I own nothing.
So going forward, I'm not gonna do play-by-plays for duels cause this duel alone was four episodes long and they're only gonna get longer from here. I'll keep the cool moments and vital moves while summarizing the other turns.
Chapter 29: Joey vs 'Marik'

Rain was prepping her deck for the next rounds, mentally preparing in case she was chosen to duel Marik. Just as she finished up, a knock came from the door.
"Coming!" She said, opening the door to reveal a nervous looking. "Hey, Yugi. Did you forget something?"
"Err, no." He answered. "We have...a visitor."
"A what?"
"Rain." A familiar voice said from behind her.
The Wayfarer shrieked and jumped to Yugi's side, turning her head to their elusive friend. "Shadi! I will bell you like a cat if you keep appearing out of nowhere!"
"My apologies." The mysterious man said. "I needed to speak to both of you. You've both learned so much. You're beginning to understand your fates, fates that intertwine with those of the spirits who dwell within your Millennium Items."
"More now." Yugi said. "Rain told me about (Y/N) and Yami's legend."
"Correct." Shadi affirmed. "And together, you must save the Earth."
"From the ancient evil." Rain finished. "Any chance you can explain how?"
He shook his head. "I am but the Guardian of the seven Millennium Items. I am here because I sensed a disturbance in the mystic alignment once again. The seven Millennium Items, along with the Millennium Bracelet, are all on board this vessel, as well as the three Egyptian god cards, meaning, the tools to save or destroy the world are all present, and the Earth's safety rests with you both. Heed my words: if the wrong individuals were to gain control of any of the Millennium Items or one of the Egyptian god cards, the results could be catastrophic. It nearly happened once before, with Maximillion Pegasus."
"You mean his trip to Egypt?" Rain remembered. "When you first gave him the Millennium Eye?"
Shadi nodded. "Precisely. Pegasus became obsessed with the Shadow Games and sought to resurrect the ancient mystical powers he discovered, but it nearly destroyed him. Pegasus did not know his limits, but he would come to discover he'd unleashed a power far beyond his control."
"Please, tell us more." Yugi asked. "Just how did all this start?"
"During his early research trips, Pegasus discovered the Egyptian god monsters. He traveled to an ancient pyramid where the stones depicting the monsters were hidden."
Shadi went on to explain that he had been the one to lead Pegasus through the pyramid to resting place of the tablets and how though he was destined to reawaken them, Pegasus couldn't control them. In addition, the rest of the expedition party were wiped out in one misfortune after the other, leaving him the sole survivor. He attempted to create the cards himself, only to receive a terrible vision of the gods rampaging through Egypt.
"I warned Pegasus to return the cards to their resting place, or risk their power destroying himself and the world, and he complied, sealing the prototypes in the tomb alongside the original carvings, and alongside Ishizu Ishtar, the god cards were locked away."
"Until Marik stole them." Rain said.
Shadi nodded. "Yes, and if he were to get his hands on all 3, the results would be devastating. Pegasus made further attempts to gain power to counter the gods, which brought him to the Wayfarers."
"He found out there was an eighth item." Rain realized. "One that was created to drive back darkness."
"Indeed." Shadi affirmed. "By fate, your mother and Pegasus's wife knew each other well enough that she was able to transcribe stories from your people, including the bracelet. Pegasus sought to control the artifact in hopes it could stop the gods should they be unleashed."
"That must've been when he went to my gramps house. But it didn't matter. The bracelet can only be wielded by a Wayfarer."
Shadi shook his head. "Not just any Wayfarer. There have been those who have called upon pieces of its power, but the bracelet has only chosen three masters in its existence. However, even with its power, should the gods be unleashed, it could cause utter calamity."
Just then, Yami and (Y/N) took over.
"I can assure you, Marik will never hold all 3 Egyptian god cards." Yami promised.
Shadi knelt. "My Pharaoh, my Queen. It is an honor for me to be in your presence once again, and I have great confidence in you both. I know that you will restore order to the world and put an end to this chaos, just as you did 5000 years ago. My complete faith lies in you."
The PA system suddenly went on, getting the attention of the duelists. "All remaining finalists must now report to the main concourse!"
When the two turned back, Shadi had vanished, leaving them stumped.
"Perhaps Rain has a point about that bell." (Y/N) commented, which her husband nodded to.
"It's time, you guys." Yugi said, appearing in spirit form.
"He's right." Rain agreed. "I have a feeling Shadi will come to us if we need more information. Let's just focus on dueling for now."
"All right." The former Queen said. "After all, the future of mankind is depending upon us."

