Yu-Gi-Oh: Sister of Anansi

[Shuppet Master]

We have our second trivia contest winner! However,there are still four spots open for the Quizmaster prize,so take your time and read the descriptions of the bonus haikus CAREFULLY. Good luck to the others in getting the Quizmaster prizes!

[Oakbark]

[Oakbark]

Well, it's taken me a while to catch up, but i've finally got up to date with this story!
I won't say much now, save for that i'll try to reply to the following chapters. I can't promise though, but i'll try.

Just one little thing i'd like to point out - while the story is brilliant, i can't help feeling your writing prowess is wasted on these kiddy campers. Using such young children limits your character development, as they have an innocent, rose-tinted perspective on life - shadowed from the real world you could say. I mean, it's okay for Bethany to cry (as much girls/boys her age would), but pre-teen characters cannot be developed in as interesting a way as older characters, like Lina and Sheena.

TBH, the whole 'camp of children' thing is a little off-putting, like a children's Dueltopia, but you have managed to keep me enthralled by Lina's battle with Katherine and Diane's rivalry. Her Eye of Timeaus (sp?) card is quite interesting... will Diane receive one? Twilight also adds a unique touch, although sometimes it is hard to determine her personality (you know, mysterious or humourous).

Well, thats all for now.

[Dark Sage]

Oakbark, I have to disagree.

Young children can be developed a great deal, especially in a situation like this. For all we know, Diane, Gwen, and Bethany might have some secrets about them - secrets that even they don't know about. Childhood innocence is a factor, but children can make interesting characters if you work at it. Haven't you read Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland?

Speaking of which, I remember a short story called Mismy Were the Borogoves by an author named Lewis Padgett (a pen name for the husband-wife team of Henry Kuttner and Catherine L. More); it's a science fiction story in which the idea was that a child's mind thinks differently than an adults, and can figure out something that an adult otherwise couldn't (it's the sort of story that Twilight might reference - maybe someone should look it up on the web.)

But still, I think children could make interesting characters if done right.

Of course, this is coming from a very loyal Codename: Kids Next Door fan.

- Venusaur

[Shuppet Master]

while the story is brilliant, i can't help feeling your writing prowess is wasted on these kiddy campers

TBH, the whole 'camp of children' thing is a little off-putting, like a children's Dueltopia,

I understand your concern,but I like to point out that I'm writing this story for a reason - I wanted to use Venusaur's cards,and of course I got permission to use them. But I began to ponder "How could a person from one fanfic setting use cards from another? How would Lina be able to create such cards?"

The duelist camp idea was my own - I was thinking about how Siegfried took care of the children of those he hired. They do not live in voids,they have families and lives too,and I'm sure that Sieg didn't want the kids running about Dueltopia and interrupting the tournament.

I don't think my potential is being wasted,though I must compliment you on such praise of my writing skills. I'm flattered. However,this story is just the beginning of a series of stories,so by writing this,I prepare myself to write bigger stories.

Her Eye of Timeaus (sp?) card is quite interesting... will Diane receive one?

Timaeus,but I'm not one to nitpick on spelling.

Also,yes Diane will receive one of the three dragons. Once I put up my chapter,you will be able to guess which one it is.

[Shuppet Master]

I'd like to point out to anyone reading this that the four Quizmaster prizes from my second trivia contest are still up for grabs. If you are having trouble with figuring out the poems,here is a little hint: Two of the bonus haikus relate to cards introduced in "City of Souls",while the third is from "Legacy of the Duelist."

Please PM me your answers if you think you know the answer,it's not that hard! And Oakbark,don't feel down because you didn't get it right the first time,there's always a second chance!

[Dark Sage]

I know the answers - do you?

And here's a suggestion - go to the fanfic archives, go to my fanfics, and look at the last entries on them. That will help a lot.

- Venusaur

[Shuppet Master]

Thanks to Venusaur's tip,one person has won the Quizmaster Prize. (I was thinking of changing the name to Chuck Quizmo prize because I've finished playing Paper Mario and that chuck guy is so hard to find! ) Three more to go,so don't delay! The first Quizmaster contribution will show up in Chapter 8,along with the winner of the second trivia contest.

EDIT: As of this moment,two people have answered the bonus haikus correctly. There's still two more chances to win the Chuck Quizmo Prize,so don't delay! This second winner and two more winners will show up during the Camp tournament. Also,Chapter 7 will soon be up,and boy is it long!

[Shuppet Master]

I'd like to add here that any Paper Mario characters are the properties of Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto.

Yu-Gi-Oh Jr.: Sister of Anansi
A Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic-crossover fanfic by .hack//BELLOSSOM

Chapter 7: The Heir Of Critias

“What the? Why on earth did you send out THAT piece of fluff? It’s hardly worth my Swordsman dulling his sword on!”

- Mary Wheeler, "Legacy of the Duelist"

The robed figure was pacing the dark temple chamber before the great blazing fire, which was surrounded by twin serpents. Having gotten the report from his spies who were staking out Duelist Camp, he considered his options. "It seems that a powerful energy was unleashed recently in the mountains," he murmured. "I sensed Timaeus there. And from what my lackeys told me, it was from a member of that 'Dark Magician Girl' troupe. I believe that we should start stealing souls from there."

"Allow me to steal their souls, sir," said a voice. A shadowy figure stepped forward, one of the Dark Disks attached to his arm. "I have much rage to vent against Pegasus."

"Yes, I know," said the robed figure. "But I suggest you take a careful approach. We do not need our enemies finding out our plans so soon. Remember what happened to Lars!"

"I'm not afraid of Timaeus," smirked the figure.

"Such boastfulness will lead to your downfall, Alister," warned the robed man. "However, I wlll allow you to go. Just be warned...if you lose this duel, don't expect me not to feed your soul to the Great Beast!"

"As you wish," grinned the figure, slipping back into the shadows.

"Just don't end up like Lars, letting your emotion take the best of you," warned the figure as he returned to his meditation. He sighed. "Oh great Leviathan, please spare me the actions of any more morons!"

~~+~~

It had been two days since Lina had her epic duel with the ghost of Katherine, and about two weeks since Duelist Camp had begun. The Dark Magician Girl campers were enjoying a nice swim in the big camp pool while the counselors of the Penguin Knight and Marauding Captain troupes were playing a friendly game of tennis. However, Lina - who was wearing a modest two-piece suit, stopped reading her magazine and sat up from her beach chair when she saw Arnold shove Brandon to the ground after the match and storm off. Worried that something was wrong, she left the pool and walked over to the court, where Brandon was still lying on the ground.

"Are you okay?" asked Lina, picking up the young man.

"Yeah. I'm fine," mumbled Brandon, standing up and dusting himself off. "It's just..."

"I know, that sleazeball, Arnold," said Lina through her teeth. "Ever since he lost our bet, he's become even meaner to everyone, especially Norus. Can't he just CHILL?"

"It's all right," mumbled Brandon.

"How can you SAY that?" shouted Lina in a rage. "He shoved you!"

"It's all right!" said Brandon fiercely, his face getting an angry glare at Lina. She backed off a bit, stunned. "I'm sure this is how his uncle and mine used to act when they were in high school, thirty-five or so years ago."

"Huh?" asked Lina. "Make some sense."

"Well...I guess I should start at the beginning," sighed Brandon, sitting on a bench nearby. Lina sat next to him as he covered his face with his hands out of exhaustion. "I guess it all began before we were born. You see, our uncles graduated from high school, but they had their own ideas of the future. My uncle wanted to go to college and get a degree so he could get out of his wretched life with his abusive drunk dad, and Arnold's...well, he decided to take life by the horns, so he joined the local army."

"Wow," said Lina. "I see what you mean. Being a soldier isn't for everyone."

"Yeah, but Arnold's uncle loved army stuff," grinned Brandon, removing his face from his hands and looking at Lina. "In fact, some said that his whole dueling deck was filled with army monsters."

"You mean, like Overdrive and such?" asked Lina.

"Yep," said Brandon, nodding. "And his favorite card was Cyber Commander. It was a pretty weak monster with no special effects. Probably the worst type of monster to have as a favorite, but Arnold's uncle loved it to death. In fact, he had it since Duelist Kingdom, ages before we were born." He sighed. "Well, the old man locked up his deck and then enlisted for duty."

"What happened then?" asked Lina, curious.

"My mom came to Domino, wanting to see her brother," grinned Brandon. "She spent a month with some old friends, and then found out that Uncle had left town, skipped the place for college. Upset, she had no reason to remain, so with that, she left and went back to her mother's place. Her mother decided to send her to a private school in Wales. And that was where she met my dad." He smirked. "You know what happened next."

"Yep," said Lina with a sly smile. "Girl and boy meet, fall in love, have kids, the whole she-bang."

"Well, I was the only kid born before dad went off to join the draft," said Brandon. "You see, there was the looming threat of World War III in the Middle East, so every available country was sending their troops out to quell the threat. War broke out in Iraq, many people died. Near the end of the war, my dad and Arn's uncle...both died in the war." He sighed softly. "I was crushed, and mom was distraught. You see, I was four at the time;I never really saw my dad. Poor Arnold was born about the same time as I was, but his mom was in Canada when the news hit about her brother's death. It was terrible."

Lina nodded silently, letting Brandon continue.

"We all attended the war funeral, it was a sad affair. Mom was crying over both Arnold's uncle and dad. I guess that mom had been friends with Arnold's uncle - figures, both he and my uncle were good pals. My uncle was there, as was my cousin, Mary. I finally met Mary after so many years. It was amazing - Mary was a great girl. She emulated her father so much..." He sighed.

"I'm sorry," said Lina, holding Brandon's shoulder.

"Well, it didn't hit me as bad as it hit old Arn. He was besides himself. Later, I heard that he had gotten his uncle's dueling deck. I decided to duel too, you know, so I asked mom if I could visit my uncle in Domino. She agreed and we visited him. He was a great inspiration, and I learned how to duel from him." He smiled.

"Wow, that's amazing." Lina grinned. "So, was that the end of the story?"

"Almost," said Brandon with a smile. "You see, after I learned how to play Duel Monsters and made up my own
deck, mom wanted to try her luck in the States. Uncle said that wasn't needed, he could support them, but mom
insisted. She said she wanted to pay back every cent of the 62 million yen that he gave her mother to pay for her eye operation way back when."

Lina suddenly sensed something familiar about the story. "62 million yen for an eye operation? Hmmm...
that story rings a bell." She shook her head. "Nah, couldn't be. Go on."

"We went to San Francisco, great place, but terrible for jobs. Mom had to wait tables a bit. I decided to start
professional dueling to get some cash on the side, and I found out that I was pretty good. My uncle had taught me well. However, I was no match for my cousin Mary. In one tournament, I dueled her - I don't think she recognized me since it had been a few years since we last met, and I was going under an alias at the time - and got fourth place when she defeated me using the same cards my uncle had used. She takes after her father."

"Well, both me and Mary were invited to Duelist Labyrinth by Anastasia Pegasus, who used to run this place, to try my luck. I thought that if I won, I could get enough money to get me and mom out of borderline poverty. Sadly, even though I got all the Duel Jewels, I lost my nerve against the first key-guy and lost the tournament. I heard that my cousin got into the finals, and knew I wasn't good enough to match her."

"Oh, that's too bad," said Lina softly.

"It's okay. As I was leaving the island, I dropped my sketchbook. You see, I tend to sketch out ideas for new Duel Monsters cards." He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "This one is my first idea." He opened it and showed the picture he had made long ago. "Made it after Mary's Flame Swordsman, I did."

"Wow," said Lina, examining the paper, which showed a beautiful female version of the Flame Swordsman, holding thin saber that was wrapped in flames.

"I call it Flame Swordsmistress," said Brandon. "Well, I was stopped and they took me to Lillith, who had gotten word of my work. She asked why I had accepted the tournament and then, hearing my story, she asked if I wanted a job. So I got a good job, not just eeking out a living by winning duels, but actually making new card ideas. I became head of the Design committee. The Celtic Swordgirl was my idea." Lina was stunned, remembering the card that Diane had used against Norus in their duel last week. "Great paying job, but then I got an offer."

"To be a counselor here," said Lina with a smirk.

"Yep. I didn't get as much pay as I do in my other job, but I like kids," grinned Brandon. He sighed. "I found out that Arnold had gotten hired as an accounting clerk and was taking this job so he could get more cash. Dumb bloke, he couldn't take care of a kid if it meant his life. He's a self-centered git."

"I know," said Lina. "Oh well, this has been most interesting conversation. You okay now?"

"Yeah, talking to you, Lina, you really made me feel better," said Brandon, getting up. "I'd better go meet my group before old Arn takes his rage out on them as well."

"I hope not, he would regret it," said Lina.

