YuGiOh!, Past Repeating: Book 2

by xyugiohluvrx

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

42. Casting Shadows

Written: 08/06/19

Author's Note: Writing Sarah's duels are so haaard… o

~*Sarah finally had her chance against Zafar in a duel, and after Zafar used dirty magic, both are unconscious. With the next duel coming up, will the gang be able to handle whatever comes their way? What if it's the most anticipated match of the entire tournament?*~

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

---

Battle City - New Evil Emerges, Old Friends Reunite - Chapter 42

"Sarah!"

"Hang in there!"

I staggered away from the fallen body of my opponent before collapsing onto my own knees from exhaustion. Slowly, the pain within me began to drain away, and I could finally breathe normally again. The instant relief that I felt caused me to sway.

The sudden feeling of sleep overwhelmed me.

I fell into someone's arms. The sense of warmth touching my back was the only thing keeping me awake at this point.

"Damn… she's so cold…"

I was held safely against this person's chest as they tried to raise my temperature.

"Zafar's magic…" I heard myself say. "Drained… my strength…"

"Rest now," said a gentle voice. I couldn't figure out who it was, and my blurry vision didn't help me to distinguish between the faces above me. When I struggled to blink away the grey, someone's fingers brushed over my eyes, closing them.

"You mustn't push yourself further than this."

"She won the duel, right?"

"We should just take her to her room now."

"She's been through enough with this guy."

The next little while was extremely hazy. I could barely remember being carried, or the elevator ride back down to the main floor. My awareness stemmed in and out of darkness, and I heard snippets of hurried conversation when my ears managed to, but I wasn't going to remember them. Finally, I couldn't feel anything anymore.

---

It was intensely quiet when I woke up alone in my room. With my mind numb and exhausted from fighting off the Dark Magic during my duel against Zafar, I meekly wondered where everyone else was. After falling unconscious several times throughout this tournament, I was almost getting used to seeing the others fuss over me.

At the memory of their worried expressions, I ended up being glad they weren't here to see me like this another time.

"You're awake."

I blinked up at the ceiling. Was I hearing voices? Had I finally gone insane? I thought I was the only one here...

I got up on my elbows to see Eric sitting at the foot of my bed with his back against the footboard and his legs stretched out beside mine. He had his arms crossed over his chest in a serious manner, but his maroon eyes were gentle as they looked at me.

"Eric…?"

"How are you feeling?"

"... Heavy…"

At my response, Eric handed me a glass of orange juice. Reluctantly, hoping that I could even stomach the beverage, I drank it down. To my surprise, it helped.

"Better?"

"A lot better..."

When I placed the glass back on the small table, I noticed my hands shaking the slightest bit.

"How long was I…"

"Only a little while. The others were here before too. They said they'll come back again later."

Before I could process another question, Eric reached over and gently grasped my shaking hands, trying to calm them down.

"It's alright," he said. His voice was soft as he spoke, just like his hands as they held mine. The warmth from his skin calmed me down, and when the shaking ceased, I felt relieved.

I didn't know what this was. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I didn't pull away as I thought I would.

We stayed like this for another minute or two, without exchanging any words, and the strange thing was that I didn't mind. Wrecked from my fight against Zafar, it was comforting just to stop for a moment and breathe.

Was this what support felt like?

"You don't have to worry about Zafar anymore. He won't be waking up anytime soon."

"Where is he?"

"He's unconscious in his own room. The doctor on board said that he has some brain activity, but he hasn't woken up since he lost."

I sighed, thinking about Zafar's incredible claims about his version of Shadow Magic.

"He ended up paying the consequences after all…" A part of me was still very upset with what Zafar did, especially after everything he told me. However, another part of me simply found the entire situation quite sad. Blinded by revenge and hatred, he allowed himself to be consumed by his own Dark Magic.

"Consequences?" asked Eric curiously.

"When duelists battle in the Shadow Realm, their lives are tethered to the outcome. The loser of the match will either face a harsh punishment, or be trapped within the dark realm forever. Even though Zafar developed his own version of the Shadow Realm, for whatever purpose, I don't think he realized just how similar it ended up being to the original version. Sure, he included hazards and obstacles to make the duel harder to win, but he still ended up summoning a portal to the Shadow Realm in his own way…"

I could tell from the look on Eric's face that he wanted to ask me questions, because he looked absolutely lost in the explanation that I provided, but to my surprise, he didn't actually say anything. His dark maroon eyes simply wandered down my arms to my hands, which he still held within his own.

"I didn't know things were going to be this complicated…"

Intrigued by how he was still holding my hands, even though they weren't shaking anymore, I thought about how I was going to tell him everything.

"I thought… I was doing the right thing by waiting…"

"It's no sweat!" said Eric, a little too carefreely than I thought was appropriate. Was he masking his true feelings? Was he more hurt than he was letting on?

"I was being a bit unfair myself."

I wanted to say something, but I had no idea where to even begin. At the same time that I wished to apologize, I wanted to explain everything that my role as Guardian entailed. While my heart screamed at me to tell Eric just how much his friendship meant to me, another part of me believed the damage had already been done. I didn't want the latter to be true.

"Everything's got something to do with this, right?" In the midst of my panicked thoughts, I felt the back of Eric's hand brush over the hollow of my neck as his fingers clasped the Millennium Locket. He inspected it closely, tracing the small eye pattern with the tip of his thumb.

"More or less…" I said, noticing how close Eric had become. I was curious to know what he was thinking.

"I always see you wearing this. I guess it's important."

"Yeah… it's a symbol of my position as Guardian."

"Doesn't this match the symbol on Yugi's necklace?"

"Mhm…"

"So, they're connected…"

I took this as a moment to segue into discussion. Eric was actively showing interest by asking questions, and he didn't seem to be bothered anymore by the fact that I kept secrets from him. Perhaps he had forgiven me? Either way, it made things a little easier to move on.

I briefly explained how they were connected, but before I could talk about much, Eric began asking more questions.

"Could you channel your magic through your Locket?"

"My… magic?"

"Yeah… I overheard Yugi and the others talking. You know spells, right? Like the witches in Halloween movies."

"I suppose I am kind of like a witch… I'd like to be a magician, though."

Eric smiled knowingly. "Like Yugi's Dark Magician Girl," he said.

After the Pharaoh summoned Dark Magician Girl during his duel against Arkana, the rumours about the card's possible existence were finally put to rest. News spread of her beautiful character among duelists, and Eric must have heard about his victory too. However, while everyone else was thinking about the monster as a rare card in Duel Monsters, I couldn't help but always think back to the reactions I would have in her presence instead. There was something about her…

"Funny that you should say that…" I said quietly.

Eric blinked curiously, his maroon eyes shining. "How come?" he asked.

"Well… she kind of looks like Dark Magician's apprentice, right?"

I wasn't sure where that came from, but the idea fit so snuggly in my mind that I couldn't help but say it out loud. Did I think Dark Magician Girl was actually Dark Magician's apprentice? Even though I may have initially thought of the idea as a way to continue the conversation, it didn't feel at all far-fetched.

My head started to throb at the mere possibility of this being another clue to what's been happening to me.

"You okay?"

"My head still kind of… hurts…"

Eric had moved even closer now and his face was mere inches from mine. The gesture made my breath catch in my throat, and I instinctively moved back.

"Why are you…"

With a small blush, the boy pulled away. "Sorry… I was just worried," he said. "You were crying out a name in your sleep before."

"I… I was?"

"Yeah… but I'm not sure how to pronounce it."

"Oh…"

Confused about what he was saying, I had no time to process until his next few questions.

"Is it made of real gold?"

"Just the eye. The rest of it is plain bronze."

"Did you choose it? Or did someone else?"

"The locket itself? It was given to me by my parents. I chose to make it into the Millennium Locket. I could have had any object be my Item, but choosing the locket felt right to me."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not sure…"

"Bakura had something similar, didn't he? Around his neck."

I thought about how a sliver of the Millennium Ring itself was embedded into my locket as the Eye of Horus and shivered at the memory. It made me sick to think about how part of Bakura's Item was a part of mine.

"Yes… that one is evil."

"So, each Millennium Item is different…"

"That's right."

"But yours is different in a different way, am I right?"

I blinked curiously at Eric's choice of words. "Different in a… different way..." I said, repeating his words.

"Yeah! Because you're the Pharaoh's Guardian, right?"

Eric was closer again, but I didn't comment about it this time. Instead, I watched his actions warily. With a throbbing headache, I could do with some personal space, but Eric seemed quite eager to learn about everything I had kept from him.

"I… suppose so…"

"How is it different?"

"I-"

In an instant, Eric was on top of me. I didn't understand what was transpiring until I felt his hand touch my neck again.

I swallowed nervously and stared up at Eric, wide-eyed. My mind was racing at a million miles an hour as I tried to process what was happening. Words of concern died in my throat before they could escape, and my arms and legs grew heavy.

What was going on?

With darkened eyes leering at my locket as he turned it over in his hands, Eric looked like a completely different person. He wasn't the same caring boy I was friends with. He was someone else.

He was something else.

His breath tickled my skin as his lips drew closer to my neck. Shivers were running up and down my spine, but I couldn't move away. I felt my breathing quicken in a panic. What was he doing? What was he going to do?

Rather than do anything to my person, I noticed his eyes never once leaving my locket. It was like they were fixated on its presence, and the possibility of it being anything more than what it already was.

Voices sounded from the other side of the closed door. They seemed hectic and worried, but most importantly, distant. I should have been able to hear what they were saying.

I slowly blinked as I realized something.

'Anything more than it already was…'

"Zafar…?"

My voice was barely a horrified whisper as the terrifying conclusion was the only thing that left my lips. The small, innocent smile on what I thought was my friend's face slowly morphed into a wicked smirk.

"Well… it took you long enough. I actually thought you may have been enjoying the attention too much."

Everything about Eric lifted away to reveal the man I despised. His dark eyes glowed malevolently.

"Get… off me."

"You should know by now I don't do anything you tell me to do."

His hand trailed my clavicle, slowly gliding up my neck towards my chin. Then he grasped my face with a harsh tug.

"You will tell me… everything."

My heart raced in a dreadful panic. How did Zafar manage to look like Eric? How did he get into my room? Why couldn't I move?

What was going to happen to me?

Fear gripped my soul, and every system in my body yelled at me to run. I needed to get away, far away. I felt afraid, and I hadn't felt this afraid in a long time.

The voices on the other side of the door turned into knocking. Someone cried out my name, trying to reach me, but I couldn't answer.

Through the fear, I somehow managed to swallow my cries. I wasn't sure if it was because I had a lot of practice throwing my feelings of petrification away, or if I was just being stubborn as always.

