I'm really sorry it has taken so long to get this up. I was in the shadow realm last week (aka Finals) and they took up all of my time. I'm really hoping you are still as excited about this story as I am, it was one of the few things keeping me going.
Special thanks goes to my Beta Noel and battousaisgirl16 who proof read, and to the reviews who left little treasures in my e-mail which prompted me to post this as soon as possible.
I don't own Yugioh (a lot of the plot got changed in this one so please tell me if it doesn't make sense) and i don't own Charlotte. The cards in this chapter are all made up, but i don't think i own them. Airi is mine, and is happy to be back.
Enough talk. Enjoy.
Chapter 29
It felt like Airi had just fallen asleep before pounding at the door interrupted her dreams. She sat up, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. Yami was already standing, eyes on the door. Her face grew red as she remember who she had been using as a pillow.
"Yugi, Open up." Tea's voice joined the knocking.
Airi made her way to the door as fast as she could. Yugi needed sleep and she could handle whatever was need.
"Tea, what is all this about?" she said opening the door.
The other girl looked frantic. "It's Bakura. I can't find him anywhere."
Airi's eyes widened. "But you were watching him."
"I know, but I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know is I'm waking up and the bed is empty." Tea glanced around, as if expecting the missing British teen to jump out of a closet.
"He can't have gone far." Airi spun around to see Yugi standing behind her.
"Yugi you should be sleeping."
"And your excuse is?" he smiled, though his eyes were squinted in the light of the hallway. "Besides, he's in not condition to be wondering alone."
"Alright." Airi said. "We need to find him. It will be faster if we split up."
"But what if that evil spirit is still in him?" Tea sounded worried.
"I'm good." Airi gestured to her forehead, the gold of the diadem reflecting in the light. "Tea, you and Yugi go check the deck, I'll look down the hall."
"You are not going by yourself." Yugi said, arms folded. "You and Tea good down the hall way, we'll go look on the deck."
"You sure?" Tea didn't seem convinced.
Yugi went pink. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I have Yami with me."
Yami stood behind him as if to verify the statement.
"Alright." Airi said, sharing a glance with the taller youth. "But be careful."
"Take your own advise." Yugi said. Yami nodded.
The two groups parted ways, the girls heading down the hallway, while Yugi headed appeared to head alone towards the elevators.
"Are you sure Yugi will be alright?" Tea said.
"Yugi's hard to beat. And as for Yami, out of the question." Airi said. Mentioning Yami made her blush again, and she looked away, pretending to study the doors along the hall. What could she have been thinking? Falling asleep on his shoulder wouldn't help things. Besides, Yami was saving the world, the last thing on his mind would be her.
"Focus." she muttered.
"Sorry?" Tea said.
"Nothing, I just can't believe someone in Bakura's condition would be walking around."
"There is magic at work here." Tea said. "Ever since we got on this blimp it has been nothing but weird."
"Did anyone find the Ring?"
"Not that I know of."
Great. Now Airi was even more worried.
"What are you guys doing?" both girls jumped as Charlotte appeared out of one of the doors.
"What are you doing?" Airi snapped.
"We thought everyone else would be asleep." Tea said, voice a little higher after the fright.
"Sleep? With those rusty lawnmowers?" Charlotte jerked a thumb back at the room, where low rumbling from multiple snorers sounded like a thunder storm competition. "Serenity must have the hearing of a rock."
"Sounds like Gramps." Airi muttered. "We can't talk now, Char. We have to find Bakura."
"Wait, he's gone?"
"No time to explain." Airi said. "If you want to know, I guess you'll have to come along."
Tea filled the raven haired girl in in a hushed voice as they continued down the hall way. Airi stayed focused on the doors as they passed. The last she wanted was another surprise attack. She tried to focus, seeing if she could sense millennium power like Yami could. Despite being around a spirit all the time, she was still rusty on what the power actually felt like.
The door at the end of the hall opened and the three girls tensed. Ishizu appeared, her millennium necklaces flashing.
"I thought someone was approaching." she said.
"Do you know where Bakura is?" Airi suddenly felt like an idiot. Why didn't they just come to her first?
"It appears the Evil Marik and the spirit of the ring are dueling on the upper deck."
