In The Shadow of The Prophecy
Disclaimer - Same as before(for other witty disclaimers please review the previous 19 chapters)
Chapter twenty - Judgment part two ; Entrapment
Last time :
The pharoah followed his guide into the box, however the clown had disappeared yet again, the doors unnotedly shut behind him. Suddenly there was a loud " Bang " and smoke filled the compartment.
Carmen ran through the vacant levels dispite 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.
An emerald- haired figure she immediatly recordnized was leaning against a pillar with icy non-chalance. She regarded the young deulist 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 ,"
-CCC-
Carmen took a moment to scope out her surrounding What are these wierd markings she pondered surveying the walls, strange, geometric arrays blanketed them They're everywhere, even on the floor and the ceiling . She wasn't exactly sure why, but, these foreign designs put her ill at ease. Her focus reverted back to the mysterious cat-buglar, " One question ; who are you ?".
-CCC-
Meanwhile, Tea was wondering around downtown, searching for everyone's favorite spikey haired duelist. A search affore-mentioned that was, so far, fruitless. ' This is so different from Duelist Island ' she thought sitting down on a bench for a break, ' Now I have to run around the whole city to find either of them. We were always together before ,'.
" Speaking of strange, you guys are kinda strange too aren't you? Do you guys are always in your little group ?".
" 'Strange'? What do you mean? Its because were friends ,".
Suddenly the sunlight vanished as someone clapped their hands over her eyes and teased, " Guess who !". Instinctively the brunnette punched blindly with all her strength.Wham! " Huh?...Tristen ?".
" Why ya gotta hit so hard ?" mumbled the swirly-eyed teen, lying on the ground.
" Why'd you have to sneak up behind me like that ," she snapped back.
-CCC-
" Just who the hell are you ,". It was the question burning in the Carmen's psyche ; there had to be a reason that this woman dogged her for so long and she wanted to know what it was.
" Who am ...I ?" the young woman, in an agrivated tone as though she should damn well already know.
Yet Carmen had no idea.
It was evident in the girl voice, the texture of her voice as she spat out the question, she had no idea what her purpose was here. She didn't have any idea what she did. " You idiot ," she growled under her breath, " you forgot ,".
What'd she say? I couldn't hear it thought the youth, cocking her head to the side, " Could you repeat that ?".
- Damn, she really doesn't know - said the young woman to herself, - Its almost a shame to kill her. So many unanswered questions - . She centered herself again and replied, " We are many things and have many names, so just call me Tekmessa ,".
Tekmessa Carmen repeated to herself, " Okay Tekmessa, give me back my headband ,".
The emerald haired girl's brow arched delicately and reached into her red cape and retieved the familiar golden circlet. " I take it this is what you mean correct?" she said.
The teen grated her teeth tensely, knowing this strange woman had her at her mercy. " Yes ,".
" Its not a 'headband' girl, its a diadem ," replied Tekmessa, " a crown, " she fiddled around with it a bit, " its been lost for centuries. Partly, I suppose, because its been masqurading as a millennium item. Althought for some reason, even thought I'm the one holding it, its not returning to its true form ,".
Millennium item ...true form ? " The diadem, tiara, or whatever you said it was, is mine ," she said, " even though you've got it, it rightfully belongs to me ,". How can I get it back from her though ? How can I ... , then she realized, somewhere in the reccesses of herself ; Tekmessa can't just take this thing. Somehow there was something else that the amber-eyed woman required for her first. A ..." A duel ,".
" Huh ," the young woman looked up at her, " What did you say ?".
" A duel ," Carmen repeated more clearly, activizing her duel disc, " You have to duel me first ,". Duel, duel, echoed a little voice inside her head.
" A duel ?" echoed Tekmessa, the term was vaguely familiar, as was the strange weapon her target had brandished.
SSS
Tekmessa bowed before the elderly white-haired woman with her escort before departing on her misson, " My daughter, our people have not left this place for centuries and the world has changed much ," she said.
" I don't care what the world out there is like, this time I will find Sekhmet and I will avenge my mother's murder ," replied the emerald-haired teen coldly.
" Tekmessa ," the old woman scolded, " It is not our way to seek vengence, as our champion you should know this well. It is to protect man's world from that wickedness and to purify that power as it returns to us ,"
" Yes, Wise One, I will carry that in my heart ," said Tekmessa, eyes trained on the floor.
"Take this ." The young woman looked up with an audible sound of surprise as the elder presant a bizarre article. " It is an arm-sword called 'duel disc', where you are going, this will more powerful than any sword I can give you ,".
