"Meet me on the battlefield
Even on the darkest night
I will be your sword and shield, your camouflage
And you will be mine
Echos of the shots ring out
We may be the first to fall
Everything can stay the same, or we could change it all
Meet me on the battlefield"
- "Meet Me on the Battlefield" by Svrcina
Chapter 38
"The first semifinal duel will be Marik Ishtar against Joey Wheeler!" Roland announced. "Followed by Mr. Kaiba against Yugi Muto!"
"One of us will get past the next round," Kaiba said to Yami. "The other goes home a loser!"
"Open the tower gates now! It's time to proceed to the next dueling site."
"I trust you're ready to join your friend Mai In the Shadow Realm?" Dark Marik said to Joey.
"Guess again!" said Joey. "I'm gonna crush you and get her outta that place!" Dark Marik merely chuckled.
"Monster dueling platforms to the top of the tower," said Roland. "And let the semi-finals begin." The platforms with the duelists rose to the top and out of sight.
"Well, this is it!" said Mokuba. "The duel starts now. Let's go!" He started for the elevator. "Move it or miss it!"
"Hold the door, Mokuba!" said Tea. "Wait for us!"
"Hold on a sec!" said Duke.
Mokuba paused at the elevator. "Huh?"
"We can't just take off like this! Somebody's gotta tell Serenity her brother's about to duel!"
"Good point!" said Tristan. "So... I'll just go. Bye!" He turned to walk away.
"Tristan!" Mokuba called.
Tristan looked back at him. "Uh!"
"This tower's high-tech! I'll call!" Mokuba dialed Mai's room number and got Serenity on video. Then he explained what was going on.
"Thanks for letting me know, Mokuba," said Serenity, "but I'll stay here. Someone needs to help keep an eye on Mai."
"You sure?"
"Yup... Wish Joey luck."
"Marik Ishtar and Joey Wheeler will face off in five minutes!" Roland said over the loud speaker. We hurried into the elevator, which took us to the top of the tower. Joey and Dark Marik were already facing off on the field while Kaiba and Yami stood on the sidelines. The anger from Joey caught me off guard, especially since it was not aimed at Dark Marik. Mokuba ran to Kaiba while my friends and I approached Yami and Joey.
"We're here, bro!" said Duke.
"So, what did we miss, guys?" said Tea.
"Yeah, something wrong?" said Tristan. "I sense tension."
"Is Kaiba bugging you?"
"None of your business!" Joey snapped.
"Well, excuse us, sunshine!" said Tristan. "Someone's in a cheerful mood!" The dueling platform lifted high into the sky.
Joey turned his anger onto Dark Marik. "You're goin' down, Marik!"
"The first duel of the semifinals is about to begin!" said Roland. "To my left, Marik Ishtar! To my right... Joey Wheeler."
"That's meee!"
"Marik will begin!"
"As you wish," said Dark summoned Gilgarth in attack and set a card face down. Joey placed a card face down and summoned Alligator Sword in defense. Dark Marik suddenly started chuckling evilly. "The time has come to take this duel to the next level!"
"Next level?!" said Joey.
Yugi gasped. "I was afraid Marik would do this!"
"Come on!" said Tristan. "Again?!"
"Joey!" Tea called.
"This duel's now... A Shadow Game!" said Dark Marik.
"Show some originality, Marik!" said Joey.
"Ha! The shadows hunger for your mind and your soul!"
"You don't scare me!" I did feel some fear from him, but his anger was stronger.
"Then what's that I see in your eyes? I'd say it's the look of fear! Fear that you're about to join your friend in the Shadow Realm!"
"Look! She'll be back!"
"You're so naive! She's permanently trapped! And with each passing second, another portion of her mind is absorbed into the darkness. Ha ha ha! Can you hear those screams? They're the helpless cries of your friend Mai, and the weaker she gets, the stronger my powers grow! Heh heh. Ha ha ha!"
"You're nuts!"
"We can't let joey go through with this duel!" said Tristan. "This is exactly what happened when marik dueled Mai. It's too dangerous! Let's step in!"
"He knows what he's going," I said. "This is his choice."
"But-"
"Joey's already made up his mind!" said Tea. "Didn't I tell you what he said to me?!"
"What's that?" said Yugi.
