sarah and grabbed her ankle.
I looked at the chain, ready to put the key into the lock.
But I stopped.
There wasn't even a keyhole.
'Oh no… oh, gods, no...' I looked all around the shackle with no luck. There was still no keyhole for me to try.
Marik did know what he was doing.
He didn't even give Sarah a chance to escape…
Suddenly, Sarah began moving. She was grabbing her head and her face was twisted in anguish. Something was causing her immense pain, but there wasn't anything touching her. Was she trying to fight Marik off? But there was no point in him mind controlling her now - she was underwater with a welded shackle.
I didn't know how to help, and it didn't look like she was even conscious. I grabbed her shoulders to try and wake her up but her eyes suddenly snapped open.
I had never seen her scarlet eyes look so scared.
She opened her mouth to talk but quickly closed it when water entered. She held what little breath she had, hugged herself tightly, and began shaking all over again.
She was trembling so badly, I could see it in the water.
Suddenly, her right hand glowed with a golden light and in a moment there was a dagger in her hand. It was sharp and intricately curved to a point. The hilt looked like shining emerald.
I quickly moved away, wondering what she was doing, all the while feeling a hammer against my skull. The pressure of not getting enough oxygen was getting to me, but I needed to try and help Sarah. But what was planning on doing with that eight-inch blade?
Sarah took only a moment to think about what she was going to do with that dagger before she used it to slice open her left arm. My eyes widened, and I wished for the life of me I could do something, but it looked like Sarah was fixing her problems on her own.
Or was the pain getting to her?
What was she doing…?!
Once the cut opened, a huge plume of black smoke billowed out of her wound and dispersed into the water. It wasn't blood. It was black smoke.
Black smoke.
My eyes widened, and suddenly I was the one who was terrified.
What in the world was inside her…?
Was that… what was causing her pain…?
My eyes must have been incredibly wide, trying to understand what just happened. Then I saw the black smoke finally being replaced by blood. Even Sarah seemed more relaxed now than before, but she seemed exhausted. I watched as she ripped a part of her shirt off from the hem and maneuvered it around her wounded arm. Her dagger disappeared in a burst of light after sinking past her ankle.
Suddenly, her fingers stopped moving and her eyes began to close. She was either losing oxygen or losing blood, I wasn't sure which was more fatal, but I definitely knew she was losing consciousness.
I had to ask questions later, although I couldn't believe what I just witnessed.
I swam to her again, grabbed the piece of cloth she had, and quickly tied it around her wound. I held her close so she wouldn't float away and tried Yugi's key on my own lock, just in case it would work. When it didn't, I let go of the key from frustration and let it sink into the abyss.
Then I pulled on our chains to see if maybe I could use brute force. But it didn't work.
My headache got worse and I felt my eyes losing sight of Sarah. If we didn't make it out… we could die here.
This was such a terrible way to go…
I could never make up for what I've done to everyone…
What Marik must have made me do…
And Sarah… she won't be able to help the Pharaoh…
Were we… really going to die like this…?
We were trapped underwater, unable to do anything to help ourselves...
As I was losing consciousness, I thought I saw a disturbance in the light above. It looked like a person had dived into the water and was now swimming towards us.
Was it Yugi…?
But then I thought I saw another figure swim down behind the first one.
I must have been seeing things. Hallucinations must have been a part of dying.
But then I noticed who they were as they got closer. One figure was Serenity while the other one was Eric.
Serenity?
But her eyes...
And Eric?
How did he get here? He wasn't with the others. At least… not that I remembered…
But it didn't matter.
I was filled with a warmth I never thought I would feel again.
Our friends had come to help.
Serenity swam down to my ankle and unlocked the shackle. Finally, no more metal digging into my skin.
I saw her giving a thumbs up to Eric before she handed him the key. He returned the small gesture and Serenity began helping me swim back up to the surface.
The last thing I saw, in the water, was Eric trying to free Sarah's ankle.
But there was no keyhole…
~Yugi's pov~
When I broke through the water's surface, it felt as though I was given new life. I coughed water out of my lungs and the deep breath I had taken afterwards felt incredible. I could finally breathe again.
