Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I don't own DDR either. I don't own an
American Tail. I don't own any of the songs mentioned; or the games, shows,
etc. that they are from (For those that do fit into such a category.)
April 29th: Fixed a few stupid mistakes I made!
May 5th: Actually uploaded corrections, or at least tried.
Chapter Three
That Which, we Call a Rose,
She could, but she wouldn't. Yet she could, she was there; which, was where what she needed was. So she just as easily could do it. It would be so simple and easy. But her mind wouldn't allow her, so then again its not like she actually could do it if her mind wouldn't let her. Maybe she would just have to do it without her minds permission. But the last time she did that, Yamino Ami was created. So Hikari didn't want to take a chance at facing public humiliation.
The mall was quite crowded with people that Friday afternoon, as was to be expected. Teenagers and children accompanied by adult supervision filled the stores past their maximum capacity. Hikari, dressed as Yamino Ami stood outside one particular establishment in the mall. It was filled with all sorts of games that gave tokens as prizes. Tokens could be used toward other games. Some of the best games gave no tokens and where there just for extreme fun and pleasure. Hikari's eyes were on one such game. Dance Dance Revolution.
'It could be fun.' Hikari tried to urge herself to play it.
'You could humiliate yourself in public.' Yamino Ami's thoughts countered.
'Why are you so mean aibou?' Hikari asked.
'I'm not your partner. I am you, a part of you with different thoughts. But Just the same my thoughts are as different from yours as if we were not the same. Yet we are one and the same separated only by different thoughts. Sometimes we think contradicting thoughts and try to turn these thoughts to actions. That's when we struggle for control. That's when either you stay in control or I take over. And now I say we leave.' Yamino Ami took over and began heading home. Hikari struggled against it but failed. That's when they saw a duel in progress.
Little did they know, it was coming to a close. "I summon Exodia the Forbidden One. As you know uniting these five pieces in my hand allows me to declare an automatic victory." Both duelists were high school boys. They looked about the same age probably around sixteen. The one who had won was wearing a light blue sweater and black shorts. He had short brown hair that covered his ears. "My Deadly Obliterator Exodia Smasher Deck has won again." He triumphantly shouted in a cocky voice.
Yamino Ami approached. "Thou hath chosen the dumbest name for thy deck." Yamino Ami insulted when she drew near. "However, maybe the deck's still good. Maybe it's super awful. And if it were that awful then it's not like having a good name would make it a better deck. After all, what's in a name? That which we call kitty poop by any other word would smell just as disgusting." The boy who lost began to laugh. "But if it is good, then a stupid name won't hinder its powers."
"If you're challenging me just come out and say it. For I, the great Max will crush you in defeat." Max laughed. "So are you going to challenge me to a duel, or are you chicken?"
'Another annoying laugh,' thought Yamino Ami. "I challenging you. We'll meet here next week at 4:30 on Thursday. My terms are that if you win I must do anything you command me to for a year." Max's eyes widened as his mind began to overflow with thoughts of not doing homework for a year. "But if I win you play my penalty game."
"I accept!" Max smiled a sinister smile. 'This girl is gonna regret her bet!"
Yamino Ami was in control until she got home. She let Hikari take over and immediately changed. She called up Rose on her phone. "Hi, Rose. Thursday next week I'm dueling someone at the mall, want to come watch."
"Sure sensei." Rose answered a little jokingly. "What kind of deck does your opponent run, do you know?"
"He uses Exodia. So it's likely to be filled with card drawing magic cards. Or possibly he'll combo Painful Choice and Back Up Soldier. Sangan and Black Forest Witch are musts, and cards to revive them are great assets to an Exodia Deck." The two friends talked for a while then Hikari called up Christy and Jacob. After they had been invited to watch, Hikari fell back in her bed.
"It is so weird. I can be Hikari a long time, but if I'm dressed as Yamino Ami
I call myself that. Like in school, I listen to my CD's and talk to friends, but I refer to myself as Yamino Ami at those times. I usually take over during most conversations with my friends. But when I talk to other people Yamino Ami talks, even when I'm me. It's all so confusing."