"Don't worry, he's not really that bad," said Brandon, smiling. "He's just easily annoyed. I'm sure he'll forget the incidents in the past and get over it all. See you." He bowed and left.

Lina shook her head, then realized that she had left the girls behind. "Oops! Better get moving before they find out I'm gone!" With that, she jumped up out of the bench and hurried back to the pool.

~~+~~

Night came quickly at Duelist Camp, and nobody saw the dark figure emtering the area of an old abadoned silver mine nearby. He smirked as he brandished the dark Duel Disk on his arm. "This will be PERFECT. It will be a fitting tomb for the one who holds Timaeus as well as all those whose souls will soon feed the Great Beast. Then, Industrial Illusions will be blamed and go bankrupt...and I will have the PERFECT revenge...ha ha ha..."

With that, the figure strode into the cave.

~~+~~

The next morning, the headmaster called together the counselors as the campers were eating breakfast. "I don't want to distress anyone," said Machus. "But recently, a few campers had gone missing last night." He turned to the young man who was the counselor for the Luster Dragon troupe. "Harold, you tell them."

"Of course, sir," said Harold, nodding. He sighed. "Last night, as we were heading back to the cabin after supper, three of my troupe had vanished without a trace. Some of the others said that they were headed to the Silvermont Mine."

"Silvermont Mine?" asked Twilight softly. "Isn't that off-limits?"

"Yes," said Machus. "In 1849, that mine was owned by a wealthy family called the Silvermonts. However, they mysteriously shut it down after only owning it for a few years, even though local geologists found that the area around the mine was still rich in minerals. Legends have it that the miners abadoned the place after encountering 'ghosts.'" He chuckled. "I myself do not believe such nonsense."

Lina cocked a brow and smirked. Don't be too sure about that, my dear headmaster...

"But anyways, we were thinking of using that place for our little event, so I had it checked out. Sadly, it was deemed too unstable to station anyone there, especially after one of the surveyors got surprised by a small cave-in and got severely hurt. Only the first few chambers are safe, and even those are not totally secure." Machus sighed. "What a pity."

"Okay, so the mine's not safe," said Arnold. "What does that have to do with the missing campers?"

"My campers..." said Harold sadly. "They saw the three missing guys heading to that mine. For all we know, they might be hurt or worse. But Machus won't let me go check."

"It's not safe, Harold," said the counselor for the Harpie's Lady troupe. "I mean, who would run your cabin if you vanished?"

"You're right," said Harold, sighing.

Arnold scowled. "You guys are all a bunch of WIMPS! You're all scared of those ghost stories, aren't you?"

"It is not that," said Machus. "We must exercise caution. The mines are very unstable and..."

"Oh, shut your pie-hole up, headmaster," snapped Arnold. "I've had enough of your whiny 'we gotta stick together' shtick. I'm going to go and find those blasted kids, and then give them a sound thrashing for leaving their troupe!" He stormed.

"Wait! Stop!" ordered Machus angrily.

"Oh, let him go," scoffed Lina, rolling her eyes. "Maybe if he gets trapped in a cave-in, he'll get some humility."

~~+~~

Diane watched as Lina slid into her seat next to her in the dining cafeteria. "What was that all about, Lina"

"Ah, nothing you should worry about," said Lina, sighing. "Old Arnie Schwarzanegger is trying to prove himself."

"I think he's mean," said Gwen.

"He has bad points," stated Lina. "I wish he had good points too." She thought back to Brandon's story.

A woman in a white tee-shirt with the Duelist Camp logo and apron came up. "You guys enjoying yourselves?"

Lina smirked. "Yes, Jackie, we are." Of all the staff Lina had encountered with her exposure to the place, the one person she adored a lot was Jackie, who was the head of the Duelist Camp cafeteria. She had talked a bit with the girl to learn about her background, and found it most interesting.

Jackie was raised in an old-school family, she hadn't had much exposure to high technology, and one of the fantasies this girl believed in were the old '50s-style lifestyles, with saucy diner waitresses serving short-order meals and playing to greasy-haired teen boys and giggly teen girls. It was something she really like - her favorite movie was Grease, an old '50s ballad about a biker and a romantic high-school girl in love.

Of course, Jackie soon learned about Duel Monsters and her love of short-order cooking seemed to bleed into her deck as she based it on, oddly, food. This got Anastasia's attention - the woman was enjoying a nice relaxing meal at the burger joint where Jackie had spent the last few years - and Jackie was offered a job of selling short-order meals to duelists at Duelist Labyrinth. Of course, she was given another important job, offering a rare reward to whoever defeated her in a duel. She talked a bit about having met Yugi Jr. and Mary Wheeler, and how Mary kicked her butt in a duel.

With Duelist Labyrinth temprarily out of service, Industrial Illusions had made her a cafeteria worker, which was just fine for her. She loved cooking for people.

"Nice to know that," said Jackie, smiling. "And your friends?"

"Breakfast is great as always, thank you," said Diane, bowing her head.

"So, what's old Arnold's getting his head in trouble again," sighed Lina.

"Hmmm, figures," said Jackie, smirking. "I know about their type, always thinking they are the best. However, I wouldn't worry too much about him. Something tells me that he'll come around. You know that sometimes, an apple looks rotten on the outside but, if you cut it open, it's still fresh and tasty on the inside. You gotta watch out for the apples which is fresh-looking on the outside, because sometimes inside they have worms."

"EWWWW!!!!" cried the girls in disgust.

"Great going, Jackie," laughed Lina. "You just killed our appetites."

"Oops, didn't mean to do that!" giggled Jackie. "So, I take it breakfast is over?"

~~+~~

The day passed slowly and what had happened that morning was forgotten. However, when Arnold didn't show up for lunch, then Lina began to worry. He's been gone a long time...I'm worried about him, even if he is an arrogant git. After she sent her troupe back to the cabin for the quiet time hour, she went over to the Headmaster's Cabin, only to see a couple of the other counselors there, talking to him. "What's going on?"

"Ah, Lina, good timing," said Machus. "I could use your help."

"Is this about Arnold?" asked Lina, cocking a brow.

"I'm afraid so," sighed the headmaster. "As you know, Arnold did not return to the campgrounds for lunch, leaving his troupe unattended. Luckily, they knew where to go, but I'm worried that Arnold is missing."

"Just like those campers," said Harold with a sad tone. "It's my fault. I should have kept quiet about them."

"We would have found out anyways," said the girl who attended to the Shining Friendship cabin. "Or the Headmaster would have found out anyways. You can't blame yourself. Arnold is the only one to blame for walking out on us."

"Hmph, so he's gone," said Lina. "And you want me to go find him, right?"

"Brilliant observation, Lina," said Machus. "I fear that, if he does not return before tonight, we will have to send for a replacement and I can't afford to do that right now. I am sure he is alive, but be careful."

"Are you sure we should send her?" asked Harold. "Arnold would probaby despise being saved by her, you know how he feels..."

"I'll do it," said Lina. "I would not care if Arnold saved my life if I was in trouble, even though I hate his guts. I'm
sure that maybe he'll swallow his pride and understand that we are a team."

"All right, I trust your judgment, Mystara," said Machus. "Arnold's fate is in your hands."

Lina left the cabin and went back to her own. She called the campers together. "Listen, you guys, I want you to go to your next workshop in fourty-five minutes, when Quiet Time is over. I have to attend to something." She slid on her Duel Disk and pocketed her deck. "If I don't come back by supper, go alert the headmaster and he'll know what to do."

"But...where are you going?" asked a camper.

"Best you don't know, I can't have you following me." She left the cabin and made her way to where she knew the mines were. However, as soon as she got out of the campgrounds and into the woods, she paused and turned around. "Come out. I know that someone is following me."

The bushes rattled and Diane, Gwen, and Bethany came out. "Sorry."

Lina sighed. "I didn't want you following me, this could be dangerous! Go back to the cabin."

"No," said Diane firmly.

"You're disobeying me," scolded Lina. "I don't want any of you hurt."

Gwen shook her head. "What about you? What if you end up like Arnold?"

"That's my business, not yours," said Lina firmly. "Go back to the cabin."

Beth sniveled. "You're mean! We want to help you."

Lina shook her head. "Stubborn girls."

"We want to help you save the others," said Diane. "We're brave."

Beth sniffled. "Maybe you should go back, Beth," said Gwen, rolling her eyes. "I don't know why you had to come."

"Well, I want to be with my friends...what if you all disappear? WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!" She cried a river.

"Oh boy," said Lina, rolling her eyes several times in disgust. "Well, I guess I can't do anything to get you to leave, right?" The girls shook their heads, including Bethany, who paused a few moments to stop crying and then shook her head. "Okay, you guys, you can come, but stick behind me - I don't want you getting lost and hurt."

"OKAY!" said the girls.

~~+~~

In the cavern, the dark figure smirked as he watched the close-circuit monitor show the four females entering the mines. Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly... Letting out a low chuckle, he waited with baited breath.

~~+~~

"So, Beth," said Lina as the four entered the first chamber of the mines. The place was old and cobweb-ridden and defunct mine cars littered the chamber. "Why are you insistent on coming? I thought you would have stayed behind."

"W-W-Well...I guess I want to become strong, like that Koops fellow," said Beth softly as the group walked across to the far tunnel leading to the next chamber.

"Koops?" asked Lina.

"Yeah...I played a game called Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, and in it this Koopa called Koops, who had a bandage on his nose, asked Mario to take him with him to fight this big dragon called Hooktail. His father had vanished while fighting Hooktail, and Koops wanted to finish the job and prove that he was strong, because everyone thought he was a big wimp and crybaby. He wanted to be strong...just like me." She sighed.

"I see," said Diane. "So...you think that if you can help rescue Arnold and the campers, you'll become a hero?"

"Yeah, that's it," said Beth, scratching the back of her neck with a sheepish grin. The group entered the second chamber, which was smaller than the last one, but still big.

"Look, you don't have to prove anything to us, Beth," said Gwen. "You are you, and we like you for that. Just because you...cry a lot whenever something scary or bad happens doesn't make you a wimp. I'm sure you can be brave if you try."

"Yes, bravery comes in many forms," said Lina. "You remember four days ago, when that ghost stole all your souls in the camping trip up in the mountains?"

"Do I ever!" said Gwen. "I was dreaming, and then suddenly the dream ended and I was in this large glass ball with the others! It was so scary and, until you told us what happened, I didn't know where I was!"

"I was scared too," said Diane as the group entered the next tunnel.

"I was in tears!" sobbed Beth. "I thought I would be trapped there forever! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

"Calm down," said Lina. "It's okay." She comforted Beth and the girl stopped crying. "But to be honest, I was scared too."

"REALLY?" gasped the girls.

"Yep, you betcha," said Lina. "I'm being totally honest here, guys. I was worried I would not win. That ghost had some powerful cards in her deck and was able to take out a few of my monsters. But still, I tried my hardest and won. Fear is an emotion that strikes anytime, you have to know how to control it, that's all. No matter what the odds, if you keep your heart in the right place, you can overcome anything."

The group entered the third chamber. "Wow, impressive," said Diane. "What a story."

"Yeah, what a story," laughed a male voice. "A blithering sappy story!"

"Huh?" Lina looked up and noticed a figure in the shadows. "What the...?"

"So sappy it makes me want to VOMIT!" said the figure, stepping out of the shadows. He had short dark blue hair and wore a pair of spectacles. His attire was a sleeveless leather jacket over a long-sleeved red shirt, with fingerless gloves and tight leather jeans held up with a larg-buckled belt. Combat boots adorned his feet.

And on his left arm, clearly visible, was a Duel Disk that Lina clearly recognized.

"You...you're with Lars!" said Lina in shock.

"Exactly," grinned the man with a wicked grin. "My name is Magus, pleased to meet you." He bowed.

"Magus...as in magi?" asked Gwen. "Or as in that evil blue-haired guy in Chrono Trigger?"

"Hmph, I see you play a few video games," said Magus. "Well, that won't help you much. It doesn't really matter to me, as my name isn't important. What is important is that I have some more campers to feed the Great Beast!" He waved his hand and a panel slid away to reveal Arnold and the three campers from the Luster Dragon troupe hanging on the wall, in shackles.

"So...you are the one who made those campers disappear," hissed Lina through her teeth.

"Exactly, I was hoping to lure in the duelist who held Timaeus," grinned Magus. "I was told that a girl camper had it, so I hoped to lure some foolish girls into this mine. Opportunity struck when those idiots decided to explore the mine on a dare, and fell into my trap. I crushed each of them in a duel, and now they are nothing more than cards." He laughed as he held up four cards with the Seal on them. Lina was horrified to see the images of each boy on three of the cards and...

"ARNOLD!" gasped Diane, seeing his scared face on the fourth card's symbol.

