A/N: Hey guys, Panda here. So as some of you guessed, I threw Reila into the Legendary Heroes mini-arc! I call it a mini-arc because it was only three episodes. It's one of my favorites from the anime but honestly I can't really stretch it out any further than three chapters. And I do realize that I'm skipping a sizeable chunk of it, but honestly detailing action scenes is NOT my strong point. I'm more of a thinking/emotion exploring writer, ya know? There will be some filler chapters after this, not too many though because then we're on to Battle City, and I'm so excited for it!
So now that the laptop fiasco is over I'm planning on going back to regular Thursday updates. I really wish I could crank out two chapters in a week like I did last week, but realistically it's kind of hard to do. Especially when it involves so much dialogue from the show. Picture this: Panda sitting at her laptop, playing a five second clip from the show, switching tabs to write the audio into the story, then switching back to the show for another five second clip and more dialogue writing. It's fairly time consuming to get all the dialogue accurate but if I'm gonna do it I'm doing it right!
Side note – Game of Thrones is finally back! I just got done watching episode 2... AAAAAAH! And that is all I will say for those who have not seen it yet.
Special shout outs to Drachegirl14, Wicken25, and Rosezelene Ersa for reviewing. Reviews make me a happy Panda, so you guys rock!
Disclaimer: I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.
Chapter 12
Once the sandstorm monster had disappeared, everyone still seemed a little cautious around me, like they were just waiting for me to snap. I suppose it should be expected; I'm normally the quiet one who doesn't attack in the open. But with my anger at the forefront of my emotions I was acting more ruthless and impatient then I ever had in front of Mai, Yugi, or Mokuba. Still, they chose not to comment on it more then necessary and I chose not to elaborate, an arrangement that seemed to work for everyone.
"Look, through the dust. Do you see what I see?" Mai asked, and we all looked in the distance as the storm finally died down and cleared away. I breathed a small sigh of relief at that fact, since the sand granules had stung where they'd hit my skin. Damn Seto and his need for realism, I'm a city girl not an adventurer. I felt like I would need to take three showers just to get all the sand off me... Oh right, virtual world.
"Some sort of ancient temple... That must be what we're looking for." Yugi said, nudging his chicken closer to the front. I eyed the structure, and even if I hadn't remembered this particular part I would have doubted that Seto was there; designed almost like a Greek temple with columns and no walls, it could easily be infiltrated. Taking a hostage to such a place was a stupid plan.
"Is that where they're keeping Kaiba?" Mai asked, Mokuba, who confirmed that the old woman had said that was where the man with the prisoner had been going to.
"I don't know Mokuba, it seems too easy. Not challenging at all, and your brother would have programmed something far more challenging than this." I said, and Mokuba scowled at me. "Look I know that the corporate officers have changed some of the programming, but this part..."
"Seto's gotta be there!" Mokuba said, and I decided not to push the subject any further. Urging the Niwatoris forward we made our way to the temple, which although small in appearance from a distance was actually large and very impressive. Something about the architecture was familiar, but I pushed it aside and focused instead on looking for clues, even as Mokuba jumped off the Niwatori and ran for the closest staircase. "Wait Mokuba! There could be traps!" I called, jumping off quickly. Mokuba either didn't hear me or was ignoring me because he didn't stop and I groaned in frustration.
"Come on guys, better not loose the other Kaiba brother." Mai said, hopping off her Niwatori as Yugi did the same. The four chicken taxis let out a chorus of squawks as they took off back into the desert, presumably heading back to the town. Shrugging and not really caring what happened to them the three of us made our way into the temple, where Mokuba had surprisingly waited just inside.
Deciding to save a lecture on running headfirst into unknown places for later, we walked down the only path available, steadily losing light the deeper in we went. Although we could see, I didn't like the damp coldness that seeped into my skin from the path. If I had to guess, we were going deep into the mountain that the temple was situated against. The others didn't complain, so I didn't either although a few comments about the temple seeing better days were thrown around.
When our path became blocked by a giant set of wooden doors, Yugi and I exchanged looks; and here was where Seto's desire for challenges came into play. The two of us opened the doors and stepped in, finding a giant stone maze just waiting to greet us.
"Oh goody, a labyrinth." I said, running a hand through my hair. "Remember me saying that it seemed too easy? I should have kept my mouth shut."
"If all four of us work together it shouldn't be too difficult." Yugi said as we stepped closer to the entrance of the labyrinth, only to have the doors behind us slam closed. Walking back to them I tried pulling and pushing, but the doors didn't budge. Looking at them over my shoulder, I sighed.
"Well, forward is the only option. The doors won't move." Crossing my arms, I studied the stones the labyrinth was made of and glanced at the fairy still riding on my shoulder, who looked up at me with a wide smile. "Any chance you can guide us through?" When she shook her head to signal no, I sighed. "Well that was too much to hope for I guess."
Mai shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Alright I'm totally freaked!"
Yugi smiled at her in a reassuring manner. "It's alright. Remember that this is all a game, and we'd never reach the end of this adventure by going backwards anyway. Like Reila said, forward is the only option." Turning to face the start of the maze, we heard a cry echo from inside and exchanged looks, some of confusion and others of worry. "Someone's in trouble!"
