Star Chips: Yugi: 3/Joey: 2/Sarah: 2

Joey proved himself in his duel against Mai. Not only did he duel strategically, but he also outsmarted Mai and exposed her tricks. We were impressed with his match - Téa and Tristan more so. Yugi and I found ourselves more proud than impressed that Joey made it out alright. He had struggled quite a bit during the first half of his duel, even after confidently saying that he was ready for it. Now he knew his opponents could try anything in an attempt to throw him off his game, but no matter what they might try, he knew that he had to stay calm and remain focused in order to overcome those obstacles and win.

"Joey, that was a wonderful duel," I said with a smile as we began walking away from the duel arena. Mai had left in the other direction after giving Joey the Star Chip he had won. Now he had two in his collection. It may not have been a step forward for many duelists, but to us, it felt more like an increase in stability. Joey didn't have to gamble one Star Chip anymore and face the threat of being kicked out of the tournament. With two Star Chips, he could gamble one during a duel, and if he happened to lose it, he would still have one last chance to duel and win another one.

The blond grinned. He was super excited to have won his first official duel of the tournament. "Thanks!" he said. "You know, I was glad I figured out Mai's trick when I did. Otherwise, who knows what could have happened?"

"You could have lost," said Téa flatly. Joey cringed at the idea. Then he smiled sheepishly with a sweat drop on the side of his head. He knew he couldn't have done it without Yugi and the Pharaoh supporting him. If the Pharaoh hadn't provided that riddle, to which Joey would have known held meaning, he couldn't possibly have won by continuing the broken strategy he was using. Speaking of the Pharaoh, shortly after Joey had won, he returned to his Millennium Puzzle.

I wondered how he did that...

"But I didn't," said Joey with a blink.

"Yeah... yeah, you didn't..." admitted Téa.

"It was just a matter of time until Mai's tricks were known," said Tristan. "One person needed to figure it out. The man for the job was Joey."

Joey got teary-eyed from his friend's compliment. "Awww, thanks man..." He tried to go in for a hug but Tristan suddenly caught his shoulders and tried to push him away.

"Hey, man! I get it, okay? This is just creepy!" I suppose despite them being close, they didn't want to be too close.

Téa, Yugi, and I laughed at the scene before us.

"So both Yugi and Joey have dueled now," said Téa. Then she turned towards me and I blinked. "Looks like it's your turn, Sarah."

I gazed back at all the eyes that were suddenly all staring at me expectantly. I shook my head, suddenly feeling very nervous. "I don't know about this..." I said. Usually I wouldn't have gotten nervous, but not being one hundred percent sure about something didn't put me at ease. I wanted to be completely confident with dueling. Sure, I have had practice, but there was still that little bit of hesitance...

Yugi offered me a gentle smile. "You've gotta face your fears," he said. "Or you'll never know."

"Well..." He was right. If I kept going without confidence in myself, I would never win a duel no matter how sure I was.

"... You're right... I will find a duel next."

Tristan and Joey punched the air in excitement. I didn't understand why they were so excited while I was left to be anxious.

"Alright!" said the blond. "Finally! We get to see your duel!"

"To think, she's a top duelist," said Tristan. "Even so, people aren't lining up to duel her."

"Maybe they're scared..." said Joey, growing suddenly pale at the idea. Téa huffed.

"Good!" she said confidently. Tristan and Joey jumped back from her suddenly intimidating voice and blinked at her. "Us girls need to scare guys like you away." The two boys pouted.

"That's not cool..."

"Come on, Téa, be nice..."

Yugi held back laughter. "Maybe we should look for the duelists instead," he suggested.

I shouldered the duffel bag. "That's a good idea," I said. "And... hopefully some won't be too "scared" to duel..."

The others chuckled at the joke I made. I smiled.

I was just turning around to start making my way towards the desert part of the island, mainly because I was curious to see how it looked like, when I suddenly bumped straight into someone. Strong arms wrapped around me to keep me from bouncing back. When I found my footing again, I blinked a few times and looked up to see who it was that I had so precariously run into.

It was him.

The same guy from the boat and the castle.

How could this have happened? It was him of all people.

My cheeks heated up from embarrassment.

"I-I... I'm sorry..."

His deep maroon eyes were gazing warmly down at me. There was a hint of a small and thoughtful smile on his face, as though he found this sudden situation interesting. His mop of soft orange hair was spiky, pointing in every direction. He was much taller than I was and yet shorter than both Tristan and Joey. He was still wearing his grey hoodie and black skinny jeans, but his shirt was now red, depicting the logo of a favourite band.

... He was warm too... comfortably warm...

Then I heard his gentle laugh. I blinked up at him with slight confusion. He hadn't let go of me yet...

His smile was gentle now.

"Well, hello there, Little Strawberry..." said the stranger, gently petting my head. "I didn't think I'd run into you so soon."

I blinked.

Little... Strawberry...?

"Ah, Sarah," said Yugi, with a blink. "Are you alright?"

Blinking out of my suddenly deep trance, I quickly pulled away from the man's arms. Although his eyes held slight sadness from the gesture, he still smiled.

"Er... yes... I just..." I was befuddled with what was happening. I was simply turning around so I could begin walking somewhere when I had suddenly run into the one person who made me feel strange. I turned to the boy again, and this time I bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry about bumping into you," I said.

He waved his hand dismissively, as though the thought wasn't a big deal or it didn't bother him as much as I might have thought. "It's alright, it's alright," he said. His smile was charming. I hadn't been this close to him before so I didn't notice how handsome he really was. And his voice... his voice was...

It... was nice somehow...

"It's good to see you again."

I blinked up at him. Did he mean the other times I saw him...? Or had we met before? He was familiar... I just knew it... but I wasn't sure how...