'If mother hears she's calling a therapist.' Yamino Ami told Hikari to, 'shut up.'
'I want to read a poem.' Hikari sat up and leaned toward her bookshelf to grab a rather large book of poetry.
'You like poems?' Asked Yamino Ami pointlessly.
'You know everything I like. Cats, dogs, mice, the color purple.' That was Hikari's response.
'The itsy bitsy spider caught a mouse in his web. The itsy bitsy spider BIT OFF THE MOUSE'S HEAD!' Yamino Ami recited one of Hikari's least favorite poems, one that came from an American Tail.
'You know I don't like that,' Hikari whimpered. 'That was mean.' Hikari sulked in bed. 'But you're me. So doesn't that mean I just thought that?'
'As you think everything I think.'
'What's that supposed to mean.'
'You thought it!'
'I did didn't I.' Hikari recited it in her mind. "What's wrong with me?" She stuffed her face into a feather pillow and began to cry. She kept crying until the darkness overcame her. And then dreams occupied her mind.
Yamino Ami was the one to awaken. It was four in the morning so she was still grouchy. Hikari was asleep. Every thought was grouchy in her head and thus would support a darker theme of thoughts, so thus only Yamino Ami was awake. That was because Hikari couldn't be awake. It was impossible. Yet Of course Hikari was awake, as Yamino Ami was Hikari. But Yamino Ami was so different from Hikari; it was almost as if they were not the same. So, even though they were one and the same, they're two quite different people. So was Hikari awake or asleep? Are they one or two? I'll leave that up to you.
"I believe I shall edit my deck." Yamino Ami switched cards around between her deck and box of cards. "Dark Mirror Force a.k.a. Evil Barrier Dark Force, the opposite of Mirror Force the English equivalent of Holy barrier Mirror Force." Yamino Ami fell back into slumber as she inserted that card in her deck. It was Hikari who awoke hours later to finish the customization.
To help pass the time afterwards, Hikari listened to her favorite Dance Dance Revolution songs which, included Butterfly, End of the Century, Boys, Dream a Dream, Speed Over Beethoven, Cartoon Heroes Speedy Mix, Cow Girl, Freckles, and a lot of others. "Into the night, you make me cry, I need your love, to save my life." She sang along.
'This song is stupid,' interrupted Yamino Ami. 'You always listen to stupid songs like the Pokémon theme. Now this, listen to something else.' Hikari switched to another CD, this one containing songs by William Hung. 'God, no, go back. Back I say, listen to Pokémon if you must, anything else. Just not him!' Yamino Ami pleaded out of character.
"She bangs, she bangs, I'm wasted by the way she moves!" Hikari teased. 'Now who is in CONTROL,' Hikari danced around. "Fine I'll be nice." 'Unlike someone else.' Hikari hinted.
'But I'm not someone else for we are the same,' responded Yamino Ami. 'I'm just a better part of you then you.'
The next song started. "We love the subs, cause they are good to us." The CD player shouted into Hikari's ears.
'Fine play William Hung! I was wrong, there is something worse then him!' Yamino Ami wanted to kill Hikari, but couldn't. For that would be suicidal.
"I like William Hung." Hikari switched the song to Hey Ya and began dancing like an idiot.
A few minutes later Hikari's mom heard a shout, and ran to her daughter's room. "Are you alright?" She asked.
"I just hurt myself dancing to Hey ya." Hikari responded.
"Trying to 'shake it like a Polaroid picture?" Hikari nodded to her mom's question.
'God it sounded stupid in the song. Now your mom makes it sound stupider.' Not to mention her pronunciation was way off, she spoke rather then sang. Thought Yamino Ami. 'And yes I mean your mother. I'm denying that I'm her daughter too. Even though we're the same.'
'Stop being so mean.' Hikari pleaded.
'Only if you can conquer me, which you would have trouble doing.' Yamino Ami debated laughing and in the end decided upon snickering.
'Maybe I'll just go into some form of Zen-type training,' Hikari thought. Yamino Ami took over and bit her finger. This was something that wasn't at all uncommon. The two argued, as they loved to do on weekends. Before long Monday was here. At school Yamino Ami ran into Michael and let Hikari talk to him.
