Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Duel Deck ❯ Chapter 7
[ 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: 4 | Words: 8.2K | Visits: 307 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.23.2012 | Pages: 4 | Words: 8.2K | Visits: 307 | Status: Completed
Duel Deck: Deck VII
Card 43: Lost Star
Seto Kaiba's Point of View
Of all the places I could be stuck in, I would never imagine I would be stuck here. This is a small town away from civilization. This is where the president of the company that supplies materials to Kaiba Corp. grew up in. With this new mass production of Duel Disks that are being shipped all over the world, it is important to have materials of good quality and his company can provide them. I came to sign a contact; his corporation will provide materials to Kaiba Corp. only now. That will hit the competition hard.
Why not just buy his corporation? At his age he claims to have no time or reason to expand the corporation, he would easily agree to sell, but that would give those who claim I run a monopoly something to talk about. As soon as they start complaining the press will jump in. Investigations to find out if what I have is a monopoly or not will take place and I do hate that long boring and useless process very much. They will not find a flaw; they will not find anything to accuse me for. I have a legal unofficial monopoly that grows at a steady pace but continues to be legal.
Given the fact that the man who owns this supply company has no one to run it, naturally a new CEO will be assigned after his death. Given the fact that not even death can break our contract, I will be able to assign who ever I want and be in control of his corporation even if it's not really mine, but it's almost like it was since I was given authority over it should anything happen to the current owner, and nature will eliminate him soon. Thirty years this contract lasts, but that man told me himself he suspected he had less than five years left and he has no family. I'm always ahead of everything... Okay, maybe not always.
Getting stuck in this old town with a name that is unimportant and I can't remember, was definitely not in my plans. How was I supposed to know that this area attracted thunderstorms like a magnet? Lightning hit my helicopter. I was piloting it myself and had just got off when it happened. Since no one was in the surrounding area, no one got hurt. The heavy rain that followed the lightning quickly put the flames out. If I had landed only five minutes later, I wouldn't be here right now.
I'm stuck inside a small hotel room until the heavy rain passes. If you can even call this tiny two floor building a hotel. The man with whom I ended a business deal today was also staying in this same hotel. With just the two of us as the only guests and this place is half full. There are only four rooms plus a small restaurant in the first floor. The restaurant must be what gives the family who lives here and owns this place some income, given the fact that this small town hardly gets any visitors.
Tired of the boredom of my room I head downstairs to have a snack. I don't expect to find a slice of pizza or a hamburger with fries and a Pepsi here, but I hope there is at least some decent food.
xoxox xox xoxox
When I get to the bottom of the stairs, the old man from the supplies company, Mr. Farmer motions his hand for me to go sit down at his table, I do so, it's not like I have anything better to do and I don't know anyone here. Besides, it makes for good customer relations, even if I find him annoying. He keeps calling me son and I'm certainly no son of his. I hate it when old people call everyone son or daughter, even if their not. I'm not sure how much longer I can take listening to his useless chatter.
He starts to tell me about the family who owns this place even if I did not ask. He tells me he knows this family well and that the one who owned this place was his neighbor and childhood friend, however, he died after being hit by lightning and his wife, Saremilla, continued running this place with her son Jack and daughter Belle. 'This is such a small town that everyone is your neighbor,' I'm tempted to say, but I don't.
Mr. Farmer tells me that Jack is the oldest and Belle is around my age. He points to a waitress and waves at her. "This is Belle," she keeps staring at me like I'm a strange bug. I guess the way I dress is very different from what people wear here. They look like it's the year 1500 with all the candles and lack of light switches, I came to the conclusion that there's no electricity. I honestly can't understand how anyone could live without technology, but I guess you can't miss what you never knew.
Belle asks us what we want. Mr. Farmer orders coffee. The weather is cold with all that rain and thunder storms, a warm drink sounds like the natural choice. Belle looks at me as if she's about to ask me what I want to drink, but asks a different question. "I was wondering... if you don't mind me asking... no offence... I just wanted to know... I'm really curious about..." I wish she would just ask what she's going to ask already. I give her an impatient look that could pass for a glare and she finally blurts out her question. "How do you make your coat stay up in the air like when you were coming down the stairs?" I sigh in frustration, what a ditz.
All that fuss about my coat. I guess that to her and everyone else here, I must look like some kind of alien from the future. To reinforce their little theory, before I can think of a simple answer that can keep the girl quiet, my cell phone rings. I take it from my coat and answer it. "Hello?" Everyone gives me strange looks because I'm talking to the little machine that sings again. That's what I heard them call it when it rang while I was discussing the contract earlier in this same table.
"Big Brother?" Mokuba's voice sounds like it's far away and it is, but it shouldn't sound that way. "When are...." static, "home?" The thunder and lightning must be affecting the signal.
"As soon as I can Mokuba," more static.
"What?" I hear him ask.
"As soon as I can!" I say a little louder. "Soon!" I hope he understood that over the static, I don't want to worry my little brother.
"Okay, big brother, I really" static, "you!" He must have said 'miss you' I assume.
"I have to go," I hope that when this conversation is over, people will stop staring at me.
"Bye Se," more static, "to!"
After I hang up, the waitress has forgotten her question about my coat and instead has a request. "May I hear Mokuba sing again?" I'm suddenly confused when she mentions my little brother's name, but I realize she means the cell phone, I said Mokuba so she must think that's its name.
I know the concept of cell phones will be hard to explain and instead press a few buttons and make the music play. Belle seems satisfied with this and finally asks me what I want to drink. Almost afraid I'll confuse her further and bring new questions to her mind, that she will ask me and not stop asking until she gets an answer, I debate whether or not I should ask for a frappuccino. Does she even know what that is? I don't want her interrogating me about it. I can't simply yell at her to shut up, not in my current situation. With this much static, I think the best decision is to wait for the weather to improve before calling someone to come pick me up. I'm stuck here and it's not smart to get people against me. If I am ever going to return to civilization I'll need... no, not help, Seto Kaiba doesn't need help from these low tech people. I'll need... directions, for lack of better word. So I simply ask for a cup of coffee.
I few minutes pass and she brings us the coffee. I wait for mine to cool off a little before trying it. It's the blackest coffee I ever saw. Didn't they put milk it? I take a sip and hate it, it's so sour. This definitely needs milk and sugar, but from fear of having these people send me out to find a cow if I want milk on my coffee or bringing a cow to the table, I keep quiet about the lack of milk and let the coffee cup sit at the table, hoping no one will notice that I didn't drink it and claim I offended their coffee and must die for my offence, or something like that.
The old man continued to tell me about his past here, something I find incredibly boring. These old semi-uncivilized people don't know where to draw the line when it comes to business. Don't they know that business is only business? He kept asking personal questions earlier, I guess my deathly glares finally made him understand that I did not want to talk about myself, so instead he told me about himself, as if hoping it'll make me talk about myself too, it won't.
This one way conversation is very boring, I can't wait until the storm ends so I can start to figure out a way to get out of here. I must also call my brother, he usually talks for longer than he did even when I say I have to go, he must have noticed the static and knew it was useless to try to have a conversation at the time.
xoxox xox xoxox
When the thunderstorm finally ends it's already dark outside. Luckily, I have a flashlight in my briefcase, I like to be prepared. I ate a late dinner just as Belle's brother, Jack, returned home from whatever his job outside the little hotel and restaurant is. His sister kept telling him about Mokuba, not my brother, my cell phone.
After finishing my dinner, which surprisingly wasn't bad, yet not as good as city food, he asks me to show him what has his sister so exited, so I press a few buttons on my cell phone and a little song plays. He seems amazed, but no as exited as her. I tell him I'm leaving, the man from the supplies company already went to sleep, so I need directions from someone else.
Like, I said I don't need help, I need directions. I need to tell the pilot that will pick me up exactly where to find me, I had the GPS integrated to my helicopter before, but now it's useless and I don't remember the coordinates I entered. I try to call using my cell phone, but to my disappointment, my battery has ran out. This can't be; I'm really stuck! No, there has to be a way out of here...
