~*~
Gabriela looked at her Yami, stunned. "You mean I'm gonna learn to MAKE monsters?"
Jericho looked at her seriously. "Well, that is what the powers of the Cat are. Along with being able to sense monsters and the little protection reflex you've already mastered."
"Protection reflex?"
"The energy you release when you're in danger. It's a technique called Bright Mind Shatter. You can call it Mind Shatter for short. Yami's attack is Darkness Mind Crush. He just calls it Mind Crush though."
"Strange…:
"What's strange about it?"
"You and Yami. You're alike and yet your different. Kind of like Sara and me."
"Sara?"
"My friend. She was my friend from the west before I had to move because of people being afraid of my little…abilities. She's kept in touch, though."
"Do you have a picture of her?"
"Yes, It's old though." Gabriela went to her refrigerator and grabbed the picture of her and a dirty blond haired, hazel blue eyed girl with her hair in a swing type hairstyle. "This is us about 5 years ago."
Jericho got a misty, far away look in her eyes. "Tori…."
"Tori? As in bird?"
"Sort of. She was one of the first friends I ever made at the palace, no, ever, period. You see, the Pharaoh and his High Priest had a terrible rivalry going on constantly, over most everything and he didn't want his brother involved. That's how Tori got into the palace…."
~Jeri's Memory~
Jeri was sitting in the middle of a bare room, tied to a pillar like a horse. She sat down and looked for something to amuse her. Suddenly she started sensing beings. "Whose there?"
No answer came, but she noticed several winged creatures staring at her through the window. She gasped and backed into the pillar. She noticed a lot of walking creatures staring st her from the doorway. She pulled her knees to her chest and looked round warily. Every way she turned, monsters were staring at her. 'Did he put me back in the Shadow Realm? Did I finally change into a monster?' She noticed a humaniod monster with shoulder length purple hair and a strange head band on the window side. She had midnight blue wings and was dressed in gold. She looked directly at a monster on the other side of the room. He was a humaniod too. He had on purple and black robes and a strange cone-ish hat. His blue eyes and purple hair were astounding. They communicated silently with their eyes for a moment and then both of them took off in opposite directions, seemingly to find someone.
Soon the crowd dwindled. Jeri felt safer for a moment, then she heard someone come in. It was a girl in a loin cloth skirt with a top much like Jeri's and jangling bracelets around her ankles and silk "wings" hanging from he arms in three places. She had dirty blonde hair in a swing, only it had green stripes in it. Her eyes were a calm hazel blue. "Hello? Oh! I'm sorry! I was looking for the kitchens…" She noticed Jeri was hurt from where the ropes were cutting into her. "Here, let me help you." She bent down and tried to undo the ropes.
"Why are you helping me?" Jeri asked. "Don't you know I'm the scum of Egypt?"
She smiled sweetly. "You don't seem like scum. You seem nicer than a lot of guards around here." She almost had the ropes undone when someone, or some people came into the room.
"Tori! Get away from that thief!" It was the High Priest's order. "My slaves will have nothing to do with the Pharaoh's trash, understand?" Tori looked at him appealingly.
"Sir, you don't understand. She was…"
"Tied up for a reason." Yami finished. "I put her here for trying to steal from me."
"Pharaoh, sir, I'm sure she won't get into any trouble. She's hurt. I'll look out for her. Really. Sir, I'd like to take responsibility for her." Jeri was stunned.
'Some one is taking up for me. She volunteered to take responsibility for me. No one's ever done that. Why? Why would she do this? Put herself on the line for me?'
"So you will take full responsibility if she runs away or steals? She owes me 1 year of service for attempting to steal. It's now your responsibility to see she carries it out honestly," he glanced at the neck piece she had on. "Child's Nurse for the High Priest's brother." (Baby sitter) The Pharaoh turned to Jeri, who was still wide eyed in shock. "And, as for you, my monsters are everywhere in this palace, always watching. If you leave this palace I will know and if by some miracle you escape me, your friend will be the one to pay the price. Let us hope you are a loyal friend because the penalty for disobedience is death." He turned to walk away and the High Priest looked at Tori.
"Tori, I trust your judgment, Ra knows I wouldn't let my brother be watched by an incompetent, but are you sure about this? She's like a wild animal."
"Only she is not an animal, she is a human and should be treated as such, not a horse on a rope." The high priest walked away, tired of this arguement. Tori looked at Jeri. "You okay with this? If you do anything, it's basically my fault in the Pharaoh's eyes. I trust you, though. Come on. I'll show you to the servant's quarters."
~end Memory~
Gabriela was shocked. "So, Sara, my best friend, is the reincarnation of Tori, your best friend? Wicked Cool! It's like a magical circle that goes round and round again. Once met, once more." Gabriela picked up a picture she'd drawn thinking about Sara, The Tori Hikari. It looked a lot like a cross between a swan and a peacock. Long neck, amazing tail feathers and a beak like a swan. It had shimmering blue eyes. "Let's make this one first, Jericho."
