Kai sat on her bed with her knees pulled against her chest. She was trying her best to stay optimistic, but it was hard. She couldn't stop thinking of Carlos.
"He'll probably call in three days. He does everything in threes practically. He says it's his lucky number... because that's how old he was when he met me," she said, smiling slightly.
Tea sat next to her, listening to her friend. She supposed talking about Carlos was making Kai feel better, but she couldn't really see how. Tea just listened and nodded every once in a while, feeling bad for her friend.
"He was born here in Island Springs, but did you know his parents moved here from Italy? Rome to be specific. He can speak Italian. It drives me nuts when he does because I can't understand a word of what he's saying. You'd think by now he'd have taught me Italian, but he seems to enjoy being able to do something I can't," Kai said, giving a small laugh.
"Kai, maybe... you should think about something else. I mean... I think it would do you good to forget about it for a little while. Until he calls you, there's nothing you can do anyway," Tea said carefully.
"Yeah... yeah, you're right. Sorry," Kai replied, letting her legs down over the side of the bed. "It's just that I can't stop thinking about it because everything I do I did before with him and that reminds me of what he did and..." she tried, but the words got stuck in her throat.
Tea put her arm around Kai, who had tears brimming her eyes again. Suddenly and searing pain shot through Kai's head and she cried out, pushing Tea away. Kai stood up quickly, pressing her hands to her temples and stumbling across the room into the wall.
"Kai!" Tea exclaimed, getting up as well and taking a few steps towards her.
"N-no! Stay... stay back!" Kai said, holding her hand up to signal her friend to stop.
Tea's eyes grew wide as the room began to rumble. "Yugi!" she cried, but he had already burst open the door.
"What's going on?" Joey cried, holding onto the doorframe for support as the room shook.
Yami took a few steps forward, but stopped as Kai cried out in pain. "Kai... try to control it... try to force it to stop. Whatever this is, is making /you/ do this, so /you/ can stop it. Try," he said, cautiously taking another step forward.
'I... can't! It's... it's taken over! Yugi... make it stop!" she cried.
"I can't! You have to!" Yami said, continuing towards her.
"Kai... Yugi's right... you can stop it!" Tea said, running up next to Yami.
Kai screamed and suddenly Yami and Tea found themselves flying backwards across the room. The wind was knocked out of him as Yami hit the wall and slid down. He gasped for breath as the room continued to shake. He waited for the pain in his back to subside and looked over at Tea. She lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, unconscious.
"Tea! Are you all right?" Bakura cried, dropping to her side and shaking her slightly.
"Yug, are you..." Joey started, but Yami stood up, his hand on his stomach, trying to catch his breath.
"I'm fine, Joey," he said, taking a few steps towards Kai again.
"Yugi, what are you doing?" Tristan asked.
Yami didn't reply, but continued forwards slowly, a determined look in his eyes as he stared at Kai. Her eyes were shut tight and her hands were pressed against her head, her hair covering her shoulders and neck.
She felt like her head was about to explode. Something was making her do this... it wouldn't let her stop... what was going on? Kai screamed just as she felt someone take hold of her shoulders. Shaking violently, her eyes snapped open to find herself staring into deep violet ones. Suddenly, everything stopped... the room... the pain... Kai was left shaking and gasping for breath as she collapsed into Yami's arms.
"It's all right," he said, his voice a deep whisper.
"What's happening to me?" she asked, her heart pounding.
"I don't know," he replied, tightening his hold on her to try to ease her shaking.
"I'm scared..." she whispered, her face buried in his shoulder.
"We'll find out what's going on," he said, gently running his hand through her hair.
"What if it can't be reversed? What if I'll be doing this for the rest of my life?" she cried, pulling away and staring at him with fearful eyes.
"You will get control of it and I will help you," he said, holding her shoulders.
"I don't want to control it! I want it gone!" she screamed, trying to push past him. But, he pulled her back into his arms and held her there. She felt frightened tears pour down her face and into his shoulder as he hugged her. He held her for a few minutes, gently stroking her hair.
"It's getting worse," she said finally. She had stopped crying, though she was still breathing rather hard. She lifted her head to look at him, his warm eyes looking into hers.
He wiped the remaining tears off her cheeks lightly with his fingers. "Things will be all right," he said softly.
She nodded, resting her head back on his shoulder. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and tried to calm down. "Every time it happens it gets worse," she whispered.
Yami didn't know what to tell her, so he just held her while the gang watched with wide eyes, still shocked at what she had done.
##################################################################################
That night, Kai went to sleep early, leaving Tea sitting with the boys in the living room. After about a half hour, she decided she had to say what was on her mind.
"Joey, Tristan, Yugi, could I see you a minute?" she asked.
Yami nodded and stood, while Joey, Tristan and Bakura just looked at her.
"What about Bakura?" Joey asked.
"It's all right," Bakura said with a smile. "If she needs to talk to you, I'm fine here."
"Well, okay," Joey said, following Tea into the boys' room.
"What is it, Tea?" Yami asked after she closed the door.
"Earlier, Kai told me something about Carlos I thought you might find interesting," she said, turning to Yami.