"Nothing… will change. No matter what you do."

The next thing I knew, his hands were around my neck.

"Then I'll just kill you."

As he squeezed, air and life began to leave me. I choked and battled to breathe, but his grip was unbearably tight. My hands flew up to his with newfound strength and struggled against his hold. My fingers scratched and yanked at his, but his strength was far greater. I managed to cry out in the few seconds I managed to steal.

"Er… ic…"

"He can't hear you."

My gasps disappeared, just like the air in my lungs, and my eyesight began to fade. Suddenly, the knocking on the door grew louder and heavier. The banging reverberated inside my skull. Pain swelled within my chest. The thundering of fists slamming against the door over and over, with voices shouting out to me. Kicks were out of the question - Zafar had trapped my legs under his. My arms were beginning to grow slack from the lack of oxygen.

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. This was the end for me.

The obscure voices reached into my mind, overtaking it. Hot from the panic, the familiar calls were a cool relief. They seemed to pull me away from the pain and the dark presence of Zafar. From the darkness of unconsciousness, I was pulled into light.

---

I woke with a start, my heart beating fast and out of control. Vividly aware by how still I was laying, I realized that sleep paralysis took over my dream. No wonder I couldn't move as well as I had wanted. The pressure on my chest as well as my arms and legs finally lessened.

What was that nightmare… Zafar had taken over not only my reality but also my head. I couldn't believe he took on Eric's appearance to make me drop my guard. I was also surprised by the fact that I let Eric get so close to me in the first place, when I thought of the Eric in my dreams as actually being Eric.

My rapidly beating heart skipped a beat. What did that mean?

I didn't wish to dwell on the whole matter for any longer. At the same time that I was terrified of what I saw, I knew that Zafar wasn't actually with me. He lost the duel, and I watched him go down. He wasn't going to bother us again for a while. I didn't know for how long, but judging from the way he reacted with his Dark Magic, it wasn't going to be anytime soon.

In the end, I was also glad that I didn't cry out in my sleep. It would have startled the others, and I was tired of seeing worried expressions for me. I wasn't used to it very much, because I had grown up being expected to tolerate certain things. I was glad that I was worried over sometimes, but I've fallen unconscious too many times now during this tournament.

I took a deep breath to settle myself down and calm down.

I'm fine now… it's alright.

I blinked away any remaining fatigue and looked around to see Joey, Tristan, and Duke at the foot of my bed arguing about something, with Téa standing by them holding her hips. The headache that I vaguely felt could have been from their arguing.

"I say we throw him off the blimp."

"You'll just go straight to jail."

"Then let's lock him in a room and throw away the key."

"Kaiba will throw us away in his jail."

"Kaiba has a prison?"

"Most likely a dungeon."

"What about the bathroom? He'll be fine in there for a couple of days."

Poor Téa seemed to have had enough. "If you two don't shut up, I'll throw both of you into the bathroom. Together!" she exclaimed.

Joey and Tristan quieted down almost immediately. Even Duke, who normally took their side, was shaking his head at their poor judgments.

"Those are terrible places to lock someone in," he said. "It would be better to just leave him in the Arctic on his own."

"Duke, not you too!"

Heh… my friends were the reason why I woke up from that nightmare… I recalled their distressed knocking in my dream, sensing that something was wrong. If it wasn't for their cries, I wouldn't have woken up.

I looked over and almost jumped when I saw Eric. For half a second, I thought it was Zafar, but quickly pushed the thought aside.

He wasn't here. This was my friend.

I noticed Eric's displeased glare as he sat grumpily in a chair next to my bed with his arms crossed over his chest in his own little world and completely ignoring the others behind him. After becoming highly aware of the splitting headache that was grinding my nerves to dust, I decided to tackle this new situation of a moody Eric. I didn't bring up my nightmare. I decided it was just the attempt of Zafar's Dark Magic at trying to infiltrate my mind. Remnants of it must have still remained.

"Why do you look so angry?" I asked Eric suddenly. I couldn't help but be so blunt - it was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw him.

"I'm not angry," came Eric's curt reply, even though he was still clearly upset about something. He paid no heed to my being awake and acted as though it was natural that I had to wake up sooner or later. Or… was he expecting there to be no problem? Did he have faith in my coming back?

Eric tried his best not to show his anger and be passive about whatever he was upset about, but his attitude and stature couldn't hide much.

"You look like someone stole your favourite monster card or something."

"That didn't happen, because clearly, you gave it back."

"Then, why…"

"Oh, don't mind him, Sarah," said Joey from across the room, adding in to the carefree conversation. Despite his broad smile, I noticed a look of relief flood his rich, honey eyes as he saw me awake. Téa rushed over to my bedside with a wide smile.

"Welcome back!" she said. I smiled back, happy to see that everything really was back to normal.

"He's still hung up on the fact that you told him just how old you really are," said Tristan.

"Only 16..." I countered as I tried to sit up. Serenity, who appeared on the other side of my bed helped me. I was surprised to see her there, but I was glad she was able to approach me despite everything that happened during my duel. Joey must have talked to her.

"Yeah, but you don't look that old," she continued with a shimmering smile. "What's your secret?"

"Um…" I wasn't sure what to respond with, and with my brain still muddled from the duel, I could only reply with something random that came to mind:

"Drink lots of water…?"

"That has to be it!"

"Speaking of water, have some." Joey handed me a glass, which I gratefully accepted and gulped down. Almost at once, my headache began to disappear, but the aches in my arms, legs, and torso still haunted me.

"Thanks… I think I'm still going to be sore for a while, though…"

"Seems like you recovered a lot quicker than before," said a familiar voice. I turned to see the Pharaoh standing in the doorway with Mai and felt my excitement grow at the sight of him.

"How long was I out for?" I asked.

"It's been a while," said Mai. Then she held up a bag of cookies, an encouraging smile gracing her lips. "We brought snacks."

"Perfect! Sarah needs sugar," said Joey.

"Does she really, though?" asked Duke. "From what you guys have told me, she can get pretty hyper."

"I think Sarah can use the boost right now," said the Pharaoh as he handed me a cookie. It was warm and full of chocolate chips.

"Oh, wow, this smells great," I said, feeling my energy levels increase already just by the sight of it. "Thank you..."

"So, a five thousand-year-old spirit guardian enjoys the taste of cookies, hm?"

All eyes fell on the cantankerous Eric still burning a hole into me with his intense gaze. I shied away, not sure how to respond and sheepishly ate a bite of the cookie.

"I suppose you've found out about everything…" I murmured quietly.

"I didn't find out anything," he said with a huff.

"We ended up telling Eric everything," said Joey apologetically. "I know you might have wanted to discuss things with him in your own way, but he wouldn't stop pestering us."

"He kept asking so many questions…" added Tristan. "And then Duke and Mai started asking more questions…"

"So, now we're all kind of on the same page," said Duke. "Thankfully, because I was lost during your entire duel."

"I'm sorry…"

"..."

I looked down at the cookie in my hand, wondering how I had allowed the situation to go this far. "It wasn't my intention to hide anything on purpose," I said. "I just wanted it to be the right time…"

"Sometimes, we have to make time," said Eric. "And sometimes, it's about trusting others."

He held my gaze for a moment, and my tense shoulders relaxed. I think he was telling me that I didn't have anything to worry about it - that I could trust him. He wasn't going to think of me as crazy or confused for telling him such a strange story about myself and the Pharaoh.

"You're still the Sarah we know," he continued. "Except now, I know that you're so old…"

"You're never going to let that go, are you…"

"Nope."

I heaved a sigh. "Well… I suppose that's okay…" A huge weight lifted from my shoulders and disappeared almost instantly. I was worried that Eric was going to be upset, even more so after the duel, but he seemed to have been alright about everything so far. I was still scared to ask if I had been forgiven, because I didn't want what little stability that had formed to fall apart.

At once I realized just how much I actually valued Eric's impression of me.

"It's going to be fine, Sarah," said Mai. "Everyone's got your guys' backs. More minds are better than few."

"That is quite true," said the Pharaoh. "Currently, we outnumber him."

"About that guy…" began Eric. He slowly leaned forward on his knees, a thoughtful expression replacing the glare on his face. "He should be mad worried now that his one and only subordinate is down for the count."

"Zafar…" I recalled the duel that I just barely managed to survive. "Where is he now?"

"He's in his room, unconscious," replied Joey. "The doctor said that he doesn't think he'll wake up anytime soon."

"So, his mind really is trapped within the Shadow Realm…?"

Eric blinked. "Why do you look so surprised?" he asked.

"I didn't really think that he created a link between his version of Shadow Magic and the realm itself," I said wonderingly. Then I looked towards the Pharaoh. "In the last few moments of the duel, it felt like I was experiencing the Shadow Magic that we've always dealt with, not his version of it."

"He claimed to have created it," said the Pharaoh thoughtfully. "How would one even be able to do such a thing?"

"It's not easy… and all magic is different."

"Sarah, did you make your own magic?" asked Téa.

"I learned my magic," I replied. "I was taught that creating magic from scratch took decades to establish, let alone master."

"This guy's not much older than us," said Joey. "So, you're saying it's impossible for this Zafar guy to have created his own magic."

"I think a lot of what Zafar said needs to be scrutinized," I started. Then I clenched the sheets, frustrated with Zafar's strength as well as his insanity. "Zafar was right. He just wanted to get inside my head."

"But he didn't succeed," said the Pharaoh. "You managed to push through his Dark Magic as well as his pointless banter."

"Shadow Magic isn't supposed to swallow us like that during the duel…" At the memory of shadow tendrils wrapping themselves around my legs, my mind began to race. What if I hadn't snapped out of it in time? Would I have been lost forever in a world of shadows?

"That's one difference between his magic and the original," said Eric, who was catching on rather quickly. How long was I really out, I wonder?

"Perhaps he's just manipulating the original magic to bend to his will," suggested Duke. "There seems to be more similarities than differences."

"Duke has a point…" I said. "But I have no idea how far we can speculate." It was a terrifying thought if Zafar was able to manipulate already-existing magic.

"The good news about it all is that we won't have to worry about whatever kind of magic Mr. Crazy has," said Tristan. "He's in no shape to do any harm now."

"Now that Marik is on his own, high up in a blimp, we've got him cornered," I said, but then my shoulders slumped. "... Is what I would like to say, but he has the Millennium Rod. He's more than capable of handling himself."

"We can take him!" said Joey enthusiastically. I wish I could have been that brave without thinking too much about the situation. I like to cover all the bases and make sure there was a high chance of success before diving into a situation. The process of having faith in ourselves as a collective or as individuals was a new concept to me ever since I met Yugi, and I was still trying to get used to it at times.

