Chapter 4

Battle of Torment Part 2

Yugi was now more then ready to duel Marik, and Marik knew it. Tyson lingered by Kai's side, he was exhausted but was curious in wanting to know this game called Duel monsters. Tyson kneeled down next to Ray and watched. The boys were curious of Yugi's rage and maleficent urge to battle Marik, they were curious of this Duel monsters game and weren't sure if it was something worse of a shadow game then what Tyson went through.

"You'll need this Yugi!" Marik smirked, he threw a Duel Disk at Yugi and catched it. Yugi noticed it was the same duel disk that he had during an old rival's Duel battle before.

Yugi slipped the duel disk on his wrist and commenced for battle. He took out his cards and shuffled and placed his deck in the slot it held on. The disk switched from one side to the next as it changed positions automatically and shot out two hollow imagers which flew from each side of Yugi. Once they were ready the sound of their Duel Disk lit up with colors that it was ready to play.

"I play Goblin Zombie to start out!" Marik said as he placed the card on his Duel Disk, his duel disk suddenly lit up. That's when the Bladebreakers looked carefully at this shadow game, when they noticed appeared in front of Marik was at first, out of thin air was a huge bony looking worm with legs and had arms that held a sword. The boys gasped, seeing a monster appear out of thin air. It was almost too much to be real. The large solemn and gooey thing started to drool from it's bug-like mouth as they thought it was hungry.

Marik started to laugh as he saw their faces. "This isn't the only thing that appears in the Shadow aspect of the Shadow Games! They'll be more to experience!" he grinned.

Yugi was clearly not having a moment for this, "Don't listen to him!" he yelled to Tyson and the rest of the boys. "This match will be over before you know it! I promise you I will win!" Yugi assured them.

It was almost too real when Yugi said that. Yugi held up a thumbs up to Tyson to see, when Tyson noticed for a moment he thought he was looking at himself. If this Yugi guy was really more then he appeared, Tyson hoped it was nothing as bad as he went through to experience. He looked over to Hilary who looked whiter then before. The air felt thinner then before and it seemed for a bright second that Hilary moved but it must have been his imagination as he noticed, when the air got thinner, he felt sleepy that wasn't good. He forced his eyes opened trying to watch, but he knew he wasn't the only one feeling drowsy. The rest of the boys were almost limping or half standing, their eyes were getting dry and sleepy as well.

"Dammit! We gotta stay awake, we need to trust Yugi! No matter what guys!" Tyson told them, making them wake up and try to breathe in what was left in the air. Kai didn't like this Yugi at all, but he knew Tyson was right, they had no choice but to trust him, this was a battle he was more familiar with, and if it's true that he can win, Kai hoped deep inside that Hilary would end up safe and conscious in the end. Yugi however was maddened by Marik, even the slightest hope he gave to help the Bladebreakers trust him went away quickly as his anger continued to steam off of him.

Out of all the things you've done to me to make me suffer, this is the worst! First you would do this to my friends back in Domino City, now you come to torcher my past! From what grief can rid yourself from when taking Arianna's virginity from?! You don't even love her!

His thoughts rage of compassion as he thought of the past from Egypt 'till yesterday when he met her again.

"Goblin Zombie! Attack his Life Points!" Marik yelled. Yugi gasped as the slimey worm-like Zombie flew at him and stabbed his sword right through his chest.

The pain was unbearable for a moment as his life points from 4000 dropped to 2900. Yugi was now in danger. He knew he must defeat Marik now, and fast, trying to control his anger, he pulled a card from his hand and yelled out, "I play Celtic Guardian in attack mode!"

A light burst out as a abnormal tall man appeared with what seemed like clothes from a fantasy movie or Lord of the Rings, that movie Tyson was sure he saw last weekend. The Celtic Guardian held a large sword, much bigger then the Goblin Zombie, and it looked a lot powerful then the other, but Yugi was sure he played the wrong card, that's why after he played Celtic Guardian he said, "And I play two cards face down and end my turn" then two large cards face down appeared in front of Yugi.

"I think I'm starting to get this game now!" Kenny said in excitement. His excitement got everyone to wake up a little as they listened to Kenny. "I think the main point of Dueling Monsters has to with the amount points you have. I think you play whatever monster there is that have larger numbers then the opponents cards and try win the game when one players loses numbers. It's a game of Intuition!"

