MPK: So! I got my head out of the clouds! And this story is back on! So sorry for the wait~
Niall: No you're not.
MPK: *whispers* They don't need to know that. THE GANG IS BACK! ENJOY IT!
____________
"Attention all duelists! Welcome to this event sponsored by Industrial Illusions. You received with your invitation, the star chips that will grant you entry into the contest. You are all elite, invited by us after close observation of your past Duel Monsters contests. You each have a fair and equal chance to win. It all comes down to how well you've chosen your cards and how well you play. Now then duelists, cross the ocean and enter the Duelist Kingdom!"
"He was working for Kaiba last season right?"
"That's what I thought too."
"It'll be interesting to see how much he switches jobs throughout all this. Kehehe."
"Ah!" The hair guy stood tall on the boat's deck. He looked out towards all the participating duelists gathered below him. "What's this? Ah yes. My hair is telling me it's time to board! Those without crazy hair will not be permitted on the ship! That is an order from Mr. Pegasus himself!"
"So the series can still proceed in abridge huh? Interesting interesting."
"What!? No, it's not what are you talking about!?" The guard next to him yelled, "Ignore that please!"
Corrine frowned, "That didn't happen in the abridged."
Niall frowned, "Not in the dub either?"
They looked to each other, "Maybe the sub? Or even the manga?"
Roxanna pulled the strings to her sweat hoodie, "Can the two of you stop all this dub and sub talk!? It's time to~"
"Du-du-du, d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d DUEL!" Niall yelled at the top of his lungs. Roxanna sweatdropped at all the stares the two received. Corrine laughed at her reincarnation's frustration. She approved the joke, doing so knowing she couldn't be seen.
"If you thought you were getting normal companions on this journey, you're dead wrong." Niall waved his finger with sass. "Oh no no no no no no! We're gonna meme the frick out of this adventure whenever we feel like it~!"
"Oh great..." Roxanna sweatdropped grabbing her bags. "Normally I'd be happy about that, I like memes too! But if I can't relate it's not really fun you know? It's like you guys have all these inside jokes no one else can appreciate. I hate not being included!"
"Well..." Niall said, "I don't know what to tell you. It's not gonna end."
"ARGHHH!"
"Attention Duelists! All special class duelists are now boarding first! Please come up to approve your registration!"
"Well, that's us."
"Why do you assume that's us?"
"Have you not seen how glittery our invitation card is? Look at this thing!" Niall pulled it out of the envelope and smacked it with the back of his hand. "It's easily the shiniest thing I've ever held! It hurts to look at!"
"Well, what are you waiting for? Head up there before you miss your chance."
"~Why you!" Roxanna tried to lightly wring Corrine's neck, but in her phantom-like state, she couldn't.
"Seriously, we don't know how long we can stay like this. We have to get to the room before our Realixes defuse."
"Yeah yeah sure! Let's go!" Niall slung his bag over his shoulder. The three approached the small table next to the ship's dock with ease. Most of the other duelists were being pushed back, being asked to wait in line for the next call. "I guess there aren't that many special class duelists, we got up here real quick..."
"Hold it right there!"
"What do you mean? We stopped in front of you." Roxanna questioned.
"Nevermind that!" The guardswoman said at the table. "Speak your name and present your star chips to enter!"
"My name? My name uh..." Roxanna went blank.
Niall rolled his eyes, "Come on Onee-chan, you got invited by your real name for this tournament. Right, 'Rin?"
"Rin? Oh yes! Corrine! My name is Corrine. Corrine Casterwill! That's my name don't wear it out!" Everyone sweatdropped. The real Corrine facepalmed.
"Ergh, right. Star chips please." Roxanna lifted her open palm where two star chips laid. "You're free to go...Now, wait a minute!"
"What? I didn't move." Niall blinked boredly.
"Who are you and where are your star chips?" Roxanna halted on the ramp to monitor the situation.
"Uh, surely Pegasus told you about me."
"Depends on who you are. Your name, kid?"
The tan-skinned boy's eyelids lowered. "Niall. Niall Casterwill."
The guard woman's eyes scoured the guestbook in front of her. "You're not on the list."
"Not on the list? But you got my sister's name."
"Look, little boy, I don't have time to deal with you right now. I'm pretty sure you don't have any star chips and there's no "Niall" on the special guest list. I'm going to have to ask you to~"
"No "Niall" huh?" Niall cut her off, "Could he have...no way. What about a Treyvon?"
"Who?"
"Treyvon. Check the list for a Treyvon Casterwill."
"Look, kid~"
"~Just cHeCk ThE DaMn BoOk!" Niall was getting just as annoyed as she was.
The guard woman looked down the page, "OH. I'm so sorry Mr. Casterwill. My mistake for not realizing it was you. Mr. Pegasus did notify me about one of the guests being off the record. If you're Treyvon, why didn't you just say so from the get-go?"
Niall's eyes narrowed, "Treyvon is a nickname of sorts."
"I see. Well, it can't be helped." Roxanna and Corrine sighed in relief when she stamped him in. She reached for a keycard, "I forgot to give this to your sister. Here are the two keycards to your room. It's a double, I hope that's not a problem."