"Yes?" he said.
"Well, we know he's Italian, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Joey asked.
"Kai said that he was born in Island Springs, but his parents came from Italy. Rome to be specific," Tea said.
Yami's eyes widened slightly in understanding, but Joey and Tristan remained clueless.
"So?" Tristan asked.
Tea sighed. "That means his family could probably be traced back to the Romans. Who were the Egyptian's biggest enemy?" she asked, indicating Yami.
The three of them stared at Tea in shock. "So... you're saying that that's the reason they don't like each other?" Tristan asked.
"I have nothing against Carlos. It's he who has a problem with me," Yami corrected.
"Well, that's not the only reason Carlos doesn't like Yami," Tea said and Joey snickered, making Yami look at him.
"That's not my fault," he said, silencing his friend.
"Of course not. But I thought you should know about his history. It seemed sort of weird," Tea said.
Yami nodded. "Yes. Besides the fact that he dislikes me because of Kai, there may be a subconscious racial hatred as well."
"But he doesn't know that you're Egyptian," Joey said.
Yami looked at him. "That's why I said a /subconscious/ racial hatred."
"I know there's more to all of this than we're seeing, but I don't know what we're missing," Tea said.
Yami nodded. "There is definitely more we're missing."
"Like the reason Kai is suddenly able to do weird things with her mind," Tristan said.
"What if Bakura was right?" Joey said after a moment.
"About what?" Tea asked.
"What if she did start all of this because of us? She was normal before we showed up," Joey replied.
"You may be correct, Joey, we just don't know enough to understand why," Yami said, thinking about it. Now that things were getting worse, Bakura's solution was starting to sound more and more reasonable.
"How could it be because of us?" Tea asked.
"I don't know. But I'm beginning to think that's the case," Yami replied, sitting down on the bed.
"Maybe we should call in Bakura? He might have more ideas," Tristan said.
Tea nodded and opened the door. "Bakura?"
A few minutes later he was standing in the room with them. "Yes?" he asked.
"Do you remember when you said that the reason Kai is able to do these things is because of us?" Yami asked.
Bakura's face suddenly got serious and he nodded.
"I'm beginning to agree with you. Do you have any idea why this might be?" Yami asked.
"No... I just had that feeling. She had been normal before we got here, so I thought it was our arrival," Bakura replied.
"Things are getting way too weird for me," Tea said.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
a/n: I had no idea about the Roman/Egyptian thing until /after/ I had decided that Carlos was Italian. Actually, I didn't know until last chapter! I swear, I only come up with the storyline, my hands to the actual writing. I only know what's going on when they decide to tell me! lol
"He'll probably call in three days. He does everything in threes practically. He says it's his lucky number... because that's how old he was when he met me," she said, smiling slightly.
Tea sat next to her, listening to her friend. She supposed talking about Carlos was making Kai feel better, but she couldn't really see how. Tea just listened and nodded every once in a while, feeling bad for her friend.
"He was born here in Island Springs, but did you know his parents moved here from Italy? Rome to be specific. He can speak Italian. It drives me nuts when he does because I can't understand a word of what he's saying. You'd think by now he'd have taught me Italian, but he seems to enjoy being able to do something I can't," Kai said, giving a small laugh.
"Kai, maybe... you should think about something else. I mean... I think it would do you good to forget about it for a little while. Until he calls you, there's nothing you can do anyway," Tea said carefully.
"Yeah... yeah, you're right. Sorry," Kai replied, letting her legs down over the side of the bed. "It's just that I can't stop thinking about it because everything I do I did before with him and that reminds me of what he did and..." she tried, but the words got stuck in her throat.
Tea put her arm around Kai, who had tears brimming her eyes again. Suddenly and searing pain shot through Kai's head and she cried out, pushing Tea away. Kai stood up quickly, pressing her hands to her temples and stumbling across the room into the wall.
"Kai!" Tea exclaimed, getting up as well and taking a few steps towards her.
"N-no! Stay... stay back!" Kai said, holding her hand up to signal her friend to stop.
Tea's eyes grew wide as the room began to rumble. "Yugi!" she cried, but he had already burst open the door.
"What's going on?" Joey cried, holding onto the doorframe for support as the room shook.
Yami took a few steps forward, but stopped as Kai cried out in pain. "Kai... try to control it... try to force it to stop. Whatever this is, is making /you/ do this, so /you/ can stop it. Try," he said, cautiously taking another step forward.
'I... can't! It's... it's taken over! Yugi... make it stop!" she cried.
"I can't! You have to!" Yami said, continuing towards her.
"Kai... Yugi's right... you can stop it!" Tea said, running up next to Yami.
Kai screamed and suddenly Yami and Tea found themselves flying backwards across the room. The wind was knocked out of him as Yami hit the wall and slid down. He gasped for breath as the room continued to shake. He waited for the pain in his back to subside and looked over at Tea. She lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, unconscious.
"Tea! Are you all right?" Bakura cried, dropping to her side and shaking her slightly.
"Yug, are you..." Joey started, but Yami stood up, his hand on his stomach, trying to catch his breath.
