In the Eye of the Beholder
Chapter One: Adjustments By: fairysphinxfairysphinx: I'm back with the sequel to 'An Unknown Card.' This one's probably isn't going to be as funny as the first one. Well, at least this chapter, anyways. And those who haven't read 'An Unknown Card' should read it if you want to read this one. You might get confused. Shoot, I ran out of things to say. Darn. Oh, well. On with the chapter…er, after the disclaimer.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, although I do own Ktara, Y. Ktara/Yata, and Harbinger.
/Yugi talking to Yami/
//Yami talking to Yugi//
!Bakura talking to Y. Bakura/Yaku!
!!Y. Bakura/Yaku talking to Bakura!!
{Ktara talking to Y. Ktara/Yata}
[Y. Ktara/Yata talking to Ktara]
* indicates action taking place *
indicates a passage in time
Yugi and Ktara sat on the swings in the park, watching the sunset. The day had been a long one, and Yugi, tired as he was, still wanted to know one thing. "You were dead. How are you here right now?" Ktara sighed. She wasn't sure how to answer.
"Well…,we were dead. At least I think so. It was all black. We were in a tunnel. There was a light at the end of it. As we approached, I think…an angel-or something-swooped down, in front of it. He said, no. We weren't done yet. Then, he picked us up, and carried us back to the end, where we started. In the Circle of Appurtenance. We took down the wall, and walked out. By that time, you had left. Of course, we didn't really know a year had past until we came to a town, where we went shopping, and then came here."
All was silent. "So, where are you going to stay, now that you're free? I'm pretty sure that Pegasus won't want you back."
"I'm going to buy a house. Somewhere that's not near people. I don't want to take any chances of someone getting hurt, when the demon decides to take over me again. I was hoping that the new body would scare him away, but it didn't. It encouraged him more. Looks like I'm cursed for the rest of my life."
All was silent again. Yugi didn't know how to comfort Ktara, and Ktara just didn't know what to say. A little while later, they went back to the Turtle Game Shop, where Yami and Yata sat at the kitchen counter, looking over their decks.
"Do you really like elves, or something? You have every single elf card known."
"Hey, Ktara put this deck together, not me, but I'm pretty sure that she likes elves."
"Yup, I love them!" Grandpa walked in.
"It's good to see you two smiling again. I was really beginning to get worried." He smiled. 'I have to admit, they do make cute couples.' Yugi had his arms wrapped around Ktara, who stood in front of him. Yata had her hands resting on Yami's shoulders, looking over his shoulder, as he went through the deck. 'I think I'll leave them alone.' He walked back into the shop.
Ktara suddenly pulled away from Yugi's embrace. A look of surprise crossed his face. "Sorry, boys, but we have a project to work on."
{Come on, Yata.} They lifted two big bags up that they had brought with them. The two headed up the stairs to the guest room.
That night, Yami and Yugi tried to get an idea on what they were working on, by pressing their ears to the door. But Yata had put a sound proof curse on the room, so they couldn't find out. ("That is so typical of her. When you want to know something most, she hides it from you!") They ended up falling asleep with their ears pressed to the door.
Both woke up to their heads hitting the floor. "Serves you right, for trying to eavesdrop!"
/That has to be Yata. Ktara isn't so cold!/
//Yata is not cold!//
"Well, you can either argue on how cold I am, or you can come in and find out what we were working on."
"Now look who's eavesdropping!" She gave them a smug smile, and tossed her head.
In the room, on the floor, they found what looked to be a mansion of a dollhouse. Well, more like a castle mansion. "This is what you were working on all night?" Yugi asked.
"Yup!" Yata said proudly.
"Why did you build a dollhouse? And where's Ktara?"
"Here I am!"
"Where?"
"Look down!" Ktara stood on the porch of the dollhouse. She was three inches tall. "Come on down!" With that, Yata and the two boys shrank, to just above three inches. "Now, would you like a tour of our house?"
"Your new house?! You're going to live here?"
"Yeah. Why not?"
"Well, what about working water, electricity, that sort of things?" Yata shook her head.