"You're ready to face him head on by yourself, aren't you?" Téa teased Joey, even though she clearly looked worried about the idea too.

"If you happen to duel Marik in your match…" I began. "Be very cautious."

That was all I said. I couldn't lecture everyone about just how dangerous the man was because they knew already. They all knew what he was capable of. Everyone saw his power firsthand, one way or another.

"I was threatened to back away," said Eric, bringing up his own experience with Marik's Rare Hunts. Determination burned in his maroon eyes - he was deciding to do something different now. "I don't plan on letting that threat get to me, or all this Dark Magic stuff. So, count me in on this fight too."

"Eric…"

"Let's bring this guy down."

Static buzzed across the speaker system installed in a corner of the room. An announcement burst to life.

"Attention, all duelists. The third round of dueling is about to begin. Please make your way to the lobby now."

"Looks like we're going to find out who's dueling next," said Mai. "It's still anyone's chance yet to duel Marik. Who knows? Maybe I'll be the one to bring him to his knees?"

"Mai, knowing that we have you on our side gives me much needed reassurance," I said with a smile.

"He had better hope he doesn't have to face the wrath of my cards," muttered Eric as he stood up, getting ready to follow the others. Then he stretched out a hand towards me and smiled, encouraging me to take it.

"You did good, Sarah. Now it's our turn."

It was something else to know that the Pharaoh and I weren't alone in this battle. We used to have the support of the Royal Court and the army before our circumstances changed. We were left alone to fight against whatever was in our future. Now we had our new friends in our corner.

Without any hesitation, I grasped Eric's hand and lifted myself up from the bed. Though I was still wobbly, I was glad that I could still stand.

We left the room refreshed and ready to tackle the next duel. I left the memory of fighting against Zafar's Dark Magic behind me, and stepped out of my room with newfound courage to face the next thing on Marik's list. Bakura was down. So was Zafar. Marik had no one else for backup now.

I felt we took a giant leap forward towards Marik while he was left at the edge of a cliff. All we had left to do was capture him and take him down.

We passed by Zafar's room, and for a split second, I wanted to go in and see him. I wanted to see the kind of expression he had on his face when he wasn't awake and biting my head off. I wondered if he really was traversing through the Shadow Realm or if he was just in a coma. There was just no way for me to know for sure, even though the Shadow Realm was the first place I could think of.

The scary thing about new experimental magic was the repercussions if the spellcaster failed to stand up against its backfire. I wasn't sure where Zafar was, and I didn't think he knew either.

---

As we made our way towards the lobby where the next duelists would be chosen, the others walked on enthusiastically while the Pharaoh and I lingered behind them, taking our time down the long corridor. For a while, we were quiet. I was still getting used to not feeling any pain with each step that I took. The Pharaoh, on the other hand, had a thoughtful expression on his face. Yugi appeared next to him in spirit form and floated alongside us.

"Are you sure that you're feeling alright?" he asked me.

"Yes, I'm sure," I replied. "I'm not at a hundred-percent just yet, but I know I can still do most things."

"Zafar's magic has a heavy toll," said the Pharaoh. "And you've paid it twice now. You must be exhausted."

"I've rested enough," I said with a small shrug. "I don't really feel like lying in bed when another duel is about to begin. Besides, I think I'm getting used to his magic now. I think I've recovered a lot faster than before."

"Sarah…"

"Thank you."

The Pharaoh and Yugi blinked.

"Thank you for worrying about me."

"We're a team, right?" said Yugi. "If you can worry about everyone else, the least we can do is worry about you."

I smiled, thinking that it was fair. "Yeah… it's what friends do, right?"

"Yup!"

"Since we're all such good friends," started the Pharaoh. "Would it be alright for me to ask about your wish to become a scribe?"

"Oh…" I almost forgot about that all over again. Somehow, Zafar was able to dig up that bit of information, and I have absolutely no idea how he came across it. It was only ever in my mind or on paper, and I lost my old journal months before I became a Guardian, where I kept these thoughts hidden from the world.

It was impossible to recover those small bits of parchment from so long ago. So, how could Zafar have known?

"To be honest, I had kind of forgotten about it."

"Even if it was something that you really wished to do?"

"When something else ended up taking precedence, I left that wish behind. Besides, I hadn't thought about becoming a scribe for very long before I was asked to be Guardian. So, it wasn't a very developed dream."

"I see…" The Pharaoh pondered my response like it was a cryptic tune - he listened, but something bothered him.

"You said that it was a very personal matter, and yet Zafar had somehow learned about it."

"I'm not sure how he managed to find out," I said. "I didn't tell anyone. It was only ever on my mind and in my journal - but I had lost those ages ago, so they wouldn't have lasted very long in the desert for Zafar to find them now."

"Only ever in your mind…" The Pharaoh looked like he was on to something. Then he turned to me, stopping in his tracks, making me halt next to him.

"What is it?" I asked curious to know what he thought.

"Could Marik be able to read minds as well as control them using the Millennium Rod?"

"I wouldn't think so," I said. "Each Millennium Item was designed for a specific purpose. I haven't seen an instance where one Item could take on the task of another."

"I see… I thought I had something."

"It was a good idea," I said. "But in our case, the Millennium Eye would be the only Item capable of reading minds."

"Then Zafar must have found out another way."

"Come on, you two!" We heard Joey's shout from a doorway further down the hall. "Talk later, duel now!"

The Pharaoh and I exchanged amused glances.

"We're being summoned," I said jokingly.

"Well, let us not keep them waiting," added the Pharaoh.

"Great, because my head was going to start spinning any second now," piped in Yugi.

I knew where Yugi was coming from. Everything that Zafar talked about during our duel just added onto our problems. I couldn't understand where to start contemplating. What did he say that was true? What did he say that was false? For something as personal as my wish to be scribe to be known is unfathomable in today's circumstance.

At least there is one common factor between everything, and that is Marik.

If we just defeat Marik, then all of our questions would finally have answers.

---

Back in the large lobby we gathered, with the dueling bingo machine ready to spit out the next two duelists to face each other. As we waited for the other duelists to arrive, I turned to Duke.

"Thanks for catching me earlier," I said.

"Oh, it was nothing," he said with a proud grin. "I was just glad I made it in time. You could have hit your head pretty hard."

"Yeah… I could have."

We were busy talking to notice a familiar dark figure walking past, and when his arm brushed against my shoulder, that was when I looked up to see who it was.

Olive green eyes glared back at me.

Without so much as an "excuse me", not that I expected it from a man like him, Marik continued walking on.

"Well, that was rude," muttered Duke. "Are you okay?"

"Cold…" I said quietly. "Very cold, and…"

Strange. I felt the urge to say something else as well, but I couldn't quite grasp what it was that I needed to voice. I was missing something.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Duke, though I was sure he was just filling in the blank for me.

"There was more than enough room to walk around you," said the Pharaoh quietly. I nodded, understanding what he was trying to say.

"He did that on purpose."

"That guy's a little scary, isn't he?" asked Namu as he approached us. His friendly face was a joy to see after that killer glare from Marik. I didn't get the chance to talk to Namu much, but he seemed kind. His beautiful violet eyes shone under the light.

"That's an understatement," I said with a sigh. "But you won't need to worry about him, hopefully."

"I'd hate to duel against him, though," he said, which reminded me that Joey and Mai weren't the only ones left to duel. Namu and Salex had as much chance of going against Marik in a duel as our friends did. I had no idea what their dueling capabilities were, and they were just normal duelists on this blimp. They didn't deserve to get reeled into our battle against this evil.

For a brief moment, I was reminded that there was someone else on this blimp who hasn't yet shown themselves, but I wasn't sure how I should approach them - or if at all.

I'm sure Ishizu has her reasons… for not telling me she was here. Perhaps she even sent me a letter about her plans but I completely missed it.

Salex suddenly popped into view before me, a wide grin on her face.

"Hey! Your match was super intense! Were those special effects of some kind?"

I smiled sheepishly, not really knowing what to say to a complete stranger. "Yeah… to make the duel more lively, you know?" I hated lying, but I didn't know what else to say.

Namu and Salex weren't a part of our world.

"I do remember bits and pieces of your discussion during your duel," admitted Salex. "It sounds like it's really complicated for just the tournament finals."

"You can ignore those details," said Eric, suddenly appearing beside the Pharaoh. "Just do your best in your duels, that's all I can say."

He was about to lead us back towards the others, but a hand grabbed my shoulder.

"So, I can't ask questions?" asked Namu.

I stared back at him, hearing his question but not really listening. Something entirely different had grabbed my attention, and it had my mind rattling itself for answers.

Just now, when he touched me… I swore that what I felt was real, because I knew that feeling anywhere. I've felt it countless times before back in Ancient Egypt, so it became second nature for me to comprehend and anticipate.

My Locket had glowed to signal the presence of a Millennium Item.

Namu was a complete stranger to me, and even though his alluring lavender eyes were inviting, I couldn't find myself asking him any questions. I couldn't investigate further. The unexpected reaction of sensing a Millennium Item from Namu shook me.

This was the sensation that I was missing when Marik brushed past me. I didn't sense the presence of the Millennium Rod from him. And yet… I felt something from Namu.

"Sarah?" asked the Pharaoh, sensing something wrong.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep," said Namu, quickly removing his hand. Though his movement was quick, he looked uneasy instead of regrettable. "I'm just concerned with what's happening."

"No, it's alright," I found myself saying, even though my confusion really wasn't alright. Wait… confusion? I was sure about what I felt before, wasn't I? I never doubted myself regarding matters like this."It's just that… um…"

'Matters like' what again? The thought I was going to act on disappeared before I could find it again. I remember feeling surprised, and then shocked. What was I shocked about?

"Hey, you don't look so good," said Salex as she suddenly looked up into my face. "Still not feeling well from your last duel?"

The words I wanted to say retreated into my throat. Whatever I was concerned with disappeared and I couldn't remember what it was no matter how hard I tried. "Er… yeah, it took a lot out of me…" I replied, finding nothing else to say.

"Let's ask questions later." Salex grabbed hold of my arm as though we were already quite close. I suppose that was how she acted around people she was comfortable with. "Right now, we've gotta see who's dueling next!"

"Maybe it's you, Salex," I said, finding myself edging away from the confusion that I felt. My thoughts instead re-routed to what Salex was saying. I felt like my mind drifted away with the conversation. "I'd like to see your dueling skills again."

What had just happened...

"You're taking good care of my card, right?" she asked. "If we're in the final round, I'll be expecting to win it back!"

"I've still got it."