"That wasn't Seto's voice, so I'm going to go on a limb and say that it's a character in the game." I said, frowning as I stepped forward. "Probably a side quest is to rescue them, or it's possible that it's part of the main story."
"Wow Reila, you sure seem to know a lot about this place." Yugi said, and before I could respond a blue machine with a LOT of red drills crashed through the walls, coming up right behind us. Oh for crying out loud... Seriously, can't it just be a normal labyrinth? Aren't those challenging enough without a freaking tank chasing you?
"A labyrinth tank! Run!" Yugi shot off like a bullet, Mai half a step behind him.
I didn't need to be told twice – those drills looked seriously sharp and ready to do all sorts of damage. Grabbing Mokuba's hand I took off after Yugi and Mai, trusting their directional judgments. I have little to no sense of direction unless I have a map, and even then I'm spotty at times. Glancing over my shoulder, I almost screamed at how much closer the tank was. "Guys, I don't mean to sound negative but it's gaining on us!"
"Take a left!" Yugi cried as we sped around a corner, only to find another tank coming our way. Oh for the love of -
Backpedaling quickly, we tried to go the opposite way but there was another freaking tank ready to turn us into shish kabobs. "There's no way we can get past those things!" Mai said, reflexively reaching for her deck. The three tanks came to a stand still, boxing us in and rumbling menacingly, red lights growing brighter as they charged up their lasers. "And I don't have anything that can help us escape!"
"I'll use my Magical Hats!" Yugi said, drawing the card and activating it a split second before we were used as target practice. A hat came to rest around us and one second we were surrounded by tanks; the next we were out of danger and making our way slowly forward, trying not to step on anyone's feet as we crept forward. Once we reached the next fork in the maze the hat disappeared, and we were able to move around easier again.
"Quick thinking Yugi." I said, glancing around. "So where to next?"
"Uh, guys? Those tanks are coming after us!" Mai said, and I listened closely. She was right; it sounded like they were on the move again. Scowling I turned to start going right when a giggling chime caught everyone's attention. At first they glanced at me, but I shook my head; the fairy on my shoulder was still there and being surprisingly quiet considering our mad dash just moments ago.
"Look, another fairy!" Yugi said, pointing above us. The fairy smiled and giggled, circling down towards us before flying forward a little, looking back at us expectantly.
"I think she's trying to get us to follow her, just like this one did." I said, gesturing to my shoulder. "It worked last time, so let's get going. I don't feel like another game of Dash Away from the Tanks."
Mai laughed as we followed after the fairy. "What's the matter Reila, out of shape?"
I grinned at her in response. "Not at all. I just prefer my exercise to not involve giant drills or sharp objects." The fairy led us along for a few more turns, before taking off faster towards... Oh for crying out loud he'd actually done it. Seto had actually created a princess who freaking looks like Mokuba. I'd honestly been hoping that particular part of the canon story had been changed but nope, there stood... Crap I'd forgotten her name. "Mokuba, looks like we found your long lost twin." I said, glancing down at him.
Mokuba took one look at the princess and just blinked in response. Although the princess did have much more feminine features than Mokuba does, there was no denying that Seto had modeled her off of Mokuba's face and given her the same hair and eye color as Mokuba. It was really disconcerting, and I kept glancing between the two of them, barely stifling a groan of frustration; Seto, you're making it way too easy for Mokuba to switch places with her later!
"We heard someone scream... Are you alright?" Mokuba asked, stepping closer to the girl. She seemed just as shocked to see us as we were to find her, but she still smiled gently and I couldn't help the thought that Mokuba would make a very pretty girl. You know, if he'd been born a girl and all that.
"I lost Earu, my guide." She said, gesturing to the fairy. The one riding my shoulder chimed as if to say hello, and the princess turned her attention my way. Her eyes widened before she smiled happily, running to me and hugging me tightly, just like Mokuba always does. "Oh Sabine, you've come back!"
Everyone looked at me, but I held up my hands quickly to signal I had no idea what she was talking about. "Uh, I'm sorry but I think you have me confused with someone else..." A small gasp escaped her lips as she pulled back, studying me more closely. "I've never heard of anyone named Sabine."
"Sabine is my closest friend and adviser... When I saw the fairy on you shoulder and your hair I assumed... I'm so sorry, do forgive me." The girl spoke quickly, genuinely distraught that she'd made the mistake. I waved it off and smiled to let her know it was alright.
"I'm Mokuba, and this is Mai, Yugi, and Reila." Mokuba said, stepping closer to me. "What's your name?"
"I'm Adena, and this is Earu." She said, gesturing to the fairy floating beside her.
"Adena, do you know the way out of here?" Yugi asked, and she shook her head and told us she was lost too. Before our groans died out, she said cheerfully that Earu could lead us, and our group of five followed the fairy closely, with me lagging behind a little to make sure Adena and Mokuba weren't in any danger.
"Look, the end of the maze!" Yugi called, but we didn't even get a chance to breath a sigh of relief; a giant monster was blocking our path. "Reila, I'm going to need your help." Stepping forward, I got the card out as Yugi explained. "During the Duelist Kingdom tournament Joey and I faced this creature in a teams battle. By combining the Red Eyes with my Summoned Skull, we defeated it – and that's what we'll do this time."
