Woo-hoo! Two Chapters within 24 hours of each other! Though I'll admit, they were originally supposed to be one chapter. Anyway, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did, Jaden's duel with Dark Magician Girl would have been more epic in the anime.
Chapter Sixteen: Spirit Day Fun
"Dang it!" Mana yelled for what seemed like the thousandth time. She threw wand at the beds in frustration. Her foot caught on the hem of the hideous orange garment her spell created, throwing off her balance; she crashed to the floor. She groaned.
Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl looked on in amusement, each sitting at a desk in her dorm room. "Why is this so important?" Dark Magician asked.
"Because it's Spirit Day," Mana told him as she got up. "Back home, it's just a minor holiday, but here it's a whole festival! And the best part is dressing up!"
"Mana, I'm flattered you want to go as me, but you don't have too," Dark Magician tried to soothe her mistress's pride.
"Yes I do," Mana waved her finger at her spirit partner. "I've never skipped out on Spirit Day, and I'm not going to start now. If only I wasn't a complete idiot and left my costume at home."
"Forcing the spell won't make it happen," Dark Magician told. Mana rolled her eyes at him. Sometimes, especially now, she hated Mahad's super-wizened logic.
"Well, what else am I supposed to? The only part I've succeeded with was changing my hair color!" she ran her hand through her now-blonde locks. Sighing, Mana picked up her wand and tried again. Come one. She's sitting right in front of me. It should be easy to change my clothes into hers. Why was it so much easier when I used this before we fought Abidos?
This time when the spell finished, she wore a light blue tank top and a pink skirt with light blue boots. "Well, that's closer," Dark Magician Girl said. Mana groaned.
"Why do you insist on us being here again?" Mahad asked.
"Oh, come on, Mahad, lighten up," Dark Magician Girl chastised him. "Today's the one day we can walk around freely without Mana or Atem summoning us. And I want to have as much fun as I can!"
"Neither of you need the amount of sweets that I'm sure are going to be served today," Mahad sighed.
Both girls stuck their tongues out at him. "Whatever," Mana rolled her eyes at him. "There is a semi-serious reason for you to be here if that makes you feel any better. We still haven't been able to find Professor Banner, and there's still one more Shadow Rider out there. You two and Black Luster Soldier can wander around and see if you can find any clues. Since it's Spirit Day and everyone is dressed up, no one will think twice about you guys wandering around."
"Fine, I can accept that," Dark Magician conceded.
A knock on her door interrupted their conversation. Mana opened the door a crack, careful to not let whoever was out there spot the Duel Spirits. Seeing who it was, Mana stepped out and closed the door behind her. "What's up, Jaden?"
"What's with your hair?" he eyed her blonde locks.
"The only magic I was able to cast correctly so far," she answered.
"Was your costume supposed to be Dark Magician Girl?" he asked.
"Maybe…" she sighed. "Anyway what's up?"
"Two things," Jaden said. "One, Syrus planned a costume duel for Slifer's event, and he got Chumley to put Dark Magician Girl on the poster. But now he needs someone to dress as her so we don't get busted for false advertising. And Alexis already said no."
Mana groaned. "I don't have a costume though." She gestured to her outfit. "This is the closest I've gotten to magically making her outfit."
"That's the other thing," Jaden continued. "There's a guy with pointy hair looking for you. He started rounding up people's duel disks. Said he had to do maintenance on them. Alexis also said she knew someone else who could play Dark Magician Girl."
"I think I know who the guy is," she answered. "Let me grab my duel disk and I'll be out in a minute. And if someone else wants to play her, that's fine. I get the feeling Dark Magician Girl's going to be seen a lot today."
Mana ducked back into her room. "Okay, guys, slight change of plans," she told her magicians, filling them in on what Jaden told her. "If I'm not back in half an hour, go mingle with the rest of the people and see if you can find any trace of Professor Banner or the last Shadow Rider." They nodded, and Mana grabbed her duel disk and joined Jaden outside.
It was at the end of a row of booths that they found a middle-aged man fixing a duel disk. His brown hair came to a point above his forehead, and he wore a white shirt, and a black blazer was draped over the back of his chair. Next to him a teenage girl was fixing another one. Her brown hair was pulled into a messy clip on the back of her head, and like the man, her yellow sweater was draped over her chair. She had a pair of headphones around her neck, and she bobbed her head as she worked, probably to whatever music was blaring out of them. "Man, this student treats his duel disk worse than Joey," the guy grumbled. "I mean, how can there be pizza sauce this deep in the circuits?"
"I don't know, Dad," the girl answered. "This one has cartoons drawn all over the underside of it. At least it seems to be working properly."
"Uncle Tristan! Joan!" Mana ran to the booth and greeted them.
"Mana!" the two looked up at the same time. The girl ran around the booth to hug her.
"What did you do to your hair?" Tristan asked.
"Ugh, how many times do I have to explain it? It's for Spirit Day," Mana rolled her eyes at him.
"Uh, hi?" Jaden awkwardly raised a hand in greeting as he followed his friend.
"What are you guys doing here?" Mana asked.
"Maintenance time," Tristan held up his screwdriver to accentuate his point. "Since most people aren't dueling today, it's a good chance for me to inspect the duel disks here and fix any problems. And believe me, there are problems."
"I bet," Mana chuckled. "By the way, this is Jaden.
"Ah, you're the Jaden I've been hearing about," Tristan eyed the Slifer. "You must have really impressed Yugi for him to give you a card."
"You know about that?" Jaden asked.
"Yeah, Yugi and I have been friends for years, though I'm not as famous as him or my brother-in-law Joey," Tristan told him. "I'm Tristan Taylor, and I'm one of the head mechanics at KaibaCorp, mainly in charge of doing repairs on current products. And this is my daughter, Joan."
With his eyes now on her, Joan moved behind Mana. She was a couple inches shorter than the Academy student, keeping her hazel-grey eyes on the stranger. "Come on, Joan. There's no need to be afraid of Jaden. He's as harmless as I am." Mana nudged her.
"That doesn't help," Joan squeaked, moving in sync with Mana to keep the older girl between her and Jaden.
"Joan, we talked about this," Tristan gently reprimanded her. "If you want to come here next year, you need to start talking to other people. That's why I said you could come with."
"Joan, you're coming next year?" Mana repeated.
"Yeah, I got accepted in the game development program," she answered. "A year early even. I guess I impressed someone."
"Congratulations!" Mana hugged the smaller girl.
"Thanks," Joan squeaked. "Can I breathe again?"
"Sorry," Mana let her go.
"I'll look forward to hanging out with you next year," Jaden grinned.
"By the way, Mana," Tristan took a box out from behind his booth. "Tea found this in your room. She figured you'd need it for today."
Mana opened the lid of the box. "My costume! Thanks, Uncle Tristan!"
"She also said you might want to think about keeping your room a little nicer before you leave for school next time," he added. "Otherwise you might have less stuff when you get back."
"What?" Mana held her costume box tighter."
