DISCLAIMER: If you recognise it from somewhere else, it isn't mine.

Mind Game Part III

Kaiba stared up at the field. The Winged Dragon of Ra was trapped in the golden sphere that now floated above the playing field. How, then, was it used? He was sure if he waited, he'd find out. Marik could really only gloat about it for so long before he'd have to explain himself.

'Now that you've stolen my Egyptian God Card, why don't you try to use it against me?' Marik asked, sneering.

'That's the Winged Dragon of Ra?' Mai demanded.

'Only I know how to tap the power of the Winged Dragon of Ra,' Marik announced.

Maybe for now, but soon I'll learn to control its unstoppable force.

Marik began to rant again. 'I told you this isn't a mere duel. We're playing a Shadow Game with ancient magic beyond your understanding. Not only am I erasing your memory with every monster I destroy, but once you lose this battle to me your mind will be trapped here, confined in isolation for eternity!'

Mai glared across the field at him. She seemed shaken by the rant, but he guessed a madman's rant would be somewhat frightening if you weren't used to brushing mind games off. It didn't matter to Kaiba. If Marik was ranting, it was entirely likely he was about to spill the beans.

'Now, as for my Egyptian God Card,' Marik went on, 'you were a fool to think you'd be able to use it. Only individuals with knowledge of the Ancient Scriptures can wield the power of Ra.'

'Give me a break!' Mai insisted. 'You're just jealous because you lost your Egyptian God Card to a better duellist and I'm gonna use it to knock you out of the finals, bud! Your Winged Dragon answers to me now.'

Marik just smirked. 'Then why don't you try reading the ancient text written on the bottom of the card?'

Mai looked down at her duel disk, suddenly unsure.

Ancient text?

'Huh? What's that?' Mai demanded.

'That is the ancient chant,' Marik said, 'used to call upon the hidden powers of the Winged Dragon of Ra.' He chuckled. 'Well, why don't you try reading that chant? Or perhaps you're in need of a lesson in the Ancient Egyptian Scriptures, my dear. Well, why don't I read the chant and regain control of it?'

So that was it.

On the other side of the blimp, Téa twisted around and called to Sharee. 'Quick! You've gotta tell Mai what the writing says!'

Sharee shut her eyes and pressed her lips together for a moment, as Marik sniggered from the field. Kaiba was half-tempted to snigger himself. Ridiculous. Not that Sharee might know what the ancient writing said. She was the one person who'd actually have any hope of reading it as is, besides Marik.

'I'd love to.' Kaiba didn't blame Sharee for her sarcasm one bit. 'I'll just use my x-ray vision to look up through the duel disk and read the text on a card facing away from me, shall I?'

'You have x-ray vision?' Joey asked.

Moron.

Tristan smacked him across the head. 'Of course not.'

'She's referring to the fact that it's impossible for her to read the ancient text from where we are standing,' Yugi said.

'Then how could Marik know it?' Wheeler's sister asked.

'He'll have memorised it by now,' Sharee said.

True. Which meant the way to get control of the card was to already know what it said.

Mokuba seemed to be on the same wavelength. 'Hey, Seto. What do you think it says?'

Kaiba turned to his brother. 'Let's see. Photograph the card with our satellite camera and use the onboard network to translate it now.'

'Awesome idea, Seto. I'll get on it right away.' Mokuba ran off to the main command centre.

Kaiba watched him go and then turned his attention back to the duel. Soon that card will be mine, and I must know its secrets.

YGO

Mai stared at the text on the card. Sharee would be the only one who'd know how to read it, but she couldn't help her now. She was all the way down there, and Mai was up here. As Yugi had just said, it was impossible for Sharee to read and translate the writing from where she was standing.

'Stare at that card all you want,' Marik said. 'You'll never decipher the ancient words written upon it. It's written in a special form of hieroglyphics, used only by high-ranking individuals in Egypt. And I doubt you fit that category. However, my family does. They guard the Pharaoh's tomb! I bet Kaiba could read it. In fact, several people on this vessel can trace their history back to Ancient Egypt, to a time when sorcerers and kings waged great wars. Back then, the power of the Shadows was everywhere. And the world feared those who controlled it.'

Mai had enough of his mind games. 'Blah, blah, blah! I don't need a history lesson to learn to control the actions of my duel monster.'

