Chapter 31

Yugi and I raced through the digital tunnel, the transparent forms of Yami and Marik beside us. "Does this tunnel ever end?" Yugi said.

It might, said Yami. But only when Noah wants it to. You mustn't forget, Yugi... he's controlling everything around us.

"Noah can try to stop us if he wants to, but we're gonna find our friends... no matter what!"

Right.

Aren't we supposed to be free once we defeat one of these guys? said Marik. Why are we still here?

I decided not to tell the others what he said. Maybe we won't be free until the whole game is over, I told him through my mind. Besides, we can't just leave our friends!

I had a feeling you would say that. Fine. Let's keep looking.

I smiled. He was learning. Suddenly, Yugi and I were sucked into a vortex of light. "What's going on?" I said. When the light dimmed, we found ourselves in a room with four doors.

"Which door to choose?" said Yugi. "If we don't pick one, we're stuck here." He reached out a hand to the nearest door.

Don't touch it! Yami said. We have to test all these doors for traps first.

He has a point, said Marik after I relayed the message to him.

Yugi tossed a coin at the door he was going to touch. A monster formed in the doorway, tossing the coin back at him. Eyes wide, Yugi said, "Testing doors is definitely smart."

It's true, said Yami. We won our duel, but I sense a whole new game has just begun.

"I can't take this much longer!" a voice echoed in the room. Téa's voice. Yugi immediately became distressed.

"Téa!" he cried. "Where are you, Téa? Tell me!"

"It's... so... cold..."

"Téa needs our help right now! We have to find what part of this virtual world Noah sent her to!" Yugi ran to the door with the monster, but the monster pushed him back.

Fool, Marik growled.

Noah's letting us hear her just to torture us, Yami said.

"What a cruel trick," said Yugi. "We have to break out of here and find her!" He tried to run at the door again, but I pulled him back by his arm.

"We have to stay calm and think," I said.

She's right, said Yami. Don't panic, Yugi. That's just what Noah wants you to do.

Yugi looked at us anxiously. "What about Téa?"

"We'll find her," I said.

Look up over the doors, said Yami.

Yugi glanced up. "A star? Of course! In Duel Monsters, stars represent a card's strength."

Right. So I'd say behind that door, a one-star monster awaits us.

"And I bet if we can defeat it we can get through that doorway!" Yugi placed a car don his duel disk. "I summon Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress! Attack!" Yugi's monster came to life and attacked the monster blocking the door, destroying it. "And see what's behind door number one!" Yugi opened the door. Another tunnel. "Wow."

All right, we'll go in... But who knows where it leads?

"Hopefully to Téa!"

We ran down the hallway. Soon, we reached another set of doors. Once again, Yugi chose the door with one star. We continued this routine several times but seemed to get nowhere. Then we heard Téa again:

"It's... freezing... ... my legs are... numb!"

"We're coming, Téa!" Yugi shouted. "We gotta find our way outta here, right now!"

Yugi, said Yami. Look on the floor... I glanced down and saw a coin.

"Huh? That's the same coin I threw at the door! We were here, before! So... that means we've just been running around in circles."

"We must be doing something wrong," I said.

"This game's pretty easy. The stars above each door represent the strength of the monster behind that door. Beat the monster and get through!"

There's a clue we're missing, Yami said. But what can it be?

Clearly we're not advancing, said Marik. To advance in a game, we need to advance in level. I passed along the message, and Yugi's eyes lit up.

"I know!" he said. "Maybe the stars represent more than just the power level of the monsters!"

But what, Yugi? said Yami.

"Well what if, they're like, directions for us? Yeah! Through the one-star door first, then the two, then the three, then the four! Like Marik said, we have to advance in level."

Yes, and the reason we have been traveling around in circles is because we've only been choosing to battle against the monsters that have one star.

"Well, let's try this door!" Yugi turned to the two starred door. "So, now I play Obnoxious Celtic Guardian! Attack!" A monster appeared, and Celtic Guardian quickly destroyed it.

Well done!

"Now, let's go through and find Téa!"

Now we should get somewhere, said Marik.