"Two loonies fighting each other?" Charlotte said. "That has to be crazy."
"Sister."
Hearing Marik's voice made Airi spun so fast she almost fell but was saved by Charlotte. It had to have been Marik's voice; she couldn't forget it. She looked around, but the only people in the hall way were Ishizu, Charlotte and Tea. But Tea looked different. She had become stiff and her eyes had clouded over.
"Tea?" Ishizu sounded hesitant.
"No, sister. This is Marik." there was no doubt Tea was possessed.
"Okay, that is sick and wrong." Charlotte muttered. Airi was too shocked to say anything.
"I need you're help." Marik continued. "My other self has defeated the Spirit of the Ring and he will be coming back down here for Odion."
Airi glanced into the room past Ishizu where the unconscious man still lay on the bed.
"He means to finish him off?" Ishizu said.
"Yes. I need you to move him some place he will never find him."
"Why should you care?" Airi demanded. didn't care if there was a difference between the dark spirit and this Marik, she still wasn't going to trust this man, especially with everything he did already to her brother.
"He is going to kill Odion because he managed to keep my dark side dormant for years." Marik said. He turned to Airi. "I know you have no reason to trust me, Host's Sister, but Odion is not to blame. What he did to you and your friends was on my orders. He's nothing like the monster I made him act like. Please, save him."
Airi stared back at him. She had always been able to read emotions and this time Marik wasn't keeping anything from them.
"With everything you've done?" Charlotte said. "No way are we-"
"We'll help him." Airi interrupted, not looking at the others. It wasn't like she was saving Marik or anything, or at least that is what her head was rationalizing.
Relief was evident in Marik's manor. "Thank you." he stiffened suddenly. "He will be finished soon, he can't know I'm still here."
"Marik." Ishizu whispered. .
He turned to his sister. "I'm sorry."
Tea blinked and when she opened her eyes they were clear and herself again. "I must have blacked out." she rubbed her eyes. "What's going on?"
"We have to move." Airi headed into the room. Charlotte followed, spluttering as she tried to think of the best way to tell Airi she had lost her mind. Airi held up a hand. "Don't talk. Just help me."
Ishizu helped them lift the unconscious man while a slightly confused Tea stood by the door.
"Where can we take him?" Charlotte groaned under his weight.
"Bakura's room." Airi said. "Marik won't expect him to be in a rival's room."
"Hurry." Ishizu said. "The duel is over. It wont take long for that thing to get back here."
"Go back to your room." Airi said. "If he's looking for him he might use the items to tract him."
She didn't look happy, but nodded.
Airi turned to Tea. "Tea, go find Yugi. Don't say anything about this." If she was being possessed the last thing they needed was an inside spy.
Tea disappeared down the hall way.
Dragging him along seemed like forever and getting him on the bed felt like impossible. It felt like a Kuriboh moving a Blue-eyes. With a lot of groaning and pushing they managed to get him on the bed and straightened out. While Airi put the blankets over him Charlotte closed the door.
"Someone is coming." she hissed.
Both girls waited. Foot steps came down the hall way. They sounded confident like a victor. As they drew closer Charlotte put a hand to her mouth.
"What?" Airi mouthed.
Charlotte pointed towards the other girl, eyes fixed on her face. Fear chilled her heart as Airi realized she was still wearing the diadem. Would he be able to sense it?
The foot steps came closer. Airi closed her eyes. The clicking of shoes came right outside the door and passed without pausing.
Airi took a breath, not realizing she had been holding it. So far so good. Hopefully he wouldn't think about looking in this room.
"Now what?" Charlotte whispered.
"Wait it out I guess."
"Great." Charlotte got up and walked over the the coach. "At least it's more quiet in here."
Airi sat down in the chair close to the bed. She sat there waiting, for what she didn't know. What in the world was she doing? She was helping one of their former enemies from getting attacked by the real enemy. Who was to say this was playing in some other scam which would hurt Yugi and Yami even more. None of this made any sense, but she should be use to that by now.
"Airi?"
She nearly jumped out of her seat. She turned to see Yami standing behind her chair, looking as surprised from her reaction.