I ask for a way of transportation that would take me back to the city and Jack tells me that I need to first take a train, then I will find transportation in a near by town, where the train's tracks end. I thank him to be polite and not have him complain about city people being impolite as I'm still in public relations mode, then take my flashlight and briefcase.
When Jack sees me head for the door, he stops me and asks me to spend the night and leave in the morning. There's no way I'm staying in this low tech place any longer. I'm leaving now. The guy who's older than me, but not by too much, gets a look of terror in his face and his sister, who has been listening to the entire conversations, runs to me and practically begs me to stay. "For the safety of your life!" She's almost crying, as if I will die the minute I set foot outside.
"Listen," Jack insists, "there is a ghost out there, a wandering spirit, if it finds you, you will surely die." His tone is very serious and filled with fear. "Few have escaped the spirit alive and because you are new here, I'm certain you will not be able to do so."
"I'll be fine," I don't believe in such things. I want to get out of here, I want to be in civilization surrounded by technology again.
Without another word, I head for the door. Belle is crying now, telling her brother not to let me go. Why is she so sure I will die? "Every man decides his fate," Jack sighs and I leave.
xoxox xox xoxox
There are no streets here, just the ground. I saw some horses earlier, so I assume that's their way of transportation. What a show it was for them when they saw me land in my helicopter. I guess the only reason they're not saying anything about my flashlight now, is because they're too busy feeling sad about my supposed death that is to come.
I look at the wooden houses that appear to threaten to fall apart with the cold night wind. I hold my white coat closer and shiver. It's so cold here, dark and lifeless, no one in the streets at night at all. I guess everyone believes in this ghost legend and stays inside at night.
I quicken my pace and almost start running. I feel very uncomfortable, but I'm not afraid. I remember I must call Mokuba, too bad my cell doesn't have batteries and there's no place to find any here. I really want to talk to Mokuba now, I'm not afraid, but he might be. Even if he is back home, perfectly safe, while I'm out here freezing to death is this creepy dark place in the middle of nowhere.
Everything is silent until I hear the sound of a horse heading in my direction. I point the flashlight in the direction of the sounds and find Jack and Belle on a brown horse. She's still crying and he looks terrified.
He quickly tells me to ride the horse. That they are near town so they will make it back alright and that maybe because animals have an extra sense, the horse will protect me. The only problem is. "Because the horse doesn't know you, he may not trust you, so speak to him in a friendly way to gain his trust and protection, his name is Philippe," Jack explains and the two siblings head back to town, not without assuring me that the horse has been to the train station many times and knows the way. I guess a ride wouldn't be bad, but I don't want to get on that smelly animal and I'm certainly not talking to it.
Instead, I take the belt tied to his head and start walking, holding the belts with my right hand and the flash light with my left hand, as for my briefcase, I tied it to the horse's seat with a belt that was there. He might as well help carry something. After a while, I realize that the train station must be further than I thought, to make matters worse, my flashlight's battery runs out, leaving me in the dark.
Philippe seems to be unaffected by any of this as he stands still to my right. I wonder if he knows the way to the train station after all? Or maybe he was trained to return to his owner and this is all I trick to get me on the horse that will take me back to town to supposedly save my life. Either way, anything is better than standing in the darkness in the middle of nowhere.
As I ride on Philippe, I'm amazed by the fact that the darkness does not affect him at all. At least I hope it doesn't, because he is running at a steady pace, not too fast, but definitely faster then when I was walking. I hope he doesn't run off a cliff or anything.
The wind suddenly picks up. I hold on to Philippe wrapping my arms around his neck so I don't fall off. He started running faster and faster as the wind increased. "Slow down!" I call out, but the horse doesn't respond. Maybe I should have been friendly to it. The wind must have scared him. "Slow down, Philippe!" I try again, hoping to get a better response by using his name, but nothing changes.
Small drops of water begin to fall from the black skies. Why can't I find stars or the moon? It must not be time for the moon to be visible this time of the month. As for the stars, it must be the heavy rain clouds that are ever so present in this lost town and its surroundings. It's nothing paranormal, just nature.
"Philippe stop!" Forget about slowing down, I want to get off. The horse runs faster now, he must really hate me. "Stop, Philippe! Stop!" I yell at the top of my lungs as I hold on to his neck so I won't fall off. I must nearly be choking him, I wonder if that's the reason he's running faster, but wouldn't the lack of oxygen slow him down?
"Philippe, stop!" That is the last thing I manage to yell before lightning crashes near by followed by heavy rain, loud thunder and more lightning. This makes Philippe go on a rampage. I hold on for dear life, but Philippe manages to throw me off anyway. The last thing I remember is a sharp pain on my head before I lost consciousness.
xoxox xox xoxox
"Can you hear me?" I hear an unknown female voice and slowly open my eyes. There's a girl I don't know here. She has light blonde hair, green eyes, pale skin and is very thin. "Can you hear me?" She asks again.
"Yes," I reply and she gets a sad look in her face. It's strange that she is completely dry even after that storm, but maybe she was indoors at the time. What's even stranger is that even if she's sitting on the ground beside me, her white dress is not stained by the mud that made a mess of my coat. "I'm sorry, but there's still hope, just relax and think of the loved ones you would leave behind if you die." The girl started to sing a lullaby. I can't help it but to fall into a deep sleep and think of what she told me to. What a strange girl.
xoxox xox xoxox
When I wake up, I find myself in the hotel room from before. Jack comes in and sees me sitting up, then starts yelling as if it was big news that I woke up. I don't remember coming back here; Jack explains that Philippe returned alone with my briefcase, so he and Belle went off to find me in the morning. We both notice I'm still covered in mud. "Go get cleaned up, the bathroom is ready, there are some clothes there too."
xoxox xox xoxox
I could use some time in the shower, if they even have showers here, but when I'm downstairs Saremilla points at a door, I go in and find nothing but a wooden tub full of water, a towel, a bar of soap and two buckets of water. Where's the shower? More importantly where's the running water? No high tech tub that gives massages? I hate this place more with each passing second.
Left with no choice, I give myself the worse bath I've had in my life. Throw the dirty clothes in a basket in the corner and put on the clean clothes I found there. Must be Jack's, I hate them, but these are only clean clothes I have to wear. I should have packed an extra change of clothes, not to mention extra batteries for my cell phone and flashlight. I do have the cell phone's charger, but nowhere to plug it. This stupid town reminds me of a ghost town from a bad cow boy movie.
xoxox xox xoxox
I finally come out, feeling like a total idiot with these clothes and missing my nice gravity deifying coat. At least I'm getting less strange looks now. Saremilla goes to that sad excuse for a bathroom and takes the basket with clothes to who knows where to wash them. I don't think they have a professional laundry here. I don't even think they have a washing machine or a dryer and that's not good because that means I'll have to wait longer for my clothes to dry and my coat is supposed to be dry clean only. I don't think it will defy gravity as well as usual when Saremilla's done with it.
I'm just standing there trying to figure out what to do next when Mr. Farmer comes in. Apparently he got up early to look around town and came to say good bye to everyone, including me, even if he didn't recognize me at first. With the annoying old man who thinks everyone is his son or daughter gone, I decide to sit down and have some breakfast and also ask where they're keeping my briefcase.
As if to answer my unspoken question, Belle comes over and hands me my briefcase. "We thought you were dead at first and were going to burry it." The thought of it is just wrong. My lovely silver briefcase covered in dirt and mud, to eternally rest in this low tech place. That's just wrong. "Want some breakfast?" Belle asks.
I have no idea what kind of breakfasts they have here, but dinner wasn't so bad, so I don't think breakfast will be that bad either. One thing's for sure, I'm not ordering coffee again. I'm not ordering milk either, I really don't want to see Belle bring a cow to the table and with how strange these people are, she might. In the end, I just drink some orange juice and eat some bread, while listening to Jack's annoying comments about men drinking coffee in the morning and my breakfast being similar to that of a little girl's. I don't care what he says, I'm not drinking that stuff they dare to call coffee. These people seriously need to go to Star Bean and try some real coffee, a cappuccino, frappuccino, or any other thing that ends with 'ccinno'. Their coffee is more like black acid than coffee; it's a disgrace to coffee all over the world.
xoxox xox xoxox
After I'm done with breakfast, for some reason I remember the strange girl and ask Jack about it. I'm trying my best to stay in public relations mode and not punch or kick anyone, namely Jack for his earlier comment and stupid superstitions, or Saremilla might leave me stuck with these ugly clothes and not give me back my nice, cool clothes in revenge for fighting with her son.
