Alright, I know that this isn't quite as exciting as the future chapters, I'm glad I got this one out of the way so we can get to the action! Now I know that this is basically skipping over 'Steppin' Out,' but like I said, I'm writing the plot line revolving mainly around the OC's AND with the assumption that you already have viewed the episodes. Also, this is kind of the replacement for 'Obelisk the Tormentor' since it is mainly revolving around my OC Egyptian God monster. Anyway, I don't own Yu-gi-oh! I only own my OCs (human, Millenium item, and Duel Monster alike). Please enjoy!

"So the operation's on?" Anya asked, tapping her toes against the maroon wall of her room. She was flat on her back on her bed, planning a special Saturday escapade into the depths of her deck until Joey called with some news.

"Yup. In just a few days, my baby sis is gonna get'er eyesight back!"

"I'm so happy for you, babe," she smiled widely. "I hope that everything goes well. And if there's anything I can do to help at all, just let me know."

"I will. Man it's good just ta have a friend like ya, but ta have a girlfriend like ya? I didn't think I'd eveh get that lucky."

"Oh, stop!" Anya blushed a bit. "I gotta go now. I hope the both of you do well with the operation."

"Kay. Don'cha ware yourself out in dat garden of yers, babe. Remember what happened last time-"

"Bye, Joey," Anya interrupted, rolling her eyes as she hung up. After setting the phone down on the receiver, Anya took her dueling deck and the Egyptian God card in her hands.

"Well, it's been a few days and now I think its time to see what this serpent's like. You guys ready?"

"Mrrow."

Anya arched an eyebrow as a cat jumped onto her bed, the feline rubbing up against her side. The Egyptian Mau was silver in color with black spots and bright blue eyes that were closed as she purred loudly.

"Jinxie," Anya cooed, stroking her back. "Wanna keep me company while I talk to Chione?"

Jinx merely curled up closer to her owner, getting comfortable before becoming completely still. Taking in a deep breath, Anya inserted the Egyptian God card into her deck and into its case.

And so, settling into her bed, Anya crossed her arms over her chest and shut her eyes. She didn't know exactly how long it took for her to fall asleep, but she knew she was where she wanted to go the instant that the darkness was dispelled by a bright light.

"NAH!" Anya yelped, her hands flailing out in front of her to push back the head of whatever was licking her face all over. Finally, she found the hard yet smooth head and managed to shove the beast back.

"Stop it! I need to get up!"

Blue Rose Dragon grunted, but obeyed his master's command. He cocked his head as she got up and dusted herself off, but quickly nudged his head at her, craving for her attention.

Good to see you too, buddy, Anya smiled, stroking the beast's head. I gotta go now, though. I have to talk to Chione.

Blue Rose Dragon let out a shrill caw, Very well, Master. I won't keep you.

The plant-like dragon threw itself up and flapped his wings hard, carrying himself away and into the Wilderness.

Ah, the Wilderness…at least that's what Anya called it. The entire place was like one gigantic environment where all of the monsters that Anya kept in her deck roamed when they weren't dueling. She had no idea where it came from nor how it came to be, but she decided a long time ago that she didn't care in the least.

Now if I were a gigantic river serpent, where would I want to be? Anya muttered, though she had already taken off in the direction in which she had a very good idea of where Chione may be.

A good while later, Anya came upon the large clearing with the great lake that spread for practically miles. Of course, she almost expected to find Chione in the water, but she didn't expect to spot her most loyal creature standing at its edge.

Silent Magician, she whispered out loud. The Light sorcerer was hovering as gracefully as ever at the water's edge. If he had sensed his Duel Master's presence, he gave no indication.

So, Anya strode to the edge of the water, sitting down and crossing her arms over her knees while giving him a sideways glance. He was in deep thought while gazing at his reflection on the still surface.

Silent Magician, I know you know I'm here, she informed him. Still, she got no response from him. With a sigh, she continued, Please. I don't know what happened all those years ago and if you don't want to talk about it, I won't pressure you. Do whatever you feel you need to do, but please don't ignore me.

