Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Dragon Blade ❯ Chapter One: The Trap Is Baited ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is owned by its creator, Kazuki Takahashi and it's respective anime companies. I'm borrowing the characters and ideas for a nonprofit fan fiction written solely for the enjoyment of myself, and hopefully others.

Author's Notes: More Kaiba revisonary flashbacks. I've heard that not much of his past is revealed except he had the Millennium Rod, he was a Priest and Yami's rival. So, I got creative. Plus, wouldn't Kaiba be cool with a sword?

To Alecto and Nate Grey, even though, why is my fault that I had you write a Yu-Gi-Oh! fic, Nate?

The Dragon Blade

Chapter One: The Trap Is Baited

By: Elf

The young boy looked back at the Romans. He felt hot tears roll down his face as he watched as his parents were killed in front of him. He sank to his knees in horror as he watched as his village burned.

He clutched his father's sword at his chest. The Dragon Blade would protect him, after all, that was why his father gave it to him. He was trembling though as the Romans approached him. Blood was slick on his fingers as he struggled to stand up.

He managed to lift it and cry, "Stay back!"

"Oh, look at the little brat, thinking he could actually stop us with his little pig-sticker," their General bellowed.

The boy steadied the heavy sword as he felt a hot energy rage through his body. He felt something lying dormant in him, something familiar and powerful. His eyes glowed like the jewels that made the dragon's eyes in the sword.

Another soldier commented, "Still, isn't he a pretty little thing? I say we keep this one alive for a while. The women are already dead with their mates, and this one looks like a girl."

The boy took a step back from the soldier's hungry eyes as he raked over the young boy's slim, muscular body, dark blue eyes, and the mop of dark brown hair. He felt his back hit something hard and he jerked. He had backed into a tree and the soldiers rushed him.

He closed his eyes and willed himself not to cry. Besides, his father had taught him how to fight. With a savage cry of rage, he swung the sword into the soldier that had called him pretty. He jerked up and felt hot blood splash his face as the soldier's grey eyes looked at him in surprise.

The boy kicked up, pushing the soldier off of his blade and cleaved down. The man's head rolled on the blood stained grass before his body hit the ground. The General smirked at him, but the boy wasn't daunted at the Roman.

He screamed again and charged. He brought the sword down in an over hand strike, killing one of the other soldiers, cleaving his head in two. The sword was impossibly sharp and it seemed to be glowing with a pale blue fire as the boy's rage increased.

The General, however, was very skilled. He had consorted with the gods and learned about a boy who wield a magical sword. A boy he was to beware of.

He managed to dodge the boy's attacks before using the back of his sword to knock him to his knees. The boy looked up at him and spat out blood in a thick, red line. He used the back of his hand to wipe off the bloody spittle and felt warmth trickling back in his head. He gently touched the back of his head and it came back hot and wet. He studied his blood as the General watched him, smiling.

The boy glared. He was not going to be defeated by this man or by any other. He rose to his feet, feeling a bit woozy as the soldiers began to overwhelm him. He had trouble swinging his sword and he couldn't put any power into the blows. His arms shook with each movement and he was soon beaten.

The General bent to pick up the sword and the boy cried out. He tried one desperate reach for the sword as he heard his father's voice echo in his mind, "With these dragons, I invoke my power." The boy knew that the sword had that inscribed in it.

He shouted, "Help me, please!"

The sword rippled with a brilliant blue energy. It cackled with it as the pale energy cackled into the sky, growing and expanding, taking shape. The boy watched in amazement as a dragon was formed out of the energy. It was huge and a shining silvery white. Its blue eyes looked down at the boy in recognition as it charged the soldiers, blowing out white fire from its mouth.

It dipped low and the boy managed to grab his sword and climb to it's back. The dragon took to the sky, screaming in rage as its home burned to the ground. The boy wrapped his hands around the creature's neck. The dragon looked at him with something akin to fondness.

Tears slipped from the boy's eyes as he watched his village burn to the ground. He knew that he could never go back. And he wouldn't go to Rome either, where those accursed bastards live. He shouted to the wind, "Take me somewhere where I can have power above all!"

******

Kaiba awoke with a start. He blinked as he realized that he had fallen asleep in class and that Ryou Bakura's arm was on his shoulder. He looked forward and gave a silent sigh of relief because the teacher hadn't noticed he had dozed off.