Jack is scared as soon as I describe the girl. Is this guy a coward or what? "You saw Katrina, the spirit I warned you about." It seems that everyone here has an annoying tendency to listen to private conversations, because the room is filled with gasps from all the people who had come to eat breakfast and soon our table is surrounded by those who moved their chairs closer, to listen better and didn't even try to hide it. If I was their boss, I would fire them. I miss firing people; I haven't fired anyone since I got to this miserable excuse for a town.
"Katrina's mother died giving birth to her, her father was killed by lightning when she was eleven. She had gone out to find him during a thunder storm, even if she was told never to go out during a storm. Her father was just heading back to town when she saw lightning kill him right before her eyes. Katrina never had any friends ever since she was born; she had an unknown illness that made her very weak, thin and pale. She became very sad and lonely without her parents and her illness became worse. She convinced herself that the lightning killing her father was just a bad dream and every day she would wait for him to return from work. She died a few years later when she was around your age." When Jack finished his superstitious story, the room remained quiet, as if everyone was having a moment of silence for the death of a girl who died long ago. Jack looked especially sad and I could tell there was something he wasn't telling, but I did not ask about it, I don't want to hear more pointless superstitions.
After the silence ended, everyone returned to their drinks and food. Obviously the girl I saw wasn't Katrina, just a look alike. Either way, it didn't matter, because I wouldn't meet that strange girl again. I would be out of here as soon as Saremilla told me my clothes were ready. I hope that happens before it gets dark. I could get lost with no flashlight and I'm not degrading myself to the low tech use of a candle.
xoxox xox xoxox
It was after lunch that Saremilla handed me a basket with my clean clothes. I immediately changed, grabbed my briefcase and ignoring Jack and Belle's warning to run for dear life if I saw Katrina again, I left. When I was almost out of town, I heard Jack calling me and he offered that I take Philippe again. It took every once of will power I had not to punch him in the face there and then, I refused, gave him a deathly glare and immediately left without looking back.
As I walked further from town, I noticed the lack of vegetation; this was a semi-desert area with very few pants. Trees were very rare, I believe because of the lightning. It is the early afternoon, but I want to get to the train station quickly, I can't wait to get home, Mokuba might worry because he can't reach me on my cell phone. I start walking faster, but not quite running, until I see someone ahead and stop.
It's that strange girl again. She looks semi-transparent in the sun light, but that doesn't mean she's a ghost, there is no such thing. "Did they tell you about me? I know you told them you saw me, everyone does."
I'm still trying to figure out what's going on and why she looks like a bad hologram. She looked human when I first saw her, but it was night then. I could see her easily despite the darkness, that's another strange thing.
The Katrina look alike waits impatiently for my answer. "I don't believe you are a ghost," I continue, walking past her. I just want to get to that train station and back to civilization. I decide it's best to ignore this crazy girl.
"Bye!" She calls out and stops following me. Good, one less person to annoy me.
xoxox xox xoxox
I keep walking alone, just how far is this train station anyway? The sun is starting to annoy me; this is nothing like yesterday's weather. I'm tired of all this walking and wish I brought some water and a snack, anything except that horrible coffee. I should be back in the city by now, in Kaiba Corp ordering my employees around.
Just as my frustration is about to reach inhuman levels, I see something strange. There appears to be a man ahead, but why didn't I see him before? It's like he just appeared there. He looks familiar somehow. "You will need to curse her if you are to remove the curse she placed upon you." The Egyptian looking stranger spoke, then the golden key around his neck glowed and he disappeared.
A walk a little further and find some ruins, they are the ruins of an old train station. A cold chill runs down my spine as I look at those ruins. Isn't there supposed to be an actual train station here? I go take a look around, angry and frustrated about my bad luck.
As I approach the ruins I see a man, not the Egyptian with the key, this is someone else; he is similar to the people from that sad low tech excuse for a town. "Where is she?" He has reddish brown hair and blue eyes. "Tell me, please!" Great today I have a strange ability to find crazy people.
I try to stop him from following me out. "I'm sure she'll be here, wait for her," I don't know who he's talking about. He seams satisfied with my answer and goes back to his corner. The entire time he's been walking in the portion of the train station that still has some roof left.
As I try to leave, the man calls. "If you see her, give her this," he holds a peace of paper. "Please give her this; I will never bother you again if you do me this favor."
Annoyed, I take the paper and as I walk outside and the sunlight touches my hands, the once perfectly white neatly folded paper becomes a piece of wrinkled, old yellow paper and I quickly drop it. My big mistake was to turn around, when I did, I saw the man standing in a portion of the old wooden building that was once a train station, where there was no roof. But what I saw was not the young man I saw moments ago, this creature looked like a cadaver.
The creature was clearly falling apart, literally, and the smell of rot suddenly filled the air. "You dropped it," he spoke in the same young voice despite his physical state. I stand there in shock for a few seconds before running away faster then I ever ran before.
xoxox xox xoxox
For obvious reasons, I wasn't paying attention to the direction I was going as I sped away. I just wanted to get away from that zombie creature, not that I was scared, I just had a very unpleasant feeling about it and soon that feeling gets worse when I realize I ran all the way back to the same town I left. I don't understand, it makes no sense, why is it that it takes such a long time to get away from this place, yet I returned so soon?
It's almost sunset and if I try to leave again, I'll be lost in the darkness of the night. I'm not scared, it's just that it's pointless to leave now and get lost, besides I'm hungry from walking and running so much, so I return to that sad excuse for a restaurant for dinner.
xoxox xox xoxox
After dinner is over, I return to the boredom of my room and wait a little longer before going to sleep. Morning comes and I hardly slept at all, but I want to get an early start so I can finally leave this sad excuse for a town. I head down stairs to eat breakfast, I'll need the energy, then I set off in another journey out of here. This time I remembered to take food and water for the way.
As I walk, I feel like I'm going in circles, but that's impossible because I've been walking in straight line all along. I look at the desert ground and notice footprints with the letters KC in them. Those are my footprints; no one else has KC in the bottom of their boots. Why are they heading in all directions if I've been going in a straight line? Most importantly, why do I see a town identical to the one I'm tying to get away from ahead?
I cross the small town, realizing that indeed this is the same place I was in. How can this be? No two places are this much alike, how can I be back here again? I start running until I'm on the other side of town, then out of town. This is supposed to be the opposite direction to where I'm going, but I still can't believe how I got back here so I just keep moving, it's completely illogical.
Up ahead I see what looks like three tombs. Something makes me read the inscriptions. I don't know why, but I must read them. On the far left, "Saremilla Kadary, 1535-1579," I look at the one in the middle, "Jack Kadary, 1558-1579," finally the one on the far right, "Belle Kadary, 1562-1579." Not too far from those three tombs, that must be fake because I saw those three people alive not too long ago, I find another one. "Torinco Kadary, 1532-1570" This would be Saremilla's husband and father of Jack and Belle, if not for the fact that he couldn't have died that long ago. This must be a fake tomb too, or maybe people reuse names in this town very often, it's the only logical explanation to it and everything has a logical explanation, except the fact that I left in the opposite direction to this town and arrived in it again.
Further ahead there are more tombs, but I don't go look at them. I head back to the town I'm beginning to truly hate and as I walk, it starts to rain lightly, but I know the rain will turn heavy soon, so I go back to the hotel and restaurant, to wait for it to pass.
xoxox xox xoxox
As I sit here drinking the juice Belle just brought me, I can't help it but to feel completely helpless to leave this town. I feel like an unknown force is keeping me here. Is it because I saw the supposed ghost Katrina? There's something very strange going on here.
Today this place is empty. Saremilla and Belle are the only people here besides me right now. "Are you alright?" Belle asks.
"I'm fine," I'm still trying to stay in public relations mode, but sending the message that I don't want to start a conversation.