"Yugi!" cried Téa. Her blue eyes were lit. She wasn't trapped in the chair anymore. In fact, there were a couple of other things that seemed out of place from before I fell unconscious too. Where did the crane and crate go? The holograms would of course have disappeared, seeing as how the duel was over.
What had happened…?
"I got him!" Tristan dived into the water and swam towards me. I felt his arm under mine as he helped me swim back to the dock. More hands helped me climb over the edge - everyone had come over onto the docks to help. I was finally sitting on solid ground because of their help. It wasn't as cold as I thought it would be, and I wasn't as tired from before. I was just soaked.
I had to be honest with myself… I was glad I hadn't drowned…
In the end… Joey saved my life again...
"Joey, he…. he's still under there…" I managed to say, realizing the consequences of his actions.
Tristan said, "Someone pass me his key so I can go get him!"
"Don't forget Sarah," said Duke, kneeling on one leg next to me.
My eyes widened.
"Oh no… Sarah…! She doesn't have a key! How do we get her out…!"
"Maybe Joey's key will work," said Tristan. Mokuba was rushing towards Joey's side of the dock as he spoke.
When he finally peered into the box, his eyes widened.
"His key isn't here!"
"What?! Then what happened to it-"
Suddenly, Serenity jumped off the dock and dived into the water. She was holding the key in her hand before I saw her disappear beneath the surface.
"Serenity!" yelled Mai, but the girl was long gone, leaving a small splash in her wake. "Damn it, she was here only moments ago!"
"That's her brother in there! Of course she would go in after him!" yelled a new voice from behind us. We turned around to find Eric sprinting with all he had across the dock. He unzipped his hoodie as he ran and ripped it off his shoulders. He threw it on the ground next to Duke as he passed by and dived into the water after Serenity.
"I've got Sarah!" he yelled before disappearing into the watery depths with a splash as well. Tristan cursed.
"Those two had better be careful!"
I blinked. "Where in the world did Eric come from…?" I asked wonderingly.
"He must have been by the warehouses…" said Téa, looking in the direction where Eric sprinted from. "He was here long enough to know who Serenity was…"
"I have to admit… both he and Serenity are pretty brave for going in there to save Joey and Sarah…." said Mokuba quietly.
"Oh, I hope they're alright…" said Téa, holding her hands tightly together.
There was some silence of us simply collecting our thoughts and trying to stay composed, all the while hoping with all our hearts that everything would be okay soon and that the four of them would come back alright. It all happened too fast for me to even comprehend. Did Joey really save me again? After all I had done to try and save him… he came after me anyways…
I felt my eyes begin to sting again.
Joey… please be alright… don't give up…!
A long minute passed and we saw shadows beneath the surface of the water. Serenity broke through with Joey in her arms.
"They're alright!" I said, feeling all the more relieved seeing Joey's face again.
The both of them gasped for air, and immediately, Tristan swam over to help them back to the docks. Duke grabbed a hold of Joey's arm and pulled him up while Tristan helped Serenity.
"Joey!" cried Serenity worriedly. The blond was coughing up lots of water.
"Serenity…" said Joey, gazing at his sister. "You… you saved me…"
Serenity's eyes filled with tears of joy at the sight of her brother, and she embraced him tightly. Joey was confused for a minute, until I noticed his honey-coloured eyes widening. He realized that it was really his sister who was with him now and he hugged her back tightly. I smiled.
But that smile disappeared when there wasn't another splash of someone swimming to the surface.
"Eric and Sarah aren't back yet…" said Tristan, staring into the water with narrowed eyes. "I'm going in."
"Be careful, Tristan," said Téa. The other nodded before taking a deep breath and slipping under the water.
There was another silence. This one was incredibly intense. Only three out of six people made it out alright.
I hope the others would come back soon.
One minute went by and it was painful. Another went by and it was even worse. I felt the panic rising in my chest.
Could they not find a way to free Sarah?
"I don't know what they'll do…" said Joey quietly. "There wasn't even a place for a key on her shackle…"
"What…!" Mai turned to Joey. "And you didn't tell us this before?!"
"Wait, Mai," I said, calming her down. "Maybe there is one but Joey didn't see it. We have to keep our options open."
