Written: 20/03/20

Author's Note: Another few months, another chapter. I'd like to think that I grew a lot these past couple of years. However, it's still nice to dive into the world of my childhood every once in a while. With that said, I bring to you the next chapter in Book 2. Thank you for joining the adventure.

~*The Pharaoh, Eric, and Sarah have just learned who Mai is going to duel: Marik. Wanting to show their friend support, they are now racing towards the dueling platform, ready for a match they were dreading. Could this be the last one for Marik? Was Mai going to be alright? What would it mean if she lost?*~

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

Battle City - New Evil Emerges, Old Friends Reunite - Chapter 45

I was troubled that Mai was going to duel Dark Marik right after he showed up. This… entity… which has haunted the Pharaoh and me since the beginning of Battle City. He was the one pulling the ropes behind the scenes and he finally showed himself. Already he had broadcasted his cruelty to everyone on the blimp. He wasn't scared to show us his true colours now that he was finally free.

The man's warped face flashed through my mind and once more I could imagine his intense gaze piercing right through me. Those restless violet eyes that were on Namu's face were replaced with dark pits of malice. I bet if I stared into them long enough, I'd be sucked in and would never be able to see the light of day again. Either that or he would try killing me a second time.

An uncomfortable shiver touched my spine at the thought.

I could still feel his hands on my arms.

I realized that I was very close to losing my life. A few more seconds of falling and gravity would have won over the strength of my magic. Thankfully, I was able to think quickly.

The last thing I remembered seeing was the Pharaoh before the edge of the blimp had filled my view.

An ominous sensation settled somewhere in my mind.

If I died tonight, he would have been the last person I saw.

"Sarah." A familiar voice broke me out of my thoughts and I was back in the elevator with the Pharaoh, Eric, Tristan, and Salex. Decisive crimson eyes met mine. Although he didn't look particularly worried, the Pharaoh did show some concern. It was still strange for me to see this side to him. Even

"You're looking a bit pale…" said Salex, quietly as though if she spoke any louder her voice would make my condition worse.

"I have more chocolate, if that'll help." Eric, the kind soul that he was, dug out a couple more pieces of foil-wrapped chocolates from his pocket. From which unending dimension he was pulling them, I had no idea, but I would have enjoyed such connections myself.

I gratefully accepted one of the offered pieces and answered the others' concerns. "Thanks… I think I'll be alright now."

"Looks like we're all a bit on edge," said Tristan. "Mai's going to be up against that lunatic after all. It doesn't feel right."

"I agree that dueling Dark Marik grants uncertainty about his methods," started the Pharaoh. "However, Mai is a formidable duelist and she is quite capable of fighting in her matches."

"I'm just concerned about Dark Marik's dueling strategy," I said after swallowing the last bit of chocolate. "We don't know anything about his deck. He could have it filled with rare cards for all we know."

"Let's not forget the giant, screaming firebird," noted Eric. "There was something about that card being a fake during the last duel? What if he tries to play an illegal card too?"

"There's no way Dark Marik will play an illegal card after what happened to Odion," I said. "Especially because he has no need to."

"You mean… he will have the real card instead."

"Exactly."

"Dark Marik also mentioned something about chosen duelists being the only ones capable of wielding the god cards," said the Pharaoh. "By his blatantly obvious distaste for Odion, it seems he was aware of such requirements… and yet allowed him to access the fake Winged Dragon of Ra."

"He wanted Odion to play it," I realized. "He wanted Odion to fall so he could emerge. Marik must have known that he wasn't a chosen duelist."

"Marik? Or Dark Marik?"

"... I'm not sure."

"Well, whatever the case, we have to assume one major thing." Eric glanced between the both of us. "Dark Marik will have the real Winged Dragon of Ra in his deck."

"And Mai's the one dueling him," said Tristan as his eyes widened. "What if that jerk summons his god card?"

"Mai will need all the strength she has to stand up to it," said the Pharaoh.

"There's always a chance that he won't play the card, right? Maybe he won't get the chance or the time to?"

"A card that powerful? No way he didn't centralize it within his deck," I pointed out. "He'll want to summon it at the perfect time."

"Mai's got a tough match ahead of her."

"Is…" Salex's lingering question pierced the air with some uncertainty. "Is this… "god card"... a really powerful card? Similar to the thing your friend Joey was trying to fight earlier before it glitched out?"

"Similar… but I'm afraid it may be more powerful than that," I replied. "That card was a fake, and it had such devastating effects. I could only imagine how powerful the real card must be."

I was unsure about how Mai was going to handle her duel, but if there was one thing that I was sure of, it was that Mai was a confident duelist. She had a fighting chance, but if the shadows were summoned, her duel will get much harder.

The elevator doors finally opened and we were met with several pairs of eyes. One of them doubled with a sneer in his expression. My fists clenched on their own at the familiar feeling of tightening fingers around my forearms.

I wasn't going to give Dark Marik another chance to separate us.

"How grand that the mighty Pharaoh finally graced us with his presence." cackled Dark Marik from where he stood on the raised duel field. "Has your little Guardian recovered from her shocking fall? Your friend Joey seems to be doing just fine after going up against the mighty Ra - despite the fact that it nearly killed him!"

The Pharaoh made sure not to give in to the man's banter and merely matched Dark Marik's menacing smirk with an intense glare of his own. He sure enjoyed boasting. He seemed so confident that he was going to claim the power of the Pharaoh. Was the Winged Dragon of Ra being in his deck the reason behind his behaviour? Or did he have something else in mind?