"I'm sorry," She apologizes seemingly for no reason, but somehow I believe she knows exactly why she is saying it. "I'm really sorry." She's hiding something.
"Belle, could you help me with something here?" Saremilla calls, but it sounds like the kind of thing people say when they want to have a private chat.
"Coming, mother!" Belle looks back at me once more as if there's something she wants to say but can't and then goes with Saremilla.
I'm sitting here alone in a low tech place, how depressing. This truly is a depressing atmosphere. I miss Mokuba, I miss technology, I miss firing people, I miss dueling, I miss my blue eyes white dragon plushie, I even miss things and people I never thought I would miss. Suddenly a terrible sadness overcomes me, as if I knew I wasn't going to get out of here. As if whatever has been causing me to stay, will not let me go until I die.
I open my silver briefcase that I took with me all this time and take a few pictures out. I sit there looking at them. I took this one of Mokuba playing a video game not too long ago. Here's one Mokuba took of me and Yugi dueling. I remember how Mokuba kept turning the camera around because no matter how he held it, the two of us wouldn't fit in the picture together. It was funny to watch, he finally backed away enough to get us both on the picture. When I'm done looking at the pictures, I put them back in my briefcase and close it, then finish drinking the juice. Why have so many strange things happened to keep me here?
Saremilla notices my miserable mood and comes over. "I really am sorry." Why are people apologizing to me? Saremilla doesn't sound sincere like Belle did. She sounds like she heard Belle say it and is apologizing also to see what my reaction will be, as if to test how much I know.
I've had it with people keeping information from me. I know they're hiding something. They must know something about the strange things that have been happening. I just know they can explain it but they pretend they don't know. I want answers and I want them now. I've ignored whatever is going on long enough, but now I really am starting to think that for some unknown reason someone or something is keeping me here. Why? I want to know what does whoever wants me to stay here wants. "What's really going on?"
Saremilla gives me a surprised look then glares at Belle, who was standing behind the counter pretending be to clean it, but obviously listening to everything. "Nothing is happening, I don't know what you're talking about," Saremilla leaves.
What if they keep telling me all this stuff and pretending they don't know what's going on to confuse me but they really want me dead? That would explain their strange behavior. Maybe they have a history as assassins and... and now I'm sounding like I'm making random theories to entertain Mokuba when we were playing Clue in the orphanage.
I'm shouldn't be remembering those days now. Those times are in the past and I can't explain why I'm remembering them. Maybe there is a serial killer out there. Maybe I'm the next victim and I'm having my life flash before my eyes a little early.
I must find out the truth, I'm beginning to think that if I don't, I won't be able to leave and go back to civilization. I'm relieved when the thunder and lightning sounds more distant, the storm must be passing. Finally, all I hear is a quiet light rain. I want to leave now. I don't care if I get wet, I must get to the bottom of this; so I leave.
xoxox xox xoxox
The rain eventually stops. I don't know if I caught a cold or something, but I'm feeling very tired. I can't think clearly. My thoughts no longer make sense to me. It's like my very soul is being drained away. I can't keep an idea for too long. I take a long time to assimilate information and I'm not sure I can tell the difference between realty and illusion right now. Maybe it's some kind of poison, maybe they poisoned me and it's affecting my mind.
I walk around endlessly, once again feeling as if I'm going in circles, then I see him again, the Egyptian with the golden key from before. "You cannot go out by yourself, but I'll open the way again," he disappears. I don't know how he appears and disappears like that, but it seems that I only actually get somewhere when I see him.
I walked for a long time and didn't really get anywhere until I saw him and arrived at the ruins of the train station where that zombie was. Now I arrive at was looks like the entrance to an old underground passage or some kind of mine. The sun is cooking me alive so I might as well go into the cave. It's very dark, but there's a bright light ahead at the end of the tunnel. I think I should go see what it is.
"She came from the Realm of Light not the Realm of Darkness. She came from the Star Realm not the Shadow Realm but that doesn't make her good, nor does it make her evil." A voice echoes in the tunnel, I don't like this, but I keep walking towards the light. "She is a star or light spirit, however you wish to call her," the voice continues. "She came to Earth because of me, Aeido Kadary, brother of Torinco Kadary." Aeido? Just who is this Aeido?
I have many questions but I don't say anything, I just listen. "She can control a portion of this land and make it look like it did before the storm that wiped out the town, but it drains her energy and makes her very weak. She wanted to revive me at the cost of an innocent life, against my will. When my vessel is restored yours will be gone. The souls of Saremilla, Jack and Belle only want their freedom from her spell; they will give her your life if they must. Every day is an eternal torment for them; they just want to be put to rest. I miss her how she used to be, but I don't want her to go on with this, yet she refused to let me die like the human I am, so she locked away my mind in this crystal, leaving my body with only a small portion of my mind, until it is restored. It is your life energy that she intends to use to restore my old vessel, this is what I know." I see the source of the light and the voice, a crystal.
The voice continues, "Mr. Farmer came because he bought the lands here. The spirit brainwashed him and replaced a few of his memories, but not all. He thinks he grew up here but that is not so. After he left the town, his memories where replaced again to make sense and the contract was, according to him, signed in Kaiba Corp, that is what Shadii told me. Such a resurrection as my own, would be a great disturbance to destiny. I hate to say this, but you must curse her to remove the curse she placed upon you."
I've had enough; I need to know what all of this means. "Who are you?" The blue purple crystal produces some kind of hologram; it's the man from the train station in his human version.
"I am Aeido, a human who lived here years ago, the one Katrina, the lost star, is trying to revive. She changed after my death; she didn't used to be like this." So a girl from another realm came to find this human, he dies and now she wants to revive him by killing me? This makes no sense at all, not that the fact that I'm talking to a hologram does. "Why me?"
"Everyone's energy flows differently, they way your energy flows is appropriate to be used with this particular spell. Look into the crystal's surface, like a mirror." The ghostly hologram disappears and I look into the crystal. My skin is white as a sheet, completely colorless. My eyes are turning gray and so is my hair. This is not my reflection, it just can't be. Do I feel lifeless because I really am being left lifeless.
I heard the voice from the crystal again. "You need to place a shield around yourself so that when she tries to steal your life energy it backfires." There is sadness in the voice, as if that's not what he truly wishes, yet knows it must be done.
"Now you know the truth," someone else speaks; I turn around and find the Egyptian with the golden key again. "I am Shadii; I will return your spirit to the past so that your other self may place the shield on you. When the it activates, it will automatically curse the one who tried to harm you, it will work only once and will be gone afterwards, but that is all you will need." The golden key glows.
xoxox xox xoxox
I find myself in a palace; it looks more like something from Ancient Egypt. I look out the window and see the desert, how did I get here? "He was telling the truth, you did come." Who ever said that sounds familiar, too familiar, almost like myself. I turn around slowly, almost as if I don't want to look. He looks like me, he's dressed like an Egyptian and is tanned, but he still looks almost exactly like me. He chants some words in Egyptian and points a golden rod at me. A strange light surrounds me and the next thing I know, I'm standing in the same town again but this time I see it for what it really is, just a few ruins. A helicopter lands near by and before I can fully understand what's going on Mokuba jumps on me. I'm not sure what just happened, but maybe its best if I simply forget about it and go home.
End Seto's PoV
Shadii's Point of View
As I walk around the area where those super natural events took place, I cannot help it but to be happy and sad at the same time. I am happy that we were able to solve this disturbance in destiny, yet I am sad for her, the lost star. The curse was suppose to instantly put her soul to rest, but instead it kept her spirit here, wandering around the town endlessly, she has forgotten her past, she has forgotten about Aeido and she has lost her powers.
I did not expect Seth to be able to do this much, to link her soul to this land so that she cannot rest, he had his reasons he said. Maybe he was overprotective of his future self and anyone who tried to hurt him would pay a high price, or maybe he did this for a reason unknown to me. I will leave it in the hands of destiny, everything happens for a reason.
Now Katrina is truly a lost star. She wanders this area endlessly. She cannot remember, she cannot feel. She's just an empty soul now. Without motivation to live or to die, she simply is...