"Thanks for making me play your 'Penalty Game,' I really enjoy volunteering. there. He offered a handshake. Against the will of Yamino Ami, Hikari accepted. "I heard you were going to duel someone at the mall this Wednesday, can I come and watch?"
"Sure, except its on Thursday at 4:30 so you'll have to leave the gym early." Hikari responded. "Hope you can make it." Hikari added with a smile.
"Sure, I'll try to come if I can get a ride. I could walk but I'd probably be late. And in case I don't make it, good luck." He walked away waving good-bye.
And before she knew it Thursday was here. Yamino Ami found herself mentally laughing when the teacher had to put out another fire in the boy's restroom and then returned to a half empty room. Well much emptier then just half empty, only three students remained, including Yamino Ami. After the security was called they failed to catch any students because they were too busy stopping a major riot halfway across the high school that was decidedly more urgent. So the teacher announced free time. Yamino Ami was proud of herself whilst Hikari was disgusted. The duel came soon enough.
Quite a lot of people had come to watch the duel including the loser of last Friday's duel. A lot of random people where there shouting in favor of Max, but Yamino Ami cared not. "Ready to lose?" Max asked.
"You are. Good." Replied Yamino Ami with a tiny smile.
"It's time to duel!" Max shouted excitedly.
"Someone kill him, please," requested Yamino Ami! "It's time to duel," she mocked with an extremely sarcastic tone to her voice. Though she usually loved to speak with a zombie-like voice, she would stop every now and then to make a sarcastic comment.
The two shuffled their decks as Hikari's friends arrived and began cheering her on. Max went first and drew a card. 'Excellent, I now have a piece of the puzzle, the left leg of Exodia!' "I play this card in defense mode." 'When my witch is annihilated she can grab another piece from my deck.'
"Yamino Ami, you can do it!" Jacob shouted. He turned to Christy "When something happens can you explain to me please?" He whispered. She nodded her head. "Go Yamino Ami." He cheered again.
Yamino Ami drew. "I'll lay this Face Down and summon into attack mode my Chaosrider Gustaph (A: 1400) the English Chaos Rider Gustav. Next Graceful Charity lets me draw three cards and discard two, but I doubt someone running an Exodia Deck would lack that knowledge. For the gift of three new cards I discard Dark Hole and Big Koala. Next I remove my two magic cards from play and power up my monster, just as its effect declares I may do. Next I attack."
"You activate the effect of Black Forest Witch," Max shouted with childish glee. Christy narrated for Jacob what that meant. 'Three more pieces and I win. She's making it too easy. She knew my Deck type; she could have built a deck specifically to counter it. She's so dumb.' Max laughed. "I draw." Max laughed again. "I play Pot of Greed and draw two cards. Next I summon Sangan." (A: 1000)
"I activate Solemn Wishes. Now whenever I draw I gain 500 Life Points. And I take my turn. Unless you plan to continue your turn." Max shook his head. "And I gain Life Points as I draw. Now I play Soul Absorption. Whenever my cards are removed from play I gain 500 Life Points. Next I Summon a Sangan of my own. I attack you with Chaos Rider."
"So Yamino Ami," began Christy, "declares an attack. Her opponent's monster is in attack mode. So the monster with the lower attack is destroyed, and the difference in attack points is subtracted from its owner's Life points." Jacob nodded his head.
"Next I attack directly." Yamino Ami declared in a calm cool voice as if nothing was happening.
"It's a direct attack now because Max has nothing on the field. So Sangan's attack is subtracted from Max's Life Points." Christy explained in a whisper. "Go Yamino Ami! Beat this guy!" She shouted.
"Yeah beat him Yamino Ami!" Rose called out. "You've got the lead. Finish him off quick. Show him no mercy!" Rose shouted above Max's supporters.
"Go Yamino Ami, you can do it." Michael screamed.
"Yeah, you can do it." Jacob shouted.
