Past Repeating - Book 1

Duelist Kingdom Island

Before us was a beautiful island as big as a city. From the boat we could see an enormous and elaborate limestone castle sitting grandly in the middle of trees and different land types. There was a miniature desert on one side, a few meadows here and there, a wasteland by a vast forest, and an ocean all around—there were so many land types that the island could be mistaken for a miniature version of Earth. It was colourful and beyond my expectations. I never put much thought into what the island could have looked at. It would have been a beautiful sight.

But one thing made it seem all wrong.

Pegasus... the man who stole Mr. Mutou's soul... was somewhere on that island. And we were here to confront him.

In the bright morning sun, Joey and Yugi managed to dry off. I stuffed the towels they were using back into my duffel bag and zipped it up, fixing the long strap over my shoulder. Thoughts were already roaming my mind, and it was only the boat ride to the tournament.

What Weevil did, throwing Yugi's Exodia cards into the ocean, was so cowardice and evil... I couldn't believe how much he was willing to do just to make sure that he came out on top. And I thought he was evil...

I shook my head to clear it from thoughts of... him. Now wasn't the time nor the situation.

Even Joey brought something unexpected: news that he had a little sister named Serenity. His parents had divorced seven years ago which caused the separation between them. My heart reached out for them. I couldn't imagine what both siblings must have gone through. Joey came to help Yugi in the tournament because it was what friends did for each other. Now, he had another reason to fight - for his sister. He was even more determined with this tournament.

It was only the boat ride and already a whole lot of unexplainable things occurred. Yugi had his mind set on going after Weevil, I could tell by the sheer vengeance in his amethyst eyes. Joey was going to dive head on into this tournament. He was going to fight with Yugi to win back his grandfather's soul and the prize money for his sister's eye operation.

The end was still quite a ways away, and yet, I couldn't help but think about the outcome. If both Joey and Yugi made it...

I shouldn't think of any of it. Not now. At the moment, I should be helping them as best as I could. After all, I was to be wherever the Pharaoh went. I was glad that Yugi asked if I could join their group for the tournament. Even though we had just met, he was still very nice.

And what a surprise that Téa and Tristan could join us. They explained that they stowed away behind one of the loaded crates. Then when they saw Joey and Yugi dive over the railing, they burst from out of their hiding places behind the cabins to help me find a way to bring them back on board.

"You looked disoriented," commented Téa, looking my way. She was referring to the time when I doubled over and almost got sick. Both she and Tristan had noticed. "Are you all right now?"

I nodded. "Yes, I'm fine now. Er... thank you for showing up. I don't know what I could have done to help. All of a sudden, when they jumped over the railing... and... I didn't see the ladder from where I was standing..."

Tristan waved it off. "Those crew members don't know how to screw their heads on properly," he commented. "They keep the important stuff hidden in the dark for who-knows-what reason. Throwing the life preserver was a good idea though, at least the guys were floating above the water with help. Don't be too hard on yourself if that's what you're worrying about. We came to help too."

"What matters is that everyone is safe now," agreed Téa.

I nodded. "Right."

"It's nothing," said Joey. It was nearly a life and death situation, but instead of trying to live in the past, and wonder about what could have happened, this group of extraordinary people were grateful for their safety. There weren't a lot who would do the same.