"You have got to be kidding me!?" Tyson shrieked, for a moment he thought of playing at school and trying to make it popular for some kids, but then again, he was happy Beyblading never stopped him.

"This game I think really does suit Yugi," Ray said, "I mean, the way Yugi is so far as we notice, his intellect would match this pretty well."

"Yeah but there's a problem," Kenny announced, "Each player starts out 4000 numbers as life points or something, and Marik just attacked Yugi so now Yugi is down too," Kenny got out Dizzy to analyze what his hypothesis was, "Gah! Yugi is down to 2900 life points!"

"What!" The Bladebreakers freaked.

"So any last words to say to him Ray?" Tyson asked him scarcastically, "Because if he doesn't win, Hilary is in trouble, and I'll lose Dragoon forever!"

Yugi could have sworn his time was up for this. Marik's laughter was beginning to annoy him, and he knew he must control his anger in order to win. He sworn to himself he won't lose her again, not like this. Not to Marik, who he already beaten once.

Control your emotions, control them, and you'll be fine.

Yugi knew what Marik's plan was, after dueling him once, he was sure that somehow he must have another plan to bring up his Egyptian god card like last time, even though Yugi won his battle from Marik and kept his Egyptian god card, he was sure that somehow time was rewinded with Marik and he would bring the Egyptian god card Ra.

Of course, his thoughts were everywhere, if he could explain to Tyson and the rest of them of what was going on, he would, but in this kinda situation, Yugi will have to stay silent and win this game.

Yugi mind was taken aback once Marik's grin formed from his mind into the face of his people grinning, crying in relief and cheering from the execution ground.

"We are free!"

"No evil shall deceive us here!"

"Long live our Pharoh!"

Their words were painful to him, he walked down to the execution ground as everyone watched him. The exicutioners were about to take her head but he stopped them.

"Stop! Don't touch her head!" he yelled at the two large Egyptians. They suddenly backed off, fearing their Pharoah's temper.

The head of Arianna laid on the ground, her severed head separated from her body was disquieting enough that his legs started shaking. Her head was covered by her long hair, and he couldn't see her face. Even though he wanted too.

Slowly, he picked up the head and moved her hair out of her face, her skin from the the head became completely white all of a sudden, and their he sat down, holding her head in his arms like a child or doll and he cried out in fury of himself. The people of Egypt stared at him unsure of what their Pharoah was doing.

"Your highness," Seto came to him, "What is the matter, we have rid the evil from that woman, she is a demon the gods do not want to have, a soul that brings down our fury in guilt. Osiris has them blessed."

"What evil has this goddess done to us?" the pharaoh mumbled. "What has she done? What have I done?"

He brushed his cheek against hers, holding the head like it was treasure far more to take a life for.

"Is it so forbidden for one to love another that appears from the heavens? A love a mere pharaoh like me could never have?"

Seto was confused by his words, the priest did not understand his Pharoah's feelings for someone who could have cause, if not him, then the gods to succumb and bring forth something worse to destroy their very kingdom. A woman who clearly came form this city Rome was a near hostile of destruction to their kingdom, how could the pharaoh not realize that?

"You…your majesty…..Do not say that you…." Seto couldn't say it, but his pharaoh answered, "Yes, I have even taken away something precious of hers that will can never be returned."

"Your majesty! I was only doing this for your kingdom! For Egypt! For…"- "Leave me!" his pharaoh yelled at him. The priest did what he was told, and left the pharaoh in his caged guilt. The blood from the cut of the neck stained his gold and white robes, his golden jewelry was smeared with brown blood that dried quickly in the sun.

Yugi brushed off the memory as he noticed it was Marik's turn.

"I discard two cards to grave yard to summon the nightmare wheel!" Marik began as a large skeleton tied to a wheel appeared from the light.

"the same thing again," Yugi muttered. Yugi was sure he was discarding at least five or six monsters to the grave yard to bring Ra. Any moment, and Yugi will have to bring out Obelisk the Tormentor to end this battle.

