Hey guys, new rewritten chapter. Hope its to your liking

disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or yugioh.

A new Player in the Game

Chapter 3

Kagome view

"Kagome, were you watching the whole time?" asked Tea while glaring at the bleach-blond girl next to her. The girl was wearing a purple jacket over a white tank top that showed a little too much cleavage and part of her stomach, a tight purple skirt that came up to mid thigh and had slight slits on the side of her thighs, and lastly she had knee high, purple cling boots. She kinda looked slutty, but it had any guy drooling over her and it distracted her dueling opponents. Not the best way to win.

"I saw half-way through, but it didn't look like I had missed anything" giggled Kagome. "Yugi probably shocked most of the people here with his win against the ex regional champion." Tea and Tristan smirked at my pun.

I looked over to see Joey call Weevil a dueling disgrace for his cheating, and relive him of his dueling gauntlet, before placing it on his own hand.

"Who are you supposed to be? You don't look like you would hang with these losers" asked the blond in a curious but snooty tone.

Kagome looked over at her with a small glare. What was her problem?

"I am Kagome Higurashi. And you are?" she introduced herself

"Mai Valentine" she replied. 'Where have I heard that name before?' she thought to herself.

Joey walked over with Yugi, and he noticed that Kagome's dueling glove held six star chips.

"Kagome, how did you get so many so fast?" he asked shocked. He rubbed his eyes thinking he was seeing things, but they were still there. Kagome raised her red gloved hand to show him her chips.

"Some people challenged me after a while and I defeated them. Two people exactly. I was looking for a third person to duel when I found Yugi's duel, though I missed half of it." Kagome sighed. "I was thinking of getting all ten today then go to the castle, but that would be too boring and over way too fast."

Yugi smiled brightly at her as an idea came to his head. "Why don't you stick with us for a while?" he proposed "That way we can all go up to the castle together and you can watch a full duel the next time."

Everyone seemed to like the idea, so Kagome agreed to travel around the island with them till they all got their ten start chips to enter the castle for the finals. Mai and Weevil disappeared while they had been talking.

No one seemed to want to face Yugi after he beat the ex regional champ Weevil, so they walked around till they stopped at the edge of a beach. Kagome noticed that he upset as he looked out at the horizon.

"Joey," Kagome spoke "Why are you dueling in this tournament?" she asked curiously. She could see the truth in his face, something happened to someone close to him.

"I have a sister at home. Her name's Serenity. A while back when we were kids, the doctors diagnosed her with a problem in her eyes and told us eventually she would become blind, but there was a way to save her eyesight. The thing is the surgery costs too much for my mother to pay, and my father disappeared a while back. I'm planning on winning this tournament and using the prize money to get her that surgery and save her eye sight." He said.

Kagome smiled sadly at his words. It wasn't often that people would go to the extreme to help their loved ones, and when you did, they were people you wouldn't expect.

"What about you Yugi? Why do you duel in this tournament?" she asked turning her head to him.

"Pegasus lured me into this tournament by kidnapping my grandfather's soul. Somewhere in the castle he has him, but I can't get him till I win ten star chips and defeat Pegasus." Kagome's eyebrows raised in shock. How had this person managed to steal a soul? The only time she ever remembered soul stealing was demons and witches. There was buzz in the back of her memory, but it faded when she shook her head

"I'm sure you'll get him back and Joey will get his sister the operation." She said confidently." But I have one question, how was your grandpa's soul taken?"

"There are special items called the Millennium Items, my puzzle is one of them. Pegasus has the Millennium eye. It can steal souls, no matter the distance." he told her and looked down at his puzzle. "So far as I know, they all have this eye on them." Kagome looked down at her gold eye bracelets.

"So, would these be a Millennium item?" Kagome raised her wrists and showed her bracelets.

"Maybe, I'm not sure. I don't know about the other items" he said. "They might have special abilities, but I wouldn't know for sure, mine doesn't do anything but glow at times."

Kagome nodded. So he hadn't noticed the presence that seemed to take over. It all just made her more curious about her past and where the bracelets came from, and what they did.

"Well, I hope I find out while I am here" she said to herself.

"What do you mean?" asked Tea, hearing her words.

"According to my mom and my guardian, these bracelets were found on me when I was unconscious by one of the old structures on my families shrine. Only I have no recollection of anything thing that happened. Even being unconscious. Or waking up for that matter." Kagome told them. "My guardian said I spoke in my sleep and thought that clues to my missing memories could be found here at this tournament."

