Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Duel Deck ❯ Chapter 4
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: MikariStar 
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.23.2012 | Pages: 5 | Words: 9.1K | Visits: 291 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.23.2012 | Pages: 5 | Words: 9.1K | Visits: 291 | Status: Completed
Duel Deck: Deck IV
Card 28: Running
The sun would soon set in more ways than one but of course he didn't know it at the time. He didn't realize what was to come until the very second it came, until it was too late. No strange feelings that morning. No unexplainable needs to visit Mokuba. No need what so ever to say things that had remained unsaid for most of his life. No need to plan Kaiba Corp.'s business deals for the next year or so. No need to duel one last duel, those where things that could be done later, tomorrow, or the day after that, because he had the time, right? He had his life ahead of him, right? That's what he always told himself.
Seto had been typing on his high tech computer like he always did. He always arrived at work early and no matter what, he was the CEO, and would always be for the rest of his life, no matter what anyone said. This was his place and it would be for the rest of his life. He thought about his life as he typed. Did he do everything he wanted to do? Certainly not, there were many things he wanted to do while he still lived, but did he do them? Did he even make plans for them? No, he just came to work everyday, workaholic to the end.
Many times people told him that he would die young if he kept being such a workaholic. Obviously he didn't believe it; he liked working, programming, building high tech stuff and all of that, virtual worlds, duel disks, everything high tech. He still liked dueling and playing chess and he would for the rest of his life. Suddenly and for no reason, he wished he had dueled more. He stopped typing and looked away from the computer screen. The office felt so empty now but why? Everything was very quiet, too quiet, it was almost eerie. Memories came as a wild flood that could not be stopped.
Seto shook his head, trying to make the images in his mind go away, maybe he really had overworked, a vacation would be good, the first vacation he ever took since he became the CEO of Kaiba Corp. Yes, he would go on vacation and when he came back everything would be back to normal. It would be the first time someone was left to run his corporation for an extended period of time without even contacting him, but the one he planned to leave in change was ready, he knew it, he was a Kaiba after all.
"What am I thinking?" Why was he suddenly planning to leave and not contact anyone? That wasn't his idea of a vacation, but somehow he felt like that was what would happen. His heart started beating faster and suddenly he felt like running out of his office and jumping on a jet that would take him to a far away place, as if this strange feeling he was getting could be outrun. It couldn't.
Despite his need to get away from whatever was after him, Seto did not move. The room felt so cold, but the air conditioner was off. He turned it off after he started feeling cold a while ago. Not a good sign. How could he have dismissed that as unimportant? He had never felt cold like that before, not even when he had the flu. In fact, he felt sleepy now.
Seto pushed the laptop computer to the corner of his desk after saving his work and turning it off. He laid his head on his arms on the desk. "I'm tired that's all," he said to himself. "I'll be okay," he tried to convince himself, but couldn't. Suddenly it felt like he ran a mile. Metaphorically speaking he did, he ran a race he couldn't win.
His heartbeat went back to normal and he caught his breath. He reached for the phone and began to dial, accepting destiny. He held the phone next to his ear and waited for an answer that took too long to come. The phone began to slip away as he lost grip on it. He let the phone fall and closed his eyes to rest. So cold, so tired...
The sun was setting and its last rays of light touched him by the glass window. He never paid attention to the sunset, but he wished he had. The view must have been good from his office at the top floor of the Kaiba Corp. building. He used to get annoyed when the sun touched his computer screen and reflected off it on his face, but now he didn't close the window like he normally would have.
"Hello?" The voice came from the phone to break the silence of the empty office. Seto Kaiba had ran away.
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Card 29: Heartbroken (JoeyxMai)
Joey's Point of View
I run into the light of the sunset in the beach. I remember this place from when I was younger and I used to come here with my little sister. Those were days before I met the ones that are now my best friends, before I met her, before I was heartbroken.
Why did she have to do this? If she didn't like me, if she only wanted to be friends, she could have said so from he beginning. Why did she give me hopes of being something more when she knew all along she was going to let me fall? Those innocent dates as friends only turned into more than that. Why did she let it continue? Why didn't she stop things there and then and just told me? Why did she make me believe she loved me? Or maybe she didn't. Maybe I let my wishful thinking cloud my perception of the situation. Maybe I misinterpreted her friendship for something else. Maybe she wasn't the one sending mixed signals. Maybe I just wasn't listening like I should have. Now I'm heartbroken.
For some time I almost had all that I wanted. Almost, all that I needed to make my life complete was Mai. My sister is cured, I have friends; all I needed was that kind of love that comes from a couple. I wished that things would have worked out between us. That's all I needed for everything to be perfect, but I guess life just can't go my way. It's all a big disappointment, just when I thought things were going my way, something goes wrong. I never get to enjoy the good times enough, they never last long. I always have something to worry about, something to dread in the future near and far. I guess I shouldn't think too much about it. After al,l there's nothing I can do to solve it now. It's a problem without a solution and now I'm just heartbroken.
Sometimes I wish that we could have continued as we were, even if it was all a lie. We could have kept going on those dates as just friends. I would have hung on to the hopes of eventually becoming something more; I still have hopes even if they will never come true. It would have been better than nothing, better than what I have now. I wished that even if you didn't care you pretended that you did, or at least let things be so that I could believe that you did. You didn't have to announce your love to him in such a public place. I didn't need to find out. I don't want to know something that will only make me heartbroken.
Why can't we go back to those happy times? As I watch the sunset I remember the last time I was here. I was here with you that day, just the two of us. We spent the entire day together and had a picnic on the beach. Everything was just perfect. I almost told you how I felt that day, almost. I guess it's a good thing I didn't, since it might have been worse. But then again, it might have been better, because at least then I would have heard it from you instead of finding out for myself, instead of seeing it like I did. As much as I wish it wasn't so, I need to accept the truth. I need to accept the fact that Mai Valentine could never truly love Joey Wheeler as more than just a good friend. It's over, I shouldn't keep insisting when I know it does no good. I'll just have to stay heartbroken.
Yes, it's true, it's over now. I guess that's what I get for getting my hopes up. I should have known from the beginning. I shouldn't have believed it could be possible. I should have given up the second I saw you. Mai Valentine and Joey Wheeler, that's impossible. Yet still, I can't help it but to hope I wouldn't have seen you with him. I rather live in a lie than be heartbroken.
As the sun completely sets and the first stars start to shine, I leave the beach and walk down the lonely streets of Domino city. I'm heading to your apartment Mai. I'm going to tell you how I feel, even if you don't listen. I'm going to let you know, even if it makes things worse, if they can even get worse. I can't let this inside me all my life. I need to let it all out, even if it just makes me more heartbroken.
No one else needs to know. Varon doesn't need to know. Only you Mai, I'll be happy if you just hear me out and find out the truth. You don't need to love me back, just listen to the one who loves you and is heartbroken.
As I arrive I see Varon leaving. I hide and listen to the conversation. "So you understand now? We're still friends right?" Mai asks.
"Yeah, it' alright Mai, I should have know you liked Wheeler. Sorry I stole that kiss from ya in the park. See ya, Mai." Varon leaves without finding me.
I want to punch him for stealing a kiss from her without her consent, yet at the same time I'm so happy to know the truth. I'll tell her about my feelings now that I'm no longer heartbroken.
End POV
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Card 30: You Are Gone
Ishizu's Point of View
Lately I haven't been able to name a day in which I'm not hunted by nightmares. I see my little brother Malik, being controlled by a terrible darkness. It's been going on for a long time now, ever since his tomb keeper initiation. At first I would wake up in the middle of the night, biting my tongue so I wouldn't scream. Now the nightmares wake me quietly for a few seconds before I go back to sleep and I remember them clearly in the morning, but at least I get more sleep. I tried to convince myself that they were only nightmares and nothing more.
That day was like any other until he insisted about going outside. He looked at me with pleading eyes. "Please sister, it's only for a little while, please!" How could I say no to my adorable little brother? We would return quickly, no one would notice. Odion offered to stand guard while we went outside, but on our way out I didn't notice the device attached to the door that would alert our father that we left and make Odion pay the price.
When we came back and I noticed the device, I knew we would be in trouble. I planned to take the full blame myself, but it was too late. Father had already blamed Odion for it and the guilt started to eat me away there and then, from that moment on, non-stop. I saw the darkness take over completely. Malik took the millennium rod and sent our father to his doom. He thought Shadii was the one who did it since he appeared there at the time and neither Odion nor I had the heart to tell him who really did it. My poor little brother, I can't help it but to blame myself for this.
As I watch Domino city from Kaiba Craft Three I can't help it but to feel disbelief. Everything appears to be so unreal, but here I am in one final attempt to save my brother. I should have never agreed to go outside. I should have been more careful and thought of the consequences. I should have paid attention to my nightmares. I'll always blame myself for this and I know Odion blames himself too.
Why didn't I protect you? I'm your older sister; I should have been there for you, but there was nothing I could do. When Odion recovered I just stood there to the side. I didn't know what to say or do, I was in too much shock and the events just didn't sink in, I was paralyzed. I feel like I've indirectly pushed you down the cliff into the darkness. I shouldn't have brought you outside, I shouldn't have.