End Shadii's PoV
End of Deck VII
Disclaimer, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pepsi or Clue. Star Bean is from a Mario game. Aeido, Torinco and Kadary are towns from Phantasy Star 4: End of the Millennium.
Card 43: Lost Star
Seto Kaiba's Point of View
Of all the places I could be stuck in, I would never imagine I would be stuck here. This is a small town away from civilization. This is where the president of the company that supplies materials to Kaiba Corp. grew up in. With this new mass production of Duel Disks that are being shipped all over the world, it is important to have materials of good quality and his company can provide them. I came to sign a contact; his corporation will provide materials to Kaiba Corp. only now. That will hit the competition hard.
Why not just buy his corporation? At his age he claims to have no time or reason to expand the corporation, he would easily agree to sell, but that would give those who claim I run a monopoly something to talk about. As soon as they start complaining the press will jump in. Investigations to find out if what I have is a monopoly or not will take place and I do hate that long boring and useless process very much. They will not find a flaw; they will not find anything to accuse me for. I have a legal unofficial monopoly that grows at a steady pace but continues to be legal.
Given the fact that the man who owns this supply company has no one to run it, naturally a new CEO will be assigned after his death. Given the fact that not even death can break our contract, I will be able to assign who ever I want and be in control of his corporation even if it's not really mine, but it's almost like it was since I was given authority over it should anything happen to the current owner, and nature will eliminate him soon. Thirty years this contract lasts, but that man told me himself he suspected he had less than five years left and he has no family. I'm always ahead of everything... Okay, maybe not always.
Getting stuck in this old town with a name that is unimportant and I can't remember, was definitely not in my plans. How was I supposed to know that this area attracted thunderstorms like a magnet? Lightning hit my helicopter. I was piloting it myself and had just got off when it happened. Since no one was in the surrounding area, no one got hurt. The heavy rain that followed the lightning quickly put the flames out. If I had landed only five minutes later, I wouldn't be here right now.
I'm stuck inside a small hotel room until the heavy rain passes. If you can even call this tiny two floor building a hotel. The man with whom I ended a business deal today was also staying in this same hotel. With just the two of us as the only guests and this place is half full. There are only four rooms plus a small restaurant in the first floor. The restaurant must be what gives the family who lives here and owns this place some income, given the fact that this small town hardly gets any visitors.
Tired of the boredom of my room I head downstairs to have a snack. I don't expect to find a slice of pizza or a hamburger with fries and a Pepsi here, but I hope there is at least some decent food.
xoxox xox xoxox
When I get to the bottom of the stairs, the old man from the supplies company, Mr. Farmer motions his hand for me to go sit down at his table, I do so, it's not like I have anything better to do and I don't know anyone here. Besides, it makes for good customer relations, even if I find him annoying. He keeps calling me son and I'm certainly no son of his. I hate it when old people call everyone son or daughter, even if their not. I'm not sure how much longer I can take listening to his useless chatter.
He starts to tell me about the family who owns this place even if I did not ask. He tells me he knows this family well and that the one who owned this place was his neighbor and childhood friend, however, he died after being hit by lightning and his wife, Saremilla, continued running this place with her son Jack and daughter Belle. 'This is such a small town that everyone is your neighbor,' I'm tempted to say, but I don't.
Mr. Farmer tells me that Jack is the oldest and Belle is around my age. He points to a waitress and waves at her. "This is Belle," she keeps staring at me like I'm a strange bug. I guess the way I dress is very different from what people wear here. They look like it's the year 1500 with all the candles and lack of light switches, I came to the conclusion that there's no electricity. I honestly can't understand how anyone could live without technology, but I guess you can't miss what you never knew.
Belle asks us what we want. Mr. Farmer orders coffee. The weather is cold with all that rain and thunder storms, a warm drink sounds like the natural choice. Belle looks at me as if she's about to ask me what I want to drink, but asks a different question. "I was wondering... if you don't mind me asking... no offence... I just wanted to know... I'm really curious about..." I wish she would just ask what she's going to ask already. I give her an impatient look that could pass for a glare and she finally blurts out her question. "How do you make your coat stay up in the air like when you were coming down the stairs?" I sigh in frustration, what a ditz.
All that fuss about my coat. I guess that to her and everyone else here, I must look like some kind of alien from the future. To reinforce their little theory, before I can think of a simple answer that can keep the girl quiet, my cell phone rings. I take it from my coat and answer it. "Hello?" Everyone gives me strange looks because I'm talking to the little machine that sings again. That's what I heard them call it when it rang while I was discussing the contract earlier in this same table.
"Big Brother?" Mokuba's voice sounds like it's far away and it is, but it shouldn't sound that way. "When are...." static, "home?" The thunder and lightning must be affecting the signal.
"As soon as I can Mokuba," more static.
"What?" I hear him ask.
"As soon as I can!" I say a little louder. "Soon!" I hope he understood that over the static, I don't want to worry my little brother.
"Okay, big brother, I really" static, "you!" He must have said 'miss you' I assume.
"I have to go," I hope that when this conversation is over, people will stop staring at me.
"Bye Se," more static, "to!"
After I hang up, the waitress has forgotten her question about my coat and instead has a request. "May I hear Mokuba sing again?" I'm suddenly confused when she mentions my little brother's name, but I realize she means the cell phone, I said Mokuba so she must think that's its name.
I know the concept of cell phones will be hard to explain and instead press a few buttons and make the music play. Belle seems satisfied with this and finally asks me what I want to drink. Almost afraid I'll confuse her further and bring new questions to her mind, that she will ask me and not stop asking until she gets an answer, I debate whether or not I should ask for a frappuccino. Does she even know what that is? I don't want her interrogating me about it. I can't simply yell at her to shut up, not in my current situation. With this much static, I think the best decision is to wait for the weather to improve before calling someone to come pick me up. I'm stuck here and it's not smart to get people against me. If I am ever going to return to civilization I'll need... no, not help, Seto Kaiba doesn't need help from these low tech people. I'll need... directions, for lack of better word. So I simply ask for a cup of coffee.
I few minutes pass and she brings us the coffee. I wait for mine to cool off a little before trying it. It's the blackest coffee I ever saw. Didn't they put milk it? I take a sip and hate it, it's so sour. This definitely needs milk and sugar, but from fear of having these people send me out to find a cow if I want milk on my coffee or bringing a cow to the table, I keep quiet about the lack of milk and let the coffee cup sit at the table, hoping no one will notice that I didn't drink it and claim I offended their coffee and must die for my offence, or something like that.
The old man continued to tell me about his past here, something I find incredibly boring. These old semi-uncivilized people don't know where to draw the line when it comes to business. Don't they know that business is only business? He kept asking personal questions earlier, I guess my deathly glares finally made him understand that I did not want to talk about myself, so instead he told me about himself, as if hoping it'll make me talk about myself too, it won't.
This one way conversation is very boring, I can't wait until the storm ends so I can start to figure out a way to get out of here. I must also call my brother, he usually talks for longer than he did even when I say I have to go, he must have noticed the static and knew it was useless to try to have a conversation at the time.
xoxox xox xoxox
When the thunderstorm finally ends it's already dark outside. Luckily, I have a flashlight in my briefcase, I like to be prepared. I ate a late dinner just as Belle's brother, Jack, returned home from whatever his job outside the little hotel and restaurant is. His sister kept telling him about Mokuba, not my brother, my cell phone.
After finishing my dinner, which surprisingly wasn't bad, yet not as good as city food, he asks me to show him what has his sister so exited, so I press a few buttons on my cell phone and a little song plays. He seems amazed, but no as exited as her. I tell him I'm leaving, the man from the supplies company already went to sleep, so I need directions from someone else.
Like, I said I don't need help, I need directions. I need to tell the pilot that will pick me up exactly where to find me, I had the GPS integrated to my helicopter before, but now it's useless and I don't remember the coordinates I entered. I try to call using my cell phone, but to my disappointment, my battery has ran out. This can't be; I'm really stuck! No, there has to be a way out of here...
I ask for a way of transportation that would take me back to the city and Jack tells me that I need to first take a train, then I will find transportation in a near by town, where the train's tracks end. I thank him to be polite and not have him complain about city people being impolite as I'm still in public relations mode, then take my flashlight and briefcase.