Tea gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, Yugi. I should have told you about this before. Joey and I had a conversation after Mai's duel with Marik." She briefly recapped the conversation. "So, Joey's trying to rescue Mai out there, and nothing we say can stop him!"
Yugi frowned. "I thought so!" There's gotta be something we can do to save Joey! he said to Yami and me through his mind. I know he promised to bring back Mai, but there has to be another way!
Yugi... said Yami. It's his fight.
You can't stop him from doing something he wants to do, I said. He has a right to fight for his friends just like you do. Yugi gasped.
Just as Joey made a promise to Mai, we made a promise to Joey that we would stop protecting him. We must prove to Joey that we believe in him by letting him duel on his own!
We can't! said Yugi.
Trust him, Yugi. He can win, but he needs our faith and support!
Yeah, I'll help however I can too, I said.
Alright... said Yugi.
"Hang in there, Joey!" Tea called. "We're all right here!"
"Bring it on!" said Joey. "I'm ready for your Shadow Game!"
"Do you have any idea what you're about to experience?" said Dark Marik. "I doubt it. The ancient dark magic I've conjured will devastate you! You poor soul. My move! You may have seen the power of the shadows before, but as the energies within me grow, so does the strength of my shadow magic!"
"Are you here to talk, or are you here to duel?"
"Aren't you the least bit curious how this Shadow Game will differ from the one that your friend lost? As always, the loser of the duel will be banished to the Shadow Realm for eternity, but there's a bit more!"
"Say what?!"
"You'll soon find out! And then... Mark my words... You'll wish you never faced me!"
Joey glared at him. "Grr!"
"Joey can't let Marik Keep messing with his head like this!" said Tristan.
"Yeah," said Duke. "It's all part of Marik's warped mind game!"
"Don't let him get to ya, Joey!"
"Right!" said Joey. "I'm ready to rumble, ya big freak!"
"Then let the Shadow Game begin!" Dark Marik said gleefully. "Ready?!" Glowing pink ropes formed between the duelists and their monsters. I sensed an energy pulse from them.
"Hey, what's goin' on?! You mind tellin' me why this thing is connectin' me to my monster?!"
"Didn't I tell you that this duel was a bit different?! I decided to raise the stakes by adding these energy streams to our game. Now whenever your monster's attacked, your body will be drained of a little more energy, leaving you weaker than before. Ha ha ha!"
Joey glowered at him. "Just go!"
Dark Marik smirked. "With great pleasure, Wheeler! I'll summon Drillago in attack mode. Drillago, attack! Destroy his Alligator's Sword and drain his energy!"
"Aah!" Joey cried out while I clenched my teeth.
"Joey!" Tea exclaimed.
"That wasn't fun," Joey said, wincing.
"It's the ultimate test of his strength," said Yugi. "C'mon, Joey!"
"Alright then," said Joey, "so this duel's got a little twist, but it can work against you, too!"
"Gilgarth, attack his life points directly!" Dark Marik ordered.
"Joey!" Yugi shouted. "No!"
But Joey was not afraid. He flipped over his face down card. "I reveal my scapegoat magic card to protect me!" Four sheep appeared on the field.
"What's this?" said Dark Marik.
"And since my scapegoat's not a monster card, there's no energy stream to zap me!"
"Nice move, Joey!" said Yugi.
"Hmm! Well, it looks as though I've underestimated you!" said Dark Marik. "Make your move."
"Oh, I will!" said Joey. "Stand back!" He drew a card, and his confidence surged. "Read it and weep 'cause now I summon my good buddy Panther Warrior to the field in attack mode! Ready for a taste of your own medicine? I'll sacrifice one scapegoat to jump-start my Panther and attack your Gilgarth! Yeah, baby!" I flinched as the attack went through.
"Unh!" Dark Marik chuckled.
"That one was for Mai!"
"Heh heh! Speaking of your friend Mai, her mind should be empty by now!"
"Your head games won't work on me! My turn is done!"
"Hmm. And so are you. You've had your fun, but now... It's time for me to end all that with this! My tribute burial card!"
Joey gasped. "No way!"
"Now I can bring one monster back from each of our graveyards and sacrifice them to summon an even stronger creature to drain whatever's left of your strength, Wheeler! Alligator's Sword! Gilgarth! I sacrifice you to summon this! The mighty Helpoemer!" The monster roared. "And I can assure you that this new monster of mine is more than he appears to be. I'll place one card face down and then end my turn."