"Wow," Tristan spoke up. "Sounds freaky" Tea smacked his head.

"Be nice," she reprimanded. "I hope you find your clues."

Kagome smiled. 'Me too'

They all turned when they heard a female laughing evilly and turned to see none other than Mai Valentine showing off and claiming to be a psychic. She the kids two star chips for her victory.

"Ugh, her laugh gives me goosbumps.A slutty evil fairy. That's what she reminds me of" said Kagome to Tea as they walked over.

"I have to agree" said Tea "that and she just gets on my nerves. It fits her almost perfectly" Tristan chuckled at them, before they noticed Mai had an evil gleam in her eye and challenged Joey to a duel. "Yugi, don't let Joey duel, he'll be crushed!"

Yugi looked between Mai and his best friend.

"This is his decision to make" he said. He looked at Joey. "show Mai what your made of."

"Right, she thinks I'm a push over but she'll see" he said confidently. Kagome smiled, but Tea and Tristan protested against him facing Mai.

"Be serious Joey" said Tristan "think about what your doing"

"I've never been more serious. Don't you see? This is my chance to prove myself, to show everybody. I mean Gramps trained me, sure he didn't get to finish and granted I wish I'd had to practice more before getting thrown into a tournament this huge with so many heavy hitters, but I think I can take her" he said confidently as his hands clenched into fists at his side.

"Man, you better be right for your sister sake."

"Yeah you better not screw this up Joey" said Tea seriously.

Kagome chuckled "With confidence like that, I don't think he can screw it up" she said to Yugi, who nodded in agreement.

"I accept your challenge Mai" said Joey

"Get ready to loose"

When the duel started, Kagome almost laughed at the thought of her being psychic. She could see the truth in the wind and her nose. It smelled of too many perfumes. No wonder no one could beat her. She was cheating. But even then, the duel wasn't looking to good.

At first Joey made the mistake of challenging a flying monster with a ground monster and he lost a few of his good monsters and life points. Kagome had to admit, though was cheating, she was a bit clever with the Harpies Lady and the Cyber shield magic equip card combo.

"She's right, she's too much for me" said Joey

"Joey settle down, remember what my grandpa taught you on how to play duel monsters" Yugi yelled to him.

"Don't let her rattle you! She's just trying to psyche you out" yelled Tea to Joey, trying to give him some confidence.

"She's right Joey. Think, you know how to play, so play. Don't get freaked because you're loosing at first" Kagome yelled out to him. She didn't like Mai's cheating, but Joey had to figure it out himself.

"Stay out of this!" yelled Mai down to them angrily. "Your brainless cheer leading isn't going to help him against the superior power of my Harpies Lady. Don't you guy's get it yet? Friendship doesn't help you win anything, never will. It hasn't helped him, he's defeated and he knows it."

Kagome felt something snap at Mai's words and spoke out angrily to Mai.

"That's not true! Your friends are what help you make it though life. Has anyone ever helped you thougha rough time, when you fell, or got into some kind of fight? Maybe that's why you're so content to keep bringing Joey and his friends down. Because it's never happened for you" Everyone turned to her, shocked by her anger in her voice. Joey also looked up, her words breaking him out of his stupor.

"Friends can never help you win. They can help you and be your best friend one day, but be your worst enemy the next." She said "Once the competition forces you to face each other, where's your friendship then? That's why the only person a duelist can trust is themselves" Mai turned bat to Joey "I hope that your defeat today teaches you that lesson"

Kagome sighed sadly

"People who have never had a friend be there for them can never know the payment and loyalty that comes from it. No matter if they face each other, true friends stick together no matter what the cost. They look to it as a challenge, but always remember that they are friends." Kagome replied softly to herself. None heard her words but the light shadows that stirred. Tea pleaded with Yugi to help him, and the presence from the puzzle stirred and took over, though neither Yugi or anyone else noticed the change.

Kagome felt the energy shift, and looked to Yugi out of the corner of her eye. The mystery Yugi was back.

"Don't listen to her Joey, we're here to help you, just like you were always there for us."

Yugi now deep and confident voice seemed to shake to two duelists out of their stupor and they looked down at him.

"Trust me on this" he said "She's just trying to divide and conquer strategy that's been used for centuries" A faint gold shimmer lit his forehead, the eye of the Millennium. "Believe me I know." Kagome noticed his words seemed older. How would he have known?

Everyone looked to him, the feeling of strength seemed to infect them as well. Joey nodded, now confident, and returned to the battle.