When Jack sees me head for the door, he stops me and asks me to spend the night and leave in the morning. There's no way I'm staying in this low tech place any longer. I'm leaving now. The guy who's older than me, but not by too much, gets a look of terror in his face and his sister, who has been listening to the entire conversations, runs to me and practically begs me to stay. "For the safety of your life!" She's almost crying, as if I will die the minute I set foot outside.
"Listen," Jack insists, "there is a ghost out there, a wandering spirit, if it finds you, you will surely die." His tone is very serious and filled with fear. "Few have escaped the spirit alive and because you are new here, I'm certain you will not be able to do so."
"I'll be fine," I don't believe in such things. I want to get out of here, I want to be in civilization surrounded by technology again.
Without another word, I head for the door. Belle is crying now, telling her brother not to let me go. Why is she so sure I will die? "Every man decides his fate," Jack sighs and I leave.
xoxox xox xoxox
There are no streets here, just the ground. I saw some horses earlier, so I assume that's their way of transportation. What a show it was for them when they saw me land in my helicopter. I guess the only reason they're not saying anything about my flashlight now, is because they're too busy feeling sad about my supposed death that is to come.
I look at the wooden houses that appear to threaten to fall apart with the cold night wind. I hold my white coat closer and shiver. It's so cold here, dark and lifeless, no one in the streets at night at all. I guess everyone believes in this ghost legend and stays inside at night.
I quicken my pace and almost start running. I feel very uncomfortable, but I'm not afraid. I remember I must call Mokuba, too bad my cell doesn't have batteries and there's no place to find any here. I really want to talk to Mokuba now, I'm not afraid, but he might be. Even if he is back home, perfectly safe, while I'm out here freezing to death is this creepy dark place in the middle of nowhere.
Everything is silent until I hear the sound of a horse heading in my direction. I point the flashlight in the direction of the sounds and find Jack and Belle on a brown horse. She's still crying and he looks terrified.
He quickly tells me to ride the horse. That they are near town so they will make it back alright and that maybe because animals have an extra sense, the horse will protect me. The only problem is. "Because the horse doesn't know you, he may not trust you, so speak to him in a friendly way to gain his trust and protection, his name is Philippe," Jack explains and the two siblings head back to town, not without assuring me that the horse has been to the train station many times and knows the way. I guess a ride wouldn't be bad, but I don't want to get on that smelly animal and I'm certainly not talking to it.
Instead, I take the belt tied to his head and start walking, holding the belts with my right hand and the flash light with my left hand, as for my briefcase, I tied it to the horse's seat with a belt that was there. He might as well help carry something. After a while, I realize that the train station must be further than I thought, to make matters worse, my flashlight's battery runs out, leaving me in the dark.
Philippe seems to be unaffected by any of this as he stands still to my right. I wonder if he knows the way to the train station after all? Or maybe he was trained to return to his owner and this is all I trick to get me on the horse that will take me back to town to supposedly save my life. Either way, anything is better than standing in the darkness in the middle of nowhere.
As I ride on Philippe, I'm amazed by the fact that the darkness does not affect him at all. At least I hope it doesn't, because he is running at a steady pace, not too fast, but definitely faster then when I was walking. I hope he doesn't run off a cliff or anything.
The wind suddenly picks up. I hold on to Philippe wrapping my arms around his neck so I don't fall off. He started running faster and faster as the wind increased. "Slow down!" I call out, but the horse doesn't respond. Maybe I should have been friendly to it. The wind must have scared him. "Slow down, Philippe!" I try again, hoping to get a better response by using his name, but nothing changes.
Small drops of water begin to fall from the black skies. Why can't I find stars or the moon? It must not be time for the moon to be visible this time of the month. As for the stars, it must be the heavy rain clouds that are ever so present in this lost town and its surroundings. It's nothing paranormal, just nature.
"Philippe stop!" Forget about slowing down, I want to get off. The horse runs faster now, he must really hate me. "Stop, Philippe! Stop!" I yell at the top of my lungs as I hold on to his neck so I won't fall off. I must nearly be choking him, I wonder if that's the reason he's running faster, but wouldn't the lack of oxygen slow him down?
"Philippe, stop!" That is the last thing I manage to yell before lightning crashes near by followed by heavy rain, loud thunder and more lightning. This makes Philippe go on a rampage. I hold on for dear life, but Philippe manages to throw me off anyway. The last thing I remember is a sharp pain on my head before I lost consciousness.
xoxox xox xoxox
"Can you hear me?" I hear an unknown female voice and slowly open my eyes. There's a girl I don't know here. She has light blonde hair, green eyes, pale skin and is very thin. "Can you hear me?" She asks again.
"Yes," I reply and she gets a sad look in her face. It's strange that she is completely dry even after that storm, but maybe she was indoors at the time. What's even stranger is that even if she's sitting on the ground beside me, her white dress is not stained by the mud that made a mess of my coat. "I'm sorry, but there's still hope, just relax and think of the loved ones you would leave behind if you die." The girl started to sing a lullaby. I can't help it but to fall into a deep sleep and think of what she told me to. What a strange girl.
xoxox xox xoxox
When I wake up, I find myself in the hotel room from before. Jack comes in and sees me sitting up, then starts yelling as if it was big news that I woke up. I don't remember coming back here; Jack explains that Philippe returned alone with my briefcase, so he and Belle went off to find me in the morning. We both notice I'm still covered in mud. "Go get cleaned up, the bathroom is ready, there are some clothes there too."
xoxox xox xoxox
I could use some time in the shower, if they even have showers here, but when I'm downstairs Saremilla points at a door, I go in and find nothing but a wooden tub full of water, a towel, a bar of soap and two buckets of water. Where's the shower? More importantly where's the running water? No high tech tub that gives massages? I hate this place more with each passing second.
Left with no choice, I give myself the worse bath I've had in my life. Throw the dirty clothes in a basket in the corner and put on the clean clothes I found there. Must be Jack's, I hate them, but these are only clean clothes I have to wear. I should have packed an extra change of clothes, not to mention extra batteries for my cell phone and flashlight. I do have the cell phone's charger, but nowhere to plug it. This stupid town reminds me of a ghost town from a bad cow boy movie.
xoxox xox xoxox
I finally come out, feeling like a total idiot with these clothes and missing my nice gravity deifying coat. At least I'm getting less strange looks now. Saremilla goes to that sad excuse for a bathroom and takes the basket with clothes to who knows where to wash them. I don't think they have a professional laundry here. I don't even think they have a washing machine or a dryer and that's not good because that means I'll have to wait longer for my clothes to dry and my coat is supposed to be dry clean only. I don't think it will defy gravity as well as usual when Saremilla's done with it.
I'm just standing there trying to figure out what to do next when Mr. Farmer comes in. Apparently he got up early to look around town and came to say good bye to everyone, including me, even if he didn't recognize me at first. With the annoying old man who thinks everyone is his son or daughter gone, I decide to sit down and have some breakfast and also ask where they're keeping my briefcase.
As if to answer my unspoken question, Belle comes over and hands me my briefcase. "We thought you were dead at first and were going to burry it." The thought of it is just wrong. My lovely silver briefcase covered in dirt and mud, to eternally rest in this low tech place. That's just wrong. "Want some breakfast?" Belle asks.
I have no idea what kind of breakfasts they have here, but dinner wasn't so bad, so I don't think breakfast will be that bad either. One thing's for sure, I'm not ordering coffee again. I'm not ordering milk either, I really don't want to see Belle bring a cow to the table and with how strange these people are, she might. In the end, I just drink some orange juice and eat some bread, while listening to Jack's annoying comments about men drinking coffee in the morning and my breakfast being similar to that of a little girl's. I don't care what he says, I'm not drinking that stuff they dare to call coffee. These people seriously need to go to Star Bean and try some real coffee, a cappuccino, frappuccino, or any other thing that ends with 'ccinno'. Their coffee is more like black acid than coffee; it's a disgrace to coffee all over the world.
xoxox xox xoxox
After I'm done with breakfast, for some reason I remember the strange girl and ask Jack about it. I'm trying my best to stay in public relations mode and not punch or kick anyone, namely Jack for his earlier comment and stupid superstitions, or Saremilla might leave me stuck with these ugly clothes and not give me back my nice, cool clothes in revenge for fighting with her son.
