DM: /crying/

Aerith and Kaiba: /looking weirdly at DM/

Aerith: What's her problem?

Kaiba: I'll bet she got another reviewer.

DM: Yeah I did, thanks CJ! /starts crying again/

Aerith: Then what's the matter?

DM: This, unfortunitely, is my second to last chapter. /starts sobbing again/

Aerith and Kaiba: Yes!!!

DM: I don't own Yugioh or anything else, 'cept Aerith and this story. /sobbing again/

Kaiba: Second to last chapter!

Chapter 4: Near Death

They managed to get the sofa into place before the woman made her next attack on the door. The doors didn't budge with the sofa there and Aerith fell to the floor practically. There was silence for a while before Aerith started to chuckle. Kaiba looked over at her and a smirk played on his lips for a second before he too started snickering. The rest of the gang stared at them for a while before Joey started laughing too.

"That's just- too much..." Aerith managed to get out, "I feel like I've run- a hundred yard dash- with rabid dogs- behind me..." Tristan soon joined their laughter and slowly but surely so did Téa and Yugi, finally seeing what was so funny.

"Don't forget- the second one after..." Kaiba added.

"Yeah- can't forget- da weight liftin'- either..." Joey said.

"With- one of those- couches- on either side..." Tristan told them and they laughed harder. Soon after their laughter stopped though.

"We have to get out here still..." Yugi said, looking towards the stairs, sitting with Téa on the sofa in front of the door.

"And I thought we were going to stay here- the rest of our lives..." Kaiba said sarcastically. He was sitting on the ground beside Aerith, both of them leaning on the same bookcase, and she shoved him.

"That was just- corny..." She said and he smirked.

"Like you?" He asked and she shoved him again but the effort took enough out of her this time that she fell to the side.

"Stupid idiot..." She muttered, sitting back up. He smirked again.

"Crazy bitch..." He replied and she shoved him again, lightly this time though.

"Just- shut up..." Aerith gave up and leaned up against the bookcase and him at the same time.

"No witty comeback... I win?" Kaiba asked, looking down at the girl.

"Whatever..." Aerith replied.

"So what's that? Fifty to about-"

"No, it's the other way around, I've got the fifty and that was your first or second one..." Aerith replied, shutting her eyes.

"Yeah, right, I've won practically every fight we've had!" He said back.

"Don't make me remind you of-" Aerith started but he cut her off.

"I won that one." He claimed but she sighed.

"No I did, you remember what happened afterwards?" Aerith said and he winced, not saying anything back. Aerith smirked, not hearing any comments back to her, "Obviously you do. Or maybe I should refresh your memory in front of all these lovely people."

"No, no, I remember just fine." Kaiba said quickly.

"Are you sure I could just-"

"Yes, I'm very completely sure." He said and she sighed again.

"I think we ought to get going..." Tristan said, looking up the stairs. He and Joey were the only two mostly standing but Joey was leaning against a bookcase next to Aerith and Kaiba and Tristan had the wall near the door. Joey suddenly noticed that Aerith was holding her arm and it was limp.

"Aerith, why are ya holdin' your arm?" He asked and suddenly had practically everyone else's attention. Confused, she looked down at it.

"I must've strained it, it hurts like hell and I can't move my fingers..." She said before setting her head back against Kaiba's shoulder. He eyed the shirt-sleeve still tied around the wound.

"Let me see it." He said and tiredly she gave in, moving her arm enough to where he could see it better.

"Just don't make it worse..." She said, her eyes shut again. He searched through his pockets for a second before finding a roll of gauze.

"Why didn't ya use dat before?" Joey asked him.

"I didn't think I had it with me." Kaiba answered, pulling the bloodied shirtsleeve off the wound. Blood ran thickly from it again and he quickly held the ripped sleeve over the wound again, pressing down this time. Aerith cried out for a second, reaching with her other hand for her arm. He tried getting the gauze off the roll with only a couple fingers but realized that he needed another hand. He looked up at Aerith, "Aerith, do you think you could hold that down on that wound?" She nodded and her hand replaced his when he drew it back.

"It's that bad?" Tristan asked, awestruck.

"She had a fucking knife sticking out of her arm, what did you expect?" Kaiba said back, getting the gauze off finally. Aerith let go and shirt sleeve fell to the floor, blood with it. He quickly started wrapping the wound, working quickly so that she didn't loose too much blood. When he was finished, he went back over it for a second, making sure it wouldn't come off if she ran around.

"You know a lot for some rich kid." Aerith commented and he smirked.

"That's all I get, just that I know a lot? Some thanks; you could've bled to death." Kaiba said, a slight bit of sarcasm in it.

"Whatever..." Aerith said, rolling her eyes and getting up.

"I'll accept that." He replied, also getting up. Aerith eyed the bandages for a second, moving her arm a bit.

