Stranger in the Night
I know you think that you know my entire story, don't you? Well, you don't! Just read
this chapter and find out what I'm really all about.
*Disclaimer: * I don't own any part of the Protector of the Small series, or the Song of
the Lioness quartet. They both belong to Tamora Pierce. So don't sue me… you know
what you'll get: a pencil, some pocket lint and maybe a yo- yo. The only thing I own is
my plot and any and all OCs.
*Secondary/ Tertiary Disclaimer: * I don't own Yu- Gi- Oh! from where I borrowed the
names Seto and Mokuba, for all you who are also anime fans. I also don't own G-
Gundam, from where I borrowed the name Dohmon. But I do wish I did own Dohmon
and Seto…
*******
"Seto?" Kel whispered, suddenly able to speak. Amber eyes flashed confusion for a split
second, and the Youkai hesitated a moment before answering,
"Yes, it is I, Seto, the Youkai!" he whispered in return, pulling the scarlet mask back over
his face. "And I will have much use for you later, when I perfect my method to extract
your power."
"What do you want with my power?" Kel asked, curiosity overriding her fear.
"Your inner power as the Key can unleash the power of a legendary jewel, brother of the
Dominion Jewel," Youkai/ Seto answered. "But I haven't perfected it yet. It will be ready
by tomorrow, perhaps the day after at the latest." He motioned to the guard who had
brought her in. "Guard!" he called. "Take her away to the cell."
The guard grabbed her roughly and bound her wrists together with metal bands. After the
long, twisting walk back to her cell, the guard undid the bands from her hands. But she
couldn't do anything now.
From the outside, the cell she was in looked as if it had a certain depth, height and length.
But once inside… there was no end, no beginning. Only blackness.
**
"Kel!"
The urgent whisper cut through an uneasy sleep. Kel snapped awake, and stood.
"Kel!" the voice came again. Kel heard the sound of a key grating in a lock and the
square of light that directed her to the exit. Quickly, Kel strode over to the light and
stepped outside.
Her rescuer was carrying a torch; his face still cloaked in shadow. But that voice… once
more, that voice…
"Seto?" Kel demanded, frigidly, for the second time that day- or night.
"Kel, come on, let's get out of here…"
"What are you talking about?" Kel asked angrily, forgetting to be quiet. "You lied to me!
You said you were Seto, just Seto, and not the horrible monster called the Youkai! How
could you?"
"Kel, let's get out of here first, then we can talk," Seto pleaded.
"I don't know," Kel said, anger overpowering her for once. "I don't know if I can trust
you again. How do I know this isn't a trap?"
"Kel. The Youkai would not trap you like this. Believe me, I know."
"Of course you do! You are him!"
"Kel," said Seto with firm finality, "let's go." He grabbed her arm and pulled her along
the corridors she had already traveled but couldn't navigate. She tried to pull away, using
some of the Shang training from her page years, but Seto only tightened his grip with
amazing strength. He was dragging her in such a way that she couldn't reach him with
legs or hands. In the end, she decided to escape first and ask questions later.
Once outside in the cold air, Seto slightly loosened his hold on Kel. They did not stop
until well into a dark forest, the moonlight hardly piercing the thick foliage.
"Seto. What is going on? If you are the Youkai, then why did you rescue me? Or did you
really rescue me?" Kel asked with confusion. Seto hadn't pulled any moves on her,
perhaps he really did want her to escape- but that did not make any sense.
"I am not the Youkai," stated Seto simply, ignoring her questions.
"Then who was he? The number of Yamanis in Scanra with the name of Seto is very
small, I'm sure," said Kel sarcastically.
"He is Mokuba, the Youkai. The one who was the best of Yamani knights, but who ran
away to Scanra. Mokuba noh Yokoto is the Youkai."
"But he said his name was Seto. And he looked exactly like you."
"Mokuba is my older brother by 3 years."
"But… you have the exact same story as the Youkai," said Kel. "The best of your class
and all."
"The best of *my* class. We were in different classes."
"So then you are Seto noh Yokoto?"
Seto shook his head. "No. I am Dohmon noh Yokoto."
"What? What is your real name? First you say it is Seto, then Seto noh Yokoto, then
Dohmon noh Yokoto."
