Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links: Pharaoh's Revival

Chapter 26 - Harmony Maze

Atem's POV

Was I still under the Pendant's control? When I awoke, nothing was the same, not even the voice I was hearing. "What do you think of bronies?"

Bronies? Aren't bronies men who like... My... Pretty Pony?... Okay then, what's going on here?...

"Because you'll need to know something they know if you want to find me."

Marik?! That's right, Lillyan sent me after him as she Dueled Arkana. "You're finished, Marik!"

It looked like I was in some sort of corn maze. "Stupid alien theory!" I scoffed. "Wait, I'm thinking of a crop circle..."

After about five dead ends, I found a large, glowing blue stone. I looked into it and the reflection was exactly the opposite. Obelisk?

"Be honest with yourself." The reflection sneered. "You belong with us... To us... All of this, you've been lying to yourself..."

Obelisk can't be talking to me, this is one of Marik's mind tricks. "You're the one that's lying, Obelisk." I replied, and the reflection vanished.

Yami Marik's POV

"Impossible!" I scowled. "How can he be unaffected by Discord's spell?!" I noticed sparkling shackles just above the Pharaoh's knees, everything beneath that was a dull gray color. Looks like the spell is taking affect after all...

Only one thing left to do. "Heh heh heh... You've done well, better than I expected. But I can still easily eliminate you. However, why spoil my fun when I can savor it for later? I'll let you fall victim to this card as I watch from the sidelines." I held the blank Effect Monster with the back facing its prey.

Atem's POV

"Heh heh. It must be torturous to know that your inevitable defeat is so near."

Inevitable defeat? You're bluffing, Marik!

"I can't wait to watch Ra burn you with its golden fires! Mwahahahahaha!"

Lillyan's POV

I laughed maniacally at Arkana. "You could never defeat a Duelist with heart." I told him. In the near distance, I saw a light similar to that of when Atem saved Yugi in The Dark Side of Dimensions. I then heard a dragon's roar, which my mind immediately connected to Ra. This is it, it's up to the Pharaoh, now. "C'mon, you've got it! You've got it, Stickers!" I cheered.

Rose gave me a confused look. "Stickers?"

Atem's POV

This is it, I'm all alone, now. Wait, what am I saying? --! That's it!

I cry out with
No reply and
I can't feel You
By my side so
I hold tight to
What I know
You're here

And I'm never alone

אני, עתאם, מבזה את תורתו של כל פרעה שהגיע לפני, וגלות את עצמך כמשרתו של רע

Lillyan's POV

I begged and prayed that Atem would remember the spell and that Ra would be defeated, almost falling to my knees. Rose rolled off of my shoulder and landed stomach-down on the concrete, letting her body go limp as she prayed. I overheard an echoing of tongues and gently shook Rose. But it took a while for the little winged lion cub to become aware. "I was in the zone, what do you want?!"

"Hear that?"

Rose nodded just as the echo faded, then came back a second later. "Translate." I commanded.

Rose fluttered up to eye level and held a paw to her ear. "I, Atem, hereby betray every Pharaoh that came before, and exile thyself as the servant of Ra."

My eyes lit up. "The spell!" I jumped around like a kangaroo, giggling in victory.

Duel World's layout changed back to normal and everyone else was waiting at the Gate, with Atem and Marik running to catch up. Once they caught their breath, Marik swooped Atem and I into a group hug. "Thank you." he whispered. "Thank you both for saving me..."

"You're... welcome?" Given I understood the situation, what was happening was... honestly uncomfortable...

Marik let go of us and shooed Atem off to the side. He gripped my shoulders so that our eyes would lock. "There's something I need to tell you. Don't take it the wrong way, alright?"

I sighed. "No promises."

Marik gulped. "I can never leave you, now. I knew you'd be mad, but it's not what it sounds like! Your necklace will keep that spirit away." He tensed as his breathing became shaky. "Please don't kick me."

I took a deep breath and removed my necklace. "I'm only doing this for you because you need it. Don't lose it!"

Atem stepped between us and hung the Millennium Puzzle around Marik's neck, then turning around and nodding at me to put my necklace back on. But the proper fangirl in me had to object. "Um, remember when he wanted it back in Battle City?"

"He has a new reason to need it now." Atem replied in reassurance.

Marik's eyes watered and he burst into happy tears. "THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!"

"You know this doesn't make you Pharaoh, right?"

"I know." Marik replied, sniffling.

"Alright then, let's get you home." The two unhugged and Atem dragged me towards the Gate. "We wouldn't want you missing the first day of school."

"Right." I stood in front of the Gate and opened the Duel Links app on my phone. I tapped the Gate icon and began to sing. "You can take my heart, you can take my breath, when you pry it from my--" My phone buzzed, telling me that the key was incorrect.

My eyes then landed on Ishizu. "You must sing the song of your heart" was the only clue I was given.

"Song of my heart?" My mind immediately went to Sonic Underground, but I didn't know all the words to Someday, the song in the first episode. But another connection hit me, Sonic Forces. "Together we can show the world what we can do. You are next to me and I'm next to you. Pushing on through until the battle's won~! No one's gonna give a thing to us. Into each other, we put our trust. Standing united after the fight is done~!"

And with a final "goodbye",- or, as Atem insisted, "until we meet again"- I was back home for the short rest of the summer.