Chapter Ten - Training
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Yu-Gi-Oh, and I'm not making any money from this fic
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A few days later, Kyla's foster father gave her a severe beating. Lying curled up on her bed afterwards, Kyla found it hard to believe that there was any good in the world.
If there is, it doesn't exist for me, Kyla thought to herself. Perhaps this is my punishment.
Punishment for what? Nareen wanted to know. For how you've been treating the people who care about you? I don't think so, Kyla.
Kyla couldn't reply to that. Instead, she said, How long do I have to go through this for? What if I end up losing my mind?
I'm sure that you won't, Nareen replied, trying to be reassuring. Remember, you're not alone anymore. You have Nia now that you've admitted what's going on in your life to her. Anyway, you have to hold on until Ryou returns so that you can apologise to him.
I suppose you're right, Kyla sighed. But I really don't think that I can hold out for much longer. Even after Ryou comes back, I'll still suffer at the hands of my foster father...
It's best not to think about that, Nareen told Kyla. After all, you've got Duel Monsters to help keep your mind firmly grounded.
Kyla just sighed, and fell asleep.
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Nareen had sneaked out of her house, and was now seated next to one of the rivers in Egypt. Though she wouldn't admit it to anyone, Nareen was fascinated by the quiet beauty of rivers. She rather liked just sitting by them. She didn't have to pretend to be something she really wasn't while sitting there.
Suddenly, Nareen became aware of someone walking up behind her. Glancing up, she saw Bakura standing just behind her.
Bakura smiled awkwardly. "Hello, Nareen," he said.
Nareen inclined her head slightly. "Greetings, Bakura," she replied, thinking, Now what does he want?
Bakura sat on the river bank next to Nareen. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" he wanted to know.
"Looking at the river," Nareen answered.
"Yeah... It is kind of nice, isn't it?" Bakura said.
Hm, maybe I could use him? Nareen thought to herself. After a moment's hesitation, she reached out, and ran her fingers lightly down Bakura's cheek.
The young man blinked. For just a moment, a trace of suspicion came into his eyes. But it quickly vanished as Nareen lightly grasped his collar, and pulled him down to kiss him hard on the lips.
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Now what was that all about? Kyla silently demanded of her yami the next morning.
I have absolutely no idea, Nareen answered, her mental tone sounding puzzled. I certainly didn't give you that dream. Someone else must have sent it to you.
But who? Kyla asked. And why?
I don't know, Nareen replied. I really don't. And I don't even know if whoever it was is someone with a good motive or a bad motive.
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"What happened?" Nia asked Kyla when they met in Riku's house, where they were learning about Duel Monsters.
Kyla blinked. "Nothing's wrong!" she replied quickly. "Honest. Why would you think that there is something wrong?"
Nia looked steadily at Kyla. "I'm not stupid, Kyla," she told her friend. "It's pretty obvious that something's happened. You don't have to tell me what, though. I can guess. Your foster father beat you."
Kyla opened her mouth to object, and then closed it again with a soft sigh. "You're right," she said finally.
"Sore?" Nia asked sympathetically.
Kyla nodded, thinking, I wonder if Ryou would have been this sympathetic if I'd told him about my foster father?
Of course he would have been, Nareen replied. Don't you realise? Ryou still loves you, even after all you put him through.
"I had a dream last night," Kyla commented to Nia while they waited for Riku to arrive.
"Oh?" Nia said.
"It was one of those dream memories," Kyla explained. "I think it was when Nareen and Bakura first started having a... relationship."
It was, Nareen's voice said in Kyla's mind.
"Ok, I just had that confirmed," Kyla added.
Nia frowned. "But... Why would you have a dream like that?" she wanted to know. "There's no obvious point to it. Nareen didn't send it to you, did she?"
"She says that she didn't," Kyla replied. "And, besides, there would be no point in her sending that particular dream to me."
At just that moment, Riku walked into the room.
Nia and Kyla both looked up and towards him, the rest of their conversation forgotten for the moment. They were both interested in what else they were going to learn about Duel Monsters. Well, Nia was interested... Kyla was trying to pretend that she wasn't, even though she was.
"So... What's on the schedule for today, Riku?" Nia asked.
"I thought that Kyla would be ready for a duel," Riku answered.
Kyla blinked. He can't be serious! she thought to herself. What about Nia?
Of course he's serious, Nareen replied. You'd have to duel at some point anyway, Kyla. At least this'll be a friendly one, with no strings attached. Those kind of duels are the best kind.
"Cool!" Nia exclaimed.
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So... This is my first duel, Kyla thought, looking down at the field from the stand she was on. She swallowed hard, feeling a little nervous.
"It's time to duel," Riku said as their life points went up to 1000.
"Go Kyla!" Nia exclaimed.
Kyla drew her cards, and scanned them quickly. Oh, great, she groaned. Not a very good hand.
"Sonic Jammer, in attack mode," Kyla said, laying the card face-up on the field.
"Electric Lizard," Riku responded, laying the card. "Attack the Sonic Jammer!" The Sonic Jammer was destroyed, and Kyla's life points went down by 200.
Kyla drew Avatar of The Pot, and played it in attack mode. It attacked the Electric Lizard and destroyed it, lowering Riku's life points to 500.
Then, Kyla received a numbing shock, and she gasped, stumbling a little.
"Kyla!" Nia gasped, making as if to run over to Kyla.
"Stay where you are!" Riku ordered immediately.
Surprised, Nia obeyed as Kyla recovered from the shock.
Riku drew a card, and smiled as he saw which one it was. "Gale Lizard, in attack mode!" he exclaimed. "And the effect of this card allows me to return one monster from your side of the field to your hand," he added. "And since you only have one monster on the field..."
"Oh, no!" Nia cried as Kyla's Avatar of The Pot was returned to her hand.
"Attack her life points!" Riku ordered his monster.
Kyla bit her lip to stop herself from crying out as her life points went down to 150.
"Pharaoh's Servant, in defense mode," Kyla muttered, playing the card.
The Gale Lizard destroyed that monster easily.
Kyla played two more monsters in defense mode, both of them weak, and they were both easily destroyed by the Gale Lizard.
Then, Kyla drew another card, and stared at it. Then, "Gren Maju Da Eiza, in attack mode!" Because the attack and defense of that particular card was the number of cards removed from play times 400, its attack and defense were both 1600, so it was easily able to defeat the Gale Lizard. Then, Kyla put a trap card face-down on the field, before ending her turn.
Riku drew a card, and played it. "Magician of Faith, in attack mode!"
Just before the monster attacked, Kyla turned over her face-down card, revealing Desert Sunlight, which automatically put her monster in the defensive position, so it being destroyed had no effect on her life points.
Then, Kyla drew her next card - The Wood Nymph. "Attack the Magician of Faith!" she ordered.
The Magician of Faith was destroyed, and Riku's life points went down to 0.
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