Joy: Sorry about the delay folks, but I am back with Chapter 18! Wow! This story is really coming along, I think. Okay, this is when the duelists all meet up. But first! Review responses, and I have quite a few!

Silver Moon Shadow: Yeah, well…maybe I'll have those two have a conversation later on about Katilli, but for now, he's not sure what to say on the matter. :o)

Sakura: Ouch, lol.

Fallen Mercy: We're all a bit crazy after ice cream. =D

Midnights: Heh. Sorry it took me so long to explain Exodia. I wanted there to be a really good time where I could dedicate a chapter to Katilli and her explanation of it and her past. =D

brdtpst: Oh, no, I wouldn't have Joy and Ryou hook up. Their dark sides are married, though. :o)

Okay, here comes the chapter!

The Finalists

Yugi looked around at the lobby of the building. It looked ordinary enough. Plants, furniture, and paintings decorated one side. There was an announcer's podium set up to the left. It looked actually quite like a small platform for someone to stand on and speak to everyone.

"This is so exciting," Sakura said, grinning as she checked out the area. "I'm gonna go look around a bit."

"Okay," Yugi said. He turned to Seto. "Kaiba? Have you ever been to this building before?"

"Why would I have been?" Seto asked, looking over at him.

"No real reason. Just curious," Yugi said. "I'm going to go and have a seat until we start, okay, guys?"

The others nodded and Yugi went over to one of the overstuffed chairs to sit down. Joy turned to Moon Shadow. "Is anything going to happen during these finals, Moon Shadow? I mean, is Vargon going to show up?"

Moon Shadow paused. "I do not think so. I believe for now we have no need to worry. But as always, we should keep our guard up."

"Look!" Merina spoke up, pointing to the doorway. "I think the other finalists are here." Everyone turned and looked.

As Joy looked over the last four finalists, she didn't recognize anyone until she came upon one who made her anger flare up. She felt like running over and strangling the person right then and their.

Aibou…? Katilli asked, feeling her light's anger and annoyance.

Clyde.

Now if there is one name in the world that makes Katilli go from nice to extremely pissed off the fastest, it's Clyde. Her anger flew so high up the scale the other darks could feel it. Hell, even the lights turned to look at Joy.

Well, something sure has pissed Katilli off, Bakura said.

Then Ryou saw Clyde. Oh, dear. Not good.

What do you mean? This is another chance to take this baka and ship him off to hell where he belongs.

Bakura…behave.

Meanwhile, Yami and Yugi were quite confused. They had recognized Eric and Jessie as two of the finalists, but that was surely no reason for Katilli to become this upset. She certainly seems angered about something. I hope everything is okay.

Indeed. Perhaps I should talk to her in her soul room.

Yugi agreed and felt his dark go out of the Puzzle. Yami went into Katilli's soul room and found her pacing – something she only did when she was very mad, like now. "Katilli…what is it?"

"That asshole Joy dueled before! He's one of the finalists." Katilli showed him through Joy's eyes. "And he was making passes at my hikari! And he kissed her without permission! I am SO going to –"

"Katilli, please calm down. It is not good for Joy if you do anything to this man. Let her take care of it in her own way. I am sure that since she has dealt with this man before, she will be able to do so again. Or I or one of the others will. Please relax." Katilli took a deep breath.

"All right. I will be patient…but if he kisses her again…"

"I am sure that will not happen. Now, I must return to the Puzzle. Try to remain composed." He vanished back into the Puzzle and told Yugi what had happened.

Yugi blinked, and then turned to Joy, pointing to Clyde. "That guy kissed you?"

Now that got everyone's attention, especially Seto's. He gave the man the best death glare he could.

Okay, there is one man who has his death warrant signed.

Kaiba, I am sure Joy can handle this one in a duel.

Of that I have little doubt. But then he's mine.

"Relax, people. He just kissed my hand. Though it was rather disgusting," Joy informed them. That's when the four newcomers walked up to them.

