Thank You: Alliance THE
Response: I'm not really mad at the flames. In fact, I'm glad you gave them to me, the sooner I get them, the less that I feel hurt if I get them later in the future. Besides, you have a point there with the way that I format. SoI changed my formattingand... now that I look at it, it is much easier to read. So, thank you for the flames! (Ha ha! That's a first!)
Thank You: Shadow over Egypt
Response: Okay, let me start by saying... ahh! I can't believe that you're reviewing my work! Thank you so much for doing that! Okay, so... thank you for saying that you like my OC fic, when you distinctly said that you normally don't. Hope your headache gets better!
Thank You: Ceribi Motou
Response: Just like I said for Shadow over Egypt, I can't believe that you're reviewing my work! Thank you! And... I know that Emma is weird, glad you said that because that's exactly how I want her to be. :Grins: Thank you for saying that you like my story as well!
Blab Session:
1) Okay, so... I'm sorry for updating so late! I didn't mean to do that! :Cries: I hate it when I update so late! And with such a short chapter? I feel so guilty...
2) Also, adding to why I updated late, I just moved, as Adrian knows... :Grins: so I didn't have my internet connected for a week... even though it was supposed to be last Thursday... :Grumbles: Now, trust me! If your family is thinking of switching from Comcast to Verizon... do not do it! They're the reason that my internet connection took so long to hook up!
3) The content in this chapter may not be what you expected. Like for one, this tournament lasts at least a week or two, you'll find out why in the next chapter.
4) And as always... arigato (thank you) and enjoy!
Some Things Never Change
Yugi whistled in a carefree like manner. Whistling was a new found talent that he had just recently unearthed from trying to whistle the other day when he was bored. He could even whistle complicated tunes! Right now, he was just whistling to something he had made up in the spur of the moment as he continued to doodle absent-mindedly.
He gave a sharp and shrill whistle in surprise when his RV door burst open.
Yugi winced inwardly as the door scraped hard against the wall; but was really wincing more at a girl with flyaway blonde hair tied up in pigtails with red-beaded ties, blue eyes, and freckles who had just bounced into the room. Her glasses that were set on the bridge of her nose almost fell off and her blue skirt and sky-blue schoolgirl blouse ruffled up a bit. With a black turtleneck inside and a yellow bow on her neck, it added to the 'genius girl' look to her that she was trying to achieve.
"Yugi!" The girl squealed and Yugi felt his eyes pop out of his head as she hugged him tightly around his middle.
A man with graying hair and friendly black eyes stepped into the room and chuckled. He wore a plain beige business suit with a red bow tie.
"Rebecca dear, I think Yugi needs a little bit of air," He said.
Rebecca let go of him and instead, sufficed by wrapping her arms around his shoulders and smiled at the man.
"It's okay, grandpa, my darling little Yugi here likes it, don't you sweetie?" She cooed, pinching his cheek.
"Uh..." Yugi said, uncertain of what he should do, but luckily, the man wearing the beige suit saved him.
"Yugi, we just came here to say that we're going to be leaving for New York in about half an hour."
Yugi raised an eyebrow.
"Why, Professor Hawkins?"
"Ooo! I got invited to The D&W Duel Monsters Tournament!" Rebecca squealed, hugging Yugi tightly again, except around his neck and hanging off him.
"Ah-ah-ah, Rebecca, we're also going because I need to speak to the Winchel Corporation about some funds needed for my next expedition."
Rebecca rolled her blue eyes.
"Yes, grandpa, but I can still compete in the tournament, right?"
Her grandpa laughed.
"That's not up to me, Rebecca, you know very well that the choice is up to you. And by the way, Yugi, you were also invited to the tournament as well as Joey."
Yugi just stood there silently, feeling very uncomfortable about having Rebecca's arms around him and her grandfather right in front of both of them, in plain sight. He was relieved when Téa entered the room, again red, though Yugi didn't notice.
She turned her head and asked Professor Hawkins, "When are we leaving? Everything's ready."
Different POV
Emma Winchel scratched the back of her neck, feeling the hairs on the nape of it stand on end as she was surprised by this man's offer to buy the company. She sighed, a habit that she often did in exchange of doing anything else and was forced to restrain herself from slamming her fist hard on the tabletop of her sky-blue metal desk.
"Mr. Santos, sir, I am sorry but for the last I will not sell my company to you," She said in a voice that hinted not a single thread of any kind of emotion.
Obviously, Mr. Santos didn't get the message, even through her voice over the phone.
"But, Miss Winchel! Please, this is a very beneficial opportunity as I have explained... if you just..."