His blue eye shifted down to her before slowly closing and opening to look back to the water. A thought tugged at her mind though she knew it wasn't her own. She smiled at the feeling of apologetic embarrassment.

Aw, I forgive you! She exclaimed bringing him down into a hug. His cheeks tinted a light pink as he wrapped one arm around her shoulder.

The two looked up in surprise when ripples on the lake began to form, even more so when the ripples started turning into waves. The whale-like shriek boomed through the area, startling a good number of the nearby Duel Monsters that made up Anya's deck. Most of them had scurried, swam, or soared away from the lake, but not Anya and certainly not Silent Magician.

Chione shot out of the water, splashing the two with water as she stopped, just before her wings could breach the surface of the water. Her pupils were much more dilated this time, so much that it was much easier to see than her golden irises as she leaned down to the duel master and her most trusted partner.

Um…hi. I'm Anya, you're duel master, Anya awkwardly waved, causing the goddess's frills and fins to perk up. She suddenly felt a sharp tug at her mind, making her look to her magical friend. He was bent over in a deep bow with the arm crossing his chest holding his staff. She then realized the mistake that she made and did quickly to follow her monster's lead, bending over to bow to the Egyptian goddess in respect. At least, that's what she assumed she was doing.

There really is no need for such formalities. The roles have shifted between master and servant once again and now I serve you.

Oh, Anya stood up straight again, clearly confused. She thought that an actual god (or in this case goddess) would be more demanding of respect. Instead, talking to Chione was more like talking to a close friend.

I understand that it is the time for the darkness that had threatened our world so long ago has returned. Are you certain you are up to the task?

Anya closed her eyes and couldn't help the small smirk on her face, I'm more than certain I'm up to the task. I'm just wondering what kind of force we're dealing with.

You will know when you face it. That much you I can tell you. Just remember that you cannot do this alone. You will need your friends and the pharaoh.

You say that as if the pharaoh wasn't my friend. Tell me again why it is that your card couldn't have just been given to him instead of me. Upon seeing the goddess's frills perk up, she felt she needed to add, Not that I mind, but if the Egyptian god cards are our best chance of defeating the darkness that's coming, shouldn't he be the one to get any that we can get our hands on?

The serpent's chest rumbled a bit before replying, While your point is valid in many ways, the pharaoh is not ready to hold such strength. Not yet, anyway. Even if he were, no one can take my card from you. The right to my power has to be earned.

But...I have your card. Why is it that Ishizu gave me your card and I have access to your power, but now anyone who wants it has to earn it?

I never said such a thing. You yourself must prove your worth before you may use my power. After all, I must know that you can handle yourself in a duel without the need of power that one would harness from an Egyptian god. Don't worry. I will let you know when you've proven your strength and your skill.

Anya sweatdropped a little. She knew this was too good to be true: an all-powerful, totally indestructible monster in her deck, easily one of the factors deciding the fate of the world and she can't even use it!

Terrific... Anya sighed. However, she managed a small smile and looked back up, Well, I better get started, then.

"Wake up, dork!"

Anya gasped, bolting up in her bed and startling Jinx out of her bed. Panting lightly, she turned her aquamarine eyes up and glared at her brother, "What's your problem, Dimitri?! You know not to interrupt me-"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't interrupt you when you're 'talking' to your imaginary friends," Dimitri scoffed before tossing an envelope at her. She caught it and looked at it curiously, "It's an invitation or something."

"Jerk..." Anya muttered as he walked out while shutting the door. Jinx crawled out from under the bed and jumped back onto the bed, rubbing against her and laying down next to Anya as he tore open the envelope and read out loud, "Anya Mirov, Due to your advanced duelist ranking, you have been cordially invited into an exclusive Battle City Duel Monsters Tournament hosted in Domino City. This invitation marks that you have exceptional skill, strategy, and determination that will be pitted against other advanced duelists gathered from all over the globe. For more information, please gather at the Domino City Square tonight at 7 pm. We hope to see you attend and wish you the best of luck."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Anya turned the letter over, but could find no signature. There was no way to tell who it came from or why. Still, the clock read that it was 6:30 pm and she decided if there was going to be any valuable information given out then, she better get moving.

