Chapter 8

"Kaiba-boy, don't be mad at me. I am not responsible for your not being able to get along with your partner." Pegasus's voice suddenly cut through the air.

"You programmed her" Kaiba retorted. He dropped Kiri to the ground. Her eyes promised murder as she turned to glare at Kaiba; her fist clenched at her side.

"Is that so?" Pegasus laughed.

"Let's just cut the game, Pegasus. The duel site is in the Forest of Apollo. Let the duel begin and enough of this gameplay." Kaiba scowled.

"Unbelievable, Kaiba-boy" Pegasus exclaimed. "Excellent! I can't believe you figured it out so quickly. Amazing!"

"Humph" Kaiba growled and stood arrogantly waiting for the duel to begin. Kiri began advancing on Kaiba, intent on mischief and mayhem on his arrogant, albeit cute body.

"So be it." Pegasus agreed and the world slowly started to swirl and fall away. Kiri forgot she was furious as she stared down and realized the world was transparent beneath her feet. Her face paled and she started feeling dizzy. She threw herself at Kaiba with a death grip, shaking in total, complete, abject terror.

"Someone's afraid of heights," Muki observed from Kaiba's shoulder. "I'll protect you for a kiss, pretty girl."

Kiri didn't even hear him as she clung to Kaiba, desperately trying to climb his body to have something solid to hang onto. There were only two things she feared in this world, heights and bugs. The world finished falling away and a new one reformed around them. Kaiba and Kiri stood on a duelest platform. Across from them was Yami with a blonde girl dressed in a black lace cheerleader's outfit. Beside her stood the Black Magician looking dejected and depressed. Yami looked positively frazzled. The blonde continued talking, not noticing their arrival.

"We are here," he said quietly to her. It took a moment for Kiri's mind to wrap themselves around his words. She allowed her legs to slowly drop and took a deep shuddering sigh when they connected with solid ground. It took another few seconds for her to be able to open her eyes and look down, making sure the ground was still solid below them. She took a deep breath and forced her fingers to let him go. She rested her head on his chest and tried to calm down. She slowly stood up and turned toward the ring. Kaiba released his grip on her waist and left a hand on the small of her back. She was still shaking pretty badly but being on solid ground helped. She closed her eyes and tried relaxing slowly when a voice startled her.

"Oh my god! Bunny just loves that outfit." Kiri's eyes flew open and she stared at the blonde in utter disbelief. "It is so cute, you're so lucky. Bunny is stuck in this thing," she babbled. "If it was pink or purple, it wouldn't be so bad, but black. Gads, Bunny look like she is going to her grandmother's funeral. And this skirt is way too long; Bunny looks like a nun." She continued on talking about clothes despite the fact no one was listening.

Muki leered at Bunny from Kaiba's shoulder. "Kaiba, have you noticed that every time she bounces, you can see her panties." Muki whistled, "if she's not careful she's going to give herself a black eye. Damn, why couldn't we get the American?" Kaiba didn't even flinch as Kiri's backhanded Muki off his shoulder and completely off the platform. The blonde didn't even notice as she continued on talking about how modest her clothes were and what she would do to change them. Yami looked slightly ill as he stood there with his head down.

Muki landed back on the railing, pointedly ignoring Kiri. "Ne, Pharoah. Why don't you just change places with Yugi for a while if your tired of listening to her?" Muki cocked his head at Yami Yugi and laughed. Yami looked at Muki pained, "he took off and is hiding because he doesn't want to listen either." Yami Yugi sighed heavily and looked completely dejected and abandoned. Muki howled and Kaiba smirked at him.

Flashback: Waiting for Kaiba on the platform stood Yami with Bunny. Yugi, slightly transparent, was talking with Yami while Bunny went on about where they could go on their date after this.

Yami: "Damn it, it is your turn to listen for a while."

Yugi: "I told you we should have stuck with Anzu"

Yami: "How the hell was I supposed to know that Pegasus with hook us up with someone like her for a partner."