Tekmessa inspected it more closely, the edge was dull nor were there any poisonous points or hidden daggers. How could this pass for a weapon? " Honorable elder, I don't understand ," she said baffledly, " How can this be more powerful than a sword ?"
" When the time comes you will understand its power my child ,".
SSS
- I wonder what these peices of paper are - said the emerald-haired woman thought, admiring the imaging on each. - they came with the duel disc, but this one just looks like a map peice - . There was a only week on the ship and in that time she had to find out what these were for and master them, but as she trugded back to her room in steerage, she was now closer to the answer than that morning. " Oh elder you could atleast tell me what these are for ,".
" And that wipes out the rest of your lifepoints dude ," - Huh ?- she looked over to a table where some boys were playing a game of some sort. - Hey, wait, they have these peices of paper too - she realized scanning the tabletop, - So then these are a ...game? How a silly little children's game supposed to help me fight a demon ? - .
It was about that time the group at the table noticed they'd collected a spectator and saw the cards in her hand, "Do you play too ," asked one.
" Umm, well, actually ," Tekmessa hated to admit a lack of intellect to anyone. " I just got these, could you teach me how to utilize them ?".
" Sure ," the youth replied happily.
It took a few turns before the young woman was comfortable with the flow of the game. No duel, she reminded herself, duel.
" Hey, you beat me ," said her tutor in disbelief, snapping Tekmessa out of her reverie.
" Huh ?". she looked up at the surprised faces.
" Didn't you say youve never played before ?".
Yeah, she did.
SSS-end
" Oh yeah, I remember ," she mumbled to herself, she reached back into her cloak again and pulled out the duel disc, placing it on her arm. " I see, you want a duel hmm? Then we'll duel, but when I win, I take your life ,".
My life ? " What if I win ?" argued Carmen.
" That's not going to happen ," said Tekmessa, " believe me ,". Suddenly a chilling, black cloud billowed out behind the young woman, swirling around the two. She wasn't sure, but somehow the foul energy that was filling the air and flooding her senses was vaguely familar.
-CCC-
Yami coughed hoarsely, thankfully the smoke had dispersed, no longer clogging his throat and making his eyes water. As far as he could make out though, he hadn't left the box, / I'm just about done with this wild goose chase / he grimanced silently and push open the door. / What?... / .
It was a near vacant white tile room, this was certainly a surprise to the spirit, / We must have fallen through a trap door / he surmised, exiting the magic box. There were no furnishings to be found as he took in his surroundings, none other than a desk and a computer. Abruptly the screen brought up a BC profile, his profile.
Motou Yugi
Class : S
Rarest card : Dark Magician...
" Huh ?". the screen turned an eerie iridecent crimson and a pentical star traced across its interface projecting the form of ...
...his dark magician?
" Yugi ," it sneered at him, " you unworthy fool, how weak your deck would be without me. Only a real magician could understand my power, you are obsolete. So prepare to lose me to a true master of illusion ,".
/ A true master of illusion / he repeated to himself, so that was what was going on. " Enough posturing, come out an d face me," said the duelist king.
" Very well Yugi, but you may regret it when I defeat you ," snickered a masked man stepping out from the shadows, " Greeting and salutations, I am Pandora, the illusionist ,".
Don't tell me, let me guess ; if I want to leave I have to defeat you in a duel, correct ?" he drawled.
" You guessed right Yugi ," replied Pandora, " but if you ask me this room's a bit cramped, so I've prepared a special ring for our match ,".
" Very well ," said Yami, he had a rescue to get back to.
-CCC-
Carmen's eyes widen, it shouldn't be possible, it couldn't be possible... and yet her opponent was conjuring the darkness just like...she shook her head. How? " How..can you... " she started.
" We're not as resricted in shadowmancy as mortal like yourself ," replied Tekmessa looking down her nose at the girl, " I can harbor this power in my very being and I don't need some dusty artifact to control it, this will be unlike anything you've ever exprienced, Sekhmet, I assure you ,".
" Who's this 'we' you keep talking about, huh? Are you working for someone Tekmessa ?" the youth plunged forward accusingly.
" Relax little girl, I'm the only one you need to worry about right now ," retorted the young woman, " so get ready, its time to duel ,".
DUEL!
Tekmessa - 4000Lp
Carmen - 4000Lp
" I'll begin this 'game' ," said Tekmessa, pulling a card from her hand, " With Lady Ninja Yae in attack position and one card facedown ,".(1100/200) The lime-haired warrior manifested itself in a flurry of iridescent light, poised to strike.