"Yami, do you think we'd just make a normal dollhouse? This one has all of those things, and more! Now, where should we go first?" And so the tour proceeded, through all twelve floors.
"This is probably bigger than Kaiba's mansion!"
"I wouldn't doubt it, knowing who made it, Aibou." Ktara and Yata smiled.
"Thank you!" Both girls curtsied.
"Hey, are you four going to hibernate up there all day? Breakfast's ready!!!!" Grandpa called up the stairs. Yugi and Ktara, who hadn't had dinner, rushed downstairs to large stacks of pancakes.
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"Is it just me, or did Ktara and Yata seem a bit distracted today?" Yugi asked Yami, as he pulled off his shirt.
"Yeah. Something was defiantly bothering them. And no matter how I tried, Yata wouldn't talk about it. But I really don't think we should worry. If it were serious, they would talk, wouldn't they?"
"I hope so." Both boys were silent for a while. Tomorrow was Monday. That meant school. "So, how do you think Ktara'll like it?"
"What, school? I think that it would be good for Ktara. It will give her something to do."
"If you say so, Yami."
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The next morning
A knock came on the closet door. "Hey, 'Tara (a.n: Yugi nicknamed Ktara ''Tara'), wake up!!!!!!!!" Yugi called. Ktara groggily lifted her head, took a shower, got dressed, and drove her car (a toy car) out of the small hole in the closet wall. She quickly got out, and grew to her normal height, before opening the door. " 'Morning, sleepyhead!" Yugi smiled. Ktara gave him a sharp glare, and frowned. "Not a morning person? Okay, I understand!"
"Silence thy tongue, boy!" Yugi took a few steps back at the sound of her tone.
"Are-are you feeling all right, Ktara?"
"I would feel better if you would just leave me be!"
"Geeze, sorry." Yami sensed the hurt that filled his Aibou's heart.
//What's wrong?//
/Something's defiantly not right with Ktara! She-she snapped at me!/
//You're right. Something is defiantly wrong. Let me see if I can speak with Yata. Maybe she knows.//
||Yata! Hey, Yata!||
|Why do you persist to bother me, Pharaoh?!|
||Sheesh! Sorry, Miss Grumpy!||
|I shall ignore your rude comment. Now, leave me in peace!|
/Any luck?/
//Not even a hint.//
The two, Yugi and Ktara, ate breakfast, and caught the bus to school. Ktara sat in the back, away from Yugi. "Hey, Yugi, aren't you going to sit with your girlfriend?" Tristan teased, thinking back to when Yugi had called them each up, in turn, telling them the news.
"Quit it!" Yugi blushed. "I'm just giving her some space." He shifted uncomfortably in the hard seat. His eyes shifted from Joey, to Bakura, to Tristan (Tea's sick. I can't STAND her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Their stares were boring into him. Yugi averted his eyes.
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Ktara's mind shifted from history to other subjects. She blinked once, to rid her eyes of the tears that threatened to fall on her new book. She glanced over at Yugi who seemed to be concentrating hard on the lesson. Sighing, she started to mindlessly doodle on the paper in front of her, in which she was supposed to be taking notes. Glancing down, Ktara realized that she was drawing a replica of a portal.
{Yata?}
[Hmm?]
{What does this remind you of?} Yata gasped.
[Ktara! Why do you draw such evil?!]
{So, it's what I think it is?}
[Yes. The Suarax Gate.] Ktara shuddered at the name of that evil place.
{What do you think it mean?}
[It means BIG trouble, that's for sure!]
{Oh, no! It's not-.} Yata cut her off.
[Don't you even dare mention his name! You know the curse upon it!]
{I wasn't going to. But is it him?}
[I honestly don't know. I just know we have to be on our guard!] Ktara broke the connection when she heard someone calling her name. She looked up. The history teacher stared back.
"Miss Ktara, I have been calling you name for the past fifteen minutes! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
"Uh…." Ktara wasn't given time to answer. A creepy light was emitted from the drawing on the paper. Presently, the shapes rearranged themselves to form a type of combination, and opened. Everyone in the classroom gasped, before a mist-like smoke filled the room. Everyone but the immortals fainted, and they separated from their lights.
"What the heck is going on?!" Yami roared.
