Guardians

Note: Wow, I'm just swinging right back into this story as if no time at all passed. I love these characters, so what can I say? Hope you all enjoy it! Sorry sorry for the 117 day wait (thanks for counting, Anonymous)

Chapter Fifty-Three: Love conquers all… Right?

The flames were oddly cool to the touch, as Karmina noticed when she tripped over a rock and fell headfirst into them.

"You should be more careful," Seto chastised, his expression still one of shocked horror.

"Well the rock shouldn't have been in my way," she muttered, staring around her at the world on fire. "Where is everyone?"

"How should I know?" Seto said dryly.

Karmina sighed and shook her head, too concerned for her guardian to much care about his sarcasm at the moment. She hesitated a moment, and then stepped through the largest arch of fire, waiting for Seto to follow her as she knew he would.

Five seconds later, he was by her side again. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for Wingweaver and Blue Eyes."

Seto sighed. "Of course. You never give up, do you?"

Karmina beamed. "Of course not. Let's go!" She took two steps, only to realize that she had no idea where she was going.

"Go where, exactly, Karmina?"

"I don't know… but something tells me this way," she said, feeling a strange pull in the direction of the two steps she'd taken earlier.


Seto shrugged. "If you say so…"

She beamed again. "Are you doubting me?"

He wrapped his arms around her with a grin. "Of course not, Karmina. Why would I ever do that?" he whispered, kissing her cheek lightly.

She blushed and then lightly pulled away. "Not now, Seto. We have to find our guardians first. They could be in trouble."

He sighed. "Right."

Karmina could tell that he was regretting his decision to come here. He wasn't as close to his guardian as she was hers, and furthermore he was a complete skeptic about all of this. But he was involved, whether he liked it or not.

The landscape was very different from what she remembered. Of course, things generally do look different when they're on fire. It was partly the emptiness, and the fact that the palace was nowhere in sight. She wondered if it even existed at all anymore.

"Will you stop worrying so much? You're giving me a headache!"

She jumped and nearly fell over again, startled by the sound of Seto's harsh voice cutting into her thoughts. She'd forgotten; they could hear one another's thoughts in this realm. But she hadn't been paying enough attention to hear any of Seto's.

"You're so forgetful, Karmina," Seto teased.

"I guess," she muttered. Something about this place felt so wrong…

Why does she always worry so much about these people… or things… or whatever they are? It's so sweet how much she cares… but it must tear her up inside worrying so much…

Karmina blushed. "It does get hard sometimes… but it's not something I can change about myself."

Seto sighed. "I really hate this whole mind reading thing. It's annoying."

"Why, because you don't want people to know that Seto Kaiba has a heart?" she teased, though her mind was really still focused on finding Wingweaver. The landscape around them, however, didn't seem to change no matter how fast they walked. The fire was eerily symmetrical.

This place gives me the creeps… It's so… dark… and cold…

Seto gently slid his hand into hers. I'll protect you always, Karmina.

I wish he said things like that out loud more often… but I guess that's just how Seto is.

Finally, she noticed a slight change. They were now walking downhill, rather than on entirely flat land. And the feeling inside her was stronger now. Something about it made her want to hold her breath, and she kept catching herself doing so. She stepped forward, and her foot fell through the ground, pulling the rest of her with it until Seto's hand caught her.

"What on earth?"

She was falling into a dark abyss that consumed all of the land from that point on, and it was rapidly consuming more and more land. Once Seto realized it as well, he stepped forward and together they plunged into the darkness.

Karmina opened her mouth to speak, but found that she couldn't She opened her eyes to see, and realized that she couldn't do that, either. But she could hear the sound of her heart beating faster and faster, and she could feel Seto's hand in hers, warm and reassuring.

What is this? It's so cold…

Karmina… I was worried I'd lost you for a minute there.

Just don't let go of my hand, Seto.

I'm not planning on it.

Any theories on this hole we just fell into?

Not really. But… I think we figured out what happened to the guardians.

No, really? How do we get out of this? I can't even see.

I don't know, Karmina. I really don't know.

She could feel that not knowing what to do was killing him. In fact, she felt very in tune with Seto's feelings as well as her own. It was like she could close her eyes and fall into herself and examine what was there.

I don't recommend trying that.

I wasn't planning on it. It was just a thought.

Karmina sighed, but no sound came out. The only thing she got was a mouth full of darkness, which tasted odd and made her mind spin. She had the strangest desire to let go of Seto's hand and sink away… or else bite that hand. She couldn't quite decide before the feeling subsided.

I'm not sure I deserve that hostility, Karmina.

It's something in the air here… It's like… it's the essence of evil or something… or it brings out the evil in someone.

But bringing it out would mean that you'd have to feel that way already. And you don't… do you?

Well I… no of course I don't… it's just… it's hard to think clearly… that stuff is still getting to me, I think.

She shook her head, trying to clear it. She could tell that Seto was very upset, but also unwilling to believe that anything could make a person think differently. That was outside his comfort zone.

Seto… I mean it… this is no time for your reality checks. Something is wrong with the air down here… don't you feel it too?

Not exactly. Well… I feel a little light headed, but that could be anything…

His hand on hers slackened just a little. SETO KAIBA DON'T YOU DARE LET GO OF ME!

What's the point, Karmina? We're as good as dead down here.

That's not like you to say, Seto… snap out of it before I slap you… which is not like me. We've got to get out of here!

How? There's nothing but darkness… it's just like my life. Empty.

SNAP OUT OF IT SETO! She started to take a deep breath to calm herself and then realized that that would only make matters worse. She rarely lost her temper. She had to remember that. Stay with me, Seto… don't give in to whatever this is… we can beat it.

Karmina, why do you always have so much hope? It's pointless.

Seto… please… I don't want to die here like this. Or whatever else might happen to us if we don't find a way out. And what about Wingweaver and Blue Eyes? We can't just leave them. They're our guardians, and we owe them so much.

You're such an optimist. I hate optimists. They're really just glorified liars.

She wanted so badly to slap him. But she wondered if her hand could find him. And she knew she'd feel terrible if she did. It wasn't his fault. He still had too much darkness in his heart, she knew. It had been foolish of her to ask him to come here. Now both of them were in danger.

It can't be my fault that he dies… or changes so much… please it can't be my fault… I'd never forgive myself… someone… something… do something… anything…

She felt a tear slip down her cheek, and it burned white hot. It was tearing apart the darkness around them. A light. Or a flame.

Seto look! Do you see that?

Yes.

Do you see me?

Yes.

Then why can't I see you?

She couldn't see him at all, even though she could still feel his hand in hers. Glancing down at her hand, she saw that parts of it were covered in darkness. Or… Seto's fingers. And that scared her. Because she understood a little better now… Seto was like the darkness in so many ways… and she was the light. She was hope, and he was the absence of it.

You really believe that?

Yes I do, Seto. It makes more sense now… the darkness feeds on us because you have so much darkness in your heart and essentially you ARE the darkness… and I am the light… darkness can't exist without it.

That's insane.

But Seto… you're dissolving into the darkness. Explain that logically.

I… I can't. Unless this is a dream.

It's not a dream, Seto… it's not a dream…

She could feel the hot tears stinging her cheeks. If Seto was the darkness, and they had to get rid of it… did that mean that they had to get rid of Seto? Realization was beginning to strike her, and she didn't like it one bit.

End note: Oh no, what's going to happen next? That's for me to know and you to find out, my lovlies. Review if you still like the story, and I thank you again for your patience. The next chappie will be here soon.