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Lost Quest
Title: Lost Quest
Category: Fanfiction, anime/manga, Yu-Gi-Oh
Rating: G
Genre: Drama
Summary: Yugi gets in an accident on the trip to duelist kingdom, and ends up on an island, far from home, with no memory.
Status: Complete
This used to be my pride and joy, but now, it's ok, I guess. Just ignore the repetitiveness and the fact that an uncharted island is emensely populated, and it's pretty good.
Chapter 1
A Merciless Sea
Yugi Mutoh leaned over the railing,letting the cool sea breeze whirl gently through his long red hair. It had been three days since Maxamillian Pegasus came into his life. It was because of that insane fool that he was here,on this ship,about to enter this Duel Monsters tournament.
Yugi looked up at the sky. The horrible images of the past three days ran through his head;Pegasus challenging him to a duel,the loss,how Pegasus used some sort of evil magic to steal the soul of Yugi's grandfather,and the invitation to this tournament on Duelist Kingdom.
Yugi shook his head to remove the thoughts from his head. The thought of his grandfather's capture still gave him a lump in his throat. He went to one of the chairs that were placed on the deck and sat down. He took off his backpack and pulled out a shiny gold box. This box originally held the Millenium Puzzle that his grandpa gave him,which he now wore around his neck. He now used it to carry his Duel Monster cards.
He opened the box and looked through his cards. He saw his Swords of Revieling light magic card,his favorite card,the Dark Magician,and,the cards that saved one of his duels,the five pieces of Exodia.
"Hey,Yug'!"someone behind him said. Yugi jumped and turned around. It was Joey,Yugi's best friend who had been inside trading with the other duelists. Joey wouldn't have been in this tournament if Yugi hadn't decided to put himself at a disadvantage by giving him one of his Star Chips,which allowed him access onto the ferry.
"Hey,Joey."Yugi answered.
"I got some cool card tradin' in."
"Hey,let me see!"Joey handed his friend the four cards that he recieved in the trading. Yugi looked at them with interest.
"Salamandra,Kuni with Chain,Baby Dragon,and Shield and Sword! Great! With these,you'll have a really strong deck!"
"I guess that means I'm ready to beat anybody!"Joey exclaimed,cocky as usual. Yugi laughed.
"I think you'll find it's a lot harder then that,Joey. Here,"Yugi reached into his box and pulled out a card;the Time Wizard,"Add this to your deck. It can be useful in a tight spot."Joey took the card and looked at it.
"Thanks. I can't get over how you're always helpin' me out."he said. Yugi smiled. Suddenly,a voice behind them made them both jump.
"Ah,we meet again,Yugi."Yugi whipped around and saw one of the other duelists,Weevil.
Weevil won the last Duel Monster competition,and when Yugi met him inside,he said he looked foreward to facing the young boy in a duel.
"Did you trade for any good cards,Yugi?"he asked. His voice was scratchy and annoying.
"Nah."Yugi answered,pleasent as always,"I'm going to use the cards I brought with me."
"I suspected as much. You used Exodia to beat Kaiba didn't you?"Yugi nodded. Kaiba was one of Yugi's classmates,and he once chalenged Yugi to a duel,and Yugi won at the last minute by using the five Exodia pieces he luckily drew.
"Those are the strongest cards in all of Duel Monsters!"
"And very rare!"Yugi exclaimed. Weevil started trembling,as if excited about something.
"Could...I possibly...see those legendary cards?"Weevil asked,a tremor of excitement in his voice.
"I don't see why not. Just be careful with them,ok?"Yugi opened his box again and pulled out the five special cards. Weevil took them with trembling hands and looked at them with utter awe.
"So these are the cards to summon Exodia? For years I have tried to figure out a strategy to beat this legendary monster,but I could never find one."Weevil's eyes suddenly grew a mysterious glint,"Until just this moment..."he began to back away to the railing. Yugi's eyes widened. He knew what was going to happen. He ran and tried to grab his cards back,but it was too late.
"Say goodbye to Exodia!"Weevil laughed like a maniac as he dropped the five cards over the railing and walked away,still laughing.
"No!"Yugi leaned over the edge and watched helplessly as his cards drifted away into the sea,"Those were the Exodia cards that my grandpa gave me!"
"I'll get 'em!"Joey yelled as he threw off his jacket and climbed over the railing.
"No,Joey,don't! They're not worth drowning over!"it was too late. Joey jumped into the sea and began to swim after the cards.
"Joey,come back! The current is too strong!"Joey was deaf to Yugi's frantic yells. He was determined to get the cards. He reached out and grabbed a card. That was his second;three more to go. Suddenly,a large wave knocked him underwater.
"Joey!"Yugi yelled,then jumped into the water himself. He dove underwater and franticly looked for Joey,still caught under the surface. The salty water stung his eyes,but he kept them open. He saw Joey,floating unconcious to the bottom. Yugi swam and grabbed Joey in one arm and kicked to the surface. There he stopped to catch his breath,doing his best to hold Joey's head above the water.
"YUGI!"the voice was coming from the ship. Yugi looked back,and saw a rope ladder being lowered from the side of the ferry. He looked up,and saw Tea and Tristen,two of his other friends who had apparently snuck on board without him knowing.
"Grab hold! Hurry!"Tea called. Yugi began to swim toward the ladder,but another wave knocked him off coarse.
"C'mon Yugi!"Tristen climbed down the ladder and reached his hand out. Yugi swam as hard as he could,his arm aching from Joey's weight. Finally he reached Tristen,who grabbed Joey. He tried to grab the ladder himself,but yet another wave swept him a few feet back.
"Yugi!"Tea screamed. Tristen climbed up and handed the unconcious Joey to Tea,then climbed back down for Yugi.
"C'mon!"he called to his friend,"You can make it,buddy! Swim! Swim hard!"Yugi swam as hard as he could,but the current was strong. His muscles were screaming in agony.
"You're almost there! Grab my hand! You can do it!"Yugi struggled to reach for Tristen's hand,but another wave struck. He was pulled underwater,and knew nothing more.
"YUGIIIIII!"Tristen called several times. Nothing. Yugi was nowhere to be seen. He sighed and climbed back up the ladder. Tea was knelt on the floor,holding Joey. She could tell from the look in her friend's eyes what had happened. Yugi was swept away.
A faint moan broke the awkward silence. Tea and Tristen turned their attention to Joey. He was waking up.
"Y-Yugi..."he uttered as he opened his eyes.
"Take it easy,Joey."Tea held Joey down.
"Where's Yugi?"There was a silence. Tea and Tristen looked at each other,then sighed and told Joey what happened.
The next morning,on a small uncharted island,a small boy was playing with his pet dog on the beach. Laughing and running,he threw the ball they were playing with,then stopped suddenly as he saw something in the distance.
Chapter 2
The Child from the Depths
"Mommy! Daddy! Come quick!"
The child's excited cries drew the attention of his family. They ran down the hill to the beach,where they saw their son standing on a nearby rock looking at something in the distance.
"What is it,Sumara?"the mother asked.
"Look at that!"Sumara pointed at something in the distance,"What is it?"the father leaned foreward and squinted his eyes.
"I don't know. Let's find out."He lifted his son up in his arms and,with his wife behind him,moved toward the strange object near the water. As they got closer,the child seemed to get more and more excited and curious,the wife more and more nervous.
They were three meters away. The wife saw what it was,gasped,and ran toward it.
It was a little boy. He looked no more then 12 years old. He had long red hair which stuck out at odd angles,with blond in the front,which covered his face. He wore blue clothes which looked like a school uniform,and around his neck he wore a black belt,like a colar. Also hanging from his neck was a strange,gold,pyramid shaped pendant,with an eye design on the front. He wore a light brown backpack,which hung off his shoulders.
The woman was in awe of this poor little one. She gently rolled him onto his back and pushed his hair away from his face.
The child's eyes were closed,but his face looked sweet and gentle. Various places were covered with sand and salt from the water. Tears began to fill the woman's eyes at the sight of the beautiful child.
"Is he alive?"little Sumara asked. His father bent down and examined the boy.
"I think so. Yes,he's breathing."
"Where do you think he came from?"
"I don't know."
"Whoever he is,"the wife said,"He looks like he has been through a lot. We should help him."The father nodded. He lifted the child into his arms and began to carry him back home,his wife and son following.
***
Tea paced back and forth,holding the box Yugi left behind. Tears were beginning to fill her eyes. It had been 5 hours since the accident,and there was no sign of their friend. They had tried to get the captain to turn around,but he refused. Tristen went up to Tea and put his arm around her.
"I'm sorry."He said,"I should've gone in. I should've tried to save him."
"It's not your fault,Tristen."Tea answered,puting the box back on the table drying her eyes,"Even if you did go in,what were the odds of making it back? I just wish Yugi could have been able to save himself."
"I know. Where do you think he could be?"
"Do you think he drowned?"
"I don't think so. He's a strong swimmer."
"So is Joey,but he couldn't fight that current! Besides,he could've been knocked unconcious by that wave. Joey was."
"That's true."Tristen looked at the sky,then turned to look at Joey. He was sitting in a nearby chair,wrapped in a blanket,staring out at the sea. He was trying not to cry. Half of him was relieved that he was still alive,the other half upset that Yugi was gone.
"Yugi,where are you...?"he muttered to himself. He knew that there was a small chance that Yugi could have been spared,but that was a very small chance. Most likely...as much as he hated to believe it...his best friend was dead.
Chapter 3
Fractured History
Joey sat in his chair and looked at his Time Wizard. It was a strange-looking card. It was a picture of a clock with hands,feet,and eyes wearing a black top hat and red cloak. In its hand it held a staff that had a clock on it. He sighed. If only the Time Wizard worked outside of dueling. Then he could go backwards in time and correct that stupid mistake he made. Yugi said Exodia wasn't worth drowning over,but he went in anyway,and now Yugi was gone,possibly forever.
Joey looked at the sky,tears freely falling down his face now. It was his fault his friend was lost to the sea. No,it wasn't his fault. It was Weevil's. Weevil threw the cards overboard when he promissed he would be careful. Then again,it was Yugi who let Weevil handle the cards. Could Yugi really be the one to blame? No. There was no way any one of them could have predicted that evil bug-loving freak doing what he did. It was Weevil's fault. He was to blame.
Where was Yugi now? Was he somehow lucky enough to survive? As much as Joey hoped for that,it wasn' a very high chance. There wasn't any land for miles. Wait,yes there was! Maybe Yugi landed at Duelist Kingdom. No,that would never work. The current was moving away from the island. Maybe Yugi drowned. That was the most likely. Tears continued to fall from Joey's eyes. There was no other explanation. As much as he hated to admit it,he was certain Yugi was dead.
A voice on the loudspeaker broke Joey out of his trance.
"Attention all duelists! We will be arriving at Duelist Kingdom in five minutes."Joey sighed and got up. For the first time since he got on,he didn't want to duel. He wanted to help his sister,Serenity by winning the prize money that he could use to pay for Serenity's operation,but what was the point of playing in the tournament without his best friend? It hurt even more that Yugi gave him one of his own star chips so they could both be in the tournament. It was as if he did that for nothing. He couldn't duel like this. He was going to give up the tournament.
***
He was in water,swimming against the current. He was in pain,his muscles tired from swimming.
There was a man there. He couldn't see his face. The man shouted something,but he couldn't hear him. There was a giant wave. It swallowed the boy,pulled him under the surface. And then...then...
The boy's eyes opened slowly. He was lying on a soft,green couch with a blanket over him,and a big fluffy pillow under his head. When he had strength enough,he sat up and looked around.
He was in a small,green room. The door to the room was closed and there was a warm fire in a nearby fireplace. On the wall was a photograph. It was a picture of a man with short,dark hair with his arm around a beautiful,red-haired woman,and a cute little boy sitting on the man's shoulders,smiling brightly.
Suddenly,the door opened. The three people from the photograph entered the room. The woman looked at the boy in relief.
"Ah."She sighed,"You're awake at last."The boy looked at her nervously. When he found his voice,he asked the first question that popped into his head.
"Wh-who are you?"
"My name is Akito."the man answered,"This is my wife,Laura,and our son,Sumara. What is your name?"
What WAS his name?
A strange word began to echo in the little boy's head. Yugi...Yugi...why had that word suddenly put itself in his mind? Why did that word sound so familiar? Was that his name?
"Yu...gi..."He answered slowly,"Yugi."