Ever since his emergence, he didn't once mention anything about the power that his former self was trying to figure out. Did he know something that I didn't? I already knew so little, what with fragmented bits of memory trickling into my already jumbled mind every so often. The possibility of such a thing existing inside me was so far beyond my knowledge, and yet there were others trying to find out as much as they could about it.

Dark Marik had just showed up, and already he had me running around in circles.

"Don't think about taking your eyes off me for one second, Marik!" yelled Mai courageously. She was standing just opposite to him with her back turned to us. With just her stature, we could tell how strong she was heading into the duel, and it was more than enough to match Dark Marik. She had the strength to stand up to him.

"I'm the one dueling you in this match. You're gonna have to get through me to make it to the next round, but I'm tellin' you now, I won't make it easy or possible!"

"You are much too eager for a small insect," countered Dark Marik. With an arrogant swing of his arm, he brushed aside some of his violet cape to reveal his Duel Disk. He seemed bigger in the muscle tee that he was now wearing. "Namu" - or Marik from before - appeared much smaller in comparison. Did the Shadow Realm grant him physical power as well? I was unsettled by such a change and wondered just how much strength this man actually had.

"Let us duel then, if you are so anxious to taste defeat! Once you are cast aside, I will have one less insect to swat away!"

Mai readied her Duel Disk as well, never faltering against his words. She looked ready to fight, no matter how crazy he showed himself to be. Roland took his place against the railing and raised his arm, signaling the start of the duel. He showed no weakness in his position as referee, and it must have been due to his loyalty for his boss.

This was it. We were going to see the contents of Dark Marik's deck as well as his dueling style. The Pharaoh and I had the chance to learn more about our adversary. However, as much as we shared interest in the possible learning opportunity, we also shared some concerns. Dark Marik had the real Millennium Rod, and there was no doubt in my mind that he was going to duel using power from the Shadow Realm.

We couldn't stop him from summoning the shadows. Mai had never faced them before. Would she be able to handle the pressure?

Were we only able to provide support from the sidelines?

"Mai, watch out for this guy," reminded Joey. "You've already seen what he's capable of, but he's gotta have a lot more up his sleeve!"

With the chance available, my eyes quickly scanned the blond. Overall, he seemed in high spirits, and I was glad to see that he didn't have any injuries. After Ra's attack, I was worried that he would be down for the count, even after waking up the way he did. However, his strength kept him on his feet. I had to admit - Joey was more resilient than I thought. Not because he wasn't strong, but also because of his positive attitude in always striving forward. I should have known better after his duel against Yugi and the Pharaoh. He broke through Marik's mind control, after all.

Joey was growing more courageous with every duel.

"I told you already." Mai's voice was suddenly harsh as she spoke to the blond. "I don't need your help. I've got this."

"We know you do," said Joey defensively. "But I was just sayin-"

"Why are you all up here anyway?" asked Mai, her voice edging towards irritability. Her usually friendly gaze was ice cold. "I made it clear, didn't I? I don't need your help to beat this creep."

"We just wanted to cheer you on, is that so bad?"

Mai did something unexpected, aside from her snappy attitude: she clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Fine. Do whatever you want," came her curt reply after she gave up trying to push Joey away.

I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. Why did Mai's attitude suddenly change? She seemed like herself back in Odion's room. Did something happen while we weren't here?

I exchanged glances with the Pharaoh, silently wondering what could have happened. Without a word, he shook his head. He was just as puzzled. I turned to Téa for answers and was surprised to see her shaking her head with a disappointed look in her eyes. She was looking at Joey, who must have done something to upset Mai without realizing it.

I hoped that this little scuffle didn't deter their friendship… They were getting along rather well after the Duelist Kingdom Tournament. And Mai needed all the support she could get against her opponent.

"Round 4 of the Battle City Finals will now begin!" announced Roland, cutting through the unsettling atmosphere with his loud voice. It was time for the duel to get moving.

And so the first duel with Dark Marik began. Burning anxiety settled within the pit of my stomach, threatening to erupt into broiling fire as soon as the duel escalated. The whole match was disconcerting, and we were forced to watch.

LP: Marik: 4000/Mai: 4000

"I'll start this off by summoning Dunames Dark Witch in Attack Mode!" Mai wasted no time beginning the duel with a powerful offensive monster. It dawned on me that we didn't see her play at all during the entire Battle City Tournament. Now was our chance to see how she polished her skills since Duelist Kingdom.

"Let's see what you've got, Marik!"

Dark Marik didn't even appear fazed and summoned a monster the Pharaoh and I knew all too well to defend against Mai's creature.

"Not holding back, I see. In that case, I summon Revival Jam in Defence Mode!"

A familiar jelly-based monster molded onto the field, its ghost-like face unmoving at its opponent. Troubling memories of Strings' duel against the Pharaoh resurfaced.

"With it, you will have to contend with my Jam Breeding Machine as well! This magic card provides me with Slime Token every turn!"

Dark Marik played another familiar card, this time, a magic card that housed a round machine that regularly dispensed tokens. The Pharaoh shifted next to me, also remembering our run in with these cards.

"This isn't good," he said. We knew where this strategy was going.

"With every turn, Dark Marik will gain one more monster," I added and glanced towards the Pharaoh. "He'll have an army in no time."

"And with an impenetrable shield such as Revival Jam, he will complete his combination. We have to warn Mai that it's a strategy he will use to summon his god card."

The Pharaoh switched back to the duel and yelled: "Wait, Mai!"