"That's right, this stupid counselor came and ordered me to release them. I offered to duel for their souls...he fell just as easily as the others, thanks to my secret weapon!"

"Secret weapon?" gulped Lina.

"Yeah, you'll see it when I duel the one who hold Timaeus, and I have a feeling that it's one of you!" said Magus.

Bethany watched the exchange, then put on a scowl and pushed her way to the front. "I have Timaeus!"

"BETH!" cried Lina in horror. "NO!"

Beth turned to her. "Lina, get out of here. Get the headmaster over here," she said. "I'll handle this creep."

"Well well, so you are the one with Timaeus, are you?" grinned Magus. "This will be challenging."

Lina shook her head. Beth, you fool! You haven't any dueling experience!

"Go, please go," whispered Beth. "I am going to show you that I can become strong...like Koops."

Lina shut her eyes and held her head, then turned to Diane and Gina. "You two, go alert the others. I'll stay behind to keep giving moral support to Beth." The two nodded and began to leave.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Magus with a smirk, pressing a button. An iron gate began to come out of the ceiling.

"Jump!" shouted Diane. She and Gwen leapt forward, but only Gwen cleared the gate before it crashed down. Diane hit the bars and whined in pain, getting up. "Gina! Go and get help! I'll be okay!"

Gina ran off. "I seriously doubt that," grinned Magus. "When I get Timaeus from your little runt friend, then you two will become the victims of my friends, the Soul-Stealers! HA HA HA HA!!!!"

"S-s-s-s-s-shut up and let's d-d-d-d-d-d-duel," stammered Bethany, shuffling her deck nervously. She activated her disk.

Poor thing, she's so scared she's stammering, thought Lina. She's need to be encouraged... "You can do this."

"Yeah, kick this creep's buttocks!" shouted Diane, coming back up to Lina.

"I hate to inform you, but your friends all dueled me and lost, thanks to my trump card," laughed Magus. "And you will be next to fall. I am invincible!"

"Nobody is invincible," said Beth. "I know. Tubba Blubba seemed to be invincible, Bowser tried to be invincible, but they all fell to the power of the stars."

"Stop your stupid video game nonsense!" snapped Magus. "You're making me sick!"

"You used to play games, eh?" asked Lina.

Magus scoffed. "Yeah, I did. When I was a kid...but now I prefer more entertaining sports, like Duel Monsters."

~~+~~

Gina ran out of the mine. "I have to get the headmaster and the others!" she panted as her legs poured on the speed. "Or else Beth, Diane, and our counselor will be in danger!"

~~+~~

Magus activated his duel disk, which extended its creepy plates. "Let's do this!"

The two inserted their decks and the life point meters were set at 8000 each.

"Since I want to surprise you with my little trump card, I think I'll let you go first, kid," said Magus as the two drew their first five-card hands.

Bethany shuddered, then drew her first card. She suddenly grew happy. This is awesome, I couldn't have wished for a better draw! "Okay, you jerk, I'm going to start by putting one monster in defense mode, and a card face-down." The cards appeared before her. "And that will end my turn."

"Ha, that's the BEST you can start off with?" said Magus, drawing a card. "Fine, then I'll start by summoning Dark Elf to the field!" The beautiful dark counterpart of the Mystical Elf appeared from her card. (2000/800) "And I'll play this field magic, which I'm sure you are familiar with...SEAL OF ORICHALCOS!"

Magus slid the card into the field slot and the ring on his disk glowed green briefly. Then the glowing green ring came down onto the battlefield and surrounded both Magus and Bethany, and the hexagram formed.

"AH! OH NO!" cried Bethany in horror, freaking out.

"Ha ha ha, scared already?" laughed Magus. "Oh, you will be scared when I show you my trump card!"

He's sure spouting off about that trump card of his, thought Lina. But the Seal is bad enough! Beth is in serious danger! If she loses, her soul will be trapped in a card!

"I'm sure you know what will happen if you lose, kid," said Magus.

Diane ran to the Seal, but as expected, she bounced off. She pounded on the invisible wall. "LET HER GO!!!"

"I am afraid that won't happen until this duel is over, miss," said Magus. "And trust me, I'm guaranteed to win!"

"S-Shut up!" said Bethany, trying to be brave. "I won't be beaten!"

"Oh no, then maybe you've forgotten that the Seal grants my monsters a 500-attack boost!" Sure enough, Dark Elf's eyes turned blood-red as the mark of Orichalcos appeared on her forehead. (2500/800) "And now I'll destroy that face-down monster!"

The Dark Elf powered up a black orb of magic and flung it into the card, shattering it. A little flying squirrel appeared and exploded, and two more rose up where it had fallen. Bethany's life meter rose to 9000.

Bethany sighed, then smiled. "Thanks for killing my Nimble Momonga, Magus! When it gets sent to the graveyard through battle, I get 1000 life points. And you lose 1000 because you attacked with Dark Elf, thanks to her special drawback. In other words, the 1000 life points got transferred from you to me. Wasted attack!"

"Grrrr..." hissed Magus as his life meter dropped to 7000.

"And what's more," said Bethany, who reinserted her deck after shuffling it. "I get to pull my other two Nimble Momongas from my deck and special summon them in defense mode! So, is that your turn?"

"Yes," said Magus.

"Well then, I'll place another card face-down," said Bethany, sliding a card into her disk. The card appeared next to its brother. "And then I'll set another monster in defense mode." A card appeared next to the squirrels. "End turn."

Magus looked at it. She's up to something...oh well, no matter. When I unleash my ultimate monster, nobody can win! "I'm not stupid enough to attack your Momongas again, and I'm not stupid to attack with my Dark Elf again. So, I'll just summon Harpie's Brother, in attack mode, and attack your face-down monster." The winged bird-man appeared. (1800/1600) The mark appeared on its forehead as its eyes blazed red as well. (2300/1600) "Go and attack!"

The birdman punched the air and a whirlwind of energy shattered a glob of disease.

"What the--?!" cried Magus in shock as his life meter dropped to 6500.

"Another wasted attack!" laughed his opponent. "By destroying my Giant Germ, you lose 500 life points and special summon my other two Giant Germs to the field!" She took them out and reshuffled her deck, then reinserted it before placing the cards in defense mode. Two globs of viral matter rose up next to the squirrels. "Care to try again?"

Magus shook his head as the girls cheered.

"Okay then," said Bethany, drawing a card. She smirked. "Oh this is great! I can take you out quickly now!" She slapped down a monster card. "Now to finish this duel! I summon my monster...Mokey Mokey!"

A small creature rose up in a sparkle of light. It looked like a square of white matter with slits for eyes and a mouth. A red question mark hovered over the creature in the semblance of a halo, and it had tiny angelic wings. It also had tiny arms and legs that were barely stumps. (300/100)

"Ha ha ha ha!" laughed Magus. "You expect me to believe that piece of tofu will defeat me?"

"Maybe not alone," said Bethany, sliding a magic card into her disk. "But united with my other monsters, it can! I activate the magic card, United We Stand!" A card showing a pair of hands shaking with electricity crackling between them appeared.

"Oh yeah!" cried Diane happily. "She's gonna win this!"

Lina sighed. And here I was worried. I'm glad I recommended THAT card to her, even if it did cost an arm and a leg.

"My friends stand behind me," said Bethany. "And likewise, my monsters stand behind my Mokey Mokey. This card grants me an 800-attack boost per each monster on the field to the one equipped with this card, so I equip it to Mokey Mokey!" The monsters all began to glow and Mokey Mokey's question-mark halo glowed bright blue. "Which, when you include itself, gives it a bonus of 4000 to its attack score!" (4300/100)

"What? NO!" cried Magus.

"Mokey Mokey, Infinite Anger Burst!" screamed Bethany. Mokey Mokey squeaked and fired a beam of light from its "halo" and shattered Harpie's Brother into a million pieces when it hit. Magus' life meter plummeted to 4900.

"Yes!" said Diane. "Go Beth! You RAWK!"

Bethany blushed. "I can win this!" She ended her turn with a wave.

Magus scowled as he drew his card. If she thinks she's going to defeat me, guess again! Those four losers before her made that same mistake! He looked at the card and smirked. "Perfect." He looked up. "First, I play Graceful Charity!" He slid the card into the magic slot and his deck glittered with light. "This card lets me draw three cards and discard two." He drew three cards and discarded two. "Next, I'll play Dark Core!"

"Oh no!" said Lina in horror. "I know what card does!"

"I see you are smart in Duel Monsters, woman," said Magus with a smirk. "Then you know that I can discard one card from my hand to send one monster on the field out of play!"

"Oh no!" said Bethany. "My Mokey Mokey!" Mokey Mokey squeaked in fear.

Magus chuckled. "Hate to disappoint you, girl, but I'm not sending one of YOUR monsters out of play." He slapped it down and a giant vortex appeared. "I'm discarding one of my monsters to send Dark Elf out of play!" The Dark Elf screamed as she was hurled into the vortex, which shrank to nothing.

"What is he doing?" thought Diane.

"And next, I play this magic card...Soul Release!" He showed his card and then played it. "I can send five cards from either graveyard out of play, so I'll use it to send the five monsters I discarded through my other magic cards out of play!" The beautiful blue spirit appeared and flew into the ceiling, and five monsters were spirited away.

"I don't get you," said Lina. "Why send your OWN monsters out of play? It won't help you at all."

"Oh, on the contrary," chuckled Magus. "I have one more magic card to play." He slid it into his disk. "Dimension Fusion!"

Lina gasped.

"I am guessing by your reaction that you know how this works," said Magus with a smirk. "By paying 2000 life points, I can special summon all the monsters that are removed from play. Since your friend has no such monsters and I have six, all six of my beasts are brought back from oblivion to stand before me! ARISE!"

Magus' life meter dropped to 2900 as the magic card took effect. Dark Elf returned in a flash, as did Harpie's Brother. A Garoozis and Zanki rose up, as did a Vorse Raider and Dark Dog of Madness. They stood in two lines of three. The mark of Orichalcos appeared on each monster as their eyes glowed red.

"A nifty trick if you want to summon a virtual army of monsters all at once," grinned Magus.

"Hey, wait a sec!" said Lina. "I know for a fact that you cannot have more than five monsters on the field at any time! But you just special summoned six monster onto the field!"

"Well, you don't know much then," said Magus, chuckling. "My Seal of Orichalcos has the special ability to make my magic and trap slots into monster slots, so I can have more than five monsters on the field at any time!"

"Oh no," said Diane. "That fiend is going to devastate Beth's monsters!"

"Yeah, he'll take down all of those Nimble Momongas and Giant Germs first, and that will weaken Mokey Mokey," said Lina.

Magus smirked, then he laughed. "Heh heh heh heh! You really think I'm THAT dumb? I know that the instant I destroy those four supporting monsters, Beth will not only gain 2000 life points, but I'll lose 1000, and I can't afford to lose any more life points. No, I've a better idea..." He removed a card from his hand. "Guess what this is?"

The girls looked at him, curious.

"This is my secret weapon, the one which crushed your little friends when I dueled them!"

Bethany cringed as the other girls gawked. "Oh no..." said Diane.

"That's right, and it's about time you meet my ultimate monster!" said Magus. "I'm sure you people have heard tales about him and how he appeared in Battle City, under the control of Seto Kaiba."

"Seto Kaiba?" asked Lina. "But...you can't have a Blue Eyes White Dragon."

"You're right, this isn't that card," said Magus. "But then, old Blue Eyes is nothing compared to this beast! Little girl, prepare yourself for the ultimate horror!" He slapped down the card. "I sacrifice Dark Elf, Zanki, and Harpie's Brother..."

The three monsters melted into light as the cave grew much darker.

"He sacrificed THREE MONSTERS?" gulped Lina. "I don't like this..."

"...to summon my greatest monster, one which has not seen the light of day in over thirty years!" laughed Magus as lightning struck the area. A giant shadowy figure rose up and two red eyes gleamed in the darkness. "BEHOLD!"

The girls watched the figure appear behind Magus and screamed bloody murder, even Lina.

~~+~~

Gina ran through the woods and reached the campground, collapsing to her hands and knees. "Must...get...help..."

Luckily for her, Twilight was out walking with some of her troupe when she saw this. She walked up ro Gina and knelt before her. "Are you okay, Gina? What are you doing out here? Why are you tired?"

"I have...to get help..." gasped Gina, looking at Twilight's face. "Beth's dueling some nutcake and she's in danger!"

"I see," said Twilight. She suddenly felt a deep chill through her bones and paled. "It cannot be...HE has awakened!"

"Who?" asked a camper.

"Nevermind," said Twilight. "Gina, go with the others, they'll take you to Machus. I have to do something..." She got up and looked into the cloud-covered sky. Oh great Sibylla...this cannot be happening!

