The Broken Doll

Chapter 11

Dark Mist exited the Key. His spellcaster partner, Yuri, and Yuma looked at him with hopeful and expectant eyes. Dark Mist, however, just shook his head. "He didn't know how Shing felt. He couldn't pinpoint who she loved most."

Yuma smacked his knee in frustration. "Dang it! I thought he would know. I mean, every time we approached Shing, he would sorta bristle."

Astral and Dark Mist shared a glance. The same thought was running through their heads. Either Yuma's dueling partner was sensing darkness from Shing, or he didn't like how she felt toward the boy. It could have been either one, and there was no way to be absolutely sure. Astral broke eye contact with Dark Mist and faced Yuma again.

"He would bristle?"

"Yeah. Like he didn't like her aura or something. He reacted the same way with Kaito once and from Number 96's card. I just assumed that he could feel some kind of darkness from her or something."

"Did he seem overly aggressive or just disturbed?" Dark Mist asked.

Yuma thought on it. "Now that I think of it, he reacted the same as when he was forced to duel alongside Black Mist. He was kinda aggressive and a little possessive. Though, when we were dueling, he also had an urgent feeling."

Once again, that could mean that either Astral didn't like Shing's desires toward the boy, or he could have felt some kind of darkness from her. It was difficult to tell, which frustrated Astral and Dark Mist greatly.

Yuri spoke up. "Was it the same reaction between Shing and Black Mist?"

"Come to think of it, no." Yuma thought for a moment. "When we encountered Shing, he acted more possessive. I didn't think it meant anything. Does it mean anything?"

"It means Astral may be lying."

Yuma suddenly shot up. "What do you mean? He wouldn't lie about something like that!"

"Wouldn't he? If Shing had any interest in you, he wouldn't want you to die because you two are close friends."

Would he actually do that? Astral wasn't one to lie often. Yuma wasn't even sure Astral knew what a lie was! Then again, one didn't need to know what a lie was to tell one.

But maybe he had a reasonable cause to lie if he did!

And what cause would that be? He knows the consequences of letting Shing do whatever she wants. He's not stupid. Any reason he could have come up with would be overshadowed by the outcome of returning Shing back home.

"I'm going to ask him myself," Yuma declared. "He's always blunt with me. If his answer changes, then we know he lied."

"What if his answer stays the same?" Dark Mist asked. 

"Then I'll know if he's telling the truth or lying. I've spent a lot of time with him. I'll know."

"Get going, then," Yuri said. "We'll wait here."

The boy nodded and set the Key down on the floor. With a touch, he was inside the world of the Emperor's Key, and better yet, he was on one of the gears of the ship. It saved him the time it would have taken to find and travel to the ship.

Yuma didn't bother calling out. Usually, Astral was found at the Number Wall, trying to get more information out of the Numbers. That was where Yuma went, and he found his friend doing the same thing as usual with Dark hanging back and laying on a gear, seeming to be bored out of his mind. Dark turned to Yuma and scowled at him. It wasn't unusual, but there was something about his frown that seemed to accuse Yuma of something. The boy ignored it.