'Maximillion Pegasus certainly did, and not even he knew how to decipher the ancient text when he created the card. But he knew, in ancient times, the Winged Dragon would only obey those who chanted the words. So Pegasus printed the words in an ink that can only be seen when the monster is summoned.'

Well, if nothing else that explained why she hadn't seen the words before. Then Marik knew all along that I'd never be able to use that card!

'I'll ask you again,' Marik said. 'Are you reading the chant, or shall I release the Winged Dragon of Ra? This is your last chance, foolish girl. Show me how you control an Egyptian God!' He laughed.

Mai gritted her teeth. 'Laugh it up, psycho-boy.'

'Be careful,' Yugi called.

YGO

Kaiba waited for the chant. He was sure it was going to come out of Marik's mouth. Mai certainly couldn't read it, and the only person on board besides him who could wasn't even competing in the Finals. Either way, it was obvious that Marik had allowed Mai to take his card.

This is getting interesting. If Mai can't recite the text printed on the Winged Dragon of Ra, and she wouldn't be able to, she can't use it. Then, when it's Marik's move, he'll have a chance to recite the chant, and regain control of the card. Once those words are spoken, the Egyptian God monster will unlock itself from that sphere and attack. And I'll finally get to see how it works.

'Time is running out, my dear,' Marik said. 'So make your move, unless you're willing to admit defeat. Remember, you have no monsters on the field to protect you. And that means I can use my Egyptian God Card to attack your life points.' He waited until Mai lifted her head, gritting her teeth, before he went on. 'So prepare to lose and live an eternity of loneliness and despair! This is your final opportunity to awaken the Winged Dragon of Ra.'

'I place one card face-down.' Mai set the card. 'And end my turn.'

Well, what else could she do? She couldn't read the text, so she could hardly recite it.

'It's over.' Marik drew and added the card to his hand. He took another card and played it. 'I summon Holding Legs.' Another set of shackles appeared on the field with its card. 'So sorry, my dear, but say goodbye to that face-down card now. For when it's summoned Holding Legs sends every magic and trap card back to the player's hand.'

Mai gasped as her card jumped back into her hand.

'And when played alongside Holding Arms, this card has another special ability. It calls forth the sacred Stone of Ujat.' He chuckled.

The stone in question began to materialise behind Mai. She made a sound in her throat and turned. The sound turned to a cry of alarm. 'What's going on?' she demanded.

'Well, with no monsters, I'm able to attack your life points directly.' Marik's eyes took on the crazed look again. 'So be prepared to lose everything right now!' He called to his two effects cards. 'Go, Holding Arms and Holding Legs!' The shackles flew across the field, right at Mai. 'Seize her!' Mai cried out in alarm again as the Holding Arms clamped onto her wrists and the Holding Legs clamped onto her ankles. She struggled. 'Comfortable?' Marik asked smugly. 'Well, the worst is yet to come! So stand back.' Then, somehow, she was yanked back and fastened to the Stone of Ujat, the eyes on the Stone glowing brightly as they attracted the central eyes on the Holding Arms and Legs. The cards were knocked from her hand.

Now, that was certainly a trick.

'Oh, no!' Mai cried.

'Oh, yes,' Marik said.

Mai struggled. 'Hey, I can't move! What kinda hologram is this?'

'I never said that was a hologram,' Marik said. 'You and I are playing a Shadow Game, or don't you remember? Whatever happens here is real.' He gave the order. 'Now attack her life points at once!'

Electricity seemed to crackle over Mai. She cried out in pain and slumped. Her life points dropped from 2100 to 800.

'Mai!' Wheeler called. 'Are you all right?'

Mai didn't seem to respond.

Marik laughed maniacally. 'Your friends are all gone now!'

'No, we're not!' Share called up.

'That's a lie!' Yugi snapped.

Marik glared at them. 'I don't need you two intruding on my Shadow Game again! You and I will duel soon enough, Pharaoh, and things are beginning to get interesting up here. For it's time to awaken the Winged Dragon of Ra, by reciting the ancient chant and reclaiming my great beast so I can finish this duel once and for all!'

At last!

Marik turned to the glowing sphere, floating above the field. He folded his arms across his chest, most likely to be dramatic. 'Great Beast of the Sky, please hear my cry. Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight.'