To be continued...

[Dark Sage]

Whoa...

Their names might have been Bethany and Magus, but they might have been David and Goliath! This gives new meaning to the term "how the mighty are fallen!"

I'd never have suspected Beth of being one of the Chosen Ones - if defeating Obelisk doesn't cure her of her pessimistic streak, nothing will.

So who is the third member of this trinity? Diane? Gwen?

If the mysterious villain got ahold of Obelisk, could he also have the other two God Cards? In all likelyhood, Obelisk was the least powerful...

Other things I liked:

The inclusion of my character Jackie (I'd love to see her duel again, by the way).

Brandon's origin (He's Mary's cousin! And both Yugi and Mary have the card he created in their decks!)

More info on the mysterious Twilight.

Incidently, you made a slight error. The yen is MUCH less than the dollar. Three million yen is about forty-five thousand American dollars. The money that Joey Wheeler got to pay for Serenity's operation would have totaled, in Japanese yen, about 62 million - that's roughly $3 million dollars. I don't blame you. Currency can be confusing.

But anyway, keep it up!

- Venusaur

[mr_pikachu]

*cries over missing last week's Yu-Gi-Oh episode*

Nice duel. Beth finally (sort of) lost her whiny streak, and actually beat a very strong duelist. Sort of. I wonder what he meant when he said he was winning? And exactly what did Twilight's line about living mean? Hmm... I have a feeling this isn't over.

Way to keep up the tension throughout this chapter. I seriously thought Beth would lose and Lina would have to step in, which would surely weaken Beth even more, but it was a perfect spot for the second guardian. Nice job in making this interesting... especially now that the God cards are involved.

There was one sentence, though, that I thought I should mention:

"Serenity was crying over both Arnold's uncle and my dad."

I don't think Brandon would call his own mom by her first name. I think you did the same thing with Lina at one point as well, having her refer to her father as "Pegasus". That's an easy slip-up to make, though, so don't fret too much about it.

One thing I did think could be improved upon was the large number of recollections in this chapter, though. I personally dislike recalling the past too much, especially when it involves the scene actually shifting to the past (as with Magus' memory). You might try to cut down on those some.

But this was good. We'll see if Beth can change her fright for the better, and if Arnold learns the error of his ways. You've done a very good job with the characters in this fic, I must say. Well, I'll see you next chapter!

[Shuppet Master]

Well,Arnold won't be getting a personality check until he duels one of the campers in the tournament that is coming up,but he won't be pushing people around as much,as will be shown in my next chapter.

Oh,and I admit I made a few mistakes. I did put way too much recollections in there,but I didn't know how better to do this. You see,I was trying to have that villian be like Alister, who lost his brother in a war because of KaibaCorp's evil ways,so he's taking it out on Seto and doing it in the worst possible way. I have no idea how Alister will end up in the future,if he'll die or not,but I know that Magus,who was based on him,will probably end up a lot better off. I won't spoil too much,but suffice it to say that he'll get a Change of Heart in the turning point,when this fic goes from the first month of camp to the second month,when the big camp tournament takes place.

Oh,and for someone else who said that the camp tournament will be like Dueltopia,I want to denounce that. While the counselors will be like Dueltopia's Eliminators,this tournament will be sort of like a dumbed-down Battle City - the campers will duel each other to get cards and whoever has seven cards will get into the finals. There may be a lot of campers,but only eight will be able to duel in the finals. I won't say who is in them yet,that would be a spoiler.

I don't think Brandon would call his own mom by her first name.

Oops! I forgot to edit that. I'll do that now.

EDIT: I apologize,but I had to strike out that part about Magus because what I said about him before is now wrong since I wrote him in a scene in Chapter 8 and it's not very pretty. However,for you loyal readers,I promise that Magus won't end up like Lars. Instead,someone rescues him. I won't say any more - mainly because I don't want to end up striking this part out too.

And don't worry,I WILL get Chapter 8 up sometime after Halloween. If you people are nice,I might rush it and post it on Halloween as a Halloween special. (No,it won't be set in Halloween,because the story takes place in the summer,alongside Mandate of Heaven. However,I will make it a little spooky and mysterious. The characters will be spooked,but since I did the ghost story two chapters ago,there won't be any ghosts.)

Also,if I don't get two more people to answer the bonus questions in my last contest,then I'll probably close the contest and not take any more submissions. Come on,guys! The poems aren't THAT difficult to decipher!

EDIT: Man,that sucks. I had to strike out that part too. I apologize to everyone who may be waiting for the next chapter - I have to do schoolwork this week,so I may be busy. However,I promise that I'll get the next chapter out soon. In the meantime,watch Venusaur's Mandate thread - he should have his next chapter out by Wendsday.

[starjake]

WAH!!!

*pounds fist on floor in impatience*

I want a new chapter now!!! WAH!!!!

*throws tantrum*

*grows up*

I know, I know, not exactly productive. So sue me.

*gets sued*

Aw, man...

[Shuppet Master]

I know people want to read a new chapter,and I will have a new chapter soon,I promise. Just give me some time - I have to bang out a 1000-word essay before Thursday afternoon.

In the meantime,while you are waiting,how about trying to figure out the bonus haikus in the last contest. I need at least one more person to get it right so I can get a new contribution for the big competition part in the future. They aren't that hard to figure out.

[mr_pikachu]

A 1000-word essay? Not fun. I've got two exams this week, so I know how you must be feeling. Just get through it, and then put all your remaining strength into that next chapter! Make it a good one! (And we don't need it lightning-quick; honestly, the quality is what matters most.)

I would try the haikus, but since I've already won the extra prize once, there's not much of a point. Hopefully I can win the regular prize sometime soon.

[Shuppet Master]

My third trivia contest will be thrown out just before the camp tournament begins,so don't be too concerned.

[Dark Sage]

Hmm...

This was a great chapter. It was good to see Doppler again, and Gwen's Level-Up deck is a unique idea...

However, I believe I have uncovered Gwen's secret, her hidden surprise. I know what fusion Monster can be summoned by fusing five of any Dragons...

I'm not going to spoil this for any other readers, but I will send you a PM, Hack. This will certainly be interesting...

- Venusaur

[mr_pikachu]

So Doppler's back, huh? I should've known that... thing would show up again. I wonder who it's really working for, though? I have an odd feeling that Doppler has its own goals, beyond those of the other villains.

Pretty good. The characters are being developed a bit more, and we're learning more about the strange entities our heroes have to face. There were a lot of typos in this chapter, though. It'd do you good to go back over the chapter, because it was littered with mistakes in that regard.

You're doing pretty good, though, otherwise. I like the characters and the challenges they're facing; it makes things interesting. I'm looking forward to the next chapter. Until then!

[Shuppet Master]

I have an announcement to make. I am no longer doing trivia contests. And I am also shutting down the quizmaster prizes for the last one,because nobody else wanted to answer the bonus poems.

However,I decided to let everyone contribute some more to my story,starting with a poll. The poll is a pretty interesting one. As you know,in Venusaur's "City of Souls",Yugi and his pals dueled the Dark Four,the four elite duelists of Remi Harikof who had a bit of Set's power in their bodies. Yugi unleashed penalty games for their defeats and they were forced to undergo serious punishment and were imprisoned by Shadi until Yugi decided to release them...

However,Lina's nemesis,the one with the Orichalcos seals,is a powerful sorcerer. He is capable of bending the rules and bringing back old enemies to harass new heroines,and thanks to his powerful magic,he manages to rescue the Dark Four from their prisons AND penalty games and restores their dark powers to them so they could work for him!

Well...actually,the main baddy hasn't got THAT much power. He could only rescue ONE of the Dark Four from his or her fate and the girls will be facing that villian much later,after the tournament is over. But which one?

That's the poll: You get to decide! Will Bethany be the David to break the unbreakable Goliath of Des Fist? Will Gwen's RPG-like monsters take on Circe's forest freaks? Will Diane match wits with the mind-reading power of Void? Or will Lina protect them all from the elemental mayhem of Mantra? It is up to you to decide! I'll keep this poll up until my birthday,which is probably when I will be able to post up most of the tournament chapters and give you plenty of time to decide who will be facing the girls in the future. Also,the major baddy will be using the second quizmaster winner in his scheme after the tournament.

Also,I think I'll add this part: I need dueling campers to participate in the tournament. You merely have to give me a short description of your duelist's name,age(must be between 6 and 17 years of age),a bit of background on how they ended up in Duelist Camp,and their deck. I know it's begging for characters,but I'll be writing the duels,you just provide the opponents for Diane,Gwen,and Beth in future chapters!

EDIT: Sorry,forgot to add this. PM me your characters,do not post them here on the thread!

[Shuppet Master]

Sorry about the double-post,folks,but I don't want to put stuff in a post that I did before. Also,there are a few things I wanted to say.

First off,I only noticed two votes so far. I know I put the poll up for a month,but that gives you no excuse to vote. I voted for Bush and he won the elections. Just kidding,but seriously folks,if you want to see your favorite Dark Four member in this story,just click on the "Vote Now" button. It's that easy. (Of course,most of you are probably rushing out to buy Halo 2. )

Second,you can probably expect my next chapter to show up SOON. I've already finished the biggest part of it. There's no dueling,but there is a lot of interesting backstory to one of the major characters in Venusaur's Yu-Gi-Oh Jr. fanfics! If you are curious about a certain blonde-haired duelist,watch this space over the coming week!

Third,I change my sig so it has a funny screenie in it. Enjoy!

Finally,I want more people to contribute their ideas for duelists that the girls can duel in the coming chapters. I know you people are out there,reading my stuff,but I want you to give a little bit back to me. Okay,that sounds like I'm begging for characters,which I am. The tournament starts in three chapters,everyone! Help me to help you by sending in some interesting campers! It's not that hard,people. Just PM me your character's name,age, cabin he/she is in,a bit of background,and what sort of deck they use. You don't even have to tell me the cards,I'll make them up if I have to.

Well,that's it. Watch this space,folks. I'm warning you not to miss the intriguing Chapter 9! 8)

[Loupeitak]

I was the second one to vote

Btw this chapter was intense. and yay!! IT WAS MY CONTRIBUTION!! :p

Anyway i'm looking forward to the next chappy. Is it Mary or is it Jade ? they both have blond hair (i think...)

[Dark Sage]

Loupeitak, so Doppler was your idea! Good choice.

Mary has the same dirty-blonde hair as her dad, so yeah, it could be Mary or Jade. I know exactly who, but I ain't telling. (Heck, it could even be Yugi Jr. himself - he's blonde...)

You'll just have to wait...

- Venusaur

[Dark Sage]

I love it!

Jade's origin! I couldn't do better myself! Cudos to you, Hack!

And I loved the dream sequence. It was just like "My Freaky Valentine," but with Jade in place of Joey. Just the right way to get things started.

Keep it up!


- Venusaur

[Shuppet Master]

Thank you. It was that duel that inspired me to write that dream sequence,since Jade owns Time Wizard.

[mr_pikachu]

Now that was a strange dream! It was some sort of vision, without a doubt. But why do I have this odd feeling it won't be exactly what Diane thinks? Hmm... this will be very interesting...

I think that during the dream, though, the characters wouldn't have been laughing at Jade's "puny" hammer. Rather, they'd probably be cringing in terror at Jade's seemingly poor move. But I dunno, maybe the sight of that would be enough to break through their fear. I suppose it's open to interpretation, but it seems a little off to me. Also, there were quite a few typo errors in this chapter, which really hurt some of the big points you presented.

On the other hand, this was a great chapter, with (as Venusaur said) an excellent backstory for Jade. It's just the kind of calibur a series of events you'd think would be required to turn the daughter of a material girl into a samurai. Very nice. Excellent display of the characters' personalities, as well.

This was good, and I'm confident the next chapter will be superb. Well, I'll see you then!

[Dark Sage]

Hack -

After rereading your chapter, I must correct a couple of continuity errors you made.

Sorry.

The boat to Duelatopia didn't leave in the afternoon, it left early in the morning.

Clive did not tell his girlfriend about the City of Souls (as far as we know). Peter told his.

Also, I'm really getting frustrated that you keep leaving the first "A" out of Duelatopia's name. It isn't called "Dueltopia"! It's Duelatopia! DUEL-A-TOPIA!!

Anyway, it wasn't a bad chapter. And Mr. Pikachu, just as I've confided with Hack as to the plot of my whole story, he's confided with me as to the plot of most of his. We're kind of working together here. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at next chapter.

Anyway, Pik, don't forget to vote in his poll, and to submit a duelist for his little contribution thing. It isn't that hard.

See ya.

