Vile: Well, here's Chapter 8, one of two chapters you guys have been waiting for!

Yuma: TWO chapters? What do you mean?

Vile: Well... for lack of spoilers, let's just say that things don't go fully according to plan.

Yuma: Okay...?

Vile: Don't worry! Things will be great by the end, trust me.

Akari: I hope so. Disclaimer's on the first page, everyone.

Vile: Thank you, Akari. Since I don't have to waste my breath, let's get going!

39 & 13 means Love

Chapter 8

Yuma didn't even know how to react at what the Number had said, so he just stood there. His head was running like mad. 'Was Number 13 referring to how Kotori felt about me? Was she hinting that she liked me?' "Kotori… what was Number 13 talking about? What did you want to tell me?"

Kotori couldn't hide it anymore. She had to tell him. "Astral, could you let us have some time alone?" Astral was confused, but agreed, dissipating back into the Emperor's Key. Kotori let out a breath, but couldn't bring herself to look at him. "Yuma… I've known you for years, and you were one of my first friends. But over time… my thoughts about you changed..." She got enough courage to look him in the eye, her heart beating fast. "Yuma, I love you. I've loved you for a long time. During our Duel, I was scared that I was going to let you down, but you kept encouraging me to go on, and it was because of my move that we won. Empress Love told me to have enough courage to tell her this, and I did. That's why she took such a form. Hope looks sort of like you. Didn't you see how she looked sort of like me?" Yuma remembered the look the female Number, specifically the head. The design of her helmet resembled Kotori's hairstyle if she wasn't wearing her ribbon, but her eyes were the most striking: they were the same hazel color with the same lashes. If Love wasn't in an adult form, Yuma might've mistook her for Kotori. "She took that form to emulate us. Hope is an emperor, Love is an Empress… they belong together. And the name she took, Devoted Empress Love, explains how I feel: I always want to stand by you, I feel like I belong with you… I love you so much." Kotori closed her eyes and breathed, happy she finally got it out, but worried about how Yuma felt.

Yuma, although his face didn't show it, was happier than he had ever been. All the times his Kattobingu came out stopped short of this. Kotori not only liked him, she LOVED him! His own heart beat fiercely, and a smile came on his face. It was clear to him that he didn't just like her now. "Kotori…" He said softly, grabbing her hands with his own. Kotori was surprised, and looked up at him, his red eyes staring back at her hazel eyes. "You don't know how much I've wanted to hear that. I love you too, Kotori." She could see the happiness in his eyes, and the way he said her name… there was no mistaking it. He DID love her back. Kotori smiled back at him, a few tears of joy in her eyes.

Cathy was fuming at the sight in front of her. "How dare she… Yuma is mine…!"

"Then stop stalling, girl…" The voice near her growled. "Make sure she knows who Yuma and Hope belong to!" Cathy slowly began to walk over to them.

"Yuma…" Kotori sighed, knowing exactly how he felt now. Then, without realizing it, she slowly closed her eyes and leaned in towards him. Yuma took the notion and slowly moved forward to meet her, his eyes also closing. They could feel each other's soft breaths as they got closer. Their lips were about to touch, when…

"Don't… you… dare!" A shrill shriek rang out. Yuma and Kotori quickly snapped back to reality at the sound of the voice. They turned and saw a seething Cathy stalking towards them. She was letting out a constant cat-like hissing sound.

"Cat-chan?" Yuma asked, surprised. "Is something wrong?" Astral materialized from the Emperor's Key.

Cathy ignored him and look right at Kotori. "Get away from Yuma! He's mine!"

Kotori's eyes widened, then she glared back. But before she could say anything, Yuma cut in. "What are you talking about, Cat-chan?"

"You didn't know that I loved you too, Yuma?" Cathy said, her face becoming an innocent smile, and her voice softening as she was talking to Yuma. "Didn't you pick up on all my hints back when we Dueled?"

"Huh?" Yuma was confused, but then he thought back to that day. All the cutesy phrases she kept saying to him that he thought made no sense kept replaying. Then it hit him. The person she couldn't face was him! He slapped himself.

"Now do you see, Yuma?" Cathy said innocently. Kotori had to hold herself back from jumping her and knocking her out.