With that the duel spun around to Carmen, who drew her card, " I'll summon Pikeru, my white magician and then put this facedown for later. Back to you ,". A childish pink-haired mage popped out of a swirl of hearts and stars, smiling brightly.(1200/0)
The emerald-haired young woman drew her next card and gave a sardonic scoff, " I shall take the liberty of putting that pathedic excuse for a sorceress out of her misery, with this : the polymerazation magic card ," she countered, pressing a button on the duel disc, " and I'll use it to combine my Hibikime and Queen's double to create Empress Judge ,".
" BC rules say fusion monsters have to wait a turn before they can attack, my turn again ?" retorted the teen.
" Wishful thinking little girl, I have a magic card to activate ," answered her adversary, " Final countdown ,". She placed the card in the spell/trap recordnition interface, " Notice the ring of fire above our heads. Each represents a turn and by paying two thousand lifepoints I'll limit the length of the this duel to twenty turns,".
That's not good, I don't know if I can beat her in twenty turns thought Carmen, concern sweeping into her features. A ring of torchlike flames lit up the air above them. She glanced around at the eerie dark fog blanketing the area I have a feeling there's probably some other twist in this I gonna like less . " Its my turn ," she drew (20) Please be good she prayed. Zolga, not a bad card, but she needed some assistance. Fortunately there were two cards waiting her hand that were perfect. " I summon Zolga (1700/1200) and I play two cards facedown. Now Pikeru, attack Lady Ninja Yae with White Magic Circle ,". The chibi magician took a deep breath and Xed her arms across her chest, A ring-shaped insigna appeared below her feet and with a cry Pikeru sent the light coursing at the lime-haired ninja.
The opposing monster gave a cry burst into a thousand points of light. Tekmessa winced painfully as a thin carge of electricity bit her hand - That was not supposed to happen - she growled to herself.
Meanwhile her opponent was in a quandary, did she really just see what she thought she did ? It was only there for a split second, but she could've sworn some some sort of electric charge just gave the other girl a zap. The first fireball fizzled out above her head.
" I draw ," said Tekmessa sharply, still frazzled, " I set one card facedown and attack with Empress Judge , Light of righteousness !". The red-haired monster let loose a wicked blast, Zolga vanished in its intesity and died. " Now comes the fun part ,".
Carmen blinked as the light died down, Fun part ? she wondered. Unfortunely she didn't have to wait to find out as the same electrical current raced thought her body. " Ahhhhhhh !".
-CCC-
Great. Locked in a basement with a deranged psychopath that might quite possibly be working for Malik. / I suppose its all in a days work / said the spirit to himself as they entered the 'dueling arena'. It looked more like some sort of crazy circus tent.
" I see you've notice its empty, I hope you like a good matinee ," said Pandora with that creepy wide mouthed grin again. Inwardly he cringed, but there was no doubt in Yami's mind he could best this lunatic. They came to a table, shuffling their decks and cutting their opponents.
" I've got my eye on you, so don't try to pull a fast one on me Pandora ,".
" I assure you, card trick are strictly for ametuers ," rebuked Pandora, " but if you insist... nothing in my hat...nothing up my sleeve ,". Suddenly the spirit discovered he was moving backwards, a pair of shackles around his ankles. " Heh heh heh, relax, were both snapped in ," said his opponent, " See, theres an extra downside to losing ,".
An ominously glowing buzz saw appear, spinning under a line with little hash marks in it. Yami figured out the set up immediatly / Those are life points, the closer they get to zero the closer the disc gets / . " From the look on your face, I can skip the most of the rules ," said Pandora, " the box at your feet displays your opponents lifepoints. When they hit zero the lid will open and the key to your shackles will be revealed ,".
/ Sounds simple enough, but this guy's probably got a lot more tricks to trip me up in this match / he said to himself.
-CCC-
" AHHHHH !".
" Now do you see? Losing life points will give you a nasty little jolt ," smiled her opponent with an icy look in her eyes, " enough of it will completely numb your body and leave you defenseless ,".
Carmen felt herself slip to the floor, that was a wicked twist, it felt like she was burning up from the inside out. " Who are you working for Tekmessa ?" she asked breathlessly, " Who...is it ?".
The emerald haired young woman's eyes widened, a frisson of fury passed through her, " What ?".
To Be Continued ...
WT : Next time on Shadow of the Prophecy, the connection between Carmen and Tekmessa is revealed. A dark tale draws out a darker power as this match concludes...