Joy: Here I am again with another chapter! Chapter 16! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Glad everyone liked that chapter, and I hope you like this one, too. I kind of got a writer's block halfway through it cuz I thought it sounded a bit stupid but I think it turned out better after some changes. Okay, here it comes!

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A New Spell for Joy

Slifer opened his second mouth and sent out a fiery blast right at Joy.

Time seemed to slow down as the blast came at her. Suddenly the Shield of Chi glowed brilliantly. Joy was remarkably calm at this. Like she was expecting it. She crossed her arms across her chest and closed her eyes. Her body glowed as it rose into the air about ten feet. Swirls of light surrounded her.

The blast from Slifer never got a chance to touch her before it reached the light. Not only was the blast stopped, but it was reflected right back at Slifer! The mighty God barely dodged in time.

Everyone was shocked by the display. No one knew quite what to say. Joy slowly floated back to the ground and opened her eyes, blinking several times. "Joy, are you okay? That was amazing!" Yugi asked excitedly. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet. Seto went over to her and this time he was able to touch her. He offered his hand and she took it until she was steady again.

"I'm…I'm okay," she assured the others. While the lights crowded around Joy, the darks held a brief conversation of their own.

"The shield is only one of the three needed," Reila said.

"One down and two to go, as our lights would say," Sorcerer added with a slight smile. For several moments the two groups were in conversation, but then Joy made to address everyone.

"Um…okay everyone. I've got a big day tomorrow with the press conference and all, so I think I need to get back to the mortal realm. All right, Katilli?" Joy asked her dark.

Katilli raised an eyebrow. It was still quite early for bed, so why the sudden urgency? "All right, hikari. I will take us back." The two girls said their goodbyes and in moments were back in Joy's hotel room. "Now tell me the truth, Joy. Why did you really want to come back?"

Joy sighed. "It's impossible to hide anything from you, isn't it?"

Katilli smiled. "I am the other half of your soul, Joy. I feel your emotions, too, and I can tell something is bothering you."

Joy gave Katilli a smile and started to change into bedclothes. "I am a bit bothered by something, but it is out of my hands, really. I'm worried about Akujin. He's going to come back for this shield you know." She sat the object in question by her bedside. "And this thing is going to make quite an impression tomorrow. I can't just carry it around all day, now can I?"

"I have already thought of that. Take hold of the staff." Joy picked it up and held it in her hands. "Now, in your mind, imagine the staff to be an object that can be easily carried, like a piece of jewelry or some such."

Joy imagined the shield in her hands to be a bracelet, which was the first thing that came to her mind. When she did that, she felt the staff shrink. She opened her eyes and looked down to see a bracelet of gold around her right wrist. "Cool! Now I can take it anywhere! Thanks, Katilli! But how did you know?"

"Reila told us the objects do the bidding of their owners, thus the staff will transform into anything you wish it to, my light. Now, about Akujin, I think I have another method for how you can defend yourself against him should he show up. I am going to teach you a spell, Joy. I think I shall start with a simple energy ball. And I have just the target, if you don't mind using this." She held out her hand and pointed her staff into it and conjured up a basketball. "Now," she said, putting the ball down on the ground, "all you have to do is concentrate and conjure up a ball of energy in your hand. Observe."

She held out her right hand and a second later there was a ball of white hovering just a few inches above her open palm. Joy held out her hand in the same way and looked right at it, concentrating on making her own energy ball. She narrowed her eyes for emphasis and a few moments later, a small white ball appeared, about five inches in diameter.

"A little small, isn't it?" Joy asked. "Yours is bigger."

"You got it on the first try, Joy. That is what matters. Now we can work on making it bigger." The two worked on it for several hours and soon the girls had white energy balls of the same size. Then came target practice with the basketball. Joy only hit it once out of ten tries. After the room was fixed by Katilli's magic, the dark decided to try again tomorrow night. "You did very well. You are a fast learner, my light. Now let us get some sleep. You do have a busy day tomorrow."

…That next morning…

Yugi had to mind the shop while his grandfather ran a few errands, and Ryou and Kira decided to hang out at the Game Shop as well. They agreed to watch Steven Houyoku's press conference, which was scheduled at eleven o'clock. Till then they just helped Yugi out around the shop, stocking and selling cards and talking.

"So, Kira, have you any idea where the Path of Light leads?" Ryou asked.

"Well," Kira began, looking away with a slightly sad look. "I, um, I have never been on the other side of it, but according to legend, it leads to another land, a beautiful place where there is every pleasant thing imaginable. And…and when one enters this place, they are granted one wish of anything they desire."

"No wonder Akujin wants to cross it so bad. And now I know why only one can enter, and so few can open the Path of Light," Yugi said. Kira nodded in agreement. Just then Yugi's grandfather came through the door. "Grandpa! You're back!"

"Yes, it didn't take me too long. I thank you for looking after things for me."

"Any time, grandpa." Yugi and his two friends went up to his room. "We still have a few minutes before the press conference. Want to watch a movie?" The others agreed and they settled down in front of Yugi's TV.

…At one o'clock…

Joy had been to one of her father's press conferences before, so she knew how one operated. She introduced her father to the press, then took a seat behind him on one of the chairs.

"Arigatou, my dear. Now, as all of you may be aware, Houyoku Industries is looking to expand to open a building here in Japan. That would mean jobs and the manufacturing of many different types of products for the Japanese. I have seeking an able-minded business person to help move things along, someone who will make sure things get done and can make decisions, but isn't afraid to get their hands wet, so to speak. I was looking to local businesses people for support, and though they have come through for me, I am aware that they have their own businesses and should not be expected to do more than that. So I have made my decision on what to do."

There was a brief murmur in the crowd of reporters. Joy was taken back at her father's words. This is unexpected.

Indeed, Katilli agreed. He never told you all this.

"I know this is a bit of a surprise, but to me the decision was simple. I put a bit of thought into it and the details are all worked out. The only thing left to do is for this chosen person to accept the position. The person will have the full backing of Houyoku Industries and live here in Japan to run the branch here with as many employees as she cares to hire."

She? Joy blinked. She? Wait a minute…does he mean what I think he means?

"The person that will be running the Japanese branch of Houyoku Industries is my daughter, Joy Houyoku."

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Joy: There you go! The next chapter is not very action packed, but it deals with the group's thoughts – Joy's response to her father's offer to run the Japanese branch of the company (mind you it is only one building in Japan, not the WHOLE company) and the others thoughts on who the last light might be and how they are going to get the last items from Akujin. I call it – Conversations. It might be POV if you guys want…I might make it POV anyway, but just wanted to know what you thought. ;-) Till then, review and c-ya!