Visionshipping (Mai x Ishizu)

(So...this takes place during Battle City, right before the first pair of duelists are chosen on the blimp.)

Mai Kujaku clicked down the hall, running over her deck in her mind. She didn't like the set-up of this tournament – she hated not knowing who her opponent was. Especially when she didn't know a lot of them, and had no idea what their strategy might be. She hoped that she would get to go against Jonouchi. Then she would be able to watch the other duelists and get a feel for those strategies beforehand.

A door hung open in the hallway. All the lights were out inside, and it was almost as if the darkness was spilling out into the bright hallway, the way light would spill from an open doorway.

She paused curious in spite of herself. A girl – no, a woman – sat in a chair at the far end of the room. It was hard enough to make her out in the darkness, not to mention the hair covering she wore. Mai was surprised that she had even been able to identify the figure as a female, it was so hard to tell. Must be woman's intuition.

She was a duelist, right? She had to be.

"Hey," she called.

The figure drew in a sharp, surprised breath, and turned her head to look at Mai. Soft chocolate brown eyes looked out from bronzed skin, definitely feminine, even though she had covered half her face with a cloth. Mai wondered if she was Muslim or something.

"You're a duelist, right?" Mai said. "They're going to be choosing the pair ups in a minute or so. You should hurry up."

The woman closed her eyes for a moment.

"That won't be necessary," she said. "My duel will be the last."

"Huh," Mai said, leaning against the door frame. "And you know that right off the bat, huh?"

She didn't answer, turning her gaze back to the window again.

"Did you rig it or something?" Mai asked.

"Not at all. Seto Kaiba's security is much too good for that."

"Then how do you know when you're going to duel, huh sugar?"

The woman turned to face Mai again, and there was a strange, mysterious gleam in those deep eyes.

"Yugi will face Bakura first. Then, Jonouchi will face the one that calls himself Marik. Next, you will face the one that calls himself Namu. And finally, I will face Kaiba. The matches and the outcomes have already been determined by Lady Fate."

Mai groaned softly. She was some New Age weirdo, then. Still, something about the look in her eyes kind of scared Mai.

"Well, if you're right, then maybe I don't have to be on time," Mai said, stepping a little bit farther into the room. "Why are you so off to the side? The official duelist's rooms are two hallways down."

"I prefer to be alone."

"I doubt that," Mai said, noting the tone of the woman's voice. "Nobody prefers that. Not even me."

The woman's eyes widened slightly, but Mai pretended not to notice.

"Who are you?" Mai said. "And how do you know all that stuff?"

The woman closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I can't tell you. Not now."

Mai snorted.

"Whatever," she said. "I don't know why I'm wasting my time."

She turned and stalked from the room. The woman's soft yet carrying voice made her pause.

"Mai Kujaku," she said. "Please...be careful. Your duel will not be easy – do not let your mind play tricks on you."

A shiver ran down Mai's spine, and she shifted irritably. Why was this lady getting to her so easily? She glanced back behind her, catching the woman's dark eyes. She had removed her face mask, for some reason, and now Mai could see the soft lines of her face and the strands of black hair falling from the hair covering.

Mai stiffened, and left the room.

She was halfway down the hall when she realized something.

She had never told that woman her name. And she had known it anyway.

Mai shuddered slightly, and walked on.

A/N: well...it works, at least. Ishizu and Mai aren't a good couple. They're both too withdrawn. Mai's also probably much too forward for Ishizu. Just take a look at the differences between their clothing styles. Ishizu is practically Muslim, and Mai is practically Madonna. I hope I haven't offended any Muslims reading this. I actually like the Islamic religion, so if I offended you, it wasn't on purpose. Next is Virtualshipping (Gozaburo x Noa). Why...WHY?