Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!
CHAPTER 12: Round Four [Light]
After the third round was complete, all the Duelists were given a break until ten. Serenity got introduced to Svrion, Hufanse, and Aundren whom she recognized as the very same Duel Monsters who had helped with her arrival at the Tournament. Of course, Svrion was new to Serenity, but DMG didn't explain too much about him. After all, she didn't want any more complications.
"He's… just my…friend," DMG explained. Then, Mai and Téa came over.
"Hello, Shizuka, have you been having a good time?" they asked.
"Oh yes, certainly." NO! Of course not! I'm trying to be two different people here, and I can barely keep track of what everyone knows me to be. You guys think I'm Shizuka pretending to be Serenity for Joey and Ian. They think I'm Serenity pretending to be Shizuka for Seto. Seto probably doesn't give a freaking care, and the Duel Monster people who are pretending to be humans know I'm Serenity. Everyone else thinks I'm plain Shizuka who can't for the life of them start to figure out why every once in a while, someone calls me Serenity.
"Shizuka, I asked you who you have your eye on Dueling next, if it can't be Seto. I asked you three times."
"Oh… um… I don't know, to be honest. Maybe, it would be nice if I could duel one of you." That would be awesome! I can get rid of them and not have to think about… wait, if I defeat them, they will be on the sidelines forever. Bad idea… though, it might be nice to defeat them and laugh in their faces, even if I won't be able to at home.
"Shizuka! You keep zoning out! Are you okay? I asked you whether you really like Prince Seto."
"Oh… um, no. I don't, to be honest again. I'm only here to Duel him, not marry him. I have no interest in marrying." Well, maybe I do. After all, there are like fifty friends of Joey who have their eyes on me from what he says. I've seen them when they came for the summer break two years ago. Some of them were really cute. Of course, none were as cute as Seto, but even if he is deadly good-looking, he's a jerk!
"Earth to Shizuka! Do you want something to eat? Dinner is being served."
"Huh? Oh! Of course. I am very hungry, to be honest."
"You like being honest." Yeah, as if! If I were really honest, I would tell you I am really Serenity. But no, I am not being honest, am I? Serenity followed Mai, Téa, Joey, and Ian to the dining hall. Five long tables were set up. Serenity sat down in a seat near the end and the others sat all around her. Unfortunately for Serenity… Seto took the end seat at the head of the table. Serenity gulped.
Oh no! Not now! Not here! I'm doomed!
"Hello," Seto said, with a smile that looked very, very forced. Téa and Mai squealed, nearly sending Joey, who was sandwiched between them, tumbling off of his chair. Seto glanced at Serenity. Suddenly, his smile wasn't very forced anymore. Serenity noticed, and her heart stopped. I am in trouble…
"I am curious to figure out how you are able to eat with that veil," Seto remarked. Serenity gulped. She had completely missed that part. That's right! How am I going to eat with my veil???
"Oh! That… well, your Highness, the answer is that I am not going to eat at all… to be honest." Serenity was surprised she could even speak to him, let alone flawlessly use her accent. It seemed she had gotten used to it. Oh, then it might be hard to lose it after tonight. Great, I want the meal to end!
"Then you won't have the energy to Duel, that would be a shame," Seto said. That's right, I won't. I'll lose for sure. I have to sneak and eat something.
"Why do you care so much?" Shizuka asked.
"Because… I want to Duel you. After watching you so much, I noticed I had developed a… you can say, liking towards you." Serenity nearly fainted. A liking? He likes me??? What?? Is this a joke??? Is he mildly putting into terms that he has a crush on me? Well… I'm not even me! That's ridiculous! NO! NO! NO! Serenity looked at Seto with a very, very stunned expression. He couldn't see it. However, DMG, sitting exactly opposite to them, could sense Serenity's thoughts. She quickly nodded her head toward the doorway. Serenity noticed and quickly got up and hurried to the doorway, DMG following.
"Wait! Did I say something wrong?" Seto called. Just then, who else but Pegasus, Cecilia, and Mokuba show up.
"Hello dear," Cecilia greeted. "Having fun?"
"NO!" Seto responded. "I actually – for once – met a girl I liked and now I said something and she ran away!" Pegasus and Cecilia looked at each other and tried to surprise their giggles.
"My brother has a crush! WOO! I have to tell the whole world."
………
"What's wrong, Seren?" DMG asked. Serenity raised her veil once she got out of sight of anyone in the ball.
"The prince likes me."
"What?"
"You know what he said. Maybe you were too wrapped up in your conversation with the others, but he clearly said he had developed a liking to me. And that's not all. When I was actually Serenity meeting him in the market, he said I don't usually develop a liking to many girls. At that time, he had meant that he had developed a liking to me. The real me. As in… earth to DMG, he has a crush on Serenity and Shizuka and they are both the same!"
"That's freaky."
"And that's one thing I didn't count on. I am doomed, DMG. I will never, ever be able to think straight when I am dueling him."
"How can he like you? He doesn't even know what you look like."
"Hey, we're talking about Prince Seto the best duelist in the world. A dog would fall in love with a dog, a horse with a horse, and a duelist with a duelist. He probably loves my dueling talent."
