--Tired eyes slowly open as bursts of sunshine greet them with the light of a late morning glare. Alyssa moans into her pillow slightly, then bolts upright.
"Oh no! I overslept!"
Quickly she gets dressed and walks outside to see the position of the sun. "No…" she whispers. "It wouldn't matter to leave now…I'm too late!" She runs back inside and looks for the clothes she had finished last night. Ah! There they were, by her bedside. She must have fallen asleep right after she had finished them, for they hadn't even been put into their proper basket. Hurriedly she packs them into her bag and rushes off to the homes of their owners.
"You're late." The first woman snaps at her. "I know, it's just-" "You were supposed to have these to me this morning!" The woman continues. "I'm sorry, but I-" "I can not always be waiting on you all day!" She growls. "It wasn't that late!" Alyssa shouts to stem the flow of angry words. "It is here now, would you like to take it or no?"
"Of course I'm still taking it. I need at least something." She says. "Well then, I will need the money for it." The woman disappears into the house and flings a coin out at her." "There. Now be off with you." "I thought I said two!" Alyssa says. "That isn't much." She says. "You'll get one and be happy with it. You can not expect full payment for late merchandise."
"But you don't understand, I need the-" The woman slams the door on her and she is forced to walk away. "I can still get the seven if I hurry." She tells herself. She quickly goes to her next destination, where she meets the same comments, and the next as well.
Finally having delivered all of her garments and mendings to their respective owners, she holds four coins in her palm. "This isn't enough." She says inwardly panicking. "everyone promised me at least two…that would have been enough…but this!" he closed her hand into a fist around the coins angrily. Blinking back hot tears, she thinks "Why do people have to be so evil sometimes?"
Running back towards her house, she stops at the homes of a few people she knew. "Ah, Alyssa! How may I help you? My wife has not been the same since you gave her those roots." "I'm so glad to hear she is better." Alyssa smiles in reply. "Yes, yes. Anything I can ever do for you, anything at all, you name it." Sighing, she begins. "I'm glad to hear you say that. I'm afraid that I need a small loan, just one or two coins? I promise to have it back to you soon."
The man furrows his brows. "I'm afraid I can't help you there. I'm grateful that you helped her sickness go away, but I haven't any money." "Ah, good to see you! I was wondering what I should bring." Another man says, coming up from behind. "…Bring to what?" Alyssa asks, looking between the two. "Why, the party!" The man says, throwing his arms up in the air. "In celebration of the long sickness vanishing." "Oh…" she says, looking away. "I'm very sorry." He says. "But I have to go." And retreats into the house.
Alyssa sighs as she walks away onto the next house where aid has been promised her. Again and again, she is turned away. "I don't have the money right now." "I'm busy. Get back to me tomorrow." The last one says. "But I-" and the door is closed on her again.
Walking back to her house she feels the four coins in her pocket. "It's half…maybe he'll allow me some time for the rest." Her mind thought hopefully, grasping at straws. She looks at the ground as she walks, contemplating what she must do. Hearing two voices, she looks up.
"My daughter will be returning with what you need." She hears her mother say. "Give her only a little time to get here." "I'm a very busy man and I haven't got the time to wait around all day for some-"
"I'm here." She announces before he can finish his sentence. Her mother looks relieved, and he turns around. "Yes, well, then, where is it? You know the routine, seven pieces a day." He says. "Yes, I do." She nods at him. Hesitating, she turns to her mother. "Mother, perhaps it would be best if you waited inside today." "Is something wrong?" her mother asked. "No, it's just…please?" she said. "Alright…" Her mother turns, suspicious and worried eyes looking back to her as she walks in.
"So, where is it?" the burly, fat man asks her. "I'm sorry. I haven't enough to pay you for today. I have but four coins, give me a few days and I'll have the other ones to you, I swear it."
"You don't have it?" he roars. "You don't have my payments!" "I'm sorry, it's just I've been busy as of late and-"
"I don't need excuses!" he yells. "Or have you forgotten the deal we made?" he angrily requests. "No, I have, and I've always had it on time. I've just been busy with other things and I haven't been able to collect the entire amount on time. As I've said, if you'll give me a few days for the rest," she begins, her words growing faster as she panics inwardly. "I'm not a man to wait on things. If you don't have it, then you are out." "But I have four of the coins! That's the greater half!" She says. The man reaches out a hand and swipes them from her open palm. "Then I will take them as rent for a partial day, and you must leave. Now."
All the noise had attracted a few people and her parents. Looking at the sky, she hesitated again. "Wait." She says, and went inside. She walked over to the box once more and opened a secret space, a small space, and tipped the box into her hand.
