Wow! i haven't updated this fic in months! so sorry to all my fans! :D

Chapter 8:The First Cut

Kagome was sitting with the girls after Yugi's duel. Each of them were sprawled out in random areas of the room talking about this and that.

"I think that Yugi is a magnet for trouble. If anything, he just needs to lay low for a few years so someone else can take the title...Or, he should just lose on purpose." Kagome said.

"Yeah, but the problem is, if he was to lose on purpose back with Pegasus, he would have been brainwashed or had his mind crushed, if he did it with Duke, he would have lost his millenium puzzle, and if he does it here, Marik will take over the world and kill us." Tea said ticking off all of their encounters.

"Wow. I shouldn't talk anyway. I'm always in some kind of danger." the girls nodded. Kagome couldn't hold it in any longer and told them all about her journey to the past and the tale of the Shikon. Mai wanated to kick Inuyasha and Kikyo's ass but since that was impossible she had to settle with cursing his name.

"The Shikon Miko...it comes with a lot of danger and responsibility. I was hoping when I returned that I could live a normal life but I couldn't. After my Haha-ue died, I started to drop out of school, but I remembered that my mom would have been dissapointed in me if I did. So, I went to school in the day time, came home and tended to Souta. After he was settled for the night I'd tun on the security system, place a barrier around the shrine and go to work. I worked two jobs between 9 p.m.-4 a.m. Cleaning buildings and homes. After that i went home, take a shower, fall asleep, wake up at 7 to get him up and the both of us ready for school.

"I actually got seriously ill with fever from my exaushtion. I was at work cleaning a chandelier when I fell of the ladder, but I was caught. Turns out that the building I was cleaning belonged to Kouga who told Sesshomaru on me. Someone had to make ends meet and it couldn't be Souta. I never wanted to take the place of my mother in his heart, but I never did have proper time to grieve. He used to take out his anger on me and I would just let him. He was as hurt as I was and so I let him vent. There were times when the two of us got along great but every now and again he would remind me about how our mother died and it would hurt a little more than the last time.

"He would apologize after the fact, but it still hurt. I worked so hard to make sure that he still had everything he needed. I went to every game he had, whether if I was sick or not. It didn't help that i was draining my powers by putting up those barriers every night."

"Kagome you mean to tell me that you were working while you were sick? Thats dangerous!" Serenity scolded. "I know it was. Sesshomaru wanted to strangle me when he found out. I was horrible looking. I lost alot of weight, i had migraines for days, and I looked like a blue eyed tanuki." Kagome said with a sigh.

"And souta never pitched in? He was the man of the house." Mai asked with a scowl on her face. Kagome looked at her and smiled. "No. I never let him know how i felt. It wouldn't matter. in fact I know that he blames me for out mothers death. He just never said it yet. I'm not going to let him beat me today because of the danger surronding this tournament. I don't care if he ends up hating me for crushing his chance at the top. Marik is here, on this blimp and there will be no way for me to save him. It would kill me to see him get hurt."

Mai and Tea looked at each other then back to Kagome. "What about Kaiba? What if you end up getting hurt instead?" Serenity asked.

Kagome laughed.

and laughed.

"Oh please! Don't you remeber what I just told you guys? I've been kidnapped, swallowed, mind controled, had my soul sucked out of me countless times. I got shot by and arrow, almost melted by lava and then some. This wouldn't be any different then being back in the Fedual Era. In fact, I expect to be injured in some kind of way." she said with a shrug.

"How can you be so nonchalant with your health?" Tea asked.

"Hey, what can I say. The day I was born came with lots of complications. I'm not a magnet for trouble. I am trouble." Kagome said cracking her fingers. "Now, who wants to get their butts kicked in Soul Caliber?" she said with a bright smile. Not realizing that someone was listening in on their conversation.

Yugi was sitting in his room, setting up his deck when the spirit in the millenum puzzle started speaking to him.

"Aibou, I sense great evil surronding this tournament."

"I did too. Something isn't right. I'm also worried about Kagome. Why would Marik be after her?" Yugi asked him.