Emma had had enough.
She took a deep breath and sighed, just trying to get rid of the stress building up inside her.
Mr. Santos suddenly stopped talking all together and waited for Emma to say something…
Nothing.
'Shoot, that doesn't sound good,' He thought nervously.
"Mr. Santos…"
Mr. Santos winced.
Now he realized that he had pushed his sales pitch too far...
Too bad he only realized it now.
"When you called me at my private office number…"
As Emma began talking, Mr. Santos winced even more, not just because of what she was saying, but because she said it with no hint of remorse, killing the small flare of hope in Mr. Santos of buying the Winchel Corporation.
"Mr. Santos, I have gotten offers for trillions of dollars for my company from more eccentric companies. If you offer me a measly 250 million then you're already knocked down from the preliminaries, I know people that are poorer than you that are more worthy to run my company," Emma only started, standing up from her spinning leather office chair that had wheeled its way to the walls that had been completely torn down and replaced with windows, due to the wheels on the bottom.
'What! We've been saving up this money for almost 10 years!' Mr. Santos thought in shock.
Emma began to say more reasons why he should just give up, still emotionlessly and without regret for him or anything else.
She didn't even notice that her intercom had turned on and her secretary could now hear every word she said.
"And furthermore, Mr. Santos, you might as well just give up, throw the towel in, say adios to your chance at trying to buy my company, and give your position as President to some one who knows when to quit and isn't as egotistical and self-less as you are. It might be better for you, your company, and also your family. Good day," She said calmly and clicked her phone on the receiver softly as she gave a loud sigh.
Plopping down on her office chair she took off her sunglassesher eye color still a mystery since she had her eyes closed when she took her sunglasses off.
Silently, with a gentle circular motion, she began to rub the temples of her head.
"Emma," Jonathon said gently, entering the room.
Ever since Emma had acquired the Winchel Empire she had immediately promoted Jonathon to be her secretary, seeing as how he was the only one that ever really acknowledged her.
After she had put her sunglasses back on, she looked up, her eyes flashing, but then softening at the sight of Jonathon.
"Emma, three of your contestants for the tournament have arrived with company and a Professor Arthur Hawkins that has an appointment with you?" He asked, raising a brown eyebrow up suspiciously.
Emma thought for a minute, registering the names he had said and then nodded.
Jonathon gave a warm smile.
Opening the door widely, a bunch of teenagers with a young 11-year-old girl and her grandpa walked inside happily, all amazed at their surroundings for one reason or another.
"Hello Professor Hawkins, Miss Hawkins, Mr. Motou, and Mr. Wheeler. I hope the trouble of having to drive all the way from California to New York wasn't too much trouble?" Emma asked, startling everyone since she was now in front of the four people that she had addressed.
"Ahh! Oh my, gosh! I can't believe it! It's so great to finally meet you, Emma! I'm your biggest fan!" Rebecca squealed, jumping up and down with stars in her eyes. Emma nodded ignorantly and turned to her grandfather.
"Professor Hawkins, the funds that you will be needing for your next expedition have already been set up and the money was sent to your account," She said, sounding rather careless.
Professor Hawkins stared at her; shocked, yet, with also a look of amusement.
"My, my, Emma, I know you are very smart, but tell me, how did you know how much money I needed?" He asked.
Emma just walked to her desk silently in response. Opening one of the numerous metal sliding drawers fitted into her desk, she took out a white envelope and gave it to him.
Professor Hawkins stared at the envelope given to him and ripped the top open carefully.
Scanning the letter with his brown eyes, they began to sparkle as he smiled at her when he finished.
"Ah yes, good old Solomon, told you," He chuckled, stuffing the envelope in the inside of his blazer.
Different POV
Yugi quickly got over the initial shock of Rebecca having Emma as an idol and the enormous size of Emma's office as perked his ears up curiously.
"Solomon? Do you mean grandpa, Professor Hawkins?" He asked.
Professor Hawkins nodded.
"Yes, Yugi, that is correct."
Emma proceeded to type on her computer keyboard and when she hit the ENTER button on the keyboard, her printer turned on and started to feed itself paper as it printed a map of some sort.
In about 3 seconds, it was done printing and she gave the map to Yugi.
"Mr. Motou, you and Mr. Wheeler, along with the rest of the males of your party will be staying in a wing of the company building for the elapse time until the start of the tournament in a couple of days," She said, sitting back down in her chair and crossing her legs together.
"Since Professor Hawkins already knows his way around here, he will lead Miss Hawkins and Miss Gardener to the wing they'll be staying in. Good Day," She saluted them.