Domino City Square, 7 pm...

"Late...I'm not surprised," Anya groaned a little bit, crossing her arms and leaning up against the wall. She had half-expected the announcements to be done after 7, but she had tried to be positive. Still, it was safe to assume that it was being late for any late arrivals.

Looking around at the various faces, she couldn't help but feel just a bit intimidated. From the sound of the invitation, she had thought that not that many people were that elite, but now...now she felt a bit nervous to see what they all had to bring to the battlefield. Still, she was confident she could do what she needed to in order to help Yami achieve his destiny.

Meanwhile...

"The invitation said the tournament would be announced tonight," Teá said to Yami. He had gotten the same invitation for the Duel Monsters tournament and Teá had decided to tagged along, especially after what they had discovered in the Domino Museum. "Ishizu was right."

Yami stopped, and in turn, so did Teá, "I don't know if everything she said is true, but I do know this: I must enter and win this tournament in order to fulfill my destiny."

She still felt unsure, but merely told him, "Just promise me you'll be careful, Yami, 'cause I'm sure there's still danger ahead."

"Yes," he nodded, removing his deck from its casing. "Whoever is after the Millennium Puzzle is still out there, but you must trust me, Teá. This deck has never let me down before. As long as Yugi and I stay connected to one another, I'm confident we can use this deck to win this tournament, unlock the mysteries of my ancient past, and realize our destiny."

Teá smiled and nodded, "And you can count on my help."

He gave a small smile, but then tensed as he sensed something...something sinister nearby. He looked off into the crowd, seeing if he could spot anything out of the ordinary. However, there was no such thing. Just a crowd of duelists eagerly discussing about the new tournament and all of the rumors they had heard about it.

"Hey, what's the matter? Is everything okay?"

He turned to her, no longer sensing the nearby evil, "Yes, Teá. It was nothing."

She smiled a bit in relief, but then lost it for a moment as she glanced just past Yami, "Check it out. I think that's Anya over there!"

Yami looked in said direction and did see someone that did resemble Anya. Of course, they knew even from afar of their fiery friend, "Yes. I believe that's her."

"Hey, Anya! Over here!"

The raven-haired girl snapped up in attention before looking in the direction of the shout. She smiled and pushed herself off of the wall and made her way over, saying as she got closer, "Finally, some people I actually know."

"Good to see you too, Anya," Teá laughed.

"Yes. I suppose you got an invitation as well," Yami asked.

Anya smirked, crossing her arms, "Well, it called for skillful and elite duelists, so duh! Yeah I got an invitation, which is what I assume is why you're here, too."

"Hey, Yugi! Anya! There you are!"

The three of them turned away at the familiar shout and saw a familiar figure running towards them, "It's Mai Valentine."

Ah, Mai Valentine. A fiery natured gal that dueled as harsh as her insults. And her compliments. Quite frankly, that's why Anya liked her.

"Oh, joy," Teá muttered.

"I know you guys missed me!" She waved as she came to a stop in front of them.

Teá forced a small smile and said, "It's such a shame we don't hang out more often."

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Mai startled Teá by wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You're looking snazzy, Teá. Is this a date?"

Uncomfortably, the brunette responded, "We're just friends, Mai."

Anya chuckled while Yami looked just plain unamused as he asked, "I assume you've come here for the tournament."

"But of course," Mai replied, letting go of Teá as she continued, "I presume you two got invitations also."

"Yes, we did, but it didn't say who it was from. Do you know who's hosting this tournament?" Yami asked.

Anya shrugged, "There wasn't even an address on the envelope. There was nothing to track it back to."

"I have no idea. It's a mystery. Nobody seems to know. Everyone I spoke to got an anonymous invitation, but there is a buzz going around that it's someone with a ton of cash and an obnoxious attitude. I'd guess Kaiba."

