Trap After Trap

By Sailor Phoenix1997

"What are you two doing here?" Sara asked. Mahad seto down Mana who sat on her legs and rump like she was depressed.

"Our step-father brought us here from Hong Kong for some reason. Before we left DUelist Kingdom he gave us these," Mahad pulled out two long golden rods from his blaizer. One grew to nearly as long as Mahad was tall and the other grew to about as long as Mana's arm, "He called mine the Millennium Staff and Mana's the Millennium Scepter."

"And the web around these things grows," Sara said to herself. Mana stood up and brushed some dirt from the front of her dress. SHe was just about as tall as Mahad's shoulder but skinny as a twig.

"Are we going to look for Olivander or what?" Noah asked impatiently. He and Mokuba turned and darted down one of the halls Seto tried to grab them as they passed but they slipped right by him. He sighed and shook his head.

"I need to get a leash one of these days." Mana giggled to herself and when Bakura turned to look her right in the eye she shied away and hid behind Mahad. Sara rolled her eyes.

"No need to be shy."

"I'm not shy Sara! I just have an uneasy feeling!"

"Drama Queen. You've had a million uneasy feelings that turn out to be nothing." Mana mimicked her and shot a raspberry at her godsister. Sara rolled her eyes again as Seto started looking into the doors where his brothers had disappeared into. The two darted past him again. Sara sighed, bent down and grabbed the two around their chests. "Can you two just be patient? We'll think our way into this. For all you know there could be traps." She let go of the boys and they stood perfectly still as she stood up.

"Thanks Sara," Seto said as he walked back to the group and leaned against a wall.

"So what now sis?" Mana asked as she carefully came out from behind Mahad.

"Well. I don't see an elevator anywhere and there's going to have to be traps or Olivander's little pawns on every floor here." Seto rubbed his jaw where Alexander had punched him. "And there've got to be a few traps that'll test us or something. If I know anything about Olivander's type he'll want one of us alone to 'take care of.'"

"So we're stuck on the stairs?" Mahad asked with his arms crossed.

"Pretty much," Sara shrugged and started looking around. "THis is the first story so we've got probably one of Olivander's goons to handle unless they're all the top floor and this place is filled with deadly traps and other things that'll seperate us." Mana slipped her hand into Mahad's.

"Alright Sara. Enough of the scary trap stories," Mahad said as he clenched Mana's hand in his. Sara smirked at her godbrother.

"I'm only telling it like it is." Sara walked away with a spin on her heel. Mana grabbed the Millennium Scepter from Mahad and ran up to her godsister. She threw herself in front of her with her arms streached out as far as they would go. "What are you doing Mana?"

"Stopping you. I mean. We all need to stick together and take down this Olivander guy as a team."

"I don't think so Mana."

"Huh?"

"Teamwork is mainly for brownies and girl scouts and nursery schools. It's your own strength that gets you by in real life. Like it or not it is what it is. It's called 'Survival of the Fittest.' THe choice in this game is get on board or get out of the way." Sara said the last part in small breaths to get her point across. Mana stood there dumbfounded. Sara had once been just like her. Energetic, happy, and joyously oblivious to problems. Now she didn't even recognize the girl behind the sapphire eyes. There was no opening in the mask Sara wore for Mana to look through. Tears welled in Mana's eyes as her arms lowered.

"What happened to you?" she gasped out as tears started streaming down her cheeks. Sara closed her eyes and pushed past her godsister. Much to Seto's surprise she didn't say another word. Normally she would've let her mask crack and reveal that she'd been kidding. But Sara was serious now. Seto thought about how he'd changed between Gozaboro adopting him and now. Before he'd smiled every day for his brother. Now he'd smile when Sara did and that was becoming a rare thing as days passed into the adventures.

Mana lagged behind her brother as the group proceded down the long halls. SHe looked ahead at Sara every now and then. SHe walked hand-in-hand with Seto but her face had lost it's smile as they pressed on. Mana hung her head and leaned it against her brother's blaizer. She sniffed every now and then but otherwise was silent.

Sara looked back at her godsister. She knew she'd been harsh but Mana had to wake up one of these days. ALthough the girl looked about 13 she was really turning 15 and had to open her eyes to the real world. It was an ugly thing and would crush Mana the first second it had the chance. Sara was about to look away when she noticed a gold door shoot up from the ground. Blocking the way back to the front entrance. The loud BOOM echoed in the hall as more doors popped up at every few yards. Sara knew where the next one was going to slam down if she didn't act fast.

Seto knew he had Sara's hand in his one second but the next she was gone. She tackled Mana as a stone door scratched Mahad's shoulder and slammed down where Mana had been standing. Sara clutched her godsister close. THe poor girl grabbed at Sara's clothes in fear and shock. If Sara hadn't tackled her she would've been killed. Sara looked around for an exit. Unfortunately there was none. And that meant no air vent.

"Hold your breath." Mana took a deep breath and held her hand over her mouth and nose. Sara Held her godsister close. "Seto will get through to us. I just hope he's not too late."