"I'm kidding. Go have fun," Tristan grinned at them. "And take Joan with you. Show her around a bit."
"Sure thing," Mana tucked the box under arm and grabbed Joan's hand with her free one. "Come on, I'll so you my dorm room!"
"Mana, slow down!" Joan begged.
Jaden soon ran past them. "Race you there!"
"You're on, Jaden!" Mana sped up, towing Joan along with her.
Jaden just inched ahead when they made it to the dorm. They panted as they caught their breath. "Do you guys do this all the time?" Joan asked.
"Not all the time," Mana answered. "But often enough."
"Mana!" Syrus yelled as he ran up to her. "Please be Dark Magician Girl in the costume duel! Alexis's better idea was so not better at all!"
"Syrus, slow down," Mana told him. "Start at the beginning."
"Alexis said she wouldn't be Dark Magician Girl," he answered. "But she said she had a better idea. Her better idea was to have Dorothy play her."
Mana looked over to see Dorothy dressed as her spirit partner. To be fair, she really liked the card shop owner, and she had to give the older woman credit for not letting Syrus's rejection of the idea bother her. She definitely wasn't what most people thought when it came to Dark Magician Girl cosplay, including Mana, but she definitely had great self-confidence. Though, the self-confidence began to wane when the seams of the costume started tearing. "I think the bigger issue is that she isn't a duelist. It won't be much of a duel if she loses in two turns."
"So will you be her?" Syrus begged. "Please! You'd be perfect!"
"I can't at the moment," Mana told him. "I promised I'd show Joan around." She gestured to the girl hiding behind her again. "Joan, meet Syrus. He's one of Jaden's roommates. He's cool."
"Hi," Joan cautiously peeked out. Mana reached behind and pulled the shy girl in front of her. Joan nervously gripped the edges of her navy skirt, her eyes watching the ground.
"Who is she?" Syrus asked.
"Joan and I are practically family," Mana answered. "I know I've told you about her."
"Oh, she was one of your friends who helped you prank Kaiba?"
"I don't think those pranks were good ideas," Joan spoke up.
"Yeah, she's usually the one telling us they're bad ideas," Mana grinned. "Anyway, I'm probably not going to be the only one dressed as Dark Magician Girl. I'm sure someone else will be available. If you don't find someone by the time the duel is supposed to happen, message me and I'll come back and do it. Deal?"
"Deal," Syrus agreed.
"Okay, I'm going to go get changed," Mana walked up the stairs to her room, Joan close behind.
Joan shrieked when she walked into the room. "Who are they?"
The Dark Magicians still sat at the desks in her room. "Right, I forgot they were here," Mana said. "These are my magic teachers." She set the box with her costume on the floor.
"Magic teachers?"
"Yeah, there's a lot for you to catch up on. To start, Atem and I have powers now."
"Like Airi?"
"What do you mean, like Airi?" Mana asked.
"Aunt Kisara's been teaching her to summon a dragon. A month ago Airi lost her temper at a couple of guys and a pink dragon appeared and almost roasted them. Apparently she's like Aunt Kisara, so she has to learn how to control it."
"Aw, I missed it," Mana pouted. "Well our powers aren't quite like that. Atem and I can see Duel Spirits. He can also summon them to our world. I can summon Dark Magician Girl, but I can do magic more than anything else. Assuming I get the spell right."
"So you're a magician," Joan said.
"Yep, or at least half of one," the temporary blonde turned to her Spirits. "All right, you two, go mingle and follow through with the plan. Partner, Syrus may hunt you down if he sees you. He needs someone dressed like you to be in the costume duel." Mana set her duel disk down and started sorting through the pieces of her costume. "Just so you know. Anyway, go have fun."
"Come on, Mahad," Dark Magician Girl pulled her master out the door of the room and into the crowd. Mana shut the door behind them.
"Are they always like that?" Joan asked.
"More or less," Mana answered. "Can you turn away for a second so I can change into the dress?"
"Sure," Joan turned to face the desks. "So you have this room to yourself?"
"Yep," the room's owner answered. "Normally there are three to a room, but I'm the only girl in Slifer.
"Would you want a roommate if you could?"
"Yeah, I would. Especially after scary-story night. I hate being in the room alone after our fright fests."
"Can I be your roommate?"
Mana stopped pulling on her boot and turned to face her friend. "You're good to turn around." Joan turned around also. "You don't want to be in Obelisk?"
"You didn't," the younger girl pointed out.
"Yeah, but I'm weird."
"I don't know anyone in Obelisk," Joan said. "Yeah, I'll know Airi, but she's not going to hang out with me like you are. I want to be with at least one person I know."
"And we have no idea what dorm Max will get into," Mana answered as she finished pulling on the boots. She put on her accessories and tried to fix the hat into her hair. "Ah, forget it." She picked up her wand and pointed it at her hair. The orb and the hat glowed, and when it faded the hat remained secured to her head. (1) To finish the look, she painted pink circles under her eyes. "Anyway, yes! I would love to be your roommate! We'll have to go see Chancellor Sheppard to approve it though. Come on, follow me!" Mana grabbed her friend and dragged her out of the dorm.
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Atem stopped at Tristan's booth on his way to the Slifer dorm. Black Luster Soldier was already making rounds to find any leads on Professor Banner. "Hey, Uncle Tristan," he greeted the mechanic.
"There you are, Atem," Tristan didn't look up, still working away on the pile of duel disks. "Mana was just here."
"I was looking for her; I'm about to head to her dorm," he said, setting his teal-green helmet on the table. He liked dressing as Legendary Knight Timaeus mainly because no one else would go as him. What he didn't like was trying to shove his Muto hair into the helmet and putting a latex scar over his eye to keep it shut. Made him wonder exactly how Timaeus himself fared with the lack of vision during the Battle of Atlantis.
"That's where she and Joan were heading, along with her friend Jaden," Tristan told him. "I handed off the costume your mom sent, and she was going to get changed." He threw his tools onto the table. "Why is there cheese in all the groves of this one?" he groaned.
"Sorry, Uncle Tristan, I don't know," Atem chuckled as he shoved his hair into his helmet. "I'm going to go look for them. Good luck fixing these."
"Thanks, I'll need it."
Atem walked over the Slifer dorm. "Help! Help! Duel Monster!" Chumley yelled. Atem ran as fast as his armor would allow into the Slifer cafeteria. "Please don't claw me! Please!"
Alexis stood dressed in armor and claws in front of Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley. "Chill, Chumley, it's a costume," the blonde told him. "See? I'm going as Harpie Lady. So what do you think?"
"I think my aunt Mai would really like it," Atem said. "Harpie Lady is her signature monster."
"I think I'm majorly relieved," Chumley sighed.
"What are Jaz and Mindy going as?" Jaden asked.
"The same thing," Alexis answered. "That way when we're all together, we'll be the Harpie Lady Sisters."
"Aunt Mai would really love that," Atem said. "What does your brother have planned?"