"Save it, Yugi," Mai snapped without any hesitation. The Pharaoh and I were left stunned at the resistance. "Whatever you're going to tell me, I'm going to find out on my own anyways. So, mind your own business."

"But, Mai…"

Eric leaned into my ear and reminded me of something important. "Observers can't help the duelists," he whispered. "It's interference."

"Ah." Even though the situation was dire, Mai was going to have to find out just what those monsters were really capable of on her own. Neither the Pharaoh nor I had the right to interfere with Mai's duel.

We had to sit back and watch, and let her witness Dark Marik's strategy first hand. Maybe she could figure it out before he had the chance to implement it.

Foreboding laughter emanated from the other side. "Those are brave words from someone who has no idea what she is up against," sneered Dark Marik.

"You're the one who has no idea who he's up against," retorted Mai. "I attack your Revival Jam with Dunames Dark Witch!"

The beautifully armoured witch charged Revival Jam. She sliced through the monster with ease, as if cutting through ice cream on a hot day, but just a second later the monster's split body came back into one.

Mai was taken aback. "What! My monster has more attack points than your monster's defence points, so Revival Jam should have been destroyed!"

"Revival Jam has a special ability which prevents it from being destroyed in battle when in defence mode." Marik relished in the look of disbelief that now plastered Mai's face. If only we could have told her; she could have saved a turn.

But dueling was about the duelists; they needed to fight using their own skills. All we could do was cheer them on, no matter how much we wanted to help them. Who knew if Mai would even accept that help in the first place because of how she was acting.

Mai now had no chance but to end her turn and watch in disdain as Dark Marik began his.

"You were so eager to defeat me that you failed to inspect your surroundings," he said as he nonchalantly drew his next card. "My deck harbours monsters you have never seen before, and I have many more surprises in store for you, my dear!"

His taunting mannerisms were unnerving. Dark Marik was a disturbed being, born from something as terrible as hatred in Marik's own heart - as far as we could understand from the carvings on Odion's face. I have never seen someone with such extreme behaviours. I could predict Bakura's behaviour in some way, however Dark Marik was a different beast altogether…

"Since a new turn for me has begun, my Jam Breeding Machine will create a Slime Token. At the same time, I will play Pot of Greed and draw two cards from my deck!" As dark eyes scanned the two new cards, a sly smirk crept onto his face.

"I will play this card face down, which will render your attacks useless, and end my turn."

"Your trap won't work on me," said Mai confidently. "You may have cards I've never seen before, but I know how to handle a trap card when I see one. I play Harpie's Feather Duster!"

A giant feather whipped onto the platform and started sweeping Dark Mark's side of the field. Along with all the dust that had accumulated from the dueling, Dark Marik's facedown cards were also thrown into the wind. Now his Slime Token had no walls to hide behind, and they couldn't breed anymore.

"You're wide open! Dunames Dark Witch, attack that Slime Token!"

Mai's monster cut through the jelly blob with ease due to its low attack power. Dark Marik looked annoyed but he wasn't concerned - even though his Life Points took a big hit.

LP: Marik: 2700/Mai: 4000

The gang cheered for Mai's successful attack. Her strategy of attacking the Slime Tokens was more effective than unsuccessfully battling relentlessly against Revival Jam until a weakness could be found. Not only was Dark Marik down one monster for his Tribute Summon, he also lost nearly half his Life Points and his token-making machine. He did seem upset by the disruption, but he appeared calm nonetheless.

"You believe such a thing worries me?" scoffed the dark duelist. "You will have many things troubling you in this duel."

"Keep talkin'," said Mai, finishing her turn by setting a facedown card. "It's your move. Maybe you might want to step it up a notch."

"Be very careful with what you wish for," sneered Mai's opponent. The crazed look in his eyes threatened to rear its ugly sight. "You have no idea of the power that I wield! I summon Melchid, the Four-Faced Beast!"

A hideous monster consisting of four different face masks materialized onto the field next to Revival Jam - but it didn't stay for too long.

"The monster I wish to summon next requires that I have Melchid on the field before I am able to Tribute Summon it. Now that the condition is met, I am able to awaken him. I sacrifice both Melchid and Revival Jam to summon Masked Beast Des Guardius!"

In the blink of an eye, Marik's best defence disappeared into thick smoke along with the masked beast. From the other side appeared another monster from the same family: a masked beast with three faces and lots of attack power.

The Pharaoh shifted next to me, catching my attention. When I looked over at him, I noticed his crimson eyes glaring at the newly summoned monster.

"I've encountered this beast before as well," he said before I could ask. "In my duel with Kaiba."

I blinked. "The one with the two Rare Hunters you told me about?"

"That's right. Lumis and Umbra used masked beasts against us," continued the Pharaoh. "Some of them were rare cards, which I assume is the reason why Dark Marik has included them in his deck."

"He would do anything to get stronger..."

"It's attack power of 3300 will be enough to wipe out your witch," said Dark Marik to Mai. "Rid the field of her presence, my beast!"

"Not so fast!" Mai activated her trap card just in time. "I play Mirror Wall! This cuts Masked Beast's attack points in half, which makes it weaker than my Dunames Witch!"

With another swift attack, Dunames Witch cuts down Masked Beast with ease. The monster disintegrated along with some more of Dark Marik's life points, but it left something behind on the field.

"Defeating this monster is only half the battle," said the Pharaoh quietly. "Mai will now have to contend with its effect."

I didn't have a good feeling about what was going to happen next.

LP: Marik 2550/Mai: 4000

"You've managed to destroy a rare card so easily," said Dark Marik, showing no emotion regarding the loss of another monster. "However, its true ability will now reveal itself!"