(Timeskip)

Yugi and Rain reconvened with the others at the elevator, Tristan discussing a familiar man in white robes saving himself and Duke from falling off the blimp. Unfortunately, there had been no sign of the Millennium Ring, so all they could do now was await the outcome of the next duel. Just as before, they were gathered in front of the draw machine, this time, the numbers 2 and 7 were selected, meaning Joey would be facing off against Marik.
"It's go time!" Joey challenged, glaring his opponent down. "I hope you brought a parachute, 'cause I'm blasting you right off this blimp! You got that, Marik?"
Marik said nothing, riling up Joey even more as everyone made their way to the dueling arena. Rain bit the nail of her thumb.
"This is dangerous for Joey. If Marik uses the Millennium Rod-,"
"Then we will deal with it when it comes." (Y/N) assured her. "Let's have faith in him for now."
"Doesn't exactly reassure me."
"Come on, Joey!" Tristan cheered as Roland reaffirmed the stakes.
"Gentlemen, it's time to begin! Take your places so we can get this duel underway!" Both males were in the center of the field, Joey glaring down the taller male as they shuffled each other's decks. "Uh, gentlemen?"
Tristan was pretty much encouraging this. "Show Tattoo-Face what duel's all about, Joey!"
"He looks really fired up." Yugi noted.
"Of course! When Joey gets really steamed, he tends to shoot his mouth off."
Rain winced. "That might be a bad idea. Marik's bad enough without being goaded."
Serenity looked down. "I hope he'll be okay."
"Don't worry, Serenity." Tea smiled. "I'm sure with you here cheering him on, there's no way he'll lose!"
"Gentlemen!" Roland yelled. "Let's go! You've shuffled enough cards for 10 duels! Take your positions!"
Eventually, the two handed each other back their decks and stormed off.
"Yo!" Joey challenged. "Listen up, you bald-headed freak! According to my math, you're gonna be all washed up in 9 turns, that's if you can count!"
"Where'd he come up with 9?" Duke asked as Serenity looked so impressed with her brother.
"My brother's so awesome! He's got this whole duel calculated in his head already!"
"Yeah." Yugi said, of course not buying this for a second. "Right, Serenity."
"This won't be a harbinger of doom." Rain added. "Not at all."
As of to prove her point, Marik drew the Millennium Rod, pointing it at Joey. The blonde immediately flinched back. Yugi seemed equally as nervous, prompting the Wayfarer to slip her hand in his, which he thanked with a weak squeeze.
"Point that thing somewhere else and duel like a man!" Joey demanded.
And somehow, Marik complied, tucking the item away in his robes. "Very well."
"Did you just say 'very well'?"
"That's a relief." Yugi said with a sigh as Rain crossed her arms.
"And weird. Why would Marik agree to fight fairly?"
"Perhaps that last duel made him realize he couldn't control Joey?" Yami suggested as he and (Y/N) appeared in their spirit forms.
(Y/N) shook her head. "Even then, the Rod could do more than just control Joey's mind. Something isn't right about this."
"Let's do this, Marik!" Joey challenged.
"Gentlemen, let the duel begin!" Roland declared.
"Prepare for defeat!" Marik said, only for Joey to brush it off.
"Don't count on it, Marik! I'm not scared of you! I'll start, ya freak!"
"Go, Joey!" Tristan shouted, prompting Mai to jump in.
"Show this robed weirdo who's boss!"

Joey 4000LP/Marik 4000LP

Joey drew and got his usual overconfident grin on his face, only for a strong wind to blow his hand away. Everyone had a collective heart attack for a moment, until the blonde managed to catch the cards before they flew off the blimp.
"Might want to actually hold onto your cards for this duel!" Duke yelled as Rain was hyperventilating, clutching her chest.
"I don't think my heart can take this whole duel."
Tea rubbed her back. "Deep breaths, Rain, deep breaths."
Joey shook his head and got ahold of himself. "Now, then, where was I?"
"Acting like a fool." Marik shot back.
"That's enough out of you, Marik! So check this out: now I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in attack mode!"
The black armored knight leapt onto the field, spear and shield in hand.

Gearfried the Iron Knight
1800 ATK/1600 DEF

"And there's more where that came from! Now let's see what you got, tough guy!"

