Why Duel Monsters Became A Hit (Part 1)

DIMENSION: MANGA (The One That Saves the Day)

Jounouchi's Hotel Room

"Well, congrats. I don't know how you two managed it so fast. Getting Anzu to up and leave like that? I mean, sure she's got all the good graces, and she'll be better off. But wow. Talk about owing favors over the head." Mai sat down on her bed. "I got an extra sandwich for you, Stud."

Jounouchi didn't answer right away. He went over from his bed, took the sandwich, but wasn't feeling hungry. "I didn't want to tell them yet. Stupid spirit." He looked at the sandwich.

"Hey, I'm extra attractive, and things just kind of happened," Mai reasoned. "It's fine. We're still friends no matter what."

///Jounouchi: Are we? Are we just friends? This happened more than once and it's not because you're attractive, Mai. I've always had a connection to you./// His eyes didn't lift from his sandwich. ///Jounouchi: Shizuka. Anzu. Mai. Possibly our future kid. This could not be a worse time for people to be ganging up on me in my life.///

"Ease up on the pressure, Jounouchi," Mai said as she crawled deeper in her covers. "We've gone over this. I know how to take care of myself, and I'm not worried about anyone coming after me. I was just worried over Anzu. She might always be far away, but she's the closest girl friend I got." She looked straight at him. "So, did you give her all the details?"

"Yeah. She knows the guys to be watching out for, but to also be weary of anyone else they could have hired." Jounouchi had firmer details than he shared with Yuugi. He would later once they were settled down. He even had pictures of the ones most likely to go after Anzu and Shizuka. "This whole thing is a mess right now, Mai." He laid in bed, almost crushing his sandwich. He grabbed it and looked at it. "An old friend has to move away from her own country to be safe. Shizuka is with Honda still. You might be carrying my kid, and I don't know because you won't even tell me if I was the only one or not."

"How am I supposed to remember months?" Mai asked. "It's not like I ever said, 'let's get committed'. You weren't thinking that either at the time."

"You didn't go out and do like twenty guys you never met." Jounouchi knew that much. Maybe there was three or two. Maybe one. Maybe even none and she was using that excuse to keep him from going farther than 'friend'. "Stupid spirit."

"Well, it's out. So what? It's not like I have a spirit inside of me like Anzu did," Mai complained. "We can move on from this."

"Yuugi is going to be watching Anzu. I trust him. Not only is he going to be using that money from the success of his Sphere game he's had he never flaunts, but his heart has always been set on her. He'd die to save her." Jounouchi picked up the sandwich. "I'd die to save you. You need to stay with me until I know it's safe." He opened the sandwich and took a bite out of it. "I hate that I am leaving Shizuka so close to Honda though."

"Oh for gosh sakes, Jounouchi," Mai confronted him. "If they love each other, it's their business."

"I know my sister. I know she's been hiding this from me. Well, things, but I know her too." He took another bite. "She isn't with Honda because she's madly in love. He likes her, fine, but it isn't the other way. She likes the feeling of security. She just . . . she's never been healthy. She can see and that's great, but she's always weak and frail. She wants to be strong. There's only so far she can go." He put the sandwich back down. "That's why he has to duel me to keep his respect, because I won't let my guard down." He looked hard at Mai. "Even for a newb, not a second. There's someone out there right for both of them. I care for both of them. It just isn't with each other."

Mai didn't answer right away. "If that's really true. I should have a talk with your sister. I'm going to end up having a talk with her soon anyway." She wrinkled her nose slightly, like she was debating something. "If you feel in your heart that you are right, then okay. Stick with what you believe because she shouldn't be with someone if they don't share any love. Physical is one thing, but . . . if she's sharing a future." She glanced back toward him. "Do you think she'd say yes?"

"I don't really think so," Jounouchi admitted, "She could have told me to back off several times. She's done it for other stuff, but she's never complained. Then again, she is still with him though. I don't know. She remembers those days she was in and out of hospitals. She remembers almost going blind. If Honda makes her feel strong. I don't know." He was quiet as he finished the sandwich. "At least I don't have to worry about Anzu out here where there was no one watching out for her."

"Look on the bright side," Mai said cheering him up. "You've still got two lovely harpies. All you need is two more."

"I'll get them too." Jounouchi was in a contest of cards with Mai, but it wasn't for what he made Yuugi think. It was about winning to get the right to know who else could have been the father. When she first gave him the opportunity, he was disgusted with it. What a way to try and get his cards.

Then as he thought about it more, he realized it had nothing to do with the cards or competition. She was scared to tell him. To tell him whether he was it, or whether there were possibly others. If there were others, and she did have feelings, would he help raise it? If it was his but she couldn't deal with her feelings, could he still be her friend?

This dance they've been messing 'round with, between friends and more. It had been going on for years, but it was all going to quit one of these days.

At her pace. In her way. But, still. ///Jounouchi: Stupid spirit! Some hopeless spirit that somehow got sidetracked into Anzu and not crossing over like she should have. The afterlife, it's where she belonged.///

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Anzu and Yuugi's Hotel Room

///Satiah: How did I see the Dark Magician?/// Satiah looked out the glass of the window. They were so high up in their fancy hotel, no one could see in. Anzu couldn't be in safer hands. While Jounouchi and Mai were doing decently, Yuugi's game became real popular, and working with Kaiba corporation? He must have had more wealth than he let on.

Anzu would be safer where people would kill to protect her. However, while Anzu would now be safe, Satiah had a puzzling dilemma. Yuugi and the others didn't believe her last memories. How did she see the Dark Magician? She must have summoned. It was a summon from a stone. ///Satiah: I said it to the King before I even knew it was a playing card in this time./// She shook her head feeling lost in the conflict of her memories. ///Satiah: I held Heba. I summoned the Dark Magician. I ended up in a duel system without Heba. But, how? How did I do any of this?/// She looked up at the stars, wishing she had some kind of guidance. ///I tried to stop King Atem, but I couldn't. Anzu couldn't. Yuugi sealing up Monster Reborn made it all too hard to reverse that train of thought. So, why am I here?///