(Authors Note: Hey everyone, sorry this chapter came out late. It wasn't cause I was rushing to get it done, I had it finished a while back. I wasn't able to upload it because I have been busy with my new job and a mouse problem at our house. I am sorry to have made you all wait so long, but to make it up to all of you, I will upload two chapters in December as a gift to all of you who read and follow this story and to make up for my lateness. Anyways, thank you for your patients and let us begin.)
Episode 6: A Desperate Battle for Friendship
It was a slow, Sunday night for Yugi at the Kame Game Shop. He was wiping the counter at the front, even though he had done that five times already. Normally he wouldn't be looking after the shop, especially when the store was already closed. However, his grandfather had left the store nearly an hour ago to talk with Professor Yoshimori. He had been worried after receiving the morning paper today, and wanted to make sure his friend was alright. Even the young high schooler couldn't believe what had happened.
Yugi was in a state of mind, being distracted by his thoughts as he sighed. He only snapped out of it as he heard the bell of the door ring, indicating someone was coming in. "Uh… sorry, we're closed." Yugi called out as he leaned over the counter to see who was going into the store. His eyes went wide as he saw a familiar green haired girl walking up with a container in her hands. "Oh… C-Cosmo-chan!"
She gave a small smile as she went up to the counter and looked at him. "Sorry for coming in. I figured the store was closed but the lights were on. I just wanted to make sure you and your grandpa are doing alright." She held onto the container as she sighed.
Yugi gave a sadden nod, looking over at the newspaper that was given today. On it was an image of Mr. Kanekura, the director of the Domino Museum. It was of him in a hospital room, with the headlines 'Pharaoh's Curse! Archaeological team for Pharaoh's grave, Kanekura, found unconscious in office this morning'. Yugi couldn't help but shuddered as he looked at the image. Only yesterday did the director seem full of life and he was so ecstatic and glowed with energy. Now it seemed he was on the verge of death. He looked back up at Cosmo and gave a small smile. "That's very kind of you, Cosmo-chan. But grandpa isn't here right now, he went to the University to check on Professor Yoshimori."
The green haired girl sighed. "I can only imagine how that poor Professor must be feeling. He spoke highly of Mr. Kanekura and was grateful to him for helping with that excavation they did with the Pharaoh's grave. I hope he doesn't blame himself, none of us could have seen this coming."
Upon hearing that, he inwardly winced. Yugi felt that he was to be at fault for not checking up on Mr. Kanekura yesterday. Even though he had already gotten his Puzzle back, he should have went to see the Director to thank him or at least make sure he knew Yugi received his treasure back safely. The young high schooler couldn't get the image of that Egyptian, Shadi, out of his head. He mentioned that he talked with the Director about what the riddles of the Millenium Puzzle had, so he assumed that the Director was just lending the Puzzle to him for further investigation. Shadi did promise to return it to Yugi, so maybe he already found the riddles? Either way, Yugi wondered if that man knew if Mr. Kanekura was alright. Surely it was just a coincidence, right?
Cosmo looked at Yugi, seeing that he was still deep in thought. "Uh, I wanted to give you and your grandfather this." She held out the container and placed it on the counter. Yugi looked at it and blinked. "Well, actually I had some help with my sister, but I cut up the fruit and fried the rice. It's Tai pineapple fried rice, it was a great comfort food back when I was little."
Yugi looked at the items inside the tub and then back at her. "Pineapple?"
"It may sound kind of weird, but it tastes pretty good. The juices really mix well with the fried rice and there's some red bell pepper, green onions, lime and cashews." She explained. "I hope it won't be too much…"
Yugi looked at the food inside and back at Cosmo. She was really kind to come over at night just to deliver food for him and his grandfather. "Thank you, Cosmo…"
"The pineapples won't be a problem, right? Oh dear, I should have asked if you and your grandfather are okay with peppers, onions and nuts…" She muttered as a small blush crossed her face.
"No, no," Yugi assured as he waved his hands. "The ingredients are alright, really. Thanks for being so considerate, Cosmo."
The green haired girl gave a warm smile. "I know we may not have known Mr. Kanekura personally, but there were many others that certainly cared about him. I think it's only fair we come together to try and support one another in these times." She stated. Yugi gave a nod, agreeing with Cosmo. He was feeling better about what she said, hoping that everyone would be able to get through this. At least Yugi was grateful to have such caring people like Cosmo and his grandfather in his life.
Speaking of which, the phone started to ring and Yugi hurried to reach for it. He held up the receiver to his ear. "Hello, Kame Game shop…" he listened on the end, until he heard a familiar voice. "Grandpa… did something happen?" Yugi asked. He waited for his grandfather to speak, needing details about what was going on. As the call went on, Yugi's eyes went wide as he gasped. Cosmo noticed this and was beginning to worry. Yugi just nodded. "I'll tell everyone else. We'll meet you there." That was all he said before he hung up and turned back to Cosmo.
"What happened?" She asked, becoming even more nervous.
Yugi was still shocked as he looked at the girl behind the counter. "It's Professor Yoshimori… he is being transferred to the Hospital."
It was already so late by the time everyone had managed to get to the Hospital. Yugi had called Jounouchi, Honda, Anzu and Miho and informed them about the situation. There wasn't much detail in it all, only that Sugaroku was walking through the University gates when he saw the Professor jumping from the window. He was screaming and fell from the second floor of the University. Mr. Mutou was there to see it happen as he called an ambulance. Yugi and Cosmo walked together to the Hospital, as everyone else agreed to go there to see the situation. By the time the two young highschoolers made it from the game shop, the other four were there at the entrance.
"Glad everyone made it." Anzu sighed, as the six began to walk into the building.
"Did Gramps say what happened?" Honda asked, looking at Yugi.
"He only told me as much as I told you guys." Yugi explained. It wasn't like there was anything else that could be added. The Professor fell out from the window and landed in some bushes, as far as Yugi knew there wasn't anything else to the story.
It took awhile for everyone to get checked in. Yugi was the one that had to inform the Nurse at the front desk about the situation. She was kind enough to tell them the room number the Professor and his Grandfather were in. The gang then began to head up the stairs to the second floor of the building, where they stood on the other side as only one person at a time could visit the patient.
"Do you think it's serious?" Cosmo asked.
"It's hard to say if it's fatal or not," Yugi stated. "Grandpa didn't get into the specifics of the condition the Professor was having. He said it was too soon to tell."
"He fell from the second floor and landed in the bushes, right?" Honda asked. "At the very least, he would just be paralized if he did survive."
"Yeah, those bushes would have helped break his fall." Miho added.
Anzu was not too convinced. "But didn't he mention that some glass fell out of the window with him? He could have gotten cut from those pieces." She did have a point. Everyone was worried as they wanted an update on the condition of the professor. They waited outside the room for what felt like hours, hoping that eventually either Sugaroku or a doctor would come out to give them something. Thankfully, their waiting was rewarded as Sugaroku Mutou stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.
"Grandpa." Yugi was the first to speak, glad to see his grandfather doing well.
"How is he?" Jounouchi asked.
"The doctors say he's lucky, he has a few scrapes and some broken bones in the back and legs, but nothing fatal." He explained.
"So he's alright?" Anzu sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."
"Is he awake?" Cosmo asked.
"He was put on some strong medication, so he's asleep for now. They will have to prep him for a minor surgery tomorrow to get a few bones back in place." The oldest man explained. "But it won't be anything too major, still, chances are he may be confined to a wheelchair for a while."
"At least he'll be alive." Honda noted.
The old man sighed. "Well, it's late and you all have school. You kids best be getting home now."
"Are you coming back, Grandpa?" Yugi asked.
His Grandfather had a serious expression on his face as he explained, "I'll be staying with him a bit longer. I'll be home early in the morning." He assured his grandson. Yugi could tell by the features of his Grandfather how serious he was about this decision. He didn't want to leave his friend alone in such a state, to which Yugi could not blame him. He would have done the same if it were any of his friends lying on that bed. Still, Yugi couldn't stay the night like his grandfather. The teenagers agreed to leave, wishing Sugaroku and the Professor luck. As they were leaving the hospital and walking down the street, they began to talk about the incident more.
