May 08 2007: Author's Nonsense: Wow, life has been super busy and between my real life issues (which you can access on my profile page) and the other fictions I've also been working on I've sadly started to push this one back and then I realized it's been months sense I've given a update - I have not forgotten this story and nor will I stop writing it. To prove this to my great fans I'm giving you this new chapter ;) Hope you enjoy it.
End of Chapter 23:
"Could be worse." Kaiba compromised. "at least it wasn't your mother…but he's right you know…you need to learn to lock your door."
"but you started it." she protested with her jaw dropped some at his cool announcement, pouting as she followed him out of the room and down toward dinner…
Chapter 24: A Snake in the Grass.
Dinner was as pleasant as anyone could expect, Kaiba was his usual cool self but Kagome was still a little embarrassed by her brother walking in on her undressing the young CEO. She had to admit that she preferred Souta finding her to Mom - how on earth could she have explained that to her mother? She felt guilty for misbehaving in such a way in her mother's home.
Souta and Mokuba managing to keep up the conversation while the mother asked Kaiba questions about work and his manor in her usual polite and cheery way. All together it would have been more pleasant if Souta hadn't stopped pursing his lips at Kagome whenever mom turned away or wasn't looking at him.
After the meal Kagome's mother gave them three boxed lunches for the next day that she'd made along with warm hugs to them, leaving the colder Seto in a little surprise at the kind gesture before they headed back to his mansion with Mokuba chatting in the back seat about things with his brother.
Kagome settled to watching the street lamps as they drove, content to listen to the small hum of the engine blending with the chatting of the Kaiba family siblings she was sharing the sporty vehicle with. She had to smile at it and closed her eyes to enjoy their short moment of silence, never expecting the peaceful times to last when she got them - something in her life didn't want her to ever get a chance to move from contentment to boredom.
As if on cue she heard the breaks screech against the pavement and the force of the momentum press her chest into the seatbelt that she had across her stomach and chest, eyes flying open as she saw streaks of light from the small spin that was threatening to change into the car turning over. She felt two of the tires leave the ground before slamming back down forcefully, disoriented as she stared around for the cause of their sudden near crash through the guard rail that had brought them to a sudden stop.
"What on earth?" Kaiba asked in his own rare show of surprise when he noted that the row of people he'd swerved to miss on the road we're walking toward his vehicle. "Dammit. Mokuba. Kagome. Stay down."
"Okay Seto." He agreed, watching the strange people curiously as he checked his seat belt and then scooted a little lower in the seat.
"What's going on?" Kagome asked as she blinked to try to push the image of some of Kouga's pack walking toward the car. "Why would Kouga be attacking us?"
"Hold on." Kaiba warned as he started shifting gears and accelerating away from the group as one smashed in the right back light of his car and another put a dent in his trunk. Kagome was still trying to look back at them when she slid forward into her belt again suddenly, coughing as the chest strap choked her a little. "How did you know Kouga was behind it?"
"Two of those guys used to work for him all the time…" she answered as she blinked at Kouga walking toward the busted up sports car, gritting her teeth in anger at the danger he was putting them in. Undoing her seat belt and starting to get out before Kaiba grabbed her arm.
"What are you doing?" he demanded as he eyed her like she was insane.
"I'm going to go yell at him." Kagome replied with annoyance and pulled her arm free, getting out.
"Kagome…don't…" he sighed and followed after her example.
"What in the world is wrong with you Kouga!" her voice ripe with her anger. "I can't believe you just had people walk in front of us like that! Other people could have been hurt you idiot! Wait…what are you doing!?"
She gasped as he jumped past her and landed squarely on Kaiba, flattening him to the ground and holding him down easily with his superior strength as a demon.
"I'm holding down your dearest and keeping him for ransom." Kouga's voice replied to her, seeming slightly strange but still definitely him. "I want those cards of yours that involve the shards of the jewel and the card they activate. They are the ones that this strange mind tells me have some sort of immense power involved in them."
"The jewel again?" Kagome thought to herself nervously. "It's going to haunt me even into this time? It was suppose to be gone once I wished for Kikiyo's return."
"I…Kaiba…are you okay?" she asked in concern.
"I'm fine." he snapped coldly but she knew the frigid demeanor was suppose to be toward Kouga. "Don't give him anything…he's being controlled by Marik."
The CEO glared through the slight wince when claws dug marks into parts of his neck, refusing to beg or show weakness when it came to such an enemy. That made Kagome step toward them though with worry written across her pretty face as she was stopped by the harsher voice of Kouga.