"I don't know. There is an ancient power surronding that girl. Her aura is calming and there is an aged wisdom in her eyes. it feels like I know her...i just can't place it."

Yugi shrugged.

"So your name is Souta?" Souta looked up to see the Egyptian kid from...Egypt...standing right behind him. A golden staff in his hand.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing. Just wondering what you have against your sister. I saw you glaring at her. She's a very kind and gentle soul. She reminds me of my mother. I wish I had someone like that as my sister while growing up."

"You wouldn't want that emotional train wreck as your sister. Trust me."

"Actually I would." Souta looked at him with a surprised look. The rod flashed and Souta's eyes went blank.

"My sister follows our traditions down to a tee. In fact, the only reason why she is here right now is because participting in competions like this is against the laws of our traditions. While growing up, i was forced to carry on the legacy in the worst ways. I was treated harshly, forced to study all day and night. The only person that ever fought for me, was my brother Odion. He took beatings for me, he argued with our father. He ever tried to take on the family burden but he couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because that responsibility is give only to the first born son." Souta didn't understand what he mean at first but then it registered. "He's adopted...but what about your sister?"

"She was like a ghost. She took up the burden of playing mother since ours died a few ears after I was born. Since our mother passed, she also had to take up the burden of keeping the traditions of the females alive. She never paid attention to me and stood up for me once. She kept to herself alot and could careless wheter if I accomplished anything. Her smiles were fake and filled with no warmth or reassuraance(1a).

"I got to see first hand that your sister wears her emotions on her sleeve. I never met someone so fiercely protective and outspoken since such things are forbidden and she would be banished back where I'm from (1b)" Namu said.

Souta looked at him and scowled.

"My sister. She's so different. I never understood how people were drawn to her all the time. She's sloppy and clumsy. She forgets about her health sometimes and goes running off with out taking her medicine. She doesn't spend time with me like she used to, ever since we moved here. She's bossy and she acts like my motherwhen she's not. She's also extremly protective. I can't do anything on my own."

Namu frowned.

"I think those are silly reasons to be angry at her."

"Whatever. My mother was asking us what we wanted for dinner and at the time we were arguing over something petty. I wanted Udon since we had all the ingredients at home and she wouldn't have to travel to the grocery store. My sister wanted Oden. Seriously who eats Oden in the summer (2)? Anyway, my sister got her way and my mom left and didn't tell her goodbye. Right after that, a few hours later she was struck by a drunk driver in broad daylight. Why couldn't she just eat the Udon...she knows how much this means to me."

Namu just shook his head.

'Really? This kid has some serious issues. I don't even know why she wasted her time with this kid. He's such a brat.' he thought.

There was no place in his new world for people like him. But he needed him in order to break down the barriers of Kagome's mind. Her mind is heavily guarded, but just like when he had he last time, when she's in pain (physically or mentally) she could be taken over just enough to be put to sleep.

'But if I break her down completely I will be able shatter her mind sending her into a deep sleep until this tournament is over. Once I have all three Egyptian God cards and the Pharaoh's millenium puzzle, I will retrieve her mind from the shadow realm and have her at my side.' he thought to himself, holding the millenium ring towards him. 'I will use this just in time to reveal this boys true feelings towards his sister.

And there's nothing sweeter than the sound of a broken heart.

Kaiba was sprawled out on his bed. Lately, he's been having dreams of Kagome disappearing. Each time he dreamed, she was either killed, kidnapped or just vanished. Fighting to stay awake, he heard a small knock on his door and he called out to whoever it was.

The door opened slowly, and Kagome walked in.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you preparing for your duel." Kaiba asked her sitting up.

"Yeah. You should be too, but it looks like you were taking a nap." He wished.

Kagome crawled on the bed and laid her head on his chest. Kaiba wrapped his arms around her and she cuddled against him.

"I had a dream that you were taken away from me."

Kagome frowned and Kaiba felt the sudden change in her mood.

"You're hiding something from me...why?"

Kagome sighed.