Nodding my head, I activated the Red Eyes as Yugi activated Summoned Skull and Polymerization. The combo brought forth the Black Skull Dragon, but seeing the attack points I scowled. "Yugi, Black Skull Dragon only has 3400 attack points, while that Gigaguardian or whatever has 3750!"
"Check Joey's deck, he should have a spell card called Dragon Nails; find it and activate it, that will raise Black Skull Dragon's attack power by 700. That's more than enough to take down this creature." Nodding I did as he said, and only once the creature was defeated did I breath a sigh of relief.
"That's amazing! You're all so brave... So much like the heroes of legend." Adena said, smiling widely. Hearing voices and seeing lights in the distance, Mai, Yugi and I moved without speaking to form a barrier between the voices and the two youngest in our party. But when Adena called out "Grandma!" We stepped aside, assuming that it was safe enough... For now. This game had a nasty habit of throwing last minute monsters into the mix and I didn't want to be caught off guard. I'd managed to avoid losing any life points so far, unlike Joey had in the canon story but still... The thought that I might lost all my life points because I'd taken Joey's place in this little adventure was always at the back of my mind.
"They saved me! They're the bravest warriors I've ever seen." Adena's words brought me back to the present and out of my thoughts, where Adena's... Nanny? Whoever, and the guards accompanying her all looked to us with wide eyes.
"Is that-!" Adena shook her head to cut off one guard's question, and I assumed that they all thought I was this Sabine person again. Which made me wonder, who exactly was this Sabine character, besides being close to Adena? I don't remember anything about that character being mentioned before. Could Seto have added another character in this version of the story line, one that apparently looked like me? It was... Oddly flattering truth be told.
"Seems like Kaiba might have created a character that looks like you." Mai said quietly as Adena invited us to the palace and began leading the way out of the cavern we were in. "Now I wonder why he'd take the time and effort to include a character that looks like you."
I glanced sideways at Mai and barely kept a sigh held in; she wouldn't be the first to speculate that there was something more between Seto and I. Already a few tabloid magazines had commented on our friendship, but to hear it from a person's mouth instead of a trashy magazine made it so much worse. "I don't know why he would have done something like that. I definitely didn't ask him to, nor give him permission to base a character off of me." Glancing at Adena and Mokuba walking ahead of me, I tilted my head to the side. "I think it's possible that this Sabine character is a protector of sorts for Adena, much like I watch after and protect Mokuba. Instead of basing a character off of himself, which would only prove to everyone else that his ego is out of control, he chose me as a basis for the character. Which makes sense, given that the first time I ever spoke to them was after standing up to a bully to help Mokuba."
Mai turned to me quickly, looking shocked. "Standing up to a bully? I highly doubt that anyone would ever bully a Kaiba."
"They weren't always Kaibas." I said, deciding that it was alright to elaborate a little. It was public knowledge that Seto and Mokuba had been adopted, so it wasn't exactly a secret. "Mokuba, Seto and I all spent time at the same orphanage together. That's where we met, before they became Kaibas and before I got adopted back into the Sarota family."
"Wait, you weren't born into the family?" Mai asked, and I suddenly felt uncomfortable. I don't talk about my past much, and especially not of my grandfather's attitude towards my mother and me. But Mai was a good person; she was strong, independent, and much like myself in that she doesn't show her emotions as strongly as other people do. Much like I wear a mask in public, she also wears one to hide her insecurities and doubts. Trusting her with this, showing faith in her... It might help keep her from Dartz's clutches later on.
"My mother was disowned from the family for marrying my father instead of going forward with the arranged marriage my grandfather had planned for her. Even after my father passed away, he still refused to see me or my mother, and instead left us to fend for ourselves. Mother did the best she could, and we were alright until she got sick. She sent a letter to my grandfather, begging him to take me in should she pass on but he refused." Swallowing thickly, I realized that Yugi was listening too, but decided to continue on anyway; Yugi I could trust to not say anything. "After my mother died I went to the orphanage where I met Seto and Mokuba. My grandfather knew where I was, but he kept the knowledge to himself, just like he kept the knowledge of my mother's passing to himself. It wasn't until my grandfather died that my Uncle Sota discovered everything and came to get me, taking me in and raising me."
"That's... That's a lot for a kid to go through." Mai said, refusing to look at me. "And did you know about your mom being disowned before or...?"
"My mother never told me anything about her family until a few weeks before she died." I said bluntly, feeling myself slipping into my public persona. Anytime I feel uncomfortable or emotional, the mask of the 'Sarota Princess' slipped on without me even realizing it. It had become second nature, an involuntary reflex to step back and hide my emotions. "After I'd been officially adopted back into the Sarota family, my uncle told me the truth of my grandfather's actions. But by then it wasn't important; what was important was the fact that I was being raised to help my family and our company grow."
"So you really didn't have a normal childhood either, did you?" Mai asked, stepping over a large rock in the path. I shrugged in response, remaining silent. In truth it wasn't a normal childhood, but it was still a cakewalk compared to what Seto and Mokuba had gone through. Mai pulled me to a stop, letting the others trail ahead a little. "I didn't mean to pry. I was just curious, that's all."
