"Come on, it could be your best chance."
"Come on nothing, Tamao. I'm not dueling again. Ever."
At a complete standstill in the argument, which they had been having for the past half hour, the two resorted to one of their usual staring-contests. Many an argument had dissolved into such a staring contest over the years, but usually those arguments were over something a little less serious than the topic at hand.
On one side was a brunette girl, her hair cropped short in a fashionable way, arms crossed over her chest as she glared angrily at a lanky boy with dark purple hair in a long ponytail, sitting on a sofa across from her, who met her glare with his calm and cold one. In between them were two decks, one towards Tamao Tokani, the brunette girl, the other closer to the purple haired boy, and a box next to each deck.
Eventually, Tamao cracked first. "Come on, Kyono! Don't you realize what could possibly be in it for you if you duel, and you win? Think of it! Three million dollars could easily hire a detective or something- we could find-"
"Shut up, Tamao, and think for a moment, would you?" The boy replied softly. He gestured loosely at the box by the deck closer to him, unopened. "I got invited to this tournament, and I just won a few tournaments that were more or less local when I was a kid. Think of what that means- it means big names in dueling are going to be there, and I haven't dueled in three years. Just, be reasonable- do I stand a chance against them? No."
"But you don't know that for sure!" Tamao interjected, flinging her hands out in her enthusiasm. "You could have gone to the higher tournaments, but you never wanted to, remember?! You're on their level!"
"Was."
"Stop playing that card, dueling is like riding a bike. I stopped dueling for a while, but the instant I had a deck back in my hand, bam, it was like I never stopped."
Kyono Yakura removed his glare from his cousin and turned it on the box by the deck. "Even so." He replied grudgingly. "I… Don't want to do it. I gave up dueling for a reason."
It was Tamao's turn to look away, letting her arms fall to her sides. "I know, Kyo, I know, but… Maybe… It led to a catastrophe, but maybe dueling can, I don't know, help to alleviate that catastrophe."
At that, she held out two cards to him; one with a pile of gold upon it, one blank. He stared at them for a moment, then looked away. "If you're so passionate about this, why don't you compete?"
She withdrew her hand with a sigh. "I am, Kyo, but… I'm not as good as you. 'Sides, I figure the more people dueling for our cause, the better right? It makes the odds slightly more in our favor."
Kyo snorted at that. "Are you kidding me? That would be an miniscule edge, hardly worth it."
"I'm surprised you know what that word means." Tamao replied, with the slightest of grins.
"I'm not as stupid as you make me out to be, Tama." He answered, returning the slight grin.
They remained quiet for a moment after this, both seeming absorbed in their own thoughts, until a techno songloop broke the silence. "Shoot, my phone." Tama blinked, digging in her pocket to find the offending piece of technology. Finally getting it, she glanced at the screen and hit the accept button.
"Hello? Toshiro? Hey!" She said into the phone. Kyo, who had sat up when she presented the cards to him, fell back into the sofa's cushions.
"Yeeah… Yes, I'm entering… No, I should be okay with what I have… Well, maybe… I don't know, you think…? … Mm, alright, I'll come over and take a look… Of course I'll check my strategy with you- you're coming too, right? … Yes, I know you collect, not duel, but still, it'd be good to- Oh, you were kidding. I knew that. Yes. … Hahaha, sorry, my mind is elsewhere, I'm not my usual witty self- Oh, okay. Bye! Yeah, tomorrow, okay, bye!"
And with that, Tama hit the end button, shoving the phone back into her pocket, only this time the one in her vest and not in her jeans. Turning back to Kyo, she gave him an apologetic expression. "Sorry 'bout that, now where-"
"Duel me."
"Huh?" Tama asked in surprise, her attention snapping solely on him. "What did-"
"I want you to duel me. You've been playing in some tournaments recently, you're in practice, and you're good- you'll be the average there, I'd bet." Kyo continued on, ignoring Tama's objecting, 'hey!'. "So, I figure if I duel you and I win… I'll go."
What he said did not escape Tama's sharp mind, and she grinned. "Alright. Just you better know, even though I want nothing more than you to enter, I'm not going to hold back- especially after that insult."
Kyo smirked at her. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
---
The darkened living room was lit only by the glowing screen of the TV, casting eerie shadows and bathing the two figures in front of it into pale, creepy light. One was collapsed across the floor, unmoving and seemingly not breathing; the other stood tall in front of the television, staring directly at the face smiling almost sadistically at her.
"Clearly you will not take no for an answer, it seems." The girl whispered darkly, her gaze not leaving the screen.
"There are easier ways than this to get you to come to my island, little girl. If only you had merely accepted my invitation, your brother would not be in this state." The man's voice was elegant and haughty, yet not without its hint of menace.