I must have met him before I was injured...

Suddenly, voices sounded over from behind him. His two friends were running towards us. Once they were within his step, they came to a stop, bending over and catching their breaths.

"Man... you know you're not supposed to run off..." said the one with light brown hair. He was wearing a green shirt with a light blue hoodie thrown over that was open. Instead of jeans, he wore dark blue shorts.

The other with jet black hair gave his friend a mild glare. "We could have lost you, you know," he said. He was wearing a long-sleeved red shirt with a dark vest and jeans. They were all the same height, probably from the same class. They must have been good friends because whenever I saw one of them, I always saw the others. Each of them also wore a Duelist Glove. I wasn't sure how many Star Chips each of them had though.

"This island is..."

Bright green eyes found my scarlet ones and soon his voice trailed off. Realizing we had seen each other before, he patted his friend's back for his attention. The boy with the light brown hair finally looked up from his doubled over position and saw me as well. They spotted all of us staring back at them with questioning eyes. Suddenly they straightened up.

"Sorry, guys," said the person I had bumped into to his friends. A knowing glint shined across his eyes. "I had to... run on ahead..."

"Oh... yeah, sure..."

"No problem..."

Joey crossed his arms. There was something in his eyes... was it annoyance? "Alright..." he said. "Now that the dramatic entrance has been made, do you mind telling us why you're still hanging around? Sarah apologized for bumping into you."

"I know..." he said. "But it just so happened... I was looking for Sarah."

"Me...?" I asked, pointing to myself.

"Yes you," he said, smiling again. It was a kind smile; one that didn't mean any harm; one that made him seem kind and caring.

Then his arms went around me once more, holding me close to him. I was trapped against his chest, and my head began spinning all over again. I didn't want to be so close to someone I didn't know, but he made me feel strange. I wanted to push him away and yet... I couldn't find the strength within me to move.

"I missed you... my Little Strawberry."

I stood frozen within his arms and my eyes widened. Perhaps he thought I was someone dear to him. Maybe he had mistaken me for someone else.

"U-Um... I think you have the wrong..."

He pulled back enough to look into my face. "Sarah Wind," he said confidently.

There was... something in his eyes...

"Whaaat...!" The gang behind me suddenly freaked out, as though they understood something I didn't. All he said was my name with some sort of emotion in his voice that I couldn't quite place. My head was beginning to throb from all these uncertainties, either from the noise or from the thought of another mystery.

"I thought you said Sarah didn't have a boyfriend!" Tristan said to Yugi with wide brown eyes. Eric nodded as though they had figured out that great mystery.

Yugi shook his head, just as mystified about the situation. "I-I thought she didn't..." he said, referring to the time when we first found out who I was. "At least... that was what grandpa told me..."

I stared at everyone while I was still within the boy's arms, finding the warmth rather comforting. Then I blinked, realizing what I was doing, and pulled away from him again. "What's... a boyfriend...?" I asked with a blink. Everyone stared back at me as though I had descended from another planet. I mean, I had an idea of what a boyfriend was, but I just wasn't used to it. I had never thought about the idea before. I was never given the chance back in Egypt.

Suddenly, the stranger laughed as though I was joking. Then he patted my head again. "You were always a cute one, Little Berry," he said. "Still are."

"B-But I..." This was so unlike me. I would never stutter or fall victim to someone's hug like this...!

What was going on? This burning in my chest... it couldn't possibly be from this boy...!

"Look," he said, his voice suddenly quiet. He held me by the shoulders and bent down so that I was looking into his eyes. His maroon orbs looked deeply into my scarlet ones, searching. "I know what happened... I knew about your amnesia ever since you were diagnosed. So I've kept my distance all this time because I didn't want the memory of me to hurt you. But I overheard that your dueling had gotten better. That meant that you were slowly beginning to remember things from before you had amnesia. I thought this had to be my chance..."

I shook my head with wide, incredulous eyes, knowing that I wouldn't have gotten myself a boyfriend, not with the circumstances I was in right now. I was here for the Pharaoh. Not to make a life. This boy couldn't possibly be hinting at the fact that we were together.

Could he?

The other seemed sad at my denial, but he didn't show it all yet. He seemed as though he wanted to try one more thing. "My name... it's Eric Hall. Do you remember?" He was hopeful that I would at least remember his name. His eyes were anxious.

I gave it a thought, wondering if whether or not I had heard it, but in the end I was shaking my head again. "I'm sorry..." I said quietly. "I don't remember you..."

Eric's eyes suddenly held so much pain that I myself began feeling hurt. Slowly, he let me go. All of a sudden, I felt bad for saying that I didn't remember him. But why would I feel this way? I knew in my heart that I wouldn't have been so close to someone. I couldn't have made any deep connections with anyone because I wasn't allowed to. I didn't have the time. I had never even thought about doing things like this before because the Pharaoh and I were just so busy with everything else to even think about befriending a person so closely. Besides... I was here for the Pharaoh... not for myself... I wasn't interested in forming any relationships anyways...

So why was Eric saying that we were so close?

"It's alright," he said, though I swear his voice cracked. His maroon eyes were dark now, not as bright and full of hope as they were a moment ago.

Yugi walked up to us. The others had been quiet. "Hey... Eric," he said. "I know this is tough... and Sarah certainly doesn't mean to forget you. Perhaps she just needs a little more time..."

Eric glanced towards me, and just the look in his eyes broke my heart. I looked down so I couldn't see Eric's sad expression. Even though I was utterly confused about the whole situation, I couldn't bear to see someone hurt.

Had Modern Sarah forgotten that I wasn't allowed to be close to anyone...? Was she the one who befriended Eric?