"At least Professor Yoshimori is going to make a full recovery." Cosmo stated. "After what happened with Mr. Kanekura, it could have been much worse."
"But don't you think it's weird? First Mr. Kanekura, and now the Professor?" Anzu questioned. "Those two have gotten into such a tragedy and they were also part of the Egypt excavation from the Museum. It seems too much like a coincidence if you ask me." Yugi had to agree, it was kind of weird how those two were hospitalized only a day after the exhibit was displayed and they went to visit it.
Jounouchi looked to the ground, having a fearful expression on his face. "Isn't it obvious?! Clearly it's the Egyptian Curse from the grave they dug up! It must be the spirit of the mummy for getting revenge for harvesting its grave without permission!" Yugi looked over at Jounouchi, seeing how scared he was as he gave out his explanation. He remembered how freaked out he was when they got to see the mummy in the display case, so of course he would be the one to suggest a curse. To be honest, Yugi was starting to believe that could have been the connection.
"That would be scary…" Miho shuddered, holding her hands together as she started to shake.
Honda looked over at the purple haired girl to reassure her. "Don't worry about anything, Miho. After all, there's no way curses could possibly exist. And even if they did, I would risk my life to make sure you were safe."
Jounouchi looked over at the male burnet and smirked. "If you want my opinion, I think he would be more scary than any curse." He mocked.
Honda gave the blond the stink eye as he heard fighting words. "What was that?"
"Cut it out you two!" Anzu warned, getting in the middle of them. "Don't start a fight in the streets this late!" She scolded them, causing them to back off. Jounouchi looked at her with an unpleasant appeal as Honda looked away in the other direction, assuring her they wouldn't do anything. She kept her eyes on them, making sure they kept their word. Yugi looked up at his childhood friend, happy she was keeping such a straight head in all of this. She really was the mature one of the group. Eventually, they made it to a four way cross, where they all stopped. "Alright, my home is this way so I'll be going." Anzu told them.
"Be careful, alright?" Cosmo begged.
"I'll be fine," Anzu promised, waving her hand and heading off in one direction.
Yugi waved back to her. "See you at school tomorrow."
"Come on, Miho, I'll walk you home." Honda offered.
"Thank you, Honda." Miho smiled as the two started walking off in a different direction.
Jounouchi watched them go, and began to rush towards them. "Hey, wait for me! We're going the same way anyways, Honda!"
"Go home yourself for a change!" Honda told him.
"You can't expect me to walk back so late at night!" Jounouchi argued.
"That never stopped you before." Honda pointed out. The two of them kept bickering as they walked with Miho. Once they were out of sight, it was just Cosmo and Yugi.
"Well, I guess we should walk together." Yugi suggested. "Since our homes are so close together."
Cosmo nodded. "We seem to be walking a lot lately."
"Eh? Really? I… hadn't noticed." Yugi blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck. The two started walking towards another path, leading to the flower shop and the game shop. Even though it was dark out, the street lights helped to guide them as they walked side by side.
"Thank you for walking back with me, Yugi. I know I may seem like a burden, but I really am grateful for being able to walk with you." She told him as she looked down to the ground, scratching her cheek.
"Oh no! Not at all! I mean, I don't think it's a burden. It's nice walking with you." He told her. "Besides, with everything that happened, we should stick together to keep one another safe."
"That is a good point… but shouldn't we have gone with Anzu as well? She was the only one traveling alone." Cosmo pointed out.
Yugi shook his head as he had a big smile. "Anzu is pretty tough, she will be alright." It was something he was confident in as they were nearing their homes. As they were turning around a corner, Yugi looked up as the past few days reeled in his head. His eyes drifted back to the Millenium Puzzle that was around his neck. Thinking back on the mention of curses and all those people getting mentally damaged… "Hey, Cosmo?" Yugi turned to the green haired girl. "Do you believe what Jounouchi said?"
She turned her head so her blue eyes were looking at him. "You mean about the curses of the Pharaoh?"
He nodded. "Do you believe in that stuff? About curses and magic?"
Cosmo looked up at the sky, stopping for a brief moment. Yugi turned back, wondering what she was going to say next. "I don't believe in any specific magic per say… but I do believe that there is life after death. I also believe that sometimes, when we die, we can't cross over because we want to stay in this world. Maybe it's because we long to be in a familiar place we can't let go. Or maybe there is some unfinished business we need to take care of. Perhaps we can't cross over, because we have too much negative energy surrounding the circumstances in how we died. Or maybe we stay because we want to watch over someone we care about to protect them. We may remember who we were before our death, or our memory may fade as we realize we are no longer alive. I saw death when I was very young… it took someone that was important to me." As she said that, her face fell to the ground, holding her hands together. "It haunts me still, and I can't help but look back on those times because it makes me remember what I lost. And yet, I still think about it because reliving those happy memories brings me a sense of peace."
"Peace?" Yugi repeated.
"Because I know that I made so many good memories with them, that even if they are gone, they will always be part of me. The times we spent together I will always have in my mind, and the connection we had, I'll forever feel in my heart. And nothing, not even death, can take that away." Cosmo sighed, looking back up at Yugi as she rubbed the back of her head, getting a bit flustered. "I know it sounds kind of weird, but those are my personal beliefs…"
"No, no, I wasn't judging. I was the one that asked." Yugi told her. "They are interesting, and even heartfelt."
She smiled at him, happy he somewhat understood. "So, what about you?"
"Eh?" Yugi blinked, soon realizing she probably wanted to know about his views. "W-well.. I suppose there could be some sort of afterlife, but I think it depends on the definition based on culture and religion. As for curses or magic… it's hard to say. I wouldn't say I completely disagree but I don't think real magic exists as far as I know. All I've seen are cheap tricks from performers."
"Well, I can't say I disagree with you on that one." Cosmo admitted as she started walking again, Yugi following after her. "Still, if magic did exist, what do you suppose it would be like?" She wondered, looking towards the next corner to where her flower shop was.
Yugi sighed, staring up at the sky while holding his Puzzle. "Whatever it is, I just don't want it to hurt others."
The morning passed without any incident. Yugi had managed to get Cosmo back home without any trouble, as he made his way back to his house and prepared to sleep. Admittedly, it took a while for sleep to finally reach Yugi, as his mind was still processing the events of the last twenty four hours. He probably got a good six hours of rest at least. Not a lot for a growing teenager, but it would help get him through the day. He got up earlier than usual and prepared himself for the morning. As he walked down the hallway, he took a peek in his grandfather's room. He wondered if Sugaroku had made it back home, so he wanted to check. Sure enough, he saw a large lump in the bed with shoes and clothes scattered across the floor. The young highschooler sighed in relief. At least he could go to school with a lighter consciousness, knowing that his grandfather was back home and asleep.
Yugi made a small rice omelette for Sugaroku and left it on the table. He figured he would want his grandfather to eat something when he got up, and would rather have something prepared for him. Once that was done, Yugi ate his own breakfast and began to head to school on a Monday morning. He walked on his own, though he wasn't scared as it was daylight and many people were walking around. He soon made it, gathering his school shoes and slipping them on, then headed to his first period class. It was fifteen minutes before the first bell, so he had plenty of time. Once he was there, he was greeted by Honda.
"Ah, morning Yugi." Honda waved as the smaller of the two entered.
"Morning Honda, did Miho and Jounouchi get home okay?" Yugi wondered as he went to his desk and sat down, taking out his notes for the class.
"Yeah, once Miho was at her house, Jounouchi begged me to walk him home. I swear, he had no problem traveling back at his place in the dark, and yet he decides to have me bring him back like he's some sort of helpless lady."
"I'm sure he was just frightened by what happened to Mr. Kanekura and Professor Yoshimori. We all are a bit on edge." Yugi tried to justify for Jounouchi.
"Even so, he's been acting too-"
"Oi! Yugi! Honda!" The brunet was interrupted as he and Yugi turned to see a familiar blond coming in through the doorway. They hardly recognize their friend as he had strange features to his appearance today. He had an orange sticker on his forehead with some symbols, and around his neck was a silver cross on one necklace, with a bundle of garlic on the other.
