Written: 20/09/15
Author's Note: University will be the death of me. x.x I took calculus courses in the summer! In the SUMMER! DX I am exhausted! x.x
I decided to change this chapter up a bit - instead of letting Sarah go to the hospital for the umpteenth time, she gets treated at the docks and heads to the finals with the others. So of course I had to change the ending of the last chapter to fit this scenario, and if you would like to know what happens, you can check it out. =3 Nothing else except for the ending changed.
On a side note, this chapter might seem boring, but… I added fluff. 3=) Muahaha!
Guh. This chapter seems dry to me. u.u I don't feel like I've been doing very good lately either. e.o
Rewrite Fiasco: Chapters 1 to 9 are up and running!
~*Everyone's okay after Marik's little show and are now headed towards the location of the finals. What awaited them when they got there? What would Marik do now that he's lost his chance to get what he wanted in the preliminary competition?*~
Disclaimer!: Fanfiction, and I do NOT get any money out of it either. Thanks. ^^
Battle City - New Evil Emerges, Old Friends Reunite - Chapter 38
Locator Cards: Yugi: 6/Joey: 6/Sarah: 6
~Sarah's pov~
My shoes were squishy from their little dip in the water, but I didn't mind. My back was freezing from being exposed to the rushing air as Eric drove down the empty streets, but I didn't mind. Everything was either cold or wet, but my arms and chest were warm, which I was very much aware of.
I had to admit that I was scared. The possibility of drowning and not seeing the Pharaoh again nearly made me insane in a matter of moments. And when I finally regained consciousness I was so happy I couldn't speak of it all at once. Tristan… Eric… Kaiba… and everyone else all lent a hand… I wouldn't have been alive if it wasn't for them.
I owed them my life.
I held onto Eric tightly, as though trying to soak in as much of his warmth as I could. It was unlike me to cling to a body, but he helped save me. I was on the verge of death, but Eric and Tristan reached out of the light and pulled me out of the darkness. I felt a little closer to him than before because of that one intimate moment.
Eric must have been freezing, though, because of it. His hoodie was the only thing that was warm. Even that was now slowly melding into a cold sheet thanks to our wet clothes, but our inner body heat still radiated, and so I was tempted to stay close just so we could stay warm.
"Everything alright?"
Eric's voice sounded in my ear. He was talking through a built-in microphone and headset system in the helmets.
"Oh… yes, I'm fine…"
"Besides the bike ride."
I blinked. He was referring to the duel.
"Right… yeah, I'm feeling better… thank you…"
"Good, I'm glad."
Eric was quiet for a moment, but then he spoke up again.
"That was some duel."
"... Yeah… The man behind it is crazy."
"You've gotten into some trouble."
He said it in a humourous manner, but there was a serious tone to his voice.
"The others seem alright too, I'm glad," he continued. "Will he try again?"
"... There's a chance…"
"Hmm…"
Eric knew something was up, and that I wasn't filling him in about it completely. I thought he would start asking a bunch of questions, but he didn't.
"Well," he said. "I hope it doesn't get any worse than that. It looked like this guy would do anything to get what he wants."
"Yeah…"
"Be careful."
I knew that I would only be seeing the back of his head, but I looked up at him anyways, trying to understand why he wasn't probing. Perhaps he thought he wouldn't understand, or that it was just a crazy duelist who was too obsessed with winning. He could also have wanted us to feel as though we weren't obligated to tell him just because he helped out. Eric was definitely a lot different than how he was back in Duelist Kingdom. He seemed to genuinely care now. He didn't want to inconvenience us.
I held him a little tighter, hoping that my gratitude would show through. "Thank you…" I felt a little more at ease knowing that he didn't push. I wasn't sure if I had wanted him to know who I was. I liked this relationship that we had - whatever it may have been, and him knowing my true identity would have changed it.
Eric nodded, but I thought I saw him smile through his visor in the sideview mirror.
"How about you?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Nothing like a little swim in cold water to wake me up."
I wonder if Mai and Duke felt the same way… perhaps they were discussing it along the way as well.
We watched Mai's car turn right onto a wide street. Eric followed after her. Thanks to the open air, even though it was cold, our clothes managed to dry. Now it was just a matter of getting ourselves normally warm again. The summer nights were thankfully a lot warmer than winter nights, to say the least. Just in case, I willed the air around us to be a little warmer using some magic, this way we wouldn't catch a cold.
We could see a tall building structure with wide open doors at the end of the street. Mai drove right through the opening and parked her car off to the side. Eric followed suit, and parked his bike next. When I got off, I took off the helmet and took a deep breath.
"Thanks for the ride," I said, returning the helmet.
"Hey, no worries," said Eric, hiding the helmets in a secret compartment in the back.
Joey hopped out of the car. "We're here," he said. "The place of the finals!"
Eric looked around. "It's half built," he said. The stadium had no ceiling overhead, and the ground was made up of gravel and dirt. Only the bleachers were set up all around. However, just ahead, we saw that Kaiba and Mokuba were standing by one of their men beside the helicopter.
"Well, if they're here, then it must be the place," said Tristan. We exchanged glances with one another before proceeding to walk over to where the hosts stood. Once there, I exchanged glances with Kaiba, who nodded in return.
"Welcome, duelists!" said the man wearing a suit and glasses. "My name is Roland, and I am the Tournament Official in charge of the final duels. Please show me your Locator Cards as proof of your spot in the finals."
Everyone who had dueled pulled out their Locator Cards and held them up for Roland to see. He counted them off to make sure they were all there. I was thankful that mine were still intact despite all that I've been through, the leather-bound card pouch was very sturdy.
"Excellent," said Roland. Then he pulled out cards from within his own pockets, but they were security cards. "You are all finalists, congratulations. Please accept these entry cards."
"Thank you," I said, taking mine and looking at it.
"When do the other participants get here?" asked Joey, pocketing his entry card.
"They should be arriving shortly," replied Roland.
"There's five of you here," said Kaiba. "Six, including me. The other six should be on their way. They won't want to miss the deadline."
As if on cue, my Locket glowed, and a familiar chill went up my spine.
He's here.
But how?
"Make that seven of us that are here!" said a voice behind us. I turned to see Bakura approaching with a wicked smirk on his face. He had a Duel Disk on his arm and fresh bandages covering a bloody wound. He was calm and collected as he walked towards us, never once lowering his malicious gaze.
"You!"
"What, who, me?" Chocolate brown eyes suddenly blinked curiously as I pointed accusingly at the man. It was then I realized that Bakura had switched places with Ryo in the same instant.
Damn that… fiend…! He's hiding behind Ryo!