"Pause you wouldn't want me to get nervous and cut his pretty little head off." the threat more than enough to stop the girl in her tracks. "You'll play me in Duel Monsters, I figure a shadow game will be fitting for all the trouble this fellow has put me though - I wouldn't mind snatching your soul away to leave him with nothing."
"Huh?" Kagome was just confused by that statement.
"He hasn't told you that there is more to this game than just cards has he?" the wolf demon mocked her while under the other man's control. "A pity for you that I don't feel like explaining everything out. Understand that you'll play me and if you lose I take your cards and your soul away from you, if you win then I'll back off and leave you alone for tonight. Call me a man of generosity."
"If I don't agree?" she asked nervously, figuring the answer before he said it.
"Then I kill your boy toy here." he replied with a smirk. "Useful fellow this demon like man, fascinating memories he has of you in particular. He really did admire you you know, he was a broken man for ages after you left him."
"Shut up." Kagome demanded. "You wanted to play this game…then lets get on with it."
"Don't…" Kaiba coughed before he was dropped and raised a hand to his throat where it was bleeding from small puncture wounds. "Kagome…take it back…"
"I can't." She shook her head at him. "You've been teaching me a lot. I have faith that you'll help me win."
The brown haired youth nodded to her at the comment, not wanting to ruin her confidence - she still had far to go before he would consider her ready to combat someone of Marik's level but he would just have to believe that she would manage under what he'd taught her so far along with the cards he had augmented her deck with.
"Let's get on with this." Kouga/Marik told her harshly as he dug a deck of cards out of a bag with him along with a duel disk. "If you don't have a duel disk I'm sure Kaiba will let you borrow his - all the more fitting for you to lose with."
"You'll pay for this." Kaiba promised as he took the duel system off his arm and moved to give it to Kagome. She stared at the youthful CEO and knew she should take a page out of his book when it came to confidence, he still managed to seem as if people were born to bow to him when he'd been being held to the ground by his neck moments before. She smiled at him and managed to take some more pride from the way he was responding and backing her.
"Thank you." She said and then gave a reassuring smile as she faced off with her opponent. "Go ahead Marik."
"How kind of you to give me the first turn." he drawled before he drew his cards and the tournament began, she could feel the darkness crawling around her from his strange magic and while it disturbed her it didn't weaken her nearly as much as it would a normal human - the shadow realm repulsed from affecting her as a result of her natural holy energy.
He looked over his cards before smirking to himself. "Okay, first I'll place a monster in face down defense position, then I'll activate the magic field card 'Necrovalley', placing another card face down on the magic/trap field before I end my turn. Come at me amateur."
"Give me a moment and you won't be so cocky." Kagome answered as she looked over her cards, reading them carefully as she decided on her strategy. "I will start my turn by activating Mystical Space Typhoon to wipe your Necrovalley away from the field."
That had the smile wiped from the man's face as well, giving Kagome a little more confidence that she was learning how to play the game better. "Next, I'll summon Cute Fox (700 ATK, 1200 DEF) in attack mode, using it's ability to attack you directly with fire for 700 points to your life points."
The life counter on Kouga/Marik's duel disk dropped to 3300 LP left.
"I'll set a card face down and then I'll end my turn." she announced. "So far so good Kagome."
Kouga/Marik drew another card and considered his hand a short moment. "First, I'll flip my monster into face up mode, revealing A Cat of Ill Omen (500 ATK, 300 DEF) and using it's flip effect to put a trap of his choice on the top of his deck. Then, I'll sacrifice my monster to summon Helpoemer (2000 ATK, 1400 DEF) to the field, attacking your pointless fox monster."
"I'll activate my trap card." Kagome decided after a moment delay. "Spellbinding Circle. Trapping your monster from attacking me or turning into defense mode from this time on. Finish your turn."
"You are better than expected, but don't get cocky." he answered her. "I'll set another card face down and end my turn."
"Okay, first I draw." she said aloud as if reminding herself as she took the card. "Next I'll set a monster card face down on my side of the field. Then I'll use my cute fox to attack your life points directly again for another 700 points. Then I'm done."
The duel disk Kouga/Marik held dropped to 2600 LP.
"My turn." he announced, drawing the trap card he'd previously placed on the top of his deck and setting it on the field. "First I'll put this face down. Then I'll summon Granadora (1900 ATK, 700 DEF) in face up attack mode and equip it with an Axe of Despair - raising it's attack to 2900. Raising my life points by a thousand to 3600. Next I'll activate the magic card - Revealing Graph. Turning your face down monster over so I can see it while it's still in defense mode."