"Will you stop doing that?" she hissed. She pointed at the sleeping Charlotte.
"Sorry. You weren't back in the room and Tea told us some sort of explanation which was completely uninformative."
"Good."
"What is going on here?"
"Lets just say it's complicated."
He raised an eyebrow. "More then my whole existence?"
"At the moment, yes." she sat back down. He sat down on the edge of the bed, not even shaking the sleeping man.
"I'm waiting." he said.
"Shouldn't you be with Yugi?"
"He might get to sleep faster if he doesn't have a restless spirit wandering around his mind or room. I promised him I would make sure you were alright. You better hurry and tell me what is going on so I can reassure him."
Airi shook her head."If you want to hear everything, go tell him now. This is going to take a long time."
Shaking his head he faded. She glanced around. From her heavy breathing it was obvious Charlotte was asleep. Odion hadn't moved at all since they had moved him. This worried her. Attacks from Gods must take a lot out of a person, and he hadn't even been attacked by a Millennium Item. She remembered how must she had been drained by giving her straight to Yami.
Remembering her actions earlier her face grew hot and her heart chilled. She had let her guard down and exposed how she felt. Hopefully he didn't see it the same way, but what if he did? She didn't even want to think about what Yugi would do if he found out. Falling in love with a spirit was much too complicated. Still there was the possibility he didn't feel the same way. She decided not to talk about it unless be brought it up first.
A slight glow out of the corner of her eye announced his return. He perched on the armrest of her chair. "Now I'm ready."
Unable to avoid it any longer she told him about the vision from Ishizu and moving Odion for his own safety. She even told him about Tea still being under Marik's control, figuring he could keep it a secret while being aware of a possible attack later. Both decided this was something they weren't going to tell Yugi.
"You made a good choice to use this room." Yami said. "The duel took Bakura into the shadows, body and souls. Unless prompted I doubt Evil Marik will look in a fallen foe's room."
"Hopefully he won't sense my Diadem."
"He hasn't noticed so far."
"That doesn't keep me from worrying. You should know by now I worry about everything."
"True." he looked toward the window. "It's getting light."
Through the large windows the divide between black sea and sky was turning steadily lighter.
"Lets hope Seto doesn't start the dueling for a while." Airi said. "I'm sure Yugi didn't get a quarter of the sleep he needed."
"Less probably."
"You better go check on him. I think I can hold my own for a while."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course." she pretended to be defiant. "You're looking at the sister of the king of games and granddaughter of Solomon Muto; of course all be alright."
He grinned and inclined his head respectfully. "I meant no offense, you're highness."
"None taken Pharaoh." she returned he gesture.
He brushed some hair off her shoulder, his expression pleasant,but suddenly guarded. "Rest now. I'm sure we'll be summoned soon."
He faded and she leaned back in her chair. Knowing Seto he would want to start the duels early. She closed her eyes. Might as well catch some sleep before they landed, wherever that was.
Airi woke with a start; Something had shaken her awake. Glancing between the doorway and Odion it didn't seem to an attack. The light was brighter, indicating she had been asleep a long time. Everything seemed normal, but something still seemed wrong. The smooth way the ship had been flying was interrupted by another jerk,causing Charlotte to fall off the couch.
"What is going on?" Charlotte sat up, looking as confused.
"I don't know, I'll check." Airi headed for the door. Half way there she collided with something. Stepping back she found Yami blocking her way. One look at his face affirmed her feels of dread.
"What is going on?" she said.
"We are being intercepted."
"By who?"
"Who are you talking to?" Charlotte stared at the two of them, or more like the spot Yami was suppose to be.
"Shh." Airi said impatiently, she turned back to the spirit. "Who is intercepting the ship?"
"Some person calling himself Noa."
"How can that be happening? Seto has the best technology in the world."
"That doesn't make it infallible."
"Are the others safe?"
"Everyone is alright. They were all on the bridge when the engines started to act up. After that the doors were sealed off and he said no one was allowed to leave until they reached the destination."
Panic she had tried to keep inside started to seep though her like toxins. Whoever this Noa was, he might be worse then Marik. With their luck that was possible.
"I need to go there." she tried to pass him, but he kept stepping in front of her. "Get out of my way. Yugi and the others are prisoners of . . . of . . .something."
