YuGiOh Jr: Sister of Anansi Chapter 1: Default Chapter, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

Hello everyone! My name is King Dragun, and I am a good friend of Cyber Commander. In fact, when I started putting up this fanfic on forums, I asked his explicit permission before using his setting. He really liked the idea, and now that his latest fanfic has reached a climax, it's time to show my stuff! grin

This is set in the same world as the Yu-Gi-Oh Jr. series written by Cyber Commander, but focuses on DIFFERENT characters. The first character is my own creation, and is part of a future series which was started by another fellow author, Cullen Pittman. However, he since ditched the whole plot and let me play with it. The series that the character Lina Mystara comes from, with the working title of "Yu-Gi-Oh Ad-VANCE" will be out once this fanfic has been completed, which may not be for a while. Don't worry, I'm working on it on the side. ;)

For the sake of all concerned, this story uses the same dueling rules as in Yu-Gi-Oh Jr., Mandate of Heaven. Here is a quick recap:

The life meter is set at 8000 life points (except for this part, which uses 4000)

One tribute for monsters of Level Five or Six, two tributes for Level Seven or Eight, the tributes must be monsters that are on the field.

Fusion and Toon monsters cannot attack on the turn they are summoned except when certain conditions are applied.

Fusion and Ritual monster cards don't exist here. The disks create the fusion or ritual monsters as long as you have a fusion requirement(the required monsters and Polymerization or Fusion Gate) or use Magical Scientist, and ritual monsters only require the ritual magic card to be played with the proper star level. (I will use the term X-stars to refer to the level of the monster throughout this fic.)

When a monster is destroyed by the effects of a trap, magic, or monster effect, the controller loses ¼ of the monster's current attack from his/her life points. (I know Cyber Commander's fic state that it also affects defense, depending on its mode, but I will just be relegating it to attack for this fanfic for ease of life point deductions.)

All real-life TCG rules are in effect here.

Field magic cards affect both duelists' fields, and all their monsters. Using a second field card will displace the first and send it to the graveyard.

Some of the effect from the anime will also be in effect(ie Time Wizard's Time Roulette, but NOT the Graceful/Skull dice effects! Those are true to the TCG).

New cards typical to the anime, Cyber Commander's fics, or my own creations will be listed at the end of each part. Also, this fanfic takes place in an alternate universe, where the Pharoah's Memory arc, the last series of the true anime, don't take place. Everything up to the end of the KC Grand Prix series(if you want to know about that, e-mail Cyber Commander, he would know more than I do) has taken place.

Anyways, on with the show!

Yu-Gi-Oh Jr. - Sister of Anansi

Prologue: Different Dimension Gate

Ages ago, a man by the name of Maximillion Pegasus reawakened an ancient sport through a card game. This card game, eventually coined Duel Monsters, became an instant fad and expanded into a new type of competition, with players pitting strategic combos of monsters, magic, and trap cards against each other to drop their life points to nothing or use other means to defeat their foe.

Nobody understood his reasons for awakening the ancient Shadow Games through his masterpiece, and very few realized his true motives...to use the Shadow Realm that still existed between our realm and the realm that existed where the monsters were REAL, to empower his magic to the point where he could bring back his dead wife. His schemes led him to a young boy called Yugi Mouto, who fell victim to this wizard's madness. Pegasus desired to steal Yugi's pendant, a magical item called the Millennium Puzzle, which housed the spirit of the one who sealed away the ancient Shadow Games aeons ago.

Pegasus also targeted the owner of his rival company, Seto Kaiba, and his brother, Mokuba, in an attempt to obtain powerful virtual reality technology to bridge the gap between our world and the Shadow World. However, Yugi's friends bonded together and stopped Maximillion Pegasus once and for all. Another person called Bakura Ryou used his own Millennium Item, the Millennium Ring, to steal the Eye from Pegasus' very skull.

From this incident, two timelines formed. Two dimensions, exactly the same in many aspects save their destinies.

And now, one person from each dimension would face their destiny. Both were females; both were duelists; and they would meet each other and fight to save the world from two horrifying powers. One was a magic that existed at the dawn of time, and the other was a trio of divine beasts which Yugi was forced to deal with almost immediately after his encounter with Pegasus. But one was connected to Pegasus and the other would shortly meet the legacy of Seto Kaiba...

The woman with red hair that came to her shoulders looked similar to a certain hot-headed sorceress from the Slayers anime. However, this was intentional for her. Without this hair color, she would be very vulnerable to certain people who wanted her and her brothers dead. She wore a nice spiffy lavender Italian suit and her gray eyes looked over the strange dentist-chair device in the middle of the laboratory.

"Are you sure this is okay, Phoebe?" asked the woman, wandering around the device and checking it out like it was some alien object. "I mean...you had to go through so much legal trouble to get your hands on this technology."

The woman with short black hair looked like someone from the Men In Black movies, with the black suit and shades. "Oh, absolutely, Miss Pegasus!" she said in an excited voice. "I mean, it took a little work, but it WAS on auction from KaibaCorp!"

The other woman looked up and shook her head. "Phoebe, how many times do I have to tell you, I don't like titles! Call me by my first name, okay?"

"Uh, sure Miss Pe...I mean, Lina," said the woman sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm sorry. It's just protocol to call you Miss Pegasus."

The red-head, Lina, chuckled. "Phoebe, we've been friends for two years, ever since you got hired by my adopted father Max." She looked over the device again. "So...old Kaiba boy sold this stuff on auction, eh? That concerns me. You don't just throw out something that you fought tooth and nail to keep from your rival. I mean, over a decade ago Kaiba was storming Duelist Kingdom to get back his brother Mokuba, who was being held hostage by Max so that my foster dad could get his hands on this junk! Why would Seto just sell it off so easily?"

"Well, rumor is he's already creating a new VR technology called Duel Monster World," said Phoebe, marking the last three words with her fingers. "He said he didn't need this old technology anymore. I heard the rumor that Duel Monster World lets you play as a Duel Monster!"

"Probably gutted the whole program," sighed Lina, hands on her hips. "This is mere junk then."

"Nope, I checked it, it's all fully functional," said Phoebe with a wide smile. "You can go into the old beta-prototype virtual world and interact with it! I went in when the thing was installed here and I managed to fight a Two-Headed King Rex! This program is all fully functional. I even met Princess Adina, who was modeled after Mokuba Kaiba. It's not 100 complete, but if we can fix it a bit, we could probably work on expanding to make our own Duel Monster game and beat out the competition from KaibaCorp!" She grinned.

"Oh yeah, and then Seto would tear down our door in rage, as if," laughed Lina. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to try this out."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Miss...uh, Lina?" asked Phoebe. "I checked the weather channel, it's supposed to be heavy in thunderstorms tonight. If one of those storms causes a blackout while you're in the VR world..."