"No. I would have requested that anyway."
"Excellent. Just follow the signs to the top floor. I apologize for the confusion." The guardswoman gestured to the ramp. "Welcome aboard."
"Thanks." Niall kept it brief and finally returned to the girls. He handed Roxanna the keycard, "Did you really forget this?" Roxanna sweatdropped, "Thank goodness I'm around. I can already tell that this season is gonna be a doozy. You'll never make et without meh~"
"I think we could manage." Corrine rolled her eyes. The three finally make it to the ship's deck. Exploring the huge cruise ship as they went, they started to approach the main elevators to the top floor. "Alright, you two. Now that we're here, we can't be too careful. Remember, staying clear of Yugi and his friends is our main objective right now. They could be lurking anywhere."
"Right." The other two agreed. They then stop in their footsteps. "And what if they're already in front of us?"
"Huh!?" Corrine looked ahead along with them. Just like Bloody Mary, Corrine had called Yugi's name and therefore he appeared, walking side by side with his other companions right behind them. "Good Grief!"
"Oh, the dramatical irony."
"How did they all get up here so fast?!"
"Yugi must have been on the special guest list. From what I remember everyone else snuck aboard accept Joey. Yugi gave him a star chip to come aboard."
"Well, what do we do now!?"
Niall threw on the hood of his hoodie. He also pulled Roxanna's vest hood over her head. "Just act natural. Keep walking." The two started walking side by side in silence down the hall. They reach the first elevator and stood silently after pressing the button. The Yugioh gang past them toward the second elevator, too engrossed in their conversation to notice them.
Or so they thought. "Um, excuse me?"
"Eh?" Roxanna instinctively turned her head ninety degrees. Before she could panic further, Niall slung his arm around her and pulled her in close. His middle finger went up.
"Don't even think about it." He whispered to her. "Get lost loserrr. She's not in your league." Niall then muttered in a weird voice with his tongue out. "Ulalalalalla Bleh!" Went the noise his tongue made.
"Huh? Who does this guy think he is?" A thick Brooklyn accent croaked. "He thinks he can get off with talkin' to Yuge like that!? Why I outta~!"
"Hold it, Joey."
"Cut it out, he's not worth it." An annoying female voice told him. "Let's just go guys."
The first elevator came first, it's button already have been pushed. "Yeah, let's go, babe." Niall prompted Roxanna to walk away with him like that. The two gathered inside, but the doors didn't close before Joey called out, "Jerk!". Inside the elevator, Niall dropped his arm and leaned toward the wall. "Ugh, that was close."
"You did well though." Corrine complemented. "Nice thinking on your feet."
"She almost ruined it though. But thanks." Niall rubbed his face. The elevator dinged and they got off. The hallway was quiet and there was no one in sight. Because of that, they assumed the others got off on another floor, perhaps sightseeing the rest of the boat. "And it seems we're in the clear." The two visible teens dropped their hoods.
"Thank goodness."
"I'm sorry we have to walk all this way, guys," Niall said as they looked for the correct suite number. "If I had my realix, I could've teleported us straight there."
"Well, who's fault would that be?" Niall flushed red in embarrassment.
"Oh, Corrine you promised not to blame him anymore! He was just trying to help!"
"Well, he could have been smarter about it. You're right though, sometimes I forget how old he is." Corrine folded her arms. "Ooh. This spirit floating thing is kinda nice..."
"I hate that this is the reason you picked to hold against me, to still talk about me like I'm a child..." Niall muttered.
"Kuri Kuri!"
Niall froze in place, "Am I the only one who just heard that?"
"Kuri Kuri!"
"AHH!" Niall jumped backward. The girls whipped around.
"What the?"
"A kuriboh!?" The kuriboh flew around the group. "Oh, it's so cute! But it's image is faded like Corrine...Wait, it's alive!?"
"It took you that long to realize?"
"It's a duel monster spirit." The kuriboh floated in front of Niall, "See it's image is faded, but I can pet him."
"Kuri?"
Niall blushed lightly, "Aw, you are kinda cute..." The brown fuzzball nuzzled his cheek.
"AW HOW CUTE! Two adorable babies!" Roxanna clapped her hands and squealed.
"Hey! Who are you calling adorable!? I'm just as manly as the average teen male thanks!"
"Yeah, I think it's picture-worthy," Corrine admitted. Roxanna was already taking pics, "Aw, too bad. Kuriboh barely shows up~"
"Darn! Don't worry Niall-kun! I'll buy you a plushy after the tournament! Hey, maybe there's a gift shop on board~"
"Would you guys quit it?! Also~HELP ME! HELP! ME!"
"Huh?" Corrine and Roxanna looked up in unison.
"KURI!"
"Niall!"
"How did you get up there!?" The girls frantically yelled at the hall ceiling. In a matter of seconds, the kuriboh was holding the small black male above the girls, pinning him to the ceiling.
"I don't know! He just slammed into my stomach all of a sudden and pinned me up here-Urk!"
"KURI KURI! KURI KURI! KURI KURI!"