"Whaaat? Ryo, what are you doing out of the hospital?" cried Joey with wide eyes, as if not noticing that the evil spirit of the Ring had been in control just a second before. Perhaps he and the others hadn't noticed after all, since I had the ability to sense the other Millennium Items, and Ryo wasn't showing his Millennium Ring.
"You're still healing! Are you sure it's okay for you to be moving around?"
Ryo smiled cheekily and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, you see, I was feeling a lot better after they patched me up. And I really wanted to duel so I grabbed a Duel Disk and dived in. I told Mr. Mutou and he went home after I left."
Joey then blinked. "It took me some trouble to get a Duel Disk for myself and battle in the preliminary competition. How did you get a Duel Disk and duel for six Locator Cards all in just a few hours?"
"That's my secret!" said Ryo with a smile.
I glared at him suspiciously. There was no doubt in my mind that this was all part of Bakura's plan. He must have taken over Ryo's body and stole a Duel Disk. He was ruthless, and he only wanted to get his hands on the Millennium Items, so even while his host was injured, he would still pick up from wherever he left off. Speaking of his Millennium Item, the Ring must have been hidden under Ryo's shirt. It was on him, I knew for a fact, because I sensed it just moments before he arrived. He was hiding it from the others, but he knew he couldn't hide it from me, which didn't seem to bother him.
Because he was holding Ryo as a hostage, and he was using that against me since I was the only one who knew.
"Sarah, is something wrong?" asked Yugi, noticing my narrow gaze.
I quickly shook my head so the others wouldn't grow suspicious either. Ryo was their friend, and Bakura was my problem. I needed to know why he decided to work with Marik, so it was better not to cause any trouble for now. It would create a lot of unnecessary questions.
"I'm just astonished," I said. "From the way Téa told me earlier, Ryo sounded like he was in a lot of pain. But I'm glad you're feeling better."
Ryo blinked. "Oh, yes. Thank you."
I was going to keep an eye on him.
"Do you have all six Locator Cards for entry?" Roland asked Ryo.
Ryo showed him the cards that he had won, and indeed, there were six. Téa and Joey exchanged worried glances. Even though they were glad their friend was out of the hospital, they were still skeptical about him dueling, and obtaining all six Locator Cards in that short amount of time seemed too much.
"Congratulations, you qualify." Roland then gave Ryo an entry card which the boy pocketed for safe keeping.
"Thanks," he said with another smile.
"Well, congrats, Ryo," said Yugi. "Maybe we can duel together."
"That's exactly what I was thinking, Yugi!" exclaimed Ryo. "I wanted us to duel as a team! It'll be fun!"
Yugi smiled, but he seemed concerned as well. He has seen what Bakura is capable of, and he knew from what I told him that he would do anything to get the Millennium Items. He just wanted to keep Ryo close, and to keep thinking that he was alright.
Ryo was under the threat of Bakura, so he forced himself to do things Bakura wanted him to do. Tthe others worried about him, but the Ring always made it back to him somehow, no matter how they tried to get rid of it. Bakura wasn't going to disappear just like that, with the Ring out of the way. He needed to be defeated indefinitely.
The Pharaoh and I had the upper hand in that we were given a second chance to put him down, but the Pharaoh didn't remember his past, and Bakura did. His mind was still intact from the sacrifice while the Pharaoh's was the opposite. This was why my role as Guardian was important.. He needed his memories in order to defeat Bakura.
This tournament was a battle to regain those memories. I couldn't take this time for granted. The finals must be where we take a stand, and the time for the Pharaoh to know who he really was.
I had to protect his name of King and help him remember his past.
"Oh, another duelist is on their way," said Duke, blinking at the stadium's entrance.
Perhaps after we started with the finals, we would be able to focus strictly on the Pharaoh's memories. I shoved my hands into my shorts' pockets in hopes of calming myself down in the meantime.
For now, we had to concern ourselves with Marik.
A tall duelist with hair the colour of natural-white gold walked through the stadium entrance. He looked a little older than us, and was wearing a light purple hoodie that was sleeveless overtop of beige-coloured pants and dark shoes. Gold bands encircled his upper arms, and his skin was a bit darker than ours.
As though he had been in the sun.
Yugi stepped forward, as if seeing the possible sign as well. He quickly locked gazes with me.
He was suspicious of this person just as I was, and if he was suspicious, then it only worried me even more.
Could this man… be Marik?
However, if he really was Marik, then my Locket should have glowed after sensing his Millennium Rod.
It didn't.
"Hey, it's you!" said Joey with wide eyes. I blinked.
"Joey, you know him?" asked Yugi, surprised, just as I was. The blond nodded.
"Joey, Téa, it's good to see you again," said the strange man with a smile. He didn't look evil at all. In fact, his violet eyes seemed kind.
"You're in the finals as well, Namu?" asked Téa.
"Yup!" The person, Namu, laughed nervously. "But, even though I managed to get through most of the tournament, I'm not sure how I will fare in the duels to come. I mean, after all, only the strongest duelists make it this far and I'm surrounded by them."
He lacked confidence in his skills as a duelist, and yet he made it all the way here. Something about that seemed off… but then again, it must have been because I myself was making him more suspicious than he needed to be. All because I didn't know what Marik really looked like. And Joey and Téa seemed to know him…
"Well, I'm sure you'll do fine," said Téa with a smile.
'Thanks," said Namu. "Oh, Ryo, was it? You're up again!"
Ryo smiled. "Yes, and it was all thanks to your help back then," he said. "Thanks so much."
"Hey, no problem. I'm glad I could help."
Téa did tell me about someone they had met who helped Ryo out when he was injured, back when we were at the warehouse. He seemed nice enough, and yet, I wonder why Joey hadn't said anything after recognizing him. His mind seemed to be elsewhere and yet he was looking straight at Namu. His golden eyes were distant.
What could he have been thinking about?
"Yugi! I've heard about you," said Namu with a smile, recognizing Yugi. Well, he did defeat Kaiba and won Duelist Kingdom. Then he held out his hand towards him. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Namu."
Yugi shook his outstretched hand, but I could sense him being a little hesitant about it.
"Hello…" said Yugi.
Then Namu's eyes met mine.
"And you're Sarah…"
He must have known about me from the States.
"Hello, Namu," I said as sweetly as I could. "It's nice to meet you."
His hand was warm when I touched it, and it got even warmer as we shook.
Namu smiled at me. His brilliant violet eyes shimmered in the stadium lights.
"Nice meeting you too, Sarah."
We slowly let go of each other.
I wasn't convinced just yet.
As the Pharaoh and I had established before: we couldn't trust anyone. So for now, I was going to keep my distance from Namu. Yugi looked my way once more and I nodded. He was thinking the same thing. Until this tournament was over, we weren't going to trust anyone new.
