Last time Will introduced to her friends her cousin Jaden Yuki. Apparently Will told Jaden about everything she and her fellow Guardians have done, while Jaden has told Will everything he has done while at Duel Academy. Also, Cornelia knows quite a bit about Duel Monsters. Just as Jaden was getting to know everyone, Nerissa reappeared from the dead, along with another enemy of the Guardians; Pai-Mey Matoya. On with the show!
Chapter 2: A Dish Best Served Cold
"You sent me to hell Will Vandom!" exclaimed the former Empress of the Naz'riak demons, "I'm here to repay the favor!" "Could someone please tell me what's going on here?" asked Jaden. "It's a long story," said Will, "So here's the short version: 40 years ago Nerissa was Keeper of the Heart of Candracar. She, along with her fellow Guardians; Kadma, Cassidy, Halinor and Yan Lin were responsible for maintaining peace and harmony in the many universes.
"One day Nerissa went insane, she started using the crystal for personal gain more and more. The Oracle and the rest of the Council of Candracar ordered Nerissa to hand over the crystal to Cassidy. Nerissa didn't like this, so she murdered Cassidy and took The Heart. Yan Lin, Kadma and Halinor managed to stop Nerissa and lock her up, but she escaped."
"She spent several years in hiding on planet Metamore," continued Caleb, "Where she met and seduced my father." "I loved your fater!" exclaimed Nerissa. "You don't know the meaning of the word!" exclaimed Caleb, "As far as I'm concerned I have no mother!" "Could we get a move on here," said Pai-Mey in a bored tone, "I haven't got all day."
"As I was saying," said Caleb, "Nerissa manipulated all of us in her schemes for universal domination. First she supposedly aided us to bring down Phobos. Then she drafted several of Phobos's minions for her own army. That didn't work out. So she created new minions."
"And in the process," said Matt, "She brainwashed me into hurting the ones I care about." "It's a shame really," said Nerissa, "You had such potential." "Moving on," said Cornelia, "She brainwashed her former friends into joining her. Finally we managed to free all those who were brainwashed, and killed her in the process."
"It's true," said Nerissa, "You Guardians killed me, yet here I am." "What about the other one," said Jaden, "The one with the red arm?" "That," said Will, "Is Pai-Mey Matoya, also known as The Empress to her minions. She was once a ninja, and she was, and still is addicted to killing. She was sentenced to life imprisonment for studying forbidden ninja arts. She ran of course."
"And for 100 years," interrupted Pai-Mey, "I did the glorious work of The God Hand. I was to be rewarded with ultimate power: Power to create, power to destroy Power to give life, and power to take it away." "Fortunately we stopped her from sacrificing the children of Metamore," said Taranee, "And we also cut off her arm in the process."
"No that was Naruto's part," said Cornelia. "Speaking of lost arms," said Matt as he scratched the back of his neck, "How did you get that new arm? And how did the two of you get here?" "I can explain that," said Pai-Mey, "When you interrupted the ritual, your friend, that bastard Shinobi Naruto, cut my arm off. Then that stretchy freak of a pirate smashed my red Behelit. The God Hand was not pleased, so they summoned a vortex to their world, a world that is as close to Hell as can be.
"They were most displeased with my failure. However, a century of loyal service doesn't come without its rewards. My life was spared; I was even given a new arm." She held up her red arm for everyone to see, "It's made of the same material as a red Behelit. It isn't fully ready yet, but when it is, I shall take my revenge on 'The Village Hidden in the Leaves,' and after that, all Shinobi shall suffer my wrath!"
While Nerissa and Pai-Mey were telling their stories, Jaden was having a silent conversation with his spirit guide, Winged Kuribo. "I know Winged Kuribo," said Jaden to his transparent friend, "They give me the creeps as well." All this time Taranee has sent a telepathic message to Irma and Hay Lin to 'get over here pronto!' then she mentally told Will that the others were on their way. 'We just need to keep them talking for another 10 minutes,' said Taranee to Will and Cornelia through her mind.
"You still haven't told us how you two oddballs met," said Will. "Indeed we haven't," said Nerissa, "When you Guardians killed me, I was sent to the hellish dimension where The God Hand resides. Each day in that nightmare world was a struggle as I fought and ran from hordes of demons trying to tear me apart. Then one day I came across my new friend here. It occurred to us that we had several things in common; a lust for power, a ruthlessness for anyone who gets in our way, and an intense hatred of you Guardians."
"We struck a bargain," said Pai-Mey, "I'd help her get what she wanted, and she'd help me get what I want." "And since you already know what it is I want," said Nerissa, "Do us all a favor Will and give me the crystal before someone you care about get hurt." "That's not gonna happen!" exclaimed Matt as she scratched his neck again.