"Do you really think Yugi wants you to be the grand prize winner?" scoffed Mai trying to get Joys confidence down again. "Yugi is a duelist too ya know, to win you'll eventually have to take him on"

She's right, we will have to duel, but…" he thought about them talking about saving Gramps together on the school roof. "but I also have to win the contest for Serenity." He thought about the video she sent him before the tournament. If he didn't get the money, she would be blind. He wouldn't be able to show her the ocean again. "What do I do?" 'Maybe Yugi and Kagome's right about this thing? I have to stop listening to Mai's nonsense and start usein' my head' he thought as his eyes were slightly watering in confusion and inside pain. "ugh" he ground out, closing his eyes 'I just got to concentrate on how to win the game!'

"That's right Joey, think!" said Kagome quietly. 'Yugi' looked over at Kagome's words and expression. They hadn't known her all that long, but she was acting like they were life time friends. He smiled slightly to himself, before turning his gaze back to Joey and the duel.

Kagome smirked when she noticed Joey sniffing the air. Finally he was noticing the scent in the air.

"Lets go kid, its your turn" called out Mai.

"That's it! I see through your dirty tricks!" he yelled out. Mai blanched in surprise of his statement. Had he really found out? Down below Kagome was dancing around pumping her fists in the air in excitement, saying "Yes, yes, yes!"

"He figured it out! I knew he had a sharp nose, he seemed to much like a dog for coincidence" said Kagome as 'Yugi" chuckled at her enthusiasms and gaining weird looks from her other new friends.

"You sprayed all your cards with different perfumes" said Joey "and by smelling each different scent, you can tell what card you drew with out even looking." Mai was speechless, as he had figured out her aroma strategy.

"I got to admit it Mai, you really had me buying into the whole psychic power shtick. I was too freaked out to think things through. But your not a psychic at all!" he yelled

"That's it Joey! Go! Kick her butt!" yelled out his excited little party of friends. Kagome was jumping around again in happiness and this time Tea and 'Yugi' were laughing.

"Just because you saw through my little psychic act doesn't mean you're going to be able to defeat me in a duel!" said a flustered and upset Mai.

"I think you're wrong. Before you were winning by confusing me and pitting me against my friends, now my mind is clear and I know who I can trust!" said Joey "All you got is cheap tricks, and I won't fall for 'em anymore" Again Mai was in a frustrated and disbelief fluster.

"And now I'm gonna blast ya Harpies out of the sky with this!" he pulled out a card, Baby Dragon, from his hand. "Baby Dragon" he placed it on the field and the field glowed before the creature came to life on the field.

"Ahaha!" laughed Mai "that wimpy card is your grand play?" she scoffed "Oh I only wished it was worth some more so when I devastate you it would be more damage to your life points!" she pulled out a card form her hand "My card will be Elegant Egotist. Its magic will make two duplicates of my Harpies Lady"

The Harpies Lady glowed white before splitting into three – green, red, and blue- glowing Harpies Ladies.

"Harpies lady 1, 2, 3" said Mai as they stopped glowing to show the original Harpies, plus two more. One with short orange hair and green wings, and the other with long spiked blue hair and purple wings.

'Shit, he's in trouble.' thought Kagome. Harpies were just plain mean and creepy.

"Now what?" said Tea "He was struggling when there was only one, but now there's three of them!"

"Don't give up Joey!" yelled Tristan "You've still got all kinds of moves left."

"Really?" asked Tea curiously "what moves would those be?"

"I don't know ask an expert" he said, shrugging his shoulders, before looking over at Yugi. "Ask Yugi."

"It's his duel, he has to figure it out" Kagome smiled at his words.

"Plus, what help would he give him? HE is a big boy, he needs to learn from this experience and become stronger in his dueling and in life" said Kagome, still watching what was going to happen next in the seemingly long duel.

"Shit, what am I going to do? I don't have anything to take on Three Harpies at once." Said Joey to himself.

"Ha," laughed Mai "and I'm going to continue suing the Power of Elegant Egotist to double my Harpies again and again each turn!" she laughed. "But, sadly, while my Harpies multiply I can't attack you, so its your turn. Of course you'll soon be up against an army"

"How the heck do you fight an entire army?" panicked Joey.

"Don't give up!" called out Kagome. Joey looked down at her and then to Yugi

"Think hard about her strategy" he said "She's been using only one monster card and strengthening it with many magic cards. But there's a serious flaw in her strategy."