Roland and Kaiba finally walked into the lobby. I then remembered something and turned towards Téa as they got ready.

"How's Ryou doing?" I asked.

Téa's ocean blue eyes looked back at me sadly. "He's still not awake," she said. "But his injuries aren't infected, which is a great sign."

"That's definitely improvement…"

"Welcome back, everyone," said Roland, grabbing everyone's attention right away. "Congratulations to Sarah who is now continuing on. Now we'll begin choosing the next pair of duelists!"

With the press of a button, we watched the numbered balls within the Blue-Eyes bingo machine tumble around once more. It was like we were watching a fate simulator in action - who did we believe in the most to defeat Marik if we had to choose?

He's going to duel in one of these matches… I dreaded the Shadow Game that he would surely force his opponent to play in. He wasn't going to make it easy to fight against, and what troubled me was his opponent's underestimation of the man they believe they would be dueling. Now that they knew just what he was capable of, I believed that Joey, Mai, and Eric stood a good chance against him. They were all very strong duelists. On the other hand, I had no idea what to think about Namu or Salex going up against him. Kaiba was on a whole other level - he would surely fight well against Marik. I was glad he was on our side.

But what about the twelfth duelist who we had yet to meet? I wondered if they had anything to do with why Ishizu was onboard.

I blinked, suddenly realizing something as I thought back to Zafar wanting to get his hands on my Millennium Locket. What if… Ishizu lost her Necklace? And that was why Shadi said all the Millennium Items were gathered on the blimp?

I felt the blood drain from my face. Why did it take me this long to realize this possibility?

"Sarah?" Again the Pharaoh called me with concern, he was watching me closely. I couldn't find the strength in me to respond. My heart was twisting rather uncomfortably.

"I'm alright…" I said with some difficulty after a while. As my thoughts ran wild, I couldn't form what I really wanted to say, which were my immediate concerns. If Ishizu was compromised… then I needed to find out quickly who was involved and what happened.

Instinctively, I reached for my phone deep inside my pocket. I needed to try calling her first to make sure. The moment my fingers grabbed hold of the phone, it vibrated under my touch. I read the message on the screen that just popped up.

It was a message from Ishizu herself. My heart began to race as I quickly opened it.

"Sarah, I'm alright." It read. "You must trust me."

Her Necklace must have shown her that I was going to freak out… I sighed, feeling some relief from the contact, no matter how brief. But why… why hide yourself from me…?

She asked me to trust her, and at this point, was it all that I could do? I didn't know where she could be on this blimp, and if she didn't want to be found, she was going to do everything she could do to make sure that I would never see her until she wanted me to.

I decided to do what she said and have faith. At least she was safe. I was going to pester her about explaining everything to me later.

"I'm… alright…"

Eric peered at me strangely for giving the same answer twice, but he didn't say anything. Against one shoulder, I had the Pharaoh, while the other was protected by Eric. I remember feeling like a wall for the Pharaoh so long ago, but now we were standing on level ground and with more support.

Knowing this, I felt a lot better. Knowing that I wasn't alone made me feel much better. Even though I said that I was alright, I didn't need to hide anymore. I could tell everyone what I was feeling with ease. However, with Ishizu replying back as quickly as she did, I didn't need to worry anybody anymore about this.

A ball finally rolled out of the machine, and Roland read the number aloud.

"Number 2! Joey Wheeler will be the next duelist in the match!"

"Sweet!" Joey punched the air excitedly, revved up and ready to face whoever he was up against. I was glad he was confident in his ability as a duelist.

"Now let him play against a stuffed toy or something so he can actually win," teased Tristan, unable to help himself. Joey nearly socked him right then and there.

"I'll throw you off the blimp myself, Tristan."

"Boys! The second duelist is going to be chosen."

Mai's voice brought the guys back to focus just as the second ball dropped. As Roland read the number aloud to everyone, I felt my heart drop.

"Number 7! Marik!"

The dreaded name echoed off the walls. All eyes turned to the mysterious man clad in a long robe who stood far away from us. As much as I had begun to worry, Joey seemed ever so keen on jumping straight into the duel.

"Alright!" he cried out. Then he pointed harshly at the man. "It's time I get payback for what you did back at the docks!"

"You may have escaped my clutches back then," spoke Marik in a low, threatening voice. "But this time, I will have no backdoors for you to slither through."

"Grr… just looking at you irritates me!"

My fear of our friends becoming more involved… I clenched my fist, reminding myself that I needed to have faith in them. Sometimes, when we wished something wouldn't happen, fate tempted us and ended up doing exactly what we didn't wish for. However, one could see this as a test.

This duel was going to determine Joey's strength against Marik's Shadow Magic. He proved himself quite capable against his mind control back at the docks, but now the real fight was going to begin.

One with not only his mind on the line, but his sanity too.

---

When we finally reached the dueling platform, we were met with Joey making a face and growling at his opponent, while the other paid no attention or just didn't dwell on it. Even while shuffling each other's decks, Joey wouldn't let go of his menacing aura.

I sighed, thinking that he was going to tucker himself out way before the duel even started. Even well after Marik had finished shuffling Joey's deck, the blond continued to shuffle Marik's cards, all the while never once lowering his gaze or quieting his grumbling. Roland needed to step in when he showed no signs of slowing down.

"Alright, you've shuffled his deck enough already. Please make your way to your respective dueling positions."

Joey finally let up. When Marik offered him his cards back, the blond snatched them up and dropped Marik's deck into his hands. Then he turned around and stormed off towards the end of the platform.

"Joey's fired up," said Duke, surprised. "I'm shocked he didn't pounce."

"Joey knows that he can't use physical violence in a tournament this big," said Yugi, who had switched with the Pharaoh in order to support his friend more closely. Meanwhile, the Pharaoh's spirit hovered next to me by his side.

"He must duel his way through this obstacle more carefully than any duel he has faced before," said the Pharaoh, finishing Yugi's thoughts, but only the two of us could hear him. "He has come a long way since the beginning of the tournament. This will be his first match in the final rounds, and it will truly test his strength."

"Joey knows what he's in for," I said, reassuring myself once again as well as the others. "He knows Marik and what he's capable of."

"He promised me we'd fight against Marik together," said Yugi, recalling his first ever duel of the tournament, which now seemed so long ago. "He's ready. He has as much chance as beating Marik as the rest of us now."

It was true that because Joey broke through Marik's mind control before, he was much stronger now than ever. And if Marik did invoke the powers of the Shadows, Joey would be able to push through them. However, the matter of conquering said shadows could only be seen at the end of a match.

I needed to put my faith in Joey. He was up against the very man behind all of this, and instead of worrying about what might happen and what should have happened, I needed to give my all to supporting him, because Joey was strong. He had a fighting chance to win against Marik.

"Joey… do your best..." I prayed to the gods to lend him power.

Next to us, Serenity was cheering her brother on. "You've got this, Joey!" she cried. I hoped that her words reached him even in the darkest of times during this duel.

Wherever there were shadows, darkness was sure to follow.

"This won't be easy…" admitted Téa. "We've got to cheer him on too."

"Duelists! Your match will begin now!" announced Roland. "May the third duel of the Battle City Tournament Finals begin!"

Once Joey reached his end of the dueling platform, he swerved around and gestured towards Marik at the other side. "Watch out, Marik!" he cried. "I'm going to make you regret everything you've done!" A fire burned in his honey-coloured eyes like never before. He looked so determined to defeat Marik. Seeing his courage made me feel stronger too.

"Hmm? Did Marik do something?" asked Salex who suddenly popped up next to me. She was chewing on some pastry that she picked up from the food table in the main room without a care in the world, acting as though this was just another duel in the tournament.

Guilt began to eat away at my conscience, knowing that people who had nothing to do with our situation were involved.

"He's just not a nice person…" I said, offering some form of explanation.

Without a word to his opponent, Marik swiftly pulled the Millennium Rod from behind his back and pointed it threateningly at Joey.

"The Millennium Rod!" gasped Yugi. "He's going to use it in the match after all!"

"Coward…" said the Pharaoh distastefully. "He knows he can't win on his own."

"Marik!" I shouted, taking an abrupt step towards the platform. I felt my anger rising at the sight of his cowardice. He was going to invoke the powers of the shadows to overwhelm Joey!

The blond was surprised at first, to finally see the weapon Marik used to control his mind, but that surprise soon changed and he stood his ground against the threat instead. His attitude was completely different towards Marik now. He was more determined to fight against him.

"Just try it!" he challenged Marik without any hesitation in his voice. "I dare you! You'll have to fight harder against me this time!"

Marik continued to hold out the Rod, making it seem like he was going to use it any second. Those few moments seemed to last forever, until he finally made a move: he placed it back on his hip.

"Very well."

I blinked, feeling my anger stop dead in its tracks. He didn't do anything. But why?

"Alright!" cried Tristan. "Marik must know that Joey's too strong to be mind controlled!"

"That's one less thing to worry about," said Yugi with a sigh of relief.

"What is that?" asked Salex, baffled by the Item in question.

"So that's what he uses to control minds…" said Mai under her breath.

"Is Marik known to back off?" Eric asked me in a hushed whisper. I didn't know what to make of this development.

"He usually doesn't hesitate when using his powers," I said. "Does this mean he won't force a Shadow Duel? I'm glad that Joey won't be subjected to his magic, but it's troubling that he changed his methods so drastically."

"Is it possible that he's willing to fight an honourable duel?" asked Mai.

"I'm not sure what to think…"

"We musn't let our guard down, Sarah," said the Pharaoh. "He may just try something later on in the duel." I nodded, letting him know that I wasn't about to relax one bit.

"Hey, Yugi," started Duke. "Did Joey ever win back his Red-Eyes Black Dragon from you?"

Yugi shook his head. "He doesn't have it with him," he said.

"That Rare Hunter is going to have a lot of powerful cards - rare ones too," said Téa, a little shaken by the thought of Joey fighting against such strength without his own strongest monster.

"Joey can still win this," said Yugi. "Power isn't everything, remember?"

"Yeah, but it would have helped a bunch…"

"As long as he doesn't have Marik's Shadow Magic to worry about, Joey has a much higher chance of winning," I said. Even though I was still shocked by the fact that Marik wasn't using his Millennium Rod to simulate a Shadow Game, I was still glad that Joey didn't have to deal with it.

But why change his plans…? I was so confused.

I felt Salex's eyes on me, watching carefully. She had questions, but she didn't press on. I felt relieved. For now, that was one thing I didn't need to concern myself with. Namu was a little behind the rest of us, but he didn't press us for answers either. Either they didn't care or they just wanted to get on with the duels.