"Relax," said Lina. "I'll be fine! I'll just be in there for a few seconds and jump out, okay? Trust me." She flashed a smile as she took her Duel Monster deck from her pocket and shuffled it, pulling out her favorite card. It was an exact copy of Toon World, which her foster father had given her for her eighteen birthday, after six long hard years of training in both Duel Monsters(which was fun for her) and business practices(which wasn't so fun). "I can't wait to try this card out in a virtual simulation! Soon, the power of the Toons will be before my eyes!" She let out a wicked laugh.

Lightning flashed and thunder crashed miles away, as if on cue.

The raindrops smashed against the windows of the Pegasus estate in south Arizona as Lina Pegasus came down, wearing a casual outfit of a T-shirt with Toon Dark Magician Girl on the front and blue jeans. "Is this an okay outfit to wear in the Virtual World?" she asked her friend.

The woman nodded. "Yes Lina, the area isn't too cold or too hot. And I've set all the parameters for a one-minute stay. Just sit down there and slide your deck into the arm slot on your left, and I'll activate the device." She sighed. "Be careful, though."

"I will, I promise," grinned Lina as she walked over to the chair, sat down in it, and slid her deck of cards into the arm slot. It slid in and snapped shut as Lina leaned back into the chair. "I'm ready to jack into the Matrix, Phoebe."

The other woman smiled as she punched in the codes. The screens lit up. "Here goes. Good luck, Lina!"

The chair back came down and a visor went over Lina's eyes.

VIRTUAL TRANSPONDER ACTIVATING

MENTAL FREQUENCY: 36.8

PROCESSING MENTAL DATA...

"So far, so good," grinned Phoebe as she punched in more codes.

Without warning, a bolt of lightning split the sky nearby and slammed into the nearby power line. Sparks flew.

Suddenly, the power went out. "OH NO!" cried Phoebe in horror. "Miss Pegasus!" She heard a scream as sparks flew from the chair. Green energy erupted from the device. "MISS PEGASUS!" She ran over to a fire extinguisher(the safe kind with foam instead of carbon monoxide) and sprayed it on the back of the chair where the energy was coming from. She didn't notice the silver pendant that Lina always wore glowing a faint white aura until the sparks faded and the place plunged into darkness. "Phew, that was close, but Lina..."

Phoebe ran over and pulled down a switch marked "Emergency Backup Generator." The power came back on and soon everything was back to normal. She rushed over to the computer and quickly typed the abortion codes to deactivate the device.

"I hope I'm not too late!" she whispered. The device came up to its normal position and the visor rose up to reveal Lina's closed eyes. The woman was charred a bit, but not badly hurt. Phoebe dashed over to her. "Lina! Miss Pegasus! Are you all right?"

Lina opened her eyes. "I am fine," she said. But her voice was a bit deeper and her eyes seemed to be a bit off-color. Instead of gray, they gleamed silver.

"Whew, I'm so glad!" sighed Phoebe. "Your father would fire me if anything had happened to you!"

Lina laughed. "My father has turned to evil. He tried to destroy an entire fishing village with storms."

"Uh...Miss Pegasus, are you all right?" asked Phoebe, confused.

The woman turned to her. "Pegasus...interesting name. That is the name of a mighty winged stallion, is it not?"

"L-Lina?" gulped Phoebe. "Maybe your mind has been addled by that shock. You should get some re"

"My name is not Lina," scowled the woman. Her eyes glowed a bright silver as a crescent moon shone on her forehead.

"What the...?" Phoebe let out a shrill cry as her mind was assaulted by psychic energy and collapsed, unconscious.

"I see I have been out of touch with this world for the past two millennia," sighed Lina sadly, shaking her head. "Well, I'd better start getting information if I want to find a way to locate my brother, Apollo. The Moon is warning me that the dark ages will begin again...and I must help Apollo stop them, like before." She looked down at the unconscious woman. "And you'll help me, woman. You will make a fine servant." She smirked wickedly as the crescent on her forehead glowed again.

"Ooooh," said a voice. A copy of the red-headed Lina opened her eyes. "What happened? Last thing I remember was flying through the vortex to the Virtual World, and then...everything went black." She slowly got up and rubbed her head. "I'd better see if I'm okay and contact Phoebe. Who knows what the heck happened?"

She dusted her clothes off, then noticed her cards all over the ground. "What the...what happened? I thought the cards would be inserted into a special disc on your forearm or something, not dropped about like 52-card Pickup!" She sighed, shook her head, and bent down and picked up each and every card, dusting it off and making sure it was intact. As soon as she reached the last card and picked it up, her shoes was splashed with dirty water from a nearby truck.

Then it hit her. Looking up, she realized that the environs were not what she had expected. "What IS this?" she demanded. "I thought Kaiba's virtual program planted you in a fantasy world with princesses and monsters, not in a modern setting!"

Seeing people looking at her funny, she rushed into an alley. "Oh well, let's see if my cards work." She pulled out a card and raised it up. "Hysteric Fairy!"

Nothing happened.

"Huh? That should have appeared," she mumbled. "Let's try again." She pulled out another card. "Guardian Angel Joan!" Nothing happened. "What the...?" She pulled out card after card and shouted their names. "Toon Gemini Elf! Scapegoat! Toon World!" She looked at the cards. "What the...why don't they WORK?"

"Hey, lookee here," said a churlish voice. "Some little girl wants to play She-Ra!"

The stench of alcohol made Lina turn and grimace as she saw three nasty-looking punks with bad breath. "Oh great."

"Hey, we want to help ya," said a thinner punk, licking his lips. "You're mighty fine, so let's give you a nice She-Ra costume by taking off your clothes!" He cracked his knuckle eagerly and advanced. The others followed.

"Oh boy," sighed Lina, putting her cards away. "No time to send out a monster, so..." She let out a cry and slammed her foot into the thin punk's chest, making him double over in pain. He moaned and collapse. She took a judo pose. "I took classes and got a Brown Belt in Kung Fu! Anyone wanna mess with me now?" Her eyebrows twitched wickedly and she smirked.

The bigger punk with the worst breath charged with a roar and quickly found himself taking a pavement nap thanks to Lina's fist. The last punk shook. "Don't hurt me, miss! I didn't mean to say anythin'!" He turned and ran off screaming.

"That's over with," grumbled Lina, dusting her hands off. She sniffed. "Ew. I think I may need to wash my hands after that."

Lina stepped out of the alley and pocketed her deck. She noticed something and walked across the street. "Well, a game shop. Maybe I can find out more information about where the heck I am and why this virtual world is too realistic for my tastes."

She entered the shop and noticed that it sold Duel Monster cards. She approached the counter as the young man looked up. "Uh, hello miss. Can I help ya?"

"Yeah," said Lina. "I was wondering if you had a newspaper."