The mask left behind on the field stirred to life. In a flash, it latched onto Dunames Witch's face, taking control of her like a parasite. Without an order, let alone an explanation, Mai's monster floated over to her opponent's side of the field.

"What…! What's going on?!" cried Mai, confused. "I defeated your monster!"

"Indeed, you defeated my monster..." said Dark Marik. "My monster but not the ability. When Masked Beast is destroyed in battle, it leaves behind the Mask of Remnant, which you may think of as a remnant of my beast. It takes control of one of your monsters and changes the side it plays on. You destroyed my beast, but now I have your monster under my control!"

"You wanted me to attack," Mai realized.

"And in addition to gaining a new monster, I can reshuffle my deck. Well, would you look at that? I also have a Remove Trap in my hand!"

Dark Marik played the magic card, which shattered Mai's Mirror Wall. It was a powerful trap card that Mai didn't have access to anymore - a continuous trap that acted as the perfect defence. Not only was it destroyed, but Marik had also taken control of her only monster.

She had nothing on the field.

"You may think you have me on the ropes," said Mai. "But I won't be like this for long. Things are about to change!"

"You're right," said Dark Marik. He pulled out the Millennium Rod, which shined in the darkness. "Practice time is over. It's time to take this match to the Shadow Realm!"

"No!" My worst fears of having our friends deal with the conditions of a Shadow Game came to fruition as I helplessly watched dark shadows begin to cover the platform. Mai's safety was at risk.

"This looks like what happened during Sarah's duel," said Duke worriedly as we witnessed the shadows closing in on us. "What's this creep going to do to Mai?"

"Nothing good," I said with concern.

The shadows created a foggy dome around both the duelists and the observation deck, no doubt something that Marik had done on purpose for us to see what happens to Mai. She was a strong duelist, but she had never encountered the shadows before. It wasn't fair for her to have to deal with the conditions of the duel this way.

"Marik!" shouted the Pharaoh, dangerously close to unleashing his anger.

"This is uncalled for and you know it!" I added.

"The shadows are hungry," said Dark Marik slyly. "And they will be fed. If the girl wishes to continue the duel, she will have to do so in this realm."

"Marik, your problem is with us," said the Pharaoh. "Leave Mai out of this!"

"Guys, stop interfering with my duel," Mai demanded, still stubborn against our help.

"Mai, you will suffer consequences if you don't win," I warned. "More so than just losing the duel."

Mai examined her surroundings, her violet eyes shimmering with uncertainty. She may have seen this before during my duel and the Pharaoh's, but experiencing it was entirely different. As we looked on, the shadows began to recede: disappearing from view but not from existence. Even though she appeared slightly intimidated from their invisibility act and their possible effects, she made sure not to let them overcome her.

"Sounds troublesome," answered the blonde. "I've never backed down from a challenge before, and I'm not starting now."

"Once she's made up her mind…" sighed Joey, shaking his head. "She won't change it." The Pharaoh and I sighed. We had seen this stubbornness in Mai before, and Joey was right: she wasn't going to change her mind.

"Forfeiting the duel may not be helpful in the first place," said Eric. "It's the same as losing. Wouldn't she still suffer the consequences if she forfeit the match?"

"That's right. It would count as giving up." I clenched my fists, recalling that Mai was in this boat since the duel started, regardless of being in the shadows or not. "She needs to win to be safe."

"Your tricks don't scare me," Mai said confidently to Dark Marik. "I'm here to win, and your magic won't affect me. Now then, if you're done showing off. I'd like to start my turn."

She drew her next card. I had to admit that I admired her ability to stay cool. She was indeed very strong, and I needed to believe in her. Marik's downfall was drawing near.

It had to be.

"I play one card face down," said Mai. "Then I summon Unfriendly Amazon to the field!"

A female warrior appeared onto her field, at the ready with all her attack points. She was brandishing a sword I hadn't seen before. Just as I was examining it, I noticed a deep purple glow around Mai's warrior.

"Why is my monster glowing?" asked Mai. "Is this your doing?"

"It is the shadows, my dear," smirked Marik. "That glow you see there represents your mind. It is linked with each of your monsters. When your monster is destroyed, it will take a piece of your mind with it!" His laugh from wicked amusement appeared to distort his face, and I grew more troubled with each passing second of this match.

Losing pieces of her mind? Those are the conditions for this duel? He wants Mai to suffer!

"That's too cruel," said Eric, disbelief hardening his maroon eyes as we watched Mai grow tense from hearing the conditions.

"You're crazy," said Mai, incredulously. "There's something seriously wrong with you. Especially if you think I'll be scared of your mind tricks."

"Oh, these aren't mind tricks," said Dark Marik. "These are severe consequences… and they are quite real."

"I've had enough of your distractions. Unfriendly Amazon! Attack!"

Against better judgement, mostly because of little understanding about the situation, Mai called for the attack. Her newest monster readied for the charge and used her sword to cut through Dunames Witch. Even though she was Mai's monster, Dark Marik was still the one who was going to lose Life Points.

But what worried me was her lack of attention to the rules Marik added to the game.

LP: Marik 2350/Mai: 4000

The sinister glare on his face showed no emotion for the loss of Life Points.

"You may have taken some of my Life Points," said Marik. "But now the Shadows will take something from you!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"Dunames Dark Witch was your monster originally Mai. Now that she is destroyed, a part of your memory will be destroyed as well!"

