Daughter Of The Duelist Legend (CONT)

by lcoro528

Due to an unexplained logout, I will now continue this story with this account. I made one earlier with a different account, lethalty60. If you want to know from the beginning and the journey to be started, check my other account and you'll see.

6. A Tearful Reunion

I'm just glad I'm making better progress. Also, during this duel, I've proposed something different by adding one more new thing.

"Marik talking to another through the Millennium Rod in thoughts."

As the chopper landed, Yume and Kaiba got off. During the ride, Kaiba asked with the info he has to Yume to see if they are true. She said it was all true, but Kaiba disregarded it, saying it was all just a trick for Yume to look a lot like Yugi when he first met her. Yume then took out the Millennium Puzzle and put it around her neck.

But when Yume looked up when they landed, she saw Joey standing there. "Joey!" She called out and was about to run to him, but she heard something weird.

"Not exactly, Yume. Because he's not present. He's gone away."

"MARIK, YOU COWARD!" She exploded.

"Correct," Marik-Joey said. "And if you want your friends back, you will listen to me."

"What's going on?" Mokuba asked his brother. "That sure doesn't sound like Joey." Kaiba disregarded that, saying that it was just another of Marik's tricks.

"Joey," Yume called out, "you've got to be in there!"

"It's pointless, Yume. Now, you listen. We are playing by my regulations. I'll release your pathetic friends as soon as I get what I want. Of course, since I want your Puzzle and Egyptian God card, there's only one way to do this. You and I are going to duel!"

"YOU'RE INSANE!"

"If you refuse, then your friends are mine forever!"

"Release Joey from your control, Marik!"

"What's going on, bro?" Mokuba asked him.

"It appears," Kaiba answered, "that this Marik is somehow able to turn Joey Wheeler against Yume Orskov. Now, Wheeler wants to duel. This should be very interesting to say the least."

"But how could it be interesting, Seto?"

"Well, if Wheeler is fighting on the side of Marik and the Rare Hunters now, he may be holding the third Egyptian God card." And I want that card in my deck, he thought. So if it's played, I want to be there.

"Joey!" Yume called out. "I know you can hear me. Your mind is under the control of Marik, and you must break free from it. You understand that this is the same Marik that you vowed to help me crush? Think Joey! You've got to remember your promise to me when you gave me your Red Eyes." That memory went through her head.

"Marik couldn't defeat me in a duel, so he decided to turn you against me in order to win the Millennium Puzzle and Slifer the Sky Dragon. I know you're in there, Joey, and I'm going to set your free. Marik's power is feeble compared to the strength of our friendship. Please, Joey. Say something."

"You'll never set him free unless you follow me, Yume!" He turned around and started walking.

'Yume,' Yami said to her, 'this could be another one of Marik's traps! Let me handle this, okay?'

'I trust you, Yami. But please, don't hurt Joey too badly!' Yume saw the Puzzle glowing as she was switched with Yami. 'Please, rescue Téa and Joey for me.'

Yami was about to follow, but then heard a voice behind her. "Yume!" It said, sounding familiar. "You'd better do exactly as I say!" She looked and saw Téa, but not the same because she's also a victim of Marik.

"TÉA!"

"This may come," Marik-Téa said, "as an unpleasant surprise, but like your friend, Joey, Téa, too, is under my control." She chuckled, "Surprised?"

"Leave her alone, Marik!" Yami called out. "She's done nothing to you!"

"Looks like I've turned your closest friends into your greatest enemies. You're at my mercy." She continued walking, then Yami followed her, to see Joey ready for dueling. "Welcome to my very special dueling arena. Look around you. Should you accept, you'll be battling against your best friend in a duel unlike never you've ever experienced before."

Yami walked over to face Joey. "For the highest stakes imaginable!"

"Let's just get this duel over with, if it means saving my friends."

Marik-Téa lifted up two chains. "Let's begin. Why don't you both try these on for size?" Both Joey and Yami were chained up. "Notice," Marik-Téa explained, "that you're both securely fastened to a chain that leads to a large anchor hanging above you. 30 seconds after a player's Life Points reaches zero, the anchor will drop to the bottom of the sea."

"That's right," Marik-Joey said. "Now, look down." She did, and sees a box, pointing at Joey with a triangle and a '4000' on it. "That small box is your Life Point counter, but it also contains the key for your survival. When one player's Life Points reach zero, the other player's box opens, revealing a key that'll unlock their shackles." She nodded.

"Just remember that you'll have only thirty seconds to free yourself before the anchor drops."

"So the loser," Yami paraphrased, "will be dragged to the bottom of the ocean while the winner frees themselves at the last minute?"

"That's right. Quite ingenious, isn't it?" He chuckled, but Yami troubled something in her mind.

"Hold on," she said. "If I win this duel, will you set my friends free from your control, Marik?"

"You'll have to fish Joey out of the sea first. And don't think I left little Téa out of all the fun. But I'll get to her role shortly. And just in case you had any plans of refusing to duel, think again! If there's no winner within 60 minutes, the anchor will automatically drop, sending both of you plummeting into the sea." He chuckled as Yami growled.

"But you will lose, Yume." Marik-Téa said. "And before that anchor drops, I'll be taking the Millennium Puzzle and Egyptian God card, Slifer." She chuckled.

"You're not getting away with any of this, Marik."

"HA! And Seto Kaiba, don't think you're merely a spectator in all of this. As soon as I'm through with little Yume and her friends, I'm setting my sights on your Egyptian God card: Obelisk the Tormentor."

Kaiba gathered his courage for one thing to say. "As head of Battle City Tournament," he said, "this duel is going against the will power of a duelist! So, this duel is being dropped NOW!"

"Sorry," Marik-Téa said as a machine came towards her. "But this duel will continue as planned. And speaking of plans, here's the final piece of my plot." Yami turned around, to see a huge crate above Téa lifted by a crane machine.

"What's the meaning of this, Marik?"

"I've taken extra measures to insure that no one would interfere this duel. So don't try. Because if you do, the crate you see hanging over my head will fall." Everyone gasped. "You wouldn't put poor Téa in danger, would you?"