"I'm serious though, you know a lot. Whenever I tried to but bandages like this on, they always came unraveled the second I moved." Aerith complimented.

"Why don't we keep going?" Tristan asked, seeing the look on Joey's face.

"Whatever." Kaiba replied, starting towards the stairs. Aerith looked around the room for a second before following. Joey was right behind her, Tristan following him. Téa and Yugi ran up behind them together. Suddenly, a loud crash was heard and the study's doors caved in a little against the force on the other side.

"That can't be that crazy woman..." Aerith said, her face pale again.

"I think you're right about that." Kaiba replied and they took off, running as fast as they could up the stairs, the rest of the group right behind them. The noise stopped as they reached the top of the stairs.

"What's- so great- 'bout goin' up?" Joey asked, looking back down at the floor.

"That there's probably- a way down..." Aerith replied, also looking down at the ground over the banister.

"Uh..." Kaiba started, staring down the dark hall.

"What is it now?" Aerith asked, turning around. She stared for a bit before saying, "That is not another blood trail, is it?"

"It's not catsup!" He said back.

"That's what I was afraid of." Aerith said, nervously looking back over her shoulder at the stairs, "How'd she get up here? I thought she was out in the hall..."

"Maybe that- thing helped her..." Téa said, shivering slightly.

"At least it's not up here with us." Tristan pointed out.

"But the crazy, knife-wielding, Aerith-hater lady is up here. Is that any better?" Aerith sharply reminded him.

"She just thinks about whoever that Aaron person is when she hears Aerith's name." Kaiba pointed out and Aerith sighed.

"It's not my fault..." Aerith said, glaring down the stairs.

"You couldn't see the fact that Aerith is so close to Aaron? You're slower than I thought!" He said back.

"I couldn't think; she was brandishing that knife at me more than you!" Aerith yelled back.

"Even I could think when you screwed up and started towards you with the fucking knife! I'm always covering up for your stupid mistakes!" Kaiba shouted, shaking a fist at her.

"Excuse me?!" Aerith yelled back, "As I remember, you were the one who screwed up all the fucking time! I rescued your sorry ass from-"

"I would've gotten out in less than a day! They couldn't hold me in there even if they wanted to!" He shouted back.

"They had you knocked out and nearly dead in a corner!" Aerith nearly screamed back. He glared darkly before replying.

"I was faking you stupid little whore!" The argument continued for a long while.

"Shut up!" Yugi finally screamed at both of them and an awkward silence followed. He looked at the two of them and they pulled back a little bit. He said after a second, "This isn't helping us get out of here." His voice was quiet but he actually sounded mad at the two of them, "When we get out of here you two can argue and yell your heads off for all I care, just not now. Who knows what's going on down there or if that crazy woman is coming back this way with all that yelling you two have been doing." He shook his head, "Let's just keep going and get out of here before we all get killed." He started past the two and walked down the hall, Téa following behind, amazed at him. Joey and Tristan exchanged glances before following Téa. Aerith looked at Kaiba and thought for a second about what she had said.

"I'm- sorry." She managed to get out, struggling. Her throat wanted to close up on her. He looked from her to the rest of them who were going around the corner before firmly setting his eyes on her. Aerith looked down the stairs again for a second, "I mean, I guess I've got a short, little, Kerosene-soaked fuse on me..." She claimed, smiling slightly, "And you've got one to match of course..." She grinned up at him and he managed a slight smirk.

"What makes you think that?" He asked.

"The way we always end up bickering all the time, it's obvious, isn't it?" Aerith shook her head before she heard a loud crashing noise from down the stairs. She looked over the banister with Kaiba beside her, "What the hell was that?" A black shape was standing in the middle of the nearly completely destroyed study. It sent the last bookcase flying with a shove and started towards the stairs. Aerith pulled back from the banister with a horrified look on her face, "That isn't what I think it is, is it?" She managed out in a slight squeak. Kaiba also pulled back from the banister and stood beside her.

"Yeah, it probably is..." He answered before looking down the hall. He turned back to her, "Gomen." He managed to say and kissed her. Aerith, surprised, let him. He pulled back after a second and glanced at the shadow which was nearly half-way up the stairs. They took off running down the hall to catch up with the others. At the end of the hall, the rest of the group stood, backed up against a wall.

"Bad news!" Aerith yelled as the two came into the room.

"Watch out!" Yugi yelled to her and she managed to slip just in time to miss having her head chopped off by the crazy woman. Kaiba pulled Aerith to her feet before the woman took another swing at her, and they saw that the room was a dead end as they backed up towards the others.

"Uh-oh..." Aerith said, glancing towards the doorway.

"So- what's the bad news?" Tristan asked.

"Good news is that we're all here." Kaiba said, sarcastically, "Bad news is that the fucking demon's coming up the stairs."