"Marik's out of his mind," muttered Joey. To someone not familiar with the extent to which Shadow Games can vary with their punishments, they would definitely believe that Dark Marik was not in his right mind. Despite him appearing crazy, he had a method to his madness: he wanted to inflict as much damage and pain to his opponents as he possibly could. In Mai's case, based on the conditions of the duel, whenever her monsters would die, parts of her mind would disappear too.

Marik was attacking her memory. He wanted to weaken her resolve. He must have picked up on the tense atmosphere between Mai and the others and was going to use that against her.

That coward…!

Suddenly, a large and empty Duel Monsters card manifested itself onto the middle of the field. No doubt this was all part of the Shadow Game. Marik pointed his Millennium Rod towards the card as if activating its effect.

"Now, let's see who we'll erase from your memory!"

A photo appeared on the card in place of an illustration. The picture was of someone we knew all too well.

It was of Téa.

"Téa?" Mai's eyes widened. "There's no way you could make me forget about her!"

"Absolutely nothing is impossible in the Shadow Realm." Marik said with a smirk. "Your friends know that very well. They have also warned you of the possibilities."

I grabbed hold of the railing with all my might, forcing myself not to lose control. My anger was reaching a boundary I wanted to pull back from. "You forced her, Marik!" I cried.

"Silence!" His loud, booming voice deterred my anger from where it was headed. "The conditions of this duel are finalized! Now prepare to lose Téa forever!"

The card dispersed, and the decisive Mai we all knew suddenly endured an expression filled with confusion. At first, she stared at the small pixels leaving the field with glaring eyes, challenging Marik with his threats. Then, it was as though a veil was pulled in front of her gaze and she lost sight of what she was looking for.

I hadn't seen her so lost before, and it terrified me for her.

"She's losing her," said the Pharaoh.

"What can we do?" I asked helplessly.

"Don't listen to him, Mai! We're here for you!"

Mai pressed her fingers to her temple and blinked towards the observation deck where Téa was shouting encouragement for her to be strong. Regardless of Marik instigating these new rules, Téa didn't stop believing in Mai. She wanted her friend to know that she was strong enough to overcome the effect of Dark Marik's Shadow Duel.

However, what Mai said next wasn't something she was ready for.

"Who… who are you?"

That was when the reality of the extent of damage this duel could potentially cause really hit us. With every monster that's destroyed, Mai loses a piece of her memory - more specifically - a memory of a friend. Mai and Téa had known each other since Duelist Kingdom. In just a mere second, Dark Marik had turned Mai's memory of Téa into nothing.

She was looking at Téa as though her eyes couldn't even make out her silhouette.

"I've seen into your mind," said Marik deviantly. "And I have seen your greatest fear: losing your friends and ending up alone.

"By the end of this duel, you will be living your worst nightmare!"

"Mai! Are you alright?!"

Joey's question lingered as Mai herself seemed to falter. She was so adamant before about not needing any help, and about being strong on her own, but now she appeared helpless. She saw what Marik was capable of first hand, and now she was doubting her ability. She was aware that something had happened, and the confusion about not being able to understand who was missing from her life was affecting her.

"I can't see her… I can barely hear her voice," murmured Mai. She tried hard to concentrate on Téa's location, but it was as though she was wiped from existence in Mai's reality, not just her memory.

Téa's ocean blue eyes widened in shock. "No way…" came her whisper of disbelief. "But I'm right here…!"

"I'm sorry, Téa," I said, clenching my fists from frustration. I could feel my Oath's Seal growing hot from feeling Mai's pain. She didn't even understand what it was that she lost. "I think Mai will have to win the duel now to get her memory back."

"The Guardian may be right," chuckled Marik darkly. "In the end, if she wishes to have a chance to live, she must continue the duel."

Mai shook her head as if clearing it of the disorientation she felt. "I don't fully understand the games that you're playing…" she started, her voice low and controlled. "But I won't be letting you off that easily. We're still in this duel!"

"It is your choice to continue with your demise!"

"Mai! You have to stay strong! You can do this!"

Mai's bright violet gaze fluttered towards the direction where Téa's voice could be heard, but she directed her entire attention back to Marik. She didn't acknowledge Téa, but she could potentially hear her. Despite not being able to see, I hoped that Téa's words could still reach.

"We know you're strong," affirmed Joey. "Just know that we're with you the whole way! You aren't alone!"

There was a brief pause on Mai's part when she heard Joey, but she didn't fully acknowledge him either. Perhaps she was still battling against what Dark Marik had said before.

Mai's greatest fear… is it really true?

"This round has been quite eventful," said Marik. "I will add to this spectacular turn by playing one card face down before summoning Makyura the Destructor!"

A heavily armoured monster bearing many blades and a single eye rose onto the field from the depths of whatever shadows it was summoned from. The beast emanated an aura so dark it reminded me of a serial killer. I suppose its name did it justice. Although, it didn't have as many attack points as I thought it would…

"To aid my monster in its quest to defeat yours, I equip Makyura with Black Pendant, which will raise his attack points to 2100!"

… I may have thought that too soon.

"Attack Unfriendly Amazon!"

Makyura whipped out some blades from within his armoured sleeves and threw them at Mai's monster with enough power to destroy her. All I could think about was the next face Mai was going to forget. However, she changed the outcome of the round.

"You've activated another one of my traps, Marik! Amazon Archers reduces a monster's attack points by 500, so your Black Pendant's effect has essentially been neutralized. Unfriendly Amazon, counterattack!"

Easily, Unfriendly Amazon batted away the knives flying towards her face. She then just as easily cut down Marik's monster. As the one-eyed beast turned to dust, a ghostly form appeared in its place. The bald head and grim face looked familiar. I gasped when I realized who it was.