"I'm f-f-freezing!" said Téa's voice. "I don't know how much longer I can last out here!" Luckily, we were not close enough to feel her emotions. That would have been overload in addition to Yugi's.

We're getting close, said Yami.

"Yeah, Téa's getting louder!" agreed Yugi. "I see another set of doors ahead ! We need the three-star door!"

Yami pointed to a door. There it is !

Yugi stopped right in front of it. "Yes! Swift Gaia, the Fierce Knight, attack!"

No, stop the attack!

"It's too late!" Yugi's attack was reflected back at him, destroying his monster. "Gaia!"

Think before you act, Marik growled.

That door has been equipped with a trap card! Yami said. Look more closely. Right under the stars! Three face down cards!

"Of course!" said Yugi. "Then that blast had to be a Mirror Force trap card!"

So try again.

But be cautious, said Marik. You don't know what the other two cards contain.

"Here goes!" said Yugi. "I summon Gazelle!" As soon as his monster appeared, an opposing monster formed in front of the door.

It looks like Dark King of the Abyss, a weaker monster, said Yami.

"Awesome! Say goodbye!"

No, wait! Another face down card is being activated! Now it's stronger!

"Then I summon Berfomet! Then I'll use this! Polymerization... fusing them together to form Chimera! Now attack, my Mythical Beast!"

Not bad, said Marik.

"Let's go!" We raced through the new hallway. We had to be close! "Now where's that four-star monster?" Yugi skidded to a halt in front of the doors. "There it is!"

Patience, Yugi, Yami said. You must be very careful. This door has been equipped with five cards! Noah could have hidden just about anything behind that door. And you're low on cards, so choose wisely!

Yugi glanced down at his duel disk. "You're right! I only have a few cards left."

"I can help if you need me to," I suggested. "I still have my duel disk." I held up my arm to show him.

Yugi smiled at me. "Thanks, but let's leave you as backup for now in case something goes wrong. We will need reserves."

I nodded. "Alright."

Yugi appeared thoughtful. "Defeating a four star monster plus four face down cards is no easy task." He pulled out a card. This may do it!"

No, you mustn't play Dark Magician yet! said Yami.

"Okay." Yugi chose a different card. "Then how 'bout the Heavy Storm magic card ? It destroys all magic and trap cards!" He played the card, and the face down cards above the door disappeared.

Nice work. Now his monster stands alone with no face down cards to protect it. Destroy it, Yugi.

"Starred Ladybug Of Doom should do the trick. It may seem weak, but watch this! It automatically destroys all 4 star monsters!"

Oh yeah! Excellent move.

Agreed, said Marik. He's actually thinking.

"Thanks!" said Yugi. "It's a good thing I had that little critter stashed in my deck! This could be the last door."

"Then let's go," I said. We ran through the door and found ourselves in a room made of ice. "Wow, it is cold."

"Téa!" Yugi shouted. Sure enough, I saw her through an ice wall, seeming to be in the middle of a duel.

This doesn't look good! Yami said, for Téa appeared to be losing.

Yugi pounded on the walls. "Don't worry, Téa! Stay strong! I'm right here for you" Unfortunately, it appeared she could not hear him.

"Oh no," I murmured. There was nothing to do but watch the duel. It quickly became apparently that, every time Téa lost life points, she was further encased in ice from the feet on up. Yugi continued to try to get through to her to no avail.

"Leave her alone! Téa!" He leaned against the ice, tears in his eyes. "If she loses this duel, she'll be trapped here! But it's not fair! She's not experienced enough. And she's losing badly." I gazed at him with compassion. I certainly understood his concern. I would be terrified to duel on my own even if I had Marik to help me. Téa had it pretty hard.

Téa can win, Yugi, Yami said gently. By trusting herself and believing in the heart of the cards!

We'll see about that, Marik said after I passed along Yami's words.

I placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "It's going to be alright," I said softly. "Just have faith." When he did not resist, I pulled him into me and hugged him. I focused on sharing with him positive emotions filled with hope. Gradually, he relaxed.

