The Beast Underneath: A Yu-Gi-Oh! Fanfiction

Chapter Fifty-Five: Impurrfect Magic

Shizira sat at her desk, the computer monitor displaying several web-tabs of research as she analyzed a spell before her. It had been tucked in a library book, obviously old and obviously forgotten, and it bore no title nor any distinguishing figures. She tilted her head and inhaled deeply.

"I shouldn't," she chided herself, but the paper tightened in her grip and she stared hard at the words. "But I can't figure out what it is. It's a potion, obviously, but there's not a whole lot of obviousness beyond that."

Shizira forgave herself for falling to temptation and creating the potion. It was blackish in color, releasing clouds of minty- and flowery-smelling golden and purple perfume, and when she sniffed it she nearly gagged. Not from the terrible smell, but how overwhelming it was. With nothing else to do, she consumed a tiny bit - not enough to kill her, if it were a killer potion.

She probably shouldn't have.

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"Kiria! Kiria!" Malice cried, bouncing excitedly into the livingroom where the two sisters sat together reading their own things. Axel, an exercise magazine, and Kiria, a book on magic. Kiria probably should be doing homework, buuuut magic was more interesting and she still had enough time to do it before bed.

"Yes, Malice?" said Axel.

"I adopted five cats!"

The magazine hit the floor as Axel's neck went over ninety degrees to look at her. "We already have a pet dragon, Malice! How and why did you get five cats?!"

"Well, there was a lady on the corner passing out homeless kitties, and she said I could take as many as I wanted, so I took five! Look at them!" From nowhere, Malice hefted a mewling box, and then set it on the floor, pulling one particular cat out. "This one's my favorite!"

It was a silky, short-furred cat with longer fur on the tail. It struggled in Malice's arms and gave a series of desperate meows. Kiria got up and moved to take a closer look at it. It was a pretty ebony color, like old witch familiars. Perhaps they should keep the one. Shizira might find it funny that Kiria had a 'pet familiar', but then again, she might not. You never knew what amused Shizira.

The cat practically lunged into Kiria's arms and yowled even louder, putting its paws on her shoulders and staring despairingly into her eyes. They were a pretty orange color, flecked with re-

Orange eyes flecked with red. Black fur.

"This cat looks like Shizira!" Kiria cooed. "That's cute! Maybe we should give it to her. She deserves a pet, since she's so lonely in that apartment anyway."

The cat screeched and lashed its tail, the lamp slamming up and down on the table. Kiria froze. She hadn't done that.

"Funny, Kiria," Axel huffed. "You know I hate that weird levitating spell."

"I didn't do that, Axel," Kiria spoke aloud.

"Yeah? Well, neither Malice nor I know magic."

The lamp slammed several times again and the cat gave another plain meow. It stared at Axel with narrowed eyes, and then back to Kiria.

"Kiria, stop."

"It isn't me!"

"Then what? Is it the cat?" Axel sarcastically replied.

With a feline screetch, the lamp floating in the air and did several spins before landing back down to Planet Table. Axel's jaw fell open and her eyes relocated to the cat scrambling in Kiria's arms. It jumped from the embrace and ruffled itself, trying to smooth out the disturbed fur. It meowed again and then Kiria floated into the air, her legs flailing desperately to return to ground. She did, but the point was made.