"Yugi, look!" said Ryo suddenly as he held up his Millennium Ring. One of its golden spikes was pointing towards the stadium entrance as the whole system glowed.
I knew it.
"The Millennium Ring!" Yugi's amethyst eyes were wide now. "You still have it?!"
… Yugi...
"It comes in handy when you're looking for the other Millennium Items," said Ryo. "Like now! Someone's coming this way who has one!"
From the stadium's entrance appeared two figures, one was tall while the other reached his shoulders. Their violet robes were open but the hoods were covering their heads. A single clasp held the robes closed over their collarbones while the backs billowed behind them. The taller one was wearing a deep purple shirt with dark military-style pants and boots, while the other's shirt was black like his boots and his military-style pants were olive green. A lavender symbol of the Millennium Items was imprinted on both hoods which were pulled up. The taller one was built, and was much older than all of us. The shorter one had Eric's frame, but with a bit more muscle.
My Locket glowed.
My eyes widened.
One of them was… Marik?
I noticed Yugi become stiff beside me, and Kaiba's steely glare from the corner of my eye. I wasn't the only one to notice this.
Marik.
The taller one had dark skin too, but a tad bit darker than Namu's. The left side of his face was tattooed with Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. They read different messages, all having to do with loyalty.
Loyalty to what? His cause? For destroying the lives of people by putting them in danger?
He had to have been Marik.
He walked by Yugi; purposely; slowly, making sure we held his eyes every second. I glared with all I had, with clenched fists by my hips.
My Locket had not stopped glowing.
It had to have been him.
"Are you Marik?" asked Kaiba. His calm demeanor never ceased to amaze me. But then I looked into his eyes, and they were frighteningly cold.
The figure looked at the CEO. He didn't confirm or deny, but we all knew who he was in the end.
"Yugi, your Slifer, and Kaiba, your Obelisk, both will be mine by the end of this tournament. I would not become too comfortable with them in my deck if I were you."
His voice was deep, not malicious, but controlling.
The Egyptian God cards had to have been very important in his cause. Either that, or they were just too powerful to let go of.
I was finally looking into the face of the man who tried to kill the Pharaoh. It took all that I had to not lash out. We had finally seen his face and what his real voice sounded like. I could feel every cell in my body seething to lose control.
An icy voice from behind suddenly froze my raging anger.
"You survived."
My eyes widened. I knew who it was without even turning around.
"It's you…" I said as the Rare Hunter who was following Marik walked into my view. His wicked smirk matched the malignant glint in his golden eyes. His blue locks fell into the crevices of the hood that he was wearing.
It was the man from the warehouse.
"I'm not going to let you get away," he said. "But this time, we'll be on the battlefield."
"We will defeat you," I stated, confidently, showing him that I was stronger than he thought I was to have overcome his torture.
"Big words coming from a small Guardian."
Tristan grabbed my shoulder before I could pounce, but I hadn't planned on doing anything in the first place, although I might have looked like I wanted to. Tristan holding me back did calm me down a little.
"It'll take a lot more than your words to push me over the edge," I said defiantly, stepping back.
"You're right. No more foul play. Let's fight on the arena."
The Rare Hunter's smirk didn't falter, but he turned away to follow after Marik.
Roland verified their Locator Cards and gave them each an entry card in their place. Even though Kaiba knew Marik and his Rare Hunters were bad news, he was still letting them join the finals. Then again, the whole reason why he set up the tournament was for the Rare Hunters, but it was still very dangerous. I just hoped he had precautions put into play after what he had seen.
"Che… I don't believe this," I said, looking away from them and crossing my arms.
"Sarah, was he the one who…" Yugi looked at me with concern.
"Yes... he was the one who answered the phone."
His round eyes widened. I could read his mind: our attackers were literally right in front of us, but we couldn't do anything right now. Physically attacking them was a bad idea, mostly because so many innocent people were around. I didn't want to get them involved so I had no choice but to control my urge to fight.
And I couldn't tell anyone why this specific Rare Hunter had chosen to torment me.
No one could know that he shared a striking resemblance to my brother. No one could know about what my brother had done when he was under Bakura's control back in Ancient Egypt. Even though he was long gone, I wanted to remember him as the caring older brother that he was.
Yugi looked over at the Rare Hunter as he stood off to the side with Marik. I didn't even know his name, but he still ticked me off as much as Marik did. Perhaps that was for the best, but I just hoped he didn't have the same name as my brother. That would break my heart.
"This isn't good," said Yugi quietly so only our group could hear. "Marik's brought him along."
"What do you think they have planned?" asked Joey. "I mean why would he bring someone with him to the finals? It's the last stage of dueling."
"Probably to make sure less random people are involved," I said. "The more of his own that he has, the more comfortable he'll be using whatever tactics he wants to put into play. Also, while he has his eyes on Yugi, he needs someone else's eyes on me."
"Sarah, they'll still come after you?" Tristan's eyes widened.
"It's alright, I've accepted it. I am no longer expendable, so they would have to."
"You'd better watch yourself, Guardian," said Joey. His voice was suddenly so strict that I had to match his gaze. He hadn't called me that before. He was reminding me that I had an important job to do. "If you ever need back up, just give us a holler. You have us here to help you."
I blinked. "Joey…"
"You had all better be careful," said Téa. "The rest of us will keep our eyes open."
I nodded. "Thank you."
"Oooooi! Dueling Legend!" A girl with her long green hair tied up was skipping towards us from the stadium entrance, waving her arm. I blinked at her familiar face.
"What…" I blinked. "Salex? Don't tell me…"
Stopping next to me, she grinned from ear to ear. "I made it!"
I didn't know what to feel. Honestly, having her here made me even more uneasy.
"Oh... congratulations!"
The other giggled. "I had to make a huge comeback after you beat me. I hope you're keeping my card safe!"
"Haven't used it," I said with a small smile. Again, that feeling of wanting to trust her came back, but for now, it was too risky like it was with Namu. "Try and get it back this time around."
Salex smirked. "You bet!" She then bounded over to Roland and had her Locator Cards validated as well.
"That makes eleven participants," said Kaiba.
"While we wait for the last one to arrive, I will tell you the details of the dueling arena for the finals," announced Roland. "Duelists! This is not the final stage!"
"What?" Joey blinked. "But you told us to be here!"
"That's right. We wanted all the duelists to meet here at this specific spot because this is where the real dueling stage will arrive!"
"Arrive?" I asked, skeptically. "It's supposed to come to us?"
"Here it is now!"
Suddenly, the air blew around us. We looked up at the sky to see a giant blimp now hovering above our heads.