- Venusaur

[Shuppet Master]

I seriously apologize for that part about Clive laughing at the Time Magic Mallet. I was "copying" everything from the duel that inspired this - the one that aired on Kids WB recently,and Varon's jeering at Joey. I'll try to edit it later.

And I'm sorry,Venusaur. I'll edit the entire chapter and any other chapter I have up until I get that wretched little "A" into DuelAtopia. Don't get mad at me for my stupid typo.

[Loupeitak]

o.O So thats how Jade became a Samurai... By getting raped by these dumb dudes...

Anyways this was a nice chapter. It didn't need a duel. Btw i've noticed a few errors there. The one i remember is you spelled Bushido, Hushido.

Keep up the great work dude!

[Shuppet Master]

You didn't read carefully,Loupeitak. Jade was ABOUT to be raped,but was saved at the last minute. She wasn't raped at all. I don't think the mods would have liked me to detail a gruesome rape scene in my story.

By the way,what did you think about your contribution two chapters ago?

EDIT: To everyone out there,I'm working on Chapter 10 as we speak,and it should come out before Tuesday. After that,there is only one chapter left before the tournament begins,and I still need some good duelists for Diane,Gwen,and Beth to duel with. Especially a great duelist for Diane to duel in the first tournament. Also,I'd like to see some good ideas. If you're lucky,one of your contributions will make it to the finals.

Remember,one two chapters before the girls start dueling campers,and the first of these chapters will be up SOON. Get your PMs in now!

[Loupeitak]

to answer your question, I thought he was just awesome. Btw could you PM me some info on these LVL monsters ? I have no idea about them.

Anyway I'm sending you my duelist. You will be surprised by the ammount of cards in his deck :p

[Shuppet Master]

Yu-Gi-Oh Jr.: Sister of Anansi
A Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic-crossover fanfic by .hack//BELLOSSOM

Chapter 10: The Power of One

“That’s right,” said Jess, “Against one of you, we’d have an unfair advantage…”

“Thus, Yugi,” said Stalt, “select one of your friends for a two-on-two! Make sure it’s someone you’d prefer to spend the last moments of your life with!”

- City of Souls,"Duel at 1450 Feet" -

Diane found herself in a predicament. She was at the mercy of these strange two females who looked like fraternal twins. One was a black-haired woman, and the other was a red-head. The door was locked shut, she couldn't escape, and there were no windows at all. "W-What do you want with me?" she stammered.

"Simple, we just want to have fun with you," grinned the black-haired woman. "Allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Yin, and this is Yang. We are the Gemini Sisters."

"Gemini...Sisters?" Diane repeated. I've heard that name before, but where? It was on a camping trip three weeks ago.

Yang, the red-head interrupted her thoughts. "Don't think too hard, girl. We are vicious criminals and enjoy taking the lives of fools who get in the way of our real prey."

Diane gasped in horror. "NO!"

"That's right, dear," giggled Yin. "But...we'll let you live...if you can defeat us in Duel Monsters!" She opened up a necklace on her neck, which showed a familiar card. Yang did the same.

"Gemini Elf?" gulped Diane. Then it hit her. "You...you two murdered Arkana's fiancee!"

"Who?" asked Yang.

"She must mean that vapid wench Katherine," smirked Yin. "Don't blame us! Back then we were mere thugs who beat up innocents for their cash. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was babbling about revenge or something. I think Yugi owes us a favor for saving him from that idiot."

Diane scowled and clenched a fist. "Yugi could have defeated her! It's not that! It's how you ended her life without letting her recover from the pain she suffered thanks to Marik's evil!"

"You're pretty brave, little girl," said Yang, pulling out a switchblade and snapping it open. "Now are you brave?" Yin pulled out a pair of sharp oriental daggers that looked like they were too big to conceal on clothing.

Diane lost her nerve and squeaked as she backed into the door. "Don't hurt me."

"I said before, we won't kill you...yet," said Yang, winking to Yin as the two put away their weapons. "However, if you want to escape, you will have to defeat us both in a duel."

"Both of you?" gulped Diane, her eyes wide.

"That's right, kiddo!" said Yin. "You'll have to defeat us both in two consecutive duels in a row! HA HA HA HA!!!!"

Thunder crashed and lightning flashed. Diane paled. No way! she thought in despair. There's no way in Hades I can defeat two duelists in a row, I'll be too exhausted from the first! And even if I did beat one, the other would learn all my strategies and beat me soundly! And there is no way I can escape physically, they have me at their mercy!

"Too bad you have nobody to help you, we could have made this a tag-team duel," chuckled Yang. "Oh well, let's see who goes first!" She pulled out a coin. "Call it, Yin!"

"Heads," said Yin as the coin was flung into the air. Just then, something knocked the coin out of the air and it hit the ground, on tails. "Hey! Who did that?"

"Tails, you lose," said Yang, chuckling. Just then, someone picked up her coin. "Hey, kiddo! No touching the coin!"

"She is not the one who picked it up, carrot-top," said a familiar voice as the lightning flashed and revealed itself.

"TWILIGHT!" cried Diane in happiness. She ran over and hugged the counselor. "You came to save me!"

"Indeed I did," said Twilight, pushing her away. "Get your deck ready."

"Who are you, Supergirl?" snorted Yin. "You think you can waltz out of here ALIVE?"

"We do not intend to escape without a duel," said Twilight, smiling grimly. "I will be Diane's partner and this will be two-on-two."

"WHAT?!" cried Yang. "But I got Tails! We won't..." She then clutched her head and screamed. "AAAAAAGH! IT BUUUURNS!!!!"

Behind Twilight's glasses, her eyes glowed blue. The glow faded. "Do not trifle with me, woman. We will duel two vs. two in a tag-team duel, or else you will both be incapitated and taken to the police, where you will pay for your life of crime. And I am sure you wouldn't want to miss this chance. And don't think you can threaten me...I have powers which make you scream in the night under your blankets." She sneered. "Well, what will it be, girls?"

"Wait a sec," said Yin, who dragged Yang aside. "How did SHE get in here?"

"Maybe the same way she zapped my brain with some psychic blast! She's not human, girlfriend!" whispered Yang. "What do we do? If we try to take them out, psy-girl will zap us both and we'll be on death row!"

"I'd rather lose my soul to the Great Beast than suffer the gas chamber!" hissed Yin. She sighed. "We have no choice." She and Yang turned to the girls. "Fine, we accept your arrangements."

"Good," said Twilight, removing a ring from her pocket and slipping it on her finger. "Let's begin."

She raised her ring into the air and light shot from it, forming into four light creatures - a giant bird, a tiger, a turtle, and a Chinese dragon. The beasts of light gathered on Twilight's arm and formed into a sleek dark purple duel disk with silver highlights.

"Whoa, you've gotta show me how to do that trick!" whispered Diane in awe.

"I'm afraid that can't be made possible," smirked Twilight. "Activate your disk."

"Right," said Diane, raising her disk up. The two projectors shot out and landed on either side of her. Twilight backed up and activated her disk, making the projectors land on either side of her. The two sisters flipped back and activated their disks, which slid out their scythe-like trays and created tiny projectors which hovered in mid-air.

All four shuffled their decks and loaded them in, setting the life meters at 8000 each.

~~+~~

Lina entered the lobby to see some of the campers gathered around the TV, watching the news about the upcoming Duelatopia tournament. "Hey, any of you girls see Di, Beth, or Gwen?"

"Nope," said one. "Have you, Melody?"

Melody, a girl with short black hair and glasses,looked up from her magazine. "No...but Tina saw them." She turned to a girl with long blonde hair. "Hey, Tina! Did you see Diane or the others?"

"I saw Beth and Gwen running towards the Hall of Champions," said Tina,who was playing a Gameboy Adventure game. "I heard them talk about following Diane. I wonder why Diane would go there?" She shrugged and went back to her game.

"Thanks," said Lina. She did a double-take and saw the game being played on the device,and smirked. Dragon Warrior III for the Gameboy, eh? I bet Tina would flip if she saw the special cards I have in my side deck. Without another word, she made her way out of the cabin and towards the Hall.

~~+~~

"All right," said Yin. "Since you insisted on this format, we will make the rules!"

"Hey, how do I know you won't BEND the rules?" shouted Diane angrily.

"Chill," said Yang. "We may be cold-blooded killers and crooks, but we are honorable ones. We won't cheat, especially since the losers of this duel will lose their soul!" She cackled and Diane shivered.

They must have the Seal of Orichalcos! thought the girl.

"Be strong, Diane," said Twilight firmly. "They are merely trying to frighten us. They will not succeed with me."

"I know, you've been living in darkness for years," whispered Diane.

"Okay, here are the rules, so listen up!" said Yin. "We'll take turns as follows - me first, then spooky girl, then my sister, and then the little brat. We all have 8000 life points, and if one of us loses, then the other one is on their own. On your turn, you have all the options as in a standard duel. When you play a monster card, it's yours. However, when you make a fusion or ritual sacrifice with your partner's monster - and this is important - then the monster is considered to belong to the both of you, and either of you can attack with it as you wish. When life points are lost due to a failed attack or monster's destruction, only its owner loses its life points, except in the case of a fusion monster or ritual monster created by both of the duelists' monsters, then both owners take half of the battle damage from the monster's destruction. A direct attack will inflict damage on the one who is attacked, but magic or trap cards that do direct damage will hit both of the opponents."

Yang nodded and continued. "You can use a beneficial magic card on either your side or your partner's side and you can equip magic cards on your partner's monsters. Spell and trap cards that benefit you will affect both you and your partner, and a trap card can be used to protect your partner's field. You can also choose to block an attack with your monster if you so choose to do so. Did you get all that?"

Diane nodded. "Let's do this."

"Duel!" said the four girls as the place lit up with holographic light.

~~+~~

Saro was watching the duel on a crystal ball monitor. "You had better not mess up," he whispered. "You two are the only good minions I have left. But don't expect me to bring your souls back if you lose!"

~~+~~

Yin smirked as the four drew their hands. "You should be careful, girls, because when you lose, you will lose more than your dignity, I assure you that."

"Simple for killers," said Twilight.

"Oh, but we're so much more than killers, aren't we Yang?" asked Yin.

"Yessim!" said Yang. "Well, I don't have the card, do you?" She looked at Yin's hand. "Perfect, play it sister!"

"Let's begin," said Yin. "First, I'll play a card which you kids are familiar with...behold!" She slid the field spell into her field slot. "THE SEAL OF ORICHALCOS!"

"I knew it," whined Diane as the green ring appeared over everyone and spiraled down over them.

~~+~~

Lina looked up and saw the green glow from the building. "This is...not good," she whispered. She hurried toward the glow.

~~+~~

Bethany and Gwen were freaking out as the hexagram drew itself on the floor of the hallway. "This is what happened to me," whispered Bethany in fear. "Poor Diane! Poor Twilight!"

"I think they can handle these jerks," grinned Gwen. "We're rooting for them, remember?"

"Right," whispered Bethany reluctantly as the symbol of Orichalcos formed on the Sisters' foreheads.

"And now, I'll summon The Snake Hair, in attack mode!" said Yin. The wicked Gorgon-woman rose up, shrieking. (1500/1200) "And, as you know doubt know, it gains 500 attack points from the Seal of Orichalcos!"

The evil symbol branded itself on the Medusa's forehead and her eyes glowed a violent red. (2000/1200)

"Oh man, that monster's already got enough attack points to wipe most of my Guardians out!" whispered Diane.

"Then I end my turn," said Yin. "Your move, spook girl."

Twilight seemed to ignore the title and drew a card. This card won't help me here, because field magics cannot be played while that Seal is in effect. No matter, I can still pull through. She placed the card in her hand and played two more. "I put one card face-down and one monster in defense mode." The cards appeared before her. "Your move, carrot-top."

Yang seemed a bit perturbed by the name, but brushed it off and drew her card, then slid it into her hand. "Perfect. First, I'll play Pot of Greed to increase my hand by two." She drew two cards and discarded her magic card. "And then I'll summon Blackland Fire Dragon in defense mode!" The green-scaled dragon from mythical fairy tales rose up. (1500/800) The symbol glowed on its forehead and its eyes turned red. (2000/800)

"I don't get it," said Diane. "Your monster could have held up a wall like your sister's did, but you put it in defense!"

"That's because we won't be using these monsters for long!" laughed Yang. "Behold the magic of Polymerization!"

"A fusion!" cried Diane in shock.

"That's right," said Yang, playing the card. The two monsters were sucked into a vortex. "I fuse my sister's The Snake Hair with my Blackland Fire Dragon to summon Skelgon!" A skeletal dragon appeared and growled, its bones rattling. (1700/1900) "And before you mock me for making that move, you forget that the Seal of Orichalcos grants it an attack bonus as well!" The symbol fused itself on the skeletal dragon's forehead and its dead eyes glowed red. (2200/1900)

"Oh man..." said Diane.

