Written: 20/3/18

Author's Note: Battle City is becoming intense. :'D

I hope you enjoy this chapter! =D Please leave a nice comment if you have the time. I would really appreciate it. =)

~*Bakura lost the duel to save Ryou. The gang goes over what to do next.*~

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

Battle City - New Evil Emerges, Old Friends Reunite - Chapter 39

Tristan and Joey helped Ryou to his room after the duel ended, and using my magic, I managed to keep him stable with a healing spell. I was hundreds of feet in the air, but I could still use energy from the world to give him some strength. I was very worried about his condition, as was everyone else, because it was clear by the way he was breathing so heavily that he needed help, professional help that I couldn't provide because of a lack of a medical degree.

"I'm surprised he even made it onto the blimp in his condition," said Mai. We were now crowded around Ryou's bed, wondering what to do next. The boy was lying restless and in pain, and we knew we had to do something fast.

"We all know he had unwanted help," said Eric. "It was that evil spirit taking over his body and forcing him to do all these things."

Eric's words bore into my soul. Knowing that the evil we were fighting five thousand years ago has come back to possess one of Yugi's friends hurt me. I felt like I was to blame, because I couldn't stop him. As I looked down at Ryou's pained expression, the ache in my heart intensified.

"God, this is just awful…" Mai shook her head.

I didn't want to expose myself as someone who knew magic to Mai, Duke, Serenity, or Eric just yet, though my position may as well have been announced to the whole world thanks to Bakura's challenge to eliminate me from the Pharaoh's arsenal. While Joey and Tristan were transporting Ryou back to his room, I had brought up the rear with my hand on his back to administer emergency healing. Now, as he was lying in bed, I gently held his shoulder, as if to provide comfort, and gave him more strength. This would help him battle his inner demons, and also provide his body the means to repair damage to his injuries. However, the spell couldn't work fast enough. Ryou still required a doctor.

And he needed one fast.

"The risk of infection is high," I said, trying to remain calm about the situation, despite my wanting not to be. "We need to get him help. Right now, rest isn't enough."

"Then let's go talk to Kaiba about putting this blimp on the ground," said Joey, ready to start running out the door.

"That spirit gave us extra time to help Ryou," said Tristan, sounding thankful. It should have felt like a blessing, but unfortunately, the selfish truth behind Bakura's reasoning to put himself before Slifer's blast didn't make it seem like a blessing at all.

"Don't overestimate him," said Yugi suddenly. "That spirit is evil, and he's using Ryou. He didn't do this for us."

"Speaking of that evil spirit, the Millennium Ring isn't around Ryou's neck anymore."

I cursed quietly under my breath. "He's hiding again…" I was hoping that it was hiding under his shirt, but when Tristan took a quick peek, it wasn't there after all.

"Maybe it got blasted away into the sky thanks to Slifer's attack," suggested Joey. He had one foot out the door. "Now, come on! We gotta land this thing!"

Joey bolted, and Tristan was right on his heels. Serenity and Duke soon followed after. Téa turned to look at us.

"They're going to need all the help they can get," she said. "I'll keep an eye on Ryou, so you guys go on ahead."

Reluctantly, I let go of Ryou, and the moment I did, his condition worsened.

"Let's move," said Yugi, who also noticed Ryou's deteriorating state. I followed after him, leaving Eric and Mai with Téa in the room.

"Hey, Kaiba! We gotta talk!"

Joey was pounding away at the CEO's door in a rush to get his attention. What he met with was a very disgruntled Kaiba.

"Wheeler, what the hell are you doing?"

"We need to talk," said Joey, a little more seriously. Kaiba glanced towards the rest of us, wondering what we were all doing there. When he saw Yugi and me, his cold blue stare darkened.

"Alright, what's this about?" he asked, letting us into the room.

"We need to land the blimp," said Tristan straightforwardly.

Kaiba raised a brow at Tristan, as if asking: 'Are you serious?'

"Now why in the world would I do something so ridiculous?"

"Because Ryou needs help, that's why," said Duke. "He needs a doctor."

"Listen, the Kaiba Craft 3 has a tight schedule to follow," said Kaiba sharply. "It doesn't have time for a random stop."

