*Author's Note: Uhhh... Hi there, everybody. Um, I'm Yakawashi Clarissa, and it looks like I'll be writing the author's note today.
*The camera pans over to DarkGatomon, who is merrily hanging Christmas tree tinsel all over Angel Yugi, and giggling very much like she's high on catnip.*
...right. Well, okay. I guess I do the reviews now...
PDM - Why are you going to shave Deeg? She's nice! A little misunderstood, but she's good at heart... ((Out Of Character -- Clarissa says that about EVERYONE.)) And I think Deeg and the other girls are feeding you worms of some sort, not rats, aren't they? *sighs* I can never keep track... But anyway, I think she said that nobody was getting cameos. Sorry.
Vampire Huntress - Oh, don't worry! Deeg is planning on doing a chapter for every episode. With all the submissions for that episode she's getting, though, SHE might not have to write anything for it. But I bet she will. It's her favorite episode, after all. So "Evil Spirit of the Ring" will probably be the longest chapter in the entire fic... Last I heard, though, she was still planning on writing all the chapters in order. So it'll be a little bit.
Now, if you will all excuse me, I think I need to go help Kuro before she accidentally strangles Yugi... not that I suppose it would do much harm, but it still wouldn't be nice. I wouldn't be surprised if it took her a week or two to get over her hangover, though.
*Clarissa bows and rushes off.*
((OOC -- Sadly, it WILL be about two weeks before I can get another episode up. I hope you enjoy this chapter while I'm gone, though! Also, a great big thanks to ALL my reviewers. Thank you soooo much!!))*
*Scene: The group realizes that none of them brought anything to eat.*
Joey: What were we thinking, coming here with no food?
Yugi: Pegasus sent half a dozen cards describing the tournament. You'd think the least he could do is tell us we'd have to bring our own grub.
Joey: How are we ever gonna get through the rest of the competition without anything to eat?
Yugi: *in an oh-so-adorable thinking pose* That's a good question, Joey...
Tristan: Wow. First time for everything, I guess.
Téa: Well, we better do something fast. I've got to have my five basic food groups, or else it's metabolic meltdown!
Joey: How much do you eat, anyway? A single cracker? A carrot stick?
*Joey gets whapped.*
Tristan: Check it out! The Great Outdoors Survival Guide!
Joey: *dully* Can we eat it?
Tristan: Oh, no, of course not. The ink is highly poisonous.
Tristan: *still highly enthusiastic* Better than that, it lists all the plants, roots, berries, and grasses we can eat!
Everyone else: Ewwwww!
Tristan: *surprised* What, are you all allergic to carrots and strawberries?
Joey: I don't need your dumb book anyhow. I smell something cooking that-a-way! *takes off running* See ya!
Téa: *sweatdrops* For someone who couldn't catch Weevil, he's sure moving fast now...
Yugi: I guess he just needed the proper motivation.
Téa: He's hallucinating.
Tristan: Don't be so sure. You know, it wasn't his brain that beat Mai, it was his nose.
Yami: What, do I count for nothing?
Yugi: Smells good.
Joey: Ah, yeah, and I bet it tastes even better! *runs over to the campfire with the three fish, tries to skid to a stop, but slides on the sand and gets sent flying over the cliff* AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! *splash!*
Mako: *down in the water, now sporting a large bump on his head* Ow...
Téa: What makes you think those fish are yours to eat?
Joey: Possession is nine-tenths of the law, an' I can't think of anything more possessive than havin' 'em in my stomach!
Tristan: Some people have absolutely no self control.
Téa and Yugi: Huh?
Tristan: *takes off down the beach* Joey, save some for me!
Yugi: *blinks* Well, I guess he at least thought about it for a moment first...
Joey: Ahh, man, this looks awesome.
Tristan: Ow! Owow, hot, hot!
Téa: Hey! Yugi's the one that got us all here, he ought to get one of the fish!
Tristan: *around a mouthful of fish* Well, you aren't a duelist, either. You could give him your share.
Téa: Nah, I'm a girl. Nobody would expect me to do that. *grabs the last fish while everybody else sweatdrops*
Mako: Enjoy yourselves, you fish thieves! This is your last meal.
Joey: Yeah, well, we woulda died without food anyway, so that's no big deal. *takes another bite*
Mako: How dare you eat my fish, you thieving poachers?!
Joey: Well, it was just sittin' there untended, and it was pretty charred by the time we got here. We just didn't want it to go to waste. Ain't that right, guys?
