Chapter 20

The following morning, I packed supplies I thought I would need into my backpack. This was the second day of the tournament with no date given for the finals. I had a feeling this would be an overnight thing, so I made sure to pack an overnight bag. I also grabbed the book, photo, and letter I had discovered the previous night. I was set for anything.

Yugi picked me up once again, and we headed off to Domino Square together. We ran into Joey and Mai, and the three duelists reveled in their achievements. Finally, after wishing each other good luck, we all set off on our own.

Yugi still wanted to focus on dueling Rare Hunters, so we wandered the city looking for anything suspicious. After a little time passed, I decided to tell him about what my grandmother had left me. I only briefly mentioned the letter and totally left out the photograph – both appeared too personal to share at the moment.

"Nonviolence?" Yugi said as he examined the book. We sat next to each other on a park bench in an area filled with duelists. "What do you suppose that means? I can see how violence was a part of life in ancient Egypt, but all we're doing is dueling, which is not violent."

"Forcing someone to go to the Shadow Realm is violent, I guess," I said.

Yugi shook his head. "I always try to prevent that from happening if I can, and the other guy always starts it. It's self-defense."

I took the book back, a small frown on my face. "Well, maybe it's metaphorical. It may have more to do with our motivations and how we view our enemy." I wanted to ask him what he would do to Marik if given the chance, but I did not have the courage. I slipped the book back in my bag. "Anyway, don't worry about it too much. You and Yami should focus on what you do best. Let me figure out my role."

Yugi nodded. "Of course. How is that going, by the way? Are you making any progress with your powers?"

I leaned back on the bench and sighed. "Not really. It's all so confusing. Even the simple part like discerning emotions… I wish I could learn how to focus my abilities more so I don't become overwhelmed."

"Is there any way I can help?"

"Actually… if you don't mind, you and Yami could help me by switching places without telling me. I'll close my eyes and use my senses to figure out who is in control."

Yugi smiled. "We can definitely do that!"

I hesitated. "Shouldn't you be looking for a duel?"

"We have all day to duel, and this is important too. We may not know what part you will play in all of this, but it can only help for you to master your abilities."

A warm smile spread across my face. It was really great to have a friend like him. "Thank you, Yugi. Both of you."

"No problem. Let's get started."

We spent the next couple of hours in training. It was all quite rigorous and not as easy as I thought. We started simple in a quiet place with few distractions, but then we moved to busier sections of the city that clogged my senses. In the end, though, I felt like I definitely improved. We ended the session with lunch at an outdoor café.

"Thanks again for the help," I said before biting into my sandwich.

Yugi beamed at me. "You're welcome, Samia. You're my friend, after all."

"And I'm glad. I feel lucky to have met so many amazing people, especially after having to lose Bakura…"

Yugi's smile faded, and he looked at me in concern. "How are you dealing with that? It must be terrible to lose your best friend."

I stared at me sandwich and nodded. "It is. You and Yami are helping, though. Actually-" Nervousness came over me as I looked up at Yugi. I swallowed hard and gathered up all of my courage. "I have a gift for you two, if you want it."

A curious look crossed Yugi's face. "A gift?"

I nodded. "Right after Duelist Kingdom, a ran into these friendship necklaces. I was going to give one to Bakura, but…" I bit my lip. I could do this. "I think you and Yami should have it. I want to thank you both for being there for me."

"I would be honored," Yugi said.

"As would I," said Yami.

I smiled slightly, encouraged by their responses, and opened my backpack. "It's kind of funny; they come from Egypt. Fitting, right? They look expensive, but an Egyptian lady at the flea market gave them to me for free. She said I was meant to have them. I don't sense anything evil about them, but there is almost something that draws me to them." I finally found the necklaces and handed one to Yugi while I held the other.

"I think I feel it too," Yugi said, examining the necklace. "It's pretty amazing you found these, Samia."

"The lady said they are sun and moon necklaces." The necklace I held, the moon necklace, was silver blue with a sapphire gem at the center, while Yugi's sun necklace was golden orange with an orange gem in the middle.