"Yes, but… if we'd have known there was trouble, we could have looked for something to break the chains with…"
"Those chains were incredibly thick," said Kaiba, and I had nearly forgotten that he was still nearby. His steely blue eyes were concentrating on the unmoving water, as if he too was waiting for them to come back. "There was no way we could find a formidable tool to break through them just lying around before Tristan and Eric went under. They'll… they'll have to think of something else."
The small break in Kaiba's words meant something, but he didn't answer the question that lingered in the air.
What else could they do?
Kaiba's slight hesitancy suggested something awful. I felt my stomach turn.
"Guys! I think they're coming back up!" said Téa suddenly. We noticed dark shadows forming beneath the water. First, Eric broke the surface, gasping for air. Then Tristan pulled up beside him, also out of breath.
Between them was Sarah.
They found a way to get her out of the chains.
"You did it!" said Joey as Duke reached out towards them to help.
"She isn't breathing!" cried Eric.
"What?!" Duke quickly helped the boys maneuver Sarah's body onto the docks. He laid her down on her back and pressed his ear to her chest.
"He's right!"
"She's been in the water too long…" said Mai, her violet eyes were wide with concern.
Téa covered her mouth, a look of horror on her face.
I felt my heart race and my mind grow heavy. This couldn't have been happening.
"Step aside, Devlin," ordered Kaiba who was immediately at his side. The other didn't argue and quickly moved away to let the brunette kneel next to Sarah.
I could feel the level of panic in my chest rising at a rapid pace. Sarah was finally out of the water, but she wasn't breathing.
She knew water magic but she couldn't use it on herself because she wasn't conscious.
Kaiba checked her pulse first and then pressed his ear against her chest as well. When he found the same conclusions as Duke and Eric, he worked quickly yet gently to straighten her neck and open her mouth. In one swift moment, his lips met hers and he breathed air into her lungs.
Any other time, if we had simply been thinking about Kaiba helping someone, we would have laughed at the idea.
But actually seeing it happen, we realized he really wasn't all that heartless. In fact, he might have been more concerned for our safety than he showed.
We stayed quiet - unable to fathom, unable to even press ourselves to say something encouraging. We wished with all our hearts that Sarah would start breathing again. We held our own breaths in fear of breaking concentration.
She had a life to live, she needed to help the Pharaoh.
With her resolve, she wouldn't let some water drown her.
She was keen on helping the Pharaoh, and she knew that her dying wouldn't help him.
It was how she thought of herself, but the Pharaoh and I knew she was so much more than just a Guardian.
She was a friend.
She was a dear friend of ours and we wanted her to be safe.
Joey quietly walked up behind me with the Millennium Puzzle in his hands. He held it out for me to take, and I silently complied, thanking him with my eyes.
He wanted me to know that the Pharaoh would have wanted to be by her side too.
As soon as the Puzzle was in the palms of my hands, I could see the Pharaoh's spirit standing over Kaiba.
His crimson red eyes were wide.
He was afraid.
Fearful of what could happen to their future, he stood rooted to his spot, unable to think of anything else except wishing that his Guardian would be okay.
If she left… he'd be alone again.
I knew what he was feeling. He didn't want his only friend from the past to die because someone couldn't handle their temper.
He was scared.
He didn't want to see her die.
Kaiba had pushed about three bursts of air into Sarah's lungs before he entwined his fingers and pressed the heel of his hands down on her chest in a steady rhythm. I wondered if he learned CPR for Mokuba's sake. He must have known some first aid just in case anything happened to him.
He cared for his little brother.
Just like he cared quietly about everyone else.
When Kaiba stopped pressing on her chest, he shook his head as though to tell us that it didn't work but then immediately began a second round. He breathed more air into her lungs, this time about five breaths. Then he started on her chest again.
Suddenly, as though our prayers had finally been answered, Sarah burst into a fit of coughs. Kaiba quickly helped tilt her head to the side so she could cough the water out of her lungs. Everyone cheered with joy as the frightful silence was broken.
Sarah was going to be alright.
I smiled as the heavy weight on my heart disappeared.
Everyone was alright now.
When I looked at the Pharaoh again, shadows were covering his eyes. I knew that he must have been relieved to see Sarah safe, but that didn't last.
