Chapter 4 – Normal Point of View

"Man, Mai you hit the jackpot!" Kashadra looked around the room Mai had taken from Rex Raptor. "Not even my room is this finely furnished. Guess my father didn't think the Irish National Champion deserved as much as one of the American ones."

"Yeah, it's nice. But not as nice as your room in the castle, huh?" Kashadra plopped down on one of the couches in the room, "But, Sha, how'd you get Kaiba to meet with you in the first place? That's what I don't understand." Mai took a seat opposite to Kashadra.

"I didn't get him to meet with me," she opened a soda she'd snagged from the galley. "I just showed up." She took a long drink from the can, nearly draining it. "Man, they do not put enough soda in these things. Arghh. I can't stand this! Why did my idiot of a father want his stupid tournament? Why didn't he just blackmail Mutou and then try to steal Kaiba's company?" Kashadra laid back on the couch, her knees hung over the arm. "He does everything the roundabout way. But, still, I was able to find the main flaw in his plan and make it work my way. He won't know what hit him. Right Mai?"

"Right. And the first thing we're going to do when this tournament is over is to go on one major shopping spree. This is really the life. Hardly work…"

"And get paid big time. Don't forget, this plan has to go down perfect though. It could get serious at the end of this tournament."

"Yeah, Kaiba had better pull off his end of the bargain, otherwise you're screwed huh?"

"Yeah, but, just incase he doesn't, I've got a trump card. Yugi Mutou. If Kaiba doesn't beat Pegasus, he will."

"Yeah, Kaiba's not your trump card because you're in looooove with him right?" Kashadra went red as a ripe cherry. Mai was laughing. Kashadra just stood up and walked to the door. "Don't leave yet Sha. I was only fooling around."

"Mai, you know as well as I do that we need our beauty sleep. See'ya in the morning." she walked out and shut the door behind her. 'I can't believe her. She knows I'm touchy when people fool around like that. But she's right. I am really starting to fall in love with Kaiba. And I mean hard. I've only known him about six weeks now. That should be too short a time to fall in love. But, there are no laws in love. It can hit hard and fast, or slow and easy. I just got hit hard.' Kashadraentered her room.

"No end to misery, eh father? Ha, ha. I think I'm going to go crazy if I stay on this boat much longer." She lay down on her bed. "That's why I don't like boats. They drive me nuts!" Kashadra began to sing to herself, trying to clear her head so she could go to sleep. "Gloria Estefan 'How Can I Be Sure' a perfect song for my life, and for Kaiba.

How can I be sure

In a world that's constantly changing

How can I be sure

Where I stand with you

Whenever I…

Whenever I'm away from you

I wanna die

'Cause you know I wanna stay with you

How do I know

Maybe…you're…trying…to

So sleepy," Kashadra yawned and fell asleep.

"Time to wake up sleepy head!" Mai was poking Kashadra's head. She just rolled over and pulled the covers over her head.

"Just a few more minutes."

"Nope! Someone's here to see you Sha. Seto Kaiba to be more precise." Kashadra sat up faster than you could blink. She had the covers held to her chest, which was barely covered in the gown she was wearing.

"What! He can't be here!"

"Hahaha!" Mai dissolved into laugher. Kashadra got up and dressed while she had her back turned and was trying to compose herself. "You should have seen the look on your face," Mai turned around. Kashadra was dressed in a simple black leather outfit. She had a scowl on her face. "He's not here; it was a ploy to get you up. C'mon or we'll be late! It's 11:30, and the tournaments starts at 12:00."

"Okay, let me brush my hair first." Kashadra picked up the brush on the vanity, and started pulling it through her matted mess of hair. "Remind me never to go to bed without wetting my hair first."

"I will, now let's go!" Mai nearly had to drag Kashadra away from the mirror. She was still brushing her hair when they came up to the castle. "Man, that was no fun, how can you run at such a pace?" halfway through the run, Kashadra had begun to speed up, reversing who was dragging and who was being dragged.

"Easy, practice." Kashadra ran the brush through her hair for a final time when they neared Yugi and his group.

"Looks like someone got up late."

"Shaddup Joey. I woke up late" she pocketed the brush. "And it's none of your business, but Mai stayed behind to wake me up."

"Oh well Michiko. Guess you'll have ta do without the information Pegasus gave all us early birds."

"Shut your trap Joey." Mai knocked him unconscious. "What did Pegasus say?" Joey was twitching on the ground.

"Probably something like new rules, new dueling arena, and that the tournament starts in about an hour. Give or take a few little things. Am I right Yugi?"

"Yeah, you are Michiko."

"Uhh, wha' happened?"

"Mai knocked you out Joey." The blonde picked himself up off the ground. "She did a bang up job too didn't she?"

"Yea' feels like ma' heads being pounded on by a hammer.

"Now, you two," Kashadra pointed at Téa and Tristan. "I don't think we've been introduced yet."

"No, we haven't. My name is Téa Gardner."

"I'm Tristan Taylor."

"Nice to meet you both. We all weren't properly introduced were we? You know my name, but since I already know Yugi had bested Seto Kaiba in Duel Monsters, I thought it'd be best if I gave my title. I'm the Irish National Duel Monsters Champion. Or INDMC as some people I know like to say." She gave a modest bow, "Bet you didn't know that huh?"

"The Irish National Duel Monsters Champion, and yet you wake up late for a tournament? That's not right!"

"Watch your mouth. You don't want to duel me."

"Oh and why not?"

"Didn't you hear Joey? Every person she duels she annihilates. Whoever it is, their lifepoints are at zero and Michiko's aren't even touched."

"I didn't know people knew so much about me Yugi."

"Geesh, ya weren't kidding were ya Michiko?"

"Nope. I've got some pretty decent defense monsters. So how 'bout we really kick this tournament off?"

"YEAH!" all five of them thrust their fists in the air. Kashadra looked around for Mai but she didn't see her.

"Did anyone see where Mai went?"

"Uh-uh. Not me, I think she just disappeared." Téa spoke and Kashadra just shook her head.

"Yeah, most likely. She does that all the time. You can hardly get her to stay in one place too long. She'll show up later." She sat down. "Now, if you don't mind. I'm still tired."

"Geesh! Ya gotta be kidding me!" Joey's last reply was the last thing she heard before she dropped off.