3. ICE COLD

She had just finished spraying her last card with the perfume she had bought. Now she could tell which card was which by the smell. It would take her a while to perfect it and not to get the scents confused, but it would work and if anyone asked about them smelling, she would just tell them her perfume spilled in her bag.

It was a wonderful idea and it was one that made her feel powerful. Taking a look in the mirror of the hotel she was staying in she had to smile. There was no longer the sullen little girl who had once existed. No, no there was a powerful and confident young lady, beautiful and strong, who needed no one else's help.

She went to sleep that night and for a second time, she dreamed. But her dream unsettled her.

She was alone on what looked like a lake of ice. It was cold all around and she was completely alone. She shivered and hugged her body, rubbing her arms and trying to get warm. But it wouldn't work; she just kept getting colder.

Suddenly wings surrounded her and held her close. She tried to turn and see what they belonged to, but couldn't, the wings kept following her. They were a beautiful blue and so warm. She felt safe and protected and never wanted to leave.

But at the same time, she felt unworthy and weak. Whoever owned these beautiful wings wouldn't want to be with someone as weak as she felt right now! She tried to break free of their embrace and after a brief struggle, she did so. But as soon as she left them, she was cold again, but was also powerful.

She couldn't start relying on others. She had done so in the past and it had only hurt her in the end. Virgil's advice echoed back in her ears.

"He was right. A Duelist can only rely on there own self, because that's all that's left when it comes down to it." She spoke these words and confirmed them in her mind. That was all she could do. As she did this, her body felt like the ice itself and she smiled. This was her dream.

Yet there, in her heart she heard a voice cry out, as if looking for a way to speak a way to be heard. She could hear the cry but couldn't make out the words. It didn't matter. If it were important she would know it. The voice gave one last cry before she woke up and it was that morning that she received the invitation to Duelist Kingdom.

She smiled and packed, heading for the docks. Soon she would show the world what she was made of. It was night when the boat was ready to depart and she made her way on with the rest. There was a brief fight with security behind her, but she couldn't make out what it was about and as it didn't concern her, she didn't care.

On the boat she saw thousands of Duelers and then one conversation caught her attention. She turned and saw the famous Yugi. The only one to have ever beaten Kaiba. She walked over and introduced herself. Yugi seemed all right but his friend, the blond guy just seemed to drool over her and try to steal some of Yugi's spotlight. How could these two be friends?

It was no concern of hers though and she left with an insulting remark to the blond. Her next surprise was when she saw the pathetic little room she would have to sleep in on the way over. She had yelled at security, to no avail, but then her answer came in the form of an arrogant little punk.

Rex Raptor. She tricked him into a duel using only her deck and decided to try out her new technique. It worked like a charm and the poor boy lost. She kicked him out of what should have been his suite, but he had bet it on the duel.

"Thanks again for the room." She smiled sweetly and then proceeded to make herself comfortable. It wouldn't be long until they reached the island and she couldn't wait. She didn't dream that night, but she might have well have, for that voice had tried to speak yet again and this time she could clearly feel its frustration.

Once on the island she learned about needing the ten star chips to make it to the finals. That was fine by her. Her new trick guaranteed her success and she had every bit of self-confidence she needed. The fireworks had gone off and the first bit of excitement she had was watching what should have been a finalist duel. Yugi against Weevil. She stood there and watched and listened with some annoyance to Yugi's friends and their pathetic cheerleading.

Arguing with the girl was a good pastime, but nothing bothered her until the blond she had seen on the boat, Joey, snubbed her in favor of his friend. No guy had ever turned away from her and this angered her. It wasn't even for another girl; no it was just to cheer on his friend. Even when it looked like Yugi was going to lose they believed in him.

And somehow he won.

She walked away and went to find her own duels. She defeated people easily, all of them thinking she was psychic. She had just finished one particular duel when the cheerleading group arrived. She saw her chance to get back at Joey for his insult and challenged him to a duel.

From what his friends were saying, this would be his first official duel. She was surprised when Yugi encouraged him to accept her challenge, but what surprised her the most was the question Joey asked.

"What do you fight for?" she had stopped for a minute, asking herself if this was a trick, but decided to give him the truth.

"Money, fame, cars, luxury, anything really so I don't have to get a real job." This seemed to anger him and his response confused her.

"I fight for the one I love, and I believe in the heart of the cards." She heard Yugi cheer him on and then the duel began. She used her trick and he fell for it. He forgot everything he had ever learned about Duel Monsters and was just attacking. But Yugi stepped in and told him to concentrate.

She tried to get through to Joey and explain that he needed to stand alone, that one day he would have to face Yugi in a duel and then where would their friendship be. But Joey didn't seem to care. He still believed in his friends and then that annoying girl had yelled out the one thing that had destroyed her chance of winning.

"Remember what you're fighting for!" She watched him stop and close his eyes and relax. She tried to goad him into fighting and then he opened his eyes and shouted.

"Perfume! That's how you know what cards you're playing without even looking at them. You're a fake!" She was shocked that he could have figured it out and his final move, using the Time wizard and Baby Dragon, completely wiped her out. She had lost, to an amateur.

She had failed her Harpie Lady and as she watched them walk away, she felt the ice around her crack. She could only wonder why, if she had failed her friend, why did it feel happy.

She watched the blond disappear with his friends and for some reason she wanted badly to know whom it was he was fighting for. The one he said he loved. The ice melted some more and no matter how badly she wanted to get it back it wouldn't come. She decide to get her revenge against Joey and than she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

In the distance she heard a familiar voice and decided that she would get someone else to do it for her. She walked off across the field to where a Dinosaur ruled the field.