"Thank you, Samia," Yugi said. "Do you think you can reach Téa?"

"I'll try." I approached the ice wall and put my hands on it. Then I reached out to Téa and tried to spread the emotions of Yugi, Yami, and myself. I did not know if it worked, but I did not give up.

Why bother? said Marik.

Because she's my friend, I said.

I see... He grew silent after that and watched the duel beside me.

It was hard to tell what was going on, but I could see that Téa had called the Dark Magician Girl, her Deck Master, to the field. Then I felt something strange from Yugi. I turned to him to see his duel disc glowing.

"What's up with my duel disc?" he said. A ball of pink light emerged from his deck. Then a figure formed from the light. "Whoa. My Dark Magician! But how was he summoned?"

I've never seen anything like this, Marik said.

The Dark Magician broke through the ice and moved all the way onto the field. "It must be something Téa did in the duel," I said. "Maybe the Dark Magician Girl has a special ability that allows her to summon him?"

That is likely the case, said Yami.

"Anyway, we're free now," Yugi said. "Let's go!"

We raced out of the cave and headed toward the duel. We arrived just as it was ending. Téa had used the combined powers of the Dark Magician Girl and Dark Magician to take down her opponent! The ice around her disappeared, and she collapsed to the ground. Yugi was by her side in an instant.

"Téa, can you hear me?" Yugi said. Téa opened her eyes and sat up. "Téa! You did it!"

"Yugi, I was almost a human ice pop!" Téa exclaimed, throwing her arms around his waist. Her joy and his surprise made me smile. Yami gave me a knowing look while Marik remained silent. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"Me too, Téa. And now that we're together, I promise it'll stay that way."

Téa finally released him and allowed him to help her stand up. It was then she noticed me. "Oh, hi, Samia. Were you with Yugi this whole time?"

"Yes," I said. "We were forced into a tag deal. Fortunately we won, thanks to Yugi."

Yugi rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know about that. Samia held her own. It was a team effort."

"That's great!" Téa said.

I smiled slightly. "I guess so."

"We should probably look for the others," Yugi said. "Who knows what kind of trouble Noah has them in?"

Téa nodded. "Right."

We started walking across the ice. It was cold, and I hugged myself to keep warm. "I'd give anything for a hot chocolate," Yugi said.

"M-me too..." said Téa.

"Here, take my coat." Yugi slipped of his coat and handed it to Téa, who accepted it gratefully.

"You're a total lifesaver, Yugi! Thank you!" She immediately put on the coat.

"Sure, no sweat." Yugi glanced at me and frowned. "I'm sorry, Samia. I didn't-"

"It's alright," I said. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" said Téa. "We could take turns."

I gave both of them a smile. "No, that's okay. It will be fine."

Yugi smiled slightly in return. "Okay..."

Watching Yugi and Téa interact with each other and feel their emotions was enough to warm me up. They're cute, I said to Yami.

Yes, they are lucky to have each other and be able to act freely, said Yami.

I suppose dating was different in ancient Egypt.

I do not remember anything, but from information I have gathered, you are correct. There are less barriers in the way today. Yami looked at me as we walked. What about you? Have you experienced anything like this?

I turned away from his gaze, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. No. I mean, I don't think so. I hesitated. Bakura likes me that way, but I did not return his feelings.

You two would be good together. For some reason, his emotions felt distant. You could give him a chance in hopes that something might develop.

I found the suggestion distasteful, and it took me a minute to sort out why. I suppose I could once all this craziness is all over. It would be too confusing otherwise. And, being an empath, I would be afraid of taking on his feelings for me as my own. How could I ever be sure I felt something for him if I was always feeling his emotions?

That certainly is a dilemma. Yami paused. I could also see the opposite occurring. Your feelings for someone could prevent you from deciphering whether or not they return them.

Yes, that would be a problem... I held in a sigh. But that's unimportant right now. We have bigger issues to worry about. Like getting out of here.

And finding our friends.

Right. In the silence that followed, I realized Marik had all but disappeared into my mind. He could not hear Yami, but he probably could sense I was talking to him. Was he giving us space? That did not seem like him as he had not previously been reserved about expressing his opinion about anything and everything. Odd. I then noticed that Yugi seemed troubled.