When my eyes landed on Namu, something familiar tugged at the back of my mind. Was it a thought that I had before but couldn't remember now? Confused with what I was feeling, I dropped the idea. If it was important, I would have remembered it, but its existence still bothered me.

Something… was bothering me...

We watched as both Marik and Joey set their respective decks into the large slots on their Duel Disks and the Life Point counter reset to show us their scores.

The match where it all could end was about to begin.

LP: Joey: 4000/Marik: 4000

"Alright, gotta pay attention…" Joey began drawing his first hand of cards. He looked like he was focused for a second, but then a goofy grin appeared on his face, no doubt from whatever he was thinking about. In that split second that he lost his attention, the wind picked up and blew his cards out of his hand.

"Ah!" He scrambled to grab them quickly, and when he couldn't grab the last one with any spare fingers, he used his mouth instead. We watched as he hugged the railing on the platform, trying to regain his balance.

Everyone sighed collectively once we saw that the danger was over.

"Hey, you might actually want to hold on to your cards, Joey!" shouted Duke.

"I don't think I can take much more of this," said Tristan dryly, sounding exhausted already.

"You guys, he needs support," said Serenity. Then she continued to cheer her brother on. "Nice catch, big brother!"

Almost everyone fell at her words. The Pharaoh and I just blinked at each other.

"That's it, Serenity," said Mai. "You keep supporting your brother like that."

"Haha! It's fine! It's all good." Joey settled back into position and fixed his cards, making sure they were all still with him. "Just keeping everyone on their toes. Heh."

"Ra…" I murmured under my breath. This was already going to be a tough match. Joey needed to be focused and on top of his game from the very beginning.

"Let's try this again," said Joey.

"You may go first, Mr. Wheeler. If it helps."

'Mr. Wheeler'? What villain would regard their opponent in such a manner?

"Hmph. I'll show you not to underestimate me, Marik! I'm going to start this duel off by summoning Gearfried the Iron Knight in Attack Mode!" The dark knight materialized onto Joey's side of the field, ready for battle. With 1800 ATK, he was ready for anything that Marik threw his way. It was a good first play.

"That ends my turn. Let's see what you've got, Marik!"

"You believe that because I am quiet, I will continue to rely on my Millennium Rod," said Marik. His olive eyes held no feeling as they glared at his opponent, and they were only focused on their mission. They almost looked robotic, unmoving and void of any emotion. If I were to imagine a face for Marik before I saw him, it would probably have the same eyes.

It was almost sad to see someone so lost in their ways that they couldn't even consider anything else to be true.

"However, Shadow Magic is not my only area of expertise. My dueling skills are also quite superior to any ordinary duelist. To show you just how outside of your league you have fallen, allow me to introduce you to a powerful magic card the likes of which you've never seen. This is where all your troubles will begin, Mr. Wheeler!

"I play the field-spell magic card Temple of the Kings!"

A rumbling noise simulated by the dueling system roared in our ears, and behind Marik's figure, a large stone temple emerged from the floor of the platform, kicking up dust in its wake. It was an old temple, damaged with chips and cracks in various places. The pillars were tall, and they led up a set of stairs, where a large stone box blanketed with raised reliefs sat at the top. In the middle of the stairs sat a square box covered in more painted reliefs with the statue of a sleek black cat resting on top. It was clearly an Ancient Egyptian temple, with the Eye of Horus mirroring a copy of itself on the temple's front face, and the back wall was spotted with hieroglyphs. But it wasn't a temple that I had ever seen, and I was too far away to read what the hieroglyphs meant. Everyone, including myself, couldn't help but awe at the grandeur of the temple, and the mysterious quality that it ascended with.

Where could Marik have gotten such a card?

"What's with the change in scenery, Marik?" asked Joey, unable to mask his confusion.

"The Ancient Temple of the Kings is a 5,000-year-old sanctuary that houses the greatest treasures of Egypt's kings," replied Marik, rather straightforwardly. I wasn't expecting him to tell us a story along with the effects of his spell card. "Some of these treasures are so powerful, that the great kings of Egypt locked them away in hopes of protecting their kingdom."

The Pharaoh and I exchanged quiet glances once more. He seemed to feel the same way I did: what could be so special about this card?

"Oh, yeah?" said Joey, crossing his arms. "And what's it do?"

"In order to protect the treasures themselves from ever falling into the wrong hands, the temple limits the number of magic and trap cards that can be played in one turn."

"Say what?"

"I will also place two cards face down before the temple for added protection and end my turn. Try to attack me, if you dare. You have no idea of the dangers that lurk within the temple walls."

"Marik didn't summon a single monster this turn," noted Téa. "And he's so much more tame than what I was expecting to see." I couldn't agree more with Téa.

"So the face-down cards that he has could all be trap cards," said Tristan with realization.

"What worries me the most is what's hiding within the temple," I said, voicing my concern. Yugi turned to me.

"I was thinking the same thing. Do you know anything about this card, Sarah?"

"I've never seen it before," I admitted with a disappointed sigh. "Whether in card form or in real life back in Ancient Egypt. This is new to me."

"Were there ever other temples with powerful objects in them?" asked Eric curiously.

"Well…" My mind trailed off towards a memory of a tall temple where the walls were covered with countless stone tablets depicting the images of monsters. I did only see the inside once - and it was a complete mistake - but that was the only temple I could think of where the Pharaoh wouldn't let anyone else inside besides his court members.

"Joey, is everything alright?" asked Serenity. Joey was sweating bullets already.

"You look pretty scared, dude," said Tristan bluntly.

"Gah… that's what I was afraid of…" muttered the blond under his breath. He seemed to collect himself after seeing such a massive card come into play and began his next turn.

"I summon Tiny Guardian in Attack Mode!" The cute little warrior dressed in blue bounced onto the field with his little sword and shield.

"And that's all I'm going to do this turn."

"It appears that you are cautious," said Marik, earning him a glare from Joey. "As you should be. The Ancient Temple is not something to be trifled with. For my next turn, I will set two more cards facedown. Let us see what you play next."

As the turns continued, I felt more and more uneasy about Marik. His character was definitely not one that I imagined. He was straightforward, but never once spoke about his goal in the tournament. When he possessed the minds of his Rare Hunters, and spoke to us through them, he sounded more… wicked. Was it just me? Or perhaps, hiding behind another's face allowed him to speak more freely (and wickedly) as opposed to when he was out in the open. Now that everyone was watching him, he was more calculating.

And it still bothered me that he didn't make this duel into a Shadow Game. That was his forte, it was what he was comfortable with - as sad as it was. So why deviate from it now? Was Joey not a worthy enough opponent to be scared of? But he's proven himself quite capable throughout the tournament. Did he truly believe Joey to be stronger than his shadows?

Something was off… but I couldn't put my finger on it… like the feeling that I had back in the lobby. It irked me to no end…

"It looks like your friend may be building up his own little army," said Salex, suddenly bringing me out of my thoughts again. "He hasn't played a single magic card, only monsters."

"That's true… He might have a plan after all."

Salex giggled. "Are you saying your friend doesn't usually plan things out during his duels?"

"Well, it's more that he has his own way of doing things," I said.

"Fair enough. I have a feeling this is going to be a close match."

"Is that so?" I wondered what made her say that. Perhaps it was because Joey was only playing monster cards and Marik was only playing face-down cards - the complete opposite of each other - and neither of them was attacking the other so far.

"That spineless creep is just waiting for Joey to attack," said Mai. "Then he's going to spring one of his trap cards."

"Let's hope that Joey knows that and has a plan," said Yugi.

"Alright, since you're not going to play any monsters, allow me." Joey played another monster card in Attack Mode. "I summon Hayabusa Knight!" A bird monster wearing armour appeared next to the others.

As soon as his monster was on the field, a confident smirk showed up on his face, surprising everyone.

"Now I've got you right where I want you! I play Giant Trunade! This magic card destroys all your magic and trap cards - including your Ancient Temple of the Kings!"

"Alright!" cheered Tristan. "Once all of Marik's magic and trap cards are gone, he'll be completely defenceless!"

"Then Joey can attack with all of his monsters," added Mai.

"That is… too easy…" I murmured. Yugi looked at me, wishing that he could agree, but knowing that he couldn't.

As much as we had wanted this to be the end, it felt like it wasn't going to be.

A hurricane of wind surged onto the field, and inched ever so closely towards Marik's face-down cards. Joey watched on excitedly, waiting for the moment when he could spring his monsters on Marik's Life Points, but just as the hurricane was about to blow everything away, the winds died down and disappeared. Everyone was left struck by the lack of change in Marik's demeanor as well as his side of the field.

"What gives?!" cried Joey. "What happened to my magic card?"

"Did you truly believe a duel against me would be that easy? After all that I have shown you I am capable of before?" boasted Marik. "You should have known that I would know you wouldn't attack me with a monster first after I've played so many facedown cards. Because of your careless mistake, you will pay dearly.

"Your Giant Trunade activated one of my trap cards, which you were trying to rid the field of so quickly." One of Marik's cards flipped over to show a picture of Anubis, the jackal god of the dead. "I activate Judgment of Anubis!"

"So you had a trap card that basically destroys magic cards," deduced Joey.

"That's not all it does. Not only does it stop your Giant Trunade dead in its tracks, and destroy it, but it also destroys all of your monsters!"

"All of them?!" cried Tristan, horrified.

"That's such a heavy price to pay…" murmured Duke.

I watched with a heavy heart as a smoking jackal spiraled onto the field and shot tendrils of smoke straight through Joey's monsters. They perished into dust one by one - but they weren't the only ones to disappear.

"Because of your foolishness to underestimate me, Judgment of Anubis takes Life Points from you as well. My trap deducts half of your monsters' total attack points from your Life Points!"

Joey bared his teeth as he watched his monsters disappear, and continued to do so as his Life Point counter dropped significantly. My concern for Joey threatened to skyrocket.

LP: Joey: 1900/Marik: 4000

"Those were some of my best monsters!" he exclaimed. "Damn…"

"Perhaps now you will not miscalculate to such a degree," said Marik harshly.

"If only I was good at miscalculating!" said Joey suddenly, surprising everyone.

Kaiba sighed. I could only imagine the comments he wished to make with that statement.

"That was all planned, Marik. Yeah, I fell into your trap on purpose! I wanted to test your dueling skills to make sure you're as good as you led us to believe! Good news is that you've passed my exam! Now it's time for me to bring the heat!"

"He's got to be kidding me…" moaned Tristan. "What is he doing…."

"At least Joey didn't lose his confidence, right?" asked Serenity hopefully.

"You're right, Serenity," agreed Yugi. "This is just Joey's way of keeping his head up."

"Even though he just lost all his monsters," murmured Duke.

