Joy: Okay, sorry for the delay. I know you all have been anxious for the finals to start. I have been really busy and have only just now been able to write this. So this is it – the first chapter of the finals. There will be two duels in this chapter and the next one.

You know I forgot that the last entry was made on Total Eclipses One Month Anniversary? Dark Kuriboh Empire reminded me! Wow. That was kind of weird that I updated on the same day and all… But you all gave this story and me a wonderful present by giving me the largest number of reviews ever! EIGHT! OH RA! Responses!

Silver Moon Phoenix: Thanks for the Info! It really came in handy during the writing of their duel!

Sakura: LOL. I'll see Smith get what she deserves in the end.

Fallen Mercy: Sakura has a good deck, so she is gonna do well. Can't let out too much info, though. Gotta let you all enjoy the chapter. = )

Midnights: Maybe hit the wrong button and that's what made your screen do that. Is it fixed? Anyway… Heh…sister problems? I don't know – I have two younger brothers that are always driving me nuts.

Orange Lynx: Hello! How are ya? So glad to meet you! Midnights told me you read and enjoy my stories, and I am so happy that you do. After all, your sister seems to be hooked! =D Keep reading!

Sapphire: Yeah, I just left it at Mugen. Glad it's okay. I am working on her deck for her duel. It is gonna ROCK!

Dark Kuriboh Empire: Heh, yeah. Seems like quite a love heptagon to me, too. Clyde is a marked man by everyone now. I have his duel set for soon, and it is gonna be good, trust me. And yeah, Merina stepped in to help, but Yugi got the win, so it's all good. Oh, and about Ryou's name…that is a good question. I have pronounced it two ways. Rye-you and Ree-you. I think it is the second one, but I have never known for sure. Maybe I can find out, but not sure right now.

Dark mage of sea 13: Yeah, Joy versus Merina next chapter. Should be good. Just gotta get everything together. Merina's deck is gonna be full of a lot of water monsters, but they are good ones with good attack and effects, too. Hope that's okay.

Okay, enough delays. On with the chapter!

An Honorable Duel

"Sakura Kodasawa wins the toss, so she goes first. Let the duel begin!"

I can't believe my luck! Not only do I get a good first hand, but I can start this duel off, Sakura told her darks.

Yeah, this should be a good win, Sakura. Just keep your patience, Cala advised.

Hey, I'm always patient! Sakura shot back.

Whatever you say… Cala said as Caru laughed. Sakura frowned mentally.

Sakura: 4000

Jessie: 4000

"I play one monster facedown and three cards facedown. Your move, Jessie."

"Very well, I summon Kojikocy in attack mode and I'll also play three cards facedown. Make your move, Kodasawa, I haven't got all day," Jessie said with a sneer.

Sakura took a deep breath and counted to ten. Jessie was already starting to get on her nerves. She drew. "I play Pot of Greed," she stated, activating the card. She drew two cards. "Your move."

"That was it? That was your move? I could have done much better than that and I'll prove it right now. First I'll play another card facedown and then I'll activate Fissure. Say goodbye to your pitiful monster! Now Kojikocy will attack your life points directly!"

Sakura: 2500

Jessie: 4000

"That was Sangan you just destroyed, Smith. That means I can draw a monster with attack moves of 1500 or less from my deck and add it to my hand," Sakura said as she looked through her deck. Her eyes rested on the Witch of the Black Forest. Not a bad choice. She picked it and reshuffled. "Now it's my turn. I place one monster facedown and summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in attack mode. Destroy that Kojikocy!"

Sakura: 2500

Jessie: 3700

Jessie drew. "I pass this turn." I don't have any monsters…but I will soon and then this girl will lose this duel.

Sakura smirked. "Well, well…not too high and mighty now, are you, Smith. Gearfried, attack her life points directly!

Sakura: 2500

Jessie: 1900

Jessie drew. "We'll see who's smirking at the end of this play, foolish girl! I play Dark Hole!" Sakura's eyes widened. "From the look on your face I take it you are surprised. That's right. All your monsters are gone!"

Shit, shit, shit! How could I let that happen?!

You have to focus, Sakura. Don't let her get to you.

Right. Thanks, Cala. Sakura drew. Nice. "I play Opticlops in attack mode. Attack her life points directly!

