“Pharaoh, Pharaoh!” Yugi let out a soft pained groan and the shaking stopped, but the voice accompanying it continued to babble at him. “Please, wake up!”
Opening his eyes was a lot more effort than it should have been. When he managed it, he was rewarded with the sight of the Kuriboh and the Dark Magician Girl nervously awaiting his awakening. The latter helped him sit up as he tried to take in his surroundings, for a moment becoming confused by the sandstone walls and escher-esque staircases.
Then, as he looked directly up and noted the hole in a wall a few stories above where he was led, what had happened struck him. “Oh.” He managed as the memories of exploring the Puzzle, only to run afoul of one of the booby traps that made up the complicated maze played over in his head.
“My Pharaoh, are you alright?” The Dark Magician Girl asked, concern obvious.
Yugi blinked away the memory of crashing through the wall and slamming into the floor hard enough to render him unconscious as he turned to look at her, confusion obvious. “You’re talking?”
“I’ve always talked.” The Dark Magician Girl chuckled at him, “You’ve just forgotten how to listen. I’m Mana. It’s nice to meet you properly, my Pharaoh.”
“Yugi.” Yugi shook his head, “It’s just Yugi, Yami’s the Pharaoh.” He paused, eyes widening as he realised that his darker self was going to be freaking out and tried to send a mental message to the Pharaoh, only to realise he couldn’t get one through. “Uh oh.”
“What’s wrong?” Mana questioned as the Kuriboh jumped into Yugi’s lap, prompting the young man to ruffle its fur.
“I can’t reach Yami.” Yugi’s soft, slightly panicked reply caused the Duel Monster asking to let out a soft, worried hiss, “I don’t get it. I’m in the Puzzle. I should be able to reach him.” He paused and considered the Duel Monsters properly, “I am in the Puzzle right? I mean I’ve never seen you two here before...”
“Yes, Yugi,” Mana nodded as the Kuriboh kree’d reassuringly, “This is still the Puzzle, but you were already deep into its maze when you fell.” She smiled slightly, “Thanks to the Puzzle’s powers, we can access this place too and Boh,” She gestured to the big eyed ball of brown fluff in his lap, “Was already exploring when you fell and he came and got me.”
“Do either of you know the way out?” Yugi asked even as he nodded his understanding, grateful to not be completely alone.
“Unfortunately no.” Mana admitted as somehow Boh managed to make himself look embarrassed and ashamed, “The Puzzle changes so much that trying to work out up from down is a challenge, yet alone remembering where the exit is.”
Yugi couldn’t blame the pair. Yami had complained of the same thing often. His darker self only ever managed to find the door out because he had an innate sense of where it was. No matter where he was, Yami could always find his way out to help him. It was a shame that that was one ability they didn’t share.
With their link blocked or broken as it was at the moment, Yugi had a funny feeling it would be up to him to find his own way out. If he couldn’t reach Yami, then he doubted the Pharaoh could reach him either.
“It’s alright.” Yugi reassured her, getting to his feet and hiding a wince as his right leg protested the weight, his back ached and his world spun slightly as a pounding headache sank in. “I’ll just have to work my way through carefully until I find it.”
“Let us come with you.” Mana asked, watching him with great concern, “The Puzzle is full of traps and monsters, not all of them as friendly as Boh and I. You’ll need protection.”
“No, I’ll be fine.” The teen shook his head, contemplating where to start as he did so and not wanting the pair of Duel Monsters to get hurt while wandering the halls of the Puzzle with him.
“Please, Yugi?” Mana’s earnest plea startled the boy. He turned to her, wondering why she was so worried about him when they had only truly met for the first time just a few moments ago, “You’re hurt already and it’s a long way back to the exit. At least let us accompany you back to the upper floors where the Pharaoh resides.”
The concern was familiar, Yugi realised as he stared at her. It was the same concern that his friends often had for him when he and Yami were trapped in dangerous situations. His answer, though, was the same as when they wanted to follow him into trouble. “No, please Mana. I don’t want you two to get hurt.”
“Listen here, Yugi.” And now she seriously reminded him of Tea as she drew herself up to her full height, hovering slightly to get an extra couple of inches and scowled at him, “Boh and I are Duel Monsters, there is very little that can seriously injure us. You are mortal and squishy. Even here, in the Puzzle, the fact your soul is mortal means you could easily be killed by one of the traps. Either we come with you, or I pick you up and carry you.”
“You’d fly me out?” Yugi asked, wondering why he hadn’t thought of it before.
“No,” Mana admitted, “If we were anywhere else, I’d do it in a heartbeat, but it changes too much around here. I’d end up flying into a wall or a floor that wasn’t there a second ago. No, I will literally pick you up and carry you out.”
Yugi wasn’t sure Mana looked strong enough to carry anyone, but he wasn’t going to fight it. He knew better than to argue with people. It was a waste of time, no one ever listened to him even when he was just trying to make sure they were safe. “Alright.” He sighed, “But be careful. Please?”
“I’ll try.” Mana nodded as Boh kree’d happily and pressed himself against Yugi’s bad leg, causing Yugi to let out a pained hiss and the leg to buckle. Mana caught him before he hit the floor, worry etched in her features. “Boh, go and get Evonne.”
“Who?” Yugi asked, confused as the Kuriboh darted off into a dark corner and vanished.
“She’s a Mystical Elf.” Mana explained as she shifted herself so she was supporting him, “She can heal that leg of yours and then we can get going.”
“Sorry.” Yugi apologised, flushing red in his embarrassment. The Dark Magician Girl, Mana, was one of his favourite cards and the only way that this could be any worse was if it was the Dark Magician who had to bail him out.
“Don’t apologise.” Mana shook her head, looking a little frustrated, “Just tell me next time,” She paused, her expression shifting to one of mischief, “Or I’ll set the Pharaoh on you.”
Yugi squeaked. Yami was his friend and would never harm him, but if Mana told him that Yugi had gotten himself hurt, Yami would never let him in here again.
“Do we have an agreement, Yugi?” Mana asked, a mock serious expression on her face.
As Boh returned from wherever he had gone with a Mystical Ef in tow, Yugi nodded.
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