"What the heck is it doing!?" Roxanna held her ears.
"Why is it yelling?!" In the mixture of the commotion, the girls' realixes defused and Corrine stopped floating. "Ugh, times up. It could have at least waited till we got to the room..."
"KURI KURI! KURI KURI! KURI KURI!" Niall struggled against the kuriboh and the kuriboh struggled against him. Because the hall was not very large, Roxanna was able to grab onto Niall's fingertips.
"Let him go Mister Kuriboh!" Roxanna struggled to get him down.
Corrine hesitated to help, not wanting to remove her hands from her ears. "It's almost as if it's alerting someone!"
"I hear him! He went this way!"
"You better have a good reason to have us running around like this, Yuge!"
"It's Yugi~It's alerting Yugi!" Niall breathed, "Maybe the Pharaoh noticed me again~!"
"What? He noticed you? WHEN?!" Corrine yelled.
"PLEASE HELP ME I CAN'T BrEaThE!"
"UGHH!" She yelled in frustration. She hoisted up Roxanna by the waist.
'If they find us now we're done for! The room's not even much farther away!'
"URRAH!" Roxanna finally had enough of a grip to pull Niall out from under the little ball of fur.
Niall kneeled and gasped, "Honestly, how can a kuriboh be so strong and~!"
"No time for that!" Corrine picked up Niall by his hood and ran. "They're coming!"
"W-Wait! AHHHHHHH!" Niall slid across the floor. Roxanna followed alongside them. She stopped at the door and fumbled with the keycard.
"Hurry up!" Corrine shouted, "Their footsteps are so close!"
"Here! Go Go!" Roxanna let Corrine and Niall shove inside.
"There he is! Wait! Excuse me!"
"Oh no! They noticed me~" Roxanna tried to climb inside, but Corrine blocked the doorway.
She gripped the door handle. "You can't just ignore them, that'll seem suspicious! You can handle this!" Corrine whisper-shouted and shut the door. "And don't let them know you can see Kuriboh!"
"HEHHHHHH!?" Just like that, the black, fuchsia highlighted-haired girl was left alone to deal with the tri-colored haired boy and the two companions that had run up at his side.
"We're sorry to bother you, but have you seen a kuriboh go flying by here?" Roxanna nervously pulled on her hood.
"It's a trick!" Corrine used her realix to tell her telepathically. "Just play it off as a joke!"
Still facing the door, Roxanna laughed nervously. "Haha. That's a good one guys...Kuribohs don't exist..."
"Oh, sorry. We thought you were able to see it too." The voice Corrine recognized to be Yugi said, "I thought it was a projection, maybe it was a duel spirit after all. Perhaps you were right Bakura~"
'BAKURA!?' Corrine and Niall looked at each other in unison. They both exchanged a look of confusion. They kept their ears by the door.
"...Let's go you guys. It must have disappeared." Yugi said dejectedly and walked away.
"Wait! Yugi! Ah, I didn't mean for him to get upset. But yes, I suppose it tis gone...We're truly sorry for bothering you, Miss."
'Oh, shiz!' Corrine thought into Niall's brain through her realix. 'They've already met Fluffy on board?!'
'Whatta twist~' Niall thought back.
"Hold on a sec Miss, I gotta ask ya a question." Roxanna gulped. "...Did it hurt when you fell outta heaven?" She then choked.
Corrine heard the pressure of someone lean their palm against the door frame, "Did Joey just~"
Niall held back laughter, "~try to flirt with Roxy?"
"Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see~" The blonde male continued with his horrible pick up lines.
"Joey? Stop it, you're bothering her!"
"Aw come on Bakura, I just want to know if she has a name! Or can I just call you, Mine?" He placed a hand on her right shoulder.
"Joey seriously!? That's harassment!" Ryou wined. The two were taken aback by a sudden girlish giggle.
"Heh heh!" Roxanna whispered to herself. "That last one was pretty good..." She finally turned around to the two boys. The three of them found themselves in an instant stalemate.
"Oh wow..." Roxanna's fuchsia eyes lit up.
"Whoa..." Joey and Ryou's mouths dropped open once she faced them properly.
"Oh, no...what happened?" The ease droppers listened carefully.
"You guys are SO CUTE!" Niall and Corrine fell over dramatically.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?"
"SHE'S INTO THEM?!"
"And you are..." Ryou almost trailed off, but caught himself, "Gorgeous."
"AND THEY BOTH LIKE HER BACK!?"
"WHATTA TWIST UWU!" The people outside the room luckily weren't paying attention to the screaming on the inside.
"Wah! How straight forward!" Roxanna gave to boy a smile. "So far I'm liking his approach far more than yours blondey~"
"HUH! You didn't like my one-liners!"
"What girl falls for one-liners these days?" Roxanna giggled, "Although clever, it proves you're trying too hard, lol."
"Who says "lol" as a word? Isn't she just special...Ow~" Corrine hit Niall's arm.
"Then what do you like then? I am trying here!"
"How about a simple, "Hi"?"
Joey rubbed his neck, "Oh sorry...hey."