"I am really Dohmon noh Yokoto," said Dohmon (Seto, but I have to change names to be
accurate). "Listen Kel, I can tell you about my past later, right now we have to
concentrate on your escape-" He was cut off by Kel's hand on his mouth.
"Shh," she hissed. "I hear something…"
Sure enough, twenty large men jumped out from behind the trees.
"We're under orders from th' Master hisself to bring both o' ye back to his palace,"
declared one. "After them, men!" The men, armed with axes, ringed around them.
Kel plunged into the fight, grateful for her Shang training. She disarmed some men and
fought them; in hand- to- hand combat, they were less than competent. She heard Seto's
cry of pain and looked over. In that instant, one man hit her on the head with the butt of
his ax, and Kel fell immediately unconscious.
**
Kel woke once more in that infernal chamber she had been in so many times. Seto…
where was Seto? He must have been telling her the truth.
"Come out. Th' Master wants ter see ye again," came the guard's voice. Inside, she was
thankful for it; it offered an escape from the unbearable void. Kel jumped up and almost
ran to the square of light that was the door. She blinked in the sudden light: for once, the
underground network of mazes was lit by thousands of torches.
Instead of being taken to the throne room, however, Kel was brought to a set of golden,
handle- less doors, which nevertheless opened when the guard touched a finger to them.
After that was a set of silver doors, similarly handle- less, followed by bronze doors;
finally copper doors. Then she was led into the room.
The Youkai, wearing an orange mask this time, was standing up rather than sitting.
Selected courtiers lined the walls, silent as always. Most of them were wearing yellow
masks. There was a single chair in the center of the room, made of a strange, shiny metal.
"Sit," said the Youkai, in a mockingly pleasant voice. Kel made no move to respond.
"Sit, why don't you?" he said again, and held up a hand. He made some motions, and Kel
was picked up off the ground and set, none too gently, in the chair. Immediately, metal
bands snaked around her arms, legs, hands, neck and head.
"I heard you had an adventure yesterday?" continued the man. "I wonder where my
brother could be."
"You mean you don't have Seto- Dohmon?" asked Kel.
"Him? Oh no. What would I want with him?" asked the Youkai, in a would- be innocent
voice. Kel didn't answer.
"Well. Let's get on with it. Since you tried escaping, I'm going to have to torture you
first!" With a gleeful, evil laugh, the Youkai raised both hands and sent seven jets of
green magic at her heart. She screamed in agony as her entire body convulsed horribly.
The Youkai was laughing loudly; the courtiers were ever silent.
[I don't know how much more of this I can take,] thought Kel, with effort, as she tried to
resist the spell. [Someone… please come help!]
"Brother!" cried a voice, beautiful to Kel's agonized ears. "Stop this madness!"
The Youkai cursed under his breath, but stopped the spell to face the man who had
addressed him as brother. It was Dohmon.
"Dohmon!" he hissed. "What are you doing here?"
"Mokuba!" said Dohmon. "I will not let you have this girl! She cannot be used to gain
power for you!"
"Never!" yelled Mokuba. "I will have her! She will be used to draw out the full potential
of the Fire Flower Jewel, brother to the Dominion Jewel!"
"Mokuba," pleaded Dohmon. "The Fire Flower Jewel can be used for good as well as
evil. You can use it for good, just don't torture this girl."
Mokuba sneered. In front of Dohmon's eyes, his brother raised his hands and started the
spell again. Before the spell had time to set in, Dohmon was in front of Kel, a forest-
green magic shield protecting them both emanating from Dohmon's hands.
"What in hell do you think you're doing?" shrieked the Youkai.
But the spell, combined with the events of late, was too much for Kel, and she
succumbed to unconsciousness once again.
******
Whew that was a looooong chapter, but I hope it was okay! Anyway I'm positive Kel
acted OOC and I apologize, please believe me! And I also think that the events in my fic
are completely out of context with T. Pierce's books, but I've been
reading/watching/writing a lot of anime lately and I'm kinda influenced by that. I also
know that I made Kel black out like a million times so far but that's what I do when I
need to end a section/chapter. Please REVIEW!
Review… review… review… review… come on, it doesn't take that much effort! You
just click on that little button down below and type some words. If you feel you must
flame me, go ahead, I know my writing is far from perfect so I really don't mind flames.
But nice reviews would be better!!
