Moonlady: Have we had any luck getting information out of the penguin guy.

Tommy: *Screaming heard from the background*: No! The penguins!

Lady Akhana: Nope.

Joe Marusa: Maybe we'd have better luck if DC Kantel and Dark Fox weren't handling the questioning.

Star: Who let them incharge?!

Joe Marusa: I think they bribed Gema with hot cocoa.

Gema J Gall *Who is sitting in a corner, vibrating*: Hot cocoa good, hot cocoa very good. We love hot cocoa.

Lady Akhana: How much did they give her?

Moonlady: Only a couple galloons.

Star: Where is E-100 Alpha?

Lady Akhana: He said he had business to take care of, something about meeting with his spy or something.

Drake: But he let Lara and I fill in for him.

Pharaoh Light: One moment, is that legal?

Pharaoh Dark: I have no idea. Can he have OC's fill in?

Lara: Well, we are here.

Tommy *from far away*: Help! The penguins will destroy us all!

*A fluffly pink elephante floats across the room.*

Moonlady: What was that?

DC Kantel *As he runs in*: Oh, sorry, that was my newest summon. It is the fiercest thing yet.

Lady Akhana: It looked like a fluffy pink elephante to me.

DC Kantel: That's what it is. Gotta go! *Races off*

Joe Marusa: That was weird.

Fox Demon: Dark Fox and I are taking a break.

Dark Fox: All of that screaming is hurting our ears.

Drake: Did you find anything out?

Dark Fox: What are they doing here?

Pharaoh Dark: They are filling in for E-100 Alpha.

Fox Demon: Is that legal?

Lara: Too bad, we're here.

Gema J Gall *still vibrating*: I love hot cocoa. I love chocolate. Chocolate good. Got chocolate, lots of chocolate, need chocolate.

Drake: Will someone tie her down before we have a repeat of A Yu-Gi-Oh! Christmas Carol?

Lady Akhana: No one is willing to go near her.

Star: Can we get back to business..... the penguins?

Tommy: It's the end of the world!

Moonlady: We have two new members!

Joe Marusa: Who?

Moonlady: Perfect ARMs and Bakurakrazie.

Bakurakrazie: Gema invited me, what's up?

Lady Akhana: Gema's up, sugar high, that is.

Drake: No thanks to DC Kantel.

Perfect ARMs: Listen, I have hundreds of new ways to fight the penguins.

Star: Share!

Pharaoh Dark: Pharaoh Light, you'd better start taking notes!

Pharaoh Light: Yes!

Perfect ARMs: Mustard Gas, low but deadly. Mayonnaise Wall, which only works when they are flying. And, Super Spice Chili Bullets for the paintball guns!

Moonlady: I thought you said you had a hundred ideas.

Perfect ARMs: Give or take a few.

Gema J Gall: ChocolateChocolateChocolateChocolateChocolateChocolateChocolateChocolateChoc olate.

Bakurakrazie: Is it always like this here? *Looks around. Gema is vibrating. Tommy is screaming. DC Kantel is chasing a fluffly pink elephante. Drake and Lara are looking for an exit. Perfect ARMs is planning to blow up penguins with Star and the Pharaohs Light & Dark. Everyone else is grabbing little packets of mustard.*

Lady Akhana: Only on the slow days.

**************************************************************************

Shayla had eventually fallen asleep on the edge of Battle City. The previous duel had exhausted her emotionally, and she began to understand why Martin slept after almost every duel she played. But, sleep proved to be little refuge.

*Dream*

Shayla found herself again following the strange girl from ancient Egypt. She was slipping in the shadows, heading somewhere with purpose, but not wanting to be seen. Shayla instantly recognized where they were heading. It was the temple to Isis that Ishizu had brought her to last time.

"You returned," said Ishizu as she approached the Jewish girl.

"Yes," she replied. "I want to learn to read and write, and I want to learn how to pass stories and rituals to my children, just like my brothers are learning. You said you could teach me."

Ishizu smiled. "Of course, come with me." They again walked to the back of the temple, into a chamber that was covered by hieroglyphics. "But you do realize that I don't know you people's stories. That, you'll have to learn from your parents." Shayla felt herself nod. Ishizu turned to the wall and began her lessons, teaching the girl to read the hieroglyphics.