"Ah yes, forgive our rudeness. Hello." Ryou spoke after Joey.
"Not exactly hi, but that works too."
The white-haired cutie gestured to himself, "My name is Bakura. Ryou Bakura. Ryou's fine. Or Bakura if you prefer...Anyway, he's my classmate..."
"It's Joey Wheeler in da flesh! Duelist natural! You may not have heard of me yet, but you're gonna want my autograph for the future." His smile gleamed.
Ryou sweatdropped, "We're both from Domino High."
"Bonus points for modesty. And bonus points for self-confidence. Both good traits..." Roxanna analyzed, "I don't know, both of you are pretty cute...I can't decide who I like better~"
"You think we're cute?" Ryou blushed.
"Oh please! I am ten times cuter than dat guy. All he's got is the pretty hair...and the accent...I mean I'm better!" Joey swung a thumps-up to his chest. "I'd make a better boyfriend, trust me!"
"I don't knowwww~" Roxanna purposefully teased, "You kinda gave me some good reasons to fall for him. I already just wanna pinch his cheeks!"
"She really is just like you~OW!" Niall endured another slap on the arm from Corrine.
"I think the hair and accent might be enough actually. I'm a simple girl~" She winked at Ryou. Ryou looked to the side, embarrassed.
Joey groaned, "Dammit! I lost again to dis guy! Aren't your fangirls enough for you!?" He was ignored by the two.
"Honestly you are just so adorable!"
"Ah, t-thank you for the compliment."
"No prob, hehe!"
Niall stepped away from the other side of the door. "Ugh, I'm gonna throw up."
HONK! HONK!
"ATTENTION DUELISTS, ALL DUELISTS SHOULD RETURN TO THEIR ROOMS FOR THE INITIAL EMBARKING~PLEASE PREPARE TO EMBARK!"
"Ah! Joey! We've gotta get back!" Ryou told the blonde.
"Yeah yeah. I heard." With his arms folded and a frown, Joey sighed in defeat. "Sorry for botherin' you before. We gotta go; you should head inside."
"Sure thing. Thanks for entertaining me, boys. Uh, Ryou, and...Jo!" Roxanna once again used the keycard to open the door.
"It's Joey, but...hold on!" Joey swished around to Roxanna quickly. "Now I remember why I stopped ya before!"
"It wasn't to get my number? I'm offended~" She feigned to be hurt.
"You...do you by chance, know a Casterwill?" Roxanna froze. "A girl, that goes by Corrine? Or a boy that goes by Treyvon?"
"No, no..." Roxanna's back was turned again. Sweat slid down her forehead as she lied, "What made you ask me that haha?"
"Sorry, it's just...you remind me of her..."
"Now that you mention it, Joey, she does. A lot!" Ryou gasped in surprise.
"Well, I don't know who that is...G-Goodbye boys! See you on the island!" Roxanna leaped inside the room and slammed the door behind her before she could be questioned further.
"Ah wait!"
HONK! HONK!
"LAST CALL! PREPARE TO EMBARK! WE LEAVE FOR DUELIST KINGDOM IN 10~"
"Joey! Let's go Let's go!" Ryou frantically grabbed Joey's arm and ran down the hall.
"WAIT WAIT WAIT! BUT HER NUMBER! NOOOOOOOO!" Joey yelled.
Roxanna sighed against the door frame. Corrine and Niall just stared at her. "What? Don't be jealous guys~" She flipped her hair. "I've still got it~annnnd I didn't give anything away! HA HA HA!"
Niall sweatdropped, "Are you kidding? She nearly gave us away twice..."
Corrine placed her hands on her hips in defeat, "Ah, just let her have her moment."
"5! 4! 3! 2! 1! TIME TO SET SAIL DUELISTS!"
HONK! HONK! HONNNNNNNNNK!
____________
"Corrine! Corrine! You've gotta come see the rest of the ship! Damn this place is massive! And expensive looking!"
Corrine leaned against the cruise ship's railing, "I'll take a look in a little while."
Niall sauntered over to the brooding female, "Roxanna's so gosh darn excited, she's literally bouncing on the bed back at the suite." He leaned against the railing too, "Ooh! The wind here up on the deck is amazing! I just wish I wasn't this motion sick~Gulp!" Niall held his mouth. "It's all in your head, it's all in your head!" He breathed in deeply. Lines then formed on his forehead, "Damn, I am NOT good with boats!" He fell to his knees. Corrine barely noticed. Niall leaned across the lower railing, carefully holding on and crutching his stomach at the same time. "Freakin' Pegasus. Telling the guards to let me in even though I have no star chips..." He tried to focus on anything else besides his sickness.
"That's a good thing." Corrine said, "You wanted to be involved in this season didn't you?"
"Of course of course! But right now I'm starting to regret it haha..." Niall trailed off. He noticed his companion staring off into the distance. "I know ocean views are nice, but it's dark. Not much to see on a cloudy night like this. You'll catch a cold here if you stand out here too long..." Niall's pain-stricken expression morphed into one of concern. "Are you okay? Corrine?" He took his time standing up, "What is it? Is it Yugi and the guys? As long as we stay on this side of the ship, it should be easy to avoid the gang."
