Welcome to the next part in this epic saga. Yes, this is a romance fic too (the characters don't blush for nothing) and if would let me I'd make it a romance/humor/general fic but oh well.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters in it.

The person that is after the puzzle is going to use some dirty tricks to win

So far the score is Carla/Yami 1, Evil Guy 0(you'll find out who he is if you don't already know soon)

Carla was in her dad's Lexus, going to her Sunday horseback riding class. Her dad had given her a questioning look when he saw the Millennium puzzle hanging from her neck, and Carla's two-word reply, "Aunt Marie" said it all. Finally they arrived at the red barn.

"I'll pick you up in an hour, honey."

"ok Papa."

Carla walked inside the barn where the horse stalls were, with a huge indoor arena in the middle. A middle-aged lady with a severe face (which softened when she saw Carla) and white-streaked brown hair that was currently in a tight bun, appeared. Carla immediately brightened,

"Hi Sally!"

"Good Morning Carla. Ready to ride Sunbird?"

"Yes! I'll start brushing her."

Carla rushed to a particular stall that had a sign with the name "Sunbird" with a blue ribbon and a picture attached to it. She immediately started brushing Sunbird, a petite mare with a golden coat and black mane. Sunbird, or Birdy as she was nicknamed stood just at 15 hands, Arabian blood evident on her elegant dished face (though it's quite unusual that there would be an Arabian horse with a golden coat, go with me) that was framed with a white diamond mark. Yami was interested in the photo. It showed a grinning-from-ear-to-ear younger version of Carla as she proudly held up a blue ribbon with a proud Sunbird, posed for the picture. He was so interested in asking about it he didn't notice when he walked up to Carla and stepped in a squishy pile.

Huh?

Carla glanced at him and barely stifled a laugh. Yami had stepped in a tremendous mound of poo. Yami groaned embarrassed and took a step forward but tripped and landed face first again in the mound. Carla couldn't contain it any longer, she laughed so hard, that she had to lean on Sunbird to remain standing. Even Sunbird seemed to snort in amusement. (o.o) Yami turned scarlet as he wiped the poo from his eyes so he could see as he stood up, trying to retain whatever dignity he had (which isn't much when you're a human poo figure...yes the mound was that big), ignoring Carla's hysterics. (-.-;;)Yami banished all the feces to the shadow realm and disappeared inside the puzzle without another word. Carla tacked up Sunbird (still giggling), kissed her velvet nose, and led her out to the arena as she put on her helmet.

"Carla we're going to warm-up and then jump a 3 foot vertical. Ready?" said Sally as she helped Carla lift up into the saddle.

"Yup."

Carla and Sunbird proceeded to warm-up. Circling the arena, Carla felt a sense of contentment that always reached her while she was riding. After walking Birdy, she trotted the mare, loving how Sunbird picked up her delicate little feet. Soon, it was time to canter, and by now a curious Yami was sharing the experience with her.

/It has a nice rhythm/

I know. Birdy knows I love it when she goes fast. Anyways...I hope the puzzle doesn't smell.

/.../ If Millennium puzzles could blush, it would be glowing bright red about now.

Then she slowed the Arabian horse, and Sally set up the jump. It was quite big. For the first time that lesson, fear crept inside Carla's heart.

/Are you scared?/ asked Yami in disbelief.

(Forgetting embarrassment...or maybe it was because of his short attention span. Yami: Hey! Me: Go get the cookie Yami: COOKIE! [jumps off cliff for cookie] Me: -.-;; back to the story...)

No...it's just that it's been a while since I've jumped such a high vertical. Don't worry soon my excitement will take over my fearCarla took a deep breadth and hid her fear from Sunbird.

/Why can't you show it?/

Because if I do, then Birdy will sense it from me and will freak out

Without another word, Carla began to canter around, but Birdy didn't seem to be herself. She fought Carla for control on the reins and even gave out a warning buck. It was on the third circle that an apprehensive Carla attempted the jump. Instead of her usual bubbly expectation where Birdy would leap gracefully, Carla knew that Birdy hadn't lifted her body enough to make the jump, and as there was nothing she could do (Birdy was already in the air) she braced herself for the horrible impact.

And that's exactly what she got.

Birdy's front hooves clipped the jump and from there everything went downhill.

Literally.