Joey and Tristan were snickering at him from across the room, Tea rolled her eyes, and Yugi looked at him with something akin to concern. Kaiba straitened his uniform and took a quick glance at his reflection on the mirror. He managed to calm his hair down.

Ryou smiled and whispered, "Are you all right?"

"Overworked," he lied. He had to be in a constant state of mental awareness and sharpness. It was part of the reason he worked on projects such as the ill-fated virtual reality game, his holograms, and digital manipulation. It wasn't just because he wanted Kaiba Corp. to be the best, even though that was a huge part of it, but because his mind had to be working at a rapid fire pace to be satisfied. He couldn't tolerate being bored or idle, not even with Mokuba.

Unless he was with Serenity.

He shrugged off the thought as he asked, "How long was I out?"

"Not long, about ten minutes or so. Teacher's been lecturing about the Egyptian culture and Yugi's been correcting him every five minutes. He has been blatantly wrong though," Ryou answered with a smile.

Kaiba crossed his legs under his desk. He replied, "Of course you and Yugi would know that, wouldn't you?" Kaiba had corrected the teacher several times in class himself, despite his usual method of distancing himself. But the man had been so blatantly wrong on those equations that he couldn't bare to look at them.

The teacher stared at them for a moment and the white-haired boy blushed. Kaiba glared back. He didn't have to look over to know that Joey was stuffing his mouth with his fist so that the teacher wouldn't hear his laughter. The man asked, "Anything you'd care to share with us, Mr. Kaiba, or is this just too boring compared to corporate meetings?"

Joey was laughing out loud now. Tristan was snickering and Tea was sighing and shaking her head. Yugi was looking at him with that same worried expression. Ryou's dark eyes were wide as he looked at the teacher.

Ryou finally said, "I was telling him about the Celtic sword found in the Egyptian tomb that my father uncovered, with the skeleton of the Celt trapped with it, still holding it."

"The Dragon Sword that's been on the news, the one that's been stolen?" the teacher asked as he looked down at Ryou. Kaiba had to admit that Ryou, being small, almost as tiny as Yugi, with a head of long white hair and those huge, dark eyes of his, was a bit less threatening than he was.

Dragon Sword . . . Dragon Blade, he thought with a sudden start as he looked at Ryou. Ryou looked back at him with suddenly sinister, soulless black eyes. There was something very eerie in that expression, like he had seen it before.

Ryou only smirked.

******

"This Dragon Sword that they found in the tomb, have you heard anything about it, Yugi?" Kaiba asked as he walked with Yugi. He made sure to slow his steps so that the elfin boy didn't have to jog to keep up with him. He was use to doing this with Mokuba though.

Yugi shook his head, causing his tri-colored hair to swing around his face. He answered, "Nope. Nothing. Not even Grandpa knows anything about it. I hadn't even seen it on TV either. Ryou has though."

Joey caught up with them and asked, "Not thinking about buying it, are you Kaiba?"

"Why would I want an ancient sword?" Kaiba snapped at him as he glared.

Joey's brown eyes gleamed with wicked mirth as he answered, "Because the dragon on the hilt looks pretty damn familiar."

Yugi asked, "What do you mean, Joey?"

"Looks like a Blue Eyes White Dragon, at least that's how Ryou described it to me," Joey answered as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

Kaiba frowned as he remembered the dream. The boy fighting for his life as his village was burned around him. His father's last words telling him that the sword would protect him that he should just trust in its power. The dragon looking at him with startling familiarity through blood. The feel of the sword in his hands, feeding his rage and giving him power.

Yugi frowned and Kaiba watched as his eyes went blank. He was still walking, but not paying any attention to where he was going. Instinctively, Kaiba jerked the smaller teen away from an older woman walking a pair of German Shepard.

Joey asked, "Yug, you there?"

"Yami, can you hear me?" Kaiba asked quietly. Yugi's purple eyes were blank, unreadable. Kaiba looked up at Joey at the same time he did and they glared.

Joey asked, "Why the hell are you trying to talk to Yami?"

"Because Yugi might be dormant," Kaiba hissed, "I'd ask you to use your head, but we know how difficult that is for you."