A Rare Hunter inside the machine decides to speak while holding up a switch with one button on it. "Make one false move," he said, "and I push the button, releasing the crate above the girl's head." Kaiba realized that he can't drop this duel without hurting Téa.

"Now that everything," Marik-Téa finished, "seems to be in place and everyone is familiar with all the rules, why don't we start the show? Oh, wait. I almost forgot. I wouldn't want little Téa to miss all of this." Téa then regained her senses.

"W-Where am I? What's going on?" She tried moving her hands, but then realized that they were bonded with her feet. "I'm trapped!"

"Now then," Marik-Joey said, "there's one last thing that matters: Your Egyptian God card is off limits, Yume. So if you were planning on using it against me, you're out of luck. Now remove the card from your deck so I may claim it when I win."

Yami then unclipped her belt, which contains her special cards. She opened it, and saw Slifer, but when she looked behind it, she saw the Red Eyes Black Dragon. 'That Red Eyes,' Yume said to her, 'will be especially important as that's Joey's best card. We should add it to our deck to make sure. It'll probably trigger him to break free!'

'You're right, Yume. Not only that, but that Red Eyes means a lot to Joey, which is why he gave it to us as a sign of friendship.' Yami placed the Red Eyes in her deck and shuffled it before placing it in the duel disk.

"Slifer goes on the ground, Yume." Yami did so. "So, whoever wins gets to retrieve that card while the loser goes swimming." Marik-Joey activated their duel-disc as Yami did hers. "I think it's time to finally begin the duel. You ready, Yume?"

"Let's get this over with!"

"Prepare to lose, fool." They drew their hands, with Yami an extra one to start as the clock started ticking. (60:00) 'We have to stop this duel! Or at least, end in a draw. But when the duel ends, either us, Joey, or both of us are getting dragged under!'

"Are you too frightened," Marik-Joey asked, "to play a card?" Yami got a bit enraged, but summoned Gazelle in Defense. Joey drew, then destroyed Gazelle with Raigeki, which automatically destroys a monster. "I'll next summon Alligator's Sword." He showed up. "Attack her Life Points directly!"

Alligator's Sword approached Yami and made a direct strike. Yami groaned as her Life Points made a drop to 2500. Marik-Joey just laughed at that. "Surrender yet, or do you want more? I hope you're not going easy on me because we're old friends, Yume. You'll be sorry."

"We're not friends, Marik." She drew her card. "Big Shield Gardna in Defense!" He showed up.

"Think that'll protect your Life Points?" Joey drew his card, then played a Magic card. "HINOTAMA! Watch closely as its power blasts away your Life Points." A huge meteor of flame came after Yami. To which Téa cried out before Yami got blasted away 500 Life Points!

'Second time he's hit me, Yume! I'm running out of options!'

Kaiba gasped when he saw what happened. "That third-rate duelist Wheeler never had cards that powerful in his deck. So he is being helped."

'There has to be a way out of this, Yume! Half my Life Points are out. The whole world will be in danger if we lose! But Joey gets dragged into the ocean if we win. There just has to be a solution!'

"Time's running out, Yume." Marik-Joey called out.

'That anchor will drop in less than an hour automatically, so we need a plan, Yume!'

"What in the world is going on here?" Téa cried out. "Why is Yume dueling against Joey? Is this some sort of freaky dream?"

"No, Téa." Mokuba said. "Some guy named Marik brainwashed Joey and forced him to duel against Yume."

"Why would he do that?"

"Marik," he explained, "is trying to get his evil hands on Yume's Egyptian God card, Slifer the Sky Dragon. So he's forcing Joey a duel for it."

"So, this guy Marik is behind everything? Then he must be the one Ishizu warned us to watch out for again. Everything's making sense to me now."

"Hey, you!" Rare Hunter called out. "Stop making a fuss, will you? If you don't keep quiet, kid, you're done. So don't test me."

"You," Téa tested, "wouldn't do it because you don't have the guts."

"You wanna bet on it?"

"Kaiba, you have to stop this duel right away or the whole world may be in danger of being destroyed. DO IT NOW!" But Kaiba said nothing.

"We can't, Téa." Mokuba explained. "It's too risky. If we try to stop now, we'll be putting you in danger as well."

"Come on, Yume. Time is of the essence, and stalling's not an option. You know that as well as I do. So make your move NOW!"

'How can we do this, Yume? With 1500 Attack Points on his Alligator's Sword and nothing is powerful enough to beat it. With Big Shield Gardna at 2600. We still need to win without hurting Joey.'

'There's no way, Yami. We'll have to attack Joey at some point. For now, play the Trap face down that'll buy us some time. We'll need a decoy monster to do so, though.' Yami placed one card face down, then summoned Kuriboh in Attack.

"You playing some sort of joke? Kuriboh's weak! With only 300 Attack Points, why would you place it in Attack?! Unless you're trying to lose this duel on purpose to save your friend? Very well, then. If losing is your goal, a surrender would be nice, but you'll lose either way."

He laughed as Yami said that she won't lose. "I'll defeat you and free Joey from your control!"

"I'm afraid that this time you're in over your head." He ordered Alligator's Sword to attack Kuriboh, but Yami had her plan down like Yume said.

"NOT SO FAST!" Yami revealed her Trap. "Activate Spellbinding Circle!" Alligator's Sword is trapped in the Spellbinding Circle with drained ATK Points to 800. "Your monster is caught while Kuriboh is safe." Kuriboh did another warble, which was meant a a sigh of relief.

"All right, Yume. I've had enough of your childish games. Time for me to regain control of this duel." Joey held a card. "Because this worked well last time, I'll use another one!" He played another Hinotama, dropping Yami's Life Points down another 500 by another fireball blast. (1500)

"I've attacked your Life Points again, Yume. You're finished! As soon as I wipe out the rest, that anchor will drop, taking you with it right into the sea."

"Marik, I'll assure you that you'll never get away with your plan."

"Is that so? I'd say you're in no position to make threats." Yami started to get up due to the blast having her on her knees.

"I know," she said, "the real Joey is in there, and I'm going to set him free no matter what it takes."

"Oh?"

"There's no way you'll win the Puzzle or my Egyptian God card."