He didn't attack? I said.
He's up to something, said Marik.
Do you think Joey can win?
Your friends have surprised me in the past, but...
I know... I continued to watch the duel. Joey played Rocket Warrior in attack mode. Dark Marik activated a trap card, allowing him to summon Plasma Eel and attach it to Panther Warrior to reduce his attack by 500. Joey fell to his knees, screaming in pain, and I almost fell over when I felt it as well.
"Samia, are you alright?" Yugi said in worry, helping to steady me on my feet.
"Y-Yeah," I said. "It's just pain. It can't actually hurt me."
If you want to join Serenity in Mai's room, that is fine, said Yami.
Thanks, but I'll be alright, I said. I want to be there for Joey.
Very well. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
Just stay with me. I remained close to Yugi, and feeling him and Yami helped with the pain.
Always.
"Well, now," said Dark Marik, "are you beginning to regret dueling me?"
"You'll never... Break my spirit... Marik!" Joey said, slowly rising to his feet. "I... made a... promise!"
Dark Marik was surprised. "What's this?"
"You can't keep me down, not as long as I have something to fight for! Activate Rocket Warrior's special ability, Invincible mode! Attack his Helpoemer!" Rocket Warrior attacked the monster, and Dark Marik groaned in pain.
"Not only did he drain that monster's strength, he drained Marik's, too!" Yugi said, impressed.
"That's right! Next, I'll sacrifice a scapegoat, letting Panther Warrior strike back. Time to attack now. Slice and dice his Helpoemer!
"Aah!" Dark Marik cried. "Unh! Uhh!"
Joey grinned. "Eat that!"
"Heh heh heh. Ha ha ha!"
Joey's eyes narrowed. "What's so funny? "
"Thank you, little Joey. By attacking my beast, you've caused your own demise!"
"Huh? How's that?"
Dark Marik explained that Helpoemer's special ability was activated. It went to Joey's graveyard, and a card was taken from Joey's hand. As long as Helpoemer was in his graveyard, he would lose a card from his hand each turn. For his turn, Dark Marik merely placed two cards face down. Then Joey played Baby Dragon in defense.
"The shadows are growing impatient, little Joey!" said Dark Marik. "Are you too frightened to attack me? Perhaps you fear my three face down cards and the possible devastation they could cause. I'm waiting..."
"Don't let him push you around!" said Duke.
"Yeah, he wants you to attack him," said Tea." You can't 'cause he'll just activate one of his trap cards!"
"I'm through waiting," Joey said, irritated. "I need to take action!"
"Wait, Joey!" said Tristan. "Don't attack!"
"No..." said Yugi. "He should attack! In order for joey to win, he must force Marik to reveal his traps right away. Once Joey knows what Marik's cards are, he can devise a strategy to destroy them! Take him down, Joey!"
"Rocket Warrior!" said Joey. "Activate invincible mode!"
"Ha ha ha ha!" Dark Marik cackled. "That's precisely the move I wanted you to make you fool! For you have allowed me to activate My card of last will! Now I can draw five cards!"
"Aw man!"
"Looks like my hand is full! Now, which of my new cards should I use against you first?"
Joey ignored him and attacked Drillago with Panther Warrior, destroying it. Dark Marik activated Coffin Seller, which inflicted 300 points of damage to Joey's life points every time one of his monsters was sent to the graveyard. Then on his turn, he activated Premature Burial, paying 800 life points to summon Drillago from the graveyard. Then he sacrificed Drillago to summon Legendary Fiend. Though its attack was only 1500, it gained 700 attack points each turn. Then he ended his turn.
Joey drew a card. He started to summon a monster, but Dark Marik activated the trap card Nightmare Wheel, which trapped Rocket Warrior so it couldn't attack. Joey summoned Little-Winguard in defense, switched Panther Warrior to defense, and ended his turn. Nightmare Wheel took 500 life points from Joey. Dark Marik attacked and destroyed Little-Winguard. He set a card face down and ended his turn.
"Make your move!" said Dark Marik. "Although it's hopeless."
"This doesn't look good," said Mokuba. "Not for Joey at least!"
"Well I must say..." said Kaiba. "I'm not surprised."
"Time for my comeback," said Joey. "Here goes." His hand hovered over his deck, and I felt his turmoil.
"You can do it!" I said. I tried my best to send him positive emotions.
