This chapter and the next will be posted when they are done. Once then, I'll take a break from this story so I can work up the other stories that I'm working on. Again, I'm gonna search for a beta tester for "Temptation of Madness", so note me if you want the chance! Here's the eighth chapter of One Touch, One Kiss!

Chapter 8-Assault During the Night

The roars of the sky echoed throughout the blimp as everyone startled from their slumber, knowing that they needed to get ready for tomorrow's semi-finals. Serenity, however, was in the middle of the same storm that caused her to have the Soul Crystal inside of her. She didn't want this right now; she already was dealing a crisis of her own! Shadowy smokes touched onto the metal platform, and revealed creatures of which she never seen before; fangs drenched in blood and their claws as sharp as diamonds. The fur was purplish and poisonous, sending her surrounding area to be covered with the dark fog; their eyes glowering with a dark reddish glow. This was something she wasn't used to at all, and she didn't have anybody to save her from whatever she was facing.

Leaping from their position, one of the creatures extended its' claws and strikes Serenity on the lower portion of her leg, sending pain into her body and blood seeping from the injury. She now noticed that these creatures are playing for keeps, and the spirit realized that she wasn't fully ready for such a battle.

'Damn...I didn't think that they would find us already, let alone have backup!'

'Wait, what are these things?' Serenity thought.

'Shadow-hunters; bloodthirsty demons that thrive off their prey's blood, and only the first level of what's to come.'

'Is this one of the trials I have to face?'

'No, they're called upon a greater force after my powers. They can be dangerous in a group, let one be still a challenge with their speed. Shit, you're gonna have to let me take over your body. You're not ready for this kind of battle.'

Instead of declining, Serenity reluctantly agreed to switch with the spirit. She didn't want to die on the first night of having this gem, and really wished that all of this go away from her sight. Shockwaves flew into her body as the spirit came into her body, a demented glare placed upon her face and a sense of justice coming into her heart. Using the crystal's power, she summon a sword from the jewel itself and positioned herself for battle.

"You pieces of shit aren't going to get me this easily...Bring it on!" Serenity said.

While the battle was taking place, Yugi, Joey, and Duke woke up upon the storm's thundering calls, thinking that the same thing was going to happen again. Seto also noticed the sudden change in the sky, realizing this when the system started to go haywire after the second lightening struck down into the sea below them.

'Damn, the storm's making a magnetic wave that's causing us to lose control of everything around this ship!' Seto thought. 'My angel can wait for now...First comes restoring the system back to balance.'

"What's going on, Yug'?" Joey asked. "I thought that storm was supposed to be gone forever!"

"There's no rain, so something tells me it has to deal with the Soul Crystal..." Yugi started, but all three realized who was now in the eye of the storm:

"Serenity!"

The sounds of bouncing metal boomed through the center of the storm as Serenity continued her fight with the bloodthirsty demons from the skies above. Two was already down for the count, and three were coming at her faster than the others. Swiftly dodging two of them, she clenched her fists, glowing with light and punched them quickly in the face and abdomen, taking both of them down. All was left was the leader, but it struck her on both arms and waist, making her stumble backwards while trying to recover.

Even though the spirit was in control, Serenity knew that she couldn't win with her body inexperience in this type of situation. The sword was close to shattering, her body sustained heavy damage from fighting, and her vision started to get cloudy from the loss of blood. She started to cry, but stopped when the spirit started to yell at her.

'Don't you dare cry! Sheesh, just because we're at a disadvantage due to it being night, doesn't mean you have to fucking cry! Grow a backbone if you want survive; I can't handle everything on my own!'

'But, I...don't even know what to do!' Serenity thought. 'I don't know the first thing to do at all! This...What can I do? I can't help myself because I was always a burden to everyone around me, when I knew I can do things on my own...'

'Remember what I told you about being my synchro-partner? You can fight with me as well; just believe in yourself! Now, concentrate!'

Gathering every single bit of courage from deep within herself, Serenity felt something different in her body; it wasn't any burning pain at all, rather it was a rhythm that made her what she truly was. The Soul Crystal activated, causing both her and the spirit to merge, withholding all the damage against them. Gripping the sword in her hands, she swung the blade at the leader, breaking the sharp claws and slicing the beast in half. The bodies of the demons disappeared into the air, as the storm subsided and the clouds started to separate, making the night sky clear as day. Dropping the sword, it disappeared as well, as Serenity collapsed from the assault. She breathed in air as much as she can take, but the wounds were still visible on her body; her blood drenched around the metal platform and on her clothes.

'I know we just won the battle, but I don't think we won the war so far; it only just begun.'

'What am I going to do with my injuries?' Serenity thought. 'They're still around my body, and I don't think Joey and the others will like it if I came back to them all bloody.'

'I'll heal them before anyone gets the chance to see. No sense of having anyone knowing about our contact with those Shadow-hunters.'

'Thanks...But, you'll have to explain these trials I'm suppose to pass before anything gets underway.'

'Done deal.'

The elevator pinged as Yugi, Joey, and Duke reached the dueling platform to see Serenity's clothes torn apart by something in the storm. Rushing to help his little sister, Joey held her on both arms and looked her in the eyes. Serenity was shocked to see her own brother on the dueling field, but was also grateful that her wounds completely healed before they noticed that her frail body was torn, but that didn't stop them from questioning her about the pool of blood and her bloody torn clothes.

"Sorry if I worried you guys." Serenity assured them.

"Sorry can't cut it about this crazy mess!" Joey shouted. "...I was really worried about you, Seren. Don't make worry like that again, alright?"

"Okay." Serenity said.

"What happened here?" Yugi asked. "You're clothes are torn, and there's a pool of blood on the platform. You didn't kill someone...did you?"

"No, of course not!" Serenity lied. "I...accidentally injured myself when I woke up from whenever I was, and I came on here instead of the medical room so I wouldn't worry you guys more than you already were." She knew that if she told them the truth, then more questions will follow up, and she didn't feel like having the spirit taking over again.

"Just making sure." Yugi said. "You must be super tired from your injury. Why don't you head back to Mai's room to sleep there?"

"Sure." Serenity said.

Once she left, Joey and Duke looked at Yugi, who was now Yami, like he was crazy not to talk to her about what they just learned about the Soul Crystal. It wasn't like him to skip important information like that and know the true dangers that was lying for Serenity up ahead. Yami looked at both guys with reassurance in his eyes.

"Why couldn't you just tell her about that damn crystal?" Duke asked. "She needed to know that we can be trusted!"

"Look; right now, Serenity's current conditions won't make things easier for us to get through to her." Yami said. "I don't believe her story one bit at all. If she did get injured, would she still be standing after that much blood loss? And the marks on her clothes looked more like claw marks."

Joey and Duke looked at each other, realizing that Yami was right. There was absolutely no way that Serenity got injured earlier like she said, and still stand like normal.

"The blood was still fresh when I held her..." Joey said. "But, there's no way that Serenity could've gotten into a scuffle of whomever or whatever she was fighting with!...Damn it, and I'm suppose to see it more clearly!"

"You think that Serenity knows about the crystal when she disappeared a couple hours ago?" Duke asked.

"Until she's ready to talk, we don't speak to her about our knowledge about the Soul Crystal right now; we'll wait until morning when everyone is awake." Yami said. "Are we clear?"

Both men nodded, and they headed back downstairs to their rooms to await morning.

Is it me, or these chapters are getting shorter? Oh, well.

R&R, people!