His arms were shaking and his fists were also clenched - tightly.
I knew what he was thinking.
Marik.
How could he have done this...
The spirit disappeared into the Millennium Puzzle just as Kaiba was helping Sarah sit up. He rubbed her back in hopes of soothing her as she herself held her head in pain with confusion in her scarlet eyes.
"What…"
"Yugi and his friends will explain what happened later," said Kaiba. His voice was almost quieter than normal. Almost. "For now, you have to rest."
Sarah looked up at Kaiba as though she were about to cry.
"Thank you…" she said quietly.
Kaiba looked at her for a moment. Then he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"You need to be careful," he said. "You had a lot of people worried."
She slowly blinked as if wondering what he was talking about. Kaiba motioned behind her, and when she followed his gaze, she noticed everyone smiling at her.
"You're okay!" cried Téa joyfully as she knelt down beside the girl and held her close, despite her being soaked. Sarah's cheeks glowed a cute hue of red.
"I… I am…" she said gladly. "Thank you… for your help… everyone…"
"We're just glad everyone's safe now…" said Eric, speaking my mind. He walked over to Sarah with his jacket that he threw earlier and gently placed it over her shoulders.
Sarah was quiet for a moment, as she slowly registered the warmth from his hoodie. Then she looked up at the man who now stood over her. "Where did you come from…" she wondered.
Eric blinked. "None of your business," he said with a small blush before looking away.
Sarah stared at him before slowly looking back at everyone. Duke offered a small shrug in response to Eric's sudden shyness.
"Are you sure… you're alright?" Sarah asked, concern etching her voice. Despite her near-death experience, she still wondered if everyone else made it out okay.
Joey nodded. "Yeah… but…"
"Joey…?" she asked. He didn't look at her. His gaze was focused on the ground.
"I'm… sorry…" he said. "This is all my fault…"
"Joey, it's not your fault," I said gently. "Marik was the one who took over your mind and forced you against us. Don't be so hard on yourself…"
The blond shook his head. Then he looked at his little sister who was gazing up at him apprehensively.
"You had to see me at such a terrible state…" he said quietly.
Serenity shook her head. "Joey, you gave me courage," she said. "I knew you were fighting something and felt that I had to fight my own fear. When I took my bandages off… I saw my brother fighting to protect his friend. There was nothing horrible about that."
Joey's eyes filled with tears. He threw his arms around his sister and embraced her tightly. His little sister smiled and hugged her brother back. She felt all his feelings pour into her through a simple yet heartfelt gesture.
I smiled as well. Then I turned to Sarah. She was smiling as well. It was really nice to see her smile again.
Suddenly, the makeshift bandage on her arm caught my attention.
"What happened…" I asked her. Sarah blinked and looked down at her arm, as if seeing the bandage for the first time. Then my eyes suddenly widened, realizing something important.
"What about the poison...?"
Sarah looked up at me. Her scarlet eyes showed exhaustion and realization. "It's gone…" she said, and I felt more relieved than before. "I… I used its pressure to my advantage. When I cut my arm, it rushed out of my bloodstream… and the water washed it all away…"
"You were conscious in the water…?"
"Joey… managed to wake me…"
I looked at the blond who was now being scolded by Mai for thinking that everything was his fault. Serenity clung to him, also offering words of help. Even Téa was suddenly by his side, reassuring him that it was finally all over. He still looked down, but I knew he would bounce back from it soon.
Joey was strong.
He broke through Marik's control, after all.
Did he see Sarah cut open her own arm? I realized that she resorted to extreme measures out of desperation and this worried me. I wondered what Joey must have thought when he saw her do it…
"Well… I'm glad it's finally out of your system…" I said nonetheless with a smile. "The Pharaoh and I… we were worried…"
Sarah smiled a bit too thoughtfully, as if the idea was simply a myth. "Thank you.. but I'm okay now. I hope you two are alright…" she said.
I nodded, reassuring her, but I wouldn't tell her how the Pharaoh felt mere moments before. She didn't need to know just yet.
Téa was back on her knees, looking at Sarah carefully now, inspecting her arm and fixing the bandage. Then she looked at her feet and her blue eyes widened.
"W-Why is your ankle…"
Sarah blinked at the brunette before looking down at her feet. Her scarlet eyes were steady.
