Author' Note; I'm sorry I took so long to update, but if you've seen my profil page, I kinda have a lot going on right now...anyway; he're the next chapter; I like ow it turned ou, but pleez tell me what you think...hehehe I'll finally reveal the truth about Kari...mwahahahahahahahaha!! XXXX
"C'mon Kari!"
Mokuba laughed as his older friend almost lost her footing on the waterlogged sidewalk, making it through the doors and into the sanctity of the KaibaCorp lobby at long last. It was two days later and the bright Japanese sunshine had unexpectedly given way to torrential rain.
"I'm drenched!"
Kari took off her soaking hoody as Seto grinned; he'd gotten a limo to the building, but she and Mokuba had visited a local card-swap-shop. Ishizu had been consulting with her country's secretive ruler about the poverty issues of central Cairo. She raised a single elegant eyebrow upon noticing that Kari was sporting a large band-aid on her right bicep. Over the last week or so, she couldn't help but notice that Kaiba's friend always covered the same large-enough patch on her right arm, or she wore long sleeves that hid the same patch of skin from view.
"What happened your arm, Kari?"
The teen looked at the Tombkeeper and knew the woman was fishing; she forced a joking smile and answered in a light tone.
"O, that; I just grazed it…"
"That's quite a large band-aid."
"Well, that's cos it's quite a large graze."
The two females held their gazes, each daring the other to say something. The tension between the pair was cut in half by the doors opening and Tea running in with another boy; a lad with white hair and brown eyes. Kari's blood froze; he was the image of her fiancé, apart from the fact that he lacked the scar on his right cheek and her man had violet eyes…other than that he was identical in every aspect of their appearances. Tea smiled as she ran her fingers through her now wet hazel locks.
"Hey Kari, this is Bakura."
He had the same name as her husband-to-be aswell. The new lad looked towards the girl and held his hand out, speaking in a soft, calm English accent.
"Pleased to meet you."
It was second before the seventeen-year-old came to her senses and shook his hand, finally finding her voice and smiling politely.
"Same here."
As they shook hands, Ishizu shot yet another pointed look at the girl's arm, debating with herself what to do about it… Whilst the Tombkeeper spoke with Seto, Kari took out her black Motorola flip phone; she was no idiot and knew Ishizu Ishtar was a sharp lady. She hastily typed out a message and sent it to Daknar, knowing he'd pass it on.
"Some1 get me outta here; TKs gettn heavy!"
As people continued to enter through the doors, eager to escape the torrential downpour, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and opened the message from Daknar.
"Ware r u?"
She rapidly typed out her answer and sent it as Ishizu glanced over.
" KaibaCorp HQ"
As she watched the girl typing out a text message, Ishizu was thankful for the backup she had called in last night. At this very moment, unbeknownst to even Kaiba himself, there were fifteen undercover Tombkeepers amongst the crowd in the lobby. Kari was feeling slightly safer now; her three cousins were the best fighters in the clan and were all well able to use the portals. Portals were a form of dark magic that experienced members of the clan were capable of utilizing; they were, literally, a gateway from one location to another. As she looked on Ishizu saw a person accidentally bang into Kari on the right side. After a brief apology, the woman moved on, but Ishizu Ishtar had seen enough; with a band-aid that large, the graze underneath must be big, but Kari had registered absolutely no sign of pain when colliding with the stranger. She walked towards the younger girl; she could be totally wrong, but as a Tombkeeper, had a duty to protect the heir of her country's throne.
"Ahhh!"
Kari made an involuntary flinch; someone had just ripped the band-aid from her arm and it STUNG!
Ishizu's eyes widened upon seeing the tattoo, she then took a breath and left the call out.
"Aralanti!"
The fifteen undercover Tombkeepers stepped forward at the shout. Seto spun; he had to find Mokuba…the boy was safe, Odion Ishtar had pulled the young teenager behind his formidable frame, but what about Kari…she would have no idea what was happening………but then his cobalt eyes came to rest on her…
Shit!
The girl thought this with a smirk; Tombkeepers surrounded her and every single person in the lobby was staring at her. Upon seeing his eyes full of betrayal, Kari felt immense guilt for Seto…she'd never intended for it to go this far…never. Great; now the weapons were coming out and she was unarmed! But suddenly, three dark windows seemingly materialized from thin air behind her.
"Catch!"
Knowing the voice, she spun and caught what Saheed had thrown her way; her twin broadswords, two heavy curved blades that she was an expert in wielding. The teen then returned her attention to the Tombkeepers and blocked a couple of attacks with amusing ease; she'd been trained in combat continuously ever since she could walk. The fighting ceased as she raised one broadsword to Marik's throat, the other to another Tombkeeper. Denian smirked, as did Saheed and Daknar, who were amongst the thick of the fighting. But then the lobby doors swung wide open and twenty additional Tombkeepers entered with the same man from few days previously leading them; Shadi.
"Fuck!"
Kari cursed aloud; they might have the upper hand now, but twenty was a large number for four to deal with. The three cousins moved in tighter around her. Then Shadi spoke, in English this time, with an amused smirk playing on his lips.
"Ishizu, you don't know who you are fighting…does she, young Aralanti members?"
The boys raised their weapons, but stayed close to their younger cousin, who still had her broadswords raised to the peoples' throats. Shadi smirk then grew deathly serious as he spoke, addressing Kari solely.
"Welcome back, Kisara."