"Yume, your friend is gone. Or make you move, if you think he's still there. Not that it matters. Neither one of your monsters is powerful enough to defeat my Alligator's Sword."

"Snap out of it, Joey!" Téa cried out. "We're your friends, remember?"

'She's right, Yami! I think I know what to do! I may have come up with a way to save Joey and get us out of this mess.'

'What is that?'

'Well,' Yume started, 'it just came to me when Téa reminded us of our friendship. There's a chance we can break through to the real Joey. I should duel this time and take your place.'

'Why, Yume?'

'Because,' she explained, 'through thick and thin ever since we met, Joey and I shared a strong bond with each other. A bond that I think might break through to him now. We've been through so much together. The time he rescued me from the fire.' That memory went through her to the aftermath of a duel against Bandit Keith, who was controlled by Marik.

'He and Tristan risked their lives for us. Now it's my turn to repay that debt!'

'It's very dangerous, Yume. If you lose, then we'd have to make a hasty retreat to the Shadow Realm without the Puzzle! But even then, you're stuck there for all eternity, with no way out.'

'I know, but I can't let it stop me. I feel it in my heart that if there's anyone in the whole world that can get through to Joey right now, it's me. I want to go out there and do what I have to do. Joey's a great friend, I know that if I was Yugi in the same situation, he'd help Yugi. Now, it's time for me to see what to do, being the daughter of his best friend!'

'I understand, Yume. This is something you feel you have to do. And if you feel that strongly, then go. Just be careful what happens. I'll be there when you need me should things go wrong.' Yami switched places with Yume. "It's just us now, Joey." Yume said. "Because now, it's my turn!"

'Just remember that Joey and Téa are counting on you, and as long as you believe in the heart of the cards, I know you'll come through for them.'

Heart of the cards, Yume thought. Don't fail me now with guidance! She drew her card: Red Eyes Black Dragon. Her only hope! 'I drew the card Joey gave me, Yami! And according to the field, I can summon it to the field.'

'Then play it now!'

'Not yet. First I've gotta play something else. I can use the card in a different way other than summoning it. The real Joey could break out if he sees it.' "I just hope," she said quietly as she readies a Magic card, "that you're paying close attention, because I'm about to jog your memory."

"Remember that when time runs out, the anchor will drop. So make your move now!"

In order to summon Red Eyes, I need two monsters. And a good thing I have Kuriboh and Big Shield Gardna out on the field. All I have to do is send them to the Graveyard and I can bring the dragon out.

She was about to take the Red Eyes, but Yami spoke again, asking if she has confirmed on summoning Red Eyes. Because at 1500 remaining, Marik may have something to destroy it. She lets go of Red Eyes, then noticed Exchange. No matter what the risks are, I'm still doing it! Yume picked up her Magic card.

"Time to get serious, Marik!" She placed it down. "Because I play the Magic card Exchange!"

What's wrong with her?! Kaiba thought. Exchange allows Wheeler to take one card from Yume's hand.

"You must've been desperate to play a card like that, Little Yume. But if you insist," Marik-Joey walked around to Yume, "I'd be glad to take a card from your hand, little Yume. Not that I need any help." He got to her. "Show me what's in your hand." Yume showed her hand, from right to left, they are: Mystic Box, De-Spell, Card Destruction, and-

MY RED EYES! Joey thought, but Marik decides to take control.

"Silence, Wheeler! You're under my control now. You have no mind of your own. I OWN YOU."

"Playing that Exchange card," Marik-Joey said, "was a huge mistake, Yume."

"Just pick your card, Marik. Anyone you want, including the Red Eyes Black Dragon."

That… card, Joey thought weakly, is what… I gave… to Yume. My Red Eyes!

"Quiet, you fool! I'm in control in your mind."

'Yume, it's starting to work.'

She… needs it! That's the reason… I gave it… to her.

"You will do," Marik insisted, "as I say and take that Red Eyes from Yume, now. You have no mind of your own, Joey. SAY IT!" He repeated it. "Excellent. So, take that Red Eyes Black Dragon right now. TAKE IT!"

Marik-Joey was about to take the Red Eyes, but the real Joey decides not to and resists. "TAKE THAT DRAGON NOW!"

"I," He said out loud, "can't take it!"

"OBEY ME! Take that card so we can finish Yume off now. TAKE IT!" In Joey's last sign of resistance, instead of the Red Eyes Black Dragon, he took Card Destruction. "How DARE you disobey me! You'll pay for this!" Yume saw that Joey resisted in taking the Red Eyes.

"I told you," Marik-Joey said, "he's gone. And I'm here to defeat you with my arsenal of rare Magic cards, so I don't even need your Red Eyes."

"That's what you think!" Yume countered. "I also get to pick one of your cards as well." He showed his hand: Hinotama, Magic-Arm Shield, Rocket Warrior, and Graceful Dice. Yume took the Magic-Arm Shield Trap card, then he started to walk back to his place.

"You can deny it all you want," Yume said, "but I know that my friend is in there and I'm going to set him free, Marik."

"You're fooling yourself."

"I don't think so. That's why you didn't take my Red Eyes, because the real Joey is in there, fighting to get out. And he gave me that Red Eyes when he promised to help me defeat you!"

"That's enough, Yume."

"Admit it that, as soon as he saw that card, the real Joey came through."

"What are you talking about? I'm controlling his mind!"

"Not for much longer." She showed Red Eyes again. "I know I can use this card to stop you and bring my best friend back. Just wait."

"Don't hold your breath. Now let's get this duel, already, so I can claim what is mine and get rid of you once and for all."

"Just remember that it's still my turn, so stand back."

"Go ahead and make your pathetic move, Yume." She picked up a card. "There's not a card in your hand that can stop me from wiping out the rest of your Life Points."

"I sacrifice Kuriboh and Big Shield Gardna." They both disappeared. "So I can summon this!" She played it down. "RED EYES BLACK DRAGON!" Her monster came out and let out a screech.

"My… Red Eyes. Yume!"

"Fight it, Joey! Look at your Red Eyes Black Dragon and break free. I know you remember your Red Eyes."

"I… remember my… dragon."