I smiled, but even I could tell it wasn't a real smile; it was the pleasant, placating one I often wore in public. "It's alright Mai, it doesn't bother me. I've made peace with my past and moved on; the future is what's important." Mai seemed ready to say something, but decided against it and nodded instead. The two of us caught up to the rest quickly enough, and by then we were out in the sunshine again. The guards had sent ahead for two carriages, pulled along by... Some sort of feathered dinosaur from the looks of them. Deciding I didn't really care what they were called I climbed up into the carriage, situating myself into a seat. Yugi and Mai sat across from me, and Mokuba sat next to me, scooting closer and looking at me with a worried expression.
I didn't ask what was wrong, because I knew what he saw; he saw me acting like a Sarota, not Reila. It wasn't often that I placed my mask on around Mokuba, but I was trying to get a hold on my anger and the fresh grief talking about my parents had brought up. The urge to just blast through this game and get to the final confrontation was getting stronger, but I squashed it down as best I could. Knowing how things are supposed to play out makes it really difficult to be patient, especially when I'm actually participating in the adventure like I am this time around. My 'Princess' mask makes it easier to hide the turmoil that my emotions were going through, but apparently I didn't have anyone fooled. I could see it in their eyes that they were worried about me, but I brushed off their concern. I just needed to make sure Seto got back safely, kick him where it hurts, then go home. I'd be fine after that.
As the castle came into view, I stayed in the carriage instead of gawking out the windows like the others were doing. Something was bothering me; if Seto had truly based a character of the game on me, that was different from the canon story. There had already been multiple differences; the fairy staying with me, that old man calling me a sorceress, Adena's reaction to me and saying Sabine was an adviser... None of that had happened in the story I remembered. And if these differences continued then I wasn't sure that I could make this smooth and quick. For all I know, those five creeps that had started this whole mess could have a special trap laid out that I had no knowledge of. I'd have to rely heavily on Yugi and Mai, since their knowledge of Duel Monsters was far greater than mine, but when it came to plotting I was the best of our group. But first I needed information.
Yugi watched Reila closely, looking for some sign that she was alright. Earlier, she'd been snarky, poking fun at others and lashing out aggressively. It had actually been kind of nice to see that she had regular emotions just like anyone else; at times it was like she had one emotional setting and one only. But now she'd withdrawn back into herself, a serious look on her face as she appeared lost in her own thoughts. Glancing at Mokuba, the young boy shook his head slowly, signaling that he had no idea. Yugi had picked up on the same thing everyone else had; she was mad at Kaiba. And not just mad, but fully pissed off at him. Yugi was actually a little afraid of what she would do once they found him.
As the carriages came to a stop and they followed Adena into the castle, the fairy Earu flew over to Reila, perching on her free shoulder just as the other fairy was. Reila glanced down at Earu and raised an eyebrow, but gave a shallow shrug and didn't comment.
"Looks like you've got yourself another friend." Mai said, leaning closer to study the fairies. "Only problem is they don't seem to do much but giggle and chime, do they?"
"Oh they do many other things, but only when they choose to." Adena said, coming to a stop right outside the doors. "Please, do come inside."
"Is this your palace?" Yugi asked, taking his gaze away from Reila. Adena nodded, explaining that she was the princess of this land, Sin Lau. Although now that he studied her outfit, he should have guessed that one. Walking inside, they were greeted with a large portrait of Adena seated on a throne, with a woman who looked exactly like Reila standing beside her.
"Reila, look! That must be Sabine, and no wonder people have mistaken you. She's looks just like you!" Reila walked over, eyeing the painting and her eyes flashing with irritation. Yugi studied the painting more, trying to figure out what could have caused it but he didn't see anything right away. The woman in the painting was dressed in flowing robes, gold layered with rose colored fabric and held a large, ornate staff with a blue stone the size of her fist embedded in the top. She looked powerful and mysterious, but what was irritating Reila wasn't something he could see right off hand.
"Yes, that is Sabine. As I told you, she is a powerful sorceress who has been my friend, protector, and adviser since I was very young." Adena looked at the painting, smiling fondly before sighing. "However she had to leave on a personal mission, and I miss her terribly. She's the one who left Earu here to watch after me, for all fairies listen to and follow the commands of a sorceress. That is probably why those two have become attached to you Reila; you and Sabine favor each other enough that they probably assume you are her."
Reila only nodded, still studying the painting with her arms crossed, her shoulders rigid and tense. Yugi wanted to ask, but Mokuba stepped closer to Reila and placed his arms around her waist, hugging her. She glanced at him once, but didn't say anything before returning her gaze to the portrait, glaring at it as though her gaze could set it on fire. To be honest, with the amount of anger that he could see in her eyes he was surprised that the painting hadn't spontaneously combusted.
"Reila, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it..." Mokuba said, but Reila shook her head sharply once and Mokuba didn't say anymore. Looking again at the painting, then back to Reila, it finally clicked in Yugi's head why she was so upset.
Kaiba had changed the color of 'her' eyes in the game. Sabine's eyes were gold, not black like Reila's were. And it was the eyes of the painting that Reila was staring at so intently at.