"I don't know!!" Yata yelled back. She was prepared to trade insults, if it was called for. But that never happened. Both yamis' minds were averted from their miniature verbal fight, as bubbles enveloped both of their lights, and were sucked into the closing gate. Then, before either could react, the gate closed. Leaving two yamis, and a classroom of knocked out mortals.
Yami's anger took over him. He grabbed Yata by the collar, and slammed her against the wall, pinning her there. "What happened to them?!?!?!?!?!?!" He yelled. Yata struggled against his tough grip.
"I don't know!" Yami tightened his grasp. "Honestly I don't! But…no, you wouldn't want to know."
"Tell me!" He slammed her, twice as hard, against the wall.
"All right! I know where they were taken!"
"Where?!"
"Sheesh, calm down! They were taken to a place called…." Yata swallowed hard. "A place called Kontop. One of the most evil place ever."
"Take me there!" Yata's face paled. She had been planning to go there, herself, but taking the Pharaoh…that put the subject in a whole new light. She shook her head.
"No. No. I shall not take you. I must go alone." Her answer was met by yet another blow into the wall. "Your pathetic attempts to make me change my mind are useless. I shan't change my mind. I have to rescue them on my own! I know you worry for your Yugi, but so do I! As I worry for Ktara. Alone I must rescue them. Alone I must go!"
"Fool! Yes, I am worried about my Aibou! But he's not the only one I worry about! Yata, I've lost you once already! I'm not about to loose you again! Whether you like it or not, I still love you! And I will not let you risk your life, only to be met with certain death!" Yami let his go his grip, and Yata slumped to the floor. "You are taking me along. And that's NOT a request!" He turned to look at her. "That's an order." His voice was dangerously low, but his eyes were filled with sorrow. They were begging. Begging her to take him along.
"Yes, Pharaoh," she whispered, almost inaudibly.
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When Ktara woke up, she was lying on a cold, hard floor, her clothes limply hanging in strips over her body. Yugi sat some distance away, his clothes in the same condition, hugging his knees. Something about that place sucked all of the heat out of a person's body. Ktara inched closer to him. "How long have you been awake?"
"About an hour, I suppose." He held quiet for a while, and turned his back on her. That's when Ktara noticed. The material on his back lay worse than the rest of his clothes. She gingerly lifted one of the shreds out of the way, revealing long, red slashes, covering his whole back. Yugi winced, as she traced one.
"Oh, Yugi!" She right away knew where the marks had come from. He had been whipped. With, as it seemed, some sort of magical whip. The wounds were deep. No normal whip could have done it. "We need to get something on these."
"No!" He tried to pull away from her.
"Yes! They'll get infected!"
"Let them!" Ktara grew irritated. Part of her wanted to say, 'Fine! Die!,' yet the other half refused. She lunged, grabbing him tightly across his chest with both arms. Yugi grimaced as she pressed against the wounds. Softly, Ktara started talking in a language unknown to him. Listening to the comforting words, Yugi relented to her.
"Now, this is going to sting a little," Ktara said, as she conjured up a healing cream. She slowly applied it with one hand, letting Yugi squeeze the other when he felt need.
"There's no way out," Yugi muttered, resting his head on her shoulder, after the medicine was applied. "I've checked. We're in the middle of an abyss. To deep to see the bottom. An all of the doors, window, they're magically barred. We can't get out." Ktara scooted closer to him, sharing what was left of her body heat. "Where are we?"
"In Kontop…somewhere. A magical realm. It's said to be impossible to get out of here. But we'll find a way. We'll find a way." Ktara's voice drifted off. The two wrapped their arms around each other for warmth, and shuttered, as they listened to the wind outside.
END OF CHAPTER ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fairysphinx: Well, what did you think? That was chapter one * shutters * Okay, I didn't mean to make it that…um…I can't think of the word. But, oh well! Oh, yeah! In the final chapter of 'An Unknown Card, I made a mistake. Anyone who can tell me what that mistake was gets a chibi plushie of their favorite Yu-Gi-Oh character! So, I'll get chapter two out, asap, okay? In the meantime, enjoy the chapter! Bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^_~