"I can't… feel it…" she said quietly.
I looked at her ankle too, wondering what was going on. Sarah's right heel and ankle were scraped and bloody.
We were so busy focusing on her breathing that we didn't look for other injuries.
Now that we were seeing it, it appeared more vivid.
I looked up at Tristan and Eric who were wringing the water out of their shirts nearby. "Guys," I called. They gazed my way. "Why is Sarah's ankle so damaged…"
The others suddenly looked down and then at each other.
That's right... there was no key for Sarah...
Then... how did they free her...?
"We're sorry…" said Tristan quietly. Sarah stared up at them with wide eyes, trembling from the cold. "We took off your shoe and did all that we could to try and get the shackle off…"
"That's why it took you so long…" realized Téa.
Eric nodded. "We were lucky that your ankles were slightly smaller than the shackle could hold," he said. "It stayed up mostly by your shoe."
"But… we still fought with it, trying to take it off as gently as we could…"
"You… you idiots…"
Tristan and Eric were surprised at Sarah's harsh words. But then we saw the tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked up at them.
"You two saved me… and you're apologizing... just because my ankle is a bit messed up…? I owe you two my life!"
The boys looked at each other. Then they returned their gaze to Sarah, smiling gently down at her, as though laughing at the fact that she called them idiots.
The red headed Guardian stumbled onto her feet with help from Téa and hugged both Tristan and Eric as hard as she could. She wept quietly into their chests, hugging them tighter when they returned the hug. Téa and I smiled.
Under that calm demeanour and sensitivity to anger was a soft hearted girl who couldn't show enough of her appreciation. Sarah was really happy to be alive. She must have begun to give up fighting when the Dark Magic consumed her, and when she went into the water, she must have thought that all hope was lost.
But I was glad we found a way to get her out.
I was glad we had all made it out.
"Aw, Sarah… it's alright now…" said Tristan as he gently patted her head. Slowly, she let them go and rubbed her eyes in an attempt to wipe away her tears.
She nodded, and then she turned towards Kaiba. The other blinked.
"No no no," he said rather quickly as Sarah began walking towards him with her arms outstretched, but she stopped when she saw him waving a hand. "It's alright. I... erm... you're welcome."
Sarah stared at him for a moment. Then she brought her arms back down and smiled a bit.
"I'm glad everyone's safe..." She said with a smile. The others returned the small gesture.
"That was a very dangerous duel," said Mai, crossing her arms. "Why did you do it?"
"We were forced to," I said. "The leader of the Rare Hunters wanted us to duel for our lives so that he could get what he wanted as well as dispose of us at the same time."
"This man has a crude sense of dueling strategy," said Mai. She glared at the thought.
"He didn't get what he wanted in the end," said Sarah, sitting back down on the dock. She had given Eric his hoodie back, probably because she didn't want to ruin it. The poor romantic was now drying it on the concrete with a small pout on his face.
"He will follow us to the finals."
"This isn't going to end until we put him down, once and for all," said Joey.
"The only reason why I structured this tournament was so that I could weed out the snivelling Rare Hunters," said Kaiba. "Let them come. I'll crush them all."
Mokuba suddenly ran towards us with a small medical kit. He must have gone back to the helicopter while we were talking. He knelt down beside Sarah and opened the red box. The Guardian blinked as he tended to her wounds, first her arm and then her ankle.
"Why would you do something like that?" Sarah asked Kaiba.
He smirked at her question. "You will know my reasons soon enough," he said. "Now that everything has calmed down, we should focus on the finals. I'm going to go on ahead. The lot of you should probably get to the location too if you want to keep dueling."
And... he was back. The CEO was again his usual, over confident self.
I called out to him before he turned around to leave.
"Thank you for all your help..." I said, and I meant it. We couldn't have done anything if it wasn't for him.
Kaiba acknowledged my gratitude and nodded in return.
"Wheeler!"
Joey cringed as his name was called by the CEO. "What do you want..." he said with a scowl.
"You took off your Duel Disk instead of grabbing your own key. I admire that. Maybe you're becoming a worthy duelist after all."
