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

Chapter 14

Emiko and Mai travelled through the fields and into the forests, winning a few duels against some daring stragglers who dared to challenge Mai. The sun began to slowly descend into the sky as the girls trodded through the trees towards the castle. Emiko thought as they walked, "We're nearly there. I'm on my way, guys." She looked up the long staircase, took a deep breath, clutching her locket in her hand, and started, step by step, walking up towards the castle, staying close to Mai. She kept her goal of getting her brothers back in the front of her mind.

They finally reached the top of the stairs, but a strange sight met their eyes. Joey was shaking Yugi by the collar and yelling at him. Tristan, Téa, and Bakura all stood nearby, watching. Yugi's face was pale and devoid of expression. Emiko asked, stepping forward past Mai, "Joey? Yugi? Wh-what happened?" Mai said, "If this is how you treat your friends, I can't wait to see how you treat your enemies." Téa and the others turned to face them. Téa said, "Hey, it's Mai!" Bakura said, "And Emiko?" Tristan said, "We were wondering where you were! Yugi just duelled against Kaiba and lost." Téa said, "We thought Pegasus had gotten to you, too!" Emiko said sadly, "I-I...he told me to run. We got held up at gunpoint, but Seto saved me. I-I ran away and Mai found me." Mai asked, "So, the little guy finally lost one, huh?" Joey nodded and said, "He lost his chips to Kaiba and now, it's like he's lost the will to go on." Mai said, "Hmm. Well, lucky for you guys I came by." She reached into her pocket where she was keeping her excess star chips and said, "Alright, listen up, Yugi. You got beat, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the world. When I got beat, I thought it was the end of the world for me, too, but then, Yugi stepped in and saved my star chips. Now," she held out her hand with ten star chips in front of Yugi, "I'm returning the favour."

"No way," Joey said, his voice laced with disbelief, "Without those, you can't win the prize money!" Mai smirked and said, "I'm being kind. Not stupid." She held up her duelling glove, showing off her already-filled cuff, her star chips shimmering in the orange sunlight. Bakura said, "Oh, I see. She already has ten chips of her own." Tristan said, "Wow, no wonder she's being so generous." Joey snapped, "Lay off." Mai said, still holding the chips in front of Yugi, "No, go ahead, Yugi. You know I owe you, so take them." Yugi just stared past Mai's hand, his eyes still glassy. She sighed, "Earth to Yugi. Star chips and twelve o'clock." Emiko nudged Yugi's shoulder lightly and said, "Yugi? Hey, Yugi, are you in there?" Joey said, "Go ahead and take Mai's star chips, Yugi, and then we can all head into the castle together." Mai huffed.

"What," she snapped, "Are my star chips not good enough for you? Fine! Then, I'll keep them!" Téa said, "Mai, don't get mad. You just don't get it." Mai said, "Oh, I understand. Your little friend, here, lost one lousy duel and now, he's too chicken to play again." Emiko said, "Hang on, Mai-" She cut Emiko off, "Isn't that right? How pathetic. Come on, Yugi. Duel me for them. Now." The group fell silent. Yugi stared into space. Mai growled irritably, but then Téa spoke up.

"I'll duel you!"

Everyone looked at her in shock. She continued, "That's right. I'll duel you right here and now. For Yugi. He needs those star chips and I'm going to win them for him." Mai chuckled, "Come on, Téa, be serious. An amateur like you wouldn't stand a chance against me." Téa snapped, "Would so." Mai said, folding her arms, "Look, hon, it's sweet, you standing up for Yugi and all, but sweet doesn't win duels. Now, I'll ask you one last time. Are you sure you want to duel me?" Téa bit her lip and furrowed her brows. She nodded. Joey muttered, "What do you think?" Tristan said, "I think Yugi's in good hands." Joey looked down at Yugi and said, "I sure hope you're right, 'cause everything is riding on this one match."

They all walked down the stairs and set themselves up at a nearby arena. Téa and Mai shuffled their decks, set them on the field, and drew their cards. Bakura stood by Yugi, holding onto his shoulders comfortingly. Tristan, Emiko, and Joey all watched the field nervously as Téa summoned her first monster onto the field. Emiko sighed, looking down at Yugi, "Look, Yugi. Téa's summoned her first monster. Yuge?" She was met with silence. Bakura looked up at her and said, "Yugi's still lost in his own head." Tristan said, "Well, maybe a little duel action will snap him out of it." Mai and her Harpie Lady quickly destroyed Téa's monsters one after another. Téa played a few spell cards, taking a slight lead, but Mai quickly boosted her Harpie Lady, taking her back down a bit. Téa was about to give up when she drew a card. She smiled.

