Author's Notes:
The first reading went well. So well, in fact, that I stopped being able to write during lunch anymore because the kids who had attended the first reading told the others. I was suddenly in demand. They wanted to hear the story, and they wanted it finished quickly. I was spending all of my time between camp and tutoring trying to write the story, but I hit a bit of a snag at this chapter.
About two chapters in, I had started brainstorming a list of games to drag each duelist through to rescue their loved one. Somehow, picking a game for Joey was more difficult than it ever should have been. For a sweet and simple guy who would do anything for his friends, you pick a sweet and simple game where you can make the player do anything you want. The kids really thought it was funny when I shared the game I'd selected with them.
The other problem was the chapter title. By sheer accident, the chapter titles were all being pulled from Lewis Carroll. I decided to be a bit more deliberate about it, right up until I hit these three chapters. Initially, Seto's chapter was supposed to be the fifth chapter with its Carroll-esque title. This chapter yielded no title whatsoever, no matter how hard I thought about it. When the chapter title finally presented itself to me, I was heartbroken. I had already determined the name for Yami and Tea's chapter, and I had this flow of chapter titles I didn't like: "The Red King and the White Queen", "The Queen of Hearts", and "The King of Games". I spent a day trying to figure out how to make it work, even debating it with the kids. Finally, the only solution to my woes became to swap Joey's chapter with Seto's chapter. It turns out that the four chapters flow much better this way.
The Queen of Hearts
Joey bolted down the hallway, calling at the top of his lungs, "Serenity! Mai!" He occasionally tried to open doors, which wouldn't budge. Finally, he came to a dead end with three doors.
"Eeny, meeny, mitey, moe. I choose that door," his finger pointing to the door on the right. The door didn't open when he tried it. "Fine. The middle door is too obvious, so it's gotta be the other door." That door similarly didn't budge when he went to open it. Not easily discouraged, Joey went to open the middle door, stunned when it also failed to open. "No way! One of them should have opened!" He stepped back toward the middle of the dead end. The floor rumbled and then gave way beneath him. He let out a strangled cry as he tumbled into darkness.
When he finally landed, he was still in the dark, but he could hear distorted carnival music. As the room slowly filled with light, Joey could see that the room itself was decorated in vibrant jewel tones with some pastels thrown in for a truly disconcerting look. "This place really is a carnival." he remarked to nobody.
Somebody responded, though. "Ah, there you are, Joseph. I was starting to think you'd never show up."
Joey recognized the voice immediately. "Pegasus, where are Serenity and Mai?".
"Your sister was just rescued by a rather good-looking fellow. A friend of yours, I believe."
"Tristan," Joey growled under his breath. It wasn't that he didn't trust his friend, but he knew enough about the guy to be uncomfortable with his persistent pursuit of Serenity.
Pegasus took the opportunity to further annoy Joey, "They make quite the attractive couple."
"No, they-," Joey stopped mid-protest. Pegasus is distracting me, that jerk! Without missing a beat, he shifted his attention to the other missing woman. "Where's Mai?"
"Ah, yes. Mai Valentine. Lovely woman." Joey snarled. The voice sounded amused as it continued, "She's here. Quite the doll. Get it?" Pegasus' voice chuckled at its own joke.
Joey wasn't laughing. "Let me see her!"
"All in due time, Joseph, but first I want you to play a game with me."
"And me without my deck. Guess you'll have to think of something else, Pegasus."
"Fortunately, I already have," the eccentric man's honeyed voice replied.
"Whaddya mean?" Joey was certain he didn't care for the direction this conversation was going.
"Do you remember the children's game 'Mother, May I'?"
"Yeah," Joey replied trepidatiously.
"Then you're going to love the shadow game version!" He could almost hear Pegasus clapping with glee. Something tells me I won't,Joey thought glumly, but I'll do anything to save Mai.
The voice called out, "Take three steps forward." I don't believe this! Joey thought as he took the first step. The floor crackled and Joey felt a sharp pain in his ankle. Pegasus' voice clucked, "You forgot to say, 'Mother, may I?'"
I'm not calling this jerk Mother. "Fine." He stepped back. "May I?"
Amused by the defiant behavior, the voice said, "Yes, you may." The game continued with Joey completing each request, no matter how ridiculous. Each time he forgot to ask permission, the floor electrocuted him.
"Man, I hope Mai appreciates this!" he mumbled as he was shocked for the fourth time. He stumbled through the next few commands. The electric shocks were becoming more intense.
"Come now, Joseph. Giving up so soon?" Pegasus' voice teased him as the blond duelist nearly fell to the floor after yet another shock.
"Hardly, Pegasus." I'm just drained from the electrotherapy treatment.
"Oh, good. Then let's continue, shall we?" Joey groaned. He was ready to be done with this game.
Unrelentingly, Pegasus gave him more absurd commands. Too stubborn to surrender, Joey completed every order. He was very cautious and made sure that he always asked permission before moving. After an interminably long series of commands, Joey found himself at the base of a staircase.
"Congratulations, Joseph! You made it to the end of the game! Walk up the stairs and claim your prize."
"Pegasus, if this is a trick-," Joey's temper was unusually short.
"No trick, I assure you."
Somehow, his word just isn't reassuring, Joey thought as he started up the stairs. He found a small room at the end of the staircase with a normal-sized chair in the center. Seated in the chair was the doll in which Mai Valentine was trapped.
"Joey! Am I glad to see you?" the doll exclaimed.
"Mai, you're...still a doll?" he sounded disappointed.
"Were you expecting me to be myself?" Mai wasn't entirely certain she expected to still be a doll either, but she loved Joey's confused look.
"Well," Joey thought about it for a moment, "yeah, actually, I did." Mai shook her doll head in amusement. As she did, her form changed from doll back to human. Joey's face brightened, "Now, that's more like it!"
Mai smiled, "It feels good to be back to normal." She stretched a bit, readjusting to being full size again. Then she faced Joey, "Serenity was trapped with us."
"Yeah, I know. Pegasus says Tristan rescued her, but I don't trust that guy."
"Tristan, huh? Well, who would've guessed?" Before Joey could respond, Mai continued, "Although, I guess he's been sweet on her for a while." Joey flinched. Why was everybody saying things like that today?
Mai smiled at Joey's discomfort. "What? Your sister has the right to be happy. And Tristan is one of your best friends. I thought you'd be happy for them."
Joey just growled. The problem was, he wasn't sure if he was growling at the thought of Tristan and Serenity, or if he was growling because he knew deep down that Mai was right. Besides, Tristan had turned out to be an okay guy. Serenity could do much worse.
"Come on, let's go find your sister and Tristan," Mai said, a certain fondness in her voice. She pulled on his arm and him back toward the hallway.