"You don't believe in magic or hocus pocus. Trust me when I tell you that I didn't believe in it myself but my mother told me I was born with it, and I found out first hand when...well...you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"So, your telling me you actually think that this whole Egyptian thing is true."

"That's just it. I KNOW it's true. Kaiba, denial isn't just a river in Egypt. Mind control, Mokuba getting kidnapped, I was kidnapped too. I saw the evil in work. Marik is real, you can't make stuff like this up. I mean, come on! What about Yugi and Bakura. You have seen them in their other forms many times. I know you can feel the evil all around you right now. You CAN'T be this dense."

Kaiba stared down at her and snorted.

Kagome sighed and took off her top. Kaiba looked on with intrest.

"Don't even think like that. I want to show you something." Kagome turned around to show her back. Kaiba noted that she had jagged scars all over it. Like she was attacked by a bear. Then she turned to the side and Kaiba stared in wonder at her star shaped scar.

"Where did you get these scars from?"

So Kagome told him the story of her journeys of the past. During the tale, Kagome watched his face go from disbelief, to shocked, to annoyed and disgusted. From there, it turned amused and then severly pissed.

"What happened in the end?" he asked.

"We won and I was sent back to the future."

"I don't know if I can believe this either. Are you telling me that a jewel can grant wishes? I thought it had to be a genie? And if that is the case where is the jewel?"

Kagome pointed to her neck and Kaiba glanced at the pale pink jewel that hung there.

"So you mean to tell me that you walk around all day, with this insanely powerful gem hanging from around your neck?"

"Seto, I wasn't pointing at the jewel. When the wish was made, the spirits of the jewel shot into my body and were purfied. Afterwards, the jewel went into my heart and shot out this jewel. I AM the shikon jewel." she said. "However, this shell is still powerful. Years of taint and purity won't disperse after one day. There's still strong magic on this shell and i'm protecting it."

Kaiba looked at her.

And she looked back at him.

"I'm not sure what to believe..." Kagome face palmed herself. "OH COME ON! HERE!"

Kagome snapped the shell off her neck and placed it in his hands. The pale pink started to darken on one side. After a minute, a complete half of the jewel turned a dark lilac color.

"Now give it back." when he did the jewel flashed pink and returned to its pale pink color.

"You have taint in your heart. I was able to look into your memories by you touching that jewel. I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for. He was a terrible man, and they were a terrible family." Kaiba said getting up.

"Do you believe me?" Kagome asked.

"I do. Maybe not the other's but i believe you." he told her, grabbing her hand.

Kagome smiled and placed the shell in his hands. "You were worried about me dissapearing. Hold on to this." The jewel flashed a light blue, then white. Kaiba stared in awe as the jewel turned from its pale pink color into a light periwinkle color.

"This jewel now harbors a small piece of my essence. You can use this to contact me. Where ever I am, and where ever I go. You have to protect this though. If this lands into the wrong hands, and gets more than halfway tainted, I can be corrupted and a lot of bad things COULD happen. but I have faith in you." and she kissed him.

"Stay with me." Kaiba asked her hugging her to him.

"Everything happens for a reason. If something did happen to me, just know that I...I love you Seto." Kagome said, her cheeks turning a vibrant red.

Kaiba just hugged her harder.

"I won't let anything happen to you." he vowed.

Kagome chuckled. "No Seto. I won't let anything happen to YOU. If anything happens, I want you to promise me to be careful." she said wrapping her arms around his waist. A large wave of ancient evil washed over her, and she shivered.

'I won't let another person I love get hurt.' a knock on the door caused the two of them to pull apart.

"SETO WE HAVE TROUBLE!" Mokuba yelled from the other side of the door.

"I'm so sorry to pull you away. I didn't know the two of you were in there talking. But seriously, you two missed IT! Okay, so Joey and that Marik guy who Nee-chan said isn't Marik were dueling when all of a sudden, BAM! He decided to summon some card that was so powerful, it struck both of them. Then that Namu guy started screaming and then he warped into some evil looking guy with ferocious hair. So, it turns out that Namu is really Marik and he has a golden thingy like Yugi and the white hair kid." If the situation wasn't serious Kaogme would have laughed.

