Author's notes: Must...finish, the...duel.

Disclaimer: I own Alshin, Kira, the girls and yellow eyes earth dragon only!

Chapter 12: Dead Letters.

Kira watched the battle intensify. So far Kaiba hadn't used one of the cards given to him. She frowned and shook her head; she had shuffled his deck as well as she could. What happened if he never got to use those cards? She shook her head; she had to trust herself and those cards. Kaiba had 500 life points left and the other had 3500, who was she kidding? There was no way that those cards were going to reach his hand soon. Mai came and stood next to her resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Well it was nice knowing you Kira."

"Yeah you too Mai," she sighed and looked over at Kaiba, "I just wish I could say the same to him."

"Come on Kaiba make your move." Alshin yelled, a little too harshly for her liking making her look over at the person being spoken to. She could see confusion in Kaiba's blue eyes and suddenly realised he had drawn one of her cards. He laughed at Alshin and pointed at him.

"I have just drawn a card that I know can destroy you." Alshin was taken aback and physically withdrew almost off the stand. Then it was his turn to laugh.

"I doubt anything you have can defeat my yellow eyes earth dragon." He waved his hand in desistance, "You know that this thing could easily take out a god card that was after all why Pegasus created it."

"Your wrong," Kaiba held the card he had just drawn up to face them all, it was one of Kira's, "I've just drawn Soul of Purity and Light. Of course I have to take two light cards out of play..." a soft smirk played across his lips. "And seeing as I have a shining abyss out, and you're yellow eyes are also a light card (why I have no idea) I will use soul exchange to take it out of play." As he said this both cards disappeared from the field and a new one appeared. The creature had long elegant angel wings that where like mother of pearl, soft but glittering. Its body was pure white and its hair long and dark. "Of course you know her special ability don't you?" Alshin shook his head solemnly, "Well then I'll tell you, all your monsters on both my turn and yours lose 300 of their attack and defence points, which means that every turn you get weaker."

"That's impossible...there is no card that can do that."

"Oh your wrong, Pegasus gave this card to the only person in the world who could defeat him with the millennium eye...before Yugi that is."

"But you didn't..."

"I never said I did. And just to make her more powerful I equip her with Follow Wind. So now she can take out your Judge man," as he said this the angel flew directly over to the other side of the field and took out Alshin's second most powerful creature. "Now it's your turn."

Kaiba won the match with relative ease after that, using a combination of Kira's cards and his own he smashed Alshin through the floor. She was pleased for him and was happy that she could now stay with her friends. Kaiba dismounted his stand and walked over to where Alshin was. He had retreated into the shadows. Kira knew he had probably high tailed it out of her but she decided to go and check up with Kaiba anyway. As she reached him he was kneeling down staring at the floor. "Why did he just leave?" his voice was quieter than she had ever heard it.

"You probably scared him away; you were really good out there." She knelt down beside him, "Did he leave you his card?" he shook his head sending his hair flying into his eyes. She smiled and lifted a hand to brush it from his eyes.

"Kira...he left something for you..." he handed her an old letter, so old that the writing on the front was faded and the paper was getting worn around the edges. She turned it over in her hands hoping that there was something there to tell her who it was from...nothing presented its self. Kaiba went to open his mouth again when Tea came over.

"You know what I think he was in need of a good kicking." Kira nodded up at the optimistic girl and smiled. She had come so close to losing all of them that she didn't want to leave them. But as always when she thought about things her mind would wander towards Marik. She frowned and stood up almost immediately knocking Kaiba over.

"I'm sorry guys I really have to go." Again Seto was the one to stop her.

"Kira we really need to talk."

"Kaiba I'm sorry I really need to go now, someone could be in trouble." She looked pleadingly into his eyes and she felt his grip loosen.

"I'll see you tonight then." She nodded and was off like a rocket.

Marik stood at the phone in the hallway. He kicked the mahogany dresser several more times. All of the hotels in the area seemed to have no rooms anywhere, and none of them wanted any more over bookings. Just as he turned to retreat into the living room Kira burst into the house knocking him backward sending them both sprawled out on the floor. "Marik," she panted as she pulled herself up a little, "Are you alright, has anything happened?" He stared up into those big blue orbs of her and found himself laughing.