"Yugi."Sumara said,"That's an interesting name. Where are you from,Yugi?"
Yugi thought hard,straining his mind. Where was he from? He knew where he was from,and yet he didn't know.
"I...I don't...remember..."he said. Laura looked at him with pity.
"You poor boy."she said,"You must have lost your memory during...whatever happened to you."
"Something happened to me?"
"Yes,but we can only guess what. You see,"Laura sat down next to Yugi,"three days ago,our son Sumara was playing on the beach,and he found you,on the very edge of the water. We carried you back here to recover."
Something happened...
It must have had something to do with Yugi's dream. The water...the man...the wave...it must have had something to do with all of this. If only he could remember...
"You must be starving."Akito said,"Come. We'll find something for you."
"Do you..."Yugi asked,"Do you have...ramen?"
"Of course."Laura answered kindly as she helped him up.
That was strange. He just asked out of the blue if they had ramen. Does that mean he liked ramen? It must have. But ramen came from Japan. Was he from Japan? All these questions could wait. At the moment,what really mattered was food.
Chapter 4
Another Yugi?
Three days had passed since the accident. As much as he hated to do it,Joey had forfited the tounament. Although he still wished he had the money for Serenity's eye operation,he couldn't duel without his friend.
Tea looked at her friend. She had been staying at Joey's,because she was worried about him. Ever since he got the news of Yugi's accident,he had been very distant. He almost never responded when someone talked to him,and he burst into tears at the sound of Yugi's name. Tea wished she knew what was going on in his head. It seemed as though he lost hope for something. Did he truly believe Yugi was dead? He must have;what were the odds of Yugi surviving something like that?
"Joey,"Tea said after a long,awkward silence,"Mourning won't bring him back."Joey looked at her. His eyes were beginning to gloss over.
"I know."He replied,"It's just...Yugi was my best friend. He put himself at a disadvantage by giving me one of his star chips,just so we could get in the tournament together. Now,it's as if...as if..."
"As if he made that sacrifice for nothing."Tea finished for him. Joey nodded,tears flowing down his face in rivers.
"I don't think I'll ever get over this."he said hoarsly.
"I know how you feel. I miss him too. But maybe we don't have to get over it."Tea leaned closer to her friend,"Yugi's death isn't something we should dwell on for the rest of our lives,but we shouldn't ignore it either. Let's just be grateful for what he has given us."Joey nodded again.
"You're right,Tea. I gotta be a man. Yugi wouldn't want me cryin' like this."
***
Yugi swam as hard as he could. Something he was carrying weighed him down and hurt his arm. The mystery man was there again,clinging to a rope ladder. He held out his hand.
"C'mon,Yugi!"he called. Strangly the voice seemed familiar. Yugi swam for him. He grabbed Yugi's load from his arm. It was another man,about the same age as the first. He appeared to be unconcious. Yugi made a grab for the rope ladder. There was a wave.
"Hey Yugi! Yugi,wake up!"Yugi felt someone shaking him.
"Huh? What?"he muttered sleepily as he opened his eyes. He looked up and saw Sumara leaning over him.
"C'mon Yugi! Mommy signed you up for a new school,remember?"
"Right."Yugi grumbled as he crawled off the matress that Akito put on the floor for him. He stood up and started to put on the cloths the Laura brought him.
Yugi felt very lucky. The family had decided to take him in and help him as much as they can with his amnesia. He was sharing a room with Sumara,who loved the idea. He said it was kind of like having a big brother. This was kind of amusing;Yugi was made part of the family only yesterday.
"So what was up with you last night?"Sumara asked as he put his shirt on.
"Last night?"
"Yeah,you were tossing around a lot. What was with that?"
"Oh,I had a strange dream."
"What dream?"Yugi told him about the dream.
"Wierd. I wonder if it has something to do with your past."
"Maybe..."Yugi trailed off. Questions were flooding his head like a river. Who was that person he appeared to be saving? Why was he in the water? Who was the man on the ladder? Why did it seem like he knew these people?
Yugi shook off his confusion and finished getting dressed. He picked up his pendant from the night stand. It was a very interesting pendant. It was gold and pyramid shaped,with an eye reliefed on it. It looked and felt very old,and judging from the markings,it was probably from Egypt. It had a gold hoop at the top(well,if you count the pyramid's point as the top,the bottem)with a gold chain through it.
Yugi looked at it curiously as he put it on. Laura said that he was wearing it around his neck when they found him. Somehow,it felt very important to him. It seemed special,as though it had some purpose,other then just a piece of jewlry.
***
It was after school,and Sumara was showing Yugi around town and introducing him to the people who lived there. Yugi was thrilled. The townsfolk were very kind,and seemed quite curious about the boy that came from the sea. Some even said that they thought they'd seen him somewhere before. This confused Yugi,but he shook it off easily.
After getting some ice cream,Sumara and Yugi started to head home.
"So you say this island is completely uncharted?"Yugi asked as he licked his ice cream cone.
"That's right."Sumara cheerfully replied,"Nobody even dares to come out this far."
"Wow. I'm amazed that an island nobody else even knows exists can grow so large a population."
"Yeah. We've had some close calls,though. If the rest of the world found out about us,we'd be ruined. Have you seen the damage the world has done? We never want that to happen. We were so relieved when that Duelist Kingdom was built."Yugi stopped walking,"Hey,what's with you?"
"I don't know."Yugi answered,"Duelist Kingdom...that sounds...familiar..."
"It's an island,a couple hundred miles from here. A lot of people go there. I see the ferrys pass us sometimes,several miles away of course."
"What do they do there?"
"I dunno. I think it's supposed to be some tourist trap."
Duelist Kingdom...ferry...these scattered scraps of memory were getting more and more confusing,like a puzzle with missing pieces. The dream...wasn't he near a ship?
A scream in the distance shattered the silence.
"Stop! Theif!"Yugi and Sumara turned around and saw someone running towards them,a woman not too far behind.
"He has my purse! Stop him!"she yelled. Yugi jumped foreward and tried to block the guy's path.
"Outta my way!"he yelled as he smacked the little boy aside. He smashed into the wall,the impact knocking him out.
"Yugi!"Sumara screamed as he ran to help his friend. The theif continued to run. Sumara watched as the woman continued to chase him. Suddenly,out of the corner of his eye,he thought he saw something glow. He turned around. Yugi had woken up...or had he?
There was a man standing there. He looked kind of like Yugi,only he was tall and dark-looking. His eyes looked mean and determined.
"Y-Yugi?"Sumara gaped at the tall stranger.
"Stay behind me."the figure said. His voice was deep and convincing. Sumara was confused,but he heeded the comand. The figure moved towards the theif.
"You there!"he yelled,pointing an accusing finger at him. The theif jumped at the startlingly angry voice,and turned around.
"You steal from an innocent woman,and hurt a harmless child! You should be ashamed of yourself! You will pay for your wrongs!"the figure began to glow an eiree light. His red hair began to stand on end. The theif was frightened.
"Who-who-what are you?!"
"My name is not important. What matters is that you will never harm another innocent!"
The figure's glowing seised. Sumara saw something on his forehead...a third eye...how strange. He cast a hand in front of him,aiming at the theif. There was a blinding light,followed by a scream,half in terror,half in agony.
When the light died down,Sumara opened his eyes. The theif was on the ground. The woman stormed away,carrying her purse. But where was that guy? Sumara looked around,and saw Yugi sprawled out on the ground,right where the mysterious figure was standing before. He ran over to his 'brother' and began to shake his shoulder.
"Yugi! Yugi,wake up! Wake up!"Yugi opened his eyes with a faint moan.
"Wha-?"he uttered out weakly.
"How did you do that?"Sumara exclaimed as he helped Yugi up.
"Do what?"
"That!"he nodded toward the theif,lying face-down on the pavement. Yugi blinked at him.
"What are you talking about?"
"You..."Sumara loooked at his brother,"You don't remember?"
"C'mon,Sumara,I'm not stupid. That guy knocked me out. If I did anything to him,I'd have remembered."
"Wierd."Sumara pondered,"Well,either way,let's go home."
Chapter 5
Missing Pieces
Weevil sat,all too aware that the people outside his cell were talking about him.
"Weevil Underwood can't possibly be a murderer! He's a celebrity!"one yelled.
"Killing has no excuse!"the other said,"Celebrity or not,he is still at the top of the suspect list."
"And why? How can we be sure he even touched Yugi Mutoh?"
"Fact one:a witness saw Weevil talking to Yugi on the boat. The witness didn't know what they were talking about,but it caused a big reaction in Yugi. Fact two:Yugi went outside onto the deck,and Weevil followed not long after. Fact three:only Weevil came back,looking very pleased with himself. THAT is when Yugi was noticed missing. Do the math,and Weevil Underwood may as well be a murderer!"
"How can we be sure that's true?? The only reason my client is accused of murder is because we are ASSUMING that Yugi Mutoh is dead,and he HAPPENED to be there!"he nodded toward Weevil,"What if Yugi is still alive?"
"Impossible! When Yugi Mutoh disappeared,he left no trace on the boat. The only place he could've gone is overboard. The ferry was in the middle of no-where! If Yugi fell,or was thrown,as I suspect,there's no way he could've survived. The current was too strong to fight,and there was no land for miles."
They left the room,arguing about the evidence. Weevil felt his face burn. It was outrageous! Him,a murderer! Totally ridiculous! Of course,it was in a way true. He did mean to throw Exodia overboard,but he never suspected Yugi would go after them...or did he? That Joey Wheeler kid,he was soaking wet when he saw him. Maybe he went after the cards,but then why would Yugi have gone overboard and drowned? Could it be possible that Wheeler got in trouble? It was possible. They already said the current was strong. But how did Wheeler get back on the ship? All this thinking was giving Weevil a headache. He gave up trying to figure it out and starting worrying about his trial.
***
Yugi sat and looked at the wall,Sumara's dog sitting on his lap. It had been three days since the incident with the theif,and he still couldn't figure out what happened. Sumara said that after he was knocked out,he suddenly grew taller and meaner and used some kind of wierd magic on the theif. He couldn't remember any of this. He wondered if it had something to do with his pendant...if it had some kind of magic powers...
Yugi was bored. He looked around for something to do. He found a pencil and a piece of paper. He took them and,unaware of what,he began to draw.
It was an interesting drawing. He drew...what was it? A man? No. Not just a man. It looked like a wizard. He decided it was a wizard. The wizard had short hair and soft,serious eyes that were barely visible underneith his strange,tall hat. He was down on one knee,his robe flowing around him. In his right hand,he held a long,jewled staff,which was held in front of him in a defensive pose.
Sumara entered at that point and looked at what Yugi was drawing.
"What is that?"he asked.
"I don't know."Yugi anwered as he drew armored plates on the shoulders of his wizard,"It's just a picture I have in my head."
"Wow,it's pretty good!"
"Thanks."Yugi finished his drawing and looked at it. That wizard...it seemed familiar...it seemed as though it had something to do with a hobby of his that he couldn't remember. Maybe he was an artist back wherever he came from? Who knows.
***
Joey swam fast after the cards. He heard Yugi's voice calling him,but he ignored it. He reached for the card. Just three more now. There was a roar behind him. He turned around. A wave pulled him underwater. He thrashed about,desperatly trying to surface,but of no avail. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was something in the distance...land...?
Joey awoke with a start,cold sweat running down his face. His breath was fast. That was the third time he had that same dream,but that was the first time he ever saw land in it. He began to wonder...was that land really there?
He leaned back in bed and strained his brain,trying to remember. Sure enough,from what he could recall,there was indeed something off in the distance,several miles away. It was in the direction the current was flowing. Could this possibly mean...?
Joey slung himself onto the edge of the bed. He slipped a pair of flip-flops onto his feet and threw a robe about his shoulders. He left his room and ran as quietly as he could to the kitchen phone.
***
Tea sleepily made her way down the stairs,her drowsiness amplifying the ringing. Who would possibly call at this time of night? She yawned quietly as she picked up the receiver.
"Gardener residence."Tea mummbled as she put the receiver to her ear.
"Tea? Sorry to call ya this late."
"Joey?"Tea suddenly became wide awake,"What's wrong?"
"I had that dream again. This time it was different."
"How?"
"This time,after I was pulled under,I saw somethin' off in the distance. It looked like land. It was in the same direction as the current. Do you realize what that means?"
"No..."