I make my way outside of my room. The fresh air will do me some good. However, there was something I didn't predict, as I walked I saw him. The duels were about to be decided and he was on his way to see who would duel first. I returned to my room in silence. I don't think he saw me. Malik, you're not the same I used to know. You're so different from the one in my memories.
Was this destined to happen no matter what I did? Was there truly no way to change the course of your life? Where my nightmares going to come true anyway? This is a lot worse than all my nightmares put together, this is real and I couldn't stop it from happening.
Malik hold on. I know there's still good in you. I know the real you is still there. There has to be a way to save you and bring you back to the way you were. I wish my nightmares never came true, but they did. Why did that day have to come? Why couldn't we stay the way we were before your tomb keeper initiation?
Maybe deep down I've known all along that this would happen and that there's nothing I can do to stop it. It was going to happen; it was destiny, just like it is the pharaoh's destiny to save us. I just hope that the good part of destiny comes true, not only the bad. I should have known it was inevitable.
I used to be in denial. I used to say I was careful and that it wasn't my fault, but then it changed. Then I took the guilt just as badly as I imagine Odion must be taking it. You couldn't keep the darkness under control without his help. I wish I could have helped you, but I couldn't. I'm not giving up. Maybe I wasn't able to do much to help you then, but I can help you now. I will save you, Malik.
The calm times couldn't last forever. I feel like I've died a thousand deaths already and sometimes I wonder how it is possible that I'm still alive. But even if I'm worried and in more pain that I thought possible, I need to stay strong and not give up hope. I will change the course of destiny for Malik, for my younger brother, and for Odion too, for my older brother.
End POV
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Card 31: Vending Machine Battle
It was a beautiful day in the city of Domino and... well actually no, it was a very ugly day, very cloudy and raining and cold and all that other stuff that makes you want to stay in bed and not get up until next week, but the CEO of Kaiba Corp could not miss a day, hour, minute or second of work, nor could he miss a millisecond, nanosecond and so on.
Today in this very rainy, cloudy and cold day, Seto was having a meeting with the representatives of two well known companies. He couldn't decide what soda machines to put at Kaiba Land. Of course, putting their soda machines there would represent a big revenue for the lucky company, so both were willing to do anything to get that contract.
After hearing their offers, Seto decided he need time to consider this. "I'll call in a few days to let you know." He loved having people beg to do business with Kaiba Corp. This would be fun. Oh the torture of not knowing if they were going to get the contract or not. It was so much fun, for Seto anyway. What he didn't know was that the next few days would be different from what he expected; the next day would come with bribes.
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As the next day came, this time the sun was shinning in the skies of Domino City, when someone opened the door to Seto's office without knocking. "Hi!" Greeted Mai Valentine, who worked for Pixie, in an overly cheerful tone of voice that was almost scary. "You must be really bored here working all day, so I came to ask you to just get this little contract over with and sign up with Pixie the best drink ever! Why wait? You want to stay ahead of the competition don't you?"
"I am ahead of the competition," Seto replied. "It's you that needs this contract to compete with Yucky Cola, Pixie has a good point the cans are blue and I happen to like blue. Yucky's cans are red, but I might change my mind, I'll let you know in a few days." The desperate yet hopeful look in Mai's face was so amusing to the CEO.
"So Pixie's ahead?" Mai asked and Seto wasn't sure what to answer. Should he tell the truth and say yes or should he torture her by saying no? Oh the choices!
At that very moment, someone else came into the office. "Cheater!" Tea of Yucky Coke exclaimed. Mai just stuck her tongue out at her. Tea ignored this and placed a large paper heart with too much glue on Seto's desk. "This," she pointed at the heart. "Is an offering of friendship from Yucky Cola! Our company is the friendliest ever and we're certainly much friendlier than Pixie!" Seto looked at the deformed and over glued, paper heart that was on his desk. How dare she put this strange artifact on his desk?
Tea saw Seto getting annoyed and tried to think of something. "I'll be your best friend forever if you go with Yucky!" She exclaimed happily as if this was the greatest idea ever.
"I think I'll go with Pixie," Seto immediately decided.
"Yes!" Mai jumped and stated doing a happy dance, which caused both Seto and Tea to stare. After Mai realized she was being stared at and not in the way she liked, she stopped and tried to act normal as if nothing happened.
"Reconsider! I'll be your best friend forever and all my friends will be your friends too!" Tea insisted.
"No," Seto poked the paper heart with a thousand dollar pen because he didn't want to get his expensive pens all gluey.
Tea saw the poking and asked. "Do you like your friendship gift? I made it myself!"
Before Seto could say anything Mai pushed her out of the way. "I have something for you too! Come Joey!" Mai called out but nothing happened. "He's a little shy, wait a moment please." Mai went out of the office and dragged Joey in. He was dressed as a Dalmatian dog. "Isn't he just the cutest little spotty puppy? I know you like Dalmatians and you can even make a coat out of him if you want!"
Upon seeing Joey in a dog suit Seto bust out laughing and as soon as he recovered from almost laughing his head off, the vision of himself a with and back spotted anti gravity fur coat filled his mind.
While Seto was busy imagining himself in the coat, Joey got a small list out of the oversized dog paw glove. "I told you, Mai! The Dalmatian offer is for another company not Kaiba Corp!" Joey showed her the list.
Written in the list where names of many CEOs with whom they where doing business. Next to each name was something that they where planning to use to bribe them with. Dalmatian puppy was listed next to the name Cruella Deville. "Oops wrong bribe, er I mean wrong gift!" Mai quickly pushed Joey out of the office and checked the list for what was written next to Seto's name. "Yugi! Come here Yugi!" A Blue Eyes White Dragon with the millennium puzzle around his neck came in.
Seto was spacing out, imagining himself in an anti gravity spotted coat and didn't notice Yugi at first, but he jumped right off his desk when he finally did and glomped him. "A Blue Eyes White Dragon plushie! Can I have this? Mine! Er... I mean, it's for my brother," Seto trying to look serious after his little outburst.
"Sure!" Mai exclaimed happily. Of course Seto had not noticed that the so called plushie was actually Yugi in a dragon suit.
"You have a deal!" Seto signed the contract for Pixie. Mai ran off to celebrate; the president of Pixie industries would most likely give her a promotion for this deal. Sure he said he would retire, but Pegasus got bored and decided to have a different company.
"I give you my heart and this is what you do?" Tea yelled angrily. "I want my heart back!" She took the gluey paper heart and stormed out of the office, leaving Seto to cuddle his plushie.
Seto sat at his desk with the plushie on his lap. "Who's a cute little Blue Eyes White Dragon? You are!"
'Yami what do we do?' Yugi asked by their mental link.
'Don't ask me,' Yami replied by their mind link also. 'I told you taking that summer job was a bad idea. You better stay still, if Kaiba realizes it's you, he'll get mad and throw us out a window, then the millennium puzzle will break and you'll have to put it together again.'
'The puzzle? Yami, I'm going to break into a million peaces with that kind of fall!' Yugi mentally yelled.
"What's this thing around your neck?" Seto poked the millennium puzzle.
'Yugi do something!' Yami mentally told Yugi.
Yugi did the only thing he could think of at the moment. "Squeak!"
Seto hugged the plushie more. "How cute, a Blue Eyes White Dragon that squeaks when you poke the puzzle!"
'Keep that up Yugi, he has to fall asleep sometime, even Kaiba needs to sleep and then we'll sneak away,' Yami mentally encouraged.
'It's going to be along day,' Yugi thought and it was only morning.
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Card 32: Cheese
Seto Kaiba was peacefully sleeping in his nice soft bed. He usually didn't get a lot of sleep, but last night, after finishing is work early for once in his life, he tried to catch up with the sleep he had lost over the years, or at least some of it. He hugged his Blue Eyes White Dragon plushie, dreaming that he had a real dragon. In his dream he was flying riding on a Blue Eyes White Dragon in the endless skies. It looked as if nothing could interrupt his angelic peaceful slumber, except maybe his little brother.
"Big brother!" Mokuba yelled at the top of his lungs, as he jumped on Seto. "Good Morning!"
"Good morning Mokuba..." Maybe sleeping wasn't such a good idea. Seto was always left wanting more when he woke up. Maybe he should simply stay awake all the time.
"Go to sleep big brother. I want to make you a special breakfast today!" Mokuba cheered.
"Is that what you came to tell me?" Seto asked. Could it be that his little brother woke him up to tell him to go back to sleep?
It was... "Yup! Go to sleep so I can come surprise you." With that said, Mokuba jumped off Seto and happily skipped out of the room.
Seto fell back into his big, soft fluffy pillow. 'Mokuba is adorable sometimes, but sometimes...' Before he could complete the thought, he fell asleep again. A dream soon came in which he was dueling Yugi.
Just when Seto was about to claim a victory is his dream duel, Mokuba woke him up. "Wake up big brother!"
Seto jumped and immediately sat up. "Mokuba, don't scream in my ear!"
"But look what I brought you!" Mokuba was holding a plate and a glass of juice. "I made you a special breakfast!"
"How much sugar did you eat this morning?" Seto asked.
"Only a little," Mokuba was hyper as ever.
"How much?" Seto repeated the question.
"Three pounds!" Mokuba confessed.