"That Red Eyes Black Dragon," Kaiba said, "seems to be affecting Wheeler's mind."

"Well," Mokuba said, "you heard Yume. It used to be Joey's card. Must be a hard spot to be in, a card you really cared about being played against you."

"It's about to get harder."

"Joey!" Yume called out. "Marik is taking over your mind and he's using you to destroy me. So I'm going to blast you back to your senses. If it doesn't work, you, me and the whole world are in danger. I'm only doing this because I'm your friend. Prepare to be knocked back into your senses." She looked at the Red Eyes.

"RED EYES BLACK DRAGON," she ordered, "ATTACK ALLIGATOR'S SWORD WITH INFERNAL FIRE BLAST!" Red Eyes charged up, then released against Alligator's Sword, destroying it, dropping Joey's Life Points to 2400 as he let out a grunt. "Still there, Joey?"

"Get up and fight back, my mind slave!" Joey got back up.

"Is that you, Joey?"

"Sorry, Yume." He said, still under control. "Your trick didn't work. I'm still in control here. And now it's time. I'll wipe out what's left of your Life Points, my little friend, and take what belongs to me."

"We'll attack her," Marik said, "with everything we have and soon the powers of the Pharaoh will be mine."

'Yume,' Yami said to her, 'this is starting to get dangerous. I have to take over from here.'

'I'm sorry, Yami, but I can't let you. I gotta do this myself.' She takes off the Millennium Puzzle from her neck. 'Trust me, Yami. I know I can save him. Since Father gave me his Millennium Puzzle, you along with him gave me hope, courage and confidence. You've even helped me make new friends. But I can't go through my life depending on you.'

'You need to learn that, without the Millennium Puzzle, you can hold your own?'

'What I'm trying to say is that sometimes, I need to prove myself that I can be like Father without you, you know?'

'I do.'

'Then you understand that I need to do this and finish this duel myself.'

'You are aware of what happens when you lose this duel, right, Yume?'

'I do, and this is one risk I'll be taking without you. I can win this. The fate of the world rests within me and the outcome of this duel. I won't disappoint you.'

"Have you given up," her opponent said, "or are you waiting for more?" Yume said nothing. "Alright. It's time for me to finish you off now, and take the power I deserve. So say goodbye, as I attack your Life Points again with another Hinotama Magic card. FIRE SHOWER ATTACK!"

Another meteor of flame came after Yume and struck her, leaving her with 1000 Life Points left as she screamed out and came down. "What's the matter, Yume, did my direct attack leave you speechless?" She slowly was getting up. "Surrender yet, Yume?"

"Listen, I'm not going to stop until my friend is safe from harm." She started walking towards Joey, around the field. "And I know just how to get through him, Marik. Just watch me."

"It's too late because I'm about to send you into the sea when I summon Rocket Warrior!" He showed up. "And any monster struck by Rocket Warrior loses 500 Attack Points for the duration of the turn."

"Joey wait, before you attack, I know you can hear me."

Joey just played a Magic card. "I'll play Attrition!"

"I know you remember. Think, Joey."

"I said you're too late, you fool! ROCKET WARRIOR, ATTACK NOW!" Rocket Warrior started shifting into a rocket. "In its invincible mode, it will weaken your Red Eyes while remaining unharmed." Rocket Warrior struck Red Eyes, dropping its ATK Points to 1900 as it let out a screech.

But Yume kept advancing on him, saying that Joey should hold on. "Now Attrition gets activated. It'll take the Attack Points of my Rocket Warrior and subtracts it from your Red Eyes." Red Eyes got down as it is at 400 ATK Points. "Making it even weaker! How sad." Then the real Joey noticed his Red Eyes down and struck a chord in his mind.

"You're my," Yume said weakly, "close friend, Joey. And just like you gave me Red Eyes, I'm going to give you something that's meaningful to me and Father."

Joey clutched his head with one hand. "FORGET ABOUT HER!" He let out a short grunt. "What's… happening… to me?" He got down when Yume reached him.

"It's me, Joey. Yume Muto. I want you to take something: my most precious possession." She placed the Millennium Puzzle around Joey's neck. "The Millennium Puzzle. A piece of me will always be with you. Please take care of it, Joey, because I want you to keep it." She walked back to her spot in the duel.

I hope that Puzzle will break him free soon, before it's too late. (Time check on anchor: 21:00 and counting.)

If Joey comes back to his senses soon, then we may be able to escape! I gave him the Puzzle as a sign of friendship, but I'm also putting Yami on the line as well as Father's Millennium Item. I know the bond he shared with him is much stronger than Marik's magic! I've seen signs of weakness. When he saw Red Eyes, it triggered something inside him.

She returned to her spot. Marik may be able to control Joey's mind, but he can't control his heart.

The… Puzzle. "You still there, Joey?"

"IGNORE HER! She's trying to bribe you with that Puzzle! She's your enemy and I am your master so listen to me NOW!" Joey clutched the Puzzle. "The Puzzle must be won in a duel in order to use its magic. So until we win this duel, it's useless to me! Now, DESTROY YUME!"

"Destroy! Yume!"

"That's right! She wants to hurt you! So, get rid of that Millennium Puzzle! Hurl it into the ocean so Yume can't weaken us!" Joey took off the Puzzle as Yume gasped. "And once we win this duel, I'll send my Rare Hunter into the sea to retrieve the Puzzle. It's destiny, and I WILL NOT be denied my fate!" "Say goodbye to your Puzzle, Little Yume!"

"Please… Fight it, Joey."

"The only thing I'm fighting is you!" He took off the middle piece, where the Eye is, out of the puzzle. "That's right! Show Yume you don't need it and throw that thing into the ocean, my mind slave!" He prepares to toss it, but Yume wanted him to stop and not do it!

"STOP, JOEY! That Puzzle means more to me than anything!" She needs to let the truth out, so she says it. "That Puzzle… was given to me by my father, Yugi Muto!" The Kaiba Brothers gasped. "He gave it to me before when I… beat him in a duel once."

"I shouldn't… toss her Puzzle. I CAN'T!" He was shaking his hand, unsure what to do. When he got down and dropped his hand, both regular and his cards.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU FOOL! Get up and DISPOSE of that Puzzle!" "N-No… Yume's… my friend." He got back up and put the piece back. Joey placed the Puzzle back around his neck when Marik came to a decision.