Or... or maybe he was lying about the whole thing...? Maybe it was all some sort of twisted joke...?

The other gave Yugi a small nod and held his arm. "Yeah... I suppose..." he said quietly. His eyes didn't look like they were lying or joking...

"Maybe in a little while longer..."

"Hey... here's an idea," piped one of Eric's friends, the one with light brown hair, as he turned to me. "What if you duel Eric? Maybe you'll remember some of his cards, and then in turn, remember him. Since you've remembered how to duel, maybe the cards will speak louder than Eric himself."

Eric blinked, his eyes suddenly brimming. "Hey... that's not a bad idea, Nick!" Then he turned to me with a bright smile on his face. "What do you say?"

A duel, in this situation? Well... it would certainly distract me from all these unanswerable questions...

"A duel's a great idea," encouraged Yugi. I blinked at the other. "Bonds form during duels just like they form over time in school between classmates," he explained. "If you and Eric dueled often when the two of you were together, I'm sure there's a bond between you guys somewhere in your cards. And when you duel him, you'll begin to remember who he is."

"But..." 'This isn't possible!' I wanted to shout, but obviously, I couldn't. They would all think I was crazy if I tried to explain my situation. That was the whole reason why I decided not to tell Yugi or the others about who I was in the first place - we had to work through the Pharaoh's presence in small steps until they fully recognized themselves that there was indeed someone else in Yugi's mind. If I began explaining now... they would think I had more than just amnesia.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to walk along the path life was currently headed. If I dueled Eric, maybe some memories would arise, and I would remember what my connection with the boy really was. I could find out whether he was my friend or not.

I decided to go with it.

"Alright..." I said, nodding slowly. "I suppose... a duel would help..."

Eric's eyes lit up. "That's great!" he said. "You'll remember me in no time!"

I offered him a small smile just so I wouldn't seem heartless. I hoped he was just confused and would realize it soon. Then this could all be over and I could focus more on helping the Pharaoh.

Joey seemed rather skeptical about the idea, as I was. "Are you sure it's okay with her amnesia?" he asked. "I know the point of it all is to help her remember, but what if it hurts for her to remember?"

Yugi looked up at his friend. "At the beginning of the week, she did feel some pain as she remembered things during our duels," he explained. "But later on, and on the boat, the pain slowly went away. She began remembering things about Duel Monsters without any trouble. It all just came to her afterwards."

"Your memories began coming to you naturally," realized Téa with a small blink. I nodded.

"I'm glad they did," I said. "Headaches aren't very fun."

Eric threw his arm around my shoulders in good spirit. "That's good news!" he said, positively beaming. "That means we can duel with ease!"

Joey scratched his chin as though he was deciding on whether or not to give me permission to duel. "Well... alright..." he said finally, crossing his arms. "But still... be careful, alright?"

I nodded. "Right."

Tristan came over and ruffled my hair. I blushed. Why did he do that all the time... "Show the whole island that you're recovering," he said with an encouraging grin. I couldn't help but smile as well. The thought of recovering put my mind at ease.

"Thank you, Tristan. Thank you, everyone," I said. "I'll do my best."

"You can do this," said Téa. I felt like her words were the most encouraging. I really could do this. I really could duel again. After all that practice, I should be able to duel again without any problems.

"Do you want a duel with no wagers or a tournament duel?" asked Eric.

I blinked. "We're on Duelist Kingdom Island," I said. "Maybe we should duel in a tournament duel using the arenas."

"For a more tournament-like situation to help you remember me? Sounds good!"

His enthusiasm was uncanny.

At the mention of a duel, as though we had stepped on a trigger, the ground broke apart and from under the earth emerged a duel arena we could call our own. I was sort of nervous and yet excited at the same time to be using said massive machine to duel. I wanted to see how it worked from a duelist's point of view.

I blinked at Eric as he ever-so coolly strode over to the blue end of the arena and stepped onto the platform. He dropped his bag beside his feet and waited patiently for me to claim the red platform. Before I could get myself to walk over to the opposite end of the duel arena, I looked at Yugi nervously.

Being nervous was foreign to me ever since I became Guardian. Once my training was completed, any uncertainty that I might have felt disappeared and I would always stay strong no matter what or who the Council and I came across. It wasn't overconfident behaviour... when I was given a situation to work with, rather than be nervous or feel any emotion otherwise, I would work out the best solution in my mind and then present my plan. It was critical that I didn't freeze up during dangerous encounters because it could cost us precious time and concentration.

Now that I was reborn in a new world with things from my past coming to haunt me, and the overwhelming sense of not being able to remember things I should have remembered, I couldn't help but feel nervous. Who was this person? In all my years, I have never even considered the thought of being with someone the way he was suddenly portraying it.

I was nervous... because I had never faced this kind of situation before. I wasn't sure what to do.

However, Duelist Kingdom was a tournament, and the answer to finding out who this person was, must be in a duel. If we really had dueled before, then I would remember what was inside his deck.

The thought of remembering my connection to Eric, no matter what it was, drove me to keep going even with this nerve-wracking feeling in the pit of my stomach. But I still sought confidence, which was why I looked towards Yugi.

The other regarded me and nodded reassuringly. "It'll be okay," he said gently. "Remember all that practice. Just breathe and believe. You'll remember him soon."

I swallowed in an attempt to repress my nerves. Then I nodded. I walked over to the red platform and stepped onto it, placing my duffel bag by my feet. Sensing that the duelists were now on the platforms, the large duel machine whirred and the platforms rose up. For the first time since arriving on the island, I was in place of a duelist on one of these arenas.

I grew even more nervous.

