Chapter 12: - The Eye of the Storm
Yami was pacing the infirmary when Kari and Robyn arrived with a thermos and some mugs.
"I know it's not a good time to invite you guys back to my room considering…" Kari looked over to Joey, "But I thought we could all do with something to ease our nerves.
Yami wondered for a moment if Robyn had suggested it as he saw the blonde take the thermos from the brunette's shaking hands and fill enough mugs with hot chocolate for everyone.
"Thank you." Tea smiled at the two. "This is really nice of you."
Kari sat down on one of the spare beds, putting her mug down on the side, and pulled out her deck, shuffling it. It was a nervous habit she'd gained, when she was scared or worried, she shuffled her deck. It was something she could do without thinking and contained cards from her friends back home, so it gave her a chance to calm down.
"Maybe you should forfeit the next match."
Kari's wide hazel eyes rose to look at the speaker, "Can't afford to." She shook her head, "I really need the money." She put her deck down and ran a hand through her hair, "There's no other way for me to get it, I can't forfeit, I have to play him." Her voice wobbled slightly as she tried to keep the fear from her tone.
"The fool's Duelling with a fairy deck, which is just plain foolish against Kari, my deck is all fairy and light, we both know the strategies inside and out. Kari can win." Robyn said firmly.
"It isn't the strategies that worry me, though that helps." Kari said, picking up her mug and trying not to spill her hot chocolate, "It's that… was he using magic?" Her desperate question was aimed at everyone.
"Hypnotism." Robyn said shortly when the others went very quiet indeed. "He's wanted by the authorities. They'll be here as soon as they get clearance, you just need to hold him up."
Yami looked at Robyn, he didn't buy it, but perhaps Kari didn't know about real magic yet.
Kari closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. "I'm scared." She admitted. "The Shadows from Kaiba's game against Bakura felt alive and those goons…" She shuddered, "Why did that feel like more then a trick?" Kari put her mug down, "I'll be back." She said, exiting the infirmary and turning the corner. Mai followed.
"You can't keep lying to her, she'll be up against him next." Yami said to Robyn "Doesn't she have any way of protecting herself from him?"
"You do know there's rules about certain things, don't you? As much as I like and trust Kari, I can't afford a certain kind of attention. Anyway, she can win as long as she doesn't leave the windows wide open."
"What are you?" Tea asked, "What secret is so big that you can't tell your best friend?"
"Your friend should just have a few nightmares then wake up, it shouldn't harm him in the long run unless someone decides to attack his mind sometime soon."
"Those secrets are scaring your best friend half to death." Tea pointed out.
"The problem is, telling her about me, while would confirm the magic side of things, wouldn't help. It might make things worse. Besides it wasn't Shadow Magic that called those shadows." Yami said as Yugi took spirit form and waited by Joey's bed.
"It's a shame I can't Duel him, I know how to defend my windows."
"He wouldn't be able to get into my mind, I can't even get into my mind." Yami stated.
"But then how did the winged horse get into your mind?"
"Winged horse… how do you know about Pegasus?"
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"Kari?" Mai asked as the girl leant on a wall of a dark corridor and sank down.
"Mai, this is what you were trying to warn me about earlier, wasn't it?" She asked, wide eyes looking at the strong Harpie Duellist.
"Yeah, sorry kiddo." Mai sat next to her. "I thought something like this might happen."
Kari closed her eyes, bending her legs and leaning forward into her knees, "I don't know if I can do this."
"Robyn seems to think you can."
"Robyn is my best friend, but…" Kari tensed up, getting to her feet and glaring down the corridor, "Whoever you are, you'd better come out!"
Mai pulled the teen behind her as Xuan stepped into the light. "Stay away, haven't you caused enough trouble."
"I'd've thought you would have been awaiting your boyfriend's recovery." Xuan smirked.
"Mai, don't look at him." Kari suddenly remembered Robyn's warning and hissed.
"Smart kid." Xuan smirked at Kari, who was keeping her gaze firmly on the floor.
"Kari, go back to the infirmary." Mai murmured.
"Easy, I'll deal with her later." Xuan said, amused by Mai's protectiveness. "I was just about to recommend that you dropped out, kid. You're no match for me."
"My Spellcasters can beat your fairies." Kari had to stop herself from glaring at him. "I'm not leaving."
"Then I'll see you on the battle field." Xuan walked away down the corridor and once he was gone Mai turned to Kari.
"We're going back to the infirmary, now."
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Kari and Mai stepped through the door to the infirmary and Yami just knew something had happened from the look on their faces, "What happened?"
"Xuan." Mai said shortly, "We're fine, he didn't do anything." She added before anyone could ask.
"He wanted me to back down. I told him I wouldn't." Kari said quietly.
"You're brave." Tristan murmured.
"Stupid more like but he annoyed me and I need the money so I'm not leaving the Tournament." She gave them a small determined smile. She gained a slight smirk, "Besides, I've always wanted the chance to fight the King of Games."
"I have to get through Kaiba first." Yami pointed out.
"Like that's going to be a problem." Kari had a hint of laughter in her voice.
"Will all Semi Finalists please report to the Arena for your matches. Yugi Muto will fight Seto Kaiba and Kari Ironhide will fight Xuan Li. All Semi Finalists who are late will be disqualified." The tannoy went and Kari and Yami looked at each other, then nodded.
Yami looked over to Joey.
"I'll keep an eye on him." Tea said, "You go." She turned to Kari, "Good Luck."
"Thanks, I'm gunna need it." Kari nodded in reply. "Robyn are you… where'd you go?" Kari gulped when she couldn't see Robyn and Mai saw a little of her colour bleach out again. "Fine… Let's go, Yugi."