"I'll begin now," Max declared. 'When she killed my Sangan I got a third piece. I'm almost done here. "Even if you gain a 1000 Life Points I play Upstart Goblin to draw a new card from my deck!" He examined his options. "I set a Face Down card in defense and Three Face Downs in my magic/trap zone!"
"I draw." Yamino Ami smiled. I discard three monsters with Cheerful Coffin." She played a card concealing it with her hand. "Soul Release will take my four monsters out of play. Next I rid my grave of its two magic cards for the powering of Chaosrider." (A: 2000) "I won't attack just yet!"
"I'll draw." Max smiled as he saw his card. 'Exodia the Forbidden One. My fourth piece. I'll win if I draw the final one!' "I activate my face down Graceful Charity." 'Darn it. I didn't get the last piece.'
Yamino Ami drew. "This is over, we discard our hands with Card Destruction!" 'Exodia is dead!' "Next I strengthen Chaosrider and attack with Sangan."
'Still no final piece.' "I activate Back Up Soldier to get three of the limbs back. And when my face down Hane-Hane is flipped I activate Call of the Haunted to bring the head to the field. And as my monster lets me return a monster card to its owners hand I choose Exodia!" He had reclaimed all the pieces.
"Attack him directly Chaosrider Gustav!" The score was 11500 – 4900 but that wouldn't matter if Max got Exodia, the instant win five card combination made popular by the first episode of the dub. Max drew and played Raigeki wiping Yamino Ami's field of monsters. He summoned and attacked with Dunames Dark Witch. (A: 1800) He had to discard as he had to many cards at the end of his turn.
"Yamino Ami you can do it!" Jacob screeched.
She drew and smiled a dark smile. "I play my Red Lobster Demon. It attacks your Dunames with its attack of 3600."
"It's almost over, I have a small deck, and in this deck is Exodia I'm sure to draw it soon!" He drew. Yet still no Exodia. He set a Face Down.
"You won't get it once you see the monster I got from my deck with Sangan. It may be weak but I summon White Magical Hat. When it deals damage to you I discard a card from your hand. Go my monsters attack Lobster Demon first!" Purely by luck, Yamino Ami discarded an Exodia Piece.
"I, I, I," max stuttered, "lost. I've no other method left to recover that piece and I can't win through attacks. I fought so well and lost to a single card!" He shouted in frustration. He fell back on his bottom. He then smiled. "Good game, so I guess you win the bet then huh?" Yamino Ami nodded. "So what is your penalty game?" Max asked.
"For an entire month you must volunteer at the animal shelter." Yamino Ami said. It was always Yamino Ami who spoke of the penalty games and told a person what there penalty game was, but the penalty games where all Hikari's suggestions.
As instructed, Max played his penalty game for a month, but soon began going on Mondays of his own free will. He decided that when he became an adult he would most likely pursue a career as a veterinarian.
Hikari had big thoughts on her mind; the school was having a talent show next month. And she was signing up whether Yamino Ami let her or not. So she just had to choose a talent. She called up Jacob and Rose, they decided to form a band for the talent show. They also invited Michael but his schedule was full. So now she and her friends were practicing for the talent show.
It was a Friday night, with no rehearsal. Hikari was at the mall struggling against the will of Yamino Ami. She could do it if she tried, right? She could play the game and have fun. Why let a stupid voice in her head dictate her actions? Yet in the end Yamino Ami won out. Hikari looked back regretfully at an empty Dance Dance Revolution machine, a machine she easily could have been dancing upon herself. She wished she could break free of Yamino Ami.
'At least I agreed to let you become the laughingstock of the school!' Yamino Ami shouted in her mind 'I shouldn't even let you be doing this.'
'Now you think as if you and I are different people,' Hikari shouted in her mind. 'Make up your mind!'
'We are one and the same, those thoughts were your thoughts, all of mine are. Obviously you can't make up your mind!' Yamino Ami shouted. 'Now shut up and be glad to participate in the talent show.'
'But I want more. I want to be able to just play games at the mall for fun. I don't want you around anymore!' Hikari shot back.