Seto shook his head. "Mokuba, I told you to stop eating that much sugar."
"Don't you like your breakfast?" Mokuba had the chibi eyes. A flawless self defense mechanism that all little kids have.
"Of course I like the breakfast," Seto immediately said.
"Only like?" Again with the chibi eyes of doom.
"I love it! It looks delicious," Seto was full of false enthusiasm. "Is this lemonade?" The liquid in the glass looked yellow, but it wasn't liquid enough to be lemonade.
"It's cheese juice," Mokuba smiled.
"Cheese juice?" Seto didn't know such a thing existed and if it didn't, Mokuba just invented it. Seto wasn't sure drinking his brother's experiment would be good for his stomach.
"Yup! I made that up. I melted some cheese into juice. Try it, it's good!" Mokuba watched, waiting for his brother to drink the juice.
'Ah, the things I do to deserve that' Seto thought as he glanced at a framed certificate on the wall. It was drawn with crayons and it proved that Seto was the 'bestest big brother in the world'. He tried to drink the 'liquid' cheese which left him quite thirsty for something that was actually meant to be a drink.
"Do you like it?" Mokuba asked.
"It's great," Seto forced a smile. The idea of cheese juice wasn't a terrible one, but it definitely needed work.
"Try your breakfast now," Mokuba insisted.
Seto looked at the plate. The food in it looked like pancakes with cheese on top. He tried them and discovered what burnt cheese tasted like. His eyes watered from how hot the burnt cheese was, but he forced himself to smile. "Mmm!" Seto dared not open his mouth to speak, for he knew he wouldn't resist the urge to spit out the burning burnt cheese. Sure he liked cheese as much as the next guy, but not like this.
"I'm happy you liked them. I cooked them myself, from cheese," Mokuba smiled happily.
Was the cheese of the world out to get Seto today? "That's very original, why did you use cheese for everything?" Seto asked as soon as he was able to force the cheese down his throat.
"Because it's nice and easy to prepare. Besides, you like cheese. You always get extra cheese on your pizza and put lots of cheese on your sandwiches and stuff like that." The hyper Mokuba replied.
Sadly for Seto, Mokuba didn't move until Seto finished his breakfast. Then it was time to get ready for work. With the beginnings of a stomachache, Seto prepared himself for another day at Kaiba Corporation, even if it was Saturday.
Things were not looking good for the CEO, who slipped as he went down the stairs. He rolled down the stairs and needless to say, that had to hurt. He noticed the cause of this accident was a piece of slippery half melted cheese he stepped on. Mokuba must have dropped it when he was bringing breakfast.
"Big brother, are you okay?" Mokuba rushed over.
"I'm fine." If Seto didn't know better, he would think the cheese was out to kill him today.
So the Kaiba brothers finally left. Mokuba was left at Yugi's house after he asked for the millionth time if he could go. Maybe the day was improving for Seto. At least he knew his rival would have a hyper boy to deal with. Revenge is sweet, never better said.
Upon arriving at work, Seto stepped in the elevator and went to his office at the top floor. It was another uneventful day full of work, work and more work. At least the cheese was making a temporary truce with him. That is until Mokuba called and insisted that he came to the park for a 'friendly group activity'. He had to get that kid away from Tea.
Not too happy about it, but for Mokuba's sake, Seto left towards the park, though he specified that he would only be there during his lunch hour, which he usually didn't take anyway. He always stayed in his office working and ate if he had time to do it, while working.
Arriving at the park, Seto noticed that Yugi and his friends Joey, Tristan, Tea and Ryou were having a picnic with a lot of cheese. "Isn't this great big brother? We're having a cheese picnic. It was my idea because you liked your breakfast so much."
Of course Seto was invited, in other words forced, to join them in the cheesy cheese picnic, no pun intended. Not only did Seto have to eat cheese, but was forced to say the word every time Tea wanted to take a picture to add to her friendship album, which was about every ten seconds.
Then the spirit of the Millennium Ring took over and caused cheesy trouble. No one knew where all that cheese came from. Some say it came from the Shadow Realm, but it must have been sent to the Shadow Realm in the first place in order to come out of it. The park and all those who were there, ended up covered in cheese. The event was later known as the Cheese Blizzard and would always be remembered.
As for Seto, he wouldn't look at snowmen, snow angels and snow ball fights the same way after seeing those things being done with cheese instead of snow. At least it wouldn't take too long for the park to get cleaned up with the Joey the mutt eating all the cheese.
The next day, Seto thought about those strange events, stubbornly refusing to believe it was magic, as he continued catching up on his work while enjoying a cheese sandwich. After all, no one can stay mad at cheese for too long.
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Card 33: Returning Home
Seto Kaiba's Point of View
I stop and stare at it strangely, as if it was the first time I saw it, yet I know I've seen it many times before, many years ago. Those were the good days. This house has been forgotten for a long time, after our father died and Mokuba and I were sent off to live with relatives, the house went for sale. It wasn't our choice but they wouldn't let me have a say in the matter, they thought I was too young to decide.
In the end we kept moving around until we were sent to an orphanage. I guess they just wanted to make a little cash out of us and send us away when they were done. It's a good thing no so called family had dared to show their face now that I own Kaiba Corp. because I just don't know what I would do, but I know it won't be good.
Today Mokuba is off somewhere with Yugi and his friends. He seemed a little surprised when I gave him permission to go without much argument. It was as if he expected me to at least criticize them before agreeing, but I didn't, this is exactly what I needed, the chance to inspect the house alone without Mokuba knowing. I will tell him I bought it back, I will bring him here, I'm sure he'll like coming here once more, but I need to have a look around by myself first.
I didn't come in the black limousine that usually takes me everywhere. I needed to come here completely alone. I parked my car in front of the house and stood there looking at it for a few seconds. Several people walked by, giving me strange looks, thinking I didn't notice them. I hear children playing not to far away, but everything's a distant echo in the silence.
No one has lived here in a long time. The previews owners abandoned the place. The house isn't in the best conditions anymore, but it's not falling apart either. Finally, I let myself in using the key I got when I bought the house back.
As I close the front door, I can't help it but to stare at the porch for just a moment. I remember when mother was expecting Mokuba, one afternoon after school she just sat there in the porch watching the neighborhood's children play. I came by and sat down also, she asked if I was going to play with the other kids, but I decided to stay there and we sat there talking about random things and thinking up names for the baby. Calling him Mokuba was my idea.
I closed the door letting the memories fade away from my mind and walked around the empty house. The furniture that was once here is gone, who knows where it is now, or if it even still exists. Each empty room brings back a story, my parents' room, Mokuba's room and my room. I stand at the door to my old room and imagine my younger self there. So innocent and carefree, so much like Mokuba still is. Too bad that boy is gone now; I admit I miss him sometimes, but certain changes were needed, it was inevitable, at least Mokuba wasn't the one who had to change.
I walk around the house a little more, I'm not looking for any specific thing; I'm just looking around and remembering. I remember that time when I was watching TV with my parents thinking, that things would always stay that way. I remember waking up on a Saturday morning to the scent of freshly baked muffins and having breakfast with mom and dad. Should I really bring Mokuba here?
I press my back against the wall and let my self slide down and sit on the floor. To bring Mokuba here would be like returning to a past I left behind a long time ago, but if I did leave the past behind, then why couldn't I resist the urge to buy this house when I found out it was for sale? I regret some of the things I've done in the past and I can't help it but to wonder if one day I'll look back on this day and realize it was all a big mistake.
Yet Mokuba is not like me. He doesn't want to leave the past behind like I do. He wants to remember those days before Gozaburo came. I know he would like to come here, I know he wants to learn more about the place where we once lived. I know is that he will have many questions. Maybe that's why I'm having second thoughts about bringing Mokuba here. Maybe he's ready for this but I'm not, maybe I'm not ready to answer all the questions that I know will come. Mokuba has always looked up to me and I can't let him down now.
I get up and walk around some more. This time when memories come I let them flood my mind to the fullest. I'm not going to hold the past back anymore. I'll leave the past behind, but I'll leave behind only the parts I don't like and always remember the good things and the lessons learned, what makes us who we are. I think I finally understand what Yugi tried to tell me during our duel in Battle City. Mokuba probably understood it long before I did, but it took me this long, better late than never I guess.
I get up and head off to the backyard. I expect it to be somewhat depressing, given the fact that this house hasn't had any maintenance in years. As I open the backdoor I see that the grass is overgrown, the plants have taken over and the paint is falling off the walls. The back of the house looks even more abandoned than the front, yet it's not depressing at all, it's peaceful.
I walk around the many plants, flowers have grown everywhere. I'm not a nature person, but I have to admit this looks beautiful, as if nature itself is healing the past. This looks like something out of a movie, but it's real and it's mine. Yes, I'm definitely bringing Mokuba here and I'll answer all his questions in the best way I can. I'm sure he'll be happy to see I'm no longer avoiding the past.
Tomorrow, we'll come back tomorrow and have a picnic here. I'll just have to call Roland and tell him to supervise and make sure everyone's doing their job in Kaiba Corp. I'm taking the day off, it's very unlike me, but this time I'll make an exception, even if it's just to put the past to rest.