"I know it's not a good time to invite you guys back to my room considering…" Kari looked over to Joey, "But I thought we could all do with something to ease our nerves.
Yami wondered for a moment if Robyn had suggested it as he saw the blonde take the thermos from the brunette's shaking hands and fill enough mugs with hot chocolate for everyone.
"Thank you." Tea smiled at the two. "This is really nice of you."
Kari sat down on one of the spare beds, putting her mug down on the side, and pulled out her deck, shuffling it. It was a nervous habit she'd gained, when she was scared or worried, she shuffled her deck. It was something she could do without thinking and contained cards from her friends back home, so it gave her a chance to calm down.
"Maybe you should forfeit the next match."
Kari's wide hazel eyes rose to look at the speaker, "Can't afford to." She shook her head, "I really need the money." She put her deck down and ran a hand through her hair, "There's no other way for me to get it, I can't forfeit, I have to play him." Her voice wobbled slightly as she tried to keep the fear from her tone.
"The fool's Duelling with a fairy deck, which is just plain foolish against Kari, my deck is all fairy and light, we both know the strategies inside and out. Kari can win." Robyn said firmly.
"It isn't the strategies that worry me, though that helps." Kari said, picking up her mug and trying not to spill her hot chocolate, "It's that… was he using magic?" Her desperate question was aimed at everyone.
"Hypnotism." Robyn said shortly when the others went very quiet indeed. "He's wanted by the authorities. They'll be here as soon as they get clearance, you just need to hold him up."
Yami looked at Robyn, he didn't buy it, but perhaps Kari didn't know about real magic yet.
Kari closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. "I'm scared." She admitted. "The Shadows from Kaiba's game against Bakura felt alive and those goons…" She shuddered, "Why did that feel like more then a trick?" Kari put her mug down, "I'll be back." She said, exiting the infirmary and turning the corner. Mai followed.
"You can't keep lying to her, she'll be up against him next." Yami said to Robyn "Doesn't she have any way of protecting herself from him?"
"You do know there's rules about certain things, don't you? As much as I like and trust Kari, I can't afford a certain kind of attention. Anyway, she can win as long as she doesn't leave the windows wide open."
"What are you?" Tea asked, "What secret is so big that you can't tell your best friend?"
"Your friend should just have a few nightmares then wake up, it shouldn't harm him in the long run unless someone decides to attack his mind sometime soon."
"Those secrets are scaring your best friend half to death." Tea pointed out.
"The problem is, telling her about me, while would confirm the magic side of things, wouldn't help. It might make things worse. Besides it wasn't Shadow Magic that called those shadows." Yami said as Yugi took spirit form and waited by Joey's bed.
"It's a shame I can't Duel him, I know how to defend my windows."
"He wouldn't be able to get into my mind, I can't even get into my mind." Yami stated.
"But then how did the winged horse get into your mind?"
"Winged horse… how do you know about Pegasus?"
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"Kari?" Mai asked as the girl leant on a wall of a dark corridor and sank down.
"Mai, this is what you were trying to warn me about earlier, wasn't it?" She asked, wide eyes looking at the strong Harpie Duellist.
"Yeah, sorry kiddo." Mai sat next to her. "I thought something like this might happen."
Kari closed her eyes, bending her legs and leaning forward into her knees, "I don't know if I can do this."
"Robyn seems to think you can."
"Robyn is my best friend, but…" Kari tensed up, getting to her feet and glaring down the corridor, "Whoever you are, you'd better come out!"
Mai pulled the teen behind her as Xuan stepped into the light. "Stay away, haven't you caused enough trouble."
"I'd've thought you would have been awaiting your boyfriend's recovery." Xuan smirked.
"Mai, don't look at him." Kari suddenly remembered Robyn's warning and hissed.
"Smart kid." Xuan smirked at Kari, who was keeping her gaze firmly on the floor.
"Kari, go back to the infirmary." Mai murmured.
"Easy, I'll deal with her later." Xuan said, amused by Mai's protectiveness. "I was just about to recommend that you dropped out, kid. You're no match for me."
"My Spellcasters can beat your fairies." Kari had to stop herself from glaring at him. "I'm not leaving."
"Then I'll see you on the battle field." Xuan walked away down the corridor and once he was gone Mai turned to Kari.
"We're going back to the infirmary, now."
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Kari and Mai stepped through the door to the infirmary and Yami just knew something had happened from the look on their faces, "What happened?"
"Xuan." Mai said shortly, "We're fine, he didn't do anything." She added before anyone could ask.
"He wanted me to back down. I told him I wouldn't." Kari said quietly.
"You're brave." Tristan murmured.
"Stupid more like but he annoyed me and I need the money so I'm not leaving the Tournament." She gave them a small determined smile. She gained a slight smirk, "Besides, I've always wanted the chance to fight the King of Games."
"I have to get through Kaiba first." Yami pointed out.
"Like that's going to be a problem." Kari had a hint of laughter in her voice.
"Will all Semi Finalists please report to the Arena for your matches. Yugi Muto will fight Seto Kaiba and Kari Ironhide will fight Xuan Li. All Semi Finalists who are late will be disqualified." The tannoy went and Kari and Yami looked at each other, then nodded.
Yami looked over to Joey.
"I'll keep an eye on him." Tea said, "You go." She turned to Kari, "Good Luck."
"Thanks, I'm gunna need it." Kari nodded in reply. "Robyn are you… where'd you go?" Kari gulped when she couldn't see Robyn and Mai saw a little of her colour bleach out again. "Fine… Let's go, Yugi."