"Kaiba, his condition is serious," said Yugi. His violet eyes were beginning to narrow.

"Sorry, Yugi, but I can't do that."

Everyone was upset. Here was a person who clearly needed medical attention, but Kaiba refused to turn the blimp around from whatever course it was on for their sake. He couldn't be that cruel, could he?

His harsh refusal even caused Serenity to step forward. She was normally so quiet, but Kaiba's adamant response was enough to cause her to make a statement.

"Please, Kaiba? Show some compassion! Ryou's injuries are keeping him from getting better!"

As soon as she bowed her head in a desperate attempt to ask for help, Kaiba's expression softened. A second later, he was back to being his strict self.

"I am not turning this blimp around," he said. But before Joey could start fighting about the way Kaiba responded to his little sister, the CEO picked up his room phone and dialed a number. Everyone waited, holding their breaths, to see what Kaiba was about to do.

"Send the medical team to Ryou's room," he said into the phone. We stared at him in stunned silence.

"The doctor and first-aid responders I've hired are perfectly capable of handling the situation," he said. "They're just as good as any hospital doctor."

Yugi sighed with relief. "Well, you could have told us this before," he said.

"I enjoyed Wheeler freaking out."

The blond's eye twitched. "Grr… why you…!"

"Alright," Serenity began pushing his older brother out through the door before he could jump the source of his rage. "Thank you, Kaiba!"

Knowing that care would be given to Ryou, the others left the room. Yugi thanked Kaiba again before running after the others.

I stayed behind. Kaiba gave me a sideways glance as I leaned against a chair that was opposite him.

"I'm curious."

He gave me his entire attention, intrigued by why I was still there. "About?" he asked.

"Why must you be so… harsh?"

I expected him to make a straightforward statement as he usually did, but his softened gaze told me he was really thinking about the answer. I realized that Kaiba was quite cold most of the time, but when someone showed heart, he would falter. Perhaps because he was reminded of how much heart his little brother has, because Mokuba tends to show compassion more easily than Kaiba.

"I need to have standards," said Kaiba. "As CEO of a major corporation, I can't be soft enough to give anyone the chance to walk over me."

"That makes sense…"

"Plus, it annoys the hell out of Wheeler."

"... Now that's not very nice…"

"Never said I was."

Finishing high school and working full-time in a company sounded hard. Perhaps it being hard made Kaiba the way he was: a man with a hardened shell over his heart who was always aiming for the top. If he did anything less than what was acceptable, it would give his enemies an opportunity to take advantage of him. He needed to be strict. He needed to follow his own set of rules, and he was required to maintain it so no one could think of him as having any weaknesses.

I admire that about him.

I didn't notice when I started staring at him all sparkly-eyed, but as soon as I saw his lips starting to move again, I blinked out of my reverie.

"Since we're sharing secrets…."

I had an inkling about where this was going.

"Could I ask something about you this time?"

I watched in awe at how intrigued his steely blue eyes had become. I realized then why he had such an affinity for the Blue-Eyes White Dragon: they were both powerful beasts with the most beautiful blue eyes.

"Sure… what would you like to ask?"

I watched Kaiba's lips move, hoping that I was just hearing things.

"Are you really five thousand years old?"

"I don't look like it, do I?"

"No, not at all."

"I guess I'm full of surprises."

"You're not the only one."

"No… I suppose I'm not. I heard from Yugi… or his other half… that he told you who we really are. His true identity must have really surprised you."

Kaiba watched me carefully. "I thought he was talking nonsense at first," he said. "But when he started talking about you… I realized that he was serious. He wouldn't have brought you into his mess if it wasn't true."

"So despite you not wanting to believe in such things… you did."

"Well, how could I not when there was evidence to support it?"

"Spoken like a true man of science."

"I like computer science, which relies on facts. Not hypothetical science."

"Fair enough."

Kaiba was quiet for a moment. "You're really not of this time, are you…" he asked quietly. I wondered if he was asking me or if he was talking to himself.

"I may not be of this time, but I know what the average person know."

"How does that work?"

"Long story."

"Hmm…"

"Thank you for helping Ryou."