"Apart from there being no room at the inn and a girl I really like being on top of me nothing, why do you ask?" she blushed and climbed away from him walking through towards a chair.

"We all met someone today...someone who was not all there." She flopped down in the small white chair with fluffy cushions. Smiling up at him she produced a letter from her bag. He eyed both the bag and letter cautiously, in case they did 'bite'. "He gave me this...and I don't want to read it alone."

"Why not?" he asked still eying the shopping bag beneath her feet, there was something she was telling him.

"I think it's from one of my family." He frowned at her.

"Kira I do hate to remind you about this but they are all dead." She gave him a weak smile that made him immediately want to take what he had just said back. She forced the unopened envelope into his hands and he could tell that it was old. The paper was worn and rough to the touch with dark stains from where rain had probably touched it. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" she gave a nod and sat deeper into the chair. Sadly he pulled at the paper and heard the sound of tearing parchment. As he looked at the letter in hand he frowned again, "Kira this is really old paper, are you sure that this could be from your family?"

"What is the first name on the paper?"

"It can't be for you, the name says Kara." A sad sort of smile crossed Kira's face.

"Then it is for me..."

"How, your name is Kira." He handed her the paper and she gratefully took it.

"It was Marik? You gave me that name if you remember. My brother always called me Kara." She dreamily stared up at the ceiling; Marik felt like his heart was breaking as he watched her. He could still remember when he first met her...

-Flash back-

The little girl was brought in wearing an odd sort of clothing that Marik had never seen before. He would latter find out that it was a Kimono, but the most striking thing was that it was red. It was a shade that he had never seen before, to dark to be called bright but to bright to be called dark...its colour was crimson. She clung to her brother's sleeve as if she would die if she let go. Her hair was long and black like Isis' but it was held up by long thin gold chains and ornaments he had never seen. She was cut and burnt a little but she didn't let that hinder her. Her brother was in a worse state than her. He was very pale, cut, burnt and almost too weak to stand. He probably would not last the night; the little girl seemed to know this but was not afraid. She was so strong; she had lost her family, friends and memory all in one night. The only name that had been given to her was Kara but being little he could never get his tongue around it, and so he called her Kira.

-End flash back-

"Marik were you listening?" Kira asked her eyes no longer glassy but filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking." He smiled at her and rested one hand on her shoulder.

"It's from my mother...she wrote it to tell me what I was to do." She held up the paper with a pale hand, "She told me that she knew Mafuyu and I would leave, that she wasn't mad but it was what she wanted. Apparently she knew your father was coming for us and that I had to repay him the favour." At the mention of his father Marik fell silent. He didn't think she owed him anything; it was more like the other way around.

"You owe him nothing...you owe no one anything. You have helped us through many a bad time in Egypt and that was all the repayment we wanted." This time when she shook her head there was a true smile.

"My mother said that if that should happen there was one way for me to repay you." She stood and raped her arms around him...I'll let you read it and see." She smiled and walked away.

Kira felt very depressed at the moment. She could not believe after almost twelve years her mother's letter had finally reached her. She sighed and carried on getting ready, pulling the dress from the bag and slipping it on over her head. Maybe this was not going to be as fun as she had first thought. She still had to explain to Marik why she was going out with Kaiba, she would have to face Kaiba telling her that he was fully able to look after himself and she would have to try and get her cards back off him. Let him have the damn things if it'll keep him happy. As she finished getting ready Marik burst into her room a broad smile on his face. He stared at her for a second...then it registered. "Are you going out tonight?" she nodded, "With whom may I ask?"

"Kaiba...he wants to say thank you for the other night." Marik grabbed her waist and nuzzled her shoulder.

"Well seeing as you're my girlfriend I should object." It was her turn to raise an eyebrow and playfully bat him around the head.

"He's just a friend; anyway he'll be here soon."

Author's notes: Well I have no ideas what to do for the next chapter so I need your help...please R&R.