Joey sneered, "Why you . . ."

Kaiba ignored the blond as he guided Yugi away from traffic. He had half a mind to simply pick him up and carry him to the game shop, after all, Yugi wasn't that much bigger than Mokuba, but he knew that Yugi would probably take offence to that. At least Yami would, and Kaiba knew how angry he'd be if someone would do something like that to him.

Finally, Yami appeared. Yami looked at Kaiba and asked, "The sword, do you know anything else about it?"

"No, that's why we were asking you," Kaiba pointed out as he crossed his arms.

Joey answered, "Yeah, it looks like the Blue Eyes."

"Damn," Yami swore as he turned away from them. He turned back and asked, "Yugi doesn't know, but has Bakura been away lately?"

Kaiba looked at Joey and shrugged. He replied, "I'm not his keeper."

"Yeah, at that show with his father in England or something," Joey answered, blinking in confusion.

Yami swore again, elegantly in Egyptian. He turned his garnet colored eyes toward Kaiba. Kaiba blinked as . . .

"Your turn, Priest," the pharaoh asked with a smirk. His golden hair fell into his reddish-violet eyes as he looked at Seth.

They were encased in darkness and even though the Pharaoh had his Dark Magician, Seth still had his dragons to call. The warrior priest smirked as he fingered the Rod around his neck. He felt its power strum along his body. It wasn't as welcoming as the sword, but he couldn't use the sword around the pharaoh.

Seth crossed his arms as he looked at the Magician. He truly hated this monster. Despised it. It was the arch nemesis of his dragons, and while he lacked the sheer power of the dragons, the Dark Magician made up for his faults in a variety of ways.

Kaiba shook off the vision. He realized that he had fallen to his knees to the anxious look of Joey and the carefully concerned look of Yami. Kaiba stood up briskly and straitened his duster around his body.

"They're coming, you cannot let them get you," his father pleaded, his keen blue eyes, so much like the boy's, were wide with fear. He held the Dragon Blade in his hand. The silver dragon gleamed in the firelight as the blue gems in its eyes gleamed up at him like they were almost alive.

His father pressed the sword in his hand. He said, "Take it and run, please. Go some place safe. Don't let them . . ."

The man's blue eyes widened as they faded. Blood spurted from his mouth as he fell to his knees. The boy cried out as he tried to dig at the arrow lodged his father's breast to no avail. He felt tears scald his face as he fell to his knees, cradling his father's fallen form. "Father, no!"

He heard a familiar scream and he looked up. His mother's dark hand reached out for him, her wild black hair falling into her grey-violet eyes. The soldier dressed in armor grabbed her and smirked. She screamed as he threw her to the ground and pounced on her.

He screamed as he took the sword in his hands. He rushed at the soldier, slashing blindly. The Roman fell off of his mother, but he was too late.

He fell to his knees as he took his mother's cooling hand. Her wide eyes stared blankly into space as he held her. Blood ran in crimson rivulets from the gaping wound in her chest from the soldier's discarded dagger.

Rage started to bloom in his heart as the soldiers surrounded him. He took the sword and clutched it to his chest. He was afraid, yes, but the anger was boiling ever so slowly inside him.

Kaiba gasped for air as the vision faded. Joey asked, "You okay?" He simply looked at the blond, wide eyed.

Yami studied him and looked at him regretfully. Kaiba wanted to shake him, demand why he was having these visions, these vivid memories. Still, those garnet colored eyes were distant as they looked at him.

Kaiba took a deep breath and managed, "I'll live." He couldn't help but to think that the Celtic Boy's parents looked a lot like his . . . Before they had died of course. He shivered inwardly as if someone had walked across his grave.

Yugi took over again, looking innocent, childish and elfin once more. He suggested, "Let's get to the shop and get some tea."

"Don't you mean some Tea?" Joey quipped weakly as they started walking again.

Yugi blushed and said, "That's not funny, Joey."

Kaiba looked down at his hands as he noted he was trembling. Yugi asked, "What happened?"

"Let's get to the shop first," Kaiba managed as he collected himself, focusing on rebuilding his image as the ice-cold Dragon Master. He wrapped his darkness around him and took a deep breath. He looked visibly calmer, except, his heart was racing and he was truly terrified.