Dinner was a quiet affair, at least on my part. While Mokuba, Yugi, and Mai spoke with Adena and got the basics of what we needed to do, I sat silently, struggling to keep from flying off the handle. I mean really, it's just a simple color change. I shouldn't logically be upset by something so small, but it hurt that someone I considered a friend, someone who I trusted and had known for so long would change my eye color the first chance they got.
It was a secret I kept hidden from everyone and had buried deep within me; people being so uncomfortable about my eyes or mocking them did actually hurt a lot. I had spent years getting over the fact that my eyes made people uncomfortable or afraid. I'd even learned to use that to my advantage, purposely using my eyes to make people squirm. My eyes also came in handy for being in certain music videos, particularly those for the rock groups that were signed under Sarota Entertainment. When the director wanted an otherworldly looking girl, I took the role since I was capable of pulling off the look with the right makeup and clothing instead of needing contacts. But Mokuba and Seto were the first two outside my family to accept me and not think my eyes were creepy or scary. Their acceptance and my family's acceptance had been the foundation that I had built my confidence on, and now one of those stones had been ripped away.
Rubbing my forehead, I sighed and tried to push the hurt aside. Hearing a quiet chime, I looked to the fairies still perched on my shoulders. They scooted closer, each placing a small hand on my neck and leaning against me in a sort of fairy hug. Glancing to Mokuba, who was studying me with a worried expression I finally shoved the hurt aside to be tackled later; right now I needed to be focused and strong to help Mokuba and rescue Seto. "I'm fine Mokuba. Or at least I will be."
Mokuba nodded once, smiling at me before turning his attention back to Adena.
"You think... We're the epic heroes from the prophecy?" Mai asked, looking to me with a raised eyebrow. I shrugged in response; it was all part of the game after all. It was probably a generic response to any party or person that got this far. There was probably a separate dialogue sequence for an individual versus a party, a duo, a party of only three, etc. It was actually impressive that Seto had managed to do all the programming himself, and that he'd taken so many variables into account. Then again, he is a certifiable genius, which is why I was so mad at him for not seeing that this had been a trap.
"Yes. On your shoulders rest the fate of our kingdom." Adena said, smiling brightly. "Just like the prophecy foretold, you will be able to find the flying machine, break the barrier around the castle, and put an end to this darkness that hangs over us!" The four in our party exchanged looks and nodded our consent; we needed to defeat the mythic dragon to get to Seto anyway, so playing out this part of the game would have to be done. "To properly prepare you, we will adorn you in the manner of our greatest heroes." Adena said, standing and leading us upstairs. There she ushered Mai and I into one room, while Yugi and Mokuba went into another.
Finding the chests inside, Mai pulled out the same outfit that she had worn in the canon story, her eyes sparkling with interest. "A girl like me could get used to this." She said, looking around for somewhere to change. The fairies left my shoulders and perched on the windowsill while I pulled out my outfit, blinking in surprise – this was not at all what Joey had worn. It looked more like the Savior's Hide armor from the Elder Scrolls series that I had played in my first life, but with black fur instead of brown. Frowning as I held it up, I noticed that it didn't have the parts that hung down and would stop at my waist. Digging around some more I found a pair of black leather pants and boots, along with leather and fur gauntlets. After looking around and seeing only Mai in the room, I took off my shirt and started changing, not caring that Mai was here.
"Wait Reila, there's a changing area over here!" Mai said, looking away quickly. I didn't understand the need; we were both females, so it wasn't that big of a deal.
"Mai, I'm so used to having to change costumes in front of people during a video shoot that practically all modesty has been drained out of me. You're a woman, I'm a woman. If it makes you more comfortable I won't turn around until you've changed, or you can head into the changing room." I said, pulling the pants on. They fit perfectly, like a second skin and I wondered if the programming was designed to give everyone armor in their exact sizes.
I heard Mai begin changing and kept my word, not looking as I tugged the armor over my head and fastened on the gauntlets. Bending down to pull on the boots, I then began digging into the chest for the weapon meant to go with the costume. I found a small dagger, which I tucked into the belt, and a wicked looking mace which I hefted onto my shoulder. Spotting a leather strip, I set the mace down long enough to snatch it up and use it to tie my hair up in a ponytail and out of my face. "All set Mai?" At her reply that she was, I turned and grinned at her. "Well that armor looks great on you."
She struck a pose and laughed. "I think I can rock this medieval chick look." She looked me over, nodding in approval. "Normally I'd say that black is too dark for someone with your skin tone, but with your hair and eyes you make it work. You look like a barbarian cheiftess in that outfit."
"Yeah, I feel ready for a battle in this." I said, picking up the mace and slinging it onto my shoulder. Although it was large, it didn't feel heavy; again the programming must kick in and adjust the weight for each individual. We made our way into the hallway, where Adena, Yugi, and Mokuba were waiting... Or at least, who we thought was Mokuba. Yugi and Mai might be fooled, but I knew that Mokuba had convinced Adena to trade places with him; and as much as I wanted to keep him safely here with me, I couldn't risk it. Mokuba needed to get to Seto so that he could give Seto's deck to him. If Adena was truly the one captured, then the sacrifice would most likely go forward without us being able to stop it in time. Yugi pulled Mai aside to ask if she was sure she was willing to head into danger, and I stepped closer to Mokuba and Adena.