"Now you'll forget about someone from your life!"

LP: Marik: 1950/Mai: 4000

"Why, thank you." Marik sneered. "You have done me a favour by ridding him from my memories."

"Huh?" Mai blinked.

"That was Strings, wasn't it?" I asked the Pharaoh. The man next to me nodded.

"And it appears that Marik has no remorse for forgetting one of his own."

"He shall remain as a puppet," said Dark Marik with an unchanging expression even when Strings' ghostly form dissipated from view. He may as well have swatted the image away himself. "I have no use for the memories of those who have served their purpose in my plans. So destroy as many of my monsters as you'd like!"

"How heartless," I said, unable to control myself. "I can't even imagine the dark pit that's required to have such complete disregard for human life."

"I pray that I may never understand," the Pharaoh voiced silently. "However, it does confirm my suspicions that Dark Marik may have been a large influence on Marik's thought processes."

"How so?"

"Many of his ideologies are still present, such as this point of him seeing his Rare Hunters as mere puppets to do his bidding. If he has completely taken over Marik, then his presence is all that remains."

"Are you thinking… Dark Marik is where these ideologies might stem from? Even though he was being held back by Odion?"

"I'm not entirely sure just yet, but it is surely possible."

I hadn't explicitly thought about it, but the Pharaoh had: Dark Marik was a separate entity from Marik himself. Even though he was darkness born from hatred in his heart, he still wasn't Marik. Was it possible that this darkness was feeding Marik even while being held back by Odion?

There were so many questions, and each time, I thought back to Ishizu and her role in all this. She hasn't told me what her connection to Marik was - if there was any at all. All I had to go on after radio silence on Ishizu's end was the hypothesis that the Pharaoh, Yugi, and I came up with; there were two families serving the role of Tomb Keepers, each one guarding a Millennium Item.

All I could do was pray that she was on our side. I trusted her to tell me her side of the story in due time.

Dark Marik chortled at my comment about him being heartless. "I prefer to be alone," he said. "I do not have the need of depending on anyone else. My power alone is enough to reach my goal!"

Black Pendant reappeared on the field in a sudden flash of light. In an instant, it teleported onto Mai's neck.

"What the-! What's going on?"

Dark Marik smirked. "When Black Pendant is sent to the Graveyard, it takes a portion of your Life Points with it - 500 to be exact!"

The necklace shimmered and turned red, activating its power to drain Mai of Life Points. Once it had consumed all that it could, it broke into pieces and disappeared. Mai looked on with worry as she believed that to be the last surprise for the turn.

LP: Marik: 1950/Mai: 3500

"In addition to the effect of Black Pendant…" continued Marik, much to our dismay. "Makyura also has an ability that is activated when he is sent to the Graveyard. It allows me to play a trap card of my choice from my hand."

With no hesitation, Marik chose one. "It will serve me best to activate this one. Rope of Life!"

A long rope spiraled onto the field from a portal in the sky only to fall into another portal leading to the Graveyard in the floor. I knew it was the Graveyard because Makyura was soon pulled back up into the game with the help of the rope.

"This helpful trap card brings back a monster from my Graveyard and grants it additional 800 attack points!"

Now powered up, and with nothing hiding in the wings to distract it, Makyura was strong enough to defeat Mai's Unfriendly Amazon and put a serious dent in her Life Points.

Not only was she going to lose a strong monster, but she was also going to lose another memory of a friend.

"Makyura, attack and destroy Unfriendly Amazon!" With one swipe of his three-bladed claw, the beast ripped through Unfriendly Amazon's armour and sent her straight to the Graveyard, leaving Mai with less Life Points and dreaded feelings shared amongst everyone here.

Mai just lost another monster.

Now she was going to lose the memory of someone else.

LP: Marik 1950/Mai: 3100

The fear on Mai's face was something I was all too familiar with, having felt it myself before. It was panic induced by the shadows, something Zafar made sure to take advantage of all through our duel. Seeing the conditions of the Shadow Duel steal pieces of our soul right before our eyes was terrifying, and Mai was now witnessing that power first hand. Even though it wasn't causing her physical pain, like in my duel, it was just as damaging when it was psychological pain. From the beginning of this duel, Mai appeared standoffish, probably put off by something Joey said before her duel. But now she was fretting over losing memories of her friends. Despite being harsh in the beginning, she still didn't want to lose those memories.

And we didn't want to lose her.

Mai's beautiful violet eyes were growing dark as a picture of the latest memory she was going to lose materialized onto the field. My heart nearly dropped at the sight.

It was Joey.

He was smiling.

Marik was going to take away her closest friend?

"Joey? But I can't lose him!"

"I can see this friend is quite important to you," taunted Marik with a dark grin on his face. He found such enjoyment in tormenting his opponents… it in itself was terrifying. This man was out of control.

"You will have to say goodbye, since you will never see him again!"

"No! Joey!"

As Mai desperately reached out to her final memory of the first friend she made, frightfully grasping at the last remnants to pull them back towards her, the image shattered just beyond the touch of her fingers. She stopped and stared. Her wide violet eyes were searching, unable to comprehend what she had just lost, even though it was right there for her to see mere moments ago.

That same hand lowered back to her side.

"No… he's gone… who was that…?"

The ache in her heart from losing someone she had just forgotten was so intense that I could feel it indirectly through the Oath's Seal. It burned just a little bit more, until it was more noticeable and I had to clamp my hand over it to stop the pain from increasing. This was the first time I was feeling its effects with Mai. It must have been the same as when I felt Joey in trouble after he first dueled a Rare Hunter.