******

Hikari, I think something's truly wrong with Kaiba, Yami's voice said in Yugi's head. Yugi looked over to where Joey was showing Kaiba the latest shipment of Duel Monsters cards. Kaiba looked ruffled and unsure of himself, a complete turn around from the tall boy's normal, icy composure.

He measured the water and placed the tea bags in it. He also had some instant coffee. Apparently, Kaiba lived on the stuff and took that over the tea. Soon the tiny kitchen smelled like tea and coffee, relaxing Yugi somewhat.

Yugi replied, He's been acting stranger than normal lately. He even fell asleep in class.

With the way your teacher teaches history I cannot fault him, Yami replied, his voice full of dark amusement.

Yugi grinned and thought, You have to admit it was fun correcting him.

Of course it was, but not when the top student falls asleep, Yami sighed.

Yugi poured the green tea into two mugs and gathered it with the coffee mug. He walked over to where Joey was trying to talk to Kaiba, who was starring off into space, his sharp blue eyes unusually misty and distant. If Yugi didn't know any better, he would have sworn that Kaiba was afraid.

He is afraid, Yugi. I don't blame him, Yami explained gently.

Yugi thought, But this is Seto Kaiba we're talking about here. He doesn't even fear his own death. I wouldn't want to see what scares him.

He fears for his brother's safety and for Serenity's safety as well, and for their happiness. I'd wager that he also fears losing them, and he's afraid of his own feelings, Yami replied.

Yugi sighed, Yes, but he's not as hard as you'd like to think either, My Other Half. He could have simply let us wander the streets today, but you knew he was the one who guided us before Joey even blinked. He's got a softer side too. You notice how he always softens his voice when he talks to me. I think I remind him of Mokuba a bit.

It's because you're so small, Hikari, Yami teased.

Yugi chuckled softly at his Other's retort as he gave Joey his mug and sat Kaiba's coffee down beside him. Kaiba looked at him and nodded before taking the mug in his hands. He sat down beside Joey who held up the newest dragon card. It wasn't as powerful as the Blue Eyes or even the Red Eyes, but it had an attack strength of 2100, but its defense was 2500.

"Not bad, eh, Yug?" Joey asked as he held up the card.

Yugi nodded and said, "Yeah, that's a fairly good card."

"Combine it with Dragon Mountain and it would fordable enough to take down your Red Eyes," Kaiba commented as he took a sip of his coffee.

Joey asked, "Dragon Mountain?"

Kaiba sighed and was about to say something probably very insulting to Joey when Yugi asked, "So, what's wrong?"

I wanted to hear what Kaiba had to say, Yami protested.

Yugi replied, He would have insulted Joey and they would be fighting. Again. I know you respect Kaiba as a Duelist and an alley as I value him as a friend.

Kaiba and Joey will always fight. It's sort of fate, Yami said with a chuckle.

Yugi smirked and replied, Joey and Kaiba are too much alike for their own good.

They're nothing alike, Yami argued.

Yugi retorted, Yes they are. They're both stubborn, proud, willful and will do anything to protect their younger sibling. And they both like "butt-kicking monsters".

Kaiba toyed with his coffee mug for a moment, searching it as if it had answers. Joey finally said, "Well, spit it out, Kaiba."

"This isn't exactly easy to talk about," Kaiba snapped at him.

Joey smirked and replied, "Just get on with it, already."

Kaiba seethed at him for a moment before he composed himself again. Yugi noted that he did that a lot, as if he was afraid to show the world the real Seto Kaiba.

Kaiba sighed and said, "I've been having dreams that are like memories from a past time. Some of them have Yami in them."

"Like from Egypt?" Joey asked.

Kaiba glared and snapped, "Of course from Egypt, you moron. Part of them anyway. They're like memories, except they're not mine, at least I don't think they're mine."

Ask him what happens in the dreams, Hikari, Yami gently prodded.

Yugi asked, "Could you tell us about the dreams?"

"I'm a priest name Seth. A very powerful High Priest and the pharaoh's rival. Shadow Games, like you played with Pegasus . . ." Kaiba explained.

I knew it! I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on him. It's Seth! Yami exclaimed almost happily.

What are you talking about, My Other Half? Yugi thought in puzzlement.

