Written: 07/10/19

Author's Note: Welcome to another chapter!

~*Marik has revealed what he has hidden within the ark of the Ancient Temple. As if the arrival of his ultimate beast wasn't enough to contend with, the temple itself was guarded by a horrifically powerful creature with a hidden ability of its own. Will Joey be able to stand a chance against Marik now?*~

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

Battle City - New Evil Emerges, Old Friends Reunite - Chapter 43

The Egyptian Gods were a force to be reckoned with. They were worshipped for the very ground they tread upon. Their presence was even thought to be within the Pharaohs themselves. For centuries, Egyptians believed their kings to be descendents of the gods, and treated them with as much royalty and distinguished honours as the entities they worshipped. It was because of the Pharaohs' close ties to the gods that I treated both the Pharaoh and his son with the utmost respect.

When I saw the Pharaoh now, I couldn't see the shine he was always bathed in, or the sun's rays glinting off his gold bands. I couldn't see the plum-coloured wings that glided over the air behind him as he walked, or the cape that he always wore. There were no signs of the pieces of gold that adorned him, like the gold bands above his biceps, around his wrists, and over his calves. He no longer wore the crown he was presented at his ascension ceremony, when he no longer was prince but a king.

I could not see the gods in my beloved king anymore.

He appeared much more casual now, wearing similar clothes as the boy whose body he inhabited as a spirit. He no longer displayed the same grandeur. I couldn't imagine anyone bowing to him if they saw him now.

However, appearances weren't everything, and I could imagine myself still bowing to him because I believed in him.

The Pharaoh still stood tall when facing any confrontation. He still presented himself to a problem courageously. He never backed down from any challenge. Against odds that seemed forever against him, he fought on. He was still the strong Pharaoh that I knew from Ancient Egypt.

Which was why I believed that he would be able to stand up against the power of the Egyptian Gods.

Now that the gods were represented in card form, not only were the cards going to be very powerful in terms of attack strength and magical properties, but they were also going to be magnificent. Their powers, which were not only amazing but destructive too, were now in the form of cards. As much as they would be difficult to face in the real world, I couldn't imagine how difficult they would be to deal with in a duel, because in a duel, we had no choice but to fight against them.

I missed the chance to see how the Pharaoh defeated Slifer during his duel against the mime. The fact was that he found a way, because he was strong.

Joey was also a strong duelist, but he had no prior experience fighting against a god card, so I worried for him a lot more, but if there was one thing I learned from Yugi and his friends, it was to have faith. I always told the Pharaoh to trust his instincts back in Duelist Kingdom, so now I had to listen to the others.

I couldn't just continue to worry about our friend. Worry was a natural thing, but we needed to support Joey too if he was ever going to stand a chance at defeating Marik.

LP: Joey: 0200/Marik: 0900

"You mean to tell me you have the most powerful Egyptian God card hiding away in that ark of yours?" Joey asked with shaking breath. Sweat was beginning to bead down the side of his face already, and the beast hadn't even been released yet.

"You understand now why I suggested that you surrender this duel earlier on," chided Marik. "You did not choose the easy way out of this battle."

"I don't back out of a fight," said Joey, continuing to stand his ground. "No matter how crazy the monster put up against me is."

"I admire a fellow duelist for having the nerve to think that they can stand against the mighty Ra..."

"We are not friends."

"... Or stupidity."

"I ain't afraid of your Beast of Selket either!"

The enormous and hefty scorpion monster bearing blood-red scales and the Eye of Horus on its back roared at his opponents, sizing them up and asserting his power against them. Joey's monsters, which were all of the rare monsters that he procured from his Battle City wins, were still trapped behind Marik's wall of Swords of Revealing Light. Once it was Joey's turn again, I wondered what he would do...

A lump formed in my throat, which was hard to swallow.

"That may be because it cannot attack during the turn that it is summoned," said Marik. "You do know the effects of a magic ritual, correct?"

"Hmph. Magic ritual…" Joey went on to mumble under his breath as he drew his next card. He then released a sigh. "I'm keeping my monsters in Defence Mode for now. Do your worst."

"You know what is coming next," taunted Marik. "And to think that you cannot stop it… Mighty Beast of Selket! Attack Mr. Wheeler's Jinzo!"

"Jinzo was saving Joey from Marik's trap cards," said Serenity, concern lacing her voice. "If he's gone, won't that mean Marik can play his trap cards again?"

