The Flame Swordsman (Part 1)

DIMENSION: ANIME (Pays To Save the Day)

///Téa: I should have done this a long time ago./// Téa was practicing her dueling skills. Although Yugi and Joey fought for the champions, there was never any telling what was coming. She had mildly practiced before, and then had times when she insanely tried to practice, and where practice almost scared her. Like it would come true.

She was becoming better at her card games now. She had bought some new cards, found out more hidden powers about her old cards, and her collection only grew. ///Téa: Too bad I can't have The Dark Magician Girl in here. She was a real help.///

///Confident voice in Téa: Depending on yourself is more important than a single monster in battle.///

"That's right, it is." Téa checked her deck. "I trust all of my cards." She smiled. "They all have potential whether it's up front, with hidden skills, or in a combination with other cards." They were all fantastic.

///Confident voice in Téa: Well done.///

Téa almost laughed. "I can't believe I'm congratulating myself." She put her cards down and looked over at her mirror boldly. "My name is Téa and I challenge you to a card game." She pointed at her own mirror, making herself almost laugh again. Then she stared at her hair. For some reason, she had been letting it grow out more over the following weeks. It was starting to get longer.

She sat down, wanting to do something different. She took her excess hair and held it. She'd thought about it more than once since it had been growing. "You know what, Téa? Why not. What's wrong with a little change. Make your own adventure." She went toward her own nightstand and got a batch of ponytail holders she bought.

She stood in front of the mirror. Never in her life had she done it, but it wasn't that hard. "That was easy." She pulled her braided hair to notice in the mirror. "I like it. Sort of. Maybe?" It was different. Was it too different? Téa went to take a shower. It was getting late anyway. When she came back to her mirror, she tried to make a braid again.

She went to bed like usual and got up the next day. Looking at the mirror, getting ready for the day, she found herself taking the braids out again. Oh. Neat. The braids had somehow curled her hair. She patted it softly. ///Téa: Oh wow, how pretty.///

///Confident voice in Téa: Lovely.///

///Téa: I like this. How did that happen?/// She didn't have a curler. Curled hair, it was nice though. ///Téa: Maybe I should buy a curler. Nah. Let's see how the day goes with this first.///

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"Whoah hoah!" Joey was first to tease as she met up with the guys. "Get a load of you! Téa, what did you do to your hair?"

"Yeah, you've been getting all girly lately," Tristan noticed too, being the second to take a stab at her. "Making your hair long. Now putting in curls. You trying to attract a boyfriend or something?"

Ugh. "No." Do something nice with your hair and suddenly it has to be about attracting guys? "I wanted to try something different."

"Well, I like it," Yugi smiled. "It's very pretty, and you shouldn't worry about those two." Ah, sweet Yugi. "I mean, a girl. Oh. A young lady, um, putting her hair all nice doesn't mean they are looking for a guy." He looked at her oddly. "Right?"

"Right," she agreed. For some reason, Yugi looked relieved. ///Téa: Oh please, even if I did date someone Yugi, I would still be your friend./// They'd never stop being friends.

"I didn't even know you owned one of those curling thingamajiggers," Joey said to her. "When did you get one of those things?"

"I didn't," Téa answered. "This just happened because I put braids in my hair last night I think, and slept on them? It's kind of weird. I don't know how long it'll stay like this." She touched her hair again. "I like it though. It's different."

"Just don't go all 'shopping the mally' on us," Tristan teased her. "Are you sure you aren't getting gussied up for someone?"

"She isn't getting gussied up for someone." Yugi's voice was a little sharper than usual. "Stop bothering her about that. Let's just go."

"Right." Téa agreed. She liked her hair, but she hated the guys teasing her all the time. ///Téa: Do I really like my hair this way?///

///Confident voice in Téa: It's pretty.///

///Téa: I don't want them teasing me all the time though. They are already worrying Yugi, like I'm going to suddenly start dating lots of guys. I don't want to do that. I like hanging out with the guys. This is where I belong.///

"Okay, I'm sorry, Téa," Joey apologized out of the blue. "It's apparent from that look on your face I may have crossed some kind of line. Wear your hair however you want. You be you, alright?"

That's better. That's the Joey she knew. "Thanks, Joey."

"Yeah, we were just teasing you to tease you," Tristan said too. "Whether it's to attract a guy or not, you look great. Not weird at all."