Yugi was more or less confused about the new appearance Jounouchi had on. Honda, was the first one to comment. "What's that on your head, Jounouchi?" Honda pointed to the sticker between the blond's brown eyes.
"Can't you tell just by looking at it?" Jounoichi asked, crossed eyed so he could see the sticker himself. "It's a talisman! For protection."
"Then that stuff around your neck?" Honda asked.
Jounouchi reached into his jacket pockets, as his face hardened. "It happened with Kanekura and Professor Yoshimori! Which means there's no doubt that the curse will come for us next!" As he explained, he took out a bunch of other charms with the same characteristics from his pocket.
"You really went all out." Honda noted, looking at the charms that Jounouchi had on him. "We've been over this before, Jounouchi; Curses don't exist. Even if they did, we have nothing to worry about because we did nothing wrong." Honda assured his friend.
Jounouchi scoffed, sitting in his seat as he tried getting the charms back in his pocket. "Just leave me alone, dammit." He muttered.
As Jounouchi had taken his seat and just as Honda was going to his, Yugi scanned the room to notice a few more students taking their chairs as it was only five minutes before the first class. That was when he caught a glimpse of a brunette walking over to her seat. Yugi smiled, glad to see his childhood friend had made it to class. "Good morning Anzu!" He watched as she sat down, her head staring at the desk for a while. At first, when he noticed, Yugi was kind of worried. Anzu was always so chipper in the morning, greeting him back with a "good morning", but nothing. Yugi's smile faded into a confused expression as he stared at Anzu for a while. Eventually, he gained her attention as she looked over at him. A small grin spread across her cheeks. Yugi stared for a bit longer, finding it to have been a bit unsettling. That grin on her face, those eyes that were lacking any light or personality, and her silent voice. Perhaps it was just him but… Anzu seemed a bit off that morning. Yet Yugi didn't know why, nor did he have time to speculate as the bell rang and the lesson was about to start.
The first hour seemed to have gone by well. No strange occurrences as far as Yugi was aware of. They did their work as they were told, while he looked at his friends to see how they were. Jounouchi was still on edge as he kept wearing his talisman, but he was focused on the school chores they had to do. Honda did the project like everyone else, no complaints or comments. Then there was Anzu, she kept quiet the whole class, just taking notes. She was never like that, she was usually so talkative and would be the one to ask questions or volunteer to solve problems. But she remained at her desk, as if she was in a different world. Yugi was a bit worried, Anzu wasn't acting like herself that morning. He didn't say anything because he figured that she was still in shock from yesterday and didn't want to bother anyone. So he told himself they would go about their day and if she was still feeling strange, he would confront her about it.
It was the third class of the morning for Yugi, as he went to the gym and got his uniform on. He had an outside class today since the weather was nice. Not too chilly yet it wasn't too hot out. Yugi realized that it wouldn't be long until summer vacation was around the corner, since it was getting close to May. The young high schooler was wondering if he and the others would like to do anything specific during the summer vacation. It would be his first time hanging out with a big group of friends during such a long break.
He would ask the others what they thought, for now he headed to the outside of the school and lined up with the other boys in the class. The teacher didn't take long to come out, blowing his whistle to gain the students attention. "Alright! Today we will be measuring your strength!" The teacher declared, getting right down to the activity. "But first, we will need to prepare the ground." The boys looked at one another, sighing and complaining about what they would have to do. Yugi may not have been the most athletic, but he didn't mind gym. Though he wished he wouldn't have to take it at all since he was not that strong or fast to begin with.
"Mutou-kun." The teacher called to the shortest of the students. "Can you bring the white line maker?" Yugi looked up at the teacher as he was called on. He knew he couldn't refuse, so he nodded and headed to the equipment shed. It wasn't too far from the field grounds, so he walked briskly over. It was pretty dark inside, even with the light from the opened door. It was enough for Yugi to navigate, so he looked around for the small machine.
"Where is it?" Yugi wondered as he moved further into the shed. He turned to his right, seeing a cubical orange device on wheels. "There it is!" Yugi smiled as he jumped over, bending down to pick it up. As he just about had his hands around the device, he heard something crash from behind. The young boy turned around, seeing a bit of dust fly around the room. He looked to the ground, seeing a bunch of metal poles had collapsed from against the wall and was only a foot away from where Yugi was standing. He stood there, letting the dust settle. "That was really close…" He sighed, looking over the poles that fell and the ones still standing. Thankfully, he was able to escape. He sighed, grabbing the line maker and going around the poles, heading back outside.
Yugi mentioned the incident to his gym coach, who went to inspect as Yugi marked the lines for the strength testing. When he was done, the teacher confirmed that the poles did fall, but wasn't sure how since they were lined up together. The teacher asked if Yugi was okay and needed to see the nurse, but he declined since he wasn't physically hurt. He was the second to go for the strength test, then watched everyone else take their turns. Yugi still wondered why those poles fell as he was watching the other students. He figured it was just a coincidence, but he used that excuse too many times.
Once the class was over, Yugi changed into his normal school outfit and headed to his main homeroom where he planned on getting his lunch money. As he turned a corner, he was greeted by two of his friends.
"Yugi, hey!" Honda greeted as he walked with Jounouchi up to him.
"You had gym last hour, right?" Jounouchi asked. Yugi looked up at the blond, noticing he didn't have the talisman stick on his forehead anymore, nor did he have the cross or garlic necklace. Either he finally realized he was overreacting to being cursed, or the teachers forced him to take it off.
Yugi sighed. "Yeah, we were testing our strength. I think I got a bit stronger than last time." He praised himself. "Though, as I was getting the line maker, some of the metal poles fell from the wall to the ground. It missed me only a foot away." He explained as they were heading to the staircase.
"Are you okay?" Honda asked.
"Yeah, like I said they missed me." Yugi assured. "It wouldn't have been that bad if they did hit me."
"But that was a close call." Jounouchi added.
"This is why we need to keep things organized." Honda stated. "As a beautification member, I can not overlook this situation." He assured them they were almost to the top.
"Honda, really, there's no reason to-"
"Look out!" The three boys didn't have time to react as they looked up to see an orange basketball bouncing down the stairs. Jounouchi and Honda were able to steer clean from it by hugging the walls, but Yugi was not quick enough and got knocked in the chest by the object, causing him to fall down a few of the stairs.
The two boys hurried down to check if their friend was alright. "Yugi!" Jounouchi called out as he was by the short ones' side. "Are you alright?"
Yugi groaned as he propped up his elbows, looking up to see who had called out to them. That was when he saw a familiar girl with flowing lavender hair. She hopped down a few stairs at a time, grabbing the ball and holding it in one arm. "I am so sorry about that," Sparkle apologized.
"Sparkle!" Yugi gasped, seeing her towering over them.
"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Jounouchi demanded as he glared at the woman. "You could have killed Yugi!"
Sparkle responded by raising a brow at him. "I am aware that it could have killed him, hence why I asked." She turned back to Yugi, looking at him. "You aren't hurt, are you?"
"Nah, I'm alright… though I think I have a light wound…" He rubbed his chest where the ball hit him. Speaking of which, "Why do you have a basketball with you?" He pointed at the round thing Sparkle had in her arm.
She held it out for everyone to see and looked at it. "Oh, some boys thought it would be a good idea to try playing ball inside the halls rather than going to the courtyard." She sighed in frustration. "I swear, it amazes me that some of these students are capable of getting away with stuff like this. Naturally, I grabbed the ball from them and was about to bring it back to the equipment shed in the gym. Then I heard you guys and wanted to peak in with what you were talking about. I lost my footing and let the ball go to keep myself from falling."
"Well, if it was an accident, then there is nothing we can do." Honda assured. Then looked back at Yugi. "Still, you should head to the infirmary and make sure that you don't have any bad wounds."
"Let me take you," Sparkle offered. "It's the least I can do after getting you hurt."
Yugi looked up at Sparkle, not sure how to feel about the offer. "Y-you don't have to. I can go there myself." He assured.
Sparkle would not take that answer, passing the ball right to Jounouchi. "I insist. I won't be guilt free unless I make sure you get to the infirmary at least. I'll leave the task of putting the basketball to its rightful place with Hiroto and Katsuya."