Carla felt herself rise out of the saddle, into the air, and onto the dirt with a sickening thud. Carla felt a pain in her back as she dizzily realized her back had struck the pole that held one side of the jump. Sunbird, took the fall badly, and had Carla stayed on, her right side would've crushed. Sunbird got up quickly however, and with a wild demonic look on her liquid brown eyes, started towards Carla. Everything seemed so detached from Carla. She heard Sally's screams for her to move, but couldn't. The problem was, Carla was in too much pain at the moment to move from the raging horse that was charging towards her. Yami took over, and rolled out of harm's way. Meanwhile, Sunbird reared into the air, her delicate hooves passionately beating the air, and an unearthly battle scream erupting from the normally quiet mare's throat. It was a beautiful and deadly thing to watch. Then the evil mare came down, right where Carla had just been, her eyes now reddish and her mouth beginning to foam, as she stomped the ground in frustration.

Then it all stopped, and whatever had just possessed the mare to do what she just did went out of her, leaving a violently trembling mare. Birdy had an expression that clearly said "Did I just do that?". Yami was preparing to send the mare to the Shadow Realm when a weak voice stopped him.

S-she is not evil anymore. Whatever came over her is gone. Don't b-banish her to the Shadow realm. L-look at her, those eyes are different than the ones who just tried to k-kill me.

Yami looked and frightened liquid brown eyes had replaced the mare's demonic reddish eyes. As if seeking comfort, the mare nickered and walked towards a confused Yami/Carla. Birdy reached out and butted Yami/Carla playfully (A/N: it's too much to type Yami/Carla all the time. Anyways you get the point) as if nothing had happened. Carla took over, and led a quiet mare back to a worried Sally. Sally looked at Carla and quietly said,

"I, understand if you don't want to get back on Sunbird now." Carla looked back at Sally determined.

"No, let me just trot her around a bit." Once Sally had made sure Sunbird was calm (that took 15 minutes), and the tack was all right, she lifted Carla back up.

(imagine Yami's head exploding into impossible proportions with a chibi body as his mouth became incredibly huge) /WHY IN RA'S NAME ARE YOU GETTING BACK ON THAT HORSE! WHO KNOWS IF SHE'LL REACT AGAIN!/

(hair blown a bit) I must ride her now Yami, I can't wait until next time. If I do, I don't think I'll be brave enough to ride her. I'm only a bit bruised.

Knowing full well that Carla was not just "a bit bruised", but knew Carla was in her nothing-you-say-is-going-to-stop-me mode, Yami decided to support her.

/Fine, umm...you go girl! Err...Show her what you're made of! (blush)...didn't mean it that way (decides to shut up)/ If Carla hadn't been so scared at the moment, she would have chuckled at Yami's attempt for saying hip phrases (A/N: It's all the stupid chart's fault). The rest of Carla's ride went without any trouble, she even went over a low jump. It seemed Sunbird was very sorry for the whole incident, and a good ride, was her only way of communicating "sorry". Carla, felt a great sense of pride for being brave enough to go back on Sunbird, said goodbye to Birdy and Sally cheerfully, and got into her dad's car.

The score so far was Yami & Carla: 2 (Carla wasn't dead like planned), Evil Guy: 1 (Yet Carla's back was bruised badly.) And the evil guy had one more trick up his sleeve.

Carla's boots and clothes were all in all quite dirty. She told her dad what had happened, and instead of getting of worried look and a great bear hug, she got something much worse. Did her dad actually look pleased? That pleased look turned to one of rage as he saw the dirt Carla's boots were leaving on the car floor.

"YOUR NASTY LITTLE BOOTS ARE BRINGING FILTHY DIRT INTO MY CAR WHICH I JUST CLEANED! YOU JUST DON'T THINK DO YOU CARLA! YOU'RE IN YOUR OWN LITTLE WORLD ALL THE TIME LIKE A DAYDREAMING MORON! WELL, WELCOME TO REALITY, MY DEAR! (hint hint)"

Carla sat there stunned. Never, had her father yelled at her like that. Yes, she had been yelled at before, but never before for such a little thing, and never with that much rage. Her father, whom she loved, looked condescendingly at her like she was a retard. Carla's throat began tighten, and her eyes started to well up with tears. Any second now, they would start to fall. Yami looked aghast. Carla's father had struck Yami as a nice, slightly hot-tempered yet always kind to his daughter kind of guy. In other words, Yami had thought Carla was Daddy's little girl. He was angry at his words though. Carla was not a moron. And it wasn't Carla's fault that her boots were dirty.