"You would get captured as well and that would help nothing." Yami said.
"There is better use in numbers." she tried to dart around him, but they only collided. For being transparent he was as solid as a rock.
"Airi." he gripped her shoulders, preventing her from moving. "You need to calm down."
She stopped struggling. He was right. She couldn't do anything against a foe who wasn't even among them yet. "Is everyone alright?"
"They were all safe when I left them." Yami assured her.
"What does he want?"
"I don't know."
"There is no way to get out of there?"
"The main part of the ship is completely under his control. He seems to be uninterested in the living area and lower decks. The safest place for you is here."
"What good is that if the others are in danger?" she snapped.
"Everything will be alright." his voice was gentle and confident, easing her anxity slightly, enough to keep from fighting him again."They will be safe. What is important you and Charlotte not get caught as well."
She closed here eyes, refusing to let her frustrations come out in tears. "You sure they will be alright?"
"Airi, look at me." she met his crimson eyes. "I promise you Yugi and the others will be safe. Whatever happens I will bring them back. Yugi will come back." The assurance in them seemed unshakable. "Do you trust me?"
"I trust you." she whispered.
The ship came to a shuddering halt, obviously not a landing Kaiba would have approved.
"Then you have my word." he faded
"Be safe." she told the spot he had been standing.
"Airi, what's going on?" Charlotte was on her feet now, looking scared.
Taking a calming breath she turned back to her friend, letting her game face slip into place. Yami expected her to be strong, that is what she was going to be. She took a deep breath. This was going to take a lot of explaining.
Yugi and the others filed off the ship like the disembodied voice of Noa had ordered them. They headed for the lone building built on the small island. There wasn't much talking. Kaiba's jaw was set and it was obvious he was thinking of every way he could regain his power over the situation. Mokuba stayed close by, looking around cautiously. Joey walked with Serenity holding on to his arm, muttering threats as they walked. Duke and Tristan flanked them, the former glancing back at the ship as if to make sure no one else was being forced off the ship. Tea stared forward as they walked, trying to look brave and failing.
Yami hadn't detached but he stood like a sentry besides the door way to his soulroom, ready to take over the moment they were threatened.
"What did you tell Airi?" Yugi said.
"She is going to stay on the ship." Yami's voice was guarded, like it always was when he was facing an new opponent. "She'll be safer."
"Marik's still there, how is that safer?"
"We know what he can do." Yami said. "Airi has some protection and she knows how to take care of herself. We know nothing about Noa. She'll be safer there."
"What if she moves?"
"She will be safe." It sounded like the spirit was trying to convince himself, and Yugi didn't push the topic.
Despite the precautions Yami had set up Yugi knew his sister. Airi would do what she felt was right, even if it was reckless. If there was something dangerous, she would face it. All he could do was hope she would be alright.
Airi hated waiting. After explaining to Charlotte why she had appeared to be fighting herself and explaining the dangers they had resolved to waiting for something to happen. It was almost an our, but it felt like days. The ship was eerily silent. She paced back and forth across the room.
"What exactly does this guy want?" Charlotte said for what was probably the hundredth time.
"If we knew that we would be able to get out of here." Airi said.
"Maybe this is all about Kaiba?" Charlotte said. "I mean everyone who hates Yugi is already on this ship."
"I guess."
"I mean you know Kaiba, he isn't exactly the easiest person to get along with."
"But Seto keeps track of all this enemies for this very reason." Airi glared out the window as she passed. Water everywhere and no other way off. Who knew what could be happening to the other at that moment.
"Isn't there something we can do to check on them?" Charlotte said.
"We could try to see what happened up on the bridge. But what about him?" she gestured at Odion.
"I'm sure he'll be fine." Charlotte said. "I mean he hasn't moved an inch since we brought him here. As long as we lock the door I'm sure he'll be alright."
Airi wasn't sure if Evil Marik respected locked doors, but she hated being trapped more then anything else.
Peering around the door frame she check both ways. The corridor was deserted and she motioned for them to move forward. They passed Yugi's room and she duck in to get her duel-disk. This might not be a dueling situation, but she felt better with it. If nothing else it would make a good blunt instrument.