"It certainly does," said Mai with a sigh. "I guess Joey couldn't play anything great this turn. He has all these powerful monsters, but he has no way of using them effectively. It doesn't help that the Swords of Revealing Light disappeared right when Joey's turn ended."

As the last of the glowing swords glimmered out of existence, Selket charged in for an attack, its large pincers at the ready. It was only now that I noticed the scorpion's enormous stinger, which loomed over its head, ready to jab at anything it needed to. Selket captured Jinzo in its claws and moved it closer towards its rows of countless sharp teeth. In a horrid scene, Marik's enormous monster devoured Joey's before our eyes, body, effect, and all. Several of us couldn't stand the sight and nearly got sick.

"Disgusting…" Téa grumbled while turning green. Mai and Serenity next to her covered their mouths. Even Joey took a step back and shivered frightfully at the sight.

"That's distasteful," shuddered Tristan. Téa looked like she was going to hurl.

"Don't say 'taste'!"

The Pharaoh's crimson eyes narrowed at the horrendous act. "It was enough if he had just destroyed Joey's beast," he said, quietly. Then he turned to me. "You seem to be taking this rather well."

"I've seen worse." My nose scrunched up at the thought of some old stories that harboured even more disgusting behaviour. I couldn't admit after his praise, that despite not showing anything, I still felt uncomfortable seeing an ally being eaten alive. "I wonder what Selket gains by consuming his opponents."

"A very perceptive query, Guardian." Marik's unpleasantly calm voice gained everyone's attention once more. He did however glare at me for no apparent reason. What was that all about? "With every monster Selket consumes, it grows stronger. It accumulates half the attack power that it swallows and claims it as its own!"

At once, Selket began to transform. Large back legs sprouted from under the beast, and the Eye of Horus accompanied the head with a neck of its own. The beast was now towering above the fields with a grand total of 3700 Attack Points.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"That's so twisted…" grimaced Joey, seeing the remnants of his monster show through his opponent's. "Can't fight me head on, can you!"

"I'm not sure what else you would like for me to do," replied Marik nonchalantly. "My monster's effect is my monster's attack. You were so concerned about my Egyptian God card, but I can clearly see that this monster is proving to be challenging enough for you!

"Face it, Mr. Wheeler! You are out of options!"

"We'll just see about that!"

Aggressively, Joey drew his next card, but once he saw what it was, he grew frustrated. "Damn! I'm gonna have to pass this turn too…"

"Indeed, you will be defeated. Beast of Selket! Attack Insect Queen next!"

Now on hind legs, Selket was able to not only grab Insect Queen with its large pincers, but also raise her off the ground. There was struggle on her part, but in mere seconds, she realized it was futile. Once again, Selket fed on the opposing monster. Insect Queen was practically inhaled amidst the sound of crunching bones and teeth ripping into flesh. Shivers ran up my spine at the grotesque scene animated before us, and my hand instinctively grabbed the Pharaoh's sleeve.

I hadn't realized that he was so close.

"How ghastly…" The Pharaoh shook his head at the sight. Then he leaned in ever so slightly against my arm, making me painfully aware of my actions, and causing a blush to score my cheeks.

"I thought you said you could handle this."

"That… surprised me," I replied with a nervous swallow. The sounds were what got me in the end. "I'm worried for Joey and what this might do to his morale."

Kaiba scoffed quietly under his breath. "I developed the software to be as real as I could get it to be because I wanted duelists to experience the duels that they battled in. When in the face of danger, really in the face of it, they need to be able to think quickly on their feet. Duel Monsters is a game where psychology plays a huge part.

"If Wheeler can't handle the duel, then he'd better step out of the ring."

Our friend was doing his best to stand against the giant beast, but his knees began to buckle. Even though he looked absolutely terrified, his words told us the complete opposite of what we thought he was thinking.

"There's no way I'm backing out now! Even though this piece of work right here is literally eating my army alive, I'm gonna fight back!"

"Judging from your last few plays, there isn't much that you are able to do," taunted Marik. On his field, Selket morphed again into a grotesque creature bearing insect wings on its back. Even Tristan, trying his best to put on a brave front, held his mouth in shock.

"That thing's got 4900 Attack Points!" he cried.

"I… I don't think I can watch anymore…" Serenity's expression had grown quite pale. Her feet began to move her backwards, away from the dueling platform, and away from her brother. The pressure that Joey was feeling was getting to her.