Out fell a small jewel, bluish green in color, and rough. She looked at it, felt it between her fingers, and went outside. She extended her hand to the man. "Here." She said, and dropped the jewel into his outstretched palm. Her mother gasped. "Not your jewel!" She said, pained. "It's alright mom. We need the house more." Alyssa told her. "But you risked your life for that! Do you not remember how you got it?"
She did. It was before the illness, when she would take the wash to the river and help her mother. One of the articles they were working on was washed away in a current, and she had jumped in to retrieve it. ON the way back she had seen the stone pass by the surface and turned quickly, chasing it. Unfortunately, the crocodiles also patrolled those shores. She'd nearly died that day from being eaten by one. She had outsmarted it though, and caught the small prize. She remembered offering it to her mother. "No, you keep it." She had said. And she had, all these years.
But she held by what she said. They needed the house more than anything, and a small rock was nothing compared to that. The man took it in his hands. "This will do fine." He said, pocketing it. "Make sure you have your rent for tomorrow." He said, waving a finger at her before turning off and leaving. As soon as he was gone they turned and went back inside.
"Why did you give it to him?" her mother barraged her. "It's nothing, mom. It's just a rock. Relax. It's not like I was doing anything with it anyway. "But you liked it so much!" her mother said. "It was the one pretty thing you had and-" "Mom!" she said, and her mother grew quiet. "It's not that big a deal." She said, softer. She saw her shell and remembered where she ought to be.
"I need to go." She said to her parents. If she got there in time she might be able to earn a piece or two. She goes and gets her bag, throwing it over her shoulder, and picking up her bag. "Besides, if I don't get there soon, then I won't get one of the lunch trays." She thought to herself. "Don't worry, everything will be fine." She told her parents. She could see her own worry in their eyes, but hers was for different reasons. She turned away and walked out the door, running towards the palace to make the zenith meal.
"Oh yeah, this is MUCH better than the limo." Joey complains as they walk on the side of the road down the desert. "Well, perhaps if you hadn't taken so long to get in the car I wouldn't have had to drive so fast and we wouldn't have burned the engine out!" Tristan retorts. "Ah, it doesn't matter." Joey says evading the question.
After the incident, the group had driven off at incredible speed. However, the car overheated and they were now reduced to walking. Currently they were walking with the most important of their luggage, hoping to hitchhike their way to town.
"Gaah…my shoulder's killing me." Joey says, switching the shoulders his bag is resting on. "We've barely been walking half an hour!" Tea says. "It doesn't matter." Joey says. "I'm still a little tired."
"I can take that for you." Alyssa offers, reaching out an arm for it. "Really? Wow! Thanks!" Joey says as he begins to hand off the bag to her and she accepts it. "Joey," Yami says, turning around. "If you make her carry that bag…" His look says it all. "Oh, fine." He says, taking the bag back. "I guess I can carry it." He says.
"Alyssa." The Pharaoh calls to her. "Yes, my King?" she answers speedily. "You can come up here and walk with me." He says, noticing Joey trying to hand the bag off to her again, and she ready to take it.
"Oh, um…uh…I…I guess…ah…okay then…" She says, moving to walk behind him. "You can come up next to me." He tells her. "No, I'm okay here." She says, looking down and away. He stops so that she almost runs into him.
"Oh! My Lord, I'm so sorry. I…I wasn't paying attention." "Now you've done it!" he says. "What?" she asks, tensing up, her eyes growing wide. "Look at this! I've sand all over my shoes now." He jokes. She however, doesn't notice it. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, I swear! I'm so sorry! I'll clean it off!" she says, kneeling down quickly to wipe it off.
Surprised that she didn't understand he was joking, Yami quickly backs up. "No, no, it was a joke." He explains. "But I-" "Didn't expect that you would take me seriously." Yami tells her. "I'm just teasing. There's sand everywhere. I was just trying to stop you from being behind me." He says. "Well, that is easily accomplished," she mumbles, and moves to the other side of the group, her eyes still aimed towards the ground and not looking at any member of the group.
They continue on, the Pharaoh inwardly kicking himself due to the backfire of his joke. "Do you want me to take over?" Yugi asks. "No, I'm fine. I wouldn't want you to have to do this." He smiles at him, referring to the trek through the desert with the weight of the suitcase.
About a mile later they hear a rumble in the distance. A car can be seen on the horizon. "Let's flag it down." Joey says. "Wait, I've got a better idea." Tea says, spying a large boulder on the side.
A few minutes late, the car slows to a stop, the two girls standing on the side of the road. Smiling, the driver asks, "Can I give you two ladies a ride?" "Just to town, thanks." Tea says. "But…we also need some help getting our friends there too." Alyssa adds. 'Friends?" the drier says, a perplexed expression on his face. Guiltily, the men walk out from behind the boulder. The driver stares for a moment and then puts.