"If my guess is on target,there is a chance Yugi is still alive!"
"What???"Tea shouted,then quickly silenced herself,"Are you sure?"she whispered.
"Pretty sure. First thing tomorrow,meet me at the docks. Tell Tristen,too."
"Right. I'll see you then."she hung up. Yugi? Alive? Could it be true? What was Joey on about? One thing was for sure...it was a darn good thing tomorrow was a weekend.
***
Laura sat in her rocking chair and looked at the wizard drawing. Sumara had shown it to her earlier that evening,saying that Yugi drew it. It was strange...she felt she had seen a wizard like this before,somewhere on tv,perhaps? Why had Yugi drawn this picture? Could Yugi's past have something to do with it?
Laura was about to get up and go upstairs to bed,but when she looked up,she jumped at seeing someone standing there. It was Yugi,standing in the doorway in his teddy bear pajamas. He looked scared,somehow.
"Yugi?"Laura asked,"What's the matter,sweetheart?"
"Another nightmare."he answered as he went over to her and sat in Laura's lap. She put her arms comfortingly around him and began to rock gently.
"The same one?"she asked in her softest,most motherly voice.
"Yes."the little boy whispered,sounding as though he was about to cry,"only...it was worse..."
"Shhh..."Laura soothed,"It's alright,baby. I'm here."
"I'm scared,Laura."Yugi whimpered,"All these dreams...and these strange things that have been happening to me...I don't know what it all means...I feel so lost...so scared..."
"There there,Yugi. It's ok. We'll talk about all this tomorrow. You need to sleep."
"Can I sleep with you and Akito tonight?"
"Of course."Laura gently took Yugi into her arms and carried him upstairs.
Chapter 6
Joey's Search Begins
It was barely dawn. A thin fog was forming over the ocean,and a cold breeze blew over land.
Tea shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her. Why did Joey want her to meet him and Tristen here so early in the morning?
She yawned. After Joey called her,she couldn't sleep too well. A lot was on her mind now. How could Joey seem so sure that Yugi was alive just because of a dream? And what was he planning at this very moment? Was he going to do what she thought he was going to do?
"Tea! 'ey Tea!"Tea turned around. Joey and Tristen were running across the dock. Joey was carrying several travel bags and his backpack hung off one shoulder.
"What is this all about,Joey?"Tea asked,mist escaping her lips as she spoke.
"I rented a motor boat. We're gonna find Yugi."
"Are you still on about that dream?"
"It's more then that,Tea. Yugi's alive. I can't explain how I know,I just feel it. Put these on and let's go."Joey handed Tea and Tristen life vests and put one on himself. Tea and Tristen looked at each other for a moment,then put the vests on and got in the boat. They couldn't quite explain it,but they felt that Joey could be right. Somehow they also felt that Yugi was alive. Could it be true,or was it wishful thinking? They didn't know,but they knew they could trust Joey.
***
Yugi sat on the beach,hugging his knees. He was deep in thought. After he told Laura about his dream,he had another one,a different one,which he didn't want to tell anyone about yet.
He dreamt he was in a room with four other people,watching tv. On the tv was a tall,white-haired man. Yugi didn't know what he was saying,but it seemed as though he was talking to him. Suddenly,he felt as though he was being pulled away from his surroundings,and everything got dark and cold. Behind him the people he was with weren't moving. That was when he woke up.
Yugi's head was swimming with questions. Who was that man on tv? Why did it seem as though he was talking to him? Did that really happen? Who were those people? Two of them he had seen in previous dreams. They all seemed familiar,but why?
Yugi shook his head to clear his mind. He decided to try to put the pieces together some other time. He got up and dusted the sand off his pants. He looked out at the ocean,and he saw something off in the distance. He couldn't tell what is was.
"Hey,Sumara! Come here a minute!"he called toward his brother. Sumara ran to him,his binochulars he was using to watch seagulls swinging around his neck.
"What is it?"he asked. Yugi pointed off toward the ocean.
"What's that over there?"he asked. Sumara put his binochulars to his eyes and looked where he was pointing.
"It's...a boat! A moter boat!"
"You're kidding! Let me see!"Yugi grabbed the binochulars and looked.
Sumara was right. It was a boat. There were three people on it. They were from his dream! But who were they? Where were they going in such a hurry? Could they possibly be looking for him?
"Where are they heading?"he asked out loud.
"From the direction they're going,"Sumara answered,"I think they're going to Duelist Kingdom."
"But we saw a ferry leave Duelist Kingdom a week ago! Why would they be going there?"
"I dunno..."
***
"Mr. Tomson,you say you were on the ferry to Duelist Kingdom. Did you happen to meet Yugi Mutoh?"the lawyer questioned his witness.
"He was in the dormitory,but I didn't really get to talk to him."
"Do you know if the offender,Weevil Underwood,talked to him?"Weevil bit his lip. If the witness said yes,it would be bad for the case.
"Yes. I was near them when they talked."Weevil flinched. The evidence was way against him now.
"Did you happen to hear anything they said?"
"Well,Weevil said he wouldn't be satisfied with his skill unless he defeated the duelist who defeated Seto Kaiba."
"In Duel Monsters?"
"He didn't say that,but I asumed that's what he meant."
"After they talked,what happened?"
"Well,Yugi Mutoh went out onto the deck."
"And Weevil?"
"Weevil went onto the deck as well after a few minutes."Weevil felt his fists clench. All the anger that he felt the first day was turning into fear. He had never been so scared in his life. He didn't harm Yugi,but that stupid lawyer was asking some bad questions. Bad for him,anyway. He desperatly hoped the charges wouldn't be to harsh. After all,he was only fourteen.
"Then what? Do you know?"
"Well,I was feeling restless,so I decided to walk around a little bit. I overheard Weevil and Yugi talking."
"Did you hear what they were saying?"Weeil bit his lip so hard,he tasted a bit of blood. He prayed that the witness heard everything.
"No."Weevil cursed under his breath,"All I heard was Yugi screaming followed by a splash. When Weevil came back,Yugi was gone."That clenched it;Weevil was doomed. He didn't know what the charges were going to be,but chances were,they weren't going to be good.
An hour had passed. Much to Weevil's relief,the case was ajourned until tomorrow morning. He didn't know why,but at least it bought him time. He began to wonder how he was going to get out of this. The evidence lead toward he murdered Yugi,and if he said he didn't do anything,they probably wouldn't believe him anyway.
Weevil's mind wandered further. Was Yugi really dead? Why did Joey Wheeler survive the water,while Yugi didn't? Where was his body now?
Weevil didn't know how long he was lost in his thoughts before he drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 7
Stormy Night
Yugi sat on the beach,looking at the sea. A cool breeze blew his hair around,and the surf splashed at his bare feet. Sumara came up to him.
"Whatcha doing up here again,Yugi?"he asked.
"I've just been thinking about a lot of things."Yugi answered,not looking away from the sea,"The only clues I have to finding out who I am are this pendent and a few scraps of memory that make no sence. I've been trying to put the pieces together."Sumara sat down next to him.
"I wish I could help you."he said.
"I know."Yugi continued to look out beyond the sea,watching the sunset. Sumara watched with him. For a long time they were in silence.
"Yugi?"Sumara asked after a moment.
"Yes?"
"Are you happy here with me and Mommy and Daddy?"
"I am,Sumara,it's just that..."Yugi looked at him,"I feel empty somehow. I feel like I lost something. Something important. I want to know what it is."Sumara looked into his brother's eyes. Poor Yugi. It must be hard on him,not knowing who he is.
The winds had begun to pick up speed,and heavy,black clouds began to drift towards them. Akito called from over the hill.
"Yugi! Sumara! It looks like a storm's coming in! We'd best get inside!"
"Alright,Daddy!"Sumara called back. The three of them ran back home just in time to avoid the rain.
***
Joey looked around as he steered the boat. They were just about where he remembered the incident happening.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing,Joey?"Tea asked uncertainly. It was very uncomfortable having to be squashed between Joey and Tristen,and she didn't like the looks of those clouds.
"Positive."Joey replied as he looked around with a pair of binochulars. He looked in the direction he remembered the current going. Sure enough,there it was,way off in the distance.
"That's it!"he exclaimed,"That island! That's what I saw in my dream! Let's go."He reved up the motor again and headed for the island. Suddenly,he felt a drop of rain touch his ear.
"Joey,"Tristen hollared over the motor,"I think there's a storm coming! Maybe we should turn back!"
"No way! We've come out this far,we're not givin' up now! Besides,there's no way we can get back home in time to avoid that storm!"
***
Yugi sat on the bed and watched the rain splatter the window. A flash of lightning crackled across the sky,followed by a loud crash of thunder. This was quite a nasty storm.
"Something wrong,Yugi?"Sumara asked.
"I was just thinking about that boat we saw yesterday. This storm could rip it in half in a matter of seconds. I hope those guys are ok."
"Do you really care that much about those people?"
"I just can't stand the thought of people dying,especially at sea. It almost took my life,remember. That's why I'm here."he sighed and looked back at Sumara,"So what are you working on over here?"
"I'm just doodling some things."he replied. Yugi looked over his shoulder. Sumara was drawing several doodles of people. Two of them looked like Laura and Akito. He started to turn his pencil over to erase something,but it slipped out of his hand and rolled to the floor.
"I'll get it."Yugi bent down,picked up the pencil,and handed it to his brother.
"Thanks."Sumara grinned,"I can't get over how you're always helping me out."Yugi smiled. When he turned around,it hit him. What Sumara said...it sounded familiar. It seemed as though he had heard it before.
A strange voice began to echo in his head. A boy's voice with a brooklyn accent saying those words over and over.
"I can't get ova how you're always helpin' me out! I can't get ova how you're always helpin' me out!"it was like a broken record. Yugi put a hand to his head. Why wouldn't it stop? He closed his eyes,trying to think of someting else,trying to block out the sound. He just wanted it to stop. He didn't want to hear it anymore.
"Yugi? Yugi,are you ok?"The echoing voice had stopped. Yugi blinked as he saw a hand waving in front of his face.
"What? Oh. Yeah,I'm fine."now that the voice was gone,his head was swimming with questions once again. Who was it who originaly said that? Why did the voice sound so familiar?
"Yugi! Sumara! Dinner's ready!"Laura called from downstairs. Finally,something else to think about,food!
***
"Joey,I really think we should turn around."Tea shouted over the storm.
"No! I told ya,we'll neva make it back like this! Our best bet is ta go straight ahead!"
Joey's courage was admirable,but this was a foolish time to be brave. The wind and the waves thrashed around them,tossing the boat about like a toy in a bathtub. Tristen and Tea did their best to hold on to the boat and keep it balanced. Joey brought the motor to full speed and fought the waves toward the island. As he speeded across the sea,the boat continued to be tossed around by the waves.
"If the storm keeps up like this,we're gonna capsize!"Tristen yelled. Sure enough,he was right. Not long after he said this,a wave struck the side of the boat hard,causing it to flip over.
Joey surfaced quickly,with help from his life vest. He looked around for his friends. He saw Tristen not too far away,holding Tea under his arm.
"Tristen!"Joey called,"Are you guys all right?"
"I'm ok,"Tristen answered,"But Tea's out cold."
"C'mon! Help me flip the boat back ova!"he and Tristen swam back to the capsised boat and began pushing,trying to get it upright. This wasn't easy. The boat was heavy,and Tristen couldn't use both hands because he was holding onto Tea.
Finally the boat flipped over again,getting into an upright posision. Joey climbed back in first. Tristen handed the uncontious Tea to him,then climbed back in himself.
"Hold on tight!"Joey said,"I'm gonna try to keep 'er steady until the storm dies down."he shut off the boat's motor and gripped both sides of it tightly. When the boat tried to tip one way,he leaned the other way,balancing the weight. It wasn't easy though. Even when forcing it into balance,it wanted to flip over again,and the waves were getting stronger and higher. Joey continued to keep it steady,praying that the storm would be over soon.
***
Laura sat in her chair,listening to the rain beating on the roof. A clap of thunder rumbled in the distance. She wondered how the boys were taking this. Sumara had gotten over his fear of thunderstorms already,but she wasn't sure about Yugi.
"Laura?"a sleepy voice said. Laura looked up. It was Yugi.
"I can't sleep."he said.
"Is the storm bothering you?"Laura asked gently. Yugi shook his head.
"There's just been a lot on my mind."