Only now did the girl glance at the unconscious form by her feet. "I had no interest in your twisted tournament until you did this. Now, I fear I might have to be more than a little ruthless."
"Oh, yes, you play for keeps, don't you?"
"It is the only way I know how to play- I am incapable of restraining my powers in that respect." Turning her dark eyes back to him, the shadow of a smile passed her lips. "So I shall merely have to find a way to bypass all challengers, so the only one I must hurt shall be you."
"I cannot express how much I look forward to it, Sukia Oonishi." The screen clicked off, the sound of the silver-haired man's dark chuckling filling the room as if in farewell.
Turning from the screen, Sukia closed her eyes tightly before reopening them resolutely.
If she was in this, she was in this all the way.
---
Standing in the doorway of the room that Maximillion Pegasus practically made his office was a woman wearing glasses and a business suit, holding the hand of a young girl who seemed to be struggling to get free from her grasp. For her part the woman holding the girl seemed to feel more than a little guilty about what she was doing, but she pressed on in her duty.
"Mr. Pegasus, I've brought the girl just like you requested."
Glancing up from his glass of wine to look at the woman and then the girl, Pegasus smiled. "Excellent work, Miss Niwoshi. Please, take her to the most comfortable room you can find- oh, and don't forget to introduce her to our other young guest."
"Of course, Mr. Pegasus, but-" Alianni Niwoshi began, but Pegasus cut her off.
"You will find what use I have of that girl in due time, but in the meantime you would do well to do as I say. You are no doubt aware of why you hold the position you now do?"
"Yes, sir." She replied, barely hiding the cringe as she backed out of the doorway, tugging the young girl with her.
They walked briskly down the hall, the girl keeping up her fight. "Where are we going? I don't know what's going on!" She said, honest fear tinting her voice.
Alianni felt her heart break as she glanced down at the girl, keeping up her pace. "We're going to find you a nice room to stay in for a while. Don't worry, it should be fun!"
Even as she said it, she knew she was a terrible liar.
"But… But, I don't know where… And I don't like…"
Alianni just kept walking, keeping her gaze to the front until they reached a door. After she unlocked it, Alianni led the young girl into it.
"Here you go- this will be your room for the time being." She said, shutting the door softly behind her as to not alarm the girl.
Looking around, the girl calmed down briefly enough to notice another door. Pointing to it, she sniffed, "What's… What does that door lead to…?"
"Ah, that's- a door for a little later. It leads to your neighbor's room, you see, and I believe he's asleep right now."
At that, the little girl emitted a large yawn herself, which made Alianni smile in spite of herself.
"Heh. Looks like you should be sleeping, too. Get some rest, Reena."
She didn't wait for the girl's answer, but quickly excused herself from the room.
This was one of the reasons Alianni really wished that she could be like a normal person and quit her job without one of the repercussions possibly being death, or worse.
---
Slipping the dueling gauntlet onto her right hand with a certain degree of triumph, Tama grinned over at her cousin as she placed the two star chips into their slots. "Get a good night's sleep- we leave tomorrow. You have to stop doing stuff last minute, Kyo."
Loosely holding his deck in one hand and the dueling gauntlet in the other, Kyo sighed. "Guess there's no turning back now- I keep my word."
"I know you do. Duelist Kingdom, here we come!" With that cheerful remark, she left the small apartment.
Finally on his own, Kyo sighed heavily, placing the deck back on the table. Falling into the sofa once again, he stared at the ceiling and spoke aloud as if addressing someone.
"I know I said I'd give up dueling after everything it cost me… It was to get to one of my tournaments that you both died, and she was taken away. But… Tamao might be insane in her means, but she's also got a strong point. I might be able to find her if I win, Mom, Dad… So, I guess I have to take this chance."
He closed his eyes briefly, before sitting up. Staring at his deck he said aloud, as if to confirm it in his mind, "Reena, I will find you."
Author's Note:
Wow, I submitted something! XD Well, in case you didn't quite realize it, this story will be following the Duelist Kingdom Arc of Yu-Gi-Oh!, and... for the most part will be focusing on my original characters. nn I think Mokuba will be an important player, too, but he'll probably be one of the only canon characters that have any significant role for a while. Still, I hope this is at least somewhat interesting for you, because the characters mean a lot to me.
Toshiro Mishimiko, who was only mentioned in passing for the moment, (c) Dark Regrets, my friend
Kyono Yakura, Tamao Tokani, Sukia Oonishi, Kuro Oonishi (the unconcious guy), Alianni Niwoshi, Reena (c) Me, Jahkari Owens
Duelist Kingdom, Maxamillion Pegasus, etc. (c) ... Shoot. The creators of Yu-Gi-Oh!