Kagome's card flipped to reveal her monster 'Mystical Monk (1800 ATK, 1500 DEF).
"Now I'll have my Granadora blast your monster from the field." he announced the attack with a smirk.
"Oh…I'll activate the trap card Waboku to stop the attack of your monster." Kagome replied after a moment of thought.
That earned her a frown from the other duelist, the way she was apparently stumbling through responses to his actions annoying him. Yet so far, he hadn't actually managed to deal damage to her - Kaiba had taught the girl better than he'd expected.
"Then I'll end my turn." he answered with a motion for her to get on with things.
She drew a card after sending him a scowl, biting her lip as she looked at the field, she couldn't attack him for another two rounds and his creature far outweighed the ones she had on the field. She could sacrifice Miroku erm…her Mysical Monk to summon Inuya…her 'partial demon guardian'. Then augment him with one of the 'shards of the jewel' but it seemed like she needed to do this without relying on memories of her old half-demon friend and definitely without using the shards or the jewel in anyway. Something about them wasn't right. That only left her one other card in her hand. One that Kaiba had given her to augment her deck with. It was a magic card that would let her draw two more cards; Pot of Greed.
"Okay first I'll activate the magic card Pot of Greed." she announced, taking her extra cards and looking them over. "Next I'll set one more card face down and then give up my two monsters to summon 'Lord of the West' (ATK 3200 DEF 2500) in face up attack mode. I'll use him to attack your augmented Granadora."
"At this point I'll activate my trap card Mirror Force. Negating his attack and knocking him into the graveyard." Kouga/Marik announced coolly. "Anything else?"
Kagome shook her head in a little surprise, glancing toward Kaiba who was watching intently and met her gaze, nodding at her in an encouraging way.
"Now then. I'll first activate my Mystical Space Typhoon and wipe your Spellbinding Circle from the field; freeing my Helpoemer monster to attack you at my will. Attacking you directly with both of my monsters." he announced smugly.
"I'll activate my trap card; Negate Attack." Kagome called out, starting to get into the game more now that it was getting so serious. Saving herself for what would likely be the last time if she couldn't manage to find a way out of this predicament.
"You won't survive forever." the other duelist shrugged at her with a knowing smirk. "Take your turn."
Kagome swallowed and nodded, starting to get nervous but drawing her card. "First I'll play Graceful Charity - letting me draw three cards and discard two."
She paused to read her new cards, two of them more gifts from Kaiba that she could really use. She nodded to herself to believe in what Kaiba had helped her with. "After laying these two cards face down I'll activate the magic card Monster Reborn and bring back my Lord of the West."
"I'll use my bottomless trap hole to destroy your monster when you summon it." He smirked again knowing she wouldn't have much left soon to defend herself with. "Your running out of possibilities. My turn."
He smugly drew another card. "First I'll set this monster in face down defense mode, then I'll hit you with my Helpoemer."
"I activate the trap card; Call of the Haunted." Kagome stopped him. "Bringing my Lord of the West back to the field yet again."
She was vaguely amused that the card that reminded her so much of Sesshomaru was the one that refused to die…all the greater of a reminder of the demon lord. "He has 1200 more attack than your monster which kills him and takes your life points down to 2400."
"You are just too damn lucky." Marik/Kouga bitched at her. "That's fine. Take your turn Kagome."
She nodded, feeling a little better that she had managed to keep herself alive while starting to whittle down the enemies life.
"Okay, I'll use my Lord of the West and attack your augmented Granadora." she announced, watching the small image cut apart the other one, dropping Marik's life points to 100 and making her still furrow her brows in concentration instead of relief. It still wasn't close enough. "
"Then I'll end my turn." Kagome decided, looking back at the other duelist.
Marik/Kouga grinned evilly at her and drew a card.
"First I'll flip my Old Vindictive Magician, using his special ability to destroy your Lord of the West again. Then I'll sacrifice him to bring out 'Summoned Skull' (2500 ATK, 1200 DEF) using the monster to attack your life points with your lack of any monsters." he announced, waiting for her to pull something else out to save her.
Kagome shook her head, her LP's dropping to 1500 with the very first attack her enemy hit her with, making her feel weaker all of a sudden as they were in the shadow realm for the battle. She had to pause to catch her breath - feeling suddenly feint but managing to stay awake much to the shock of her opponent.
"Your turn then…" he commented quietly as he tried to figure out just what this girl was that she could resist the damaging effects of the battle.