"Come here,sweetie."she said in her sweet,motherly voice again,"You can talk to me."Yugi sat in her lap and began to tell her everything that had been gnawing at him for the past week. He told her about the new dreams he had been having,the people out in the boat he felt he knew,and the brooklyn voice that had been echoing in his head.
When he was done,he felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Laura smiled sweetly.
"Feel better?"she asked. Yugi nodded. Then the young woman drew him close to her bosom and began rocking slowly,singing a sweet,gentle lullabye.
In days gone by,when the world was much younger,
Man harnessed the wind to work for mankind.
Seamen built tall ships to sail on the ocean,
While landsmen built mills,the good corn for to grind.
And around,and around,and around went the big sail,
Turning the shaft and the great wooden wheel.
Creeking and groaning,the mill stones kept turning,
Grinding to flour,the good corn from the field.
Laura had a beautiful voice. The moment she started singing,Yugi forgot all of his troubles. Images of windmills began running through his head. He felt peaceful. Before long,he was fast asleep,his head resting on her shoulder.
He was in front of that tv again. The mysterious,white-haired man was there again. Once again,he was pulled away into that dark,cold world. The people behind him were once again frozen in their frightened gaze.
"Where are we? Where have you taken us?"this was the first time he ever said something in his dreams. The white-haired man replied in a low,evil-sounding voice.
"Don't worry,little Yugi. I'll restore you all...after we play our little game."
"Yugi! Wake up! You're dreaming again!"Yugi felt someone shaking him. He opened his eyes. He was in Laura's lap,safe and sound.
Before long,Laura had soothed Yugi back to sleep. He was still now,curled up in her arms,breathing softly. She looked at him with soft green eyes and gently stroked his head,letting his hair run through her fingers. He was such a beautiful child,especially when he was sleeping. Laura loved him the minute she first saw him,lying there on the beach. She was afraid that some day,she would have to let him go. They didn't know where he came from,but wherever,he must have family. They would be looking for him. At first she thought that his family might be dead,killed by whatever brought Yugi here. But now that he had told her about the boat,she wasn't so sure.
Laura decided now was not the time to think about that. She stood up,Yugi still sleeping on her shoulder,and went upstairs to his and Sumara's room. With one hand,she pulled back the covers,and put Yugi down on the bed,next to Sumara. She gently tucked him in,and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Sweet dreams,Yugi."she whispered,then went to her room.
***
The winds started to die down. The waves had returned to their usual pace. It had stopped raining and thundering. Joey relaxed his grip on the sides of the boat.
"Good."he said,"The storm's finally dyin' down. Now we can get goin' again."He started to rev up the engine,but...
"Oh great!"
Chapter 8
So Simple,Yet So Hard
"*Grunt!* Come on you--*grunt!*stupid piece of junk! *Grunt!* Start already!"
Joey nearly pulled a muscle yanking the cord as hard as he could. The motor just whirred and sputtered. Joey hit the side in frustration.
"Shoot!"he yelled,"Must've ran outta gas."
"And we lost out supplies when we capsized! What are we gonna do?"Tea started to panic.
"Isn't there another way we can move this thing?"Tristen asked Joey.
"There is. It's slowwa,but it's all we got now."Joey reached for the side of the boat and pried off a pair of large paddles. He tossed one to Tristen,and they both began to paddle their way toward the island.
***
Yugi and Sumara ran across the beach,the dog barking happily by their side. Their excited shouting and laughing could be heard for miles around.
"Ha ha ha! Betcha can't catch me,Yugi!"
"Bet I can!"Yugi ran as fast as he could after his brother. He chased him for a long time,then finally caught up and tackled him.
"Gotcha!"there was a lot of laughter as a playful wrestling match broke out,which ended with Sumara pinning Yugi to the ground.
"Now I've gotcha."Sumara giggled.
Sumara got off of his brother and they both lay on the sand to catch their breath. When he could breath again,he got up and dusted the sand off of his clothes. He looked out at the ocean.
"Hey! The boat! It's still out there!"he exclaimed. Sumara jumped up.
"You're kidding!"he looked where Yugi was looking. Sure enough,the boat was still there,intact.
"I think it's getting closer."Yugi added. Sumara turned and ran up the hill,where Laura was sitting.
"Mommy! Mommy! Come quick!"Laura imediatly ran to where Yugi was still standing,her son at her heels. She looked at where the boat was.
"Oh my gosh..."she whispered.
"How long until they reach us?"Sumara asked.
"Three,five minutes tops."Laura replied,"Sumara,go get Daddy. He should be here. Hurry!"Sumara ran back up the hill to get Akito,while Yugi and Laura just stood there,watching the boat draw closer.
Sumara ran back to them,Akito running behind him. He looked at the boat.
"How did they know where to find us?"he exclaimed. There was no time to answer as it has reached shallow water.
"Ahoy there!"Someone called. The four of them stepped back as someone jumped out of the boat and pulled it to shore. Akito put his arm protectivly around his wife and the boys hid behind their parents.
Yugi looked at the older boy who had just beached the boat. He had blond hair that went no further then the back of his neck and was wearing a green leather jacket. He had seen this boy before;he was the one from his dreams. So were the other two people with him;a boy and a girl,both with short brown hair.
"Hey."he said to Laura and Akito,"I'm looking for a boy about this tall,kinda wild hair and big purple eyes. Have you seen 'im?"
That voice!
It was the same voice that had been echoing in his head the night before! And he had described the three most obvious parts of his appearance perfectly! Who was he?
Yugi slowly moved out from behind Laura. The older boy saw him,and smiled. He looked somehow relieved.
"Hey,Yugi."he said,"We've been lookin' for ya."
So Yugi was his name.
But how did he know that? What relationship did these people have with him?
"Who are you...?"Yugi slowly replied. The older boy looked shocked.
"Whatcha talkin' about,Yug'?"
"Are you..."Laura interupted,"Are you friends of his?"
"Yeah. Name's Joey. Joey Wheeler."
Joey Wheeler...Joey Wheeler...that name echoed in Yugi's head for a moment. Suddenly,all at once,a series of phrases with the same voice began to run through his mind like a movie in his head.
"Nice ta meetcha. I'm Joey Wheeler."
"I wanna apologize,Yugi. I've been actin' like a real jerk."
"You're the best friend I eva had,Yugi."
Yugi dropped to his knees,his head in his hands. Visions were running through his brain like crazy. It was all coming too fast. His head was pounding. The pain was unbearable.
"Yugi!"Sumara's startled cry sounded faint and distant. Yugi felt himself begin to fall to the ground. A pair of hands siezed him. Then everything went black.
***
"So dat's what happened."Joey muttered. Laura had told him,Tea and Tristen about the day they found Yugi on the beach,the three days of wonder and worry when he was sleeping,and when he awoke with no memory.
"We've done all we can,but nothing has helped him get his memory back."
"Poor Yugi."Tea said quietly. She turned her face toward Yugi,who was lying on the couch,still uncontious.
"I wish I could do more,but the only clues I have to who Yugi is are these dreams that he keeps telling me about that make no sence."There was a silence,soon broken by Yugi letting out a small sound.
"Mommy,look! He's waking up!"Sumara exclaimed softly.
***
Yugi's eyes opened slowly. His head had stopped pounding. The pain was gone. In fact,he felt perfectly fine.
He slowly sat up. He felt Akito's strong,capable hands support him as he rose.
"Easy there,now."he said gently. Yugi looked to see the three strangers sitting around a coffee table with Laura. Only this time,they weren't strangers. He knew exactly who they were. Their names jumped into his mind the second he looked at them.
"Joey..."he said as he faced the blonde one. He turned to the girl.
"Tea..."he announced,then the spike-haired boy.
"Tristen..."the three of them had looks of total and utter relief on their faces. Yugi couldn't believe it himself. He put a hand lightly on his forehead,"I...I remember! I remember everything!"
He had never been so happy in his life. He remembered everything about himself. His name was Yugi Mutoh. He was fourteen years old and a freshman in Domino High School. He lived with his grandfather...his grandfather! He remembered the reason he was on this island. His grandfather had been kidnapped and was on a ferry traveling to Duelist Kingdom to save him,when...
Memories of the trauma came back to him. Weevil Underwood,another Duelist,had thrown his most powerful Duel Monsters cards overboard,and Joey went after them. Joey ended up nearly drowning,and Yugi jumped in to go after him,and succesfully saved Joey,but ended up nearly drowning himself. That's how he came to the island.
***
Akito had helped Joey refuel the moterboat and before long they were ready to leave. Although Yugi wanted badly to go home,part of him felt sad. He loved the little island,and he loved Akito and Sumara and Laura. But he knew that it was the best for him and them if he went home. It was time he said goodbye.
"Thank you."Was all he could say to Akito. He nodded and ruffled Yugi's hair. The Sumara greeted him with his puppy in his arms.
"You're the best friend I ever had,Yugi."He said,"I'm gonna miss you. Say goodbye,Bruiser."(A/N:Yes,I finally decided to name the dog.)Bruiser whined softly.
"Bye,Sumara."Yugi replied,giving him a quick hug. He turned to face Laura. This was the hardest thing he ever had to do. He looked deep into her round,emerald eyes and could tell that they were both trying not to cry.
"Well..."she said softly,"I guess...this is goodbye."
"Yeah. Thank you for everything,Laura."he replied,tears welling up in his eyes,"I'll...try to come and visit you sometime."Laura nodded. For a moment they said nothing,then Yugi stepped foreward and hugged her around the middle. Tears freely fell down his face now. Laura gently stroked his hair,and although he couldn't see her face,Yugi knew that she started crying as well.
"Alright,now it's gettin' mushy!"Joey joked,"C'mon,Yug'! Let's get outta here!"Yugi let go of Laura and climbed into the boat.
As they sped away,Yugi could hear Sumara call out one last time to him.
"Bye bye,Yugi! I'll never forget you,Big Brother! Take care of yourself! Come back to see us sometime! Goodbye!"
Yugi slowly looked back. Sumara,Akito and Laura,standing there waving,slowly vanished into the thin blanket of fog. He blinked tears out of his eyes and they slid down his cheeks.
***
Weevil couldn't believe the scene before him. The sudden appearance of Yugi Mutoh had given the whole courtroom a shock. How could he possibly be alive? They were soon to find out as Yugi calmly told them his story. Weevil's guess was right! Joey Wheeler had gone after the cards,and Yugi followed. Afterward,he was lost on an island with amnesia. Sounded to him like something out of a bad movie,but it could save him a lifetime of trouble.
As Yugi finished his tale,the judge laughed.
"So all this fuss was made over some Duel Monsters cards?"
"Yes,Your Honor,but you must understand those cards meant a lot to me."
"I understand perfectly,dear boy. Mr. Weevil Underwood,"Weevil jumped as his name was announced,"As you already know,you have been accused of the murder of Yugi Mutoh. But since Yugi Mutoh is right here,it proves that there is no murder to accuse you of. I find the defendant not guilty. You are free to go,Mr. Underwood."
Weevil sighed in relief. He rose from his chair and proceeded to leave the courtroom.
"I guess I owe you one."he snorted dully as he brushed past Yugi.
"Hey!"Joey Wheeler snapped,"Yugi just saved your behind! You could at least be grateful!"
"Whoa,easy Joey!"Yugi held Joey back as he tried to charge Weevil,continuing to yell at him.
"It's your own fault you were even in this mess,you know! I say you apologize right now! You're going to pay for those cards you ruined,ya hear me Weevil? You're gonna pay! Hey,are you even listening? Why you little,I outta..."
Epilogue
After Yugi got home,he sent a letter to Industrial Illusions and challenged Pegasus to a rematch,since he missed the tournament. Yugi won in a stunning upset,and his grandfather was safely returned to him.
Joey continued his lessons with Mr. Mutoh for a few months,and soon became one of the best Duelists in history. He won second place,next to Yugi,in the most recent Regional Championship,and became very famous. He goes by the alias "Dueling Monkey".(A/N:Sorry,Joey-fans. I couldn't resist.)
Tea and Tristen were content to remain cheerleaders while their friends rose to triumph.
Weevil's parents payed the Mutoh family 1000 yen for the cards their son destroyed. Weevil himself has been in therapy ever since the trial.(A/N:*Evil grin*Did you really think I would just *let* Weevil go?)
Laura and her family never forgot Yugi. She keeps his drawing of the Dark Magician on the wall of her room. Little does she know that she will see Yugi again some day,but that is another story.
