Yu-Gi-Oh: The Twin Pharaohs

Chapter 11. The dueling monkey

        We continued to look for Mokuba long after the sun had set, Yugi distraught for breaking his promise.         
        You know that he was back to normal because he was feeling something other than smug.
        ¨It´s not your fault.”I told him as we set up camp.  ¨Kemo kidnapped him. We can't do anything besides win more duels and get into that castle so that we can find him again.¨
        Yugi didn't say anything.
        I sighed. ¨I have snares to set.¨

        ********************************<-- I’m almost to the castle!

        The next day we headed back to the meadow, wary of the fact that since it was the third day only great duelists would remain.
        But I wasn't worried. Yugi had succeeded against better odds. People had been trying to solve the Millennium Puzzle for 5,000 years and he did it all on his own.
        ¨Hey, look!”Joey said.
        At his feet were half a dozen duel monster cards.
        ¨Hands off. Those are mine.” Tristan said.
        ¨You play?¨ I asked.
        ¨I figured that if a dofus like Joey could make it then I would have no problems.¨
        I snickered.
        Haven't I seen that card in your deck, Joey? Yugi asked.
        Joey shook his head. ¨I have something similar.¨ He pulled out his deck and started to rifle through his cards.               "Here it is. Swamp Battleguard.” 1800 Atk, 1500 Df. ¨Will you look at that. THese two look like their long-lost brothers. That doesn't mean that your boy packs the same kind of wallop mine does.¨
        ¨His wallop is just fine, thank you very much. My Lava Battleguard has never let me down before. Try him out! You'll see.¨
            Both resembled minotaurs, the only difference was their green and red skin and how the other had only 1500 Atk.
           "They do work well together.¨ I said. ¨Similar cards usually do.¨
          "You know what?¨ Téa said. ¨ I can see a resemblance between you two and those muscle heads.¨
          "I’ll take that as a complement.¨