Jack is scared as soon as I describe the girl. Is this guy a coward or what? "You saw Katrina, the spirit I warned you about." It seems that everyone here has an annoying tendency to listen to private conversations, because the room is filled with gasps from all the people who had come to eat breakfast and soon our table is surrounded by those who moved their chairs closer, to listen better and didn't even try to hide it. If I was their boss, I would fire them. I miss firing people; I haven't fired anyone since I got to this miserable excuse for a town.
"Katrina's mother died giving birth to her, her father was killed by lightning when she was eleven. She had gone out to find him during a thunder storm, even if she was told never to go out during a storm. Her father was just heading back to town when she saw lightning kill him right before her eyes. Katrina never had any friends ever since she was born; she had an unknown illness that made her very weak, thin and pale. She became very sad and lonely without her parents and her illness became worse. She convinced herself that the lightning killing her father was just a bad dream and every day she would wait for him to return from work. She died a few years later when she was around your age." When Jack finished his superstitious story, the room remained quiet, as if everyone was having a moment of silence for the death of a girl who died long ago. Jack looked especially sad and I could tell there was something he wasn't telling, but I did not ask about it, I don't want to hear more pointless superstitions.
After the silence ended, everyone returned to their drinks and food. Obviously the girl I saw wasn't Katrina, just a look alike. Either way, it didn't matter, because I wouldn't meet that strange girl again. I would be out of here as soon as Saremilla told me my clothes were ready. I hope that happens before it gets dark. I could get lost with no flashlight and I'm not degrading myself to the low tech use of a candle.
xoxox xox xoxox
It was after lunch that Saremilla handed me a basket with my clean clothes. I immediately changed, grabbed my briefcase and ignoring Jack and Belle's warning to run for dear life if I saw Katrina again, I left. When I was almost out of town, I heard Jack calling me and he offered that I take Philippe again. It took every once of will power I had not to punch him in the face there and then, I refused, gave him a deathly glare and immediately left without looking back.
As I walked further from town, I noticed the lack of vegetation; this was a semi-desert area with very few pants. Trees were very rare, I believe because of the lightning. It is the early afternoon, but I want to get to the train station quickly, I can't wait to get home, Mokuba might worry because he can't reach me on my cell phone. I start walking faster, but not quite running, until I see someone ahead and stop.
It's that strange girl again. She looks semi-transparent in the sun light, but that doesn't mean she's a ghost, there is no such thing. "Did they tell you about me? I know you told them you saw me, everyone does."
I'm still trying to figure out what's going on and why she looks like a bad hologram. She looked human when I first saw her, but it was night then. I could see her easily despite the darkness, that's another strange thing.
The Katrina look alike waits impatiently for my answer. "I don't believe you are a ghost," I continue, walking past her. I just want to get to that train station and back to civilization. I decide it's best to ignore this crazy girl.
"Bye!" She calls out and stops following me. Good, one less person to annoy me.
xoxox xox xoxox
I keep walking alone, just how far is this train station anyway? The sun is starting to annoy me; this is nothing like yesterday's weather. I'm tired of all this walking and wish I brought some water and a snack, anything except that horrible coffee. I should be back in the city by now, in Kaiba Corp ordering my employees around.
Just as my frustration is about to reach inhuman levels, I see something strange. There appears to be a man ahead, but why didn't I see him before? It's like he just appeared there. He looks familiar somehow. "You will need to curse her if you are to remove the curse she placed upon you." The Egyptian looking stranger spoke, then the golden key around his neck glowed and he disappeared.
A walk a little further and find some ruins, they are the ruins of an old train station. A cold chill runs down my spine as I look at those ruins. Isn't there supposed to be an actual train station here? I go take a look around, angry and frustrated about my bad luck.
As I approach the ruins I see a man, not the Egyptian with the key, this is someone else; he is similar to the people from that sad low tech excuse for a town. "Where is she?" He has reddish brown hair and blue eyes. "Tell me, please!" Great today I have a strange ability to find crazy people.
I try to stop him from following me out. "I'm sure she'll be here, wait for her," I don't know who he's talking about. He seams satisfied with my answer and goes back to his corner. The entire time he's been walking in the portion of the train station that still has some roof left.
As I try to leave, the man calls. "If you see her, give her this," he holds a peace of paper. "Please give her this; I will never bother you again if you do me this favor."
Annoyed, I take the paper and as I walk outside and the sunlight touches my hands, the once perfectly white neatly folded paper becomes a piece of wrinkled, old yellow paper and I quickly drop it. My big mistake was to turn around, when I did, I saw the man standing in a portion of the old wooden building that was once a train station, where there was no roof. But what I saw was not the young man I saw moments ago, this creature looked like a cadaver.
The creature was clearly falling apart, literally, and the smell of rot suddenly filled the air. "You dropped it," he spoke in the same young voice despite his physical state. I stand there in shock for a few seconds before running away faster then I ever ran before.
xoxox xox xoxox
For obvious reasons, I wasn't paying attention to the direction I was going as I sped away. I just wanted to get away from that zombie creature, not that I was scared, I just had a very unpleasant feeling about it and soon that feeling gets worse when I realize I ran all the way back to the same town I left. I don't understand, it makes no sense, why is it that it takes such a long time to get away from this place, yet I returned so soon?
It's almost sunset and if I try to leave again, I'll be lost in the darkness of the night. I'm not scared, it's just that it's pointless to leave now and get lost, besides I'm hungry from walking and running so much, so I return to that sad excuse for a restaurant for dinner.
xoxox xox xoxox
After dinner is over, I return to the boredom of my room and wait a little longer before going to sleep. Morning comes and I hardly slept at all, but I want to get an early start so I can finally leave this sad excuse for a town. I head down stairs to eat breakfast, I'll need the energy, then I set off in another journey out of here. This time I remembered to take food and water for the way.
As I walk, I feel like I'm going in circles, but that's impossible because I've been walking in straight line all along. I look at the desert ground and notice footprints with the letters KC in them. Those are my footprints; no one else has KC in the bottom of their boots. Why are they heading in all directions if I've been going in a straight line? Most importantly, why do I see a town identical to the one I'm tying to get away from ahead?
I cross the small town, realizing that indeed this is the same place I was in. How can this be? No two places are this much alike, how can I be back here again? I start running until I'm on the other side of town, then out of town. This is supposed to be the opposite direction to where I'm going, but I still can't believe how I got back here so I just keep moving, it's completely illogical.
Up ahead I see what looks like three tombs. Something makes me read the inscriptions. I don't know why, but I must read them. On the far left, "Saremilla Kadary, 1535-1579," I look at the one in the middle, "Jack Kadary, 1558-1579," finally the one on the far right, "Belle Kadary, 1562-1579." Not too far from those three tombs, that must be fake because I saw those three people alive not too long ago, I find another one. "Torinco Kadary, 1532-1570" This would be Saremilla's husband and father of Jack and Belle, if not for the fact that he couldn't have died that long ago. This must be a fake tomb too, or maybe people reuse names in this town very often, it's the only logical explanation to it and everything has a logical explanation, except the fact that I left in the opposite direction to this town and arrived in it again.
Further ahead there are more tombs, but I don't go look at them. I head back to the town I'm beginning to truly hate and as I walk, it starts to rain lightly, but I know the rain will turn heavy soon, so I go back to the hotel and restaurant, to wait for it to pass.
xoxox xox xoxox
As I sit here drinking the juice Belle just brought me, I can't help it but to feel completely helpless to leave this town. I feel like an unknown force is keeping me here. Is it because I saw the supposed ghost Katrina? There's something very strange going on here.
Today this place is empty. Saremilla and Belle are the only people here besides me right now. "Are you alright?" Belle asks.
"I'm fine," I'm still trying to stay in public relations mode, but sending the message that I don't want to start a conversation.
"I'm sorry," She apologizes seemingly for no reason, but somehow I believe she knows exactly why she is saying it. "I'm really sorry." She's hiding something.