"Right." She nodded, taking more time than before and pausing as she touched the deck. She had to draw something she could use or he would kill her on his turn. She looked toward where Kaiba was outside their circle and drew strength from the way he looked at her. She nodded and drew the next card, almost laughing when she realized it was another one Kaiba had helped her with.
"I"ll activate the magic card Ookazi. Dealing 800 damage directly to your life points." She explained, feeling the world turn back to normal as his strange spell broke when she won the battle, swaying however as her own energy reached out to strike back after the agreed upon battle. Instead of her losing anything her opponent was effected somehow back wherever he might be as his control on Kouga and the others in his pack dropped.
Kagome smiled vaguely as Kaiba caught her, asking in her gentle voice. "How did I do?"
That made him laugh and hug her closer, picking her up bridal style and making her blush at the closeness as he ignored questions from Kouga and the people with him, more concerned with getting his lady back to a safer area, kissing her on the forehead as he put her back in the car.
"Wait…" she caught him as he started to pull away. "I need to see something. Could you take me back to my house for a minute please?"
He considered her and then nodded a little at the request. "If you would like to, sure."
"Please." she answered, relaxing as her body needed it after it's expenditure of energy. "If the shards are back as these cards…maybe I can go back through the well again…to all my friends there…"
End Chapter
Okay, had another duel - actually with Kagome this time. Though I think I need to rewrite the actual duel sometime in the future when I do even more research into the game. (Which I did a lot of already for the exact monsters and stats) I still like where I have the story headed.
-Aura
To my reviewers:
Hikage Dragon - giggle you are funny - I like it.
Kage Otome - Chemistry work isn't too bad - physics was my horrible one. I hope you continue to enjoy the story as you have so far.
Oribe Junpei - Aw come on - Souta did the -perfect- little brother thing by making the kissy sounds. I also thought that Souta and Mokuba being friends was a nifty idea.
S.T. Nickolian - Well, there was another bad guy for you here - cause as you said someone needed to interrupt and get the plot flowing again. Which is nifty cause I've had the thing with the shards in mind from the beginning.
Cowgirlkitten2000 - I might lemon it eventually but no citrus just yet - sorry. And also sorry for the long long wait.
Tashio - Well Kouga did show up and complicate things.
Darkened Purity - No worries on the late reviews - given how long it takes me to update lately.
Chibes - …maybe…
Larkagurl2 - I hinted at it not mentioned it. You'll find out eventually - they got a lot going on. Thanks for the review.
Ladykagometheinuyoukimiko - Kira will work for the future but man it's sorta amusing.
Kagome Lady of Darkness - Sorry that this was as asap as I could manage : (
Rutoh-Chan - Yeah more apologies for my late arrival on this fiction
Yue Hime - Well yes he is evil through most of battle city - but I made him evil here too even if it is out of canon for where I put the series but oh well - he's a fun villain - remember kids: possession is good for you.
Shiori The Lady Kazekage - I don't have a younger sibling - but I did that to my older siblings when I was little - I was more 'ew' than Souta was though.
Darkmoon99 - Here you go, sorry it wasn't quicker.
Orc master - Updated!
MigotoSanyo - I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
Lindajrjt - Thank you so much, I'm glad to be working on this fiction again.
Vampire Kitty - Yeah it's too bad there aren't more fans of this cross-couple.
SesshomaruKougaNarakuFanGirl - Thank you.
Vnienhuis - Updated!
Torticolis - Yes I know my grammar isn't always on but I'll try to fix the since/sense thing in the future. As far as the blood type thing goes - I did actually look it up online but I only checked one website so I'm assuming from what you've told me that the website I checked was incorrect. But please don't think that I don't do research for my fictions cause I've put more time into research for this fiction than any other one I've ever worked on.
Azera-v - Obviously she did figure out how to play the game better. I'm sorry I don't update faster - I used to update about once a week but cause of rl issues I've been -super- busy (again check my profile for details if you are that curious). I will be trying to update more often but I can't promise anything.
Kouga'sChils - Here you go!
Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami - Well, I think that ooc happened after a while for ic stuff. Which makes it more ic as it's developed over time. I don't think I started either of them ooc by much.
Yuki kitsune - I might use that idea for a scene sometime.
Zana Haruko - Bakura will return but he was pretty screwed up from the shots to his body from a gun and all. Marik will probably not return after this chapter - but you never know.
Momo-chan - Thank you for the nifty review and I want to keep reading this.
Midnite-Kitsune12 - Thank you, I really enjoy this couple - probably more than most of my stories couplings.
Viper - sometime, sorta been put on the back burner with everything else that has been happening.