Chapter Thirteen - Aid in Training
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Yu-Gi-Oh (though the characters Riku, Kyla, Nia, Liz, Sylvia, Joanne, and Joanne's mum, and the storyline, are the products of my twisted imagination), and I'm not making any money from this fic
Author's Note: Yup, I'm back! For now, anyway
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Kyla lay face-down on her bed that morning, her body aching all over. She could barely move, she was in so much pain.
Oh, god, Kyla groaned silently. I really don't feel like going to school today.
Then don't go, Nareen responded.
And stay here?
Good point, Nareen replied.
Moving very slowly, Kyla carefully levered herself off of her bed. She closed her eyes as her muscles literally screamed with pain.
You all right? Nareen asked sympathetically.
I'll live, if that's what you mean, Kyla answered ruefully. I'll probably also be able to pretend that I'm all right as well... I hope.
So you're not going to tell Ryou about your foster parents, then? Nareen sighed.
Didn't you hear what Bakura said? Kyla demanded. I can't tell Ryou a thing! He counts among Yugi's friends. If I tell him anything, then I'll lose any chance of helping Nia and Ina. Kissing Ryou was a mistake, she added. I should never have done it. Ryou and Nia mean more to me than anything... But to save Nia, I can't let Ryou know that. Not yet, at least.
Why not? Nareen wanted to know.
Because I'd then have to tell him about Nia, Kyla replied. And I can't do that. Bakura won't let me.
Maybe you're right, Nareen sighed. But how are you going to explain to Ryou why you kissed him?
I'm not even going to try, Kyla answered. If I pretend that it never happened... Maybe Ryou will, too.
Despite the fact that that's the last thing you want to do? Nareen asked.
I have no choice, Kyla said. If I manage to win the duel, which isn't very likely, I'll explain everything to Ryou. And if I lose, it won't matter anyway.
What if it's then too late?
I just hope that it's not, Kyla muttered.
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"So, how's your deck?" Joanne asked Kyla.
Kyla shrugged, ignoring the rush of pain that swept through her with that movement. "It's ok, I suppose," she replied. "In my opinion, it's quite strong... But then, that's just me."
"Can I see?" Sylvia asked.
"Sylvia's our resident expert on Duel Monsters," Liz confided to Kyla in a low voice. "She's quite good at putting together strong decks. And, she's won most of the mock duels we've played... Of course, we don't know how she'd do in a real live tournament."
"Have you tried duelling with the monsters as holograms?" Kyla wanted to know as she handed her deck to Sylvia.
"Actually, no," Joanne answered. "We've thought about it... But we've never really had a reason to do so."
"But now we do," Liz put in. "After all, this duel is going to be done using holograms, isn't it?"
"I guess so," Kyla said.
Of course it is going to be, Nareen told Kyla. This is Bakura, after all. He'll definitely use the holograms.
Ok, if you're sure, Kyla replied.
I knew Bakura very well in Ancient Egypt, Nareen reminded Kyla.
Yes, but how much has he changed since then? Kyla asked. After all, Bakura doesn't even remember you now.
Nareen had no reply to that, and she didn't try to invent one.
"You know, my younger sister knows Mokuba Kaiba quite well," Joanne said thoughtfully then. "Maybe, if we asked nicely, he'd be able to get his brother to let us use one of the KaibaCorp buildings to practise in."
Liz looked at Kyla. "How much free time do you have after school?" she wanted to know.
"Very little," Kyla answered, though she didn't say why.
"Ok..." Joanne said. "We'll have to get you trained at lunchtimes and at weekends, then."
Before Kyla could protest at training at weekends, Sylvia handed her her deck back.
"It's a very good deck," the blonde told Kyla. "You have a lot of strong cards in it. If you can learn how to use them in a strategic way, you'll stand a good chance of winning."
"Oh, good," Kyla muttered. "I need every possible advantage. Without having to cheat. This duel is too important to just mess around."
"And the stakes are much higher," Joanne added, frowning. "Fighting for people's souls... And your yami cannot help you?"
Kyla shook her head. "I'd better get going," she said then.
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Kyla scanned the cards she had picked, her face expressionless.
Kyla and Liz were duelling. Sylvia was standing to one side and watching, while Joanne had disappeared off somewhere.
"You know, you're not exactly an easy opponent to play against," Liz commented. "You don't show even a hint of what you're thinking on your face."
Kyla looked at Liz, and gave a small smile. "Sorry," she said.
