Author's Note: Hey everyone! Hope you got to see that Christmas fanfic I put up around a week ago. ^^' Sorry it's so late but it took me a really long time to type. It's really long. Thanks for those of you who read and reviewed it! I was very appreciated. Thanks again for everyone else who reads anything of mine and reviews, favourites, and everything! If you only read my fanfic, that's awesome too! XD Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter of YuGiOh!, Past Repeating: Season 2! Thank you! ^^
Oh, and just a warning for this chapter; in Sarah's dream, there's blood and gore. I don't think it's so bad, but if you feel uncomfortable, stop reading. I mean, I don't want you guys to feel sick after reading it. ^^' It doesn't matter about my story, your guys' health comes first. Ok? Cool. Thanks. :)
Christmas Fanfic: Here's just a small summary of what's to be expected:
It's Sarah's and Yami's first Christmas in Domino City. As they spend the day together, both find funny feelings burning their insides and wish they knew what it was. After meeting someone who had an excellent point about the past, they were set straight.
Buahahaha! Lol. Ahem. Hope you think of giving it a try. I would appreciate it. And if you read any of my other material, I appreciate that as well. Thanks! ^^'
Oh and if you do read my stuff...a HUGE thank you to you! ^^
Nightmares are haunting. Everyone meet up. Someone drops out of the sky. It's begun.
Disclaimer!: Fanfiction, and I do NOT get any money out of it either. Thanks. ^^
Battle City-New Evil Emerges, Old Friends Reunite Chapter 12
Blood. The stench was revolting. It stained the clothes and skins of our soldiers, gushing onto them when they killed someone from the opponent's side. These people were not innocent. They deserved to die. The man leading them was filled with darkness and he portrayed that same darkness into his soldiers. They aren't exactly from our kingdom either, but they still went against everything good. Especially the Pharaoh of Egypt. And whoever did that, will always get a disgusted look from me.
Metal scratched against metal and people lay dead on the floor. Many were wounded but they still fought, making sure no one got within striking distance of the king. In that whoever kills the leader first, always wins. It's an automatic win, because when you kill the leader, who's left to give the team hope? No matter which side it was, good versus evil even, it's the same thing. They always go for the commander.
The sky was a gloomy dark blue, reflecting the mood of the battlefield, which was right in front of the palace gates. Thunder roared overhead but it made no move to cause any lightning or rain. That was too bad. I was sure I could have used the rain to my advantage somehow.
The Pharaoh was on horseback as was all six members of the Pharaoh's Court. They held swords in their hands as extra precaution if anyone got close. Each held their Millennium Items too, ready to summon any monsters if necessary. The Pharaoh shouted commands to his soldiers and members of the Court, contemplating a strategy that could beat these enemies.
But no one was getting even close to the Pharaoh. They had no chance. With me guarding him, they couldn't get past so they could strike him down.
My armour made of gold and bronze, making it a deep sun colour, wasn't touched with a drop of blood. I worked quickly and smoothly. My blade was sharpened and ready to go from the moment I had materialized it from my hand. These men that are dying...we gave them a chance to cooperate. This battle was the last straw. And now they had to contend with all of us, including me if they wanted to get to the Pharaoh.
"You will never claim the river Nile!" bellowed the Pharaoh, ready to swipe his sword at one of the people coming his way. I tackled him in time before he decided to get cheap and swipe at his the Pharaoh's leg. He gave me a grateful nod. "It does not belong to only one man! It is shared by all of Egypt's civilians!"
A man not far from us, with a crazed and over obsessive look in his eyes, chuckled as he sauntered lazily into the direction of the Pharaoh. His eyes brown eyes gleamed with greed, and everyone around him could tell from the tight grip on his bow that he wasn't going anywhere until he got what he wanted.
"You think I'm going to let you stop me?" he hollered at the king. He raised his hand, possessing the bow, to point at him accusingly. "The river Nile has the richest soil in all of Egypt! I need to give my men and me a nice place to settle in, and the Nile River will do just fine!"
I growled disgustingly at the man. He thinks him and his pack of idiots can just waltz around Egypt trying to claim land for themselves? Well, they were dead wrong. Another man came close and I tried swiping him with my sword, but he was too quick and grabbed the end of the blade so it wouldn't hit him. Even if his blood was seeping out of the cuts in his hand from clenching my sword, he was still retaining the same demented look his boss was holding.
"What you are doing is wrong!" argued the Pharaoh. "Stop this at once!"
The man chuckled darkly and raised his bow, not to point it at the Pharaoh, but to get ready to strike. He gave his men swords while he held the long distance weapon; a bow and a quiver of arrows. That bloody coward.
I jerked my sword into the man, who had it still in his hands, so it could be freed, but it didn't budge from his grip. He kicked me sharply into the side, knocking me over and compelling me to skid three feet away. There was a small glow of light and the new found weapon in the man's hand turned back into my staff. His once amused smirk was quickly turned into a scowl. Seeing no use in the staff, he tossed it away.
