Ok, so this story seemed a lot longer on my Microsoft. Nonetheless, at least I know what to expect when uploading. Anywho, hope you enjoy this, and I'll have my pet Tonberry do the disclaimer for me.
Tonberry: IBD does not own Yu-Gi-Oh, only Kazuki Takashi does and all copyrights belong to him. As well as Square enix for FF references.
IBD: Damn straight, if I did, I'd be rolling in the dough and buy mom that island I promised. ^_^ Enjoy!
Prologue: Decisions, Decisions
She shivered.
The cold, frigid air did nothing to pacify the searing pain through her body. In fact, it only made it worse. Her lungs burned as she fought to take deep, calm breaths in order to clear her mind of racing thoughts.
Everything will be okay, she thought. Just focus and stay calm.
She surveyed, or at least attempted to do so, the area of her current surroundings. There she sat inside a musky, dark room somewhat bigger than a cell chained to the wall behind her. Her hands and legs were shackled, but the chains were long enough for her to move at a distance, and for right now, she chose to sit now on the hard, freezing tile floor. A small bed stood to the right; however it seemed too rickety for her tastes and looked ready to collapse if too much weight was placed upon it.
Not that she was calling herself fat or anything.
There was no toilet, of course. She would have to ask permission to be let out on that idea, and even so, someone would nearby to make sure that she didn't try anything stupid. She chuckled darkly at that aspect, knowing full well it was that kind of decision that got her in this position in the first place. Her thoughts drifted to a particular conversation she had some time ago with him.
"If you want out, then I suggest that you leave now. It's gonna get rough after this."
"I can handle it," she replied in defiance, her chin held high.
"Sure about that? Shit is about to the fan, Tèa, and I doubt it'll be solved by a simple duel."
"Yes, and stop using crude language," she huffed.
He chuckled. "Fine, but don't ranting off about how I didn't warn you." He paused, as if in consideration. "You know what? I'd say we should put this agreement on paper."
"For what?" she cried incredulously.
"It'll serve as proof that you didn't take my warning."
"You don't trust my word? Haven't we been down this road?"
He sighed, closing his eyes. "Tèa, it's not your word that I doubt; it's the fact that I doubt your entourage will trust mine."
Heat flushed her cheeks. "Oh."
"I only ask one thing, though."
"What is it?"
"Don't do anything stupid."
Oh yeah, she's a woman of her word alright.
Tèa shifted in discomfort as the shackles dug deeper into her wrists, causing them to bruise and bleed. Her cerulean eyes adjusted slightly to the darkness in search for anything small enough to pick the lock, the only source of light poured from the beneath the door in a fashion of the "gateway to heaven."
Or, depending on your view, it could be the "gateway to hell."
She could barely suppress the groan from her throat as she found there was nothing that she could use. The emergency bobby pins that she had were in her purse, which was confiscated when they had taken her. A sigh escaped her lips as her head rested against the cool, stone wall. The sound of her breathing was the only thing heard in the room, and while she didn't have a problem with small spaces, Tèa felt the creeping panic of claustrophobia.
This is ridiculous. She was Tèa Gardner, for goodness sakes!
She has been trapped in a cave with no hopes of escaping, only to run into a labyrinth guarded two idiotic rhyming brothers. She scaled the roof of Pegasus' castle in Duelist Kingdom, with Tristan and Ryou, under the suspicion that the creator of duel monsters was cheating. She has been under the influence of mind control, for many occasions, by Marik Ishtar in his scheme to destroy Atem and later to take back his body from Yami Marik.
She survived the virtual world by the Big Five and won her own duel against a penguin that nearly made her into an ice sculpture. She rode atop a runaway train in the pharaoh's duel against Weevil, and managed to get away unscathed as it had derailed off the tracks. She has battled mummies, crash landed on an island and battled monsters, witnessed hostile takeovers, and watched what she and the others considered a dear, close friend leave the living to rest in the Afterlife.
Yes, she has done it all, and she'll be damned if she is going to let this keep her down.
No freaking way. Screw that.
With her teeth gritted, her body screamed in protest as she slowly stood against her better judgment. Testing the length of the chain, she started forward in agonizing steps pushing herself to not pass out.
Keep going. Keep going.
Her steps felt heavy as lead but she continued further. In truth, Tèa thought the door seemed to be moving further away from her, as if at the end of some long corridor that appeared to be close but you couldn't reach it no matter how fast you're going. The only confirmation she got was the pull of the chain, halting her movement.
She smiled. She made it only just a few feet away from the door.
Now, about these shackles…
Tèa cast a weary glance down toward the grey metal cuffs around her wrists. To her shock, the shackles were rust colored nearly eroding with old wear and mistreatment. The links, almost, black, looked ready to break if pulled with enough force. Hmm… that is a very useful advantage. Backing a few steps, Tèa mentally prepared herself for her task.
Grabbing the corresponding chains, Tèa spun fully around to face the wall and pulled with a hard yank. She spared a glance over her shoulder, in case she was heard, but nothing happened. Attention fully on her goal, she yanked again and this time added a backwards step with it. The bolt groaned in resistance against each the savage pulls of the prisoner, determined to stay intact.
But the prisoner would not have it. Something will break in that room: either her or that damn bolt.
Pull. Yank. Pull, and then yank. Pull and yank. Pulling and some weird tactic of whipping the chain like a whip, then yanking it.
With a ferocious growl emitted from her lips, the rusted chain finally broke under the pressure. She panted heavily, her heart beating rapidly in pure amusement and excitement that not only did she accomplish one part of her goal, but no guards had yet to pick up on what their prisoner was doing.
Good service is hard to find these days.
One down, three to go, she thought.
And so, she continued to repeat what she had done earlier. The second chain seemed easier to break as it had more loose links than its twin did. Well, that did it for her hands; all she needs to do now were her feet. Tèa rolled her shoulders, working out the stiffness of her neck as she prepared herself once again.
"What the hell is going on?" cried a muffled voice behind the door.
She froze.
"Ma'am?" another voice responded, confused.
"I heard banging coming from this room. Why the hell are you not watching her like I asked?"
So, someone did hear it. Crap.
"I-I'm sorry, m-miss," the other voice, a male one Tèa realized, stammered.
"Get out of my way," the commanding voice hissed.
Instantly, the door opened bathing Tèa in a sea of blinding light. She winced, shielding her eyes with free, but broken cuffed hands. A silhouette stood with authority as one hand rested on the doorknob and the other planted at the hip. It was a female and it dawned on Tèa that she knew who it was.
Damn.
So... what did ya think? Yeah, I know; could be better, but I wrote this on a whim and this is what I got. Give me time people. Now, Tea isn't exactly one of my favorite characters (Tonberry: Then why write about her? ME: because that's how the story WORKS!) but I'm gonna use her... to my amusement and payback (haha).
Now... Review! Go ahead, whether it's good or not , it doesn't matter to me! Hell, I'm published! However, if bad, give me constructive criticism and not just an outright insult. Besides, it'll help in the future for other things.
I leave with only one question: who's the guy that got Tea in this situation? (Clue: someone you wouldn't expect.)
Tonberry: Is it Kaiba?
ME: Now, what fun would that be? That's WAY too easy! YugixTeax? Huh, juicy.