'Even if it means no attention, being forgotten. You got interviewed on the news twelve times because of me. You need me to be the best. You want to be the best right?'
'At all costs.' Hikari sighed. 'Your right I need you.' She began to cry.
She could, but she wouldn't. Yet she could, she was there; which, was where what she needed was. So she just as easily could do it. It would be so simple and easy. But her mind wouldn't allow her, so then again its not like she actually could do it if her mind wouldn't let her. Maybe she would just have to do it without her minds permission. But the last time she did that, Yamino Ami was created. So Hikari didn't want to take a chance at facing public humiliation.
The mall was quite crowded with people that Friday afternoon, as was to be expected. Teenagers and children accompanied by adult supervision filled the stores past their maximum capacity. Hikari, dressed as Yamino Ami stood outside one particular establishment in the mall. It was filled with all sorts of games that gave tokens as prizes. Tokens could be used toward other games. Some of the best games gave no tokens and where there just for extreme fun and pleasure. Hikari's eyes were on one such game. Dance Dance Revolution.
'It could be fun.' Hikari tried to urge herself to play it.
'You could humiliate yourself in public.' Yamino Ami's thoughts countered.
'Why are you so mean aibou?' Hikari asked.
'I'm not your partner. I am you, a part of you with different thoughts. But Just the same my thoughts are as different from yours as if we were not the same. Yet we are one and the same separated only by different thoughts. Sometimes we think contradicting thoughts and try to turn these thoughts to actions. That's when we struggle for control. That's when either you stay in control or I take over. And now I say we leave.' Yamino Ami took over and began heading home. Hikari struggled against it but failed. That's when they saw a duel in progress.
Little did they know, it was coming to a close. "I summon Exodia the Forbidden One. As you know uniting these five pieces in my hand allows me to declare an automatic victory." Both duelists were high school boys. They looked about the same age probably around sixteen. The one who had won was wearing a light blue sweater and black shorts. He had short brown hair that covered his ears. "My Deadly Obliterator Exodia Smasher Deck has won again." He triumphantly shouted in a cocky voice.
Yamino Ami approached. "Thou hath chosen the dumbest name for thy deck." Yamino Ami insulted when she drew near. "However, maybe the deck's still good. Maybe it's super awful. And if it were that awful then it's not like having a good name would make it a better deck. After all, what's in a name? That which we call kitty poop by any other word would smell just as disgusting." The boy who lost began to laugh. "But if it is good, then a stupid name won't hinder its powers."
"If you're challenging me just come out and say it. For I, the great Max will crush you in defeat." Max laughed. "So are you going to challenge me to a duel, or are you chicken?"
'Another annoying laugh,' thought Yamino Ami. "I challenging you. We'll meet here next week at 4:30 on Thursday. My terms are that if you win I must do anything you command me to for a year." Max's eyes widened as his mind began to overflow with thoughts of not doing homework for a year. "But if I win you play my penalty game."
"I accept!" Max smiled a sinister smile. 'This girl is gonna regret her bet!"
Yamino Ami was in control until she got home. She let Hikari take over and immediately changed. She called up Rose on her phone. "Hi, Rose. Thursday next week I'm dueling someone at the mall, want to come watch."
"Sure sensei." Rose answered a little jokingly. "What kind of deck does your opponent run, do you know?"
"He uses Exodia. So it's likely to be filled with card drawing magic cards. Or possibly he'll combo Painful Choice and Back Up Soldier. Sangan and Black Forest Witch are musts, and cards to revive them are great assets to an Exodia Deck." The two friends talked for a while then Hikari called up Christy and Jacob. After they had been invited to watch, Hikari fell back in her bed.
"It is so weird. I can be Hikari a long time, but if I'm dressed as Yamino Ami
I call myself that. Like in school, I listen to my CD's and talk to friends, but I refer to myself as Yamino Ami at those times. I usually take over during most conversations with my friends. But when I talk to other people Yamino Ami talks, even when I'm me. It's all so confusing."
'If mother hears she's calling a therapist.' Yamino Ami told Hikari to, 'shut up.'