The blond of the group was not happy with this arrangement and even glared at Sparkle. "What gives you the right to take Yugi to the infirmary and give us your job?!" He squeezed the ball tightly, and for a second everyone thought Jounouchi was going to pop it.
She raised a brow, her face showed no amusement towards his attitude. "The longer we stand here and argue, the worst Yugi's condition could get." The purple haired girl and the blond guy were staring one another down, a small spark of anger brewing between them.
Yugi could tell that unless he either declined or accepted Sparkle's offer to be led to the nurse's office, the feud would continue. And since she was dead set on escorting him there, Yugi had no choice but to comply. "I-it's alright, Jounouchi… you can help me Sparkle, but I'll be alright to stay in the nurse myself."
Sparkle finally managed to stop looking at Jounouchi and turned to face Yugi. She nodded as she walked over and held out her hand. He reached up, grabbing it as she picked up the young high schooler. She held onto his hand as they started walking off, leaving Jounouchi and Honda alone. The burnet told Jounouchi to come along as they planned on taking care of putting the ball away. Yugi looked at them for a moment before turning back to Sparkle. "You really didn't have to come with me." He assured her.
Sparkle looked down at him with her hands on her hips. "I just want to make sure you are alright. I was the one that caused you to get hit. Are you sure you aren't in any pain?" She looked down at where the ball hit him.
"Yeah, really. Honestly, I didn't fall that far and the ball wasn't that heavy." Yugi assured.
Sparkle sighed as she rubbed her head. "I was hoping those teachers would have listened to my pleas about keeping an eye on the students in this school… But it seems some of them haven't learned how dangerous it can be."
Yugi blinked as he looked up at her, wondering what she was talking about but decided not to bring it up. It was probably business between her and the teachers, so nothing to get involved with. He did want to talk to her though. "So… Sparkle, can I ask you something?"
"Hmm?" She let go of her thoughts and looked down at Yugi. "What is it?" She asked.
"Well, I was wondering… what part of Japan are you from?" He told her. "I mean, you don't look like you are from around here… sorry if that seems rude, but you don't look very native here."
Sparkle was a bit caught off guard by the question, however, she smiled as she admired Yugi's observation. "Actually, I'm a foreigner." She admits. "I'm from America."
Yugi's eyes went wide at the realization. "America?!"
She nods. "I transferred here a few months back for… personal reasons. I thought a change of pace would do me some good and gain better experience."
"Ah, I see." Yugi smiled, realizing that it made sense. "Even though you're not from Japan, your speaking skills make you seem you were born here."
"Well, I had to study the basics before I traveled to the country. Then I learned the rest while I stayed here. Though once in a while I mess up at times." She giggled. "I was at a coffee shop and I wanted to ask for extra cream on my latte, but instead I asked for extra salt. I didn't realize until I tasted the coffee."
Yugi laughed with her. "Makes you feel any better, I struggle with English as well. Even though it's the most common used language in many parts aside from America, it can still be difficult."
"I think learning any language that is not your own can be confusing." Sparkle stated. They kept laughing until they soon came into the hallway where the infirmary was. "Ah, we should just be there. Will you be okay to go by yourself?" Sparkle asked.
"Yeah, I'll have the nurse check my stomach. If it is serious, I'll probably just be sent home but I'm sure they will inform you." Yugi assured, turning to the hallway so he was ready to head through the door. However, the two stopped as they noticed another purple haired girl standing outside the office. "Miho?" Yugi called out as they approached her with Sparkle by his side. "Is something wrong? You aren't sick are you?" He asked her.
"Oh no, I'm alright." Miho assured. "I saw Anzu going in earlier, so I was worried if she came down with something." Yugi blinked as he heard her response. Anzu went to the infirmary? Did that mean whatever was going on with her that morning escalated that badly? "I stayed out here to check if she was feeling well." Miho added.
"Anzu…" Yugi repeated her name, looking down as he could remember how she was that morning, not herself at all.
"Perhaps she came down with some sunstroke. I saw the girls outside for gym a while ago." Sparkle suggested.
As much as Yugi wanted to believe that, he had a feeling it was something else. "Although… She has been acting strange since this morning." Yugi noted, gaining the attention of the other two girls. "I dunno how to explain it, but she has been a lot more quiet and introverted than usual."
"Now that you mention it, anytime I try to talk with Anzu, she always walks away." Miho added. "And she had this strange far off look in her eyes…"
Sparkle raised a brow, not sure what they were talking about but knew for a fact that something was wrong with Anzu. There was only one way to be certain though. The purple haired woman walked up to the door, sliding it open and was the first to enter. She looked around, seeing the curtains were all closed. Yugi and Miho soon followed, checking inside the room as it was deathly silent. "That's strange… where's the nurse?" Yugi wondered as he looked around.
"Perhaps on break? That may explain why Anzu has taken so long." Miho believed.
"The teacher should have been back here by now…" Sparkle noted as she looked around with Miho and Yugi. The young boy had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach once again. He decided to check one of the beds, wondering if Anzu was lying down.
"Anzu?" He called as he opened one of the curtains, but she was not there. So he went to the second, figuring he would get lucky since the room wasn't that big. "An-" he only pulled the curtain half way in time to see something launch his way. He didn't have time to react as a figure crashed into him, forcing him on the floor. Before Yugi knew it, hands had grasped around his neck, tightening their hold. Yugi began to cough, as he felt himself choking from the grip he found himself in. He looked up with one eye open, trying to figure out who or what it was that was keeping him down. He managed to see the one that was holding him, and was surprised yet not shocked to have looked up at Anzu who was forcing the air out of him. Yugi attempted to frail out of her grasp, but to no avail. Was she always this strong? Yugi felt like he was gonna collapse from suffocation at any second, as he felt his body growing weak.
"Get off of him!" Yugi heard the voice of Sparkle, looking up to see her collide the side of her body into Anzu's, shoving her off of him. Yugi instantly started to breath deeply as he was regaining the air in his lungs. Sparkle stayed by his side, holding him in a protective manner to make sure he wouldn't be attacked by Anzu again. The brunette stared at Yugi, those colbat eyes that were soulless glared at him as the young boy was able to regain himself,
"Show me your true power." Anzu demanded, in an echoey voice that was not her own. "I've done what I could to finish things with you!"
Sparkle looked up at her, not sure how to process what Anzu had just said. "Your voice…" She softly spoke, about to say more but Anzu ran off, pushing past Miho as she ran into the halls and away from the group. "What the hell was that just now?" Sparkle wondered, becoming more serious as she helped Yugi stand up. "Are you alright, Yugi?"
The star headed boy sighed, rubbing his neck as he looked up at Sparkle. "I'm alright, somehow." He assured her. "Where did Anzu go?" He looked around the room, wondering if she was still with them.
"She ran out," Sparkle explained. "And I don't think she has heatstroke."
"Did anyone notice Anzu's voice?" Miho asked, shaking a bit from the fear. "You don't think it's part of this curse Jounouchi talked about?"
Sparkle stared at Miho, confused more than ever. "Curse?"
"L-long story…" Yugi told Sparkle.
She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, one thing is for certain, Anzu is out of control. We should find her and try to calm her down."
Yugi nodded while Miho was still hesitant. "Should we get the teachers involved?"
"Let's keep this between us for now. We should wait to see what is wrong with Anzu before we take her to the teachers. Last thing we need is to cause some drama in the school." Sparkle stated.
"Alright!" Yugi agreed. "Let's split up and look for her!"
Sparkle raised a brow at the young boy. "Are you sure you want to go looking for her? After she attacked you?"
Yugi knew the risks, but it wasn't just him that was in danger. Chances are, Anzu would attack anyone that got near her. "We need all the help we can get." It was his only way of responding. The taller of the girls looked at him, impressed with his answer. He sure had a lot of spunk, despite nearly being suffocated. The three nodded in agreement, knowing what they had to do. They ran out of the nurses office, going down different hallways to try and locate Anzu, hoping she was still nearby. Yugi went on his own, even though he knew that going alone was dangerous. But better him than anyone else. He was certain that Anzu was targeting him, though he had no idea why. Still, he needed to know what was going on with her and to hopefully help her get over whatever it was that was making her act strange.