Yami sent him images of a young man that could have been Kaiba, except he was dressed in gold and purple robes of Egyptian origin. The blue eyes were distant, chilling, and disturbing, like he had seen Hell and somehow made his way back. He had what obviously had to be the Millennium Rod resting around his neck.

Yami answered, I don't remember everything, Yugi, but I remember that Seth was a High Priest. He was my greatest rival. He was my only challenge as a ruler, but he was very distant and secretive. His own priestess tried to throw themselves at him, but he would refuse them all. Still, I respected him as a mage.

What happened to him? Yugi asked as he looked at Kaiba again. Kaiba's dark brown hair was falling in his face as he looked at his coffee mug. He looked vulnerable, disarmed really. Yugi felt sorry for him. Kaiba liked to be in control and replied more on technology, knowledge and skill more than the mystical forces of things, even though the Heart of the Cards responded to him.

Yami sighed mentally and answered, He died trying to protect his Rod from a tomb robber.

Poor Seth. That must have been awful, Yugi thought as he looked at Kaiba again. This had to be driving him insane, the lack of control, everything.

Yami replied, I think that Seth thought I was the cause of his death. We might have been rivals, Yugi, but I respected him more than anyone in my kingdom. He was my only challenge.

Maybe that's why Kaiba was so set on beating us, Yugi reasoned.

Kaiba continued, "But that's only part of the dreams. I keep seeing that sword and . . ." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Yugi watched as he checked his watch. He stood up and said, "I have to go. I . . ."

"What, not even going to say hi?" Serenity teased as she entered the kitchen. Beside her was Tea, looking flushed from ballet practice. She had her slippers slung over her shoulder and was still wearing her blue leotard under her grey sweats. Her cheeks were tinged with pink, setting off her cornflower blue eyes and her brown hair was slightly dismayed, falling around her face.

Kaiba's worried expression softened as he reached for Serenity's slender hand. She grinned up at him, her green eyes sparkling. She studied him and her face fell. She asked, "Seto, what is it?"

She knows him well, Yami thought with amusement.

Yugi replied, They're good together.

Maybe you should learn from Kaiba, Yami stated pointedly as Yugi's eyes strayed back to Tea.

Yugi blushed as he looked at Tea. She was always there for him, helping him, protecting him. She looked at him and asked, "What's up, Yugi?"

"Kaiba's been having these weird dreams about a past life," Joey answered bluntly.

Kaiba stiffened visibly as he closed his eyes. Yugi thought he was counting to ten. As if to confirm his suspicions, Kaiba's lips were silently moving.

Yami thought, Sometimes the urge to do violence to Joey is pretty strong.

Hey, I thought Joey was your friend too, Yugi protested.

Yugi didn't have to see Yami to know that he was smirking as he thought, He has his moments.

You just have to be more patient with people, My Other Half, Yugi chided with satisfaction.

Yami retorted, And you need to confess your feelings for one certain aspiring dancer.

Yami, shut up, Yugi thought with frustration as Kaiba seemed to calm down as well.

Serenity asked, "Wanna talk about it, Seto?"

"They started when I was on the train to Tokyo and I had another one today. Then, on the way here, it was like . . . I can't explain it. It's beyond comprehension," Kaiba finally answered.

Tea said, "It's usually Yugi or Ryou who has these sort of things. Why you? You don't have a Millennium Item."

"Nor do I want one," Kaiba retorted icily.

Tea snapped, "Well, that's surprising because you're usually craving power and pushing everyone away."

"He's trying to protect everyone, dammit," Serenity snarled back, startling probably everyone in the room.

She does know him, Yami thought wirily.

Yugi replied, They balance each other out.

Light to darkness, Yami thought amusingly, lightly chuckling in Yugi's mind. Yugi had to smile at the dead-on analogy. Leave it to Yami to put it so perfectly.

Kaiba reached out and touched the smaller girl's shoulder. She drew back and looked at him. He whispered, "It's okay."

Joey said, "I don't blame him for not waning those things. No offence, Yug, but they seem like a whole lot of trouble and a whole lot of pain. I'd prefer to Duel without some guy in my head telling me what to do."

Tea sighed and sat her slippers down on the table. She said, "I know you're not like that anymore, Kaiba."

Kaiba smirked and said, "You were right. Its easer to push everyone away and gain power. But the cost is too high."