"Belle, could you help me with something here?" Saremilla calls, but it sounds like the kind of thing people say when they want to have a private chat.
"Coming, mother!" Belle looks back at me once more as if there's something she wants to say but can't and then goes with Saremilla.
I'm sitting here alone in a low tech place, how depressing. This truly is a depressing atmosphere. I miss Mokuba, I miss technology, I miss firing people, I miss dueling, I miss my blue eyes white dragon plushie, I even miss things and people I never thought I would miss. Suddenly a terrible sadness overcomes me, as if I knew I wasn't going to get out of here. As if whatever has been causing me to stay, will not let me go until I die.
I open my silver briefcase that I took with me all this time and take a few pictures out. I sit there looking at them. I took this one of Mokuba playing a video game not too long ago. Here's one Mokuba took of me and Yugi dueling. I remember how Mokuba kept turning the camera around because no matter how he held it, the two of us wouldn't fit in the picture together. It was funny to watch, he finally backed away enough to get us both on the picture. When I'm done looking at the pictures, I put them back in my briefcase and close it, then finish drinking the juice. Why have so many strange things happened to keep me here?
Saremilla notices my miserable mood and comes over. "I really am sorry." Why are people apologizing to me? Saremilla doesn't sound sincere like Belle did. She sounds like she heard Belle say it and is apologizing also to see what my reaction will be, as if to test how much I know.
I've had it with people keeping information from me. I know they're hiding something. They must know something about the strange things that have been happening. I just know they can explain it but they pretend they don't know. I want answers and I want them now. I've ignored whatever is going on long enough, but now I really am starting to think that for some unknown reason someone or something is keeping me here. Why? I want to know what does whoever wants me to stay here wants. "What's really going on?"
Saremilla gives me a surprised look then glares at Belle, who was standing behind the counter pretending be to clean it, but obviously listening to everything. "Nothing is happening, I don't know what you're talking about," Saremilla leaves.
What if they keep telling me all this stuff and pretending they don't know what's going on to confuse me but they really want me dead? That would explain their strange behavior. Maybe they have a history as assassins and... and now I'm sounding like I'm making random theories to entertain Mokuba when we were playing Clue in the orphanage.
I'm shouldn't be remembering those days now. Those times are in the past and I can't explain why I'm remembering them. Maybe there is a serial killer out there. Maybe I'm the next victim and I'm having my life flash before my eyes a little early.
I must find out the truth, I'm beginning to think that if I don't, I won't be able to leave and go back to civilization. I'm relieved when the thunder and lightning sounds more distant, the storm must be passing. Finally, all I hear is a quiet light rain. I want to leave now. I don't care if I get wet, I must get to the bottom of this; so I leave.
xoxox xox xoxox
The rain eventually stops. I don't know if I caught a cold or something, but I'm feeling very tired. I can't think clearly. My thoughts no longer make sense to me. It's like my very soul is being drained away. I can't keep an idea for too long. I take a long time to assimilate information and I'm not sure I can tell the difference between realty and illusion right now. Maybe it's some kind of poison, maybe they poisoned me and it's affecting my mind.
I walk around endlessly, once again feeling as if I'm going in circles, then I see him again, the Egyptian with the golden key from before. "You cannot go out by yourself, but I'll open the way again," he disappears. I don't know how he appears and disappears like that, but it seems that I only actually get somewhere when I see him.
I walked for a long time and didn't really get anywhere until I saw him and arrived at the ruins of the train station where that zombie was. Now I arrive at was looks like the entrance to an old underground passage or some kind of mine. The sun is cooking me alive so I might as well go into the cave. It's very dark, but there's a bright light ahead at the end of the tunnel. I think I should go see what it is.
"She came from the Realm of Light not the Realm of Darkness. She came from the Star Realm not the Shadow Realm but that doesn't make her good, nor does it make her evil." A voice echoes in the tunnel, I don't like this, but I keep walking towards the light. "She is a star or light spirit, however you wish to call her," the voice continues. "She came to Earth because of me, Aeido Kadary, brother of Torinco Kadary." Aeido? Just who is this Aeido?
I have many questions but I don't say anything, I just listen. "She can control a portion of this land and make it look like it did before the storm that wiped out the town, but it drains her energy and makes her very weak. She wanted to revive me at the cost of an innocent life, against my will. When my vessel is restored yours will be gone. The souls of Saremilla, Jack and Belle only want their freedom from her spell; they will give her your life if they must. Every day is an eternal torment for them; they just want to be put to rest. I miss her how she used to be, but I don't want her to go on with this, yet she refused to let me die like the human I am, so she locked away my mind in this crystal, leaving my body with only a small portion of my mind, until it is restored. It is your life energy that she intends to use to restore my old vessel, this is what I know." I see the source of the light and the voice, a crystal.
The voice continues, "Mr. Farmer came because he bought the lands here. The spirit brainwashed him and replaced a few of his memories, but not all. He thinks he grew up here but that is not so. After he left the town, his memories where replaced again to make sense and the contract was, according to him, signed in Kaiba Corp, that is what Shadii told me. Such a resurrection as my own, would be a great disturbance to destiny. I hate to say this, but you must curse her to remove the curse she placed upon you."
I've had enough; I need to know what all of this means. "Who are you?" The blue purple crystal produces some kind of hologram; it's the man from the train station in his human version.
"I am Aeido, a human who lived here years ago, the one Katrina, the lost star, is trying to revive. She changed after my death; she didn't used to be like this." So a girl from another realm came to find this human, he dies and now she wants to revive him by killing me? This makes no sense at all, not that the fact that I'm talking to a hologram does. "Why me?"
"Everyone's energy flows differently, they way your energy flows is appropriate to be used with this particular spell. Look into the crystal's surface, like a mirror." The ghostly hologram disappears and I look into the crystal. My skin is white as a sheet, completely colorless. My eyes are turning gray and so is my hair. This is not my reflection, it just can't be. Do I feel lifeless because I really am being left lifeless.
I heard the voice from the crystal again. "You need to place a shield around yourself so that when she tries to steal your life energy it backfires." There is sadness in the voice, as if that's not what he truly wishes, yet knows it must be done.
"Now you know the truth," someone else speaks; I turn around and find the Egyptian with the golden key again. "I am Shadii; I will return your spirit to the past so that your other self may place the shield on you. When the it activates, it will automatically curse the one who tried to harm you, it will work only once and will be gone afterwards, but that is all you will need." The golden key glows.
xoxox xox xoxox
I find myself in a palace; it looks more like something from Ancient Egypt. I look out the window and see the desert, how did I get here? "He was telling the truth, you did come." Who ever said that sounds familiar, too familiar, almost like myself. I turn around slowly, almost as if I don't want to look. He looks like me, he's dressed like an Egyptian and is tanned, but he still looks almost exactly like me. He chants some words in Egyptian and points a golden rod at me. A strange light surrounds me and the next thing I know, I'm standing in the same town again but this time I see it for what it really is, just a few ruins. A helicopter lands near by and before I can fully understand what's going on Mokuba jumps on me. I'm not sure what just happened, but maybe its best if I simply forget about it and go home.
End Seto's PoV
Shadii's Point of View
As I walk around the area where those super natural events took place, I cannot help it but to be happy and sad at the same time. I am happy that we were able to solve this disturbance in destiny, yet I am sad for her, the lost star. The curse was suppose to instantly put her soul to rest, but instead it kept her spirit here, wandering around the town endlessly, she has forgotten her past, she has forgotten about Aeido and she has lost her powers.
I did not expect Seth to be able to do this much, to link her soul to this land so that she cannot rest, he had his reasons he said. Maybe he was overprotective of his future self and anyone who tried to hurt him would pay a high price, or maybe he did this for a reason unknown to me. I will leave it in the hands of destiny, everything happens for a reason.
Now Katrina is truly a lost star. She wanders this area endlessly. She cannot remember, she cannot feel. She's just an empty soul now. Without motivation to live or to die, she simply is...
End Shadii's PoV
End of Deck VII
Disclaimer, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pepsi or Clue. Star Bean is from a Mario game. Aeido, Torinco and Kadary are towns from Phantasy Star 4: End of the Millennium.