"Mokuba, nice try but I know that you switched with Adena." I said, eyeing him. He flinched in response and looked away quickly. "I get it, you want to make sure you get to Seto; I'm fine with that, but don't try to trick me and don't think you can leave me in the dark like that."
"I... I was worried you'd try and stop me." He said, glancing worriedly at Yugi and Mai. "Adena said that the sacrifice will be collected soon, and since she volunteered to be the sacrifice for her kingdom, they'll take me instead if I'm dressed like her. This way, I'll be able to be taken right to where Seto is."
"I won't say anything, and I won't try and stop you. You're smart enough to know the risks and to be careful. You just make sure Seto gets his deck so he can blast his way out of that castle. We'll find the flying machine and come pick you guys up." I said, keeping my voice low. Yugi and Mai were still talking, and not paying attention to us. Mokuba smiled, looking relieved for the first time since this had all started. "Your brother's going to be furious that I'm letting you take this risk, you do know that right?"
"I'll tell Seto it was all my idea, since it was anyway." Mokuba said, his face set in a determined look. "I won't let him get angry at you."
Smiling I ruffled his hair, then straightened the tiara and smoothed his hair down. "Mokuba, I'm afraid that this time you won't be able to stop us from getting mad at each other; but I promise not to fight with your brother until he's safely out of danger." Mokuba looked confused and started to ask what I meant, but a crash of thunder and flash of lightning drew us all outside.
"I've got a bad feeling about this guys." Yugi said, eyeing the dark clouds worriedly. "This storm came out of nowhere."
"Something tells me it's not a regular storm." I said, my grip on the mace tightening. Looking up as another streak of lightning flashed, I huffed out a breath – there was the Castle of Dark Illusions, floating in the storm clouds. Thousands of Duel Monsters descended, and the next few minutes were all a blur. Mai tried attacking with her Dark Witch, but her monster was so outnumbered that she called it back. Yugi tried to use his Dark Hole magic card, but the Armed Ninja destroyed it, snatching Mokuba in a net and hauling him out of reach. Yugi called for me to use the Axe Raider and Kunai With Chain, which I did and it worked just like it had in the original story, but then another monster swooped in and nabbed him.
"Damn..." I said, watching him fly away. Not thinking, I called back the Kunai With Chain first, but ultimately that was a mistake; Yugi called out a warning just as the Gemini Elf attacked, taking Axe Raider out with one blow. As the proverbial dust settled and my monster disintegrated, the Gemini Elf joined the other monsters in returning to the castle. The hit my monster had taken physically affected me as well, driving me to my knees as I fought to breath. Did Seto really have to include this part in the programming? Physical discomfort and pain when a monster you control is destroyed?
Yugi ran over to me, looking around to see if anymore monsters were lurking about. "Reila are you alright?" He looked genuinely concerned, and I mentally berated myself for making such a rookie mistake. You don't downsize your monster's power before calling it back. Standing, I shook off the shock of the physical reaction and glanced at my life point counter; 1800 left. That was even less than Joey had at this point in the canon story.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Down 200 life points, but it's my own fault. I should have called both the magic card and monster back at the same time." I said, walking over to Adena, who was staring after Mokuba with a sorrowful expression. "Don't worry Adena, Mokuba is a tough kid; he'll be fine."
"Wait, you knew that Mokuba and Adena switched places?" Mai asked, staring at me in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding! How could you let a child go on his own like that?"
"Because although he's young Mokuba is smart and resourceful." I said, frowning at Mai. "I don't like letting him go off on his own but it's the best option; this way he can take Seto his deck, and with the monsters that he has in that thing he can blast that castle to smithereens on his way out. All we have to do is drive the getaway car. Well, flying machine in this case." I said, looking up to the floating castle. "Mokuba will be fine, and he's capable of taking care of himself."
Mai looked unconvinced, but dropped the subject. Yugi watched me silently, and the look in his eyes was beginning to make me uncomfortable. It was almost like he was seeing through me, seeing beneath the mask I held in place and seeing the emotional turmoil underneath. For all the hype about Yugi being a good guy and somewhat naive, I was beginning to see that he was more observant than most gave him credit for. I'd have to watch myself in the future so that he'd quit studying me so closely. As he called our attention to where he stood, I glanced once more after Mokuba, hoping that I was right and he would be safe.
"I'm never touching another freaking video game as long as I live!" I said, stomping out a flame close to my foot. "I mean seriously who finds this kind of stuff enjoyable? Running for your life, the constant battles, burning and entire forest to take down Mothra's kids... Gamers are demented I swear it!"
Okay, so quick recap; we found the flying machine, used the Time Wizard to bring it back to it's original glory, flew to the Castle of Dark Illusions, Yugi had swapped places with the spirit of the pharaoh, and said pharaoh had just set an entire forest on fire by flinging a barrage of Kuriboh at some giant moths. Seriously, I've had it with this game and everything involved in it. Add onto all that the fact that both little fairies had sacrificed themselves to get us here... Dammit I'd gotten attached to them and now they were gone.
My overreaction seemed to amuse Mai. "No please Reila, tell us how you really feel." I glowered at her as we followed the pharaoh down the path and towards an ominous looking cavern. "Honestly Reila you act like you've never played a video game before. You... Have played a video game before, haven't you?"
