Marik was worried as the time for the finalists to meet approached and there was no sign of either of his siblings. He wanted to believe that they would be there, but it was so close now and still there was no sign of them.
Checking his phone showed no messages, making him nervous. He hadn't heard from Rishid in hours, not since he'd sent Jonouchi his way, as they had planned. Ishizu hadn't checked in since she had said she had her map cards.
He wanted to believe that the Thief Queen had lied when she'd accused his sister of poisoning the soul of the Pharaoh's vessel. He'd known about the upcoming duel with Jonouchi, even if he hadn't liked it, but that'd been different. The Pharaoh would've never let herself be killed.
Endangering Yugi that much, when they still needed her to keep the seal alive, wasn't smart. He thought his sister knew better than that. But he wasn't sure anymore. Not with the Shadows trickling, seeping back into the world that'd been emptied of them when the seal had first been formed.
In a way, it wasn't a bad thing. As the heir to the Tomb Keeper tribe, Marik had been taught that Shadow magic was the common magic before the Millennium Items were born. The gap between the darkness and the light that anyone could use. They hadn't needed to feed the way they did in the Shadow Realm, where souls were a rarity, because they could draw from every living person and take just a little from each.
A person with the right training, or the wrong experiences, had once been able to summon their Ka Beast to help them out. They'd just needed to ensure that the creature didn't get killed, else it could kill them. One of those summoned creatures could be worth thirty human warriors, so those who could summon had normally ended up improving their life drastically, though running the risk of shortening it by years.
When Zorc had assaulted Egypt, drawing the Shadows to him and using them like a tidal wave to overwhelm those who stood against him, the Pharaoh had been forced to seal them away with him, taking that magic from the world, creating the Shadow Realm and unbalancing everything.
Now the Shadows were coming back, things would start rebalancing, and that would be good for everyone.
But if what was sealed with them got through…
Marik shuddered.
Ishizu had to know that would be the end of everything. She had to. Poisoning Yugi made no sense.
A car pulling up made him dart towards the door, hoping that it was one of his siblings, only to find it was both. Rishid stumbled as he stepped out of the car, causing Marik to rush to his side, only for Ishizu's hand to come out of the car and grab Rishid's arm, pulling him back from a fall.
"Careful Rishid. We've already lost one today, I won't lose another."
Marik's soul trembled at Hanaq's words as Rishid stabilised himself and Ishizu's wrath joined her siblings.
"Marik, thank the Gods you're alright. They didn't hurt you too, did they?"
"N… No." He shook his head rapidly. "But what do you mean, 'we've lost one'?"
"Ishizu…" Hanaq's shoulders sank and her gaze turned towards the floor in what Marik thought was grief but was in fact her hiding her anger. "The Pharaoh took her from us."
Marik's jaw dropped and his eyes widened before filling with tears. "Wh… what? How?"
"Ishizu made a foolish play, risked herself to force the Pharaoh to do her duty. She wouldn't and it cost Ishizu everything." Hanaq lied, unwilling to tell her brothers that she'd torn their sister's soul apart, taken the soul parts she needed to be whole from Ishizu, and left her for dead, bricked away in her own soul room. They'd always preferred Ishizu and would've been happy to see her gone.
That fact hurt, but she was born from pain and wrath, so it was just another thing that added fuel to her fire.
Marik's hands balled up as tears rushed down his cheeks. Rishid pulled his brother into a hug that was far weaker than normal as Marik sobbed.
Rishid was hurt. Ishizu was gone. He was losing everyone he cared about because the Pharaoh wouldn't do her damn job and just kill the Thief Queen.
As the sounds of another car pulling up behind him pierced through the grief, Marik tried to straighten and gather himself, so he could plan with his siblings before the Pharaoh got there, but he didn't get the chance before Yugi's voice was calling.
"Marik, Ishizu, Rishid? Are you okay?"
He ripped free of his brother and would've slammed his fist into the face of the Pharaoh's vessel, except Jonouchi put himself in the way, catching his wrist and shielding Yugi with his own body before he could touch the suddenly frightened girl. The sight of him still standing when Ishizu was gone only intensified Marik's pain and the snarl he let out was feral.
"Get out my way! Ishizu's gone! Because of her!"
"Marik!" The snap from the Pharaoh made him pause, wild eyes watching her as she stepped from behind her lover to glare at him, "I'm sorry your sister's gone, but she broke the rules of the Shadow Game. Not me. I didn't want anyone to die. I still don't."
"If you'd done your job, if you'd just got rid of her!" Marik gestured towards the Thief Queen who was watching with narrowed eyes, "Ishizu would still be here!"
