Joy: Here comes chapter fourteen for you all! Just a response or two before I begin.

I am glad you liked the name Silver Moon Phoenix, cuz I had several lined up. I just picked that one cuz I thought...Moon...Shadow...Night...and there you go!

And Midnights mentioned the first paragraph was repeated and I went back and looked...and it was...damn computer!!! (sigh) Sorry about that. I will go back and fix it someday. You were the only one who mentioned it though... heh.

And BabyGatomon, I sent you an email, but I don't know if you can get online to look. Let me know.

Now, on with the chapter!

The Shadow War

You have to let us go to the Shadow Realm! It's not fair that you all have to face this army and we don't!

Aibou... We are in the midst of a major battle, perhaps even a war with duel monsters. You could be hurt and I could not bare if that happened.

What if I told you I didn't care about that risk! You are in as much danger as I am, dead or not! There was a pause. Okay, how about this as a deal: We lights will stay at a ShadowCastle. That way we will be off the battlefield and out of harm's way.

I do not know...

Aww...come on, Katilli! Please?

Katilli sighed. Very well, but Ra help you if you go and get yourself and the others injured. I will have you taken to Yami and Yugi's castle. It is not as close to the battlefield since the enemy monsters did not get very close to it. But you are to stay at the Castle of Ancients, no matter what. Agreed?

Absolutely!

"ATTACK!" Yami yelled to his Dark Magician, who promptly fired a blast of Dark Magic at a nearby Winged Dragon. The battle thus far was pretty evenly played, though Slifer had stated he felt that the enemy had an Exodia that might show itself at any time. But Joy had one at her own castle, so Katilli sent a monster to go fetch it.

"If that Exodia of yours does show up, this might be a swift victory," Sorcerer said. The three darks had taken to the air on their dragons (Katilli on Red-Eyes, Sorcerer on Blue-Eyes, and Yami on Slifer) and were right in the thick of battle. They had earlier spotted Akujin himself on the battlefield, but then had become too occupied in the battle to keep track of him.

Katilli flew over to Yami. "Brother, do you notice something missing?" she asked.

Yami looked around the battle grounds. Duel monsters from both sides were everywhere, littering the area with blasts and filling the air with roars. Nothing seemed to be missing, but then Yami's eyes widened with the realization of his sister's question. "Akujin! He's not here!"

"He was here earlier!" Sorcerer said over the roar of his dragon.

"He fled! The coward!" Yami said angrily. "I am going after him with the Dark Magician and Slifer! He must have gone back to the Castle of Evil."

"All right, but be careful, Yami." Yami nodded in agreement. The Dark Magician joined him on the back of Slifer and they took off after Akujin.

Joy sighed. Great. I FINALLY convince the darks to let us come here, and now I am bored stiff! The darks had asked Reila to look after the lights during the battle. Joy was in the tower, looking out into the sea of darkness. In the horizon she could just spot the dots that resembled magical blasts. It was too far to warrant concern, of course, but Joy was not concerned for herself, but for Katilli. I know she's okay, but that doesn?t make the worry go away any sooner.

"Not bored are you?" Joy heard Reila say from nearby. She then heard her footsteps as she came up the tower steps.

"Only a lot," Joy admitted. Reila laughed.

"As much as this might seem an odd thing to say, I want to be out there, too. But you must know, as I do, that we each have our own individual responsibilities."

Joy turned to face her with a curious look. "And what is your responsibility, Reila?" she asked suddenly.

"I have many, but my top priority is the safety of Kira and you other lights."

"But you have others. Like you want to open up the Path of Light.?"

"It is not a want, Joy. It is a need."

There was a thought filled pause. "But how can that be done without fulfilling the requirements? That is why you hung around Akujin. Or do you mean totake a differentroute as he does?"

"I am rather offended that you think me that cold, Houyoku. To harm an innocent is something I can never and will never do." Reila gave Joy a look of mixed hurt and anger. Joy gave her a reassuring smile.

"I did not think you a murderer, Reila, but how will you open the Path of Light? Are you going to try to marry Yugi or something?" At this Reila burst out laughing, and after a moment Joy grinned, then giggled a bit.

"That is amusing, but no," Reila said. "As much as I admire Yugi, I do not think such a union would be a good idea."

"So why change sides? Akujin was very close to victory and you would have met your own goals, so..."

"I decided to join a more advantageous side, and I do not regret that decision. Besides, Akujin is not the only one who found a loophole in the rulebook."

"With so many ways to get to this place, it's a surprise it hasn't been opened before," Joy commented.

"Many millennia ago it was."

"During Katilli and Yami's time?" Joy asked, genuinely curious. She knew next to nothing about the Path of Light, and it seemed Reila held a lot of answers to her questions.

"No...it was much further back than that."

...Meanwhile...

The enemy's Exodia had arrived, and the tide of battle was swiftly turning against the darks. Many duel monsters had already been terribly injured by the beast, and not even a God could stand up to its powerful blast. The entire hope of victory now rested with Joy's Exodia, who had yet to arrive.

"That Exodia is going to annihilate us if your Exodia does not show up soon!" Sorcerer exclaimed.

"It will be here soon." Then she spotted it in the distance. "There!"

Sorcerer sighed in relief. "About time. Now we can give that beast a taste of its own medicine!"

The two unstoppable beasts met on the field, glaring at each other for a moment. Then Joy's monster turned to Katilli. "You expect me to fight this worthless look-a-like? It is an insult that a duel monster who is obviously so inferior to me would even show it's face on the battlefield!"

Katilli rolled her eyes while Sorcerer hid a smile. "Just fight, Exodia. You can feel insulted later!"

Joy: There you go! I am thinking about calling the next chapter...A BIG Victory! Until then, review and see you next time!