"Hey, what's this?" Yugi flipped the necklace over. An ordinary stone was lodged on the other side of the gem. "Does yours have a rock?"

I frowned and flipped over my necklace. There was no stone, but it seemed like one could be slipped inside. Suddenly, an idea occurred to me. I dug in my pocket and pulled out my grandmother's stone. It felt warm in my hand, and when I placed it into the necklace, it fit perfectly. I nearly jumped when both necklaces started to glow.

The necklaces shone brightly for a full minute. I felt incredible power and warmth come from them, but it was not bad. Finally, the magic settled down, and I exchanged a shocked glance with Yugi.

"That sure was interesting," Yugi said. "Yami thinks we should wear them. I also have a feeling they will come in handy later."

I nodded. "Good thinking." I unclasped the moon necklace and placed it around my neck. I could feel my grandmother's stone pressed against my chest, and it was comforting to have it to close. I smiled when I saw Yugi wearing the sun necklace. "It looks good. It suits you."

Embarrassed, he rubbed the back of his neck and gave me a slight smile. "Thank you. It's a thoughtful gift, Samia. Really."

"We will treasure it always."

Later, Yugi and I wandered around a parking, still on a search for duelists. Silence passed over us as we stopped by a waterway. I sensed that Yugi and Yami were having a conversation, so I stood a little way away and used the time to delve into my own thoughts.

Everything was peaceful now, but I knew that would soon change. I sensed something close by. It was very faint, but it was definitely there. I was unsure if it was important enough to alert Yugi. I really needed to get the hang of my powers. I returned to his side, but he already appeared tense as he looked around warily.

"You feel it too?" Yami said.

I nodded. "Let's be careful."

Suddenly, a strange looking mime with a duel disk leapt out in front of us, calling Yugi's name. I stepped back in revulsion; this was what I had been sensing. This was no ordinary mime. I glanced at Yugi and noticed his new necklace faintly glowed. He did not seem to notice.

"Are you the Quiet One?" I said.

"Prepare to duel," the man said to Yugi in a distorted voice, "and lose your Puzzle."

"Marik," I said under my breath.

"Yes," he said, "and soon you and the entire world will be calling me pharaoh. Meet my mind slave, Strings the Quiet One. And thanks to the power of my Millennium Rod, he shall defeat Yugi."

"Coward!" Yugi shouted.

"We'll meet soon enough, Yugi. Until then, why should I waste my time when I can duel you through my mind puppets? Battling with the power of my Millennium Rod is no different than you using your Puzzle to duel."

This angered Yami, who took over to speak to Marik. "That's not true. You force your servants to do your dirty work by taking control of their minds against their will! I duel with respect and honor."

"And I will do what is necessary to claim that Puzzle."

"To do that, you'll have to defeat me, Marik, and break the heart of the cards. And I can assure that won't happen."

"You call yourself a pharaoh? You don't even know how to use your powers, so destiny has chosen me to take the power of the pharaoh away from you and then destroy you."

"That ancient power is not yours to take, Marik." He took a battle stance and activated his duel disk. I walked backwards until I stood a good distance away. "Marik, make your move!"

Strings – err, Marik – activated his own duel disk. "Prepare to be destroyed by the force of my Egyptian god card!"

And so, the duel began.

Yami immediately gained the upper hand. However, Marik claimed he was only testing him for his strengths and weaknesses. It was still difficult for me to detect his emotions, but I could tell that he spoke the truth. Besides, it was clear that his ultimate plan was to summon his Egyptian god card.

Marik played Revival Jam in defense mode and then activated the magic card Jam Breeding Machine, which created a Slime Token monster each turn. When Yami tried to attack Revival Jam, it reformed on the field. It was indestructible! Next, Yami attempted to attack a Slime Token, but Marik played the continuous trap card Jam Defender, which redirected all attacks to Revival Jam.

