I can't believe I'm FINALLY getting to post this! This was my first ever fanfic, and I think it will help explain a little about Raia, since I use her in almost ALL of my other fics! Anyway, since this was my very first, please don't stone me! Read, review, and enjoy. And remember, I don't own yugioh, otherwise I would be sitting in some penthouse loft, rather than writing fanfics on a Garfield Heights school computer. I do own Raia, though!
Mirror Force
By: Robin J. Sky
PART I
The girl panted as she ran up the steps. Taking two at a time, her mind was set and determined to make it to the doors...
"And now, for your dueling pleasure..." Croquet began. Pegasus' footsteps echoed down the hall towards the arena.
The girl stopped short before the great doors of the castle. She banged loudly, praying that someone would grant her entrance. She HAD to get inside...
"Castle Pegasus presents the creator of Duel Monsters himself..." Croquet continued.
She ran through the halls, the echoing sounds of her feet drown to her ears by her pounding heart...
"Maximilion Pegasus!" Croquet finished with a flourish.
Joey humped. "What a..." *BAM!!*
Through the doors burst a young girl, panting hard. She ran past Téa, Tristan, and Bakura, and almost knocked Joey over.
"Hey, watch it!!" Joey yelled.
Through her heavy breaths, the girl managed to yell out "STOP!!!!"
Yugi and Pegasus turned to look at the source of the interruption, Yugi startled and Pegasus clearly annoyed.
The girl regained her breath. "I demand that this tournament be suspended!"
Joey, Tristan, and Téa looked at each other, puzzled expressions evident. "Who is this nutjob?" Joey asked.
"Joey!" Bakura chided in a hushed voice.
"On what grounds?" Pegasus asked, irritated.
"The grounds of unfair rules. I request a fair chance at the championship."
"And what, pray tell, makes you so entitled to such a request?" Pegasus asked.
The girl held up her hand. On it was a red duelist's glove, complete with ten star chips.
Yugi and his friends looked at her with amazement. Pegasus' expression turned quickly from annoyance to amusement. He looked at Yugi.
"Well, it seems we have quite a predicament."
Joey snarled. "Whaddaya talkin' about? The finals of the tournament are already over!"
Yugi looked at Joey. "But the rules of the tournament say that anyone with ten star chips is supposed to be admitted to the finals..." he reasoned.
"That's right, Yugi-boy" Pegasus mused. He looked back at the girl. "What do YOU propose should be done about this?"
She looked surprised, obviously not having expected the question. She thought a moment, and then announced her decision. "I challenge HIM to a match." She pointed a menacing finger at Yugi. "Whoever wins faces Pegasus, all or nothing."
"Sounds fair to me," Pegasus said, grinning. "What do you think, Yugi-boy?"
"This is nuts!" Joey called out. "Yugi already made it through all the rounds of the tournament. Why should he have to duel anyone else? Especially this wacko!"
"Jo-ey!" Téa scolded.
The girl turned to look at Joey with fierce blue eyes. One glance at her expression, and Joey promptly shut his trap. She turned back to face the arena where Yugi and Pegasus were poised. Joey narrowed his eyes.
I've seen that look somewhere before...
Yugi was lost in thought. I already won the right to face Pegasus, but she did win ten stars. I've got to give her a fair chance.
"I accept the challenge," he said aloud.
"What?!" the four others said in unison.
Raia smiled in satisfaction. This should be a piece of cake. That little shrimp doesn't stand a chance against me. Her expression changed to one of defiance and determination. I'm coming, guys...
Pegasus looked a little too pleased. "Then it's settled," he chimed cheerfully. "The final Duelist Kingdom match will be Yugi Mutoh versus..." he paused, looking at the girl.
"Raia Chitoshi," she finished.
Pegasus turned and left the dueling ring, and Raia was off like a shot.
A moment later she reappeared and took her place opposite Yugi on the duel platform.
"So you're Yugi Mutoh?"
"Yes I am," Yugi replied.
Raia narrowed her eyes. "Prepare to lose, Yugi," she said in a cold voice.
"Huh?"
"I came here for my own reasons, but it seems that I'll have the added luck of eliminating you from this tournament," she said.
"But what did..." Yugi started.
He was interrupted by Pegasus who had returned to his place aside the stadium, and declared loudly "Let the dueling begin!"
The decks were shuffled, cut, and returned. Then each player drew their first five cards. Raia looked across the ring at Yugi.
Her jaw dropped.
She saw now what she hadn't noticed before: an inverted pyramid hanging from his neck. It glowed softly, and Raia could sense the change in him.
"YOU have a Millennium Item?!?" she exclaimed.
Yugi looked up at Raia, and gave a half-smile. Every duelist had their own way to throw off their opponents, and activating his Millennium Puzzle was his. Although he was a little surprised that she knew what it was...
"Huh?"
Watching Raia from across the arena, he saw brilliant light beam out from her chest, and had to shield his eyes. When he looked back, Raia seemed very different. The most noticeable change was the oversized heart hanging from her neck.