The End
Category: Fanfiction, anime/manga, Yu-Gi-Oh
Rating: G
Genre: Drama
Summary: Yugi gets in an accident on the trip to duelist kingdom, and ends up on an island, far from home, with no memory.
Status: Complete
This used to be my pride and joy, but now, it's ok, I guess. Just ignore the repetitiveness and the fact that an uncharted island is emensely populated, and it's pretty good.
Chapter 1
A Merciless Sea
Yugi Mutoh leaned over the railing,letting the cool sea breeze whirl gently through his long red hair. It had been three days since Maxamillian Pegasus came into his life. It was because of that insane fool that he was here,on this ship,about to enter this Duel Monsters tournament.
Yugi looked up at the sky. The horrible images of the past three days ran through his head;Pegasus challenging him to a duel,the loss,how Pegasus used some sort of evil magic to steal the soul of Yugi's grandfather,and the invitation to this tournament on Duelist Kingdom.
Yugi shook his head to remove the thoughts from his head. The thought of his grandfather's capture still gave him a lump in his throat. He went to one of the chairs that were placed on the deck and sat down. He took off his backpack and pulled out a shiny gold box. This box originally held the Millenium Puzzle that his grandpa gave him,which he now wore around his neck. He now used it to carry his Duel Monster cards.
He opened the box and looked through his cards. He saw his Swords of Revieling light magic card,his favorite card,the Dark Magician,and,the cards that saved one of his duels,the five pieces of Exodia.
"Hey,Yug'!"someone behind him said. Yugi jumped and turned around. It was Joey,Yugi's best friend who had been inside trading with the other duelists. Joey wouldn't have been in this tournament if Yugi hadn't decided to put himself at a disadvantage by giving him one of his Star Chips,which allowed him access onto the ferry.
"Hey,Joey."Yugi answered.
"I got some cool card tradin' in."
"Hey,let me see!"Joey handed his friend the four cards that he recieved in the trading. Yugi looked at them with interest.
"Salamandra,Kuni with Chain,Baby Dragon,and Shield and Sword! Great! With these,you'll have a really strong deck!"
"I guess that means I'm ready to beat anybody!"Joey exclaimed,cocky as usual. Yugi laughed.
"I think you'll find it's a lot harder then that,Joey. Here,"Yugi reached into his box and pulled out a card;the Time Wizard,"Add this to your deck. It can be useful in a tight spot."Joey took the card and looked at it.
"Thanks. I can't get over how you're always helpin' me out."he said. Yugi smiled. Suddenly,a voice behind them made them both jump.
"Ah,we meet again,Yugi."Yugi whipped around and saw one of the other duelists,Weevil.
Weevil won the last Duel Monster competition,and when Yugi met him inside,he said he looked foreward to facing the young boy in a duel.
"Did you trade for any good cards,Yugi?"he asked. His voice was scratchy and annoying.
"Nah."Yugi answered,pleasent as always,"I'm going to use the cards I brought with me."
"I suspected as much. You used Exodia to beat Kaiba didn't you?"Yugi nodded. Kaiba was one of Yugi's classmates,and he once chalenged Yugi to a duel,and Yugi won at the last minute by using the five Exodia pieces he luckily drew.
"Those are the strongest cards in all of Duel Monsters!"
"And very rare!"Yugi exclaimed. Weevil started trembling,as if excited about something.
"Could...I possibly...see those legendary cards?"Weevil asked,a tremor of excitement in his voice.
"I don't see why not. Just be careful with them,ok?"Yugi opened his box again and pulled out the five special cards. Weevil took them with trembling hands and looked at them with utter awe.
"So these are the cards to summon Exodia? For years I have tried to figure out a strategy to beat this legendary monster,but I could never find one."Weevil's eyes suddenly grew a mysterious glint,"Until just this moment..."he began to back away to the railing. Yugi's eyes widened. He knew what was going to happen. He ran and tried to grab his cards back,but it was too late.
"Say goodbye to Exodia!"Weevil laughed like a maniac as he dropped the five cards over the railing and walked away,still laughing.
"No!"Yugi leaned over the edge and watched helplessly as his cards drifted away into the sea,"Those were the Exodia cards that my grandpa gave me!"
"I'll get 'em!"Joey yelled as he threw off his jacket and climbed over the railing.
"No,Joey,don't! They're not worth drowning over!"it was too late. Joey jumped into the sea and began to swim after the cards.
"Joey,come back! The current is too strong!"Joey was deaf to Yugi's frantic yells. He was determined to get the cards. He reached out and grabbed a card. That was his second;three more to go. Suddenly,a large wave knocked him underwater.
"Joey!"Yugi yelled,then jumped into the water himself. He dove underwater and franticly looked for Joey,still caught under the surface. The salty water stung his eyes,but he kept them open. He saw Joey,floating unconcious to the bottom. Yugi swam and grabbed Joey in one arm and kicked to the surface. There he stopped to catch his breath,doing his best to hold Joey's head above the water.
"YUGI!"the voice was coming from the ship. Yugi looked back,and saw a rope ladder being lowered from the side of the ferry. He looked up,and saw Tea and Tristen,two of his other friends who had apparently snuck on board without him knowing.
"Grab hold! Hurry!"Tea called. Yugi began to swim toward the ladder,but another wave knocked him off coarse.
"C'mon Yugi!"Tristen climbed down the ladder and reached his hand out. Yugi swam as hard as he could,his arm aching from Joey's weight. Finally he reached Tristen,who grabbed Joey. He tried to grab the ladder himself,but yet another wave swept him a few feet back.
"Yugi!"Tea screamed. Tristen climbed up and handed the unconcious Joey to Tea,then climbed back down for Yugi.
"C'mon!"he called to his friend,"You can make it,buddy! Swim! Swim hard!"Yugi swam as hard as he could,but the current was strong. His muscles were screaming in agony.
"You're almost there! Grab my hand! You can do it!"Yugi struggled to reach for Tristen's hand,but another wave struck. He was pulled underwater,and knew nothing more.
"YUGIIIIII!"Tristen called several times. Nothing. Yugi was nowhere to be seen. He sighed and climbed back up the ladder. Tea was knelt on the floor,holding Joey. She could tell from the look in her friend's eyes what had happened. Yugi was swept away.
A faint moan broke the awkward silence. Tea and Tristen turned their attention to Joey. He was waking up.
"Y-Yugi..."he uttered as he opened his eyes.
"Take it easy,Joey."Tea held Joey down.
"Where's Yugi?"There was a silence. Tea and Tristen looked at each other,then sighed and told Joey what happened.
The next morning,on a small uncharted island,a small boy was playing with his pet dog on the beach. Laughing and running,he threw the ball they were playing with,then stopped suddenly as he saw something in the distance.
Chapter 2
The Child from the Depths
"Mommy! Daddy! Come quick!"
The child's excited cries drew the attention of his family. They ran down the hill to the beach,where they saw their son standing on a nearby rock looking at something in the distance.
"What is it,Sumara?"the mother asked.
"Look at that!"Sumara pointed at something in the distance,"What is it?"the father leaned foreward and squinted his eyes.
"I don't know. Let's find out."He lifted his son up in his arms and,with his wife behind him,moved toward the strange object near the water. As they got closer,the child seemed to get more and more excited and curious,the wife more and more nervous.
They were three meters away. The wife saw what it was,gasped,and ran toward it.
It was a little boy. He looked no more then 12 years old. He had long red hair which stuck out at odd angles,with blond in the front,which covered his face. He wore blue clothes which looked like a school uniform,and around his neck he wore a black belt,like a colar. Also hanging from his neck was a strange,gold,pyramid shaped pendant,with an eye design on the front. He wore a light brown backpack,which hung off his shoulders.
The woman was in awe of this poor little one. She gently rolled him onto his back and pushed his hair away from his face.
The child's eyes were closed,but his face looked sweet and gentle. Various places were covered with sand and salt from the water. Tears began to fill the woman's eyes at the sight of the beautiful child.
"Is he alive?"little Sumara asked. His father bent down and examined the boy.
"I think so. Yes,he's breathing."
"Where do you think he came from?"
"I don't know."
"Whoever he is,"the wife said,"He looks like he has been through a lot. We should help him."The father nodded. He lifted the child into his arms and began to carry him back home,his wife and son following.
***
Tea paced back and forth,holding the box Yugi left behind. Tears were beginning to fill her eyes. It had been 5 hours since the accident,and there was no sign of their friend. They had tried to get the captain to turn around,but he refused. Tristen went up to Tea and put his arm around her.
"I'm sorry."He said,"I should've gone in. I should've tried to save him."
"It's not your fault,Tristen."Tea answered,puting the box back on the table drying her eyes,"Even if you did go in,what were the odds of making it back? I just wish Yugi could have been able to save himself."
"I know. Where do you think he could be?"
"Do you think he drowned?"
"I don't think so. He's a strong swimmer."
"So is Joey,but he couldn't fight that current! Besides,he could've been knocked unconcious by that wave. Joey was."
"That's true."Tristen looked at the sky,then turned to look at Joey. He was sitting in a nearby chair,wrapped in a blanket,staring out at the sea. He was trying not to cry. Half of him was relieved that he was still alive,the other half upset that Yugi was gone.
"Yugi,where are you...?"he muttered to himself. He knew that there was a small chance that Yugi could have been spared,but that was a very small chance. Most likely...as much as he hated to believe it...his best friend was dead.
Chapter 3
Fractured History
Joey sat in his chair and looked at his Time Wizard. It was a strange-looking card. It was a picture of a clock with hands,feet,and eyes wearing a black top hat and red cloak. In its hand it held a staff that had a clock on it. He sighed. If only the Time Wizard worked outside of dueling. Then he could go backwards in time and correct that stupid mistake he made. Yugi said Exodia wasn't worth drowning over,but he went in anyway,and now Yugi was gone,possibly forever.
Joey looked at the sky,tears freely falling down his face now. It was his fault his friend was lost to the sea. No,it wasn't his fault. It was Weevil's. Weevil threw the cards overboard when he promissed he would be careful. Then again,it was Yugi who let Weevil handle the cards. Could Yugi really be the one to blame? No. There was no way any one of them could have predicted that evil bug-loving freak doing what he did. It was Weevil's fault. He was to blame.
Where was Yugi now? Was he somehow lucky enough to survive? As much as Joey hoped for that,it wasn' a very high chance. There wasn't any land for miles. Wait,yes there was! Maybe Yugi landed at Duelist Kingdom. No,that would never work. The current was moving away from the island. Maybe Yugi drowned. That was the most likely. Tears continued to fall from Joey's eyes. There was no other explanation. As much as he hated to admit it,he was certain Yugi was dead.
A voice on the loudspeaker broke Joey out of his trance.
"Attention all duelists! We will be arriving at Duelist Kingdom in five minutes."Joey sighed and got up. For the first time since he got on,he didn't want to duel. He wanted to help his sister,Serenity by winning the prize money that he could use to pay for Serenity's operation,but what was the point of playing in the tournament without his best friend? It hurt even more that Yugi gave him one of his own star chips so they could both be in the tournament. It was as if he did that for nothing. He couldn't duel like this. He was going to give up the tournament.
***
He was in water,swimming against the current. He was in pain,his muscles tired from swimming.
There was a man there. He couldn't see his face. The man shouted something,but he couldn't hear him. There was a giant wave. It swallowed the boy,pulled him under the surface. And then...then...
The boy's eyes opened slowly. He was lying on a soft,green couch with a blanket over him,and a big fluffy pillow under his head. When he had strength enough,he sat up and looked around.
He was in a small,green room. The door to the room was closed and there was a warm fire in a nearby fireplace. On the wall was a photograph. It was a picture of a man with short,dark hair with his arm around a beautiful,red-haired woman,and a cute little boy sitting on the man's shoulders,smiling brightly.
Suddenly,the door opened. The three people from the photograph entered the room. The woman looked at the boy in relief.
"Ah."She sighed,"You're awake at last."The boy looked at her nervously. When he found his voice,he asked the first question that popped into his head.
"Wh-who are you?"
"My name is Akito."the man answered,"This is my wife,Laura,and our son,Sumara. What is your name?"
What WAS his name?
A strange word began to echo in the little boy's head. Yugi...Yugi...why had that word suddenly put itself in his mind? Why did that word sound so familiar? Was that his name?
"Yu...gi..."He answered slowly,"Yugi."