His gaze suddenly hardened. "Marik has turned my tournament into something twisted," he said. "I'd like my fair share of revenge, and I know you and Yugi have your own reasons for going after him, but I won't like anymore casualties."

In his own way, Kaiba was once again telling us to be careful.

"Yes, sir," I said. "We'll do our best."

"Good. Now go meet up with the rest of your squad. They'll need all the help they can get."

"Right…"

I got ready to leave, thankful that I could at least talk to Kaiba before continuing with the tournament. Our conversation was very airy, with not too much detail, but it instilled a form of reassurance that Kaiba wasn't completely in the dark about the whole thing. He knew what Marik had wanted to do in his tournament and he knew of all the circumstances. I guess I just wanted to know if we were all on the same page.

I was just about to activate the sliding door when Kaiba's quiet voice broke the silence.

"Be careful, Sarah."

His words made me stop walking, and suddenly, what this man did for me back at the docks suddenly resonated more clearly in my mind. He had saved my life. He was the reason I could breathe again. Back then, I only thanked him, but I knew that if this was Ancient Egypt, I would have been at his service for the rest of my life.

I clenched my fists. This man, who worked so hard in life and took such good care of his little brother deserved something more than just a "thank you".

"I wouldn't have been able to continue if it wasn't for you," I said.

Kaiba was quiet for a moment. "What do you mean?" he asked.

I turned around to face him. "If you hadn't been there… I wouldn't have been able to live and do my job. I owe you my life."

Steely blue eyes softened. "Sarah, I did what I had to. I couldn't just let you…" He didn't need to finish his sentence.

"Still…" I said. "Something like this… I can't just say "thank you" to."

I bowed my head. "I am in your debt. Whatever I can do, I will do it."

"Sarah…"

He walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You can be quite stubborn," he said. I looked up at him, confused by his words, to see that he had a small, but reassuring smile on his face. I stared, unable to look away, because I never saw him with such an expression before.

I don't think anyone else did either. Mokuba was the only one to have seen Kaiba's soft side.

"Mokuba has told me how much he likes you," he said. "And I think I can see why. You have a strong sense to do what's right. You're a Guardian to a Pharaoh who doesn't remember anything about you, and yet you insist on being his shield."

"Wha…"

"I see the determination in your eyes. You're a lot stronger than you appear, which works out in your favour. Those who wish to do harm on you will make mistakes and underestimate your ability. Regardless of what they do, you're willing to fight for the Pharaoh."

I stared in stunned silence up at the man before me, who seemed to be reading me like an open book. I knew he was clever, but I didn't think he was this observant. It was amazing how fast he put things together, and how fast he could connect the dots. I didn't feel scared that he knew so much about me, because I trusted this person. He was the reincarnation of Priest Seto, a man who was most faithful to the Pharaoh of all the priests. In Kaiba, I saw Priest Seto. He also cared so much for his younger brother, which only proved that he did not stray from his roots.

"You and I are a lot alike, Sarah," he said. "We both fight for what's important to us, to protect the ones we love when no one else really knows the sacrifices that we make. You must have given up your entire life to serve the Pharaoh. Just as I had given up most of my life looking out for my little brother and keeping his best interests in mind."

Kaiba then gave me a hard stare. "The others may also give their support, but they haven't made sacrifices like we have." Here, he gently tapped the side of his neck while still looking at me. Instinctively, my hand went up to the Oath's Seal carved below my neck. He must have seen it at one point and concluded it as being related to my job.

"That… may be true," I started. "But we're still a team."

"Don't get me wrong. I didn't mean to put you on a different level compared to your friends."

"I understand…"

"I just wanted you to know that I understand what you're going through."

No one's ever said that to me. It took me a moment to grasp the fact that Kaiba, the man who I thought would be last to say such things, was actually the first.

I felt a little embarrassed that someone like him was willing to connect with me. "I appreciate that a lot, Kaiba…" I said.

"But… why…"

He seemed to know what I wanted to ask based on the knowing look in his eyes. "There were times when I was trying to create a better life for us that I wished someone would reach out and lend a hand," he started. "Even for a moment, it would have been enough. But I carried on by myself."