Shayla then felt as if she was caught in a time warp. She stayed in the same place, but the people around her began to move faster and faster. She watched as Ishizu and the girl came and went, it must have been a hundred times. Each time, they seemed a little older. When they finally started to slow down again, the girl had to be Shayla's age of sixteen.

*End Dream*

Shayla bolted up, shaking. These dreams kept getting weirder and weirder. But, despite that, they kept getting realer and realer. It was getting to be too much. Shayla got up and started walking, trying to clear her head.

She began to walk back into the heart of Battle City. There was no reason for her to hide on the edges. Most of all, she wanted to be by people, by someone she knew, by something familiar.

Then, something familiar caught her ear. It wasn't a good kind of familiar.

"We made it!" said a girl.

"I can't believe that guy at the card shop said I have enough stars to participate," said a boy. "I haven't even been in a tournament before." Shayla began to get the feeling that the guy in the card shop would let anyone in the tournament.

"Come on, Greg, let's go and win," said the girl, who seemed to be bursting with energy.

"My little angels," said an older lady. "Calm down, there will be plenty of time for your games."

"It's not a game," said the boy, Greg. "It is Duel Monsters."

"Well, go and play, I want to see my angel win," said the lady. Her voice completely froze Shayla's heart. If ever she wanted to duel, it was now.

"Hey, Veronica," said the boy. "Do you see anyone who looks like an easy target?"

"No, there is hardly anyone here," answered Veronica. "Let's go downtown!"

"Gregory, Veronica, calm down and wait for your mother," scolded the lady.

"But mom!" they protested. Shayla decided to walk over then.

"I couldn't help but overhear," she said. The dark curly brown haired older lady involuntarily took a step back when the blind girl approached. "Are you at all interested in a duel?" She held up her duel disk on her hand.

"Of course!" exclaimed Greg.

"Now, Gregory," said his mother. "Let's not take advantage of those less fortunate then ourselves. You can find someone who will be more of a challenge."

Shayla felt a small flame flicker inside of her. "M...Ms, you don't have to worry about me. I am one of the finalists from the Duelist Kingdom." She had almost slipped and said 'mom.' She needed to win this duel against her own biological brother, just to prove it to herself.

"I am dueling her!" exclaimed Greg.

"You can cream her easily," said Veronica.

Their mom cringed back as if she would catch some kind of disease from Shayla or something. "I don't think this is a good idea. There certainly has to be better people to duel."

"Mom, chill," snapped Greg. "So are you going to duel me or not?"

"Of course," said Shayla. They took several steps back and activated their duel disks. Their life points hit 4000 and the duel began

Shayla felt her duel disk finish snapping into place and drew her hand. "I play one monster card in defense mode and end my turn." A face down card appeared in front of her.

"Is that it?" asked Veronica.

"Then I play my Hyosube in attack mode," he said. His first monster appeared on the field. It looked like a sickly, blue praying mantis with scraggly hair covering its eyes. Its attack was 1500 and its defense was 900. "Attack her face down card, Wet Slash!"

"Reveal Protector of the Throne," said Shayla, simply. Her monster was turned over. Nothing came of the attack, because her monster's defense was equal to the Hyosube's attack.

"I place a magic card down, then tribute my Protector of the Throne to summon Nekogal #2," said Shayla. Her protector disappeared and was replaced by a catty girl. She had pointed ears and a long, wickedly bladed tail. Her outfit was purple, and could have passed off for a summer jogging outfit. Her stats were 1900 and 2000. "Attack the Hyosube, Razor Feline Claw Attack!" The Hyosube was shredded. It turned to water before it disappeared from the battlefield, taking Greg down to 3600 life points.

"Huff!" pouted Veronica.

"It is only the beginning," soothed their mother.

"Fair enough, I will play one card in defense mode, and a magic card as well," he said.

"Then, I will also play one monster in defense mode, and attack again with my Nekogal. Razor Feline Claw Attack," ordered Shayla. Her Nekogal charged forward and struck the faced down card with a series of moves from her claws and tail. There was a bellow and the monster disappeared.

"Gregory, you are better than she is. You can beat her," said their mom. Shayla pursed her lips together.

"Right, I play Hyo in attack mode," he said. His next monster was pale blue with khaki shorts and no shirt. Vapor streamed off of its body, because it was a sub-zero monster. Shayla again tightened her jaw. Hyo was Martin's favorite card. It only had an attack of 800 and a defense of 1200.

"Is that the best you've got?" asked Shayla. She never really liked taunting people, but in this case she was willing to make an exception.