I crawled back onto my feet and made a dash towards the Pharaoh. I don't care about getting my weapon right now. The man with the bow and arrow had caught my attention and he was so close to letting the arrow go sailing past everyone's heads, just so it could hit the Pharaoh. That thought made my heart pound. I couldn't let him get that chance. I had a duty to protect the Pharaoh and I had to see it through!
The Pharaoh wasn't paying attention. He was caught up in a distraction involving two men. One was trying to swing at him from one side and the other was on the opposite side. I realized in a split second that that must have been the plan all along. The man leading the opposing team probably told his men to distract the Pharaoh so he could get a clear shot. There was no way I could let that happen.
"I'm not the one stopping, Pharaoh!" he cried, pulling the arrow in his hand back into the string of the bow. "Once you drop dead, it'll be you who's stopping!"
Then he let it go.
The arrow cut through the air at lightning speed. It sped through the crowd of people with ease, not hitting anything on its way to the target. Everyone seemed to bend out of the way, like they knew there was an arrow shooting down a makeshift path in the air, and that it could hit them if they didn't move out of the way in time. It was like slow motion. The metal tip of the arrow glimmered darkly under what little sunlight could peek through the clouds. Its presence just felt like death.
The arrow was so close. It was aimed for the Pharaoh's chest and by the way it was speeding into the direction it was headed, it gave the impression like it was going to hit him. The Pharaoh's Court saw the arrow a little too late and couldn't activate their shadow magic in time. They could only watch in despair as the arrow shot past everyone in its path. Even the Pharaoh couldn't react fast enough. He was just pushing one of the enemy away when he finally looked back up to see what talk the man threw at him when he saw the arrow whizz at him, nearly a metre away. His eyes only had time to register that fact, and widen in ultimate horror, when it struck.
But not him.
Somebody else.
Me.
With only that one metre being enough a distance to give me time to jump, I shielded the Pharaoh's body with my own, letting the arrow hit me square into my abdomen, piercing through my armour like it was paper. I knocked the Pharaoh off his saddle in the process, making us land onto the ground, side by side. His horse whinnied and trotted quickly away at the surprise.
The man who shot the arrow was confused for a moment. But then his face contorted in anger, and he was about to run at us to try striking again, but a member of the Pharaoh's court used his distraught form to his advantage. He dispelled a wave of magic and sent the man flying. He landed a yard away, unconscious. A soldier who was nearby quickly struck his sword through the man's chest, cutting his breath short.
All other men froze on spot at the dreaded scene. The opposing bunch paled at the sight of their fallen leader. And with horror stricken faces, shot everyone else a glare before running off, darting past their fallen comrades and into the distance, leaving only trails of dust behind them. All the soldiers on the winning team cheered in triumph at their victory. No one was going to claim the Nile River, not now, not ever.
Then all thoughts turned towards the Pharaoh. Was he all right? He was knocked off his steed right when the arrow was supposed to hit him, but did it? Everyone's hearts almost plummeted at the thought of the Pharaoh not making it through the assault. They bolted to their fallen king, hoping all the while, with all their hearts, he was still alive.
When they got near, he was just pulling himself up onto his hands and knees. I was still lying on my back; the arrow stuck through me like a fence post through the ground.
Isis, wearing her traditional headdress and silk attire, collapsed onto her knees beside me with fear clouding her face. She held back sobs at the sight of me and carefully placed my head into her lap. I choked slightly on the breath I was inhaling at the time.
"Fool." seethed Seto from behind the Pharaoh as he glowered down at me. "What were you thinking?"
Violent coughs answered his question. Mahad kneeled next to me and put a hand over my racing heart. But I could tell from the look on my teacher's face that it would soon stop if it wasn't treated.
"I-I was thinking that the Pharaoh ha-had to live." I managed to say through my shaking breath. It was awfully hard to breathe and it hurt something bad too. The pain was piercingly sharp and with every move I made, it rippled even harder into me.
The Pharaoh looked up from his position on all fours to meet my gaze. He had a look of concern written all over his face. But also of gratifying horror, like he couldn't believe what just happened. My breathing was becoming rapid and I thought I could actually feel the arrow sink even deeper. It was posted into me like someone was using me as a dart board. And the arrow was the dart.
Crimson liquid poured out of the wound and with every passing second, my face become more tired and paler. I kept fighting off the pain but at times it was still sharp. Mahad quickly tried using a spell that would get rid of the pain until someone could get the medics. I needed a surgery of some sort, or something, to get the arrow out.
"You risked your life for me." the Pharaoh realized with an astonished face. He kept his gaze locked with mine, searching my eyes for any reason behind it. "Why would you do such a thing?"
An agonizing pain shot through me suddenly, and for a second, I couldn't breathe. My hand reached for the arrow as I tried gaining my breath back, but I couldn't reach it. A couple of the soldiers watching a little ways away rushed back into the palace gates to call someone in to help. Magic only heals, it can't perform a miraculous surgery.
Isis straightened my neck a little bit and I gasped in a breath. I was so glad I could breathe again.
