Chapter 14: The Finals Are Here
Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit, fan-based fictional work. Moi-moi819 does not own Inuyasha, Yu-Gi-Oh!, or any of the titles therein. Please and thank you for not suing.
Moi-Moi: I truly believe that I am a Yu-Gi-Oh fan to the core. I sat down for nearly a week straight watching some of the best duels from the original series and I was at the edge of my seat for most of the week. Also, I'm so proud of myself you guys. I had a title for this chapter before I even had a word of the chapter written. And as a bit of a spoiler alert, I'm currently working on two more Yu-Gi-Oh/Inuyasha crossovers. One of them will not be a one-shot for sure and I'm not sure if the other will be a one-shot or more. It all depends on how I finish developing the plot. Until then or the next chapter (whichever comes first), here's chapter fourteen! Thanks for reviewing: TsukiyoTenshi, Vanilla Twilight5896, kawaiishiella, xxoikilluoxx, DragonFire Princess, GX Lover, Pharr ioh, nier, noir, gome, sesshi, kohi, kogi, mar ik, Pharr, and many unnamed guests.
By the way guys, I have another question to ask you guys. I recently watched the duel between Ishizu and Kaiba during the Battle City Semi-Finals. Ishizu attempted to use a trap card to defeat Obelisk. I thought trap cards didn't work on Obelisk? Or is this one of those rules the creators bended when they played out this duel?
~:~
Kagome sighed in frustration and sadness once her eyes rested on Mai's unconscious form once again. She was joined by Shizuka, Anzu, Jounouchi, Honda, Yugi, Otogi, and Ishizu in the infirmary. Kagome had never felt more useless. She had never encountered a condition such as this one. She had no idea how to help Mai in any way.
"Kagome-chan, isn't there anything you can do to help Mai-chan?" Anzu asked her raven-haired friend worriedly. Kagome gave her a sullen look before shaking her head.
"I've never seen anything like this before. This is all new to me," Kagome answered. Jounouchi turned his eyes onto Kagome then.
"Why would you be able to help, Kagome?" Jounouchi asked the girl. Kagome stared up at him then, realizing that she had never confessed her past to the blonde boy. She looked around then. Only Yugi and Anzu knew of her past adventures.
"That's right. You guys don't know yet," Anzu said to herself. Everyone turned to the girl in question then. Yugi seemed surprised that Kagome had not told the others yet. Didn't she trust them? Then again, she lived with Anzu and Yugi considered himself close to Kagome due to their supernatural adventures.
"Know what?" Jounouchi asked suspiciously. He narrowed his eyes at the raven-haired girl.
With a sigh, Kagome gestured to a nearby chair. "Have a seat, Jounouchi-kun. This could take a while…"
"This doesn't sound good…" Honda commented dryly.
After Kagome had revealed her tale to her friends, they all stared at her in shock. They seemed at a loss of words. "You're serious?" Jounouchi asked after some time.
"After all you've seen with Yugi-kun, you find my story hard to believe?" Kagome questioned dubiously.
"Geez Kagome. It's just hard to believe that you were a time-travelling, demon-slaying miko," Jounouchi said. He had known that Kagome was a shrine maiden. He never expected her to truly have any sort of magical abilities, let alone be a former time-traveler.
"Hey. I'm still a miko. I just don't slay demons anymore," Kagome said and folded her arms. Jounouchi nodded, accepting her claim. He could understand why Anzu would expect Kagome to be able to help Mai. He turned his eyes to Ishizu then, suspicion lacing his gaze.
"What about you? I think you have some explaining to do Ishizu," Jounouchi said rudely. Everyone turned to the quiet woman with expectant eyes. Ishizu closed her eyes with a nod.
"Yes. You are right. It is time that I shed some light on my family's history and the reason for my brother's actions as of late," Ishizu started.
~:~
Yugi was getting close. According to Ishizu, Yugi would need all the Millennium Items in the future. He now had two, thanks to Ishizu giving him her Millennium Necklace. Yugi claimed to know the location of four of the other items. Kagome feared that the bigger challenge would be getting the items from their current owners rather than locating them all. She was sure that Marik had no intention of giving up his Millennium Rod the way Ishizu willingly gave up her Necklace.
