Fair warning: this chapter gets slightly gory, but it just shows how crazy Yin can be when things get rough. Enjoy and review.
Maj sat by the mirror. Kiwi was quiet for the moment. In the silence of Draco Castle, Maj heard something. It wasn't audible to anyone, but Maj.
"Magicfire Light Sworena de-Draco Regalis."
There was no mistaking it. It was Yin's voice. Never once had she called Maj by her full name, the way to summon a dimensional guard.
Maj ran to the armory. She put on a gold dress and red breeches, gauntlets and boots of gold and a breastplate with the emblem of the Draco Regalis: a golden dragon spewing crimson fire. She hid several throwing knives in her boots and took a broadsword from its place on the wall.
As she was leaving, Maj stopped and looked at the section of the armory that held all of Yin's weapons and armor. There was a violet staff with a blue crystal orb at one end and a blade at the other. Maj took the staff and ran back into the mirror room.
Kiwi woke up and got to his feet. Maj closed the doors to the mirror room behind her and locked it. She took her key from under her dress and armor and held it out.
"Don't you dare piddle," Maj said to Kiwi.
She opened a portal and stepped into it.
There was nothing but darkness on the other side a power that made Maj shiver.
"You heard me."
Maj looked down to see Yin tied up with some sort of silver chain. She kneeled down and broke the chains.
"Thanks," said Yin, raising her head.
Maj gasped. "What happened to your eye?" she asked.
There was blood running down Yin's cheek. Her left eye appeared to be gone and a red stone was laying at Maj's foot.
"Yang, how ya holding up?" Yin asked.
Maj turned around to see Yang laying on the floor. His face was also covered in blood and two red stones laid in front of him.
"What?" asked Maj.
"Maj, it's Bane," said Yin.
"What?" she cried. "Djinni Bane? I thought he was dead."
"He's very much alive," said Yin. "Oh, meet my brother, Yang."
"I thought you were dead," said Maj, turning to Yin's twin.
"Almost," Yang said.
"What now?" asked Maj.
"Right now, I do something crazy," answered Yin.
"Cutting out our eyes wasn't crazy enough?" asked Yang.
Maj whirled around to look at Yin. "You cut your eyes out? You have lost it, Yin."
"Not yet," Yin grunted.
She picked up the dagger on the floor and raised it to her left eye socket. It was already beginning to regenerate. When it was almost complete, Yin removed it, leaving a sapphire crystal. She did this again. The third time she regenerated it fully. With her two crystals, she held them up to Yang's empty sockets.
Maj looked away as Yin replaced Yang's eyes.
"Yin, I don't think I can get them to take," he said. "I'm too weak."
"Here," said Maj. She covered Yang's eyes with her gloved hands.
There was a flash of gold light and Maj removed her hand. Yang opened his eyes. They were now a blue so dark that they looked black.
"Hopefully you have some of my power now," said Yin. "Let's get out of here."
Maj and Yin pulled Yang to his feet.
"You are not going anywhere," came Bane's voice. "I have turned this airship into a labyrinth. It will become your tomb if you do not get out in twelve hours."
"No problem," said Maj. "We'll use my key." She took it out and gave it a flick. Nothing happened. "What's going on?"
"Your keys won't work here," laughed Bane.
"Then we will find another way out," said Yin.
"Good luck," said Bane. His laughter faded.
"How hard can this be?" asked Maj.
"He's given us twelve hours," said Yang. "There is a reason for that. He created this airship and he made it so no one could escape."
"Well," said Yin with a laugh. "We have twelve hours. Let's use them."
The three of them left the room they were in and started down the corridor. The door of the room they just left slammed behind them without anyone touching it. The sound echoed and caused all three of them to jump.
Maj laughed nervously. "Just the door."
"Yeah, the door," said Yin.
"That's probably the only sound that will bring us any sort of comfort for the next twelve hours," said Yang.
"Why do you say that?" asked Yin.
Yang swallowed hard. "If I know Bane, he's going to put us through hell."
"Are you done yet?" Odd asked for the fifth time in twenty minutes.
"No, Odd," replied Jeremy, more than a little irritated. "I will tell you when I have something."