Continuing down the hall they headed in what they hoped was the right direction to the command bridge. On the way they passed the ramp which exited the blimp and paused to look down it. They couldn't see anything until they looked around the corner of the craft to find an imposing building standing there. The doors were open, looking like a gaping mouth.
"They must have been taken in there." Airi muttered.
"We can't go in." Charlotte said, guessing what the other girl was thinking. "The whole point of your warning was to stay here."
Airi didn't answer.
"Lets go see if anyone else is left." Charlotte suggested. "Maybe there is something else we can do that will help out."
The two of them made their way to the main bridge and found Roland and the others trying to work the computer system.
"Miss Airi?" Roland stood as they entered. "We thought they ordered all of Mr. Kaiba's friends to exit the ship."
"Apparently not." Charlotte said.
"What is the problem?" Airi said.
"The main controls have been over ridden. We're trying to find a way to get around them but it is proving difficult."
"I'll help." Charlotte went over to one of the keyboards. "Any excuse to hack into Kaiba's stuff will be fun."
"Just focus on getting us out of here." Airi didn't know much about computers, and was more willing to stay out of the way.
"We will have to get the controls back for take off. That much we can do without one of Master Kaiba's security codes."
"What does this Noa want?" Airi walked to the window, glaring over at the building in the distance.
"He was not explicit. He only said something about putting Master Kaiba in his place and when the ship landed he told him and his friends to exit or he would fire stun guns on them if they refused."
Airi closed her eyes, but wouldn't let herself show any other sign of frustration.
"You guys have stun guns on your ship?" Charlotte said. "You're boss is really paranoid.
"They were for security. We didn't think they would be used on ourselves." Roland said, voice tight.
Airi stared back at the building before her. She wasn't feeling anything suggesting her brother of friends were in danger, but that didn't mean anything. That might just mean nothing extremely bad had happened . . . yet.
If she only knew what was going on in there. She tapped her fingers on her duel-disk, trying to think. Taking over the computers and control systems was defiantly a of getting her ex's attention. Maybe he did have enemies he didn't know about. It wasn't a comforting thought. Someone was after Seto and her brother and his friends had been sucked into this on top of everything else. Her reflection in the glass glared back at her, as if ordering her to think of something.
The sight of the diadem in the glass reminded her she did have inside surveillance. She glanced back at the others, but they were all busy trying to find a way to brake control. She closed her eyes and asked the question.
The room she was shown was dark and tech savvy. It was so close to Seto's lab it was unnerving. The main similarity was the line of pods lined up along the wall. Inside each of these was one of her friends. Yugi was in the one directly in front of her. He looked like he was sleeping but the device around his head told her he had his mind digitized.
Her eyes snapped open. The pods were so close to Seto's design they had to be coppies. This Noa had defiantly done his research. The only thing that gave her hope was Yugi had still been wearing the puzzle. If Yami had been able to go into Seto's virtual world with them last year then he would more then likely be able to go into this one.
Signing with relief she looked back down at the grown. As long as they didn't get digitized or hurt inside that thing they would be out soon. Knowing Seto he wouldn't stand being the victim for very long. As long as the ship was working when they got back things should be alright.
Spotting a lone figure walking away from the blimp her eyes widened in horror. Marik was walking towards the building, the millennium rod in his hand. If he found the bodies he might pull the plug and lose their minds in the vast waist of the internet forever.
Without a second thought she turned and sprinted to the door.
"Where are you going?" Charlotte called after her.
"Get this thing working and turned around." Airi shouted over her shoulder. "I'll be back."
In a few short moments she was at the foot of the ramp. Marik was already halfway there. Running fast then she ever had before she caught up to him. He turned as she approached, raising the rod in case she tried to attack him. She ran around him, far enough away to stay out of reach if he tried to hit her with it. She skidded to a stop, standing between him and the front doors.
They stood facing each other in the middle of the walk way. Her breath came out in short bursts, but she continued to keep contact with his steely eyes.
"Host's sister." he said, voice mocking. "You look tired, why don't you go back to the ship and rest."
"Not happening."
He raised an eye brow. "I can't see what you can do to stop me. I'm just walking around, no harm in that, is there?"