But just to be sure

"Celtic Guardian, destroy his Nightmare Wheel!" Yugi commanded, and the Celtic Guardian directly moved towards Marik's second monster and swung his blade to cut the Nightmare Wheel in half and suddenly dissolve into thousands of pieces.

The Bladebreakers cheered, but Yugi ignored them since they clearly have no idea what it was this game was about to become.

Suddenly a sharp pain in his heart struck him, Yugi bend down to his knees to hold the pain by his chest. Marik however, just laughed.

"Foolish Yugi, be careful with effect cards, they become quit a painful sting when you destroy them." Marik said laughing.

Yugi stood up again, wiping the pain off to continue the game. He has to act quickly now, he was sure Marik's strategy was the same as before, and if that means bringing out the tormentor card right after Ra, then he had no choice but to end it quickly.

"I sacrifice 4 cards from my hand," Yugi said as he drew out more cards, and just as he suspected, Obelisk appeared in his hand, "And I draw, Obelisk the Tormentor!"

Suddenly a booming of an earthquake appeared to feel and sound under the kids' feet. Their behind Yugi, a cracking of the ground rose up to find something coming out.

"Yugi! Watch out!" Tyson yelled at him, but Yugi ignored him. A gainormous, blue and green demon from the ground appeared behind Yugi, he rose up from the ground, and as he rose, he was getting taller until finally this Obelisk was standing straight tall from the smoky red sky.

Marik screeched out laughing. "Oh Yugi, you must be so kind to bring this battle in such bliss! Hahaha!"

"Shut Up Marik!" Yugi yelled at him, "The real duel begins here! Now summon your Winged Dragon Ra to the stage! I've defeated you once Marik, and I will defeat you again!"

Marik grinned, "Very Well, I sacrifice my Goblin Zombie and summon Monster Reborn!" The card that was laid out in front of him was tilted up to show a picture of the card, "And I bring back from my grave yard Egyptian God Card, Wing Dragon of Ra!" Through the Monster Reborn card, a red flash of light sprung out, and their a bright red wing appeared out of a card, it was like watching a child move out of the womb as the dragon brought out one parts of it's body after the next until finally it brought it's head out for air to breathe in.

Yugi's plan was working, as soon as he destroys Ra, he'll take his win and perhaps try to take Hilary before them noticing, hoping that perhaps Hilary could be saved and Tyson would not have to go through the pain battle with Mar again.

Hilary tried to move where she was, but she felt tied up from where she was laying.

Where am I? why can't I move?

And when she opened her eyes, the sun rays from her bedroom suddenly came through. She squinted her eyes as she slowly got up from her bed.

Her room was a lot more pinkier then it was the last time she noticed. On her small table where she used to draw pictures from had stacks of papers and books and pencils. Her room was clean, but her furniture was cluttered with books, school notebooks and learning stuff. She rubbed her eyes as she got up to wash her face, walking there, she didn't look at the mirror until she wiped off the water, and noticed how different she was.

Her face was bigger, and her body was smaller, she was shorter and just realized without noticing, that she was standing on a stool to clean her face by the sink. She couldn't believe it, but she was 8 years old again.

Someone knocked on the door, "Yes!" Hilary asked, she squeeled noticing how high pitch her voice was.

"Hilary, finish up, your mom wants me to go over some problems," a voice said. "I'll be in your room waiting."

The sound of the foot steps fainted away behind the bathroom door. The voice just rang in her ears, the same nazaley voice she heard, and then she gasped.

Yugi sat on the floor of her bedroom, moving some stuff around, he put down a plastic bag by his side, and brought out an old wooden box. This Yugi wasn't different then the one she saw at the beach. He looked exactly the same as she remembered. She stood there behind the door watching him through the crack, half opened, she wasn't sure if she was dreaming, or what she woke up from all that stress and horrible sadness was really all but dreams. Maybe Tyson and the Bladebreakers really didn't existed? Maybe, that was all just a dream? Her being kidnapped, Tyson's words, Kai's cold eyes, it could have been just a dream, and she must have had something that made her think that, because whatever else was happening, all she knows is that she's 8 years old again and her tutor who she might have a crush on is here waiting in her room to help her with school work.

She went in her room to look at what Yugi was doing. "Sit down," he said, and she did obediently giving her ramune soda and putting the wooden box in front of her.

