8. Reconnection
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The duel of Kabia vs Yugi was the stuff of nightmares with monsters that Towered over their masters and each attack held the possibility of terrible repercussions. Sara felt so helpless as she watched along with Pegasus on his big-screen-after not being able to sleep as long as they had wished her to. Her stomach churned when he offered popcorn and it took everything within her to hide her growing nausea. The world felt like a tilt-a-whirl when Kaiba stepped upon the ledge of the castle wall. Her fingers were pressed anxiously against her trembling lips as she murmured against them, "Seto, no."
Relief made her sway again for a moment until she forced herself to sit down when the darker Yugi stopped his attack. It took her several minutes to calm her breathing as she bowed her head. "So what's next?"
"Now, my dear, we face Kaiba-boy and settle this." Pegasus studied her pale with poorly hidden concern. "I would have you duel in my place against your brother just for kicks except I don't believe you are up to it."
"No, I'm not. In fact, I'd like to avoid another encounter with Kaiba for the eminent future if I thought you'd let me."
"No, I would not; however, I do believe it would be a better idea to allow you to rejoin your friends. Of course, you resting is always the best alternative."
Sara snorted at his suggestion. "Time for that later. Truth is, I'd feel better having my friends in sight where you can't do anything creepy to them."
"What's to say I won't as I already have."
"Okay then let me rephrase, not too creepy."
"If you think that Yugi's soul is off limits..."
She grimaced at the thought. "If you had thought for a moment that it'd be that easy, you would not have gone to such extreme measures, Pegasus. Besides, I believe in my friends as they know what to expect from you now-at least to a certain degree. I wouldn't count them out quite yet as both Yugi and Joey have gotten this far."
"I do concede to that fact and will give them kudos in due time. Both of them are surprising and I believe they would to you as well in their capacity to forgive. You should give them a chance to show you what true care for another is. After all, you don't want to become like Kaiba or myself, for that matter."
"Is this your own twisted way in releasing me of the restrictions you placed upon me?"
"To a point as I cannot allow you to interfere with my upcoming plans now could I." Pegasus breathed in the full scent of his brew of choice then took a sip before continuing. "As such your tracker friend on your will remain and Croquet will be with you and your friends in your waking hours on this island."
Sara laughed in a lighter tone that had not been heard in awhile. "You hide your care for my well-being poorly, Pegasus, but I'm fine...I don't need a babysitter."
"More for your protection from that unsavory character that stole his way into my tournament. If you were better I would have let you take care of Bandit Keith for me."
"I will keep an eye on him so I'll take my leave to do so. I'll be like stink on a sneaker to him."
"I do hope for your sake that your belief in your friends are not unfounded."
"They're not; it's up to you to catch the cheater in the act." Sara said with just a bit of taunting in her tone as she left with Croquet to find her adventurous friends After this she will definitely have more than enough of dark, dank castles to the point that seeing one again ever would be too soon.
~k~
"Sara!" Yugi and his friends called to her to moment they saw her, surprising her by welcoming her back so enthusiastically.
"You guys should hate me." She observed wearily as she tried to keep herself removed from them, except they had clustered around her.
"We don't because we figured out that Pegasus had something on you or you would have come back after the semi-finals." Yugi explained. "When Mokuba challenged me and revealed that he had been kidnapped by Pegasus then you showed up revealing your true self-we figured we were right and how could we hold that against you?"
"I don't deserve to call any of you my friends, but I'm tired of pushing you all away." Sara confided quietly. "In fact, I am too tired this entire roller coaster I've found my way onto."
"An' it's not over cause there's Kaiba!" Joey exclaimed.
"And Pegasus." Tristan fairly snarled. "What is he up to now?"
"No good." Téa guess correctly as the scene in the duel arena suspended below unfolded before them. "What did he do to Mokuba-he seems like he's not really there?"
"He isn't. His soul was sent to the shadows." Sara said in a carefully detached manner although her heart ached with the anxiousness that refused to go away.
Their horror only grew as Pegasus mocked Kaiba's invention and had 'Mokuba' toss it into the dark abyss below. It only grew as the semi-finalists and the 'cheering section' watched the dark duel progress with Pegasus-extra on the looney-toons including the bastardization of Kaiba's precious Blue Eyes. Shock rocked their world when Kaiba lost to Pegasus although he still had 1000 life-points left. Tears filled Sara's eyes when pain tore through her as another brother met the fate of the younger...to be forever separated. She bore no ill will to them for forgetting her or being in denial that she lived still for she had perpetuated the secret until it grew beyond her. They did not deserve this...this forced separation.
"Sara-" Yugi's attempt to comfort her trailed off as she turned sharply on the heel of her boots then stalked away.
Everyone shuddered at the sudden sharp sound of expensive glass breaking in the other room. Tristan winced at the savage yells of pain before he joined the others as they rushed after her. He shook his head at the destruction that met them along with the dangerous glint in her blue eyes then muttered, "Remind me to never piss her off."
"Sara, are you okay?" Yugi asked cautiously when she swayed.
Her breath huffed through his hair as his alter self had taken over to support her weight. "Easy come easy go, but yeah...I will be as long as you don't lose to him, Yugi."
"I won't. I promise, Sara."
"I'll hold you to it then."
Croquet stepped forward to help shoulder her weight as he was more suited in height for it. "Let's get you to your rooms before you fall down. Dinner will be sent along as soon as you and your friends are settled."
"Don't want to be alone." She murmured against the sleep that tugged at her now that her angered pain had left.
"You won't be." Téa assured her. "Mai and I will stay with you and the guys can be in an adjoining room if that's possible?"
Croquet nodded. "Yes it is, Miss Gardner, this way."
Once inside her room, Sara gave directions to the girls on where her closet was located as she soaked in the tub, fighting to stay awake long enough. She would have forgone it if the other blonde hadn't insisted that it would relax her stating that stress was a killer. The urge to laugh was overwhelming for a moment as Mai had not idea how true that statement could very well be. Just a little bit longer...just hold on longer until this is over then you can give in. A sharp gasp was heard as Sara carefully pushed herself out of the water. It was Téa.
"A-are those. I-I mean, I knew you were abused before and that you were in a fire but..."
Shaking fingers grazed over the easier to reach of those that were more visible for a moment before she wrapped herself in a large, fluffy blue towel. Sara sighed softly to herself, the hell with it. "Yes, I was trapped by a beam in the fire that took the one person to ever care for me after my brothers left me behind. Some of the scars on my back were created by rods and whips. ..the man who created them chose to clean the wounds with salt water so they wouldn't heal right...wanted me to remember."
Sara shuddered as her voice shook with the memory before trailing off. She coughed until she regained her voice. "You can use the nightgowns in my closet-one size fits all."
Mai surprised her by engulfing her into a hug as she whispered against her ear. "I'm sorry you had to suffer so much...I know what similar suffering is like."
Sara flushed in embarrassment when the sobs worked their way out of her. It took her awhile to formulate a reply to the caring she received from both girls except to say, "Thank you, I'm sorry as well. No one should ever bear such pain."
"I wish your suffering was over." Téa sighed once they nestled in the large bed for the night.
"This too shall pass. No need to worry about me-I'll be alright now that I have friends." She murmured before she finally slipped into an exhausted slumber with a heavy sigh...believing in her own words for a change.