"Using one card?" repeated Joey to himself. "That's true, she's just been juicing up her Harpies Lady every turn! But if all she mostly has is magic cards, maybe the Harpies Lady are her only monsters. I bet if I can just defeat her Harpies, she won't have any monsters left to play!" thought Joey out loud.

"That's right! Now think, what card in your deck will help you win?" said 'Yugi'.

"Which of my cards? You tell me- wait, I think maybe you did" Joey thought back to the boat. Yugi had given him a card to help strengthen it after he had traded a few. "The Time Wizard!".

"No way, he has a Time Wizard?" asked Kagome amazed, to 'Yugi'.

"Ya, I gave it to him back on the boat to help strengthen his deck" he replied to her

"Sweet1 I definitely know what your thinking now. He's got this in the bag." And she smiled brightly and evilly in Mai's direction.

"If I had known how long it was going to take you to make a move, I would have brought a magazine" said Mai, sounding bored. Kagome giggled lightly.

"A true genius takes his time" she sang out. Mai huffed and glared at her while Kagome and Tea only giggled.

"Oh, Shut up!" she yelled, gaining more giggles from the miko, before she composed herself with a smirk to 'Yugi' and winked. He chuckled lightly at her playfulness, for some reason it seemed familiar.

"She does have a point" he commnted.

Kagome then noticed that Joey was panicking. He didn't have the Time Wizard in his hand, and it was a long shot at drawing the card next. He knew he had to draw for it, but he was too worried about what if he didn't draw it?

'Trust in your cards Joey, trust in yourself' thought Kagome and Yugi, and Joey hesitantly drew a card and closed his eyes. Kagome's bracelets glowed lightly in time with the one pulse of Yugi's puzzle, but it went unnoticed by everyone, before Joey opened his eyes.

"Alright, it's the Time Wizard!" said Joey happily and put it on the field, and a clock with a cape and a weird staff appeared on the field.

"Hmm? What good is that thing?" asked Mai curiously.

"Don't you know?" said Joey "The Time Wizard can make time go faster causing my Baby Dragon to grow into Thousand Dragon!"

"That's right Joey!, but that's not the only effect your Time Wizard has" said Kagome, smiling and winking once at Joey's confused face.

"What do you mean Kagome?" asked Tristan.

"You'll see" sang Kagome happily, and Time Wizards magic took effect.

"So now you have a bigger dragon, big deal!" said Mai angrily "My harpies Ladies still have greater attack power. Attack it my Harpies Sisters." But when she looked at her monsters, they were not young and beautiful, but instead ugly and old. "What! What happened to my Harpies Ladies!" Their attack power was now 1300 compared to Joey's 2400.

Yugi and Kagome chuckled at her horrified face.

"She did try and warn you, Mai" said 'Yugi". "A millennium has passed from the field and your Harpies Ladies have become old and decrepit. Face it Mai, time's running out for you and your ladies." Mai paled and ground her teeth together nervously.

"Go Thousand Dragon!" yelled Joey "Attack with inferno flame breath" the dragon reared his head before breathing fire on the Harpies from its nostrils, and Mai's life points fell to zero.

"Joey won!" said Kagome and Tea together, jumping around in a circle.

"Ya, Go Joey!" said Tristan and 'Yugi' just gave his pall a thumbs up. Kagome looked up at Mai and her devastated face.

"How? How could I loose to such an amateur?" asked Mai to herself, her cards were a messed disarray on the placement platform.

"Hey, Mai" called Joey, and she looked up "I tried to tell ya, there's more to duel monsters then just kickin' the other guy's butt.

"Even if it is a whole lot of fun!" called out Kagome and the others laughed.

"If you're ever gonna be a real champion, you gotta learn to care about someone, other that yourself, isn't that right Kagome? Yugi?"

They both nodded and the original and childlike Yugi was back.

Both duelists came down form the platform. Mai just looked over, before walking away and Joey came over to the group, jumping around in joy about winning his first duel and now having two star chips. They all laughed when he tripped on a rock and flailed around before falling face first to the ground, taking Tristan with him.

'I'm starting to really like these guy's' thought Kagome, smiling at them and Joey's antics, before watching Yugi. Maybe her unknown past would come back, and some how she knew it started and ended with her new friends. They would be there for her, and maybe she would get to actually get to meet the mysterious Yugi that she kept seeing and feeling from Yugi and needy times. Some how she could see the truth, and the truth was telling her he led one the keys to her missing memories.

So, there you have it. Agian I have rewritten some parts to this chapter. The way it was written is messing up my plot for this story. Hope you liked and that you review!

Ja nae!