Ishizu was not willing to believe her ears; this girl was her! So the vague rumours had been true; Aknu and Salari did have a child previous to their murder.
Kisara…Kisara…Kisara
That name…it'd been two years now since Seto had witnessed her death in Atem's memory world, but this was "Kari", his friend since childhood and, in the last couple of days, possibly more… But Kisara had looked totally different to Kari; the exact opposite actually. Daknar shot his cousin a sideways glance.
"We're in shit, summon your Ka!"
"Why don't you summon yours, smart ass!"
She knew things were bad when all three spoke her name in unison.
"Kisara!"
"Okay, sake boy!"
Ishizu and Seto both knew what to expect when "Kisara" summoned her Ka, and this certainly wasn't it! The girl, whom he'd though was Kari, bowed her head and room seemed to grow disturbingly darker, then a red glow began to emanate from her very body, in contrast to the blue from five millennia ago, and when she opened her eyes, they too glowed with a crimson ferocity. Kisara then raised her head and red energy seemingly burst forth from her, hovering in the air above them in an undefined shape for a few seconds, before forming into its harrowing figure. Anyone who had travelled back to Atem's memories instantly recognised the beast. Seto Kaiba shook his head disbelievingly as he stared up at this thing…finding his voice at last.
"Z…Zorc?"
His mind was spinning; Kari was his friend…oh God, he'd had sex with her! Seto groaned to himself as the full realization hit him; the day in the orphanage…she'd been reluctant to accept his offer of somewhere to stay…all the weeks she'd been living with them…why hadn't he noticed the godforsaken tattoo? The only real friend he'd ever had, the only girl he could actually picture himself spending the rest of his life with…she was an Aralanti member…an assassin sworn to kill him!
As Zorc reached his whole imposing height, a flicker caught Seto's cobalt gaze; for an instant "Kari" had looked totally different…her hair had been pristine white, but with a captivating blue sheen, her eyes had been of the deepest sapphire…even her tanned skin had flickered a pale, transpiring shade………but, just as quick as he had noticed it, the girl reverted to her black hair, brown eyes and sun-kissed complexion.
Shadi blinked with utter surprise and bewilderment; he had not anticipated the prophesised young woman to be harbouring Him…this creature was the epiphany of uttermost evil…but her foretold Ka was the purest form of light…surely one soul couldn't harbour two Kas of such immeasurable power…not to mention two of such contrasting natures…
"Kisara, where is the Ka I witnessed five millennia ago?"
The three boys smirked upon seeing his confusion; this fool knew nothing of their family's traditions. Ishizu on the other hand, had read tomes upon tomes of literature that vividly depicted the rituals, oaths and traditions of the Aralanti………and if they were true then she didn't feel anger, betrayal or even hate for young Kisara…she felt pity. The head of the Tombkeeper family snapped back to her sense as about thirty or so additional black portals materialized behind the four young assassins. Kisara hastily threw a furtive glance over her shoulder and grinned slightly; the numbers were pretty much even now, save for an extra two or three on the Tombkeepers' side. Mokuba had a clear enough view of the situation from where he was standing behind Odion's frame. His young mind couldn't quite comprehend what was actually happening; everything was so rapid.
"K…Kari, what's going on?"
A wicked laugh ripped through the air. Yugi instantly recognised that laugh, as did Joey, Tristan, Tea and Seto. Bakura's skin was set crawling as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
"I'm glad you're unhurt."
Kisara smirked slightly as her fiancé wrapped his toned arms around her slim waist and kissed her on the cheek.
"Da hell you doin; back here, Bakura?"
Joey was shooting the guy who'd just kissed "Kari" an accusing glare; it was his friend's evil counterpart…the Spirit of the Millennium Ring.
"I am here to aid my fiancée, Wheeler."
"Fiancée?!"
Kisara closed her eyes with guilt and anguish, deciding to focus on keeping Zorc under control…Seto's voice sounded so shocked, angry, and worst of all…betrayed. Kaiba looked at the lad whose hands were still wrapped around that waist that he, only days previously, had admired whilst making love to her… it didn't bear thinking about him touching her the same way he had. The girl he thought he'd known looked to him, sorrow in her eyes…those eyes he'd seen filled with ecstasy…Seto Kaiba shook his head, closed his own eyes and looked away; he didn't want her pity…not from this…stranger. Denian noticed the exchanged glances between the two and was the only one to see her hair fading slightly to white again and her eyes to blue. As Bakura disengaged himself from her, taking up post on her other side, Denian leaned closer and hissed in his little cousin's ear.
"Kisara! The Dragon!"
The teen smirked slightly and looked pointedly at Kaiba as she bolstered up Zorc's power, denying her other Ka of the freedom it had yearned for almost five millennia now. Ishizu then stood forward, taking the initiative as leader.
"Tombkeepers, protect the heir!"
Upon hearing this, all members of the Tombkeeper family formed a barrier around Seto Kaiba, and Mokuba, who'd managed to cross the lobby without detection. Kisara cast a glance around, weighed her options and left her own order out.
"We can't take them here; Aralanti on the retreat!"
Though she was yet to turn of age, all members of the clan knew that Kisara was to be obeyed and that she bore more control over them than her fiancé. As a result, the new arrivals raised hand each, with more dark portals appearing in response to this action. As they stepped towards them, Zorc dissipated back into its vessel; Kisara Hirotsh- heir to the Aralanti leadership.
a/n- did u like dis chptr? Pleez review, as more reviews means more chappies, bye bye peepls!! XXX