"It's because...it's because I had to." I said, breathing in much faster now, in case I'd lose my breath again. I stared him hard in the eyes, my own becoming dim. "I couldn't just let you take that hit...you know that."
It's true. He did know that. But would she really have risked her own life for his?
"We will inform the surgeons of this." said Seto, in his blue and gold robes. They billowed with superiority behind him as he beckoned for Karim to follow him. They got onto their horses standing not too far away and turned towards the palace gates. "They will have a section ready for you. Isis and Mahad, bring her." Then they rode off, kicking up sand in the behind them.
"No, no." I said, trying against all the pain to force myself to sit up. "I have this. I'm all right." But I could only collapse back into Isis' lap in exhaustion and a horrible fit of violent coughing. My caretaker quickly took a hold of one of my hands to try and comfort me, saddened gravely by the position I was in.
"You will not be moving on your own any time soon." commanded Isis, though through her fixated composure, I knew she couldn't bear to see me like this. "If you have not noticed, there is an arrow running through you at the moment."
I knew that fact, but I wanted to force myself to stand back up. I couldn't stand to look so weak in the presence of the Pharaoh. But there wasn't anything I could do. I had to get the surgery done to get the arrow out and there was no way I could move at the moment.
"A-all right." I sighed shakily, feeling my breath go heavier. With every breath I took, there was this incredible bolt of sharp pain in my abdomen and I almost winced, but I begged and forced myself not to. I just had to fight the pain. I'll get through this.
I hope.
The Pharaoh hadn't removed his eyes off mine. He couldn't overcome the fact of what I had done. It was a shock to see someone flying at him from out of nowhere, only to catch an arrow, something that could've ended his life. He would've been on the floor, in the same position the Guardian was in, if she had never reacted so quickly. It could have been him, on the floor, fighting for his life.
Shada appeared next to Mahad with a concerned look plaguing his face. "They're coming as fast as they can. If the Guardian can't make it, though, we'll have no one to protect the Chosen Pharaoh-"
"Do not speak of such nonsense!" snapped Isis, not believing what Shada was saying. "Amira is strong! She will make it through! I know she can!"
Everyone looked down at me uncertainly. They agreed I was strong willed and that I would never have wanted this to happen, but they also knew that it was my duty and for that, they could never call this a foolish thing to do in the first place. They knew of my determination. And I had gained their trust to protect the Pharaoh.
The blood poured out of my wound like a tiny waterfall. My breathing became deep and slow from exhaustion. I didn't think I could hold on much longer. My eyes were dimming but I could still see the look of concern on his face. With every passing moment, my breathing became weaker. The rise and fall of my chest became much slower.
"What could the arrow have been made of to let it pierce through her armour?" asked Mahad, shaking his head in disbelief. His magic was still healing me as much as it could; a light golden glow forming around me, but it was only easing the actual pain by some what. Like I said before, it couldn't get rid of the arrow in the first place.
Isis shook her head, just as confused as her fellow Court member. "It must have been rare." she said and she felt my hand slip, making her look hesitantly to my face. My eyes were darker now, like they were so close to losing all their life.
And they were.
The Pharaoh saw this and his heart almost stopped with despair. "Hang in there." he said, and I heard the anxiety in his voice. It was the last thing I heard, before my eyes dimmed with shadows.
I sat up in my bed with a huge gasp of air, thinking I would die if I couldn't breathe.
What the Hell was that? I asked myself, panting heavily, trying to regain myself from the shock I experienced. I never had that night mare before. Come to think of it, I had no form of nightmares or dreams at all ever since I was reborn.
Except for that one time in the clearing back at Duelist Kingdom. I thought. That was the first time, showing me of my school back in Ancient Egypt, but now...
My eyes widened in sudden realization. I remembered where and when I had felt that urgency for air and that incredible pain in my abdomen. That arrow. And that thought of death being so close to me.
The Battle of the Nile.
"I never even thought about it until today." I said to myself, holding my head in confusion and feeling a very thin layer of sweat on my forehead. "I only mentioned it back at the museum when I had to make a point about never leaving Yami's side..."
It was true though. Even after being so close to death itself, I didn't want to leave Yami's my position of being his Guardian. Everyone thought I would be too frightened to keep going. They thought I thought that maybe next time, I would die. But when I appeared again the next day from the medics, I proved them wrong. And they were proud to see someone so willing and determined.
The Pharaoh had no idea his Guardian would go to such great lengths for his safety. But after seeing me up and breathing normally the next day, he proved himself wrong. She really did take her job seriously. And he didn't doubt her as much after.
...he never thought of it before. The fact that I would risk my life for him. He realized it after the Battle of the Nile and never forgot it.
Until now.
Now, Yami's much more...different, too. He smiles too much and yet he stays serious when it comes to his duties as Pharaoh or Egypt in general. What changed? I couldn't think of any reasons.
Except the fact that he was trapped for 5,000 years. All those years, and all alone. I was in the same predicament. It was like being trapped, but in the gods' hands.
Now, Yami doesn't know about me sacrificing myself for him. I guess if we have another encounter with Bakura, and he decides to try something, then he'll know.