End POV
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"Where are we going big brother?" Mokuba asked the next day. It was quite strange that his brother wasn't at work today. They were in Seto's car instead of the limousine and going to a neighborhood Mokuba didn't fully recognize, yet at the same time it was so familiar.
"We're going somewhere special," Seto didn't reveal the details of his plan yet. Mokuba looked at the houses, the people walking around, a few children playing. Why did this place look so familiar? Then he remembered, he was very young the last time he was here, but he remembered. "Seto, are we going back to..."
Mokuba didn't finish but Seto understood. "Sounds like you figured it out."
Mokuba smiled, he had wanted to ask about the place where they used to live, he needed help remembering, but he didn't want to bother his brother with something he didn't want to talk about.
Finally they arrived in the house and just as Seto had planned they had a picnic in the backyard, just like they did with their father long ago. Mokuba asked many questions, as Seto had expected, but he was surprised and relieved to find that his little brother's questions were not as hard to answer as he thought they would be.
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Card 34: The Truck's Box
Today Kaiba Corp was going to send a shipment of Duel Disks to a store in the other side of the country. Seto Kaiba was personally supervising the procedure, waiting for an opportunity to fire someone over the most simple and insignificant mistake. It was like part of his job to fire people and he didn't feel like his job was complete until he did so. Being the workaholic Seto is, he needed to feel like his job was done completely everyday or he would go insane.
Seto decided to inspect the cargo looking for flaws, yet every Duel Disk box was neatly placed in top of the other in even piles, carefully positioned to maximize the truck's space. Seto examined everything closer, almost whishing there was a flaw so he could fire someone over it, then he realized that there could be something he could use as an excuse after all.
The truck was to leave at 10:00 in the morning exactly and it was almost that time. If the truck didn't move by then, Seto would have a good enough reason to fire someone. He told himself that contrary to what most people said, his obsession with firing people, among other obsessions, was not unhealthy. He told himself that he was just being a good responsible CEO who only wants the best for his corporation. So he sat down inside the truck to wait excitedly for the wonderful time of the happy firing to come.
Time passed slowly as Seto grew more and more impatient to fire someone, but of course he couldn't fire himself. He considered himself to be too cute to be fired, not to mention smart, adorable, nice, cool, sweet, yummy and around all perfect. He took a small mirror out of the pocket of his oh so cool anti-gravity coat and began to admire his ultimate perfection in it, smiling at his reflection.
While Seto thought about how incredibly cute he was, Yugi, who was bored because he had nothing to do, and we all know that having nothing to do is an excellent reason to be bored, had come over for a friendly duel, that deep down he knew would turn into an all out Duel Monsters battle between Seto Kaiba and the Yami of the Millennium Puzzle, but Yugi was too bored to be bothered by that little fact.
"Kaiba! I was looking for you, why are you sitting in the," Yugi paused for a moment, searching for the right word, which didn't come, so he just blurted out the closest thing. "In the box of a truck?" Yugi paused for a moment again, then out of no where pointed at Seto's face and said. "You have blue eyes!" As if it was a big discovery that no one else knew about.
Seto blinked his aforementioned pretty blue eyes, as a sign of total confusion. "You found out just now?" The CEO asked in disbelief, thinking that by now everyone knew what his eye color was.
"Yeah," Yugi placed a hand behind his head, as all anime characters do in situations like this particular one. "I've never seen you literally eye to eye. I thought your eyes where purple."
Now that Seto was sitting and Yugi was standing, they had seen each other for the first time literally eye to eye. Seto rolled his not purple, blue eyes.
"It's not my fault you're too tall." the classic anime sweat drop appeared on the side of Yugi's head. Before the blue eyed bishonen could comment on the fact that Yugi is too short to see his eye color properly and it's not that he was too tall, Yugi was the first to speak. "Wanna duel?"
Of course the cute blue eyes bishounen did not refuse, but before the duel could start, the doors on the back of the truck's box were automatically closed, pushing Seto and Yugi inside. They found themselves in complete darkness inside the truck's box, as the truck began to move. Loud rock music could be heard playing from the front of the truck, making it impossible for the driver to hear Seto screaming at the top of his lungs that he was fired.
After yelling for a while, Seto and Yugi gave up and accepted the fact that they were stuck inside the truck's box until the truck stopped and they were let out, given that fact that the truck's box automatic doors could not be opened from the inside. Seto was angry over the fact that he missed the chance of firing someone and he was wasting precious time that he could use to obsessively work.
The first thing Seto would do when he got out of the truck's box was fire the stupid truck driver for not checking the box before closing the automatic doors to see if there are any people there and then he would remove all radios from the Kaiba Corp trucks. Not that Seto didn't like rock, he liked it as much as the next bishonen, but he blamed the music for the fact that the truck driver couldn't hear them. He did regret not installing an air conditioner inside the truck's box, because the temperature was very hot due to the sun heating the metal box of the truck.
"Kaiba it's a little hot in here, could you turn on the air conditioner?" Yugi's request remained unanswered and Seto was thankful for the darkness so Yugi couldn't see the panic in his face.
To admit there was no air conditioner was to admit he wasn't high tech enough. Yugi must not know about this embarrassing situation, no one must ever know that his so called high tech trucks didn't have air conditioner in the box, even if they did have it in the driver's area where it wasn't as important. "I don't want to turn on the air conditioner. I'm perfectly fine the way I am," Seto tried to sound like he meant it, but he was really melting alive, just like Yugi.
"You'd think Kaiba would put an air conditioner in this thing!" A voice that was not Yugi's or Seto's was heard.
"Why would he put an air conditioner in the truck's box?" A different voice was heard that also did not belong to Yugi or Seto.
"Who's there?" Seto demanded to know how was in his truck.
"Is that Kaiba?" The first voice asked.
"Yes, I'm Seto Kaiba, owner of this truck, who are you?" The voice sounded familiar somehow.
A match was lit and there stood Yami Marik and Yami Bakura. "I am the darkness!" Yami Marik answered Seto's question.
The one holding the match was Bakura. "No, I am the darkness!" After that correction, he just grinned, resisting the urge to carry out his plan of setting the Kaiba Corp trucks on fire, but he didn't do it given the fact that he was supposed to be outside of it before doing that.
Why was Yami Bakura trying to set the truck on fire? Because he claimed that Yami Marik was stealing his place as the bad guy bishonen and he had to do something bad to get it back. However Marik thought the same about Bakura stealing his place as the bad guy bishonen and decided to put dynamite on the Kaiba Corp trucks but he forgot to bring matches. So once again they formed an alliance.
The two villains were discussing the terms of said alliance behind the piles of Duel Disk boxes, when Marik pointed out the lack of air conditioner and that brings us to the present time. The match burned out and the four bishonen trapped in the truck's box sat in silence, neither had the energy to do anything else given the current temperature.
The fact that the trip was long became apparent, so they occupied themselves by complaining about the heat; all except Seto, who was still in denial. Yami Bakura and Yami Marik had tried going back to their items and leaving their hikaris to suffer the heat, but the golden items had heated even more, so they instead materialized in separate bodies.
Seto, who was the only one who claimed to be fine and insisted that there was an air conditioner but he just didn't want to turn it on, was now starting to worry that his precious Duel Disks would melt. By now the others did not believe there was an air conditioner and they just left Seto to his denial of not being high tech enough to put an air conditioner in the truck's box.
Yami Marik and Yami Bakura had separated from their hikaris because they thought it wasn't fair that only they suffered this heat, even if it was their fault. Yami Yugi aka Atemu came out of the puzzle because it was too hot inside, a lot more than it had ever been in Ancient Egypt. So we have seven half melted bishies in a truck's box when the truck suddenly stops.
The loud rock music stopped and they could hear what was going on outside. "Sure, I'll give you two a ride," they heard the truck driver say.
Seto was beyond angry by now, not only was he trapped inside his own truck's box, but the driver was giving random people rides. The seven bishonen who didn't even have the energy to alert the driver of their presence as they melted, just listened to the conversation going on in the front of the truck.
"So you two went on a trip together and didn't take your car because you where afraid your friends would recognize it and you're supposed to be dating in secret?" The driver asked after hearing the guy tell that exact same story. A stupid question indeed, why did he ask what he was just told? He was so fired.
"That's right!" The guy replied, and this was followed by the sound of said guy being slapped.
"Big mouth, the reason we didn't take my car was so no one would know, but the taxi didn't arrive and if we're not in Domino they'll suspect, but you didn't have to tell anyone about that," a girl said.
"Don't worry Mai, they'll never know!" The guy said.
So the girl was Mai. "Quiet Joey, I knew we should have taken my car!" They where Joey and Mai, why they wanted to stay a secret, no one knew.
The truck finally arrived at its destination, the trip was over and now only the trip back remained, but the bishounen would melt before then. "I'll just unload the Duel Disks here and head on back to Domino and I won't tell anyone about you two so don't worry, just don't mention to my boss I gave you a ride." The driver told Mai and Joey as he got off the truck and opened the truck's box to find seven sets of clothes and a lot of water.
Some of the water appeared to be trying to speak. The driver, ignoring the fact that it was illogical for water to speak, brought his ear closer to that portion of the water and heard the water say. "You're fired!"