"Shining Friendship," she thought, looking down at Yugi and the others, "I wish it was anything like our real friendship. If it were, it would have Joey's spirit, Tristan's courage, and Yugi's heart." She looked at her hand, then saw a few magic and trap cards that she could use to power it up. She finally played her Shining Friendship and managed to block Mai's attack using Waboku. She said, looking down at her friends, "This card reminded me of something that always helps me face my fears: my friends. I know with all of them backing me up, I will win." Emiko looked down at Yugi. Joey asked, "Hey, is any of this getting through to you, bud?" Téa continued, "It's like the card says: Shining Friendship. No matter how dark things may get, the special bond I share with my friends will always find a way to shine through." She said, starting to tear up, a lump forming in her throat, "I may be scared, Mai, but that fear won't keep me from duelling, or from helping Yugi, or from winning this duel!" Joey said, "Don't you see, Yugi? Téa's putting herself on the line for you." Bakura nodded and said, "Even though she's frightened, she still battles on. It's quite inspiring, really."

"Look, honey," Mai said in a sing-song voice, "I'm sure everyone is really impressed that you've lasted this long, but all you're doing is delaying the inevitable." Téa said, "No, I won't give up!" Yugi looked up at her, unnoticed by the others. Mai said, "Come on, Téa, what you're doing is pointless. Yugi's already given up on himself. You're not going to be able to keep fighting for him. He has to fight for himself. He has to stand up to anyone who dares to get in his way and whatever is going on in his head, Téa, Yugi has to deal with it on his own. Face it, Téa, Yugi's checked out. He doesn't care about this match and he doesn't care about you. Nothing is worth the humiliation you're going through." Téa shouted, "You're wrong! My friends are worth it! I don't care how much experience you have playing Duel Monsters. I don't care what the odds are against beating you. I'm not giving up. Not on this match and not on Yugi." She sobbed, "I-I won't give up. Don't let these tears fool you, Mai. I may be crying, but I have never felt stronger. So, you'd better get your star chips ready, because I'm about to beat you!" Emiko smiled. Yugi muttered, "Téa..." Bakura looked down at Yugi and smiled. Mai said, "You know, you may have a tendency to run at the mouth, but you've got a lot of spunk." Téa smiled, wiping away her tears, and proceeded to power up her Shining Friendship. When she attacked Mai, cancelling out her counter-attack, Shining Friendship destroyed Mai's Harpie Lady. Mai was about to play a card, but she closed her eyes and sighed, placing her hand gently on top of her deck.

"I surrender, Téa. I don't have the cards to win."

Emiko gasped. Yugi said under his breath, "Harpie's Feather Duster?" Téa asked, "Wait, you're giving up? Just like that?" Mai said, packing up her deck, "Don't rub it in, now, Harpie Lady was the best monster I had and seeing as how you beat her, there's really no point in me going on." Emiko pondered, "If Yugi is right, she could have wiped out her Shining Friendship. Why didn't she? Unless she was touched by Téa's determination." She smiled as Téa took the star chips from Mai. She said, "Great job, Téa." Yugi asked Mai as she walked past them towards the castle, "Wait. Wasn't that last card-"

"A throwaway," she said dismissively, "It was really nothing Téa wouldn't have been able to beat." She turned and winked. She said, "Some cards just aren't worth playing." He sighed, "Thank you." Téa cleared her throat and said, "Yugi? I...um...I won these star chips for you." Yugi smiled and said, "I know. Thank you so much, Téa. I'll never forget what you did for me." She said, her cheeks turning pink, "So, take them already. You're making me blush!" Yugi held out his hands and said, "Yeah. Thank you. You're the best." Joey said, "Welcome back, Yuge." Tristan said, "You had us worried for a while there, Yuge." Mai called from the bottom of the staircase, "Hey, you losers! Last one to the castle door is a rotten egg!" Yugi cheered, "Let's go!" Tristan yelled, "Gangway!" Téa caught up and said, "You gangway!" Bakura called, picking up the rear, "Hey, wait up!" Emiko ran past Joey, who yelled playfully, "Hey, Kaiba! Get back here!" Emiko laughed, "Not a chance, Wheeler!" Tristan passed the group and said, "And Tristan takes the lead!" Mai said, passing Tristan, "Not likely!"