Sakura: 2500

Jessie: 100

Now she is up against the wall, Caru said with a laugh.

Don't lower your guard, Sakura. She's a tricky one.

Don't worry. I won't lose.

Jessie drew. "I place one monster facedown." If you attack this one, Kodasawa, you are in for a big surprise. Jessie sneered. "You're move, girl, if you are brave enough to take it."

"I'm not afraid of you, Smith. I place one card facedown and attack with Opticlops!"

"You fool! You just attacked the Princess of Tsurugi! You lose five hundred life points for each Magic and Trap card you have on the field."

Oh no! I have four of them! That means I lose 2000 life points! "DAMN IT!" Jessie sneered as Sakura's life points went down.

Sakura: 500

Jessie: 100

It all comes down to this one draw… Sakura said. Jessie drew.

DAMN IT! I'm through! No monsters to defend my life points… "I skip."

"Ha! Then you lose, Jessie! Opticlops, attack her life points directly!"

Sakura: 500

Jessie: 0000

"And the winner at 500 life points is Sakura Kodasawa. Good job, young lady," The announcer stated with a small smile. The platform lowered and Sakura and a very angered Jessie left the arena. "Now, will Yugi Moto and Moon Shadow please step up to the platform for the next duel?"

"Good job, Sakura!" Ryou said. Sakura blushed a bit.

"Arigatou, Ryou. It was a good duel. A great warm-up, if I do say so myself."

As Yugi and Moon Shadow made their way to the platform arena, their friends cheered them on, giving moral support. "Good luck, Yugi. And you two Moon Shadow. Seriously, I don't know who to root for," Merina said, giving them both a smile.

"We'll definitely be sitting at the edge of our seats," Joy said. Yugi and Moon Shadow smiled and made their way to the platform, which rose after they took their places.

"Now, shake hands and we will begin the duel," the announcer ordered.

Moon Shadow and Yugi met in the middle of the platform. The Puzzle glowed and Yami took over and shook hands with his friend. "This should be an interesting duel, Moon Shadow. I hear your deck is quite powerful," Yami said.

"As is yours…Yugi." Moon Shadow was careful not to call him 'pharaoh' or "Yami' but to say Yugi instead. "I am looking forward to an honorable duel."

"And you shall receive it, I assure you. Now, shall we duel?" Yami asked. Moon Shadow nodded and they returned to their places.

"Now let's begin the second duel of these finals!" the announcer stated. The coin was tossed and Moon Shadow won.

Every advantage helps, I suppose.

Are you going to use the Dark Magician Girl or go with the Harpies? Luna asked.

Not sure…whichever strategy comes first, I suppose. "I place three cards facedown and summon Silver Fang in attack mode!" The wolf appeared in front of her. "You're move, Yugi."

Damn…no monster cards…what luck I am having, Yami thought.

Don't get discouraged, Yami. Just stall until you get the right cards, Yugi said to him.

Yes, I think I shall do that. "I place three cards facedown. Your move, my friend."

"No monsters, Yugi?" Moon Shadow asked quizzically.

"Not yet, but soon," came Yami's answer. Moon Shadow shrugged, then drew.

Those three cards may be part of a plan to stop me…so I'll just have to get rid of them right now. "I play Harpie's Feather Duster. Say goodbye to your Magic and Trap cards, Yugi!"

Damn…she's got the upper hand. But I won't let her keep it. "I play Alpha the Magnet Warrior in attack mode, and end my turn." I don't know what other cards she has facedown, so I dare not attack.

Moon Shadow smiled a little. This duel is already turning to my favor, but I cannot let my guard down. He is very resourceful. He did not ascend to the title of King of Games by making mistakes. "I activate Shadow Spell, lowering your Magnet Warrior's attack to 700. Attack Silver Fang!"

Yami: 3500

Moon Shadow: 4000

Yami frowned, then drew. "I place one monster facedown." Perhaps this shall slow down her lead a bit.

"First I activate Graceful Charity!" She drew three cards and discarded the two she had. "And now Silver Fang will attack your facedown card." The card flipped over to reveal a Mystical Elf. "Damn! I lose life points because the defense was higher than my attack!"

"That's right," Yami said with a small smile. "And the difference is 800 points."

Yami: 3500

Moon Shadow: 3200

"And now I shall attack your Silver Fang with my Magnet Warrior!" Yami stated.