Another Millennium item! She has one, too!
"It seems that your puzzle isn't going to give you the advantage of intimidation this time," Raia called, in a much more commanding voice than she'd had before.
Yugi growled, recalling his duel with Panik. "Then I'll be just fine," he called back.
Raia grinned. Hmm... Certainly struck a chord, didn't I? "Then let's duel," she said. "I play Curse of Dragon, in attack mode." The holographic creature that appeared let out a high screech.
Curse of Dragon? Yugi thought.
"Hey, Yugi's got that same card," Joey remarked.
I've never had to face one of my own monsters before. Yugi grinned as he looked at the card he drew. "Strong monster," he commented, "but not strong enough. Go, Gaia, the Fierce Knight!"
Gaia the Fierce Knight?! No way! Raia thought in shock. Wait a minute...
The soldier charged at the image of the dragon. The dragon screeched again as it shattered.
Raia grumbled as her life point count lowered to 1700. She drew a card and looked at her hand.
"First, I'll lay Gyakutenno Megami on the field," she started.
A fairy card? Against my knight? Yugi wondered. What's she up to?
"Then I'll lay these two cards face down, to end my turn." Two spaces behind the fairy shimmered as the holographic lights played over them.
"If that's the best you have, then this will be over in no time. Gaia, attack!"
The warrior didn't move. Raia smirked.
"Huh? What have you done to him, Raia?"
"Just a nifty little trap called Pheremones. One of my favorites, I might add," she replied.
"Pheremones?" Joey called from the balcony. "What kinda wacky card is that?"
Raia looked up at him. "Just like a guy not to know about this card. Pheremones makes all my girls experts in their...feminine wiles. If I have a female monster on the field, this trap makes all of Yugi's monsters too enamored to attack." She snickered cruelly.
"Not bad," Bakura commented. "She seems like she could almost be as good as Yugi."
"No way," Tristan countered. "This'll be his easiest match yet. There's nothing that'll stop him from rescuing his grandpa."
"That's right. Yugi didn't come all this way just to lose," Téa added.
Rescuing his grandfather? Raia wondered. What is he talking about? She looked back at Yugi and shrugged. "Oh, well, I guess it's my turn." She drew her card.
Perfect! she thought.
"I'll put one monster and one other card face- down on the field. Then, I can flip over Monster Reborn to resurrect Curse of Dragon in defense."
"Hmm..." Yugi mused.
"Finally, I play the Luminous Spark, raising my fairy's attack to 2300."
"That will still only make it even with Yugi's knight," Bakura observed.
Raia grinned maliciously. "Megami, attack!"
"But it's a draw!" Yugi said as he watched both creatures be destroyed.
"So it is," Raia replied calmly. "It's also your turn."
"Look, I told ya she was nuts. Her attack destroyed both monsters. What good did it do her?" Joey commented.
Why would she sacrifice a creature to destroy one of mine, if she could have made it even stronger? Yugi wondered. I'll have to wait and see what she plays out.
Raia smiled. He has no idea what I'm planning to do. All of this has been a ploy to get his monster under my control...
Yugi drew. "I'll play the Summoned Skull!"
Time to get a peek at her strategy.
"Destroy Curse of Dragon! Lightning Strike attack!"
"Not so fast. I play this trap card, Shift! It allows me to redirect you Summoned Skull's attack to whichever monster I choose. And I choose my face-down card, the Magician of Faith!"
Yugi looked a little nervous. "That monster's effect allows you to bring back a magic card from the graveyard."
"Sheesh, Sherlock, I'm glad you know the rules. I bet even your pet puppy up there could have figured that out," Raia mocked, pointing at Joey.
"Puppy?! Why you..." Joey growled.
"Down boy," Téa said dryly.
She took a card from her graveyard pile. "Does that make it my turn?"
"Yes, it does," Yugi answered reluctantly.
"Beautiful! Then I'll use Monster Reborn again, but to bring back your knight."
"No!"
"Then I'll turn Curse of Dragon to attack mode."
Wait a minute. I've seen this before, too. "Aw, man!" Joey exclaimed.
"What is it?" Tristan asked.
"If she has what I think she has in her hand, Yugi's about to face one of his own strongest monsters!" Joey answered.
"Huh?" Téa looked blankly at him.
"That's right," Raia called in a sing-song voice. "Go, Polymerization!"
Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Téa all gasped.
"Behold, Gaia the Dragon Champion!" Raia called triumphantly. "Attack!"
"No!" Yugi called again, as the image of his Summoned Skull turned to holographic dust.
"That takes you down 100 life points."
Yugi looked down at his hand. I don't have anything in my hand that can beat a monster that strong. I'll have to defend until I can figure a way out of this...
"I hope you still don't harbor any illusions about winning this game, Yugi Mutoh. I'm here on a mission, and I am dead-set on winning this duel and facing Pegasus."
The determination in Raia's face was unmistakable. I have to face him, and I have to win. Otherwise, I'll never see them again...
Joey stared at Raia. I swear she looks so familiar...