Jericho studied it's attack and strength. "Yes. Not too strong, not to weak. It won't be easy for your first try, but I need you to learn and get stronger fast, so this will do." She opened a place in the shadow realm. "We have to be inside before it will work for your first try." Gabriela followed. Jericho stopped.
"Here, now what?" Gabriela took the picture from Jericho.
"Stand up straight. Now I'm going to recite the incantation in Egyptian, I'm afraid it may not work in your language. Okay?" Gabriela nodded and Jericho began chanting. Gabriela copied her. After their chant got so fast, Gabriela was engulfed in a brilliant light. She held out the picture. "Tori Hikari! I summon You! Be born before me!" Out of the Cat, a ghost like figure shaped like a cat floated to her hands where the paper was and combined with the paper, making it glow and change shape. It now looked like a real card, and standing before her was the magnificent Bird of Light. Gabriela was exhausted and fell to her knees, still staring at the beautiful bird that was crooning softly.
"Well done, Gabriela. Very nice for your first try." Jericho brought them back to Gabriela's house. "It's almost time for your interview. You don't want to be late. You'll need something to keep you busy while we wait for your energy to return while your still learning. This is good enough." Jeri returned to the Cat.
~The Kiaba Mansion~
Mokuba and Seto were watching Gabriela closely. Mokuba was trying to remember every good thing and Seto was trying to notice any mistake. Somehow, Mokuba had kept the conversation going. "So, Gabby, have you ever babysat overnight before?" Mokuba asked.
"I used to baby sit over night a lot. When I lived in America."
"What part of the country did you come from?" Seto asked, keeping his voice fairly cold. He was sure that Gabriela would back out soon She couldn't possibly be experienced enough to take care of Mokuba.
"Mid-West. Near the Mississippi river." Gabriela knew what Seto was doing and she was enjoying this game. She knew he had to have already checked her records. She was right. She knew he thought that the "public nuisance" meant graffiti and what knot, but he was in for a big surprise.
"Gabriela, What do you believe is the most important part of baby sitting?" Seto asked. Gabriela had seen this before. This was a trap question. Darned if she did darned if she didn't. Well, we'll just see about that.
"The child's safety, of course, Mr. Kiaba." She saw him cringe at her name for him. If he wanted to act like an over-protective discriminative, old man, he can be referred to as one. 'I wonder if Jeri isn't already rubbing off on me…'
"Excuse us, Gabriela. Mokuba and I need to talk for a moment. Mokuba?" They walked into the hallway and shut the door, but that didn't keep Gabriela from hearing their conversation. "I don't think so, Mokuba. She seems sort of…unpredictable."
"What? She is not, Big Brother. She's very nice. Why can't she?"
"I don't want to put you in danger. She's supposed to be a public nuisance. Do you really want That in the Kiaba Mansion all the time?"
"It's not all the time. Besides, she hasn't been an nuisance so far. Give her a chance, please?" Seto sighed and turned the doorknob. Gabriela was sitting on the couch, looking out the window and trying to cover up her smile and giggles.
"Gabriela? Can you be here Friday at 4:30?" Seto asked unenthusiastically.
"You mean I got the job? Yes of course I can be here." Gabriela glanced at Mokuba who looked very triumphant at that moment. She didn't know it, but Mokuba was thinking, 'Yes! No more boring gold diggers! Finally a fun sitter!'
"Mokuba's bedtime is 9:00 on weekdays and 9:30 on weekends. All your other information is here." He handed her a small blue notebook with M.K. on the front. "Be here at 4:30 sharp." He demanded.
~*~*~
Gabriela was laying down in her room, nearly asleep, when she heard a knock on the door. She got up, wrapped herself in a robe and walked downstairs. She looked through the eye hole. Bakura? What is he doing here at this time of night? She started to unlock the door. She was halfway done when Bakura slammed the door open and grabbed her arm. "Hello, pretty Gabriela. You look like an old friend of mine. Well, not for long." He snickered cruelly. She glared in his face.
"You don't even realize my strength now do you, Bakkie? Or does the mere thought of Jeri send you in to panic?" His face grew frightened.
"What do you know about Jeri?"
"Everything." She twisted her hand away and pulled out her Bird of the Light card. "Tori Hikari! Come to me from the Shadow Realm!" Suddenly, Bakura was staring into the face of the huge majestic bird. He backed against the door, getting ready to make a run for it. "Consider this a message from Jeri," Gabriela continued, "GAME OVER!" The bird flapped it's wings and sent Bakura flying back into the street, slamming the door closed behind him.
~*~
Well, how did you like?
Y.S.- Well, It was better. More fighting! ^_^
Seto- Well, I can't complain. I was in this one a lot more.
Yami_ I wasn't in this one much. Black Star doesn't own Yu-gi-oh.
B.S.- Thank you to all who have reviewed, You Know Who You Are! ~_^
Seto- Well, thanks for the part, BlackStar.
B.S.-You welcome, Seto. R & R peoples!