Joey 4000LP/Marik 4000LP

Marik drew and immediately activated his field spell slot on his Duel Disk.
"I'll play Temple of the Kings, a card like none you've ever seen!"
A massive temple rose up from behind the robed duelist, catching Joey off guard.
"What's the deal with that temple?"
"The structure behind me is the ancient Temple of the Kings. Within this 5000 year old sanctuary lie the greatest treasures of the kings of Egypt."
"And what does that big shack do?"
"To protect the king's treasure, it limits the number of magic and trap cards you can play in one turn. And in front of the temple, I'll lay two cards facedown as an extra boundary of protection. And with this move, I end my turn, so try to attack me if you dare. You have no idea what danger lurks within these temple walls."
"Marik didn't even summon a monster." Tea noted as Tristan was hyper focused.
"Attack his lifepoints!"
"That's stupid!" Duke interceded. "Marik probably wants that to happen so he can activate his facedowns. It's way too risky, dummy."
"Duke's right, Tristan." Rain said. "It's too risky this early on."

Joey 4000LP/Marik 4000LP

Joey seemed to be seriously contemplating his next move, looking a bit off put.
"What's the delay?" Marik demanded. "Don't you realize that no matter what you do, you're finished, Mr. Wheeler? So make your move."
Those words set something off in Rain's head. Despite them being the usual condescending pattern of Marik, something about them just didn't sit right.
Regardless, Joey didn't seem fazed, in fact, he seemed to have a plan in mind as he drew. "I summon Tiny Guardian in attack mode!"
The small armored monster took to the field, sword in hand.

Tiny Guardian
1400 ATK/1800 DEF

"And that's all I'm gonna do for now, Chrome Dome." Joey announced, ending his turn.
"Joey's got to attack him sometime." Tristan said, worried.
"You can't just go running blindly into traps, Tristan." Rain pointed out. "Joey knows that. I think he's setting up a way to deal with them."
Serenity nodded. "I'm sure he is."

Joey 4000LP/Marik 4000LP

"Observe, you fool." Marik declared after drawing. "I place two more cards facedown, and my move is complete."
"4 facedowns?" Yugi said, shocked as Mai growled.
"That spineless snake is just gonna sit back and wait for Joey to attack him. It's the oldest and wimpiest trick in the book."

Joey 4000LP/Marik 4000LP

Joey drew his next card and began to spring his plan into action. "All right, Cueball, take this! I summon Hayabusa Knight!"
A bird headed knight wielding a curved sword materialized alongside Tiny Guardian.

Hayabusa Knight
1000 ATK/700 DEF

"It's time for me to demolish that ancient palace of yours with this! I play Giant Trunade!"
Rain nodded her head as a giant whirlwind headed straight for Marik's field.
"I get it now. Joey was setting up a OTK. Without his spells and traps, Marik will be wiped out!"
Mai smirked. "What do ya know, he can strategize."
Yugi put on a relieved smile. "Looks like Joey wins this one."
Just as Giant Trunade was about to reach Marik's facedowns, it stopped in its tracks and fizzled out.
"Your Giant Trunade is no more and your troubles have only just begun." Marik announced. "You will pay the price for playing that card. I knew you would try to destroy my traps with a magic card, and so not only has my trap disabled your spell, but it is also about to devastate your field and an extremely large portion of your lifepoints. Go, Judgment of Anubis! Never have you experienced a trap with a destructive force such as this! Judgment of Anubis will now annihilate your monsters and deduct half of their attack points from your lifepoints! Anubis! Destroy!" A purple fog shaped to resemble a jackal's head oozed out of the card and razed Joey's entire field and made his lifepoints plummet. "When you see the horrors that await you, those monsters will be the last thing on your mind."