"We don't sell the news if ain't related to Duel Monsters." The boy picked his nose.

"Eeeeew," said Lina, cringing. "Well, I'm interested in some Duel Monsters info. Do you know where the kingdom of Princess Adina is?"

The boy looked at her funny. "You hit your head, miss?"

"I'm talking about the VR Duel Monsters world program created by KaibaCorp," said Lina. "Isn't this the Duel Monsters world?"

The boy laughed. "Heh heh heh, miss, you are delusional. The VR program that you talk about was cancelled right after the new Kaibaland America opened thirty-six years old in Miami, Florida."

"What the...?" said Lina. She blinked. "Three and a half decades ago? I am very confused. I know that place and it opened thirteen years ago!"

"Are we talkin' about the same Kaibaland?" asked the boy. "I know a Kaibaland Russia opened up thirteen years ago. It would have opened up sooner had..."

"It's the SAME PLACE," growled Lina. "It opened in Miami, Florida. It had several chessboards used as special code-locks to keep intruders from entering restricted areas. They had tons of Duel Monsters merchandise and three Saggi the Dark Clown statues and a Blue Eyes White Dragon statue on each side of the gate. Now if that's not the same place, you're crazy."

The boy blinked. "Yep, that's the place. But you must be disoriented. It opened thirty-six years ago."

"Thirteen!" shouted Lina. "I'm not stupid!"

"Have you been asleep for the past two decades, ma'am?" asked the boy with disgust. "It was three decades and three years ago."

"What year is this?" demanded Lina.

"March 23, 2028," said the boy, showing a calendar.

"WHAT!" Lina grabbed the calendar and glared at the date. "This is nuts! I can't be 23 years in the future!""

"You are," said a female voice. Lina turned to see a woman with long platinum blonde hair, wearing an Italian suit. She wore a pair of mirrored shades. "Hello, Lina."

"Who the Hell are you?" demanded Lina.

"Are you okay, miss?" asked the boy, confused and looking at the spot Lina was looking at. "I don't see.."

The other woman held out her hand and a golden scepter appeared in it. Lina recognized the eye on the head of the rod as she waved it. "BLEXK."

Suddenly, everything turned neon green except Lina and the other woman. Lina looked about and saw the boy frozen in mid-stare. "What the...what the Hell just happened?" She turned to the woman. "Did you do this?"

"Of course," grinned the woman slyly. "I froze time long enough for us to talk. We have much to discuss, Lina."

"How did you know my name?" asked Lina.

"I know everything you know," grinned the woman. "After all..." She removed her shades to reveal a pair of green eyes. "I brought you here."

Lina opened her mouth in shock. "You WHAT?"

"Okay," said Lina as she entered a nearby apartment building. "What's the big idea? You brought me to this virtual world?"

"It's not virtual at all, my dear Lina!" laughed the woman, who had introduced herself as Anastasia. "You see, this is my world, and it is as real as yours."

"Nonsense," said Lina as the two entered the green-lit apartment. "Wow, nice place you have."

"Oh, on the contrary, for the time being it is yours," grinned Anastasia as she leaned on the wall.

"M-Mine?" asked Lina. "What are you talking about?"

"You'll need a place to stay until you finish your mission, Lina Pegasus. Or should I say Lina Mystara, the adopted daughter of Pegasus?" She smirked.

"You know about Pegasus too?" asked Lina, confused.

"Of course," said Anastasia, chuckling. "After all, I am his TRUE daughter."

"Wait, Max never mentioned having kids," said Lina.

"YOUR Pegasus had no children," chuckled Anastasia. "But mine did. He conceived me. Of course, it was a very cold conception and that is what caused my current situation. I'm afraid things have gotten a bit rotten lately." She brushed her hair back. "Tell me, Lina, do you believe in other dimensions?"

"Well..." said Lina. She then recalled something, one of her favorite animé. "I do watch Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, it's about two kids who jump from alternate reality to alternate reality. Like from an RPG-style world to a sci-fi mecha world to a dinosaur caveman world, but they all have a place called Abenobashi Shopping Arcade and the people look like their families and friends..."

"Then you know where you are," said Anastasia. "This is your world, but it has a different destiny. You see, when our father Pegasus invoked the Shadow Game that almost took Yugi's soul, something happened that split this world's timeline into two timelines. In both worlds, Yugi Mouto married Tea Gardener. However, in your world, Tea was discovered to be sexually sterile and unable to bear children. However, in this world, she was very fertile and she and Yugi conceived a wonderful boy who Yugi named Yugi as well, Yugi Junior. The boy is as good a duelist as his father." She smiled. "I should know. I lost my life in a duel against him."

"Lost your...wait, you're a...?" She went up and passed a hand through Anastasia's body. She backed up in fear. "GHOST?"

"Indeed," grinned Anastasia. "I am a mere spirit, but I was able to gain enough power to come back to Earth to save your life. Had you remained in your old body when that blackout occurred, your soul and mind would have been destroyed. You should know better than to tempt fate, like I did."

Lina gulped and hung her head. "Oops."

"Luckily, I managed to save your soul by creating a clone of your body in this world," said Anastasia.

"You cloned my body and..." Lina slid her hand down her chest, still not believing what she heard. "Brought me here?"

"Not only you, but your cards as well, I used the power of this item..." She revealed the golden rod again. "The Millennium Scepter, to transfer your deck to you. Although I still have reservations about Toons and Toon World, I know you love them as much as they remind me of my father's pain and suffering." She sighed. "Of course, your old body is still in your world, so when you are able to go home, you might have some explaining to do." She chuckled.

"Okay, so tell me, why didn't you just introduce yourself to me earlier at the shop?" asked Lina. "And why did that clerk think I was nuts?"

"Nobody but you can see me," grinned Anastasia. "You see, as a ghost, I can reveal myself to whoever I choose, and I prefer not to be known amongst anyone right now. I've gotten a bit of a rep as a bad girl, especially after trying to murder Yugi Jr."

"You tried to KILL that boy?" gasped Lina in horror. "Why?"

"It's a long, sad story, and even though I stopped time for now, I can't keep this power up for very long," sighed Anastasia. "I don't have the control over the Scepter I used to have when I was alive. Suffice it to say that trying to kill Yugi's son wasn't the only sin I committed. I murdered a lot of people and did very evil things. Thanks to my Millennium Scepter, anything was possible for me." She let out a chuckle. "Now, normally I would have simply reversed time and stopped you from entering that device. But I need your help desperately."

"Why me?" asked Lina.

"Because, you can do what I cannot, Lina. We are both connected to Pegasus, the creator of our favorite game." She smiled. "Duel Monsters."

"And what if I refuse to help you?" said Lina suspiciously.

"Why would you not trust me?" said Anastasia, hands out. "I detest dishonesty. I admit that I had been a little duplicitous with Yugi Jr. two years ago in Duelist Labyrinth, but I have nothing to win by lying to you now."