"Wait, Serenity." Her brother's longing voice stopped her from turning away. His honey-coloured eyes pleaded for her to stay. "I need you. You're my sister, and your support means as much to me as the support of my friends. Even if I lose here, I need you to watch. You found your way out of the darkness… now I need a guiding light. So, please stay…"

Serenity took a moment to collect her thoughts. Even Eric, who didn't say anything the entire time since Selket went on a binge-eating rampage, stepped forward to offer some help by holding out his hand for her to take. She thought about her options, probably weighing which one was easier in her head. Of course, running away was always easier, because with one turn of one's head, one didn't need to think about whatever was bothersome. Just as easy as it was to run away, it was just as hard to remain and continue fighting against a battle that seemed impossible, in this case, to provide support for a brother who fought for her eyes.

In the end, it must have been her brother's courage from Duelist Kingdom that won her over again, because she accepted Eric's hand and walked back towards the others. Téa and Mai helped to support her.

"I'm sorry, Joey," she said timidly. "I'll do my best to keep supporting you. I'm not going to give up on you!"

Joey smiled, and light seemed to enter his darkened eyes once again.

"Family ties are everything…" said Eric, but his voice was so quiet that I wondered if he was only speaking to himself. He was back by my side, with his hands concealed in his pockets, but there was a sad look in his maroon eyes, one I never expected to see. I wanted to ponder, but I merely just grasped his shoulder.

"So is the bond between friends," I said. "Isn't that what the others taught us?"

"So far… I think I'm still on the sidelines."

The idea seemed too outrageous for me, considering how much I had begun to value Eric's presence. However, before I could even ask him about his own family ties, or about what he meant, Selket's deafening roar which could be heard for miles blocked my senses.

"Light in the darkness…" Marik seemed to have been thinking about something after Joey's plea. He appeared to be in a far off place. This wasn't the first time that I noticed him act differently than what I imagined. He always displayed ruthlessness through his mind puppets, but now that we were actually face-to-face, he seemed completely different.

What was he thinking about? He was always focused on obtaining the power of the Pharaoh, but in this duel, he hardly gave that impression.

Is this… really Marik? I imagined him to be so different…

The Pharaoh glanced over at me, oddly thinking the same thing.

The oddities that we continued to witness were piling up far too much. Were we thinking too hard about this?

"Family can certainly chase away the darkness, like a light from above, however… yours will not be able to save you from your fate, Mr. Wheeler."

"I may not be able to play anything right now," started Joey, a fire raging in his eyes. "And I might even lose, but I'm not even going to run away from a loss like a coward!"

"Beast of Selket! Consume his last beast!"

With one grab of its giant claws, Legendary Fisherman was also trapped in the large scorpion's grasp. Gobbling down Joey's third powerful monster gave Selket another major power boost - up to 5825 Attack Points.

"This is insane!" cried Mai. "That beast will destroy Joey!"

"He really couldn't play anything for three turns?" asked Duke with disbelief in his voice.

"Only Joey can see his own cards," said the Pharaoh. "And only he can understand best what to play."

"Or what not to play," sighed Tristan.

"How is he going to compete with a monster that strong?" asked Téa.

I watched the transformed Beast of Selket carefully, thinking of possible strategies that Joey might have been able to play if he had the right cards in his hand. Then I looked over at Marik, his lack of hindered confidence unmatched by Joey's. Even though Joey was potentially facing a defeat, he didn't show any fear…

I stopped, and my eyes grew wide.

"... He isn't going to compete at all..."

"Sarah?" Eric looked at me, concern evident in his maroon eyes. "What do you mean?"

"He's not throwing the duel, but… he's accepting defeat."

"Joey's what?" cried Tristan, outraged.

Joey didn't falter from his intense gaze, even after drawing another card from his deck. "I still can't play anything," he said, his words feeling like glass shattering on the ground. "I'm really out of options."

"Hmph. After displaying such a tough front, you are going to lose after all," derided Marik. "It really is such a shame… you could have forfeited the duel many turns ago, and saved yourself from the humiliation of giving up your turns. In the end, you chose such a difficult way to eat your loss."

"It's weird, Marik," said Joey, paying no heed to the man's words. "Even though, I know now that I can't play anything to beat you, I don't feel as worried about it as before. I can accept this defeat, because I see this duel as an honourable one.

"I thought for sure that you were going to play a trick like you did before. I was expecting it to hit at any moment, but there was no foul play. I really think that you played as a True Duelist today, which bugs me, because at the same time, I don't imagine the Marik that I know to be one.