I grit my teeth in frustration. How was Yami supposed to get past this type of defense? Marik then played Nightmare Steel Cage, and I flinched as a realistic looking barred cage surrounded Yami and his monster. Now he couldn't attack for two whole turns!

"It appears you're out of options, pharaoh," Marik said through Strings. "Thanks to my Nightmare Steel Cage, you can't attack, and in one more turn, you'll be finished, and your Millennium Puzzle will be mine!"

"Never!" Yami said fiercely. "As long as I believe in the heart of the cards, you won't succeed in claiming my Puzzle."

"Your misguided faith is completely pathetic when compared to the overwhelming power of my Egyptian god card. But you'll see that firsthand in just one more turn when my Breeding Machine produces the third Slime Token, giving me enough monsters to sacrifice! Then I'll summon my great beast, an ancient creature of unbeatable strength, to destroy you!"

Yami was worn but not defeated. I silently willed him to have the strength to continue. He drew a card and ended his turn. On Marik's turn, a third Slime Token was created, giving him enough monsters to summon his Egyptian god card, Slifer the Sky Dragon!

I gasped when dark clouds suddenly covered the sky, wielding lightning bolts that struck the ground. A shiver ran all the way down my spine. This felt all too real, even to me. Then it appeared: a ginormous red dragon with two mouths. Its power was enough to make me shake in fear. This was no ordinary card. Even Yami looked on in terror.

"You're finished, Yugi!" Marik exclaimed. "Prepare to feel his wrath! You're staring into the face of defeat, pharaoh. Slifer the Sky Dragon is one of the three most feared creatures in history: the Egyptian god monsters. They cannot be defeated."

"Every monster has a weakness, Marik," Yami said, "and I'll find yours."

"You're in no position to make threats. You're trapped in my Nightmare Steel Cage with no way to attack, and you're face to face with an Egyptian god monsters who's attack power is limitless. All you can do is watch it grow stronger."

"Stronger? But how?"

"Allow me to explain how Slifer works. The number of cards I hold in my hand determines what Slifer's attack power will be. Since I gold two cards, it has 2000 attack points."

"I'm afraid Slifer is still weaker than my monster."

"But this is just the beginning." Marik activated Pot of Greed, allowing him to draw two more cards, raising Slifer's attack power to 3000.

"But in Duel Monsters, there's a limit to how many cards a player can hold, so Slifer the Sky Dragon has a limit to its strength."

"Foolish pharaoh, don't you realize that every rule is made to be broken? I'm afraid any hopes you have of survival are completely in vain, for no one has ever defeated an Egyptian god card."

"Until now."

"You're a fool. Slifer will wipe you out with one single attack. Then I'll take your Puzzle and send you to a place of eternal darkness: The Shadow Realm! Now, prepare to lose."

"He'll win!" I shouted. I had remained silent up until now, but I felt compelled to say something.

The mime Strings fixed his vacant gaze on me. "Oh, he will lose, and I would think twice about sticking around to watch, Samia. Slifer is not simply a hologram, and its attack has very real effects on the opposing player."

Yami narrowed his eyes at him. "What are you saying, Marik? Is she in danger?"

"It's nothing that will kill her, if that's what you are asking. There is simply the possibility that too many attacks from Slifer could drain her strength." The puppet gazed at me again. "You will feel twice the pain: once from your connection to the pharaoh and once from Slifer itself. Leave now and spare yourself."

"As soon as she leaves, your Rare Hunters will be there to grab her!" Yami growled.

"Then you risk her health. But it is up to her."

I bit my lip as Yami cast me an anxious look. It was true that I feared for my safety after what Marik said, but there was no way I could leave Yami. Not now when he needed me. "I'm staying," I said. "I can take it."

"Very well," said Marik. "Do not say I didn't warn you. Now let us continue."

Yami set two cards facedown and played Kuriboh in defense mode. Once his turn ended, Nightmare Steel Cage disappeared. Marik, through Strings, drew a card, increasing Slifer's attack power to 4000.