He kept his purple eyes out for the girl, hoping she was still around. Just as he was about to walk past another hallway, he noticed a figure walking down on the other end. He looked closer, knowing that it was the one he was looking for. "Anzu!" Yugi called out, running off in her direction. Despite there being great distance between them, he made sure to stay on her tail as he ran after her. He hurried up the flight of stairs, determined to reach his friend and to get her out of this mess. He kept up the pace, even with the stairs slowing him down a bit. Eventually, he made it to the top. Opening the double doors, he found himself on the roof of the school. He looked around, searching for her since there was nowhere else for her to run. "Anzu!" He shouted, as his eyes finally landed on her once again. She was standing on a plank, outside the fence at the edge of the roof. One more step and she would have fallen off. She stood there, as if all fear left her body. A thick rope was holding her in place, the only thing keeping her from falling to her death.
"Anzu!" Yugi shouted again, starting to run towards her. He had to get her off of there, otherwise she could seriously get hurt. He didn't get far, as he looked to his left and saw a figure in white standing there. He wasn't aware anyone else was up there with him, yet when he looked to see the dark skinned man, he knew it was true. But the one standing there… it couldn't be. "You're… the Egyptian from the museum!" Yugi gasped, seeing the man stand there, staring at him. Why was he here though?
"I have done everything I could to push the other you to draw him out… Yet it seems you will not appear before me." He shook his head as he sounded disappointed.
Yugi was even more confused. "What are you talking about?" He wanted to know. Was it possible that Anzu's strange behavior had something to do with this man? He did not like this feeling, as the man continued to stare at him with those soulless blue eyes of his.
"I did all of this to meet the other Yugi." His face was cold, showing no emotion as he stared at the young highschooler. The other Yugi? What was he talking about? Wait, now that he thought about it, didn't Shadi mention that he owed a favor towards this other Yugi? But, who was this other Yugi? "Listen, Yugi." The Egyptian began to explain. "That girl is my puppet." Both Shadi and Yugi looked over at Anzu, as she was standing at the edge of the plank over the roof. "Any order I give her, she will do them." Upon hearing this, Yugis' eyes went wide. So Shadi was the cause of Anzu's behavior since this morning. Then… Did that mean he was the one that caused Mr. Kanekura's and Professor Yoshimori's accidents? He didn't understand what was happening, how could this all have stemmed from this Egyptian man? What did he want from them? Yugi only stood there, not sure what to do at the moment because he was just as confused.
"Come on, Yugi… Be angry… be rageful… Push the boundary of your feelings to the edge. Awaken the Other Yugi inside of you." Shadi kept speaking in a way Yugi couldn't understand. What was Shadi trying to get at? What even was he talking about? It sounded like gibberish to the young highschooler, and yet it was clear he was able to see the dangers before him. Anzu was in trouble and if he didn't do something, she would end up being in the same or worse condition that Kanekura and Yoshimori were in. Yugi didn't want that. He cared too much about Anzu to let her suffer such a fate. It was at this point, something in Yugi snapped. He felt it before, and it was the only hope he had in rescuing his friend. The Puzzle around his neck started glowing, for it was the signal that Shadi was waiting for. He watched, eyes widened as the Millennium Item the young boy had started to envelope him in the same illumination. Even though he looked shocked with how wide his eyes were, Shadi knew this was the moment where the other Yugi would be coming out.
Eventually, the glow around the boy died down, revealing 'Yugi', who was taller, had magenta eyes and a look of pure confidence mixed with anger. He glared at Shadi with his new tone orbs. The slight wind blowing on his coat as it made him even more dominant where he stood. "Shadi!" 'Yugi' glared at him as he spoke in such a disapproving tone. The other Yugi may not have been able to do much, but this 'Yugi' would not stand by to watch Anzu as a puppet for Shadi's sick game.
"So we meet again, the other 'Yugi'." Shadi went back to his deadpan expression as he looked at the opponent. Clearly they both showed no interest in expressing any fear or hesitation, for they knew that when it comes to a game, they had to show determination and calmness to outdo the other.
"How dare you use Anzu in this game made for me?!" He demanded to know, clearly his anger was justifiable if her life was on the line.
"I had to do what I could to draw you out. I will win this game no matter what." Shadi assured him. "Know this, if you lose this game, that girl will die." Yugi looked over at Anzu, still standing at the edge of the plank. He gritted his teeth, with her at stake, there was no way he could back down from this challenge. If he lost, both Anzu and 'Yugi' would more than likely lose their lives. Which is why he had to do whatever he could to prevent that from happening and survive this challenge that Shadi had prepared for him.
"Fine, tell me what game we will play and I will accept." He said, no backing down for there was no other option but to proceed.
"Before I explain the rules, I wish to say one more thing." Shadi began. "It is about that Millennium Puzzle." 'Yugi' looked down at the pendant around his neck, the one that he had solved and has changed his life in more ways than one. He then went back up to Shadi's level as he went on with his speech. "I'm sure you may believe that you solving the Millenium Puzzle is just by chance… but it is much more than what you think. It would seem that the Millenium Puzzle has chosen you as it's new host." Even though 'Yugi' did not care that much about what else Shadi had to say aside from the rules, when he brought up the Millennium Puzzle, his ears picked up. As much as he hated to admit it, he was curious about the true origins of the Puzzle, and it seemed only Shadi knew about it.
"It has been 3000 years in a scattered state." Shadi continued. "Waiting for the one destined to have it to piece it together. Just as my family and ancestors were chosen to guard these Items."
Yugi raised a brow, taking in what Shadi had said. "So… does this mean we are somehow bonded by the Millenium Items?" His tone was sarcastic. "I do not care about these Millennium Items or destiny! Just tell me these rules so we can begin." His patience was starting to grow thin as he wanted to start this game so he could beat it and save Anzu. That was the only thing on his mind, nothing else.
"No need to be frightened, Yugi." Shadi assured.
"Frightened? Who said that?" 'Yugi' asked, not sure what he was referring to.
The gaze Shadi had grew more cold, as if he was staring right into the very soul of 'Yugi'. "Somewhere deep in your heart, your biggest fear is this newfound power. The powers from the Millennium Puzzle." Shadi explained. Upon hearing this, 'Yugi's' eyes showed that of disbelief but also uneasiness. The power the Puzzle had? He was afraid of that? Sure, he could control the Millenium Item to an extent, but not even he knew what it all held. Despite him coming from the Puzzle itself, there were some secrets not even he knew, but he would not fully admit it. "That is the weakness that resigns in your heart." Shadi added, making sure he was the focus of the attention. "If you have doubts, look to the girl." 'Yugi' turned his eyes with Shadi to where the plank was, holding up Anzu. On the other side of the fence, the Millennium Ankh was there, tied up to four sarcophagus statues. In only a second upon seeing the situation, the small statue that was the second to the right shattered, causing some of the rope to be loose and fling out. Said rope was tied to the end of the plank on a pole, and when it was released, the board shifted a bit.
"Anzu!" 'Yugi' gasped, realizing that those statues were what was holding up the plank. If that were the case, that can only mean…
"Now do you see, Yugi? The game has already started." Shadi told him, making 'Yugi' tsk as he fell right into the mind manipulation. "Those statues reflect your heart. Everytime you show weakness in your heart, the statues will break one after another." So that explained their presences. Now, 'Yugi' knew what this game was testing him against. And this time, he was at a huge disadvantage. Usually, he was the one that made these games and offered the rules, but now it was the other way around. And instead of looking for darkness in the person's heart, it was the weakness that would be the downfall of the loser. "If the remaining three statues break, you lose the game. However, there is one way to win." Shadi directed his eyes at a statue that was resting on top, away from the others. "Tied to that sarcophagus is the rope holding the Millennium Ankh. That statue is the one that is reflecting my heart."
A small smile then played on 'Yugi's' lips. "I get it now. I need to destroy your statue before my remaining three break."
"Correct." Shadi agreed. "When you do, the Millennium Ankh will slide along the ropes and land on the palm of the girls' hand. When she touches the Ankh, she will regain her sense and be freed, making me the loser. Understand? The one who shows weakness in their heart will be the one to lose this game."