"She chose her fate when she cheated." The Pharaoh shook her head, unable to be sympathetic when his sister had nearly cost her everything, even as guilt pulsed through her twin. "I'm not responsible for that."
"You…"
"If you don't step inside, right now, you'll all be disqualified." Kaiba's ice cold voice cut through Marik's snarl and made them all turn to look at the huge glass doors, where the CEO and his little brother were standing.
"Come, Marik, Rishid." Hanaq's amber eyes met the Pharaoh's as she called her brothers, letting her aura flare so the Pharaoh could feel just how powerful she'd become now she was whole and backed by the demon, "We'll make her pay later."
It took every bit of effort Marik possessed to turn away from the Pharaoh and head into the building after his sister, who'd pushed past the Kaibas. Rishid pushed past the group to follow, 'accidently' barging Meisa as he passed, who staggered into Katsuya. Yugi's friends headed in, getting between the Queen and her adversary, but before Meisa could follow, Ba-Khu-Ra caught her arm.
"You felt that, right?" The Thief Queen hissed quietly.
"It's impossible not to." The only thing Meisa had ever sensed that was stronger than the energies radiating from Hanaq was the demon itself, when it'd pinned her to the wall in the fire. That knowledge was terrifying. Especially when she was running on fumes and she knew Ba-Khu-Ra was as well.
"You can't go anywhere near her. You understand me?" The Thief Queen's demand shocked the Pharaoh.
"I won't let you fight her alone." Meisa shook her head, "I won't lose you and Amane."
"But…"
"I can't lose anyone else I care about. I can't. Let me help."
The words were raw and made the Thief Queen freeze momentarily, before her shoulders sank and she nodded. "Alright, Pharaoh. We'll do this together."
"Good." Meisa relaxed, "Come on, let's work out who's got her first."
They headed inside to find several people with cameras, a screen that showed what order the eight finalists had locked in, and a huge dragon shaped bingo machine whose eyes lit up a beautiful sapphire blue as a set of eight balls dropped, each numbered with the number of a Duelist.
As the numbers bounced around, a second screen lit up with four images, labelled with the names of field cards from the game of Duel Monsters, but clearly sections of the theme park.
"This is how we'll decide who faces who on Hekigan. Who will get to fight where!" Kaiba declared with a massive smirk, "But it's you who will determine who gets to duel in the stadium tomorrow! Good luck! Hope you get who you want."
The first number out was number three, Mutou Yugi. It sat on the bottom left of the image that showed a Grecian area full of light and fairy monster based rides called 'Tenku no Seiiki'.
Meisa was uncomfortably aware of at least three sets of eyes on her, Rebecca, Hanaq and Kaiba, but she refused to show her discomfort as the next number came out, number two, Hopkins Rebecca.
"Yes!" Rebecca's cheer was actually a relief for Meisa.
As much as she would rather face Hanaq before one of her friends was hurt or worse, having Rebecca, who couldn't use magic against her and would be a fair challenge, one that they could enjoy? It was something she desperately needed, because it would allow them more time to recover from today before they needed to use their magic.
Number one, Kaiba Seto, came next and as his number sat upon the image of a roller coaster filled mountain themed area named 'Yama', the CEO glowered around at the group, both pleased and displeased to not have gotten Yugi in the first round. While he wanted to duel her, going against her in the semi-finals would put their duel in the stadium, rather than one of the stages across Hekigan.
Number five, Ishtar Marik, came rolling along the rails next. Kaiba wasn't worried but Marik smirked. Defeating Kaiba would allow him to take on the Pharaoh and take her down for what she'd done to his sister and he had the card he needed to do it.
Number eight, Jonouchi Katsuya, was next and as it went up on a pool and water slide filled image labelled 'Umi', he shifted from foot to foot. Ishizu's number hadn't come up yet and even if she wasn't his opponent, whoever won his duel ran the risk of butting heads with her.
When number four, Kujaku Mai, rolled out, his eyes widened and he turned to the Duel Queen of Europe to find her gaze was sharp as she watched her. She knew the risk as well as he did and, to his surprise, she apparently had no intention of backing down.
Which, of course, left number seven, Bakura Amane, and number six, Ishtar Ishizu, to go up on the horror themed rides, funhouses and game stands of the 'Yami' section.
"Thank you, Kaiba." Hanaq smirked as she smirked at Ba-Khu-Ra and Ba-Khu-Ra glowered back, "For giving me the chance to do what someone else can't. I'm going to enjoy every moment of decimating my opponent."
"You won't get the chance." The Thief Queen snarled back, having hoped for this outcome but also aware that they were about to get into a very dangerous situation.