"Which is nonexistent."
"DMG!"
"Okay, just listen. Don't freak out. Keep your cool. Always remember who you really are… Serenity Wheel- Kaiba, a girl who over fifty boys from Domino Academy have a crush on."
"How did you know?"
"I can sense your thoughts. Anyways, keep your head high. Act as if over a million boys like you and Prince Seto is one of the few who get lower priority because… of some strange reason."
"Why would I do that?"
"What do you mean? You prefer Seto over the other boys who like you?"
"Yes! No." DMG's face lit up, a smirk playing around her lips. Serenity fought the urge to scream. Instead, she calmly raised her eyebrows.
"That is the least of our worries," she finally said, snapping the veil back over her face. She resumed her British accent, which she had somehow stopped using. "I must figure out how to eat."
………
"Can you believe it? My son is finally in love!"
"Mom! I'm not in love! I just happen to take interest in that girl. No! Mom! She's a good duelist. MOM!!"
"Cecilia, dear, this is the moment we have been waiting for!" Pegasus and Cecilia dreamily stared off into space, already trying to figure out how to decorate the ballroom for the wedding Seto was assuring them he would not have. Mokuba was talking to the other girls, and they all found him adorable. In the end, he came back to his family with a smile from spreading the word and swollen cheeks from the pinching. DMG and Serenity appeared and sat back down at the table. Serenity scanned the food on her table.
Right. Maybe I just won't eat now. After I finish a Duel, maybe I can come back here and sneak something. There's only fifteen minutes left of dinner anyway. Then it's back to the Dueling. There are only fourteen other girls, Seto, and me left. I really hope I Duel Seto now.
Serenity looked over at Seto. He was still arguing something with his parents. The king and queen suddenly raised their heads and looked at Serenity. Suddenly, they broke into wide grins. Serenity raised her eyebrows. Ooooooookkkkkkkkkaaaaayyyyyyyyyy!
"May I please have your attention?" came Yugi's voice. "All Duelists still in the running have five minutes to report to the ballroom for the next round's match-ups. The rest of the Duelists and all audience members please report to the ballroom in fifteen minutes." Serenity looked back at her plate. It was still clean. She hadn't had any time to figure out how she was going to eat. Serenity sighed and got up from the chair. She motioned to DMG, who nodded. Serenity left the dining hall and went into the virtually empty ballroom. Only two people were in there, Yami and Yugi, eating dinner and talking. She knew them both. Yugi was an excellent Duelist and Yami was also. Téa had always talked about Yami, her crush.
The two boys looked up as Serenity came closer.
"Oh, hello," Yami greeted.
"Hi Yugi! Hi Yami!" Serenity greeted. The two boys looked at her in amazement.
"How do you know our-?"
"Shush!" Serenity looked around to make sure no one was there. Then, she lifted her veil. They couldn't help but gasp.
"Listen guys, you have to keep this a secret, okay?" Serenity whispered, using her real voice.
"Why are you doing this?" Yami asked.
"My sisters wouldn't let me go to the ball, so I had to get in a disguise and come here myself. Very few know me as Serenity. I have to explain something here to you. I have three minutes. It's very complicated, but always call me Shizuka okay? I don't want anyone to know. There is a blonde haired girl and three guys who also know who I really am. Mai and Téa think I am Shizuka, and so does the prince. They tricked Joey into thinking I'm Serenity."
"But you are Serenity."
"I know that. But Mai and Téa don't. So they think they are tricking Joey when they say I am Serenity. So for Joey's sake, pretend I am Serenity, and for Ian too. For the others, I am Shizuka."
"I think I got it," Yugi said. "Anyways, want a cookie?"
"OH! YES! PLEASE! THANK YOU!"
Finally, the other Duelists started to come into the ballroom. Serenity finished her fourth cookie and snapped down her veil. She saw Téa and Mai come in behind Seto. Téa nearly jumped for joy when she saw Yami. The other girls neared Yami, Yugi, and Serenity.
"Okay, here are the match-ups. And in case any were wondering, this is my brother, Yami." Yami said hello. Téa smiled as she greeted him. Then, a blonde haired girl appeared beside her and waved energetically to Yami. He smiled and blew her a kiss. The girl blushed, and Téa scowled.
"Lumina!" she muttered.
"Okay, now for the match-ups. First, Téa Gardner against…" Yugi read out all eight pairings. "Shizuka…Jounouchi faces Lumina Illumi. And finally, Prince Seto faces Hallie Good. Take your places." Yami glanced at Serenity, and then at Lumina. Serenity glanced at Lumina with a little nervousness. She remembered what Mr. Solomon had told her. Lumina is a flawless Duelist, they say. What am I to do? I barely had anything to eat. Lumina looked over at Serenity with a smirk on her face. Mai took Téa, who was still glaring at Lumina, and dragged her away to their next opponents. Yami gave Lumina a good luck kiss before returning to the walls to be part of the audience. The other audience members started to trickle in as well.
"Well, Shizuka, I have heard much about you," Lumina said. "You seem to have much experience in Dueling." Ha! This night is the first night I have Dueled for real! I only seemed to be good in Dueling because I had some decent food within me. The next few Duels will kill any energy I have from the cookies. That's why I have to face Seto very soon!