"Why are you hesitating?" said Dark Marik. "Perhaps you've finally realized that there's no way you can win this duel? Trust me, before long you'll be trapped in the Shadow Realm! Fool! Ha ha ha ha!"
"We'll see!" said Joey.
"Yes! We'll see how long you last before I banish you into the darkness!"
"It's my move, Marik! And you're goin' down!" Dark Marik merely laughed in response. Joey drew a card, and I felt his glee. "The card I'm holdin' in my hand right now is gonna put an end to your entire duelin' strategy!"
"You lie...!" said Dark Marik.
"I'm afraid not! Check it out, Marik! It's a card I like to call... Question!"
"Question?"
"This bad boy forces you to guess which one of my monsters is at the bottom of my graveyard!"
Dark Marik was horrified. "What?!"
"Now, if you guess right, that monster is outta the game for good... But if you mess up, it gets summoned to the field, and I can use it to take control 'a this duel!"
Dark Marik narrowed his eyes at him. "Grrrr!"
Joey smirked. "Come on! Are ya scared? Just take a guess, tough guy! I'm waitin'! The worst that can happen is you guess wrong and I crush ya!"
"You're in trouble! Wanna know why? Well, I'll tell ya! The first card that went to my graveyard was chosen randomly by your Helpoemer!"
"Grrrr!"
This is interesting, said Marik.
"So, guess what?" said Joey. "There's no way you can remember the first monster you destroyed, 'cause you never saw which one it was! How much time left folks? Five seconds?! Five... Four... Three... Two... One... Time's up! Oh, I'm sorry! Stunned silence was not the answer we were looking for! Oh well! Guess what!? Yoooou guessed wrong. So, I get ta summon this!" He held up a card. "Jinzo!"
Dark Marik was shocked. "Not Jinzo!"
"That's right, pal! And I bet you know what that means! It's time to say goodbye to every trap card you have on the field! Jinzo! Strut your stuff!"
"Oh!" All the trap cards were destroyed.
"I just turned your entire game plan completely upside down, Marik! And it serves ya right!"
"Nice one, man!" said Duke.
"It's all you!" said Tea.
"Well done..." said Yugi. "Without the use of his trap cards, Marik needs a new strategy!"
"Alright!" said Tristan. "Go!"
"Great move!" I said.
"What's the matter, Marik?" Joey said haughtily. "In a bad mood? I'd be mad too if I were on the other side of Jinzo! He's the first monster I won at Battle City! Alright tough guy, I'm not through wit you yet. After all, you still have a monster on the field protectin' your life points, and that's just not gonna work for me. So, let me start dings off by switchin' my Baby Dragon into attack mode. And panther warrior, too. And now, go jinzo! Blow away his Legendary Fiend!"
"Aaaahhh!" Dark Marik cried as his monster was destroyed. "Grrrr!"
"Great!" said Yugi. "Joey has destroyed all of Marik's monsters! If he can successfully attack Marik's life points directly, he'll win the duel!"
"Yeah!" said Tristan. "You the man, Joey!"
"Come on, Joey!" said Tea. "Put this evil creep right in his place!"
"Hey, Seto!" said Mokuba. "It looks like Joey may win after all!"
"I'll only believe that when I see it, Mokuba,"s aid Kaibal. "Never underestimate a duelist who holds an Egyptian god card!"
"It's over, Marik!" said Joey. "Alright, guys! Attack his life points!"
"Ha ha ha ha!" Dark Marik cackled.
"Huh?"
"Do you think it's that easy?! Dark Wall of Wind!" Dark Marik played a magic card that stopped Joey's attacks.
"No way!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
"Oh no!" said Yugi. "Marik blocked the attack!"
Should have known something like this would happen... Marik muttered.
It's not over yet, I said.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Dark Marik laughed. "Now, Helpoemer destroys another card from your hand! Ha ha ha ha! And that's not all, little Joey! Go, Plasma Eel! Drain his Panther! Aaaahhh!" I held onto Yugi as the pain tore through me. "It looks to me like I don't need monsters... to bring you to your knees! You thought you could defeat me, didn't you!? You should have known that's no easy task!"
Joey glowered at him. "Grrrr!"
"Remember... Your little friend Mai made the very same mistake, and you know well what fate befell her. An eternity of darkness and despair! And you'll soon join her!"