"It's known as Battle Ship!" said Roland, as the massive machine slowly landed a ways away from us, and a hatch opened underneath with a set of stairs. On the side, the words "Duel Disk" were written in red, advertising the new device Kaiba made for dueling.
"That's our final dueling stage?" I asked in awe. It was massive, and it flew. So we were dueling in the air? Over the city?
"You seem impressed, Sarah," said Kaiba with smirk on his face, as if showing how proud he was of his preparations.
I closed my gaping mouth and blinked. "Kaiba, with you, there are always surprises," I admitted.
Kaiba chuckled. "That's right. I am full of mystery."
He said that as though he were accusing me of the same thing. He knew he was right.
"Your entry cards will let you get into your rooms," said Roland. "The room number is written on the card itself, and they're fitted with everything you need for an overnight stay, for both males and females."
"Wow…" breathed Yugi, his eyes lighting up while they continued looking up at the blimp.
"Now this is a way to duel," said Mai.
"You're all allowed to board now," said Mokuba. "So make yourselves at home!"
Marik and the Rare Hunter he was with went up first without saying a word. The stingy aura they brought disappeared into the blimp with them. Salex grabbed my wrist and started pulling me towards the entrance soon after.
"Come ooon~" she said in a sing songy voice. I didn't remember her being so open to contact before.
"A-Alright, alright!" I followed after her but then gave a pleading look over my shoulder at the others. Yugi and Joey smiled and shook their heads as they walked up the ramp as well.
"You're so slow!" she said laughing.
"Maybe you're just too fast," I said with a sweat drop. "I didn't even get a chance to ask how you were."
"I'm great! We're in the finals together!"
"Yeah… what were the chances…"
"I wanted to win my card back," she said. "But I also wanted to see you again. We should go out for cupcakes after!"
"Oh no, please." Joey put his hands together, walking up behind us. "No cupcakes for Sarah. She already has enough energy."
"H-Hey…" I pouted. "I like my cupcakes…"
"Salex, you're taller than Sarah, right?" asked Tristan. My eyes widened.
Tristan… why...
"Yup! But just a little," Salex said with a wink.
My mouth fell open. Everyone around us laughed. I was being teased, and at the same time, something seemed off about it.
"Sarah, it's okay," said Eric with a sigh. "We're the same height."
I managed to stop for a moment, then looked at him with a pout. The other glared.
"You've gotta be kidding me. I'm not that bad~"
It was finally my turn to laugh. "Of course not... " I said. "You're not bad at all…"
I caught on to what the others were doing. I wasn't usually teased to this level, so they had to be doing something.
They were testing Salex.
And that only confirmed what I thought just moments before when we were outside: Salex really did seem a little different. Perhaps she really was over excited and jumpy, but it didn't feel right for her to suddenly be the grabbing type. She didn't even hesitate to pull me into the blimp.
The others were on high alert just as much as I was. We weren't taking any chances with anyone. If Salex or Namu ended up being nice people, then we could only apologize for such behaviour.
Namu smiled as he walked next to Joey. "It's kind of exciting to be in the finals," he said. Speaking of anyone, he was no exception.
"Yeah!" Joey grinned. "All the best to everyone!"
We cheered for good sport just as we reached the observation room, it was wide with large windows lining its walls. The control centre was at the end of the room, facing towards wider windows, and some stairs led up to it from the side. Kaiba's men were working diligently away at their control systems to make sure everything was in order before launch. There was a beep, and the blimp began taking off.
"Joey, look!" Serenity said, taking hold of her brother's hand and pulling him towards a window. As the blimp slowly floated up towards the sky, Domino City became smaller and smaller, and all the city lights shone brilliantly against the black backdrop.
"It's so pretty…"
Joey smiled. His little sister was finally able to see again, and this time, more clearly than ever before. Her visual sensory system must have been firing at all the new sights she was seeing.
"I'm really glad you like it, Serenity…"
"Joey, thank you so much for bringing me here with you! I can't wait to see you duel!"
Joey grinned. "Hopefully soon! I'm itching for a duel myself."
"Don't get too comfortable," said Kaiba as he walked by with Mokuba. "I still don't really know how you hacked your way into the system. You got up to here by fluke."
"I'll show you…!"
Kaiba smirked. "We'll see if you even get the chance."
I swear I heard Joey growl.
Kaiba's cold blue eyes then landed on Yugi.
"Even though I set up this tournament for certain reasons," he started, not wanting the Rare Hunters to know everything he did was because of them. "My main course of action is to obtain all the Egyptian God cards. I know you haven't played yours yet but make sure you have it in your deck for me to win. I'm going to be the strongest duelist, Yugi. And I will defeat you in a match."
Yugi glared up at Kaiba as the other held his amethyst gaze for another moment. Without saying another word, Kaiba walked away towards the control systems.
"He doesn't let it go, does he…" said Eric quietly.
"He's been after Yugi since the very beginning," said Tristan. "Ever since he beat him. I think he just wants to prove himself."
"Don't give him that much," Joey retorted. "He wants to be the best of the best. Well, he'd better get in line."
"I don't think he'll be willing to stand behind you, Joey. So you'd better be careful with what duels you play," warned Téa.
"It'll be fine," said Joey. "Yugi and I are going to the top."
"Like you said, stand in line," said Eric with a smirk. "Sarah and I want our shot too."
The title wasn't what concerned me the most on this blimp. I could think of three other reasons - and they were all standing right in front of me, but to keep everyone from worrying, I nodded, matching Eric with a smirk of my own.
"That's right. Maybe I might just beat you or Yugi this time."
Joey threw back his head and laughed. My eye twitched.
"Alright, little one," he said while grinning as he pat my head. I tried to glare back, but all I could do was pout.
Mokuba skipped up to the group. "Everyone, you're given an hour to just settle in before we get started," he said. "You can go to your rooms if you'd like. Just go back the way you came and down the small hallway on the left. There's an elevator at the end. Your rooms are on the second floor."
"Thank you, Mokuba," I said. The other smiled, nodded, and ran back to his brother. Everyone followed his directions. Marik and the Rare Hunter happened to walk behind me. Thankfully, Salex wasn't holding my arm anymore, so I could clench my fists as I pleased without her noticing.
When we reached the elevator, I stayed back with Tristan, Joey, Yugi, Eric, and the two Hunters behind me. The others got in, filling up the small box. I felt as though the boys stayed behind to help me in case the Rare Hunters decided to try something.
"Ah, Serenity? I'll see you when I get up," said Joey.
Serenity nodded and the elevator doors closed. To keep the machine from maxing out, everyone else went up ahead of us. Now we stood in silence, waiting for it to come back down for our turn. The silence was nice. It kept the tension in the air at a strict minimum.