"He's been in my head before. He pitted me against my friends. I imagined him as an evil nutcase, not someone who would play Duel Monsters like it was intended to be played. Especially not someone who reminisced about some things that I've said.

"Ever since this duel started, I've had this strange feeling… that you aren't Marik."

"Not Marik?" exclaimed Tristan, bewildered. Everyone was taken by surprise, the Pharaoh and I also, but for a different reason.

"Joey was thinking the same thing," I said to the Pharaoh. "It couldn't be a coincidence, could it?"

"It would certainly explain Marik's lack of immoral behaviours," he replied.

"And the fact that I didn't sense the Millennium Rod from him." The Pharaoh was just as surprised at my words as I was. I had this thought earlier, but it flowed out through my lips just now. What was holding it back before? Could Joey's predictions have instigated my own thoughts, which were hiding deep inside my own mind?

Something very strange was going on… it was as though my thoughts were being pushed back by something...

"You believe me to be someone else?" The man we thought to be Marik pulled out the Millennium Rod from his belt and held it up threateningly at Joey. "Only I am able to wield this Millennium Item!"

Then he did something we were hoping we didn't have to wait for: he called for an attack on Joey's Life Points.

"Beast of Selket! Attack Mr. Wheeler directly and show our audience your grand power!"

The enormous beast, after gorging itself on Joey's monsters, was now three times its original size, not to mention much more grotesque. It reeled its ugly head, a blaring roar escaping its jaws, and charged in for an attack, its hideously long talons reaching for our friend.

The blond closed his eyes, ready to accept his defeat, for with this attack he was going to lose. He had no monsters to defend himself, and no trap cards of his own to spring. This was going to be the end.

Joey's promise to help Yugi defeat Marik was going to be left in the wind.

"Admit your false tellings!" demanded the Pharaoh, his voice booming over the wind. "You are not the same man whom we wish to face!"

Marik seemed to hesitate for a brief moment, before the uncertainty disappeared from his olive eyes. A strained expression replaced his vigor, and he turned the tables once more.

"Stop the attack!"

Inches from Joey's neck, the beast's claws stopped mid-attack. The shaking blond, still petrified from the thought of having to lose, slowly opened his eyes to see why his impending doom wasn't cast. Marik had changed his mind.

"What's he doing…" asked Kaiba with a suspicious glare.

"You believe me to be a fake?" Marik's voice was dangerously low now, almost menacing. I was afraid that he was going to attack Joey himself, but he didn't seem like the type. The sweat on his forehead just told me that he was struggling to prove himself. Had he finally cracked?

Marik then thrust his Millennium Item forward, threatening to use it. "I shall prove to you that I truly am Marik! By summoning one monster that all fear!"

"No!" The Pharaoh stepped forward out of concern for Joey. "He's going to summon his Egyptian God!"

As soon as the Pharaoh's words registered in my brain, my chest tightened with even more concern.

"I sacrifice the mighty Selket and half of my Life Points to release the monster sealed away within the ark!"

Selket roared opposingly at the tribute, but soon disappeared right before our eyes, as if eaten away by light himself. Marik's Life Points also dropped substantially thanks to - what I suppose was - Ra's summoning requirements. I had no idea what Ra's level was, but if Marik needed to tribute such a powerful beast such as Selket as well as half of his Life Points, then I can only imagine how high it must have been.

LP: Joey: 0200/Marik: 0450

Was this it? Were we finally going to see Ra? I had prayed for this moment to never come, but it seemed that fate wasn't going to hear any of it. Joey was meant to face this monster, and the thought terrified me.

Was he going to be able to stand up against this beast?

"Don't you need, like, more monsters to sacrifice to summon a monster that powerful?" asked Joey incredulously as we watched the lid of the ark rise up towards the ceiling of the temple.

"In normal situations, I would have needed three monsters to sacrifice," replied Marik. "However, Selket absorbed three of your monsters to become the beast you saw mere moments before, therefore, it is counted towards the requirements."

"Damn it…" Sweat beaded off the side of Joey's face. "That's why you had him in the first place…"

"Behold! You are about to witness the beast of ultimate destruction!"

Light burst from within the ark, exploding into a wide beam of gold as it shot straight through the temple ceiling and into the heavy clouds that were blanketing the sky. The darkness above split open, illuminating the night with a blinding glow. My heart raced, sensing great power taking shape. I held my breath as the light began to explode into fiery embers.