"I'm not worried about avoiding them." Corrine finally answered. "I've just got a lot on my mind is all."
"Like what?"
"I dunno. It's just...I'm still taking it all in I guess."
"Something tells me you're not referring to the scenery." Niall nervously clasped his hands over the top railing next to her. "I thought we've been over most of the details. I thought you've grasped at least some things by now..."
Corrine closed her eyes, "Even if I grasp it, it doesn't mean I believe it. Being told you're a princess with magical abilities isn't just something you get used to."
"Not right away, you're right. You just need time. That's why you're here. Why I brought you here." Niall told her. "To remember what you left behind, on your own time. And I'm here with you, every step of the way. To be honest with you, I'm really not supposed to be guarding you without my Realix. But lucky for me, the only one that knows is Hunter. I've just covered up the details as a training exercise haha." He put a finger to his cheek, "I just hope Knight #3 doesn't find out. What if he already knows? He probably already knows...and has no problem with it? Ack!" Niall shakes his head. He pats the girl on the back. "Back to my initial point. Being near what you called home is the best start for you, I guarantee it. " Corrine grimaced before opening her eyes again.
"I just can't help but feel like we're forgetting something. Something important."
"Something important? Yeah, a lot actually..."
"No, not my past or whatever, I'm over that conversation already." Corrine said, "I'm talking about the plot of the story now. It's been years since I've watched Yugioh...and it's been quiet since we boarded. Too quiet."
"I don't have my Realix, so I can't use my powers...but, I can try to check the episode if you want. The old fashion way: Anime episode scrubbing~" Niall pulled out a phone from his back pocket. "Oops. Wrong one." Realizing he had picked up the cellphone given to him by Yugi's grandpa, Niall frowned, remembering what had occurred exactly two weeks prior. Shaking off the guilt, he exchanged the Yugioh-verse phone with the one he owned in the Realm of the Real. "As far as we know, these cells still connect to the Realm of the Real, even though the service is spotty at times. I think we were on episode three-ish..." Niall scanned the episode for a few seconds, "Oh I remember. This is when Weevil asks Yugi to see Exodia."
"Man, what a trash way to get rid of OP cards."
"I know right?" The wind blew in their hair as they stare back out at the cerulean sea. Niall looked at Corrine out of his peripheral vision, "...Did you want to try stopping that from happening?"
Corrine did the same, "What about hiding from Yugi?"
"There are many ways to intervene without being seen...But on the other hand," Niall turned to her. "The quickest way is confrontation!"
"I don't know Niall."
"Oh come on! I think it's safe to say the gang remembers us by now!"
"How are you so sure?"
"All of our stuff was still at Yugi's house! Aside from a little animation change and some minor dets like name changes~We're in a good place!"
A few moments later...
"I feel like I'm just going to become a husk for your experiments, Corrine." Roxanna peeked from behind a wall towards the table where Yugi and a few of his friends were sitting.
"Alright. I just checked the room they're staying in. Only Anzu~I mean Tea and Tristan are there. So that means Yugi, Joey, and Ryou are left out and about."
"We can see that from spying, Niall."
"THEN WHY'D YOU HAVE ME LOOK!?" The black-haired boy is shhed. "Argh! When I said to confront them you know, I didn't mean use Roxanna as a proxy!"
"Yeah, well, I'm not ready to do that yet. Roxanna's going to do it in my place."
"Hey, I don't have to do anything! Don't ignore me!"
"Would you shh?!" Niall asked, "The OG characters are talking, Miss."
Roxanna scratched her face, "Why did I even come!?"
"You like adventure don't you? If you stick with us, you'll get into a hell of a lot of it." Corrine told the girl in her shadowy state. "But also, we need you for our plans to work."
"I knew it! I'm just a puppet in your elaborate ruse!"
"Alright back to ignoring her." Niall said speaking with Corrine again, "How are you going to play this?"
"We either intercept Weevil when he goes for the cards or make sure he doesn't come by at all right?"
"I'm not normally the philosophical one out of the two of us...well actually I am." Corrine rolled her eyes. "But if we mess or don't mess with this interaction, it'll surely be a butterfly effect right? I mean, we weren't in the original version of Yugioh. What if Weevil isn't meant to throw the cards off the boat now? And if we do something, they'll still end up in the water somehow!"
"Well, the other 50 of that coin is that we don't do a thing and things happen a little different but normally. I guess it's just a shot in the dark." Corrine said. "I think it's better to intervene. Adding our variables to the equation is risky, but a better chance of influencing the coming event."
"Makes sense. I'm with ya." Niall nodded in agreement. The three spied on Yugi's table again. Joey was already leaning against the ship's railing while Ryou and Yugi sat across from each other at the dining table. Yugi was sifting through his deck with a camera at his side.
"Hey Yuge, you're really not gonna go trade with any of the duelists in the common rooms?" Joey asked the focused baby panda, "Weevil was right. It is an advantage to not be in private cabins. Since all the lower duelists are together, they get to strengthen their decks by trading with each other! We should too!"