Mokuba was horrible at recaping events.

"It's time for your duel now Nee-chan." Mokuba said.

Kagome nodded. "I'm going to change. See you."

"Will the next two duelist please step up on the platform."

Souta walked on to the stage looking confident and cocky at the same time.

"Where is Kagome?"

"I'm here." everyone turned to see Kagome heading in their direction.

Joey couldn't stop the whistle he let out and Mai hit him.

Kagome was dressed in a sleevelss Egyptian styled dress that stretched to the ground and had a spilit on both sides that reached her uper thigh. Her long was blowing in the slight evening breeze. Around her waist was two golden chains that hung down her leg. Her feet were bare and had two ankelts on each foot. Each arm had several golden bracelts on them and her left middle finger had a golden ring on it. Around her neck was a thick golden necklace that had small citrne and topaz gems on them.

"Where does she get these outfits from?" Serenity asked.

"Well other then the one that you saw her in at the docks, she actually makes these."Tea whispered.

"She's stunning." they heard someone whispered. they looked around and couldn't pin point the location of the voice.

Down in the control room, Kaiba was glaring at Mokuba who was chuckling nervously. "I didn't know i pushed the mic button."

"Let the Duel beign."

Souta drew his cards. " I set one card face down in defense mode on to the field. Also, I activate the magic card Dian Keato to boost my LP to 9000(3). Next i activate the magic card Tribute of the Dead. With this card I will be able to summon Curse of A thousand Fiends(XXX/XXX) after taking damage 5 times. With that I end my turn." Souta said.

Kagome chuckled. "Oh you are too predicatble. I saw you use this same combo against Mokuba. I bet you expect me to attack you facedown monster which will end up being Fallen Warrior (1900/2000) which lets you draw three cards and causes the monster in question to flip to attack mode and since I can't take back my attack I will lose a monster and this would count as a turn.

"However if I destroy both your monster and magic card I eliminate any chance at aiding in your success. With that said, I activate the magic card Mystical Space Typhoon." Souta grinned. "I guess you forgot that Tribute of the Deadcannot be destroyed and returns after one turn."

"No. I didn't forget. Next i summon Tsubaki the Snake Charmer (1900/2000)." Yugi and the others looked on in surprise as the card appeared on the field. The card was a woman with snakes wrapped around her entire body like a dress and carried a long flute. "Tsubaki, attack his face down card." Tsubaki charged and stabbed her flute into the card causing a shrill sound to errupt from it. Souta's card formed into a bloody warrior who slashed at Tsubaki but since they both had the same attack points both cards were destroyed.

"Aha. so it IS that card. Well, tough." Kagome said.

Souta smirked but then relized that his duel disk wasn't responding.

"Oh yeah, glad you noticed. Tsubaki instantly cancels out any effect from a facedown effect monster, so no extra cards for you." Kagome teased. Souta glared.

"Next i'm going to set two more cards on the field and I end my turn." Souta drew a cad and smiled. "I activate Graceful Charity and then Pot of Greed." as he fiddled with his cards Kagome just waited patiently. "Your going to love this move. I am place one card in defense mode, ending my turn." Kagome frowned.

"You know what, you are going to drag this duel into the ground and I tire of this. Really I am. Now you can keep playing little games, but what you need to do is stop making these kiddie mistakes and horrible plays and just get on with it. You are depending to much on defense and it gives me a great opportunity to destroy it." Kagome said rolling her eyes.

Souta eyes widened and tears actually started to well up in his eyes at her mean words.

"Where are these cards from?"

"These are special cards created for the friends of the Duel Card company. They aren't allowed to be used unless the other duelist also have a couple of custom cards. The other cards are from the "junk" group."

"Junk?" Mokuba asked.

"Before the cards we know now, there was a set of cards that were to powerful to be used. They were scrapped immedietly, but last year the ban on these cards were lifted. It seems that the two of them have everyone of them."