"You may still be in this duel, but not for long." Marik set two more cards facedown. "That confidence you have will begin to waver."

"Are you sure your confidence isn't wavering?" asked Joey. "This is called Duel Monsters, where you're supposed to battle your opponent with monsters, but you're hiding behind a bunch of trap cards!"

"I have my strategies to play, Mr. Wheeler," said Marik. "And there is no rule that forbids me from playing trap cards."

"Fine then," said Joey as he drew his next card. "I'll just summon my Alligator's Sword and place this one card facedown before ending my turn."

"He knows he can't attack trap cards either or else they'll hurt him," I murmured thoughtfully.

"So what is he going to do?" asked Salex.

"Mmm…" I wasn't sure what he could do, because if Marik wanted Joey to attack, then he may push him into doing so.

Marik drew his next card, but made no move to play anymore cards. "I will end my turn," he said, leaving the field as it was. Joey raised a brow at the strange move - or lack of.

"You don't want to play anything else?" he asked, becoming even more suspicious of the man.

Marik showed no emotion in his gaze, and remained steadfast with his strategy. "Not this time," he said simply, striking even more curiosity within Joey. It looked like Marik really was going to wait for Joey to attack him after all.

"That's weird because…" Joey drew his next card and nonchalantly placed it within his hand. "I do the same."

"They're both not going to play anything…" murmured Tristan.

"Joey's realized that Marik is waiting for an attack," said Mai. She scoffed. "Marik really is a coward, hiding behind a wall of trap cards."

I glanced over the field once more, noting the many trap cards that Marik played facedown before his Ancient Temple of the Kings while Joey's field just had one monster summoned in Attack Mode and one facedown card at his feet. If neither duelist made a move anytime soon, this was going to be a very uneventful duel.

Marik's strategy reminds me of what he did during the tournament… Every Rare Hunter he placed in our way was like a trap that he had sprung, but we never actually met the man himself at all. He seemed to be doing something similar again - placing traps for Joey to deal with so he couldn't reach the root of the problem and fight against it.

I was thinking about what Joey could do in this situation, perhaps he had another card similar to Giant Trunade that he could play during his next turn, until it was once again Marik's turn. But again, he didn't do much.

"I pass this turn as well."

With nothing happening in a couple of turns, it became even more obvious what Marik was trying to get Joey to do. Frustration began to build in the blond's honey-coloured eyes. This was what Marik was waiting for. If Joey allowed it control him, he was going to attack without thinking.

"Joey, stay cool!" warned Mai. "He's doing this on purpose!"

"Yeah, but what other choice do I have?" Joey clicked another card down and summoned Rocket Warrior to the field. I wanted to grab hold of his new monster and just throw it back into his deck. He was going to fall right into whatever trap Marik laid out for him.

Marik didn't say anything, and he remained as poker-faced as ever. He knew Joey wasn't going to be patient enough to handle his strategy.

"It's time I showed you what a real duel is all about," said Joey, gearing himself up for his move. "Rocket Warrior, attack!"

The others cried out for him to stop, but he had made up his mind. Kaiba scoffed next to us.

"Knowing Wheeler's amateur style, of course he was going to crack long before Marik."

"He's learned so much in this tournament," I said quietly. "There's no way that he's throwing it away… right?"

The little warrior monster sealed himself up in his invincible rocket form and shot himself straight towards Marik's Life Points - but of course Marik was waiting.

"Activate trap card. Eye of Ujat!"

One of Marik's many trap cards flipped into activation. The outline of a purple Eye of Ujat teleported from the field to the front face of Rocket Warrior's shell, stopping him dead in his tracks.

"The Eye of Ujat allows me to control your beast," said Marik. "So, I thank you, for providing me a means to attacking you now. Rocket Warrior, take down Mr. Wheeler's Alligator's Sword!"

Still in his invincible form, Rocket Warrior immediately turned around on the field and zoomed towards Alligator's Sword. We were expecting a flurry of pixels, and Joey's Life Points dropping substantially once more, but the blond surprised everyone watching - including Marik.

"That's not gonna work, pal, because I have a facedown card too! I play Fairy Box!"

A large whack-a-mole box materialized onto the field, which Alligator's Sword quickly jumped into to disappear. With his target suddenly gone, Rocket Warrior was left circling the field in confusion. Alligator's Sword popped his head out through one of the holes, encouraging Rocket Warrior to try and finish his attack. The latter dived right in, thinking that Joey's Life Points would decrease once he destroyed his monster, but all he got was a headache when he collided with the box instead of Alligator's Sword.

"What is the meaning of this!" Marik looked slightly upset that his trap card was countered the way it was. He wasn't expecting Joey to still have anything left up his sleeve.

Joey took this moment to relish in his newfound discovery - something I hadn't considered would be a possibility. He was very proud himself to have figured it out on his own, and I would commend him had I didn't wish to disturb his concentration.

"I've figured out what's in your deck, Mr. Ponytail," said Joey with a cocky grin on his face, mocking the neat hairdo on Marik's head. "You have nothing but magic and trap cards! There's not a single monster in your deck!"

"Can a duelist really have a deck like that…?" asked Tristan, surprised at the possibility, and the fact that Joey figured it out at all.

"Duel Monsters decks are supposed to be a balance of monster, trap, and magic cards," said Yugi. "They play into each other. It'd be hard to play with only one type."

"Marik also wouldn't want to give up the chance to use his Winged Dragon of Ra card," said the Pharaoh.

"Let's hope that he can end the match before Marik can summon the beast," I said quietly. I couldn't imagine the kind of effects Ra would have. He was supposed to be the most powerful out of all the gods. I assumed that if Pegasus knew Ancient Egyptian history enough to produce the god cards themselves, then he would have wanted to keep their respective powers as well. If Marik managed to summon it during this duel… Joey was going to have to duel against it...

What could Ra do compared to Slifer and Obelisk? Just how powerful were the god cards that we haven't even seen yet? Joey knew of the possibility, so he must be prepared for what he could come face-to-face with.

"I must congratulate you for having the nerve to make such a bold statement," said Marik from out of nowhere, his shock from Joey's counter move disappearing instantly. I stood uneasily, dreading whatever the man had planned. "As if you knew my cards already, before you even had the chance to meet every single one of them.

"The truth is that you don't know who I am, despite believing that you do. After all that I've done, you and your friends still think that you have a chance of winning. However, I am here to show you just how wrong you are. The truth is, Mr. Wheeler, I do have monsters in my deck. They're simply not summoned by normal means.

"What are you talking about?" asked Joey. He looked a bit shaken up after seeing that his plan didn't work out the way he wanted it to.

"I am speaking about rare types of monsters known as trap-monsters. They're played as trap cards, and summoned as such, but act and attack as monsters with their own effects."

"Is that true?" asked Mai, shocked. "I've never heard of cards like that!"

"Neither have I…" Yugi's brows, which normally don't do this, furrowed forward in thought. "Then again, Marik does love his rare cards… I'm worried about their attack strength. If they have enough power, they could seriously hurt Joey..."

I glared at the man Joey was dueling against. I had a feeling that the duel was going a little too simply. Marik enjoyed putting twists into all his battles.

"Prepare to face, not one, but three of these rare trap-monsters. The moment you employed your attack, these trap cards activated. I suppose this dispels your theory about my deck, doesn't it?"

"It can't be…" Joey's honey-coloured eyes were wide as violet smoke billowed out from under Marik's feet.

"Behold! Come forth, Embodiment of Apophis!"

Three trap cards flipped up into view, and from out of those cards, slithered three large snake-men hybrids. Each snake head was accompanied by a human head, along with arms that held a shield and sword. The long tails followed behind, shining scales smooth over their skin. The violet smoke cleared, and we could see the ugly faces they harboured.

My heart was thumping loudly in my chest, screaming at me to not worry and doubt Joey's abilities. He was going to have to deal with these trap-monsters - even though we've never seen them before. Each snake-men hybrid had a total of 1600 Attack Points, and just like that, Marik had his own army of monsters.

Joey began to sweat.

"You've gone quiet," derided Marik.

"I knew you would have super rare cards in your deck…" started Joey, mustering up all the courage that he could against this new threat. "But I didn't know you'd bring out a whole new type of card!"

"It seems as though you still have a lot to learn about the game."

"Joey can beat those ugly things," said Serenity confidently, but then her timidness began to show. "Right, guys?"

"Joey definitely can't attack now," said Yugi. "His current monsters don't have enough Attack Points."

"So, unless he can summon stronger monsters…" started Duke.

"Right…" Tristan began to catch on. "It makes sense - he needs to protect his Life Points."

"They're already so low…" said Mai uneasily. "Protecting himself should be his top priority."

He can beat these creatures… I stared at the hybrids, which were hissing back at Joey, daring him to try and attack. Sweat was forming on the side of his face. He couldn't lose his composure now.

"It's just another hurdle to jump over, Joey!" I exclaimed, surprising not only myself by my own sudden outburst, but the others as well. "There's always a solution to every problem!"

"You seem scared, Mr. Wheeler," taunted Marik.

"I'm not givin' up yet." With our constant encouragement - and some confidence of his own - Joey calmed down enough to make a calculated move. He studied the cards in his hand carefully before playing something.

"I place this card facedown and switch Alligator's Sword into Defence Mode. That'll be it for now."

"On the defence now… interesting."

"Hmph."

"How sad that your defence means nothing. Attack now, my Embodiments of Apophis!"

Swords raised, the three snake-men hybrids slithered towards Joey's side of the field, gearing up for simultaneous attacks that were going to destroy both monsters as well as his Life Points. However, Joey was ready to counter with something.

"Sorry pal, but not today! I play Scapegoat!"

Four colourful and fluffy little sheep tokens popped onto the field, bravely shielding Alligator's Sword and Rocket Warrior. The play was brilliant, and a great way for Joey to save his monsters as well, but Marik seemed to have a counter for every one of Joey's moves.

My alleviated heart dropped into my stomach at the sight of Marik's next card.

"That was a good play," he said, but we knew he didn't mean it. "However, even your Scapegoat is about to be nullified. I activate Magic Jammer!"

"Another trap…" sighed Mai. She was beginning to become more anxious.

"Oh no…" Yugi's concerned violet eyes widened. "This isn't good…!"

"Once I discard one card from my hand, Magic Jammer will negate the activation of your spell card and destroy it."

"No way!" We watched with impending dread as the four fluffy sheep tokens disintegrated from the weight of Magic Jammer's heavy smoke as soon as Marik sent a card from his hand to the Graveyard. The magic circle that appeared beneath the monsters was all that was left, and once its job was done, that too disappeared, leaving Joey quite exposed with only two monsters.