"Nah. I think I'll fight with the deck that I originally preplanned," Yugi said shuffling his cards. "I think you should too. We've worked so hard on them."
"I agree." Ryou told the blonde, "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go trading either Joey. You'll just get scammed."
"Oh what do you know, you limey fruit cake?!"
"Bakura's been dueling way longer than you Joseph. I would take his advice."
"Grandpa? You're awake." The three spies blinked in confusion until Yugi turned the camera next to him around. On the display was indeed Yugi's grandpa.
"Isn't that the Solomon Moto?! Didn't his soul get taken!?" Roxanna shrieked.
"Corrine, I remember seeing something like that in the manga," Niall told her. "I guess the rules are still random here when it comes to that."
"Bakura didn't give me any advice, Gramps!" Joey claimed, "He's just trying to tell me that I'd suck at trading because I'd get taken advantage of! That's an insult!"
"Well, that's true." A comical arrow shot Joey in the chest.
"So he really is stuck in a camera then." Ryou slid closer to inspect the film. "How strange. Pegasus had to have had a millennium item, it's the only explanation."
"We'll figure out the secret of the Millenium items when we get to Duelist Kingdom." Yugi told Ryou, "Your cursed Millenium Ring and my Millenium Puzzle might be able to outbalance the power of whatever item Pegasus has."
"Millennium items?" Roxanna questioned. "So those weird gold objects those two have, have powers too?"
"Short answer, yes." Corrine said, "And we need to beware of that ring."
"I hope so Yugi." Ryou sighed, "It's a real pain lugging this ring around and knowing there's an evil spirit inside."
"So Ryou knows." Niall's lips twitch to one side in thought. "Maybe from the whole game world scenario at his house? That means everything really is continuing on from when we left...And also manga rules."
"You still have that thing!?" Joey cringed.
"It's safe as long as I don't wear it." Ryou put the ring back inside his bag. "It's still jewelry after all."
"Still..." Joey trailed off. "What about the spirit inside yours Yugi?"
"Him?" Yugi seemed to sadden, "He just needs some alone time. He's still not completely over what happened to Corrine and Treyvon."
"You can speak to him?" Ryou asked.
"Not really. Sometimes." Yugi touched the puzzle, "But in this case, I feel his pain. Thinking about them depresses me too." The boys all frowned. The spies felt a sense of guilt.
"And you want to hide from them..."
"...We have our reasons."
"Not really, but I'm with her." Corrine rolled her eyes again.
Joey cupped his hands together and shouted, "CHEER UP, OTHER YUGI! AND REGULAR YUGI! HYPE MAN HYPE MAN, YEAH THAT'S ME!"
"Joey! They're right here!" The white-haired male plugged his ears. "Honestly..."
"Still, thanks for your concern, Joey." Yugi sweatdropped.
"See? I knew that'd work." Joey smiled. "We need you guys in top form if we're gonna survive dis here tournament. I need ya'll to help me win for my sister too."
Yugi smiled sympathetically, "Regardless of the outcome, we'll make sure Serenity doesn't go blind Joey. You have our word."
"Ahh, Yugi. Fancy meeting you here."
"Look alive ladies." Niall whispered, "Our first antagonist has arrived."
"Weevil? I thought you retired for the night?" Yugi asked.
Weevil leaned against the railing near Joey, "Just sitting in your room gets boring you know? I just wanted to check out the festivities onboard. And feel a little ocean breeze." He eyed the tri-color haired teen, "Trade for any good cards in the common rooms?"
"No. My friends and I have decided to keep our decks the way they were." Yugi said dismissively.
"That's a shame. I bet there are some good cards on this ship. All you'd have to do is win a couple of mini duels to do get the really good ones."
"I'd rather not." Yugi's violet eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Besides that's what this tournament is for."
"Yes, I suppose." Weevil shifted his green bangs to the right, "Then again, I can see why you'd keep the same cards. You have the deck that beat Seto Kaiba, after all." There was a glare in his glasses. "You still have the infamous Exodia? Or did you exclude it to go easy on the rest of us?" He chuckled.
"Corrine, it's coming." Niall tapped Roxanna's shoulder. "What do we do?"
"We've got to go over there before things escalate." Corrine gestured to Roxanna. "By us, I mean you and Niall."
"What can we do?"
"The goal is to draw attention away from Exodia, so Weevil doesn't mess with it." Corrine ushered the two away in her spirit form. "Do what you have to."
"He still has it! What's it to you!?" Joey yelled at the duel champion.
"Yugi can speak for himself can he not?"
"I can," Yugi said pulling out the Exodia cards. "I have them. Right here." He lifted them up with a swing of his forearm.
"It's a little dark on the bow tonight." Weevil claimed, "Do you mind bringing them closer. I just want a peek at the most legendary cards in duelist history! Surely you understand?"
"Yeah, it's every duelist's dream." Yugi stood up. He started to walk over to the railing.
"Come on Niall! How am I suppose to just interrupt their conversation!?"
"Corrine wants you to do it, so you have too!"
