Guardians

Note: Thank you all very much for reviewing this story. It seems you all think you've caught me trying to trick you, but let's just see what happens! Here is the next installment, which I have worked hard to get to you faster than the last few. Review!

Chapter Twenty One: The True Test Begins

"Yeah, it's me, Karmina."

Yeah? Has he ever said that before? Maybe he's tired…

She expected a tart response to her thought, but she didn't get anything out of him. Ignoring her foreboding feeling, she indicated her ankle. "I think it's b-broken, Seto," she told him.

He knelt down to examine her ankle, making her blush as he gently touched it. "Does that hurt?"

"Ow… yes."

"It needs to be X-rayed, then. I think it is broken." His glacier blue eyes filled with concern and he helped her up, cradling her in his strong arms. Once again, she had the sinking feeling that something was very wrong. Seto just didn't act this way.

"W-what happened back there?"

He shrugged. "Nothing worth mentioning. I'm glad you're okay, though. I was worried about you. I kept thinking that I never should have let you fall… your ankle is all my fault."

Worried? I thought he might be, a little… but to admit it out loud is strange. And he isn't seeming to be thinking much of anything… in fact, I'm not getting a single thing… how odd… I shouldn't… shouldn't let him take me anywhere. This is not right, I know. But…

"Did anything happen to you, Karmina?"

She shook her head warily. "No. After I fell I just sort of… sat there, trying to come up with something… some way of walking. But then, you saw what it was doing… I think it was trying to… drain my life force or something."

"That's terrible. I'm glad I got here in time."

"Why do you th-think it just… receded when you left?"

"I don't know… I guess it's planning something else, now."

"I wonder what. I c-can't believe it let you find me… unless, of course, that's what it w-wants." Did it take my words to heart and decide to make this more… interesting?

"I don't know… but I promise I'm not letting it take you away from me again."

Feeling the heat of her blush, she tried to relax. It was nice, this attention, this kindness. But it just wasn't like her Seto, nothing like the person she knew all too well, much more than she wanted to. Sure, she'd like him to loosen up once and a while, but this… this was scary.

Suddenly, unbidden, and image of a trapped Seto, wrapped in the tendrils of darkness that had held before, formed in her mind. Don't make me face him alone again. And yet she had made him face his stepfather alone. If he'd been that scared… then why was he not at all shaken now?

"Do you need to rest?"

"Why would I n-need that? You are carrying m-me, you know."

He laughed. She stared at his bright eyes, and felt like clapping her hands over her ears at the sound of laughter, real laughter, coming from Seto. It just wasn't right. It wasn't how she'd always thought his laughter would sound. It was too carefree. She'd always imagined that it would be stiff, unaccustomed, and still a little cruel.

"I've never heard your laugh," she said, slightly wary.

"I guess not… I've been sort of a jerk to you. I'll be nicer from now on, alright?"

What the heck happened to him back there? While the kindness in the normally frosty eyes made her want to melt, she was also put on guard by it. Why was it that, no matter how hard she'd tried to thaw him out, he was suddenly Mr. Prince charming, and she hadn't done a thing?

"Was it h-horrible, seeing Gozaboro again?"

"Not that bad… I knew I had to get to you, so I didn't let the past bother me."

She gaped at him. This was just not normal. "You fought him that quickly… to s-save me?"

His cheeks didn't even redden. "Don't you know it by now? I can't live without you… I love you."

Shocked and slightly afraid, she looked up into the blue eyes that she thought she knew. With a start, she realized that he was leaning in to kiss her. That finalized her suspicion; this man was not Seto Kaiba. He couldn't be. She slapped him and wriggled until she fell from his arms. His eyes were wide with shock, and imitated pain. But she felt none in her own mind, as she would have felt Seto's.

"What, did ya think I was a total idiot or something? 'I was worried about you.' 'I can't live without you… I love you.' Pfft… I'd never hear anything of the sort out of Seto's mouth." She didn't let on that she'd nearly been fooled, if she hadn't seen what she had, and if he hadn't said he loved her.

The shock turned to anger, and then to utter hatred. "YOU FEEL THAT YOU CAN OUTSMART ME!"

"Maybe I'm wrong, but I think I just did."

"THERE IS NO ESCAPE. EVEN NOW, YOUR PRECIOUS SETO KAIBA'S LIFE FORCE ADDS TO MY POWER. A WORTHLESS GIRL-CHILD LIKE YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME!"

"I am NOT worthless. Certainly not many people notice me, and I'm a little shy, but I know that there are people who care about me. Wingweaver cares, and Seto, in his own way, doesn't mind me too much. And most of all, I care about me, and I have faith in myself."