Unfortunately, it didn't last for long.
"Oi, Sarah." I was hoping for the silence to continue, but now it was broken by that annoying voice.
It was the Rare Hunter who had called me. I didn't want to indulge him so I kept looking ahead.
"What do you want?" I asked. I noticed Joey had his arms crossed, trying to act as though he was calm and collected, but I could see his fingers digging into his shirt.
"What was his name?" he asked.
I froze.
"I don't know who you're talking about," I said. Thankfully, my voice didn't hitch with emotion. I couldn't give him the satisfaction that his annoying character was pushing me over the edge.
"You know, your brother's."
This man did not even care. In fact, he probably couldn't have even cared any less. Rather than letting it go, he was still pounding away at my buttons. He knew my temper too well, but I managed to stay relaxed the whole time.
"Your game of psychology will not work with me," I stated defiantly, making sure not to lose my cool.
Marik hadn't said a word after his little speech outside. This just told me that he enjoyed talking through his puppets more, and letting his Rare Hunters mouth off whenever they wanted to.
The elevator doors opened again to reveal Duke who had come back in the empty elevator alone.
"Sorry, it's full. You guys should take the next one," he said to the Rare Hunters as the guys and I walked inside. So that was why he returned… he didn't want Marik and his Rare Hunter to come with us.
"That's fine," said the Rare Hunter. He knew what was going on, but didn't do anything about it. Just our silent declaration of war.
Just as the doors to the elevator were about to close, the Rare Hunter said something that nearly stopped my heart from beating.
"My name is Zafar. Maybe now you'll remember your brother's name."
The last thing I saw was his narrow golden eyes, and a smirk dancing on his lips.
And the last thing he saw was my intense glare, even though every muscle in my body wanted me to freak out.
I didn't want him to win, as his name suggested.
It meant victory.
When the doors opened again, we were on the second floor, and Téa's and Serenity's eyes turned towards us. Mai, Salex, Namu, and Bakura weren't there in the hallway, so I assumed they were in their rooms getting ready.
Téa and Serenity knew something was wrong, it was in their eyes, but they didn't ask anything about what might have happened. The others beside me were also the same, wondering just what in the world was going on between us and the Rare Hunters.
Joey tried to lighten the mood by grinning and pumping his fist in excitement from the tournament. "Alright! Everyone who wants to hang out in my room, let's go!" He led the others to his room where he swiped his key card, opening the door. All but Eric, Yugi, and me walked inside after him.
He gave us privacy to talk.
He didn't push and ask me what everything before the elevator ride was about. Just like everyone else.
"I'll be in my room too." Eric gave me a steady glance, then turned and walked down to the end of the hallway towards his room. He had just done the same thing as well.
Yugi swiped his entry card into the security system by a door and the door opened. He beckoned me to follow, and I slowly complied. The door slid closed behind me.
"To be honest, I was a little surprised that you kept calm when that Rare Hunter was mouthing off," said Yugi. He sat down on a lounge. The room consisted of one of those, a coffee table, a mini fridge, and a bed. A bathroom was off to the side.
"What he said was very rude. Even I had the urge to face him like Duke did."
I leaned back against the wall beside the door with my arms crossed. "I have my moment of clarity at times," I said quietly.
"You're strong, Sarah," he said. "You really are."
"... I just…"
"You try very hard for him… I know. These past couple of days have gone by really fast, but you're trying to do your best for him. I'm sure he appreciates it."
I smiled a bit forlornly. "Thank you, Yugi… but I still wish I could do more… It isn't just my anger that's out of control sometimes. It's these Rare Hunters..."
There was a moment of silence. Suddenly, I heard a different voice, and when I looked up, I was now looking into the crimson eyes of the Pharaoh.
"You being here was more than I could ever ask for," he said. "Just knowing that I have someone who understands who I am gives me a reassurance I at first thought I would never have."
His words touched my heart, and I felt like I would start getting emotional about it, so I looked back down to keep my gaze away from his.
"Pharaoh, we're a team. I wasn't going to leave you behind on your own."
"So you spent all that time waiting, just for me?"
I nodded, again, without meeting his eyes.
There was some more silence, and at first I thought the Pharaoh was switching places with Yugi again. But when I looked up, I saw that the Pharaoh was now standing before me.
I almost jumped. He never stood so close before.
"Pharaoh…?"
"Hey… when did you stop calling me by my name?"
I blinked. "W-Well… I, um…" I didn't think he would bring that up. Wasn't it better that I was being more formal?
"Even though I know it isn't my real name… I was rather fond of you calling me Yami…"
I opened my mouth to say something, but it closed on its own. My surprise left me speechless, but I didn't have to say anything, for the Pharaoh continued.
"I know why you stopped," he said. "It was because you thought yourself as merely a shield. And I know that your job is very demanding, and I do not remember how it used to be before I lost my memory, so I can not ask of you now what I have asked of you before."
As he spoke, his hands slowly reached up to my shoulders, and held me steady.
"But what I do know is that I do not think of you as my shield, and I meant what I had said before… I consider you as my friend."
"... Yami…"
I blinked, realizing what I had done, while the Pharaoh simply smiled.
"There you go…"
I let out a small sigh.
"Strange…"
Yami blinked. "What is?"
"You said the same thing back then too…"
He looked at me as I met his gaze, and then smiled.
"I'm glad…"
"... Me too…"
This moment was for us, and not even the threat of Marik could take that away. Just establishing, once and for all, that we were friends regardless of the current situation, was enough to make my heart soar, and make me unbelievably happy. Yami's crimson eyes also shimmered mysteriously, as though he had questions about everything, but he didn't wish to worry about them for now, for fear of ruining this moment.
I finally… had my friend back.
"Sarah, I am glad that you are alright…" he said finally.
I held his hands that were still on my shoulders.
"I'm glad you're okay too… Yami..."
The Pharaoh smiled. He then led me to lounge, and we sat down together.
"How did your duel with the Silent One go?" I asked.
Yami reached into his deck box and pulled out a Duel Monsters card. He then held it out for me to take.
"It was good."
He was showing me Slifer the Sky Dragon.
"Oh, that's right… you were dueling against an Egyptian God…" I said, gazing at the card in awe. The details in the illustration were life-like, and since the Pharaoh won, he was allowed to keep Slifer. I bet Marik was furious when he lost it.
Yami urged me to hold it, so I held the card carefully in my hands. It felt as though the card was throbbing with energy against my fingertips, such was the power of an Egyptian God.
"Amazing…"
"It was tough to beat him," admitted the Pharaoh. "And had it not been for Kaiba and Mokuba stopping by, I don't think I would have done very well."
I smiled. "I'm glad you didn't give up," I said, returning the card. "I don't think it's in your nature to anyways."