"Should we start, then?" Lumina asked, interrupting Serenity's thoughts. Serenity nodded and shuffled her Deck. She saw DMG, Dark Magician, Lord of Dragons, and Dragon Master Knight on the sidelines cheering for her. Just then, Joey, Ian, and two other boys joined them.
Duke! Tristan! Not them! How did they get here! DMG must have noticed, because she quietly pulled the newest boys over for a little talk. Then, Yugi and Yami also came over to watch. More pressure, I don't like this!
"Well, it looks like we have quite an audience, don't we?" Lumina remarked, shyly waving at Yami. Serenity rolled her eyes and fit her Deck into the card recognizer. Three thousand LP appeared on the counter. Lumina did the same. They each drew five cards.
"Let's Duel!" Lumina smirked as she drew her first card. Serenity felt Goosebumps form on her skin. So far, this was her first real Duelist she had to face that she was afraid of. Serenity looked at the clock. It was fifteen past ten. Serenity felt a little nervous. No, she felt very nervous. "I play Devil's Angel () in attack mode!" Serenity watched as white sparks flew out of the card and a fairy dressed in red appeared, complete with Devil horns.
"Hm… nice," Serenity commented. Lumina smiled.
"Glad you think so. My Angel has 1800 attack points. Maybe it's a bit too high for you. You should probably defend yourself." Serenity smirked behind her veil and drew a card. She remembered the Devil's Angel and its effect. She decided to play along with Lumina a little.
"Oh dear!" she said. "I have monsters that have higher defense points than your Angel. If you end up attacking one of them, you would lose some LP." Lumina smiled a slow smile. It didn't scare Serenity. She had a plan of her own.
"Oh well, a few LP won't matter. Besides, since you told me, I probably won't attack. So play your high defense and let me see it." Serenity took a card from her hand and spent a few seconds scanning it. It brought her memories of Mai's dueling. She would take a lot of time between moves to make someone restless. They would be so impatient that they would do something reckless. Serenity figured that Lumina was too well known as a good Duelist, and that sometimes that could intimidate people. That was not the case this time. Serenity had her own plans. She knew the effects of Devil's Lady, and that was an advantage.
"I think I'll play this one, Princess of the Underworld ()." A raven-haired witch appeared.
"Ha!" Lumina scoffed. "She only has 1000 defense points. So much for high defense points."
"I didn't put her in defense, did I?" Lumina's eyes widened as she noticed the Princess was poised for attack.
"But…"
"My Princess of the Underworld has 1900 attack power. I would be crazy if I put her in defense." Just then, Téa appeared beside Yami.
"Go Shizuka!" she cheered. Serenity smiled. She knew why Téa was cheering her instead of Lumina.
"Now, my Princess! Attack with your Sword from the Dark!" The Princess lunged forward and plunged her sword into the Angel. With a scream, she was transported to the Graveyard. Lumina's LP went down to 2900. The Duel Monsters, Téa, Joey, Ian, Duke, and Tristan cheered. Yami smiled a little. Yugi didn't know whose side to pick.
"Oh well," Lumina sighed. "That's only the start of the Duel anyway."
"That's the spirit!" Yami cheered. Lumina smiled. Just then, they were all interrupted from a yell from behind them. Serenity turned to find a red-haired girl fall to the floor. Her opponent, Seto, laughed cruelly. In front of him was a giant Blue-Eyes that towered over the girl.
"You are so pathetic!" Seto taunted.
"No! I lost!" the girl moaned. "NO!" Serenity shivered and turned back to Lumina.
"I don't get why the girl is so worked up about losing to him," Lumina. "I mean, if I lost, I wouldn't be on my knees moaning. I would be a little disappointed, yes, but not miserable."
"Hello!" Téa gasped. "You wouldn't care? If you lose to Seto, you won't be able to marry him!" Lumina turned to Téa.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you know? The winner of the Tournament, if it is not Seto, gets to marry him."
"WHAT?" Serenity's eyes widened. Don't tell me Lumina didn't know that. I've been hammered with that info since Duel one. And I myself still don't know how to weed out of that. "I can't marry Seto! No way!"
"Why not?" Serenity asked.
"I don't want to marry him. I already have someone in mind that I want to marry."
"Like who?" Téa asked.
"Someone I have known for a long time that I love as much as he loves me back."
"I wonder who that is," Téa said. "It must be someone she sees on a daily basis." She turned to Yami. "Do you know who it is?" Of course, Téa already knew Lumina meant Yami, but was curious if Yami knew. Yami was a little confused why Téa was asking him.
"No. I thought she liked me. We're dating. Does she like someone else?"
"I love him more than I'll ever even begin to love Seto," Lumina continued. "I can't win this Duel."
"Then forfeit." Serenity had meant that as a joke but Lumina took it seriously. She pushed a button on her Duel Disk and all the holograms went away. Serenity's Duel Disk's secret compartment opened to reveal a White Stone. Serenity looked up at Lumina in disbelief.
Just like that? She quit? I won the Duel already?