The duel mat was a grid, just like the field, for correspondence. I pulled my deck from out of my thigh sheath, shuffled the cards, and then placed it on the bottom right corner. My side of the field lit up and the holographic projectors activated. Eric did the same and his field mobilized as well.

I took a deep, cleansing breath to settle any last nerves. Then I tried reaching into the core of my heart and pulled out my courage.

Life was full of surprises. I could remember several occasions back in Ancient Egypt where some things occurred that weren't planned, but I always had to try and remain focused. This was an example. Meeting Eric must not have been an accident. There was a reason for meeting him. I just needed to figure out what that reason was.

"Ready to play and remember?" Eric asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be..."

"Let's duel!"

LP: Sarah: 2000/ Eric: 2000

"How much shall we wager?" I asked.

"How about... one Star Chip each?" offered Eric. I nodded, took off one Star Chip from my Duelist Glove, and placed it at the top of the dueling mat that way I didn't lose sight of it.

Aside from remembering things, I couldn't lose this duel either. I needed to stay on the same level as the Pharaoh and Yugi so I couldn't afford to fall behind.

"Would you look at the field!" exclaimed Eric. "It's twenty-percent desert, twenty-percent meadow, twenty-percent wasteland, and thirty-percent grassland!"

This was good. I could get a Field Power Bonus from the meadow side. I wasn't sure about Eric's cards though, but I suppose I would have to just wait and see.

"We have a variety of different kinds in this one..." I said.

"Better chance of getting a Field Power Bonus with more fields, right?"

"Right..."

I drew my first hand of cards as Eric did the same. I still felt uneasy but I tried to push that feeling away each time it came back. I needed to stay calm. We went over this during Joey's duel with Mai: our opponents could bring all sorts of surprises into play, but we needed to remember to stay focused.

And what a surprise this was.

"I'll let you go first, Little Berry," said Eric. I blinked. Then he blinked as well. Suddenly, he blushed just the tiniest bit.

"Why do you call me...?"

"It's... it's a habit. I'm sorry," he said sheepishly. "I always use to say that during our matches because you were shorter than me..."

I didn't recall him saying those nicknames before. Maybe I would have more luck on his cards once we started playing and not the actual dueling atmosphere that we may or may not have shared.

"It's alright," I said. "Although... I am not that short..."

Everyone chuckled as I tried to show how tall I could be.

"Yes, yes, Little Berry. We know." Eric winked towards his friends who only smirked in return.

With a small sigh, realizing that I might have to come to terms with my height after all, I drew the first card for this turn. My hand wasn't bad. I remembered back to one of my duels with Yugi; I had drawn only Magic and Trap cards in my opening hand, and it was quite challenging to work without monsters for a while, but I still managed to make a satisfiable score.

"Alright... height aside... I summon Warrior of Darkness." I placed the card face up on the field on one of the Monster Card slots. Before me, the monster from my card came to life. In the middle of my field stood a warrior wearing a white shirt under a flowing, black coat with long black boots and matching, tight leggings. Her long, black hair flowed past her waist, and her piercing silver eyes stared unmoving at Eric.

"Ah, I remember this card..." said Eric, as though he was the one who was supposed to be remembering things. "A beautiful warrior with 1400 Attack Points. Not a bad opening move."

"She gets a Field Power Bonus from the meadow. So her Attack Points go up to 1680."

"... Oh yes. Still... very lovely, indeed."

"Thank you..." I said. Then I blinked. "I have a question."

Eric also blinked, wondering where my questions suddenly came from. "Sure," he said.

"Are you always like this?"

"... Like what..."

"Like..." I didn't know how to describe it so I gestured to all of him. He was interesting, regardless of me not knowing him.

Eric blinked again, but then he smirked, realizing what I had meant but he probably thought of it the wrong way. "So you have noticed my brilliant behaviour," he said proudly. His 'brilliant behaviour' consisted of him being gentle and charming. Even though I was pulled into this strange situation, I couldn't help but notice how he was. He didn't seem mean, or rude... just... nice. As though he was being especially nice to me...

However, I didn't let it faze me. In the end, I was still wary of him. "I'll take that as a 'yes'..." I said conclusively.

Eric chuckled and my heart skipped a beat. Why did...?

"One more question," I said, holding up my forefinger, ignoring the troubled feelings dwelling within my stomach.

"Go right ahead, my Little Sugar Plum."

My eye twitched the slightest bit as he sheepishly sweat dropped at the third nickname. It still contained the word "little" in it. "How long have I known you for?" I asked.

Eric placed his chin in his hand and thought about it. "Not including the time you would have known me... if you didn't have amnesia... about six months."

Half a year...

Did Modern Sarah live in the United States for that long...? Of course, she needed to build a life in the newest millennia. I wonder how she did it anyways? Did she have help from Ishizu but she didn't tell me? Or perhaps Modern Sarah just appeared one day. Maybe it was just a part of my soul and not my body that was seen, like ghosts were able to walk about and move things. I must have come to this Earth first as a spirit.

Why was this so complicated...

I suppose it was complicated because I didn't need to know those kinds of details. What mattered the most was that nobody knew who I actually was, and that I learned about Duel Monsters.

It was just as Master Mahad had said to me all those years ago.

"Keep moving forward."

"That's a long time..." I said quietly. I needed to figure out why this person said he knew me for so long. My curiosity finally began to spring.

"Yeah..." Eric said, just as quietly. Then he beamed. "But I'm not giving up!"

I blinked. What was this driving force that motivated him? Why did he want me to remember who he was so desperately?

I needed to remember. But I could only do that if I had seen his cards before.

It seemed like I've met my own driving force for this duel. My curiosity. Soon, even the nervous feeling I had mere moments before seemed to vanish.