Kayla turned to Robbins. "Can I get you anything?" she asked.
"No, I'm fine," said Robbins.
Ulrich, Aelita, and Yumi were watching television and Eva was reading a magazine.
"You know, they aren't monsters," said Robbins.
"What aren't?" asked Kayla.
"The gargoyles," replied Robbins. Everyone turned their attention to Robbins. "I've known that there was something different from Hudson the day I met him. It was later that I learned that he was a gargoyle."
The seven of them exchanged looks.
"If the gargoyles are the good guys," Ulrich started.
"Then they are what is standing between XANA and the child," finished Kayla.
"We have to stop it," said Yumi.
"And we will," said Jeremy with a smile. "I just pulled up the blueprints of Xanatos Enterprises."
"You are a genius," said Odd.
"Is there anything we can use? A vent duct, a service elevator?" asked Kayla.
"Not really," said Jeremy. "There aren't many blind spots and I can't disable the security systems from here."
"Then we'll have to, Jeremy," said Aelita. "I know I can get in, but you should be able, too, with your powers."
"What about us?" asked Odd. "You can get passed anything electronic, but what if we get separated? We don't want to spook anyone too soon."
"Odd's right," said Yumi.
"Then go in through the roof," said Eva. "It's not the most ideal plan, but it's a plan. If you can't get passed security, go out a window and up."
"Okay," said Ulrich. "Jeremy and Aelita can disable the security systems when we are inside. But how do we get inside?"
"Eva?" Kayla said. "You've done stuff like this before. Any suggestions?"
"Stuff like this before?" asked Odd.
Eva shook her head. "You don't want to know. In answer to your question, Kayla, the employees have to go home at some point. We wait until the offices are empty and then there is only the security guards to worry about."
"And then what?" asked Kayla. She looked at Eva's stern face. "You can't be serious."
"Rather us or XANA," said Eva. "Which would you rather choose?"
Kayla winced and went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
"Is she going to be okay?" asked Ulrich.
"Give a few minutes," said Eva. "Kayla's never been one for fighting. The monsters are one thing. An innocent is different."
"What about you?" asked Yumi.
"I look at it the same way you do," said Eva. "For the greater good, we must do it."
"So we play the waiting game," said Ulrich.
"So you know, the gargoyles will try to stop you," said Robbins.
"Mr. Robbins, I've been hit by a car," said Eva. "It cannot be any worse than that."
"XANA cannot win," said Aelita.
"And it won't," said Eva.
They weren't sure how much time had gone by, but they knew they were running out of time. With Yang between them, Maj and Yin walked about the airship looking for an exit. It was not going so well. Every door they looked behind had either a trap or led them in circles.
"Now I see why Bane gave us twelve hours," said Yin.
"He's probably watching us," said Yang. "He's like that."
"How long has it been?" asked Maj.
"I don't know," said Yin. "It's been three hours at the very least, maybe more. We don't have any way of telling. It's not like he left us a timer."
"Haven't we been this way before?" asked Maj.
Yin looked at the wall. There was a gouge in the metal. Yin had left it to mark where they had been.
"Yes," Yang answered for Yin. Yin looked at her brother. "Yin, I carry a part of you. Two parts actually. I know what you are thinking."
Yin smiled at Yang. "Then you know what else I'm thinking."
Yang nodded.
"What?" Maj asked. "If you've forgotten, I'm not part of the whole hive mind thing you have going on."
"Bane's smart," said Yin. "How much do you want to bet that he created a labyrinth with no exit?"
"What?" Maj was horrified. "We can't escape at all?"
"I didn't say that," said Yin. "We may have to make our own exit. Instead of finding a door, let's find an exterior wall. Maj, you can sense heat. The exterior walls will be warmer than the interior, at least until the sun sets."
Maj nodded and her reptilian eyes flashed. "This way," she said, pulling Yang down a corridor.
"Yin," Yang said.
"Yes?" asked Yin, helping him.
"I'm sorry," said Yang.
"Don't be," said Yin. "Bane is to blame."
"Speaking of Bane," said Maj, "why is he here? Why not another dimension? I'm sure there are others that would fall easily."
"It's not a matter of falling easily," said Yin. "You have heard of Queen Titania of the Third Race?"