"You're not going to get passed me, and your rod isn't going to help you."
He had raised his rod, probably going to try mind control or something just as nasty.
"You sound rather confident, for a weaker person."
"You're still not getting past me."
"Really?" he said. "i have to admit your courage is amusing. Something very valuable must be in there for you to act this way. How about we duel for it?"
"On what terms?" Airi had seen too many duel with him already to be cautious.
"Depends if you have anything worth dueling for. Your Diadem no longer has any use to me, since Bakura proved to me it doesn't defend you from everything."
"If I win you do not enter this building and you leave my brother alone."
"And if I win?"
"If you win." she paused, hating herself to saying what she was going to. "If you win then I will tell you where Odion is."
His face instantly lit up, like she knew it would. "You do know what to gamble for, but how about you make the stakes higher. You lose, you tell me where he is, and then I give your soul to the shadows."
the idea of the shadows made her sick, but it was too late to back out. "Agreed." she took her deck out and slipped it into the card holder as he did the same.
"Let's duel."
Something in the air around them changed, signaling the shadow realm.
"Usually I would prefer to have a mist of purple around us, but I don't want to block the view of any of your friends were watching."
Glancing back at the building she hoped the duel would be over before any of them came back. Turning back she tried to stop her pounding heart. If she failed here then things would only get worse for Yugi.
"I'll start things off." Evil Marik drew. He grinned at the card in his hand, making her heart chill in apprehension. "I play First Advantage. This card gives me the ability to take your points despite this being the first turn of the game."
It was hard for Airi not to snort in dislike as her points decreased. Suddenly she realized her left leg had grown numb. From her knee to her toes all she could feel was the painful tingle.
"Do you like my little penalty." Dark Marik's teeth seemed to be pointer the wider his grin got. "I like to add in a challenge to make things more interesting. For this one, when ever one of us loses life points, a different part of our body loses feeling. This should keep you alert." he laughed at his sick joke.
Panic threatened to freeze her heart along with her leg. If she went numb every time she lost life points then how would she be expected to hold on to her cards. Not to mention what would happen if she had to forfeit because she could no longer hold her cards or be able to think. She had to do something and fast.
After spending the entire of their captivity saving his friends from possessed monsters and a extreme sibling revelry, Yami decided to avoid all electronic game systems. Noa it turned out was the real son of Kaiba and Mokuba's step father and had been placed in the virtual world after an accident had ruined his body. He had become bitter towards Kaiba's success and had decided to get rid of him. Yugi and his friends had just been unfortunate bystanders who were also part of the plan. The Big Five who had tried to take out Kaiba after Duelist Kingdom had apparently been digitized by the vengeful CEO and had joined forces with Noa to take possession of the group's bodies so they could again return to the real world. Fighting all of them had just been the beginning.
Currently the group was trying to get though the portal back to their bodies. The new threat was no longer Noa, who had somehow gotten a change of heart after all this, but from Kaiba's step father himself. Gozaburo Kaiba had digitized himself after his stepson had taken over his company. It was his first step in order in taking his revenge on all of humanity.
Despite his own motives Noa didn't agree with his father's plan and had become an ally. With his knowledge of the system he had managed to hack into the control panel and create a portal in the reconstruction of the Domino City Arcade.
Yugi waited near the back of the line, waiting for the others to go through before him. Yami stood next to him, still uneasy. The portal had come with a price. Messing with the mechanism Noa had somehow activated the self destruct and the island would blow up in less then 30 minuets.
Yami couldn't wait to get out. The virtual world had divided them from the real world for too much time. He hated the idea of Airi waiting for them with no idea what was going on. His made himself focus on getting his friends out. That was the first priority.
As they got closer to their turn he began to feel increases of emotion from the real world. Airi? She seemed to be close, and she was . . . dueling? His insides turned to ice. Why was she dueling? He told her not to leave the room. Glancing at Yugi he saw his host was too occupied with making sure his friends were getting out to sense what was around him. That might be just as well. From what he could tell there was a menacing underline to the duel. Thankfully they were next in line.
"Yugi."
Both host and spirit looked around. Noa's disembodied voice spoke over the sounds of the digital arcade. "Seto's in trouble. You need to find him."