Yugi and Professor Hawkins nodded as they both walked out of the room, each with their own gaggle of teenagers trailing after them as they were each leaded to their own wings.
Different POV
Emma continued to work diligently and was undaunted when her intercom turned on and Jonathon's voice crackled through the silver speaker.
"Emma, there's a Mr. Kaiba here who says that it is very important to speak with him now," He said, as if he had expected this.
"Please send him up, Jonathon," Emma said in a soft voice.
"Yes, Emma," He answered, severing the connection.
After a couple of minutes a young man with neglected brown hair and piercing blue eyes stormed into the room. He wore a black turtleneck inside of a purple and gold-embroidered overcoat, black pants, and black dress shoes. He carried an air of confidence around him that clearly said that he always got what he wanted, no matter what. He held in his right hand, a silver briefcase with grooves on the outside and he slammed it down on her desk.
Emma saved her work on her computer and then afterwards, turned it off.
She looked up, her eyes framed by the dark tint of her sunglasses.
"Mr. Kaiba," She said emotionlessly.
Kaiba banged his fist on her metal desk, causing it to vibrate and make a loud clank.
"Enough with the formalities, Winchel, I know that you know that the opening of Kaiba Land, here in New York was to take place but instead you set up your second-rate tournament to prevent Kaiba Corp.'s opening of Kaiba Land, didn't you?" He exclaimed, grinding his teeth.
Emma studied him for a moment and then noticed the Duel Monsters card pendant that hung off his neck, strung on a black cord with silver-plating on the back and a lock on it.
"I never planned to do that," She said as she continued to stare at the dangling pendant and then looked up, meeting her hidden eyes with his glaring blue ones.
"It just happened irrelevantly, I would never even think to do something like that. But then again... you wouldn't know how I act, or probably remember me for that fact, would you?" She said eerily calm.
Kaiba growled like an angry dog with rabies.
One, for giving him a response that he felt was false and untrue, and two, for acting as if nothing was wrong.
"Why would I remember you if I have never met or even talked to you face-to-face before this moment?" He snapped coldly.
Emma took off her sunglasses and revealed her relaxed and emotionless amber eyes. They glimmered in the shine of the fluorescent light, but stared blankly at Kaiba, even under its gleam.
Different POV
Kaiba backed away in an instant, completely startled and shocked as he stared at her with wavering eyes.
Now he realized why she looked so strangely familiar.
That hair...
Those eyes...
Nobody else that he had ever seen or met had those characteristics.
Why hadn't he realized who she was in the first place?
"You're the Amber-Eyed Girl!" He gasped in a sharp whisper.
The Amber-Eyed Girl put her dark sunglasses back on. His reaction to her didn't seem to sway her at all.
"Amber-Eyed Girl?" She repeated.
"I know for a fact that Mokuba used to call me the Mute Girl, but Amber-Eyed Girl was usually used for me by people that pitied me," She said in a soft voice, but devoid of any emotion or feeling.
"You talk now?"
"I've been able to talk," She said.
"I just didn't choose to talk or speak to anyone back in the orphanage. Many people would think that not talking is one of the worst things to do, but silence is actually very helpful in most situations," She said, looking down.
"But now that I am forced to run a company I never wanted, speaking is essential," She finished quietly.
"Every business, or at least smart person knows that speaking is essential; no matter what," He retorted harshly.
She stood up straighter and lifted her head up.
"True Mr. Kaiba, but think about it. Whenever people taunt or try to hurt others, they will always start by trying to break down their prey through words. If you show that you don't care, but more importantly disregard whatever they say, they will think that you're not worth hurting because they find more pleasure in beating up people that fear them and their words then those who they think don't even register what they say," She said.
Silence.
Seto waited impatiently for her to speak and was about to retaliate when she added absent-mindedly, "It would have saved both you and Mokuba a lot of pain and emotional stress to just stay silent and never talk to the bullies whenever they started something with you."
Different POV
Seto's patience snapped like a rubber band against the blade of a pair of sharp scissors as he roared at her angrily, "Shut up, Winchel!"
The Amber-Eyed Girl grew silent as Kaiba began to breathe heavily out of rage.
"From now on, you and me are rivals, Winchel! Nobody tells me how to protect myself, or my brother for that matter!" He barked at her as he turned around and began to walk out on her.
"And Yugi Motou?"
All of the common sense was knocked out of Kaiba as he twirled around in blind fury and narrowed his eyes at her, his black pupils against his ice blue eyes growing smaller.