Fear entered his eyes as he knew what was coming next. Stared down by three snake monsters that were ready to attack, I watched his form falter. I didn't wish to doubt Joey, because he was such a strong duelist, but Marik was evil. Joey needed to start thinking about the duel differently if he wanted to win.

But right now, he had to contend with an onslaught of attacks.

"Now face the wrath of my Embodiments of Apophis!"

The snake monsters charged forward once again, each brandishing their sword against a target. One slashed his sword straight through Rocket Warrior's, reducing him to dust at the site. The second crossed swords with Alligator's Sword. Joey's monster did his best to fight back, but it was no match against the brute strength of his opponent. He soon disappeared too. The third snake monster was left to attack, but there was only one target left.

Joey braced himself as the sword slashed across his torso.

His Life Points plummeted just as my heart did.

LP: Joey: 0200/Marik: 4000

"Joey!" cried Serenity. Her brother staggered for a moment before falling onto his news, weakened both physically and mentally. After continuous onslaughts of attacks, and no way of countering, he was beginning to feel uncertain about his dueling skills. He needed to get a hold of himself.

"Joey, get up!" shouted Yugi, desperately trying to get his friend to pull himself together, but Joey didn't answer.

He looked so defeated from that last attack.

I clenched my fists, wondering what in the world I could offer as encouragement, but words couldn't even begin to form in my throat. I had no idea what could be said in comfort. Where did all that strength go? Where did all the faith go?

"Only a few Life Points left…" Joey muttered quietly in a daze. "It's all over…"

"You have no more monsters," said Marik. "And you have only 200 Life Points to your name. You cannot possibly win against me. You asked for a fair duel, and I have given you one. I played by the rules, and you still couldn't defeat me."

It was harsh to hear those words on the sidelines. I couldn't imagine the pain that Joey was feeling from being on the receiving end.

"You made it all the way to the Battle City Finals just to lose on your knees. Such a shame," continued Marik. "May as well continue to stay down, because I will soon take away the few Life Points that you have left!

"Or… do you wish to surrender to save yourself that humiliation?"

"Don't listen to him, man!" shouted Tristan. "We haven't given up on you! You still have a chance to turn this duel around!"

Joey stayed silent for a moment, until his hand began to move towards his deck. I snapped when he started thinking about Marik's option to surrender.

"Don't you dare move another finger!" Joey winced at the harshness in my tone, but his hand stopped where it was. "Joey, he's in your head. You can't let him stay in there!"

"You promised to defeat Marik with me, Joey," said Yugi. "I can't do it without you! You need to stay in the game!"

"You still have Life Points left, Joey," said Mai. Her voice was more soothing and more controlled. Joey looked right at her when she spoke, despite bearing dampened spirits. She managed to grab his complete attention while we were only gaining bits of it. "That means you still have a chance."

"I still have a chance…" Joey repeated back, easing out of the stupor Marik's words put him in.

"Think about all the duels you've battled during the tournament. You didn't win them by giving up, did you? No. You pushed through them to get to where you are now. Are you going to let Marik of all people get into your head and make you doubt yourself?"

"You know, Mai… You bring up a good point." Joey finally rested his hand on the floor instead of on his deck. I was glad I didn't have to see the threat of him surrendering anymore. Mai was able to give him back enough of his confidence to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"Joey, have courage!" said Serenity. "Just like how you taught me when I was too afraid to take the bandages off after my surgery. You're the strongest person I know, and if Mai and your friends say that you still have a chance to win this duel, then you shouldn't give up!"

The mass of support given to Joey lifted him back onto his feet. He was finally standing again, and there was new energy in his gestures as he clenched his fists, gearing himself up to begin his fight again.

"You're right…" Joey's solemn face lit up with his smile. "I made it this far by standing against the odds. Even if this duel is against me too, I still need try to win! Until my last Life Point disappears!"

"Alright!" cheered Duke.

"That's the spirit, man!" hollered Tristan.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Joey was definitely a lot stronger than most people would give him credit for. Sure, he needed some reminding now and again, but he learned so much in such a short amount of time, and having such amazing and supportive friends - not to mention an inspiring younger sister - helped him back into the duel. From a little ways away, I noticed Kaiba's glare set on the blond watching him carefully. If given the chance, I was sure that Kaiba would have made some comment about Joey's lack of persistence. Thankfully, he only looked annoyed, and didn't say anything. Mokuba clapped out of respect for our friend.

My restless mind continued to comprehend the strength of Marik's overwhelming power. It was insane how even without the use of his Millennium Rod, he was still able to get inside Joey's mind. That just showed me how cunning the man actually was.

On instinct, my hand grasped the Locket around my neck. Joey was truly very strong… perhaps he really will defeat Marik. I needed to believe in him just like Yugi, Serenity, and the others did. I couldn't always claim to have the solution to a problem.

"Show him what you've got, Joey!" I cheered with the others.

"Marik, I hope you're ready," said the blond, a wickedly confident smirk on his face. The despair he displayed turned completely around. "Because every time you knock me down, I'm just going to get right back up and fight harder than before!"

"I see that you and your friends hold a special bond," said Marik, after watching us.

"Bet you don't have anyone who cares about you that much," said Joey coldly.

"I did once," replied Marik, surprising us. We weren't expecting Marik to say something so personal. "But that was a long, long time ago."

So, even Marik had people who loved him… What changed? Was it Marik's intentions to become evil that separated him from his own friends? Was he a good person before his thirst for power arose? I began to wonder what made Marik the way he was.

"Tell me, Mr. Wheeler," said Marik suddenly. "Why did you enter the Battle City Tournament?"

"Huh? Well… I wanted to fulfill a promise I made." My heart twinged as his eyes briefly flickered in our direction. "I've met some amazing people during the tournament, and they've helped me out so many times. So, it's only right that I help fight for what's right. That's why I take back all that I said about giving up! I don't want to disappoint everyone who got me to this point!

"Thanks everyone, for reminding me not to give up. I'm fighting this duel for you guys."

"Joey…" I felt so touched by his words that my eyes began to sting. I refused to show anymore emotion with the Pharaoh standing right next to me. For so long, I thought I needed to help the Pharaoh all on my own, but now we had friends thanks to Yugi. They were willing to lend us their support and fighting power. I felt happy knowing that it wasn't just us anymore. Even the Pharaoh showed small hints of a smile just now.

The others celebrated their friend's confidence returning. "Joey's back!" cheered Téa.

"There's the dork we all know," said Mai with a smile.

"That is quite touching, indeed," said Marik reminiscently. "However, despite your will to continue fighting, giving up would have been much easier for you."

A gentle light shone next to me, and I noticed the Pharaoh had switched places with Yugi. He turned towards Joey and relayed an important message, grabbing his full attention before Marik could implant anymore doubt:

"Something you can see… but can't see."

Those words were quite familiar, as they were the guide required to solve the Millennium Puzzle. While the others were slightly wary about the hidden meaning behind the Pharaoh's words, Joey seemed to understand right away. He smiled and gave the Pharaoh a confident nod of his head.

"I'll never give up," said Joey again. "Not as long as I'm still standing. I promised Yugi I'd help him defeat you, and stop you from whatever sick goals you have."

"That is quite the agreement," said Marik. "Let us see how much longer you can continue to stand. Make your final pathetic move so that I may end your suffering during my next turn."

"Look out!" Joey drew his next card, but made sure to not show any emotion as he thought out a strategy in his head. "I'm going to knock you off this blimp! I play two cards facedown and summon Swordsman of Landstar in Defence Mode!" A small swordsman with a round face materialized onto the field. It didn't have very many defence points, but it was still a mode of defence against Marik.

"Your bluffs will not make me hesitate for a second," claimed Marik. He didn't believe that Joey had what it took to defeat him after all. "Embodiments of Apophis! Attack Joey's monster and his Life Points directly once more to end this duel once and for all!"

The snake monsters charged in again, however this time, Joey didn't give even one of them the chance to destroy his monster.

"You think I was bluffing? Well, I'll show you! Activate face-down card: Foolish Burial! This entire duel, you've thought of me as nothing but foolish, right? So I'm going to do something you'll think is incredibly dumb! I'm going to place one of the cards in my hand into your card Graveyard!"

"What do you think that will accomplish?" asked Marik as we watched Joey choose a card to put into Marik's Graveyard.

"Why not ask one of my trap cards? I activate my second face-down card: Graverobber! This card lets me steal a card from my opponent's Graveyard! And since I have my eyes on the card that I just put into your Graveyard, I'll just steal that one back. With this Graverobber, I'm able to play my chosen card right away!

"Welcome to the field the monster of your ultimate demise, Marik! I summon Jinzo!"

The large monster clothed in green materialized onto the field, carrying with him a very menacing aura that could rival Marik's snake monsters'. At the sight of Joey's new beast, Marik took a cautious step back, something I didn't expect him to do. He wasn't one to be scared of anything.

"Oh no…!"

"Sounds like you know what's comin'," said Joey. "And you should be scared, because Jinzo's special ability prevents you from playing trap cards!"

"You've managed to summon a very powerful beast to the field…" Marik had begun to sweat. His powerful strategy of using mostly trap cards was going to be dampened thanks to the effects of Joey's new monster.

"Jinzo is one of the strongest monsters in Duel Monsters," said Joey. "His special effect of destroying trap cards is what makes him so powerful. Not only will he prevent you from playing future trap cards, but he will also destroy the ones that you already have on the field."

"You don't mean…"

"That's right, Marik! Your snake monsters may have all the strengths of trap cards, but they have all the weaknesses too! That means Jinzo can take them out!"

Bright red energy beams shot from Jinzo's eyes ripped through Marik's Embodiments of Apophis. All three of them disintegrated at the weight of their new opponent's power. Without leaving a scratch on Swordsman of Landstar, Marik's trap-monsters were destroyed, and Marik was left defenceless.

As wind blew away the smoke from his attack, Joey put his hands on his hips. "You know, I won Jinzo in my very first match in this tournament," he said. "From a real opponent, who thought that using cheap tricks after all wasn't the right way to do things. I call him a real duelist, because he fought like one for the rest of our match after I found out what he was doing. He realized what the true meaning of being a duelist was.

"You, Marik, don't know the first thing about being a true duelist."

"Hmph, so I don't fit into your ideologies." Marik scoffed. "You didn't pose much of a threat to me before this match started, but now that you have gotten this far, I may have to reconsider."

"Hold your opinions of me for a while longer," said Joey harshly, remembering to keep Marik at an arm's length, if not further away. He drew his next card when Marik didn't have anything else to play after calling his attack, which failed miserably. "I still have one more thing I need to do.

