Alice
Okay, how the hell do I get myself into situations like this ?! She mentally panicked as she was stuck like a statue. Trapped in a room with a freaking tiger who would probably take a bite out of her !
Flashback
Anzu was babbling about how she finally got Aileen Rao's Super Exercise. Yawning from her spot she watched as Anzu fangirled over that 19-year old Aileen Rao, a supermodel. And for some reason Gramps had heard of her. Seemed the Supermodel was here in Japan.
Once she was a ordinary dancer, she's appeared in many Broadway Musicals and was now Anzu's idol. Oh yeah, Anzu wants to be one too, She thought. Anzu had confessed that one time where she ended up having a gun to her head. Wonderful time, She thought sarcastically.
"This video shows Aileen's dancing and how she got those proportions," Anzu gushed as she heard the door swing open. "I'm going to do a lot of exercise !" Anzu squealed as she twirled around. Is this girl on a sugar hype or something ?
"Welcome," Gramps greeted. As a exotic beauty appeared, She looked like she had India heritage or something similar. "It's a foreigner, grandpa," Yugi whispered behind his hand. "I hope she can speak Japanese," Gramps whispered back.
"This person has such great proportions," Anzu commented.
Meowth
"Ahh !" A annoying yell woke him up. Opening a eye she noticed a stupid female human was acting brain dead. Taking in a new scent she smelled something exotic and pleasing but then the horrible smell of cigarette smoke.
Frowning she began to clean her face.
"Aileen Rao !" Anzu yelled. Surprised she jumped up with a loud startled yowl. Lunging at the girl who continued to babble. Get a taste of my Fury Swipes, she thought as she scratched the girl's face. "Ah !" Her victim screamed in pain.
Before she knew it, she was in someone's arms. The faint smell of cigarette did not cover that exotic smell of spices and even the sweet mango. Her nose wrinkled at rhe unpleasant smell, did this human smoke or had she walked too close to a human who did ?
It felt so good, now if only this woman stopped smoking and then she picked up another scent. It wasn't a good one, she smelled this person's scent before and that person was no good. Who was this woman with a bit of Seto Kaiba's scent on her ?
She was in Alice's arms now. Bewildered she watched as the woman left and cue more screams. Ow ! My eardrums ! She snarled as she lunged again to attack and claw the offenders face off.
Later
At the woman's apartment she learned she was half Canadian and Indian. Pretty obvious from the pretty exotic clothes that Alice commented on.
As she prowled around the room while Alice and Yugi set up a game she smelled another feline. Leaping on a table she looked into another room were she saw Rao whisper something to Anzu. The smell of the feline was stronger in that room.
Taking another whiff she could tell. Bigger and most definitely male.
Rao then got Alice into the room and whispered into her trainer's ear. This can't be good. According to this scent the feline was much bigger and stronger, She'd have to evolve to stand a chance if she was forced to fight against this unknown big cat.
"Alice ! Anzu !" Yugi yelled.
Rao worked for Kaiba it seemed. So that's why she has his scent on her.
The game it seemed would be Raijinhai.
"It's a game passed down the Rao family. It's a game like Shogi," Rao explained. Jumping up the table she did a bit of all the scents that covered the box. There were so many and it was rather old from what she could tell.
"I don't know that game," Yugi replied.
"The rules are simple, you'll learn them quickly. But in this game...the loser loses something important. In your case, it might be those girls !" Rao said. "Alice ! Anzu !" Yugi once again beat the glass uselessly. Yami, do please make your appearance fast, She hoped.
Leaping on the table to have the view of both the game and her trainer.
"You want to play a game with me so badly that you'll take Alice and Anzu hostage ?" Yami replied. "So you finely show your true self."
"What will you lose if your the loser ?" Yami asked the golden question. "I've never lost before, so I don't know," Rao replied. "If I win you will set Alice and Anzu free."
I should hope so, She thought as a ear twitched.
"There are 10 pieces. Two soldiers," Rao explained as she set down a wooden person. "Two carvery..." A man on a horse "Two elephants..." Rather well crafted since even the skin was detailed and the long tusks were curved. "Shogun.." A man with a sword. "King.." A well dressed man with something gold in his hand.