Kagome and the others watched as Jounouchi, Yami, Kaiba, and Marik entered the four doors that held the platforms that would transport them to the dueling arena. They followed Mokuba then, in order to watch and support their friends in their duel. Once they got to the dueling arena, Kagome gasped in shock. Was all of this really necessary? Above them all, the four competitors stood on their platforms high up from the ground. It seemed like Kaiba found the most extravagant ways to duel. By now, Kagome was sure that she had seen it all.
"This duel will be used as a way to determine the matchups for the Finals. The first two duelists to lose shall be pitted against each other first. Each player must duel with only forty cards in his deck. In order to determine the turn order is, each player must select one monster from his deck and remove it from play. The owner of the monster with the highest attack points goes first and the lowest attack points goes last," Rowland, the tournament official announced. They waited for the four to pick their monsters before Rowland spoke again. "The turn order is: Kaiba-san, followed by Ishtar Marik, Muto Yugi, and Jounouchi Katsuya last."
Kagome tried her best to follow the duel, but was quickly lost. It most likely would have been easier to follow had she known who wanted to face whom in the Finals. Kaiba most likely wanted to face Marik or Yugi and she knew that Jounouchi wanted to face off against Marik. "Mokuba-chan, is all of this necessary? Couldn't they just draw numbers like they did before?" Kagome asked the small boy.
"I guess, but my brother wanted to keep this as interesting as possible. You have to admit Kagome-chan. You are pretty entertained," Mokuba said with much adoration in his eyes. Kagome could tell that Mokuba held his brother in high regard. She was sure that if Kaiba loved anyone in this world, it would be Mokuba.
"I redirect Kaiba's attack to you Marik. Since you only had 1700 life points left, you've lost the duel," Jounouchi smirked. Kagome and Anzu cheered for their blonde friend, applauding his quick thinking and dueling skills. "With that, I end my turn."
"Finally, now I can put an end to you Jounouchi. Blade Knight, attack him directly," Kaiba commanded. Everyone watched as Jounouchi's life points dwindled from 1000 to 0. Although he had lost, Jounouchi seemed quite pleased with the results. Kagome sighed. She had been right. Jounouchi had wanted to face Marik.
~:~
She should have seen this coming. Marik was a dark soul who only embraced the darkness. Kagome shouldn't have been surprised when he plunged his duel with Jounouchi into the Shadow Realm. She had assumed that she would be able to handle the darkness surrounding her, but she was wrong.
After using much of her energy during her healing session with the Pharaoh, Kagome could feel what little energy she had left slipping from her fingertips. She used what energy se had left to cover herself with a barrier. She leaned more onto the Pharaoh as her eyes drifted shut. She fell unconscious just as Jounouchi's Panther Warrior attacked and destroyed Marik's Gil Garth.
"Now behold as I, Mana the Magnificent, displays a trick for you, my adoring audience!" Mana proclaimed with an extravagant bow. Kagome clapped happily from her side on the river bank. She placed her hands onto her lap and smiled up at Mana expectantly. She turned to where the Pharaoh sat with a smirk on his face next to her.
"What are going to perform for us today, Mana?" he questioned.
"Um… Gimme a second," she says and manifests her spell book before her. She turns away from them quickly to scan through the pages. Kagome giggles behind her hand before lying back onto the sand. She opened her eyes to peer up at the Pharaoh. A blush rose to her cheeks when she saw that he was already staring at her."Okay. I got it. Now, I shall make this fruit disappear. You guys! Are you even paying attention to me?" Mana questioned with a peach in her hand.
"What did you say, Mana?" the Pharaoh asked, keeping his eyes on Kagome. Kagome smiled at him bashfully with a more than evident blush gracing her cheeks. Mana pouted and folded her arms. Performing for these two was terrible. They never paid attention and would always get distracted by each other!
"Just forget it," Mana muttered, but quickly grinned as a mischievous look entered her eyes. She waved her wand swiftly towards the Nile. She captured a sphere of water and caused it to levitate above the surface. Stifling a giggle, she tossed the water sphere at her two friends before running off with a giddy laugh.
"Mana!" Kagome cried out unhappily. With an upset growl, she began ringing out her clothes. Kagome grabbed her wand from where it laid next to her. She made some gestures with her wand and seemed to be coating her and the Pharaoh in a warming light.
The Pharaoh let a small smile show as his clothes and skin dried. He could feel the lightening effect of Kagome's Heka. He breathed deeply, enjoying the peace that settled over his mind.