Joey 1900LP/Marik 4000LP

"Joey fell right into that trap." Tea said, now worried for their friend's safety. "Marik read him like a book."
"Traps are the hardest cards in the game to read." Yugi added. "And now Marik's field's full of them."
"Not just his field." Rain interjected. "Judging by how he's set this up, Marik's got to be running a trap deck. If Joey doesn't start reading his moves better, he's done for."
"You think Joey can still win, right?" Serenity asked.
Tea rubbed her neck. "Yeah...sure."
"Think he can win?" Tristan repeated, trying to make up for Tea's hesitance. "I know he can. Right, Yugi and Rain?"
Yugi nodded. "Don't worry, Serenity, Joey's been in tougher situations than this. He just needs a little support from us, and he'll be crushing Marik in no time."
That seemed to reassure the younger Wheeler, who immediately began to cheer Joey on. (Y/N) then appeared.
"If Marik is running a trap heavy deck like you suspect, Rain, Joey has the perfect counter in his deck."
The younger Wayfarer nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. If Joey gets Jinzo out, Marik's whole trap strategy gets shut down. He wouldn't even be able to use a trap to counter it."
"Let's just hope Joey remembers he has Jinzo and he's able to draw into it."
For several turns, a cat and mouse game ensued as Joey was forced to play cautiously out of necessity. However, that didn't stop him from nearly getting hurt himself by another trap that redirected Rocket Warrior's direct attack back on Joey's Alligator's Sword. Fortunately, the blonde did learn from his mistakes by playing Fairy Box to negate the attack. Of course, Marik proceeded to then summon three trap monsters with 1600 ATK each, and despite Joey's attempts to defend with Scapegoat, Marik had Magic Jammer, allowing his monsters to wipe his field again and dropped his lifepoints to 200.
Marik tried to coerce the blonde into surrendering, but with the support of everyone, Joey refused to give up the game, remembering all of the tough duels he had faced to get this far. That reminder in particular seemed to be what Joey needed.
"Hey, Marik, you think I'm gonna lose to you?" Joey said, his resolve made firm. "Well, you better guess again, tough guy. I came to the finals for one reason: to win. And that's what I'm gonna do. Joey Wheeler's back!"
"Way to go!" Yugi cheered, Duke joining in.
"Atta boy, Joey! Show this creep how it's done!"
Joey nodded. "Listen, I defeated 3 of the toughest duelists out there to earn my way onto this blimp, you lightbulb head, and I'm not gonna let you or your shiny skull stop me from finishing what I started."
"Might want to work on his trash talk." Rain said beneath her breath as everyone else cheered.
Joey took no notice, smiling at his friends. "Thanks a lot, guys. You rock! And don't worry, I'll win this! Let's go!"
Marik huffed. "It seems you're more foolish than I thought. It's time for you to lose shamefully, so make your final pathetic move."
Despite his words, Rain felt something gut that made her think that tone rang hollow. As matter of fact, hidden beneath the malice, the Wayfarer could almost hear...respect?"
"Hey, (Y/N)? That sounded fake to you too, right?"
The female spirit nodded. "I heard it too. He's trying to hide something."
Yugi, hearing this, turned to the girls. "You think so?"
Just then, Yami appeared next to Yugi.
"I agree with them. Yugi, Rain, I suggest we switch."
The two vessels looked at each other before turning back to their respective partners and nodded. Switching control, Yami took the lead.
"The power is in your hands, Joey."
"Right!" The male agreed as (Y/N) focused her attention on Marik, trying to get a read on him. "Your scheme ends here! I promised Yugi and Rain that I'd help them stop you, Marik, and I'm gonna keep that promise by knocking your bald cranium out of the finals, got it?"

Joey 200LP/Marik 4000LP

Joey drew and immediately smirked. "Hope you're ready to say goodbye to everything."
"Your false threats don't frighten me." Marik shot back.
"I place two cards facedown, then I summon Swordsman of Landstar in defense mode!"

Swordsman of Landstar
1200 ATK/500 DEF

"Now back to you, sunshine." Joey snarked, ending his turn.

Joey 200LP/Marik 4000LP

(Y/N) caught Marik's eye drift for a moment, though it was so fast she couldn't tell where he was looking.
"I hope you've enjoyed your brief experience as a Battle City Finalist. And now, my Embodiments of Apophis, Triple Attack!"
The snake headed warriors charged, however, Joey was ready for them this time.
"Not so fast. Time to skin your snakes! Go now, Foolish Burial! This will let me put one card in my hand into your graveyard. Next, I'm gonna reveal this: my trap, Graverobber!"
The happy, grave robbing gremlin appeared on the field, diving at Marik's Duel Disk and snatching the card Joey had just sent there. "Now reveal, Jinzo!"
The humanoid monster burst onto the field from Graverobber's hand, standing firmly in the path of Marik's monsters.

Jinzo
2400 ATK/1500 DEF

Marik's eyes went wide. "Oh no."
"Oh yes." Joey said, smugly. "That's right. I remembered your snake creatures were trap monsters with all their strengths and weaknesses, and unfortunately for you, Jinzo's ability lets him destroy all trap cards! Go, Jinzo! Wipe out his serpents!"
In one fell swoop, Jinzo blew the snakes to high Heaven, and given Marik was relying on traps, his field might as well have been wide open.
"Yeah!" Mai yelled. "That's the way, Joey!"
(Y/N) smirked. "Marik's trap strategy is useless so long as Jinzo's present in the field."
"Now then, do you still think I'm an amateur or did you learn your lesson?" Joey asked.
"I'm not through with you yet Mr Wheeler!" Marik declared. "I still have lifepoints."
"Not for long, Marik. See, with my man Jinzo by my side, you and your trap cards are ancient history!"