The light of the orb increased in brightness. Kaiba watched with an awestruck but unflinching gaze. The orb seemed to open, and transform into the creature in question. It glowed, luminous, as the final Egyptian God creature transformed into its true form. Marik finished his chant.

'Envelop the desert within your glow, and cast your rage upon my foe. Unlock your powers from deep within, so that together we may win. Appear in this Shadow Game as I call your name.' Marik spread his arms. 'Winged Dragon of Ra!'

With a flash, the glow dispersed and the massive golden dragon rose up. Its eyes glinted like rubies. It released a mighty roar that seemed to shake the whole field. Kaiba stared up as the wind picked up at the same time. 'There it is!'

'Behold my great beast!' Marik proclaimed. It descended onto the field. 'The most powerful of all the Egyptian God monsters!' It landed over him. 'It's time now to end his duel.' He cackled maniacally again.

YGO

'Just hang in there, Mai!' Joey called.

Shamee stared up at the Winged Dragon. Its attack power sat at 5400. The eye glowed upon her forehead, just as the Pharaoh's third eye did. They, and Marik, were the only ones who knew this, of course. But they both knew it was over. One attack from the Winged Dragon of Ra and Mai's life points would all be gone. Hell, to quote Sharee, they'd all be gone if she had all her life points, never mind the 800 she did have. That meant all kinds of bad.

Shamee could only hope the woman and her child would help her as they'd helped the others in Duellist Kingdom.

Marik finished his laughing. 'Such a pity it has to end like this, my dear. Your mind is only a shadow of its former self, and it's growing even dimmer. And chained to that stone, you can't reach your deck.'

'No…' Mai moaned.

'As soon as my monster attacks you your world will crumble!'

Joey spoke from beside them. 'Hey, Yug. We gotta stop this.'

'That's enough!' the Pharaoh snapped at Marik. 'Leave Mai alone! Your grudge is against me, not her.'

'That's true, Pharaoh,' Marik said. 'But I'm just having a little fun up here. There's nothing I like more than toying with someone's mind.'

'Marik!' the Pharaoh barked.

Marik turned away from him. 'Don't worry. We'll face each other soon. It's something I've been waiting for since my family insisted I bear the ancient scriptures on my back, cursed to carry the secret of the Pharaoh's power until his return.'

Only Shamee and Sharee knew what he spoke of – up here anyway.

The Pharaoh suddenly looked startled. 'The Pharaoh's secret?'

Marik went on. 'And although this duty has brought great honour to the Ishtar name, it has brought me nothing but great suffering and despair.' He covered his face. 'For generations my family has waited hopelessly for the Pharaoh's return.' He lowered his hand and laughed, turning back to him. 'Except for me! Serving the Ancient Pharaoh is a game for fools! Giving up my life just to play servant to a 5000 year old king, when all along I hold the key to his great power? I shall become the King!'

YGO

'Can he do that?' the boy whispered to his mother.

'No,' his mother said. 'That would be usurping. On top of that, the Pharaoh's power is too great. He would be destroyed by it instantly.'

Marik was cocky, though. 'I always knew I was destined for greatness! I just need to collect all the right pieces so I can put together my destiny!'

Then, he decided to attack. There was nothing to be done. The poor girl's fate was sealed. With the order, Ra began powering up his attack. It was a shame, really. If the Tomb Keepers hadn't been so foolish, this could have been avoided entirely. Carving the secrets into the flesh of a hormonal child with an artefact containing such evil, really! How could they not have seen this coming?

Her attention was suddenly drawn when the blond boy bounded up onto the field and ran across the Mai. That would do it. The woman looked down at the Pharaoh and the rest of his entourage. Shamee had a hand to her head and another clutched over her heart. The heart energy must've been overwhelming. Shamee had only responded like that once before: when Kisara died.

The guy who seemed to think he was in charge of the game went to step forward, opening his mouth. Shamee recovered in time to straighten up and move, with the use of the Shadows. To the others, it looked like she vanished from down there and rematerialised in front of the fool. He started and jumped back.

'What difference does it make?' Shamee snapped at him, her Right Hand Voice back in full swing. It was the voice that made everybody aware of her unquestionable authority. She was in command, and that was that. 'It's practically already over. This last hit is just a formality. So you will keep your silence until it is truly over!'

Just like that, he shut up.

