Hi people! Now listen. Today's my friend's Birthday! (Yes April, your birthday.) Everyone say Happy Birthday to her! Yay! Don't forget the birthday punches!

Ooh, and another thing. I'm going to play a game with you. Now, I would've done it on my birthday, but that's too far away. Instead, I'll do it now. Who can guess how old I am?

10? Wrong, too small. 20? Wrong, too high. I'm between 10 and 20, which should be a wide enough range for you to get it wrong, or right. If nobody gets it right, I'm not telling you how old I really am. This is my way of seeing how well I write…or how childish I seem. Put your guess in the reviews:-)

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX.

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Chapter 9

Testing! 1, 2, 3!

-

Mira woke up to the sound of the radio. The music being played wasn't exactly to wake up to. Imagine awaking to the sound of drums, electric guitars, and a singer shouting something into the mike you don't understand (I don't hate rock, I'm just trying to make the point that Mira didn't like it). It was Mariah's kind of music though, so Mira wouldn't say anything unless it got out of hand.

Mira sat up and rubbed her eyes. What kind of music is this? Ugh…

Mira got out of her bed and changed into her uniform. She went out of her room. Mariah was on the couch, on the phone with someone.

How in the world can she hear the person on the other end with the music blasting? Mira thought as she walked up to Mariah. Mariah looked up and saw her coming. She grabbed the remote and turned down the radio.

"Hold on." Mariah said into the phone and then covered the phone with her hand.

"Good morning Mariah." Mira said.

"Mornin' sleepy. I hope the music didn't wake you up. It's just that you slept so long, I just couldn't wait."

"That's okay." Mira replied.

"Hey, why are you in uniform?" Mariah said to her.

"Aren't we supposed to be in uniform at all times?" Mira asked.

"Well you don't have to all the time. When you're in here, wear what you want! I wouldn't give a hang if you were walking around naked! Well actually, I guess I would care a bit…okay, a lot…"

"Where do I get breakfast?" Mira asked, uncomfortable with the last subject.

"Downstairs." Mariah said, and then she went right back to the phone.

Mira went downstairs. (Sorry, I don't know how they eat. I only know that the Slifers all eat together, like in a lunchroom. That's it.)

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"Jeez Sy. You sure catch a cold fast." Jaden said as Syrus lay on his bed. It had lots of shade, thanks to Chumley's bed on top. It had only been a few hours, and now he was coughing like wild. To top it off, he still felt bad about being the first to go down during the 3-on-3, and he couldn't get off the subject.

"I guess I did. It must be my punishment for losing." Syrus said, staring up into nowhere.

"Syrus, you didn't lose, we won." Jaden said.

"Whatever. Is Zane angry at me?" Syrus asked.

"No Syrus. He's not angry." Jaden replied, although he truly didn't know.

"Is Cecelia angry?"

"No, she's just hyperactive, as always."

"Are you angry at me?"

"Nope, Sy. I'll never ever be angry with you because you lose."

"So you finally admit I lost?"

Jaden sighed and said, "Syrus, you never lost."

"But you just said-"

"Forget what I said Sy! I thought you were over this whole unconfident thing when we won against the Paradocks Brothers! Zane's your brother, and no matter what you think he thinks, he loves you. Get it through Sy! You don't have to impress him, because he already likes you!"

Syrus shrank in the bed and pulled the sheets over his head. I know he's impressed already…it's Cecelia I want to like me…

Jaden felt bad for making Syrus troubled. "Sorry Syrus. I just don't like how he shuns you so much, and how you do the complete opposite."

Syrus didn't reply. Jaden decided to change the subject.

"So Syrus, what'cha doing for Duel Monsters' Spirit Day?"

Syrus came out of the blankets and stared at Jaden with a worried face.

"Well, I was thinking of doing one good duel, somebody versus somebody, and they're in costume. The only problem is that too many people want to be in the duel! What do you think I should do?"

"I think…that you should go with your instincts!" Jaden replied happily.

"Thanks Jay. That really helps." Syrus said sarcastically.

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Mira and Mariah were outside in the bright sunlight, looking through each other's decks. They were sitting on the soft grass on top of a hill, with a beautiful breeze blowing at them. Mariah was surprised at the cards Mira chose.

"Mira, these cards seem a bit boyish, don't you think? Then again, I shouldn't say anything… seeing as how my cards aren't exactly feminine."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Mira, I think it's time for you to test out these cards. If you don't duel me now, somebody else might, and you'll make a fool of yourself if you lost."

"We should duel, shouldn't we? Okay! Let's do it right here right now!"

The two girls got up and got a good distance away from each other.

"Ready Mira?" Mariah said, activating her duel disk.