Joey 200LP/Marik 4000LP

Joey drew. "Look out! Check it out, bald wonder! Now I summon Battle Warrior in attack mode!"

Battle Warrior
700 ATK/1000 DEF

"But wait, because that's not all! I also switch my Swordsman of Landstar into attack mode! Now, Jinzo! Attack his lifepoints!"
Jinzo blasted Marik for significant damage, followed by Swordsman of Landstar and Battle Warrior, almost evening the playing field in one move.
Everyone cheered Joey's comeback on, boosting his confidence.
"Now then, you don't feel so tough, do you? Maybe you should have protected yourself a little better."
Marik held firm. "Attack me all you want. You can't win! Remember, I still possess my Temple of the Kings card, a card so strong, it can't be stopped. Just wait until you experience its unparalleled force."
"Your palace doesn't scare me. I think I've already proven that Joey Wheeler doesn't sit back and let people walk all over him, so bring it on! Hear me? I can take whatever you got and dish it right back, buddy! So go ahead, and make your move."
"With great pleasures, foolish boy." Marik snarled.

Joey 200LP/Marik 400LP

The next few turns were a bit of lull due to Marik playing Swords of Revealing Light, though Joey did take the opportunity to load his field with powerful monsters, the same monsters he had won during his time in Battle City, meaning he was prepared to do some serious damage when the time came, though for now, they were all in defense position. On Marik's side, (Y/N) felt a horrible shiver during one of his draws, her every nerve on end. Marik seemed equally as frazzled for a moment.
Rain then appeared. "Ugh, seriously, what is with this guy? From turn one, something's about this has been all wrong! What is it?"
"She's right." Yugi agreed, looking at Yami. "Especially after his last turn. He's been acting really strange. I wonder if it has something to do with the ancient temple behind him."
"When he first played Temple of the Kings, I had a bad feeling about that box at the top of the stairs." Yami admitted, causing all three of them to turn to him. "The one with the Egyptian symbols on it. (Y/N), could you or Rain translate it?"
"Perhaps." The former Queen said. "But Marik seems to be carefully concealing from us. Though, I'm also getting a strange feeling from it."
Just then Marik seemed to regain his confidence, sealing an unknown card within that very box. At that moment, an icy pick seemed to strike (Y/N) in the spine, making her bite back a yelp. Yami, noticing her pain, immediately supported her weight against his shoulder.
"Are you all right?"
"Fine." (Y/N) answered, though not very convincingly. "That last move, I have a horrible feeling I know which card he sealed."
Yami's eyes widened as he stared at the box. "The god card."
"I felt it too." Rain said, also seemingly in pain. "But it's different from the other times. I think he's going to regret that."
With that ominous warning, the duel continued. The final set of turns before Swords of Revealing Light ended, Marik summoned a truly terrible monster scorpion, Mystical Beast Serket, but that of course paled in comparison to the threat that Marik revealed to be the Wing Dragon of Ra. Joey, the Egyptian royal couple, and Kaiba were all sweating bullets as Marik confirmed their worst fears. However, Joey remained committed.
"You don't scare me! I'll find a way to crush your oversized scorpion, Marik!
"That would be a feat considering my beast is more powerful than all 3 of your monsters, Mr Wheeler. The only question is which will be the first one it devours? It's pointless for you to try and stop my ancient creature, because there is no card in your deck powerful enough to do it."
"There must be some way he can fight back." Tea said.
Mai crossed her arms. "Don't ask me."
"Hey, Yugi, Rain?" Serenity asked, not noticing the switch. "My brother can still win this, right?"
"Yes." Yami answered. "Even though Marik has the upper hand, Joey can still beat him. He just needs to find the weakness of Marik's monster."
"What about the card locked inside the ark?" Mai asked.
(Y/N) sighed. "One task at a time, though it may be better to defeat Marik before it comes to that."
"It's time for you to make your final move before my Mystical Beast annihilates you!" Marik declared.

Joey 200LP/Marik 400LP

"You're going down." Joey said confidently. "So here goes."
Joey seemed to have drawn a dead card as he simply passed the turn.