End of Deck IV
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or 101 Dalmatians. Card 32 was requested by Ileana Dubaer, a story about Seto and cheese.
Card 28: Running
The sun would soon set in more ways than one but of course he didn't know it at the time. He didn't realize what was to come until the very second it came, until it was too late. No strange feelings that morning. No unexplainable needs to visit Mokuba. No need what so ever to say things that had remained unsaid for most of his life. No need to plan Kaiba Corp.'s business deals for the next year or so. No need to duel one last duel, those where things that could be done later, tomorrow, or the day after that, because he had the time, right? He had his life ahead of him, right? That's what he always told himself.
Seto had been typing on his high tech computer like he always did. He always arrived at work early and no matter what, he was the CEO, and would always be for the rest of his life, no matter what anyone said. This was his place and it would be for the rest of his life. He thought about his life as he typed. Did he do everything he wanted to do? Certainly not, there were many things he wanted to do while he still lived, but did he do them? Did he even make plans for them? No, he just came to work everyday, workaholic to the end.
Many times people told him that he would die young if he kept being such a workaholic. Obviously he didn't believe it; he liked working, programming, building high tech stuff and all of that, virtual worlds, duel disks, everything high tech. He still liked dueling and playing chess and he would for the rest of his life. Suddenly and for no reason, he wished he had dueled more. He stopped typing and looked away from the computer screen. The office felt so empty now but why? Everything was very quiet, too quiet, it was almost eerie. Memories came as a wild flood that could not be stopped.
Seto shook his head, trying to make the images in his mind go away, maybe he really had overworked, a vacation would be good, the first vacation he ever took since he became the CEO of Kaiba Corp. Yes, he would go on vacation and when he came back everything would be back to normal. It would be the first time someone was left to run his corporation for an extended period of time without even contacting him, but the one he planned to leave in change was ready, he knew it, he was a Kaiba after all.
"What am I thinking?" Why was he suddenly planning to leave and not contact anyone? That wasn't his idea of a vacation, but somehow he felt like that was what would happen. His heart started beating faster and suddenly he felt like running out of his office and jumping on a jet that would take him to a far away place, as if this strange feeling he was getting could be outrun. It couldn't.
Despite his need to get away from whatever was after him, Seto did not move. The room felt so cold, but the air conditioner was off. He turned it off after he started feeling cold a while ago. Not a good sign. How could he have dismissed that as unimportant? He had never felt cold like that before, not even when he had the flu. In fact, he felt sleepy now.
Seto pushed the laptop computer to the corner of his desk after saving his work and turning it off. He laid his head on his arms on the desk. "I'm tired that's all," he said to himself. "I'll be okay," he tried to convince himself, but couldn't. Suddenly it felt like he ran a mile. Metaphorically speaking he did, he ran a race he couldn't win.
His heartbeat went back to normal and he caught his breath. He reached for the phone and began to dial, accepting destiny. He held the phone next to his ear and waited for an answer that took too long to come. The phone began to slip away as he lost grip on it. He let the phone fall and closed his eyes to rest. So cold, so tired...
The sun was setting and its last rays of light touched him by the glass window. He never paid attention to the sunset, but he wished he had. The view must have been good from his office at the top floor of the Kaiba Corp. building. He used to get annoyed when the sun touched his computer screen and reflected off it on his face, but now he didn't close the window like he normally would have.
"Hello?" The voice came from the phone to break the silence of the empty office. Seto Kaiba had ran away.
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Card 29: Heartbroken (JoeyxMai)
Joey's Point of View
I run into the light of the sunset in the beach. I remember this place from when I was younger and I used to come here with my little sister. Those were days before I met the ones that are now my best friends, before I met her, before I was heartbroken.
Why did she have to do this? If she didn't like me, if she only wanted to be friends, she could have said so from he beginning. Why did she give me hopes of being something more when she knew all along she was going to let me fall? Those innocent dates as friends only turned into more than that. Why did she let it continue? Why didn't she stop things there and then and just told me? Why did she make me believe she loved me? Or maybe she didn't. Maybe I let my wishful thinking cloud my perception of the situation. Maybe I misinterpreted her friendship for something else. Maybe she wasn't the one sending mixed signals. Maybe I just wasn't listening like I should have. Now I'm heartbroken.
For some time I almost had all that I wanted. Almost, all that I needed to make my life complete was Mai. My sister is cured, I have friends; all I needed was that kind of love that comes from a couple. I wished that things would have worked out between us. That's all I needed for everything to be perfect, but I guess life just can't go my way. It's all a big disappointment, just when I thought things were going my way, something goes wrong. I never get to enjoy the good times enough, they never last long. I always have something to worry about, something to dread in the future near and far. I guess I shouldn't think too much about it. After al,l there's nothing I can do to solve it now. It's a problem without a solution and now I'm just heartbroken.
Sometimes I wish that we could have continued as we were, even if it was all a lie. We could have kept going on those dates as just friends. I would have hung on to the hopes of eventually becoming something more; I still have hopes even if they will never come true. It would have been better than nothing, better than what I have now. I wished that even if you didn't care you pretended that you did, or at least let things be so that I could believe that you did. You didn't have to announce your love to him in such a public place. I didn't need to find out. I don't want to know something that will only make me heartbroken.
Why can't we go back to those happy times? As I watch the sunset I remember the last time I was here. I was here with you that day, just the two of us. We spent the entire day together and had a picnic on the beach. Everything was just perfect. I almost told you how I felt that day, almost. I guess it's a good thing I didn't, since it might have been worse. But then again, it might have been better, because at least then I would have heard it from you instead of finding out for myself, instead of seeing it like I did. As much as I wish it wasn't so, I need to accept the truth. I need to accept the fact that Mai Valentine could never truly love Joey Wheeler as more than just a good friend. It's over, I shouldn't keep insisting when I know it does no good. I'll just have to stay heartbroken.
Yes, it's true, it's over now. I guess that's what I get for getting my hopes up. I should have known from the beginning. I shouldn't have believed it could be possible. I should have given up the second I saw you. Mai Valentine and Joey Wheeler, that's impossible. Yet still, I can't help it but to hope I wouldn't have seen you with him. I rather live in a lie than be heartbroken.
As the sun completely sets and the first stars start to shine, I leave the beach and walk down the lonely streets of Domino city. I'm heading to your apartment Mai. I'm going to tell you how I feel, even if you don't listen. I'm going to let you know, even if it makes things worse, if they can even get worse. I can't let this inside me all my life. I need to let it all out, even if it just makes me more heartbroken.
No one else needs to know. Varon doesn't need to know. Only you Mai, I'll be happy if you just hear me out and find out the truth. You don't need to love me back, just listen to the one who loves you and is heartbroken.
As I arrive I see Varon leaving. I hide and listen to the conversation. "So you understand now? We're still friends right?" Mai asks.
"Yeah, it' alright Mai, I should have know you liked Wheeler. Sorry I stole that kiss from ya in the park. See ya, Mai." Varon leaves without finding me.
I want to punch him for stealing a kiss from her without her consent, yet at the same time I'm so happy to know the truth. I'll tell her about my feelings now that I'm no longer heartbroken.
End POV
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Card 30: You Are Gone
Ishizu's Point of View
Lately I haven't been able to name a day in which I'm not hunted by nightmares. I see my little brother Malik, being controlled by a terrible darkness. It's been going on for a long time now, ever since his tomb keeper initiation. At first I would wake up in the middle of the night, biting my tongue so I wouldn't scream. Now the nightmares wake me quietly for a few seconds before I go back to sleep and I remember them clearly in the morning, but at least I get more sleep. I tried to convince myself that they were only nightmares and nothing more.
That day was like any other until he insisted about going outside. He looked at me with pleading eyes. "Please sister, it's only for a little while, please!" How could I say no to my adorable little brother? We would return quickly, no one would notice. Odion offered to stand guard while we went outside, but on our way out I didn't notice the device attached to the door that would alert our father that we left and make Odion pay the price.
When we came back and I noticed the device, I knew we would be in trouble. I planned to take the full blame myself, but it was too late. Father had already blamed Odion for it and the guilt started to eat me away there and then, from that moment on, non-stop. I saw the darkness take over completely. Malik took the millennium rod and sent our father to his doom. He thought Shadii was the one who did it since he appeared there at the time and neither Odion nor I had the heart to tell him who really did it. My poor little brother, I can't help it but to blame myself for this.
As I watch Domino city from Kaiba Craft Three I can't help it but to feel disbelief. Everything appears to be so unreal, but here I am in one final attempt to save my brother. I should have never agreed to go outside. I should have been more careful and thought of the consequences. I should have paid attention to my nightmares. I'll always blame myself for this and I know Odion blames himself too.
Why didn't I protect you? I'm your older sister; I should have been there for you, but there was nothing I could do. When Odion recovered I just stood there to the side. I didn't know what to say or do, I was in too much shock and the events just didn't sink in, I was paralyzed. I feel like I've indirectly pushed you down the cliff into the darkness. I shouldn't have brought you outside, I shouldn't have.
I make my way outside of my room. The fresh air will do me some good. However, there was something I didn't predict, as I walked I saw him. The duels were about to be decided and he was on his way to see who would duel first. I returned to my room in silence. I don't think he saw me. Malik, you're not the same I used to know. You're so different from the one in my memories.
