Chapter 13

They were both more than aware Kasey would have had to have given up by now. After all, the Onchasen state only extended her Dorsoma abilities by less than an hour and at her age it couldn't have been all that long to begin with… Somehow though it felt more than right they should continue hiding. There was something devilishly exciting about it and Mai couldn't help but feel more than a little seduced. She knew she shouldn't, just like she knew there'd be no way Kashmana would allow for anything to happen between them, but there was something in the excitement of it all that made her knees weak.

A part of her wondered if her loyalty to Joey and the First was being tested. After all things had changed and she wouldn't put it past the multiverse to see whether or not she could be driven into the arms of another man. Especially considering the fact Joey… or at least a part of him was trying to hurt her right now. Then again this wasn't the first time Joey had tried to hurt her, okay so he was also a little possessed back then too, but her devotion hadn't been shaken and the fact this situation had gone on longer than that one had shouldn't change that.

'If you think any harder you'll be able to move mountains,' Kashmana smirked at her.

'What,' she blinked at him.

'It's a MacTay expression,' he laughed, 'we place a certain degree of importance on the power of intense thought.'

'The pen is mightier than the sword,' Mai smiled.

'Not exactly, but I agree that is the closest expression you would have here.'

For a few moments they were both silent again. Then Kashmana gave a modest sounding cough.

'So, what were you thinking about?'

'Who said that was any business of yours?' Mai playfully narrowed her gaze.

'Well it's not like we've got much else to talk about right now.'

'Yes, because the thought of hiding from a little girl isn't exciting enough.'

'This is supposed to be exciting,' he rolled his eyes. 'This isn't excitement; this is shameful.'

'Shameful,' she frowned.

'Running from a little girl like this, hiding like some kind of coward.'

'It's not that shameful, I mean, that little girl isn't the enemy you know.'

'Then what is she exactly? Because she sure as hell isn't your friend right now.'

'She's being manipulated.'

'So,' he rolled his eyes in disgust, 'do you really think things like that matter?'

'Where has this attitude sprung from,' she gawked at him, 'you suddenly seem so… so… so…'

'So disagreeable,' he offered up, before giving a strange kind of half laugh. 'If you hate it maybe I'll keep it up.'

'You're doing this on purpose,' she continued to gawk at him. 'You're trying to be difficult to put me off you, because you know that I'm falling for you.'

'You're not falling for me Mai, you're falling for this falsified idea you have of me.'

'Who says it's falsified?'

'You can't honestly believe I'm really…'

'Stop it,' she cut him off. 'Stop trying to be like this.'

'I'm not trying to be like anything.'

'Yes you are,' Mai's voice sounded in unison with Kisara's.

Half jumping in surprise, Mai turned to see Kisara and False approaching them. She wasn't completely sure she was happy to see them, after all she barely knew them and so they were likely to be even more judgemental than anyone else. Taking a deep breath she carefully cleared her throat. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to them; after all, she had no idea what they'd heard before arriving.

'We can take things from here Kashmana,' Kisara shot him a look. 'We do not require your services any further.'

'Don't you now,' he smirked, 'well that's good for you.'

'Don't Kashmana.'

'Don't what?'

'Just don't. Leave and let us deal with things from here.'

'Does that mean you're discontinuing your training,' he cocked an eyebrow at her.

'Maybe.'

'I don't think so somehow,' he laughed, before turning to walk away. 'You'll come back looking for my help soon enough.'

'Don't be so sure.'

'I'm not sure Kisara, I'm certain.'

'You were out all night, weren't you,' Téa whispered to him as he arrived home.

Lus shrugged casually, before stumbling his way towards his room.

'What if I was?'

'It's not good for you, you know.'

'Not much seems to be,' he yawned. 'Could you wake me in a few hours please?'

'You need more sleep than that,' she sighed, 'you're body can't put up with this kind of punishment you know.'

'Let me deal with what punishment my body is able to put up with,' he half snapped at her.

'Lus,' she couldn't help but scold, 'there's no need to be like that.'

'Oh go worry about the baby,' he glared before disappearing into his room.

Téa went to move after him, but Yugi stopped her.

'Leave it,' he shook his head, 'he's got enough to deal with right now.'

'Like what?'

'You'll find out for yourself soon enough I've no doubt,' Yugi sighed.

'What is it,' Téa frowned. 'What do you know?'

'Nothing.'

'Don't lie to me.'

'I don't know anything Téa, only what I sense.'

'And what do you sense?'

'Something's happened,' he stared at his son's door, 'that's all.'

'Yugi…'

'I'm sorry Téa, I don't know anything more than that.'

'Yugi…'

'No Téa,' he shook his head, 'honestly that's all I know.'