"Probably some scheme to embarrass me," Alexis rolled her eyes and pulled her hair into a pink wig. "Anyway, what monster are you?"
"Legendary Knight Timaeus," he answered. "He's not a well-known monster, and he doesn't have a card in circulation. He's one of three knights who fought to protect Atlantis ten thousand years ago. Lost his eye in the process."
"Cool," she said. "What about you, Jaden?"
"Well…" Jaden looked between the boxes of available costumes. "I think…" he started pulling on pieces. "This!" He had the red breastplate of Breaker the Magical Warrior, the shoulder pads and green cape of Celtic Guardian, Gearfried the Iron Knight's black and silver shield, and the large purple hat of Saggi the Dark Clown.
"And what exactly is that?" Syrus asked.
"Well I wanted to be a few monsters," the wonder cosplayer explained, "so I just took a couple of pieces from each of them."
"Well, it's unique," Atem offered.
"At least no one will have the same costume as you," Alexis added.
"That's why I went as Timaeus," Atem said. "Have you guys seen Mana?"
"Last time we saw her, she was heading up to her room to change," Syrus answered. "I'm hoping she'll be Dark Magician Girl for the costume duel."
"Thanks," Atem stepped outside to see the XYZ Dragon Cannon marching towards them. "Hey, Chazz," he greeted the underclassman. "Nice costume."
"It's the best one that I've seen," Alexis compliment him, followed by the other Slifers.
Chazz blushed at the Obelisk girl's comment. "I don't remember XYZ Dragon Cannon ever blushing, Chazz," Syrus mocked his classmate.
"Shut up!" the machine cosplayer marched away as well as he could, given the bulkiness of the costume. "Now let's get down to business and start this costume duel. Now who's it going to be?"
"I'll send Mana a message letting her know we need her," Syrus took out his PDA and began typing.
"We need her here now if she's going to do it," Chazz told him, looking back and forth at the members of the group. "Well since no one else is volunteering," he pointed to Jaden, "I'm going to volunteer for you. You're dueling, Jaden."
"Well, okay!" Jaden grinned. "Get your game on, Chazz!"
"Yeah, right," Chazz shot him down. "I can't duel in this costume. I can hardly walk."
"I sent Mana a message," Syrus told them. "She should be here soon."
A flash drew their attention to the right. Atticus stood with a camera pointed at Alexis. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"Just big brother stuff," Atticus grinned. "Like taking embarrassing photos of you that I can show Mom and Dad later."
"Uh, no you will not," Alexis snapped.
"And Uncle Doug, and Aunt Gail, and Cousin Alanna!" Atticus continued on.
"Atticus, I'd stop if I were you," Atem warned his friend. This sounds like the Atticus I know.
Alexis swiped at her brother with one of her claws, causing him to duck. "You're not showing anyone those!" Atticus ran, chased by his very annoyed sister and snapping pictures along the way. "Give me that camera!"
"So you want to duel, Timaeus?" Jaden asked the Obelisk senior.
"I thought you wanted Dark Magician Girl in this duel?"
Everyone turned to see a girl with spikey blonde hair dressed in the pink-and-blue garb of the Dark Magician Girl. "There you are, Mana!" Syrus cheered.
"That was fast," Jaden grinned. "Syrus sent the message like thirty seconds ago."
"I was close by," Mana smiled.
"I knew you'd make a fantastic Dark Magician Girl!" Syrus couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Thank you, Syrus," Mana giggled as she slid on her duel disk.
"Wow, Mana looks awesome."
"She looks just like Dark Magician Girl.
"I think I'm in love."
Atem glared at the spectators with his open eye. That's my sister, you morons.
Mana just grinned at them, doing Dark Magician Girl's finger-V wink at them. "Let's do this," she said, powering up the duel disk.
"Looks like it's a good turnout," Dr. Crowler said as he, Zane, and Bastion joined the audience. Atem noted Bastion was dressed like the Amazoness Tiger as he walked over to join them. I guess part of him actually did care for Tania.
"But who's dueling?" Zane asked.
"Looks like Jaden and what appears to be the Dark Magician Girl," Bastion said.
"Dark Magician Girl? There's no such thing as—Oooh!" Crowler spotted Jaden's opponent. "Why look! It's Dark Magician Girl! I saw her first! I saw her first!" He clasped his hands in elation.
Atem glared at his professor. "Dr. Crowler, I think that's Mana," Zane said, catching Atem's glare. "Nice eye," he commented.
"Thanks," Atem answered. "I'm not surprised you opted against the cosplay, but I'm surprised Atticus didn't dress up. Though I think he might be having more fun torturing Alexis."
"He probably is. So you're okay having all the guys here staring at your sister?" Zane raised an eyebrow.
"No," he rolled his eye. "But knowing Mana, she'll beat any guy who tries something with her staff."
"Syrus, where are you?" Chazz's voice rang out over the sound system. "Syrus, quit going gaga over Mana and come to the commentator booth! What? Are you just going to stare at her all day?"
Atem watched Mana as Syrus trotted over to Chazz. Mana would normally shoot Syrus down when he crushed on Dark Magician Girl or any card spirit. "She's not going to kill him later, is he?" Zane asked, his eyes watching the spellcaster for possible signs of annoyance.
"Probably not," he answered. Because I don't think that's Mana.
"Okay, then," Syrus grabbed his microphone. "Introducing today's event: the Duel Monsters Costume Duel!" He gestured to the playing field. "Hosting will be Mr. 'Chazz it up' Princeton and myself: Syrus Truesdale. How you doing?"
The crowd's cheers died with the MC introductions. "Get on with it, you bozos!" someone yelled.
"Fair enough," Syrus moved on. "On my right, dressed more as a duel montage than a Duel Monster, Jaden Yuki!"
Jaden stood struggling to put his duel disk on with his shield, and receive low appreciation from the crowd. "That's it!" He tore off his hat and started ripping off his armor. "You try and show some creativity, and this is the thanks you get." Chumley slipped in and picked the pieces off the floor.
"Is that what he was doing?" Zane asked.
"Just go with it, Zane," Atem sighed. "Pretend it's one of Atticus's schemes."
"Back on topic," Syrus reclaimed everyone's attention. "At my left, I'm thrilled to present Mana as the Dark Magician Girl! Isn't she awesome?"
"Hi, guys!" Mana waved at them. "I hope you'll all cheer me on!"
The guys in the crowd went nuts as the two powered up their duel disks. "Your sister really got into character," Zane said.
"Yeah, more than when she normally wears that costume," Atem answered. That's probably the actual Dark Magician Girl. She and Dark Magician are supposed to be patrolling with Black Luster Soldier. So why is she here?
"Good luck, Mana," Jaden said.
"Thanks. You too, Jaden," his opponent smiled at him.
"Get your game on!" They drew their cards.