"I do now! Why didn't you just say it back then?"

"I tried to… but that lovely Kattobingu spirit kept interrupting me." Cathy let out a forlorn sigh.

Yuma just looked at her. "Okay… but I have a new question now: What made you think I even liked you like that?" Cathy was snapped out of her dreamy expression. "I know we're friends and all, and I like your Dueling skills, but I still barely even know you! Not to mention you sometimes follow me everywhere. I've noticed you a few times. It's just… creepy."

Cathy let out a huff. "Then what about her? What does she have that I don't?"

"Well… I've known Kotori for years, so I know a lot more about her. She's a nice person to be around, she's really smart, and she just proved herself as a really strong Duelist." Kotori blushed at his comments. He looked at her. "Not to mention she's the cutest girl I've ever seen."

"Yuma…" Kotori breathed, burying herself in his shoulder to conceal her blush.

Yuma smiled, but dropped it as he looked back at Cathy. "You're cute too, Cat-chan, but I just can't see us as more than friends. I'm sorry."

Cathy's eye twitched. How could Yuma say such things? Fueled by the mysterious entity, she glared at Kotori. "What lies did you put in his head, Greenie?"

Kotori snapped up and faced her. "I didn't do anything to him! I know you less than he does!"

"Liar!" Cathy snapped. The dark aura around her began swirling. "You're trying to steal him from me! I won't let it happen!"

"He doesn't like you like that, Cat-chan! Wake up!" Kotori shot back, worried about how crazy her friend was becoming.

"You're lying… I'm the one he loves… he's only saying he loves you because you're around."

Yuma stepped forward. "Knock it off, Cat-chan! That's not true! You sound like you're obsessed with me!"

"Yuma! Kotori!" Astral warned. Yuma looked at him. "Her arm!" Yuma and Kotori looked at Cathy's right arm and noticed something. There, glowing on her right forearm, was a purple number "90."

"Numbers!" He exclaimed.

"No wonder she's acting this way!" Kotori realized.

Cathy panted from the aura's power. "I'm not letting you go, Yuma. I'll make you mine even if I have to drag you!"

Something in Kotori snapped, and she glared at the cat-haired girl. "Yuma… Let me handle this." She said with a determined tone, pulling off her ribbon and throwing it aside, letting the left side of her hair down. She was serious about this. Yuma couldn't help but think she looked better with her hair down. She stepped out in front of him. "Look, Cat-chan, let's settle this the right way. Duel me. Winner gets Yuma as their boyfriend. Deal?"

"Fine." Cathy agreed, licking her lips.

"Are you serious, Kotori?" Yuma sputtered in shock.

Kotori looked back at him. "Don't worry, Yuma. I'll be fine." She gave him a big kiss on the cheek, then stepped toward Cathy for the Duel. Yuma felt where she had kissed him, blushing madly and smiling like an idiot. Cathy glared at the sight.

Yuma, however, wasn't fully okay with letting her Duel Cathy alone with a Number under Cathy's control. "Astral." The spirit listened. "I want you to help out Kotori. Give her access to Number 13: Devoted Empress Love so she can have a chance at defeating Cat-chan's Number."

Astral nodded. "She must retrieve that Number for your friend to return to normal. However, I have an addition to this plan." Astral confided a plan to Yuma in secret. When he was finished, Yuma readily agreed to his plan.

"Let's go!" Kotori declared. "Duel Disk, set! D-Gazer, set!" Her equipments appears in their respective positions, as did Cathy's.

"ESTABLISHING LINK BETWEEN A AND B." The voice from the Duel System said, both of their D-Gazers along with Yuma's glowing. "AR VISION, LINK ESTABLISHED." The area around them began to warp into the augmented reality.

"DUEL!"

Vile: Aw, heck! Kotori and Cathy ended up in a Duelist's catfight! No pun intended.

Kotori: Why did Cat-chan have to ruin me and Yuma's moment? I was so close to kissing him!

Yuma: *blushes madly*

Vile: You'll get that opportunity. I promise you. Sorry if any viewers were dissapointed, but I'll get to the scene you want, don't worry! Keep leaving reviews, and I'll have the scene up within a few days! Adios for now!

Computer Voice: Vile, logging out.