Was this destined to happen no matter what I did? Was there truly no way to change the course of your life? Where my nightmares going to come true anyway? This is a lot worse than all my nightmares put together, this is real and I couldn't stop it from happening.
Malik hold on. I know there's still good in you. I know the real you is still there. There has to be a way to save you and bring you back to the way you were. I wish my nightmares never came true, but they did. Why did that day have to come? Why couldn't we stay the way we were before your tomb keeper initiation?
Maybe deep down I've known all along that this would happen and that there's nothing I can do to stop it. It was going to happen; it was destiny, just like it is the pharaoh's destiny to save us. I just hope that the good part of destiny comes true, not only the bad. I should have known it was inevitable.
I used to be in denial. I used to say I was careful and that it wasn't my fault, but then it changed. Then I took the guilt just as badly as I imagine Odion must be taking it. You couldn't keep the darkness under control without his help. I wish I could have helped you, but I couldn't. I'm not giving up. Maybe I wasn't able to do much to help you then, but I can help you now. I will save you, Malik.
The calm times couldn't last forever. I feel like I've died a thousand deaths already and sometimes I wonder how it is possible that I'm still alive. But even if I'm worried and in more pain that I thought possible, I need to stay strong and not give up hope. I will change the course of destiny for Malik, for my younger brother, and for Odion too, for my older brother.
End POV
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Card 31: Vending Machine Battle
It was a beautiful day in the city of Domino and... well actually no, it was a very ugly day, very cloudy and raining and cold and all that other stuff that makes you want to stay in bed and not get up until next week, but the CEO of Kaiba Corp could not miss a day, hour, minute or second of work, nor could he miss a millisecond, nanosecond and so on.
Today in this very rainy, cloudy and cold day, Seto was having a meeting with the representatives of two well known companies. He couldn't decide what soda machines to put at Kaiba Land. Of course, putting their soda machines there would represent a big revenue for the lucky company, so both were willing to do anything to get that contract.
After hearing their offers, Seto decided he need time to consider this. "I'll call in a few days to let you know." He loved having people beg to do business with Kaiba Corp. This would be fun. Oh the torture of not knowing if they were going to get the contract or not. It was so much fun, for Seto anyway. What he didn't know was that the next few days would be different from what he expected; the next day would come with bribes.
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As the next day came, this time the sun was shinning in the skies of Domino City, when someone opened the door to Seto's office without knocking. "Hi!" Greeted Mai Valentine, who worked for Pixie, in an overly cheerful tone of voice that was almost scary. "You must be really bored here working all day, so I came to ask you to just get this little contract over with and sign up with Pixie the best drink ever! Why wait? You want to stay ahead of the competition don't you?"
"I am ahead of the competition," Seto replied. "It's you that needs this contract to compete with Yucky Cola, Pixie has a good point the cans are blue and I happen to like blue. Yucky's cans are red, but I might change my mind, I'll let you know in a few days." The desperate yet hopeful look in Mai's face was so amusing to the CEO.
"So Pixie's ahead?" Mai asked and Seto wasn't sure what to answer. Should he tell the truth and say yes or should he torture her by saying no? Oh the choices!
At that very moment, someone else came into the office. "Cheater!" Tea of Yucky Coke exclaimed. Mai just stuck her tongue out at her. Tea ignored this and placed a large paper heart with too much glue on Seto's desk. "This," she pointed at the heart. "Is an offering of friendship from Yucky Cola! Our company is the friendliest ever and we're certainly much friendlier than Pixie!" Seto looked at the deformed and over glued, paper heart that was on his desk. How dare she put this strange artifact on his desk?
Tea saw Seto getting annoyed and tried to think of something. "I'll be your best friend forever if you go with Yucky!" She exclaimed happily as if this was the greatest idea ever.
"I think I'll go with Pixie," Seto immediately decided.
"Yes!" Mai jumped and stated doing a happy dance, which caused both Seto and Tea to stare. After Mai realized she was being stared at and not in the way she liked, she stopped and tried to act normal as if nothing happened.
"Reconsider! I'll be your best friend forever and all my friends will be your friends too!" Tea insisted.
"No," Seto poked the paper heart with a thousand dollar pen because he didn't want to get his expensive pens all gluey.
Tea saw the poking and asked. "Do you like your friendship gift? I made it myself!"
Before Seto could say anything Mai pushed her out of the way. "I have something for you too! Come Joey!" Mai called out but nothing happened. "He's a little shy, wait a moment please." Mai went out of the office and dragged Joey in. He was dressed as a Dalmatian dog. "Isn't he just the cutest little spotty puppy? I know you like Dalmatians and you can even make a coat out of him if you want!"
Upon seeing Joey in a dog suit Seto bust out laughing and as soon as he recovered from almost laughing his head off, the vision of himself a with and back spotted anti gravity fur coat filled his mind.
While Seto was busy imagining himself in the coat, Joey got a small list out of the oversized dog paw glove. "I told you, Mai! The Dalmatian offer is for another company not Kaiba Corp!" Joey showed her the list.
Written in the list where names of many CEOs with whom they where doing business. Next to each name was something that they where planning to use to bribe them with. Dalmatian puppy was listed next to the name Cruella Deville. "Oops wrong bribe, er I mean wrong gift!" Mai quickly pushed Joey out of the office and checked the list for what was written next to Seto's name. "Yugi! Come here Yugi!" A Blue Eyes White Dragon with the millennium puzzle around his neck came in.
Seto was spacing out, imagining himself in an anti gravity spotted coat and didn't notice Yugi at first, but he jumped right off his desk when he finally did and glomped him. "A Blue Eyes White Dragon plushie! Can I have this? Mine! Er... I mean, it's for my brother," Seto trying to look serious after his little outburst.
"Sure!" Mai exclaimed happily. Of course Seto had not noticed that the so called plushie was actually Yugi in a dragon suit.
"You have a deal!" Seto signed the contract for Pixie. Mai ran off to celebrate; the president of Pixie industries would most likely give her a promotion for this deal. Sure he said he would retire, but Pegasus got bored and decided to have a different company.
"I give you my heart and this is what you do?" Tea yelled angrily. "I want my heart back!" She took the gluey paper heart and stormed out of the office, leaving Seto to cuddle his plushie.
Seto sat at his desk with the plushie on his lap. "Who's a cute little Blue Eyes White Dragon? You are!"
'Yami what do we do?' Yugi asked by their mental link.
'Don't ask me,' Yami replied by their mind link also. 'I told you taking that summer job was a bad idea. You better stay still, if Kaiba realizes it's you, he'll get mad and throw us out a window, then the millennium puzzle will break and you'll have to put it together again.'
'The puzzle? Yami, I'm going to break into a million peaces with that kind of fall!' Yugi mentally yelled.
"What's this thing around your neck?" Seto poked the millennium puzzle.
'Yugi do something!' Yami mentally told Yugi.
Yugi did the only thing he could think of at the moment. "Squeak!"
Seto hugged the plushie more. "How cute, a Blue Eyes White Dragon that squeaks when you poke the puzzle!"
'Keep that up Yugi, he has to fall asleep sometime, even Kaiba needs to sleep and then we'll sneak away,' Yami mentally encouraged.
'It's going to be along day,' Yugi thought and it was only morning.
xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox
Card 32: Cheese
Seto Kaiba was peacefully sleeping in his nice soft bed. He usually didn't get a lot of sleep, but last night, after finishing is work early for once in his life, he tried to catch up with the sleep he had lost over the years, or at least some of it. He hugged his Blue Eyes White Dragon plushie, dreaming that he had a real dragon. In his dream he was flying riding on a Blue Eyes White Dragon in the endless skies. It looked as if nothing could interrupt his angelic peaceful slumber, except maybe his little brother.
"Big brother!" Mokuba yelled at the top of his lungs, as he jumped on Seto. "Good Morning!"
"Good morning Mokuba..." Maybe sleeping wasn't such a good idea. Seto was always left wanting more when he woke up. Maybe he should simply stay awake all the time.
"Go to sleep big brother. I want to make you a special breakfast today!" Mokuba cheered.
"Is that what you came to tell me?" Seto asked. Could it be that his little brother woke him up to tell him to go back to sleep?
It was... "Yup! Go to sleep so I can come surprise you." With that said, Mokuba jumped off Seto and happily skipped out of the room.
Seto fell back into his big, soft fluffy pillow. 'Mokuba is adorable sometimes, but sometimes...' Before he could complete the thought, he fell asleep again. A dream soon came in which he was dueling Yugi.
Just when Seto was about to claim a victory is his dream duel, Mokuba woke him up. "Wake up big brother!"
Seto jumped and immediately sat up. "Mokuba, don't scream in my ear!"
"But look what I brought you!" Mokuba was holding a plate and a glass of juice. "I made you a special breakfast!"
"How much sugar did you eat this morning?" Seto asked.
"Only a little," Mokuba was hyper as ever.
"How much?" Seto repeated the question.
"Three pounds!" Mokuba confessed.
Seto shook his head. "Mokuba, I told you to stop eating that much sugar."
"Don't you like your breakfast?" Mokuba had the chibi eyes. A flawless self defense mechanism that all little kids have.