"Are you dry, my King?" Kagome questioned and turned to the Pharaoh. She blushed again when she noticed to peaceful look on his handsome face. She couldn't keep the smile off her face for long. It always pleased her to see him smile. He opened his eyes to turn his gaze onto her. Kagome felt her face warm even more under his gaze. She remained absolutely still as his hand cupped her cheek and his lips captured her own.
They remained like that for some time, enjoying their public display of affection. His lips were soft, yet firm as they held her own. After some time, they pulled apart. "What was that for?" Kagome asked, dazed.
"Do I need a reason to show you how I feel?" the Pharaoh asked and pulled her to him again.
Kagome woke up with a start. It was happening again. She held her head as images from her dream assaulted her mind. She brought her fingers to her lips gently. She could still feel his lips on hers. A blush rose to her cheeks then, tinting them a bright red color. "Oh boy…" Kagome muttered.
She looked around then. Where was she? The last thing remembered was being present for Jounouchi's duel. She must have passed out during his duel. But, where was Jounouchi now? Kagome slipped out from under the covers before making her way out of the room. He was probably still dueling.
Kagome made her way out of the airship and towards the duel tower. She boarded the elevator up the tower with a concerned look on her face. She was concerned for Jounouchi as well as herself. She had to make sure no harm befell her friend in his duel with Marik. Now that she had rested, she was fully energized and ready to take on the darkness of the Shadow Realm.
She was still concerned for her own metal state. Kagome was sure that her mind was playing tricks on her. She was sure that she didn't have any sort of romantic feelings for the Pharaoh. He as her friend. She wasn't looking for love and she wasn't about to let some dreams mess with her head and complicate her friendship.
Kagome exited the elevator and stepped up the staircase onto the lower platform. She was surprised to not see or feel and darkness present. She looked around the arena to see what looked like a Roman coliseum. Now, she had seen it all. It seemed that Seto Kaiba never ceased to amaze her.
"Yugi-kun?" she questioned, seeing the King of Games up on the platform facing off against Kaiba. Where was Jounouchi?
"Kagome? What are you doing here?" Yami questioned, taking his eyes off the duel. He stared down at her in worry wile Kaiba gave her an uninterested stare.
"I came to see the duel. What happened?" Kagome asked.
"Quit stalling Yugi. Make your move!" Kaiba commanded, interrupting them rudely. Yami narrowed is eyes at Kaiba while Kagome folded her arms.
"Very well, Kaiba," Yami said. "Here Kaiba." Kagome watched as Yami handed over what looked like is Egyptian God Card to Kaiba before promising to get it back. What was going on? Kagome watched as Kaiba began to goat before having Yami cut him off. "I activate the spell card, Exchange. Now, we both must take one card out of each other's hand. I'll be taking Slifer back now."
With a large grin, Kagome let out a laugh. Kaiba sent her a harsh glare, but she was oblivious to it. Yami smirked arrogantly at Kaiba before accepting his card from Kaiba and allowing Kaiba to take his Life Shaver card.
It was easier to follow along now. Kagome found that the more time she spent as a spectator to the game, her understanding of it increased and developed. Now more than ever the game appealed to her. Perhaps she could convince Yugi or Yami to give her a lesson?
"Yugi-kun!"
"Yugi!"
Kagome turned to see Jounouchi followed by Anzu, Honda, and Otogi run out from the staircase. They all seemed surprised to see her standing there. "Kagome-chan, what are you doing here?" Anzu asked.
"I came to see the duel of course. I was looking for Jounouchi-kun, but I found Yugi-kun instead," Kagome answered. Anzu felt her mouth open and close. Kagome didn't know about what happened to Jounouchi.
"I activate the spell card Diffusion Wave-Motion to give my Dark Paladin the boost he needs to destroy your Blue Eyes White Dragons. Now, go my monster!" Yami proclaimed. They all turned around at the Yami's voice. They watched with large grins as Yami's monster attacked and destroyed all of Kaiba's monsters thus winning him the duel. Before the dueling platform could fully lower itself, Kagome had pulled herself up the side and was already embracing the Pharaoh happily.
"Geez Kagome, give him some room to breathe," Jounouchi teased lightly. Kagome playfully stuck her tongue out at the blonde boy, but didn't relinquish her hold on the Pharaoh.
~:~
With an upset look, Kagome knocked on the door belonging to Seto Kaiba. She folded her arms and waited for the door to be opened. She wasn't surprised to see that it was Mokuba who answered. "Hey Mokuba-chan. May I come in?" Kagome asked pleasantly. Mokuba hesitated for a second before looking behind him into the room. Kagome waited patiently.
