"Sometimes, we must choose in life who to side with. This can be a horrible thing.

But not as bad as not choosing."

--Geno Roads

Owen's Plan

"Owen, are you ok?

Owen looked at Tressa, then back at the big board, then back at his sister again. He gulped down the lump that had formed in his throat and tried to smile. "Uh…ya…I'm….uh…what was the question again?" Owen asked, his mind a muddle of emotion.

Kelli glanced at Owen, just as shook up. "Uh…could we have another little chat over here Owen…"

"I don't think so!" Lilka said, grabbing a hold her brother's arm and pulling him away form Kelli. "He needs to get ready, and he doesn't have time to be talking to the enemy."

"Enemy?" Kelli asked, raising an eyebrow. "All I want to do is ask him something."

Lilka frowned. "Ok…but if found out you were throwing any kind of mind games into my brother's head…"

"You'll do what?" Kelli said, getting very annoyed that she was being treated like this.

Lilka rolled her neck. "Listen little girl, you may be his new friend, but I am his sister, and that gives me more say over him then you, got it? So why don't you run back to your daddy and ask him to buy you some better cards, cause Owen's going to kill you in a few minutes."

"At least cards are the only thing that my daddy buys me." Kelli shot back at Owen's sister.

Lilka's eyes flashed as she took a step back towards Kelli. Owen looked at the two women and smiled weakly, trying to distill the situation quickly. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"NO!" both shouted.

"Besides," Kelli said, stepping closer, "I think I too have a claim to him, considering."

"Considering what?"

"That I'm his girlfriend."

Lilka and Tressa looked at each other, startled. Owen put his head in his hands, letting out a soft sigh as the two stared down each other. "So much for breaking it to my sister gently."

"Well…that's nice to hear." Tressa said with a soft smile. "How did you two meet?"

"Who cares how they met!" Lilka shouted at Tressa. She glared at her brother. "Shacking up with the enemy? What the hell were you thinking Owen? What the hell were you thinking!"

Kelli glared at Owen's sister. "He was thinking with his heart! You know, that thing you don't have beating in your chest anymore."

Lilka looked at Owen. "Seriously, what the hell were you thinking? Were you to focused on Little Owen…"

"ENOUGH!"

All three girls leapt back as Owen bellowed. He let out a snort, like an enraged bull and turned to each one. "Lilka, this is my life. I chose Kelli, and you will respect that. Kelli, you will respect that my sister is just trying to protect me. And Tressa…thank you." Tressa let out a beaming smile. "Now, I am going to speak with Kelli in private, then Lilka…" he looked at Kelli. "Only because you need time to get over to your side of the arena."

Both girls nodded begrudgingly, and Owen took Kelli over to one side, ignoring Lilka. She glanced at him and then wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry about how I…"

"Don't worry about it." Owen said with a smile. "Now, what were you going to say."

"Just...that I think we should battle our hearts out here. Use our brains, give it our all."

Owen nodded. "Fair enough. See you on the field."

Kelli smiled and nodded, kissing Owen a quick kiss. "I will see you on the field of battle." With that, she ran off to get to her side of the field and prepare for the match ahead of her.

Owen walked over to Lilka, who was frowning. "Did you and your "Girlfriend" have a good tim…"

"Shut up." Owen said sternly. "As of right now, you are not allowed to talk about her."

Lilka sighed. "fine. Now, I wanted to tell you that this is our chance to win the tournament."

Owen raised an eyebrow, confused at her comment. "Oh? How so? We still have the finals."

"Kelli's team needs this win to make it. If you beat her, her team can't enter the finals, and we might as well be handed the title of King or Queen of Games, because the next team is fool of idiots we can destroy in a second. All you need to do is destroy your little girlfriend."

Owen frowned. "We are talking about Lysandra's team here…our cousin Lilka. You'd do that to her?."

Lilka smiled. "If I am willing to sacrifice my cousin, you can sacrifice your girl toy."

Owen looked at his sister and frowned. On one hand, Lilka had a good point. This was not a game of deals and compromises. You dueled to win. That meant, if he had the chance to kill his number one competitor and insure a win, he should do so quick and hard.

On the other, this was Kelli's team. They deserved to be in the finals, and it was unfair that they had to face him. He was the winner last year, and had already proven to be in a higher standing then last time. Why should they lose out because they had to take him on?

And as he thought this over, and plan began to form in his head. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way to make Lilka think he had tried his hardest, while also letting Kelli get enough points to go to the finals.

If he could play his cards right…even Owen groaned as this pun formed in his head…he could maybe avoid the wrath of two women and keep them bth calm and happy.

The crowd roared as Kelli entered the arena, the announcer giving her stats. Her win rate, her biggest wins…she didn't care what he said. All she cared about was winning. She needed this win, and she knew Owen was going to fight her just as hard as he would someone else.

She reached her spot on the field and activated her duel disk as Owen's music blared. He entered, and she noticed he was a bit more subdued. Granted, he was still hamming it up for the crowd…but this was Owen Roads, and that wasn't nearly at the level he normally was.

That left Kelli with two ideas. One, he was nervous about dueling her, or two, he was ready to destroy her. Neither made her happy, but she knew she could deal with it. All she needed was her heart and her deck, and she knew that she would be able to pull out a victory.

Owen activated his duel disk, and gave her a smile. She smiled back, but then tried to focus on something else. She looked at his duel disk, wondering what exactly he had endured to get it. She had once asked Lysandra what she had done that had allowed her to wear one, but Lys had simply told her that there were somethings even she didn't like to talk about, and that was one of them. She had always heard that Geno Roads was the toughest trainer in this game, and if he could shake up Lysandra, his own granddaughter, that proved it.