"Neither am I," I said. "I will now hand it over to you. I end my turn."

"Alright!" said Eric, and he sounded excited. After he drew his first card, his smile widened. "You're sure to remember this card! I summon Tear Shadow!" Once he summoned his monster, a warrior wearing shadow-grey clothes materialized onto his side of the field. He wore a bandana that covered one eye, also matching the shadow-grey colour, but his hair was a gentle chestnut. His eyes were strikingly crystal-like, like shining tears.

He had 1500 Attack Points.

But I did not recognize that monster.

"My monster also receives a power bonus from the meadows."

"Wonderful." I watched his monster power up. He was soon stronger than my own monster, with a total attack power of 1800.

"So... do you remember him?" asked Eric. He sounded hopeful.

Quietly, I shook my head, making sure not to make any eye contact. What was wrong with me? I should have defiantly been able to show him how wrong he was.

But I was uncertain because I didn't remember.

If I had remembered what happened, then I would be one hundred percent sure, but because I didn't know, it was a problem. I couldn't be sure if what he was saying was true or untrue.

And it was frustrating.

"I'm sorry... I don't..."

Eric blinked a little in surprise and then tried to wave off the disappointment that he felt. "It's alright," he said sheepishly. "I didn't summon this guy in our duels very often anyways... maybe another one later on in the duel!

"But for now, I think I'll move on with my turn. Sorry, sweetheart, but since you're in the situation, I'm going to attack you. Tear Shadow!"

On cue, Eric's warrior drew his sword from his hip. As he charged in towards my monster, she too, drew her sword and tried to defend herself. Their swords clashed, but Tear Shadow quickly overpowered my Warrior of Darkness. He pushed back on my monster, causing her to stagger, and used the opening to his advantage. With one, decisive slash of his blade, Warrior of Darkness dispersed into pixels. I watched my Life Points decrease.

LP: Sarah: 1880/Eric: 2000

I wasted no time worrying.

"Because my Warrior of Darkness was destroyed in battle, I get to summon her counterpart." I searched through my deck for the card that I was looking for and returned it after shuffling. Then I placed my newly obtained card onto the mat. "I summon Warrior of Light!" A similar warrior emerged onto the field, but this time, her clothes were all white except for the dark shirt she wore under her coat. Her hair was a cascading waterfall of snow and her eyes were chocolate brown.

"This warrior also has more attack power than her other half. About 300 Attack Points more. And with the bonus, her Attack Points go up to 2040."

Eric rubbed his neck. "Ah man... I forgot that effect..." he said. "But no matter. I've beaten her before and I'll do it again. I place one card face-down and end my turn."

I drew my next card for the turn. "We'll see about that," I said. "Warrior of Light, attack Eric's Tear Shadow!" With one swift movement, my monster unsheathed her sword, spun around to gain momentum, and slashed cleanly through Eric's Tear Shadow. He burst into a shower of pixels.

LP: Sarah: 1880/Eric: 1660

Eric blinked, watching his Life Points go down.

"Sarah! Perfect start!" Téa said with a smile.

I replied with a shy smile of my own. It felt good to play the game well, and during a tournament too. But I knew it was just the beginning. I had to remain focused and make sure I didn't get carried away from the excitement. I didn't even notice the nervous feeling that I had disappear. Thinking about the cards and strategies diverted my attention away from it.

"Hey, Eric!" called Joey. "You might wanna be careful, or Sarah will win the duel before she even begins to remember you!"

"Don't think about that!" said Nick. "Come on, Ryan. Help me out."

"Eric, don't screw this up!" encouraged Ryan. He blinked, realizing how he sounded.

"Well, that was unintentional."

"You're no help!"

Eric sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's fine... I know I got this. I'll make her remember."

He drew his next card and I watched his eyes go wide. I wondered what his strategy was going to be now...

"I summon this dragon monster," he said, and he summoned the monster he just drew. From the way he announced his next move, I thought the dragon would be a huge scary creature. Regardless of how I thought the dragon would be powerful, Eric didn't summon one like that at all. What he did summon was a tiny yellow dragon with two graceful little wings, large blue eyes and a wide smile.

I stared at its beaming face, trying to comprehend its appearance.

Eric was waiting expectantly. So was everyone else. I hadn't said anything yet.

Then the words just popped out of my mouth.

"He's so cute~!" I cried, surprising everyone, including myself. I had never known that I would gush over something so cute before.

"Well, this is certainly a new development," said Yugi with a blink.

"Sarah's usually so formal," said Joey, blinking as well.

"Okay, but did you see that look she had when she said that?" said Tristan, blinking like the others.

"Her expression is just as adorable," said Eric with a smile.

I blinked, confused with his words.

"Sarah, don't let him sweet talk you!" said Téa suddenly. "Make sure you remember him first!"

"The strange thing is... I do remember the dragon..." I murmured quietly, intrigued by the little monster still beaming up at me in anticipation. I had a strange feeling of déjà vu, as though I had indeed encountered the Petit Dragon before.

"Aha!" cried Eric triumphantly. "I knew you'd remember him! You reacted the same way as before, after all!"

"Just because you remember the dragon, doesn't mean you remember him," said Joey, crossing his arms.

"You're right..." I said. "But... it's a start. I mean... I know I've seen him before..." The scene that was emerging from within my cloudy memory was of the Petit Dragon being summoned on another duel arena. I then remembered sparks raining down on top of him followed by a flash of light, both of which occurred for no more than a brief moment.

Suddenly, pain jolted through my head, enough to make me blink and massage where it hurt. I didn't think too much of it, though it was strange. It seemed like a gentle memory but... I knew that I saw something else.