He then turned towards the window and looked out at the shimmering lights dotting the landscape below. "We're now at the point where Mokuba and I can live our lives the way we want to. We won't ever have to worry about things like before. I told him that I would always protect him…"

Turning back towards me, I noticed that he was clutching a pendant that he wore around his neck. He was in deep thought, and because of it, he had spoken from his heart. I was surprised to see such a gentle side to him, and I wondered why he decided to show me of all people.

Was it because we were so similar, as he said we were?

"You promised to always protect the Pharaoh, right?"

I slowly nodded. "I made a vow to do so…"

"Then me helping you at the pier was just my way of giving back."

I see… he did for me what he wished someone else would have done for him all those years ago. He… reached out… and lent a hand…

I felt as though a door had opened that I did not know was there. Suddenly, the proximity between Kaiba and I lessened. I saw myself standing next to him as we fought for what was right, for what we needed to do in life, and for the ones we cared for.

He fought for his brother. I fought for the Pharaoh.

For the Pharaoh…

My whole life revolved around him. And now that Kaiba knew that… and understood it… I felt better somehow.

Someone else knew what it was like to give everything up for someone they deeply cared for.

"You're… an honourable man…"

Hints of a smile touched the man's face, but he tried not to let his emotion take control. "We just need to do what we must, right?"

"Mm…"

"Alright… I think I've held you back enough. The Pharaoh must be wondering where you've gone."

Once again, the door was on my mind, but I couldn't shake this feeling off that we should keep talking. Perhaps that was just what I wanted to do.

"Thank you again… I'm glad you're here."

"Me too."

I could have meant it as him physically being there on the blimp next to me and talking to me, but I think I meant it more than that. I was glad that after all his hard work, he managed to reach his goal.

I was also glad that he offered his hand. He had been helping us this entire time, but he never voiced it as he did just then. I think it was important for me to know that someone else had my back, and knew where I came from the way Kaiba did.

I left his room with the feeling that I could ask him for help the next time I needed it too. He didn't say it explicitly, but if he taught me anything, it was that I wasn't alone.

He reminded me that I still had people I could count on. He was now a part of my heart's arsenal. Yugi and the others were already a part of it, but now, I have a new addition.

Kaiba…

Voices were coming from Ryou's room. I walked inside to find a doctor speaking to a first-aid responder who was applying a fresh, padded bandage around the wound on Ryou's arm. The doctor was checking Ryou's blood pressure at the same time.

"Now, I've given him some medicine that will fight off any secondary infections, but he needs a lot of bed rest. He will not be able to participate in the tournament any further."

"Ryou…" Téa placed a wet towel on his forehead and sighed. "Hang in there…"

"Well, at least we can have some peace of mind now." Joey turned to Ryou's saviours. "Thanks, doc."

The doctor nodded as he finished up with the treatment. He noted some things down on his clipboard and stood up from the chair.

"His vitals are stable. If anything happens, please call this number on the emergency services line." The doctor gave a card with a number scribbled on it to Yugi.

"Alright. Thank you very much."

"Not a problem." Then both he and the first-aid responder left. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was close..." said Téa.

"Yeah… but Kaiba was again one step ahead of everyone." Tristan scratched the back of his neck. "Maybe we don't give him enough credit…"

"Nah, it's fine," said Joey, who was waving the idea off. "Everything worked out."

"Sarah, where did you disappear to?" asked Duke suddenly. "I thought you were right behind Yugi after we saw Kaiba."

Thinking back to what happened, I found myself too embarrassed to say anything. The others would probably tease me about how soft Seto was on me.

"N-Nothing happened… I was just… talking to him about the tournament…"

"Ah? What's with this expression?" Joey took a step towards me and leaned down to inspect my face closely. Instinctively, I leaned back, feeling my face grow even hotter from his close proximity.

"W-What expression…?"

"Hey… did that jerk do something weird to you?"

"N-No! He just asked me about the tournament!"

I stole a glance from Yugi, who immediately realized just what it was about the tournament we had talked about.

"Joey, mind your distance." Téa, bless her soul, stepped in to pull Joey back. "She's still a girl, so be careful."

"She's still a-what?" Curiously, Joey gave me a quick look over. Then he covered his mouth as he realized what he had just done and his face turned red - all the way up to his ears.

