"Mai-san! Hang in there!" Anzu called out.
Mai looked in the direction of the voice with a confused stare. She could not see who it was that was cheering her on. She did not recognize or remember that person at all.
Akia, seeing what was happening and sensing the darkness flowing around her, understood what was going on.
"Part of the penalty of this Dark Game is the loss of memory with each monster that is destroyed," Akia explained, "it's the Effect of Darkness. Mai-san... is forgetting us one by one..."
"What...?!" The pharaoh exclaimed.
"Wait, no way! How's that even possible?! Mai can't forget!" Jounouchi expressed his disbelief.
"How do you know that, Akia-chan?" The Spirit of the Ring asked her while masquerading as Bakura.
"...A voice told me." Akia replied. She had been hearing two voices in the darkness now. The first being the terrifying one that both her and Bakura were able to hear. The second one, however, only she could hear. It was much more familiar, almost as if it was her own voice, but somewhat different. Akia theorized that it could be her past self whispering to her. Whenever she was in the Dark World where the Dark Games were held, she felt a strange connection to many things, including her past life.
As the duel continued, Mai destroyed one of Marik's monsters, but he couldn't care less about who he had forgotten, or so he said. He took a quick glance at Akia, wondering if forgetting her would free him from this strange destiny that they shared.
The next of Mai's monsters that Marik destroyed contained her memory of Jounouchi. As she saw him disappear from her memory, she couldn't help but cry out his name. "Jounouchi! No!"
"I sure nailed a nice card," Marik chuckled.
Seeing Jounouchi disappear from her memory, made Mai remember how painful it was to be alone. She had always lived in loneliness. Ever since her parents died when she was only a child, she had grown to only depend on herself, to protect her feelings. Then, she met them, and him, Jounouchi and his friends. She got close to Akia who was like a sister to her. Mai felt so betrayed when Akia lied to her, but that was because she was so afraid of losing her. And now, she was going to forget about Jounouchi?
"Now disappear!" Marik shouted as Jounouchi's memory shattered from Mai's mind.
As if all strength had left her body, Mai fell on her knees, staring blankly at the floor.
"Mai! What's wrong?!" Jounouchi yelled out to her. "Mai! Can you hear me?! Mai! You forgot me?!"
Mai looked to the remainder of the people she remembered, Jounouchi and Anzu completely disappearing from their midst.
The Spirit of the Puzzle looked to his host's sister. "Akia, here's something that I will teach you about Dark Games."
Akia looked at him wondering what he was about to say.
"Normally, when a Dark Game starts, you cannot interfere with it," the pharaoh continued explaining, "but both you and I can. Concentrate."
"Yes...!" Akia replied, feeling renewed hope that they might be able to save Mai. Both Millennium Puzzle and Millennium Scale shone with a bright light, and the Eye of Anubis appeared on the twins' foreheads.
They then penetrated through the darkness, shining a ray of light upon a lost and wandering Mai, haunted by Marik in her mind.
"Mai," Yugi called out.
Mai looked towards the light, "Yugi...!"
"Mai-san!" Akia exclaimed.
"Akia-chan..." Mai said her friend's name back, feeling comforted to see them both.
ČTEŠ
Destined to be Yours
FanfikceAkia, Yugi's twin sister, had a great fascination with Ancient Egyptian relics and history. When her grandfather offered her to come with him to an expedition, she could not refuse, even though she was only ten years old at the time. There, she acqu...