The sound of helicopters landing outside cut any other chance for snarling as Kaiba cackled, "Each Duelist will be taken, by helicopter, to the section of Hekigan that they won the chance to duel in. You can have two cheerleaders with you, so organise yourselves quickly. They won't wait."
With that, he headed for his vehicle.
Meisa turned to Ba-Khu-Ra who shooed her away. "Go get in your damn chopper, I'm last so you'll have plenty of time to catch up to me."
"Be careful?"
"Not my style, but I'll stay alive." The Thief Queen promised, making the Pharaoh laugh as Katsuya herded her outside. Anzu, Mai and Rebecca followed, but Ba-Khu-Ra caught Honda's arm and pulled him aside before he could join them. "I'm calling in your debt."
"What?! Now?" Honda hissed, ticked off that she would take this moment to call it.
"Shut up and listen." Honda's mouth snapped shut, relieving the Thief Queen. "I don't care what you have to do, as long as she stays alive, but you will NOT allow the Pharaoh or Mutou Yugi to be at my duel. They CAN'T be there."
Confusion made Honda's head tilt slightly, "Wouldn't it be better to have the backup?"
"If things go wrong, there'll either be two demon controlled Item Holders there, or worse, one demon possessed Item Holder who holds three Items. Either way, the Pharaoh can't win right now. If they're there, they will die. You will not allow it. Understand?"
"Three?" Honda's eyebrow raised.
"I took the Eye from Crawford." Ba-Khu-Ra snapped irritably, "My Ring, her Rod, and the Eye, is far too much for the Pharaoh to take on right now. This isn't up for debate, Honda. You owe me a favour. I'm calling it. Unless you want me to take your soul instead? I've been wondering what flavour it is."
"Alright, alright." Honda held up his hands, "I'll make sure Yugi can't get to your duel. Just make sure you come back."
"I'll try, now come on, before you can't get in Yugi's helicopter."
It turned out that wasn't a problem as the white and yellow helicopter, headed for Tenku no Seiiki, where Yugi and Rebecca were waiting, hadn't taken off yet. Anzu had headed for that one and Honda hurried over to catch up, catching Katsuya's gaze and nodding as an unspoken promise passed between them that Honda would keep Yugi safe.
Once that was settled, Katsuya joined Mai in the blue and green helicopter, headed for Umi, followed by Shizuka, who shut the door behind them.
Mokuba scrambled into the grey and silver helicopter, headed for Yama, ahead of his brother and after a moment where Rishid paused to look back at Hanaq, he clambered in after Marik, wanting to look after him and trusting Hanaq to handle herself.
Leaving Hanaq to climb into the purple and black helicopter, headed for Yami, alongside the Thief Queen. The doors shut behind the pair of them and the helicopter was first to take off, closely followed by the one with all the staff that were going, last minute, minute, to the island, like Jou's mother.
Behind them, the others rose like a flock of birds, leaving Domino City and heading for the Hekigan, where those who survived the next twenty-four hours would get to enjoy the theme park and all its rides and attractions for the next couple of weeks, and those who didn't would at least get to see them before their demise.
As Mai, Jou and Shizuka watched Domino disappear beneath them, Mai asked, "So… Did Yugi have anything to do with that kid's sister dying?"
"No." Jonouchi grimaced as he leaned back, closing his eyes, "Ishizu poisoned Yugi's soul as part of a Shadow Game. Since Shadow Games have to be fair, that meant her soul got poisoned too. And then Ishizu broke the rules…"
Mai rolled her eyes, having been told how bad an idea that was back on Duelist Kingdom. "So the poison took her out."
"Yup and now her brothers are blaming Yugi for something that's not her fault. Yuge's been trying to reason with her for months. Don't get me wrong, I ain't happy she's gone, but I'd rather she was gone than Yuge, ya know?"
Mai nodded.
"Means I'm up against the insane version of Ishizu next though." Katsuya's casual statement made Mai turn to give him a disapproving look. "What? You don't want to get caught up in this, trust me."
"I've been a part of this since I helped you lot scheme against Pegasus." Mai shot back, "And I'm not going to let some psycho bitch hurt you kids just because she decided to get petty. If she wants to let out some anger, she can aim it my way. I've got enough pettiness for the both of us."
"You don't understand…"
"Rough childhood, betrayed by her family, forced to grow up too fast and babysit. No, I get it. I get it better than any of you could. That doesn't give her the right to try and kill kids." Mai cut Jou off, ignoring the way Shizuka was staring at her, wide eyed. "I'm taking you down, and then I'm knocking that bitch out and taking her God card. Possibly literally."
Jou stared at her, "You're serious?"
