"How are you able to move?!" Faust demanded, swiping at Xing with his sword. The boy expertly jumped out of the way, with more dexterity than he'd had moments before. He's done something with his spirit partner, I can tell. He thought. He was a klutz when I stabbed him with my blade-- he then noticed the subtle but visible gossamer threads around the boy's limbs. Ah, I see. He's integrated with his spirit partner, and he's managed to keep his over soul active as well. Those lines along his body...heh, they're allowing his spirit to control and move his body despite the paralytic in his system.

"That is none of your concern, corpse." Xing said in archaic Chinese. It was a dialect that hadn't been used in thousands of years. Even as he spoke, there was another voice speaking at the same time; a deep baritone that Faust could feel in his bones.

"Who are you?" Faust asked. Xing stood tall, his shoulders back and relaxed and muscles tense. He didin't answer. "Then I guess I'll just have to force it out of you!" He lunged at the boy, who blocked.

"Faust X," The boy said, that same baritone speaking with his regular voice. "You will lose now!"

Abby smiled happily."GO XING!",she cheered out happily. Smileing at Faust's surprisement.

Shiki smiled."Hey faust I have to admit,Abby told you!",he siad then looked to Xing and gave a smile.

((Why haven't you posted in the YGO RP?))

Xing didn't hear them. At least, not directly. He was concentrating on keeping the gossamer strands around his limbs and body while Bason fought, controlling Xing's movements. As a shaman, the feeling of integration was nothing new, but the method Xing was using to fight took a huge toll on both him and Bason. Right now, not only was Bason integrated with Xing's body, but the over soul was still kept up on the halberd. It was a combination of integration and over-soul.

Faust was getting more and more pissed as he fought the pair. After several minutes of exchanging blows, Faust stood down and shoved the bone blade back into his belt. "It seems I'll have to use my full power after all." He said. His animated corpses gathered around the two in a large circle. Faust unzipped the body bag and pulled out something....well, it was a something.

The thing he pulled out was dead, and ugly. It had apparently once had a human shape, but it didn't anymore. More or less, it was a strange combination of a human and several animals; a snake, a lion, a hawk, a hyena, and a few other animals that Xing or Bason couldn't identify. "What the hell is that thing?" he asked in disgust.

"This, is one of my greatest experiments." Faust said, letting the creature drop. "I hated my guardian, the useless bastard, so I decided to put him to good use; I turned him into this chimera." He used his mana to reanimated the dead thing. "Needless to say, the creature didn't survive. Though, that's hardly a barrier to a necromancer. Now, my beautiful creation, destroy him!"

The chimera lunged at Xing, and he dodged. Claws raked at his shoulder. "AGH!" He shouted. He barely had time to dodge another assault as the thing struck again, this time nailing him in the thigh. Xing bit his lower lip to keep from shouting out.

(8blinks* i did......unless it didnt go through -_- ill get on it ^^))

Abby wathed."Carefull Xiing",she said with worry ,her eyes not leaving the battle. Then tilted her head."But faust that things hidious",she said looking deskusted.

Shiki looked on."come on Xing... you can do it..."

((It didn't go through....it's still showing me as the last poster....
Mene must be hungry...they're eating posts again.))

"What you consider hideous is another's veiw of beauty." Faust merely replied. "Now, destroy that fly!"

The beast continued it's assault, and it was all that Bason could do to keep the thing's raw strength at bay. 'Master Xing, we only have two minutes left.' he said.

'I know it,' Xing replied. 'I'm trying to find a weakness in that thing, but I AUGH!!!'

Both spirit and shaman screamed as the beast pinned Xing to a tree with its claw, thanks to raw power. Bason was forced out of Xing's body from the shock of the attack, and the halberd fell to the ground as Xing's hand wend limp. Xing coughed up blood as the over soul flickered out of existance.

He'd lost the match.

But Faust wasn't going to leave it at that.

"So, in addition to keeping up an over-soul you initiated integration with your spirit partner." Faust said as he advanced. Several of the skeletons dismantled and reassmbled themselves into on massive skeleton, which drove sharpened bone spikes into Xing's body. He gasped in pain as they were driven into his legs, his stomach, his arms, his chest. The chimera pulled its blood-covered claw away as Faust approached. Several more of the skeletons dismantled and formed steps for their master.

"It was all for naught though," Faust said quietly, holding Xing's head up with his bone blade. Xing was barely concious. Suddenly, Faust drove the sword into Xing's throat, pinning his neck to the tree as well. "I guess the only thing left for you to do is die."