Joey 200LP/Marik 400LP

"A desperate move, so say goodbye. My Mystical Beast can't be stopped, so feel it's ancient fury! Attack his Jinzo now!" The scorpion pounced on Jinzo, devouring it. "My monster not only devours your monsters, it also absorbs their power, making it even stronger, and now half of Jinzo's attack power is added to my beast!"
"If it continues destroying Joey's monsters, that means-," Mai cut off Tea.
"Marik's monster's just gonna get stronger-,"
"Until it's too late." Yami finished the thought.
Over the next three turns, all of Joey's monsters were eaten one by one, making Marik's beast stronger than anything Joey could reasonably match.
"There has to be a way to stop it!" Rain shouted. "Any monster can be out played!"
"Yes, but the way Marik's played, it's-," (Y/N) stopped mid sentence as it dawned on her what has been wrong throughout this whole duel. "Rain, tell me something: outside of his insults, has Marik done anything underhanded throughout this whole duel?"
The girl gave her a weird look. "What? (Y/N), Joey has bigger things to worry about!"
"Humor me."
"No, as far as I can tell, he hasn't cheated..." Rain's voice drifted off as she realized why (Y/N) was suddenly fixated on this. "...which he's done for literally every other duel."
"Exactly. Why would he suddenly stop cheating? And it's not just that, it's also his mannerisms. He might be slinging insults, but there's no venom behind them. The Marik we've spoken to has been arrogant, juvenile even, but suddenly he's calling Joey 'Mr. Wheeler'? Why would he change so drastically?"
Both girl's eyes widened as they came to the same realization, screaming it into their heads.
"That's not the real Marik!"
"Of course!" Rain growled at himself. "Marik's only been throwing pawns at us, he wouldn't reveal himself unless he had to. Gah! I should've seen it!"
"We both should have, young Wayfarer. The signs were there. But that begs the question: who is this person and where is the real Marik?"
"Hey, (Y/N)." Joey suddenly said. "Tell me if I'm going crazy: something's been off this whole duel, right? You and Stormy got an eye for this."
Everyone blinked in surprise, 'Marik' included.
The former queen crossed her arms. "Yes, Rain and I also noticed."
Joey nodded. "I knew it. I'll never forget him controlling me and forcing me to hurt my best friend in that crazy duel. He didn't have the guts to face Yugi himself, so he made me do the dirty work, while he hid like a coward!"
'Marik' glared at him. "I'm facing you now, aren't I?"
"Yeah, funny you bring that up." Joey said. "See, ever since we started this duel, I've had this weird feeling about you. I can't put my finger on it, but you don't seem like the same guy that controlled my mind. That Marik's a regular slime ball, but you've played a fair duel, and it was one of the toughest one I've ever fought! Just like I've got this little telling me there's no way I'm gonna lose, I also got a voice that tells me you're not the rotten snake that took over my brain! I'm sure of it, 'specially with (Y/N) and Stormy backin' me up! You're not Marik!"
The false Marik gritted his teeth.
"Wheeler's gone mad!" Kaiba shouted from the other side of the field. "Of course that duelist is Marik!"
"Kaiba, none of us know what Marik looks like, we've just been taking him at word." (Y/N) shouted back. "All we can draw from is his behavior."
Yami looked to his wife. "You two are certain?"
She nodded. "Positive. I can't bring myself to believe this is the same Marik we've been fighting."
"So where's the real snake in the grass?!" Mai asked her.
Before the former queen could answer, her partner suddenly went stiff, making her very concerned.
"Rain?"
At that moment, it was Rain's turn to remember something, that dream she had had at the start of all this.
It was a trip to Egypt.
She played Senet with a boy in the marketplace.
And the boy's name was...
It hit her in a flash as she saw the image of the young boy in her mind.
"My name is Marik."
"(Y/N), switch with me."
"What?"
"Trust me. I think I have an idea about what this is about."
(Y/N) seemed hesitant with the idea, but conceded, allowing Rain to take back control of her body. As she did, the fake seemed to panic, pulling out the Millennium Rod.
"Enough of this! Only the real Marik wields the power of the Millennium Rod! Think of that before you listen to those senseless voices inside of your head, Mr. Wheeler! It's time for me to finish this duel! Serket, attack his lifepoints directly and end this duel immediately!"
As the hulking red beast prepared to end it all, it suddenly stopped as the imposter had a panicked look as his face, looking over to the crowd.
"Why isn't he attacking Joey?" Tea asked.
Rain crossed her arms. "Because he needs to convince us he's the true Marik." Once again all eyes turned to the Wayfarer who stared up at the imposter. "Hey, whoever  you are, let me take a wild guess: you stopped your attack because your boss told you to play the god card, right?"
The man said nothing, but the tensing of his expression was a dead give away.