"Yugi."Sumara said,"That's an interesting name. Where are you from,Yugi?"
Yugi thought hard,straining his mind. Where was he from? He knew where he was from,and yet he didn't know.
"I...I don't...remember..."he said. Laura looked at him with pity.
"You poor boy."she said,"You must have lost your memory during...whatever happened to you."
"Something happened to me?"
"Yes,but we can only guess what. You see,"Laura sat down next to Yugi,"three days ago,our son Sumara was playing on the beach,and he found you,on the very edge of the water. We carried you back here to recover."
Something happened...
It must have had something to do with Yugi's dream. The water...the man...the wave...it must have had something to do with all of this. If only he could remember...
"You must be starving."Akito said,"Come. We'll find something for you."
"Do you..."Yugi asked,"Do you have...ramen?"
"Of course."Laura answered kindly as she helped him up.
That was strange. He just asked out of the blue if they had ramen. Does that mean he liked ramen? It must have. But ramen came from Japan. Was he from Japan? All these questions could wait. At the moment,what really mattered was food.
Chapter 4
Another Yugi?
Three days had passed since the accident. As much as he hated to do it,Joey had forfited the tounament. Although he still wished he had the money for Serenity's eye operation,he couldn't duel without his friend.
Tea looked at her friend. She had been staying at Joey's,because she was worried about him. Ever since he got the news of Yugi's accident,he had been very distant. He almost never responded when someone talked to him,and he burst into tears at the sound of Yugi's name. Tea wished she knew what was going on in his head. It seemed as though he lost hope for something. Did he truly believe Yugi was dead? He must have;what were the odds of Yugi surviving something like that?
"Joey,"Tea said after a long,awkward silence,"Mourning won't bring him back."Joey looked at her. His eyes were beginning to gloss over.
"I know."He replied,"It's just...Yugi was my best friend. He put himself at a disadvantage by giving me one of his star chips,just so we could get in the tournament together. Now,it's as if...as if..."
"As if he made that sacrifice for nothing."Tea finished for him. Joey nodded,tears flowing down his face in rivers.
"I don't think I'll ever get over this."he said hoarsly.
"I know how you feel. I miss him too. But maybe we don't have to get over it."Tea leaned closer to her friend,"Yugi's death isn't something we should dwell on for the rest of our lives,but we shouldn't ignore it either. Let's just be grateful for what he has given us."Joey nodded again.
"You're right,Tea. I gotta be a man. Yugi wouldn't want me cryin' like this."
***
Yugi swam as hard as he could. Something he was carrying weighed him down and hurt his arm. The mystery man was there again,clinging to a rope ladder. He held out his hand.
"C'mon,Yugi!"he called. Strangly the voice seemed familiar. Yugi swam for him. He grabbed Yugi's load from his arm. It was another man,about the same age as the first. He appeared to be unconcious. Yugi made a grab for the rope ladder. There was a wave.
"Hey Yugi! Yugi,wake up!"Yugi felt someone shaking him.
"Huh? What?"he muttered sleepily as he opened his eyes. He looked up and saw Sumara leaning over him.
"C'mon Yugi! Mommy signed you up for a new school,remember?"
"Right."Yugi grumbled as he crawled off the matress that Akito put on the floor for him. He stood up and started to put on the cloths the Laura brought him.
Yugi felt very lucky. The family had decided to take him in and help him as much as they can with his amnesia. He was sharing a room with Sumara,who loved the idea. He said it was kind of like having a big brother. This was kind of amusing;Yugi was made part of the family only yesterday.
"So what was up with you last night?"Sumara asked as he put his shirt on.
"Last night?"
"Yeah,you were tossing around a lot. What was with that?"
"Oh,I had a strange dream."
"What dream?"Yugi told him about the dream.
"Wierd. I wonder if it has something to do with your past."
"Maybe..."Yugi trailed off. Questions were flooding his head like a river. Who was that person he appeared to be saving? Why was he in the water? Who was the man on the ladder? Why did it seem like he knew these people?
Yugi shook off his confusion and finished getting dressed. He picked up his pendant from the night stand. It was a very interesting pendant. It was gold and pyramid shaped,with an eye reliefed on it. It looked and felt very old,and judging from the markings,it was probably from Egypt. It had a gold hoop at the top(well,if you count the pyramid's point as the top,the bottem)with a gold chain through it.
Yugi looked at it curiously as he put it on. Laura said that he was wearing it around his neck when they found him. Somehow,it felt very important to him. It seemed special,as though it had some purpose,other then just a piece of jewlry.
***
It was after school,and Sumara was showing Yugi around town and introducing him to the people who lived there. Yugi was thrilled. The townsfolk were very kind,and seemed quite curious about the boy that came from the sea. Some even said that they thought they'd seen him somewhere before. This confused Yugi,but he shook it off easily.
After getting some ice cream,Sumara and Yugi started to head home.
"So you say this island is completely uncharted?"Yugi asked as he licked his ice cream cone.
"That's right."Sumara cheerfully replied,"Nobody even dares to come out this far."
"Wow. I'm amazed that an island nobody else even knows exists can grow so large a population."
"Yeah. We've had some close calls,though. If the rest of the world found out about us,we'd be ruined. Have you seen the damage the world has done? We never want that to happen. We were so relieved when that Duelist Kingdom was built."Yugi stopped walking,"Hey,what's with you?"
"I don't know."Yugi answered,"Duelist Kingdom...that sounds...familiar..."
"It's an island,a couple hundred miles from here. A lot of people go there. I see the ferrys pass us sometimes,several miles away of course."
"What do they do there?"
"I dunno. I think it's supposed to be some tourist trap."
Duelist Kingdom...ferry...these scattered scraps of memory were getting more and more confusing,like a puzzle with missing pieces. The dream...wasn't he near a ship?
A scream in the distance shattered the silence.
"Stop! Theif!"Yugi and Sumara turned around and saw someone running towards them,a woman not too far behind.
"He has my purse! Stop him!"she yelled. Yugi jumped foreward and tried to block the guy's path.
"Outta my way!"he yelled as he smacked the little boy aside. He smashed into the wall,the impact knocking him out.
"Yugi!"Sumara screamed as he ran to help his friend. The theif continued to run. Sumara watched as the woman continued to chase him. Suddenly,out of the corner of his eye,he thought he saw something glow. He turned around. Yugi had woken up...or had he?
There was a man standing there. He looked kind of like Yugi,only he was tall and dark-looking. His eyes looked mean and determined.
"Y-Yugi?"Sumara gaped at the tall stranger.
"Stay behind me."the figure said. His voice was deep and convincing. Sumara was confused,but he heeded the comand. The figure moved towards the theif.
"You there!"he yelled,pointing an accusing finger at him. The theif jumped at the startlingly angry voice,and turned around.
"You steal from an innocent woman,and hurt a harmless child! You should be ashamed of yourself! You will pay for your wrongs!"the figure began to glow an eiree light. His red hair began to stand on end. The theif was frightened.
"Who-who-what are you?!"
"My name is not important. What matters is that you will never harm another innocent!"
The figure's glowing seised. Sumara saw something on his forehead...a third eye...how strange. He cast a hand in front of him,aiming at the theif. There was a blinding light,followed by a scream,half in terror,half in agony.
When the light died down,Sumara opened his eyes. The theif was on the ground. The woman stormed away,carrying her purse. But where was that guy? Sumara looked around,and saw Yugi sprawled out on the ground,right where the mysterious figure was standing before. He ran over to his 'brother' and began to shake his shoulder.
"Yugi! Yugi,wake up! Wake up!"Yugi opened his eyes with a faint moan.
"Wha-?"he uttered out weakly.
"How did you do that?"Sumara exclaimed as he helped Yugi up.
"Do what?"
"That!"he nodded toward the theif,lying face-down on the pavement. Yugi blinked at him.
"What are you talking about?"
"You..."Sumara loooked at his brother,"You don't remember?"
"C'mon,Sumara,I'm not stupid. That guy knocked me out. If I did anything to him,I'd have remembered."
"Wierd."Sumara pondered,"Well,either way,let's go home."
Chapter 5
Missing Pieces
Weevil sat,all too aware that the people outside his cell were talking about him.
"Weevil Underwood can't possibly be a murderer! He's a celebrity!"one yelled.
"Killing has no excuse!"the other said,"Celebrity or not,he is still at the top of the suspect list."
"And why? How can we be sure he even touched Yugi Mutoh?"
"Fact one:a witness saw Weevil talking to Yugi on the boat. The witness didn't know what they were talking about,but it caused a big reaction in Yugi. Fact two:Yugi went outside onto the deck,and Weevil followed not long after. Fact three:only Weevil came back,looking very pleased with himself. THAT is when Yugi was noticed missing. Do the math,and Weevil Underwood may as well be a murderer!"
"How can we be sure that's true?? The only reason my client is accused of murder is because we are ASSUMING that Yugi Mutoh is dead,and he HAPPENED to be there!"he nodded toward Weevil,"What if Yugi is still alive?"
"Impossible! When Yugi Mutoh disappeared,he left no trace on the boat. The only place he could've gone is overboard. The ferry was in the middle of no-where! If Yugi fell,or was thrown,as I suspect,there's no way he could've survived. The current was too strong to fight,and there was no land for miles."
They left the room,arguing about the evidence. Weevil felt his face burn. It was outrageous! Him,a murderer! Totally ridiculous! Of course,it was in a way true. He did mean to throw Exodia overboard,but he never suspected Yugi would go after them...or did he? That Joey Wheeler kid,he was soaking wet when he saw him. Maybe he went after the cards,but then why would Yugi have gone overboard and drowned? Could it be possible that Wheeler got in trouble? It was possible. They already said the current was strong. But how did Wheeler get back on the ship? All this thinking was giving Weevil a headache. He gave up trying to figure it out and starting worrying about his trial.
***
Yugi sat and looked at the wall,Sumara's dog sitting on his lap. It had been three days since the incident with the theif,and he still couldn't figure out what happened. Sumara said that after he was knocked out,he suddenly grew taller and meaner and used some kind of wierd magic on the theif. He couldn't remember any of this. He wondered if it had something to do with his pendant...if it had some kind of magic powers...
Yugi was bored. He looked around for something to do. He found a pencil and a piece of paper. He took them and,unaware of what,he began to draw.
It was an interesting drawing. He drew...what was it? A man? No. Not just a man. It looked like a wizard. He decided it was a wizard. The wizard had short hair and soft,serious eyes that were barely visible underneith his strange,tall hat. He was down on one knee,his robe flowing around him. In his right hand,he held a long,jewled staff,which was held in front of him in a defensive pose.
Sumara entered at that point and looked at what Yugi was drawing.
"What is that?"he asked.
"I don't know."Yugi anwered as he drew armored plates on the shoulders of his wizard,"It's just a picture I have in my head."
"Wow,it's pretty good!"
"Thanks."Yugi finished his drawing and looked at it. That wizard...it seemed familiar...it seemed as though it had something to do with a hobby of his that he couldn't remember. Maybe he was an artist back wherever he came from? Who knows.
***
Joey swam fast after the cards. He heard Yugi's voice calling him,but he ignored it. He reached for the card. Just three more now. There was a roar behind him. He turned around. A wave pulled him underwater. He thrashed about,desperatly trying to surface,but of no avail. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was something in the distance...land...?
Joey awoke with a start,cold sweat running down his face. His breath was fast. That was the third time he had that same dream,but that was the first time he ever saw land in it. He began to wonder...was that land really there?
He leaned back in bed and strained his brain,trying to remember. Sure enough,from what he could recall,there was indeed something off in the distance,several miles away. It was in the direction the current was flowing. Could this possibly mean...?
Joey slung himself onto the edge of the bed. He slipped a pair of flip-flops onto his feet and threw a robe about his shoulders. He left his room and ran as quietly as he could to the kitchen phone.
***
Tea sleepily made her way down the stairs,her drowsiness amplifying the ringing. Who would possibly call at this time of night? She yawned quietly as she picked up the receiver.
"Gardener residence."Tea mummbled as she put the receiver to her ear.
"Tea? Sorry to call ya this late."
"Joey?"Tea suddenly became wide awake,"What's wrong?"
"I had that dream again. This time it was different."
"How?"
"This time,after I was pulled under,I saw somethin' off in the distance. It looked like land. It was in the same direction as the current. Do you realize what that means?"
"No..."
"If my guess is on target,there is a chance Yugi is still alive!"