'I want to read a poem.' Hikari sat up and leaned toward her bookshelf to grab a rather large book of poetry.
'You like poems?' Asked Yamino Ami pointlessly.
'You know everything I like. Cats, dogs, mice, the color purple.' That was Hikari's response.
'The itsy bitsy spider caught a mouse in his web. The itsy bitsy spider BIT OFF THE MOUSE'S HEAD!' Yamino Ami recited one of Hikari's least favorite poems, one that came from an American Tail.
'You know I don't like that,' Hikari whimpered. 'That was mean.' Hikari sulked in bed. 'But you're me. So doesn't that mean I just thought that?'
'As you think everything I think.'
'What's that supposed to mean.'
'You thought it!'
'I did didn't I.' Hikari recited it in her mind. "What's wrong with me?" She stuffed her face into a feather pillow and began to cry. She kept crying until the darkness overcame her. And then dreams occupied her mind.
Yamino Ami was the one to awaken. It was four in the morning so she was still grouchy. Hikari was asleep. Every thought was grouchy in her head and thus would support a darker theme of thoughts, so thus only Yamino Ami was awake. That was because Hikari couldn't be awake. It was impossible. Yet Of course Hikari was awake, as Yamino Ami was Hikari. But Yamino Ami was so different from Hikari; it was almost as if they were not the same. So, even though they were one and the same, they're two quite different people. So was Hikari awake or asleep? Are they one or two? I'll leave that up to you.
"I believe I shall edit my deck." Yamino Ami switched cards around between her deck and box of cards. "Dark Mirror Force a.k.a. Evil Barrier Dark Force, the opposite of Mirror Force the English equivalent of Holy barrier Mirror Force." Yamino Ami fell back into slumber as she inserted that card in her deck. It was Hikari who awoke hours later to finish the customization.
To help pass the time afterwards, Hikari listened to her favorite Dance Dance Revolution songs which, included Butterfly, End of the Century, Boys, Dream a Dream, Speed Over Beethoven, Cartoon Heroes Speedy Mix, Cow Girl, Freckles, and a lot of others. "Into the night, you make me cry, I need your love, to save my life." She sang along.
'This song is stupid,' interrupted Yamino Ami. 'You always listen to stupid songs like the Pokémon theme. Now this, listen to something else.' Hikari switched to another CD, this one containing songs by William Hung. 'God, no, go back. Back I say, listen to Pokémon if you must, anything else. Just not him!' Yamino Ami pleaded out of character.
"She bangs, she bangs, I'm wasted by the way she moves!" Hikari teased. 'Now who is in CONTROL,' Hikari danced around. "Fine I'll be nice." 'Unlike someone else.' Hikari hinted.
'But I'm not someone else for we are the same,' responded Yamino Ami. 'I'm just a better part of you then you.'
The next song started. "We love the subs, cause they are good to us." The CD player shouted into Hikari's ears.
'Fine play William Hung! I was wrong, there is something worse then him!' Yamino Ami wanted to kill Hikari, but couldn't. For that would be suicidal.
"I like William Hung." Hikari switched the song to Hey Ya and began dancing like an idiot.
A few minutes later Hikari's mom heard a shout, and ran to her daughter's room. "Are you alright?" She asked.
"I just hurt myself dancing to Hey ya." Hikari responded.
"Trying to 'shake it like a Polaroid picture?" Hikari nodded to her mom's question.
'God it sounded stupid in the song. Now your mom makes it sound stupider.' Not to mention her pronunciation was way off, she spoke rather then sang. Thought Yamino Ami. 'And yes I mean your mother. I'm denying that I'm her daughter too. Even though we're the same.'
'Stop being so mean.' Hikari pleaded.
'Only if you can conquer me, which you would have trouble doing.' Yamino Ami debated laughing and in the end decided upon snickering.
'Maybe I'll just go into some form of Zen-type training,' Hikari thought. Yamino Ami took over and bit her finger. This was something that wasn't at all uncommon. The two argued, as they loved to do on weekends. Before long Monday was here. At school Yamino Ami ran into Michael and let Hikari talk to him.