A distant roar rattled the blimp, and the fiery embers pulled themselves from the darkness to reveal a thundering monster embodied in gold. Slithering shadows uncovered cryptic, red eyes that mirrored the shadow it cast. Magnificent wings stretched out, displacing the darkness behind the beast. It was an incredible sight, witnessing Ra come to life, but the accompanying pressure derived from his immeasurable power was suffocating. It pressed down on my chest with enough force to hinder my breathing.

We were finally seeing the most powerful Egyptian God. Marik had shown his hand.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing…" said Téa, horrified by the sheer grandeur of Ra. The fiery beast was colossal, and its piercing red eyes stared down at us as though we were insects. It didn't look like it was happy at all to be summoned.

I blinked at my own thoughts. Why would I think such a thing? I understood that Ra wasn't like any other monster, because it was an Egyptian god card, but was it possible for Ra to show any emotion in the first place?

It was a hologram… right?

What I would soon learn was that the power of the gods was so incredible that they surpassed even the most current of technologies.

"The Winged Dragon of Ra does not have its own Attack Points," began Marik as Ra continued to loom over the duel field. The others were quiet, gaping at the beast above us, unable to contemplate the beast. "Instead, Ra gains the total Attack Points of all monsters sacrificed to summon it." Ra's Attack Point counter rose quickly to 5828. This already unfathomable power didn't even include any of Ra's special abilities.

"Yugi… what's Joey going to do against that thing?" asked Tristan, unable to take his eyes off the beast. I could see Ra's flames flickering in his brown eyes.

"Well, Bakura got injured in his fight against Yugi," mentioned Téa. "These god cards are no joke! They're dangerous!"

"But Joey has to face Ra…" I swallowed nervously, wishing that I didn't have to say such words. "He wished to fight against Marik with the Pharaoh, which means he must face every obstacle in his path."

"That's right," said the Pharaoh. "Although it is dangerous, this is Joey's duel. He must stand up to Marik's monsters, no matter how powerful they might be."

"Exactly!" cried Joey, pumping himself up despite the sweat beading down the side of his face. "Come and get me, Marik!"

"Your wish is granted! Winged Dragon of Ra! Destroy this opponent!"

As soon as the words left Marik's lips, I felt a jolt through my chest. I grabbed the front of my shirt, surprised by the ache that tore through my heart, and nearly covered my ears from the loud roar Ra emitted.

"What - What's going on?!"

"Sarah!"

Blinding light shot out of both the Millennium Puzzle as well as my Locket. Marik's Millennium Rod also started acting up, and the ache in my chest got worse. I fell to my knees from the intense pressure, my breath coming out faster than I would have liked.

"There's some form of disturbance," said the Pharaoh. He knelt down beside me, holding my shoulder.

"What do you sense, Sarah?"

"The gods…" My lips could barely move. "They're angry…"

"Angry?"

Suddenly, lightning illuminated the sky as Ra roared in opposition to the call of attack. Flashes of light struck very close to the blimp, almost as though they were being manipulated into doing so. The horrible feeling in my chest wasn't going away, and I felt even more worried for Joey.

"Joey, something's wrong!" yelled Tristan.

"What's going on?!" cried the blond back.

In the split second it took us to blink, lightning shot the blimp, but it didn't scorch the platform, it hit Marik instead. He crashed to the ground, unmoving, and the Millennium Rod shattered into small pieces in his hand.

My eyes widened at the sight.

"A fake… it was a fake!"

"That wasn't really Marik after all!" exclaimed the Pharaoh.

"Must have been another mind puppet." Joey started making his way towards the unknown player. "Hey!"

"Joey, look out!"

With Ra's unending rage still rolling the sky over, and the lightning strikes becoming more and more frequent, Joey was at a far higher risk of getting hurt. Just when he was about to take a step forward, lightning struck once more. This time… striking Joey directly.

Breath left my lungs. Joey's name was called by faraway voices. Everything else was a blur, except for Joey hitting the ground. My worst fear for this duel was made into reality. I didn't want Joey dueling who we thought was Marik because I believed it to be too dangerous. However, I slowly began to change my mindset, and started believing in him instead. Now… I couldn't help but wonder if it was all for naught.

Joey was down.

"No! Joey!" Tristan quickly jumped over the railing, and was just about to climb onto the dueling platform when Roland stopped him.

