Night Duelist (Part 1)

DIMENSION: MANGA (The One That Saves the Day)

Two Years After Graduation

***Mai opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a room. A hospital room. On her left were two Yuugi's. On her right were two Anzu's. Straight ahead was a window. Her bed was lifted higher and outside she could see devastation like a war. Yet everyone around her looked happy, like everything was wonderful.

Then the window was blocked by Jounouchi holding a blanket with a little face poking out. "Mana's here, Mai. See?" The newborn had brunette hair.***

"Whoah." Mai blinked, waking up. Strangest dream ever. She got dressed and headed out of the hotel room as she heard the voice she just heard in her dream.

"Is that you, Mai Kujaku?"

Mai turned around. What in the world? Same hair, same height, but more grown up. "Jounouchi."

"Don't just 'Jounouchi' me, it's been some time." Jounouchi practically sprinted to her. "You're here for the card battle, right?"

Uh? Mai didn't know how to respond at first. Eventually, she thought she would run into him again, but it actually happened. No more guessing what to do. "Yeah I guess. You're in good standing though, what are you doing down in these bottom dwelling competitions?"

He didn't say anything at first. Then? "Card players are becoming assholes at the highest level. There's no Yuugi, there's no Kaiba, the table talk is beyond the usual sass, and there's just no honor. People are more concerned about getting their names out there and being famous."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Fame sucks." Jounouchi gave her his old Jounouchi smile. "That's why I file my winnings away underneath a different name. Kind of like a pen name, you know, like an artist." He chuckled. "Yeah I know, it sounds goofy but it's more fun around here. I might go to one of the high class invite-only's again if Yuugi goes."

Huh? "Yuugi isn't playing anymore?"

"Just for fun, no competitions," Jounouchi said. "He'll play with me one on one in the shop or out on the street, but nothing official." He shrugged. "Which is okay. Yuugi should only feel compelled to play what and how he wants to play. He's a player of all things, you know? I think Atem was the one that was most into it back then. Uh, that was the spirit's name that used to be with Yuugi. He isn't anymore."

"Yeah." Hm. Okay. "You guys are still complete morons," she scolded him. "Yuugi was number one! If he doesn't keep playing no one is going to remember his name. Can regular Yuugi not play?"

"What? Hell no, Yuugi can play well. He just doesn't care about that. Yuugi wants to design games, and man, he's already taking off." Jounouchi nodded. "As for me, I don't give a shit, Mai. Really. You know what I go for?" Jounouchi went toward the end of the hallway where there was a nice window. "That! Playing cards let's me go everywhere in the world. I'm not bound to anywhere. Japan is in my heart, but I don't live with nobody or nothing anymore. It's free."

"You do have a point." Mai had done the same thing at first. "It does feel free at first, but . . ."

"I know. You don't have to say anything." Jounouchi looked from the window. "Truth is, I knew you'd be here. I wanted to see you again. I like making new friends, but if I'm out wandering around from competition to competition? Why don't we kind of agree to meet up around certain ones?"

"Hey, I don't plan. That's not how I live my life, Tiger." Still. Jounouchi grew up, he wasn't a high school boy anymore.

"Are you sure it's not 'cause you hate me?"

Damn. "Why would I hate you, Jounouchi? I barely knew you."

"That's another reason I wanted to change my dueling name and tactics," Jounouchi confessed. "I remember, Mai. I remember the way you fought. I remember how winning is the most important thing to you, how we all became friends, and then you went away. I've seen you before, you know. I watched you duck out a couple times." He looked back out the window. "I didn't want to get into it yet, but I want to now."

"Jounouchi-"

"You were sentenced to be eaten alive by flesh eating insects falling on you in an hourglass within twenty four hours. I saw it, Marik showed me when I dueled him."

She covered her ears. "I don't care, I never gave up cards! I never gave up on winning. I'd take the whole world on again." ///Mai: As long as I don't ever have to go back there.///

"I didn't go through that, but I felt the pain of my monsters because of him. I've been through a lot of shit, more than you'd ever know in my past. I've found ways to move on, by moving on, but . . . I still miss my friends. I'm keeping a small apartment in Domino City still for my downtime so I can keep seeing Yuugi and Honda."

"Then you got friends, Chump." What did he need her for?

"I got you too. I never forgot you. In Duelist Kingdom and Battle City. I haven't forgot that you were there fighting Marik and what he did. I just? I haven't liked the direction you've been going."

What? "What direction, winning? I get better at every tournament, Jounouchi. I'm a duelist."

"That's not what I mean." Jounouchi left the window. "Let's go get some food in this city before the competition starts. We can catch up and have fun."

Hmph.

"You don't owe me nothing. I don't expect nothing of you."

Oh. "Well you wouldn't have got anything anyhow."

"Still shouting. We'll get past that once we're eating." He motioned with his head. "Come on."

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As they ate, Mai listened to his ridiculous adventures along with his latest card fights. It was hard to eat with him. For some time now, she'd been focusing on winning, but Jounouchi's name and Yuugi's name were sky high from her in their winnings. Not even in the same kind of class. Mere kids! Yet, even though they were just kids, she somehow gravitated to them.

When they were gone, she hurt. She hurt more than most would know. She filled up the void with dueling. It was popular enough, and she was good enough, that there were always small competitions with decent money to win now. All over the world. Eventually, someone would always mention their names again. And she hated it!

But, seeing Jounouchi. Talking to him, face to face. She couldn't help but have a few smiling moments.

"And so since we promised when Yuugi made his first big game that we would all come out, we all got together." Jounouchi shoved a fry in his mouth. "So, seeing as it had been a little while, I decided to test that little bridge with him and Anzu."

Mai pulled her drink away from her face. "Test Yuugi and Anzu?" Oh boy. "What did you do?"

Jounouchi chuckled. "I told him Anzu got married and she'd be bringing her husband with her when they visited from America. It was funny at the time. Yuugi didn't think so. Honda laughed."

"Guys are too cruel to each other." Anyone could tell Yuugi had a thing for Anzu Mazaki back then.

"I didn't take the joke too far once I saw the reaction wasn't quite as funny as I thought." Jounouchi shrugged. "We always push each other to our limits."

No kidding. "Remind me why I was friends with you all?"

"Remind me why you are getting a rep and it's not for dueling?"

She stopped halfway to biting into her sandwich. She knew it. "It's my life."

"It isn't you."

"Then what is me?" She put the sandwich back down. "I've always been this way, I haven't changed a bit."

"Being pretty and flirty, that's you. You actually going through with slutty things is different." Mai stood up, ready to bail, but Jounouchi grabbed her hand faster. "If you think I'm leaving you be about this, you are dreaming. You're Mai Kujaku, a great duelist, and you shouldn't be doing those things." Jounouchi moved in front of her. "I'm worried. Why you doing this?"

"What? Out in competition, it gets lonely, don't judge me. I don't care what people think of me."

"Yeah, you do, Mai." Jounouchi wasn't letting up. "You're purposely keeping yourself from making real friends or getting into a real relationship. It's not healthy, and I know that time in that hour-glass is to blame because your rep started less than a year after that!"

"Thanks for the food, I'm done." She crossed her arms. "Get out of the way, Jounouchi."

"Fine, but I'm going to see you again," Jounouchi said firmly. "Soon. I'll be doing my best to find ways to see you."

"Do whatever you want." She shoved past him.

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