Lina looked over the woman's face and saw a mirror reflecting sorrow and honesty. "Well...okay, I'll trust you and believe what you said for now. But I want you to promise me that you'll take me home after I help you."

Anastasia sighed. "I wish I could. But you see, I can't use the Scepter for much longer. I only got to use it to bring you here. I have to return it to the Grim Reaper."

Lina was stunned that the Reaper existed outside of The Sims 2. "Whoa, Death is real?"

"Yep, and he hates his job," chuckled Anastasia. "But seriously, I can't send you back the way I brought you here. You'll have to find someone with the ability to send you back. Trust me, I know someone who can help you. Right now, you need to help me first."

"Okay, I'll try, but I don't see what I can do to help you?" asked Lina. "Unless you're going to possess my body so you can have hot sex with a cute guy." She smiled.

"As tempting as that sounds, I'm above such carnal pleasures these days," said Lina, giggling. "I'm more in poetry. In fact, I wrote an entire ode to Duel Monsters..." She paused. "But right now, I need to explain what I need help with. It's nothing like you said. In fact, I can't talk to you any more after this conversation, I have to go back to my redemption camp and slave away at making amends for all my crimes."

"I see," said Lina. "Well, make it quick. I don't want you to pass out and vanish, leaving me stuck here."

"Thank you, you are the daughter I should have been," whispered Anastasia, wiping a spectral tear from her eye. "If only I had given my father the love that you had and encouraged him in his love of Duel Monsters instead of spite him and Yugi." She shook her head. "Well, let me begin. You know the Egyptian God Cards?"

Lina paled. "I heard of them. My father showed me sketches he made of them when he had been painting their images. He told me everything about them."

"Well then, it will be much easier to explain," said Anastasia. "You see, some nut called Marik Ishtar stole two of the cards and tried to take the Millennium Puzzle like our father did. He also had a Millennium Item, a much more frightening one. The Millennium Rod." She held up the Scepter. "It looked like this, but with blades on the head. Anyone who was enchanted by that rod would become a mere mind-puppet for Marik's evil whims, unable to do anything but obey Marik completely. That nut caused much suffering for Yugi and his friends, and even turned Joseph Wheeler into a mind-puppet and tried to drown him in the ocean!"

"Ugh," said Lina, shaking. "Disgusting."

"Yes, but Marik was like our father, a victim of horrible fate," sighed Anastasia. "You see, he was forced to accept a destiny that he had never loved, trapping him in stone for a long time. His anger and hatred boiled like mine and gave birth to a demonic figure. Perhaps it was the spirit in the Millennium Rod, or something more evil. But whatever it was, it soon took complete control of Marik's body and used it for evil, casting a woman called Mai Valentine and Joseph Wheeler into the Shadow Realm! I'm sure your father mentioned Mai."

"Yeah, she was in the Duelist Kingdom database," grinned Lina. "She's a pretty good duelist. I haven't heard from her, but my father has learned that Yugi Mouto and Tea Gardener are still living in that rickety game shop Solomon Mouto once owned and Joey's got a nice job at their old school."

"That is your world, Lina," grinned Anastasia. "This world is around two decades in the future from yours. In this world, Joseph Wheeler has a fine daughter whose dueling skill is as great as her father's. Mai has a beautiful samurai for a daughter by the name of Jade."

"Jade? I remember a cartoon with Jackie Chan in it, Jade was the annoying little trickster niece of him," chuckled Lina. "I'm sorry, where were we? Talking about the families of famous duelists like Yugi and Mai, right?"

"Well, you'll probably learn more about them as you get used to this world," said Anastasia. "After all, you'll be here for at least two months."

"Two months!" cried Lina. "But what about...?"

"I said, you'll have a lot of explaining to do!" laughed Anastasia. "Anyways, back to your mission. As you might know, Marik owned Slifer the Sky Dragon and the Winged Dragon of Ra, two very deadly monster cards with deadly effects. But Yugi managed to get Slifer during the tournament and used it to claim Obelisk from Seto Kaiba and Ra from Marik, banishing the demon from his body forever and allowing Marik a chance to redeem his actions."

"I see," said Lina. "I don't really recall much, but I think I did recall catching Battle City on the international channels when I was three, that's what inspired me to take up Duel Monsters myself." She grinned. "And did I hit gold! Pegasus adopted me as his heir and I'm working on his legacy. I even created a few powerful cards..."

"I know, that's good. I love new cards," said Anastasia. "But let's not get distracted, shall we? I'm already feeling weak."

"Why don't you drop the time-stop spell then?" asked Lina. "Nobody was around the area when we came in, and even if someone heard me, they'd think I was nuts and just leave me to 'talk to myself.'" She laughed her head off.

:"Very well," sighed Anastasia, waving her Scepter. "CRAGSH!"

The green aura faded and the clock on the wall continued its operation.

"Now, let's see," said Anastasia, rubbing her chin. "Ah yes, the God Cards. Yugi recovered all of them, but then lost them to some other nut called Dartz. Dartz caused a lot of trouble and did some terrible things, even sealing our father's soul in a magic card!"

"Max told me about that weirdo," growled Lina. "That magic card that took his soul was..."

"The Seal of Orichalcos," said Anastasia sourly. "A very dangerous spell. It empowered whoever used it with darkness and sealed the loser's soul in a card. Just like our father did with the Millennium Eye. Truly frightening magic. And now I fear it has been revived."

"WHAT!" cried Lina in horror. "No way!"

"I'm afraid so, and whoever now owns the Seal also owns all three of the God Cards that Yugi had lost," sighed Anastasia. "That's where you come in, I need your help to stop this madman before he ends up doing something terrible. I can't tell you any more, but if I get the chance, I'll give you more details in the future."

"Wait a sec, how can I stop some madman from using the Seal and those God Cards?" cried Lina. "From what I heard, not even our FATHER could stop the Seal from destroying him, and the God Cards...truly powerful."

"True, but I doubt that the one who owns both will combine them," said Anastasia, grinning. "You see, the God Cards conflict with the Seal. It takes a very strong will to use both in a duel without going mad. Whatever happens, you will pull through. I have faith in you and your deck."

"You are sure putting a lot of faith in me," sighed Lina. "But how can I even find out any info on that weirdo? I don't even know where to look!"

"I do, and I know part of his plan," stated Anastasia, smirking. "He thinks I know nothing about his nature, but he's dead wrong."

"Okay, can you give me a hint?" asked Lina with a grumble.

"I'll do more than that, I'll steer you in the right direction," said Anastasia. "When I perished, I wrote my will. I was a bit confident that I would survive the Painsplitter, but still I had my doubts, so I wrote a will to my successor explaining what she had to do. I gave her ownership of my company if I...failed." She sighed. "She has been very good in running my company, and when Siegfried Kaiba..."