He stepped away from Xing's now prone form as the skeletons crashed apart. Xing had passed out, his golden eyes staring vacantly. Blood poured from the boy's wounds and mouth, and more gushed when Faust pulled his sword from Xing's neck. He wiped the blade clean as the proctor approached them.

"Faust X," He began solemnly, "you are the victor of this match. I suggest you now leave."

"Oh, I won't leave until I collect my latest addition to my collection." Faust replied. He pointed ot the prone form on the tree. "That boy's corpse!"

"No, you will not." The proctor replied icily. "Leave. Now."

Faust gave him an ugly look, but complied, scooping the dead chimera back into its body bag and strode off. As he left, the first drops of rain began to fall. The proctor turned to the two teenagers who had been watching. "Get your friend to a hospital, quickly." He said. "He can't lose any more battles now if he wants to advance to the next round. Nor can he die like this." Before either could reply, he was gone.

Abby yelled out as Faust attacked Xing.Once Faust backed off she rushed to his side."Xing!Xing you have to hang in there",she said softly looking at his woonds while Shiki was callng 911.Tears were going down her face."I'm so sorry Xing, I should have kept my mouth shut",she said as she took off her jacket and pressed it against his woond in his neck. "don't you dare ... die, if you do I wont forgivie you",she said shakeing a little,hearing the sirens she looked up seeing the medic rush over and loaded him up. The medics alowed the two to ride with them.

Getthing to the hospital the medics rushed him in and left the two in the waiting rom Abby sat in a chair stareing blankiy at her blood stained jacket. Flash backs of her familys murder went through her,there screams and crys of pain. She slowly stood and placed her jacket on the ground and headed towards the door."Shiki,stay here with him",she said lowly. Her voice and normal lively ness had changed. It was colder.

Shiki stared at her and slowly nodded."fine ... be carefull what eer yor doing",he said watching her go and looked towrds the door of the emergencey room.

Abby was leaping from roof top to roof top ,here bron eyes had now become pitch black. She spotted Faust and landed down infront of him. She had picked up her weapon witch was a samuri sword."Faust you went to far",she said lowly."i'll fight you just so nothing is concider elegal,we'll call it a spareing match... heh ... your gonna regret going to far with Xing",she said glareing ,a suden spiritual preshure came from her and a tree beside Faust was exploaded and became nothing but tooth picks.

Shiki who was waiting for new on Xing blinked feeling the preshure and jumped up looking to the widow. "Abby ... be carefull",he said lowly.

Faust glared at the girl. Her eyes were pitch-black, and her aura had changed. "I don't have time for this." He said. he shielded the side of his face when the tree beside him exploded into splinters. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

***

Bason was floating next to Shiki's shoulder in spirit flame mode, just as worried about Xing. Damn...if only we'd been stronger.... the ancient general thought.

Shiki looked to him."I know he'll be oky .... hes tough,he sowed that tonight.",he said tring to confert Bason. He blinked as he wsaw a spirtit enter the hospital holding a glowing blue orb.The young spirit spotted Shiki and Bason and went to him.

The spirit looked to Bason and held it to him."Miss Abby said to give it to Xing ... you are conected with him,so it must e you to give it,Abby said it would help hime heal,and give himstrength to keep healing"

Shiki looked at the blue orb.He recognised it."that spirit is telling the ruth,Abby used it on me once,it works,she wont how she does it,but it will work",he reasured bason."Its invisible to normal humnas ... so youed be able to go in there undetected"

--

Abby just smirked."no,i have lots of time to play,besides didnt you wnat to see how good I could do,i'll concisde me kicking your rotten ass as a wrm up",she said a dark smirk across her face. The spiitual energy around her became fierce as a wall a few feet from him was disintograted."come on faust not scared are you?"

Faust stepped back slightly despite himself. The girl's aura is different from before. If anything, it's violent. Very violent. He thought. "Of course I'm not scared." he replied. "I'm already dead, so what do I have to fear from death?"

Just then a girl wearing a tank top, shorts, elbow and knee pads, and fingerless gloves jumped down from one of the rooftops. She had long black hair, copper skin, a feather in her hair, a fox's tail pendant around her neck, and big dark brown eyes. "Calm it down, you two." She said.

"And who might you be?" Faust X asked the girl.

She paused as she looked him over. "None of your buisness." She replied after a moment.

***

Bason nodded and took the orb, then made his way to Xing's room. He'd just come out of surgery, and he was hooked up to life-support. He had a breathing mask on, a bag of blood and an IV stuck into his arm, and his breathing, blood pressure, brain activity, and heartbeat were all being monitored. The sight pained Bason. He let the orb pass into Xing's body. Master Xing...please be strong. He thought.

