Chapter One: Complication

Sugoroku walked into his infant granddaughter's nursery and sat down in a chair by her crib, heaving himself down with a sigh. The gold puzzle box covered in symbols and hieroglyphs sat in his hands.

The baby girl was awake in her crib, cooing at the mobile above her attached to the ceiling.

"And well, Mutou Emono," Sugoroku said to her, "you're a girl. That makes things complicated."

Cars rumbled by through the second story window, down on the city street below.

"Not on the side of being a gamer, of course. I named you after one of the Japanese words for game. That is not a problem. You will grow up in Domino City - also not a problem.

"But this…"

He looked down at the Puzzle box.

"This is a problem.

"If I'm right… and the spirit of the Pharaoh sits inside this Puzzle, and he wants you to have it and solve it… Well, if you were a boy it would be easy. He would be able to manifest himself inside your body.

"I do not know if the same would apply to a girl. The body would have to physically change during manifestation. It wouldn't be the same, not nearly as common, not as easy.

"The Pharaoh would have to be much less involved - more of a genie figure, giving you advice and strength from inside your mind. And the fighting, the dueling… that would have to be yours, and except on rare occasions of possession or separation, yours alone.

"Could you handle it, do you think?

"... Oh well. We'll never unless you try. If it's meant to be, you'll solve it."

He sighed and smiled, standing and putting the gleaming gold, carved puzzle box on a tiny table in the nursery.

"I'll gift the Puzzle to you anyway. Maybe, just maybe… Ah, but thinking is pointless, isn't it, my lovely granddaughter?"

Sugoroku smiled.

"I wonder how different life will be for you… growing up as a female gamer instead of a male one… as a daughter rather than a son…"


Author's Notes: This is part six of a six-fandom series called Gender Changes Six. Follow me for more.