Yami: 3500

Moon Shadow: 2900

Damn! I need to regain control of this duel. She drew. This little bluff worked for the pharaoh, maybe it will work for me, too. "I place a monster facedown. Your move, Yugi."

"Attack, Magnet Warrior!" It was Moon Shadow's Mystical Elf. Damn, now I lose life points! Yami scowled at his life point meter.

Yami: 3000

Moon Shadow: 2900

Moon Shadow looked over her cards. I think I am going to attempt the Dark Magician Girl strategy. I may pull it off. But first I need a tribute. "I summon the Maiden of the Moon in attack mode." This female warrior looked very similar to Moon Shadow herself.

"I sacrifice my two monsters to summon the Dark Magician in attack Mode," Yami said. His favorite monster appeared before him.

"Going to attack?" Moon Shadow asked. Yami glanced down at her two facedown cards.

"Not yet. But soon my Dark Magician will take you down, Moon Shadow."

"We shall see. Now I will make a sacrifice. I sacrifice the Maiden of the Moon to call forth the Dark Magician Girl!" The perky spellcaster appeared on the field. "Make your move, Yugi."

"I play one card facedown and summon the Dark Blade to the field. Then I will add this magic card – The Sword of Dark Destruction to boost my Dark Magician even more. Then I will attack the Dark Magician Girl with the Dark Magician!"

"Magic Cylinder!"

"Remove Trap!"

"Damn!"

Yami: 3000

Moon Shadow: 2000

"I summon Cyber Harpie in attack mode." Unless I get Monster Reborn, I'll half to settle for my alternative strategy… He'll have to attack Mystical Elf with the Dark Magician if he wants to take it down. Then I can start to fight back a bit.

"I place one card facedown and attack the Mystical Elf using Dark Magician." The female elf disappeared. "It is your turn, Moon Shadow."

He is doing as your thought, Luna said.

He didn't really have a choice but to take down Mystical Elf, Luna. "Now I will equip my Cyber Harpie with Wind Fan, and then I shall play the Field Card – Rising Air Current. This raises my Cyber Harpie to 2800 points. Attack Dark Blade!"

Yami: 2000

Moon Shadow 2000

Yugi, I hate doing this, but I do believe this duel is over, Yami told his hikari.

Yeah. Unless she has a spell card, of course. She does have some on the field still, doesn't she?

We shall see if it is a card that she can use. "I place one card facedown and then I shall equip the Dark Magician with the Malevolent Nuzzler, raising his attack points to 3600. Now, attack Cyber Harpie!"

"Negate attack!"

"Mystical Space Typhoon!"

Yami: 2000

Moon Shadow: 400

It's over…I don't have any monsters that I can summon right now to block his Dark Magician's next attack. This duel is his. "Go ahead and end the duel, Yugi. I have nothing that can stop you."

"Are you certain?" Yami asked skeptically.

Moon Shadow gave him a small smile. "Very."

"So be it. Dark Magician – attack her life points directly!"

Yami: 2000

Moon Shadow: 0000

"And the winner of this duel is Yugi Moto!" The announcer stated. The platform lowered and Yugi, who had regained control, stepped off with Moon Shadow. Everyone crowded around the two duelists.

"It was a well fought duel," Ryou said. "Good job, both of you." The others nodded in agreement.

"That duel was so awesome!" Merina said excitedly. "What a battle!" Then she grew serious as she turned to Joy. "I duel you tomorrow, Joy."

"Yeah. It will be a good duel, of that I'm sure." Joy smiled at her friend. "No matter who wins, we'll still be good friends, right, Merina?"

"Absolutely!" Merina said with a laugh. "You expected anything less?"

"Nope!"

Joy: Okay, gonna stop it there this time. Now much talking, just a lot of dueling in this chapter. I may put some evening action in the last chapter. Not too sure at this point. My brain is fried. I typed this kind of late.

The next chapter will be called: 'Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better!' Kind of a funny title, but I wanted a comical tone to the next chapter, so there you go.

On a side note, I hope I did those duels right. It was hard doing Moon Shadow and Yugi's duel especially. I wanted to do the characters justice. Did I pull it off? (crosses fingers) I am such a silly person for worrying so much, I guess. Anyway, see ya next time and don't forget to review. The reviews are now tied with SL!