Dark Marik drew a monster card, an eight star monster called Lava Golem. He sacrificed Joey's Jinzo and Baby Dragon to summon it... on Joey's side of the field. Then Joey was trapped in a steel cage, surrounded by the huge burning Lava Golem.
"Marik!" Joey exclaimed. "What's the deal?"
"What's wrong?" said Dark Marik. "I thought you'd be pleased to receive a monster with 3,000 attack points, little Joey!"
"Ya mean this thing is mine?"
"Hey, I don't get it, bro," said Mokuba.
"Lava Golem is now Wheeler's monster," said Kaiba, "so all of its weaknesses become Wheeler's problem. Just watch."
"Take a look..." said Dark Marik. "Your monster's beginning to melt!"
"Say what?" said Joey.
"Each turn Lava Golem melts, and you lose life points!"
Joey jumped back from the side of the cage. "Aah! That's hot! I shoulda packed my sunscreen."
"And now that your Jinzo is back in the card graveyard, I can set as many traps as I want. So, I'll place this card face down. Now then... Why don't you attack me with your monster? He does have 3000 attack points, which is more than enough to wipe me out! So, what are you waiting for?"
Joey hesitated, confused. "Well..."
"I must say, there's not much else you can do!"
"Come on!" said Duke. "Think this through, man!"
"Stay calm!" said Tristan.
"Even though Lava Golem causes Joey to lose life points, it still has attack points," said Yugi, "which makes it powerful enough to help joey win this duel. So, why would Marik give it to Joey? It doesn't make sense."
"There must be something we don't know yet," I said.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Dark Marik laughed. "Are you beginning to sweat? It's quite hot inside Lava Golem's cage! Better make a move before your monster turns up the heat even more! Ha ha ha ha!"
"Stop!" Joey shouted.
"You can do this, Joey! " said Tea.
"Get me outta here now! Aah! It's gettin' way too hot in this thing! I gotta do somethin' right now!"
"Come on!" said Dark Marik. "Attack! Or are you scared? You don't really have much of a choice, little Joey! Ha ha ha ha!"
Joey glared at him. "Laugh it up, freak-boy!"
"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to rescue Mai from the Shadow Realm. Well now's your chance! Attack me, and save your friend! Make your move!"
"All right! Quit pressuring me!"
"This isn't so bad," said Tea. "Now Joey's got a monster in his corner with 3,000 points. So, if he attacks Marik directly, he'll win the duel."
"It's not that easy, Tea," said Yugi. "Remember, Marik gave that monster to Joey, which can mean only one thing - Marik wants Joey to attack. It's all part of his strategy to eliminate Joey."
"And there's his face down card," I said.
"All right!" said Joey. "I think it's only fair to use the gift you gave me."
"Excellent!" said Dark Marik. "I must say, that's the most intelligent thing you've said this entire duel."
"Watch yourself."
"I guess you finally came to your senses, or perhaps you realized the truth - there's absolutely no way you can win this."
"What?"
"Every pathway leads to the Shadow Realm."
"No way."
"Don't listen to a single twisted word that creep says, Joey," said Tristan. "He's trying to psych you out!"
"It's over!" said Joey.
"For once, you and I are in agreement, little Joey," said Dark Marik. "The moment you attack me, it's all over for you."
"Then I guess I'll have to take my chances. Attack!"
"Wait!" Duke shouted. "Are you sure about this?"
"Too late now!" said Tristan.
"I can't watch!" said Tea, covering her eyes. "Is it over yet?"
"It'll be alright," I said. "I think..."
"Time to block your attack with this," said Dark Marik. "Reveal trap! This card, known as Relieve Monster, allows me to return one of my monsters to my hand. Once that happens, I can replace that creature with any four-star monster I'm holding in my hand."
"Really swift move, Einstein," said Tristan, "'cause you don't have any monsters to return to your hand."
"Hold on," said Yugi. "You're forgetting about the plasma eel Attached to Joey's Panther Warrior."
"Plasma Eel, return to me!" said Dark Marik. "And since it's a four-star monster, I can bring it back In defense mode." He laughed sinisterly. "Of course, you remember my Plasma Eel's special ability, don't you? It can't be destroyed in battle."
"So what?" said Joey.
"So, your monsters, on the other hand, are not so lucky. Now, go, Helpoemer! Say good-bye to a random card from your hand. Ha ha!"
Joey glared at him. "Are you done?"