"Look, if she wants to play with the Queens of Duel Monsters, then she's gunna have to keep up. If she can't beat me, she doesn't deserve a shot at Yugi, and Yugi still owes me that all-female final."
Shizuka paused, remembering that there were duelists across the world with the title of Duel Queen of their continent. Vivian Wong was one such example as the Duel Queen of Asia.
"Besides, it's better I fight her than you." Mai's words caused Jou to huff.
"Why?"
"Because Yugi just nearly offed herself trying to save your life. If something happens to me, she's less likely to do something stupid."
Jou hadn't considered that and it made him pause to think. With how close Yugi had come to dying at the docks, he dreaded to think how much worse it would be if Hanaq got rid of him now. At the same time though, Mai was also Yugi's friend and she would be devastated if something happened to her.
"I ain't sure about that." Katsuya grimaced, "You're her friend too and she'll do anything for a friend."
"Guess we'll have to wait and see."
With that, Mai turned away from the conversation to watch the stars start to sparkle on the waves through the window.
A little ahead of them, in the grey and silver helicopter, Seto was scowling at the two sat opposite him and Mokuba.
"Lay one hand on my brother and I'll throw you both in the ocean." He warned them, only to receive a vicious glare from Marik and an unamused stare from Rishid.
"We have no interest in harming you or your brother." Rishid's tone was far more level than he felt. If Yugi had been on the other side of the vehicle, he knew he wouldn't have been so reasonable. "Our issues aren't with you."
Rishid's wasn't, but Marik had no such feelings. If he wanted to get at Yugi and the Pharaoh for what they'd done to his sister, he needed to go through Kaiba. After all, he had no doubt that the Pharaoh would defeat her opponent and move on. He needed to do the same.
Ignoring the watchful stare of the younger of the brothers, he pulled his deck out and pulled one card from it, trying to ignore the way his fingers ached as wisps of burning heat radiated from the card and swirled around his arm.
When he'd printed the fake Winged Dragon of Ra card, he hadn't planned on using it, but now, going up against Kaiba, who carried Obelisk the Tormentor, to get at the Pharaoh who'd taken his sister from him, he knew he would need its strength.
The Duel Disk system would recognise it as a valid card, he knew it would, because it recognised every other fake card he'd ever printed.
As he took out one of his Simorgh, for the Winged Dragon of Ra, he knew he was taking a huge risk. The Egyptian God cards had, according to the information Rishid had brought back when he'd stolen Ra for Ishizu, killed almost everyone who'd tried to create them. Only an Item Holder, the creator of Duel Monsters himself, Pegasus J. Crawford, had successfully managed to capture the image of the Gods upon paper.
Marik considered himself very lucky, or very overdue for divine vengeance and he wasn't entirely sure which it was. He wanted to hope that he'd earned the right to bear the Divine Beast because of everything his family had put him through and that was why he had yet to be struck down for his audacity.
But he supposed he would find out when he finally attempted to summon the beast for the first time.
If he could just get past Kaiba, the second best Duelist in the world, to the Pharaoh, he would be happy to go down in Ra's flames. As long as he could take the bitch who'd killed his sister with him.
Noting the intense gaze of his upcoming opponent, he put his deck away and stared back at the CEO, "What? Can't win without cheating so you're trying to see what I'm doing with my deck?"
"I don't need to see your deck. You don't stand a chance against me."
Marik's only answer was to smirk.
The staring match in the purple and black helicopter had unnerved the pilot enough that he'd resorted to flying in silence. Having been the poor unfortunate soul to have been piloting the helicopter that'd gotten Kaiba, Anzu and Meisa to the warehouses by the docks, he had no desire to see the dark realm he'd so briefly been dipped in again.
Not that he was the focus of the intense gazes the two in the passenger seats were giving each other. Instead they were entirely intent on staring each other down.
Until Ba-Khu-Ra let out an amused huff and sat back, too tired to waste energy on a stare down and tense posture when there was a Shadow Game upcoming. "I should just push you out now. I never was one for following the rules after all."
"Oh, believe me." Hanaq rolled her eyes as she too leaned into the cushions, "If it wasn't for the rules of the tournament banning me from attacking other competitors, I'd have taken your head off before we even left Domino. Then used my Item to summon something that could bring the bitch of a Pharaoh to her knees."
"Even if you could defeat me, which," Bakura snickered, "is a joke, the Pharaoh doesn't even need magic to make you look ridiculous. You wouldn't stand a chance."
"I can wipe the floor with both of you at any given moment." Hanaq raised an eyebrow, "You're both completely exhausted and I'm not. Plus, unlike the pair of you, I'm whole. You're both split in two. Your weakened cores are running two hearts. You're essentially powerless right now."