"All right, here I come!" Mana sang as she played her card. "I think I'll play Berry Magician Girl (400/400) in attack mode." A toddler magician with strawberry blonde hair clad in pink and teal materialized on her field. "And when Berry's summoned, I'm allowed to add Kiwi Magician Girl from my deck to my hand." She grinned as she showed Jaden the card. "And I'll end my turn with two face-down cards."
"Dark Magician Girl! We're rooting for you!" the crowd cheered.
"Why thank you!" she waved to them. "I don't deserve such praise." Atem rolled his eye. Yep. That's definitely not Mana.
"So much for the home field advantage," Jaden said as he drew. "I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman (800/1200) in attack mode. And thanks to Bubbleman's special ability, I get to draw two cards since he's on his own." The blue warrior appeared as Jaden drew his two cards. "Then I'll give him his Bubble Blaster to boost his power by 800 points." Bubbleman knelt as his cannon materialized over his right shoulder. "Attack Berry with Bubble Barrage!"
"All right! I play Berry's special effect!" Dark Magician Girl reached out to her monster. "Do your thing, sweetie! See, when Berry's attacked, she can call on a friend and switch her battle mode." Berry held her wand up to protect herself. "And come on out, Lemon Magician Girl!" The yellow-clad spellcaster stuck her tongue out at Jaden as she appeared on the field. The crowd cheered for the second Magician Girl.
"Bubbleman will still take out Berry." Water shot out of the cannon and hit the toddler, shattering her hologram. The crowd booed as Jaden set a card.
"It seems the crowd is mad at Jaden for… fighting back?" Syrus said.
"What would they have him do, give up?" Bastion asked.
"Sounds good to me," Crowler said.
"She's playing this crowd better than Jaden's playing his deck," Zane commented. "What has gotten into Mana?"
"Nothing," Atem sighed. "Believe it or not, that's not my sister."
"Then who… oh," Bastion connected the dots. "So where is Mana?"
"Beats me," he answered. "Today we don't have to use our powers to bring them here; they can do that on their own. They were supposed to be finding Professor Banner. I'm surprised Dark Magician let her get away with this."
"Unless she slipped away from him," Zane said. "If Dark Magician Girl is anything like your sister, I'm sure that's exactly what she did."
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Dark Magician ran through a row of booths, resisting the urge to just fly away. Mana gave them specific instructions to blend in. "Oh come on, man! You're costume rocks! Just one more picture!" How many pictures did this youth need? He must have taken at least a dozen by this point. He heard the student gaining on him. Great, now where do I go?
"Mahad, back here," the occupant of the nearest booth told him. Not hesitating, Dark Magician ducked into the booth, hiding himself as low in it as he could. Oh Ra. Now I'm imitating His Highness and Mana. Where did his apprentice wander off to anyway? He knew he should have kept a closer eye on her at the food stalls.
He looked up to see his savior—a middle-aged man with brown hair that came to a point wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. He seemed oddly familiar. Wait a second. He called me Mahad. "Thank you," he said, getting to his feet. "Do I know you? I sense I should, and I apologize for not."
"Not formally, but you've been watching over one of my best friends and his kids for years," he said. "And I also knew the Pharaoh you served. I'm Tristan."
Right. He was there when His Highness returned to us. He stood on the other side of the door, saying farewell with Yugi and the others. "Pleased to meet you," he offered the man a hand. "If there's something I can do to repay you, please allow me to do so."
"You've done plenty," Tristan told him. "Like I said, you've been watching over people I care about. This is the least I can do. And it reminds me of when we had to help Yugi hide from crazy fans and angry mobs of competitors."
Mahad raised an eyebrow. "And how often was that?"
"Not too often, but enough that we had a game plan."
"I see. You wouldn't happen to have seen my apprentice, have you?" Mahad asked.
"Which one? My niece or the Duel Spirit?"
"Duel Spirit, but I'll take either."
"Haven't seen the Duel Spirit, and the last time I saw Mana she was heading to the dorm with my daughter."
"Where the costume duel was happening," Mahad sighed. "I'll bet at least one of them is there."
"I'll go with you," Tristan stood up. "I need a break from fixing these anyway. This one's got nail polish all over it. And watching this duel could be fun. At least we can see what kind of duelists Kaiba's been training."
The walk towards the dorm was silent. Even Mahad could tell it was awkward. What did normal people say? "Hey," Tristan finally spoke up. "You still see the Pharaoh, right? How is he doing?"
Mahad hesitated. He'd hope to avoid directly talking about His Highness. The afterlife was hard enough to try to explain, and this man wanted to know about a specific soul. "He's doing well. He's at peace, and he spends most of his time with our Mana."
"I thought Mana was here, as the Dark Magician Girl?"
"It's not easy to explain," Mahad said. "Basically, Mana put part of herself into her Ka to assist His Highness when he finally returned to the world."
"When Yugi solved the Puzzle," Tristan added.
"Precisely," Mahad answered. "That Ka still dwells in one of the dimensions of the Spirit World. They've become separate people with the same origin. My situation is different. I fused myself with my Ka to become the Dark Magician. Since I was human, I'm allowed to enter that realm of reality. But whenever the Dark Magician is called upon, I'm pulled away to assist whoever summoned me. Which is more often than not Yugi and Mana Muto. And now that role has expanded to teaching Mana how to use her magic."
"I see," Tristan looked ahead, processing what he was told. "Can you deliver a message to the Pharaoh for me? For all of us."
The spellcaster hesitated to answer. "Never mind," Tristan said. "That's not fair to you, making you be a messenger. It probably just reminds you of the time you lost with him."
"That's not it," Mahad told him. "I know you had a bond with him. I saw it when you were all there as he crossed over to us. But I'm not allowed. Technically, since my spirit still lives in this form, my place the afterlife is precarious. If I break the rules, I could be banned all together."
"And I don't want you to risk yourself for us," Tristan answered. "We still miss him, and I know those of us on this side will see him again someday. I just want him to know we still haven't forgotten him."
"Are you happy?"
Tristan turned to face the ancient spirit. "Yeah," he answered. "We're happy."
"Then that's all he needs," Mahad told him. "His Highness will be happy to know that. I promise he's not going anywhere and will see you when that day comes." (2)
"It's my turn! Wish me luck, guys!" The crowd cheered. The two men spotted the costume duel. Mahad recognized the duelists as Jaden and Dark Magician Girl. She drew. "I reveal my face-down card: Call of the Haunted! This lets me bring back Berry!" Berry Magician Girl appeared next to the Lemon Magician Girl already out. "And now that I have another spellcaster out, I can use Lemon's effect! I tribute Berry to add Apple Magician Girl to my hand. And now I'll let her come out! Say hi to Apple Magician Girl (1200/800)!" The red-dressed girl with short brown hair appeared next to the blonde. "And to top it off, I give Apple the Black Pendant to boost her strength by 500 points!" A dark jeweled necklace appeared around the brunette's neck. "Apple, destroy Bubbleman!"
"You'll need more than that to take him since he still has Bubble Blaster!" Jaden countered. "You see, since Bubble Blaster's out on the field, it takes the hit instead of Bubbleman." The Hero's gun shattered under the force of the spellcaster's magic. The crowd booed.