No more than a minute or two later, the group is settled into the back of the truck, driving along towards town. "Finally, off to Industrial Illusions!" Joey says, stretching before putting his arms behind his head. "I wonder who that person was." Tea says, referring to the biker crusader that had helped them escape the motorcycle gang. "It was Mai." Joey says, with a head as big as an elephants, a smug expression on his face. "And how would you know that?" Tea asks him dubiously. "Simple. The card on the ground was Harpie Lady, Mai's signature card. And I got a look at her through her helmet." He added.
Everyone smiled. "Who's Mai?" Alyssa asked, confused. "Oh! That's right. You wouldn't know Mai." Joey said sitting up. "She's a really good duelist we met in Duelist Kingdom." Tristan says. "Duelist Kingdom?" Alyssa repeats, growing more confused by the second. "It was a dueling tournament held by the guy we are about to see." Yami says. "…Okay then." Alyssa says, leaning back and looking up at the clouds. "The lady on the bike that helped us out is an old friend of yours that you met at a tournament called Duelist Kingdom that was hosted by the man we are traveling to see?" she says. "Exactly." Tea says. "Great." Alyssa says with a smile.
About half an hour's drive further, they come to the city. "Here you are." Says the rather grumpy driver. "Thanks" Tea says, giving him a bright smile as everyone gets off. "You were great." She leans up and gives him a small peck on the cheek. He brightens up instantly, tips his hat, and drives off.
The group walks together towards the entrance to the building. "Tell me again why we are here?" Tristan asks. "We're here to see Mai." Joey repeats for the umpteenth time. "But how do we even know she's in here?" Tristan proceeds. "Come on, it's Mai! I know her like the back of my hand." Joey says, walking in. "Nudging Alyssa's arm with his elbow so she looked at him, he said "Me and Mai used to be buddies, you know." Smiling at him, she said "Really?" The pharaoh laughs as he hears Joey go on about another one of his tales. He knew very well, as did the rest of them, that she knew they'd been friends. Joey had told her story after story on the way to Industrial Illusions.
They enter the building and enter a large reception area, with a wide open space in the center of the room. "I don't get it, where is she?" Tea asks. Joey stops his chatting and perks up as he hears this. 'I dunno…she ought to be here." Suddenly, the burglary gates come down over the building. "We're being locked in!" Yugi shouts. "Quick, to the exits!" The Pharaoh warns, as they make a mad dash to try and leave before trapped inside. However, they are too late.
"I can't budge these things!" Tristan shouts. "Me neither!" Joey cries, trying to bend the bars. "Look!" Tea shouts and points upward. A figure sitting on a red motorcycle can be seen on a balcony, the tinted helmet still covering their face. The engine revs and smoke curls out from underneath the vehicle.
It starts forward and leaps off the balcony, turning on it's side in midair and landing on the reception floor below. The rider swings a leg over the side, getting off, and straightens up. Long blonde hair cascades down to the girls waist, in all directions.
"Long time no see, Mai." Joey says to her. "It's so good to see you!" Tea exclaims. "Humph." She says and shakes out her hair. "Eh…Mai? You okay?" Joey begins, perspiring slightly at his temple. "Is something wrong?" Tea asks okay. "You can tell us, Mai…we're your frie-" "I was never friends with any of you, you hear?" Mai says, her eyes thinning. "I'm not part of your little loser group, ya got that?" she tells them. "Hey Joey, anything different about that hand of yours?" Tristan whispers to him. Joey ignores him. "Mai…but… I thought that we were friends…"
"WE WERE NEVER FRIENDS!" Mai yells, putting her helmet down on her bike her. She is so loud that she startles the group into jumping. "Ever since Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, and all the other joints I've always been a second rate duelist. And it' all your fault!" she yells.
"MY fault? How do you figure that one?" Joey asks her. "Ever since you've been around I've been force to stand in the back. Joey Wheeler. Joey Wheeler." She says. "I don't know what you're talking about." He tells her, clenching his fist. "Oh really? You've always been holding me back, Joey. Stealing my fame, my publicity. No one cared all the other duels I've won."
"Mai…I never meant for any of that. I don't know where you're getting it from." "Just come on and duel me!" she yells, pulling out a duel disk that looks like that of the mysterious man they battled on the rooftop. "Hey, isn't that…" Yugi begins. "Yes, it is." Yami tells him. "But then-" Yugi starts off but is interrupted by Mai's angry shout. "Time to pay up for all the trouble you've caused me, Wheeler! And you'll do that by paying with your soul!"