Confusion flickered through the Thief Queen. As far as she was aware, Hanaq wasn't a spirit, not like herself and the Pharaoh. She hadn't been born from parts of Ishizu's soul, but from the negative emotions that the oldest of the Ishtar siblings had been suppressing for years.
If Ishizu had been killed by the poison, the soul should've died and the body should've died with it. The Ba would've been eradicated, there would've been no life energy to fuel the body.
Hanaq certainly shouldn't be able to be whole.
Something wasn't adding up.
"Don't think too hard, you'll exhaust yourself and ruin the show." Hanaq taunted, "I want to make an example of you before I rip your soul into enough pieces to satisfy those who've suffered because of your crimes."
As she smiled, her face distorted, causing her mouth to appear as if going from ear to ear, its teeth sharpening into vicious sharklike stakes.
"I might even let you see your host die before I end your miserable existence."
"Lay a hand on her and I'll ensure that you and everyone you care about are screaming in agony before death takes you!" The snarl was violent, but Ba-Khu-Ra couldn't back it up.
The Pharaoh wasn't the only one who'd been pushed to her limits today. She just didn't have enough left to cast spells. Not if she wanted to stay awake and alive.
Still, she couldn't wait until the duel started and she could force her way into devastating Hanaq's soul, using whatever rules the bitch put in place against her.
And once that was over, she would hold one of the keys to unlocking the Pharaoh's memories and finally, FINALLY being able to give her people the afterlife they deserved.
"I guess we'll wait and see, won't we?"
Rebecca was worried as she watched Honda tap his feet against the floor and Anzu wring her hands. She glanced at the other Duelist in the last helicopter, only to find Yugi had slumped against Anzu's shoulder and was fast asleep, her face slowly regaining colour the longer she dozed.
"Wh… what happened today?" She dared to ask as the lights of Hekigan appeared on the horizon, "I know things were bad this morning, but…"
"Ishizu happened." Honda growled out, his hands balling into fists as he tried to control the fury that'd been boiling away from the moment he'd found out about the whole kidnapping situation with Shizuka and the poison in Yugi's soul. "She kidnapped Jou's sister and hurt Yugi badly."
"Which is why I'm not waking her." Anzu's quiet, scolding tone, gave both her companions an idea of what volume she expected them to talk at. Thankfully the earphones and microphones would carry their voices. "She needs her rest. She nearly died."
Rebecca's face paled as her hand slipped into the pocket where the compact she'd been given rested. Her thumb ran over the gemlike plastic heart at its centre.
Ishizu had given it to her, supposedly to allow her to even out the duel if she ended up against Yugi. Breaking it would allow her to duel against a Yugi that was stripped of the magic that'd allowed her to defeat Rebecca so easily.
But how could she trust that was the truth?
Unable to sense the Shadows pressing on her mind, placed there by Ishizu so many days ago, her other hand scrunched up her skirt.
Even if it wasn't the truth, a whisper started in her mind, she was owed that duel. She was owed a fair game. She was the American Champion, and she was owed better than the fiasco that their practice duels in the backyard had become.
Not only that, but she owed it to her grandfather to recover the Blue Eyes White Dragon that'd been taken from him. He'd promised that he wouldn't be angry with her if she won it from Yugi in a fair game. Using the compact to silence the magic so the game was only between two normal everyday Duelists wasn't an unreasonable thing to do.
Except…
Guilt churned as she beheld the sleeping Queen of Games.
Yugi was exhausted. More than that. If her friends were to be believed, she could have ended up in a much worse state. If Rebecca activated the magic, would it be a fair game?
The helicopter shifted direction, heading for the airport and the tilt of the seating made Yugi's head slip off of Anzu's shoulder. Yugi startled awake, revealing red, narrow eyes that gazed around, trying to take in her surroundings.
This alerted Rebecca to the fact it wasn't the normal Yugi. Instead, it was the one who normally came out during important duels. The one Rebecca hadn't yet faced and didn't consider 'Yugi'.
Her existence was another thing to consider.
If Rebecca didn't activate her trinket, then she would be facing down two Yugis, and that simply wasn't fair.
But with the compact, she would guarantee that the real Yugi, the living Yugi, had to face her in a duel.
As Anzu and Honda spoke quietly and softly with the now awake Yugi, Rebecca listened, relieved that she was okay but still working over her own duel plans.
She didn't have much to lose in trying. One simple game with a girl who should be able to win in any situation wasn't an unreasonable thing to ask.
If Ishizu could be trusted and the compact did what she'd been promised it would do.
As they started descending into their area of the theme park, Rebecca still wasn't sure what she was going to do.