Heart of the Duel: A Yu-Gi-Oh Fanfiction

18: Relinquished

'Hello?'  Kira called out. 'Yugi? Yami?' She had hated to leave them in the dark about this but with Pegasus reading minds, she hoped Yugi and Yami could fend for themselves until she got this under control.

She had no idea where she was. surrounding her were walls and pillars in some kind of narrow hallway.

"Anyone?" she asked out loud.

"Kira!"

Kira spun around to see Yami behind her, his eye wide with shock.

"Yami! Where-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Yami crushed her with a tight hug. "What happened to you? You just collapsed!"

"Sorry," she apologized, returning the hug quickly and then pulling away. "With Pegasus reading our minds, I thought maybe I could spirit walk again and help that way."

"Spirit walk?"

"Yeah, like I did when I was poisoned."

Yami grimaced. "Kira you are not in the real world."

She frowned. "Then where am I?"

"You are in the Millineum Puzzle," he said slowly, his eyes concerned.

"Huh? I'm in the Puzzle?" She gasped. "How did I do that?"

Suddenly Yami vanished randomly and Kira flinched, looking around desperately for him. Then just as quickly, Yugi took his place.

"Kira?" Yugi asked in confusion.

"Yugi? Where did Yami go? I was just talking to him!"

"We are still battling Pegasus," Yugi told her. "Yami and I are switching places constantly so Pegasus can't read our minds."

"Wow that's a good idea," Kira said with a nod. "Smart move."

"Anyways what are you doing here?"

"I don't know. I willed my spirit out of my body and somehow I ended up in the Puzzle."

Then Yugi disappeared and Yami returned.

"Kira, I have an idea," Yami said quickly as if their last conversation hadn't ended with his vanishing. "The next time Yugi switches out with me, hold my hand. Maybe I can pull you out as well."

She nodded. "Okay." He held out his hand and she lightly placed her own in his. "How are you doing?"

"We are taking back the field," he told her. "I think we can take out Toon World!"

She smiled. "That's good. Sorry to have worried you."

Yami smiled back, his eyes softening. "You are important to us Kira. Of course, I was worried."

She blushed at Yami's words.

Then suddenly, everything vanished and a bright light blinded her. Kira ducked away from the light, but it faded after a moment. When she reopened her eyes, she was standing next to Yami on the podium of the dueling arena, Pegasus in front of her.

"Can you see me?" she asked Yami.

To her surprise, it was Yugi who answered in her mind. 'Yes! And I can still hear your thoughts too!'

Kira glanced over to where she had been standing before. Joey and Téa were crouching by her limp body, worriedly fretting over her loss of consciousness.