"YOU FEEL SO SURE THAT THIS KAIBA LIKES YOU. THAT CERTAINLY DIDN'T HELP HIM TO FACE HIS PAST. AND NOW LOOK, YOU'RE LYING HELPLESS, AND HE KNOWS IT. I MADE SURE OF THAT."

He… he knows? And he… he gave up? Why would he give up? I don't understand. Seto… he's not a quitter. He may be a lot of things, not all of them pleasant, but he'd never just… give up.

"Then I guess it's up to me, then, isn't it? Now why don't you show your face, hmm? The monsters may believe that this darkness is a creature all its own, but I know that there's a heart to all of this."

There was a shrill laugh, and a dark figure slowly took shape. It was a twisted version of Karmina's guardian, a fallen fairy with black, melting wings and cold, twisted skin. Its eyes were the very color of evil, a tainted blue-black, and without pupils.

"DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER TO SEE THE FACE OF THE ONE WHO WILL FEED UPON YOUR LIFE FORCE, AND LATER DESTROY THE ONES YOU DIED TO PROTECT?"

"Whoever says that I'll die?"

The Seto-creature laughed, a grabbed her throat. The tainted fairy smiled a wicked smile and watched, sick enjoyment in its eyes.

"GO ON, LITTLE GIRL, FIGHT! FIGHT WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT, FOR ALL THE GOOD IT'LL DO AGAINST MY POWER!"

Closing her eyes, Karmina found her power deep inside herself. She stared deep into the eyes of the creature as she threw it off her with her telekinesis, forcing herself to watch its pain, to prove that she wasn't weak.

It stood up the second it hit the ground, not phased in the slightest. It came at her and sent a punch right to her stomach, knocking her off her unsteady feet. She found her power and used it to right herself and take the weight off her injured foot. Wishing there was something to throw on top of it, she sent it slamming instead into the ground.

I don't know if I can do this alone, and I'd hate to have come this far only to die. I think I could use just a little help. If only Seto were here.

"You weren't looking for me, were ya?"

The unmistakable voice and attitude of Seto Kaiba reassured her and she smiled at the new comer.

"Nah, just wondering if you were still alive, is all," she retorted, not even worried about offending him, being so reassured by his normal behavior.

He gave a half smile and then regarded his evil twin with interest. "Hmm… now that is interesting," he noted, raising his eyebrows at Karmina.

"I thought so, too."

"SILENCE, HUMANS! I WILL HAVE NONE OF YOUR PETTY TALK."

Seeing the evil creature for the first time, he flinched just enough for Karmina to see it. She tried to smile, but her strength was waning quickly. The Seto-creature was trying to decide who to kill first, and the dark thing was growing impatient.

"THE BOY, FOOL! KILL IT FIRST! IT ISN'T INJURED!"

Hearing that, Seto glanced at Karmina. Her mouth curved into a weak smile and she pointed at her swelled ankle. Taking his time, he walked towards her and offered his hand. "Can't have you passing out; you'll be too much to carry all the way back."

She leaned a little of her weight on him, thankful for the help. The creature kicked Seto in the stomach, but soon found itself flat on its back, struck by a telekinetic blast coupled with a strange energy beam.

Kaiba doubled over and clutched his stomach, and Karmina kneeled next to him, concerned. "I'm fine," he grunted.

"That beam… yours?" She asked him.

"Yes. Gozaboro wasn't quite a match for that."

Smiling weakly, she helped him up with her power, pulling herself up afterwards. The creature, they saw, had a hole blown through its chest. Clearly slightly disturbed, Seto touched his own to make sure it was still whole.

Suddenly getting an idea, Karmina threw the broken monster into the edge of the darkness and watched with satisfaction as it fell through. The twisted fairy gave an angry roar. Seto glanced at Karmina and she nodded. He blasted it and she pulled it into the beam, throwing afterwards into the ground. It stood, not shaken in the slightest.

"IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN THAT TO DEFEAT ME!"

Karmina had no idea what to do next. If that didn't even scratch it, we're going to have a tough time.

I think so. But you know, the darkness is usually dispersed by light… do you think that's this thing's weakness?

Could be… but where would we get enough light to vanquish it? As the two mind-spoke, Karmina held the creature off with her quickly dwindling power. Ack, whatever we do… it has to be quick.

The sun should be out now, if I've judged time correctly. We could try to blast a hole in this dome… I think it could be here to protect this thing.

Good idea. On three?

On three. One…

Two…

"Three!" they shouted together, as Seto sent an energy blast at the roof of the dome and Karmina through the only nearby thing, the monster itself, after it. A slight rip appeared, but it rapidly began closing. The creature screamed in anguish. Karmina, thinking fast, spread her arms and sent her power to hold the tear open.

I don't think I can h-hold it much longer, Seto.

You have to!

End note: I think I'll leave it there for now. Yeah, you're all hating me right now, arent't ya? Review and chapter 22 will be here in no time!