"... Did you just check her out?!"

"No, no! I would never do that!"

"How naïve..." said Duke.

"This is becoming even more uncomfortable." I felt the blush on my face begin to die down as I voiced how I felt about the situation.

"Alright, that's enough…" Yugi massaged the bridge of his nose as a disappointed parent would when a child would do something bad. "Let's all just give Ryou some space now."

The others followed Yugi out, but Téa stayed behind.

"I'll keep an eye on Ryou," she said. "Don't be weird again, Joey."

"Gah…" The blond left the room, his face still quite pink.

As I was following the others, my Locket began to glow. My eyes automatically scanned the room.

"Sarah?" Eric noticed me stopping.

"I just…" I found myself looking up and down the hall before I answered his question. I knew I sensed something, but I couldn't see it.

Why?

"I thought I saw something… but I guess it was nothing."

"That creepy ghost must still be haunting the place," said Tristan. "Maybe that Ring isn't gone as we thought."

"We should look for it," said Duke.

"You aren't going to find it like any lost toy," I said. "It'll show up when it wants to. That's just the nature of the spirit within it."

"We won't know until we try." Tristan beckoned Duke forward. "Come on, we'll start at the top."

"Right behind you." And before I could knock any sense into them, they started running for the elevator. I sighed.

"Just let them be, boys always find a way back to reality," said Mai. "There's less than an hour left now before the next duel, so we had all best be ready."

"Sarah, you don't have to follow us everywhere…"

"But that's my job as the Pharaoh's Guardian. Wherever the Pharaoh goes, I go too. You just happen to be followed at the same time."

The Pharaoh's spirit gave Yugi a small shrug. "Sorry, Yugi."

"Haaah…"

Yugi plopped onto his bed and sighed. The Pharaoh and I exchanged looks. We were back in his room, and I thought we would work on strategies to confront Marik when the time came to, but it seemed Yugi had something else on his mind.

"If you require privacy… I can leave," I said. "I understand that you need your own space too…"

"Oh, that's not it," said Yugi quickly, but then he narrowed his eyes in thought. "Actually… that is also very important…"

"I think what Yugi is trying to say is that you are not chained to us," said the Pharaoh. "You may do as you wish without worrying about the two of us."

"But what if Bakura comes back?" I asked.

"Then we can handle it."

"But…"

"Sarah, go be a girl with Téa."

Yugi basically pushed me towards the door. "Well… as long as you said with Téa and not Joey…" I murmured, remembering the odd look he gave me before.

I saw Yugi exchange glances with the Pharaoh. "Don't worry about it," he said with a smile. "Joey's just being a goofball."

"Well… alright…" I did realize that Joey sometimes made mistakes that would be been obvious to another person, but to him, it may have been something that he didn't think too deeply about before doing it. Which makes it more nerve-wracking, knowing that he didn't think before acting.

I was just at the door when I saw it begin to shift and change colour. At first, I didn't realize what was going on, but then I saw two, deep blue eyes staring back at me. My jump caused Yugi to stagger backwards.

"Ah!"

"Whoa! Sarah, what -" It was then both Yugi and the Pharaoh saw what I had almost run into. A person wearing long white robes and a cloth around his head.

"Who… how…" My mind raced. How did this person get in here? How did he get on the blimp? He wasn't a duelist because there was no Duel Disk on his arm. And his neck… around his neck was the Millennium Key!

"Shadi!" cried Yugi, pulling me from my stupor. I stared in shock at the man who materialized before us. Then I turned my surprised gaze over to Yugi.

"You two have met before?"

"Oh… yeah… I guess I forgot to mention that when we were back in Duelist Kingdom…"

"You met in Duelist Kingdom?"

"Well… he looked into my mind…"

I then turned around and gave Shadi a look of astonishment. "You looked into his mind?!"

"I had reason to believe he was cause to the disturbance I felt at Duelist Kingdom," answered Shadi calmly, finding nothing odd about this encounter or the one before.

"I had a right to know what you were doing to the Pharaoh's host!"

"I apologize, Sarah," said Shadi, with his monotone voice. Many questions ran through my mind, and it seemed like Shadi was ready to answer some of them without being asked. "My name is Shadi, and I am the Guardian of the Millennium Items."