While Joey was left dumbfounded, the older brother called for Mokuba. To think, Kaiba acknowledged Joey as a fellow duelist now was incredible. It was as though the world we knew was slowly unravelling.
"Coming!" said Mokuba. He finished wrapping the last of the bandages around Sarah's ankle and closed the red medical kit. Sarah smiled up at him as he got ready to leave.
"Thank you so much, Mokuba..." she said gently. She wasn't as pale as before anymore. Colour was finally returning to her skin.
The younger Kaiba grinned. "We'll see you at the finals!" he said. Then he ran off to join his brother. They got into the helicopter and the automatic pilot gears kicked in. With a whir of its engine, and the rapid spin of its blades, the great machine lifted itself up into the air and started flying away.
"The finals..." breathed Sarah quietly. She looked up at us, and I noticed a fire in her eyes.
"We made it..."
"It was tough," agreed Joey, trying to be his normal self again after what Kaiba had said. "You guys were dealing with the Rare Hunters this whole time, weren't you?"
"Yeah..."
"Who did you duel, Joey?" I asked out of curiosity.
"Let's see... My first duel was with Espa Roba. It turns out he just wanted to look strong so his brothers wouldn't be bullied anymore but cheating wasn't the way to do it. He's learned that now."
Sarah and I exchanged knowing glances. We remembered the duel well.
"Aww... Joey, you're teaching fellow duelists along the way," said Tristan teasingly.
Eric's eyes narrowed. "A student teaching his fellow students? I haven't heard that one before."
A vein throbbed on the side of the blond's head. "Watch it..." he said.
Serenity didn't see it as a problem. "That's great, Joey! Working together is the best way to solve problems!" she said with a smile.
"Yeah, Serenity's right," said Téa. "And now that we're all here, we can continue together."
"Mind if I tag along?" asked Duke.
"I don't see why not," said Tristan. "Is everyone okay to go right now? Kaiba's already heading there, which means today was the last day of the preliminary battles."
"Sarah, Joey, Yugi?" called Téa. "Are you guys okay to walk?"
Sarah struggled to stand back up, but when she did, she balanced well. "I'm good..." she said with a nod.
"I'm just a little cold..." I said with a small laugh. My exhaustion had disappeared. I felt revived after seeing all our friends.
Joey also nodded, saying that he was okay. "I just wish this didn't happen," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Yugi... I almost destroyed your Millennium Puzzle... again..."
I smiled at my friend. "But Joey, I knew you wouldn't do it..."
Joey's eyes were sad, but when I held his gaze, he realized. Our friendship was just so strong that Marik couldn't break through it. That was why we had won.
"Speaking of items of importance..." Eric was walking back with our Duel Disks in his arms. Making sure which one was which, he returned them to us.
"Thank you," Sarah said for all of us. Then she blinked and patted her neck. She felt the Locket beneath her fingertips and felt relieved. But then her eyes went wide again and she patted her pockets.
"My... wallet and phone..."
Eric pulled the two items from his own pocket. She eyed him carefully.
"I thought it would be easier to carry," he said defensively. He must have put them in his pocket first before picking up the Duel Disks. Carrying three at the same time would have been difficult, indeed.
Still eyeing the boy, Sarah returned her wallet and phone into her own pocket. "I'm watching you..." she said.
Eric blinked. "Oh, come on..."
Then she smiled. I thought I saw Eric blush.
"This is cute," said Mai. Everyone blinked. "This is really cute. You guys are all together now and stronger than ever."
"You probably want us to get to the finals' stage already, don't you," I said bluntly.
Mai smirked.
"We have work to do, according to what you guys are going through," she said.
"She's right," said Téa. "We should head over now. Kaiba's probably waiting for us."
"We don't even know the location though," said Joey.
"We have to put our Locator Cards onto our Duel Disks," said Sarah, reminding us of what Kaiba had told us at the very beginning.
Eric was doing just that, and as soon as he slipped in the last card, his Duel Disk lit up and a three-dimensional blueprint of the city materialized onto the ground before us from the portable holographic projectors. A white light beamed up from what appeared to be a stadium. Looks like Eric made it to the finals with us.
"That's gotta be where the finals are," said Duke.
"It's about a ten-minutes' drive from here," said Mai. "I know the place. Would you guys like a ride?"