"I was a little busy studying for school and learning how my family's company works, then training to someday take my place in the company. So no, I haven't had time for video games. The only games I play are chess, solitaire, and the occasional round of poker." I said, crossing my arms over my chest. I'd lost the mace when the flying machine had collapsed and we'd escaped on the back of Winged Guardian of the Fortress. Thank the gods for Yugi's quick thinking at that particular moment.
"So you're friends with the CEO of the biggest gaming company in the world, and you don't play games." Mai said, laughing. "Oh this is too funny! I mean I would have expected Kaiba to only interact with people who play Duel Monsters or some form of games."
"You would think." I said as we stepped inside the cavern, the pharaoh leading us silently as he listened to our conversation. "But then again I've never been big on games, and Seto knows it. When we were children I was always the one studying, reading, or playing music. He knows enough about music to be able to talk to me about it, and I know enough about the concept of games to be able to talk to him about it. The fact that we have such separate interests actually works in our favor I think. It keeps us from competing against one another in anything but chess."
"Wait, listen." The pharaoh said, stopping and tilting his head to try and hear better. The sound grew louder, and it sounded like it was coming from above us. "Something's up there; be ready to fight." Nodding in understanding, Mai and I both raised our left arms, so that our decks were close at hand. Looking up at the swirling part of the ceiling, the same sound grew even louder, something about it sounding familiar. The three of us cried out in shock as a beam of bright light came form the center of the swirl, effectively blasting a hole in the ceiling.
Once the light died down, we looked up again, seeing the head of a Blue Eyes White Dragon sticking out, looking right at us.
"A Blue Eyes!" Yugi said, reaching for his cards. I jumped forward, grabbing his wrist to stop him before he attacked.
"Wait Yugi, there's only one person who would have control of that particular monster." I said, releasing his wrist and turning just as Seto and Mokuba jumped down from the hole that had been made. "I thought that sound was familiar, I should have recognized it sooner." I said, stepping forward as Seto called back his dragon. Mokuba ran to greet me, hugging me tightly.
"See, I told you it would work Reila! The Armed Ninja took me right to Seto and once I gave him his deck he blasted his way out!"
Smiling I ruffled Mokuba's hair. "You were very brave Mokuba, and you were right. Now that only problem is getting out of here; the flying machine is sort of completely destroyed." I said, ignoring Seto as he came closer. I was still pissed at him, but now was not the time to get into an argument with him. Instead, I waited for him to come to me and for him to speak first – it would give me more time to block out my anger.
The only thing that could have made this entire ordeal any more unbearable to Seto was if Joey had been part of the 'rescue' team. Mai he could easily ignore, Yugi he could respect to a certain degree, but Reila being here... That was something he wouldn't have guessed in a million years. When Mokuba had told him that Reila was here helping to rescue him – not that he'd really needed rescuing of course – he'd almost tripped over a rock in disbelief. Reila had never even shown an interest in video games before, and yet here she was plugged into a prototype virtual reality game. It made absolutely no sense.
Stepping closer to Reila and Mokuba, he looked down at her. At least he knew that the software had indeed transferred none of her previous injuries, as she was moving around without a medical boot on her left ankle. He glanced over the particular outfit that the game had given her; it was one of the more elaborate pieces, but the look suited her in a way. It was unusual to see her hair up, but it brought out her cheeks bones and gave her a sharper, more striking profile. Seto frowned as Reila continued to not look at him, not even to ask if he was alright; if she was really part of a rescue mission shouldn't she be more concerned about his well being?
Glancing at Yugi and Mai, he saw the awkward looks on their faces; the tension in the air was so thick it could probably be cut by a knife. Even Mokuba seemed uneasy, giving Reila a cautious look. "Reila, what are you doing here?" Seto asked finally, wanting to get to the bottom of this and get out of this game.
She finally turned, facing him with a strained smile on her lips. "Why I'm here to help Mokuba get you out of this game. I couldn't very well let Mokuba risk so much on his own, could I?" Her words were falsely cheerful, her smile fake and her entire body was tense. Frowning he opened his mouth to get to the bottom of her behavior when the fake smile dropped and her eyes narrowed, a fierce glower on her face that made the words die out in his throat. He'd only seen her this angry once, and that was years ago when someone at the orphanage had ruined the music sheets she had been working on. "Seto, this is not a conversation to have right now. Let's get out of here, back in our bodies, and then we'll have this conversation... In private." She said, turning her attention back to Mokuba.
Seto was taken aback by her behavior; why should she be angry at him? Scowling at how easily she dismissed him, he would have pushed the subject if it hadn't been for his corporate officers making their presence known. Well, soon-to-be-former executive officers.
"Congratulations gamers, you've made it to the final level."
Seto scoffed in response. "Correction you slime ball, we've beaten the game." Now that the ritual hadn't taken place, an exit portal should appear at any moment.
"Oh, is that what you think, Seto Kaiba?" A second voice taunted, and Seto rolled his eyes.