"I see your neck itches," said Pai-Mey in a mockingly sweet voice, "Could it perhaps be a rash? Or reaction to pollen?" "It's a mosquito bite," said Matt, "What's it to you?" "That's where you're wrong boy," said Pai-Mey, her voice burning with glee, "That mosquito bite isn't a bite at all. It was me shooting you with a small dart, a dart filled with a concentrated dose of extremely lethal poison!"
"What!" exclaimed Will. "Oh yes," said Pai-Mey as she grinned widely, "I always was skilled in assassination. That itch you're feeling is only the beginning; the poison has been slowly working its way to your lungs since you were injected with it. Any second now you are going to start having trouble breathing. Soon after that your lungs will be completely paralyzed; your body shall cease to function from lack of oxygen. Death is certain, that is, unless I give you the antidote, an antidote that must be injected directly into your heart within the next, oh, say five minutes."
"You god-damned psycho bitch!" exclaimed Nigel, "I ought to pummel the antidote out of you!" "By all means, pummel away," said Pai-Mey, "I couldn't stop you even if I tried. But you risk destroying the syringe carrying the antidote in the process." By now Matt was indeed breathing hard. Seeing this, Will glared at Nerissa and said, "What do you want?"
"A trade," said Nerissa, "Give me The Heart of Candracar, and I promise you my associate shall deliver the antidote." "Don't do it!" gasped Matt, "Don't give her the crystal! I'm not worth it!" "I beg to differ," said Pai-Mey, "I believe you are worth ten Hearts of Candracar to her. So what's it going to be Will? Remember, you have less than five minutes, Tick-tock! Tick-tock!" "There has to be another way," said Taranee, "there's got to be more than one antidote." "There is," said Pai-Mey, "But I doubt you have time to research it and find it."
"No," gasped Matt, "Don't do it! You know what'll happen if she gets the crystal." Will kept shifting her gaze from the crystal to Matt and back. "Don't do it Will!" exclaimed Cornelia. "How do you know you'll give me the antidote if I give you the crystal?" asked Will. "You have my word as a former Guardian," said Nerissa, "Once I have The Heart of Candracar in my hands, you shall have the antidote."
"How do we know you'll keep your word, mother?" asked Caleb. "My word is my bond Caleb," said Nerissa, "I may be a murderer, a manipulator and a thief, but I always keep my word." Will knew she had only seconds to make up her mind, Matt's breathing was growing shallower with every passing second. Walking over to her nemesis, Will handed The Heart of Candracar to Nerissa.
"Thank you!" said Nerissa, she sounding as if this was the happiest moment in her life, "I've waited so long to have the crystal back again. You can give her the antidote now, Pai-Mey." "No," said Pai-Mey, her arms folded across her chest, "I think not." "Oh crap," gasped Matt, "I'm dead!" "I knew she couldn't be trusted!" exclaimed Nigel.
"I'm sorry Pai-Mey," said Nerissa, "But I don't believe I heard you correctly." "You heard what I said," said Pai-Mey, "I'm not handing over the antidote. I want to see Will suffer as she watches the life drain from her love's eyes." "You can watch her suffer later," said Nerissa, "Now give Will the antidote." "No I wont!" exclaimed Pai-Mey.
"You shall give her the antidote!" exclaimed Nerissa, "Because if you don't and he dies, then that would have broken my word. It would make me a liar, I may be many things, but one thing I am not is a liar. Now give Will the antidote!" "Make me!" exclaimed Pai-Mey. "Very well then!" exclaimed Nerissa as she shot an energy bolt at Pai-Mey.
"Okay! Fine! I'll do it!" exclaimed Pai-Mey as she pulled out a syringe full of a green fluid, "Choke on it!" She tossed the antidote into the air. Will ran and dived to catch the syringe. She landed on the ground, scratching and bruising her arms and legs, but the syringe was still in one piece. By now Matt was barely breathing. Knelling beside him, Will ripped off Matt's shirt, raised the syringe into the air, jabbed the needle directly into Matt's heart, and pressed down on the plunger, injecting the antidote into him.
The effect was almost instantaneous; Matt's breathing grew deeper and fuller. Matt tried to speak, but was stopped by Will, "Don't say anything my love," said Will as she plastered Matt's face with kisses, "You're going to be okay. You're going to be okay." "Um, I hate to ruin the moment," said Jaden, "But they're gone."
True enough, Nerissa and Pai-Mey were gone, either by Folding or by teleportation. "Enjoy The Heart of Candracar while you can Nerissa," said Will out loud, "Because I'm gonna get it back. I don't know how, but I'm gonna get it back."
The end of chapter 2. Next chapter, as Irma and Hay Lin arrive on the scene, a familiar figure appears, and advised Will on the situation. See you next time!