"What???"Tea shouted,then quickly silenced herself,"Are you sure?"she whispered.
"Pretty sure. First thing tomorrow,meet me at the docks. Tell Tristen,too."
"Right. I'll see you then."she hung up. Yugi? Alive? Could it be true? What was Joey on about? One thing was for sure...it was a darn good thing tomorrow was a weekend.
***
Laura sat in her rocking chair and looked at the wizard drawing. Sumara had shown it to her earlier that evening,saying that Yugi drew it. It was strange...she felt she had seen a wizard like this before,somewhere on tv,perhaps? Why had Yugi drawn this picture? Could Yugi's past have something to do with it?
Laura was about to get up and go upstairs to bed,but when she looked up,she jumped at seeing someone standing there. It was Yugi,standing in the doorway in his teddy bear pajamas. He looked scared,somehow.
"Yugi?"Laura asked,"What's the matter,sweetheart?"
"Another nightmare."he answered as he went over to her and sat in Laura's lap. She put her arms comfortingly around him and began to rock gently.
"The same one?"she asked in her softest,most motherly voice.
"Yes."the little boy whispered,sounding as though he was about to cry,"only...it was worse..."
"Shhh..."Laura soothed,"It's alright,baby. I'm here."
"I'm scared,Laura."Yugi whimpered,"All these dreams...and these strange things that have been happening to me...I don't know what it all means...I feel so lost...so scared..."
"There there,Yugi. It's ok. We'll talk about all this tomorrow. You need to sleep."
"Can I sleep with you and Akito tonight?"
"Of course."Laura gently took Yugi into her arms and carried him upstairs.
Chapter 6
Joey's Search Begins
It was barely dawn. A thin fog was forming over the ocean,and a cold breeze blew over land.
Tea shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her. Why did Joey want her to meet him and Tristen here so early in the morning?
She yawned. After Joey called her,she couldn't sleep too well. A lot was on her mind now. How could Joey seem so sure that Yugi was alive just because of a dream? And what was he planning at this very moment? Was he going to do what she thought he was going to do?
"Tea! 'ey Tea!"Tea turned around. Joey and Tristen were running across the dock. Joey was carrying several travel bags and his backpack hung off one shoulder.
"What is this all about,Joey?"Tea asked,mist escaping her lips as she spoke.
"I rented a motor boat. We're gonna find Yugi."
"Are you still on about that dream?"
"It's more then that,Tea. Yugi's alive. I can't explain how I know,I just feel it. Put these on and let's go."Joey handed Tea and Tristen life vests and put one on himself. Tea and Tristen looked at each other for a moment,then put the vests on and got in the boat. They couldn't quite explain it,but they felt that Joey could be right. Somehow they also felt that Yugi was alive. Could it be true,or was it wishful thinking? They didn't know,but they knew they could trust Joey.
***
Yugi sat on the beach,hugging his knees. He was deep in thought. After he told Laura about his dream,he had another one,a different one,which he didn't want to tell anyone about yet.
He dreamt he was in a room with four other people,watching tv. On the tv was a tall,white-haired man. Yugi didn't know what he was saying,but it seemed as though he was talking to him. Suddenly,he felt as though he was being pulled away from his surroundings,and everything got dark and cold. Behind him the people he was with weren't moving. That was when he woke up.
Yugi's head was swimming with questions. Who was that man on tv? Why did it seem as though he was talking to him? Did that really happen? Who were those people? Two of them he had seen in previous dreams. They all seemed familiar,but why?
Yugi shook his head to clear his mind. He decided to try to put the pieces together some other time. He got up and dusted the sand off his pants. He looked out at the ocean,and he saw something off in the distance. He couldn't tell what is was.
"Hey,Sumara! Come here a minute!"he called toward his brother. Sumara ran to him,his binochulars he was using to watch seagulls swinging around his neck.
"What is it?"he asked. Yugi pointed off toward the ocean.
"What's that over there?"he asked. Sumara put his binochulars to his eyes and looked where he was pointing.
"It's...a boat! A moter boat!"
"You're kidding! Let me see!"Yugi grabbed the binochulars and looked.
Sumara was right. It was a boat. There were three people on it. They were from his dream! But who were they? Where were they going in such a hurry? Could they possibly be looking for him?
"Where are they heading?"he asked out loud.
"From the direction they're going,"Sumara answered,"I think they're going to Duelist Kingdom."
"But we saw a ferry leave Duelist Kingdom a week ago! Why would they be going there?"
"I dunno..."
***
"Mr. Tomson,you say you were on the ferry to Duelist Kingdom. Did you happen to meet Yugi Mutoh?"the lawyer questioned his witness.
"He was in the dormitory,but I didn't really get to talk to him."
"Do you know if the offender,Weevil Underwood,talked to him?"Weevil bit his lip. If the witness said yes,it would be bad for the case.
"Yes. I was near them when they talked."Weevil flinched. The evidence was way against him now.
"Did you happen to hear anything they said?"
"Well,Weevil said he wouldn't be satisfied with his skill unless he defeated the duelist who defeated Seto Kaiba."
"In Duel Monsters?"
"He didn't say that,but I asumed that's what he meant."
"After they talked,what happened?"
"Well,Yugi Mutoh went out onto the deck."
"And Weevil?"
"Weevil went onto the deck as well after a few minutes."Weevil felt his fists clench. All the anger that he felt the first day was turning into fear. He had never been so scared in his life. He didn't harm Yugi,but that stupid lawyer was asking some bad questions. Bad for him,anyway. He desperatly hoped the charges wouldn't be to harsh. After all,he was only fourteen.
"Then what? Do you know?"
"Well,I was feeling restless,so I decided to walk around a little bit. I overheard Weevil and Yugi talking."
"Did you hear what they were saying?"Weeil bit his lip so hard,he tasted a bit of blood. He prayed that the witness heard everything.
"No."Weevil cursed under his breath,"All I heard was Yugi screaming followed by a splash. When Weevil came back,Yugi was gone."That clenched it;Weevil was doomed. He didn't know what the charges were going to be,but chances were,they weren't going to be good.
An hour had passed. Much to Weevil's relief,the case was ajourned until tomorrow morning. He didn't know why,but at least it bought him time. He began to wonder how he was going to get out of this. The evidence lead toward he murdered Yugi,and if he said he didn't do anything,they probably wouldn't believe him anyway.
Weevil's mind wandered further. Was Yugi really dead? Why did Joey Wheeler survive the water,while Yugi didn't? Where was his body now?
Weevil didn't know how long he was lost in his thoughts before he drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 7
Stormy Night
Yugi sat on the beach,looking at the sea. A cool breeze blew his hair around,and the surf splashed at his bare feet. Sumara came up to him.
"Whatcha doing up here again,Yugi?"he asked.
"I've just been thinking about a lot of things."Yugi answered,not looking away from the sea,"The only clues I have to finding out who I am are this pendent and a few scraps of memory that make no sence. I've been trying to put the pieces together."Sumara sat down next to him.
"I wish I could help you."he said.
"I know."Yugi continued to look out beyond the sea,watching the sunset. Sumara watched with him. For a long time they were in silence.
"Yugi?"Sumara asked after a moment.
"Yes?"
"Are you happy here with me and Mommy and Daddy?"
"I am,Sumara,it's just that..."Yugi looked at him,"I feel empty somehow. I feel like I lost something. Something important. I want to know what it is."Sumara looked into his brother's eyes. Poor Yugi. It must be hard on him,not knowing who he is.
The winds had begun to pick up speed,and heavy,black clouds began to drift towards them. Akito called from over the hill.
"Yugi! Sumara! It looks like a storm's coming in! We'd best get inside!"
"Alright,Daddy!"Sumara called back. The three of them ran back home just in time to avoid the rain.
***
Joey looked around as he steered the boat. They were just about where he remembered the incident happening.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing,Joey?"Tea asked uncertainly. It was very uncomfortable having to be squashed between Joey and Tristen,and she didn't like the looks of those clouds.
"Positive."Joey replied as he looked around with a pair of binochulars. He looked in the direction he remembered the current going. Sure enough,there it was,way off in the distance.
"That's it!"he exclaimed,"That island! That's what I saw in my dream! Let's go."He reved up the motor again and headed for the island. Suddenly,he felt a drop of rain touch his ear.
"Joey,"Tristen hollared over the motor,"I think there's a storm coming! Maybe we should turn back!"
"No way! We've come out this far,we're not givin' up now! Besides,there's no way we can get back home in time to avoid that storm!"
***
Yugi sat on the bed and watched the rain splatter the window. A flash of lightning crackled across the sky,followed by a loud crash of thunder. This was quite a nasty storm.
"Something wrong,Yugi?"Sumara asked.
"I was just thinking about that boat we saw yesterday. This storm could rip it in half in a matter of seconds. I hope those guys are ok."
"Do you really care that much about those people?"
"I just can't stand the thought of people dying,especially at sea. It almost took my life,remember. That's why I'm here."he sighed and looked back at Sumara,"So what are you working on over here?"
"I'm just doodling some things."he replied. Yugi looked over his shoulder. Sumara was drawing several doodles of people. Two of them looked like Laura and Akito. He started to turn his pencil over to erase something,but it slipped out of his hand and rolled to the floor.
"I'll get it."Yugi bent down,picked up the pencil,and handed it to his brother.
"Thanks."Sumara grinned,"I can't get over how you're always helping me out."Yugi smiled. When he turned around,it hit him. What Sumara said...it sounded familiar. It seemed as though he had heard it before.
A strange voice began to echo in his head. A boy's voice with a brooklyn accent saying those words over and over.
"I can't get ova how you're always helpin' me out! I can't get ova how you're always helpin' me out!"it was like a broken record. Yugi put a hand to his head. Why wouldn't it stop? He closed his eyes,trying to think of someting else,trying to block out the sound. He just wanted it to stop. He didn't want to hear it anymore.
"Yugi? Yugi,are you ok?"The echoing voice had stopped. Yugi blinked as he saw a hand waving in front of his face.
"What? Oh. Yeah,I'm fine."now that the voice was gone,his head was swimming with questions once again. Who was it who originaly said that? Why did the voice sound so familiar?
"Yugi! Sumara! Dinner's ready!"Laura called from downstairs. Finally,something else to think about,food!
***
"Joey,I really think we should turn around."Tea shouted over the storm.
"No! I told ya,we'll neva make it back like this! Our best bet is ta go straight ahead!"
Joey's courage was admirable,but this was a foolish time to be brave. The wind and the waves thrashed around them,tossing the boat about like a toy in a bathtub. Tristen and Tea did their best to hold on to the boat and keep it balanced. Joey brought the motor to full speed and fought the waves toward the island. As he speeded across the sea,the boat continued to be tossed around by the waves.
"If the storm keeps up like this,we're gonna capsize!"Tristen yelled. Sure enough,he was right. Not long after he said this,a wave struck the side of the boat hard,causing it to flip over.
Joey surfaced quickly,with help from his life vest. He looked around for his friends. He saw Tristen not too far away,holding Tea under his arm.
"Tristen!"Joey called,"Are you guys all right?"
"I'm ok,"Tristen answered,"But Tea's out cold."
"C'mon! Help me flip the boat back ova!"he and Tristen swam back to the capsised boat and began pushing,trying to get it upright. This wasn't easy. The boat was heavy,and Tristen couldn't use both hands because he was holding onto Tea.
Finally the boat flipped over again,getting into an upright posision. Joey climbed back in first. Tristen handed the uncontious Tea to him,then climbed back in himself.
"Hold on tight!"Joey said,"I'm gonna try to keep 'er steady until the storm dies down."he shut off the boat's motor and gripped both sides of it tightly. When the boat tried to tip one way,he leaned the other way,balancing the weight. It wasn't easy though. Even when forcing it into balance,it wanted to flip over again,and the waves were getting stronger and higher. Joey continued to keep it steady,praying that the storm would be over soon.
***
Laura sat in her chair,listening to the rain beating on the roof. A clap of thunder rumbled in the distance. She wondered how the boys were taking this. Sumara had gotten over his fear of thunderstorms already,but she wasn't sure about Yugi.
"Laura?"a sleepy voice said. Laura looked up. It was Yugi.
"I can't sleep."he said.
"Is the storm bothering you?"Laura asked gently. Yugi shook his head.
"There's just been a lot on my mind."