"Who?" asked Lina.

"You don't know this yet, but Mokuba has a son," grinned Lina's ghostly companion. "His name is Siegfried and he basically runs KaibaCorp in his uncle Seto's stead. He even owns Seto's most valuable cards. You know the ones."

"Of course," said Lina, taking a card from her deck. It showed a goofy white dragon with horns on its cheeks. It read Blue Eyes Toon Dragon. "The normal version of this card. The one that Seto Kaiba REALLY hates."

"Or USED to hate," said Anastasia sadly. "He's..." She sighed. "That's not important now."

Lina was curious as to what Anastasia didn't want to reveal, but she decided that she would research it eventually. "Go on, tell me more about Siegfried."

"Very well," said Anastasia. "You'd best sit down. This will take a while." Lina sat on the couch. "Siegfried took part in my tournament as well, and somehow had decided his own Duelist Labyrinth crossover with his uncle's Battle City idea, creating a beautiful tropical resort city called Duelatopia! Here is a little blurb that I managed to wrestle from one of the invited guests." She waved her Scepter and the DVD player and TV nearby activated.

The screen showed a young man who had sandy-brown hair. Lina swore he looked like Gary Oak from the Pokémon cartoon, only a little older. He wore a white jacket similar to Seto's Battle City outfit and stood on a beach in low tide as seagulls cried around him.

"Isn't it grand?" said the young man in a voice that sounded a lot like Seto Kaiba's, without the edge of snide sarcasm. "Walking along the beach of a tropical island with your friends, family, or crush while watching the sun set, your whole day tomorrow planned but just soaking in the atmosphere? Don't you WISH you were here with me, standing on this beach and letting the sand and surf seep between your toes?"

The camera came to a close-up. "Yeah, you say, that's all fine and well, but I can't afford the trip!" He chuckled as the scene faded to a beautiful airplane view of the island, showing beautiful skyscrapers pressed against the beach and lush tropical foliage surrounding a metropolis that sparkled in the daytime sun. "You're thinking how lucky I am to be here on this island in the Bikini Atoll, nestled in the Deep Pacific, and you aren't because of the costs, time, and effort required for such a lavish first-class vacation like this one! Well, my friends...that may change because you're A PROFESSIONAL DUELIST!"

Suddenly, a Blue Eyes White Dragon flew down and roared its metallic roar. "Whoa!" said Lina, jumping in her seat. Anastasia chuckled as the screen showed a Red Eyes Black Dragon flying into the screen and roaring as well, then a Shining Friendship flew up and giggled, producing a Silver Bow and Arrow and shooting it into the sky, forming a beautiful Rainbow Blessing in the sky which the Kuriboh Brothers rode down with their mewls. The Ojama Trio greeted them and danced around a pot of gold where a Petit Dragon and a Little Swordsman of Aile were swimming, and a Spirit of the Harp and Muse-A were playing beautiful songs nearby.

"Yes, my friends," said Siegfried's voice. "This...is DUELATOPIA!"

The view switched to a park where the rainbow still shimmered overhead. Siegfried walked up the lane. "My friends, I am inviting all skilled duelists who desire to have a break from the dingy auditoriums and game shops where you usually duel in an invitation-only tournament to celebrate the Grand Opening of this beautiful resort isle, which as we speak is being built on this very spot. What I showed you is what has been completed, but it's only a small fraction of what you will experience!"

A Mad Dog of Darkness chased a Black Cat With White Tail down an alley and Punished Eagles, Crimson Sunbirds, and other bird monsters chirped in the trees overhead. The scene switched to a big auditorium which was in the early stages of construction as Siegfried reappeared.

"This is our grand Coliseum, the crown jewel of Duelatopia, and even though it's still early in development, I'd used all my resources to ensure that it will be the most marvelous place to watch - or be! - one of eight grand duelists duke it out in the Finals!" He then switched locations to a giant tower made of steel which was covered with scaffolding and half complete. "And THIS is our grand Holographic Projection Tower, which will power the holographic energies that will give your new Duel Disks the kick they need to make Duel Monsters even MORE realistic than ever, in more ways than one!" He chuckled.

"Wow, not even Max could come up with something like this!" gasped Lina in awe.

Siegfried then appeared in front of a beautiful hotel. "And this is the Cosmo Queen's Castle, one of the many lush hotels where you'll stay if you accept my invitation. Not a single place in this resort is less then four-star! And you can enjoy the accommodations FREE if you sign up now for the Grand Opening Tournament, where you'll get your own Duel Disk X-550!" Siegfried brandished a beautiful duel disk which was sleek and technologically savvy.

The scene returned to the beach, but this time Siegfried was sitting on a wooden dock where lots of cargo boats were coming in. "We've made sure that this island is fully stocked with all the needs of food, shelter, and electricity for tourists to spend as long they want. You too could be enjoying the lap of luxury here in Duelatopia. Don't worry about having children, we have proper accommodations for dueling parents who can't afford to bring their children with them."

Then the scene switched to a street where several people in full body armor were marching and practicing maneuvers. "Of course, no resort would be complete without proper security, and this resort is the strongest in security ever affordable. Our trained Centurions are capable of spotting trouble and neutralizing it without even a sweat! Your stay here will not be subjected to the dangers of traveling to foreign countries, and you don't even need to have Traveler's Cheques, because we guarantee that any pickpocket will end up behind bars!" He laughed heartily.

The final scene showed Siegfried standing on a tower next to a man in golden armor and wearing a scarlet cape. "Ruled by the wise and strong Master of Games, Duelatopia is sure to be a pleasurable paradise filled with dueling action and lots of interesting non-duelist activities. I urge you not to send back the package you received, or otherwise you will miss out on the beauty, the excitement, and the glory of the Grand Opening of DUELATOPIA!" The two saluted as the screen faded out to the logo of Duelatopia, which showed a tropical horizon with a rainbow over it.

The TV and DVD player went off. "No words can describe what I just saw," said Lina, turning to the ghost. She had wondered if Anastasia had vanished, but she was still there. "That's just amazing. So, you want me to enter this island tournament?"

"Nope, sorry, I'm afraid that isn't what I want you to do," said Anastasia, grinning. "You'd get creamed by Yugi Jr. and his pals. Those four are pretty good duelists, especially Yugi's unconvential male friends, Clive and Peter. They have become one with their decks."

"Oh yeah? I'd love to have a match with that Yugi Junior, just to see how I match up!" said Lina. "I recall the story of how Yugi Mouto trashed my foster dad in Duelist Kingdom."