And I still never thought about giving up being his Guardian. Through so many sacrifices...
Never.
Then I remembered what Isis had called me in my dream...Amira...it's been so long since I heard my real name, I almost forgot I had one.
Isis had predicted that in the future, the language of Ancient Egypt would be lost. She gave me an alternate name, with the same meaning as Amira, so that I could keep the language lost. Because if anyone knew even some of the language, they could use its words to probably unlock something horrible. If they knew some words to an ancient spell, but they had no idea, they could accidentally unleash it.
But I don't know if Amira is in one of the spells...hunh...but to keep the trend, we changed my name from Amira to Sarah. That way, no one would even suspect of me having some knowledge of the ancient language.
Though...whenever I think about Amira...my heart thumps uneasily, like I should be careful with it. And in case it is used in something—maybe it's used in that power I held, Ishizu said that I apparently had (I'm not going to focus so much on that right now)—I'll definitely have to be careful with it. I can't let anyone know of it until I am sure it's safe.
But gods...I can't believe I got this flashback. It brought back bad memories and I wish I didn't have to look back on them. That gut wrenching pain I felt when that arrow tore through me was the worst I ever felt. And Yami wasn't even the actual Pharaoh at the time. He was just being tested from his father.
That one day, when I thought I didn't have to worry so much, I actually did have to worry. The horrible sense of dread I felt at the moment when I realized the man had a bow and arrow in his hand scared me so much, I didn't even think of using my magic to try and save the Pharaoh. I used myself instead.
I ran my hands over my face in exhaustion, wiping away the sweat and stress. It's not like I wouldn't not do anything for the Pharaoh, I was just terrified of losing my life that day.
Then I couldn't have protected him after. If I was dead, I couldn't be his Guardian. And I did not trust any other evil out there because they might actually come close to killing the Pharaoh like that man did. I had to stay alive so I could Guard him. I just had to.
That's why I fought against all that pain when the arrow had struck. That thought was the only one in my mind:
I can't die. I have to protect the Pharaoh.
I never thought of myself. And I never will.
Only of Yami.
After taking a few calming breaths, my eyes fell onto the clock sitting on my bedside table. The glowing red digits of the LCD were giving me a hard time to register what time it was. I mean, after coming out of that nightmare, my mind was still a little groggy. It took my brain a couple minutes to understand what it was glaring at me in a reminder:
7:47
Then the realization hit me in a flash of memories; memories I had just collected earlier in the day. The thought of the invite taped to my door when I walked into my apartment this evening crashed into my thoughts and I quickly scampered out of bed, trying not to trip over the mess of sheets I crumpled into a pile at my feet from waking up at the nightmare. It was already thirteen minutes to 8 o'clock, the time the host for the tournament had written on the invite. It also told me to be on time.
I hurried into my bathroom to freshen up as much as I could and walked out, straightening my shirt and shorts with my hands so they didn't look as shrivelled, which would show people I just got out of bed. I made sure the invite, my wallet and cell phone were in my pockets, and the card Ishizu gave me was in my thigh sheathe, which clasped onto my right leg. After double checking, I ripped my coat from off the coat rack and headed for the door, making sure to lock it on my way out. I always kept the key to the complex in my wallet. Staring ahead and taking a deep breath in hopes for luck at the tournament, I dashed down the driveway and onto the sidewalk, ready to head into Domino Square. The thoughts of my nightmare never left me. My stomach clenched uneasily when I remembered the pain I felt the moment the arrow pierced through me. It was horrible, and deadly. I could have died but the thought of leaving my duty as Guardian so quickly haunted me. I fought to breathe. Even though the arrow struck below my chest and not through my lungs, my body found the foreign object to be intrusive and almost shut down from trying to fix the damage too fast. My eyes almost blurred when I realized I was on the brink of crying from horror.
I never realized it then—one hit, I get it fixed and then resume to my normal routine—but I never actually thought about it thoroughly until now. The absolute fear of dieing that moment was overpowering but, I wiped away at my eyes, making sure I stay strong.
I can't just...start crying now! That was 5,000 years ago! But still...death was sitting right beside me, sucking the very life out of my soul...and I never thought of it until now.
Would I ever change my feelings about Guarding Yami? Even if it meant that I would die...would I really keep going?
The thought of quitting never even existed in my mind. And I never want it born. Not because I'd be failing and be shunned. But because it's all I've got left.
And because I just couldn't leave. That would be like throwing my life away without even taking the arrow.
Night fell onto Domino City pretty quickly. I mean, it was only 8 pm...near 8 pm, but I'm pretty sure the sky couldn't be so black this fast. Sure the streetlamps on the residential streets illuminated the way, all the way to the business streets and Domino Square, and the stars twinkled with mystery, like Fate was taunting me about something, but night time shouldn't arrive so fast. As I walk down the streets looking left and right in case of any cars or people, I'm scared of my own shadow.
