In The Shadow of The Prophecy
Disclaimer - You know the deal, the song lyrics and the original Yu-Gi-Oh don't belong to me, but Selene, Tekmessa, Chandra and Carmen are mine.
WT - I apologise for not updating for a while, I had planned to update more, but I had lots of college stuff to do before the fall semester started. However I am going to keep update and I will finih this fic. So don't worry
Chapter 19 - Judgment part one; Tekmessa's attack
Watashi iru...koko de...imasu
/ What / The spikey-haired teen blinked, looking around; it was an endless field of silver mist. Though, he could have sworn he heard someone calling out to him.
Watashi iru...o matsu...koto de imasu...
The voice was soft, like the sound of wind chimes as it echoed a reply; the clouds took the shape of a person. / Why .../ he wanted to call back to the voice /what are you waiting for / .
Watashi iru ... koko de o matsu anata imasu...
sou...
moshi mo anata e tsuku koko de... anata e mitsukeru watashi...
...yakusoku...
Yugi bolted up from his bed, his breath coming in short gasps / What in the .../ he thought, with a deep breath. There was just something about that voice...it sounded so familiar, somehow.
-CCC-
- It's here - a young woman confirmed silently - That thing I've been chasing - , emerald-green wisps of hair tossed softly with the sea breeze and licked the sides of her face. her dark cinnamon skin and piercing, hot-gold eyes made it obvious she was a foreigner. The sun peaked over the horizon sending shafts of light racing across the water towards the island. She shifted around and stood. Time to go.
" You know the deal and you lost ," the young girl's voice echoed coldly as she trained a 9mm hand gun on her victim, " So its mine ,".
" H-h-here, t-take it ," said the storeclerk sliding the card across to the takara no hanta's feet.
" Okay, did I forget anything ?" said Carmen, looking around Let's see, duel disc ; check, hagoromo ; check, duel disc ; check. That's everything she confirmed. Her eyes settled on the picture frame on the cabinent, she sighed softly to herself, Why do I keep that ? she wondered pausingly then scoff at her own idiocy Duh. its cause I'm a packrat .
Beep, beep, beep.
" Huh, what ?" the teen spazed, " Eleven o'clock, I can't be spacing out like this, I'm late ," the amber-eyed girl raced out of the apato, slamming the door behind.
-CCC-
Yami meandered through downtown / There's no doubt in my mind that Malik's ansatsusha no toranpu are nearby watching our every move / he said to himself. He wasn't about to rush into his next confrontation, they were looking for him after all, right?
-CCC-
Shuuit! Shuuit!
Two red-haired teens appeared before the emerald haired young woman, " Lady Tekmessa, the location is prepared to intercept ," said the first.
Tekmessa nodded solemnly, " Excellent ," she replied and turned to the girl who'd spoken, " Selene, you and Chandra take up your position's incase we have to deal with any ... interference. I'll take things from here ,".
" Understood ," the twins chimed simultaneously, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
- Here I come little Carmen - .
" Phew," sighed Carmen practically collapsing as she sat down for a rest by a fountain. Sunlight sparkled on the surface of the water like the rhinestones in her hagoromo. She sighed again, alone with her thoughts, I'm worried... it feels like the walls are closing in on me again. I don't want ...I don't want to...
Abruptly the air stopped dead, a sharp chill went down the amber-eyed girl's spine Huh?...what's this?... fluttering in my stomach ? she looked around something bad...nearby .
Suddenly her eyes were captured in the unbreakable gaze of an almost identical pair of golden eyes. - Yes Carmen - thought Tekmessa with vengeful desire pulsing through her aura - Your mine now - .
-CCC-
" Dude you can't change the rules cause you don't like 'em, BC rules say you only get my one rarest card ," protested the duel.
His opponent, the nefarious Nagumo, was once again making trouble, " Fuck that, this card's shit !" he barked, grabbing the other guy by the collar, " So gimme the two rarest cards in your deck now ,".
The dispute was abruptly cut short by a long whistle. " Dueling foul ,". The two duelists paused as an eleven-year old kid with wild black hair lowered his whistle.
Nagmo scoffed, " buzz off bozu , I'm busy ,".
" Bozu? I'm the official commissioner of the Battle City tournament, I will settle any and all dueling disputes and when it comes to the rules what I say goes ," the youth shot back.
" Yeah, or else what ?" retorted the flaxen-haired teen undauntedly.
" Or else I settle the matter ," a dark voice interjected, the three turned to see none other than Seto Kaiba standing there with glare that could kill. " Mess with my brother and you mess with the entire Battle City Tournament, you got that you hack-job ?" the dueling ace glowered, " And just to make sure you don't do it again, I'm challenging you to a duel right now. However..." he opened his suitcase and displayed it's contents to Nagumo, " if you even want to give yourself the illusion of a chance of winning, then use these cards pump up the power of that decrepit deck of yours ,".