"Read my lips, Lina, you are NO match for Yugi, Joey's daughter Mary, or their male friends," said Anastasia. "I've been dueling for about the same time as you, and I got totally creamed by Yugi Jr.! Anyways, I don't want you to get involved if anything bad happens. I've been picking Siegfried's mind discreetly, and something tells me that he created that resort for a reason, one which is very mysterious. If my hunch is correct, his plans are to lure Yugi and his pals into the fight of their lives. I don't want you rushing in and getting slaughtered."

"I see," said Lina, deciding not to press the issue further. "So, what's my job?"

"You do recall what old Sieg said about 'accommodations for children who are unable to join their folks', right?" said Anastasia.. Lina nodded. "Well, that's my successor's doing. You see, Siegfried got together with the company and worked out arrangements to create a little summer camp in the Rockies. It's called Duelist Camp, and it's a camp for children who have dueling parents or parents who were hired by Siegfried to work in the resort but have no child support. It's for children eight to seventeen."

"Really? A Duel Monsters camp?" asked Lina.

"You've got it," said Anastasia. "I seriously hope you love children, because you're going to take a job as one of the counselors there."

"Me? Take care of children?" asked Lina in shock. "I don't know if I could..."

"I know you love children," grinned Anastasia. "You were aiming for a high school teacher job before your parents' death, so you could be close to teenagers."

"Yeah, I love teens," sighed Lina, blushing a bit. "They remind me of my early years with Max. Even though we were rich, he let me attend a public school under an alias. It was fun being a teenager, and I hope my brothers enjoy those years of romance and rebellion." She giggled.

"Well, you shouldn't have too much of a problem with the job I managed to get my successor to refer you to," said Anastasia. "But anyways, once you get to that camp, you must search for the God Cards and the nut who owns them. I have a feeling that he's targeting the camp for a reason, and it's not a good one."

Lina looked at Anastasia for a moment. "You're hiding stuff from me. I can sense it."

Anastasia mocked a pout. "Oh for shame, Lina! You don't trust me anymore? Why would I hide stuff from you, my friend?"

Lina paused. "You just do." She shrugged. "Oh well, if it bites me on the butt, I'll blame you later. I guess I have nothing better to do. But there's a problem."

"I know, I know, you came here with nothing but your deck and the shirt on your back," chuckled Anastasia. "Don't worry, I've stocked this place with all the money, provisions, and clothes you will need for the rest of your stay in this dimension. I may be a spirit, but I was able to use what I had..." She held up the Scepter. "To get you all the stuff you need to survive. I'm not a cruel woman, you know." She flashed a grin. "Well, that's it for the whole thing. If you have any questions, you might as well ask them now, because I doubt I'll see you again soon."

"How can I be sure I'll get the job, Anne?" asked Lina. "Can I call you Anne?"

Anastasia smiled. "Call me what you want. And don't worry, I've all but guaranteed your position in the camp staff. All that needs to be done is a little interview with the company to establish your qualifications. After that, it's smooth sailing. I hope you know how to deal with job interviews."

Lina smiled broadly. "You betcha! Max made me spend a couple months in the job of recruitment officer for his company. I know the drill."

"Good, then I wish you good luck, dear," said Anastasia. "I'd better go. I've already extended the limit of my use of the Scepter and my assignment."

"Assignment?" asked Lina, cocking a brow. "From who?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out," laughed Anastasia. "Farewell." She vanished in thin air.

Lina shook her head. "Oh boy, I guess I really shouldn't have tempted fate. Guess there is nothing to do but go with the flow. I hope I can get ready for the interview on time." She went to the closet and opened it, revealing a large wardrobe. "Well, she wasn't kidding about providing for me! I hope it's enough for the time I'm staying, if I end up here for a year I may need more cash on the side..."

Luckily, the phone call that came informed her that the interview would be at nine in the morning the next day, so that gave Lina all the time she needed. She did a little shopping in both the main stores - for a backpack for her stuff - and the game shops for new cards. She was very surprised at the cards she obtained in booster packs and what she saw in the card catalog she had purchased.

I had better look in copying these ideas down, thought Lina as she began to write in a notebook over some warm sausage pizza that she had delivered and a bottle of Mountain Dew. Maybe I can get Max's okay to copy these cards! Some of them are pretty interesting, like this Twisted Mirror trap. It would be very useful to negate any idiot who thinks that Mirror Force is the ultimate trap card. She chuckled a bit as the hours grew long. And this Dark Blessing would be very useful if you faced off against a Dark Magician or standard Spellcaster/Fiend deck.

By the time she had finished, it was early morning, so she turned in to the couch and put her head down for a few hours. Luckily, she was a light sleeper and capable of getting tons of energy from a cup of mocha. By eight-forty, she entered the recruitment office a few blocks down. Lina recognized the goofy Funny Bunny logo of her foster father's company over the door and knew she was in the right place.

"I'm here to apply for the camp counselor job, name's Lina Mystara," said Lina.

The secretary did a background check. "Let's see, Lina...Lina...AH! Here we go! Miss Mystara, Mr. Greeton will be with you in a few minutes. Please wait over there." She pointed to a nearby waiting room.

"Thanks," said Lina as she entered the room. She sat down and took up the Industrial Illusions newsletter, reading it thoroughly. The whole thing was filled with Duel Monsters information. Most of the stories related to KaibaCorp's Duelatopia project or Duelist Camp,. There was a column for dueling advice and rulings, and another column which had employee information. Lina got bored and put the letter down as a girl with light green hair done up in a ponytail came out.

"Oh!" said the girl, who looked something like a reject from the Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City. She took some gum and chewed it, blowing a pink bubble and popping it with her fingers. "Are you, like, here for a camp counselor job?"

"Yep, that's me," said Lina, getting up and shaking her hand. "Name's Lina."

"Like, nice to meet you, Lina," grinned the girl, chewing her gum like a cow chewing cud. Lina tried not to get disgusted. "The name's Jennifer, ya know? I totally got accepted for a job as a counselor. I'm going to be the head of the Shining Friendship cabin!"

"Eh?" asked Lina.

"Mr. Greeton, like, he'll give you the low-down on the cabins," said Jenny. "And be careful! He's got a nasty little test for anyone who is eager to run a cabin. You're lucky, though." She grinned. "There's only one girl cabin left and it's for older girls. After that, you wouldn't get a job as a counselor!" She giggled.

"That's okay, I like teens," said Lina, smiling. "Hey, I can't wait to see you later in the camp!"

"Like, totally!" said Jenny. "See ya!" She walked off in her high heels.

A stubby-faced man popped his head out. "Ah, you must be Miss Mystara! Come in, come in! You're the last female counselor left."

"I heard," said Lina, smirking as she entered the room.

The man introduced himself as Alastair Greeton, the recruitment officer. Then came the interview. Luckily, Lina's experience in the hiring offices of her own world gave her an edge when the questions came. Greeton tried to trip her up a couple of times, but she was ready with the right answers.