Mai was hurting. She was hurting quite deeply, and it caused her to fall to her knees.

"Mai!" cried Joey, concern filling his voice. "You can't give up!"

When he didn't receive a reply, and Mai's shock took hold of her, he became anxious.

"No way… why is she ignoring me?" he asked, gazing at his friend with disbelief lacing his honey-coloured eyes.

"She's not ignoring you, Joey," said the Pharaoh. His crimson eyes were narrowed with growing concern for Mai. "This Shadow Game has made her forget who you are."

"What?! No way! All that talk and Marik actually did it? First Téa and now me?" The blond didn't hesitate to give up. He clenched his fists. "There's no way I'm going to let that happen! Hey, Mai!"

The blond did his best to get his voice across the existential barrier of Mai's memories, but she couldn't see over it. She continued to stare blankly at the floor before her.

"I'm left alone again," said Mai quietly. She was slipping from her state of confidence. Overwhelming feelings of isolation clouded the pain that I felt from her. Her emotions were raw and filled with such loneliness that tears threatened to escape from my own eyes.

"I'm a little kid again…"

The Pharaoh saw me clutching my chest. It was his turn to clench his fists.

"If Marik can use Shadow Powers to hurt Mai…" he began. "Then I'm going to use them to help her."

The Eye of Horus appeared on his forehead, and at the same time, my Locket glowed as a signal to him activating his powers. I knew the Millennium Puzzle was powerful, but what I didn't know was that the Pharaoh could use in other ways that I hadn't seen. He must have followed his instincts to activate it.

"If anyone can reach her right now, it's you," I said confidently, speaking to both Yugi and the Pharaoh.

He nodded, and the Millennium Puzzle began to glow. Crimson orbs disappeared behind gentle eyelids, and I wondered what his powers were allowing him to do. Was he going to reassure Mai somehow? Was he going to lessen the effects of the Shadow Realm? Was anything even possible?

"I won't be going anywhere without my Guardian, though."

As if knowing exactly where my hand was already, he grabbed hold of it and didn't let go. I was about to question what he meant about 'going' somewhere, but my words died in my throat as I was instantly transported somewhere akin to my dreams.

It was extremely dark at first, and the first thing I noticed was that the Pharaoh's hand wasn't over my own anymore. Foolishly, I searched the vast emptiness for him, reasoning with myself that I would be able to find him. However, there was hardly any light, and he was nowhere to be seen.

I had no idea in the slightest about where I ended up. I also wasn't quite sure how the Pharaoh was able to bring me here. Could the Millennium Puzzle always teleport people? But perhaps we hadn't gone too far for it to be that noticeable in the first place…

The dimension was reminiscent of my worst nightmares, where darkness would linger and strike me at my weakest, especially when I was at my most vulnerable. The place reminded me of where Zafar had taken me during our duel, when he was attempting to frighten me with his powers.

It was a crossroads of sorts, but who were we going to see?

Within dim light that was being cast from somewhere far away, I could see a figure moving around in the distance.

It was Mai. She was struggling to find her way through the darkness. Hands outstretched, and appearing ever so lost, she treaded carefully, searching for something - quite possibly the way out. What I could make out from her expression was the same expression of sadness and helplessness I had seen after she lost her memory of Joey. My heart reached out for her instantly, and I wanted to help.

Behind Mai, a shadow suddenly loomed, hungrily awaiting for her to completely lose herself before devouring her out of existence. I wanted to cry out to Mai to watch out, but a blinding light suddenly took precedence.

"Mai, you are not alone."

From within the warm light stepped the Pharaoh. He looked incredible, like a beacon of hope in this dreary and deserted place; a hopeful ray within this everlasting haze of shadow. I felt my own heart begin to settle at the sight of him.

Mai raised her arms to cover her eyes from the blinding intensity. "Who… is that…?" she asked. Her voice was almost shaking. She was so lost.

"It's me, Mai."

"Yugi… what? But how did you get here?"

"Indeed…" The shadowy figure I watched getting closer and closer to Mai also stepped into the light, exposing himself as Dark Marik. He was the one inside Mai's mind, tricking her into thinking she was all alone.

The feeling of loneliness was the worst of all. I could understand that quite well, as did Mai.

"Listen to me, Mai. Your friends are with you," said the Pharaoh. "You cannot let Marik's illusions distract you."

"Illusions?" asked Mai. "You mean, this is all in my head? But it seems so real…"

"That's because it is real," interrupted Marik. Bothered and miffed at the fact that the Pharaoh managed to find a way into Mai's mind, where he was busy planting the seeds of loneliness in her mind, he took a menacing step closer towards him. "I would suggest you stay out of this before I overwhelm you with my own Shadow Powers."

The Pharaoh made no inclination to move from Marik's path and out of his plans. I could sense Marik becoming angry. At once, I realized why the Pharaoh brought me with him.

I quietly stepped out of the shadows behind Marik and pressed the gleaming blade of my summoned dagger into his lower back. He stopped in his tracks instantly, throwing me a look of disdain over his shoulder.

"You…"

"I suggest you keep back," I threatened. "Or I'll shove this right through your spine."

"You will not kill me this way," said Marik arrogantly. "You cannot interfere with this Shadow Game."

"Then you will do your best to not harm the Pharaoh in this realm either," I countered. "Despite your itching desire to dethrone him here and now."

"I should have silenced you with a blade when I had the chance."