Rain continued to monologue. "There's two ways to prove definitively who the real Marik is: one is the Millennium Rod and the other is using the Winged Dragon of Ra. First option's out since the Millennium Items have a nasty reputation of killing those they don't recognize as their masters, so that leaves option two. The god cards don't seem to have the same drawback, but there's a two flaws in your plan: one, I don't buy for a second Marik would hand over the Winged Dragon of Ra to anyone, especially after Yugi won Slifer from Strings, so I'm betting the card you have is a fake, and judging by how terrified you are to use it, I'm betting trying to use a counterfeit card to summon something as powerful as god monster is going to have some nasty consequences."
Again, the man flinched, proving the girl's suspicions without having to say a word.
"Regular Sherlock Holmes, this one." Mai remarked as Duke looked impressed.
"Rain, you're a genius! You read him like an open book!"
Yami still seemed concerned. "You said there were two flaws in his logic. What was the second flaw?"
Rain didn't turn to look at him, instead locking eyes with the imposter.
"Drop the act, pal. I already know who your boss is."
Tea looked at her in shock. "You do!?"
Rain looked up at the sky.
"Yup, or rather, I remembered. It took me a while, but it finally hit me. I have met Marik before, but it had nothing to do with any of this, it was just a chance encounter when I was a kid. Gramps and I took a trip to Egypt for my training, and I made friends with a boy in the marketplace. It was just a one day friendship, but I remembered how happy he seemed to have someone to play with, and the boy I played with, he said his name was Marik."
"No offense, Rain, but are you 100% sure it's the same kid?" Tristan asked. "I get it's not exactly a common name, but there's got to be other people out there with it."
"I'm certain. It's been driving me crazy why Marik had this...hyper fixation on me outside of the prophecy, but if that boy is the same Marik, then I think I'm starting to piece together what all this is about. Of course, we can just ask him to confirm my suspicions." She then turned her head to male who had been suspiciously quiet throughout this entire duel. "Isn't that right, Namu? Or should I call you by your real name?"
Namu, or rather Marik, seemed to grit his teeth as all eyes turned to him. Seeing his face all but confirmed it for Rain. Despite being older, this boy was definitely the Marik she had played with all those years ago. Yet, despite the truth being made clear, the imposter refused to be beaten, pointing the fake Millennium Rod at Joey.
"I am Marik and I will now play my Egyptian god card to prove it!" Everyone looked at him petrified, especially since he had made no effort to refute Rain's deduction about the risk of playing a counterfeit god card. "Now, in order to release my Egyptian god monster from the ark, I must sacrifice my Mystical Beast Serket first! Once this giant guardian of the temple is no more, I can release the most powerful creature that ever walked the Earth from within the sacred ark. Ancient one, hear my call!"
"Don't do it, you idiot!" Rain yelled before glaring at Marik. "Marik, stop him! There's no point! You know what'll happen!"
Marik seemed to want to say something, but he seemed to freeze, a glaze look overtaking his eyes as something...dark overtook him. That stunned Rain as she felt a seeping dread crawl towards her. What...was this? She couldn't even hear (Y/N) as she screamed at her as a terrifying storm raged around them and the shadow of a giant gilded monster descended from the sky. As the imposter ordered the beast to attack, a surge of unyielding rage emanated from Marik's deck.
"RAIN!" (Y/N) shouted again as she forcefully took over and turned to her friends. "EVERYONE, GET IN CLOSE!"
Given the severity of her tone, everyone immediately did as they were told. As lightning began to reign down on the blimp, the former queen held the bracelet to the sky, surrounding them in a barrier. At that moment, a giant bolt slammed against them. This wasn't like the lightning Slifer had summoned during the duel with Strings, this was power neither Rain nor (Y/N) had ever tried matching before. The two shrieked as they felt overwhelming power beyond the shield, even causing cracks to form along it. However, despite all the odds, the shield held as the storm subsided. (Y/N) immediately dropped to a knee as her barrier collapsed.
Yami immediately was kneeling beside her. "(Y/N)!"
The former queen was gasping for breath. "I-I've never had to block something like that. That power... was terrifying."
"Kianga, switch with Rain." Her husband insisted. "You need to rest."
Rain again appeared, in similarly bad shape. "I'm not much better myself, Yami. Besides, we have another problem. Look!"
All eyes turned to the dueling field, as both Joey and his opponent were unconscious. Tristan immediately jumped up, hanging from the elevated platform as he yelled at Joey to give them a sign he was okay.
"Get down immediately!" Roland demanded. "There is a duel in progress!"
"They're both unconscious!" (Y/N) snapped, not having patience for Kaiba's nonsense.