"Hey..." Téa said to him. "You're worried about everyone else, aren't you?"

"Yeah," said Yugi. "I'm especially worried about Tristan and Serenity. They're just beginners, and if they lose a duel to the Big Five, they're trapped here."

"You're right. But if I can beat one of those creeps in a duel, then so can they!"

"Of course," I said. "They'll find a way."

"Let's just hope they all found each other and they're pulling together to find a way out of this place!" Yugi said.

"They've probably started looking if nothing else. It'll be good once they do."

"Yeah, those guys always have each other's back. I'm sure they're gonna be just fine!"

"Of course they are!" Téa said.

You're all awfully optimistic with nothing to back it up, said Marik.

Where have you been? I said.

Nowhere.

We continued walking for awhile. Eventually, we could see something in the distance. "Whoa, check it out! Guys, look! It's some kind of a doorway."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" said Yugi. "Let's go!" We immediately raced for the door.

"I wonder where it leads!"

"Who let in the draft?" said a familiar voice as soon as we went through the doorway.

"Can it be?"

"It's Joey!" Téa exclaimed. We had entered what appeared to be a court room with Joey on one side near us and a duel monster on the other.

"That's a relief," I said.

Joey looked back at us with a grin. "Hey, Yugi, Téa, Samia! Where you been?"

"Order!" said the duel monster. "Settle down! This court is still in session, in case you haven't noticed."

"You're on trial?" said Téa.

"I'm dueling one of the Big Five. And you're just in time to see me wipe the courtroom floor with him!"

"I believe it's my move," said the Big Five member. "So sit down! You're lucky I don't have you two ejected from this courtroom!" Yugi, Téa, and I quickly took our seats.

"This doesn't look too good," Yugi, sitting in the middle, whispered to us. "Joey has no monsters, and it's this guy's turn."

"Come on, Joey," Téa urged him.

"I summon Curtain of the Dark Ones!" said the Big Five member. "Then I reveal my face down card. Activate Polymerization to fuse together my Mystical Elf and my Curtain of the Dark Ones! Meet Kamionwizard! Next I'll play the card... Sinister Justice. This allows my fusion monster to attack in the same turn in which it was summoned. Now, Kamionwizard, attack his life points directly!"

"Oh no, Joey!" Yugi and Téa cried while I grit my teeth to get through the impact of the attack.

"Lucky move, Johnson," Joey said, glowering at him.

"Joey's in big trouble!" said Yugi. "As long as Sinister Justice is on the field, Johnson gets extra life points every time he attacks Joey's life points with his Kamionwizard!"

"How's that again?" said Joey.

"The spiky-headed pipsqueak is right!" said Johnson.

Joey gasped. "His life points are going up!"

"And there's more! I place this card face down to seal your doom."

"If it wasn't for that trap card, I would have won this duel. Now every time he attacks me, he gets stronger and stronger! You planned this all along didn't you, Johnson?"

"Of course. But I have far worse in store for you Joseph! So far all of the evidence points to your defeat. I find you guilty of poor dueling!"

"Oh yeah? We'll just see. My move!" Joey played Panther Warrior and attacked Johnson's monster. He also used a magic card that reduced the opposing monster's attack points based on the roll of the die. At first, the die seemed to go in Joey's favor, but then it suddenly changed, favoring Johnson instead. As a result, Panther Warrior was destroyed.

"Stop this guy!" shouted Téa.

"You almost had him beat once!" Yugi said.

"Until he turned things around and whooped you!"

"Gee, thanks..." Joey said.

"Order in the court!" said Johnson. "Make your move!"

Something isn't right, I said to Yami and Marik.

What do you mean? said Yami.

Johnson's emotions are stable. It's not that he's hiding them. It's more like he's too confident for the situation. Like he knew how the die would turn out.

He may be cheating, said Marik.

Yes, I would not put it past him, said Yami. We'll keep an eye on him.

Wait a second, I said. You two can hear each other?