"Of course I like the breakfast," Seto immediately said.
"Only like?" Again with the chibi eyes of doom.
"I love it! It looks delicious," Seto was full of false enthusiasm. "Is this lemonade?" The liquid in the glass looked yellow, but it wasn't liquid enough to be lemonade.
"It's cheese juice," Mokuba smiled.
"Cheese juice?" Seto didn't know such a thing existed and if it didn't, Mokuba just invented it. Seto wasn't sure drinking his brother's experiment would be good for his stomach.
"Yup! I made that up. I melted some cheese into juice. Try it, it's good!" Mokuba watched, waiting for his brother to drink the juice.
'Ah, the things I do to deserve that' Seto thought as he glanced at a framed certificate on the wall. It was drawn with crayons and it proved that Seto was the 'bestest big brother in the world'. He tried to drink the 'liquid' cheese which left him quite thirsty for something that was actually meant to be a drink.
"Do you like it?" Mokuba asked.
"It's great," Seto forced a smile. The idea of cheese juice wasn't a terrible one, but it definitely needed work.
"Try your breakfast now," Mokuba insisted.
Seto looked at the plate. The food in it looked like pancakes with cheese on top. He tried them and discovered what burnt cheese tasted like. His eyes watered from how hot the burnt cheese was, but he forced himself to smile. "Mmm!" Seto dared not open his mouth to speak, for he knew he wouldn't resist the urge to spit out the burning burnt cheese. Sure he liked cheese as much as the next guy, but not like this.
"I'm happy you liked them. I cooked them myself, from cheese," Mokuba smiled happily.
Was the cheese of the world out to get Seto today? "That's very original, why did you use cheese for everything?" Seto asked as soon as he was able to force the cheese down his throat.
"Because it's nice and easy to prepare. Besides, you like cheese. You always get extra cheese on your pizza and put lots of cheese on your sandwiches and stuff like that." The hyper Mokuba replied.
Sadly for Seto, Mokuba didn't move until Seto finished his breakfast. Then it was time to get ready for work. With the beginnings of a stomachache, Seto prepared himself for another day at Kaiba Corporation, even if it was Saturday.
Things were not looking good for the CEO, who slipped as he went down the stairs. He rolled down the stairs and needless to say, that had to hurt. He noticed the cause of this accident was a piece of slippery half melted cheese he stepped on. Mokuba must have dropped it when he was bringing breakfast.
"Big brother, are you okay?" Mokuba rushed over.
"I'm fine." If Seto didn't know better, he would think the cheese was out to kill him today.
So the Kaiba brothers finally left. Mokuba was left at Yugi's house after he asked for the millionth time if he could go. Maybe the day was improving for Seto. At least he knew his rival would have a hyper boy to deal with. Revenge is sweet, never better said.
Upon arriving at work, Seto stepped in the elevator and went to his office at the top floor. It was another uneventful day full of work, work and more work. At least the cheese was making a temporary truce with him. That is until Mokuba called and insisted that he came to the park for a 'friendly group activity'. He had to get that kid away from Tea.
Not too happy about it, but for Mokuba's sake, Seto left towards the park, though he specified that he would only be there during his lunch hour, which he usually didn't take anyway. He always stayed in his office working and ate if he had time to do it, while working.
Arriving at the park, Seto noticed that Yugi and his friends Joey, Tristan, Tea and Ryou were having a picnic with a lot of cheese. "Isn't this great big brother? We're having a cheese picnic. It was my idea because you liked your breakfast so much."
Of course Seto was invited, in other words forced, to join them in the cheesy cheese picnic, no pun intended. Not only did Seto have to eat cheese, but was forced to say the word every time Tea wanted to take a picture to add to her friendship album, which was about every ten seconds.
Then the spirit of the Millennium Ring took over and caused cheesy trouble. No one knew where all that cheese came from. Some say it came from the Shadow Realm, but it must have been sent to the Shadow Realm in the first place in order to come out of it. The park and all those who were there, ended up covered in cheese. The event was later known as the Cheese Blizzard and would always be remembered.
As for Seto, he wouldn't look at snowmen, snow angels and snow ball fights the same way after seeing those things being done with cheese instead of snow. At least it wouldn't take too long for the park to get cleaned up with the Joey the mutt eating all the cheese.
The next day, Seto thought about those strange events, stubbornly refusing to believe it was magic, as he continued catching up on his work while enjoying a cheese sandwich. After all, no one can stay mad at cheese for too long.
xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox
Card 33: Returning Home
Seto Kaiba's Point of View
I stop and stare at it strangely, as if it was the first time I saw it, yet I know I've seen it many times before, many years ago. Those were the good days. This house has been forgotten for a long time, after our father died and Mokuba and I were sent off to live with relatives, the house went for sale. It wasn't our choice but they wouldn't let me have a say in the matter, they thought I was too young to decide.
In the end we kept moving around until we were sent to an orphanage. I guess they just wanted to make a little cash out of us and send us away when they were done. It's a good thing no so called family had dared to show their face now that I own Kaiba Corp. because I just don't know what I would do, but I know it won't be good.
Today Mokuba is off somewhere with Yugi and his friends. He seemed a little surprised when I gave him permission to go without much argument. It was as if he expected me to at least criticize them before agreeing, but I didn't, this is exactly what I needed, the chance to inspect the house alone without Mokuba knowing. I will tell him I bought it back, I will bring him here, I'm sure he'll like coming here once more, but I need to have a look around by myself first.
I didn't come in the black limousine that usually takes me everywhere. I needed to come here completely alone. I parked my car in front of the house and stood there looking at it for a few seconds. Several people walked by, giving me strange looks, thinking I didn't notice them. I hear children playing not to far away, but everything's a distant echo in the silence.
No one has lived here in a long time. The previews owners abandoned the place. The house isn't in the best conditions anymore, but it's not falling apart either. Finally, I let myself in using the key I got when I bought the house back.
As I close the front door, I can't help it but to stare at the porch for just a moment. I remember when mother was expecting Mokuba, one afternoon after school she just sat there in the porch watching the neighborhood's children play. I came by and sat down also, she asked if I was going to play with the other kids, but I decided to stay there and we sat there talking about random things and thinking up names for the baby. Calling him Mokuba was my idea.
I closed the door letting the memories fade away from my mind and walked around the empty house. The furniture that was once here is gone, who knows where it is now, or if it even still exists. Each empty room brings back a story, my parents' room, Mokuba's room and my room. I stand at the door to my old room and imagine my younger self there. So innocent and carefree, so much like Mokuba still is. Too bad that boy is gone now; I admit I miss him sometimes, but certain changes were needed, it was inevitable, at least Mokuba wasn't the one who had to change.
I walk around the house a little more, I'm not looking for any specific thing; I'm just looking around and remembering. I remember that time when I was watching TV with my parents thinking, that things would always stay that way. I remember waking up on a Saturday morning to the scent of freshly baked muffins and having breakfast with mom and dad. Should I really bring Mokuba here?
I press my back against the wall and let my self slide down and sit on the floor. To bring Mokuba here would be like returning to a past I left behind a long time ago, but if I did leave the past behind, then why couldn't I resist the urge to buy this house when I found out it was for sale? I regret some of the things I've done in the past and I can't help it but to wonder if one day I'll look back on this day and realize it was all a big mistake.
Yet Mokuba is not like me. He doesn't want to leave the past behind like I do. He wants to remember those days before Gozaburo came. I know he would like to come here, I know he wants to learn more about the place where we once lived. I know is that he will have many questions. Maybe that's why I'm having second thoughts about bringing Mokuba here. Maybe he's ready for this but I'm not, maybe I'm not ready to answer all the questions that I know will come. Mokuba has always looked up to me and I can't let him down now.
I get up and walk around some more. This time when memories come I let them flood my mind to the fullest. I'm not going to hold the past back anymore. I'll leave the past behind, but I'll leave behind only the parts I don't like and always remember the good things and the lessons learned, what makes us who we are. I think I finally understand what Yugi tried to tell me during our duel in Battle City. Mokuba probably understood it long before I did, but it took me this long, better late than never I guess.
I get up and head off to the backyard. I expect it to be somewhat depressing, given the fact that this house hasn't had any maintenance in years. As I open the backdoor I see that the grass is overgrown, the plants have taken over and the paint is falling off the walls. The back of the house looks even more abandoned than the front, yet it's not depressing at all, it's peaceful.
I walk around the many plants, flowers have grown everywhere. I'm not a nature person, but I have to admit this looks beautiful, as if nature itself is healing the past. This looks like something out of a movie, but it's real and it's mine. Yes, I'm definitely bringing Mokuba here and I'll answer all his questions in the best way I can. I'm sure he'll be happy to see I'm no longer avoiding the past.
Tomorrow, we'll come back tomorrow and have a picnic here. I'll just have to call Roland and tell him to supervise and make sure everyone's doing their job in Kaiba Corp. I'm taking the day off, it's very unlike me, but this time I'll make an exception, even if it's just to put the past to rest.
End POV
xoxox xox xoxox
"Where are we going big brother?" Mokuba asked the next day. It was quite strange that his brother wasn't at work today. They were in Seto's car instead of the limousine and going to a neighborhood Mokuba didn't fully recognize, yet at the same time it was so familiar.