"So this game is to probe the weakness in the opponent's heart?" 'Yugi' asked, knowing that that would be the key to winning. But this would be easier said than done, for 'Yugi' wasn't sure what kind of weakness Shadi had that consumed his heart. Hopefully, he would be able to see it in this game and use that to win. "Very well, if those are the rules, then I will accept." Not like he had a choice from the start.
Shadi's eyes were gazing at 'Yugi' still. He was going to win, no matter what. "Then, we shall begin the trials." Shadi declared, summoning a gust of wind around him, spreading out and wrapping around 'Yugi'. Now it was the time for the game to test who had the strongest heart. No matter what the Egyptian threw his way, 'Yugi' had to prepare himself as best as he could. If he even wavered, it would no doubt cause Anzu's death. Shadi may have been the one calling the shots, but that didn't mean he would be the victor. "Now then, the first trial of this game." 'Yugi' waited, wondering what kind of trick Shadi would pull on him. That was when he looked down, seeing the roof collapsing as holes appeared on the ground 'Yugi' was standing on. The smaller holes soon formed a large one. 'Yugi' stepped back, seeing a pair of glowing orbs in the darkness of the hole. Admittedly, he did not see this coming. But he had to make sure he would be ready for what was to come next.
"What is this…?" 'Yugi' wondered, keeping his eyes locked on the orbs. He stepped back though, making sure he wasn't over the edge of the hole. It was a mistake as he soon found his arms being held in a large grasp. He looked to see giant purple hands holding him from below the roof. Behind him, he saw a monster manifest and grip his arms. It's large rows of teeth were present as it was very close to 'Yugi's' head. He was caught off guard, clearly Shadi wasn't messing around as he brought out the big illusions. Even though the monster wasn't real, the fact 'Yugi' could feel the pressure on his skin proved that the dark magic from Shadi would do enough mental damage.
"The beast holding you is Amemit. In order to get out of his grasp, you must clear this challenge before he sinks his teeth into you." The Egyptian explained. "For this game, you must use concentration of the darkness." Shadi snapped his fingers, making panel boxes appear before Yugi's feet. They were three by three with a question mark on each of them. All but one of them was a light shade of yellow while the very center one was painted a medium brown. "Behind those slates are pairs of the same picture."
So it was a match game to figure out which pairs there were and where they were located. It seemed simple enough, however, 'Yugi' instantly noticed something off about this puzzle. "Wait a moment. There are nine slots in total! Which means that there is one that doesn't have a pair."
Shadi chuckled, knowing that only 'Yugi' would have realized the problem with this riddle right away. "You are correct. The middle one is the one that has no pairing. To win this game, you must figure out what that middle slate is. However," Shadi's voice grew louder as he began to explain the condition of this game. "For these nine slates before you, you can only turn them over once!" Upon hearing that, 'Yugi' became more fearful. He could only flip the panel once? This was a strict game, but 'Yugi' was sure there was a way to overcome it. Thankfully, Shadi was not done stating the requirements of this trial, and the last bit was the most informative about how to win. "I will now tell you the key to solving this riddle… Those slates are the mirror that reflect the Amemit behind you." That was all that Shadi had to say, as he watched 'Yugi' begin to struggle with the first puzzle.
His eyes were transfixed upon those slates as he focused on the riddle to solve the first challenge presented to him. 'The imagine behind those nine slates?' Though the puzzle seemed simple enough, with such a vague clue and such strict guidelines it would be nearly impossible to figure out. 'Yugi' could feel the teeth getting closer to him, putting him more on edge. He could feel his heart waver a slight bit, panic rose in his nerves as everything was against him. It was proven as he heard a slight crackling coming from where Anzu was. He turned around, noticing one of his remaining three statues was starting to form cracks on the face. He then turned his gaze to Anzu, standing at the edge of the plank. The only thing keeping her from falling was Shadi's control and 'Yugi's' heart statues. 'Damn! I'm already showing weakness on the first course alone.' 'Yugi' cursed to himself as he nearly lost another statue. He looked back at the tiles, breathing deeply as he tried to stable his mind. 'Keep calm… you have to show strength to win. This puzzle is nothing." He tried to assure himself, believing in his words to try and regain confidence within himself. 'Yugi' knew that there was an answer to this challenge, he just had to clear his head of any doubt and pay attention to what Shadi had said. 'Let's think this over again…' His gaze lingered on the tiles as he thought over all that the Egyptian said. 'The slates are a mirror that reflect the monster behind me. A mirror… I just have to think of the slates as a mirror…' Could that have been the key? He had to think carefully though, for he only had one chance. He imagined the titles as said mirror, thinking what it was that the mirror tended to do. 'Mirrors reflect things, in this case it would be people, bodies, but usually faces. This one seems to be a face mirror with how small it is. Since this is a concentration game, that means there are four pairs. If I think of these slates as a mirror reflecting this monster… the monster has four pairs of something, as well as only one thing it has.'
4 pairs and something on it's own… what would a face hold that there would be two of? Something that would reflect off of a mirror? Something anyone would be able to notice? 'Yugi' could feel the intensity that Shadi was giving him, clearly the Egyptian was waiting for the answer. An answer that was so obvious for 'Yugi'. He looked at the titles, the pairings… the one lone thing to see in a mirror…
'Of course!' He mentally thought out the answer as he listed it through. 'The pairs on a person would be the eyes, the ears, the nostrils and the hands. Which means…' 'Yugi' looked up at Shadi, as he was ready to give him the answer he seeked. "The singular thing the monster has, as well as what the ninth panel is… would be the mouth!" As he gave out his answer, 'Yugi' could feel the monster's grasp on him release. The gust of wind chased the illusion away, as he was freed from the beast. The panels soon flipped over for 'Yugi' to see the final answer. There, the high schooler saw for himself the images of ears, nostrils, hands and eyes. When the middle panel flipped up, it revealed the image of a mouth with sharp teeth, similar to the creature that was holding 'Yugi' moments ago. Another gust of wind surrounded the panels, making the illusion disappear like the monster. 'Yugi' then turned to Shadi, who was still standing there, having that blank expression upon him.
"Very good, Yugi. I am not surprised you were able to figure that one out." Shadi admitted. "However, the match has only just started. As long as my heart statue is still standing, I am not the loser. So, time for the next trial you will face. And in this one, you will be joined by a playmate." He was becoming serious, Shadi was certain this next trial would be the one to really take down the other Yugi. 'Yugi' heard rustling behind him, looking over to see a spiral whirlwind of red and yellow swirling to form a figure inside. He wondered what sort of new creature Shadi was summoning to toy with him this round. Probably another monster, if 'Yugi' had to guess. However, the moment the wind died down, he was able to see who it was that was in the center.
"Jounouchi?!" 'Yugi' gasped, seeing the figure look at him with yellow, soulless eyes. No, this couldn't have been Jounouchi, he seemed much more dull in colors and his eyes weren't the right shade. Besides, Shadi wouldn't have been able to possess both Anzu and Jounouchi, right?
"I used the memory of your friend to create the illusion before you." Shadi explained. So it was just an illusion, which meant that this next task was bound to be easy, right? "I have reviewed your relationship with him, even during the time you considered him a bully."
"Bully?" 'Yugi' repeated. Did that mean that this Jounouchi was more aggressive than the more gentle student 'Yugi' had gotten to know? He didn't have time to ask as he felt the rope around his neck break. He gasped, seeing the illusion of Jounouchi holding the Millennium Puzzle in his hands. At the same time, some of the flooring around them sunk deep through the roof, only leaving a small square for the two of them to stand on. No doubt more of Shadi's powers at play.
"Let me explain the rules of this game." Shadi stated. "Using the puzzle as a die, each of you will take turns rolling it. Wherever the puzzle points to, the opponent must take two steps in that direction." Shadi looked down, seeing the pit below them, before turning back to 'Yugi', who was listening intently. "The first one to make the opponent jump off will be the winner."
'Yugi' stared at Shadi, his determination strong yet unnerved. If he didn't play this game right, he could very well fall off and would most likely die. However, he knew there was more to this game than what was let on. "Now then, Yugi. Let us see if you are capable of smashing that terrible memory that lingers in your mind." Was this the point of Shadi's game? To use a bad memory from 'Yugi's' life against him? To force him to destroy it and see if he was strong enough to kill it? Kill… Jounoichi?