Abby glanced towards the girl."please mind your own buisness",she stated calmly and looked to Faust."are we going to fight or not ... if so lets move away from here,to a more,interesting battle field",she said ina very icey tone. Her cold eyes stareing at Faust.

--

Shiki stood still feeling Abbys aura."man she is pissed",he muttered.As he stared out the window he couls also sence Fuast."Abby ... dont get yourself killed",he mutered and when he got the okay from the doctor he went into Xings room. Entering he set Abbys jacket on a chair and looked to Bason."hows he doing?did the orb thing help at all",he said worried.

"I do not know," Bason replied softly. He was back in spirit flame mode and floating above Xing's bed.

***

"I don't see any need for us to fight here and now." Faust replied. "After all, I'm quite sure we'll face each other in the rounds to come. I can play with you then."

Elliot narrowed her eyes at Faust. He doesn't feel right, she thought. She then glanced at Abby. That's the girl who was watching that kid fight, but...her aura's turned violent. Is she a shaman? Duh. She's got to be if she's here and has a spiritual pressure like that. But one so violent......

Abby glared but became calm."very well,I look forward to takeing you on,and barry you .... for good",she said and turning she walked down the street,he aura calmling down and her eyes returning to thier normal brown color. She then headed for the hospital,to see Xing,hopeing the orb she had made had worked.

--

Shiki smiled some."I'm sure it did",he said looking over Xing."Xing,if you can here us in there .... you better not die on Yukina,she will never forgive you and hunt your soul down and give you heck,trust me ive seen her do it.And shes blameing herself for you getting this hurt .... shes worried,so is Bason,so pull through it and wke up....",he said sitting in the chair.

Elliot watched as the girl left, her aura calming down a bit. "That's....weird." She muttered.

Abby entered the hospital looking around not seeing Shiki she quikly asked a nurse if everything was okay with Xing.Hearing it was she sighed in relief and then went to the room.Pokeing her head in,she frowned and slowly entered."hey hows he doing?",sh asked Bason softly,keeping her distance.

"From what I can tell, not well." Bason replied. "I believe he's on something called life-support."

Abby cringed and looked down.Hideing the tears that were starting to come in her eyes."I'm sorry Bason ... its my fault,i should have kept my mouth shut",she said lowly.

Shiki frowed looking to her."Abby...."

Abby looked towads Xing."T-that orbshould havestartedworkig by now,it should have made his woonds not as serious",she said softly.

Shiki frowned then bliked looking to his manakul."oh,I have to go ... my match is soon",he said relizeing he had been at the hospital for a while he looked to Abby and smiled some."you stay here with him.... i know you .. ans Xing are there in a way",he said holding up the bracelet thing she had made for him and Xing."I'll be back",he said heading out.

Abby was thrown off by Shiki. Sighig she sat down in the chair beside Xings bed. Tears came to her eyes."I ....I am so sorry Xing",she said lookig down as the tears fell some.

"Miss Serino, I doubt you had anything to do with it." Bason said in comfort. "The outcome would have been the same even if you were not there."

***

Elliot was waiting at the place for her match with Shiki. "Why the heck did it have to be so freaking late?!" She asked. She had another coffee with her, though she was in really bad need of sleep.

"Technically it would be early." Spire said. Rather than sitting on her shoulder as he usually did, he was in spirit flame mode. "It is about 2:30 am."

Elliot yawned. "That's still late in my mind." She said. "I'm speaking from the perspective of having been up since 8:00 yesterday morning."

Shiki walk up and seeing her he smiled some."hello',he said calmly."Im shiki,yiu must beElliot"

--

Abby looked to him."maybe it wouldn't have been ... maybe not , but it should have been able to help him....",she said softly looking down sadly.

"Indeed I am," Elliot replied, a bit gruffly. She wasn't thrilled about the early hour.

Shiki blinked looking at her."you alright?",he asked with some worry.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just sleep-deprived." Elliot replied. She looked around. "Any idea when that proctor is going to get here? It's almost time for our match."

Shiki smiled some."he should be here right before the start of the match",he said calmly.

"He's got a point," Spire said. "You do realize you get rather...impatient when you're tired?"

"I know that." Elliot replied, checking her watch. There was still ten minutes before the proctor showed up. "Well, we're certainly early."

Shiki looked to him and smiled."well beter to be early then late.....",he said proudly.

Kojio them apeared beside him."master Shiki ... i am ready when you are",he said calmly.

Nala floated up next to Spire in spirit-flame mode. "Think you're up for it?" She asked.

Elliot nodded. "More than ready," she replied. She checked her watch. Seven minutes left.