Tristan: Uh, yeah.
Téa: Sure.
Tristan: With waves like that here, this place's got to be great for surfing.
Mako: To steal a fisherman's catch is to prove you have no honor!
Yugi: *finally looks at Mako's hand* A dueling glove?! Oh, I'm sorry. We thought you were just a random vagabond.
Yugi: Wait a second! Aren't you Mako Tsunami, the top-ranked ocean duelist?
Mako: Well you don't need to sound so surprised about it.
Joey: Yeah, you're that freaky fish guy.
Mako: I am NOT a freaky fish guy!!
Joey: *cowers* Hey, easy, it's just that there's, you know, the fish, and I'm sure freakin' over here...
Mako: I am Mako Tsunami, Duelist Extraordinaire of the Seven Seas. *Téa gasps and giggles* Uh, what are you laughing about?
Téa: *laughing* That anyone could care so much about cards to give themselves titles like that!
Yami: HEY!
Mako: What are you laughing about?
Téa: *giggles and points* Your head. Pony-tail AND bangs AND spikes? That's the funniest thing I've seen all day!
Tristan: No, don't!!
Joey: I wanted to eat that!
Tristan: You're demented.
Joey: Hey, you yelled, too!
Tristan: Well, I, uh, just wanted to keep it as a pet. Yeah, that's it.
Mako: Are you telling me that those two are here as duelists?
Yugi: *stands up* I'm Yugi Moto. Sorry about your fish.
Mako: You didn't answer my question.
Yugi: *imploring* Please don't make me.
Mako: You? You're Yugi Moto? The only duelist to ever defeat Seto Kaiba?
Yugi: *sighs* You'd think that being world-famous would at least have the perk of not having to introduce one's self.
Joey and Tristan: Thanks!
Mako: You are welcome.
Joey and Tristan: Yay! *run around and grab their fish* Feeding frenzy!
Téa: *sweatdrops* You said that once already today.
Tristan: We did?
Joey: When was that?
Téa: Earlier.
Tristan: Ah.
Téa: *looking deeply into Yugi's eyes* Really good, huh?
Yugi: *just as intent* Mm-hmm.
Mako: Isn't he a little young for you? Although I suppose someone like Yugi Moto could get whatever girl he wants.
*Yugi and Téa blush.*
Mako: If I win here, I would love a vessel of my own. Of course, I'll have to beat a few duelists first. *laughs*
Yami: Ha! "Duelists." *laughs*
Téa: Your own boat? How great would that be, living life out on the big blue sea?
Mako: *narrows eyes* Are you making fun of me again with that rhyme of yours?
Tristan: Nah, she just kinda does that.
Téa: How great would that be, living life out on the big blue sea?
Mako: Yes, the ocean is amazing, and we have shared a special bond since I was born. I can tell when the sea is happy by the way it sparkles... and when it is angry by the shifting tides.
Téa: *blinks* That was... random...
Yugi: Maybe we'll meet up in the competition.
Mako: We certainly will... *grabs his harpoon* Sooner than you think, my friend!
Yugi: Huh? *half-turns, narrowly avoids being speared, and gasps*
Yami: *yawns* Dun do that, Yugi. It's very distracting. *yawns again and goes back to sleep*
Mako: I treated you to dinner. Perhaps you will honor me with a duel.
Joey: He's nuts!
Mako: No, but I am an expert fisherman, and you have taken my bait. *laughs*
Téa: Maybe so, but that doesn't mean you get to go around trying to assassinate people!
Joey: He's nuts!
Mako: *surprised* What? I don't know about you, Yugi, but I wasn't joking when I said that it would be my honor to duel you.
Téa: What bait?
Mako: Why, the fish, of course! I laid it out and lured you three right in...
Téa: Three? But there are four of us here.
Mako: What? *counts* One... two... three... damn! *self-depreciative laugh* Chalk that one up to carelessness on my part.
Mako: I laid it out and lured you three right in, but I never expected to catch Yugi Moto.
Joey: Wouldn't it be easier just to ask people?
Yugi: After all, refusing worthy challenges is against a duelist's honor. I would've said yes.
Joey: Ahh, forget this crazy chicken of the sea, Yugi.
Tristan: Can't we just give the guy back a few fish?
Yugi: *regains his composure* I like how Joey was the only one who was actually freaking out at all.