"What am I supposed to even say?! And what about you!? How am I supposed to refer to you then? Mister Incognito!" Roxanna panicked.
"You've got a point. If they find out who I really am, they'll automatically assume Corrine's here too. Good catch." Niall thought for a moment. "If they ask, call me Zayn."
"Zayn?!"
Niall lifted his hood, "Just do it!"
As Yugi started to reveal his hand again, Roxanna and Niall stepped over. "Exodia!? Did you just say Exodia? As in Exodia the Forbidden One!? OMG!" The girl laid it on thick. "You're the duelist who beat Seto Kaiba!? I've been wanting to meet you!"
Yugi took a step back to face her. Weevil sneered. "Who are you?"
"Wait for a second!" Joey exclaimed, "You're that girl from the cabins!"
"And your that rude boy from the elevator!" Ryou exclaimed as well, "The one that gave us the finger!" The two boys looked at each other remembering different experiences. Together, a light bulb formed.
"Wait! You two were together!?"
Niall pulled on his hood, "It took two of you to put that together? Of course, we are!"
"But not like that!" Roxanna was quick to explain. "H-He's not my boyfriend or anything. We're just traveling together." The boys sighed in relief.
"Don't just blow me off like that, Roxy!" Niall yelled, "I'm not some side character ya know?"
After hearing that, Yugi blinked. He got closer to the newcomers, "Excuse me. Have we met before?" Roxanna and Niall instinctively step back.
"Nah. But we're here to make ourselves known, thanks." Niall blew a bubble with the chewing gum he had snuck in his mouth. He shoved his hands in his pockets to play the part. "The name's Zayn. Zayn Hunter. This is my older sister, Roxanna." Roxanna's face scrunched but she didn't say anything. "Nice to finally see you, Cuzzo. It's been a while. At least for Sis."
"Cuzzo?"
"Cuzzo. Cuz. Squad Fam."
"..."
"Cousin. You're our cousin."
"Yugi is that you?! It's been so long!" Roxanna took it as her chance to reconnect with the tri-colored haired boy. "I never thought I'd see you again! Let alone on the way to Duelist Kingdom!"
"Oh! Roxy!" Yugi then squealed as he was tackled in a hug, "It's good to see you! I can't believe I forgot about you!"
Roxanna's eyes watered, "You forgot?!"
"Can you blame me? It's been ages." Yugi hugged her back, "Joey, Bakura, Weevil. This is my cousin, Roxanna. We used to play together all the time when we were younger until our parents fell out of touch." Yugi then looked to "Zayn". "I don't remember you having a brother though...no offense to you, uh..."
"Zayn." Niall blew another bubble, "It's all good Homeskilly. I wasn't even around when y'all was gettin' down."
"What did he say?"
"He wasn't born when we were still close." Roxanna translated.
"Oh. Must not...how old are you, Z-Zayn?"
Niall eyed Yugi closely. "I'm sixteen now." He spoke honestly.
"Ah? No way~you're my age?" Niall then realized his mistake.
"I mean I want to be sixteen like my sister, haha!" Niall played it off. "But I'm fourteen actually."
"That's funny." Yugi then tilted his head, "I didn't stop seeing Roxanna until age six." Niall swallowed. It was obvious Yugi was suspicious.
"I-I never had the chance to meet you. I was abroad right after my birth, with my grandparents." Niall fired back.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, it is!" The auras of the two boys clashed.
'What type of anime word battle is happening right now?' Corrine thinks to herself.
"Alright alright, you two." Roxanna broke them apart. "Yugi! I really wanted to meet you again someday. Who knew it would be on this ship? I guess gamers think alike huh?"
"Of course! I should've known you'd be here." Yugi smiled, "And I get to meet my other distant cousin now too~!"
Niall growled. He then smugly grinned, "When Sister was telling me about you recently, I was shocked. I almost didn't believe a scrawny runt like you could take down the likes of Seto Kaiba."
It was Yugi's turn to growl. "Oh yeah? Well, this scrawny runt not only did that but is going to win Duelist Kingdom. With the very same deck!" He lifted it in front of his face.
"Gimme dat!" Niall was quick to snatch it. He sifted through the cards as Weevil bit his lip in frustration. The tan-skinned boy looked up, "Hold it. Exodia's not even in there." Everyone gasped at the same time.
"IT'S NOT!?"
"Of course it's not." They all turned to Yugi. "You think that I'd jeopardized my ace cards by just having them out for just anyone to grab? I left them in my cabin somewhere inside." Everyone immediately paled.
"Huh!? Then what were you going to show me just now?!" Weevil screeched.
Yugi revealed the item hidden in his left hand. What was once thought was cards, was actually a cell phone. "My mobile. I had a feeling people would ask me to see the Exodia cards sooner or later, so I took pictures of them." Everyone paled to ghost status. Weevil's mouth dropped open as he accepted the phone. Yugi folded his arms, "It's for security purposes. Surely you understand. Right, Weevil?"
Niall twitched, "So you mean..."
Roxanna twitched, "...we intervened for nothing." They fell to their knees.