"Sure, Kagome-chan. Come on in," Mokuba said in a hesitant tone and stepped aside. Kagome strode into the room before folding her arms and setting a glare on to the older Kaiba brother.
"What's wrong with you?" Kagome started.
"You interrupt my silence and intrude on my personal space without permission and make claims that there is something wrong with me?" Kaiba sneered and didn't look at her.
"Do you honestly believe that you're alone in this world and that you have no one you can depend on?" Kagome asked. Mokuba stepped into the room, his eyes darting between Kagome and his brother. Mokuba had never known anyone to ever go so far as to approach his brother so boldly other than Yugi and Jounouchi. Kagome was definitely something else.
"That is what I said. Wasn't it?"
"Why can't you see that you're not alone? Whether you like it or not, you're not alone. How can you look me in the eye and make such a ridiculous claim? Are you just that blind?" Kagome started. Kaiba had been pushing her buttons since the first moment that she had met him. She took the opportunity to let out all her frustrations with the young man now. She had never met someone so stubborn. Not even Inuyasha would be this persistent!
"Watch your tongue," Kaiba threatened.
"How can you claim to not need or have anyone? The last time I checked, you weren't alone. I've never seen anyone stand up for you the way Mokuba-chan does. You may not need anyone, but I'm sure that Mokuba-chan needs you," Kagome says and gestures to where Mokuba stood quietly.
"Do not make the mistake of assuming that I do not care for my brother, Higurashi," Kaiba warned and stood from his seat. He attempted to intimidate Kagome into backing down, but was displeased to see her rise to the challenge. He watched the fire dance in her eyes with a sneer. If there was one thing he gave her credit for, this small woman never backed down from a fight.
"Then prove it. Instead of acting like a cold-hearted, miserable fool, show some human emotions for once. You want to be the best at everything, but being the best doesn't mean that you have to make yourself miserable," Kagome says. Kaiba remained quiet then, only glaring at the young woman. Seeing that he wasn't going to respond, Kagome turned and walked out of the room. Hopefully, her words would break through the hardened skull of Seto Kaiba.
~:~
Kagome awoke the next morning after the Battle City Tournament with a smile immediately making its way onto her face. He had won.
Yugi had won the Battle City Tournament as well as all three Egyptian God Cards. Not only that, but the whole world knew it now. Not many duelists dared to challenge the King of Games now knowing his true strengths. There was peace now, but for how long would it last? There was only one more obstacle to be conquered. The days were growing closer until Yami would discover the secrets of his past and memories. He now had possession of tree of the Millennium Items. Kagome had the sneaking suspicion that closing the door on one evil, just opened the door for a new, greater one.
Trying not to think of such thoughts, Kagome threw off her covers and took a seat on the floor. She crossed her legs and closed her eyes, embracing the serenity that meditation brought to her. She went about her normal routine until the shrill noise of her ringtone broke her concentration. Letting out a sigh, she reached for the mobile device that was plugged into its charging station.
"Hello?" Kagome asked into the receiver.
"Kagome? Are you busy?" It was Yami. Kagome pulled the phone away from her ear to stare at it in shock before placing it back to her ear. "Kagome?"
"Um, no. I'm not busy. Why? Is something wrong?" Kagome asked.
"Not at all. I wanted to know if you would not mind joining me for the day."
Kagome blinked twice. "Sure. I have nothing planned."
"That's great. Let's meet at domino Station in an hour. How does that sound?"
"It sound good. I'll see you there," Kagome said. She said her goodbyes before shaking her head with a laugh. What could he want to see her for? The Pharaoh had never approached her with this sort of request before. It touched her to know that he felt that he could readily seek out her presence.
With a smile, Kagome opened Anzu's door, expecting to see her in her room. The smile slipped away when she noticed that Anzu wasn't present.
"She left early this morning before you woke up. She took Shizuka-chan out for a tour of the city," Kasumi explained. She had seen Kagome peer into her daughter's room while passing the door on her way to her own room.
"Thanks. I'll just go get ready to go then," Kagome said.
"Where are you headed off to?" Kasumi asked with a smile.
"Yugi-kun wants me to meet him later."
"Like a date?" Kasumi asked with a wink. She watched as the teenager's face flushed before she waved her arms frantically in denial. Kasumi laughed lightly before turning her back and speaking over her shoulder. "Of course it's not a date Kagome-chan. I believe you. Have fun."