Kagome was down to 6000 LP and Siuta to 4500. Kagome now had Gemini Elf and Yorse Raider in attack mode on the field. Souta had Curse of Dragon, Jinzo, in attack mode and Mystical Elf in defense mode.

"So it seeems that I got you in a bind. You never really use magic cards, and since your main counter so far was Trap cards, there isn't much you can do." Souta said after attacking her Elf and Raider lowering her LP to 2200.

Kagome laughed again.

"Souta, this duel is already over." Souta flinched at the cold tone coming from her.

"You see, you tried to study all of my cards and all of my techniques but you never seen me use the same deck twice, nor have you seen my real deck since I switch often. With this particular deck that I am using tonigt, I have mostly magic cards with a couple of Trap cards. I have 8 cards in my hand and with these cards plus the two more I gain by using Pot of Greed, I will end this duel." Kagome drew her cards.

"I activate the magic card Raigeki to get rid of all your monsters. Then I activte Harpies Feather Duster to destroy all of your magic/trap cards on the field."

Souta could feel a heavyness in his chest as his field was wiped clean with two cards. How could he have made such an error?

Next I activate Angelic Sanctum. After sacricing two light creatures from either my hand or my deck i can summon my Priestess of Heaven. I offer my Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon and Dunames Dark Witch for that. Now I have three cards. Come forth my Priestess!" Kagome shouted. Just as she said that lightning stuck the middle of the platform causing the blimp to shake. The lightning then stretched open like a void and a bright figure emerged from the darkness. Large white wings shot open and the figure took to thhe sky causing the entire area to turn into white clouds and a cream colored sky with a large golden gate surronding the platform.

The creature landed on tips of her toes back onto the platform. Everyone looked on in awe as Souta felt his cards slip out of his hands.

"Souta, I told you that I would not let you win this duel. I never wanted to hurt you but I refuse to let you proceed in this tornament and get hurt. Especially if you were to face Marik at the skill level you are up to. I only ask that you forgive me. I only do this to protect you."

"Sugoi! The strength of the card is causing some of our equipment to fail."

"Mokuba. I want you to draw a lesson to what Kagome is teaching Souta. I will 10x more brutal than she is in a duel so you need to improve before you challenge me."

Mokuba gulped and turned back to the screen. He felt sorry for his friend but Kagome was AWESOME!

Yugi and the others took in the beauty of Kagome''s card.

The priest had long shimmering silver hair like clouds with large billowing winds that glowed with the colors of the rainbow. She was wearing a roman tunic dress with slits going up to her hips. Down her arms and legs was some kind of ancient language characters. In her hand she held a long silver staff tbat doubled as a bow. On the top of the staff was a rainbow orb that swirled the various colors of the rainbow like her wings. The prietess also had bright green eyes and the Kanji for heaven in between the split of her bangs (4).

"As you can see, my priestess only had 2000 LP but she gains 500 for every light monster on the fiels. Right now I have none, so i activate the magic card, Tribute Descent which allows me to bring back a monster, regardless of its type back from the graveyard. So welcome back my Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

"My final card is a favorite of mine. it's called Angelic Requiem. With this card, all winged or light monsters gain 500 attack points but if a monster is a combination of both types they gain 1000 more. Now my Priestess has 4000 and my dragon has 6000 ATK. I will show you why I am the true undefeated champion. My Priestess attack him directly!" the angel nodded and flew at Souta attacking him with her staff. Feathers surronded him as he fell on his knees. "Now my dragon, finish this duel!" the blast from the dragon sent Souta flying on his back.

"This duel is over. Kagome Higurashi advances."

There was no applause as Kagome walked over to Souta and held out a hand to help him up but he slapped it away. Souta sat up and glared at Kagome who flinched.

" I don't need your help. I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! Your always babying me and trying to be like mom but you never will be mom. I wish you had went to the store that day instead of mom. She'd still be alive and you woudln't. I wish you never came back from the past becasuse maybe if you didn't we would never of had that argument and she wouldn't of went out that day if you didn't beg for ODEN! I wish you would just dissapear forever or just leave me alone!"

During his rant Kagome felt tears run down her face.