"They sure don't seem to like Jaden," Tristan commented. "I thought he was top of the class for dueling."
"It's not that," Mahad said, scanning the crowd. "They just want Dark Magician Girl to win. They're all staring at her."
Tristan looked through the crowd at the other duelist. "Is that Mana?"
"Spirit not Muto," Mahad answered. "But I'm sure that's Mana's duel disk." (3)
"Now, it's my turn," Jaden drew his card. "I play Polymerization to fuse Elemental Heroes Avian and Burstinatrix into the Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!" The red-and-green hero burst onto the scene. "And now, Flame Wingman, take out Lemon Magician Girl with Infernal Rage!"
"Uh-uh! Lemon's ability activates!" The blonde waved her finger as she spoke. "Since you attacked her, Lemon can call on her friend to help her out!" Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700) materialized onto the field, prompting the crowd to cheer again. "And your Wingman's attack points are cut in half!"
"Luckily I have Mirror Gate!" Jaden revealed his face-down card. "For this turn, our monsters switch!" The monsters switched sides, and Dark Magician Girl destroyed the Flame Wingman. Dark Magician Girl's LifePoints dropped to 3050. Her spellcaster returned to her field. "I'll end my turn by switching Bubbleman into defense mode and throwing down a face-down."
"Then it's my turn again!" Dark Magician Girl drew. "And I play magic Formula to raise the strength of my Dark Magician Girl by 700!" A spell tome appeared in the hand of the spellcaster on the field. "Go, Dark Magician Girl! Trounce that Bubbleman with Dark Burning Attack!"
"Not so fast! Go, Draining Shield!" A barrier materialized in front of Jaden and Bubbleman, absorbing Dark Magician Girl's attack and raising Jaden's LifePoints to 6700.
"I still have Apple and Lemon. Apple, take out Bubbleman!" The red-dressed magician fired her magic at the blue hero, shattering his hologram. "And there's more," she winked. "Lemon's free to attack you directly." Jaden's LifePoints fell to 5900.
"Then it's my go!" Jaden drew. "First I'll play Pot of Greed to draw two cards. Then I'll activate the spell Fusion Sage to add Polymerization from my deck to my hand. Now I'll use Polymerization to fuse Clayman and Sparkman into the Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!" Sparks flashed across the gold and purple armor of the hero. "And when Thunder Giant is summoned, he can destroy one monster whose original attack points are less than his own. Go Static Blast!" The Hero fired lightning at the Dark Magician Girl, destroying her.
"Boo!" the crowd turned on Jaden.
"Well, since Magic Formula was destroyed, I gain 1000 LifePoints! Thank you very much!" Dark Magician Girl's LifePoints rose to 4050.
"You'll need them, because I'm not holding back on you, Mana," Jaden grinned. "I know if I don't, you'll hold it over me forever. No matter what your fans say. And to continue my move, Thunder Giant will take out Apple Magician Girl! Go, Voltic Thunder!"
"Try again," Dark Magician Girl winked. "I discard Kiwi Magician Girl to use her effect and boost my monsters by 300 points for every Magician Girl on the field and in the graveyard. And there are now five! Thank you, Kiwi!" Lemon and Apple crossed their staffs; transparent images of Berry, Kiwi, and Dark Magician Girl appeared behind them. Apple's attack points rose to 3200. She fired red magic at the hero, destroying him. Jaden's LifePoints fell to 5100.
"Then I'll throw down a face-down and end my turn."
"And it's back to Mana!" Syrus cheered.
"Your apprentice is pretty good, but I shouldn't expect anything less from you or her," Tristan commented. "I recognize a lot of those cards of Mana's deck."
"Their decks are very similar," Mahad said. "The Magician Girls are the Kas of her own apprentices during Seto's reign." (4)
"Okay, Jaden," Dark Magician Girl drew. "Say hello to the sweetest member of my group: Chocolate Magician Girl (1600/1000)!" A girl with long, light blue hair in a dark blue tube top and mini skirt twirled her wand at Jaden. "And I'll use Chocolate's effect to discard a spellcaster to draw a card!" She grinned and sent a wave to the crowd. "Time to battle! Go, Apple! Attack him directly!" Jaden's LifePoints fell to 3600.
"I activate my trap! Cross Heart! Now Apple joins my side of the field," Jaden grinned as the brunette twirled around and pointed her wand at the other spellcasters.
"Aw," Dark Magician Girl pouted. "I end my turn."
"Here goes something!" Jaden drew. He smirked. "Part of me has wanted to do this for a while, so I'm going for it. I play Monster Reborn to resurrect your Dark Magician Girl!" The blonde spellcaster appeared opposite her original mistress. The crowd booed his move. "And since I can't attack without triggering the Magician Girls' effects, I'll end my turn there."
"Jaden's got guts," Tristan said. "Almost like the time Joey took Kaiba's Blue-Eyes in their duel. Though I doubt Dark Magician Girl is going to go berserk on him like Kaiba did."
"Not if she wants to keep her adoring crowd," Mahad answered.
"You apparently aren't familiar with how high school boys think," Tristan eyed the crowd. "Take it from someone who was once one. As long as she's in that outfit and they think they have a chance, they're going to keep cheering for her and giving her attention no matter what she does."
Mahad raised an eyebrow at his words. "Should you be more concerned then?"
"I don't know what your apprentice is capable of, but Joey and I taught the kids how to defend themselves outside the dueling arena. Call it personal experience dealing with jerks. My point is Mana knows how to keep people like that at bay."
"Add magic to the mix, and I would feel sorry for the poor guy," Mahad added.
"My sister-in-law would probably laugh at them," Tristan chuckled. "Mai was always very good at getting her way back when we met."
Mahad closed his eyes, trying to remember the woman Tristan spoke of. An image passed through his mind. Kneeling defensively on an arena, staring down the Harpie Lady and her Pet Dragon. Commanding his foes was a woman with thick blonde hair and dressed in purple and white. Her violet eyes narrowed in irritation at Yugi and His Highness. His mind clouded, and he fired his magic at the Harpie Lady. A mirror rose up, reflecting his attack back at him. The Pet Dragon roared, and Mahad was engulfed in fire.
"You okay?" Tristan nudged the Duel Spirit.
"I'm all right," Mahad assured him. "I remember Mai Valentine. She was not happy when she dueled His Highness and Yugi at the Duelist Kingdom."
"Not at the time, but Yuge was really off his game then," Tristan said.
"That he was," Mahad smiled, remembering the duel.
"Well it looks like this duel has come to an impasse," Tristan pointed to the duel. Dark Magician Girl used Chocolate's ability to discard a card and draw. "Jaden can't attack without the Magician Girls cutting his power in half, but they aren't strong enough to get past the two he took."
Mahad tensed. Did she just discard me to use Chocolate's effect? He caught the blonde duelist's eye. She gave him a sheepish grin. Yes she did. What am I going to do with her? "Yes. The next few moves may decide the outcome of this duel."