...I was kidding about the "scared of my own shadow part"...night time just put me on alert, or stealth mode, like Snake from Metal Gear Solid. (Number 4 is the most awesomest game out of all of them. ^^' The one with only Raiden about to be released is going to be EPIC. xD) My eyes flickered at every silent movement and I always levelled my breath so I could be able to hear everything. Cowardice people, who use the dark and shadows to creep on others or to just accomplish malicious plans, could be almost everywhere. And I absolutely despise those types of people. They hide and then attack instead of facing the person head on. I kept an eye out for them. They could be anywhere.
Tall buildings and bright lights came into view as I walked into Domino Square. Some of the buildings, or almost all of them, had television screens flashing random commercials. Streetlamps flooded their light throughout the square as they towered over flower beds and benches. People were everywhere, scattered amongst each other, talking and laughing.
'They must also have been invited to the tournament.' I thought as I stopped walking right under the small clock tower in the middle of the square. It read only five minutes to 8 o'clock, but I still couldn't see Yami amongst the crowd. I thought we would meet wherever the invite had said to meet. I hope he didn't decide to go to my apartment or wait at Yugi's house, or else that would be both confusing, and messed up. No...I'm sure he was going to appear in a couple minutes, maybe even seconds, here, where the invite said to meet.
"Hey...isn't that Sarah Wind?" I heard someone ask from out of nowhere. I almost jumped from the unexpectancy, but managed. The voice wasn't very far behind me and I was sure it sounded male. Somehow...it was oddly familiar too. Smooth and soft...
"...no way. It is Sarah Wind!" ...OK...that was weird...both voices sounded the same. Was this person purposely trying to get me to turn around? And now that I thought about it more, it did sound familiar. Very, very familiar...but where could I have heard it before?
With a defeated sigh, I decided to risk whatever bad this person might bring. I didn't know how, but with the familiar sound of the voice, I got the feeling that I had to be careful, like my experiences with this voice weren't all too great. Curiously, I looked over my shoulder and, at the sight of the guy, blinked.
"Eric Hall?" I said with surprise. Surprise because I couldn't believe I remembered the guy's name. I couldn't really forget him anyway, because of what he put me through back at Duelist Kingdom. My stomach quenched uneasily when he gave me a known smirk. Probably because of how surprised I looked.
Eric was wearing blue and black corsets, black jeans, and a light blue hoodie over a red sleeveless shirt. His orange spiked hair was in its usual mess and his maroon eyes glistened, making his smirk look even more irresistible. I mean, overall, he looked pretty handsome, but it was too bad I've had too many bad memories with him to actually think of him the way other girls do.
His arms shot into the air, like he was celebrating the winning goal at a hockey game. "Oh yeah." he said smoothly. "I'm remembered by the most prettiest girl on the planet."
I blushed but forced a sweat drop. This guy just won't quit! I mean, I found the compliments adorable, to some extent, but what he did to me back at Duelist Kingdom wasn't exactly very nice. His comments drove me up the wall but I still blushed because I've never exactly been commented like that before, and because it's just so sweet of him to like me like he does. Almost like how a flower would like the sun.
"Uh-huh..." I said abashed. "And what would've you done if I didn't remember your name?"
Eric immediately stopped his small victory dance and his smile faltered to be replaced with a very small pout. "I would've cried." he admitted, stuffing his hands into his pockets. A flash of hurt ran through his eyes, like he didn't want me to ever forget his name, or ever think about forgetting him. Maybe he really did care...? But he was too young at mind back in Duelist Kingdom to tell me he did, so I despised him. Maybe in the amount of time I haven't seen him, he's learned what he's done wrong. Hopefully. Because no one can win the respect from a girl if the guy tried winning them over in a duel.
"Yeah, I would've cried and then never get over it." he said with a small and thoughtful shrug. Then he gazed at me curiously. "Why do you ask?"
I gave him a shrug. "Curiosity." I answered. "I guess I wanted to know what would happen if I did forget you or your name. But I don't think I can. Definitely not after what you put me through back at Duelist Kingdom."
A solemn look flooded Eric's face. He looked so guilty then, my heart nearly stung at my own words. They seemed harsh, even to me, and I didn't even say half the bad things I felt at Duelist Kingdom.
"I know, it was stupid." Then he sighed and looked down regrettably, his brow furrowing forward. "No, I was stupid. I should have never done what I did. I realized it a little too late; when the tournament ended and the announcement of Yugi winning it travelled to the media. Sarah, the horrible pain I felt from the guilt was unbearable. And I couldn't tell you how sorry I was because I never saw you after the tournament. I felt so ashamed, it was—gah! I can't even describe it.
"But, you have to know..." he looked up from his gaze on the floor to look me dead in the eye, telling me that he was truthful, and my heart nearly skipped a beat from the unexpectancy. The usual cool glint in his eyes was replaced by the a feeling of truth, like he really meant what he was going to say. "I know it wasn't acceptable and that it wasn't OK either, but you have to know, Sarah, that I am truly sorry. Can you please forgive me?"