"Don't worry, we can defeat these two," said Twilight, giving a warm smile to her.

"Okay," said Diane. "Is that all, Yang?"

"Yeah, I guess," said Yang. "Your move."

Diane drew and smirked. "This should be easy. I'll also set a monster in defense and a card face-down." The two cards appeared before her. "End turn."

"Heh, you guys are gonna get burned!" laughed Yin, drawing her card. "Normally you have to wait until your next turn to attack with a fusion, but since none of us could attack anyways on the first turn, the point is moot! Now Skelgon, attack..." She paused a bit, pondering her options, then made a choice. "Spook girl's monster! Death Breath!"

The skeletal dragon roared and belched purple flames that destroyed the face-down monster, only for a nomad in white robes to be blown away.

"That was my Gravekeeper's Spy you destroyed," grinned Twilight. "And when that creature is destroyed, I get to special summon a Gravekeeper from my deck with 1500 attack points or less." She took out her deck, removed a card, and put the deck back into her disk. "I'll summon this card...Gravekeeper's Curse!"

The dark-robed nomad rose up. (800/800) "Huh?" asked Yang, confused. "That monster's a wimp!"

"Yes," said Twilight with a smirk. "But when he gets summoned to the field by any means, I can inflict 500 points of damage to the both of you!" The nomadic wizard raised his twisted metal staff and fired green energy into the sisters, dropping them both to 7500.

"Ergh, that was a cheap trick," said Yin. "I play one card face-down and end my turn." The card appeared before her.

"Then it's my turn," said Twilight, drawing her card effortlessly. She smiled as she rubbed the back of it. "Yes, this will do nicely. I sacrifice my Gravekeeper's Curse to summon Gravekeeper's Chief!" The nomadic wizard melted into light and was replaced by a nomad with a golden crown and scepter. (1900/1200) "Due to its special ability, when I tributed for it, I can summon a Gravekeeper from my Graveyard, so I bring back the card I tributed to summon my Chief...Gravekeeper's Curse!" The nomadic wizard returned. "And you both know what happens next!" The wizard zapped the Gemini Sisters again and their life points dropped to 7000.

"Grrr...you're getting on our nerves!" shouted Yang, rubbing her chest.

"Wow, are you running a Gravekeeper deck for this duel, Twilight?" asked Diane. "Lina told me you used a ninja deck on her and an Archfiend deck on someone else!"

Twilight chuckled. "No, this is my true deck - the others were meant to be confusing and keep other duelists from finding out how to counter my strategies. The monsters in this deck are the same people who represented my family in Egypt. My uncle was bound to be the protector of the Pharoah Atem for his entire life, but then he went insane and tried to steal the Pharoah's crown for himself. Nobody knows why he did that."

"What?" asked Diane. Twilight whispered something into her ear and she paled. "You're..."

"Do not worry, Di," said Twilight, smiling. "I have no evil intentions. As I said, my uncle went insane. Luckily, Atem saved his soul from burning in Hell. Which won't be the case for these two floozies."

"Floozy?" hissed Yang. "OOOOH! You're so IN for it!"

"Fine, attack me then," said Twilight, nodding at Diane.

"You asked for it!" shouted Yang. "I take control of Skelgon and attack your wimpy Curse! DEATH BREATH!" The dragon belched flames at the wizard.

"BLOCK IT!" shouted Diane. Her face-down monster transformed into an armored knight which flung itself into the flames and was immolated. "Phew!"

"What?" cried Yang. "What was that for?"

"You DID say we could block an attack on our partner," grinned Diane. "And thanks to you destroying my Guardian Knight, its special effect activates, forcing you and me to both summon a Level 4 monster from our hand." She slapped down a card. "I summon Mystical Elf in defense mode!" The beautiful elf emerged.

"Fine," growled Yang. She then had a wicked idea. "I summon Dragon Zombie in attack mode!" A hideous putrid dragon corpse rose up from the ground(1600/0) and got the Seal brand(2100/0). "Next, I play De-Fusion!"

"What?" cried Yin. "Sis, what are you DOING?!"

"Don't worry, I'm ditching that weak Bonetail for a better fusion!" giggled Yang as the Blackland Fire Dragon and Snake Hair reappeared on their respective fields. "Now I play Fusion Sage to pull a Polymerization from my deck!" She removed her deck, took the magic card out, and shuffled her deck before replacing it. "And I use the card I pulled to fuse Dragon Zombie and my sister's Snake Hair to create Great Mammoth of Goldfine!" The two monsters were fused into a giant golden mammoth skeleton(2200/1800) which got branded with the Seal(2700/1800). "But I can't attack. End turn."

Diane frowned. That thing's much together than anything I could summon...unless... She drew her card and grinned. "Yes!" She played her cards. "I start by equipping Twilight's Gravekeeper's chief with Gravity Axe!" The rwo-bladed axe appeared and the Chief tossed his scepter aside and picked up the weapon. "This increases the attack power of her Chief by 500 attack points!" (2400/1200)

"Big deal, our monster will still plow over it," grinned Yin.

"We'll see," said Twilight as Diane showed her a card. She nodded.

"To end, I'll sacrifice Twilight's Gravekeeper's Curse to summon Guardian Grarl, in defense mode," said Diane. The nomad wizard vanished and the dinosaur man appeared on Diane's field, kneeling. (2500/1000) "And then I end by setting a card face-down." The card appeared behind Grarl.

"You made a big mistake!" laughed Yin, drawing her card. "Excellent. I will sacrifice my sister's Blackland Fire Dragon and the Fiend's Hand in my hand to play this magic card, Beastly Mirror Ritual!" She slapped the card down.

"A Ritual Monster!" said Diane in shock.

"That's right," said Yin as a pair of hands rose up, holding a mirror. The green-scaled dragon and a glob of ooze with hands writhing in it were sucked into the mirror, which shattered. "Say hello to Fiend's Mirror!" The mirror came back with a dark blue frame. (2600/1700) "And as you know, it gets a power boost from Seal of Orichalcos!" The mirror's surface shimmered as the symbol appeared on it. (3100/1700)

"Oh no," said Bethany in the rafters. "It's now stronger than Chaos Emperor Dragon! They're toast!"

"Now, Fiend's Mirror! Blast that Gravekeeper's Chief to oblivion!" ordered Yin. "Wicked Reflection!"

The mirror fired a beam of white light at the Gravekeeper leader.

"I don't think so," said Twilight, flipping up her trap card. "Activate trap - Desert Mirage! Whenever my Gravekeepers are attacked, I can shift the attack to another monster on the field, and I shift it to Diane's Guardian Grarl!" The beam of light changed course and flew towards the dinosaur-man.

"What? No, darn it!" cried Yang. "We won't be able to take off any life points!" The blast incinerated Grarl. "BLAST!"

"You did a lot less damage than you thought, sisters," said Diane, giggling as she revealed her trap card. It showed Guardian Kay'est getting stabbed in the chest by a Shadowknight Archfiend. "Thanks to my Guardian's Sacrifice trap, when you attack one of my Guardians, it gets destroyed...BUT I gain life points equal to the attack power of my Guardian, and that means now I get 2500 life points!" Her life points shot up to 10500.

"Grrr, if only it was in attack!" hissed Yang. "We could have reduced that benefit."

"No you wouldn't," said Diane. "Guardian's Sacrifice was the thing that wiped out Grarl, not your attack which was negated. So even if I had summoned it in attack mode, it wouldn't do you any good to attack it."

"Well...what a shame," grinned Yin. "Too bad I have to get rid of those extra life points! You forgot about the Great Mammoth? We BOTH can use it! Great Mammoth of Goldfine, Gore Trample!" The undead elephant charged, only to blow away Guardian Ceal. Diane's life points dropped to 8600. "WHAT?!"

"I activated my other trap card," grinned Diane, flipping up the card. This trap card showed Guardian Elma throwing herself in the path of a Barrel Dragon's proton blasts. "Last-Ditch Plan! This card is a continous trap, which means that it will remain active until destroyed or removed. Every time you try to do a direct attack on my life points, I get to special summon a Guardian to the field in attack mode. Of course, the problem is that my Guardian, being summoned without their weapon, only has half of its attack and defense while on the field. But it's better than losing 2700 points."

"Thank you, Di," said Twilight, smiling.

"That brat is getting to be a PEST!" hissed Yang. "Let me take her out!"

"We can't try direct attacks while she has that trap card," sighed Yin. "And who knows what sort of monster she might bring up next. Let's be careful for now." She waved her hand. "I end my turn."

"Very well,my move," said Twilight,drawing her. "And I'll place a card face-down and summon Gravekeeper's Priestess in attack mode!" The card appeared and spat out a beautiful white-robed woman with tan skin and a bronze headdress. (1700/200)

"Wow,she's pretty," said Diane.

"Yes,this card looks almost like my mother. Almost." Twilight smirked. "But what really sets her apart are her dual effects. First off,she gains 200 attack points for every Gravekeeper in the cemetery." The Priestess knelt and prayed and her body shone with golden light. (2100/200) "And,as long as a Gravekeeper is on the field,she cannot be attacked."

"Oh great," growled Yang. "Is that all?"

"Not quite," chuckled Twilight. "Thanks to the nice axe Diane gave my Gravekeeper's Chief, it now has 2400 attack points, 200 more than your Goldfine! Gravekeeper's Chief,attack the undead elephant now!"

The Chief hefted up his axe and charged with a jihad war cry,slicing the bony fusion into pieces. Both Gemini Sisters lost a hundred life points,putting them at 6900 each.

"And since both of you contributed a monster to the fusion," said Twilight. "You both lose half of the battle damage. Be lucky that your monster was strong,or else it would have been a lot worse. I end my turn."

Yang was starting to sweat a little. She drew her card carefully. "Ooookay," she whispered. "I set a card face-down." The card appeared before her. "And then I take control of Fiend's Mirror!"

"Hey!" shouted Yin. "That's my monster!"

"Big deal,you sacrificed MY dragon for it!" snapped Yang. "By the rules,we should both get the chance to use it!" She turned her attention to Twilight. "Fiend's Mirror,use Wicked Reflection and blow away that Chief!" The mirror fired it unholy beam at the Gravekeeper's Chief again...

"BLOCK IT!" ordered Diane. Mystical Elf picked up her robes and leapt in front of the blast, taking it and exploding.

"Uuuuurgh..." hissed Yang, clenching her fist and smaking herself in the head with it. "Little PEST!"

"Sticks and stones, Gemini Jerk, sticks and stones," laughed Diane. "My turn." She drew a card. "First, I'll equip Gravekeeper's Priestess with Butterfly Dagger!" A beautiful altar with a dagger hovering over it appeared. The Priestess took the dagger from the altar. "This increases Priestess' attack by 300 points!" (2400/200) "And, with that on the field, I can summon another of my Guardians! Guardian Elma!" The beautiful maiden appeared with a flash. (1300/1000) "And since Yang has no monsters on the field, I'll go for a direct attack! Elma, use Butterfly Dance Stab!"

The beautiful warrior leapt forward, dagger out. "No! Wait!" cried Twilight in shock.

Fiend's Mirror intercepted the stabbing dagger and Elma screamed as she exploded. First her reflection, then herself. Diane's life points dropped to 6800.

"Ha ha ha, you fool!" laughed Yin. "I can block attacks on my sister just like you can do the same with spook-girl! How does it feel to have one of YOUR attacks blocked, brat?"

"Ergh," moaned Diane, holding her forehead. "Forogt about that."

"It's okay, just a minor setback," mumbled Twilight. "We can still win."

"I hope so," said Diane somberly. "I'm almost out of Guardians." She waved her hand to end her turn.

"My turn!" said Yin,drawing a card. "Okay, I'll set a card face-down..." The card appeared between her and the Mirror. "Then I'll summon Queen's Double in attack mode!" A beautiful woman with a headdress rose up. (300/350)

"Ha,that thing's really weak," said Diane, smirking.

"Oh, but wait until you see its special effect in action," grinned Yin. "But first...since you've been such a brat, Diane, I think I'll do a direct attack to your life points!"

"What about...?" asked Yang.

"Don't worry, she doesn't have many monsters left!" said Yin. "Wicked Reflection!" The beam powered up.

Diane fretted. She's got a point. All I have left in my deck are Guardians Tryce and Kay'est,and I can't risk sending one of them out to protect me because their halved attacks would be much too weak to defend me! The blast fired and she let out a horrifying scream of terror, covering her eyes.

"Intercept it, Gravekeeper's Chief!" barked Twilight. The bearded protector flung himself into the blast and exploded. Twilight's life points dropped to 7300.

"That was close," whispered Gwen as Beth shivered.

"Wh-what?" cried Yin.