"Thanks, Sarah…"
The smile he gave me was so sweet, I almost started blushing. Thankfully, I didn't feel it, so it wasn't showing.
"Sarah… what happened in the warehouse…?"
Just as quickly as he had smiled, he went back to being serious. His expression showed enough concern to make me look down at my hands instead of up at him. I couldn't tell him what happened… it was embarrassing to tell the King of Egypt that his Guardian couldn't even win a simple fight.
"Well… I was interrogated…" I said. "About my Locket…"
"Did he touch you?"
I blinked. Then I looked up at the Pharaoh, feeling confused.
"What do you mean…?"
"Did the Rare Hunter hurt you, Sarah…" His voice was quiet. Even though his expression was soft, his gaze hardened.
Was he… uneasy by the thought of me being hurt?
"After the stun gun I was already out of it so he just asked me questions…" I said, looking down again. I didn't know why I lied. Was it because I knew he would be concerned and I didn't want him to worry? He said that once and for all we were friends, and because we were friends, we would worry about each other. If the Pharaoh was to know what actually happened in the warehouse, he would be bothered by it, so much that he might keep an eye on me even though it was supposed to be the other way around. I didn't want him to be distracted.
"But during the phone call, your voice stopped abruptly…"
"He covered my mouth so I wouldn't talk."
"Is that what left this mark?"
"Huh?" I blinked. "What mark?"
I watched the Pharaoh reach up to my face and gently hold my cheek. I winced, blinked, realizing that it hurt, and stared at the Pharaoh with wide eyes.
"You mean there's…"
"Yes, you're bruising."
I blinked again. "But… it's been so long…"
"Remember what you read in class? Discolouration from bruises can be reduced or delayed by cold temperatures. You were in the water long enough for the bruises that had developed to stop swelling. But there's still some colour left…"
"You paid attention in class with everyone?"
"When Yugi learns something curious, he talks about it after class back at home. It's quite interesting what one will learn in school."
"... Yeah…"
"He hit you here, didn't he…"
The evidence was right there in front of him, so I couldn't continue lying.
"It's alright… it doesn't hurt that much anymore…"
"Why did he do it?"
"I suppose I talk too much… and I wasn't telling him what he wanted to know..."
The Pharaoh sighed. I could tell he was upset about it, and he hadn't let go of my cheek yet either. It felt odd, but I didn't think anything of it, since he had done it so freely as well.
He was just concerned… like any friend would have been.
"Those Rare Hunters will pay…"
I placed my hand over his. "We'll get them," I stated confidently. The Pharaoh nodded.
If it hadn't been for the Pharaoh pointing out my injury, I wouldn't have ever noticed that I was bruising from Zafar's attacks. If the result of his punch was showing, then who knows what other injuries were also surfacing? I hardly remembered what happened, so I probably wouldn't see the other bruises until the next time I showered.
"What about you? What happened after your duel with the mime?"
"I went to look for you," said the Pharaoh. "Marik threatened to hurt you and our friends, so I went looking for all of you."
He described his hurried trip through the city, looking everywhere that he could for any signs of us, but then he ran into two Rare Hunters who threatened to hurt us if he didn't duel them. How cowardly. They used us as bait since the beginning to make the Pharaoh battle.
Marik was growing bolder. He had nerve using us.
And the Pharaoh… he must have been so worried...
He didn't tell me details about the duels, or the type of Shadow Game he and Kaiba were involved in the second time around with the same two Rare Hunters. I insisted he tell me but he said it wasn't that big of a deal.
He knew I would be concerned if he told me.
So he was allowed to worry about what happened to me but I wasn't allowed to worry about what happened to him? I was the Guardian here.
I only insisted once, and after that, I just imagined something similar to what Arkana had put him through. No matter what the tactic was, the stakes would have been the same anyway: a trip to the Shadow Realm.
"Mokuba arrived after we won, and he told me you and Téa helped him escape."
"It was all Téa," I said with a small smile. "She's very brave…"
"Everyone is," said the Pharaoh, looking straight at me. "We've foiled one of his plans, and we will foil any other he may set up."
"You're right," I said with a nod. Speaking of planning, I suddenly remembered that I still had the card Ishizu gave me to give to the Pharaoh. The finals were about to start soon, and even though we beat Marik this last round, who's to say that he won't succeed next time?
I may end up getting killed soon.
The thought of dying sent a familiar pain of shock through my body. I didn't want to die - not when the Pharaoh was just remembering who he was. I promised myself a long time ago, ever since the Battle of the Nile, that I would do my best to stay alive. No matter what it took, I couldn't leave his side. I… I didn't want to see him hurt…
I pulled the card out from within the deck pouch on my leg and held it close to my chest.
Even now, I would do everything that I could to make sure no harm comes to him. Marik may try to push me out of the way, but I will fight back with everything I had.
I will stay by his side. We need to work together to stop Bakura.
This card will help the Pharaoh if I fail to keep that promise.
"Are you alright…?" the Pharaoh asked me gently. I turned to meet his gaze.
"Yes… I'm okay…" I replied. "But I need to give you this..."
I held the card out for him to take. The Pharaoh's vivid crimson eyes looked down at it with a questioning gaze before taking the card and looking at it more closely.
"'The Pharaoh's Guardian'..." he said, reading the title out loud. Then he turned to look at me. His eyes were a little wide with surprise.
"Ishizu had it made for me, so that even in duels if you needed another hand, you could always call on my power," I said. "Things are getting more dangerous, so I thought now was the best time to give it to you."
The Pharaoh continued to gaze at the card, read the description, and looked closer at the illustration.
"She looks just like you…" he said.
"You can only see my eyes though. Everything else is armour."
"I know your eyes."
I blinked.
"Sarah, I don't know what to say..." He looked at me and smiled. "Thank you. Now it will be like you are a part of my deck. You'll always be by my side this way."
"Yup…" I didn't have the heart to tell him that this was a precautionary tool. Ishizu had made the card specifically for instances where I wouldn't be able to help, and those instances could only occur if something truly devastating were to happen. As long as the Pharaoh believed it to be helpful, that was enough for me.
"Even though things truly are becoming more dangerous, we mustn't forget that we have all the support in the world to stop Marik and his plans."
I nodded. "You're right… our friends are there for us…"
"At the same time, I know what you are thinking. We must keep them safe."
"We will."
The Pharaoh looked at his new card once more before placing it carefully onto the coffee table next to Slifer. "Thank you again, Sarah…"
"... It's nothing, Yami…"
"Everything you do… it was so much more than I would have ever thought one would do for me…"
I met his eyes. "I wasn't going to let you go through this alone…" I said quietly.