To see his pleading face...and to see the honest to god look in his eyes saying that he meant everything he said, almost melted my heart. The feeling in his words and the depth of the regret in his eyes, told me he really did mean it all. He was really sorry, and he wished to start over. This reminded me like Duke and what he did. After Yugi won against him, he wanted to be forgiven. He didn't expect that I would forgive him, because he thought I would be all vengeful and whatnot. I'm not the kind to hold grudges with the people who say they're sorry. But those who don't have any apologies for their actions, will never cease to see my anger flaring in my eyes every time I saw them.
I thought about it a little bit and gave Eric a small smile. He said he was sorry, and like I said before, I don't hold grudges with the people who apologize and mean it. I held out a hand to him with my smile still in place. Eric blinked in surprise, first at my outstretched hand, then to my face, seeing if what he thought I was doing was a joke.
"I forgive you." I said. "If you truly mean what you did, of course I accept your apology."
Eric beamed and his smile was so wide, it was dazzling. "Really?" he asked astonished. "Do you really forgive me after everything I've done? Surely, I thought, that YOU out of every other person in the world, would have done something for revenge!"
I frowned slightly. "Why do you people think I would want revenge?" I muttered.
Eric looked down with a small blush. "I mean...that...er..." he began stuttering, trying to find the right words, but my confused look brought him back to Earth. "I mean, after the horrible thing I put you through, to make it even, I thought you would want revenge."
I gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry." I said. "I'm not the one to get revenge from those who don't deserve it."
Eric gave me a true smile, not a smirk; a smile. "Thanks, Sarah." he said, taking my hand in his for a soft shake. "I'm glad you don't have any revenge in your heart for me. If I can't handle against your dueling skills, what am I going to do against your wrath?"
I stuffed my hands back into my pockets, feeling a light cold wind brush past us, and gave Eric a small smirk. "You will not survive." I said jokingly. He must have known it was meant as a joke, because then we shared a laugh.
It felt a little awkward, having to talk with the person who almost claimed me as some sort of prize. I know a normal person would feel so angry and would not only to get revenge, but to get revenge again, even after getting it the first time. I'm a little over 5,000 years old and I've learned that there are so many enemies around you, that's it better to just forgive and forget. To just start over fresh and with a clean slate, that way we could start experiencing good times together instead of remembering the bad times we used to have. And Eric was overall very sweet, so I couldn't really stay too mad at him.
Suddenly someone held my shoulder from behind. It was so sudden and out of the ordinary, that I jumped about a foot into the air before yelping and turning around with my arms raised in battle stance. Whenever I'm surprised, I guess I automatically go right to that stance, for defence of course.
"Sarah! Sarah, it's me!" said Yami reassuringly, with his face slightly flushed. He bent over on his knees and started panting. I dropped my hands and blinked at him.
"Oh, Yami!" I cried, covering my mouth with my hand, thinking that I was just about to karate chop the person I never wanted hurt. Thank gods I didn't act until I decided to see who it was. "I'm so sorry! You scared me!"
Yami straightened after finally catching his breath, and gave me a sheepish smile. "I'm terribly sorry, Sarah." he said. "I had no idea I overslept. I practically teleported myself here."
With a steady hand, I felt his forehead to find it a little warm and sweaty. I swear when I did that, his face flushed a tiny bit more. "Man, you ran all the way here?" I asked, wanting to feel if his temperature was OK and it wasn't too hot.
He nodded and I saw his face return to his normal, fair complexion after a few seconds. Even his breath returned to his accustomed speed. "Yes. Like I said, I overslept, and I didn't think I would make it here in time."
Overslept? "You took a nap?" I asked him curiously. I somehow found it a coincidence that the both of us decided to sleep a little bit before meeting up here. Thank gods above he came here, by the way, and not to my house like I thought he would.
He looked a little troubled for a second, but then he gave me another nod. "I suppose I was tired." he admitted. "The museum and what I learned today...yes...after taking it all in, I was tired."
I gave him a small smile, remembering that I told Yami who I was TODAY. "That's funny." I said. "I took a nap too." Yami's eyes seemed distant for a split second but just as he got that look in his face, it disappeared. Did he find the both of us taking a nap at the same time not a coincidence either? I knew he was having some thoughts on the subject. It was a bit weird...both Yami and I took a nap before coming here, and we were both almost late...hey, now that's stuck in my mind too. It wasn't everyday two people would do more than one thing at the same time twice in a row. It was a little skeptical.
"Ahem." I heard Eric cough behind me, and then finally remembered he was still there.
"Ah! Sorry! I...got distracted!" Yami blinked in confusion when I stepped aside to reveal Eric to him. He looked at him for a second before recalling Duelist Kingdom.
"Yami, you remember Eric Hall, right?"
Yami gave him a small glare and stood protectively in front of me. I sweat dropped. Oh gosh...this won't end well...
"How could I not?" he almost seethed, but he clenched his teeth slightly so he could keep the anger in control. I suppose Yami also didnt like what Eric pulled. "Listen, Eric, if you try something here, I will not give you mercy."
...holy smokes...I had no idea Yami was this protective...wait a minute! That was my job!