"Yes, please," I said with a smile. "Thanks."
When we got to the car, Mai counted heads.
"Guys, there's too many of us," said Mai conclusively.
Eric blinked. "Oh, don't mind me," he said. "I have my own ride."
He gestured towards a sleek, royal blue motorbike that was parked off to the side, a few steps away from Mai's car.
"Whoa! That's yours?" asked Tristan with wide eyes. His gaze was one of admiration. I forgot, he owns a motorbike too. It was more hardcore than Eric's. Eric's was a sports motorbike.
"Yup!" said Eric proudly with a smirk. "I'll let you check it out after the finals."
"We gotta get to the stadium, quickly."
Mai glared at Tristan who sweat dropped at his own words. "I am not overloading the car, it could be dangerous," she said.
"Someone could hitch a ride with me," offered Eric. His eyes were on Sarah though, and she caught on after a moment.
"What... you want me to go with you?" she asked with a blink.
"I... can't do tall people, sorry," said Eric with shifty eyes. "They're heavier and I can't control the bike."
Sarah watched him carefully.
"You're calling me short."
"H-Hey, you're not the only short one here," said Eric, who suddenly started blushing from embarrassment again.
"Yeah... but I'm the original shorty, so don't even, you two," I said.
Everyone blinked. Before I knew it, I was sharing a laugh with them.
"Eric, drive carefully with Sarah," I said finally. "I'm not fond with open spaces right now so I'll go in the car."
"Understood," said Eric. He gave Sarah the passenger helmet. "You'd better hold on tight."
"Oh, I'll hold on so tight, your brains will ooze out of your ears," said Sarah, putting the helmet onto her head. She pulled up the visor to look at Eric. The other swallowed nervously.
"Ah... how I missed you..." said Téa. Sarah grinned.
"Sarah, play nice. We all have to get there in one piece," said Joey. "And Eric. Don't get any funny ideas. If I see you pulling into an alley, I'm coming after you."
"Y-Yes, sir," said Eric sheepishly. Sarah blinked.
"Alright, I think this is a bit more manageable," said Mai. "Everyone, hop in!"
Mai sat in the driver's seat and started the car. It revved beautifully in the early evening silence. Serenity sat with her in the passenger seat while everyone else climbed into the back. Tristan and Duke sat on the doors so Joey, Téa, and I could have room.
Eric put his helmet on too and kept the visor down. Sarah also brought hers back down. Once Eric got onto the bike, Sarah followed suit and held onto his shoulder. They exchanged some words I couldn't hear over the roar of the engine. I knew because Sarah changed her stance and placed her arms around Eric instead. He started the bike and rode up beside Mai.
"I'll follow you," he said.
Mai nodded. "Got it," she said. "Hang on, everyone. We're heading to the finals!"
She drove the car back onto the road, and Eric and Sarah followed after us.
Battle City was halfway over.
Now the true battle for the Pharaoh's memories and the Millennium Items would begin. I felt uneasy, and I should have felt even more uneasy knowing that things were going to be even tougher from now on. But as I felt the closeness of my friends beside me, I couldn't have felt anymore confident.
Marik... we were going to defeat you.
It all stops here.
"Hey, you didn't tell us about your other duels," I said, looking across at Joey.
The blond smirked. "I've got a story to tell ya!" he said proudly.
And so, we spent the drive to the finals talking about everything we missed.
Author's Note: Yes! Ohmygods, YES. I have written my favourite chapter of the whole season! *o* I just hope it doesn't seem rushed. ._. I spent a couple weeks alone on the editing and rereading. I hope it was alright. Dx Please leave a review to let me know! I would greatly appreciate the help!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had immense fun writing it. -insert maniacal laughter here-
The most important thing, I think, is being able to include the Japanese dialogues more because they are what the characters truly say. Yugi says "I love you" to Joey in the Japanese because he really deeply cares for his friend. And Kaiba is a lot more understanding and much less uptight in the Japanese version. I really like the Japanese version. So I'm going to try and make it as close to it as possible. The dubbed version has its moments, but it's missing a lot of character development and important information.
Enjoy the cliffhanger! =3 -runs away-
~xyugiohluvrx