Just as the same as she remembered of him, even though he enjoyed having her with him and teaching her, his expression showed well that he had a lot on his mind, and she always wondered what he was thinking. She looked at her hands they were bruised and marked, she didn't know why, but she always had these marks on her hands from working too hard, her mother worked her all out too much before, she wouldn't be surprise if she did it again, perhaps yesterday or the day before, even though Hilary couldn't remember.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, not looking at him but her hands, she might as well ask him since she can pull it off as an eight year old.

He stopped shuffling through his bags full of books and work books and looked at her. She could see him looking at her, even though she wasn't looking, she knew his expressionless face looked at her as though wondering on what to say. She wouldn't blame him, it was kinda hard talking to eight year old.

"I am thinking of those marks you have on your hands, did you hurt yourself again working too hard?" he asked her.

Hilary didn't know what to say, she doesn't remember about yesterday as a eight year old, just when she was fourteen and met him down at the beach and talked him to him about those dreams and seeking helpful solutions to her problems with herself and the Bladebreakers.

"I had a dream about you," she said changing the subject.

"Did you now?" he said taking one more book out of his bag and sating it next to him. Then he look at her giving her the idea he was ready to listen more. "What did I do in your dream?" he asked.

"I was fourteen years old, and you were 22, you didn't change at all, you looked completely the same." She said. Yugi made a confused face, thinking 'how on earth could you have a dream like that?' usually that was the expression held on his face right now.

"I wanted to talk to you, and I was crying, and I thought they were hurting me." She beckoned.

"Who was hurting you?" Yugi asked.

"The Bladebreakers, they said I wasn't meant to be with them as friends, that I was….annoying and in their way. But I wanted to be friends with them! I…I was able to run away from mom, and find a way to have fun, and make friends easily, I didn't need to work anymore, no singin' or dancing classes, and I always snuck out and lied to mom. For the first time, I actually liked my life."

Yugi looked at her with his eyes opened more. "Wow, that's very interesting…Hilary" he said not sure what to do.

"Why am I here!?" she asked him desperately.

"W-what?" Yugi wasn't sure what was going on now.

"I mean, this a dream right? I'm not eight anymore! I'm fourteen! and it was yesterday I saw you! Only now I don't know how I feel about you!" she yelled.

"I don't understand Hilary," Yugi said trying to calm her down.

Hilary went up to sit on top of Yugi's lap. "I think I like you…more then I know." She confessed.

That's when she didn't notice it, but she grew back to her normal fourteen year old self. Her hair was longer though, and she felt she was naked on top of him. But she didn't let that stop her, she wanted to do something to embrace herself of him, she placed her hand on the side of his cheek and focused on his purple dark eyes.

"Yugi….help me, I don't know what's happening to me!" she said crying, her visions of when she was in Egypt appeared again, she could feel herself like a ghost as Yugi disappeared from her hands and looked down at headless body, her head was taken by the dark skinned Yugi as he walked off, and her headless body was put onto a wheel barren to be ridden to the desert and buried.

A sudden rush of pain stung from her stomach as it started glowing.

What now!?

She held her stomach by her hands hoping it would go away, but then she feel something coming out of it, gorging out from her flesh, too small hands appeared out of her stomach, then a tiny foot, full of white slime and blood, then the head appeared.

The baby twisted his head like an owl and looked op at Hilary, his eyes sprung out of his sockets, piercingly red and purple. His smile was all that made Hilary screamed.

The scream ringed hard in Yugi's ear as a rush of pain periced through his backand shoulders. The eyes of the baby came into his mind, and he kneeled down to the ground gasping for air panting.

"No! it can't be!" the baby's cries ringed in his ears. "No!" he gasped.

"What's the matter Yugi, already has the Shadow Game been too much for you?" Marik laughed. His white hair sprung up shortly like gasps of fake wind retrieving it.

The cries faded out and so did the image. Yugi got up from his knees still panting but ready to make a move. He wasn't sure who it was, but that infant he might have known who it was. Hilary's screams filled his mind, he was running out of time. He had to hurry, or else.

"I place one card down and end my turn." A duel card face down appeared infront of Yugi.