Eric raised his hands in a steady defence. "I just apologized, man!" he said. "No hard feelings!" Yami's glare was still fixated on him and I knew he didn't believe what Eric said. I appeared beside him with a soft smile before he did something he'd regret.
"I know we've had some rough times, but he apologized." I said, placing a hand onto his shoulder to make him calm. He immediately relaxed under my touch. "And I forgave him."
Yami returned to his normal tense position when he heard what I said. I was a bit surprised and took my hand off his shoulder in an instant. He looked to me.
"...If you've forgiven him, then I can not do anything." he finally said after a moment, and I visibly saw the muscles in his arms tighten as he forced himself not to increase his rage. He leaned in dangerously closer to Eric and said in monotone, "But if you dare try anything again, Eric, be it in my presence or not, think twice about it. None of us were very fond of you or your antics back at Duelist Kingdom, and we certainly won't approve of them now. Don't plan anything or put any of your plans into use in this tournament if you don't want to face our wrath."
I thought that would be it. Tension suddenly filled the air and I honestly thought Eric would start World War III. Both of them were glaring at each other now, like they were trying to out glare the other; to see who would back down first. Maroon to crimson. They weren't moving, I got nervous.
This type of protectiveness wasn't unfamiliar to me. I remember the time from Duelist Kingdom to now, the boys in our group would always stand up for me. Tea had the same experiance one time. I remember her saying this one guy trapped her in a warehouse and demanded she'd hand over all the money she had. (Episode 22, Season 1) She said she was terrified. She thought there wasn't a way out of the mess, but when Yugi appeared from out of nowhere, and looking like Yami, she was saved. I guess that was the first time she figured something different in Yugi. He wasn't his usual shy self; he was more assertive.
It's like a stimuli for the guys to stand up to the girls. You know...I mean to say it's natural. I never really experienced anyone else, like a friend of mine, stand up for me before like Joey, Tristan, Yugi, and Yami did—Yami whenever he was switched with Yugi and vise versa—I only had my brother around me. So this was a sort of new experience. I'm awfully thankful, because I don't think I would've have gotten away from Eric back at Duelist Kingdom all alone. I could've used my combat skills, but I didn't want to hurt the guy. He was still human.
So overall, I was grateful for their care. They just didn't want to see me hurt, and I know I wouldn't have wanted anything to happen to them either. Now, when Yami was standing up for me, you know...with him being the Pharaoh of Egypt and all...it seemed a little awkward. Usually it was me dealing with the foes or enemies or people who bothered us, but now...it was the other way around. The thought of Yami being sympathetic to me was amusing—the Pharaoh should never have to worry about their servants health, let alone even care about them. I held those traditions, and it never bothered me or anything, but the thought of Yami actually caring now was unbelievable. He was a Pharaoh on a mission to defeat the evil that's come back, a man of business and confidence, who has no time for his petty servants.
I didn't mind. I was actually glad he never had his mind occupied with the concern for his servants while he reigned as king. It was much less distractions. Stuff he never had to worry about because that's what servants do; take all the worry away from the Pharaoh so he wouldn't have to deal with so much. I'm one of them. The thought of being careful in battles is now forgotten; it was forgotten ever since I became his Guardian. And if it meant safety for Yami and a way to serve my country, then I had no mind or regrets at all. Most people would hate being in that position; to serve the Pharaoh nonstop and not be given any credit but a small pay. I wasn't like that. With no family...there was nowhere to give the money to anyway.
While I was so deeply wrapped in my thoughts, which was only for a couple seconds, Yami and Eric tore away from each other's glare, leaving their argument only in mind, and marking their intentions in the other. For Yami; to not go near me, and for Eric; to use self defence when necessary. Both relaxed while the thoughts still remained, like a funny after taste to a new soda someone tries. There's a tingling sensation of that funny after taste still left on their tongue, even when the person drowns themselves in another drink to get rid of it.
In this case, both Eric and Yami knew what the other intended if either of them let down their guard. If Eric tried anything, anything like his tricks from Duelist Kingdom, Yami will see to it that he won't be able to walk again.
I think they made their point. The glare was gone, like the soda, but the thought of what could happen (like Eric trying something or Yami strangling him) was still left in mind, like the funny after taste. They backed away and crossed their arms, concluding to their silent war.
"OK then..." I said a little uneasily, trying to free everyone from the tension both males caused in the atmosphere. I pulled out the invitation sent to me in hopes of finding a distraction to the current predicament. "Er...anyone find a name on the bottom of their invite? I couldn't see one..."
Eric uncrossed his arms and tried relaxing. He knew if the tension was still left in the air, things would be very awkward and nothing will get done but more fights and glaring wars. "I didn't find a clue." he said. Then he nodded in Yami's direction, with a slight gleam in his eyes, saying he wasn't through with it though. I suppose he had something planned even though he told me he was sorry. There was also a chance that that wasn't even the reason his eyes were glistening mysteriously for. He could've been silently challenging Yami with something; like daring him to try and strangle him—referring to their mini war.