"Now who's the pest?" smirked Twilight as the Mirror dimmed. "You do know that we could block attacks on each other. Losing a few life points was nothing compared to the damage Diane would have suffered had she taken a direct attack. I knew she had only two Guardians left, so her life points were in danger. By the way, since my Chief is now in the graveyard, my Priestess gains another two hundred attack points!" (2600/200)

"Wow," said Gwen. "She's smart."

"Heh, you want to be a pest?" smirked Yin. "Fine with me." She tapped her card and Queen's Double launched an attack.

Diane was stunned, until she realized what Queen's Double could do, having seen it at work in Bethany's deck. "TWILIGHT!"

Energy blades flew over the Gravekeeper's Priestess and she turned and gasped as her summoner was slammed back psinfully, making her life points drop to 7000. "Errrr..."

"You okay, Twilight?" whispered Diane.

"I am fine, but they were fools to take advantage of my disability," hissed Twilight, slowly getting up. "And by the way, how did you know about my handicap? You were spying on the camp, weren't you?"

The Sisters gaped.

"You think you can hide your secrets from me, Gemini Sisters?" chuckled Twilight. "You were right in thinking I had psychic powers. Indeed, my mentor gave me minor psychic abilities when I became his pupil. I can read minds, but not as well as the one who owned the Milennium Eye. I can also use telekinesis and pyrokinesis, but not like some more powerful psychics. I knew what was coming, but I took the hit because I had nothing to stop it, and it was a minor strike. If you try to take out more than 300 life points, I promise you, you will regret it!"

"Y-Y-You don't scare us, spooky girl!" stammered Yang.

"I think I already have," grinned Twilight. "But I think I know a deeper reason why you are scared. One of your victims is watching us, waiting for your fall...and then, when you do fall and your souls are devoured, she will be avenged."

Diane was unsure what her partner was saying, but got the gist of it. Katherine...is she watching this? She looked around, as did the Gemini Sisters.

"You're getting really creepy, twilight girl," growled Yin. "Go ahead and make your move!"

"I will," said Twilight, drawing a card.

To be continued...

[Dark Sage]

That was amazing.

So, Twilight plays a Gravekeeper's deck, huh? Let me guess, she's Ishizu's daughter? It makes sense when you think about it.

Those two Gemini's were horrible... and Yin was the worst. Not even Lumis and Umbra were that treacherous. And Diane's card being "possessed" by Katerine was a stroke of genius. And Marcus works for the villain. Clever.

But one small thing. "Ojama Trio" is a Trap, not a Magic card.

But anyway, another fine chapter. Can't wait for the tournament.

- Venusaur

[Shuppet Master]

Okay,I apologize. I can edit that Ojama Trio card bit,because I didn't take the time to do the research. I was just rushing out the chapter quickly and forgot about that. :rolleye

Oh,and it's Machus,not Marcus. But as for his connection to the villians...I wouldn't say he was working for the villians,but you'll find out more about his connections later,and when the tournament ends,there's gonna be a nasty surprise. :badsmile:

And why Pisaro turned Yin into a monster? Well,that shows how powerful he is,darnit! You'll see more of his evil power near the end of the tournament,but for now,he's about to lay low for a while,at least try to figure out the skill levels of the dueling campers.

[mr_pikachu]

Well, that certainly had an odd ending! I wonder what the connection between Machus and those Sisters is? I guess we'll find out soon. Nice duel, and good use of Hermos at the end. But... did I come up with the Magical Girl Saber? I didn't think that was my creation... Of course, I have a really, really poor memory, so you can't really trust that. But still, I didn't recognize it at all when it was played.

I think this was a bit too direct, though. It would've been nice to have looked a bit more thoroughly at Diane's thoughts during the duel, since there were really only occasional moments where we looked at how afraid she really was. Emotion can really help when you're trying to make a portion of a fic highly dramatic. Also, edit a bit more; I noticed a lot of cases where words were in the wrong form, whether it had to do with tense, pluralization, etc. Further editing would really help to improve that.

Good job overall, though. I like the progression of the plot, as well as our continued learning about all the characters. (Just what is Machus up to?) Well, I'll see you next chapter!

[Shuppet Master]

You guys won't have to wait any longer. The next chapter is up and ready.

A word of warning. There is a character who takes the form of Trinity from The Matrix. Any refrerences to those movies are not meant to be a crossover.

Anyways, no dueling here, just filler. Enjoy!

[Shuppet Master]

Disclaimer: Any reference to Trinity from The Matrix is not meant to be a plug. Trinity is the property of the Wachowski Brothers.

Yu-Gi-Oh Jr.: Sister of Anansi
A Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic-crossover fanfic by .hack//BELLOSSOM

Chapter 11: Welcome to the Matrix

“Why do I feel like I’m Keanu Reeves about to enter a magic phone booth?”

- Mary Wheeler, "The Mandate of Heaven" -

Pisaro was furious. Of course, any evil villian would be furious when your minions turn against each other without reason and then one of them gets bumped off while the other gloats over their fallen body and kicks it. He let out a sigh and tore a photo of the Gemini Sisters in two. "So long, Yin and Yang," he sighed. "You will not be missed."

He looked up on a wall with tiny stone plaques engraved in them. One held Lars' full-body portrait. One held Magus' full-body portrait, and the third was Yang's portrait. "Yang...I can't believe she would do that to you. Your own sister!" He shook his head. "No matter, your soul will not be left to waste. When Leviathan arises..." He then sighed. "Oh who the Hell am I kidding? Leviathan will never be revived at this rate." He removed his white cloak and threw it aside, revealing a puce-colored cape and long white hair. "I guess the task was too much for my minions. All I asked for were a few souls..."

Suddenly, a cloaked figure appeared. "Master Pisaro, are you abandoning our original plan?" asked Doppler.

"It was never meant to be," muttered Pisaro, walking up to the serpent statues surrounding the great flame. "I promised the dark spirit of Dartz I would continue his work, but what's the point? That blasted Yugi Sr. made it impossible to bring back the Great Beast, and with the three Legendary Dragons reawakened..." He sighed again.

"So, what's the plan now?" asked Doppler, cocking his head in curiosity.

Pisaro whirled about. "The original plan I had devised. The reason I accepted Dartz's power and became one of the greatest sorcerers to walk the face of the Earth..." He clenched his fist. "Revenge against Yugi Jr."

"But you know you can't do that," said Doppler. "The Wish..."

"Are you deaf?" shouted Pisaro, throwing his arm out. "Do you think I don't KNOW about that blasted thing? Thanks to it, I cannot take any action against Yugi and his friends! But..." He paused and smirked. "The Wish doesn't take into account innocent pawns who aren't related to my beloved, does it?"

"I guess not," grinned Doppler. "But who would work?"

"Simple, someone who can outduel Yugi," grinned Pisaro. "Which is why I need your help. You are to infiltrate the camp again. They are going to begin a tournament like Duelatopia. I will keep watch on our prey, while you keep watch on anyone who has potential for being stronger than Yugi. Once you find a suitable prospect, return to me."

"As you wish, my master," said Doppler, bowing. He vanished into the shadows.

Pisaro went to his crystal orb and focused it on the ship carrying Yugi Jr. and his friends to Duelatopia. "Soon..."

~~+~~

Lina was tired. It had a hard day, with the recent events. Seeing that woman get turned into a hideous monster and then the ghost of Katherine come and destroy it was so plain strange. After the events, Machus ordered all the campers to return to their cabins until further notice. That was okay with her, she was close to fainting.

"Too much excitement," she mumbled as she closed and locked the door behind her, stripped to her undergarments without even bothering with the pajamas, and climbed into bed. "Must...get sleep...for tomorrow..." She let out a yawn and plopped her head down on the pillows, drifting into a nice slumber.

However, little did she know that that night would not be spent in blissful slumber, as someone had plans for her...

~~+~~

"So, what was THAT all about?" asked Gwen as she, Bethany, and Diane decided on an official sleepover on the last night before the tournament opening ceremony.

"Who knows? Who cares?" yawned Bethany. "I'm just glad it's over with."

"That was truly nerve-wracking," said Diane, still trying to get the image of that monster Yin turned into just hours ago. "I'm glad that the hadmaster will have the opening ceremonies until tomorrow afternoon. I won't be able to sleep."

"That's why you invited us over, right?" grinned Gwen. "We're gonna have lots of fun and enjoy ourselves before the end of the night. And then, after the opening ceremonies, we can start our plan to take on the camp!"

"Yeah, we could be a team, just like Y.J. and his pals!" said Bethany eagerly.

Diane giggled. Y.J. was the nickname that the three had come up with for the fabled duelist Yugi Mouto Junior. And it was true that Yugi and his friends were a great team. She had read Peter Ramset's book of photos from Duelist Labyrinth and had always wanted to meet Yugi and his gang. "Okay," she said. "Let's just relax tonight and come up with ideas tomorrow."

"Right," said the others.

"Do you think we could ask Lina to give us some soda?" asked Bethany.

"Highly doubtful," said Gwen. "She wanted to hit the sack ASAP and I don't think she'd like it if we woke her up."

"That's a good idea," said Diane. "Let's let her sleep for now."

~~+~~

"Wake up, Lina."

The voice stirred Lina's subconscious, which was having a great dream about designing a new card. In the dream, she was drawing a picture of a woman with short black hair and shades, wearing a skin-tight black leather outfit.

"Lina, please wake up."

Lina snorted as her dream was reaching its climax. She was holding up the card and grinning. "Trinity..." she said.

"I won't ask you again, Lina."

Suddenly, the image on the card came to life and throttled her!

"WAKE! UP!!!!"

"AAAAAAAAAAH!!" cried Lina, bolting out of bed. She panted heavily. "What a weird dream."

"Finally, you're up. Took you long enough," said the female voice.

Lina heard the voice and blinked. "That voice..." She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times more, then gasped at the figure in front of her. "Y-y-y-you...!" She pointed. "No way!"

Standing before her was the same figure she had made on the card in her dream. The tall woman had short black hair and wore black leather and shades. "I know this is surprising to you, Lina, but turst me, I am real." She removed her shades, revealing blue eyes beneath them.

"T-T-Trinity?" gulped Lina, getting out of bed and oblivious to the fact that she was almost naked.

The woman smirked a bit, then pulled herself up from a wall. "Trinity...an interesting name. It comes from your love of the Matrix. Good thing I took this form. It would be a comforting image."

"You're not Trinity?" asked Lina.

"You can call me Trin if you like," said the woman, brushing her hair back. "You see, this is not my real form, but I took it so you could be comforted when you saw me. You really enjoyed that woman, even though she ended up dead."

"Yeah..." said Lina. "Hey, how do you know about that?"

"Simple, silly," grinned Trin. "I'm your guardian angel. The one who protected you from harm ever since you were a baby. I'm the one who rescued you when that idiot Daimos tried to shoot you with his cane-gun. It was a good thing your brother managed to get his tongue to wag, or I might have had a harder time saving you."

"You know about...that?" whispered Lina.

"Of course, who do you think pricked the mind of a nearby policeman?" said Trin. "I did. I'm always there for you, just as my pals are protecting your brothers."

"We have guardian angels?" asked Lina.

"Everyone does," stated Trin. "In fact, we also go by the name of 'your conscience', pricking your minds if you are going to do something wrong or unhealthy. Unfortunately, Daimos wasn't born naturally, so he had not angel to assign him."

Lina was stunned to hear this. "You mean...our murderer...wasn't human?"

"Oh he was human all right," snickered Lina. "As human as you are. But he wasn't...born naturally. However, I didn't come to chat with you. I came because the people I'm working for when I got transferred here want you to meet someone."

"Who?" asked Lina.

"Who else?" sighed Trin. "The idiot who brought you here and made me transfer over here!"

Lina gasped. "Antasia Pegasus?!"

"The One," said Trin. "But enough talk, we need to get you there. Since you can't go there physically, you'll have to follow my instructions and I'll take you to where Anastasia is." She put her shades back on.

"Okay," said Lina, not sure whether to believe this angel. But she had seen Touched by an Angel and other such TV shows a lot, so she knew that this woman could be the real deal.

"Go back to bed."

"Huh?" asked Lina, confused.

Trin smiled. "Trust me, this won't hurt. But you need to lie down or you might hurt yourself."

Lina shook her head. "I hope this doesn't take long, I need to sleep."

"Don't worry, when you wake up, you'll be fully rested. Just trust me." Trin waited patiently.

Lina sighed and climbed back into bed, throwing the sheet over her body. She closed her eyes...

...and then felt a lurch. "Now get up."

Lina got out of bed, only to find that she was still in the bed! Or she was seeing herself in bed. She then saw that her hands were transparent. "Whoa. This is weird. Now I know how a ghost feels." She then noticed that she was fully clothed. "What is with this? Why am I clothed?"

