Chapter Nine-Noa's Gift

"Keep moving, Ronnie. Don't stop." Mokuba encouraged. More than once, the young girl had looked down, wreckinhg her last strand of courage on their way up to the tower.

"I can't, Mokuba...I can't....." Veronica felt pits in her stomach. She looked up at him, sadly.

"You don't have a choice in the matter now. We have finish what we started. Seto's depending on me. Noa's depending on you." Mokuba replied sternly. However, he did feel sorry for her. "Give me your hand." He held his hand down to her. "I'll help you."

"I'm such an idiot,Mokuba! I have no plan, and even if I did, it would probably fail." She sighed sadly, inching her way up to Mokuba's position.

"You're not an idiot. I've done things like this plenty of times. You wouldn't believe what I've gone through for my brother." Mokuba smiled gently. "Come on. Let's get that key!" He continued up to the tower platform. "It's not as far as it seems. You can do it!" He reached down to help her the rest of the way, and almost had her up when he heard footsteps, then:

"Foolish children! Do you think you two can really defeat me alone?"

"Gozabouro!" Mokuba whirled, blocking Veronica from his grasp. "You have something that doesn't belong to you, you creep!"

"Oh I do? Last I checked, the Virtual Key was my own creation. Noa had no business given it to that brat!"

"You were going to keep her here if he hadn't! And you were trying to destroy Noa's only world!" Mokuba retorted. "It's not right!"

"Shut up." The elder Kaiba shoved him out of the way, and leaned over the edge of the tower. "I have your friend Mokuba up here. Come and get him, if you have the guts, Girl."

Veronica shivered, but all she could do wa s stare up at Gozabouro, fearfully.

"Damn him! Damn it all!" Noa sighed. "Seto, we've got a serious problem."

"No kidding. She got my brother in the middle of this little feud with my foster father."

"Is that all you're worried about?! Gsnsley's got her life hanging in the balance! If she refuses to go to him, he'll cut the rop e."

"Gah! I don't believe this! We told them not to go!"

"Wait. Now it's time for Veronica to start using my gift to her." Noa closed his eyes, hoping telepathy would work from this distance. Ronnie? Can you hear me?

Just barely......Noa?! What am I going to do? I'm slipping!

Ronnie, listen to me,Doll. It's time. Use the power of your imagination to create a hole into the tower. I'll help Mokuba.

But I have to keep my feet on the ground. I promised Vinnie!

Noa narrowed his eyes at the mention of her brother. Veronica. If you don't do this, you wi ll never see Vincent again. This he forced sternness in. He meant it. Use the gift I gave you.

Okay....... Noa sighed deeply. The girl still sounded so uncertain, and if she was, the gift wouldn't work.

"We might have problem, Seto. I don't think Veronica's confident enough to do this."

"She has to be." Seto told him. "She'll think about all that I said to her."

"What? About her and Mokuba you mean."

"Yeah." Seto frowned turning to face the window, where he clearly saw Alcatraz. "She will."

Veronica held on to the rope tightly, closing her eyes. This is going against everything I've adjusted to since last year. But I have to save Mokuba. I have to. Above, Veronica heard scuffling. "Mokuba?!"

"You have ten minutes to come up here, Girlie,or I'm throwing him overboard." It was Gansley.

"N-no!" Veronica closed her eyes tighter, and began to imagine steps extruding out of the side of Alcatraz. She snapped her fingers loudly. At first, it appeared not to work but then, it did! A marble staircase with an ivory banister! Just like the one at home! A few more minutes of thought got her steps to the staircase itself, and she sank on the cloud-like steps. "Wow! Hey, Mokuba, your brother's awesome!"

"What?! Get up here!" Mokuba exclaimed, sounding frantic. I'm being dangled like a bug, and she's praising Noa! Geez!

Mokuba didn't have long to wait. She came right over the edge, the rope wrapped around her arm. "Let him go, Gansley!" She snapped her fingers again. The rope over her arm turned into a thick leather whip. "Gotta love virtual stuff!" She grinned brightly at Mokuba, who ran over to her. "Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way." Her attention turned back to Gansley.

"V-v-veronica! Where did you get that kind of power?!" Mokuba asked in amazement.

"I'll explain later." She replied, without looking at him. Her eyes were on Gansley. "Well? Which will it be?"

"Pfft! If you think you can fight me, then fight Mr. Kaiba after, go ahead!" Gansley glared at her. "Well? Now who's stalling?"

There was no fear nor doubt in Veronica's eyes when she snapped her fingers a third time. Beside her and Mokuba appeared a tunnel. "Come, Mokuba. We have better things on our agenda." She took Mokuba into the tunnel, leaving Gansely to stare after them.

"Wow! That was great!!" Mokuba exclaimed, as they walked down the tunnel.

"It was pent up power. By rights, I could've used it last time I was here, but I wasn't brave enough. We all have it in us here."

"Wow....." Mokuba smiled, wondering what Seto would use with his snap ability. "I bet my brother would snap Gozabouro right out of existence!"

"My thoughts exactly, Moku- chan ." Veronica whispered, as they reached the end of the tunnel. They were right outside the double doors that led to the Alcatraz control room, where they'd all had their share of time captured. "And we're going to do it, thanks to Noa."

"I can't wait!" Mokuba replied with clenched teeth. "Ready when you are."

"Let's do it!"