Yami held a collective composure, despite the urge to send Eric's dark and intention-filled-side to the Shadow Realm. He gave us a short shrug of his shoulders. "I didn't see anything either." he sighed. "It must be anonymous."
I groaned slightly, causing both boys to stare at me curiously and blink. "I'm not a fan of guessing games." I said with a small sweat drop. Both boys seemed almost amused at my distress. I was glad I lightened the mood...somewhat.
"Sarah? Hun, is that you?" I blinked curiously at the new voice. Was there a party or what! This was the third person who surprised me tonight. I never expected to be so popular for scaring antics. I turned around to find Mai Valentine on her way over. Her long blond hair swayed gracefully behind her and she was wearing her classic lavender get up, with a dark leather thigh sheathe clasped onto her right leg.
I almost smiled with joy at the sight of her. She was a cool friend we made back at Duelist Kingdom, and despite her calm and pretty appearance, she was actually cool and intimidating. I almost forgot about her completely, if she hadn't said my name just then.
"Hey Mai!" I greeted with a smile as she stopped beside us. "How are you?"
Mai returned my smile. "Fine, thank you." she replied collectively, like she has her life in control. She was always so confident and mind setting about everything she did and it was like her how I wanted to be. All calm and confident, even when things looked really down. Seeing people like her made me even more determined about my duty as Guardian.
"It's funny running into you here...oh hello...Yugi and Eric are here too?" Mai gave me a small smirk and before I knew what was happening, I was suffocating in Mai's arms in a headlock. Eric and Yami blinked at her curiously but they knew I was in safe arms, so they didn't try to tear me out of her grasp.
"Now that I see you guys here, Sarah, was this a date?"
I wanted to laugh out loud, but the very thought of it being a date made me blush and choke instead. She finally let me go and allowed me to breathe from her teasing.
"I'm sorry." she said sadly. "I didn't mean to disturb anything."
I quickly shook my head. "No no!" I said in protest. "We were just meeting here for the tournament. Have you heard of it?"
Off the teasing topic, Mai curiously nodded her head. "Yes." she said. "I'm actually invited to it too."
My jaw dropped. Yami and Eric simply blinked in surprise. They were too cool to overreact anyway. But I seriously wasn't expecting this! I thought Mai was just hanging around Domino City for the night, but hearing the news about her being invited too made me feel a little happier. Mainly because I won't have to deal with Eric and Yami acting so tense around each other and because it would be great to have an old friend around again. Oh damn, speaking of intense: if Joey found out Eric was here...Eric should better run...times two.
"Really?" I asked in astonishment. "That is so cool!"
Mai gave me a known smile, probably comparing my hyper times back at Duelist Kingdom with tonight, and nodded. "I know." she said. "I was pretty excited too. But I have no idea who's hosting it. There wasn't a name on my invitation."
"It certainly appears to be anonymous then." concluded Yami and everyone agreed. "Obviously the person who's hosting it doesn't want anyone to know who it is yet."
Eric nodded, not wanting to agree on an enemy he never thought he would really make on his quest to try hooking up with me, but he agreed anyway, and said, "There's a lot of people here. And to make a private meeting in one of the most busiest parts of Domino City? That must be expensive! Sending out so many invitations and starting a tournament..."
"There's a buzz going around that the host for this tournament is someone with a lot of money, like you said Eric, and a big ego." Mai's point made sense. I mean, someone had to be full of themselves to actually throw a tournament involving the large amount of people. How could they pull it off? That's a lot of paperwork on all the duelists and a large area to cover for holding the tournament.
Yami shrugged swiftly. "Who do we know of that fits the description?" he asked.
Everyone was just starting to think of some people when a huge gust of wind rushed in from above. It blew our coat collars into our faces and the hems of our shirts into our hips, and when we looked up to find the source of the strong winds, we were met with the fast whirling blades of a helicopter descending. Someone was standing on the skids of the chopper and I could distinctly make out two familiar looking letters near the tail.
KC
"You guys!" I shouted over the winds. "That's Kaiba's helicopter!"
And to make everything piece together, we noticed that the man on the helicopter skids was no other than Seto Kaiba himself. He wasn't wearing his usual purple trench coat; it was replaced with a white one, that I'll have to say, actually looks much more incredibly awesome on him. XD His striking figure totally dominated the stars above and the scene he created.
Speaking of dominating, the CEO's face appeared onto every television screen on the sides of the buildings. His hair whipped around his face and his eyes looked even more cerulean from the last time we saw him. They also held a sort of determination, like nothing would stand in his way. But from what this time?
"Duelists!" he cried in an announcement. "Welcome to Battle City!"
So the tournament has begun. Everyone in the square cheered at the sight of him, knowing instantly that if he truly was the host for this new tournament, then of course it was going to be epic.
Author's Note: *hits herself over the head with a book* I'm so sorry it took so long, and I'm so sorry if it was bad. :( Reviews are still appreciated though. Even if it's criticism, but lately...I haven't been feeling so well...I'm pretty sure it affected me while I was writing up this chapter. Thanks again everyone!