"Not quite. There's one more thing. Just look. That Lava Golem of yours Is beginning to melt now, costing you life points."
"Aah!" I winced, leaning into Yugi. This was becoming difficult.
Dark Marik chuckled. "It's all over." He drew the magic card Machine Duplication. He turned his Plasma Eel into three and sent them to attach to Rocket Warrior and Lava Golem. Joey cried out in pain, and I did the same.
"Samia!" Yugi cried, holding onto me.
"Worry about Joey, not me," I said in a shaky voice. "It's worse for him."
"Come on!" said Joey. "This is nothing! It's gonna take more than that to keep me down, you frizzy-haired freak!"
"Then I shall place one card face down and let you go if you can stand," said Dark Marik.
"Things aren't looking so good for Joey up there," Tea said in concern.
Are you sure you don't want to leave? said Marik.
I'll be fine. Are you alright? It just occurred to me that, since he was in my mind, he felt the pain I felt form Joey as well.
Don't worry about it. But that guy is going to pay for hurting you.
Joey played Graceful Dice to increase the attack strength of Marik's Plasma Eel. This meant Plasma Eel did not qualify for Machine Duplication, so the two duplicates were destroyed. Then Joey sacrificed his three monsters to summon Gilford the Lightning.
"So, how does it feel to be staring into the face of defeat?" Joey said gleefully.
"Oh, yeah!" said Tristan. "Way to rock the ultimate comeback, man! Now finish this guy off."
"We knew you could do it!" said Tea.
Dark Marik began cackling, and his confidence did not waver. "I must have missed the joke, chuckles," said Joey.
"Let me fill you in," said Dark Marik. "When you used your magic card on my Plasma Eel, you raised its attack points. So, thanks to you, my Plasma Eel is now more powerful than your Gilford the Lightning." He cackled. "It looks like your strategy backfired, giving me the advantage, little Joey."
"Wrong! Do you think I'd be dumb enough to let that happen?"
"Yes!"
"It looks as if Marik thought wrong," said Yugi, "because the special ability of Gilford destroys every one of Marik's monsters. It's time to take him down, Joey!"
"It's over!" said Joey. "Gilford, show this wannabe what your special ability is all about. Wipe out his eel with your Lightning Sword." Gilford attacked Plasma Eel, destroying it.
Dark Marik was shocked. "Aah! But how? My Plasma Eel's special ability prevents it from being destroyed in battle by any monster."
"Someone's not paying attention. Let me make this easy. Your eel's not the only one with a special ability. And my Gilford's special ability destroys every monster you have on the field. I guess you shouldn't have skipped class that day, Marik. But don't worry! School's back in session starting right now. And professor Wheeler's in the house! Gilford, teach this kid a lesson, the hard way. Attack Marik's life points directly."
"Ha! You'd better think again! Reveal the face-down card, Nightmare Mirror!"
Joey was dumbfounded as a mirror appeared on the field. "Uh!"
"Disappointed? Upset because my Nightmare Mirror blocked your attack? Well, I'm afraid it's much worse than that! Take a close look at the terrified image in my mirror. It's you - the new target of your monster's attack. Now feel the wrath of your own creature - Gilford the Lightning!"
"Aah! Aah!" Gilford struck the mirror to attack Joey's life points.
"And I escape without a scratch." Dark Marik cackled again. It made me sick. "You, on the other hand, are 1,000 life points weaker and mere steps away from the Shadow Realm. There's only one small price I have to pay, and that's to discard one card to my graveyard. And this is the perfect card for me to part with for now. Did you honestly think that you could take control of this duel away from me? This is a Shadow Game, you fool... Ha ha! Which means that I make all the rules. "
Joey glowered at him. "I end my turn." Dark Marik drew a card and began chuckling softly. "Enough with the laughing, already. Just play your card and let's move on."
"Hmm, you'll regret those words, you fool, for I'm about to eliminate you from this duel once and for all with Ra!"
"With Ra?!" everyone exclaimed.
"I activate the magic card, Monster Reborn... to bring back Ra!" Dark Marik chuckled. "Show yourself, my great beast of the sky!" The dragon slowly rose from the graveyard.
"Oh, man!" Joey groaned.
Dark Marik laughed sinisterly. "This is the last monster you'll ever see, little Joey!"
"But Marik's monster has zero attack points," said Duke. "What kind of strategy is that?"