Yugi looked down at the slippers and frowned. The pale pink satin shoes had tiny, dark crimson stains around the toes. Great Ra, this ballet goes too far, Yami gasped through their mental link.

Yugi gently cradled one of the ruined shoes in his hand and thought, She's been acting stressed lately, with her job and the dancing lessons. Plus Ryou hasn't really been talkative lately.

Other than Kaiba today when he fell asleep in class, Yami pointed out darkly, I don't like this, Yugi.

She's been hurting herself . . . Yugi thought with growing horror as he set the slipper back down.

Yami added, And wasn't she dating Bakura?

Yes, Yugi thought jealously as he wondered why the boy was acting so strange lately. Tristan said that he threw away the Millennium Ring, therefore ridding Ryou of his evil presence. Or at least they had thought. Pegasus had been very ill at the Duelist Kingdom, and his hair had been covering his face so Yugi couldn't see the Millennium Eye.

There maybe a connection between Kaiba's sudden memories and this, Yami pointed out.

Yugi mentally nodded in agreement as he looked at Kaiba and thought, But what?

******

"'Come on,' Harry hissed, swerving tantalizingly above her, 'come on, come and get me . . . up you get now . . .'

And then she reared, spreading her great, black leathery wings at last, as wide as those of a small airplane and Harry dived. Before the dragon knew what he had done, or where he had disappeared to, he was speeding toward the ground as fast as he could go, toward the eggs now unprotected by her clawed front legs- he had taken his hands off his Firebolt- he had seized the golden egg-" Kaiba read aloud from Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire.

Mokuba snored softly and shifted in his bed, cuddling his stuffed purple dragon to his chest. Kaiba smiled to himself as he placed a book mark in the book and set it on Mokuba's night stand. He stood up from where he had been sitting as he studied Mokuba.

He looked so peaceful with his round, gamine features at rest. His raven hair curled along his dark cheek as he innocently hugged his stuffed dragon. Kaiba smiled as he lovingly pushed the boy's hair from his face. He whispered, "We'll see if Harry beats the dragon tomorrow night, Mokuba."

He sighed as he looked at the book. Harry and the Triwizard Tournament had helped keep his mind off the dreams and visions he had been having. The chapter with the Hungarian Horntail was particularly interesting because it featured a huge dragon.

He stretched his stiff muscles from sitting in that chair for too long. He rotated his shoulders as he walked out of his little brother's room, filled with all of his games and toys and posters. Kaiba smirked at Yoda for a moment before he shut the door behind him.

The manor was quiet as a tomb because most of the staff had already gone home. The quiet began to settle in his bones as he looked out the window. He wondered who this Seth person was and why he had such a strong tie with him as well as the connection to Yami.

He pushed the French window open and stepped out into the night. He looked at the soft glow of the city and sighed. He wondered what Serenity was doing and smirked to himself.

Mokuba and Serenity were his ties to sanity in this world. They kept him whole and human just by being by his side. They kept him from retreating into the world of business and computers by grabbing him by the hand and forcing him to live. They gave him hope and allowed him to dream.

Speaking of dreaming, running away from it won't give me any answers. For me to find out who this person was and my tie to them, I have to dream, Kaiba thought as he noticed how exhausted he was. With determination reserved usually for the Dueling Arena, he turned around and headed for bed.

Even though he fleetingly wished that he had Serenity to share the huge, lonely bed with.

******

Bakura smirked as he placed the Millennium Eye into his pocket. The silver haired youth was wearing black cargo pants and a black turtle neck to blend into the darkness easier so Kaiba wouldn't see him. Seth's memories were integrating themselves nicely into Kaiba's mind, therefore, he could probably wield the Dragon Blade at this current stage.

Still, he needed Seth, and not Seto Kaiba, but Seth needed a body that could wield the Dragon Blade. Thus, that was why Kaiba was so important to his plan to bring back the dark priest who owed him a debt. And it had to be Seto Kaiba, and not Mokuba, for it to work.

Now, all he needed was the bait and then the trap would be sprung.

He smirked as he sprang from Kaiba's window. Using the Millennium Eye had given him all the information he needed. Just slightly unexpected, but it would bring Yugi closer to him, thus, putting that damned Yami and the Puzzle closer to his reach.