"Well, you are certainly a skilled negotiator," laughed Greeton. "The last people I had were hardly skilled in interviews, especially that Jenny girl. Luckily, she passed the test or I would have not considered her. There were a couple of people I have my reservations about, but my boss says that they are very good at what they do, so I can't complain. You have all the required qualifications - you are good with children and skilled in negotiations. Now it's time for your test, Miss Mystara."

"Okay, so what's up?" said Lina.

Greeton pulled out a deck and shuffled it. "You do know about our company's major profit-maker?"

"Absolutely, it's the creator of Duel Monsters," said Lina. "I see you have a deck."

"Of course, almost everyone in Industrial Illusions owns a Duel Monsters deck," laughed Greeton. "And my test is simple. Defeat me in a duel."

"So, you're challenging me?" asked Lina, smirking as she removed her own deck and shuffled it in sync with Greeton. "Challenge accepted!"

"You know that the reason for this test is to ensure that you have some skill in Duel Monsters," said Greeton. "You will asked to duel campers in a special tournament that the camp will hold in the second half of the term."

"I happen to be trained by M..." Lina paused. "My father, who happens to be quite a skilled duelist."

"Really? Maybe we can look him up in the database?" asked Greeton.

"Can't, he was murdered viciously years ago," sighed Lina.

"Oh, my condolences," stated Greeton. The two stopped shuffling and held their decks to each other. "Are you prepared for this?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, Mr. Greeton," said Lina with a smirk.

After cutting each others' decks, the two went to a special dueling arena in the back room. The two got on their platforms and rose up as the holographic generators activated. "This duel will be using many of Battle City's rules as well as the new Mach-3 rules that were introduced recently," said Greeton. "I assume you are familiar with these rules, as you will need to follow them in the future."

Lina sighed and nodded. She had learned that this world had somehow kept the old Duelist Kingdom life point value of 2000 life points, but had allowed direct attacks for vulnerable duelists. These rules, the "Mach-2" rules, were way too unfair to many duelists. With no tribute rule and direct attacks possible, it was way too easy for a newbie to clear the field, plop down an eight-star monster, and own the duel with one attack. Especially with the other rule that stated that monsters destroyed by magic, trap, or monster effects would cost the controller of those cards a quarter of the attack power from effect damage. The Mach-3 rules kept the "quarter-damage" rule, but fixed the broken prior version by raising the limit to eight thousand life points and basing itself off the Battle City Rules, requiring tributes for high-level monsters.

"To make this short, we'll use the 4000 life point limit for this duel," said Greeton as he placed his deck down. The life meter rose to 4000. Lina did the same. "The same life point value as in the old Battle City. It doesn't matter if you win or not, at least you'll show me your dueling skills. I will let you go first."

"Okay," said Lina as the two drew their five-card hands. She drew her card and smirked. "Excellent! I start by playing Graceful Charity. This allows me to draw three cards, but I'll have to discard two." She drew her cards and discarded her Guardian Angel Joan and a Toon Mermaid. "And now I'll play Monster Reborn to bring back Guardian Angel Joan from my graveyard!"

She placed the card and then removed her Guardian Angel from the discard pile, switching cards. The beautiful winged fairy knight rose from the arena floor and extended her wings wide. (2800/2600)

"Amazing, just amazing," said Greeton.

"It's a common strategy for summoning a high-level monster without tribute," smirked Lina. "I'll set one card face-down and end my move." The card tile behind Joan flashed a bright white two times and then glowed.

"Fine," said Greeton, drawing a card. "I play Battle Footballer in defense mode, and equip him with Horn of Light to increase his defense by 700, matching your Joan's attack!" The robotic football player rose up. (1000/2100) The crystal horn sprouted from his helmet. (1000/2800)

"I'm afraid that won't help much," grinned Lina, flipping over her card. "Activate trap card, Shadow of Eyes! This forces all your monsters into attack for the rest of this duel." The Guardian Angel's eyes glowed purple and Battle Footballer took a fighting stance.

"Oh no!" gasped Greeton. He gulped. "I put one card face-down and end my turn."

"My turn now," said Lina, drawing a card. "I summon Toon Gemini Elf in attack mode!" The twin elves appeared with a giggle. (1900/800) "While most Toons require Toon World to be on the field, my Toon Elves don't. However, without Toon World, they can't attack directly...that is, unless I destroy your monster!" She waved. "Guardian Angel Joan, destroy that junk robot!"

The angel shot flames from the palms of her hands. "Not so fast, woman!" said Greeton, flipping up his card. "Negate Attack!"

A vortex appeared and swallowed up the flames. "Damn," she muttered. "Okay, your turn."

"Well then," said Greeton, drawing a card. "For my turn, I'll sacrifice Battle Footballer for Beast of Talwar." The robot warrior vanished and was replaced by a giant black demon with large draconic wings and wielding two swords. (2400/2150) "And I'll equip him with Sword of the Deep-Seated to increase his attack by 500 points!" The two swords vanished and the demon gripped one large sword. (2900/2150) "Now Baltar, destroy that Guardian Angel Joan!"

The demon slashed the angel, who screamed as she exploded. Lina's life points dropped to 3900.

"Sorry, but that didn't hurt me at all," said Lina. Still, she was very ticked off. If I had had a chance to destroy that robot, I would have gained 1000 life points from its destruction! Well, he'll pay for that.

"Your move, my dear," said Greeton, grinning.

"Fine," said Lina, drawing. She smirked. "Tell me, Mr. Greeton. Do you know what your company founder's favorite card is?"

"Not entirely, I'm not into Pegasus' profile," said Greeton.

"Oh, too bad," said Lina. "I know a lot about Mr. Pegasus, and I know his biggest passion, even to his dying day, was the Funny Bunny cartoon. That is why he created THIS!" She placed her card. "I activate the magic card Toon World!" As if on cue, a loud distorted cartoon theme from some macabre cartoon played as a huge pop-up book shot out of a cloud of smoke. It spun about and slammed to the ground, popping open to reveal a pop-up comic book town. Lina's life points dropped to 2900.

"What...you have a TOON deck?" gasped Greeton in horror.

"Yep, I'm a big fan of Max," giggled Lina. "And my deck reflects the majority of his deck. Of course, I have to sacrifice a thousand life points for it, but it's worth it. Once my Toons hit the field, they can bypass all defenses!"

"When they attack," coughed Greeton, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping his sweaty brow.

"Yeah, I know," sighed Lina. Stupid rule! I never had to deal with it back home! "For my next move, I play this magic card, Grave Sacrifice!" A card showing ghosts coming out a graveyard was shown.

"Huh?" asked Greeton.

"This card operates in an interesting way," said Lina as she played the card. "Both of us must remove one monster from our graveyards..." She removed Toon Mermaid and Greeton had to remove his Footballer. "And I get to summon a monster from my hand without tribute. And this is the monster I'm going to summon!" She slapped down another card. "Blue Eyes Toon Dragon!"