"Oh shit..." Joey managed out, looking at the doorway. There was silence for a bit before Aerith started again.

"Any bright ideas?" She asked but didn't get an answer, "Guys?" She looked over her shoulder and her mouth dropped. She quickly looked forward.

"What's the matter now? Everyone disappear?" Kaiba shot at her. Aerith nodded.

"Yep." She answered. He glanced back over his shoulder.

"You've got to be kidding me..." He said, looking back forward again. The rest of the group who'd been behind them had disappeared into thin air.

"This is it, right?" Aerith asked all of a sudden.

"Unless we 'magically' manage to open the trap door that's probably behind us, more than likely." Kaiba answered, "There's a demon coming up here, the crazy woman in front of us, and a thick wall behind us. Yeah, I think we're done for." Aerith rolled her eyes.

"You didn't have to be so sarcastic." She said.

"I think I'll stop your bickering..." The crazy woman said, raising the machete up higher. Aerith felt her back meet the wall.

"I think you were right, we are done for." She said to Kaiba and smiled slightly, "Any last minute things you want to say?"

"Maybe." He answered, smirking back. Aerith shook her head.

"Like I said before, sometimes I just have to wonder..." She said as the crazy woman came closer, grinning like the psychotic maniac she was.

"You won't have to wonder anymore, that's for sure..." The woman said. Aerith shot a glare at her and suddenly saw the dark shadow in the doorway.

"We're definitely finished now if we weren't before." Aerith said, her eyes wide. Flames shot into the room, distracting the woman. Aerith suddenly felt an arm around her waist and looked up at Kaiba. She saw that he was actually afraid. Not even aware of what she was doing, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Sorry..." She repeated again, burying her head in his shoulder.

"Didn't notice." He said sarcastically but wrapped his other arm around her, "but... me too." He said and pulled her closer. The floor under them suddenly gave out and Aerith screamed. She stopped as soon as she had started, realizing that she was in a tunnel of sorts. There was also the fact that they were going very fast.

"Oh shit!" She shouted, holding tighter onto Kaiba. She managed to see a little ahead, "That's not a vertical drop, is it?" She asked.

"Yeah." He answered before they hit it. A couple of seconds later, they were lying on the floor in the cellar, Aerith's hair a little wind-blown, but otherwise the two of them were fine.

"That was so not right... so not right!" Aerith claimed, "A fucking near-death experience!"

"If the demon wasn't enough..." Kaiba trailed off, looking up at the ceiling.

"Nice ride, huh?" Someone asked and they looked up to see the rest of the gang standing there.

"More like terrifying." Aerith replied, getting up.

"The demon nearly got us." Kaiba said, brushing himself off again, "It sent flames all over the room before the woman got the chance to lop our heads off."

"Before she turned around, the trap door let loose from under us." Aerith continued and chuckled, "I thought the demon had collapsed the floor and screamed..." She shook her head, "I thought we were as good as dead."

"We?" Joey asked, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"I wouldn't have anyone to tease if he died, other than you of course... and you're no fun." Aerith claimed, grinning.

"Whatever..." Kaiba said, looking down the hallway, "Let's get out of here." He was just about to start down the hallway when Aerith stopped him.

"Why go down that way when there's cellar doors right there?" She asked, pointing. The whole group turned to look.

"How come we didn't see those before?" Tristan asked, looking them up and down.

"Because we were so worried about them getting down the slide maybe." Téa answered, looking down the hallway.

"Then let's get outta here!" Joey yelled, pulling on the doors. Aerith sighed when they didn't open.

"Joey?" She asked and he turned around real quick.

"Huh?" He answered.

"The doors push out, not in... at least in most cases." Aerith pointed towards the large, golden padlock and chain around the door's handles, "Anyways, it's got a padlock and steel chain; you couldn't possibly get it open." Joey blushed in embarrassment and turned away. Kaiba sniggered but quickly drove his laughter away.

"Ah, shad up Kaiba!" Joey yelled at him.

"I didn't even say anything, you stupid mutt." Kaiba retorted, walking off down the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Aerith asked him.

"I'm assuming the key's down here." He answered, smirking slightly.

"You're probably assuming wrong but..." Aerith walked off after him. Téa followed them, Yugi right behind her. Tristan and Joey brought up the rear of the group. They reached a split in the hallway all of a sudden and Aerith looked down the right hall for a bit.

"Why do we always end up splitting up?" Tristan asked, looking towards the left hallway.

"It's called a horror story." Aerith replied, "Which means one hallway's got the key and the other has the crazy lady, or the demon, or both."

"Shouldn't we have plugged up that hole?" Yugi asked all of a sudden.

"If she's undead and he's a demon, I don't think we have much to worry about until they decide to join together and kill us." Kaiba said, a tone of sarcasm in his voice.