******

"So, Sirius Black really didn't give up Harry's family to Voldemort?" Serenity asked as she palmed a paperback copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Kaiba looked at her in amusement. Mokuba had wheeled her into reading the first two Harry Potter books, and now he had a sketch book filled with pictures of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Malfoy, Dumbledore, Snape, and the various creatures that they both treasured. Kaiba was thinking about asking her if she would be a design consultant on his various games. It would make his life a bit easier if all he had to do was plot the story when he had an artist of Serenity's calabur to create the world.

He gently, but firmly told her, "Read the book."

Her green eyes sparkled as she looked up teasingly at him. They were walking around the park together, holding hands and just enjoying each other's company. He hadn't had the dreams in the past few days and it felt good. Even though he had told her about them though, but she hadn't been alarmed, only concerned.

She flipped it to the back chapter and whined, "But I have to know now."

He took the book from her and asked, "Didn't anyone ever tell you that you don't read the ending first?"

"Yes, but I don't think Sirius Black's evil though," Serenity answered as she reached for the book.

Kaiba smirked at her as he lifted it above her head. She jumped for it and shouted, "You're like a foot taller than me, Seto! Give it back."

"Promise that you won't read the ending and I will," he firmly told her.

She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. He handed the book back to her with a grin. She took it back and held it under the crook of her arm so that they could hold hands.

Serenity brushed her hair behind her ear and asked, "Anything else you wanna tell me about the dreams?"

"Why the sudden change in subject?" Kaiba asked as he looked down at her.

Serenity answered, "Because I was hoping I could make you fell better, that's why. Maybe I can help."

He wanted to tell her that her being next to him made him feel better. He pulled her close and noted that it was getting dark. He replied, "Do you know about Yami and the Millennium Items?"

"Vaguely. Yugi's got the Millennium Puzzle which houses a King of Games and the other Millennium Items have different dark powers. That's all I know," Serenity answered.

Kaiba looked away and said, "I've seen these Millennium Items used before. I . . ." He stopped at telling her that he had lost his soul to one before. He swallowed and continued, "I don't like magic, but Duel Monsters is magic, if you know how to tap into it."

"Do you know how?" she asked, peering up at him.

"Fortunately not," a slightly familiar voice with a British accent chirped behind them.

Kaiba frowned as darkness swirled around the couple, concealing them from the view of the people in the park. He turned around to see Ryou Bakura standing there with his arms crossed and a huge, golden ring that looked vaguely like a Native American Dream Catcher with pyramids around his neck. His long silver hair blew around him by an unseen wind and his eyes were black and soulless, not like Ryou's huge, liquid dark brown eyes.

Serenity clutched Kaiba's arm. Kaiba automatically put himself in front of her and glared at Bakura. He recognized the Sennen Eye carved into the artifact that Bakura was wearing. It was like the Eye that separated his soul from his body.

"Seto?" Serenity asked as she peered over his shoulder.

Kaiba asked, "I'm not dealing with Ryou Bakura, am I?"

"You are as smart as they say, Kaiba, but then again, Seth was quite intelligent as well," Bakura replied with a red gleam in his black eyes. For a moment, the prismatic Sennen Eye blazed across his forehead as he withdrew a deck of Duel Monsters cards from his pocket.

Kaiba sneered, "You have me at a disadvantage, I don't have my deck with me."

"I'm not here to Duel, Kaiba. I'm here to take your bloody girlfriend," Bakura snickered evilly.

Kaiba took a stance and growled, "Well, you're going to have to go through me, first."

"Seto, what's going on here?" Serenity asked as she looked at Bakura.

Kaiba glared at the smaller teen. Ryou Bakura was small and weak, and too meek and sweet to be any threat, but this Bakura was different. He was taller, more confidant, and his eyes were angular and black. He looked like Ryou, as much as Yugi looked like Yami.

"Ryou, fight it, I don't want to hurt you," Kaiba sneered, "Whatever has a hold of you, fight it."

Bakura threw back his white head and laughed, a horrible, chilling sadistic sound. Bakura leered at Serenity and answered, "It's an elaborate plan, lass, a very elaborate plan. You see. This is the Millennium Ring. I also have the Millennium Eye." From his pocket, he pulled out Pegasus' golden Eye.