Of course, Seto insisted on challenging Rain's perception that there was in fact a human being behind his cold facade, stating that the first duelist to get up in the next five minutes would automatically win. Everyone was forced to watch as the two duelists struggled, (Y/N), who was being held up by Yami, teetered on unconsciousness, and Marik seemed to be suffering a breakdown as everyone else desperately pleaded with Joey to get up. By some stretch of miracle, Joey managed to get to his feet in the nick of time, to everyone's relief. As Joey was declared the winner, the blonde immediately ran to his opponent's side. At (Y/N)'s insistence, Yami brought them over as well as the man opened his eyes.
"Please forgive me, Joey. I'm sorry. It was an honor for me to duel with you."
"Same to you." Joey insisted. "And thanks to that lightning bolt, I won't forget this duel for a while. Now that it's done, ya gotta come clean. Just who are you?"
"I am only a servant of the real Master Marik. Just as Lady (L/N) said."
He turned his gaze to Marik, who seemed to be battling a splitting headache, struggling to stay standing.
"Guess Stormy had it right." Joey said.
"Yes, it's true." Marik finally admitted, and though smirking, he was obviously in a terrible amount of pain. "I am indeed the real Marik, you fools!"
"You little worm!" Joey snarled, realizing they'd been betrayed.
"Don't, Joey." (Y/N) warned.
"So Pharaoh and Queen (Y/N), we finally meet face-to-face, though you don't look so good, your highness. Perhaps Ra's power was far too much for your weak magic."
Yami growled, though he kept his position to make sure (Y/N) didn't fall over.
"Master." The stranger pleaded, but was ignored.
"Now at last, I can finish the job my pathetic servants couldn't! Yugi, your puzzle and power will soon be where they belong!"
As he spoke, (Y/N) heard something else in his voice, as if a separate entity was creeping in all together. Her grip on Yami's arm tightened as Marik seemed to be seized by headaches again.
"There's something else there."
"No." The servant said. "I was afraid of this. We're all in great danger! Beware the great evil, hidden within!"
"What about you?!" Joey asked.
"Master Marik has a darker side, and I'm unable to contain it anymore. It's too late now! Queen (Y/N), flee with Lady (L/N), it will come after her next!"
"Who?" (Y/N) asked.
Just then, Marik seemed to be having a battle with himself as a more malevolent tone of his voice demanded to be freed. Yami helped (Y/N) to her feet before looking at Marik.
"Marik! What's going on?"
Marik stopped thrashing, and all of a sudden, an evil cackle came from him. Everyone else had the common sense to back up as the male stared down the royal couple with a crazed look, the Eye of Horus emblazoned on his forehead.
"I'm finally free again! Which means, I can do things my way. I was restrained for many years by that fool Odion!"
"Who are you?" (Y/N) asked, trying to sound like she wasn't on the verge of passing out.
"I'm the true Marik, and I'm not as kind as the one you've come to know, and soon I'll finish the job he couldn't complete and strip you both of your powers, for I deserve to be Pharaoh, not you! When I'm through with you both, your puzzle will be around my neck where it belongs and you both...will be trapped forever in the realm of eternal darkness, along with your friends, and Odion as well."
"Hey, pal, get a life!" Joey snapped.
"You fool! Thanks to Odion's failure, I now have a life! Of course, by failing, Odion did prove one thing, only a chosen few can control the Egyptian god cards. Kaiba, you're one."
The brunette rolled his eyes. "Marik, I'm sick and tired of hearing these Egyptian fairy tales. I control Obelisk the Tormentor because I am a master duelist!"
"Kaiba, denial." (Y/N) snapped, completely done with his nonsense. "Look it up in the dictionary."
"Ha!" The Dark Marik laughed. "Don't deny your ancient past. You'll find you can't escape your 5,000 year old memories. You'll learn in good time, Kaiba. Your role in this game is much deeper than you can imagine."
Both Yami And (Y/N) glanced over at Kaiba, wondering if what this Marik was saying had something to do with the tablet they had seen back at the museum.
"However, that won't matter once I take over. Yugi, the battle for the Pharaoh's power will begin right now, a conflict 5,000 years in the making, and there's no turning back! But first," He pointed the Millennium Rod at (Y/N). "Perhaps I should dispose of these pesky Wayfarers before they become a nuisance."
"Try it!" Yami growled, only to look on in shock as (Y/N) stood on her own, the Millennium Bracelet glowing steadily.
"Try, if you dare, but I was able to stand the wrath of your god card. Can you do more then?" The Dark Marik seemed to lose an ounce of the bravado glaring at the former queen down as she shook her head.
"How pathetic. Despite all your talk, you still fear us at our weakest. Know this: you are destined to fail."
"So we shall see, your highness."
He walked off and second he was out of sight, (Y/N) swayed as her vision went dark.