'There's no doubt, this Jounouchi is just an illusion created by Shadi.' 'Yugi' thought mentally as he looked back over at the copycat. 'But if he is part of my memory, how much of him was good and how much of him is still the bully?' He had to wonder. If he was a bad memory, did that mean that this Jounouchi was the version that bullied Yugi? The illusion stared down at the golden artifact that had hung around 'Yugi's' neck.
"This is your so-called treasure?" He turned back, holding the Puzzle up high for him to see. "Don't make me laugh! This treasure is something only women would find beautiful, you're no man at all." He glared at 'Yugi', with those soulless yellow eyes of his. But those words, the same ones that stung 'Yugi' back before he and Jounouchi became close friends. He would always taunt him about how he loved girly things. Upon those words, something in 'Yugi' came loose, he could feel his heart wavering once again, showing the weakness that would cause him to fail. This became evident by the sound of cracking and shattering, which caused the high schooler to turn around. He saw two of his heart statues had been destroyed, just from those words alone. The board holding up Anzu had loosen again, and was very close to falling all together. His gaze transfixed on her, worriedly as he realized the situation at hand.
'Damn it… there's only one statue left. If I don't stay strong, Anzu will suffer.' He turned his eyes back over at the fake Jounouchi. He already lost three of his four heart statues and yet Shadi didn't even have a crack in his. He needed to find a way, any way to make Shadi doubt his powers. But how?
"Let's get started." The fake Jounouchi stated as his voice was echoey. "I shall go first." He tossed the Puzzle down, as it pointed away from Jounouchi. "Alright, take two steps that way." The illusion pointed in front of him. 'Yugi' had no choice but to obey. He took two steps towards the edge, and stopped. "It's your turn, Yugi." The false version of his friend stated.
What was he to do? Even if 'Yugi' somehow won this match, there would no doubt be another one that he would have to face. Unless Shadi's own heart statue was destroyed, he would summon one trail after the other to torment 'Yugi'. The high schooler only had one of those statues left, and if he showed weakness again, Anzu would fall to her death. He didn't want to risk going through another game. He needed to somehow reveal a weakness to Shadi's heart, but what would his weakness be? 'Yugi' didn't know nearly enough about the Egyptian to exploit something that would cause him to waver. He turned back, seeing the illusion of Jounouchi and then went to look over at Anzu. All 'Yugi' knew about Shadi was that he valued the Millennium Items and it was clear he would do anything to make sure they were either with his family or in the hands of someone worthy. That was when 'Yugi' thought back to when he was the one that challenged the holder of the Millennium Ankh, and how frustrated he got when he couldn't find the right door. Wait a moment… he got upset not because he couldn't find the right door, but because he wasn't able to use his Ankh correctly. Could that be it? Was Shadi's weakness the inefficient use of his own Millennium Item? Perhaps that is why he wanted to find out the true secrets of the Puzzle rather than just taking it for himself?
If that was the case, 'Yugi' needed to find a way to show Shadi that his powers wouldn't work on his opponent. But how? Anzu was out of the question, clearly she was too far under his control. He looked back over at the illusion that made up his best friend. Could it be, was it possible to use him against his master? It would be the best course of action he could think of, but how would he get him to turn on Shadi? 'Yugi' had to think, if this Jounouchi was reflecting his memory from when the blond bullied him… could he somehow focus the good memories of Jounouchi into this fake one? It was a long shot, and a hell of a risk, but it could be 'Yugi's' way of winning. He had to try it, for there were no other options. He would do what he did to gain Jounouchi's friendship the first time, trust him and give him the better judgement.
He looked down, closing his eyes as he was prepared to gamble in this game. "I will pass on my roll. I don't want to play this game with you, Jounouchi." Shadi noticed this action, though didn't think much of it.
The fake Jounouchi grabbed the Puzzle from the ground, baring a sly grin. "So you pass? Fine, it's my turn again." He tossed the Puzzle, as it pointed to the same edge that 'Yugi' was walking towards."Take two more steps towards the edge." Jounouchi ordered, to which 'Yugi' obeyed, as he was only one more roll away from falling off into the abyss. "You've finally reached the edge. Are you going to take your turn now?"
His crimson like eyes glanced back over at the fake blond. He knew he was close, but he believed that this plan would work. Every time he looked at this Jounouchi, he tried to picture him as the one that had become his friend. The one that stood up for him now and showed great care for. He hoped it would be enough, it was his only chance. "Yes, I pass again." 'Yugi' answered. He could feel the judgmental glare coming from Shadi, with his dull blue eyes looking over his opponent.
"Have you finally given up on the game?" He asked. "Does this mean you are admitting defeat?" So he hadn't noticed, hopefully he could use the element of surprise to make Shadi's heart waver. Only if his plan was a success.
"You're wrong, Shadi. I… believe in my friends." He turned his head to face the Egyptian.
"Believe, you say? So it seems you are unable to crush your past." Shadi noted, having that expressionless face upon him as he spoke. "Because your heart is too believing and weak, this ordeal will forever trap you. You should have believed in your own self-strength rather than rely on those that aren't even here." Those were the beliefs Shadi had, the ones that he was trying to get across from this game. 'Yugi' still had hope, he believed in the good side of Jounouchi that he was able to bring out. He looked over at the fake friend, watching him as he held the Millennium Puzzle in his hand, standing there. His feelings were true, when it comes to trusting his friends his heart was always in the right place. He could only wait and hoped that it would be enough for him to win this game with such belief. "Now!" Shadi turned towards the illusion of Jounouchi. "Roll the Puzzle one more time! End this game!"
Even though Shadi gave the order, the fake blond did not move. His face, that once bore such a teasing grin that would cause trouble, was just as emotionless as Anzu's mind controlled features. He stood there, holding the Puzzle. This made Shadi mad as he now expressed his anger. "What's wrong? Why aren't you casting the Puzzle?"
The Jounouchi that Shadi had created turned over to 'Yugi'. As he looked at him, inside those soulless eyes he could see flashes and images of the times the two of them recently had as friends. Eating at Burger World, playing games at the arcade, having to clean up after school. It was those little moments that made their friendship all the more enjoyable. A smile soon spread upon the illusion, one of great satisfaction. It was all that was there before the illusion started to be surrounded by red and yellow mist, evaporating from its body. This event was what caused Shadi's eyes to shake. This was the first time 'Yugi' saw surprise on the Egyptians face. Was this the moment? Could this be his opportunity? "What? Why is the illusion disappearing?" Shadi asked, watching as the past incarnation of Jounouchi faded in the smoke. As the figure was gone, the Millennium Puzzle dropped to the ground. 'Yugi' knelt to pick it up, then turned to face Shadi as he was going to use this as his chance to win.
"Jounouchi isn't the same as he was in the past. Try to confuse me with an illusion, but my heart knows the true friend based on that copycat." 'Yugi' told the Egyptian, taking in that shock expression drawn on his face. It was at that moment that 'Yugi' was certain Shadi wouldn't be able to throw anything else his way that could cause another doubt of weakness in his heart. But the real challenge wasn't over yet. 'Yugi' had to see for himself, so he looked in the direction of the plank holding up Anzu. He wanted to see for himself if Shadi's heart statue had broken or at least was breaking. However, his eyes landed on the rope and noticed that the last line that was holding the young girl in place was starting to loosen the fibers halfway. 'Yugi' gasped as he realized this, seeing the danger for Anzu was increasing by the minute. The lone cord was not strong enough to hold her weight. He had to do something quickly otherwise she would have fallen even with his last heart statue there.
The pit around him soon filled, as the illusion Shadi created was gone. 'Yugi' ran towards the chain link fence, hurrying to try and get to Anzu before it was too late. He hoped he could reach her in time, even though the board was starting to lean more over the edge. At least, at first. The plank soon lifted up, becoming steady once again. 'Yugi' wasn't sure why this was happening, until he looked through the barbed wire, seeing two figures under the plank holding it up with their hands.