I know you think that you know my entire story, don't you? Well, you don't! Just read
this chapter and find out what I'm really all about.
*Disclaimer: * I don't own any part of the Protector of the Small series, or the Song of
the Lioness quartet. They both belong to Tamora Pierce. So don't sue me… you know
what you'll get: a pencil, some pocket lint and maybe a yo- yo. The only thing I own is
my plot and any and all OCs.
*Secondary/ Tertiary Disclaimer: * I don't own Yu- Gi- Oh! from where I borrowed the
names Seto and Mokuba, for all you who are also anime fans. I also don't own G-
Gundam, from where I borrowed the name Dohmon. But I do wish I did own Dohmon
and Seto…
*******
"Seto?" Kel whispered, suddenly able to speak. Amber eyes flashed confusion for a split
second, and the Youkai hesitated a moment before answering,
"Yes, it is I, Seto, the Youkai!" he whispered in return, pulling the scarlet mask back over
his face. "And I will have much use for you later, when I perfect my method to extract
your power."
"What do you want with my power?" Kel asked, curiosity overriding her fear.
"Your inner power as the Key can unleash the power of a legendary jewel, brother of the
Dominion Jewel," Youkai/ Seto answered. "But I haven't perfected it yet. It will be ready
by tomorrow, perhaps the day after at the latest." He motioned to the guard who had
brought her in. "Guard!" he called. "Take her away to the cell."
The guard grabbed her roughly and bound her wrists together with metal bands. After the
long, twisting walk back to her cell, the guard undid the bands from her hands. But she
couldn't do anything now.
From the outside, the cell she was in looked as if it had a certain depth, height and length.
But once inside… there was no end, no beginning. Only blackness.
**
"Kel!"
The urgent whisper cut through an uneasy sleep. Kel snapped awake, and stood.
"Kel!" the voice came again. Kel heard the sound of a key grating in a lock and the
square of light that directed her to the exit. Quickly, Kel strode over to the light and
stepped outside.
Her rescuer was carrying a torch; his face still cloaked in shadow. But that voice… once
more, that voice…
"Seto?" Kel demanded, frigidly, for the second time that day- or night.
"Kel, come on, let's get out of here…"
"What are you talking about?" Kel asked angrily, forgetting to be quiet. "You lied to me!
You said you were Seto, just Seto, and not the horrible monster called the Youkai! How
could you?"
"Kel, let's get out of here first, then we can talk," Seto pleaded.
"I don't know," Kel said, anger overpowering her for once. "I don't know if I can trust
you again. How do I know this isn't a trap?"
"Kel. The Youkai would not trap you like this. Believe me, I know."
"Of course you do! You are him!"
"Kel," said Seto with firm finality, "let's go." He grabbed her arm and pulled her along
the corridors she had already traveled but couldn't navigate. She tried to pull away, using
some of the Shang training from her page years, but Seto only tightened his grip with
amazing strength. He was dragging her in such a way that she couldn't reach him with
legs or hands. In the end, she decided to escape first and ask questions later.
Once outside in the cold air, Seto slightly loosened his hold on Kel. They did not stop
until well into a dark forest, the moonlight hardly piercing the thick foliage.
"Seto. What is going on? If you are the Youkai, then why did you rescue me? Or did you
really rescue me?" Kel asked with confusion. Seto hadn't pulled any moves on her,
perhaps he really did want her to escape- but that did not make any sense.
"I am not the Youkai," stated Seto simply, ignoring her questions.
"Then who was he? The number of Yamanis in Scanra with the name of Seto is very
small, I'm sure," said Kel sarcastically.
"He is Mokuba, the Youkai. The one who was the best of Yamani knights, but who ran
away to Scanra. Mokuba noh Yokoto is the Youkai."
"But he said his name was Seto. And he looked exactly like you."
"Mokuba is my older brother by 3 years."
"But… you have the exact same story as the Youkai," said Kel. "The best of your class
and all."
"The best of *my* class. We were in different classes."
"So then you are Seto noh Yokoto?"
Seto shook his head. "No. I am Dohmon noh Yokoto."
"What? What is your real name? First you say it is Seto, then Seto noh Yokoto, then
Dohmon noh Yokoto."