Kagome let out a sigh.
~:~
Yami stood in front of the Domino Station at exactly eleven o' clock. He waited patiently for Kagome's arrival. Yugi had suggested that he do something to get his mind off of recent events. His vessel had joked that even Pharaohs needed a vacation. It had been his own idea to invite Kagome. After learning this, Yugi had promised to give him space and had left him alone. Yami held back a smirk.
He could easily see through Yugi's attempts at playing matchmaker. He supposed that it served him right for his attempts at pushing Yugi into a relationship with Anzu. He could tell that his vessel had feelings for his friend, but was too shy to act on them.
"Guess who," a voice said before he felt two, small hands slip over his eyes. Yami let a smirk grace his lips as he played along.
"I wonder who it could be. Is it Kaiba?" he spoke.
"Ooh, so close. But, no. Guessing games must not be your forte," Kagome teased and removed her hands from his eyes. Yami turned to see her and felt his throat close up. Kagome wore a white collared, sleeveless dress that stopped mid-thigh a large black belt around the midsection emphasized her curves and small waist. She smiled at him hesitantly. "Do I look bad?"
"No. Not at all," he said with a smile. Kagome felt a blush rise to her cheeks as she nervously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"Well, you don't look so bad yourself," she complimented. He wore a long-sleeved, white button-up and dark jacket with dark pants and his trademark boots. She was surprised to see that he only wore one leather accessory- the chocker around his neck. "What do you have planned for us today?"
They began walking down the steps of the station, side by side. "I figured that since I'm not allowed to go home before the sun goes down, that we could simply go where ever we wish," Yami replied.
Kagome held back her laughter. "Did Yugi-kun forbid you from going home?"
"He did actually. He feels that I should spend the day relaxing," Yami said.
"There's nothing more relaxing than a spa treatment," Kagome suggested. He gave her an unimpressed look.
"I have a better idea…"
~:~
Anzu hummed a tune happily as she walked back home after a day on the town. She had just split off from Shizuka after giving the girl a tour of the city. Since she had been blind for most of her time in the city, Anzu felt that it was necessary to show her the city at least once before she left.
Anzu had felt bad about leaving Kagome home alone without asking her if she wanted to come along. Kagome had been drained after witnessing the Shadow Game between the Pharaoh and Marik. Anzu had wanted to let her rest up and replenish her energy. She supposed that once she got home, they could both stay up late and hang out like they did before the Battle City Tournament started.
The sun was beginning to set and Anzu checked her watch idly. She stopped at the sign that proclaimed "Bus Stop". She would take the bus the rest of the way home. She stood with several others who also waited for the next bus. She turned away from them all, looking across the street. Her eyes narrowed spotting a familiar person.
Across the street, what looked to be Yugi and Kagome stood at a metal railing that overlooked the beach. The sunset was shining behind them with a hue comprised of several oranges and reds. Anzu felt her throat constrict and her hand clench at how close they stood. They just looked to be talking. Maybe she could go over and join them?
But, what if they were on a date? Anzu felt her heart ache. They couldn't be. Upon closer inspection, Anzu noticed that it was in fact the Pharaoh out with Kagome. He didn't like Kagome. She was sure that he didn't. But, Anzu knew nothing of Kagome's feelings. She would go over to them.
Before she could take one step onto the street to cross, Anzu felt the air leave her lungs. Within that second, the small gap between the two shrunk. They were no longer talking, but instead were held in what looked to be a very passionate kiss.
So many questions plagued her mind. Where had this come from? When did they start to have feelings for each other? Above it all, Anzu could hear a nagging voice say, "This is all your fault. You let this happen." Feeling the salty pang of tears prick the back of her eyes, Anzu turned and fled the scene. She willed herself not to cry; at least not until she was safe in her room. With each step, she felt her heart break more and more, becoming a damaged mess that she wasn't sure could ever be repaired.
~:~
Moi-Moi: I feel terrible. Anzu didn't deserve this. :( I'm happy that Yami and Kagome kissed, but I feel terrible that Anzu saw. This is so hard! Please review while I go comfort Anzu. I also want to apologize if you guys, weren't completely pleased with the last two chapters. I basically have to force these out. Writer's block is a bitch like that. But, I have so much creativity for the next chapter that I feel like I'm going to explode! ^.
Edited: 3/18/13