"Dat really makes me feel better..." Joey said, looking back over his shoulder.

"Relax; we're only six teenagers, why would they want to join up to kill us?" Aerith said, grinning again.

"Three kills each..." Joey replied and Aerith laughed slightly.

"Don't worry." She looked down the right hall, "I'll split us up; me, Kaiba, and Téa down that one and you three down the other. Have fun." She said and walked off. Kaiba shrugged and followed her. Téa looked nervous about leaving the three boys.

"Don't worry Téa; Aerith'll protect ya from anything." Joey said, glaring at Kaiba's back for a second before walking off down the left hall. Yugi nodded and he and Tristan followed Joey. Téa watched after them for a second before following the two taller teens down the right hall.

"He'd better keep his hands off her!" Joey fumed, in a rage.

"Joey, calm down." Yugi said, "Aerith just split us up in a slightly random way probably. She can't like it any more than you do that he's with her. Think of Téa, why would she pick her? It was just kind of random." Tristan sighed.

"He's doesn't even like anyone like that Joey." He said, "So just calm down, it's probably just a coincidence." They were getting towards the room at the end and the conversation was cut short as they peered around the room, "There's no one in here..."

"Does that mean that the key's in this room or is that woman hiding someplace?" Yugi asked nervously.

"She couldn't have gotten here before us." Tristan answered, shaking his head.

"Let's get lookin'." Joey said before yanking a cupboard door open, muttering curses under his breath. Yugi and Tristan joined him.

"Does this mean that that crazy woman's over in the other room?" Aerith asked, pulling cupboard open.

"No, maybe she's coming down the hall..." Kaiba retorted sarcastically, "Maybe you were wrong. We probably ditched her when we fell through the trap door. The demon probably got her." He pulled a drawer open, it was completely empty, like all the cupboards and drawers he'd pulled open so far. He sighed, shutting it, "Is it just me or is something wrong with there being nothing in these drawers?"

"It makes it easier on us." Téa finally joined into the conversation, pulling a lower cupboard drawer open.

"True, true." He answered back, smirking, "It should be at least a little harder though..."

"Like booby-trapping all the wrong cupboards and drawers?" Aerith asked sarcastically, pulling a drawer open.

"Oh, no, nothing like that." Kaiba replied.

"If the crazy person was down here, we'd be dead meat." Aerith said, getting his point.

"No, just one or two booby-trapped-" When he pulled open another drawer, a dagger flew straight up, nicking his nose, and stuck into the ceiling.

"You were saying?" Aerith asked, laughing.

"Oh shut up." He snapped back at her, slamming the drawer shut and rubbing at his nose.

"It's not in here!" Joey complained, opening up another cupboard.

"If we find that key, we'll get out of here, keep looking." Yugi replied, pulling open a drawer.

"I know that!" Joey snapped back and Tristan sighed.

"Just leave him alone Yugi, he's just worried that Aerith and Kaiba are getting towards going out..." Tristan said, pulling a cupboard open and a dart went flying past his head. He glared at the dart, which was embedded in the table, "Great some of them are booby-trapped..." He muttered and shut it.

"It's not here, we've looked through every single one of these!" Aerith complained, slamming a cupboard shut and rubbing at the nick on her cheek from a dart that had flown out of an earlier one.

"It's not on the table either." Téa pointed out, "We've gone through every drawer twice and you've gotten nicked about five times each." She said, pointing at the small cuts on the other two teenagers. She received glares from both of them.

"Maybe we ought to go check on the others..." Aerith sighed, walking towards the door.

"Real original..." Kaiba said and Aerith glared at him.

"Real funny." She sharply said back.

"Uh... Aerith, Kaiba?" Téa said, her voice was a squeak compared to the other two.

"Huh?" Aerith looked at her.

"Be- behind you." Téa managed out and Aerith turned quick enough to receive a blow to her ankle. She staggered for a second before falling, her ankle at an odd angle. She cried out in pain and looked up to see the crazy woman standing there. She grinned psychotically again and raised the machete above her head, saying, "It's time for you to die."

"I don't think so."

DM: A real cliffy! /sobbing/ but it's ending next chapter...

Aerith and Kaiba: Yay!

DM: Shut it up! /demonic eyes/

Kaiba: boo?

DM: /starts sobbing on Kaiba/

Aerith: /muttering/ lucky dog...

Kaiba: What was that?!

Aerith: nothing! Please review for DM's sake and no flames or else I torture someone... /muttering/ Preferably Kaiba...

DM: /quickly stops and looks around/ Aerith! That's not nice! I'll let him torture you!

Aerith: Yipe! /starts running/ Damn my OC status! I'm telling you, I'm gonna be a real anime character soon!

DM: /Gives chase/

Kaiba: /sighes/ Just review please. /starts muttering/ just for this to be over quicker...