"That's right. I escaped the lava pool, therefore the mythic dragon wasn't summoned." Seto said, his hand tightening into a fist. "That means this game is over." From the corner of his eye, he saw Reila smack a hand to her forehead in frustration and turned to her, scowling. He raised an eyebrow to question what her problem was, and in response she threw her hands up in frustration, looking at him like he was as a child throwing a tantrum.
"It will be game over alright but for you, not for us." The third voice rang out, and the scenery began to disappear, leaving all of them standing on what looked like computer circuits. More circuits ran above them, forming a ceiling and both it and the floor seemed to stretch on infinitely. "No way.." Seto said, looking around.
"What is this?" Yugi asked, eyes darting around. Seto took a step back as blue flames rushed towards them, stopping a few yards away.
"They've rewritten the program. They're summoning the mythic dragon themselves!" Mokuba moved closer to Seto as the flames split into five dragon heads, each one connected to the same body. The mythic dragon had been designed to be practically unbeatable, with 5000 attack points and 4000 defense points, it would take someone of immense skill to take the beast down. Glancing at Reila again, he noticed the deck holder on her wrist – since when did Reila have a deck? Frowning, he caught her attention and motioned to it, causing her to roll her eyes.
"For crying out loud, did you honestly think I'd come in here unarmed? And how did none of you see this coming?" She asked, turning to each of their group in turn. "They've rewritten so much of the programming, is it really that big of surprise that they rewrote this particular part too?"
Returning his attention to the problem before him, he glanced at Yugi and Mai. "There's only one way we can get out of this game." As he spoke, Reila, Mai, and Yugi stepped forward, spacing themselves out and forming a line. Reila caught Mokuba's attention and jerked her head back, wordlessly telling him to get behind them; without a deck Mokuba was the most vulnerable of the group.
"I agree. We have to take this dragon down." Yugi said. All four of them nodded, and Mai took the first attack, summoning her Harpie Ladies. But when they were rendered useless by the Dragon's Seal the five executives had programmed into the place, Seto had to laugh.
"You dare challenge me to a battle of dragons? You five should all know better than that. I call the Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Seto summoned forth his monster, feeling confidence rush through him as the familiar roar of his favored monster sounded loudly. If those five snakes thought they could take him down by limiting him to dragon class monsters only, they were even more foolish then he had originally thought them to be. As the others summoned forth their dragon creatures, he scowled at Reila's monster. "Reila, tell me you're not using Wheeler's deck." He said, looking pointedly at the Red Eyes Black Dragon.
"It was the only one available, other than using yours." She said, scowling at him. "And it's been rather helpful so far, so shut up!" Seto turned to her with an incredulous look; she was defending Wheeler? What on earth was going on with her? She'd never acted so hostile towards him, and it was irritating him that she wasn't herself. Pushing aside those thoughts he looked at the arsenal of dragon type creatures they'd summoned; the total attack points of all their monsters was 9400, more than enough to take down the mythic dragon.
"Your mythic dragon will not stand against all we have set against it!" Yugi called, and for once Seto had to agree. The numbers didn't lie, there was no way that those five could hope to defeat them with so many attack points aimed their way. As the four of them called for their dragons to attack, four of the five heads of the mythic dragon returned fire, canceling out the attacks. Seto ground his teeth in frustration as Yugi commented aloud on what he already knew.
"But one of your team has dragon with which to attack or defend." As the taunting voice rang out, the remaining dragon head leaned forward, aiming above their heads... And straight at Mokuba. "Isn't that right, Mokuba?"
"Wait. No, you wouldn't!" Seto said, frozen in shock. He wanted to move, to defend his brother but it felt like his limbs were weighed down with lead. He watched as the blast left the dragon's mouth, moving too fast for him to react to at all. His eyes wide, he watched as Mokuba raised his own head, locking gazes and waiting for the inevitable.
"Red Eyes, DEFEND HIM!" Reila screamed out, turning and watching as she used Wheeler's dragon to block the blast, protecting Mokuba. The weight left Seto's body as his shoulders sagged in relief; Reila's quick thinking had saved Mokuba. As the dragon faded from view, Reila fell heavily to her knees, panting and gasping for air.
"Reila!" Mai and Yugi ran to her, and the realization hit Seto like a freight train; Reila had just taken 2600 points worth of damage. She'd lost all her life points protecting Mokuba. Looking to his little brother, Mokuba looked just as shocked as he felt. Of course Reila had always jumped to Mokuba's defense without thinking, but if the game had been reprogrammed this much... Unless she was returned to her body, there would be little to no chance of getting her back.
Standing shakily, Reila turned her fierce gaze to Yugi and Mai. "I'm... Counting on you two. Get my friends out of here safely." As her virtual body began disappearing, her gaze softened as it turned to him and Mokuba. "Mokuba, take care of your brother for me. And Seto..." She shook her head, a sad look on her face. "Just make sure you win this thing, alright?"
"Reila, no!" Mokuba cried, running to her. She smiled, the first real smile Seto had seen from her this entire time and she reached out a hand, ruffling Mokuba's hair before finally fading in a shower of golden sparks. Tears streamed down Mokuba's face as he stared blankly ahead at the spot where she'd just been; Mai choked on a sob as Yugi placed his hand on her shoulder, his own face showing grief. Seto's hands clenched into fists, the haunting reality crashing down on him.
Reila was gone.