Unfortunately, I don't own Yugioh. If I did…well, let's just say certain Pharaohs and his cheerleading squad wouldn't be happy with how the series turned out. Nor do I own any technology or companies I mention, the Bedlam Asylum – luckily – or Tokyo.

Define…Reality

The Bedlam Asylum

"Mom, tell me again why we're driving into the Bedlam Asylum?" Khaia inquired poisonously in English as the Japanese taxi crawled through the Tokyo streets, being overly careful not to trample the stampede of black-suited people plowing by like a mob. An endless stream of towering skyscrapers dashed past her, spearing the azure sky drifting among the heavens, their crystal sheen illuminating the streets carpeted beside them. Pearly wisps unfurled across the sun's delicate streamers, masking the city with a false, cherry disguise. Khaia wasn't fooled.

"Hey..!"

"Khaia Amaya Stone," Khaia's mom glowered as menacingly but as politely as she could at her scowling daughter from the front seat. "Stop complaining. You're being unfair to your brother – he's been dying to go to this convention for years! Weren't you, Kenji?"

Kenji giggled gleefully and squirmed in his seat in response, his eager eyes gushing like a broken dam. Khaia rolled her eyes as her brother snuggled his endless flood of dueling decks as if they were cuddly puppy dogs. "Yes, but did it have to be a Yugioh convention?"

"You used to like it!" Kenji protested as he caressed and stroked his cards. Khaia was amazed he didn't topple over by the weight of it. It would have worked better than an anchor on Titanic, she was certain. "At least, until-!"

"That was three years ago Kenji!"

"So?"

"So the closest thing I've watched to Yugioh is Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series on Youtube, and that makes fun of the ridiculous card game!"

"It's not ridiculous!" He whined grumpily, waving another one of his ten Blue Eyes White Dragon cards in his sister's annoyed face. Khaia's blazing green eyes glared back at the wildly thrashing card trying to escape Kenji's eight year old clutches, daring it to oppose her. "Plus, this is vacation."

Khaia bit down a retort about the difference between vacation and utter humiliation and swept her lashes toward the trembling window, her inky hair spilling down her bare shoulders and coiling around her neck. The reflection of a murderous teen seethed back at her, mercilessly hurling daggers at the outside world.

The taxi oozed like a sleepwalking slug toward the steps of the Convention from Hell – or the Shadow Realm, or whatever it wanted to be called. Khaia didn't really care.

"Arigato," Khaia's mom thanked the cab driver in her native Japanese tongue. She rifled freshly exchanged yen from her purse and slipped gracefully out of the car's leather seats, her silken shawl wreathing around her slender waist.

The dreading Khaia groaned up at the gargantuan monster of a building, her almond eyes darting around the corner as if expecting a hooligan from school to ambush her and publicize her embarrassing secret to the world. Her lips twisted into a horrified gasp as she eyeballed a cult of Rare Hunter look-a-likes and Yugi clones dribbling into the convention like the Ten Plagues of Egypt.

"Hooray!" Kenji screamed as he spotted his fellow Yugioh minions, launching his duel decks into the heavens ad letting them drop like lethal maces and acid rain in collaboration. Khaia's mom smiled lovingly and patted the crazily jumping boy on the head, ruffling his mop of jet-black hair.

Letting out a failed attempt at suppressed a sigh, Khaia seized the backpack unwillingly slung over her shoulder as if it would reassure her, which, as usual, it didn't. "Honey, do you have all your money?" Her mom asked absently, brushing a porcelain hand through a shower of thick hair.

"Yes mom, I have my wallet."

"And Kenji's birthday money?"

"Yes mom," Khaia answered like a perfectly programmed zombie.

A sharp look pierced her. "All $200, exchanged to yen?"

"Yes mom!" She cried in exasperation. "And I have my cell phone, all Kenji's decks, his precious Egyptian Gods Cards, and all the other things you gave me!"

"Khaia…" Was the strained reprimand as Kenji barreled up the steps to the entrance. "Be nice, alright? You know how much this means to your brother; please, keep your temper in check?"

The dejected teen sighed and nodded, looking sick at the sight of what was lurking within the evil lair before her. She could just feel the menacing odor of evil fans hissing at her from the deceptively inviting doorway.

Tokyo Mall Yugioh Exhibit, she read the words and tried not to snort. More like Museum of Horrors!

Smugly, preening like a prized peacock, Kenji slid up beside her like a mischievous gremlin. "You're just mad because Marik lost Battle City and Bakura…" He drew a finger across his throat and made a sickening gargling noise, clutching at his throat and pretending to swoon. "Aaah, blaah, I'm dying!"

"He did not!" Khaia hissed, miming her own version of events, which involved the backpack and Kenji sprawled on the floor.

"No!" He howled, and shrieked delightedly as Khaia pretended to take a swipe at him. Khaia folded her arms across her chest and stared icily ahead, a crooked grin tugging at her lips. Yes, she had been furious about the way events had turned out for an entire year, and had adamantly refused to watch any more.

Not that I'd ever watch that TV show again, she reminded herself quickly, ignoring the fact that she had probably been more obsessed than Kenji when she had watched it.

Feeling like she was walking into a prison cell, Khaia was reluctantly marched into the jaws of the beast, flanked by her brother and determined mother as guards. Could this day get any worse?

Hey! Hoped you liked it so far – I highly recommend Yugioh: The Abridged Version, by the way. It's hilarious! Even if you take Yugioh with deathly seriousness, you'll like it. Just make sure it's by Littlekuriboh, though. There are some whakos there trying to pirate it.

Review!!