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Mana knocked on Chancellor Sheppard's door. "Come in," he called. They walked in. "Ah, Dark Magician Girl. What can I do for you?"
"Very funny, sir," Mana rolled her blue-green eyes. "I wanted to ask about a roommate for next year."
"There'd have to be another girl in Slifer for that," Sheppard raised an eyebrow. "Unless you've convinced someone to move down with you?"
"Actually it was her idea," Mana gestured to Joan still standing in the doorway. "Joan, get in here."
"Hello, sir," Joan gave a polite bow to the Chancellor, keeping her eyes on the floor.
Realizing that Joan wasn't going to say much more, Mana stepped in. "Joan's starting here next term, and we were hoping she could move in with me and be a Slifer."
"Let me see," Sheppard typed on his computer. "You'll still have to pass your duel."
"I'm not a duelist," Joan spoke up, eyes still on the ground. "I'm in for game and technology development."
"Okay," the chancellor typed more. "Joan Taylor?" She nodded. "Yes. Here you are. I will put you in to room with Mana Gardner." (5)
"Thank you, sir," Joan bowed again.
"By the way, Miss Taylor, what brings you to the Academy today?" Sheppard asked.
"I came with my dad," she answered, glancing up before looking back down.
"Oh, you're Tristan's daughter," Sheppard said. "I should have connected the names. He said he was coming to do maintenance today.
"Yeah, we ditched him at his booth," Mana grinned. "Some students may have some harsh instructions from him when he's finished."
"Sound like a typical maintenance day," Sheppard sighed. "Some students never seem to learn how to take proper care of their duel disks."
Mana's PDA rang. There's no other DMG. Please come. She sighed. "Sorry to cut this short, Chancellor," she apologized. "My dorm-mates need me for Slifer's costume duel."
"Ah, yes, I saw Dark Magician Girl on the flyers for it," Sheppard chuckled. "Good luck in the duel."
"Thank you, sir," Mana bowed and left the office, Joan close behind her.
"So you are going to duel?" Joan asked as they ran back toward the Slifer dorm.
"Yeah, I did promise Syrus," the blonde cosplayer answered. She stopped, spotting someone familiar. "Hey! Black Luster Soldier!" she called to him.
Atem's spirit partner turned to them. "Hello, Mana," he said. "And friend."
"How's the search for Professor Banner going?" Mana asked.
"I haven't had any luck," the Duel Spirit answered. "And I haven't seen Dark Magician or Dark Magician Girl today yet."
"Well that's not like them," Mana said, tapping a finger on her chin as she thought.
"Mana?" Joan looked between the girl and the warrior, lost as to what they were discussing.
"Long story, Joan," Mana brushed past the dilemma of her friend being out of the loop. "I'm not entirely sure where to start. Let's just say someone we know has disappeared—probably hiding out from us—and we're trying to find him. This is Atem's partner, like the Dark Magicians are mine."
"You guys always did like those guys," she sighed.
"Anyway, have you seen Atem?" Mana asked.
"Not since we split up this morning," the warrior answered. "He said he was going to look for you."
"Mana, don't we have to get going?" Joan pulled on the older girl. "You have to get to the costume duel."
"Shoot! Right, we have to go," Mana took off towards the dorm again, towing Joan behind her.
"Mana, will you slow down?" Joan begged.
The blonde finally complied when they neared the crowd surrounding the Slifer dorm.
"There are this many people waiting to see Dark Magician Girl duel?" Mana questioned.
"The duel already started," Joan panted. "There's your friend Jaden."
Mana followed Joan's line of sight. Jaden had his back to them, and Dark Magician Girl and Apple Magician Girl hovered on his field. What the heck? Shifting to see better between the heads of the crowd. Opposite Jaden stood Dark Magician Girl, and she had Chocolate Magician Girl and Lemon Magician Girl on her field.
"It's my turn!" Jaden drew. He grimaced. "I'll throw down a face-down and end my turn. Your turn, Mana."
"Wish me luck, guys!" Dark Magician Girl waved to the crowd.
"Go, Mana!" the crowd cheered. "We love you!"
"And let's see how Mana deals with her monsters used against her," Syrus's voice rang over the crowd.
"Gee, some friends I have," Mana crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the group. "They can't even tell that's not me."
"So you're not upset you're not going to duel?" Joan asked.
"Not really," Mana sighed. "I'm more annoyed my friends apparently don't know me from my spirit partner."
"Well, you two do look almost exactly alike," Joan looked between the identically dressed girls.
"I pass," Dark Magician looked over cards. "Go ahead, Jaden."
"I will," Jaden glanced at his card. "I play Mirage of Nightmare! On your standby phase, I draw until I have four cards in my hand, but on my standby phase, I discard the same number on my turn."
"That looks familiar," Mana said. "Come on, Joan; let's head up to the balcony."
"Why?"
"She's already dueling as me, so I can't be seen," she answered. Up there, I can watch from my room, and no one will see me."
"Okay." The girls slipped around the crowd and up to Mana's room.
"We should be good here," Mana said. "Now let's see if my doppelganger can kick Jaden's butt."
"It's my turn!" Dark Magician Girl sang as she drew.
"And Mirage's effect activates," Jaden drew his cards. "And now I'll play my face-down: Emergency Provisions. By destroying Mirage, I gain 1000 LifePoints." His score rose again, this time to 4600. The crowd booed.
"Are duels normally like this here?" Joan asked.
"No," Mana sighed. "I'm not that popular. They just like her, and they think I'm the one playing her. Only a handful of people know about my magic or even know she's real."
"I see."
"I'm afraid I still can't attack my friends, so I'll end my turn with a face-down," Dark Magician Girl sighed.
"You'll get him, Dark Magician Girl!"
"You can beat him, Mana!"
"We love you!"
Mana spotted Atem in the crowd. "There's Atem. I can't tell if he's annoyed at the crowd or my performance."
"Or he knows it's not you," Joan answered.
"Here goes something!" Jaden drew. "I play Miracle Fusion! This lets me uses the monsters in my graveyard in a fusion as long as I remove them from the game. And I know just which two to use. Go, Clayman and Burstinatrix! Combine and form the Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster (2000/2500)!" The highly armored warrior knelt on the field. "And her superpower lets her to deal half her attack points to you as damage while she's in defense mode." Rampart Blaster fired at Dark Magician Girl, knocking her LifePoints down to 3050. "And I'll throw down a face-down and call it a turn."
"You're nothing but a bully!" someone from the crowd yelled.
"Yeah, picking on a girl!" another guy added.
"Gee, it's like these guys forget I've beaten Jaden before," Mana pursed her lips, annoyed by the fans.
"You have?" Joan turned to her.
"Yeah, I beat him once, and he's beaten me once. He's probably thinking of this as a tie-breaker."