"Your soul is different from your body, Lina," said Trin. "You see, physically your body is in skivvies, but your soul takes the clothing of what you want it to be. And I assume that you want to meet Anastasia fully-clothed, right?"

Lina blushed. "Uh, I guess."

Trin walked over to Lina's comatose body. "You're honored with a rare sight. Few ever see their faces in the flesh. The only thing that shows them their faces is a mirror, and even then, it is an illusion. But enough talk, it's time to go. Get ready for the ride of your life!" Her glasses glowed white.

"Ah!" cried Lina as everything went white.

~~+~~

The whiteness fell away to reveal a void of stars. Lina looked down and saw Earth falling away below her. She screamed.

"It's normal for humans to be surprised," said a voice which was recognizable as Trin's. "The trip up here is breathless."

The stars melted away into a blue void filled with strange symbols, and then that melted away to reveal a void with clouds overhead...and a foggy foothold. Lina found herself standing in the clouds. She saw the sun the sky and a castle nearby.

"I feel like Jack in the classic fairytale," mumbled Lina. "And I bet that castle is home to a man-eating giant."

"Wrong," said Trin, who appeared behind her. Lina turned and saw Trin, who was now completed different. Her hair was now long and strawberry-blonde, coming down to her waist. Her clothing consisted of a shimmering robe which was tied together with a light blue drawstring rope. Also, two beautiful silver dove-feathered wings extended themselves from her back. Most notably, a silver tiara with a single diamond graced her forehead, and she was holding a gnarled white cane that she leaned on. "That is the Bastion of the Hopeful, the place where all atoning spirits stay for their redemption period."

"Uh..." said Lina, unsure of what to say.

"I know, this form is surprising to you, Lina," said the angel, grinning. "This is my true form. The form I took back there was a mirage meant to ease your soul so you would believe me more easily."

"Okay," said Lina. "You...you're much more beautiful in this form."

"Angels are paragons of beauty," grinned Trin. "Guardian angels reflect the people they protect. As you can see, my hair is almost the same color as yours, because we are connected."

"I see," said Lina. "So, where are we?"

"This is Purgatory," said Trin. "The place between Heaven and Hell. This is the place you read about in your books. Piers Anthony was almost 100% correct when he described what Purgatory is like. It is a place where souls who are on the borderline resides, atoning for their sins."

Lina was a bit stunned by this. "So, this is where Anastasia is?"

"Exactly, and it's time we meet her. Come, we can talk on the way there." Trin floated up and nodded to Lina. Lina blinked, then relaxed her mind and suddenly felt her soul-body floating up. "See, travel here is easy and quick. Follow me." The two floated through the blueness. "If you have anything to ask, ask me now."

"Uh, is this Bastion where Anastasia is?" asked Lina as she saw where they were heading - to the catle. "I mean, she told me that she was in a 'redemption camp.'"

"That's a little harsh," grinned Trin. "It's not a boot camp, so to speak. You see, Anastasia had committed some of the most frightening atrocities known to man. Mass murder, summoning a demon, bringing back the dead as undead, all the usual and a few more weird things, especially dabbling in dark arts. The rumors you may have heard about her dark past are true."

"However, when she died, someone defeated the Grim Reaper in a game. That someone was Yugi Mouto's son."

"Yugi Junior," mumbled Lina.

"Exactly," said Trin. "Also, she begged for forgiveness, claiming that she had been embroiled in hatred towards Yugi's father after Maxmillion Pegasus got defeated by that person. Her father's death was her first murder. Had it not been for Yugi Junior's brave sacrifice and Anastasia's plea, then she might have been condemned to burn in Hell."

Lina gasped. "So that's it. She's trying to redeem herself."

"Yes, she told me when I was brought here with you that she was trying to find a way to get Remi's soul so that she could plea bargain with Remi. However, something else became her concern recently, and she wanted you to come talk to her about it. She made a request of the Archlords..."

"Archlords?" asked Lina.

"They are the ruling body over Purgatory and above," said Trin. "All requests must go through them. Anyways, the Archolords got together and conferred on Anastasia's plea and the recent visit from Sibylla, the Augery."

"Sibylla comes here?" gasped Lina. "I didn't know!" She had thought that what Sibylla had agreed to was just a gesture.

"No, beings as divine as him are allowed to come here," said Trin. "Regardless, the Archlords decided to let you visit Anastasia briefly, so you two could talk about this new matter. Ah, we are here."

Lina was stunned at how beautiful the place looked close up. All the churches and cathedrals in the world wouldn't have amounted to the pure beauty this place radiated. "Whoa...this is a prison?"

"In your words, yes," said Trin. "But in truth, it is more of a rehabilition center. The Bastion of the Hopeful is where all borderline souls go to atone for their sins. While the souls here are forbidden to leave, though, it is not really a terrible place of punishment like mortal prisons. Sadly, I believe that this is the main reason why most prisoners who spend their time here do not reform. Your Earthly minds assume that people who did wrong must suffer for their crimes, so they are treated like sub-humans and put in ugly pens. Here, however, it is the opposite. By being surrounded by beauty, the spirits are motivated to do well and behave."

"Interesting," said Lina, rubbing her chin. "Too bad our prisons aren't like this place, it would be helpful. So, do they have back-breaking work like down below, or is the whole schedule as beautiful as this place?"

Trin chuckled. "Trust me, Lina, there is no suffering here. Suffering remains in Hell. Here, this place is where souls are placed to redeem themselves. Treatment consists of spiritual counseling and meditation. The primary activity here is art."

"Art?" asked Lina, cocking a brow. "No games?"

"When you reach this place, Lina," grinned Trin. "There is no desire to compete. Competition is seeing who is better, and here everyone is equal. Also, the mortal delights are worth nothing here. Here, the main value is beauty - and art is the greatest expression of beauty, as you can see."

Lina nodded as she and Trin entered the main hall. The place was filled with paintings and sculptures. She noticed a few familiar paintings. "Hey, those..."

"I know, it's your adopted father," said Trin, nodding. "I'm your guardian angel, remember? I know you were adopted by Pegasus. And I know thar, in our world, your adopted father is alive and well. In fact, you gave him love, but his counterpart's real flesh and blood did not. It was his death that started her on the road to evil."

"Poor thing, I honestly wish that someone could have helped her," sighed Lina.

"It does not matter, what is past is past," said Trin as they approached a beautiful desk. "Right now, focus on your meeting with her and not what her life could have been like, okay? If it is any consolation, she's been basically a model prisoner here. That New York incident really cause trouble, though."

"I know," said Lina. "Remi...he's not gonna be saved, if he?"

"Well, that depends. He's still pretty much obsessed with killing Yugi Jr. and his friends. However, fate will decide what happens to him. But from what I heard, Anastasia got into trouble during that week and got apprehended. She told us that she was basically covered in metal for a month."

Lina was stunned. "That's terrible!"

Trin giggled. "To you, who are mortal and therefore burdened by the mortal whims of needing food, air, and other needs to survive. But to Anastasia, it was nothing more than a simple confinement, as if she were comatose. During that time, she created one of the most beautiful poems I had ever heard and had committed it to memory. You needn't worry about her, even though you both share a similar link in Maxmillion Pegasus."

Lina nodded as they entered a chamber which looked like a library. Trin approached the front desk. Trin cleared her throat to attract the angel's attention. "We are here to see Anastasia. Do you know where she is?"

"In the west garden," said the angel, pushing up her glasses. Lina decided that these were just for decoration, as she was certain that nobody had physical handicaps as an angel. "Just follow the sapphire path and you'll find it."

"Thank you," said Trin. "Well, Lina, ready to see your counterpart?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," sighed Lina.

continued in next post

[Dark Sage]

Wonderful.

You did a better job at the Bastion of the Hopeful than I did! kudos to you, .hack! Of course, Anne had a lot more to say to Lina than she did to Yugi...

The angel taking the form of Trinity was a good idea, although I never did like The Matrix. Lina must be a big sci-fi/fantasy fan.

The tournament rules sound cool. Can't wait to see the first duel!

- Venusaur

[mr_pikachu]

Hm, interesting. You kind of changed the bit about how Leviathan was defeated, as I'm certain the God cards weren't involved in the final clash. That is, unless I'm missing something really big, here. Nice job with the "Guardian Angel" and Lina's meeting with Anastasia. Though I would have thought she'd be barred from blatantly insulting people like that... on the other hand, they were all about those who were in Purgatory or Hell itself, so I suppose that sort of thing might be given a little slack. Shame to hear about what Yugi Sr. will someday face, as well... though it doesn't seem to make sense to me completely. After all, he tried to stop Yami from playing that card. He certainly didn't play it himself. If anything, I would think the spirit would be the one to pay the price. But then again, they were two sides of the same coin, I suppose... now I'm confused.

I like the slow, methodical progression of the plot. It's good that you're not trying to move things along too quickly, because things could easily get lost in the frenzy. Nice introduction of "Trin", and as Venusaur said, great job with Purgatory. Nice work with the introduction to the tournament as well. And I can imagine that'd be quite a prize indeed! Man, to watch the finals of such an event would truly be awesome. Whoo!

I do think that a lot more time could and probably should be spent editing, though. There were typos all over the place, mostly involving the wrong letter being typed in a word, as well as a few punctuation mistakes, if I recall. For now, I think that's the most important thing to improve. Typos can really turn a reader off, especially when they come in this volume.

This is looking nice otherwise, though. I'm anxious to see how the tournament will begin, and how Diane and co. will handle their foes. And will any of them duel Lina? There's also the question of what the antagonists are up to, but that will be revealed in time, I'm sure. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the next chapter. See you then!

[Shuppet Master]

Hm, interesting. You kind of changed the bit about how Leviathan was defeated, as I'm certain the God cards weren't involved in the final clash. That is, unless I'm missing something really big, here.

Well,from what I read on tvtome.com,Yugi called the God Cards out and had them destroy Leviathan. But if you mean the duel between Dartz,Yugi,and Kaiba,no the God Cards weren't used there.

Nice job with the "Guardian Angel" and Lina's meeting with Anastasia. Though I would have thought she'd be barred from blatantly insulting people like that... on the other hand, they were all about those who were in Purgatory or Hell itself, so I suppose that sort of thing might be given a little slack.

I apologize if Anastasia insulted anyone. I'll go back and check to see if I made an error on that.

Shame to hear about what Yugi Sr. will someday face, as well... though it doesn't seem to make sense to me completely. After all, he tried to stop Yami from playing that card. He certainly didn't play it himself. If anything, I would think the spirit would be the one to pay the price. But then again, they were two sides of the same coin, I suppose... now I'm confused.

I guess I didn't make that clear,and I'm apologizing again for that. It's not Yugi Sr. who will be tried,it will be Yami Yugi. Yugi will probably be one of the witnesses. But as you no doubt know,the Seal of Orichalcos corrupts whoever uses it.

I like the slow, methodical progression of the plot. It's good that you're not trying to move things along too quickly, because things could easily get lost in the frenzy.

Actually,I wrote one part a day,so it was easy to do.

Nice introduction of "Trin", and as Venusaur said, great job with Purgatory. Nice work with the introduction to the tournament as well. And I can imagine that'd be quite a prize indeed! Man, to watch the finals of such an event would truly be awesome. Whoo!

Well,the winner won't be able to see the final because of a wrench in the plans by the major villian. I won't say how this happens,but it won't interfere with Venusaur's plot at all.

I do think that a lot more time could and probably should be spent editing, though. There were typos all over the place, mostly involving the wrong letter being typed in a word, as well as a few punctuation mistakes, if I recall. For now, I think that's the most important thing to improve. Typos can really turn a reader off, especially when they come in this volume.

Eh,I know I made mistakes. I was trying to get this thing out as soon as possible,and it's not easy to type everything 100% perfect. I promise to proofread and fix my mistakes.

This is looking nice otherwise, though. I'm anxious to see how the tournament will begin, and how Diane and co. will handle their foes. And will any of them duel Lina? There's also the question of what the antagonists are up to, but that will be revealed in time, I'm sure.

What the bad guys are up to will be revealed in time,however one of them will duel Lina during the tournament. I can't say who or when,but you'll know. On the flip side,because Lina will be seen dueling one of the bad guys,none of the girls will duel her. But they will each duel a staff member. Two will duel a counselor and one will duel someone else. I won't say who yet. That would be a spoiler.

[Dark Sage]

Looking at the poll, it seems we have a three-way tie!

Although Circe seems to be winning by default (her italicied name shows that she was voted for first), I'd like to see a tie-breaker.

If you read this fic, and are familiar with "City of Souls," please vote!

And it isn't too late to submit a duelist for Diane, Gwen, or Bethany to face in the tournament. Don't delay!

- Venusaur