Night Duelist (Part 2)

DIMENSION: MANGA (The One That Saves The Day)

Jounouchi tried his best to not follow her after every competition. It was hard though. Once he pulled himself onto her kind of dueling circuit, he'd heard about the rumors. Nearly every duel, she was getting in deeper.

Mai Kujaku was a good looking woman, even when he was just in high school. They all drooled over her when they first saw her, but she was more than a pretty face. She had the heart of a duelist. When she fought Atem and Yuugi in Duelist Kingdom, it was a quick reminder not to take her lightly. But now?

Now, Mai Kujaku wasn't known for her looks or her dueling skills.

If someone was nice enough to her, she'd invite them back to her hotel room, and afterwards she'd never see them again. If they gave her something. If they bought her dinner. If they didn't want to be nice and wanted to test skills, they could get even more in a bet with her. She didn't put her life on the line like Yuugi did. She put her body on the line.

She didn't shout it to the world, but after so many competitions, everybody knew who to be the nicest to. They even came up with a nickname for her. The Night Duelist. If you found her before nightfall, there might be a chance you could see her.

And he hated it! Mai was so much better than that. Her winning streaks and where she fought her duels. Jounouchi didn't study much in school, but he knew her early history dueling records by heart. After Battle City, it got aggressive. She was trying to enter into every battle, money prize or just name recognition, it didn't matter. Then it morphed and changed into only prize winning. Then the nickname started.

If Jounouchi had known this was happening earlier, he wouldn't have started at the top where his reputation had placed him in. Invite only and things had nice prizes and great titles. Some of them added to the deck, making the others give each other their rarest cards. It could be anything, the more creative and cool, the better. Nicest hotels, best cities, but Jounouchi hadn't lied about the people.

They were all assholes. The top of the line people became top of the line because they were able to afford some of the rarest cards in existence. It was like dueling Rare Hunters, except afterwards if he won instead of saying something like 'I'll get you, Jounouchi! Just you wait'! It was more like . . . eh. They just walked off. They acted and looked like Pegasus, some of them even brought their servants to serve them refreshment during the duel!

No way, screw that. Until things got fixed, he'd rather start from scratch and just do the everyone invited duels. When he did that, it wasn't too long until he'd learned about Mai.

Getting her to become a friend and a better person to herself wasn't easy. If getting her to change was a game? It was the longest duel in history, with a single move or two taking place between competitions when he saw her. He couldn't flip her overnight but he was getting better.

When he was in a duel, she was starting to converse and hang out again. When he wasn't there, sometimes she caved. She was getting better each time they saw each other though.

Still. Jounouchi sat in a local cafe in a small forest competition. The rule being all cards had to be living plants or insects found in a forest. It sounded like a good challenge. Mai came over and sat down to talk details and how they built their deck. They decided ahead of time which competitions they would fight each other, and which ones they would simply talk strategy.

It was great to have both, but while they were talking, somebody walked by saying something.

"Careful Jounouchi, there's no telling what the Night Duelist might have. And I don't mean cards."

Jounouchi got up, grabbed the guy and punched him making him fall. "You got something to say to me?!" He picked him back up. "Mai's a decent person, don't call her that." This time, the guy landed on a pile of chairs. Oops. That might be a medical bill. Shit, who cares. So far, Mai didn't have anything. Jounouchi convinced her hard enough last duel to check herself out too. It was dangerous out there just picking up duelists. He didn't want her to get hurt.

"Jounouchi, knock it off. I don't need you fighting battles for me." Mai didn't even move from her spot. "I just want to eat. What else did you buy for your competition?"

Jounouchi left the ass alone and came back over to talk to her like nothing had happened. The guy got out, favoring his injuries but didn't speak another word. Probably 'cause he didn't want to get punched again.

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Same dream. Same Anzu's. Same Yuugi's. Same devastation. Same Jounouchi introducing her to Mana. Except the details kept changing. Some days, there was complete devastation outside. Sometimes she saw only a little. The baby too, her hair and eyes kept changing. It was always the same name, but the color of her hair kept changing. One night she was brunette, and another she was blonde. No matter what, Jounouchi and the others always looked happy at her.

She never remembered any more details. She was out with Jounouchi again. Another competition. Jounouchi was keeping her company again, though he didn't have to. It had been a good few years since he'd tried to help her get better. While she had the same strange baby dream, she never told him about it. Instead, he asked about her nightmares. Sometimes she shared them, but mostly they shared conversation.

"So? How's it going on the front?" It was his words to ask if she was still doing the same thing.

"Not much." Actually, none. Mai hadn't messed with another duelist in months now. The day she said she didn't do that anymore though, Jounouchi would expect better of her. She was bound to disappoint him. At least a year between. That would be better.

"So." Jounouchi felt a little off now. "Still someone?"

"I got a boyfriend. I've stayed with him for three competitions." She put a straw in her mouth and winked. "That's progress." Jounouchi still didn't look happy. "What? I thought a boyfriend was good progress." What was with that look?

"Nothing, it's fantastic. Where is he?" Jounouchi's voice didn't match his words. It sounded like he wanted to punch the guy. "That guy coming over here?"

Mai turned. Yep. I wanted someone. He was extra nice. He's been following me though and I haven't goofed on him. So what is Jounouchi not happy about?

"Hi, Mai." He came over and Jounouchi stood up. He tried to shake Jounouchi's hand but he wasn't having it. "Something wrong?"

"No. It's great. It's fine. Things are great and fine." Jounouchi tried to shake his hand. "Jounouchi."

"Nice to meet you, Jono."

"Jounouchi," Jounouchi corrected him. "Get it right."

"Jounouchi, sorry." He tried to apologize. "I'm not from this country. Your name is tougher, sorry."

"So?" Jounouchi sat down. "I think I'm gonna go ahead and scram, Mai. I got a lot to do before the competition." He grabbed his bag. "See you."

That was weird. Jounouchi clearly hated him. She got up and headed after him. "Jounouchi? Is something wrong?"

"Nah. No way, you're doing great. A first step. Good luck, huh?" He finished heading to the elevator.

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In the elevator

Once he was high enough, he started to punch the door of the elevator. The steel felt good against his fist because he couldn't punch the guy. ///Jounouchi: This is a great first step, that's all that matters. Nothing else matters./// He hit it again. ///Jounouchi: I can't jump or run too fast. It's just her first date. Get used to it, Jounouchi. As she gets better, this will happen. I've got to let it happen.///

After a few more punches, he set the course to his room. ///Jounouchi: She's getting better. Look how far she's come. I'm proud of her./// Still, he rubbed a tear out of his eye. ///Jounouchi: I should have kept punching the door./// When he arrived, he headed toward his room when he saw her waiting beside it. "Mai."

"I'm not doing something right," she said. "You hate him, I can tell. What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing." He shook his head. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mai."

"Give me a break, I don't want to play games about this," Mai stated, her stance of hand on hips wasn't letting him mistake that. "I'm close to thirty and I'm still messing up. Why? What am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing, I said nothing!" He wanted to get into his hotel room already. When he opened it, she went in too.

"Then what, do you not want me to date people in the competition's I'm in either?" She crossed her arms. "You know me Jounouchi, and I know you."

"You aren't screwing up," Jounouchi admitted. "I'm just." Don't. She wasn't ready. "I. Just. I guess." What? What could he say? "I feel lonely." ///Jounouchi: I did not just admit that./// Her eyes though.

Her eyes . . .