Yugi placed his hands on his hips, "Why do you guys look so down? You'll see them in action at the tournament!"
"Nice goin' Yuge!" Joey cheered.
Niall was devastated. "I feel like a failure right now."
Roxanna's eyes watered, "Me too!"
Weevil growled gripping the phone, "Cheeky bastard!" Yugi looked at him. "How dare you trick me! Say goodbye to your mobile!" He threw the cellphone overboard. "Take that, azzhole!"
"Ah! My phone!" Yugi screamed. Weevil walked away, angry and unimpressed.
Roxanna instinctively dove for the cell as it went airborne. She caught it. "Gotcha...Areh?" But not in time.
"Roxy!?"
"Roxanna!?"
"Sister!" Niall leaned over the edge of the cruise ship just in time to see Roxanna hit the water. "Shite! Are you okay?!"
Roxanna coughed frantically, "H-Help! H-Help me! Ugh! I can't swim!"
"Curse black parents who don't teach their children how to swim in this day and age!" Niall shouted with a gripped fist. Seconds later someone dove into the ocean after her. "W-What the~!"
"Yugi!" Ryou and Joey shouted as the tri-colored haired teen hit the water as well. "Someone get the emergency equipment!"
"He'll get her. He'll get her, won't he?" Niall bit a nail. "AAAH WHATTA TWIST!"
"Roxanna. Just breathe!" Corrine told her.
"I can't!" She spat out water, "The water is~!" Roxanna coughed before sinking below the surface.
Just then a bright golden light engulfed her. A hand pulled the girl back up above the water. "Roxanna. Are you alright?"
"Y-Yugi." Roxanna gets out. She opened her closed eyes just to gasp at the sight before her. It was obvious to her that the person holding her was not her cousin Yugi. "Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You~!" The pharaoh blinked. "You are~!"
"Don't! Don't you dare say it!" Corrine was quick to yell. "It's a trap! You're not supposed to know who he is!"
"~Are not my cousin!" Roxanna exclaimed weakly. "W-Who are you!?" Yami looked to the side avoiding her gaze. "Nuh-uh! You better answer~" Roxanna coughed again. The water stuck in her throat was cutting off her air supply.
"Hold still." Yami grabbed her chin with a free hand. When Yami pressed his lips onto her, Roxanna didn't know what was happening. Corrine's eyes widened, eyebrows twitching. With a single breath, Yami breathed air from Yugi's lungs into Roxanna's.
Joey dropped the inflatable down, "Yuge! Catch the buoy~What!? You're kissing Roxanna!?"
"OOH! WHATTA TWIST!!!" Niall covered his mouth, "I mean that's incest Moto!"
Ryou slapped the back of Joey's head, "It's mouth to mouth, dummy!"
Yami pulled away quickly, wiping his mouth with a hand. Roxanna instantly coughed up the remaining seawater. "You're going to be okay." Yami's statements were short.
Roxanna held her chest with the free hand not clinging to the pharaoh for dear life. His few words calmed her. "I am. Thank you." Her reply was just as short.
After making sure Roxanna really was okay, he slid an arm through the buoy. "It's safe. Pull Joseph!" As Joey and Ryou pulled on the line the two were slowly pulled out of the water and up to the deck of the ship.
"Honestly," Yami muttered grabbing Roxanna's attention. "We haven't even formally met yet, and you're already getting into trouble. You're just like her."
Roxanna maintained innocence, "W-Who?"
Yami closed his eyes, "Just somebody that I used to know." Corrine's heart thumped in her chest. Suddenly the combined realix around Roxanna's neck started to glow in and out. Roxanna clutched it tight, still a little disoriented. Yami didn't dare comment on it.
"Roxanna, thank god!" Niall rushed to her once Yami had brought them on board. The pharaoh reluctantly handed her over. "Are you okay!?"
"Y-Yeah, but..." Roxanna showed him the glowing realix.
"Crap, we gotta go. I'm getting you back to the cabin." Niall slung her arm over his shoulder. He slid back into character. "All this for measly pictures of Exodia! I blame you for this!" The boy gestured to Yugi only to panic realizing he was the Pharaoh. He stuttered, "R-Roxanna~Y-You didn't tell me that~!"
"Hey watch it! He definitely just saved her life!" Joey patted Yami's back, "Yuge, you okay?! Oh crap, you're the other Yugi!"
"Other Yugi?" Niall feigned innocence too as part of the act. Roxanna grabbed Niall's jacket sleeve.
"I-I can't hold out much longer." Niall got the message.
The black-haired boy stood up with his companion. "Tch. We'll see you on the island, Moto."
Yami's crimson eyes fixated on the two teens leaving the scene. "Yes. We will."
____________
MPK: Fun fact for ya. Think the name Zayn is a little random? Actually, it correlates to the same reason Treyvon's name changed to Niall. It's all one big One Direction reference. Look! I'm sorry! At the time, Trey was getting a new name, my friend had finally got me into one direction, and unfortunately, the name stuck. Honestly, I like Treyvon better...
Niall: But my name is Niall now. Periodt!
MPK: Read and Review~