Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Kokoro no Maho: Magic of the Heart ❯ Chapter 4: Rematches and Warnings ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, blah, blah, blah . . .

Author's Note: I was going to wait until I had reviews to write this chapter, but I was feeling kinda blue after I posted the prologue and the first three. So I'm writing it now.

Chapter 4 ~ Rematches and Warnings

"I'm stumped. I don't get this problem at all!" Sonomi exclaims over her chemistry homework. She was doing her homework while she tended the counter at the store. She'd walked home after the nurse made sure she was okay.

"Sonomi-chan, maybe you should take it easy. You did collapse at school today," Hinagiku says. Sonomi said nothing of the Millennium Heart that she now wore. She put it in her backpack before she walked into the shop, putting it on after she went up to her room. When her aunt asked about it, she simply told her that it was a cute little trinket she found on her way home and that it reminded her of the "Change of Heart" card so she bought it.

"It shouldn't be this hard! I must have messed up somewhere!" Just then, the phone rang. "This is the Daisy Gift Shop, Mahoryu Sonomi speaking. How may I help you?"

"Mahoryu-san? It's Anzu. I was just wondering if you got that chemistry problem."

"You mean the one where we've got to find what this mystery element is based on the information they give us?"

"Yes, that one."

"I dunno. I'm wondering if Sakori-sensei messed up. It's impossible! I keep on getting one single equation with two unknowns in it! You can't solve something like that!"

"Hmm . . . that's what Yuugi-kun said. I guess if neither one of us can get it, we may as well ask Sakori-sensei about it tomorrow."

"Okay."

"I didn't know your aunt ran the Daisy Gift Shop, Mahoryu-san."

"She's letting me work part time here, just tending the Duel Monsters section of the shop." Just then, the silver bells that hung from the door of the shop rang, signaling the entrance of a customer. "Speak of the devil, we've got a customer. Gotta go. See you tomorrow in class, Anzu-san."

"Alright! Ja ne!" Sonomi set the phone down. The person stopped to examine the rare cards within the cabinet and then stood up. He wore a green overcoat with a pair of green shorts. Underneath the coat, he had on a white dress shirt with a red bow tie. A pair of yellow rimmed glasses with a crescent moon on the bridge finished off the look.

"How may I help you?" Sonomi instantly recognized the person. Weevil.

"You wouldn't happen to have a copy of Insect Queen, would you?"

"Ah, Weevil, master of insect class cards. Of course I do. Here," Sonomi knelt down, opened the cabinet and laid the card out for Weevil. "That will be $20 please."

"What?! That's a rip-off!" Weevil exclaims.

"Alright, pick a card from this box and it'll be yours along with the Insect Queen," Sonomi calmly replies, indicating to the box of cards that were being sold at two for one dollar.

"It's still a rip-off!"

"Okay, how about the same deal for $25?"

"No, $10."

"Nineteen."

"Fifteen." Weevil was getting annoyed. He wanted to replace his Insect Queen after he lost it to Jounouchi at Battle City, but he seemed to be unable to get it in his booster packs and everyone seemed to be unwilling to trade theirs for anything he had.

"Eighteen." Sonomi looked at Weevil's face and almost burst out laughing. The Insect master was getting quite annoyed and showed it.

"Sixteen."

"Seventeen, take it or leave it." Weevil snapped.

"Ha! I've out done you! My final offer, $20!" He slapped his mouth shut after he realized he'd just bid higher than the price she offered.

"Done. Twenty dollars it is. Pick your card from the box," Sonomi replies, smiling sweetly. While Weevil grumbled and went through the box picking a card at random, Sonomi talked to her laughing Yami. / Must you laugh so hard? I'm having trouble keeping a straight face as it is. /

// I never expected you to be quite the businesswoman! Outwitting him like that! I love the look on his face! //

"I'll take Steel Scorpion with it," he grumbled. He slapped down the twenty dollars, took both cards, and left. The minute he was gone, the shop was filled with laughter. A few of the other customers had seen the bargain going on and found it quite funny, as did her aunt.

"Good dealing there, Sonomi-chan!"

"It's easy once you get them annoyed enough," she replied, pretending to polish her fingernails with her breath. Just then, another person came in. Sonomi turned to look and was shocked. Kaiba.