"Oh, I hope that face-down isn't something scary," Dark Magician Girl pouted as she looked over her cards. "I know! I play Monster Reincarnation! By discarding one card, I can get a monster back from my Graveyard. And I know just who to pick. Come on back, Kiwi!" She added the green-clad magician back to her hand. "And I'll go ahead and use her effect. And since you have two Magician Girls on your side of the field, they help boost her effect to a total of 1800 extra points. Do your thing, Kiwi!" The spellcasters on her field glowed with power; transparent versions of Kiwi, Berry, Apple, and Dark Magician Girl appeared behind the two on the field. "Chocolate, take out my doppelganger!" The blue-haired spellcaster eliminated her mentor, dropping Jaden's LifePoints to 3500. "And take out Apple for me, Lemon!" The blonde destroyed the brunette. Jaden's LifePoints fell to 2600. "And to finish my move, since Apple was sent to the graveyard, I get three different Magician Girls back to my hand." She held up the cards for Berry, Kiwi, and Dark Magician Girl. "Your turn."
"We're behind you! Take him down!" the crowd cheered.
"Man, that Kiwi is brutal," Jaden smirked as he drew. "I use Rampart Blaster's effect to attack you directly!" The defensive warrior fired her weapon again, knocking Dark Magician Girl down to 2050 LifePoints. "And then I'll set a card and pass it back to you."
"Thanks, Jaden, but this duel is mine," Dark Magician Girl winked at the crowd. "I summon Berry in attack mode. And then I'll play this: Magical Dimension!" She held up the card for everyone to see. "Since I have a spellcaster on my field, I can sacrifice one monster to summon a spellcaster from my hand. And I know just who to bring out. Come on out, Dark Magician Girl!" Berry vanished inside the spell's sarcophagus, and Dark Magician Girl emerged from it. "And Magical Dimension's second effect lets me destroy a monster on the field. Take out that Rampart Blaster!" The sarcophagus blasted the hero with its magic before vanishing.
"Then that's it," Syrus announced. "Mana's going to win."
"This is it, Jaden," the blonde duelist called out. "Dark Magician Girl, attack Jaden with Dark Burning attack!"
"I play my spell: Flute of Summoning Kuriboh!" Jaden revealed one of his face-downs. "This lets me summon Winged Kuriboh in defense mode!" The winged furball materialized on Jaden's field.
"Then I'll just finish you off next turn," Dark Magician Girl didn't let the creature faze her. "Destroy that Kuriboh!"
"I play my other spell: Transcendent Wings!" Jaden countered. "This boosts Kuriboh's level all the way to LV10!" The wings on the furball grew larger and more majestic; it radiated power."
"Aw, you got me good," Dark Magician Girl stuck her tongue out at her opponent.
"Boo!" the crowd yelled. "Don't do it!"
"Sorry, but I play to win. You should know that, Mana," Jaden continued his combo. "Just like you should know Kuriboh's ability. By sacrificing him, I can destroy all your monsters and deal their attacks points as damage to you!" The field exploded in a shower of light. Dark Magician Girl's LifePoints dropped to zero.
"Nooooo!" the crowd cried.
"Oh, don't be so gloomy," Dark Magician Girl told them. "Can win them all, right? Besides, in a way, I won because I got to know how many fans I really have here!" She gave her biggest wave yet, sending the crowd into another uproar. "That was a really fun match! Thanks, Jaden!"
"Sure thing, Mana," Jaden grinned.
"And thank you guys too!" she called to the crowd.
"You go, Dark Magician Girl!" they yelled. "We love you, Mana!" She basked in their adoration.
"I had no idea she was this good at playing the crowd," Mana commented. "Maybe I should have her impersonate me more often. Or at least get her to go to class for me."
"So, what now?" Joan asked.
"We wait until the crowd dies down, and then we rejoin the festival," the blonde answered. "Or at least that's what I have to do. You can go if you want."
"I'll stay with you," the brunette answered. "The only other people here I'd know are Atem and Dad. And I don't want to navigate that crowd looking for them."
"Okay. How about we check out the sweet-bun booth when we're finished?"
"Deal."
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"Boy, it's not easy being the bad guy," Jaden rubbed his head as he watched the crowd adore his opponent.
"Aw, sometimes girls like the bad guys," Alexis walked up behind him, followed by Atem, Zane, and Bastion. "I mean, so I've heard," she quickly added.
"Oh right," Jaden grinned at her. "Yeah, of course."
Atem watched their interaction closely. I think Mana is right. Those two do like each other, but neither is going to admit it any time soon. "Now the only question is how Mana's going to ditch the crowd," Atem said, eyeing his sister's spirit partner.
"I think she already did," Jaden pointed up to the balcony where her door stood open. Joan stood on the balcony, and Dark Magician Girl stood just inside the door. "I had a feeling it wasn't really her, but I wasn't sure until I saw her up there. So what's Dark Magician Girl doing here?"
"Long story," Atem answered. "But for now, I say we just enjoy the rest of Spirit Day. There's not much else we can do at the moment."
"Agreed."
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"Dad, you should try one of these," Joan held up one of the sweet buns she'd gotten at a food stall. "They're really good. And one for you too, Mahad." She handed one to the purple-robed spellcaster. After being chased by several fans, Dark Magician had decided he was safer with the Taylors. Dark Magician Girl was running around enjoying all the sights she could, still having people convinced she was Mana. The real Mana had been dragged off by Jaden to go mess with their friend Chazz, and Atem had left with his friend Zane.
"Sure," Tristan took his offered treat and chomped down on it, finally reaching the end of duel disks he had to fix. "Oh, yeah, these are delicious."
Dark Magician bit into his own. "I'll admit, they are good," he said.
"You want to get some to take home?" Tristan asked. "I bet Max and Joey'll like them."
"Okay, I'll go get more," Joan pulled her headphones on and walked back toward the stalls. The familiar music of her favorite web series, RWBY, filled her ears. With the music blaring, she couldn't hear anyone else around her, which decreased the amount of awkward encounters she could have. Joan was never good at whether or not people meant to get her attention or someone else's, so by not hearing passing comments, she could avoid mistaking social cues directed at someone else. She never knew what to say to people anyway. At least when she started next year, she'd have Mana to help her. And if Max ended up in Slifer, she'd have him too. Max always looked out for her. But looking on the bright side, she was going to really get to learn how build and program duel disks instead of experimenting on her own. Tristan could teach her how to work with the current ones, but he couldn't build new stuff. And Kaiba guarded plans for the new versions as closely as his own deck.
She spotted a blue-haired boy in a red blazer. What was his name? Right, Syrus. Joan bit her lip. Should she go talk to him? What would they even talk about? All Joan knew about him was that he was Jaden's roommate and Mana's friend. And, according to her, cool. There was a good chance she would see more of him next year if he hung out with Mana as much as her friend implied.
Syrus saw something and took off. Following his trajectory, Joan recognized the blonde hair and blue dress of the Dark Magician Girl. Mana or the spirit? She trailed behind, trying to determine which girl the blonde was. She slid her headphones down to her neck. "Hey," Syrus greeted the girl.