"Both duelists still have Life Points," he said, earning incredulous looks from us all. "The players are still in the game."

"That's insane! They're both hurt!"

"Er, Mr. Kaiba?"

"Taylor, duelists know what they're getting themselves into when they sign up for a tournament," said Kaiba coldly. "I understand that Wheeler is your friend, but if he wants any chance of winning and moving on to the finals, he needs to face any opponent in his way. That includes any obstacles they might throw at him.

"Whatever he's fighting against… he needs to face it. We'll give these duelists three minutes, and if neither of them wake up, then they both forfeit."

"Why, you…"

"Joey!" Serenity's cry for her older brother was accompanied by tears streaming down her face. "You have to get up!"

"Come on…" murmured Mai encouragingly under her breath.

Everyone wanted nothing more than for Joey to wake up, but three minutes seemed like a long time, and I was unsure of the damage that was caused by Ra's attack. We wanted to help Joey, but Kaiba had also made a point - Joey knew what he was getting himself into when he agreed to this duel. He needed to make it through without any help.

We could only support him, as we've always done.

Ra… please! Let Joey wake up!

A minute passed and we saw movement, but it wasn't from Joey. The man masquerading around as Marik was the first one to his knees.

My heart dropped into my stomach.

"Damn! Come on, Joey! You can't let this guy win!" shouted Tristan, hoping to snap some sense into his friend.

"It looks like the winner is going to be…!" Roland was just about to declare the mystery man as the winner, but just as quickly as he was able to rise, he fell back down just as fast. His face contorted into a pained expression.

"The duelists are back at a stalemate!"

"Does it matter if Joey wins or not?" fretted Duke. "His health is at risk here. We should just go help him."

"That was no ordinary lightning strike." The Pharaoh crossed his arms with a thoughtful expression on his face. I stared at him, wondering how he came to that conclusion. The lightning seemed far too real to me.

"They are being tested by the gods."

"Why would they even need to be tested?"

"For the strength of their hearts."

I couldn't contemplate how the Pharaoh came to that conclusion. Did it make sense with the circumstances? Joey's opponent blatantly lied about his identity, and angered the gods by summoning a fake card. Was this the time for Joey to show the strength of his heart?

Before things went out of control, I admitted to not seeing the gods in my beloved Pharaoh anymore. However, he was still connected to them. Even though he wasn't wearing the royal clothing of a king, nor the gold crown bestowed upon him by the previous Pharaoh, he really was still a king. He was the Pharaoh, and he was still connected to the gods.

The Pharaoh now had Slifer the Sky Dragon in his arsenal, and when he summoned the magnificent beast during his duel against Bakura, it willingly lent him its power. The Egyptian god card didn't believe the Pharaoh to be unworthy.

I should not falter in my belief for the Pharaoh. Up to this point, I never once doubted him. Why would I even think to start now?

"Joey will wake up…" I agreed. "He is strong."

"Well, he'd better hurry." Eric glanced at his watched impatiently. "There's only a minute left."

Serenity clamped her hands together and squeezed her eyes shut. "Joey… you helped me open my eyes… now you should open yours…!"

Everyone continued to cheer Joey on, silently, for fear of our voices breaking his concentration. He was unconscious, and this was all we could do. All we could do was support him.

Something brushed up against my knuckles. It was the Pharaoh's hand. He had moved closer.

Nothing needed to be said. We were both thinking the same thing.

Joey needed to wake up. He promised to help Yugi.

As we continued to wish, movement from the left caught our eyes. It was as though the sun had finally emerged from behind the dark clouds. Moonlight pierced the darkness, and a gentle breeze relaxed our shoulders. In one swift movement, like a feather picked up by the wind, Joey was standing on his feet. His honey-coloured eyes opened afterwards, glossed over from fatigue and confusion.

"Joey Wheeler wins the round!" announced Roland, raising his arm in confirmation.

LP: Joey: 0200/Marik?: Forfeit

Warmth entered my heart, and with the others, I cheered for Joey's rising.

"He's up! He's awake!"

"Joey, way to go!"

"You opened your eyes! You did it!"

"Where…" The blond looked around for a moment before realizing that he wasn't in his dream anymore. Life entered his eyes and he held himself up with more stability.

"I can't believe this is happening," grumbled Kaiba. "Wheeler actually got up." Mokuba, on the other hand, was cheering alongside us.