"Thanks for making me play your 'Penalty Game,' I really enjoy volunteering. there. He offered a handshake. Against the will of Yamino Ami, Hikari accepted. "I heard you were going to duel someone at the mall this Wednesday, can I come and watch?"
"Sure, except its on Thursday at 4:30 so you'll have to leave the gym early." Hikari responded. "Hope you can make it." Hikari added with a smile.
"Sure, I'll try to come if I can get a ride. I could walk but I'd probably be late. And in case I don't make it, good luck." He walked away waving good-bye.
And before she knew it Thursday was here. Yamino Ami found herself mentally laughing when the teacher had to put out another fire in the boy's restroom and then returned to a half empty room. Well much emptier then just half empty, only three students remained, including Yamino Ami. After the security was called they failed to catch any students because they were too busy stopping a major riot halfway across the high school that was decidedly more urgent. So the teacher announced free time. Yamino Ami was proud of herself whilst Hikari was disgusted. The duel came soon enough.
Quite a lot of people had come to watch the duel including the loser of last Friday's duel. A lot of random people where there shouting in favor of Max, but Yamino Ami cared not. "Ready to lose?" Max asked.
"You are. Good." Replied Yamino Ami with a tiny smile.
"It's time to duel!" Max shouted excitedly.
"Someone kill him, please," requested Yamino Ami! "It's time to duel," she mocked with an extremely sarcastic tone to her voice. Though she usually loved to speak with a zombie-like voice, she would stop every now and then to make a sarcastic comment.
The two shuffled their decks as Hikari's friends arrived and began cheering her on. Max went first and drew a card. 'Excellent, I now have a piece of the puzzle, the left leg of Exodia!' "I play this card in defense mode." 'When my witch is annihilated she can grab another piece from my deck.'
"Yamino Ami, you can do it!" Jacob shouted. He turned to Christy "When something happens can you explain to me please?" He whispered. She nodded her head. "Go Yamino Ami." He cheered again.
Yamino Ami drew. "I'll lay this Face Down and summon into attack mode my Chaosrider Gustaph (A: 1400) the English Chaos Rider Gustav. Next Graceful Charity lets me draw three cards and discard two, but I doubt someone running an Exodia Deck would lack that knowledge. For the gift of three new cards I discard Dark Hole and Big Koala. Next I remove my two magic cards from play and power up my monster, just as its effect declares I may do. Next I attack."
"You activate the effect of Black Forest Witch," Max shouted with childish glee. Christy narrated for Jacob what that meant. 'Three more pieces and I win. She's making it too easy. She knew my Deck type; she could have built a deck specifically to counter it. She's so dumb.' Max laughed. "I draw." Max laughed again. "I play Pot of Greed and draw two cards. Next I summon Sangan." (A: 1000)
"I activate Solemn Wishes. Now whenever I draw I gain 500 Life Points. And I take my turn. Unless you plan to continue your turn." Max shook his head. "And I gain Life Points as I draw. Now I play Soul Absorption. Whenever my cards are removed from play I gain 500 Life Points. Next I Summon a Sangan of my own. I attack you with Chaos Rider."
"So Yamino Ami," began Christy, "declares an attack. Her opponent's monster is in attack mode. So the monster with the lower attack is destroyed, and the difference in attack points is subtracted from its owner's Life points." Jacob nodded his head.
"Next I attack directly." Yamino Ami declared in a calm cool voice as if nothing was happening.
"It's a direct attack now because Max has nothing on the field. So Sangan's attack is subtracted from Max's Life Points." Christy explained in a whisper. "Go Yamino Ami! Beat this guy!" She shouted.
"Yeah beat him Yamino Ami!" Rose called out. "You've got the lead. Finish him off quick. Show him no mercy!" Rose shouted above Max's supporters.
"Go Yamino Ami, you can do it." Michael screamed.
"Yeah, you can do it." Jacob shouted.
"I'll begin now," Max declared. 'When she killed my Sangan I got a third piece. I'm almost done here. "Even if you gain a 1000 Life Points I play Upstart Goblin to draw a new card from my deck!" He examined his options. "I set a Face Down card in defense and Three Face Downs in my magic/trap zone!"