"You're the one in charge of…?" A single question bubbled to the surface above the rest begging for attention - begging to be asked.

"Then how could you let Ryou have the Millennium Ring?"

"That is not important right now," said Shadi, swiftly glossing over my words. My mouth was left wide open at him ignoring me.

Yugi just gently pushed my chin up. "What else could be so important then?" he asked.

"I sense a great power here," said Shadi mysteriously. While still upset about being ignored, I grumbled under my breath.

"I wonder what the hell is causing that disturbance exactly…"

"Sarah…" said Yugi in a warning tone. I crossed my arms and sighed. Yugi looked back to Shadi.

"The Millennium Items… something has happened."

"Marik has been using his Millennium Rod extensively," I said finally, deciding to put the other matter behind for now and deciding to focus on the concern at hand. "Could that be the issue?"

"Perhaps…" said Shadi vaguely. "However, I am referring to something else.

"All seven Millennium Items are currently aboard this aircraft."

Suddenly, everything I felt before didn't matter one bit. My eyes went wide as I thought about what that meant.

"That's impossible…" I heard myself say.

"I am the Guardian of the Millennium Items," Shadi started again. "And I sense the presence of all seven aboard this craft."

"But that would mean… that would mean the Scales, Eye, and Necklace would be here too…"

Ishizu… was she here? Was she on board this whole time?

"Precisely," said Shadi. "This is a very delicate situation, because not only are all the Millennium Items present, but the three Egyptian God cards are as well. There is an immense power here."

"That is a lot of power in one place…" said Yugi a little quietly as he tried to imagine the power being so active.

"Indeed. It may end up being the power to destroy the world - but it could also be the power to save it."

"What does it all mean…" I asked. Shadi looked at me strangely. "Why did the power need to accumulate here all of a sudden?"

"Because this tournament is about regaining the Pharaoh's memories," said Shadi. "The Gods are present to judge the spirit's character as well as to see if he is still worthy of the Pharaoh's power."

"Of course he's worthy," I said confidently. "He's the Pharaoh. Has been all this time, and will continue to be."

"He will need to prove himself in his duels," said Shadi. "And prevent the Millennium Items or God cards from falling into the wrong hands... as before."

"'As before'?" asked Yugi.

"Many years ago, Maximillian Pegasus travelled to Egypt in hopes of finding a way to restore his loved one's life," said Shadi. "His quest brought him to me, and the Millennium Eye was bestowed upon him. It had chosen him, for he was destined to open the door to the Shadow Games in this era."

"Duel Monsters," I said. "He opened the Shadow Games through Duel Monsters."

"Precisely. He learned of the many monsters found on stone tablets and depicted them as cards. He has revived the old game and modernized it. It is through these duels that you enter the Shadow Games, and through those, the exchange of power can occur."

"Just like what Marik wants to do," said Yugi. The Pharaoh remained quietly listening, with a keen eye set on Shadi as he continued. His brows furrowed forward.

"Powers can be challenged with a Shadow Duel," continued Shadi. "Powers such as the Pharaoh's or that of the Egyptian Gods. I tried to warn Pegasus of the dangers of producing cards to represent them, but he was set on creating the "perfect game". Anyone involved in the production of these cards have met terrible ends."

Shadi's last few words sent a shiver up my spine. It was a grim reminder of just how powerful the Gods really were, even as cards. The ka, or life force, of any being is said to reside within anything representing them. In this case, we believed the Egyptian Gods themselves to reside in the cards that Pegasus had made. A lot of power was within those cards, and they needed to be in good hands.

Which, unfortunately for the people involved in their production, they weren't. I'm surprised even Pegasus has managed to stay alive among all that terror.

This could only mean…

"Pegasus was destined to awaken the Gods' powers…"

Shadi nodded. "I had a feeling of this being possible… however, I was unsure about his ability to control the beasts. After a warning from the gods, which appeared in a dream as he was working on the card prototypes, Pegasus realized he was unable to control their powers, and hid the cards. Destruction of representations, especially those of the Gods, was unforgivable, so he had no choice but to lock them away until the one worthy to control their power has shown."