"Alright! Keep the Puzzle, if you want." "Yes. Keep the Puzzle." "Puzzle or not," Marik said as Joey picked up his cards, "we will DESTROY Yume!" He faced Yume.

"You're little friendship plan won't work Yume! Your friend's mind belongs to me! Prepare for defeat! GET ON WITH THIS DUEL! The sooner you make your move, the sooner I can eliminate your Life Points! And you'd better act quickly because you only have 14 minutes left before that anchor drops both you and your friend into the ocean's depths!"

Yume looked up and drew her next card. "Since your turn is over, Red Eyes regains the 500 Attack Points he lost because of Rocket Warrior!" Red Eyes regained that 500, but is still weak at 900. "Get ready, Marik!" She looked at her card: Beta the Magnet Warrior.

I need to free Joey's mind from Marik's control! When Marik forced him to attack his favorite card, the real Joey broke through. So I have to make that happen again if I'm going to save him and get us out of this mess! Red Eyes is weak, so if he gets attacked again, I could lose this duel to Marik and put the whole world in danger!

'Yume, please focus on this!'

'Huh?! M-Mother?!'

'Yes, Yume. You need to pull through. I'm communicating to you through Yugi's help. Ever since you lost the Puzzle, it's been harder to track you.'

'I didn't lose it, Mom! I gave it to Joey, but I know what to do.' She placed three cards down: one summon and two face down. "I'll place two face downs," she announced, "then I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in Attack!" Her Magnet Warrior showed up. "That ends my turn.

"That was foolish." "She could've attacked us! Instead, she left herself wide open for us to attack her! Now, don't disappoint me this time!" "It's time to end this!" He drew his next card: Panther Warrior. "Nice! He HAS to be strong enough to destroy Red Eyes and wipe out the rest of her Life Points!" "Destroy Yume."

"That's right, my obedient servant! So do it now!" "Time to wipe out your Red Eyes and your Life Points!"

'Yume,' Dark Magician Girl called out to her, 'I feel Joey's will power to break free falling! There has to be something you can do!'

'I know what I'm doing, Mother.'

Joey placed a monster down. "I'll play Panther Warrior in Attack!" A panther that looks like a soldier appeared. (ATK/DEF Points: 2000/1600.) "But before I strike with Panther Warrior, I'll transform Rocket Warrior into its invincible mode!" Rocket Warrior shifted.

'Yume, watch out! You only have 1000 Life Points! If Panther Warrior hits your Red Eyes Black Dragon, which has 900 Attack, you'll get overkilled on this duel by 100!'

'Trust me, Mom. I know what I'm doing!'

"Now, Wheeler, attack her Red Eyes with Panther Warrior!" "I'll attack with Rocket Warrior!" Joey said disobediently. "WHAT?!" "And the target is Beta the Magnet Warrior!" "I COMMAND YOU TO ATTACK THE RED EYES! Why are you not responding to the Millennium Rod?!" Rocket Warrior approached Beta, but Yume planned that!

"I got you right where I want you!" She revealed her Trap. "MAGIC-ARM SHIELD Trap!" Beta had a shield that, when opened, grabbed Rocket Warrior. "I can redirect his attack," Yume explain, "to another target! And I'll do it to your Panther Warrior!" Rocket Warrior was re-aimed at Panther Warrior.

"And thanks to Attrition, which is a continuous Magic, Panther Warrior also loses 1500 Attack, bringing him down to 500! And because Rocket Warrior was in its invincible mode, Panther Warrior loses an additional 500 Attack Points as well, removing all of his Attack!" Marik would've attacked my Red Eyes and win the duel, but Joey must've stopped him!

"VERY WELL, MY MIND SLAVE. It appears you have a tendency to disobey my orders and disrespect my power. But I assure you my Millennium Rod is not a force to be taken lightly! All I need to do is keep you under my control long enough to destroy Little Yume, FOREVER!"

"Make your pathetic move, Little Yume!"

"Fine Marik!" She drew her card as Panther Warrior gains the 500 ATK Points he lost due to Rocket Warrior's ability. "I sacrifice Beta as a Tribute!" He disappeared. "So I can summon Beast of Gilfer!" Her demon showed up. "I'll still save you, Joey! My mighty beast, ATTACK HIS ROCKET WARRIOR!"

Beast of Gilfer charged up, then let a blast of flames at Rocket Warrior, exploding it and sending Joey's Life Points down to 1700. "You okay, Joey?"

"He's gone! You see, unlike your dragon, I've got plenty of strength left!"

He's right. Thanks to Marik's Magic card, Red Eyes can only have up to 900 Attack Points. And I can't let it get destroyed. It may be my only hope to save Joey and the entire world from Marik!

"I'm afraid," he said, "it's only a matter of time before you and your pathetic friend are out of my way for good!" (Time update on anchor: 10:45 and counting.) "I hope you're comfortable, Little Téa. In the front row seat to your friends' last duel! As long as no one interferes, you'll be fine. But I can't say the same for Yume!"

"You're not getting away from this, Marik!"

"That's where you're wrong, Little Yume! In less than ten minutes, the anchor hanging above you will drop into the ocean, taking you and your friend, Joey, with it!" (Updated time: 9:20 and counting.) "I can barely contain my excitement, Little Yume! Say goodbye to the rest of your Life Points!" He drew his next card: Skull Dice.

"That Trap card may be able to help us win. Either way, I can't lose! I'll win if Little Yume's Life Points are reduced to zero. But that's not the only way. When the timer runs out, I'll automatically win!" (Timer update: 8:10 and counting.)

"Ready to lose everything, Yume?"

"Come on, Joey! You have to break free!"

"Listen to me. No matter what we do, she'll lose. So we can destroy her with our Magic cards. Or just keep waiting. When time's up, well, let's just say that I'll be the victor!"

"Snap out of it, Joey! Time's running out!" 'Yume,' she heard the voice of her father, 'try bringing up some stories that either you or me have gone through with Joey! Hope he still remembers them in this state. Especially with 18 years gone by.'