After helping himself to all the rare cards his heart desired he readied his duel disc for combat again. " With this deck and my skills I'll beat you no problem ," he sniggered confidently.
Seto cackled sinisterly, " I need only to play this card to teach you a lesson ,".
" I SUMMON GOD OF OBELISK !".
-CCC-
" Your not running now are you ?" said the emerald haired young woman.
Huh? Who's that ? thought Carmen, regarding this weirdo that was confronting her. Her stomach twisted in a vaguely familiar, sickening way that made a shiver go down her spine, that's when it hit her Wait ! ...
" Hey watch where you're goin'"" Damn Kid !" yelled irate pedestrians as she weaved her way through them. She didn't bother offering apologies.
A shadowy figure dogged close behind her, skimming along the rooftops and avoiding the eyes of normal people.
" Heh heh, I thought you might be hiding ," laughed the shadow, " Now. Its over, resign yourself to your fate ,"
She gritted her teeth and stepped back slightly, but her other escape route was covered by those weird creatures. Damn she cursed.
" If you run, those monsters will rip you to pieces ," the shadow told her, " if you surrender I will be more benevolent ,"
" Aaaaaaaargh ," the shadow snarled painfully, " What the hell is that damn annoying flicking light ?". The monsters disintegrated in the enveloping brightness, alone and feeling the light burn at her flesh, the shadow was forced to retreat also.
Carmen's eyes widened, " Its you ," she breathed horror-struck.
The shadow runner closed the distance between them, " You're not easy to track down you know, you hide among the humans well ," she said, " but I'm not letting you get away so easily this time ,". What ... The young woman's hand shot out.
Suddenly something razor sharp cut through her hagoromo like paper and dug through her skin. It was enough to knock her to the ground, the sunlight reflected off what looked like thread. Huh ? string ... she looked at the cuts on her arms and gingerly fingered the one across her cheek sharp... it clicked. " Wires...," the teen realized, " ... attached to her hands ?".
" Figured out my trick huh ?" she smirked, " here's another ," she tugged on the line the circlet flew to her hand as if it were a yo-yo, " I'll be taking the diadem back if you don't mind ,". Ah...my headband ! she wanted to shout. Her body protested sharply as she got to her feet and she hissed softly at the burning in her wounds, Where did... she go ? thought Carmen, scanning the area, but that weird assassin was gone. Damn it ! she cursed to herself Oh Great! How am I suppose t...THERE ! . The amber-eyed duelist spotted her assailant making her escape and was seize by awe as the thief ran across the roof tops and leapt across the expanses like a leopard. Toads have it she cursed again and took off impatiently after her.
-CCC-
" Lord Malik ," said Rishid, kneeling humbly before he continued, " moments ago the God of Obelisk was summoned within the Battle City limits, " The young man's interest he looked at his faithful vassal, " We've already identified the cards owner... Seto Kaiba ,".
" Hmm, is that so ?" replied Malik nonchalantly, " I guess this means were both after the cards now ,".
" You don't seem concerned my lord ,".
" Kaiba's no big shakes ," said the ivory haired teen matter-of-factly, " I can strip him of his Egyptian God card whenever I want. As I said before, the only thing that concerns me is the Pharaoh and his puzzle , ".
" Does this mean you intend to handle Kaiba personally sire ?" inquired Rishid.
" Only if need be ," he answered, " for now, dispatch Pandora to destroy little Yugi ,".
" Yes my lord ,".
-CCC-
/ This is weird, I thought for sure we'd one of Malik's card assassins by now / said Yugi appearing next to his dark in spirit form.
/ No news is good news aibou / replied the Pharaoh's spirit.
/ Yeah, I suppose you're right / admitted the youth, it was uncomfortably quiet on Yami side of the link/ Uh... Yami, are you listening ?/ .
Actually, at the moment the spirit's attention was drawn to a familiar duelist running down the street towards them. She was uncharacteristically shouting obscenities at the roof of the building. /What's she doing ?/ he thought worriedly. Suddenly...
WHAM !
Said duelist ran straight into him, Yami's hand gripped her shoulders in surprise but, fortunately, thanks to the spirit's cat-like balance, both avoided a messy spill. " What wrong ?".
Yugi-kun ... she thought blinking with soft amber confusion. No, it was the other one, she realized.
Why did he have to ask? It was obvious what was wrong, her pale sunrise colored hair was steaming unchecked around her face and there were paper-thin lesions all over her hands and on her face, " You're hurt ," he reiterated troubledly.
She winced slightly as his hand grazed the cuts on her arm, " I'm alright, but... I, someone stole my headband and I was ... " she trailed off for a moment looking around, " damn it I lost her !".
" Someone took your millennium item ?" he demanded sharply, grabbing the other teen's arms agitatedly.
" Yugi ..."