"Ready when you are! Oh, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"Is it fine if I say 'get your game on'?"

"What? Oh Mira, that's slacker talk." Mariah said, remembering how Jaden Yuki said it when he dueled that guy from North Academy, Chazz Princeton.

"Well, alright. Then I'll make up my own! Get ready to duel, to your defeat!" Mira said as she activated her duel disk. (I don't know where I got that, but it sounds cool.)

"Duel!" they both said.

(Mira: 4000)

(Mariah: 4000)

"Okay sweetie, you should go first." Mariah said as Mira nodded and drew.

"I play Zure, Knight of Dark World in attack mode! (ATK: 1800, DEF: 1500) And now, two facedowns will do. Your move, Mariah."

"I draw!" Mariah said, "I activate the spell card, Giant Trunade!"

"Not so fast, Mariah! I activate Magic Jammer! By discarding a card from my hand, I can-"

Suddenly, Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World appeared on Mira's side of the field.

(Beiige ATK: 1600, DEF: 1300) (Zure ATK: 1800, DEF: 1500)

"Yaaaah! Where did he come from!" Mira screamed.

"Oh Mira, really. You must've discarded Beiige, whose effect allows him to be summoned when discarded from your hand to the graveyard."

"Oh! Okay! Eheheh…" Mira said, embarrassed that she didn't even know her own cards.

Mira then said, "Okay, so Magic Jammer blocked my Giant Trunade, but I can still activate this! Dark Hole! This card destroys all monsters on the field. So, go back to where you belong, Beiige."

Dark Hole activated, sucking in Beiige and Zure.

"Poor dears. They were only on the field for one turn. Oh well."

"Not exactly Mariah! Because I reveal my other facedown, The Forces of Darkness! This card allows me to take two Dark World monsters from my Graveyard, back into my hand!" Mira said as the cards came out of the graveyard and she picked them up.

"Then I guess I'll just throw a facedown and a set monster, for now."

(Mira: 4000)

(Mariah: 4000)

What? But I was wide open for an attack, and all she did was set a monster! Why? What could she be planning? Mira thought, puzzled. It showed on her face.

"I see you're confused. All part of my strategy."

Mira shook it off. "Whatever! I draw!" Mira said as she looked at her card, put it in her hand, and then smiled and played another card. "I activate Dark World Lightning! This…er…what does it do again?"

"Oh Mira. Dark Word Lightning lets you destroy one facedown card on the field, and then you discard a card."

"Oh! Okay! Then I choose your spell or trap card!"

The sky above them turned dark as purple streams of light appeared in the sky and flashed. Then, one struck directly at the chosen facedown. The card revealed itself as Mirror Force, and then shattered. Then the purple lightning show ended.

Mariah looked shocked, which made Mira feel triumphant.

"Mirror Force? So you were planning on me attacking, weren't you? Well you can't trick me! Now, I have to discard a card, and I choose Sillva, Warlord of Dark World, who has the same effect as Beiige! He gets summoned when discarded!"

Sillva was summoned, and he had darkish gray, vein-filled skin. Coming out of his hands were long, knife-like spikes, which wasn't so nice to look at.

(Sillva ATK: 2300, DEF: 1400, Mira: 4000)

(SET MONSTER, Mariah: 4000)

"Now get ready, because I attack!" Mira said as Sillva leapt into the air and slashed the facedown, Masked Dragon. (ATK: 1400, DEF: 1100) Masked Dragon had a lower defense, so it was sent to the Graveyard.

"Poor old Masked Dragon. It was only on the field for one turn." Mira said, copying Mariah's words.

"Oh yes, poor Masked Dragon…but he will be avenged. His special ability allows me to summon another dragon from my deck to the field, as long as it's attack is 1500 or less! I summon, Red-Eyes B. Chick (ATK: 800, DEF: 500) in defense mode!"

"That puny thing is going to avenge Masked Dragon? It couldn't even avenge a broken nail!"
"Watch what you say. He could have lots of potential." Mariah replied.

"Whatever you say, Mariah! I summon Zure (ATK: 1800, DEF: 1500) to the field and play a facedown!" Mira said.

"Okay my turn! I draw, and now I activate that little chicky's special ability! By sending him to the Graveyard,"

Red-Eyes B. Chick disappeared.

"I can special summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon to the field! (ATK: 2400, DEF: 2000) And now for the avengement! My dragon is 100 points higher than Sillva, so let's all say goodbye!"

Red-Eyes Black Dragon opened his mouth and charged a red beam, and then fired it at Sillva. He tried to block it with his long knife-spikes, but didn't succeed, and was destroyed.

(Mira: 3900)

(Mariah: 4000)

"I play a facedown. Your move, Mira."