I stole a sideways glance at the Pharaoh, who seemed to be thinking very deeply about Shadi's words. He must have also been trying to put it all into the context of his past life.

"Ishizu Ishtar." The familiar name caused my heart to leap. Shadi cast a knowing glance my way. "She met with Pegasus in Egypt and sealed the cards away with the stone tablet."

"But then Marik showed up," said Yugi. "And tried to steal them."

"That's correct. He managed to take two of the three, and now you bear one of them. Marik cannot come to possess all three. If he does, then I am afraid the world will be in jeopardy."

"We won't let him win," said Yugi confidently. "We'll stop him once and for all in the finals."

"I have great ease knowing that you are the man with our Pharaoh," said Shadi with a small nod of approval. "Would you be so kind as to relay a message to the Pharaoh for me?"

The air suddenly warmed and Yugi was now replaced with the Pharaoh.

"That won't be necessary," he said. "You can tell me directly."

Immediately, Shadi bent down to his knees and pressed his forehead to his hands on the ground. It reminded me so much of how I didn't do that exact thing when the Pharaoh was first aware of who he might have been. I wanted to pay my respects, but with the situation as delicate as it was, I couldn't, and that bothered me.

"Great Pharaoh," said Shadi. "It is a great honour to be in your presence. I urge you to win the coming duels, and open the gate to your memory."

"Thank you, Shadi," said the Pharaoh. "For telling us all of this. We will prevail. We must."

"I am sure you are aware that your memory hangs in the balance," said Shadi.

"Yes… we mustn't fail."

Suddenly, the PA system toned. "Attention, duelists. The second round of the Battle City Finals are about to be announced. Please make your way to the lobby. Thank you."

"Well… you heard Roland," I said with a small sigh. "The next round is about to start."

"Mm. Alright, Shadi. We will…"

The Pharaoh's voice trailed off as he turned back to talk to Shadi, but the robed man had disappeared.

"Odd… he is very good at slipping away quietly…"

"I'm sure you are both well aquainted," I said, pouting.

The Pharaoh blinked. "What is this face you're making?" he asked.

Yugi stifled a laugh. "She's just a little moody because we forgot to tell her about Shadi."

"Pretty big event to forget happen," I insisted.

The Pharaoh gently patted my shoulder. "It's alright," he said. "For now, we have more important things to think about."

"Right… the next duel could include Marik…" I returned to my normal self, putting my pettiness aside. "We need to keep the God cards safe. Not to mention your power."

The Pharaoh, very thoughtfully, placed his hand over the Millennium Puzzle. "We must not let him gain the power he desires," he said carefully. "I am not sure what the power of the Pharaoh entails, but I'm afraid it would be catastrophic if Marik was to get his hands on it."

"It would be very dangerous," I said quietly. "Not only for him, but for everyone else as well."

"Don't worry," said Yugi, trying to uplift our darkened spirits. "We will get through this together."

"Yugi's right," said the Pharaoh. "We must not give up, no matter how tough it may become."

"Let's go see who the next two duelists are," I said. We started for the main lobby.

The others were there, and the duelists were all ready to go. Duke and Tristan were the ones who seemed strangely careful.

"What's wrong with you two?" asked Joey, reading my mind.

"We fell off the blimp," said Tristan numbly. Then he blinked at the straightforwardness of his own words.

"Obviously we're okay," stressed Duke once he saw our eyes widening. He shot a glare at Tristan. "We were… saved…"

"By who?" asked Téa. "And why did you fall off the blimp in the first place?"

"We were fighting," said Tristan.

"This isn't the time for friends to be fighting," I said.

"Yeah, but… Sarah, he's annoying…"

"Duke, you're just as annoying," said Joey. Duke glared at Joey next.

"Alright, forget that," I said, piping in. "Who was the one to save you two?"

"Some guy wearing this white cloak!"

"I think Tristan might have hit his head on the way down," murmured Duke.

"He was real."

"I think I believe you," I said, stealing a glance from the Pharaoh. He nodded, also agreeing with what I was thinking.

It must have been Shadi.

"You do…!"

"It must have been a ghost."

Tristan's mouth dropped as he looked at me, betrayed. "You don't…!" he said. Duke and Joey laughed.