"Oh, it's all right," Liz replied. "I'm not mad at you or anything. I was just thinking that it kind of gives you an edge."
"Hey, are you going to duel, or just stand around talking?" Sylvia demanded impatiently.
"Oh, right," Liz said, a little embarrassed. "I'll lay first." She placed a monster card face-up on the field. "The Cannonball Spear Shellfish, in attack mode."
Kyla laid her card - Chaosrider Gustaph. Then, she put another card face-down on the field.
"Darn," Liz muttered. "You just took 200 of my life points - leaving me with 1800."
Kyla merely blinked. Then, she shrugged. "I'd be lucky to knock 200 points off of Bakura's life points."
"Good point," Liz said. She drew a monster - the Feral Imp - and laid it in defense mode. Then, she laid another card face-down on the field.
Don't look now, but some people are watching you duel, Nareen warned Kyla.
Who? Kyla asked.
Yugi, Pharaoh Yami, Tea, Joey, Tristan, and Ryou, Nareen answered. No Bakura, though.
Oh, ok, Kyla replied. Let's just hope they don't ask any questions which I'm forbidden to answer. Then, she returned to concentrating on the duel.
Hm, the Feral Imp is quite a weak monster, Kyla thought to herself. But what about Liz's face-down card? If it's a spell card, I'll be safe... But what if it's a trap card? Finally, Kyla decided to take a gamble. She set the Chaosrider Gustaph in attack mode.
Liz grinned. "Not so fast, Kyla," she said, whipping over her face-down card. "The spell-binding circle!"
Oh, no! Kyla thought as she realised that her monster was trapped.
"And, I get to attack your life points directly," Liz added.
Kyla's life points went down by 800.
Oh, great, Kyla thought. At least Ryou and the others are too far away to see what just happened.
Wanting to impress Ryou? Nareen teased.
No! Kyla replied. I just want to win.
Yeah, yeah. If you say so. Nareen sounded amused. You can't hide things from me, hikari.
Kyla didn't answer that. Instead, she looked through her hand, and then laid a monster face-up on the field. "The Gale Lizard, in attack mode," she said. "And its effect allows me to remove one monster from your side of the field, and return it to your hand, leaving my monster free to attack your life points."
Liz's life points went down to 1000.
Kyla lay another card face-down on her side of the field, then ended her turn.
"Gaia The Fierce Knight, in attack mode," Liz said, laying the card. She also lay a card face-down on the field as Kyla's life points went down to 900.
Kyla drew a card, and then blinked. The Light Princess! she thought. Nia's card. I forgot that she gave it to me... But should I use it? I don't want to waste it.
Kyla laid the card. "The Light Princess, in attack mode!"
Gaia The Fierce Knight was destroyed, and Liz's life points went down to 650.
Liz grinned. "My turn!" she said. She turned over her face-down card. "Swords of Revealing Light!"
Kyla immediately whipped over one of her face-down cards. "Dust Barrier activated," she said. "It means that my monsters are unaffected by any of your spell cards."
"Yes, that's true," Liz admitted. "But it'll be destroyed after your next turn... And then my Swords of Revealing Light card will be able to trap your monsters."
Which means that I'm going to have to try to win before then, Kyla thought to herself.
Easier said than done, Nareen commented.
Oh, you're a great help, Kyla muttered.
Nah, Nareen giggled. I'm just here to stop your head from getting too swelled up. And to make sure you don't forget just who it is you're duelling for, my cold-blooded little hikari.
"Um, Liz," Kyla said suddenly. "You forgot to lay a monster to defend yourself..."
Liz grinned, and raised her hands. "Say no more. I've lost, I know. Good duel, Kyla."
"Thanks," Kyla replied. "It was an honour to duel you," she added. And she meant it sincerely.
They're coming over, Nareen said suddenly.
Sure enough, Yugi and the others were walking over. "Um, Kyla?" Yugi said. "Do you know where Nia is?"
Kyla opened her mouth to give Yugi a scathing reply, then closed it again. I can be reasonably nice without revealing anything, she decided. Out loud, she said, "Yugi, I can't tell you where Nia is."
"Can't?" Joey butted in. "Or won't? If you weren't a girl, I'd punch you!"
Kyla wasn't listening to Joey. Instead, her eyes were fixed on Ryou. Suddenly, she walked over to him, pulled his head down, and kissed him hard. Then, she pushed him away, and ran off.
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