"Hi, Syrus," she turned emerald eyes to the boy. That's the Duel Spirit. "Are you having fun?"
"Y-yes," he stammered. "I-I wanted to thank you for doing the costume duel. I know you didn't really want to, but you were amazing."
"Oh, Syrus, I had so much fun," Dark Magician Girl told him. "Much more than I imagined. I should be thanking you."
"It was nothing," Syrus blushed. "Besides, Mana, you were the star of the show."
"I wouldn't have had a show if you hadn't done all the planning," Dark Magician Girl assured him. She kissed him on the cheek. "Don't sell yourself short all the time."
Syrus turned even redder. Before he could say anything, a commotion drew their attention away. Three girls stood dressed as armored birds. "Yeah, check us out!" the one with black hair pulled into a ponytail yelled. "Harpie Lady Sisters in the house!"
"But no pictures," the redhead added. "Lexi won't allow it!"
"You wouldn't either if you had a big bro like mine," the one with pink hair said.
Joan turned back to Syrus, but Dark Magician Girl was gone. "Mana?" he looked around trying to spot the blonde.
Was that a magic trick, or is she just good at sneaking around? Joan shrugged her shoulders and continued her way to the food stalls. Buying as much as she could (since she knew her uncle and cousin would eat an entire bag themselves when she got home), she strolled back to her dad's booth.
Mana, Atem, and their spirit partners were there when she returned. "Perfect timing, honey," Tristan held up a camera. "Get in here. I promised Tea I'd get pictures while I was here." Mana and Atem pulled Joan in between them; Tristan snapped few pictures.
"Now you guys get in here," Mana called to the Duel Spirits. Dark Magician Girl grinned and pulled Dark Magician into the group. Mana pulled Black Luster Soldier in. Squished between the identically dressed girls, Joan smiled for Tristan's next shot.
"That should do it," Tristan set the camera down. "Did you guys have fun today?"
"So much fun!" the blonde twins said.
"We didn't find Professor Banner," Dark Magician pointed out.
"You did what you could," Mana brushed it off.
"I didn't hate it," Black Luster Soldier said from the edge of the group.
Atem rolled his eye. "You and Mahad could both do with a little more fun," he told his partner.
"It was an eye-opener," Joan said. "I think I'm going to like it here next year.
"And it'll be even more fun than today," Mana hugged her, making a promise Joan was sure she'd keep.
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Mahad sighed as he returned to the afterlife, swapping his purple hair and clothes for that of his native garb and looks. He would have preferred to track down Professor Banner like the Mutos had asked, but he couldn't deny the enjoyment he did have. After hiding out at the Taylor's booth, he started swapping stories with Tristan about his Highness. Mahad may not have been allowed to talk about what His Highness was currently up to, but he could share what happened when they were among the living. On Tristan's end, he got to hear about His Highness as the spirit Yami.
Speaking of His Highness, Mahad ventured through the afterlife's version of the Pharaoh's palace as the sun began to set. He knew exactly where to find his two closest friends. In the garden, under the same tree Mahad had been bitten by a snake millennia ago, two figures sat nestled against each other.
They looked up at him as he approached. "There you are, Mahad," Pharaoh Atem greeted him. "How was Spirit Day?"
"It was interesting," he answered.
"Did you have fun?" Mana asked. Despite having lived for years after His Highness and Mahad, Mana maintained her afterlife appearance as what she was when the three of them were alive. It was a plus of being a spirit—spirits can look like however they viewed themselves. And Mana held onto the version of her that was the Pharaoh's betrothed. (6)
"I got chased by fans for a good chunk of it," Mahad narrowed his eyes at the amused expression on his friends' faces.
"Let me guess. A picture with the Dark Magician?" Atem grinned.
"If only," the former priest sighed. "And your Ka ditched me early on," he glared at the brunette.
"As long as she had fun too," Mana's grin matched her love's.
"I did run into your friend Tristan," Mahad said.
"I see," Atem gazed at the sky. "How was he? At least, tell me what you can."
"He's happy," Mahad answered, "but he misses you. They all miss you."
Atem sighed. "I still miss them too. Was that all you talked about?"
"No," Mahad smirked. "We exchanged stories about when you were alive. Apparently Yami had an awkward date with Tea?"
Atem groaned. "I had no idea Yugi had that planned! And he just switched with me in the middle of the plaza! I thought we had someone to duel!"
Mahad grinned. "I also told him about the time you and Mana got yourselves covered in honey while trying to prank me." Atem groaned again. Mana burst out laughing.
"You know we love you, Mahad," Mana kept chuckling. "And how are the Muto siblings?"
"The scary thing about them," Mahad answered, "is that they are exactly like you two were when you were that age."
"Then it's probably a good thing you're watching out for them," Mana said.
Mahad gazed the brilliant colors of the sunset. For the first time in what felt like millennia, he completely agreed with his former apprentice.
1. I have cosplayed as the Dark Magician Girl, and that hat is next to impossible to get to stay in place. I have yet to figure out how to make it stay on. Those who do cosplay will probably know similar struggles.
2. It wasn't until I started writing this that I had to consider Mahad's situation. We clearly see him when the Pharaoh crosses over, but he is the Dark Magician. So I hope this makes sense in what the Dark Magicians are. And I think that any of the Pharaoh's friends would hold onto the desire to talk to him again. I won't say more on my thoughts on this because they tie-in to Dark Side of Dimensions and I want to avoid spoilers to that in these notes. Though I do hope you guys go watch the movies; it's great.
3. Anyone else wonder where Dark Magician Girl got an Academy duel disk in the show?
4. Since Mana survived the battle with Zorc and inherited the Ring, I assume she took on her own apprentices.
5. Mana's enrollment still has Gardner on it even though everyone knows she's a Muto.
6. Priestess Mana lived to see Abidos born, so she lived a long life, but she always loved the Pharaoh. And it's the afterlife. I don't expect spirits to be bound by physical age there.
Thank you for reading! Like I implied in the disclaimer, I think Jaden's duel with Dark Magician Girl in the anime was lame. I didn't have a problem with Jaden winning, but it was a five-turn duel. Jaden only had two turns. So I really hope this rewrite of the duel makes sense and that you guys like it. I also hope you like the dynamic I explored with Mahad. This was kind of an example of characters writing themselves.
On another note, you got to meet my OC Joan... except she's not an OC. *grins* Yep, Joan is an existing character in the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe. The question for you guys is who. This isn't a grab for reviews, this is just meant to be a little bit of fun. If anyone manages to guess who she is before I reveal it (because I'm not going to change her identity), I will write them a one-shot. If you'd rather not review, send me a PM. Just make it so I can contact you if you're correct and keep the request to something that can be rated T or lower. And before everyone starts guessing St. Joan/Guardian Angel Joan, no, she's not a Duel Spirit. She is named for the St. Joan card. Clue: look closely at Tristan Taylor and see what similarities he shares with another character.