"Holy..." said Greeton in horror as the cute caricature of the infamous dragon popped out of the book and landed before Lina, snickering. (3000/2500) "Where did you get that card? Neither Pegasus who ran this company mentioned it being sold or given away!"

"As one great demon sorcerer is fond to say," grinned Lina, putting a finger to her lips. "Sora wa himitsu." She played another card. "And since Toons are considered to be SPECIAL summons, I can summon as many as I want. I can fill my entire field of Toons, even though they require tributes. So, for my next summon, I'll summon Toon Goblin Attack Force in attack mode." Six goofy goblins popped out of the book and crowded in a single space, shoving each other. (2300/0) "And I'll equip them with Malevolent Nuzzler to increase their attack by 700 points, matching my Toon Dragon's attack!" The goblins glowed green and started doing a goofy dance. (3000/700) "But since I cannot attack with Toons the instant I bring them into play, I must end my turn."

Greeton sweated more bullets, then drew a card. "I play Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards." He drew the cards and laughed. "Your Toons are about to fall, Miss Mystara. I play Snatch Steal to take control of your Toon Goblin Force!" The goblins were grabbed by an glowing tentacle and dragged over to his side. "And as you know, as long as I have your Toon Goblins on my field, you cannot strike me directly!"

"I know that, I'm an expert on Toon Monsters," grinned Lina.

"Well then, I end my turn." said Greeton. "Since I can't shift Beast of Talwar to defense thanks to your Shadow of Eyes."

"If you think you can keep my Toon Goblins around for much longer, you are sadly mistaken, sir," said Lina. "I know every card that exists in Duel Monsters, and your Snatch Steal will raise my life points by a thousand every one of my turns." Sure enough, her life points rose to 3900. "Thanks for replenishing the cost of using Toon World, Greeton. That was very nice of you."

"Hmph, once I find a way to destroy your Toon World, you won't be so smug," said Greeton.

"Yes, I see your point," said Lina. She knew that her deck depended on Toon World. Without it, most of her Toons couldn't exist and those on the field would be destroyed. With the 'quarter-damage' rule in play, losing her dragon would do some heavy damage to her. "But I'm not about to lose to some forty-something hiring recruiter." She drew a card. "Ah, this is my favorite card! But first, since you took my monster, let me take yours! I play Brain Control to take your Beast of Talwar!" The fiendish brain appeared and two evil hands grabbed the demon and plopped him on Lina's field.

"No!" cried Greeton in horror.

"I just saved you the humiliation of having it destroyed by my Dragon," laughed Lina. "Next, I sacrifice your demon to summon my favorite Toon!" She played her monster card. "Toon Dark Magician Girl!"

The demon was sucked into a pink whirlwind of light which vanished into Toon World. The book closed, shook and disgorged a cute version of Yugi Mouto's favorite female monster, the blue-clothed apprentice to the Dark Magician. (2000/1700)

Greeton huffed. "Since you summoned her, you can't use her yet, and you can't attack my Toon Goblins with your Dragon since they have equal attack!"

"Not for long," chuckled Lina, who showed another magic card which showed a shining palace in Toon World. "I happen to have this useful card."

Greeton paled. "Oh no...not Shine Palace!"

"That's right, and when played, it increases the power of all Light-elemental Toons by 500 points!" She slapped the card down and the Toon city was replaced by the Toon palace, which glowed. Blue Eyes Toon Dragon leapt in mid-air with a gleeful cry and flexed its arms. Volcanoes erupted from its biceps. (3500/2500) "And now that my dragon's stronger than your Goblins, I can destroy them!" She waved her hand. "Blue Eyes Toon Dragon, WHITE LIGHTNING!"

The dragon belched a ball of lightning that caused the goblins to scream and flee to the back of the arena, but the lightning exploded around them and wiped them out. Greeton's life points dropped to 3500 as he shook.

"And now, Toon DMG!" ordered Lina. "Bright Magic Attack! Strike Greeton directly!" The cute sorceress giggled and flung her staff out, unleashing a blast of lavender that ripped through Greeton's body as his life points plummeted to 1500. "My turn is over."

Greeton shook and sweated. Just amazing...simply amazing. He checked his watch and put his hand on his deck. "I surrender."

"Awwww..." moaned Lina, placing a hand on her forehead melodramatically. "You're no fun!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Mystara," said Greeton as the arena deactivated and the images vanished. "I know you wished to end this duel with a battle victory, but it's getting late and I have more people to interview. However, I can say with confidence that you are qualified for this job. Congratulations, you are now the new counselor of the Dark Magician Girl cabin at Duelist Camp!" The two got off their platforms(after collecting their decks) and shook hands. "I know you'll do wonderful."

"Thanks, I'm honored," said Lina.

"If I had known I had been up against a Toon deck, I would have been more reckless," chuckled Greeton. "Still, you show dueling potential, which is good. I'll send the starter package to your home tomorrow and you can go from there. Good luck in your training."

Lina nodded. "Thanks." She left the building.

"What a girl," chuckled Greeton. "Destined for great things, no doubt. It's like she takes after Anastasia."

A white-robed figure rubbed a crystal orb in a large stone chamber. Serpents of stone seemed to be watching as the orb glowed. "Yes..." said the figure, smirking wickedly. "I sensed a powerful magic being invoked in the last 48 hours, a summoning spell. Interesting. Whoever was summoned may or may not be a threat to my plans. The nature of the summoner is a mystery to me, but I can't afford to investigate it right now."

He looked up and the green flames reflected in evil garnet-colored eyes. "I have much work to do, to prepare for the events at Duelist Camp. Once I find the one I seek, then Yugi Mouto Junior will be unable to save himself. The fool thought he was safe from me, but little does he know that I've got plans for him...big plans."

Sinister laughter filled the air.

NEW CARDS

Grave Sacrifice

Type: Normal Magic

Effect: Select one monster from each graveyard and remove it from play. Special summon any monster from your hand without paying tribute.

This card was used by Marik in the episode "The Darkness Returns (Par t 1)"

Brain Control

Type: Normal Magic

Effect: Take control of one of your opponent's monsters until the end phase of your turn.

While this card is going to be out in the new "Lost Millennium" booster, I wanted to state that the effect is different – you have to pay 800 life points to use it. This story uses Yugi's version, which debuted in "Yugi vs. Pegasus: Match of the Millennium (5)"

Shine Palace

Type: Normal Magic

Effect: Increase the attack power of all LIGHT monsters on your field by 500.

This card was used by Pegasus in "Champion vs. Creator (2)"

Things are starting to heat up, and THAT'S just the PROLOGUE! OO What fate awaits Lina and who is this other person mentioned in the prelude? Find out when the first chapter, Insect Queen, is released! ;)