"Yes," replied Maj. "Most guards have heard the stories."
"Bane's after her grandson," said Yin.
"Grandson?" Maj repeated stupidly.
"Her grandson is one quarter fey," Yang enlightened. "And he is only an infant. If Bane gets his hands on him, he could turn the grandson into an apprentice and become invincible."
Maj turned to Yin. "That's why you ran out so quickly. You knew."
"I didn't want you to get involved," said Yin. "I knew what I was doing was going to get in trouble. Not to be mean, but you would not do well in the stockade."
"Ladies, let's discuss this later," said Yang. "We need to get out of here."
"Maj, how much power to you have?" Yin asked.
"I'm at full power," Maj replied. "Why? Do you have an idea of getting out of here?"
"No," answered Yin. She lowered Yang to the floor. "You need to heal Yang."
"What? Yin, no," Yang protested. "You need to save your strength."
"And what about you?" asked Yin. "We need all the help we can get. Why do you think I sent the LYOKO warriors ahead of us? They will protect the baby long enough from XANA until we get there to stop Bane."
"How?" asked Yang. "Seven humans and three dimensional guards are not going to be enough to stop him. I know; I've been under his control. He knows all of our moves, all of our secrets."
"Then it's time for new moves and new secrets," said Yin. "Maj, heal him now."
"But what about you?" Yang argued. "You're too weak. Those chains drained your energy."
Yin and Maj exchanged glances. Maj kneeled in front of Yang and began to heal him. Yin stood up and looked around.
"You know," Yin said, "you need to be insane to understand the insane. Being rational is not going to help us. This labyrinth, it doesn't make sense. Doors to nowhere, traps, the back to start spaces."
"What are you saying?" asked Maj.
"Let's not be rational," said Yin with a smile.
Yang got to his feet. "I'm confused."
"Good," said Yin. "I'm not."
Yin began to run down the corridor, throwing open every door she passed. Some were bricked up, some had flamethrowers behind them or shot arrows. There was one that had no trap, but led to another level of the airship. Yin entered that one with Maj and Yang on her heels. She leapt back, pushing them out the door and in the corridor.
"What was that about?" asked Maj.
"Look," said Yin.
The three of them looked around. The corridor changed before their eyes to reveal a room.
"Okay, this is odd," said Maj.
"No, it's not," said Yin. "The doors close behind us. We've been so focused on finding a way out that we never bothered to double back. I think Bane enchanted the airship to keep us from escaping using our keys, but he would have to get out some how or he would be in the same mess we are. The labyrinth is to keep us confused as we keep moving forward. When we step through the doors, the corridors change and send us to another part of the airship. There's some serious tech on this thing. I wouldn't be surprised if there are elevators in every room and motioned activated holograms. But it takes a few seconds before everything resets itself. A few seconds is all we need."
"So we don't have to set off the traps," said Maj.
"Now all we have to do is keep the corridors changing until we find the way out," said Yang.
"Not entirely," said Yin. "Now we're stuck. We can keep tricking the computer, but we aren't moving. We need to overload the system."
"How?" asked Maj. "I don't think one computer controls everything. Bane's not stupid enough to rely on just one plan."
"You're right," said Yin. "Yang, what do you think?"
Yang thought a moment before answering. "If what you say is really the case, I would say there is a computer that controls the ship itself, one that controls the elevators, and one to control the holograms. Everything is controlled by motion sensors."
"Interesting," said Yin. "Maj, may I have my staff?"
Maj handed Yin the violet staff. "What are you doing?" she asked as they watched Yin run her hand across the corridor wall.
"If I were a motion sensor, where would I be?" Yin asked.
"Right inside the door," answered Yang. "So when you open the door the trap would be ready to activate."
"Yep," said Yin. She raised her staff and plunged the bladed end through the wall next to a doorframe. Electricity sparked for a moment and stopped. Yin opened the door safely. "Come look."
Yang and Maj looked into the room and saw nothing but empty space. There was an air vent in the ceiling. Yin knocked it open with her staff. The three of them looked up to see thick cables leading up a long shaft.
"An elevator," said Maj.
Yin turned to Yang. "What level is the control room on?"