"Ra takes on the attack points of the monsters that are sacrificed to summon it," said Yugi. "But since Marik didn't make any sacrifices, his monster has no attack points."
"For now," I said.
Yugi looked at me. "What?"
I remembered the duel with Dark Bakura and grimaced. "He can give his life points to Ra's attack points. And, with Instant Attack, Ra can destroy all of his opponent's monsters."
"That's not good..."
"First, I'll activate Ra's ability of instant attack so it can attack now," said Dark Marik. "But that's just the beginning of your troubles."
"Someone want to fill me in here?" said Joey.
"It looks like Ra is transforming," said Yugi.
"Behold the true form of Ra!" said Dark Marik.
"What?" said Joey. "Tell me what's going on here, 'cause where I'm from, giant flaming birds are not a good thing. So give it to me straight."
"My winged dragon has taken on the form of Egyptian god phoenix. In this mode, Ra is unstoppable. Now my beast is ready, ready to feed you to the shadows." Dark Marik cackled. "Pharaoh! Kaiba! Take heed, for one of you will have to realize your darkest nightmare and face my Winged Dragon of Ra in the next round, once little Joey has been disposed of, that is!"
Joey glared at him. "Hold on. Last I checked, this duel was still on, psycho boy. I still got my Gilford the Lightning up at bat, and he's got 2,800 attack points with your name on them! Meanwhile, your oversized flame-broiled chicken doesn't have any."
Dark Marik chuckled. "You still don't get it, little Joey. Like I said, Ra has powers beyond your understanding. And unfortunately for you, I'm about to activate yet another of my creature's special abilities!"
"Say what? Not another one!"
"Yes. In its phoenix mode, Ra can instantly disintegrate your monster, even though it has zero attack points. All I'm required to do is give up 1,000 of my life points. Then Ra will be free to banish you into the darkness."
"So what if your feathered friend can use some secret ability to wipe out my Gilford? Your monster still doesn't have any attack points, which means that I'm not gonna lose any life points!"
"Don't you know? Losing life points should be the least of your worries now. Look down! Thanks to that energy stream, when Ra attacks, you will be drained of all your strength." Dark Marik laughed sinisterly. "In a few short moments, every ounce of energy in your body will be gone for good. You'll be rendered completely useless at the hands of the Winged Dragon of Ra. The time has come! I'm moments away from claiming my victory! The phoenix rises tonight!"
"Samia, are you going to be okay?" Yami asked, taking control.
"I - I have to be," I said. "I have to help Joey."
Don't be stupid, said Marik. There's no way you can help him if you can't withstand the attack yourself. You should get out of here.
"Not alone, you don't," said Yami.
I looked up at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"I'll help you the way you've helped me. Our bond works both ways. I should be able to share my strength with you, right?"
Yes, that should work, Marik agreed. I would still prefer if you left, but... If you must stay, accept his help.
"Are you sure?" I said.
"Of course," said Yami. "We are a team, and I will always be here for you."
Physical contact works best for this, said Marik.
Yami stood behind me and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned into him as I felt him pour his strength to me. I also felt an incredible peace that wiped away all pain from the duel. "How does that feel?"
"Amazing," I said. "Now, let's help Joey." I took a deep breath and then spread my emotions out to Joey just as Ra attacked. Yami gripped me tightly when pain ripped through me. I tried my best to stay afloat and overpower Joey's feelings with mine and Yami's. Smoke covered Joey's side of the field, obscuring him.
"Fight it Joey!" Yami called out.
"Can you feel every ounce of energy leaving your body?" said Dark Marik. "Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"We've got to help him!" Tea cried.
"We can't!" said Yami. "Thanks to Marik's Shadow Game, Ra's attack is draining Joey's inner strength!"
"Your Gilford is gone!" said Dark Marik. "And you're about to follow, little Joey! So, return to me, my great beast! Your task is now complete." Ra disappeared into the graveyard. "When the smoke clears, you'll be nothing but a motionless shell! Ha! And without your inner strength, the Shadow Realm will easily consume your mind and your soul. At least your friend Mai won't be alone. You'll be wandering the shadows together!" The smoke cleared, but Joey was still standing... barely. "It can't be! No one can withstand the devastating fury of an Egyptian god monster! No one!"
"No way!" said Tristan. "Joey! He's standing!"
"But for how long?" said Tea.