"From now on, Winchel, I don't even know the name, Motou," He said icily and continued with his dramatic exit as his overcoat fluttered in the invisible breeze.
Different POV
After Kaiba banged the door after him, the Amber-Eyed Girl sighed and thought to herself silently, 'I was afraid of this. Cyril was right, some things never really do change.'
She sighed. 'I guess the rumors are true, having lived with Gozaburo has changed Seto to be just like him and any other business tyrant.'
The familiar crackling of Jonathon's voice soundly interrupted the Amber-Eyed Girl's thoughts. "Emma, the papers you requested are ready."
Emma nodded, even though Jonathon couldn't see her as she responded with a push of a button on her intercom, "Yes, Jonathon, Send them up, please."
Different POV
Seto Kaiba sat in the back of his limo with a grim and sullen look on his face as the lights of New York City flashed by.
Mokuba looked at his older brother worriedly.
"Seto, are you okay?" Mokuba asked, concerned.
Seto almost growled at his younger brother but fortunately, managed to remember just who he was in the nick of time. But he still answered with a voice matching his mood.
"No, I'm not," He snapped angrily.
"And that Winchel girl is really annoying and starting to get on my nerves," He growled, grinding his teeth again. Personally, Mokuba was surprised that his brother didn't need a mouth guard with all the teeth grinding he always did, but just marked if off as fluoride in the water.
"Are you going to compete in her tournament?" He asked.
His older brother snapped up and almost glared at Mokuba with his icy eyes.
Rummaging through his pocket, he unearthed a yellow envelope with an elegant foil seal with a blue "W" outlined in gold imprinted on it and threw it sharply in the air to Mokuba. Mokuba reached up and caught the envelope just barely, almost receiving a paper cut as he rub his hand quickly and opened the envelope.
As he opened it, he realized that it was just a formal invitation, inviting Seto to The D&W Duel Monsters Tournament. But at the bottom of the invite was a personal note for Seto, which was one of the first things Mokuba noticed.
It read:
Mr. Kaiba,
I would just like to point outall in the name of sportsmanshipthat my tournament could help rebuild your reputation as the #1 duelist in the country. If you succeed, you will become the King of Games as well; seeing as how I will be inviting Mr. Motou and the two of you would probably face off in the finals. Please think about it.
Emma Winchel
Strangely, on the paper was a big imprinted letter in script with the same design as the foil seal, the letter K. To Mokuba, he thought that that letter was a K to mock Kaiba Corp., but something in the back of his mind said no to his reasoning.
"So I'm guessing you're going," Mokuba mumbled as he set the letter aside.
Seto growled in response.
"Of course I am," He snapped coldly. "This could be my chance to humiliate Winchel in her own tournament and rightfully claim the title as King of Games from Yugi," Seto said menacingly, balling up his fist tightly. Mokuba sighed and rolled his gray eyes. Looking out of the tinted limo window, he watched the bright lights of New York City go flashing by.
Different POV
"Wha! Lookit dis place!" The hazel-eyed boy with messy and shaggy blonde hair exclaimed.
His name was Joey.
Well... actually, Joseph was his name, but he didn't like that so his friends call him Joey.
Laughing giddily, he jumped facedown on the bouncy blue bed in his suite of the room.
"Wow! This place really is great!" Yugi agreed, looking around in amazement at the suite that was given to all of them.
"You're telling me!" The other hazel-eyed boy, but with brown hair shaped into a spike shouted.
There was a small kitchen, full of all necessities, across the room. But it looked like the brown-haired boy had already taken a liking to the fridge as practically half of his body was inside it.
Oh yeah, that's Tristan; he's a bit of a food-a-holic, but he's still really loyal and a good friend if you know him well enough.
"Hey! I get dibs on da junk food!" Joey cried and was also half way inside the fridge, balancing on top of Tristan as they both fought for the food.
Yugi and the other boy next to him with spiky black hair and green eyes sweat-dropped as they watched the two boys engorge themselves with food.
"Didn't they already eat an hour ago in the RV?" The black-haired boy asked.
And here's the last male, Duke Devlin.
You can pretty much call him the "Dice-Boy". But his name is actually suitable for him, seeing as how he's the creator of a different form of Duel Monsters, Dungeon Dice Monsters. The business for the game isn't really that bad, but Duel Monsters is still far more popular.
Yugi nodded.
"Yeah, but you know those two, they could eat a meal set out for 800 people in 10 minutes," He laughed.
Duke looked at Joey and Tristan with his sharp green eyes.