"Wing Dragon of Ra! Attack his Obelisk!" Marik yelled.

Ra's head of two mouths on top of his head and by his face opened wide to have two glowing beams appear and shot out at Obelisk. The beams came but was shield away quickly.

"What!?" Marik was shocked.

"You activated by Trap card Marik, Mirror Advance!" Yugi yelled commanding the card to show it's true self , "This trap card immediately takes out any attack and makes it disappear!" Yugi said, "And shoots back at the opponent!"

A huge mirror appear shooting out Wing of Ra's beam hitting it back at Marik's monster.

"Perfect timing!" Max cheered. The Bladebreakers were relieved by Yugi's come back.

"And not just that Marik, but I activate the magic card Imbolizing Swords of Light!" Yugi added, "This card traps your Winged of Ra for the next three turns, making you unable to have a turn!"

Large swords of light appeared trapping Winged of Ra by it's head and wings and mouth. It was the most relieve moment the Bladebreakers could feel of themselves in this dark waste land, the thin air seemed to untighten and they could breathe a little better.

Marik growled grudging his teeth together.

"This is amazing guys! Marik's life points is about down to 200! Were winning!" Kenny updated excitedly.

"This is great! Yugi will just take down Marik with one blow from Obetest or whatever and will win!" Tyson having his energy back said.

"Only for the first part," Kai mentioned miserably. "The match with you and Mar will be taken again, and this time we have to win, or else she'll be gone forever."

The group stared back at Hilary, her skinny lifeless body tide to that pentagram and shield by that barrier just made their throats clogged. Tyson was feeling more pain come upon him. The guilt of losing was unbearable. Not to mention it came with physical game, there was no way he could handle such a shadow game like this, but Yugi obviously knew how to deal with it. He obviously has done more of this then he's mentioned. And Yugi probably isn't a guy that brags compare to Tyson.

"And now this match ends here!" Yugi stated, "Obelisk, attack Wing Dragon of Ra!"

Obelisk to his moment as he shot a beam from his hands and destroyed Winged Dragon of Ra as it dissolved into pieces and Maryk's life points have gone down to zero.

Marik dropped to his knees. That's when Yugi suddenly turned to go and take Hilary, noticing the barrier was lifted. He ran to go after her, but Mar beat him to it as he held Hilary in his arms, the ropes that was tied to her suddenly dissolved. Then Marik jumped in the air and was floating from the sky. Marik disappeared in the dark as the scenery of the shadow game faded away back to the park.

"We have one more match Tyson! One more rematch! Tommorrow night! I'll send you the address as a invitation to a dance!" Mar said playfully. He was floating away backwords into the sky. "And Yugi, I hope you'll e ready for a surprise, once Hilary wakes up, she'll be thrilled to see you!" Then he vanished from the darkness.

"No!" Yugi screamed. The shadow game was over, but more games for a final showdown, he didn't know Tyson at all, and he had a dubious feeling that Tyson wasn't even close enough to be ready the second time. There was no way he was strong enough, Yugi was sure about that, and Hilary, her mind was under torcher, he could feel it now! And that infant was coming back into his mind.

"Don't worry Yugi!" I'll win this time for sure!" Tyson assured him. However Yugi wasn't listening.

He coughed out a splurge of blood that flew from his mouth like a sneeze, and then he fell to the floor.

Tyson and Kai tried to grab him, but when they saw his mouth was full of blood, they realized he wasn't dead, but just fainted from all the stress and pain he was inflicted on. This was more pain he had ever gotten then he usually did have during dueling, but Yugi wasn't ready to rest, even though his body was. Hilary's tears stung his heart repeatedly.

It was more then he could handle, so he slept through a long somber.

Tyson and Kai took his arms and rapped them around their shoulders, trying to carry him to his place. Somehow Tyson got his energy back when the Shadow Game realm vanished, but the cuts and blood still dripped from his jeans and face.

Tyson was positive that they'll be more coming on the way. That night as he was trying to get Yugi to his place, he thought of Hilary and wondered what they were going to do to her tomorrow night when they meet again, as for one thing, Tyson for the first time was sure he wouldn't get any sleep tonight.

W-why are you trying to hurt me..? Sandalphon….

Hilary murmured in her thoughts.