"You can do it, Joey," I said even as I felt myself slipping.
"No!" shouted Dark Marik. "You can't! You should be wiped out by now!"
"In your dreams..." Joey said in a weak voice.
"He's still fighting," I said, "but I'm not sure how much more I can do."
"It's alright," Yami said softly. "I'm here. He'll be alright."
"Alright, this is it," said Joey. "It's my turn now, and you're wide open!"
"This can't be happening!" Dark Marik said in horror.
"Oh yeah!" said Duke "Joey beat Marik at his own game! All he needs is a monster with enough attack points!"
"Yeah, and then Joey will make it to the final round of the tournament, guys!" said Tea. "This is awesome!"
"Make your move, Joey!" said Yami. "And end this madness now!"
"Here goes nothing," said Joey before drawing a card.
"What card did he draw?" Tristan said anxiously.
"Alright, Marik, I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight!"
"No!" Marik shouted. "This can't be possible!"
"Hurry up and call your attack, Joey!" said Yami.
"I..." Joey started. Then I felt the energy drain completely from him, and he collapsed on the ground.
"Joey!" Serenity cried. When did she get there? "Noooo!"
"Oh no!" said Tea.
"Joey!" Yami shouted.
"Oh no," I murmured. I suddenly felt very dizzy and would have fallen over if Yami did not hold onto me.
"Samia, are you alright?"
"I - I'll be fine," I said.
Take it easy, Marik said gently.
"Get up, man, get up!" said Tristan.
"Someone get a doctor!" said Duke. "Now!"
"This duel's still on!" said Kaiba. "Wheeler has seconds to get up!"
"Kaiba, stop!" Yami said in anger. "Forget your rules! Joey needs help!"
"Wrong," said Dark Marik. "There's nothing that can help him now!"
"Joey has seconds to rise!" said Roland. The clouds from the Shadow Game faded away. "This duel is now over!"
"Forget the duel!" Mokuba said, racing onto the platform. "Can't you see Joey's in trouble?" He grabbed Joey by the shoulders and began to shake him. "Joey?!" He put his hand in front of Joey's mouth. "He's not breathing!" I felt horror from all my friends.
"Attention, everyone! In accordance with tournament rules, Joey is disqualified! So, the winner of this duel is Marik Ishtar!"
The rest of us clambered onto the arena after it lowered to the ground. My friends begged Joey to wake up, but he did not even stir. I touched his arm but felt no response. It was too late. Tristan tried to hit Joey to force him to wake up, but Duke held him back. Mokuba said the doctor was on his way.
"Fight it, Joey!" Yami said. "Come on!" He stood frozen with an arm around me to keep me from passing out as well.
Meanwhile, I saw Yugi in spirit form fall to his knees and cry. "I won't lose him to the Shadow Realm! It's not fair!"
My own heart dropped as I felt his pain combine with my own. This was too much. I'm sorry, Marik said with guilt before receding to the deepest part of my mind.
Dark Marik laughed. "One more soul sacrificed to darkness!"
Yami glared at him. "Enough! Joey's not dead yet!"
"Ha ha ha! He will be soon." Dark Marik started to walk away, but Kaiba stopped in front of him.
"Marik..." said Kaiba. "You'll be dueling against me in the last round. And I intend to win."
Dark Marik seemed amused. "Is that so?"
"Yes. First I'll face off against Yugi. And once I strip him of Slifer the Sky Dragon, I'll be ready to crush you and claim your Winged Dragon of Ra. You see, I've studied it quite carefully, and I have just the card to destroy it."
"Well, you have it all figured out. But perhaps you should focus on getting past the next round, first."
Just then, doctors with a stretcher appeared. "Get him on that stretcher, and take him down to the medical room right away!" Mokuba said.
"You're wasting your time. He'll never awaken!"
"Hang in there, Joey!" Serenity said as her brother was placed on the stretcher. "We're all right here!" I stayed with Yami while he watched everyone else follow the stretcher to the elevator.
"The next duel will begin in one hour," said Roland. "Yugi Muto will face Mr. Kaiba! The winner will duel Marik in the final round."
"I've been waiting for this moment, Yugi!" said Kaiba. "Victory will be mine!"
"Right now, Joey needs me," Yami said. "Once I know he's alright, I'll deal with you, Kaiba." He started for the elevator, and I walked beside him.
"I'll see you in one hour."