// Priest Seto? No, his reincarnation! //

"I'm here for a rematch."

"What? Shocked I beat you this morning?"

"You're no different than that runt Yuugi Mutou; living above a shop and wearing out of style jewelry. And like him, you'll be squashed! Only difference is, I'm going to squash you right now! And we're playing by my rules this time."

"In that case, why don't we go outside? If we're going to be dueling, we may as well do it in a place that will help with the shop publicity," Sonomi replies, ignoring the anger that colored Kaiba's voice. She stands up and leads Kaiba to the front of the shop.

// Do you want me to take over? //

/ Na, I beat him once before. I can most certainly beat him again. But you can help if you want. /

"I'm pretty sure you can stop the traffic temporarily while we have our duel in the middle of the street," Sonomi says. "After all, you are the great Kaiba of Kaiba Corp., are you not? That is, unless you'd rather duel on the cramped sidewalk."

Grudgingly, Kaiba pressed on the intercom on his jacket collar. "Kaiba here. Stop all traffic on the block surrounding the Daisy Gift Shop." A few moments later, the cars cleared, and a crowd gathered around. It was obvious that there was going to be a duel, and it was between Kaiba and a girl they'd never seen in Domino before. "Duelist Kingdom Rules. We start with 8000 LP a piece." The two duelists placed their deck inside the duel discs and launched the hologram projectors.

"Since we're playing by your rules, I'll let you go first," Sonomi cockily replies, looking at her hand.

// Don't get too cocky. You have no idea what he'll play. //

/ I know, but take a good look at what I've drawn. He's going to have to be real good if he's going to beat a hand like this. / Yami Sonomi took a look and thanked the gods. This was going to be one very short duel.

// On second thought, get that bastard. 'Bout time he paid for what he did and everything else he's about to do. Give him hell! //

/ You really hate him, don't you? /

// 'Course I do. It's your turn. //

/ I know. I'm on it. / Kaiba had played Judge Man (2200/1500, Light) in attack mode and ended his turn.

"Unless my calculations are way off, you're going down in two turns; this being the first," Sonomi replies, shocking the entire crowd. There were whispers of her being either incredibly good, or incredibly stupid. "I play Swords of Revealing Light!" Everyone laughs, thinking she was just stalling. "Now, now, I'm not stalling, because I also play Cocoon of Evolution in defense mode!"

"I play Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500, Light) in defense mode and swap Judge Man to Defense Mode as well! And end my turn."

The cocoon hatched, forming Great Moth (2600/2500, Forest) as Sonomi drew another card. "I use Megamorph on Great Moth (2600/2500 => 3100/3000)! And I play two magic cards, Brain Control and Change of Heart! I now control both of your monsters, Kaiba-san! Now, all three of you, attack!" The counter on Kaiba's disc ran straight down to zero. The crowd stood in awe, shocked at what they had witnessed; someone else other than Mutou Yuugi had defeated Kaiba Seto. "Now then, which one of your cards do I want?" She shuffled through his deck. "For the sake of my card collection, I'll take your Judge Man. Useless in my deck, but I don't have him. Gotta complete that collection, don't I?" Kaiba mumbled something inaudible as a rope ladder swung down behind him.

"You just got lucky! I'll get you next time!"

"Anytime, loser! Anytime!" She made a face at him as Kaiba was lifted out of view. "Those of you who watched this duel, the cards used in this duel are available in the Daisy Gift Shop! Come in and bargain for rare cards anytime!" She gave a wink and a giggle and ran back inside the shop. Hinagiku was chuckling at her giggly niece.

"Nice draw, Sonomi. You've really integrated those cards into your deck. And I don't think Kaiba will be living that one down anytime soon. And thank you for the promo afterwards. I think we'll have some more business now that Kaiba's done us this little favor. Now, finish that homework and watch the shop while I go make us a special dinner. It's not very often someone as good as Kaiba gets beaten in two turns."

// Indeed, that was an incredible draw. And that look on his face was priceless. //

/ Think so? I'd hoped for a tougher challenge from him. /

// Don't. He's always been like that. Yami-sama . . . Yami-sama's lots better. Tougher deck, too. //

/ Ne, Sonomi-san, so if you're my Yami, then what am I? / Sonomi wanted to change the subject, knowing full well that Yami was a sensitive subject for her.