"No, because I power it up with Tears of the Mermaid," said Greg. The Hyo now had an attack of 1300. "Attack her defending card, Frozen Punch!" The Hyo raced forward and struck Shayla's defending Kanan the Sword Mistress. Greg gasped as he lost another 100 life points since Kanan was that much stronger than his monster.

"Now, I move Kanan to attack mode," said Shayla as she began her next turn. "Attack Nekogal, Razor Feline Claw Attack!" She silently apologized to Martin as his favorite card was destroyed and Greg lost 600 more life points, taking him down to 2900.

"And Kanan can directly attack now," said Shayla. "Long Sword Thrust!"

"That's not fair!" protested the two spectators as Greg was sent down to 1500 life points.

"The two of you have no right to talk about what is fair," snapped Shayla. She was surprised by the bitter tone in her voice.

"Well, watch this combo," retorted Greg. "First, I play Premature Burial to bring back my Hyosube." His monster appeared again on the field, bound to the magic card.

"Your ice type monsters will never be strong enough to beat mine," Shayla said, coolly.

"But, I can sacrifice that monster by using Horn of the Heaven," said Greg. "I'll tell you what that means, since you can't read the cards."

"When you tribute one monster from your side of the field, you can destroy one of mine," said Shayla. "But that won't work, because I counter with Mystical Space Typhoon." She flipped over her first magic card. His Hyosube had already been tributed when she turned her quick magic card over, leaving him with no monsters on the field.

"One monster in defense mode, with a magic card," said Greg, dejected.

"I play Sonic Maid in attack mode," said Shayla. Her newest monster was wearing a pink gown that tied behind her neck. In her hand was a scythe shaped like an eighth note, much like the Hibikime. Sonic Maid had orangish hair and pale skin. Her stats were 1200 and 900.

"First, Kanan, attack his defending card, Long Sword Thrust," ordered Shayla. Her biological brother's last defense fell.

"Now, Sonic Maid and Nekogal, finish him, Razor Feline Claw Attack and Super Sonic Scythe!" Greg, Veronica, and their mother gasped as Greg's life points hit zero.

"No, Greg!" cried Veronica.

"Oh, baby, it will be OK," comforted his mom.

"I win," said Shayla, walking over. "According to Battle City rules, I get your locator and rarest card."

"No! You cheated, you had to, somehow!" pouted Greg. "I don't lose!" He started to make a big fuss. One person nearby saw this and walked over. He had sandy colored hair and wore a simple T-shirt and khaki shorts.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"No, he just needs to hand over the cards," said Shayla, simply.

"You can't mean that he actually has to give up one of his cards?" protested their mother. Shayla and the newcomer nodded.

"What is the big deal, anyways?" he asked. "I mean, your all family."

"What?" they asked.

He looked at them, confused. "Isn't she your sister?" He gestured to Shayla. "I mean, she looks just like you.

Their mother turned bright red. "She does not! I only have two kids, two perfect angels. She is not mine!"

The newcomer looked back and forth, comparing their similar features, then shrugged. "Well, you still need to hand over the cards."

Greg handed the cards to him. They walked off in a huff. Shayla let go of the breath she had been holding.

"Thanks, Rudy," she said as she took the cards he had been holding. Greg's rare card was Horn of the Heavens.

"No problem," he said as he began to walk off. "I am sorry about that comment about how you looked like her. It was my mistake."

"No, it wasn't your mistake," replied Shayla, but he was gone.

She walked over to a nearby bus stop bench and just sat, trying to clear her mind. This had been the least satisfying duel she had ever done.

AN/ Thanks for all of the corrections in the last chapter. Hikari Hrair- rah, yes I did forget that fusion monsters can't attack in the same turn they are summoned. Angel Reaper, Drake has 3 Red-Eyes because his dad, Pegasus, makes the cards. Phantom 1, I had no idea that the Flue of Summoning Dragon only worked with the Lord of Dragons. When Kaiba dueled his own deck, which was being used by a computer, the computer used the flute when it only had a blue-eyes in play. It summoned the other two blue- eyes to create the ultimate dragon. I thought the flute worked with any dragon type on the field, sorry. And I know I screwed up the description of the Alligator's Sword Dragon, sorry again. But, I take it all as compliments, considering that y'all care enough about my story to want it to be better, thanks. And, as always, please read, review, and enjoy! (