"What's with him?" Eric huffed after seeing Kaiba's reaction. "Wasn't that guy dueling under a false name? He should have been disqualified right away."

"I don't think him holding a fake Millennium Rod and angering the gods was enough to convince Kaiba," I replied. "Even though it was enough to convince us."

Eric looked at me carefully. "Why could he have taken on Marik's name in the first place?"

"To deter us from knowing who the real Marik was," replied the Pharaoh.

"Hey guys… what's going on here…" Joey blinked slowly, trying to regain his bearings.

"What, you forgot? You were dueling Marik!" exclaimed Téa. Then she blinked. "Well, at least we thought it was Marik."

"That guy over there?" Joey stares at the struggling man before him. "That can't be him… he dueled too honourably this round."

The blond's caring nature won over his fatigue, and he made his way towards his hurt opponent. Joey helped him stand, but the other was much too weak to simply lean on him. Tristan ran onto the platform to help him out.

"I am… sorry… Mr. Wheeler." Despite the man's troubling pain, he still wished to apologize for the trouble that he caused. He did not seem to be the type to match Marik at all. He was so different from what we thought he was. "It was an honour... to duel you."

"Likewise." Joey nodded, accepting the man as a True Duelist. "But if you aren't Marik, then who are you?"

"Were you another mind slave?" asked Tristan.

"I am not a mind slave." The man struggled to stay conscious. Why was he fighting so hard to keep his eyes open when he knew that he had already lost the duel? Why did he pretend to be Marik in the first place?

"My name… is Odion. I am a servant of Marik."

"You're willingly a servant to that creep?"

"Where is this guy? I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!"

Odion raised a shaking finger towards the observation deck. All eyes turned towards me.

An eerie shiver crept up my spine. The heaviness in my heart that was first caused by the anger I felt from the gods now harboured a new sensation. This time, I felt anxious. Whoever Odion was pointing towards was right behind me.

"Sarah!"

I slowly turned around to see Namu in pain. His hands were grasping the sides of his head, and within his fingers was an Item - the Millennium Rod.

"That's… Marik?"

"Grr… Odion! You had one job!" Marik doubled over, groaning and shaking.

"What's going on…!"

"Everyone, stay back!"

The Pharaoh stepped forward, his fiery crimson eyes ablaze. "Admit your true identity!"

Harsh laughter blended against the pain left the crazed man's lips. Deranged violet eyes bore into us. "Yes… I'm Marik," he said, finally revealing his true self. I cursed, thinking that he was behind me this whole time and I didn't even notice. "You fools!"

"Beware… his dark side!" called Odion. "It is struggling to emerge… and I cannot contain it for much longer…"

With the last of his breath, Odion gave us his warning before falling unconscious. Joey and Tristan struggled to hold him up, but as soon as his weight increased, they laid him back down on the platform. As soon as his body hit the ground, I heard a distant crack, which sounded like sealing magic that was shattered.

Whatever was being kept behind bars had now just broken free.

Marik cried out in pain as his face contorted in anguish. Dark shadows swarmed his entire body, swallowing him up like a budded flower. His cries wrenched my heart. I told the girls next to me to move back. Then, suddenly, the shadows burst into the night sky, and a quiet Marik was now staring up at the clouds. His hair was standing on end, the crazed expression in his eyes had narrowed into a leer, and his thin lips curled into a smirk. A Horus Eye blazed upon his forehead. The darkness around him had shifted into an uncomfortable range. His aura practically oozed out of him, more so than the other Marik.

Other Marik? Wasn't this Marik?

"Who… the hell… are you…" asked Eric. His maroon eyes were wide, and he may have appeared frightened as well, but he stood his ground.

"Why, I am Marik." The different, yet same, man laughed. His voice had changed. It was more throaty and deep, and every word I heard felt like my ears were being grated. "I am finally in control of this fool… and free to do as I please!"

Dark violet eyes stared right at me, and I felt my heart beating out of control. Before I could hold a fighting stance, large hands grabbed both my arms, locking them by my side.

"And I can finally… be rid of you!"

The next thing I knew, I was flying over the edge of the blimp. The city lights below flickered in my hazy vision.

Author's Note: Well! This was certainly fun to finish. I've been looking forward to writing this scene for years, mainly because this is also where Sarah's powers may come into play. Thanks for sticking around and continuing to read this story! I hope that you will continue to follow it, as I would like to keep working on this story for as long as I can. Thanks again!

~xyugiohluvrx