"I'm fine, Joey," he said, taking a few steps towards Kai again.
"Yugi, what are you doing?" Tristan asked.
Yami didn't reply, but continued forwards slowly, a determined look in his eyes as he stared at Kai. Her eyes were shut tight and her hands were pressed against her head, her hair covering her shoulders and neck.
She felt like her head was about to explode. Something was making her do this... it wouldn't let her stop... what was going on? Kai screamed just as she felt someone take hold of her shoulders. Shaking violently, her eyes snapped open to find herself staring into deep violet ones. Suddenly, everything stopped... the room... the pain... Kai was left shaking and gasping for breath as she collapsed into Yami's arms.
"It's all right," he said, his voice a deep whisper.
"What's happening to me?" she asked, her heart pounding.
"I don't know," he replied, tightening his hold on her to try to ease her shaking.
"I'm scared..." she whispered, her face buried in his shoulder.
"We'll find out what's going on," he said, gently running his hand through her hair.
"What if it can't be reversed? What if I'll be doing this for the rest of my life?" she cried, pulling away and staring at him with fearful eyes.
"You will get control of it and I will help you," he said, holding her shoulders.
"I don't want to control it! I want it gone!" she screamed, trying to push past him. But, he pulled her back into his arms and held her there. She felt frightened tears pour down her face and into his shoulder as he hugged her. He held her for a few minutes, gently stroking her hair.
"It's getting worse," she said finally. She had stopped crying, though she was still breathing rather hard. She lifted her head to look at him, his warm eyes looking into hers.
He wiped the remaining tears off her cheeks lightly with his fingers. "Things will be all right," he said softly.
She nodded, resting her head back on his shoulder. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and tried to calm down. "Every time it happens it gets worse," she whispered.
Yami didn't know what to tell her, so he just held her while the gang watched with wide eyes, still shocked at what she had done.
##################################################################################
That night, Kai went to sleep early, leaving Tea sitting with the boys in the living room. After about a half hour, she decided she had to say what was on her mind.
"Joey, Tristan, Yugi, could I see you a minute?" she asked.
Yami nodded and stood, while Joey, Tristan and Bakura just looked at her.
"What about Bakura?" Joey asked.
"It's all right," Bakura said with a smile. "If she needs to talk to you, I'm fine here."
"Well, okay," Joey said, following Tea into the boys' room.
"What is it, Tea?" Yami asked after she closed the door.
"Earlier, Kai told me something about Carlos I thought you might find interesting," she said, turning to Yami.
"Yes?" he said.
"Well, we know he's Italian, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Joey asked.
"Kai said that he was born in Island Springs, but his parents came from Italy. Rome to be specific," Tea said.
Yami's eyes widened slightly in understanding, but Joey and Tristan remained clueless.
"So?" Tristan asked.
Tea sighed. "That means his family could probably be traced back to the Romans. Who were the Egyptian's biggest enemy?" she asked, indicating Yami.
The three of them stared at Tea in shock. "So... you're saying that that's the reason they don't like each other?" Tristan asked.
"I have nothing against Carlos. It's he who has a problem with me," Yami corrected.
"Well, that's not the only reason Carlos doesn't like Yami," Tea said and Joey snickered, making Yami look at him.
"That's not my fault," he said, silencing his friend.
"Of course not. But I thought you should know about his history. It seemed sort of weird," Tea said.
Yami nodded. "Yes. Besides the fact that he dislikes me because of Kai, there may be a subconscious racial hatred as well."
"But he doesn't know that you're Egyptian," Joey said.
Yami looked at him. "That's why I said a /subconscious/ racial hatred."
"I know there's more to all of this than we're seeing, but I don't know what we're missing," Tea said.
Yami nodded. "There is definitely more we're missing."
"Like the reason Kai is suddenly able to do weird things with her mind," Tristan said.
"What if Bakura was right?" Joey said after a moment.
"About what?" Tea asked.
"What if she did start all of this because of us? She was normal before we showed up," Joey replied.
"You may be correct, Joey, we just don't know enough to understand why," Yami said, thinking about it. Now that things were getting worse, Bakura's solution was starting to sound more and more reasonable.
"How could it be because of us?" Tea asked.
"I don't know. But I'm beginning to think that's the case," Yami replied, sitting down on the bed.
"Maybe we should call in Bakura? He might have more ideas," Tristan said.
Tea nodded and opened the door. "Bakura?"
A few minutes later he was standing in the room with them. "Yes?" he asked.
"Do you remember when you said that the reason Kai is able to do these things is because of us?" Yami asked.
Bakura's face suddenly got serious and he nodded.
"I'm beginning to agree with you. Do you have any idea why this might be?" Yami asked.
"No... I just had that feeling. She had been normal before we got here, so I thought it was our arrival," Bakura replied.
"Things are getting way too weird for me," Tea said.
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a/n: I had no idea about the Roman/Egyptian thing until /after/ I had decided that Carlos was Italian. Actually, I didn't know until last chapter! I swear, I only come up with the storyline, my hands to the actual writing. I only know what's going on when they decide to tell me! lol