// You're my hikari, my light. We're opposites. But not exactly good/evil kind of opposites. Dark magic created the items; the soul within is also dark. I can survive in the Shadow Realm should we have a need to travel there, but you cannot. Yet, I cannot survive here without you. So, we're actually more like the two sides of a coin; perhaps it'd be more accurate to say we're partners. //

/ Really? So, you're like my twin sister? /

The spirit chuckled, a sweet cheerful sound. // Yes, in a way. //

/ Then can I call you neechan? /

// Alright, but only if you'll let me call you Mi-chan. // Sonomi considered the offer. She hated it when people shorten her name, yet it had a cute ring to it. And in her book, cute was good.

/ Mi-chan . . . it's got a cute ring. Okay! /

// Good, now get back to that homework! //

/ Oh! That's right! /

Several hours later, the homework was finished and she was eating dinner with her aunt in the back. "Ne, Auntie Hinagiku, how did you know I wanted those cards?"

"I remembered when you visited me that time last year. You went straight to the counter and were ogling at them! And when you showed me your deck, I could see why. They fit into your deck perfectly." Hinagiku chuckled. "Good job today. I think we'll have quite a few customers tomorrow." Just then, the silver bells on the shop door rang. "Looks like a customer. I'll go take care of it."

"Oh no, Auntie! Let me!" Sonomi ran out to greet the customer. "Irashaimase! What can I do for you?"

// Mi-chan, let me take over. I know her. //

/ Alright, neechan. / The heart glowed as Yami Sonomi took over. She carefully closed the mind-link; she wanted this to be private.

"Isis, it's been a while," she greeted.

"So, it's true. I suspected as much. The Millennium Tauk never lies; I knew I'd find you here."

"I take it Malik blabbed?"

"Indeed. Tell me, though, why did you do it?"

"I wanted revenge then . . . "

"But from what Malik told me, you didn't."

"Yes, this girl stopped me. She seemed to understand me quite well."

"Is that the only reason? Because you did not want to kill your hikari?" Something unreadable flashed through Yami Sonomi's eyes before she answered Isis.

"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be tending to that museum exhibit of yours?" Yami Sonomi asks, changing the subject.

"I'm here to warn you. Your presence here has started a whole new chain of events, one that even the Millennium Tauk did not see. And when unexpected event occur, change is bound to happen . . . but what that is, I do not know."

"Change . . . "

"Yes. That is all. Be careful, Sonomi. Dark forces are still at work."

"I sensed them before . . . and I believe my hikari has a bit of a sixth sense. Her dreams told her of my presence in her before I revealed myself to her."

"There is a bit of something I would like you look at in the ancient scriptures at the museum. Go there this weekend and ask to see me. They'll know."

"Alright." Isis turned to go. "Not buying anything?"

"No, but tell your hikari to keep up those dueling skills. They will most certainly come in handy in the future."

"No problem." As Isis walked out the door, Hinagiku walks out from the back.

"Did she buy anything?"

"She said she was just looking for gift ideas for a friend."

"Come back and finish your dinner; I'll close the shop while you go and take a bath," Hinagiku replies, taking out her set of keys. Yami Sonomi sighed once Hinagiku was out of the room.

// Mi-chan? //

/ What happened? You closed off your end of our link. /

// I know. Do you want to go to the museum? The lady who walked in told me to meet her there this weekend. //

/ Isn't her name Isis Ishtar? My parents know her. They work together, but I've never met her in person. /

// Yes, she is. We need to be careful, Mi-chan. She came with a warning. Dark forces are at work, and we need to be wary. //

/ How does she know? /

// The necklace she wears is a Millennium Item called the Millennium Tauk. She can read into the future and the past with it. Apparently, my unexpected presence has created some sort of chaos within the stream of time. //

/ I see . . . so what do we do? /

// Nothing. We just wait. If anything goes wrong, I'll protect you. //

~To be Continued~

Kurama no Miko2003: Okay peoples, that was Chapter 4. Care to give me some feedback?