Weird? "Thanks?" Not as good as Joey. Tristan must have thought she was trying to catch someone's attention. ///Téa: Why would changing my hairstyle suddenly mean I'm trying to attract someone? It's a subtle change. Everyone does it.///

///Confident voice in Téa: Prettier than they expected.///

///Téa: Maybe so. I don't know. I guess the guys are okay with it. Yeah, it's decided. Some days I'll try to keep my hair down. Other days, I'll play with it being long and curled.///

/// Confident voice in Téa: Sounds fine.///

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///Yugi: She's not doing that. She's totally not doing that. She wanted to change her hair just because. People change their hair just because./// Yugi continued to walk, trying to act normal. ///Yugi: It's a normal, average, everyday thing.///

///Atem: It is. I doubt it's as Joey or Tristan said. Téa isn't looking for anyone, she is being bold and trying something new.///

///Yugi: Yeah, exactly. She's not attracting anyone. She's not trying to./// Yugi heard a slight chuckle from Yami.

///Atem: I'm fairly sure Téa is safe, Yugi.///

The one thing Yugi never could hide was his thoughts. Yami knew Yugi had a crush on her. ///Yugi: It really is just her experimenting? Are you sure, Yami?///

///Atem: Fairly.///

A big sigh of relief. ///Yugi: Thank goodness.///

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Téa washed and braided her hair again, wondering if it would do the same thing. It had stayed in normally like that for part of the day. It was such a simple process. Maybe she could make it happen again? As long as the boys didn't make fun of her.

She yawned and lied down in her bed for the night.

Morning

Téa got up, washed up, and got dressed. She undid her braids again and saw the same fun curls. "Neat, it did it again." She grabbed her duel deck and went to the Game Shop. Yugi's grandfather said he had a card that would be perfect for her collection. She was into the game enough to work on her collection, so he was willing to help out. It would also give her a chance to see how Yugi had been, or if any other dangerous presence had cropped up again.

Hopefully not. As she left toward the game shop the usual way, she stared down at her cards. ///Téa: Yugi's been asking if I want to duel him. I doubt I have a chance, but Joey got better with Yugi's help./// So far, she'd only dueled with Joey. ///Téa: I guess I could try? As long as I don't act like too much of a newb. I hope I don't.///

But, Téa had already made a flaw. Staring at cards on the side of the street while crossing an open alley. That lesson came too late though as someone reached out from behind, grabbed her and dragged her in.

She struggled and tried to scream, but they covered her mouth. Most of the cards fell from her hand. ///Téa: Whatever cards they want, I don't care, take them!/// But, they weren't interested in her cards. That means they wanted something else, and she didn't know what that would be.

She was dragged along farther until they let her go. She had been surrounded with other people. Some of them were cracking their knuckles and they weren't saying anything.

///Confident voice in Téa: Téa, flee.///

She would love to listen to herself if she could find a way out. She heard a catcall from one of them. "I don't have any money." She didn't, and she didn't know if that would help or hurt her.

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MASIKA

Masika held one of the few cards Téa had clenched in her hand. She had tried to stay unobtrusive, to stay in the secure spot in Téa's soul she had been placed in. Destiny had chosen not to end her life, and instead placed her with the soul of a companion to the Pharoah.

Téa.

That meant destiny had a use for her. Until she knew it, she had kept quiet, as not to disturb the Pharoah from his goals. However, the girl was now in deep trouble. Several men were trying to overwhelm her. She would not let harm befall her. She glanced at the card as the men were getting closer, saying obscenities in her direction. Stones into cards. Smaller, yet the same. Same power to wield.

Masika held the card close to her as she held her second hand out and started to chant. While confused, it didn't take long before they tried to grab at her. Yet, it wasn't quick enough.

She had brought the Flame Swordsman. Chanting more, she made him strike. The blast on one of her enemies had, as she expected, also taken out the threat of the rest. Some were dead while others were dying, singed, or ran away like cowards screaming for their lives.

She stopped chanting and the Flame Swordsman came back to the card. She walked away from the area to somewhere safer. Except? Not yet. She checked one of the burning ones that were screaming. She felt the presence of a dueling card. "You owe the victor for your defeat." She took it and then left.

----

Sno Cone Stand

"So you gonna get something or what?"

"I don't want anything from you!" Téa yelled as she blocked herself from an attack. Then, not feeling or hearing anything, she opened her eyes. She was no longer in an alley, instead she was in a line for sno cones. What? Her eyes darted all around. She wasn't in an alley. There were no thugs about to beat her up.

"Ma'am, I think you better leave," the Sno Cone attendant warned her.

Oh yeah. She just yelled at an innocent worker. "Sorry." Yeah. She stepped out of line. ///Téa: What happened? I was pulled into an alley. I dropped my cards. Some guys were going to mug me or worse. And? I'm here now?/// She checked her pocket. She felt her cards. She went through them. "They're all here. I didn't lose a single one." But she dropped all of them. Not only that? ///Téa: This wasn't my card was it? Impossible./// It was impossible.