"Come here,sweetie."she said in her sweet,motherly voice again,"You can talk to me."Yugi sat in her lap and began to tell her everything that had been gnawing at him for the past week. He told her about the new dreams he had been having,the people out in the boat he felt he knew,and the brooklyn voice that had been echoing in his head.
When he was done,he felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Laura smiled sweetly.
"Feel better?"she asked. Yugi nodded. Then the young woman drew him close to her bosom and began rocking slowly,singing a sweet,gentle lullabye.
In days gone by,when the world was much younger,
Man harnessed the wind to work for mankind.
Seamen built tall ships to sail on the ocean,
While landsmen built mills,the good corn for to grind.
And around,and around,and around went the big sail,
Turning the shaft and the great wooden wheel.
Creeking and groaning,the mill stones kept turning,
Grinding to flour,the good corn from the field.
Laura had a beautiful voice. The moment she started singing,Yugi forgot all of his troubles. Images of windmills began running through his head. He felt peaceful. Before long,he was fast asleep,his head resting on her shoulder.
He was in front of that tv again. The mysterious,white-haired man was there again. Once again,he was pulled away into that dark,cold world. The people behind him were once again frozen in their frightened gaze.
"Where are we? Where have you taken us?"this was the first time he ever said something in his dreams. The white-haired man replied in a low,evil-sounding voice.
"Don't worry,little Yugi. I'll restore you all...after we play our little game."
"Yugi! Wake up! You're dreaming again!"Yugi felt someone shaking him. He opened his eyes. He was in Laura's lap,safe and sound.
Before long,Laura had soothed Yugi back to sleep. He was still now,curled up in her arms,breathing softly. She looked at him with soft green eyes and gently stroked his head,letting his hair run through her fingers. He was such a beautiful child,especially when he was sleeping. Laura loved him the minute she first saw him,lying there on the beach. She was afraid that some day,she would have to let him go. They didn't know where he came from,but wherever,he must have family. They would be looking for him. At first she thought that his family might be dead,killed by whatever brought Yugi here. But now that he had told her about the boat,she wasn't so sure.
Laura decided now was not the time to think about that. She stood up,Yugi still sleeping on her shoulder,and went upstairs to his and Sumara's room. With one hand,she pulled back the covers,and put Yugi down on the bed,next to Sumara. She gently tucked him in,and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Sweet dreams,Yugi."she whispered,then went to her room.
***
The winds started to die down. The waves had returned to their usual pace. It had stopped raining and thundering. Joey relaxed his grip on the sides of the boat.
"Good."he said,"The storm's finally dyin' down. Now we can get goin' again."He started to rev up the engine,but...
"Oh great!"
Chapter 8
So Simple,Yet So Hard
"*Grunt!* Come on you--*grunt!*stupid piece of junk! *Grunt!* Start already!"
Joey nearly pulled a muscle yanking the cord as hard as he could. The motor just whirred and sputtered. Joey hit the side in frustration.
"Shoot!"he yelled,"Must've ran outta gas."
"And we lost out supplies when we capsized! What are we gonna do?"Tea started to panic.
"Isn't there another way we can move this thing?"Tristen asked Joey.
"There is. It's slowwa,but it's all we got now."Joey reached for the side of the boat and pried off a pair of large paddles. He tossed one to Tristen,and they both began to paddle their way toward the island.
***
Yugi and Sumara ran across the beach,the dog barking happily by their side. Their excited shouting and laughing could be heard for miles around.
"Ha ha ha! Betcha can't catch me,Yugi!"
"Bet I can!"Yugi ran as fast as he could after his brother. He chased him for a long time,then finally caught up and tackled him.
"Gotcha!"there was a lot of laughter as a playful wrestling match broke out,which ended with Sumara pinning Yugi to the ground.
"Now I've gotcha."Sumara giggled.
Sumara got off of his brother and they both lay on the sand to catch their breath. When he could breath again,he got up and dusted the sand off of his clothes. He looked out at the ocean.
"Hey! The boat! It's still out there!"he exclaimed. Sumara jumped up.
"You're kidding!"he looked where Yugi was looking. Sure enough,the boat was still there,intact.
"I think it's getting closer."Yugi added. Sumara turned and ran up the hill,where Laura was sitting.
"Mommy! Mommy! Come quick!"Laura imediatly ran to where Yugi was still standing,her son at her heels. She looked at where the boat was.
"Oh my gosh..."she whispered.
"How long until they reach us?"Sumara asked.
"Three,five minutes tops."Laura replied,"Sumara,go get Daddy. He should be here. Hurry!"Sumara ran back up the hill to get Akito,while Yugi and Laura just stood there,watching the boat draw closer.
Sumara ran back to them,Akito running behind him. He looked at the boat.
"How did they know where to find us?"he exclaimed. There was no time to answer as it has reached shallow water.
"Ahoy there!"Someone called. The four of them stepped back as someone jumped out of the boat and pulled it to shore. Akito put his arm protectivly around his wife and the boys hid behind their parents.
Yugi looked at the older boy who had just beached the boat. He had blond hair that went no further then the back of his neck and was wearing a green leather jacket. He had seen this boy before;he was the one from his dreams. So were the other two people with him;a boy and a girl,both with short brown hair.
"Hey."he said to Laura and Akito,"I'm looking for a boy about this tall,kinda wild hair and big purple eyes. Have you seen 'im?"
That voice!
It was the same voice that had been echoing in his head the night before! And he had described the three most obvious parts of his appearance perfectly! Who was he?
Yugi slowly moved out from behind Laura. The older boy saw him,and smiled. He looked somehow relieved.
"Hey,Yugi."he said,"We've been lookin' for ya."
So Yugi was his name.
But how did he know that? What relationship did these people have with him?
"Who are you...?"Yugi slowly replied. The older boy looked shocked.
"Whatcha talkin' about,Yug'?"
"Are you..."Laura interupted,"Are you friends of his?"
"Yeah. Name's Joey. Joey Wheeler."
Joey Wheeler...Joey Wheeler...that name echoed in Yugi's head for a moment. Suddenly,all at once,a series of phrases with the same voice began to run through his mind like a movie in his head.
"Nice ta meetcha. I'm Joey Wheeler."
"I wanna apologize,Yugi. I've been actin' like a real jerk."
"You're the best friend I eva had,Yugi."
Yugi dropped to his knees,his head in his hands. Visions were running through his brain like crazy. It was all coming too fast. His head was pounding. The pain was unbearable.
"Yugi!"Sumara's startled cry sounded faint and distant. Yugi felt himself begin to fall to the ground. A pair of hands siezed him. Then everything went black.
***
"So dat's what happened."Joey muttered. Laura had told him,Tea and Tristen about the day they found Yugi on the beach,the three days of wonder and worry when he was sleeping,and when he awoke with no memory.
"We've done all we can,but nothing has helped him get his memory back."
"Poor Yugi."Tea said quietly. She turned her face toward Yugi,who was lying on the couch,still uncontious.
"I wish I could do more,but the only clues I have to who Yugi is are these dreams that he keeps telling me about that make no sence."There was a silence,soon broken by Yugi letting out a small sound.
"Mommy,look! He's waking up!"Sumara exclaimed softly.
***
Yugi's eyes opened slowly. His head had stopped pounding. The pain was gone. In fact,he felt perfectly fine.
He slowly sat up. He felt Akito's strong,capable hands support him as he rose.
"Easy there,now."he said gently. Yugi looked to see the three strangers sitting around a coffee table with Laura. Only this time,they weren't strangers. He knew exactly who they were. Their names jumped into his mind the second he looked at them.
"Joey..."he said as he faced the blonde one. He turned to the girl.
"Tea..."he announced,then the spike-haired boy.
"Tristen..."the three of them had looks of total and utter relief on their faces. Yugi couldn't believe it himself. He put a hand lightly on his forehead,"I...I remember! I remember everything!"
He had never been so happy in his life. He remembered everything about himself. His name was Yugi Mutoh. He was fourteen years old and a freshman in Domino High School. He lived with his grandfather...his grandfather! He remembered the reason he was on this island. His grandfather had been kidnapped and was on a ferry traveling to Duelist Kingdom to save him,when...
Memories of the trauma came back to him. Weevil Underwood,another Duelist,had thrown his most powerful Duel Monsters cards overboard,and Joey went after them. Joey ended up nearly drowning,and Yugi jumped in to go after him,and succesfully saved Joey,but ended up nearly drowning himself. That's how he came to the island.
***
Akito had helped Joey refuel the moterboat and before long they were ready to leave. Although Yugi wanted badly to go home,part of him felt sad. He loved the little island,and he loved Akito and Sumara and Laura. But he knew that it was the best for him and them if he went home. It was time he said goodbye.
"Thank you."Was all he could say to Akito. He nodded and ruffled Yugi's hair. The Sumara greeted him with his puppy in his arms.
"You're the best friend I ever had,Yugi."He said,"I'm gonna miss you. Say goodbye,Bruiser."(A/N:Yes,I finally decided to name the dog.)Bruiser whined softly.
"Bye,Sumara."Yugi replied,giving him a quick hug. He turned to face Laura. This was the hardest thing he ever had to do. He looked deep into her round,emerald eyes and could tell that they were both trying not to cry.
"Well..."she said softly,"I guess...this is goodbye."
"Yeah. Thank you for everything,Laura."he replied,tears welling up in his eyes,"I'll...try to come and visit you sometime."Laura nodded. For a moment they said nothing,then Yugi stepped foreward and hugged her around the middle. Tears freely fell down his face now. Laura gently stroked his hair,and although he couldn't see her face,Yugi knew that she started crying as well.
"Alright,now it's gettin' mushy!"Joey joked,"C'mon,Yug'! Let's get outta here!"Yugi let go of Laura and climbed into the boat.
As they sped away,Yugi could hear Sumara call out one last time to him.
"Bye bye,Yugi! I'll never forget you,Big Brother! Take care of yourself! Come back to see us sometime! Goodbye!"
Yugi slowly looked back. Sumara,Akito and Laura,standing there waving,slowly vanished into the thin blanket of fog. He blinked tears out of his eyes and they slid down his cheeks.
***
Weevil couldn't believe the scene before him. The sudden appearance of Yugi Mutoh had given the whole courtroom a shock. How could he possibly be alive? They were soon to find out as Yugi calmly told them his story. Weevil's guess was right! Joey Wheeler had gone after the cards,and Yugi followed. Afterward,he was lost on an island with amnesia. Sounded to him like something out of a bad movie,but it could save him a lifetime of trouble.
As Yugi finished his tale,the judge laughed.
"So all this fuss was made over some Duel Monsters cards?"
"Yes,Your Honor,but you must understand those cards meant a lot to me."
"I understand perfectly,dear boy. Mr. Weevil Underwood,"Weevil jumped as his name was announced,"As you already know,you have been accused of the murder of Yugi Mutoh. But since Yugi Mutoh is right here,it proves that there is no murder to accuse you of. I find the defendant not guilty. You are free to go,Mr. Underwood."
Weevil sighed in relief. He rose from his chair and proceeded to leave the courtroom.
"I guess I owe you one."he snorted dully as he brushed past Yugi.
"Hey!"Joey Wheeler snapped,"Yugi just saved your behind! You could at least be grateful!"
"Whoa,easy Joey!"Yugi held Joey back as he tried to charge Weevil,continuing to yell at him.
"It's your own fault you were even in this mess,you know! I say you apologize right now! You're going to pay for those cards you ruined,ya hear me Weevil? You're gonna pay! Hey,are you even listening? Why you little,I outta..."
Epilogue
After Yugi got home,he sent a letter to Industrial Illusions and challenged Pegasus to a rematch,since he missed the tournament. Yugi won in a stunning upset,and his grandfather was safely returned to him.
Joey continued his lessons with Mr. Mutoh for a few months,and soon became one of the best Duelists in history. He won second place,next to Yugi,in the most recent Regional Championship,and became very famous. He goes by the alias "Dueling Monkey".(A/N:Sorry,Joey-fans. I couldn't resist.)
Tea and Tristen were content to remain cheerleaders while their friends rose to triumph.
Weevil's parents payed the Mutoh family 1000 yen for the cards their son destroyed. Weevil himself has been in therapy ever since the trial.(A/N:*Evil grin*Did you really think I would just *let* Weevil go?)
Laura and her family never forgot Yugi. She keeps his drawing of the Dark Magician on the wall of her room. Little does she know that she will see Yugi again some day,but that is another story.
The End