The woman looked down at Kaiba. He was standing there, smirking. Apparently, he not only agreed with her – or was just indifferent – but he approved of how she got her message across. Shamee herself just turned around. The blond boy – Joey, she thought his name was – seemed to be getting through to Mai.

With a powerful shatter, the veil over Mai's memories of him was shattered.

But the blast was still coming. The woman expected the Pharaoh to do exactly what he did do. With more speed, and far less effort, than Joey, he bounded up onto the field. He quickly placed himself between his friends and the blast, spread his arms, and took the power onto his back.

Her child yelped.

She leaned over and grabbed his shoulder. 'Easy, sweetie. Easy. He's tougher than that. It'll take far more than the power of a God Monster to take out the King of Egypt.'

Marik found that out the hard way. When the attack ended, the Pharaoh just collapsed. Joey turned and bent down over him. His announcement that the king was only knocked out was met with a stunned expression from Marik. Then he seemed to content himself with knocking the Pharaoh out.

But Mai's life points, whatever that meant, dropped to 0. She'd lost the Shadow Game and now she would have to pay the price. Hopefully, something could be done. Even as she watched Marik get announced as the winner, and then cross the field, bypassing the unconscious Pharaoh, and then an angry Joey, who he paralysed to stop from stopping him, she tried to think of things she could do for the poor oblivious girl.

Not much, granted.

As Marik took Mai into her mind, she and her son followed.

They looked around. There was a gorgeous beach below them, with golden sands like home, and glittering waters. They floated above this, however, and just across, Mai was trapped inside a pyramid-shaped hourglass. The only thing that kept the sand in the top half of the hourglass from pouring over her was a single card wedged in where the two pyramid points met.

Marik calmly crouched outside the hourglass.

The woman and her son were behind them. There was laughter from below. 'Look out, guys, cause here come the Wheelers!' That sounded like Joey. They looked down. Joey and his little sister were running towards the water, where the Pharaoh's vessel, Shamee's vessel, the other girl – the one whose naivety from time to time annoyed Shamee and her vessel – and one of the other two boys waited for them.

'What is this?' her son asked quietly.

'An illusion,' she said. 'He's taking away her hope and torturing her from inside her own mind.'

Sure enough, Mai banged on the inside of the glass. 'You guys! Please! Help me!'

They neither saw nor heard her because they were not real.

Marik spoke up, drawing her attention. 'Scream all you want. They can't hear you. But they seem to be having fun, and they don't miss you at all, my dear.' He turned his head. 'Now, are you beginning to understand where you are? It's sort of a living nightmare.' With that, he did exactly what Shamee had done moments ago, phasing from one spot to the next; looking like he disappeared from where he was a reappeared next to the hourglass, standing up.

'Oh!' Mai looked up at him.

'You'll be completely alone for the rest of eternity,' he said. 'And here you'll sit, day after day in isolation as your friends disappear one by one.'

Mai looked up, mortified.

'I hope you enjoy your stay in the Shadow Realm.' That said, Marik unfolded his arms and took a hold on the card that held the sand back. 'Oh, and one last thing. I'm taking back my card.' With a chuckle, he pulled it from its spot and the sand began to trickle down.

Marik began to laugh as she lost the memories she'd just regained.

The woman chose her moment. 'Quite intimidating, I must say.' She stepped forward, followed closely by her son.

Marik, and Mai in the hourglass, twisted around.

Marik scowled. 'Lady Mana, I presume?'

'I see you've heard of me,' Mana said.

'Of course,' Marik said.

Mana looked down at the scene below again as her son trotted over to the hourglass and pressed his hands against it, brow furrowed. Mana looked back at Marik. 'Nice illusion.' She clicked and the whole thing faded away to reveal the Shadow Realm as it was. 'I'm quite sure it's illegal though.'

'Not to me.'

'Well, despite your beliefs, you have no claim to the Egyptian Throne,' Mana said. 'You are merely the descendant of one of our High Priestesses.'

Marik drew back, eyes narrowing. He lifted his Millennium Rod.

Mana smiled. 'Come now. You remember what happened the last time you tried that?'

Marik hesitated before he put the Rod away again. He folded his arms again. 'Just like your husband, aren't you. There's nothing you can do.'