"I draw." Yamino Ami smiled. I discard three monsters with Cheerful Coffin." She played a card concealing it with her hand. "Soul Release will take my four monsters out of play. Next I rid my grave of its two magic cards for the powering of Chaosrider." (A: 2000) "I won't attack just yet!"
"I'll draw." Max smiled as he saw his card. 'Exodia the Forbidden One. My fourth piece. I'll win if I draw the final one!' "I activate my face down Graceful Charity." 'Darn it. I didn't get the last piece.'
Yamino Ami drew. "This is over, we discard our hands with Card Destruction!" 'Exodia is dead!' "Next I strengthen Chaosrider and attack with Sangan."
'Still no final piece.' "I activate Back Up Soldier to get three of the limbs back. And when my face down Hane-Hane is flipped I activate Call of the Haunted to bring the head to the field. And as my monster lets me return a monster card to its owners hand I choose Exodia!" He had reclaimed all the pieces.
"Attack him directly Chaosrider Gustav!" The score was 11500 – 4900 but that wouldn't matter if Max got Exodia, the instant win five card combination made popular by the first episode of the dub. Max drew and played Raigeki wiping Yamino Ami's field of monsters. He summoned and attacked with Dunames Dark Witch. (A: 1800) He had to discard as he had to many cards at the end of his turn.
"Yamino Ami you can do it!" Jacob screeched.
She drew and smiled a dark smile. "I play my Red Lobster Demon. It attacks your Dunames with its attack of 3600."
"It's almost over, I have a small deck, and in this deck is Exodia I'm sure to draw it soon!" He drew. Yet still no Exodia. He set a Face Down.
"You won't get it once you see the monster I got from my deck with Sangan. It may be weak but I summon White Magical Hat. When it deals damage to you I discard a card from your hand. Go my monsters attack Lobster Demon first!" Purely by luck, Yamino Ami discarded an Exodia Piece.
"I, I, I," max stuttered, "lost. I've no other method left to recover that piece and I can't win through attacks. I fought so well and lost to a single card!" He shouted in frustration. He fell back on his bottom. He then smiled. "Good game, so I guess you win the bet then huh?" Yamino Ami nodded. "So what is your penalty game?" Max asked.
"For an entire month you must volunteer at the animal shelter." Yamino Ami said. It was always Yamino Ami who spoke of the penalty games and told a person what there penalty game was, but the penalty games where all Hikari's suggestions.
As instructed, Max played his penalty game for a month, but soon began going on Mondays of his own free will. He decided that when he became an adult he would most likely pursue a career as a veterinarian.
Hikari had big thoughts on her mind; the school was having a talent show next month. And she was signing up whether Yamino Ami let her or not. So she just had to choose a talent. She called up Jacob and Rose, they decided to form a band for the talent show. They also invited Michael but his schedule was full. So now she and her friends were practicing for the talent show.
It was a Friday night, with no rehearsal. Hikari was at the mall struggling against the will of Yamino Ami. She could do it if she tried, right? She could play the game and have fun. Why let a stupid voice in her head dictate her actions? Yet in the end Yamino Ami won out. Hikari looked back regretfully at an empty Dance Dance Revolution machine, a machine she easily could have been dancing upon herself. She wished she could break free of Yamino Ami.
'At least I agreed to let you become the laughingstock of the school!' Yamino Ami shouted in her mind 'I shouldn't even let you be doing this.'
'Now you think as if you and I are different people,' Hikari shouted in her mind. 'Make up your mind!'
'We are one and the same, those thoughts were your thoughts, all of mine are. Obviously you can't make up your mind!' Yamino Ami shouted. 'Now shut up and be glad to participate in the talent show.'
'But I want more. I want to be able to just play games at the mall for fun. I don't want you around anymore!' Hikari shot back.
'Even if it means no attention, being forgotten. You got interviewed on the news twelve times because of me. You need me to be the best. You want to be the best right?'
'At all costs.' Hikari sighed. 'Your right I need you.' She began to cry.