He smiled. It was a gentle smile. I felt my heart fluttering again at the sight of it. It was nice to see him smile again, like he used to back in Egypt.
But then his smile slowly disappeared, but his eyes never left mine.
I began to worry. "What's wrong…" I asked.
"Sarah… I told Kaiba who you were…" he said quietly. "I apologize. I know I should have gotten permission first, but we were looking for you and…"
"Pharaoh…"
"..."
"It's alright," I said with a small smile. "That isn't something to worry over. It's okay..."
"... Alright…"
"Hmm… so that was why he was looking at me strangely this whole time…"
"Oh? Did he give you strange looks?"
"Yeah, like, um…"
I pulled my cheeks and stuck out my tongue.
The Pharaoh stared at me for the longest time before he started chuckling.
"Sarah, you…"
I held my stomach and burst into a fit of giggles at his reaction. It was so subtle, and so calm, just like he always was. I wasn't sure what else I was expecting.
"You must think I'm terribly silly," I said, trying to speak through my bubbling laughter.
"I don't think that at all," said the Pharaoh. His attempts at stopping the smile from forming on his face failed each time. "I just thought you looked like a monkey…"
"Aww, I hope I didn't look too bad…" I said with a grin.
"No, no… impossible. You looked cute."
The both of us laughed a little bit again until we quieted down. I knew it wasn't the time to do anything silly, but I felt like the atmosphere has become so thick with concern that I couldn't help but try and lighten it. The Pharaoh and I were worrying about a lot of things at once, and it wasn't good to burden ourselves as much as we were. Besides that, the Pharaoh seemed very sorry that he told Kaiba who I was without my permission. But it really wasn't a big deal.
"I don't mind that you've told him," I said to him, once again reassuring him. "It's actually better if he knows the situation. I assume you have also told him about Marik?"
"Yes, and I have also told him about myself."
"I see… how did he react to everything?"
"As though I was crazy."
"I kind of figured… he's not one to believe in our stories too quickly…"
"It is only a matter of time that he realizes what we are facing is real," said the Pharaoh. "He did know of the Rare Hunters before we did - he said they were the whole reason why he had the whole tournament set up in the first place."
"No way! All this for just the Rare Hunters?"
"He said he wanted to get rid of them, but the way he speaks about the Egyptian Gods..."
I nodded. "He always did want to be at the top - he must see this as a chance to take the Duel Monsters Championship title."
"He does not realize the extent to which this tournament could become dangerous."
"I think he knows, which was why he had the blimp made."
The Pharaoh blinked. "The blimp?"
"Yeah... with everyone up in the air together, Marik can't hide in the shadows, so he needs to be out in the open. And he couldn't not be on the blimp because it's hard to monitor his Rare Hunters and puppets in the air while being on the ground."
"Ah, I see. We have the home field advantage," said the Pharaoh. "Kaiba has certainly worked out things in our favour."
"In his own way, Kaiba knew what he was doing. He forced Marik out of hiding. We can finally put a face to his name and voice to his words."
"No more hiding," said the Pharaoh.
"No more hiding."
"But the Rare Hunter he brought with him... Zafar. He doesn't seem to be under his control."
"Perhaps he's been brainwashed," I said. "Marik could also be threatening him…"
"Perhaps…" Then the Pharaoh sighed. "Sarah, we have a lot to do."
"You're right." I got up from the lounge and headed for the door. "We're only given an hour of rest and already half of it is gone while we were talking. We should spend the rest of the hour to prepare. Who knows how the rest of the tournament is set up?"
"Yes, in that case, I will see you later."
"Yup."
"Sarah?"
I had just opened the door when he called for me. I looked at the Pharaoh from over my shoulder.
"Thank you again for the card…"
I smiled. "I hope it will help," I said. Then I bid him farewell and exited the room.
The moment Yugi's door closed behind me, I felt a chill of excitement rush through my body. My backup plan was set. The Pharaoh finally had the card. I gave it to him, at last. A huge weight was off my shoulders now that it was done. Now I needed to focus on strategies that I could play during my duels.
On a side note, we spoke for so long… and even though I told him who Zafar was, I didn't tell him that he was the one who was in the warehouse with me. Perhaps it was best if I didn't put a face to the person who hit me. I didn't want the Pharaoh to worry even more. We had already been through so much, and now that we've spoken, we're on the same level of understanding based on what's happened.
On my way to my room, I passed by Eric's door and stopped. Suddenly, I remembered something. I needed to talk to Eric before the finals started, and it was something that couldn't wait. It looked like my strategies for my next duel were going to have to wait.
I knocked on his door.
Eric's voice was muffled through, saying that he was on his way. There were some footsteps and he opened the door with a towel on his head. It looked like he had just finished taking a shower, and seeing me surprised him. Despite the shower, he put on the same clothes he had before. Then again, we weren't exactly given any time to pack before getting onto the blimp.
"Oh, hey."
"Hey, um… could I talk to you for a little bit?"
Eric blinked. "Sure, come in…" He moved aside and let me enter. His room smelled of soap.
"What's up?"
I pulled out the card Eric gave me in our duel, his favourite dragon card, and held it out for him to take back.
"This is yours. You dropped it."
I watched Eric's eyes as he looked at the card, and I was sure I saw a look of longing. I knew he missed it. He wanted his card back, and I was finally giving him the chance.
But he gently pushed my hand back towards me.
"I gave it to you, silly… I can't take it back."
"Eric, you didn't give me this… not directly, anyways."
The other sighed. Then he hung his towel to dry on the back of the couch. His tousled orange hair wasn't spiked in its usual way, and his clothes stuck to his skin as though he didn't even dry himself completely.
"You're very different now than when I last saw you. Has something happened?"
Last time, Eric tackled me to the floor for a duel. He was so excited and on his own little sugar rush, and back then I never thought differently about it, but now… it just seemed strange after seeing him be all serious. He hasn't once tried to touch me or even joke. Something was different.
Eric was different.
He blinked, and for a moment, I thought I saw fear in his eyes, but he quickly looked away to keep me from noticing. He was definitely trying his best to hide his true emotions, but I was used to seeking them out.
"What? I witnessed you drowning, of course I'm going to act differently."
Of course, that might be true, had he really cared about me as a friend. But he still looked away…
"What about the card then? Why didn't you give it to me from your hand?"
"I felt embarrassed that I forgot to give it to you, so I threw it by your feet."
"You're lying."
"I am not."
"Where are your friends?"
Maroon eyes widened, and his eyes were back on me. He was counting on me not paying attention to that detail.
"You thought I wouldn't notice? The others are probably curious about it too but they haven't asked you about it. Where are they?"
"Um… well… they went on holiday."