Black Magician: He is talking to himself, and they say I am depressed. At least I don't have to make up imaginary friends to talk to. I know no one likes me."

The two Yugi's look at him in despair, then go back to the arguement.

Yami: "It is your turn"

Yugi: "it was your idea."

Yami: "you went along with it."

Yugi: Silence

Yami: "Partner....Partner".

Yugi: Well folks, looks like our little hero vanished. Wonder if Yami can find him in that maze.

Yami: Looking frazzled "You are going to pay for that, Partner. I will get revenge for this"

Bunny: "Your not listening to me, Bunny was talking and your being rude. Now would Bunny look better in blue or pink or maybe yellow."

End Flashback

"Duel start" Kaiba's voice cut across Bunny's commentary.

"That was so rude," she exclaimed. "Bunny was still talking."

"Bunny?" Kiri asked hesitantly. Yami looked disgusted.

"I'm Bunny, well that's not my real name. It is my nickname. My name was so cliché that Bunny needed one that was me. My boyfriend say's that I remind him of a cute little bunny." Bunny bounced up and down and giggled then wiggled her nose for effect. Kiri was beginning to feel slightly ill watching her and wondered how her partner put up with her. Yami looked in even worse shape then she felt, so Kiri guessed the answer would have to be not well.

Muki howled from the railings. "Maybe in bed!" he interjected. Kiri put her hand over her mouth and snickered. Kaiba simply smirked superiorly at the pained expression on Yami's face.

"Oh wow!" Bunny screamed excitedly. "I just love those bracelets. What do they say?" Kiri looked at he bracelets carefully for the first time since this morning. Her eyes slowly narrowed and fire burned behind them. Muki turned and looked and started howling again. He barely clung to the railing he was laughing so hard. "That Kanji is for seahorse, but what is the other one. Seahorse's what?" she asked impatiently.

"Seahorse's death" Kiri answered very sweetly. She smiled a painfully sweet smile at Kaiba that would have set anyone's teeth on edge from the sugar. Muki rolled on the floor unable to stop laughing. He sputtered "that's not right sweetheart. It says Seahorse's slave!" He started rolling again. Kiri simply kicked him off the platform completely. Muki simply started howling louder as he fell to the ground. Kiri stared after him with disgust.

"That is so morbid" Bunny dismissed it with a wave of her hand and went on about her favorite jewelry and least favorite pieces that someone with such bad taste had given her. And no it wasn't the thought that counted, it was the gift. Kiri shook her head and sighed.

"So Kaiba-kun, it is okay to have a slave but not a partner?" Yami smirked at Kaiba.

"Let's get this duel started" Kaiba snapped. He pulled his cards from the holder and put them on the tray in front of him. Yami did the same, still smirking. The decks sailed across to the other player who cut the cards. Then the decks returned and shuffled themselves into the player's tray. The two opponents took their places with hands on the cards. All three turned and looked at Bunny, who was still going on about jewelry and shoes now. Kiri tapped her foot impatiently.

"Bunny, dear, we are waiting on you." Kiri smiled sweetly. Bunny stopped talking and stared at them.

"Oh, sorry. Bunny was talking." Bunny bounced up and down and giggled.

"We noticed." Kiri's voice dripped sugar. Bunny bounced over to Yami and hung on him and giggled again. Yami looked resigned and slightly ill again. The Black Magician walked forward as well.

"Everyone probably thinks it is my fault that the game is delayed. Why not. It is not like anyone noticed me at all." He hung his head and sighed again. "No one ever notices me, except when something goes wrong. I am so depressed. No one cares about me. I don't even care about me. So it's not like I expect anyone else to care about me."

Kiri leaned closer to Kaiba and whispered "I am getting depressed just listening to him."

A/N: Can anyone guess who the Black Magician is patterned after? It's not Eeyore but an old science fiction book. Here's a hint, 'the answer is 42.' The first person who can guess it, I will write my next fanfic for. Your choice of story. As long as it is an anime I have seen, and I have seen alot of them. (grin)