"This means we're getting somewhere," Eric said with a grin. He didn't notice the slight discomfort that I felt, and it seemed like no one else did either, which was good. I needed to remember who this man was no matter what might happen. Sure my head didn't hurt before when I was remembering how to duel, but it wasn't a guarantee that it would never hurt in the future.

"Perhaps," I stated. "Activate your face down card as I know you are going to."

Eric smirked. "Do you remember this combination?" he asked me as he activated his card. "I equip Petit Dragon with Dragon Scales. This prevents my monster from being destroyed in battle."

"What! That little dragon is indestructible now?" exclaimed Joey.

"Sarah isn't going to fall for the bluff," said Yugi. Joey blinked.

Petit Dragon's yellow scales glowed, portraying his newfound power. The Field Power Bonus brought his Attack Points to 780.

"I don't remember the combination exactly... but, somehow, I just knew you would use the card you had faced down," I said, drumming my fingers gently beside my deck. I found a loophole in his plan and wanted to quickly thwart it.

Eric smirked coolly. "Well, sweetie, that's called remembering."

Perhaps I did remember Dragon Scales being played after Petit Dragon was summoned, but I didn't know who made that play possible, or if my mind was going through reconsolidation. I hoped not. That would make remembering a lot more difficult.

"In that case, let's see if I remember using this strategy against you."

"What have you got? I end my turn."

I drew my next card and immediately ordered an attack from my monster.

"Warrior of Light! Attack his Petit Dragon!"

The gang beside me was incredulous at my decision.

"But Eric said it couldn't be destroyed in battle!" warned Tristan.

"Watch carefully, everyone," said Yugi. As always, he knew what was going on. His vast knowledge of Duel Monsters and experience with the card game has given him enough insight into a lot of different card effects and strategies.

"I just hope she knows what she's doing," said Téa nervously.

Warrior of Light unsheathed her sword once more and charged forward to strike an attack. Her blade sliced clean through the little dragon, but it soon pieced together as though it was jelly.

LP: Sarah: 1880/Eric: 0400

I crossed my arms triumphantly and watched everyone's eyes grow wide, except Yugi's and Eric's.

"He still lost Life Points," murmured Joey curiously.

Eric clenched his fist and smirked. He was impressed and anxious all at the same time. "I knew you would remember," he said again, fortifying the fact. "Even though my dragon can't be sent to the Graveyard, if it's in Attack Mode, I can still lose Life Points."

"But, Eric, why would you bet so much of your life on this gamble? Surely it wasn't to see if I would remember these cards, was it?"

"It was..."

"..."

"I really want you to remember, Sarah... which is why I'm willing to put my Life Points on the line in order for you to remember."

My chest tightened uncomfortably at his words.

"Wouldn't it have also worked if Eric had put his dragon in Defence Mode instead? He wouldn't have had to lose his points." Téa looked at Yugi questioningly.

"If Eric had put Petit Dragon into Defence Mode then Sarah wouldn't have bothered attacking," explained Yugi. "She knew his monster would be safe from the attack and that he wouldn't lose any Life Points. However, since he had his monster placed in Attack Mode..."

"... Sarah saw the opportunity to strengthen her lead," finished Tristan. "Eric knew she wouldn't let this chance slip by so he baited her to attack, which would in turn spark some memory back to life in her mind..."

"Let us see if it really was from my memory," I said. I was still not convinced that what I saw was really a part of Eric's memory. Petit Dragon was a low-level monster that anyone could have had in their decks. This memory could have come from anywhere.

But the spell card Eric used with the dragon... not many duelists would use that combination.

I shook my head to get rid of the slight throbbing that had begun to grow. Was this headache due to the fact that I was remembering something from my past? Or was it because all these questions were becoming too much?

I thought I met Yugi's eye, but as quickly as I had seen it, it disappeared. He was now looking at Eric.

I needed to get through this duel. Pull yourself together, Sarah.

"I place one card face down and end my turn."

"You definitely remembered these two from somewhere," hinted Eric as he drew his next card. "But you're right. There's a chance that you didn't remember them from my deck. In that case, I will show you a monster that only I have. There's only one of its kind and I'm the one to have it."

I wondered what this card was.

"I play the card known as Warrior Summons! This ritual card allows me to sacrifice my Petit Dragon to summon a much stronger dragon!

"Behold! Axoquo!"

The Petit Dragon disappeared into pixels and was replaced with a majestic dragon of enormous size. It had fiery hot scales and large, flaming wings. Two sharp horns were above its blood red, piercing eyes, and the air around it hazed like a mirage. Its roar was magnificent - probably heard from miles away.

I gazed up at the beautiful dragon with awe. It had a destructive power of 3120 after the bonus was applied.

It was incredible.

The same jolting pain from before suddenly shot through my head again, and this time, my hand went up to where it hurt.

I saw something big... a large shadow looming over me with my back against the platform's support beam on an arena. I remember feeling terrified... and then the shooting sparks returned... followed by the bright light...

"Amazing...!" said Joey, talking about the dragon.

"I can see what he meant by there being only one," said Tristan. "A card that powerful - it's gotta be rare."

"Sarah! Is everything alright?"

It was Yugi who had called me, and he looked concerned. Suddenly, I felt lightheaded.

"H-Hey... what's wrong?" called Eric worriedly, also noticing that something was wrong.

"I... um..." I tried to get my breathing back to normal, and quickly brought my hand down. I didn't want to show that I was feeling any pain from remembering. I needed to show that I was strong.

However, it didn't make sense. My head didn't hurt before but it was hurting now.

Why would that be?

For now, I decided to push that question aside. I had to get through this duel. I needed to remember who Eric was.

What was he to me?

"I'm fine," I said finally, after feeling the pain subside.