"Where is he?" Yugi stepped off the platform.
Yami shook his head, "Yugi we can't-"
"He's at the KaibaCorp building dueling my father. I'm afraid he'll be tricked some how. You have to get him out of the building before the system crashes."
"Right." Yugi started for the doors.
"Yugi!" Yami yelled, but Yugi was already halfway across the room and not listening. Growling in his throat, Yami glanced back at the portal. If Airi was in trouble they should be there, but he had promised her he would bring Yugi back safe. Cursing Kaiba under his breath he sprinted after his host.
It was getting harder for Airi to think. She had lost enough life points to lose the feeling in both legs, her shoulders, and currently it was creeping up chest, making it hard to breath. She had managed to take points from Evil Marik and he claimed the duel was fair in the way they both had the same effects but he seemed hardly affected by the predicament. No matter how many points she took he continued to grin like a crazed hyena.
Her head hurt from trying to keep her balance on feet she couldn't feel. She drew, praying with all her might there would be something left her deck to help her. She took slow breaths, to calm herself as well as make sure she got enough air. She couldn't lose, but winning seemed impossible. No she had to hold on, for the others sake if not her own. Looking down at her card she managed a smile.
"Don't bother counting the points. All I need is to draw the winged dragon of Ra and I will take you out completely."
"I play Tidal Wave. This card adds to my monster's attack points. I also play duplicate, which makes the same affect happen to your monster."
The points increased, making both of their monsters more powerful by 2000 points.
"That makes no seance." Evil Marik said. "It made us both powerful, which I didn't need."
"There's a price." Airi gritted her teeth. Trying to talk while balancing on numb feet was getting harder by the second. "Because of this, we both lose 2000 life points."
"You can't do that." Marik's said. "we both have less then that. We both will-"
"Tie." Airi grinned. "Which means neither of us get what we want."
Both life point counters fell to zero. The haze that represented the shadow realm shuddered and crackled around them, as if protesting to being cheated out of a victim. Even if the place was horrible it seemed unable to claim anything but losers.
Airi breathed with relief. Feeling started to creep slowly back into her. She hadn't gotten rid of her brother's threat but at least she kept Marik away from the pods.
The sound of voices behind her made her to look behind her. Looking towards the building in the distances she could see the others starting to come out. She had managed to hold on long enough.
Something was wrong. The shadows instead of leaving were only congealing into a semi-solid mass. She turned back to face Marik, raising her duel-disk in anticipation.
"You think that saved you? No one out does me in dueling." Evil Marik yelled. The gold eye on forehead seemed to glow brighter. "I know for a fact you're little trinket deflects millennium items, but thanks to Bakura, I know you can't stop me from using the shadows."
In a flash of understanding Airi looked around to see that the rippling of the shadow realm hadn't disappeared after the duel like it was supposed to. Instead it solidified, becoming more like a mass of cloud.
"The duel is over."Airi's voice shook despite herself.
"We're no longer dueling. Do you really think bad things go away so easily." Marik raised his hand, pointing right at Airi. The silver mas shot at her like an arrow. She didn't get a chance to scream before the mass of cold stabbed her chest absorbing into her. It felt like all her muscles were being cut by frozen knives, shooting pain up her nerves before all feeling left them. It spread through her body from her finger tips and toes and spreading up her spine towards her neck.
Unable to handle the pain she felt her body shutting down. There was a tightening at her temples, but she didn't care. Marik's grinning face was the last thing before gold sparks popped before her eyes. If she fell she didn't feel the impact. The darkness was closing in on her, coming closer to her mind. She stiffened, preparing for the cold to take over her mind and end her agony. Last thing she remembered was lightning like lights flashing in front of the darkness and the screams of her friends behind her.
A/N: Yes it ends there. sorry but I still have to work out the bugs. Trust me, I hate leaving it there too.
Please tell me what you think. I have to write angry Yami next so I need to know if you guys are still reading. If I get enough response to this, I might be able to work some special stuff into the next chapter (Kaiba/Airi if anyone cares about that.)
Thank you for reading and I'll try and get the next chapter up soon. Take care, and Keep reading.