Well, you are speaking to us at the same time, said Marik.

It's similar to how you are able to speak to Yugi if I allow both of you inside, Yami said.

So, I don't have to repeat everything twice? I said.

Apparently not, said Marik.

Do not feel bad, said Yami. You are still learning.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I guess so. I returned my attention to the duel to see Joey, once again, have terrible luck with a dice roll. See what I mean?

The Big Five clearly have some control over this virtual world.

But what can Joey do about it? I don't think pointing it out would really help.

Let us wait and see what he does.

The duel continued with Joey's luck not growing any better. Fortunately, he was able to use his four scapegoats to buy himself some time. Eventually, they were destroyed, leaving him with no cards on the field and no cards in his hand.

Perhaps now would be a good time to step in, said Marik.

Agreed, said Yami.

Maybe you could let Yugi in on what's going on, I said. He might know how to approach this.

Before anything else could happen, Noah materialized in the room. "Time out!" he said. "Stop the duel!"

"What's the deal?" said Joey.

"Noah... You can't, sir, please!" Johnson said anxiously. "I'm only a few moves away from taking over this fool's body!"

"You don't deserve that prize, Johnson!" said Noah. "Not after what you just pulled!"

"So, he is a cheater," said Yugi.

"Sad to say it's true. The honorable Judge Man is nothing but a fraud who's been cheating you from the very beginning. He's been using my virtual technology to tamper with your dice rolls."

"How 'bout I tamper with your face?" Joey growled. "Mr. so called man-of-justice, ya big, fat fake!"

"But Noah, I couldn't risk losing this!" Johnson said. His terror was enough to make me wince. "Please! You must understand me. I can't take living in this virtual prison for one moment longer. It's torture!"

"Your excuses bore me," said Noah. "I brought you five into my world with the understanding that under my leadership you would defeat Seto Kaiba and his little friends. But if you cheat, I can't prove that I'm truly more deserving than him."

"Deserving?" I said. "Of what?"

This is getting interesting, said Marik.

"For years I've lived in Seto's shadow, always trying to prove that I'm the better one," Noah said. "I should be the president of Kaiba Corp, not him. And it's about time I've proven to Gozaburo Kaiba that he should have left the company to me!"

"Is he his step-brother or something?" I said.

"I think Kaiba would know if he had a step-brother," Yugi said.

Not necessarily, said Marik.

"Excuse me, boys," said Joey. "If I may interrupt this little quarrel for just a second, the defendant would like to speak. If Johnson plays by the rules, I may still be able to win this!"

"Sorry, but this doesn't concern you," said Noah. "Johnson! It's time for me to do something that I should have done the day I met you!"

"Noah, please, don't!" Johnson cried while I clenched my teeth.

"Yoohoo!" called Joey.

Noah turned to him. "What?"

"Look, I'm willing to forgive Judge Gruesome, as long as he agrees to duel fair and square. Noah, if he wins, you still get to prove your strength. And if I win I get to prove that Joey Wheeler doesn't sit back and let freaky-looking frauds get the best of him!"

"Fine. Well, good luck. And I hope you understand what you just did. The stakes of this duel still stand." Noah disappeared in a sparkle of light.

Joey turned to Jonson. "All right! Let's do this thing!"

"You did hear Noah, right?" said Johnson. "You lose and I still get to escape... by taking control of you!"

"Yeah, I get it!'

"Then I guess you are as foolish as you look because you're about to lose everything, Joseph. And with your body under my jurisdiction, your mind will be sentenced to wander this cyber universe for all eternity without bail!"

"You got me shaking in my boots, your honor. You're real tough one! But it's too bad you can't cheat anymore, Johnson!"

"Touché. Now let's finish this duel!"

Joey drew a card. "Well... looky here. I think my luck is beginning to change now!" He used Pot of Greed to draw two more cards. He summoned Flame Swordsman and equipped him with Burning Soul Sword. Then he played Arduous Risk.

"Talk about risk!" said Yugi. "If this doesn't work, he could lose the entire duel to Johnson right now!"

"But how, Yugi?" said Téa.