"I am really Dohmon noh Yokoto," said Dohmon (Seto, but I have to change names to be
accurate). "Listen Kel, I can tell you about my past later, right now we have to
concentrate on your escape-" He was cut off by Kel's hand on his mouth.
"Shh," she hissed. "I hear something…"
Sure enough, twenty large men jumped out from behind the trees.
"We're under orders from th' Master hisself to bring both o' ye back to his palace,"
declared one. "After them, men!" The men, armed with axes, ringed around them.
Kel plunged into the fight, grateful for her Shang training. She disarmed some men and
fought them; in hand- to- hand combat, they were less than competent. She heard Seto's
cry of pain and looked over. In that instant, one man hit her on the head with the butt of
his ax, and Kel fell immediately unconscious.
**
Kel woke once more in that infernal chamber she had been in so many times. Seto…
where was Seto? He must have been telling her the truth.
"Come out. Th' Master wants ter see ye again," came the guard's voice. Inside, she was
thankful for it; it offered an escape from the unbearable void. Kel jumped up and almost
ran to the square of light that was the door. She blinked in the sudden light: for once, the
underground network of mazes was lit by thousands of torches.
Instead of being taken to the throne room, however, Kel was brought to a set of golden,
handle- less doors, which nevertheless opened when the guard touched a finger to them.
After that was a set of silver doors, similarly handle- less, followed by bronze doors;
finally copper doors. Then she was led into the room.
The Youkai, wearing an orange mask this time, was standing up rather than sitting.
Selected courtiers lined the walls, silent as always. Most of them were wearing yellow
masks. There was a single chair in the center of the room, made of a strange, shiny metal.
"Sit," said the Youkai, in a mockingly pleasant voice. Kel made no move to respond.
"Sit, why don't you?" he said again, and held up a hand. He made some motions, and Kel
was picked up off the ground and set, none too gently, in the chair. Immediately, metal
bands snaked around her arms, legs, hands, neck and head.
"I heard you had an adventure yesterday?" continued the man. "I wonder where my
brother could be."
"You mean you don't have Seto- Dohmon?" asked Kel.
"Him? Oh no. What would I want with him?" asked the Youkai, in a would- be innocent
voice. Kel didn't answer.
"Well. Let's get on with it. Since you tried escaping, I'm going to have to torture you
first!" With a gleeful, evil laugh, the Youkai raised both hands and sent seven jets of
green magic at her heart. She screamed in agony as her entire body convulsed horribly.
The Youkai was laughing loudly; the courtiers were ever silent.
[I don't know how much more of this I can take,] thought Kel, with effort, as she tried to
resist the spell. [Someone… please come help!]
"Brother!" cried a voice, beautiful to Kel's agonized ears. "Stop this madness!"
The Youkai cursed under his breath, but stopped the spell to face the man who had
addressed him as brother. It was Dohmon.
"Dohmon!" he hissed. "What are you doing here?"
"Mokuba!" said Dohmon. "I will not let you have this girl! She cannot be used to gain
power for you!"
"Never!" yelled Mokuba. "I will have her! She will be used to draw out the full potential
of the Fire Flower Jewel, brother to the Dominion Jewel!"
"Mokuba," pleaded Dohmon. "The Fire Flower Jewel can be used for good as well as
evil. You can use it for good, just don't torture this girl."
Mokuba sneered. In front of Dohmon's eyes, his brother raised his hands and started the
spell again. Before the spell had time to set in, Dohmon was in front of Kel, a forest-
green magic shield protecting them both emanating from Dohmon's hands.
"What in hell do you think you're doing?" shrieked the Youkai.
But the spell, combined with the events of late, was too much for Kel, and she
succumbed to unconsciousness once again.
******
Whew that was a looooong chapter, but I hope it was okay! Anyway I'm positive Kel
acted OOC and I apologize, please believe me! And I also think that the events in my fic
are completely out of context with T. Pierce's books, but I've been
reading/watching/writing a lot of anime lately and I'm kinda influenced by that. I also
know that I made Kel black out like a million times so far but that's what I do when I
need to end a section/chapter. Please REVIEW!
Review… review… review… review… come on, it doesn't take that much effort! You
just click on that little button down below and type some words. If you feel you must
flame me, go ahead, I know my writing is far from perfect so I really don't mind flames.
But nice reviews would be better!!