Of course, he got results. Every one of his students were world known. He had taken Tea, who, from her father's stories had not always been the woman she was, from a cheerleader on the sidelines to one of the iciest duelists ever to step onto the field. Tea was incredibly kind when Kelli had seen her, warm and friendly and someone you would love to be around.

But whatever Geno had put her through had hardened her when she stepped onto the field. HE had finished her training after the Battle of Domino, and now…Tea could match Seto for field presence.

"Ladies first."

Kelli blinked, coming out of her day dreaming, and nodded to Owen, drawing her cards. She glanced at them, wanting to not make any hasty mistakes. Ok, I have the Dark Magician, Mystical Elf, Double Coston…but I can't risk putting Coston out without some protection. I could lay a magic card and try to fake…no. Owen will be ready for a bluff, and would risk it to prevent me from getting my big monsters out first. I will have to play it safe for now.

"I will set this monster and end my turn Owen."

Owen nodded and glanced at his hand, then selected two card, holding them up. "I will first activate Goblin Thief. Next, I will summon Hysteric Fairy." (Kelli-5500, Owen-6500)

As her lp clicked down, the angel appeared on the field, looking around for a target. IT adjusted it's glasses, blinking through the thick lens. Owen pointed at the downface card, and the fairy crashed into it, only to be sent flying back as Mystical Elf's barrier activated. Owen frowned and passed as the blue skinned elf appeared, in deep meditation. (Owen-6300)

Kelli looked at the field, and set another card. I can't risk Coston now for sure…bust if I can hold on till my next turn, I will be able to bring out one of my mages, and then Owen will see a show. She smirked, and then passed to Owen, waiting to see what he would do next.

Owen watched Kelli's elf. He could see already what she had planned. she's going to try and summon the Dark Magician. If she gets that out, I'll be playing catch up. I need to stop this, and now. I need a monster, and a big one, right now, if I have any hope for this plan to work.

Owen drew and nodded. Perfect. This will do just nicely.

"I will now show you how I duel Kelli, so take notes. I sacrifice Hysteric Fairy to summon The Agent of Judgment-Saturn!"

Kelli watched as the Hysteric Fairy flew in the air, fading as the sky above them grew dark, the stars appearing. Then, above them, the planet Saturn began to appear, larger and larger, till it hovered over the field. From it came the Agent of Judgment. He stretched out his grand regale purple wings, looking over at Kelli. The angel stood about 15 feet, towering over her, dressed in fine robes and a grand headdress. The planet pulsed as it closed it's eyes.

"Saturn, attack the Mystical Elf with Agent's Ring!"

Saturn nodded, and with a wave of his hand, a ring appeared around Kelli's elf. She looked at it, curious, then let out a cry as it began to tighten around her. She tried to pry it off with all her might, but with a final squeeze, she shattered as the ring collapsed on itself, leaving only Saturn and the downface monster.

Kelli drew and smiled. "Owen, you have forced me to change strategies. Lucky for me, this one is ten times better then wheat I had planned before. First, I play Monster Gate!"

On the field, the spellcaster's circle appeared, spinning slightly. It flashed, and Kelli's downface monster shattered, and the ring began to twist, unlocking, light leaking out of it.

"By tributing my monster on the field, I can summon whatever monster is locked behind this deck." Kelli watched as the gate finished it's unlocking, and slowly, the center faded away. From the gate…hearts burst out, floating all around the field and around Kelli.

Owen watched, a bit confused. But Kelli was grinning. "Owen, I have just summoned my greatest monster, the card that represents me!"

From their skybox, Yami watched, amazed. "She's summoned her Ka…the monster that has dedicated itself to protecting her."

"Reveal the Dark Magician Girl!" The gate faded as the pink and blue robed mage flew out of the ring, smiling as she hovered to Kelli's side, her staff held out and ready. "but that isn't all Owen I have planned, not at all. Next, I will summon my Ceremonial Bell!"

Next to her DMG, a large, golden bell appeared, silent. Owen watched it, really confused. My Saturn has more attack points that her DMG…and that Bell has 0 attack. What are you planning Kelli?

As if she had heard him, Kelli smiled sweetly. "Next, I will activate this: Creature Swap!"

Owen could only watch as his Saturn switched places with Kelli's Bell, and it became quite clear that his master plan would not be as easy has he had hoped that it might be.

"Now, attack bell Saturn!" Saturn performed his attack, this time Owen being on the receiving end. "And now, Dark Magic Attack against Owen directly!" The mage nodded, and Owen let out a grunt as he was hit. (Owen-1900)

Owen drew his next card, watching Kelli carefully. He had been holding back for a while…but now, he couldn't afford such kindness. He had his rep, and he had to protect that.

Owen set a card and smiled softly. "That was a very good move Kelli, very good. You have me on the ropes."

"Thank you." Kelli responded.

"I will first summon Zolga onto the field, to protect my LP." The strange machine angel appeared, it's purple cape ruffling in the air. "And now, I will activate Sanctuary in the Sky!"

The stadium rumbled, and Kelli watched as, from the sky, a grand palace lower onto the field, right behind Owen. The palace showed age, yet still held a the granger of the past in it. From it's lofty towers, to hand crafted staircases, it spoke volumes of the angels that lived there. Clouds formed all around them, making it appear as if Kelli and Owen were floating in the sky. Both Saturn and Zolga began to glow softly with a white glow, an aura of power around them.

Owen smiled and ended his turn. Now, let's see if Kelli takes the bait. Owen thought with a smile.