"At the same time? Without you? While you were dueling in a big, fancy tournament? Didn't they want to join?"
"Sarah…"
"Eric."
The sharpness of my words made him take a step back. So I softened my gaze and my voice so as not to sound frustrated.
"What happened…"
Eric swallowed a little nervously, but then he sighed in defeat. "You won't let me keep it to myself, will you…"
I kept looking straight at him, keeping my ground.
"If it… involves someone that I think it does… then I need to know…"
"You mean… that crazed duelist who was after you and the others?"
I nodded.
It was then Eric relaxed and sighed again, but this time more deeply. He sat himself down onto the couch and leaned his head back to look up at the ceiling.
"Someone came up to me a while before I challenged you to the duel," he started. "He was wearing a robe just like those Zafar and Marik guys. At the time, I thought it was a costume, but after I saw the glowing eye on his forehead, I knew he was trouble."
He met a Rare Hunter.
Why did he talk to him? What was Marik planning?
When I didn't say anything and continued to look at him, Eric continued.
"'Duel her and lose, or her life is in our hands' was what he said to me."
My eyes widened.
"Eric… you were…"
"I thought he was joking around, but as soon as I saw his eyes, I knew. And then I became aware. Something was wrong. You were involved in something dangerous.
"I was scared for your life, Sarah. So I did what he told me to do. But he told me not to make it obvious to anyone that I was being manipulated. So I tried to act as normally as I could, which I thought was me being overly excited. I never thought a simple dueling tournament could turn so ugly by one man…"
Slowly, I sat down beside him. Every bone in my body threatened to shake, either from rage or from shock. I never would have thought that Marik would approach Eric.
He hadn't left any of our friends unscathed. That bloody coward. It took all my strength to not run out of Eric's room and find Marik.
Eric's maroon eyes met my scarlet ones. "I didn't want you to get hurt," he said quietly. "But I was embarrassed at the fact that I couldn't duel you with all my heart. I couldn't look at you… as I gave you my rare card…"
"Are you hurt?"
Confused with being asked a different question than what he might have had on his mind, Eric slowly shook his head. "No, I'm not hurt," he said. "But…"
"Did he threaten you with anything else?"
"... No… but, Sarah, the match…"
"I don't care about the match. I care about you more."
"..."
I placed Eric's card into his hand. "That match doesn't count," I said with confidence. "It might be on Kaiba's records for years, people might even talk about it after the finals, and Marik might even think that he fooled you, but in my books it will never count. Never."
"Sarah… why…"
"Eric, I'm sorry that the Rare Hunter approached you, but I'm glad that he didn't hurt you. They've been consistent with hurting everyone they've ever been in contact with so far. Sure, you gave up the match now, but if you hadn't, then your life would probably in danger. And I'm glad that your life wasn't in danger, that's all I care about right now."
"Your life was in more danger than mine was."
"You followed their conditions and did what you could at the time. You did the right thing."
Eric looked down at the card and sighed. "I'm sorry…" he said. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to stop him…"
"You shouldn't apologize for doing what needs to be done."
A look of relief swept over the boy's face as he ran his hand down his face. "Thank you…"
My approval of the duel meant a lot to Eric, but then again, that was exactly what a True Duelist should strive for. Duels that were done properly meant a lot more to both players than duels that were done half-heartedly. Eric cared about me not getting hurt and the fact that he didn't duel with everything he had. The outcome might have even been different had the Rare Hunter not bullied him.
But as soon as Eric felt comfortable he became serious again. Now that he knew the person he met was a Rare Hunter, the people who were bothering us, he might have had some questions.
"Sarah… what is going on…"
I didn't want him to get involved. The last thing I wanted was more innocent people to get involved. But Eric was already in Marik's line of sight. Maybe I could tell him some details, but not everything.
I told him that Marik and his Rare Hunters were dangerous people and that they would do anything for rare cards as well as Yugi's Millennium Puzzle. That's all I thought he needed to know. Our identities were still unknown to him.
"That Puzzle is really important to Yugi," said Eric. "He always has it."
"Yes, it means a lot to him. Marik has caught its glimpse and wants it because it's an ancient artifact."
"And he's using his friends and acquaintances against him…"
"I'm sorry…"
"It's alright. Thank you for telling me and not leaving me in the dark. Now that I know more about the situation, I can be more careful with what I do."
"You're supposed to be careful anyways, dummy…"
"Yeah… I will…"
I sighed.
"You need to be careful too…" he said. His voice was suddenly abnormally quiet. I blinked, wondering what had happened.
"... I am being careful…"
"You have some dust on your face."
Ah. So he's noticed the bruise as well. I didn't sit next to anyone since the docks besides the Pharaoh and Eric, which was why they noticed the injury, because they were so close. The Pharaoh told me directly that it was a bruise, but Eric seemed to have wanted to tell me indirectly. He probably didn't want to make me uncomfortable. He wanted me to be really careful.
"Maybe I should go take a shower as well," I said. "I should clean it off."
We both knew it wasn't dust, because if it was, it would have washed off in the ocean when I fell in.
"Good idea," he said gently. His eyes weren't on me anymore, but on his card. They seemed sad, and I wondered why.
"Alright. Good luck with preparations."
"You too. Thanks again."
I left Eric's room feeling better that I had given him his card back but I felt worse that someone else had noticed my injury. This wasn't good. If the Pharaoh and Eric have seen them, then sooner or later the others will too. Maybe I could borrow some make-up from Téa or Mai.
When I finally entered my room and plopped onto the bed provided, I spent the rest of the given time thinking over everything that we've been through - everything that we've done to get to this point. I couldn't believe so much time had already passed, and so many things had already happened. This tournament was dangerous.
Why had it become so dangerous…
Not only did Marik target our friends, and used them as bait, but he also made Eric duel me and lose. What was the purpose of that? Maybe it was so I could get closer to the finals. Or did he just want things to be awkward between us? I had no idea why Marik would involve Eric. We weren't that close anyways, like I was with the others.
I was so confused I groaned into my pillow.
I was exhausted, but we still had the finals to get through.
Author's Note: I have a request! Please, please, please leave a review of what you thought of this chapter if you can! For some reason I'm getting this weird vibe that I have forgotten how to write. o: Was this chapter okay? Are there things that need improvement? Anything at all, if it catches your attention, please let me know! I just want to make myself a better writer! I never mind constructive criticism! Thank you very much!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thank you for reading! I know it's been a while, but as you might have read above, I needed to take extra classes in the summer. Other than that, I hope you're enjoying the story so far! I have a few ideas up my sleeve for the next little while - and this is where things get more interesting! I'm really excited! =D Reviews are very much appreciated! Thank you again!
~xyugiohluvrx