Meanwhile Carla looked devastated. Her father's kept words echoing in her head. She had always trusted her father's opinion. Was she a daydreaming moron? No, she only daydreamed sometimes, and it was usually during her conversations with Yami that she acquired that spacey look. Her father's latest words (he had kept yelling obscenities and more hurtful things to Carla while Carla was devastated) haunted her.

"You think of no one but yourself! Always thinking that you are the center of all the troubles in the world! It makes me wonder if you even have a brain you b$%! (Carla was shocked, her dad never used curse words around her, let alone on her)"

That last curse was the last straw. Carla's tears won the battle and began to silently find their way down Carla cheeks and trembling chin. Damn those tears. She WAS too weak to even hold back her tears. How pathetic. Everything her dad said was true...

/STOP THAT. Your father is WRONG./

But he's right Yami. It's all true...Why else would my dad yell like that?

/Little hikari, do not listen to him. Your father (he spat the word hatefully) is trying to break your spirit. Listen to me, I don't know what's going on but HE'S the moron. Are you listening?!/ Carla didn't like Yami now telling her what to do. She just needed to be alone to think, and Yami wasn't helping her at ALL. It didn't help either that Yami had called her little.

Leave me ALONE Yami STOP telling me what to do, and STOP CALLING ME LITTLE!Yami was taken aback. He decided to give Carla some space. Soon Carla arrived back at home. She left an angry father quickly, got out her key, and went inside her home.

At least, she still had the rest of her family's support.

Not.

Her whole family seemed to be hostile towards her, her mother glared hatefully, Aunt Marie glared and muttered Spanish curse words, and even her little sister gave a condescending smirk (which wasn't too out of the ordinary). Carla ran up to her room, the only place where she wouldn't see all those hostile faces. She took a quick shower, changed into casual clothes and did her homework hastily, all without a word. Once, she was done she climbed onto her bed (it was near dinnertime and though her stomach growled, she wasn't going down to those faces that hated her) and tried to remember what she had done to deserve such an all-out hate towards her. It couldn't be because of the boots, it could make her father angry but not explode. What had she done? On and on, those thoughts kept circling around her head, until Carla was tired of hearing them without any answers.

"Maybe I can help relieve some of your stress...?" said a deep, kind, quiet voice as Carla jumped in surprise. Yami. Carla felt painful guilt as she remembered how she had vented all her confusion and anger at Yami.

"Yami, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I just needed someone to vent all my anger at, and you were getting on my nerves... I'm so sorry, I should've listened to you. But it's too late now...(takes a long pause) they've won...I feel...broken." said Carla very quietly. (A/N: Carla & Yami: 2 Evil Guy: 3 2 points for breaking a soul) Yami looked upset by this and gathered a limp Carla in his arms. He held her protectively as his hand brushed her back. Instantly, Carla stiffened and winced painfully. Yami could've hit himself. He'd forgotten Carla's bruises. Well, he could cure that, at least. It took a noticeable amount of energy to heal but he could accomplish it. He placed a comforting hand a muttered an ancient spell. In his mind he imagined Carla's back healed, her tanned skin, without those awful bruises. Suddenly, Yami felt quite weary. Weary yet triumphant. Carla touched her back in surprise; she had just felt a pleasant cool sensation and her backaches had ceased to exist.

Did you do that Yami? Carla looked at a tired Yami. He smiled at Carla, brushing a lock of hair from her face tenderly. (A/N: Awww)

/(breathing deeply)...Yes. I healed your bruises. It was the least I could do. Now...a bit of my energy will always remain with you, my aibou./

(smiles gratefully) Thanks Yami. I may be broken but at least I have you. Go and rest now. School's tomorrow.

(A/N: Carla & Yami: 3 point for knowing Yami's there for her Evil Guy: 3....oooh it's even)

A blushing Carla gave a stunned Yami a quick peck on the cheeks, and went to bed. (If Yami could've spoken after Carla kissed him It would've been something like this: PHWEE?!!!!)

The man, who watched from not too far away, was very angry.

"I broke his hikari and STILL he is able to comfort her! That's it! Screw all those plans! It's time for some head-to-head That means the a battle's coming up...

Sorry if the humor's running thin but I'm making this a romance fic (thanks reviewers!) too so something's going to give...But don't you like the touch of fluff I added?

P.S. I have nothing against horses, in fact they're one of my favorite animals so don't hurt me for making Birdy attempt to murder Carla

Birdy: you're going down for making me evil...I will get my revenge!

o.O Me: Eep! Gtg! (Birdy gallops after screaming authoress)

-Starlet36