"Playing that magic card allows Joey to draw two more cards from his deck and that's where things get tough. 'Cause then Johnson has to pick one of those two cards. If he chooses a monster, Joey can summon it. But if he chooses a magic or trap card, it goes to the graveyard and Joey's turn is over."

Fool, Marik said.

I'm not so sure, I said.

"Well... Your choice," said Joey. He held up two cards. "If you haven't figured it out yet, the outcome of this entire duel depends on this one move! And with Noah watching, you can't cheat which means our fate will be decided by chance."

"Your fate was sealed the moment we met!" Johnson bellowed.

"Just pick a card, Johnson, and quit your stalling already! It's not a tough choice. There's only two cards. Of course, if you choose a monster I can sacrifice it to power up my Flame Swordman and blast away the rest of your life points!"

"Yes, but if I choose a magic or trap card then your Swordsman remains weak and I'll destroy it, thus winning the duel!" Johnson said.

"Come on buddy, what're you gonna do here? Choose! Right or left hand. The time is now!"

"Yeah, Joey," said Yugi. "Stay tough! Johnson is losing his cool. He'll never be able to cheat his way out of this."

"Come on, pick a card already," Tea said. "All this suspense is driving me crazy!"

"Well, if you can't take it just imagine how Joey feels right now!"

"Actually, he is quite calm," I said. "Confident even."

Because he's an idiot, said Marik.

No, I think it's something else.

"Let's do this!" said Joey. "The more you put it off, the harder it's gonna be! Just pick a card, Johnson!"

"All right, all right," said Johnson.

"Yeah - I'm waiting."

"I pick your left hand."

"Are you sure? I mean really sure?" Joey remained calm, and even I could not tell if he was bluffing.

"I'm sure. That's an old trick but a good one. However, I won't be fooled by your childish antics! You asked me twice if I was sure. Your hesitation proves I've made the right choice!" Despite his assurances, Johnson was nervous.

"If you say so."

"I've spent years and years convincing people that lies were the truth, so you have little chance of outwitting me, Joseph! I'm positive I haven't picked your monster card. So this case is closed! Judgment in favor of me! Now please show me the card in your left hand." Joey started to turn the card over. Suddenly, Johnson panicked. "No wait!"

"Yes?" Joey sounded almost bored.

"Ah... I change my mind!"

"The right hand, then?" Joey flipped the card over. "That's gotta hurt. All right! You chose my monster card known as Goblin Attack Force. So now, I'm able to sacrifice my goblins and add their attack points to my Deck Master, Flame Swordsman, thanks to the powers of my Burning Soul Sword!"

"All right!" Yugi cheered.

"It's time for Flame Swordsman to attack Dragoness, the Wicked Knight!"

"No!" Johnson cried. "This can't be! I never lose in the courtroom! I once convinced a jury that a man who was terrified of water stole a boat! How could I be fooled by some kid? Ahhhh!" Flame Swordsman destroyed his monster, and I shut my eyes to minimize the impact. It was over.

He got lucky, Marik said.

I think that's the point, I responded.

"Oh yeah!" Joey cheered. "Look out - Who's the man?"

"Way to go Joey!" Yugi said.

"That was awesome!" said Téa.

"Good job," I said.

Joey grinned as he hopped off the platform to meet us. "Aw, yeah!" His smile slowly faded. "Wait! We still have to go find everyone else!"

"Yeah, the other members of the Big Five might be dueling them right now," Yugi said with a grim look.

Joey's panic began to rise. "Did you say 'dueling them?' Who's dueling?"

"They want to duel us all, Joey. Everyone who's trapped here... We are all in this."

"All of us?" Joey turned and started to run.

"Stop, Joey!"

Joey stopped and balled his hands into fists. "That's not fair! Serenity's never dueled before! No!"

"We'll find her Joey, and we'll make sure she's okay! I promise!"

"Let's get moving! I'm coming, Serenity!" Joey ran through the door, and we followed.

"Wait for us!

"Come back, Joey!" said Tea. "Please!"

Always in a rush, said Marik. True, but this time, I could not blame him.