Anya opened her mouth, but then closed it with the thought, "Yeah. That sums it up."

Yami had taken it a completely different way, however, "That must be why Ishizu told me to enter. If the events are to happen again, I must face Kaiba in this tournament."

Huh. He must've been to the museum, too. I wonder what he knows...Anya looked to him from the side and almost pondered if she should tell him what she knew. Then again, if he wasn't meant to have the Egyptian God card just yet, maybe he wasn't meant to know what she knew just yet. Either that or there wasn't anything she knew that he already didn't.

"What are you mumbling about?" Mai arched an eyebrow at him, but then shrugged and continued, "Anyway, nobody knows for sure who it is that's throwing this thing."

"I suppose we'll find out soon," Yami commented.

"It's pretty safe to say it's not Pegasus again."

"Speaking of Pegasus, this is beginning to look like Duelist Kingdom all over again," Yami said as he glanced around.

Anya cringed a bit, crossing her arms as she said, "Ugh, tell me about it. My skin's crawling just seeing some of these duelists."

"You can say that again. There certainly are a lot of familiar faces in this crowd. Most of whom I'm not too happy to see."

At first, Teá was clueless as to what the two duelists were talking about, but then gasped as she saw what they meant, "You're right! That's Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor!"

"And over there's Espa Roba," Mai said, gesturing to the group of green-haired children and matching clothing. It appeared that the oldest was facing them with his arms out in a strange way. "They say he uses psychic powers to duel."

Letting out an inward scoff, Anya rolled her eyes, If I get to duel him, we'll just see how psychic he is.

"And Mako's here, too!" Teá pointed out.

"If what Mai said earlier is correct, then this tournament is going to have one new wrinkle."

"And there he is now," Teá said, and sure enough, Kaiba's face came up on every screen in the square. It seemed that he bought out time away from every corporation imaginable in order to make this happen.

"Greetings, duelists. Welcome to the town of Domino. But more importantly, welcome to my tournament."

Mai just had to say it, "I don't know which is bigger-his ego or his melon on the big screen."

Anya waved her hand a bit and said, "I'd say it's about equal."

"Let's hear what Kaiba has to say," Yami said.

"I see you each received your private invite to Kaibacorp's very exclusive Duel Monsters tournament, and you had enough brains to show up here tonight."

This brought up a large number of indignant yells among the other duelists, but not Yami, Anya, or Mai. Hey, it was definitely Kaiba's attitude, but it wasn't like him to be polite, so why bother to try to change it if all they're talking to is a series of giant screens?

"Being that you are all elite duelists, I've added special rules to my tournament just for experts. For example, you will duel using these new improved duel discs."

This also brought up a strong reaction from the crowd, but more positive this time, "Another new rule that I designed for the tournament is that before each duel, both players must ante up their rarest card, and the loser of the duel forfeits his card to the winner."

"Forfeit my Dark Magician?!" Yami exclaimed.

"That means losing even one duel can ruin my deck!" Mai realized.

"Uh-uh. I'm so not losing any one of my cards, rare or not!" Anya declared. Besides, that meant if I lose, then I lose Chione! And I need her to help Yami win the tournament and save the world!

"My competition will make Pegasus and his Duelist Kingdom tournament look like a joke."

The wind suddenly picked up around them, and so all four of them looked up. Of course, to nobody's surprise, Kaiba was on the side of his helicopter above all of them. His cold eyes were sweeping across the crowd and stopped on (to nobody's surprise) Yami. It was as if Kaiba were hoping and expecting him to show up. To Anya, however, this was no coincidence.

"Don't forget to register and pick up your duel disc because exactly one week from today, my Battle City Tournament begins!" Kaiba made that final announcement, and then his helicopter began to ascend.

"You're on, Kaiba," Yami muttered to himself.

"Well, this is bound to be interesting," Anya smirked. "Can't wait to see what this tournament has to throw at us."