Mako: I reeled in another duelist a short time ago, but he was not a worthy opponent. But a duel against you, Yugi, would be a true test!
Yugi: Sure, what the heck. Dueling with people who're trying to kill you always adds some extra spice.
Mako: A duel against you, Yugi, would be a true test!
Yami: *laughs* Maybe I should let you duel him, then! A duel against me would be over before it had begun.
Yami: Mako Tsunami, I accept your challenge.
Mako: Behold, Yugi Moto, we shall battle beside the majestic sea!
Yami: Then let us duel, Mako Tsunami.
Mako: *gestures to the arena* After you, Yugi Moto. I insist.
Joey: Just frickin' DUEL already, would ya?!
Mako: Behold, Yugi Moto, we shall battle beside the majestic sea!
Téa: *sarcastic* No, really?
Mako: Behold, Yugi Moto, we shall battle beside the majestic sea!
Yami: *dubious* Well, alright, then... *takes a running jump to get over to the arena, but falls a foot short* GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...
Téa: *winces* Ooh, that'll sting...
Yami: ....AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! *Splash!*
Mako: The playing field is equally split into two halves -- one half is land, the other is sea.
Téa: Uh, shouldn't the split be so that each player has half of each on his side, since the field is sideways?
Joey: *pained* Just ignore it, Téa.
Yami: Please.
Yami: What's this? His creature is underwater. How do I choose which card to play when I can't even see what I'm fighting?
Tristan: Uh, but what about trap cards and defense cards and magic cards...
Téa: Ooh, yeah, I hadn't thought of that. Good one!
Yami: *snarls* As long as that thing stays submerged, I can't attack.
Tristan: Almost makes you wish you had a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, huh?
Yami: *thinking* I have no idea what that thing is down there, so I'd better prepare for the worst with as strong a defense as possible.
*A half-drowned Kuriboh struggles to the surface, gasping for air and squealing.*
Yami: ....or not.
Mako: *thinking* Clearly, this is Yugi's first encounter with sea-based Duel Monsters. He will learn first-hand what a powerful ally the sea can be. It gives my creatures a field power bonus and it conceals them, making their stealthy attacks even more lethal.
Yami: Hmm, thanks for the pointers, Mako, but I don't see why something needs to be more lethal. Either something's dead or it's not. Simple as that.
Mako: *pales and stammer* G... g... ga...
Mako: *laughs* It seems like my ocean-based strategy has taken you by surprise, Yugi!
Yami: Nah. I mean, it was kind of obvious once I saw the arena rise up out of the water like that.
Yami: Attack!
Horn Imp: *gasping* I'd like to see you try!
Yami: Well, now I know what I'm up against.
Mako: Yes, the mighty ocean demands respect, as do the creatures that inhabit it!
*Yami blinks.*
Joey: I think that guy spends waaay too much time out fishin' alone and talkin' to himself.
Yami: Maybe I can prepare an attack that will destroy his creatures even though I can't see them.
Téa: Well, that sure seems like a good modus operandi.
Mako: I am familiar with your feral monster, and its electrical attack.
*Yami gasps*
Yugi: I told you that Mako is a world-class duelist.
Yami: Shut up. Nobody likes a gloater, Yugi.
Joey: Yugi can't see Mako's monsters, but he knows they're all underwater, and water conducts electricity.
Téa: *thinking it out* Oh, so they're vulnerable to the Feral Imp's electrical attack. Whoa! That is so smart!
Joey: *sweatdrops* I learned not to mix water an' electricity a long time ago.
Tristan: Let me guess -- the hard way.
Joey: *raises fist* I'll show you hard!
Téa: *still reasoning* But how does an Ancient Egyptian know about electricity, when the only electricity they had back then was lightning?
*The boys stop their fight and blink.*
Tristan: Uh, magic, I guess...
Mako: As a sea duelist, I am well aware that water conducts electricity, so I played my Giant Jellyfish. It has the magical ability to absorb electrical attacks.
*Yami snarls and twitches*
Yugi: Geez, why did you think that he played that card after you played the Feral Imp?
Yami: Do YOU want to finish this duel?!
Yugi: I might have a better chance at it.
Yami: Grr... Just go to sleep, okay? Cuddle a teddy bear or something, I don't know!
Yami: I've never dueled against creatures like these before. It feels like I'm battling Mako's sea monsters and the awesome power of the ocean itself.
Tristan: That seems like it's going a bit far.