Joey shook his head. "I knew this was a bad idea," he said. "You're not ready to duel him."

"I need to do this... I'm remembering something, and I need to know what it is..."

"Sarah..."

I gave Joey a small smile. "I have something I need to fight for too..."

The blond's honey-coloured eyes warmed at my resolve. After some hesitation, he gave me a nod, telling me that he understood.

"Ease into the memory," said Téa. "If it comes at you all at once, look at something that catches your eye and the memory will disappear for a moment. You can have more control recalling it."

"Alright... I understand. Thank you."

"Hun, are you sure?" asked Eric. "I mean with the duel? We can stop if you - "

His mouth closed the instant I pointed at him.

"You will not call me any nicknames until I remember who you are."

Eric swallowed nervously. "Y-Yes, ma'am."

"Right. And your dragon is beautiful, by the way."

Eric stood proudly on his platform. "Why, thank you."

I knew that dragon had more to do with this memory that was hurting me. But I didn't see the dragon itself... so maybe it was something else.

"This dragon is one of the rarest cards in my deck. I have one more but that one is for another time. Axoquo is my personal favourite, because it's extremely powerful, and even more so now with the Field Power Bonus. It has an effect though: if it does battle with a monster that's in Defence Mode, the difference between this monster's Attack Points and the defending monster's Defence Points is dealt to you as damage."

My eyes widened. "I can't attack or defend with monsters that have low points..."

"That's right! So you had better come up with a stronger monster quickly! For now however... I think I will finally put your warrior to rest. Axoquo! Obliterate the Warrior of Light!"

A ball of fire spiralled within the dragon's mighty jaws. As soon as it was ready, it shot a stream of hot flame at my warrior.

"She's going to lose a large portion of her Life Points!" said Tristan.

I would have panicked, had I not been prepared.

"You fell right into my trap!"

"Trap? No way! How did you - ! My dragon!"

As soon as my trap activated, Eric's mighty dragon slowly began to disappear. First, its attack stopped dead in its tracks, then it dissolved into pixels, until there was nothing left but a wisp of flame dancing in the air.

Everyone stared with wide eyes. I sighed with relief at the fact that my Life Points were safe.

"How! Explain this, Sarah!"

"I played the trap known as Sakuretsu Armor, Eric!" I said with a smirk. "As soon as you declared your attack, your monster was doomed!"

"How in the world did you know to play that card!" Eric's mouth was agape with surprise. He knew as well as everyone else that I did not have ESP.

"Eric, your last move had me thinking very curiously about what you would do during your next turn," I said. "Petit Dragon couldn't stay on the field in Attack Mode, so there were two options left: either you switch your monster into Defence Mode or you summon another monster, more likely a stronger one. I knew that after suffering a heavy loss such as the last turn, you would want to deal damage to me as quickly as you could. That impatience led to your downfall, and you had forgotten all about my trap card."

"But... no way... my dragon wasn't even on the field for a full turn!"

"Sorry, Eric. Maybe we'll get to see its destructive power some other time."

I thought I saw his eye twitch. "I should have known you wouldn't go easy on me even though I had gone easy on you..."

"We're here in a tournament to see which of us is the best," I said, catching everyone's attention. "There isn't any time to go easy on anyone. This is where we show our true selves."

"... You're right," said Eric. "I know, you're right... but..."

He just wanted me to remember the dragons... so that I could remember him.

My gaze softened. "How about we duel again for memory some other time after the tournament?" The truth is, Eric, I'm here for something else right now - someone. I cannot afford to spend time thinking about what might have happened between us in the past. Not now.

Eric sighed, but then he slowly smirked as he thought of something. "Well, if we both make it to the finals, then we won't have to wait that long."

Right... the finals.

"Alright," I said finally. "Let's take it one duel at a time. For now, it's still your turn." He wasn't going to quit...

"Right."

Eric placed a card face down. "I end my turn."

"I can't believe his dragon is gone so quickly," said Nick.

Ryan scoffed. "Should have seen that coming. She's the Dueling Legend for a reason."

"Could you imagine if Eric got through to her in this duel? He'd be the guy dating the Dueling Legend!"

Ryan bonked Nick over the head. Eric's face was suddenly scarlet.

"K-Keep it down, you two...!" he said, waving his fist at them. "Or I'll hit the both of you!"

"I found the ringleader..." said Joey. Tristan tried not to laugh.

"Sarah! Way to get rid of the threat!" cheered Tristan with a warm smile. I gave him a thumbs up.

"I wasn't expecting her to play that trap card," said Yugi.

Téa blinked. "Is that so? She's progressing quickly then."

Yugi nodded, and I saw him smile up at me.

"Thank you, everyone..." I said. I felt like a child getting questions right on a test, because I was relearning how to play Duel Monsters and doing better each time.

"You're almost there," said Joey. "You can do it."

"Eric! Turn this around!" said Nick. "You had her! Do something she won't expect!"

"I'm thinking - I'm thinking!"

"Come up with a plan during my turn."

I drew my next card while Eric pondered over the possibilities of his next turn.

He had no monsters on his side of the field, which could only mean that the face down card he played was a trap. Unless he wanted me to know that it was a trap. I did not plan to think of it any further. I wished to play it safe, but at the same time, I also wanted to win the duel. I couldn't fall behind.

"I think my Warrior has been alone on the battlefield for too long," I said. "I summon the Warrior of Elements in Attack Mode and place two cards face down.

A female warrior clad with silver armour and a blood red shield was summoned to the field. Her long black hair was tied up and her piercing orange eyes glared at Eric. Her Attack Points rose to 1800.

"You'd better summon a monster this turn - and make sure it stays there!"

"Oh, this time, I will," said Eric, drawing his next card. "I can't believe you took my rare dragon down so easily."