"Yes, the moment has now arrived," Marik said. "Prepare to feel the wrath of an Egyptian god card. You are powerless against Slifer. And now, my Egyptian god monster, attack!"

I tensed as Slifer aimed his attack at Yami's Buster Blader. However, Yami activated his trap card, Lightforce Sword, which too one card from his opponent's hand for one turn. Bluster Blader was now the stronger monster. However, Revival Jam absorbed the attack, sparing Slifer. Then Marik played Card of Safe Return, allowing him to draw three cards every time Revival Jam returned to the field. Slifer now had 5000 attack points!

"And now, Slifer the Sky Dragon," said Marik, "destroy his Buster Blader and take a bite out of his life points!"

Feeling monsters destroy each other had never been pleasant, but Slifer's attack took it to a whole new level. It felt like I had been blown over by a powerful force. I clenched my teeth to prevent myself from crying out. Once it was over, I stood shaking on my legs, taking deep breaths. How had the wind been knocked out of me like that?

"Samia!" Yami cried.

"I – I'm fine," I said weakly. "Just focus on the deal."

"You still have time to run," Marik said. "It will only get worse from here."

I shook my head. "No."

Yet Yami seemed conflicted as he stared at me. "You should stay back. I do not want you to be harmed."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It can't kill me, so I'll be fine." I couldn't leave him.

Yami still appeared unsure, but he returned his attention to the duel. He sacrificed Kuriboh to summon Dark Magician Girl in defense mode. This activated Slifer's special ability: it's second mouth. Slifer's second mouth automatically attacked every time a new monster was summoned to the field, and the monsters that was attacked lost 2000 points from whatever mode it was in. Yami saved Dark Magician Girl by hiding her under Magical Hats, and he also played two cards face down under two hats.

Then Marik played Infinite Cards, allowing him to, as the name suggested, hold an infinite number of cards in his hand. Slifer attacked one of the Magical Hats, exposing Dark Magician Girl. However, two trap cards were hidden there as well. Spellbinding Circle weakened Slifer and Magical Circle sent Slifer's attack back at it, although Revival Jam absorbed the attack again.

"I would run, Samia," Marik said as he had Strings draw three more cards.

"No!" I cried.

"Samia!" Yami called out just as Slifer aimed and attacked his Dark Magician Girl.

I had barely recovered from the last attack, and with 9000 attack points, this next one was brutal. I could not stop the scream that left my mouth as I felt to my knees. I reminded myself that this was all in my head. This monster could not actually hurt me. But as I knelt there and took labored breaths, I knew it did not matter. It all felt the same to me.

"Samia," Yami said in a weary tone. Slifer's attack had taken a lot out of him as well, although it was obvious he could handle it a lot better than me. "You should leave. Go find Joey and wait for me."

I shook my head. "I – I can't. I want to help you." I did not know how much help I was, but still…

"You're not helping me. You're making it worse."

I stared at him in shock. "W-What?" A numb feeling spread through me. I was hurting him…

"You're making it hard for me to duel. I can't focus if I have to worry about you. Go where it is safe."

His tone was gentle, but they still felt like knives piercing my heart. It was not my intention to make things worse for him. Was I really in the way? "Fine."

"Good," said Marik. "Save yourself, Samia."

"I'll come find you," said Yami. "So, go!"

I turned and fled, blinking back tears. I know he did not mean to hurt me. He was just trying to look out for me. Still, I hated his words. I hated that I could not help him. I did not know where I was going, but I just kept running, hoping I would not come across any Rare Hunters who would take the opportunity to nab me.

Eventually, I slowed to a walk. I would never find Joey is I collapsed form exhaustion. I was still tired from Slifer's attacks, after all. I headed along the main street, glancing up to the cameras Kaiba had set up to showcase duels. If I was lucky, I could catch a glimpse of Joey and figure out his location.

I was in the square when a duel caught my eye. It was not Joey's but Yami's duel. I froze on the spot, unable to look away. I had to know how this duel ended even if I could not be there.