"We're going somewhere special," Seto didn't reveal the details of his plan yet. Mokuba looked at the houses, the people walking around, a few children playing. Why did this place look so familiar? Then he remembered, he was very young the last time he was here, but he remembered. "Seto, are we going back to..."
Mokuba didn't finish but Seto understood. "Sounds like you figured it out."
Mokuba smiled, he had wanted to ask about the place where they used to live, he needed help remembering, but he didn't want to bother his brother with something he didn't want to talk about.
Finally they arrived in the house and just as Seto had planned they had a picnic in the backyard, just like they did with their father long ago. Mokuba asked many questions, as Seto had expected, but he was surprised and relieved to find that his little brother's questions were not as hard to answer as he thought they would be.
xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox
Card 34: The Truck's Box
Today Kaiba Corp was going to send a shipment of Duel Disks to a store in the other side of the country. Seto Kaiba was personally supervising the procedure, waiting for an opportunity to fire someone over the most simple and insignificant mistake. It was like part of his job to fire people and he didn't feel like his job was complete until he did so. Being the workaholic Seto is, he needed to feel like his job was done completely everyday or he would go insane.
Seto decided to inspect the cargo looking for flaws, yet every Duel Disk box was neatly placed in top of the other in even piles, carefully positioned to maximize the truck's space. Seto examined everything closer, almost whishing there was a flaw so he could fire someone over it, then he realized that there could be something he could use as an excuse after all.
The truck was to leave at 10:00 in the morning exactly and it was almost that time. If the truck didn't move by then, Seto would have a good enough reason to fire someone. He told himself that contrary to what most people said, his obsession with firing people, among other obsessions, was not unhealthy. He told himself that he was just being a good responsible CEO who only wants the best for his corporation. So he sat down inside the truck to wait excitedly for the wonderful time of the happy firing to come.
Time passed slowly as Seto grew more and more impatient to fire someone, but of course he couldn't fire himself. He considered himself to be too cute to be fired, not to mention smart, adorable, nice, cool, sweet, yummy and around all perfect. He took a small mirror out of the pocket of his oh so cool anti-gravity coat and began to admire his ultimate perfection in it, smiling at his reflection.
While Seto thought about how incredibly cute he was, Yugi, who was bored because he had nothing to do, and we all know that having nothing to do is an excellent reason to be bored, had come over for a friendly duel, that deep down he knew would turn into an all out Duel Monsters battle between Seto Kaiba and the Yami of the Millennium Puzzle, but Yugi was too bored to be bothered by that little fact.
"Kaiba! I was looking for you, why are you sitting in the," Yugi paused for a moment, searching for the right word, which didn't come, so he just blurted out the closest thing. "In the box of a truck?" Yugi paused for a moment again, then out of no where pointed at Seto's face and said. "You have blue eyes!" As if it was a big discovery that no one else knew about.
Seto blinked his aforementioned pretty blue eyes, as a sign of total confusion. "You found out just now?" The CEO asked in disbelief, thinking that by now everyone knew what his eye color was.
"Yeah," Yugi placed a hand behind his head, as all anime characters do in situations like this particular one. "I've never seen you literally eye to eye. I thought your eyes where purple."
Now that Seto was sitting and Yugi was standing, they had seen each other for the first time literally eye to eye. Seto rolled his not purple, blue eyes.
"It's not my fault you're too tall." the classic anime sweat drop appeared on the side of Yugi's head. Before the blue eyed bishonen could comment on the fact that Yugi is too short to see his eye color properly and it's not that he was too tall, Yugi was the first to speak. "Wanna duel?"
Of course the cute blue eyes bishounen did not refuse, but before the duel could start, the doors on the back of the truck's box were automatically closed, pushing Seto and Yugi inside. They found themselves in complete darkness inside the truck's box, as the truck began to move. Loud rock music could be heard playing from the front of the truck, making it impossible for the driver to hear Seto screaming at the top of his lungs that he was fired.
After yelling for a while, Seto and Yugi gave up and accepted the fact that they were stuck inside the truck's box until the truck stopped and they were let out, given that fact that the truck's box automatic doors could not be opened from the inside. Seto was angry over the fact that he missed the chance of firing someone and he was wasting precious time that he could use to obsessively work.
The first thing Seto would do when he got out of the truck's box was fire the stupid truck driver for not checking the box before closing the automatic doors to see if there are any people there and then he would remove all radios from the Kaiba Corp trucks. Not that Seto didn't like rock, he liked it as much as the next bishonen, but he blamed the music for the fact that the truck driver couldn't hear them. He did regret not installing an air conditioner inside the truck's box, because the temperature was very hot due to the sun heating the metal box of the truck.
"Kaiba it's a little hot in here, could you turn on the air conditioner?" Yugi's request remained unanswered and Seto was thankful for the darkness so Yugi couldn't see the panic in his face.
To admit there was no air conditioner was to admit he wasn't high tech enough. Yugi must not know about this embarrassing situation, no one must ever know that his so called high tech trucks didn't have air conditioner in the box, even if they did have it in the driver's area where it wasn't as important. "I don't want to turn on the air conditioner. I'm perfectly fine the way I am," Seto tried to sound like he meant it, but he was really melting alive, just like Yugi.
"You'd think Kaiba would put an air conditioner in this thing!" A voice that was not Yugi's or Seto's was heard.
"Why would he put an air conditioner in the truck's box?" A different voice was heard that also did not belong to Yugi or Seto.
"Who's there?" Seto demanded to know how was in his truck.
"Is that Kaiba?" The first voice asked.
"Yes, I'm Seto Kaiba, owner of this truck, who are you?" The voice sounded familiar somehow.
A match was lit and there stood Yami Marik and Yami Bakura. "I am the darkness!" Yami Marik answered Seto's question.
The one holding the match was Bakura. "No, I am the darkness!" After that correction, he just grinned, resisting the urge to carry out his plan of setting the Kaiba Corp trucks on fire, but he didn't do it given the fact that he was supposed to be outside of it before doing that.
Why was Yami Bakura trying to set the truck on fire? Because he claimed that Yami Marik was stealing his place as the bad guy bishonen and he had to do something bad to get it back. However Marik thought the same about Bakura stealing his place as the bad guy bishonen and decided to put dynamite on the Kaiba Corp trucks but he forgot to bring matches. So once again they formed an alliance.
The two villains were discussing the terms of said alliance behind the piles of Duel Disk boxes, when Marik pointed out the lack of air conditioner and that brings us to the present time. The match burned out and the four bishonen trapped in the truck's box sat in silence, neither had the energy to do anything else given the current temperature.
The fact that the trip was long became apparent, so they occupied themselves by complaining about the heat; all except Seto, who was still in denial. Yami Bakura and Yami Marik had tried going back to their items and leaving their hikaris to suffer the heat, but the golden items had heated even more, so they instead materialized in separate bodies.
Seto, who was the only one who claimed to be fine and insisted that there was an air conditioner but he just didn't want to turn it on, was now starting to worry that his precious Duel Disks would melt. By now the others did not believe there was an air conditioner and they just left Seto to his denial of not being high tech enough to put an air conditioner in the truck's box.
Yami Marik and Yami Bakura had separated from their hikaris because they thought it wasn't fair that only they suffered this heat, even if it was their fault. Yami Yugi aka Atemu came out of the puzzle because it was too hot inside, a lot more than it had ever been in Ancient Egypt. So we have seven half melted bishies in a truck's box when the truck suddenly stops.
The loud rock music stopped and they could hear what was going on outside. "Sure, I'll give you two a ride," they heard the truck driver say.
Seto was beyond angry by now, not only was he trapped inside his own truck's box, but the driver was giving random people rides. The seven bishonen who didn't even have the energy to alert the driver of their presence as they melted, just listened to the conversation going on in the front of the truck.
"So you two went on a trip together and didn't take your car because you where afraid your friends would recognize it and you're supposed to be dating in secret?" The driver asked after hearing the guy tell that exact same story. A stupid question indeed, why did he ask what he was just told? He was so fired.
"That's right!" The guy replied, and this was followed by the sound of said guy being slapped.
"Big mouth, the reason we didn't take my car was so no one would know, but the taxi didn't arrive and if we're not in Domino they'll suspect, but you didn't have to tell anyone about that," a girl said.
"Don't worry Mai, they'll never know!" The guy said.
So the girl was Mai. "Quiet Joey, I knew we should have taken my car!" They where Joey and Mai, why they wanted to stay a secret, no one knew.
The truck finally arrived at its destination, the trip was over and now only the trip back remained, but the bishounen would melt before then. "I'll just unload the Duel Disks here and head on back to Domino and I won't tell anyone about you two so don't worry, just don't mention to my boss I gave you a ride." The driver told Mai and Joey as he got off the truck and opened the truck's box to find seven sets of clothes and a lot of water.
Some of the water appeared to be trying to speak. The driver, ignoring the fact that it was illogical for water to speak, brought his ear closer to that portion of the water and heard the water say. "You're fired!"
End of Deck IV
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or 101 Dalmatians. Card 32 was requested by Ileana Dubaer, a story about Seto and cheese.