Strong Enough

------------------------

Sometimes I say, "What's there to live for?" I find the answer in your eyes

------------------------

---Makura---

The hand pulled me in to the dark room, then threw me to the floor.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" A man's voice yelled, and as I heard it I recognized it as the voice of one of the guards from the plane.

I glared up at him, then said defiantly, "I don't THINK I'm doing anything. I KNOW I'm getting Mokuba and HiKari out of here! Did you think I'd let you get them? Either of them? You must have been pretty stupid to think I'd just sit there and let you take control of their lives too! You and your boss have hurt too many people already and…" Suddenly I stopped and fell as the breath knocked was out of me. I was about to get up and retaliate, when I realized that the plan might go wrong. HiKari could get caught if they could find her before Mokuba did, and then she'd pay hell for my actions if I dared strike back. I sat there as I felt my body being kicked over and over. I just sat there, taking every hit. I couldn't stop it and I didn't know what to do. I suddenly stood up. Then the man stopped beating me and stared. "I'll…" I gasped out, "I'll go peacefully" Then I fainted.

When I woke up, I had no idea where I was. It was a large room, with a banquet table so long that you couldn't see who was sitting at the other side. I started to walk to the other side, but then I heard Pegasus say, "Stop Makura girl!"

Apparently that was who was sitting at the far end of the table. I didn't stop. I only ran faster. I wanted to get him. I wanted to hurt him for what he'd done.

Suddenly, he laughed, "Just try it, Makura-girl. If you do, then I'll have to find HiKari-girl and Mokuba-boy and bring them back, and you wouldn't want that, would you, princess?"

I growled back at him, "I'm not a princess, I don't belong to you, and you can't do anything to them or I'll kill you, you sick son-of-a…"

For a second, I thought of hitting him anyway. Of course, that thought vanished when I thought of what would happen to Kari if I did. I stood there then asked, "Why am I here?"

Pegasus laughed, "Because, Kura-girl I must discuss with you the terms of being princess of the duelist kingdom."

"Don't you ever call me Kura again," I growled, staring a death stare at him, "Or I'll have to rip your throat out."

"I don't think that would be wise for HiKari's sake, now would it… Kura-girl?" He said with a grin on his lips

"Well, what in the hell do you want then!" I yelled.

"First of all, I want to show you a video," He said, "These are from the 4 remaining participants of the duelist kingdom. I've given them all a picture of you, and let them videotape any message they had for you, so shall we watch?"

Two video screens came down in front of us.

Yugi: M… Makura? Is this Makura? This picture looks an awful lot like her. If it is Makura then I can save her for HiKari, and then mabey she'll like me again and… looks up at camera Is this on? It is? Don't worry, Makura, I'll save you!

I sighed. What an idiot. Did he think HiKari would like him just because he saves me? HiKari has more of a price to her love than that.

The next one was Mako… We had met at the Domino City aquarium once. He was a pretty nice guy.

Mako: Hi Princess! I'm Mako Tsunami, Greatest fisherman the world has ever seen! Hahaha! I'm a pretty good duelist, so you're sure to see me in the final two.

The next was a face I hadn't seen in over two years, Mai Valentine, or as I used to call her, May.

"Kuri!!! I haven't seen you in forever! Do you know what? On the way here, I met this girl named HiKari, and she was just like you when you were her age… I hope she gets to see her sister soon. I'll save you from that bastard Pegasus! Matte yo! ( In English: Wait for me!)

Last was a boy I had never seen before. He looked familiar, but I couldn't place him…

Carlo: You killed my brother. I'll get my revenge.

The videorecording went silent.

Suzuki had a brother? I… I thought Suzuki was an only child. He… he had a brother, just like I had a sister. I had killed someone's brother… What if it was the other way around, and Suzuki had killed HiKari instead… Oh my god… I killed someone, someone with a brother who cared for him, someone real.

"Well, what do you think?" he asked.

I was silent.

"Which one would you pick?" he asked again, this time louder.

"Pick?" I questioned.

"For a husband." He answered.

"What in the hell!!!" I said, "First of all, Mai is a girl, second of all, who said I'm marrying anyone, and third…" I couldn't say it.

Pegasus smirked, "Kura-girl, do you know what this tournament was for? It was for the launch of Duel Monsters worldwide. The final matches are going to be broadcast on live TV to the entire world, and since you managed to ruin all my other surprises, I'll have to use you. This will be very interesting. You either marry your sister's ex-boyfriend, a fisherman, a girl, or the man who's brother you killed."

I just sat there. I knew I couldn't say anything, or else he might get Kari… but I couldn't stand it.

I was dismissed, then escorted by a company of armed guards to my new room, the one I had first been offered.

I went inside to the drawer inside and got out a knife. Mabey this will be a surprise enough for Pegasus I thought I can't go through with this, and there's no other way I can escape it I knew that, if I did go through with it, I'd still never get to see Kari again. Even if I did, I couldn't face her, because I would have been beaten by Pegasus. Not the strong hero she once saw me as.

I looked around the room. As I did, I noticed that there was an audiovisual communicator inside, just like the one Mokuba had made, only better. This one had the choice of video, audio, or both when calling someone else. I turned it to audio, then typed in Seto Kaiba's number. There was no answer, so I punched in the number that could contact him anywhere, in case of emergency. I heard his voice. I was about to say my last words and ask him to take care of Kari again, but as I stopped to listen to his voice for one last time, I heard him talking about the time he had followed me to Kari and I's apartment after school and saw me try to kill myself.

Hikari

As Seto finished and Mokuba fell silent, I thought to myself Kura… Kura couldn't do that, Kura wouldn't! Kura was always so strong and… I felt a tear roll down my cheek, then suddenly heard another voice, a voice I had been longing to hear for so long.

"Seto! Who in God's name are you talking to. You Son of a… you promised me you'd never tell anyone! But hey, you broke all your promises to me so that's nothing new… Who in the hell did you tell that to! It better not have been HiKari or I'll…" Makura yelled before being interrupted by Seto.

"It's just Mokuba." Seto said.

"Well, then I guess I'll say all my good-byes before I go. Forever. I want to…" Makura began.

"Don't you dare try and hurt yourself…" Seto started.

"It's too late for that," Makura said as a visual appeared on the screen. It was Makura, holding up her wrist… which was covered in blood.

I couldn't take hiding anymore. "What the hell," Seto said as I ran out of the back and past him to the screen.

"Kura!" I yelled, "Kura what did you do?"

------------------------------------

Yeah, so that's where I stop. It's short but hey, that's life.

That's the worst of it… Things can only get better from here.

-Kura