Already confused and unable to find the confidence in herself to keep going, Mai anxiously looked between us and the Pharaoh. "Yugi, I don't understand…" she said finally.

The Pharaoh, never once flinching from Marik's attempt at an advance before, addressed Mai once again.

"You are a strong duelist, Mai," he said. His voice was gentle, yet controlled. It was reassuring, yet resolute. Just from listening to it, I could already see Mai's demeanor changing. "You have never once backed down from a challenge before, no matter how difficult it may seem."

"But… is any of this real? I haven't ever dueled like this before… and I'm scared of being alone."

"It is only because the world you are in right is making it seem real. Win this match, and you will shed light on the truth, and rid the shadows from your mind."

Mai's violet eyes glistened hopefully for a moment, but just as quickly as they had shone, they dulled.

"But, Yugi… I don't know if I can… I feel so empty inside..."

My heart wrenched at Mai's words. I had known that feeling all too well. I didn't want to see Mai go through the same thing.

"You must fight it, Mai," encouraged the Pharaoh.

"But I'm alone… I have nothing left."

Suddenly, from behind us all, a voice echoed in the distance. The Pharaoh and I already knew who was calling out, but it was Mai's reaction that we were looking for.

"Hey, Mai! We're here for you!"

"Who is that?" Mai asked wonderingly, turning towards the sound. It was Joey's voice, but she had forgotten. "I don't know the voice, but… it sounds so familiar…"

"Yes, Mai, listen," said the Pharaoh. "They are the voices of your friends who continue to support you. No matter how dark it seems in these shadows, you can be rest assured that those voices will always be there.

"Your friends will always be with you. You will never be alone."

Little by little, confidence was returning to Mai. Her gaze harboured unease at first, but then they were hopeful again after the last few words the Pharaoh offered. The voices from before could still be heard, and Mai was convinced she wouldn't be alone again. She stood a little straighter than before, and a small fire reignited within her violet eyes.

"Alright."

Mai's fear of being alone was dissolving.

Marik growled angrily under his breath at the breach we evoked in his plans. I removed the tip of my blade from his spine and retreated into the shadows just before the man could strike. The Pharaoh poured more of his power into the darkened space, lighting up every corner and crevice with pure warmth.

Hopefully, this would give Mai the boost she needed to keep going.

"Curse you both," spat Dark Marik in a low voice. In the midst of his banter, his shadowy form was consumed by the light, and Mai was left with fresh energy, ready to continue fighting against her opponent.

There was something we could do to help Mai after all.

The Pharaoh returned us both to our bodies back at the observation deck. The others didn't even notice that we were gone. I was astounded by the trip and the difference it made; Mai was back on her feet on the dueling platform, rejuvenated and ready to go up against Marik again. Her confidence within herself was restored, and the poison of Dark Marik's brainwashing had dissipated. Joey and the others cheered for her triumph of overcoming her fear.

It took everything I had to catch my breath. What the Pharaoh did, tapping into the power of his Millennium Puzzle and using it to rid Mai's mind of additional influences from Marik, was absolutely amazing. I was completely captivated by the whole experience.

What took me even more time to process was that he knew he had to bring me with him.

"How did you..."

"Mai is a strong duelist," said the Pharaoh. "However, we're still learning about Marik's dueling strategy. Yugi and I believed that, since Marik has used the Millennium Rod to influence people before, that maybe he was influencing Mai in some other way as well."

"You realized he was in her head," I said, amazed that the Pharaoh and Yugi had figured it out. Although, I shouldn't be too surprised - they were practically in sync with each other's thoughts.

Elated from finally being a little bit more helpful during duels like this, I leaned in close to the Pharaoh and relayed a message I thought both he and Yugi should know.

"You're both incredible."

"We couldn't have done it without you," said Yugi, appearing next to us. "We knew Marik wasn't going to like us intruding on his plans, but you showed him."

"Now it's up to Mai to keep fighting," said the Pharaoh. "The rest will be her strength."

"Marik!" Mai's strong voice resounded powerfully across the entire platform, surprising even the spectators who were cheering her on. "I can see much more clearly now than before. Your mind games won't work on me anymore!"

"Hmph." Tension emanated from Marik as he scowled. "They'll pay for interfering with my plans. You should know that I have not even shown you my greatest creatures!"

"Then bring it on!" challenged Mai boldly. "I'm not backing down!"

"You will regret those words, my dear…"

Mai's dark eyes had collected light again. No longer was there doubt in her expression, only fight. Dark Marik's influence on her had lost its hold, and she was back to being her own person. Even though we may have been able to do something to help, how long will it hold? Mai needed to remain strong to overcome anything and everything Marik was going to throw at her - including the possibility of losing more memories of her friends. She has only been exposed to a handful of his cards during the duel so far, and the most terrifying one was still hidden away somewhere in his deck.

The Winged Dragon of Ra.

Mai needed all the strength she had and more to battle against that beast.

The good news was that she wasn't alone and she knew it. She had the support of her friends by her side, and two Ancient Egyptians ready to balance the scales again if the need ever arose. Even though she may not remember some of her friends, as long as their voices could be heard, she wasn't alone.

The toughest part about this duel was still to come.

Author's Note: I know these are difficult times in the world right now, but if we work together for each other, there is nothing we can't do. Let's look out for our fellow humans. Stay safe, my fellow readers and the world.

Thank you for making it this far into my fanfiction. I look forward to continuing my writing journey. Feel free to join me on the quest to the end of this story - whenever that may be - or for however long you are able to be patient with me.

I do appreciate your continued following of my story. Thank you so much.

~xyugiohluvrx