"Well, fancy meetin' you here, angel. Maybe we'll get to duel again. That last one was mighty nice." Clyde gave her a wink and Joy felt like throwing up right there.

"I told you that we would see each other again at the finals, Moto," Jessie said.

"Yeah, you did."

Moon Shadow noticed the last finalist, a girl with icy blue hair and lime green eyes, standing off by herself, shooting looks at the others. She wore a red short-sleeved shirt and jeans. Who is that one, Moon Shadow? Luna asked.

I am not sure. I have never met her before. Let me find out. She walked over to the girl. "We have not been introduced," she said.

"I'm not here to make friends, lady. I'm here to win," the woman shot out coldly, and then she walked past her to go and sit on one of the chairs in the lobby.

"Who is she?" Merina asked.

"I read her mind when I came up to her. Her name is Mugen. A good duelists of sorts with a reputation of being quite rude and cold-hearted."

"Okay, so the other four finalists are unfriendly. Nice," Merina said with a sigh. "What a great finals this will be."

Then the same man who spoke to them at the beginning of the tournament entered the building. "Hello, finalists!" Everyone gave him a smile…okay, everyone except Seto and Mugen gave him a smile. He crossed over to the platform and grabbed the microphone that was there.

"Okay, everyone, gather around and listen closely. I am about to explain the finals. The finals will be set up kind of like this. The first two duelists will duel. Then the next two, and so on. The winners of those duels will face each other. The two people left at the end will duel for the winner of the tournament. The opponents for the first round of duels have already been chosen and before you ask, you cannot switch or turn down a duel. You must duel to a winner is decided. If there is a tie, then another duel will be fought. Everyone got that?"

He was answered with a round of 'Yes's. "Good. Now, the first two duels. Ready? The first duel will be Sakura Kodasawa verses Jessie Smith. The second will be Yugi Moto verses Moon Shadow." When he came to Moon Shadow's name he looked over at the girl. "That is a very lovely name, young lady," he said with a happy smile.

"I thank you," Moon Shadow said with a nod.

"Okay. The first two duels will be today, while the next two will be tomorrow. Tomorrow's duels will be Mugen verses Eric Mason and Merina Lopez verses Joy Houyouku."

Damn it! Katilli spat.

What is it? Joy asked, confused a bit as to why her dark was angry.

You aren't dueling that snake in the sand Clyde first.

Relax, Katilli. I am sure whoever he is dueling will make short work of him.

"Now, will the first two duelists please stand on the squares painted on the floor right there?" He pointed to the two squares that were marked on the floor about three feet away. Sakura and Jessie went over and stood on them. Everyone gave Sakura thumbs up and words of encouragement as she took her place, to which she replied with a confident smile and a wink.

"Before you duel, please shake hands."

Jessie strolled over, taking Sakura's outstretched hand in her own. "So you are the holder of the Millennium Crossbow," She said with a small smile.

Sakura blinked. "How did you - ?"

"My brother and I were very close and he told me many things. Vargon is not dead and I highly doubt your friends will succeed in stopping him."

"We'll see about that."

"Yes, I guess we will, won't we." With that, Jessie went over to her own place, awaiting the duel.

Sakura shot Joy and the others a meaningful look that they needed to talk later, then readied her duel disk, her life point count registering at 4000.

Suddenly the area around the duelists shifted a bit, and then lifted up slightly, only about a foot. It was like a dueling platform. "Cool, Merina said. "It's like an arena now."

"And now, let the first duel of the tournament begin!"

Joy: And I will stop there. The next chapter will deal with two duels – Sakura vs. Jessie and Yugi vs. Moon Shadow. Interesting, ne? Right. So the next chapter will be…'A Honorable Duel'.

Okay, side note, I cannot seem to get any tabs or spaces to show up at the beginning of my paragraphs when I uploaded this chapter...stupid if you ask me, but oh well. Maybe I can fix it later...

Till then, review!