"Well, I had used a trap card that was just as equally rare to do it, so it wasn't a problem."

"I hope you don't have anymore of those on the field right now."

Eric placed a card onto his mat. "This monster should be able to do well! I summon Evocator Chevalier!"

A warrior wearing heavy red and bronze armour materialized onto the field brandishing a large double-edged blade that curved a little bit from the middle. The red cloth at his hips wavered in the wind of the arena.

He had 2280 Attack Points.

Both of my monsters could be destroyed.

"Aha! Seems like I have the strongest monster on the field now!"

"Yes, but... will you attack me...?"

"Oh, but I am well prepared this time. Watch this!"

He activated the card that was face down. "Heavy Storm! All the spell and trap cards on the field are destroyed!"

"What the...!" I watched as a hurricane swept away the two cards I had placed face down. This wasn't good. One of them could have helped me had he attacked first.

"Now that those are out of the way, I can clearly and swiftly destroy your monsters. Evocator Chevalier, attack her Warrior of Elements!"

Eric's monster swung his sword clean through my warrior, and before I knew it, I was watching my Life Points falling again.

LP: Sarah: 1400/Eric: 0400

Nick and Ryan cheered for their friend's victory of the round.

"Don't worry, Sarah. This is only a minor setback," encouraged Téa.

"You still have a lot of Life Points left," Tristan agreed.

I bit the bottom of my lip. "Right..." The truth was, I didn't know what else I could do to defeat Eric's strong monster.

"I end my turn, Sarah," said Eric. "Do you have something to counter me with?"

Hmm... I don't have a monster that's strong enough...

... Wait... if I don't have a monster with enough attack power to defeat Eric's monster... then I need to lower his monster's attack power...

I knew which card I needed... but would I be able to draw it?

Everyone's watchful gaze was careful and encouraging. I took a deep breath and slowly drew the next card from my deck.

It was just what I needed.

"I place one card face down, and switch my warrior into Defence Mode. That's all I can do."

"Aww, really? That's too bad. Looks like I'll be taking the lead pretty soon. Evocator Chevalier! Attack her last warrior!"

Without a hitch, Eric's monster swung in and struck my Warrior of Light down. Thankfully, I didn't lose Life Points. But still... this duel had gone on long enough.

"I place one card face down and that's it. It's your move - make it count! You've fallen behind, Sarah!"

"Eric... it's time I end this."

"What are you talking about? I just destroyed your monster."

"Indeed... but this card will finish you right here and now."

"Not another trap...!"

"Behold! Shadow Spell! This trap card allows me to select one of your monsters and subtract 700 Attack Points from it. You only have one monster on your field right now, so Evocator Chevalier's Attack Strength goes down to 1580."

"What the... no! I don't have anything to counter that! Even my face down card is useless...!"

"Now you understand... " I said with a smirk. All I need now is a strong enough monster... and I win."

"There's no chance..."

"The card that I have drawn is... Sword of Deception!"

A radiant light illuminated the dueling field out of which emerged a beautifully dressed warrior with large bright red wings. Her sword was double edged, her long hair cascaded in soft, pink waterfalls on her shoulders, and her final Attack Points were 2160.

"No way..."

"Yes way. Attack!"

Sword of Deception was swung head on into Evocator Chevalier, who yelled out in pain as the blade struck his side. He burst into a bunch of pixels, and the duel was finally over.

My head wasn't hurting anymore.

LP: Sarah: 1400/Eric: 0000

Everyone jumped up and cheered as Eric's Life Points fell to zero. I breathed a sigh of relief, while Eric stared disbelievingly at the field before his eyes.

"I was so close...!" he cried out. Nick and Ryan shifted their gazes.

"It's alright, man."

"Yeah, you tried your best."

Eric and I collected our cards and got off the platforms. We met in the middle and shook hands.

"That was a good match, Sarah," he said kindly with a smile. "I sure wasn't expecting this turn of events."

Then he placed his Star Chip into my hand and closed my fingers around it.

"You take this. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Eric... And um... I'm sorry I don't remember..."

Eric gave me a small smile. "It's okay. I won't give up just yet. There's still a long way for us to go. Perhaps you will remember me some other time."

"I sure hope so..." I said. I needed to know who he was before this tournament ended. Could I trust him?

"This may be where we part ways," said Eric. Then he gently poked my nose to which I blinked. "But don't think we won't run into each other again. I'll see you at the finals."

"Eric..."

He smiled and turned around to face his friends. They gave him a playful shove as they started walking away. Before disappearing behind some trees, Eric turned around and waved to all of us. We waved back, and he was soon gone.

Just as a hurricane passes through without warning, so had Eric.

I had to sit down in the grass to slow everything down.

"Heeeey, Dueling Legeeeend~" said Joey with a wide grin in a sing-songy voice. "You won your first duel! Congratulations!"

"Phew... thank you..." I said, returning his smile with one of my own. "That was very stressful..."

"You did really well," said Yugi. "And you're feeling okay too?"

"Yes, I feel good. Really good." I stuck the Star Chip I won from Eric onto the glove. "I now have three."

"You're catching up!"

"Whaaat, now I'm the only one behind," Joey said with a pout.

"You'll get another duel soon," said Yugi. The blond seemed to enjoy the idea.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Téa asked me gently. I realized that she was worried about the time I felt pain from remembering the dragons.

"Yes... after that, I did not feel any pain..."

"It's weird though... that shouldn't have happened," said Tristan.

I nodded. Something was definitely odd. I was skeptical about Eric, and now I had more reason to be.

Why did it hurt to remember him?

Star Chips: Yugi: 3/Joey: 2/Sarah: 3

⬛