'Guess what, there is.' Mana smirked. 'If you hurt my Pharaoh again, I will hurt you ten fold.'

Marik flinched back.

YGO

'Mai!' The next thing Joey knew, Marik was standing upright in front of him, facing him, and Mai collapsed in a dead faint. He growled. 'Tell me what you did to her now, Marik!'

It could have been his imagination – probably was – but Marik seemed nervous. 'Your friend made a costly mistake by duelling against me, and now I'm afraid she's paying the ultimate price. Notice her motionless appearance? That's because her mind is trapped.'

'Say what?' Joey demanded, his heart lodging in his throat.

'With each passing second she forgets more,' Marik said. 'The Shadows are taking everything, Wheeler. Her family, her friends, everything she kept inside her mind and inside her heart.' He propped a hand on his hip and chuckled to himself.

Joey stood up, rage overtaking him. His hands curled into fists. 'That's it, Marik! Now you've gone too far!'

Marik looked back at him, obviously amused.

'So it's go time! Now put 'em up, cowboy.'

Marik just smirked. 'Fool. Threaten me again and you'll meet the same fate as your friend.' He barked out another laugh.

Joey glared at him. Marik brushed right past him.

'Joey, please!' Serenity begged. 'Just let it go!'

'She's right, man,' Tristan said. 'This creep's psychotic.'

Marik walked away. Sharee walked over and knelt down, pulling Yugi up so his back rested against her knee. Joey turned to Mai and lifted her. No one should be as limp as she was right now. There was almost a tearing sensation inside of him. Physically, it wasn't painful. Otherwise…he'd never felt so much pain in his life.

Their friends quickly gathered around.

Tristan crouched opposite him. 'Come on, Mai, snap out of it!'

'Yugi!' Téa called to Yug – or the Pharaoh or whichever one he was. God, that was confusing. 'You gotta get up.'

At least, after a few minutes, Yug came around. Didn't look like Mai was going to. I'm sorry I let you down, Mai. But I promise, I'm gonna get you outta this mess!

'Are you all right?' Téa asked as Yugi pushed himself up from Sharee…That was confusing too.

'Yug!' Joey said.

'Don't worry,' he said. 'I'm fine. But are you and Mai okay?'

'I'm fine.' Joey bit back a wave of anger and looked down at her. 'But Mai's not doing so well.'

'Her mind's trapped in the Shadow Realm,' Sharee said.

The Pharaoh ground his teeth.

YGO

Kaiba allowed a delay only because he wasn't so unreasonable he wouldn't admit that Mai wouldn't be walking off the field. The group of them up there spoke amongst themselves, but only Sharee and Yugi were making any kind of sense. He supposed the others were hysterical. He waited for the medics to come up for her. His collar tag beeped and Mokuba's voice came through.

'Seto, come in!'

'Hm?' Kaiba activated it. 'Proceed.'

'I have an update,' Mokuba said. 'There's more written on this card than just that chant. I'll decode the text right now.'

'Okay. Good work.' Because he'd only praise Mokuba for anything. 'We need to find out all the secrets of this card.' He let go of the tag and called up. 'All right, you geeks, clear the field for the next duel!' He pointed.

Yugi gave him that disapproving glare. 'Kaiba.'

'Save it.' Kaiba slid his own duelling desk into his duel disk. 'I'm duelling next and I need to prepare the field, Yugi. So that the torment can begin!' A good little allusion to Obelisk if he did say so himself.

YGO

'Illusion?' Mai asked.

'That thing before was,' the woman said – Mana, Marik had called her.

'What about this?' Mai demanded, banging on the inside of the hourglass, which was even now filling with sand.

'Oh, no. That's real. I'll explain in a moment. What do you know already?'

Mai told her.

When she was done, Mana smiled. 'Sharee was only partially right. Marik himself isn't insane, but he has been taken over by his own anger and bitterness. That embodiment of his emotions is what is insane.'

'What do you mean?' Mai demanded.

'I'll explain full in just a moment. First, I believe a guardian is in order.' That said, Mana lifted her hand to her mouth and let out a shrill whistle. Mai looked up and waited. What was that about. It didn't take long for her to hear the shriek through, and she soon saw what Mana had called down.

It was her Harpy Lady!

Mana smiled. 'She will be able to protect you here.'

That's right. The woman is Mana! So how many of you guessed it?