" Who was it ?".
" Yugi ,".
" What did they look like !".
" YUGI ," reprimanded grabbing his wrist, in a tone that almost struck the pharaoh as ...scolding. The slightly taller young man looked at her with slight surprise. She did not often find reasons to raise her voice and never to him. His violet-crimson eyes narrowed slightly at her and Carmen found herself almost backing down instinctively No she chided at herself Don't let him push you around like this ! . " You're hurting me ," she said steadfastly.
His eyes widened with the realization and immediately released her, " I apologize ,".
The amber-eyed girl nodded absently, rubbing her arms, " its 'skay ," she replied, " I don't know who it was, but she wore all black ,". Whatever it is, doesn't have anything to do with him she decided and took off while 'Yugi' pondered his actions.
" Carmen ..."
Come with me in the twilight of a summer night for awhile,
Tell me all the stories never-ending trove in the past,
Yami saw the girl's retreating back round a corner and vanish, " Damnit !" he cursed, " Why 'd she run off like that ?". / Reckless fool / .
/ Yami, we have to go after her / argued Yugi from inside his heart/ what if its a card assassin, she might be running straight into a trap / . With a still-slightly aggravated sigh, the spirit agreed and they went after her.
Take me back to the land where my yearnings were gold.
The key to open the door is in your hands,
Now fly me there...
-CCC-
Tekmessa reached the roof of the parking garage, since work was suspended for the tournament it was all but, abandoned. She paused and looked back for her mark, the girl was nowhere in sight. - Damn, I must have lost her - she thought biting her tongue. Chandra and Selene appeared in twin swell of wind, kneeling at her feet.
" Get ready, the target will be here soon ," she commanded them.
-CCC-
Time and tricks find their hand in never-ending storming winds,
Valkyries of destruction feel love and fight for rebirth.
Yami's wine-red eyes searched the area, she could not be far, her legs were shorter than his charge's. He stopped to catch his breath as he passed though the downtown park and closed his eyes, opening the extrasensory part of his being for the answer.
" Eee hee hee hee ," chuckled an aggravatingly loud voice, interrupting the young man's silence. The spirit's eyes snapped open, " Loose something Yuugi ?". It was a jester, clad in black and red harlequin.
/Carmen / " where is she ?" he demanded sharply, " tell me NOW !".
The clown shrugged playfully and replied, " Why don't you try walking that way, seventy-two paces and into that tent ,". With that said, it sprung behind a bush and vanished.
Constellations demand in my dreams meant to come,
The key to open the door is in your hands,
Now take me there...
/ Can we really believe what he says / thought the spirit incredulously.
/ There's no choice / replied his aibou / Malik must be using her as bait, that's why he had one of his hunter's grab that tiara-thing / . No alternatives in sight, the spirit proceeded towards the tent.
The jester popped out of a magic box, waving his hand in a come-hither way, " This way Yuugi ," it teased, " my master's waiting ,".
I believe,
I believe in fantasies invisible to me,
The pharaoh followed his guide into the box, however the clown had disappeared yet again, suddenly the doors shut behind him. Suddenly there was a loud " Bang " and smoke filled the compartment.
-CCC-
Here ? questioned Carmen, feeling a tug on her heart as she looked up at the parking garage. Somehow... she knew it was nearby. Weird .
In the realm of misery I'm searching for a sun.
To the door of mysteries,
" Sister Selene, someone's standing at the foot of the edifice ," alerted Chandra. Her equally curious twin immediately got to her feet and joined the first in scoping out the intruder. A pale- haired, dark-skinned teenage girl stood on the sidewalk below, the sparkling 'stars' on her pitch-black jacket catching the sunlight. " Its ...her, it has too be ," said Selene.
" Are you sure its her? She's really pretty ," rebuked her twin, " I thought she'd be some walking terror the way the elders go on about her ,".
" Lady Tekmessa says you can never judge a book by it cover ," said the first wisely.
" OOOh ..." said Chandra, understanding, "... What's a book ?".
I'm wandering down,
I'm searching down a secret sound.
When you lose something, you'll always find it the last place you look ; that's what people always say, but if you find what your looking for, then continuing to look for it is ridiculous...
...Right?
Carmen ran through the vacant levels despite her body's protests, Its here, its close! I know it her mind urged her on. Unnoticed by the teen, behind her the light vanished, replaced by the all consuming darkness.
Come with me in the twilight of a summer night for awhile,
Tell me all the stories never-ending trove in the past,
A figure she immediately recordnized was leaning against a pillar with icy indifference. She regarded the young duelist with cool amber eyes of her own, " So you've finally come, Sekhmet ," she smirked with false warmth, " Welcome ... to the twilight of your destiny ,".
Take me back to the land where my yearnings were gold.
The key to open the door is in your hand,
Now take me there...
... To the band of twilight.
To Be Continued ...