It was Yami's turn. He had no monsters and Slifer still loomed over him. After drawing, he played Monster Reborn, bringing back Buster Blader in attack mode. Then he attacked Slifer with the monster even though Slifer now had 14,000 attack points! My heart hammered in my chest. What was he thinking?

Revival Jam intercepted the attack, of course. However, Yami activated Brain Control and chose to take Revival Jam for a turn. The monster revived on Yami's side of the field, and Marik drew three more cards. Now that Yami had a new monster on the field, Slifer's second mouth activated and attacked Revival Jam. The monster revived again, Marik drew three cards, and Slifer attack. It was a never-ending loop!

No, it had an end. Eventually, Marik ran out of cards, and according to the rules of Duel Monsters, that meant Marik lost. "Yes!" I exclaimed, jumping up and down and earning some odd stares from people passing by. He did it! He won! Yami and Yugi beat an Egyptian god monster!

We would not have to be separated any longer. The danger had passed. I wondered if I should stay in the square. It was main area and Yugi should be able to find me.

"That's her!"

"Get her!"

I turned in surprise to see two scruffy-looking men in purple cloaks running right at me. Rare Hunters. Crap! Marik had sent for me after all. I bolted out of there as fast as my legs would take me.

I cried out for help, but no one even looked my way. Everyone was too absorbed in the duels to notice I was in trouble. My chest soon started to ache, and I could feel my legs giving way. I could not run forever. I had to come up with some sort of plan.

The Domino Museum came into view. Perfect! I could hide in the museum. Surely someone would notice if they tried to grab me in there. I picked up speed and charged forward. I was so intent on my destination that I was completely caught off guard when I slammed right into someone.

"Watch it!" the guy snapped.

I looked up to see the scowling face of Bakura. No, this was the Spirit of the Millennium Ring. I did not have time to think. I moved around him and clutched him from behind. "They're after me!" I felt energy from the stone in my necklace, but I did not have time to consider what it might mean.

The Rare Hunters stopped a couple of meters away from the Spirit. "Hand over the girl!" one of them said.

"I don't think so," said Dark Bakura. I felt power from the Ring. The men screamed and then collapsed on the ground.

I let go of my rescuer and breathed a sigh of relief. The stone's intensity faded, but now I was distracted by the bodies of the men. "What did you do to them?" I knew I should not be complaining, but I could not help but feel slightly concerned.

"I knocked them out," Dark Bakura said. "And broke the connection they had with a Millennium Item."

"The Millennium Rod. Marik sent them after me."

He turned and looked at me with raised eyebrows. "Is this Marik the same person who controlled Bandit Keith the day he stole the Millennium Puzzle?"

I nodded. "That's the one. Thank you for helping me; I'll be on my way now." I tried to walk past him, but he held his arm out, stopping me. A wave of irritation rolled over me. I should have known this would not be easy.

"Why is he after you?" he said. "And why are you very… alone? Are you not accompanying Yugi in this tournament?"

I frowned. "Yugi was dueling Marik – actually, a puppet of Marik's – and the attack from Marik's Egyptian god card drained my energy, so I had to leave. But Yugi won, so I can go back to him now."

Dark Bakura raised his eyebrows. "Egyptian god card? Marik sounds very… interesting. Is he after your powers?"

I hesitated. I still did not understand Marik's motivations. All I had to go by was his word, and I did not know if I could believe him. "I don't think so. And I don't think he wants to hurt me either." I wondered how much was safe to tell him, but then I realized the quickest way out of here would be to answer his questions as directly as possible. I could deal with the consequences later. "When I was seven, I spent a month in Egypt with Marik and his family because they're tomb keepers waiting for the pharaoh. Marik has rejected his duty, but for some reason he seems to still like me. I think he wants to get me over to his side. He said the bond I have with Yami is not real, and he wants to break it."

"Foolishness. The bond cannot be broken."