"For this turn, I summon Battle Warrior in Attack Mode! I also switch Swordsman of Landstar into Attack Mode. You know what's coming, don't you?"

Marik didn't say anything. The worry from his face translated into beads of sweat that trickled down the side of his face, over the hieroglyphs depicting of loyalty. He braced himself for the inevitable.

"Jinzo! Attack!"

The large man stepped up to the front of the line and held out his hands. Within those hands, a large ball of dark, electric energy ripped through space and took shape. Finally, he shot it straight at Marik's chest, shocking him to his core.

LP: Joey: 0200/Marik: 1900

"We're not finished yet, Marik!" Joey threw his hand forward to direct his next attack. "Battle Warrior and Swordsman of Landstar - attack him directly!"

The rest of Joey's brigade charged forward to attack. Battle Warrior smashed his fist against Marik's torso and Swordsman of Landstar slashed him straight across his chest. Although the attacks weren't real, the force from the life-like holograms was enough to push Marik back. He winced at the energy that was drained from him.

LP: Joey: 0200/Marik: 0900

"Incredible…" And just like that, Joey turned the duel completely around. Marik was still in the lead, but in just one turn, Joey had taken most of his Life Points, just as Marik had done. Joey's courage and the confidence he received from his friends allowed him to push through enough to come up with a great strategy. I was amazed.

It just took him one more turn of not giving up to make such a huge impact against Marik.

"Alright! Look at our boy go!" cheered Duke and Tristan.

"I knew he had it in him this whole time," said Mai with a knowing smile.

"That was such a good move!" cried Téa excitedly as she celebrated her friend's move with Serenity.

I sighed and rubbed the side of my neck sheepishly. The Pharaoh noticed and smirked a bit.

"We don't have anything to worry about for a while," he said.

I smiled. "I suppose we don't… Joey's doing very well."

"We're proud of you, Joey!" cheered Serenity. Joey grinned at the sight of his smiling sister.

"Congratulations on your attack, Mr. Wheeler," said Marik. "Even a weak man will struggle for honour. That is something even I can relate to."

Once again, his words took both the Pharaoh and me by surprise. Marik straightened himself after the onslaught of attacks, and although still emotionless, his statement about 'honour' intrigued me. I could tell by the curious look on the Pharaoh's face that he also found this strange.

"From all our previous… "encounters" with him, I was under the impression that Marik was only ever selfish and goal-oriented," I said in a hushed whisper.

The Pharaoh leaned ever so slightly into my arm as he whispered back. "Something isn't right," he said.

I agreed. Marik would never have congratulated anyone he dueled against on their comeback or strong play. Was this the same man we battled against throughout this entire tournament? Did he change somehow during the finals? He did seem more stoic than what I was expecting to see.

The whole situation didn't sit well with me.

Joey wasn't having any of it. "Stop talking nonsense," he said wittedly. "Don't mock me. You're the one who brainwashed me and pitted me against my best friend."

Marik didn't say anything about that, and simply continued on with the duel by drawing a card. Again, I was surprised. Again, I expected him to make some sort of comment like he used to, but again, he said nothing. I sighed, feeling my concern grow at this mystery.

"Let us continue to keep a close eye," said the Pharaoh, once again whispering into my ear. I was about to reply when Eric suddenly squeezed in between us.

"Hey, is it just me or did Joey just get really lucky?" he asked. I blinked.

"Joey managed to put together a strategy that worked well in his favour," I said. "I don't think that's luck."

"Right…"

"Why are you suddenly here?"

"Oh, just wanted to be here. In this spot."

The Pharaoh just leaned away from Eric, cleared his throat, and continued watching the duel. I wanted to keep talking to him, but I suppose now wasn't the time. For some reason, Eric had decided that he suddenly needed to be here in this exact spot in this exact moment. I didn't say anything else to him, because I didn't know what else to say.

"You may have foiled my current strategy, but do not forget that I still have Ancient Temple of the Kings in play," said Marik. "Its ancient powers are like nothing you've ever seen. I may not be able to play any of my strong trap cards at the moment, but I can still play strong magic cards. In this turn, I will activate Swords of Revealing Light!"

Shining swords fell from the heavens and captured Joey's monsters in their light. Mai cursed under her breath.

"This isn't good," she said. "The swords prevent Joey from attacking for three whole turns."

"Long time in a match like this one," said Duke. "Where every turn counts."

"Joey can still summon strong monsters," said Eric.

"Don't want me attacking you directly anymore, huh," berated Joey. "That's fine. This'll just give me some time to build up my strength! I sacrifice my Battle Warrior to summon The Legendary Fisherman!"

Battle Warrior disappeared into a vortex on the field, and from within the same vortex, appeared The Legendary Fisherman riding on top of a shark. Joey had summoned the beast in Defence Mode, which meant that he was being careful.

"I'll also switch the rest of my monsters into Defence Mode as well. Back to you, baldy!"

With no comment against the name calling, Marik silently drew another card from his deck for his next turn. His expression suddenly changed to one of surprise when he saw what was in his hand.

That didn't seem normal.

The man spent some time staring at the card he just drew, the curious look he had on his face disappearing in a moment as quickly as it had shown up. He was back to showing no emotion, but when he took his time deciding what to do, my concern grew even more. Marik wouldn't hesitate this much over anything.

What was he doing?

"Are you going to play a card now or wait 'till Easter?" asked Joey impatiently.

"Patience, Mr. Wheeler," said Marik carefully, coming back to the duel from wherever his thoughts had taken him. "Great strategies require precise preparation. I will start by playing one card facedown. Now then… I suggest that you prepare yourself, because the card that I am about to play will be the final instrument of your destruction!"

"Final card?" Joey's eyes narrowed cautiously.

"You will see soon enough. I will place this almighty and powerful card within the ark at the top of the temple steps!"

The large box housed by the Ancient Temple of the Kings began to emit a cryptic glow. Could the card have been a spell? Perhaps a monster? But what kind of monster could Marik hide in in such an important place?

"With that, I end my turn."

"Just another face-down? Definitely not a trap!" Joey, now at the height of his game, drew his next card rather enthusiastically, glad that he finally had Marik on the run. However, knowing Marik and how careful he was, he definitely had another strategy - and it must have had something to do with whatever he buried within the ark.

"Joey, don't get too cocky…" I muttered under my breath. "Be cautious of the card he called 'the instrument of your destruction'…"

"I have a terribly bad feeling about that card Marik has hidden within his temple…" said the Pharaoh. I matched his crimson eyes with a worried glance of my own. Eric shifted between us.

"You don't think… it could be…?"

"I hope it isn't…"

"What are you guys talking about?" Eric finally asked.

"Get ready for this! I play Monster Reborn to bring back an old friend of mine - Alligator's Sword!" Once Joey's old monster showed up on the field once again, he didn't hesitate to continue along with his play. "Now I sacrifice him and Swordsman of Landstar to summon a powerful monster known as Insect Queen! I won this bug card from a little insect we had a run-in with before!"

"Incredible… he's summoned all the rare cards he won during the tournament," Mai awed.

"Joey has come a long way since the beginning," said the Pharaoh. "And this duel will serve as an ultimate test to his abilities."

"The swords will also expire next turn," noted Eric.

"Exactly," said Joey with a smirk. "And once they're gone, I'm gonna hit you with everything I've got, Marik! Since you don't have traps or monsters to protect yourself with, you're finished!"

Marik's unmoving gaze hardened considerably at Joey's words. A shiver climbed up my spine as I observed his intense olive eyes boring a hole into his opponent. Despite Joey's confidence, Marik still had fight in him, not to mention a powerful card he claimed to have at his disposal.

"You think that these powerful monsters you have managed to acquire will be enough to scare me?" Marik's voice had become quite menacing all of a sudden. Was he trying to scare us?

"How foolishly naive."

"I don't see you playing anything for me to be terrified of, Ponytail," mocked Joey. "And besides, I know that no matter what you throw at me, I'll be able to take it!"

"You have never encountered anything like this before. The card hidden within the ark is considered to be the most powerful monster in all of Duel Monsters. The very earth will shake in its presence."

The more I thought about his words, and the tenacity of his gaze, the more I realized what his powerful card might be. Even the Pharaoh's crimson eyes widened. Even Joey began to realize something was different from the alarmingly dangerous aura being emitted by his opponent. Marik trapped him in his gaze, never faltering once as he spoke. Any words that Joey wished to say died in his throat.

"You see, Mr. Wheeler. I am about to summon a monster that you can't destroy."

"What…" Sweat began to bead down the side of Joey's face.

"While your monsters were trapped within my Swords of Revealing Light, unable to attack, I was able to prepare for the arrival of an ancient creature. This all-powerful beast will serve as the guardian of the sacred temple, protecting my ancient sanctuary and all the secrets that lie within."

"Marik… what in the hell are you…"

"I play the magic card Cup of Sealed Soul!" A large stone chalice with the Eye of Horus engraved on its face emerged from the floor of the platform, overflowing with dark smoke that nearly covered the entire field. It looked like a sacrificial chalice, and what Marik did next only solidified its purpose.

"I also reveal my face-down card: Seal of Serket!" A large, round stone tablet with the shape of a scorpion carved within formed next to the cup. Suddenly, the three magic cards currently in play on Marik's side of the field began to glow harmoniously.

"When Ancient Temple of the Kings is played in combination with Cup of Sealed Soul and Seal of Serket, I am able to awaken the ancient guardian from its slumber!"

The dark smoke ballooned and exploded from the cup, forming the shape of a large scorpion with blood-red scales and rows upon rows of sharp teeth. The enormous beast stretched across the stairs of the temple, standing protectively before the ark and guarding whatever was inside. One its back was a large Eye of Horus, completing the set of magic cards Marik had laid out. Joey's honey-coloured eyes widened at the sight of his newest challenge.

"That thing is humongous!"

"This monster is meager compared to what lurks within the sacred temple."

"Then tell me now! What did you hide inside the ark, Marik!"

"Within the ark lies my Egyptian God Card - The Winged Dragon of Ra!"

Suddenly, the concern I beared within my heart turned into an ache that I had not felt for quite some time. In just a few turns, Joey was now faced with a dilemma that was not even of this world. He was going to fight against the strongest card in Marik's arsenal - the third god card.

Joey was a strong duelist… but was he strong enough to take on an Egyptian god?

---

Author's Note: Hellooo again~ That was a long chapter! Thanks for sticking around! I know it takes me a while to post these chapters, but I'm glad that many readers enjoy my perspective on the show and continue to follow along. I hope this chapter was fun to read! See you in the next one - where things get even more intense!

~xyugiohluvrx