"Anzu! We're here now!" Jounouchi, the real Jounouchi, was holding the plank with Sparkle on the other side.
"Anzu! You better snap out of it, so help me I'm going to smack you upside the head when you come back!" Sparkle warned as she was doing her best to help the blond in securing the board to keep the brunette up.
"Jounouchi! Sparkle!" 'Yugi' smiled, seeing his friends helping out. He was right to believe in them, because no matter the situation, he would always have their support, be it through spiritual or physical.
Shadi watched, his eyes shaking as he saw the scene himself. Just as the fake Jounouchi fled, the real one came to help fix the situation. 'Impossible… They're supporting each other despite the risks?!' In all of his years as a guardian, Shadi had never seen such bonds. Despite their struggles, the lavender haired girl and the blond boy were holding up the emotionless one. Was this why 'Yugi' had so much faith in his friends? Because they would always be there no matter what? The more Shadi thought about it, the bigger the cracks in his own heart statue began to appear. 'My heart statue is breaking…'
'Yugi' noticed the lone statue holding the Ankh, it was only a matter of time before it was completely destroyed. He knew he had won, despite the odds. He turned towards the Egyptian, delivering his victory speech. "Shadi, you will never understand. Everyone's true strength comes from different places. For me, my true strength is believing… believing in my friends!" 'Yugi' shouted, making Shadi step back as he heard such an absurd answer, and yet how else could he have won such a high stake challenge? With only a few more cracks, the whole statue finally broke. The golden Ankh slid across its rope and landed on the open palm of Anzu.
Just as Shadi had promised, the moment that the Millennium Item touched her, she regained her senses once again. "Huh?" Anzu blinked, her eyes their usual blue spheres. "What's going on?" She asked, looking around as she tried to get her surroundings together. She had no memory of anything that had happened after the gang split up last night, and only now was she being familiar with everyone around her. Her eyes drifted over to her feet, and that was when she saw herself above the school. When she realized this, she screamed in pure terror, falling to her knees as she was taken over by fear. "What am I doing up here?! What's happening?!" She screamed.
"Just hurry up and return to the roof already!" Jounouchi ordered, as he was slightly struggling in keeping the board up for much longer.
Anzu looked back to the fence of the roof, following Jounouchi's orders as she crawled herself on the plank to head towards the grounding again. "Keep it steady, Jounouchi!" Sparkle warned.
"Hey, I'm doing the best here!" He told her in an annoyed tone. Though as he tried to lean closer to her, he lost his grip on the board for a second, making it rock a bit with Anzu shaking. She screamed again as she felt herself leaning off the board, just about falling off all together. Thankfully, she was caught by a small hand, but one that had great strength to keep her balanced.
"Hang on, Anzu!" The brunette looked up, seeing the kind and gentle Yugi holding her and helping to pull her up to the fence. A small smile spread across her face, as she was reassured while Yugi was pulling her up. He helped Anzu jump over the fence as they were on the inside of the roof. "Are you alright?" He asked her, making sure she was fine physically.
"Aside from the fact I have a developed phobia of heights, I think so." She sighed, letting out the rest of her worries. Yugi breathed in relief himself, glad that Anzu was okay and it seemed this crazy curse, that Jounouchi referred to, was hopefully over.
"Way to almost throw her off the roof." Yugi and Anzu turned, seeing Sparkle and Jounouchi complaining to one another as they were climbing over the fence.
"You made me lose my concentration!" Jounouchi shouted at her.
"Wow, blaming others for your own actions. What are you, 12?" She mocked.
"Damn you…" Jounouchi growled, jumping from the fence and balling his fists as if he were ready to fight. Sparkle soon landed on the roof herself, dusting her clothes as she sighed.
"I don't know what happened, but thank you guys for saving me." Anzu breathed.
"I'm just glad you are safe, Anzu." Yugi responded. "What about the others? Are they alright?"
Jounouchi stepped forward to answer Yugi's question. "Yeah, they're probably still searching though. I ran into Sparkle a bit ago and she explained what happened in the infirmary. We started searching together when I looked out a window and noticed Anzu standing on a plank on the roof. We hurried to make sure the board was steady and tried to get her off."
Sparkle nodded, confirming what the blond was saying. She then turned to Anzu with a raised brow and judgemental glare. "What were you doing standing on the roof's edge like that?"
Anzu gasped, scratching her cheek as her face flushed out of embarrassment. "I… actually don't remember…" She admitted in a shy tone. "All I remember was heading off towards my house after leaving the hospital. I was halfway there when my body suddenly froze over. I couldn't move, and I felt dizzy yet I remained standing. I guess I blacked out after that because I don't remember anything else. The next thing I knew, I felt a tingling feeling on the palm of my hand and I could see. That was when I realized I was standing over the edge… literally."
Sparkle crossed her arms over her chest, and while her gazing glare had died down somewhat, she still was curious about Anzu's story. "So, you have no recollection about what happened nor do you remember doing it?" The brunette shook her head, and it was sincere enough for Sparkle's concern. Yugi wasn't really sure what happened to her, but he knew that that Egyptian from the Museum yesterday had to have had something to do with it. Although, looking around, he wasn't able to see the man anymore. Was he really there, or just an illusion? No, Yugi was certain it was him. And yet… he didn't understand it at all, but maybe it was for the best? He didn't want to cause Anzu anymore stress and the last thing he needed was Jounouchi's irrational fear of curses to be finalized with this event. The shortest of the group looked over at Sparkle, with pleading eyes as if he was begging her to just drop the case. It seemed that everything had returned back to normal, and with not many clues to go on, they wouldn't get far.
Sparkle noticed the look Yugi was giving her, and though her guts told her to continue and seek the answers that were missing, she could tell that he was upset enough about the situation. Besides, there were still many things not even she understood, so for now she would just have to keep an eye out and piece everything together herself. Until then, best to drop it and try to progress the day as if nothing occurred. The lavender haired girl sighed, but gave a curt nod. "Maybe you should get yourself looked at in the infirmary. I can go with you if you would like. I'm not sure what the nurse will find, but couldn't hurt to look you over."
"Yeah," Anzu sighed in agreement. "Worst case, I may need to be sent home. To be honest, I wouldn't mind the rest."
"Then we better head back to class, huh Yugi?" Jounouchi looked over at his friend with a smile.
"I hope we didn't miss too much…" Yugi muttered. "But what about the others? I'm sure Honda, Cosmo and even Miho are searching…"
"Don't worry, I'll inform them of these events if I see them." Sparkle assured Yugi. "Or you can tell them yourselves if you see them since you will be having class with them."
Jounouchi nodded, not arguing with Sparkle as he looked at Yugi with his kind smile. "Let's go, Yugi." The shortest of the group looked up at the blond, seeing that grin on his face of goofiness rather than hatred. Looking at him now, Yugi could say that Jounouchi has changed for the better. And he was proud to call him his friend. The four began to head to the door, leading to the inside of the building. They prayed they could get through the rest of the day without any other abnormal activities.
Unbeknownst to Yugi though, a pair of soulless blue eyes was watching over him. Shadi held his Millennium Ankh in his hand as he began to walk off the school grounds. The bitter taste of defeat still lingered in his mouth, it was far worse a second time. Even so, Shadi now understood where Yugi and the other Yugi's true strength seems to come from. The bond he has with those he calls friends, it seems to be enough to get him through even the toughest of battles. Though the Egyptian had to wonder… How far would that friendship carry him?
"This is the second time I have lost to you…" Shadi stated out loud, speaking only to himself as he was reflecting on his match with 'Yugi'. "Yet, I am not truly upset. Perhaps we both understood a bit more about each other in the end. Having said that, I hope you do not forget that my family and your fate seem to be connected. Now I realize though that it is not up to me to unravel the secrets of the Millennium Puzzle… however, Yugi… it will be your mission to draw out the true power that is hidden deep within the Puzzle itself. When that happens, we will meet again." Shadi's warning echoed across the grounds, and though no one other than himself heard it, that threat was real. Yugi would see Shadi again in the near future. The question is, will Yugi have unlocked the full power of his own Item? Or… will he forever be oblivious to what the Puzzle has done to him and his friends? Only time will hold the answers.