Mira drew, and then smiled. "I activate Back to Square One!" Mira played a card that looked like a board game, and one of the spaces said 'back to square one!'.

"This card lets me return one monster on the field to the top of the owner's deck, and in exchange, I discard a card in my hand! Well of course I'm ridding Red-Eyes off the field, but what card is in my hand?"

Mariah thought for a moment and then gasped. "Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World?"

"You got it!" Mira said as Red-Eyes disappeared to the top of the deck, and Beiige appeared once again.

(Zure ATK: 1800, Beiige ATK: 1600)

(Mira: 3900)

(Mariah: 4000)

"Okay, my Dark World friends! Attack her directly!" Mira shouted as Zure ran over first. He impaled his blue sword through Mariah. After the attack, she grasped her invisible wound.

(Mira: 3900)

(Mariah: 2200)

"But I'm not done yet folks! No siree! Beiige, attack her directly too!"

Beiige rushed over to Mariah and raised his bone-looking sword over his head. Mariah put her hands over her head as Beiige struck, putting Mira in a good lead.

(Mira: 3900)

(Mariah: 600)

"And that'll do."

Mariah drew a card. "Reveal facedown! Call of the Haunted! This lets me take back one monster that was destroyed and summon him to the field! I choose Red-Eyes! (ATK: 2400, DEF: 2000) And now, I tribute him to summon my very favorite dragon! Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon! (ATK: 2400, DEF: 2000)"

"Sure, his attack power's already ferocious as it is, but why not add to it? Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon gains 300 attack points for every dragon in my Graveyard! So what's Masked Dragon, plus Red-Eyes B. Chick, plus Red-Eyes equal? I'll tell you! (ATK: 3300, DEF: 2000) Your worst nightmare!"

Mira eyes widened as Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon shot a dark red beam at Beiige.

(Mira: 2200)

(Mariah: 600)

"Okay, your turn."

Mira had no cards in her hand, and no strategy in her head. Just staring at the Darkness Dragon made her want to retreat, but no.

No fear. No fear…Ugh! Why do I keep thinking that? I hate it! Sigh…calm down, Mira. This isn't over yet. I need just one card, one winning card…here goes! Oh please be it!

Mira put her hand on her deck and pulled off the top card. She looked at it. She looked upset.

"Didn't draw the card you wanted I see?" Mariah said. Mira looked at her.

"Uh… What? No! Of course I drew what I wanted! See? I'm playing it now!" Mira said as she played a facedown.

Mariah laughed. "Whatever. Do you end?"

"Yes."

"Okay! I draw!" Mariah said, sure of herself that she'd win, and all because of one thing.

"Mira, you know you left Zure in attack mode, right?"

"Say what? …Yaaah!" Mira said as she saw it was true.

"Tch, tch, tch…oh Mira. This duel's over. Attack, Darkness Dragon, and destroy Zure!"

The Darkness Dragon charged another beam, and fired.

"Not so fast, Mariah! I reveal my trap card!" Mira shouted as the card flipped up.

The beam fired straight at Zure. He lifted his blue sword and repelled the attack, as if the beam were light and he flashed his sword at the right angle to reflect it back. The attack hit right on target. It landed on Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, destroying it.

(Mira: 2200)

(Mariah: 300)

"What?" Mariah said, amazed. Mira had pretended not to have anything to do, and purposefully left Zure in attack mode. But what card did she flip?

Mariah looked across the field at the trap card. This trap card changed all increases in ATK or DEF decreases, and vice-versa. The card was called Reverse Trap.

"My Reverse Trap," Mira began to explain, "changes any increase to a decrease, and any decrease to increase. So, instead of Darkness Dragon getting a power boost of 900, he got a burden of 900, making his attack points 1500! And Zure, had 1800."

"Nice move, Mira. Although the real question is, can you take out the rest of my life points?"

"You can count on it, Mariah." Mira replied.

"Then let us continue! I play Luster Dragon in attack mode! (ATK: 1900, DEF: 1600) Your move."

Mariah had Nitro Unit in her hand, but she would have to wait until next turn to use it right.

Mira drew a card. "Well you're done now! I sacrifice Zure for Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World!"

(Goldd ATK: 2300, DEF: 1400)

(Luster Dragon ATK: 1900, DEF: 1600)

"Now I attack!"

Goldd swung his axe and destroyed Luster Dragon, and winning the duel.

(Mira: 2200)

(Mariah: 0)

Good. Mariah thought, She won.

"Good duel Mariah!"

"Yeah. Good duel."

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This chapter seemed so pointless to me, and the ending could've been a little cooler. Oh well. Read and Review, and don't forget the challenge I gave you at the top:-)