I shrugged. "Well, he wants to try. I almost wish I could talk to him so I could try to get him on my side. Yugi and Yami seem to have written him off as a hopeless cause, but I don't believe that. We were friends, after all…" I was saying too much, revealing something too deep. Yet I could not seem to stop myself. I wanted someone to hear my doubts, even if that person didn't care.

"More foolishness. You should not get involved. Even if you could succeed, it would come at a high cost. You empaths are all the same. Worry about yourself for once."

There was a light growl in his tone that surprised me. I could not pinpoint any emotions, but I knew something was there. I became immensely curious as to the source. "Empaths… You're talking about my ancestor, right? Did you know her?"

"Of course I did. She was always by the pharaoh's side."

"Did you like her?"

He took a minute to respond. He seemed to search me with his eyes while he worked to conceal his emotions from me. "Everyone liked her. She was the only decent person in the whole land. The only consistent one, at least. But she got way in over her head like you are about to. A pity, really."

His response only raised more questions in my mind. I could have taken it as a cold evaluation, but I felt like there was something else going on here. Somehow, though, I doubted they had been friends. I soon realized it would do no good to press the issue, for he would obviously not reveal more than he wanted to. I decided to take the conversation in a different direction. "Was she good at being an empath? Did she actually help people?"

"It depends on your subjective view of what is 'help.' Others appreciated her, and if she had not been good at her job, she would not have lasted long. She was not useless."

I nodded. "Okay. Thanks. So, this is hope for me after all…" If my ancestor had done some good, then I had to hold promise.

Bakura opened his mouth to respond, but he stopped when his Millennium Ring started to glow. He glanced down at it and then at me. "He's close. Let's go." He grabbed my arm and started walking in the direction the Ring pointed.

"Hey! Where are we going?"

"To visit your friend, Marik. He has something I would like to inquire about."

My eyes widened. The Millennium Rod. Who would win in that fight? I did not want to be there to find out. "Why do you need me?"

He looked back at me and seemed to coldly consider the question. "Leverage," he replied. "And you obviously can't stay out of danger on your own."

A shiver ran down my spine. "So, you're just going to hand me over to him?"

His lips twisted up into a sinister smile. "Not quite. Besides, you want to talk to him, do you not? I doubt your pharaoh would let you once you get back to him."

I frowned. True enough. I had not decided if I wanted to see Marik or not, but I might as well now that I had gotten myself into this situation. "Okay, I'll go. You can let go of me." I et out a breath of relief when he released my arm.

Still, he stared at me. "Where did you get that necklace?"

I instinctively touched the moon necklace around my neck. "An Egyptian vendor gave it to me." Remembering the story, I decided to let my bitterness out. "There is another like I gave to Yugi. I was going to give it to Bakura, but you ruined that."

He looked at me coldly, unapologetically. "It is his fault he was too weak to handle the truth. And what good did it do him? You're still here with me."

I looked away, knowing this was the truth. Why did my friend think he could stop the Spirit just by avoiding me? There was something magnetic between those involved in this whole mess. There seemed to be no way to stop it.

We walked in silence for a while. I racked my brain, trying to come up something to say to Marik. How could I get through to him? I should have read more of my new book. Yami would definitely not approve of this. What if I got everyone harmed?

I had not realized we had entered an alley until Bakura held his arm straight out, making me stop. I blinked and squinted into the darkness. "Huh?" I could feel power up ahead and something more familiar. And there was a strange noise…

Then I saw a motorcycle speeding down the alley, and I immediately tensed. Why weren't we running? Thankfully, the rider stopped before he hit us. He removed his helmet to reveal long, blond hair and my breath caught in my throat. I took in his tan skin, violet eyes, and Egyptian jewelry. His eyes locked into mine, and I knew.

"Marik."

A/N: Don't you just love cliffhangers? Things are going to get really interesting from here. I hope you enjoy my slight deviation from the main story. Now we're going to delve more into who Samia is as a person and an empath. Credit for the sun and moon necklaces goes to Madame Rodoshe. They'll be important later on. Anyway, thanks for reading!