'I-I'll try.' "Joey," she said, "don't you remember Duelist Kingdom? You gotta try! Remember how you wanted to win so you could pay for your sister's operation? Serenity was your inspiration and thanks to you, she'll see again. Not only that, but her debts are paid, too."

"Serenity?" His memory of before her eye operation flashed back through him.

"You kept your promise to her, Joey. And don't forget the pledge you made to me." That moment flashed back.

"I… promised."

"That's right, Joey. And if what my father said was true, you never broke a promise!"

"Then I promise to annihilate you, Little Yume! I place two cards face down, and end my turn! I dare you to attack Panther Warrior!" "Excellent dueling, my mind slave! It's almost over!"

"PLEASE WAKE UP, JOEY!"

"Haven't you realized that your friend isn't coming back! You're dealing with me now, and I'm about to take everything away from you!" (Anchor time update: 5:37 seconds and counting.)

"Snap out of it, Joey! Time's almost out!" She drew her next card. This Trap may be able to help.

"NOTHING CAN SAVE YOU!" She placed it down.

"I'll just place one card face down, and have my Beast of Gilfer attack your Panther Warrior! For your own good!" Gilfer charged after Panther Warrior, but Joey expected that attack to happen.

"You've fallen right into my trap, Little Yume! And your foolish mistake will cost you dearly! As soon as your beast attacked, you're done!"

"Don't be so sure about that! Roast that Panther with your Flame Attack, Gilfer!" He charged, then released.

"Reveal Skull Dice!" His Trap gets revealed. "And just to make sure my move works," he revealed his other face down, "I'll add Graceful Dice!" His Graceful Dice and Skull Dice gets ready to drop.

"Graceful Dice will increase my monster's Attack Points according to the roll of the die! While Skull Dice reduces your monster's Attack Points! And I'm feeling very lucky today!"

"Guess again!" She revealed her Magic card. "I'll activate Despell, which will nullify Graceful Dice's effect!" Graceful Dice was removed. "Sorry to disappoint you, Marik, but now you can't raise the Attack Points of your Panther Warrior!"

"But I can still weaken your monster! GO, SKULL DICE!" Skull Witch dropped its die, revealing a 2 at the end.

"That only cuts Gilfer's Attack Points in half, but he's still stronger than Panther Warrior!" Even to the decrease of 1100, Gilfer was able to destroy Panther Warrior and reduce Joey's Life Points to 1100, letting out a short scream.

"You may have destroyed my Panther Warrior, but you're about to lose this duel, Little Yume! In just over five minutes, you'll sink to the bottom of the sea, while I acquire your Egyptian God card and your Millennium Puzzle!"

My last chance to get through to Joey and save us both! (Time update on anchor: 5:05 and counting.) "The end is near, Yume. I could just let the timer run out, destroying you and Joey." (Update on timer: 3:50 and counting.) "But out-dueling you will be so much more fun! And now all of your little friends are here to witness your demise! So, here goes!"

He drew his next card: Meteor of Destruction. "Excellent work, my mind slave! That's just the card we need to win. Now, play it and win me the Puzzle! And destroy your best friend's daughter!"

"One more move and you'll be gone for good, while I rule the world! The card I hold is the key to my victory! As soon as I play it, your world will crumble as you sink to your doom!"

"Not if I can set Joey free from your control first, Marik!"

"Listen to me! Play that card and DESTROY Little Yume! Wipe out the rest of her Life Points and win me the power I deserve! AND DO IT NOW!" "The moment I've been waiting for," Joey said, "is about to arrive! IT'S ALL OVER, YUME!"

"There's gotta be a way," Duke called out, "to put a stop to this duel!"

"They'll hurt Téa."

"Seto, is there some way we can stop this without putting Téa in danger? We can't let her get hurt! She saved my life!"

There may be a way to stop these Rare Hunters. He thought as he called to Kaiba Corps. "It's me," he said quietly, "now listen up…"

"Come on, Joey!" Yume called out. "This is your last chance to break free!"

"Ignore that fool, my servant! And use your Meteor of Destruction to finish her off! As soon as you play that card, Little Yume will receive 1000 points of damage to her Life Points, destroying her! And her most prized possession will be mine! She won't need them where she's going! Do as I command and deliver the final strike against her!"

"This is it, Joey! You have to remember who you are, now!"

"I am… Joey." He said as he clutched his head with one hand while groaning. She gasped. "It's faint. But I also remember my friends. Duelist Kingdom and dueling my hardest to get to the top." Every duel he's faced and scored a victory on flashed through him, as well as Yume's promise to beat Marik.

"My past. It's real." "YOU HAVE NO PAST! NOW DESTROY HER!" He screamed out. "GET OUTTA MY HEAD!" "Your feeble brain is no match for me! So, PLAY METEOR OF DESTRUCTION NOW! You belong to me, understand?! I command you to vanquish Yume!"

"I CAN'T! SHE'S A TRUE FRIEND! I WON'T DESTROY HER!"

'Could Joey be breaking out, Mother?'

'I'm not sure. But there's a good chance. If he refuses to play that card for good, then he's back! Otherwise, that Trap you set will help you get the last final seconds to free him!'

'I'll be careful, Mother. Tell Father that I'll see him real soon.' (Anchor time update: 1:50 and counting.) "MARIK! You hide like a coward, but wherever you are, I know you can hear me, and I've got some news for you! There will be a loser in this duel, but it's not who you're thinking! It's not me, and it's not Joey, either! It's you, Marik! You will lose this duel!"

She gathered all her courage. "You may have thought you could force Joey to destroy me by taking over his mind, but it looks like there's something you didn't take into account when you made your plan! THE STRENGTH OF JOEY'S BOND WITH HIS FRIENDS!"

"WHAT?!"

"Time may be running out, but Joey's back, and we're in control of this duel now! Your power over Joey has been removed! And I'd say that that means you lose! That timer may run out, but since Joey is free, you can't be considered the winner of this duel! Get it?! Since you're not dueling anymore, how can you possibly win this duel?!"

"What does Yume think she's doing?" Kaiba said to himself. "That fool!"

