Guardians

Note: Onward to another chapter, my good friends and reviewers! Where did I leave you… ah yes…

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh or the song Hear Me by Kelly Clarkson. No law suits on the innocent (sheepish grin) author person.

Chapter Six: The Big Day

Karmina heaved a big sigh and looked at her CDs again. She just didn't know what to sing… but she'd have to decide soon. The contest was only an hour away.

"Wingweaver, what do I sing?" she wined, throwing herself on the tattered bed. Sometimes she just wanted to get away.

I don't know. What about that one song… the one I don't like… the lovey one?

"Not in the mood to think about love, Wingweaver. It isn't ever gonna happen."

Aren't we pessimistic today? Still brooding over your little fight with Kaiba?

"No."

Yes you are! That's so sweet. Besides, you aren't one to talk about never finding love. You're the only person in this world who can see me.

"As if many more really see me."

They notice more than you think.

"No, they don't."

Then what about Hear Me? For a song?

"I have the weirdest feeling that someone heard me the other night. No reason to call myself to memory… but yet…"

You need to feel what's in your heart and sing that.

"My heart says… that it doesn't feel like talking."

Wingweaver slapped her forehead and sighed. You're hopeless.

"I know… and… hold on… I've got it! Maybe you were right, Wingweaver!"

And look at the time. We better go.

"You're right!"

She flew out the door without bothering to give an explaination. She was late… she'd deal with her 'superiors' later.

"Thank goodness you're here!" Sarah cried, hugging Karmina with vigor. "The competition's gonna be rough, but don't you worry! You can handle it easy!"

"Erp… yeah… sure…"

"Okay everyone, listen up. Here's the lineup for tonight's first round: 28, 3, 37, 4, 39, 6, 1, 10, 21, 35, 57, 30, 36, 40, and then 18. So, contestants 28, 3 and 37, please give me your music and wait in this area. Everyone else, feel free to have a seat or seek out refreshments. But don't be late getting to the stage area, or you're disqualified. Any questions?"

A thin, dark haired girl raised her hand mockingly. Sarah was not amused. "WHAT?"

"Well… I was just wondering… isn't that your microphone over there?"

To her horror, Karmina realized that the most expensive of the two microphones (A/N: They had an extra, lesser quality one, for back up.) was dangling near a bucket of water.

"All right, which of you idiots left that there?" Sarah asked her co-workers.

They all shrugged, but one guy, with an earring in his left ear and a spike collar, snickered at her.

"Scott," she mused. "I shouldn't even have asked. How many times must I tell you that the way to a girl's heart is not by jeopardizing her equipment?"

He just shrugged and smiled a secret smile that seemed to have a hidden meaning. Sarah shook her head and then rescued the mike without another word. Karmina heaved a little sigh and held tightly to her CD case. She had to be calm. Right, that was going to happen.

Contestant 28 was a muscular, young guy who sang something so heavy metal that she couldn't even make out the words, but it sounded as if he had a very good voice. She was up for quite a challenge.

Number 3 was a girl about Karmina's age, if not a little older, and sang a slow, haunting song that made just about everyone cry, or come close to it. When Karmina peeked around the curtain, she saw one person who was completely unmoved; Seto Kaiba. His little brother was sitting beside him babbling away, though she didn't see the point. Seto hardly seemed to be listening.

When she looked back at the stage, she saw that the person she recognized as contestant 36 was up. She sighed and took a seat, wishing it would just be her turn already.

And yet, when it did come time for her to go on stage, she didn't feel relieved, she felt even more nervous. After all, this was a crowd of people who would compare her voice to all of those others, and that wasn't to be taken lightly. She handed Sarah her disk, and stepped lightly onto the stage. She looked forcefully at some guy in the third row to take her mind of off Kaiba, but it hardly worked. The music started and she gave a small smile.

"You gotta be out there… you gotta be somewhere… wherever you are… I'm waiting… 'Cause there are these nights when… I sing myself to sleep… and I'm hoping my dreams bring you close to me, are you listening?" She stopped smiling, and felt the music take over. Kaiba looked slightly surprised, but she didn't care. The music was all that mattered right now. "Hear me, I'm crying out, I'm ready now… Turn my world upside down, find me… I'm lost inside the crowd, it's getting loud. I need you to see, I'm screaming for you to please… Hear me."

In his seat, Seto Kaiba was finding it hard not to look amazed. Somehow, it was so strange to hear her singing that song again. Now that she was closer, he could see the sadness in her eyes, and how hard she tried to hide it. There might have even been a few tears sitting in her eyes, refusing to come out.

Karmina finished singing and took a deep breath. She wasn't going to cry. She would just step off the stage and await the decision of who went on to the next round.

Sarah gave her a thumbs up and rushed off to the stage. "Okay, then, audience, who should go on? Stand up if you want to vote for number one!"

And on and on it went until at last Sarah said "Okay, folks, the final five are… Contestants 36, 28, 3, 40 and… 18!"

Karmina let out a sigh and watched as three of the others, all girls, squealed and hugged. Contestant 28 raised his eyebrows at her and she grinned nervously.

"We made it, then, and it looks like we're the only sane ones. I'm Brian."

"Um… Karmina."

He raised his eyebrows again. "Okay…so maybe I'm the only sane one."

She giggled nervously. "That would d-depend on your d-definition of s-sane."

He nodded and then looked away. Still people could not seem to remember her. It was like she didn't exist.

"Alright then. Congratulations to those of you that made it. The order for the semifinals is: 40, 28, 30, 4 and 18."

Wondering why she was always last, Karmina took a seat to wait it out. By the time her turn arrived, she'd worked up a sweat from the worrying that she was doing.

She was nervous about the song she'd chosen; not all of it related to her, and therefore, it might be harder for her to recover from her shyness. But nonetheless she picked up the microphone and smiled weakly.

"How can you see into my eyes like open doors… Leading you down into my core, where I've become so numb… Without a soul… my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold, until you find it there and lead… it… back… home." She was trying to hard not to think of pointing the lyrics at Seto Kaiba, but he was the only person in the crowd that she knew. "Wake me up inside… wake me up inside… call my name and save me from the dark… Make my thoughts arise… before I come undone… save me from the nothing I've become."

Seto Kaiba almost nodded in agreement. Sometimes, in the still of the night, he wished for someone to help him rediscover himself. But then, as he did now, he would blot out the idea. What did Karmina know? She was just singing a song so she could win a contest. No big deal. But then why did she have that look on her face?

"I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems… come to my open my eyes to everything… Bring… me… life. Wake me up inside… wake me up inside… call my name and save me from the dark… Make my thoughts arise… before I come undone… Save me from the nothing I've become… Bring me to life!"

For a few seconds, it was completely silent, and then everyone started clapping like mad. Everyone, that is, except a certain someone in the third row.

End note: MWAHAHAHA! I'm leaving this on a cliffie! Review or else!