*******************************<-- I’m almost to the castle!

           We finally reached the meadow, hoping to find some sane duelists who didn't cheat.
          ¨How about it, tough guy?¨ Tristan asked Joey.  ¨Any of these Tykes punny enough for you or do you want to go find some three year olds?¨
          “Be nice.” I warned Tristan. “You know that he’s just biding his time until he finds a dueling monkey to challenge.”
         Everyone but Joey laughed.
         "I'm just messing with you.” I promised him.
        “One more word.”
        "Dueling Monkey.”
        We froze.
        “Tell me that’s not who I think it is.” I begged.
        “Hello, Joseph.” Mai Valentine said. “Happy to see me?”
        By the way he was struggling to keep his eyes on her face I would say yes.
        “Ecstatic.” I said sarcastically.
        “So, Joey,” Mai said, ignoring me. “Is Yugi still winning all of your duels? Everyone knows that if the Muto twins weren’t there to hold your hand you would have been defeated a long time ago. Isn’t that right, Yugi?”
        That’s not true. Yugi protested.
        “Oh, really?”
        “Uh, oh.” I muttered.
        “Then I propose that he steps out of your shadow right here and now. If Joey thinks that he’s so tough then let him prove it here and now!’” She declared, pointing at Joey.
        “Huh?”
        “I’m waiting for your answer, Joseph.” Mai said. “Is it time to step up and battle the duelist I’ve arranged for you?”
        “It’s not you?” I asked.
        Mai chuckled.
        From behind a tree stepped Rex Raptor, dino-duelist. “I’m dueling on Mai’s behalf. Recognize me?”
        “You have got to be kidding me.” I said. “Really? The cliched ‘recognize me’ that is the best line in every single revenge movie in the history of movies?”
        “This twerp supposed to scare me or something?” Joey asked. “He don't look so tough.”
        “Joey.” I said. “You lost Money on Rex Raptor, remember?”
        “Well, Joey?” Mai asked. “Or do you have to ask mommy’s permission first?”
        That was way below the belt.
        “This is my fight.” Joey said in a scary voice.
        “Joey!”
        “What are you trying to prove?”
        “You don't have to prove anything!”
        “Don't do this!”
        Amaterus-Rex.
        “What?” I asked Rex.
        “I didn’t say anything.”
        Dirty Revenge.
        I stared at Mai for a long time before asking Yugi in a whisper if he had heard what I thought I had heard.
        He looked at me strangely and shook his head.
        I couldn’t breath for a moment. “We need to talk. Alone.”
        Yugi made an L, touching his thumb to the center of his other hand and turning it clockwise. Later.
        “Oh. And if either Yugi or Iris help you in this duel then you're disqualified and the match goes to Rex.” Mai smiled. “So what’s it going to be, Joey? This is your big chance to prove yourself or are you gonna back out?”
        “Of course he is-” Téa began but Joey cut her off.
        “No.” He said. “That's how I want it. Just me and him. It may cost me a few star chips but unless I do this I don't deserve to keep them anyways. And if the only reason I have starchips at all is because of Yugi then I don't deserve them at all.” He looked at his wrist. “All my life People have been looking down at me, taking pity on me. Well no more. I have to do this on my own.”
        “You can believe whatever you want.” Tristan said. “But you're not doing this.” He looked at Mai and Rex. “I hope you don't mind but little Joey can't come out to play right now.”
        “That’s it!”
        Joey, whirled, and in a move I recognized as one of my own, punched Tristan in the jaw.
        I tackled him before he could do anything else. “What the heck?” I yelled.
        “Get off of me, Iris. I have to do this.”
        “Yeah.” Tristan said, getting up. “Do what you gotta do. I’ll be over here, not caring.”
        Serenity.
        It was then that it was official. I was hearing the thoughts of people who weren’t related to me or wearing a Millennium item.
        All of it.
        Well, not all of their thoughts.
        “If you wanna fight then fight. See if I care.”
        “Tristan.”
        “Let him go.”
        "Trouble in paradise?” mai asked.
        I glared.
        “You gonna run off with your friend or you gonna start acting like a real duelist?”
        “I’m still here, aint I?”
        Mai grinned.
        “Yugi. Iris. No offense but I want this to be a Muto advice free duel.”
        I sighed. “One gag and two pairs of handcuffs coming right up. Just dont forget who you're fighting for.”
        Mai started to say something but I cut here off. “Duel hasn’t started yet. Yugi and I are still free to give advice until the first card is drawn.”
        Part down. Who. Sweats.
        I’m assuming Joey was thinking something along the lines of: I got that part down but it’s who I’m up against that’s making me sweat.
        “Rex, don't forget our deal. Beat him and you duel me.”
        “I can't believe you’ve reduced yourself to Mai’s attack dog.”
        “Better than being a dueling monkey.”
        Rex ticked Joey off so badly that he backed off a little a the look on Joey’s face.
        And I though Senior Yugi was scary.
        “So how many chips do you wager?”
        “Two. But I plan on doubling them here and now.”
        “Fool! I Bet your deck isn’t even ready for this type of field.”
        Field apart. Strategic. Fast. Dragon. Time. Together. Speed. Powerful. Before. Mai. Again.
        My best guess was that he had trouble telling fields apart so he planned on using baby dragon and time wizard to finish Rex off quickly. Not sure about the last part though.
        “Let’s duel!”
        Yugi tapped me on the shoulder and signed rapidly, turning so that Joey couldn’t see him.
        I looked at Téa. “Cheer Joey on. Yugi and I will be right back.”
        We took off after Tristan.
        What did  you need to talk to me about?
        “I’m hearing voices in my head.”
        Yugi was not amused.
        I laughed. “I’m hearing Joey, Rex’s and Mai’s thoughts. Weird thing is it’s only bits and pieces, like I have bad reception or something. And I can't stop it like I can with you wither.”
        Yugi looked thoughtful as we ran. I bet it has something to do with how much magic we used yesterday.
        “I was thinking the same thing. I bet it happened when I tapped into your puzzle. It must have opened floodgates in my bracelet.”
        When did you do that?
        “When we banished Kaiba’s ghost back to the shadow realm.”
        He stopped. I don't remember that.
        I stopped too. “How can you not? It was kinda awesome. We were working so close that we were practically the same person. We warned pegasus that we were coming. It was all very cool.”
        I can’t remember anything about that duel after I summoned the Blue-eyes, White Dragon.
        “Nothing?” I asked.
        He nodded. It’s like I’m not supposed to remember.
        “Well.” I said. “That’s comforting. My little brother can’t remember killing a fat lady clown from Bleach.”
        Can we talk about this later. We have to find Tristan.
        “But we will talk about you blacking out later.” I said as we took off.
        We finally found Tristan by a stream, washing up.
        “You akay, Tristan?” I asked.
        “Iris? Yugi! What are you doing here? You should be helping Joey!”
        Joey didn’t want our help on this one. Yugi said.
        “And since you’re not there then we figured that we didn’t need to be there either.” i finished.
        “Me being there and you guys being there are two very different things.”
        “The only difference is that we eat more cake at a party.” I said. “ We’re just as important to Joey as you. I bet he considers you a closer friend than us too. I mean, look at your life. You’ve been friends with Joey since you were kids. He needs your support.” I sighed. “Look. This isn’t about if he can win or not. It’s about him proving that he can hold his own against that freakasaurus of a duelist. We have our Grandpa to fight for and Joey has to fight his own battles for Serenity. Just because he has to fight though doesn’t mean that he has to do so alone. He needs you there.”
        Tristan looked at his reflection. “Only if I get to punch him back.”
        “Whatever, let's go!”
        Yugi was staring at me.
        “What?” I demanded as we started to run.

        

        *******************<-- I’m in the castle!

        “Yo, Joey!” Tristan said. “Guess who?”
        We had made it back just in time to see Joey get stomped by serpent night Dragon.
        Good card.
        “How about you take my card for a test drive.” Tristan suggested.
        Yugi and I fist bumped.
       “Lava Battleguard!” Joey yelled. He already haver swamp battleguard which means each one got a bonus.
        AKA, good bye dragon.
        The Swamp  and Lava battleguards were a lot like Tristan and Joey. Apart they were powerful, together, virtually unstoppable.
        Joey- 1590 LP
        Rex - 840 LP
        Rex laughed evilly.
        Party. Crashed. True Monster.
        I swore.