Téa: Yeah. You'd think someone who grew up along the Nile would have a better feel for how hard it is to really fight nature.
Yami: *playing* I have the power of Silver Fang, and I combine him with the magic of the Full Moon to double his ferocity.
*Silver Fang sits around and does nothing.*
Yami: Uhhh... Silver Fang?
Téa: I guess that one isn't a werewolf.
*Mako laughs uproariously.*
Mako: Behold the colossal Kairyushin, a creature so enormous that when he rises up from the ocean depths, he creates his own tidal wave!
Téa: Uh, if he creates his own tidal wave, then why did Mako need to wait until the Full Moon started tugging at the tides to play him?
Joey: *sighs* It's just the way the game is played....
Mako: You should consider yourself lucky, Yugi. In my previous duels, when Kairyushin attacks, absolutely nothing is left standing in its wake. I think it was quite considerate of my pet to leave you a little patch of dirt to stand on, don't you? Or does it make you uneasy to be surrounded on all sides by the sea? All men give pause before the savage power of the mighty ocean... even the greatest of fishermen.
Téa: Seriously, Mako, I really think you should consider a land-based career for a while. I'm sure it would do you a world of good.
Mako: ...even the greatest of fishermen.
Yami: You mean your father.
Mako: My father was a great fisherman. *goes into his life history*
Joey: Man, with that kind of people skills, Yugi could be a great therapist!
Tristan: Either that, or the freaky fish guy is just reaaally talkative...
Mako: I thought I had lost him forever, but then I noticed that our lifeboat was missing. I know my father is alive... So I will win this contest, buy a ship, and search the seven seas until I find him!
Téa: Um... I'm really sorry, Mako, but wouldn't he have gone back home and left a message if he were?
Joey: Yeah... she's kinda got a point there...
Téa: Oh, wow!
Joey: *dumbfounded* Mako duels for his dad like Yugi duels for his grampa.
Tristan: Whoa, this is too intense!
Téa: Yeah, I know. So many people with such high goals here!
Mako: Your massive monster can barely fit on that little rock, let alone do battle with my undersea attack force. And he is surrounded on all side by the ocean, making him easy prey for Great White Terror! *plays*
Yami: But Great White Terror is a shark. How will he attack a monster on the land?
Mako: Uhh... oops. Oh, well. Fiend Kracken, crush him!
*The Giant Soldier of Stone is pulverized.*
Yami: *snarls* Damn it.
Mako: This savage shark will lead my other sea creatures in an all-out ocean onslaught!
Téa: Since when can you attack with more than one monster at a time?
Tristan: Uh... now, I guess.
Joey: Man, Yugi's guy is out-numbered three to one. His Stone Soldier's about to become fish food!
Tristan: Well, I just hope they like rocks for breakfast.
Joey: Mmm... rocks...
Mako: Attack mode? But why? He cannot attack my sea monsters while they are underwater.
Yami: Well, it's not like he'll beat them just sitting there doing nothing, so hey.
Yami: His target isn't your sea monsters. I'm having him attack a card I put on the field myself.
Téa: *blinks* What, you can't take something out of play? That seems unrealistic.
Joey: It would take waay too long to explain...
Yami: Now, Stone Soldier! Destroy the moon!
*The cheerleaders fall over laughing.*
Mako: *between gasps* That's... one way to... think big!
Yami: As you yourself said before, Mako, it is the moon that controls the ocean's tides -- its ebb and its flow.
Mako: But wouldn't they just stop flowing then?
Joey: No, see, without the moon to be pullin' them up, they go back down to the even level.
Téa: But it went past where it was before!
Joey: Uhhh... okay, I've got no idea, then.
Yami: *playing* I combine my Curse of Dragon card with the Magic of the Burning Land card to wipe our your remaining Life Points.
Téa: Remaining? Mako hasn't lost a single point yet!
Téa: *laughs* Way to go, Yugi!
Guys: *showing off their muscles* Yeah!
Téa: ...uhh, that's just disturbing. *scoots over to the side*
Mako: What a grand duel. I salute you, my friend!
Yami: This victory was not easily won, Mako. You're a great duelist yourself.
Téa: You know, I can't help but like that Mako. He's such a great guy and all.
Joey: *nods* Mm-hmm.
Tristan: *sweatdrops* Am I the only one finding it disturbing that you guys are all fawning over this guy you barely know? *Everyone else glares at him* ...I'll take that as a "yes."