"What will you do now, Marik?! Just wait in your little hideaway until you lose this duel? This is your last chance for victory! SO COME AND GET ME! Joey can't be controlled, so it's up to you!"

Joey noticed the card glowing as it moved in his hand by itself. "I… can't." "SILENCE! NO ONE CAN RESIST MY MILLENNIUM ROD! BEHOLD THE FULL POTENTIAL OF IT'S ANCIENT POWERS! Joey Wheeler no longer exists!"

Joey screamed some more as the Eye of Horus showed on his forehead. "It's over, Yume!" He played a Magic card. "I activate METEOR OF DESTRUCTION!" A vortex appeared, and out came a destructive fireball heading right towards her. "Yume!" Joey said as himself. "HELP ME PLEASE!"

He screamed even more, louder than ever, until the Eye of Horus got removed from his forehead. "You did it!" I knew Joey's heart was too strong for Marik!

'Yume, METEOR OF DESTRUCTION IS HEADING TOWARDS YOU!'

'OH SHOOT! I completely forgot!' She revealed her Trap. "Mystical Refpanel ACTIVATE! Stopping Marik's Meteor of Destruction!" A fairy showed up from the Trap and sealed the Meteor away.

"My Trap," she explained, "has absorbed the effects of Meteor of Destruction! Mystical Refpanel can redirect that meteor to whenever I want! I'm not putting you in danger, Joey."

"Yume." Joey said, and she just nodded.

She has quite the predicament on her hands. Thanks to Mystical Refpanel, she has the power to control the outcome of this duel, leaving her with a difficult decision: She can either direct the attack towards Wheeler. Seto gasped. Or choose to destroy herself. And if either of them try to escape, then Téa's done for! Unless my plan works soon, but time's running out!

Joey looked down to see Millennium Puzzle. "Why am I holding the Millennium Puzzle?" He asked to Yume.

"Because I gave it to you, Joey. When I was trying to help you remember our friendship."

"I'm confused."

"Marik tried to turn you against me. But our friendship ended up being stronger than his powers! And giving you the Puzzle helped you break free. You're my close friend, Joey, and no evil magic can take that away! And now, I'll be ending this duel. But remember that we defeated Marik together, Joey!"

'What are you doing, Yume?!'

'I'm heading back, Mom. I'm sorry, but I tried! But this is something I just have to do.' (Anchor time update: 0:30 and counting.) "There's not much time left," she said, "because if one of us doesn't win, we'll both be pulled under, and I'm not letting it happen, Joey!"

"What're you saying, Yume?"

"I'm going to save you, Joey. There's no point in both of us going down. And if I lose, you're safe."

"But," he said, getting teary eyed, "I can't let you do this, Yume." She started crying, but cleared her eyes.

"It's my decision, Joey. Please, take care of the Puzzle. It belongs to my father, Yugi, but I'm giving it to you because you win this. Refpanel," she ordered, "DIRECT THAT ATTACK ON ME!" The fairy turned the mirror around, and the meteor launched at her as she screamed, taking the hit.

Her Life Points got drained to zero as she hit the floor, barely conscious, and Joey's boxkey opened. I can't just save myself, I have to help Yume! (Anchor time update: 0:01-0:30 and counting.)

Yume looked up. "F-Free yourself, Joey. With 30 seconds, only you can make it out on time. Please, do it."

"I'M NOT GONNA LEAVE YOU TO BE SHARK BAIT! I'm getting you out of this!" She just took off her duel-disc. "Don't give up, Yume. I'LL THINK OF SOMETHING!" Then it clicked. THAT'S IT! Meteor of Destruction has another effect: Since Yume has another monster on the field, I can force it to attack me. This duel isn't over yet!

He looked at his Red Eyes. "Red Eyes, hit me now! Wipe out my Life Points and reveal Yume's key!" The eyes of his dragon lit up as it got up and released a blast of weakened fire, putting out his Life Points, then the whole field disappeared as Yume's key box opened. Good ol' Red Eyes.

"Yume," he said, "you've saved my butt at least the same amount as Yuge did. But this time, I'm doing the rescue! You taught me the courage and never giving up!" (Anchor time update: 0:10 and counting.)

Joey put down the Millennium Puzzle and dual-disc, then grabbed the chain that's connecting his ankle to the anchor. "I'm coming, Yume!" He took a running start, then started swinging across the water.

As soon as he grabbed the key, the clock struck zero and the anchor started dropping to the ocean, dropping Yume and Joey into the water. Yume was unconscious while Joey swam to her and unlocked the shackle that's dragging her down as she floated upwards.

She broke the surface and took a deep breath, regaining consciousness a little bit, but enough to be floating on the surface. "Hold on, Yume!" Tristan cried out as he dove into the water and carried Yume to the dock.

"Joey never took his key from his box!" Tristan told Mokuba to get the key. He tried to go for it, but saw Serenity jumping into the water. Yume started to regain back her consciousness and managed to go over to her Millennium Puzzle and put it on, then returned to the gang as they saw Joey breaking the surface with Serenity.

After a hard apology from Joey for destroying his and Yume's friendship, she told him it was not his fault, but Marik's. Joey calmed down for being forgiven to her. After with some consideration, Joey now feels better and noticed that Serenity is here and they hugged.

"Now we have a new problem," Yume said, "where is the Battle City Finals taking place? Kaiba said that six Locator cards are needed to qualify, but nothing's happening."

"Wait a minute, Yume," Joey said. "I think I know what to do! With six Locator cards, there's five slots for monsters and one for a field. So, if I do this." He placed one Locator card on each of the five monster slots and placed one on the field slot, creating a hologram of the location.

"It looks like a stadium." Yume said.

"Congratulations," a female voice said from within the hologram. "Our satellite network has confirmed that you are a Battle City finalist. Stand by for directions to Kaiba Corp Stadium." After some time, directions were inputted as a GPS signal on Joey's dual disc that would lead them to Kaiba Corp Stadium.

After traveling, the whole gang showed up at the stadium. "This is it?" Yume asked, inside a cloak to disguise herself.

Yume pulls away from the gang to go into a dark alley. There, with the Millennium Puzzle, she calls out to her parents in her mind as it gets sent to the Shadow Realm.