Bakura cracked his knuckles and continued, "But I want the whole collection, love, and I have an old priest that will owe me a great debt. You, pet, are going to be my bait."

"Over. My. Dead. Body," Kaiba growled as he stared Bakura down.

Bakura smirked and said, "Not exactly. Do you know what the Millennium Ring can do?"

"I don't care. I don't like magic, remember," Kaiba sneered.

Bakura sighed, "Bullocks. You and your bloody technology, Kaiba. Well, I'll show you." He lifted a card from his deck and smirked. The Ring glowed in its myriad of colors before a Man Eater Bug appeared flapping its wings in front of him.

Serenity asked, "He didn't just do that, did he?"

"It's an illusion," Kaiba said, more to convince himself than her. Until the Bug raged at him. Kaiba dodged out of it's way, but one of the pinchers caught on his coat, ripping it and cutting his arm. He hissed in pain as crimson blood welled from the wound.

Serenity screamed his name as he tried to dodge the Bug. Kaiba was relieved that it wasn't going after her until Bakura summoned another monster, the Feral Imp. The Imp charged at Serenity and she screamed as it grabbed her.

Kaiba jumped out of the Bug's pinchers and bellowed, "Let her go, dammit! Take me instead!"

Bakura drew the Imp back to him, therefore drawing a screaming Serenity. Kaiba's vision was tinged in red as he charged at the white-haired youth. He was calculating either snapping his neck or crushing the bridge of his nose, both moves effectively killing him. The Man Eater Bug flew in his way, trying to grab him again.

Bakura held up the Feral Imp's card. The picture had changed from just the Feral Imp, it now had Serenity in its grasp. He shouted, "Let her go, damn you! Let her the hell go!"

"No need to lose your bloody temper, Kaiba. I'll give you a fair chance to win your lady love back. It's just that you'll need more players at your side. Until then, farewell, mate," with that, Bakura and the Man Eater Bug faded into shadows.

Kaiba found himself floating and cried out when he crashed to the ground. Various Duel Monsters starter packs and decks floated around him as he realized he had kicked a display of mangas down as well. He sat up as he realized that a familiar pair of purple eyes was looking at him.

He stood up and felt sick when he looked up at a shaggy blond head and big brown eyes. Oh, God, Joey . . . The poor bastard, Kaiba thought Joey met his eyes. I lost her. I lost Serenity. "Damn him!" Kaiba shouted as he slammed his fist down on the store's counter.

Yugi asked, "Kaiba, what happened?"

"Where's Serenity?" Joey asked anxiously.

Kaiba looked at Joey's eyes and saw a bit of himself there. Kaiba said, "I have to get my deck. I have to stop him." He was going to use every resource he had to get Serenity back, even if he had to kill Bakura to do so. Magic or not, Kaiba didn't care, Bakura had to have a weakness.

Yugi asked, "Kaiba, what is it?"

"Where the hell is my sister?" Joey shouted at him.

Grandpa Moto walked down the stairs and asked, "Boys, what's all the commotion?" He looked at the scattered cards and Kaiba's bloodied arm. He said, "You look like you've seen a ghost. What happened?"

Kaiba looked down at the stinging wound. He ignored it as he headed for the door. Joey grabbed his arm and yanked him around. Joey asked, "Where the hell is Serenity?"

"Bakura . . . He took her. He's got this Millennium Item and he took her and I have to get her back," Kaiba explained as Joey let him go.

Joey stiffened and his eyes hardened. The blond shouted, "You bastard!"

Kaiba didn't see Joey throw the punch until it was too late.

To Be Continued!

I'm sorry about keeping Bakura with the dubbbed, but I've got a thing for the Brits. I write British slang like it's no one's buisness, and it would be funny to see prim and sweet Ryou be the reason why Bakura has such a fowl mouth.

And, does anyone know about Bakura's deck? I've heard that he has a lot of Occult related cards, but does anyone have a list?

As always, any Serenity/Kaiba fics are welcome. I've got a lemon between the two up, you should find it. And if you got any pictures of those two, I'd love to know about it, even though I've already been to Bakura's Hell. Also, feel free to draw fanart, like Kaiba with the Dragon Blade, perhaps.

Please, as always, don't forget to Read and Review!