"Queen..." She had something green in her hand. "One each. And...Raijin Indra." (Raijin = Thunder god) The god had a flame in his hand. "The soldier is weakest and the king is strongest. Pick a piece."
Yami set a elephant down.
"We'll pick a piece and duel them." She had the Shogun face the elephant. "The Shogun is stronger than the elephant, so the elephant loses. The Shogun won, so he can return to his camp. If you win you can send it as often as you want."
Sounds similar to Pokémon Battles then.
"And in a draw ?" Yami questioned. "Both die in battle."
Yeah except we just faint, She added.
"There are two exceptions," Rao added. "The Queen can only beat the King. Indra is invincible. He can beat anything, but he can only be used once. He isn't returned to the camp."
"How is the match decided ?"
"There are several variations, but...Let's go with the easiest one. The first to lose the king loses."
Also there was a device were it hid who you put out on the field.
Rao brought out a elephant while Yami did play a calvary like Rao had predicted. Yami lost his piece.
Rao seemed to predict what Yami was up to since she used her King. Yami lost his Shogun.
Once again Rao's King beat the last of Yami's Calvary piece. Last one, She thought.
Okay, Yami has lost three times. No more Calvary and Shogun. Yami needed to start winning this game.
Both brought out their Soldiers who of course killed each other.
Rao had a Calvary out while Yami had chosen his Queen.
Both King's were out and Rao called for a draw and then decided they would use a Formal Rule.
"My pet tiger is in there," Rao said getting their attention. So I was smelling a tiger, that explains the big cat smell. "Each time you lose a piece, the door opens bit by bit," Rao explained as she sipped her tea.
Turning she saw the tiger's large paws. "It's a tiger that only likes me. He would probably attack them." Yeah we get it. If Yami loses Alice is catnip, She concluded. The Tiger was a Bengal and he was huge.
Rao brought out her King and defeated Yami's Shogun. "Curse your incompetent commander."Glancing back she saw the Tiger's paw out as he tried to claw Anzu who was closest. Oh well if I have to intervene, I'll wait till Anzu is too injured. She didn't forgive the teen for her jigh pitched screams and squeals.
Yami then decided to leave it up to luck as he randomly grabbed the piece. Lady Luck, please don't let my trainer be cat food, She prayed. Yami then predicted Rao would use her Elephant which was dead on.
"You said you like games where you read and trick each other, not ones relying on luck," Yami pointed out. "So what ?"
"Raijinhai is a game based on probability and tactics as well as reading your opponents thinking."
"Very good. You already understand the basic notion of Raijinhai."
Stretching she lied down comfortably as the two human seemed to be having a intellectual sparring match with each other.
"Open !" Rao said. She had been figured out and that unnerved her.
Elephant Vs. Calvary. Just like Yami predicted.
Through what Yami and Rao had the probability of her picking the Elephant was very high. Yami lost however and now the Tiger had enough room to poke his muzzle out as he snarled.
"Open," Yami said. It seemed he had unnerved Rao because she used her God, Indra. She won't be able to use him again. Yami lost this turn and the tiger's door open a little bit more.
To loose such a valuable trump card against the weakest would still hurt Rao. With a game with 2000 years of tactics behind it, Sounds like a game Alice would like.
"Open," Yami said.
Elephant Vs. King. Rao lost and she was surprised. Playing a King when there was still a Queen, a rather bold move. "The game's origin come from Egypt," Yami informed.
"Open !"
King Vs. Queen. Rao lost.
"I have 5000 years of Egypt's knowledge," Yami informed as The Millennium Pendent began to glow.
Rao it seemed was gifted with her words as they weakened her opponent's hearts. Also she would not lose anything. Rao however replied she did lose something and that is was a mystery.
The tiger's door went down and Anzu had no clue of the possible danger. Jumping up in Alice's arms she purred. I'm so glad your safe !
When everyone was out of the room, save for them and the Bengal did Alice ask, "Did Yami have to play another Game ?" Rubbing her face she replied, " Meow."
"I'll take that as a yes," Alice replied. No doubt she was planning on asking Yami details later. Purring she said her goodbye's to the silent tiger. He was rather handsome. She'd want to see him when she finally evolved.