Shifting his weight on his right leg while giving them both disapproving looks behind their backs he commented, "More like 10 seconds if you ask me."
Yugi fell down with another sweat-drop on his head.
Different POV
The following week seemed to pass by like a swift wind during a typhoon because before anyone knew anything, the day finally came to which The D&W Duel Monsters Tournament would begin.
Professor Hawkins had left during the last enduring week to go on his latest expedition while meanwhile, on the opening day of the Tournament, everyone had assembled and manned their stations on one of Emma's many eccentric ferries.
Yugi and Téa were both in their own rooms, doing whatever they deemed was worthy of taking up their spare time while Tristan and Duke were both stuffing their faces at the dining level of the ferry. Joey and Rebecca had both been with them as well, but… Joey sorta… got seasick.
"I tink I'm gonna be sick," Joey grumbled and moaned as he turned an unsightly green.
''Well get used to it, Joey, since we're going to be here for the rest of the tournament and all," Rebecca said, sighing. "And I still need to achieve my goal of getting Emma to say my first name instead of 'Miss Hawkins', frankly, it's making me feel older."
Joey grinned, supposedly better and set his elbow on Rebecca's shoulder as he asked, "Really? I thought you wanted to be older?"
"Hey!" Rebecca exclaimed, quickly catching up on what Joey meant and bopped him on the back of his head, hard.
Different POV
"Attention all duelists!" Jonathon's voice rang throughout the ferry, hitting each and everyone's ears with incredible volume.
"Attention all duelists! Please proceed to the main deck for the opening introduction!"
Yugi stood up and after making sure that the D&W Duel Disk that was given to him was firmly strapped onto his wrist, he walked out of his room and onto the main deck.
'Well, Pharaoh, hopefully this tournament won't have any bad guys or mishaps,' Yugi thought mentally. It seemed like he was talking to himself… but…
'Yes, Yugi, hopefully there won't. But you can never be too sure,' The Pharaoh answered as he appeared next to Yugi, ghostly and pale, a twin replica of the young boy. Yes, here's a secret, there are actually two people living in Yugi's body, two personalities, two opposites. Here's the darker one of the two. He's the former pharaoh of Egypt 5,000 years ago; he only comes out when Yugi duels, when Yugi is threatened, or when Yugi wants him to come out.
Yugi nodded as he entered the main deck where everyone else was including his friends, a bunch of American people, and... Kaiba!
"Kaiba! What are you doing here?" Yugi exclaimed, spotting the tall and young CEO of Kaiba Corp. who was wearing what he used in his Battle City Tournament. He turned around and glared at Yugi with his icy blue eyes.
"Yugi," He said simply and turned his head back forward to Emma who was standing on an elevated platform, well above everybody else by 7 feet.
"Good morning everyone, I will making my opening statement short and simple, I invited you all here to personally see who is better, American Duelists, or Domino Duelists."
"American Duelists!" The American Duelists exclaimed with Rebecca.
"Domino Duelists!" Yugi's friends retaliated, except Yugi and Kaiba who remained silent while Yugi unnoticeably switched places with the pharaoh.
"The Duelists representing America are as follows, when I call your name, please step forward in front of this platform:
1) Bandit Keith
2) Ella Ashby
3) Harmony Leon
4) Jade Blackwood
5) Kenneth Oswald
6) Masika Nahovia
7) Rebecca Hawkins
8) Roseanne Malasig
9) Steven Caulder
10) and Tabia Nahovia."
All 10 of the competitors stepped up in front of the platform and stood there, all with their different and natural expressions to everyone, ranging from slyness to seriousness to shyness and much more.
Different POV
"Wha..." Joey was about to protest about Bandit Keith being admitted in the tournament when Tristan kept Joey quiet by covering Joey's mouth and pulling him into a headlock.
"Shut it you idiot! Now's not the time to act like macho man!" He hissed.
"Next, the Duelists representing Domino are as follows:
1) Diana Strachan
2) Espa Roba
3) Joey Wheeler
4) Mai Valentine
5) Mako Tsunami
6) Phoebe Miles
7) Rex Raptor
8) Seto Kaiba
9) Weevil Underwood
10) and Yugi Motou."
"What!" Joey managed to gasp through Tristan's hand as Emma announced Espa, Mai, Mako, Rex, and Weevil's names.
Joey squirmed around in Tristan's grasp and grunted, "Lemme go Tristan!" Tristan let Joey go to stand with the other duelists as Joey glared at him.
"These are our competitors, let us all wish them good luck," Emma said and left the platform as the entire deck filled with cheers and applause.