When she opened her eyes, she saw her parents. "Mom. Dad. I have a plan, but there's a bit of risk being known."

"Tell us, Yume." Yugi said, and Dark Magician Girl nodded.

"All I need is a cloak to cover up. I'm going under a fake name until otherwise known. I can't let anyone know about my true identity. Will you help me?"

"Of course we will." The Pharaoh said from behind Yume. When she turned around, she that he was holdng a purple cloak.

"This is a special cloak that will help in hiding your true identity. As long as the hood is up, no one can know who you are. You'll also sound different, making others hard to know you. Only those that know about it would know that it is you under the cloak."

"Thanks, Pharaoh. I'll be sure to keep it safe!" He hands her the cloak, and she put it on, lifting up the hood. "I'm going by the name of Faith Evington. No one would be able to know that it's really me!"

"Look lively, too, Yume." Yugi warned her. "If they know who you are, they'll see through the disguise of the cloak's power. There'll also be an evil power residing to enter in the Battle City Finals."

"I'll be cautious!" Yume said as she closed her eyes. When she opened them, she's in an alley.

She stepped out and, when she saw her reflection, she saw that she was wearing the cloak. "I guess they were right." Even though she sounded the same in her ears, everyone else who heard it heard a different voice. She looked ahead and saw her friends looking around.

She approached them, then saw them looking at her. "Can we help you, miss?" Joey asked. Yume responded by lowering her hood. "YUME!" He cried out and came to her, along with everyone else. "What's up with the cloak?"

"I have a plan to show Marik that even I can play trickery! I plan on wearing this cloak, but I need assistance on faking it out. I'm going to go by the name of Faith Evington to lose suspicion on my true identity. Meanwhile…" She explains her whole plan to Joey, Téa, Duke, Mai, and Serenity. The Kaiba Brothers already left to get the Finals ready.

"We get it now, Yume." Téa said when Yume finished her plan. "As long as no one figures out that you're in the cloak, they'll see a disguised version of you. But we'll be able to see through it because we saw your features when you took off your hood."

"That's right. As long as I keep it up, and no one knows it's me, I'll look like someone else to them with a different voice! It will fool anyone!"

"Just be careful if someone starts to catch on, Yume." Joey said, and she nodded. "Then we better go! Battle City Finals: Here we come!" Yume put up her hood, and followed them towards their destination to the Battle City Finals.

"Looks like," Duke said, "this place's still under construction!" Mai said that they're early.

"Welcome," said a man in a business suit. "Please present your Locator cards." Yume, Joey and Mai held out their six Locator cards as they were given tournament I.D.'s as the first three finalists. "So far, it's been you three and Mr. Kaiba. We're expecting the other 4 finalists shortly."

Yume felt something wrong as Yugi told her in her mind that someone else from evil is coming. She looked in the direction of the warning and sees a boy between the heights of Yume and Joey wearing a pink, short-sleeve shirt and black pants on.

Joey came to him. "Your Namu, right?" Yume has a bad feeling that this person is Marik, but can't tell for sure.

"Thanks to your dueling skills, Joey, I've won five new Locator cards." Yume approached him with care in her steps, as if not trusting him.

"Um, Faith," Téa said to her, as she told them of the fake name she'd gave them, "this is our friend, Namu. He's the one who saved Bakura's life and get this: He's also one of the Battle City Finalists." That doesn't give me any right to trust him, Téa! Yume thought.

"Hello, Faith. I'm glad you're here." From the corner of her mind, Yume, who was disguised as Faith, sensed that this guy is actually Marik. "I guess, if we're lucky, we might be facing off against each other."

She casted aside her uneasiness as she shook his hand. "Namu," she said, "thanks a lot for helping out Bakura. It's nice to know that someone has good intentions on another's friends." She silently thanked that the cloak that her parents and Pharaoh gave to her provided enough cover so no one would know who she truly is, except for her friends.

"I'm so happy to be surrounded by such a welcoming crowd, I just hope everyone I meet tonight is as friendly as you people." Joey scratched his head as he thought he may have been wrong, but not jinxing it.

Yume felt someone coming and turned to that person to see Bakura. "Hey." She grabbed Joey and she pointed at Bakura.

"Bakura!" Joey, Téa, and Yume approached him. "You should be back at the hospital, Bakura!" Joey cried out. "You should be resting!"

"That's right, Bakura! Mr. Muto told me you were in pretty bad condition! They let you out?" Bakura nodded at Téa, saying that he's fine, then noticed that he has a dual-disc on. "Bakura, where did you get the dual-disc?"

Bakura held it up for everyone to see. "How else would I have won six Locator cards and enter the finals?!" He held up his Locator cards: Six in total. How could he have six Locator cards when he could barely walk?! Yume thought.

'Yume, watch out!' Dark Magician Girl called out to her. 'The Millennium Ring is nearby!' Yume then noticed that Bakura has the Millennium Ring around his neck, but it was invisible.

Yume now feels a dark presence, the darkest of all, and turned around to see a big man in Rare Hunter clothing. He approached everyone and addressed himself as Marik. She can't trust him at all.

After some time, a huge blimp showed up. "We're dueling in the sky?!" Yume exclaimed. Mokuba explained that it's 4000 feet up in the sky. Then he turned to the finalists.

"Listen up!" He said. "It's time to board Kaiba Kraft 3 for the start of the Battle City Finals!" The blimp landed and opened.

"We'll depart as soon as the eighth duelist arrives. Climb aboard and watch your step." Namu came up first, then Marik, then Mai. Yume came up, wondering who the eighth duelist would be. Bakura climbed inside and then Joey. Téa, Tristan, Serenity, and Duke were about to go on board, but they can't enter without tournament I.D.'s.

Serenity tried to convince him to seeing Joey duel, but Kaiba allowed them to enter. Kaiba was about to go on board, but first notified to launch the blimp before the eighth duelist even arrived.

a/n Just to let you know, Ishizu is the eighth duelist and arrived just in time to board Kaiba Kraft 3. And to let you know, I'll be referring to Marik as Namu and the other one as Marik until revelation happened. Yume will stay the same, though everyone would say that she's Faith Evington.