He finally said it.

And she felt her heart break.

But before she could retort or even sob, Kagome's eyes widend and then her eyes went completely blank, losing all of its shine. They were dull and blank.

"I thank you." everyone turned to see Marik holding his millenium rod (5) at Kagome as well as Bakura's Millenium ring (6). "Marik! what are you doing to her?" the now transformed Yugi shouted.

"Well Pharoh, with someone so pure of heart, mind, and soul as this one, she would make a perfect queen for my new world. I just needed to penetrate all of that good and then she'd be mine. Her heart is her weakest point and nothing would break her heart then having the little brother she worked, and i quote, "two jobs" for, tell her he hates her. Why, that would just break...her...heart." he said grinning. The rod and ring flashed and Kagome screamed and then fell to the ground in a dead faint.

Marik walked away as everyone rushed to the platform, but before he vanished completely he called out to Souta.

"Before i forget, her mind is somewhere locked up in the shadow realm until I retrieve her. You wished that she would dissapear, or that she would die? Here's your wish."

"Kagome! KAGOME!" Mai cried shaking the paleing girl. Tea started crying and Tristan had to take Tea away from Kagome's body. Serenity lifted Kagome's head into her lap and gently slapped her cheeks, if not to wake her then she did it to try and bring some color back into her skin.

Mai sprang up and slapped Souta as Serenity bust into tears pleading for Kagome to wake up. "Wake up! Kagome come on, your not done. He didn't mean it, he is just upset." Serenity started crying even harder and started to frantically swat her cheek.

"You little bastard!"

"Mai don't!" Joey yelled holding her away from the frightned child.

"How could you wish something so horrible agaisnt such an innocent being like her. Your own sister. All she wanted to do was protect you from the danger you refused to acknoledge. The whole time she was working herself to death durng those two jobs, you should of stepped up and acted like that man of the house. Don't you think that Kagome misses your mother more that you since the two of them have been together the longest?

"She had to hold her tears and take over and never had the proper time to mourn for her like you have. She knew that she could never replace your mom but only wanted you to know that you were loved and cared for. What did you do for Kagome when she was ill? Oh thats right, you never knew that she was ill becasue she covered it up. If Sesshomaru didn't show up that day, she would have ended up dying.

"Now Marik, the evil she wanted to protect you from got what he wanted. Now she she might never wake up!" Mai yelled tears running down her face. She turned away and stormed off the platform. Joey took Kagome from Serenity and carried her to the entry way just as Kaiba arrived and took her away from him. Mokuba glared at his friend, tears threatening to fall. "I can't believe you. We can't be friends anymore." and he turned away following the others.

and thats end for this chapter.

okay side corner!

1.(a) I was rethinking that part because Ishizu isn't exactly the most warm person although she is gentle. Odion was more of his protector than she was and did try and take up the burden so he wouldn't have to suffer which i thought was so damn sweet.

(b) Permentioned, They are from Egypt and one of the top religions there is Islam. Females must remain honorable, pure, and righteous. Mouthing off (Which is a habit i can't break, and neither can Kagome -which lands her into a heap of trouble) is a HUGE NO-NO! there is a story behind that and if you want a bigger insight read the first 4 pages of Midnight by Sister Souljah. (my story is a bit more detailed on what was said. lol, if you actually want to know it you can pm me and i will tell you what happened :)

2. From what i was told, Oden, all though prepared all year around, is traditionally a winter dish.

3. I used the life point system from the game because i think that in the anime it was 4000 but then that would be a quick duel, now wouldn't it?

4. Like Sesshomaru and Sailor moon have their cresent moons at, that's where the Kanji is.

5. Every time i typed that sentence my perverted mind kept typing in long rod, or golden rod, and at one point shaft (you damn right) so i had to put that to save some of my purity (*cough)

6. Okay, i know that sometime after Marik's transformation, Marik and Yami Bakura dueled and Yami Bakura lost so then Marik was in posession of the Millenium...i just moved it.

Also, as a insider, i keep dodging the explination of the final battle because i'm waiting for a good idea to hit me.