Yu-Gi-Oh! Love Selflessly (Version 2 - SEMI FINAL)

Chapter 10

Emiko groaned lightly and shifted a little. She opened her eyes and said aloud, "Ouch. What in the world happened?" She looked around. She was laying across some sort of golden chair and she was wearing a loose-fitting blue dress. She swung her feet around, sitting up and looking around. The floor looked like a duelling mat and across from her, she saw Yugi. There was just one problem. Yugi had grown to giant size. She shrieked and covered her mouth, her heart pounding as she tried to work out what was happening. Yugi said, his violet eyes widening, "Emiko?!" He looked up and asked, "What have you done, Bakura?!" She jumped, hearing a sinister laugh above her, then turned around, standing on her knees to look up and over what she knew now to be her throne. There, looming over the field behind her was Bakura. She knew now that they hadn't grown.

"This is impossible," she thought, "I've been shrunk to the size of an RPG figure and dressed up like my Protector of the Throne card!" She sat back down, hugging her knees to her chest as she tried to process what was happening, while Bakura said, "With my Protector of the Throne card in defense mode, my life points are safe for the time being...and if you hope to save your little friend, here, I'd recommend not attacking her." Emiko gasped. She wondered, "Why is he doing this? More importantly, how is this possible? One minute, we're getting ready to just have a fun duel together, the next, I'm stuck down here, dressed as my favourite card, getting ready to duel against Yugi." Yugi said, "Bakura must have used his Millennium Ring to capture her soul in her favourite card." Emiko looked around, putting her bare feet down on the ground and sitting forward. Yugi said, "Emiko. To save you and everyone else, I have to beat him in this duel. Do you understand?" Emiko bit her lip, then nodded, not fully understanding, but knowing that she would be safe as long as Bakura didn't try to use her. Yugi looked down, drew a card, and placed it on the field.

"No," he said, "I'll play the Cyber Commander. Tristan's favourite." As he materialized, Tristan, dressed up in the cargo pants and utility belts featured on his favourite card and holding a blaster shook his head. He said, his voice being slightly muffled through the mask he wore, "Wow, what a weird dream." He looked across the way and saw Emiko. She sighed with relief and Tristan said, "Em! What's with the getup- AAH!" He reeled out of fear upon seeing Bakura above her smirking. Yugi said, "Tristan!" Tristan turned around and fell to the ground. Bakura chuckled, "Who's your little friend, Yugi? He looks pretty tough." He placed a card next to Emiko on the playing field and said, "Now, let's see if he's tough enough to beat this." In a flash of light, standing next to her was a man in a white cloak and top hat. Before she could get a good look at him, he ran towards Tristan. She called out to him, but with one swift punch, Tristan was gone.

"Aw," Bakura said, feigning sympathy, "It looks like that card has been defeated by my White Magical Hat. Not to mention, your friend's soul was trapped within it." Yugi said sternly, "Where is he? What have you done with Tristan? Tell me!" Bakura explained, "Your friend is gone. He's on his way to the discard pile, or the graveyard, as we call it in Duel Monsters." He chuckled again and said, "When you duel in the Shadow Realm, the stakes are always higher, Yugi. You made a sloppy move and now, your friend paid for it with his very soul." Emiko looked up at Yugi, then back to Bakura, then back to Yugi. She was shaking, unable to do anything but watch. Bakura sneered, "Now, which of your friends will you sacrifice next?" Yugi thought for a moment, then placed another card on the field in front of him.

"Joey's favourite card: the Flame Swordsman!"

Just as Tristan had before, Joey materialized, dressed in the Flame Swordsman's signature blue and orange garb, wielding a sword that was nearly as tall as he was. He looked around, just as confused as Emiko and Tristan had been.

"What gives," he asked, turning around to ask Yugi, "Hey, Yugi-" He looked up and screamed, "What in the- You're a giant! Oh, man, I've finally cracked." He fell to his knees, his sword clanging on the ground beside him. Yugi said calmly, "Listen, Joey. Your soul has been sealed inside of your favourite card. You have become the Flame Swordsman. If I don't win this duel, we can't restore you to normal, but if you're defeated in this battle, you'll be carried off to the graveyard, just like Tristan was." Joey looked up at Yugi, completely stunned and still confused. Yugi continued, "Joey, in order for me to win this duel, restore you all back to your bodies, and get us out of the Shadow Realm, I'm going to need your help." Joey grinned, stood up, and said confidently, picking up his sword, "You want my help, you got it!" Emiko sighed.