"Honestly, you boys are rather ridiculous…" sighed Téa.

"It must have been something really stupid that you two were fighting over too."

Tristan and Duke looked at each other.

"Pssh."

"Yeah, totally stupid."

"Definitely."

Téa sighed.

They were acting so strangely, and I wanted to know why, but I decided that suppressing my curiosity was better than prying. Besides, Tristan stealing glances at Joey and Serenity made me think that I would regret asking.

"Well, we're glad you're alright," I said sincerely. "Maybe next time it would be best not to fight and use words."

"Right…"

"So! Are you guys ready for the next duel?" asked Téa.

"As ready as we'll ever be," replied the Pharaoh.

"I hope I get to duel next," said Joey. "It would be twice as awesome if I got the chance to go against Marik."

"You shouldn't wish for such things," I said.

"Why not? I know I can beat him!"

"Wishing for something that can possibly cause harm is never a good thing."

"If it means getting rid of the guy sooner than later, then I would gladly go through that pain."

"Joey…!"

"Ah - I mean within reasonable limits, of course," said Joey quickly to Serenity. A look of concern was suddenly on her face. I shook my head at him.

"Joey has come a long way as a duelist," said the Pharaoh. "He stands a great chance at beating Marik."

Yes, but I would like to avoid putting anyone in danger… I wanted to say, but the look in his eye told me that the Pharaoh also wished for the same thing. However, he was also confident in Joey's abilities.

"Well, I guess we'll know in a second who's going against who," said Mai.

Roland approached the podium and called for attention. Everyone was present - except for the last duelist to enter the finals and Ishizu.

I wonder if what Shadi said was true… I didn't want to think that Ishizu was hiding something from me, but she was the keeper of the Millennium Necklace. Surely, she must have known that this might happen, and may think that it's not the right time to meet.

"With the first duel complete, we will now begin selecting the duelists for the second round. Duel Spinner, let's go!"

Everyone watched with anticipation as the numbered balls started to move. I was holding my breath. Anything could happen. Anything. One rolled out onto the first tray, and Roland read the number.

"Number 10! Zafar will be dueling in the next round!"

The others exclaimed with surprise. Then we all looked back at the dark corner where Marik and Zafar were standing.

Zafar had a smirk on his face, and he was looking right at us.

I cursed quietly in Ancient Egyptian. I had forgotten for a while that Zafar was also in the tournament. We were so focused on Marik that I didn't think of this outcome.

But who would go up against him? I didn't want anyone to duel Zafar. He was cunning and didn't like to play by the rules. He could do anything at any moment and wouldn't worry about it following guidelines.

He was unpredictable.

I wouldn't wish his duel on anyone.

But as the second ball started to roll, the more I felt Zafar's eyes boring into my back. He was aiming for me. He wanted to duel me, and hopefully take me out.

Because once I was out of the tournament, our confidence would waver, and it was that instability that could potentially lead to our downfall.

Once the second number rolled out of the machine, I was already clenching my fists, because I just knew. I just knew what number was chosen.

It was one of those situations when you dreaded the outcome but your feelings about it occurring actually get stronger and stronger. And suddenly, it's like the energy you spent willing something not to happen pushed the wheel of fate just a little bit more, until the nightmare becomes reality.

Roland called out the number, and my body fired up. Everyone looked at me, astonished. They weren't expecting this outcome at all.

I saw the Pharaoh's crimson eyes burning. He was concerned with this turn, because I was going up against the man who laid a hand on me without having the nerves for a fair fight. Zafar was deceitful, and I was about to duel him.

As much as I wished for no one to go up against him… no one was left but me.

I had to duel him.

Let's get ready for that match, one where there was a fair chance for both.

"And the second duelist is number 7! Sarah! The second duel of the Battle City Finals will now begin!"

Author's Note: Wow that took a loooong time to write. Mainly because my mind went to updating Book 1. I'm graduating this May, thankfully. I'll finally have time for myself and my writing.

Never thought this day would come. Took too long, but it's here.

Anyways.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to leave a message if you'd like. Thanks so much for stopping by and sticking out for this story even though it's been too long. I really appreciate it.

See you in the next chapter. =)

~xyugiohluvrx