Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ University Daze ❯ Happy Birthday! We Hope. ( Chapter 3 )

*Warning* Ok, I'm not going to repeat myself every single chapter so too bad. Read the previous chapters for warnings and ratings.

Caitlin: I'm not waiting for those two. They can get here when they get here.

Kali: But they're both in this one!

Caitlin: So what. I'm a writer and I gotta write! Right now!

Yami: Let her go for it, Kali. She'll just banish you if you don't.

Yugi: Or cut off your BBQ supply.
Kali: *wails* NOOOOO!!!!!

Caitlin: Hey, I'm trying to think here! Someone get me a slurpee.

Malik: I'm way ahead of you. Here ya go! *hands over a 7-11 slurpee.*

Caitlin: Thanks! *Slurps and starts typing*

Marik: Where's the rest of the snacks? I've got the munchies.

Ryou: Over there on the table. *points*

Kali: Marik, after you and Malik do the disclaimer! It's your turn.

Marik: *grumbles* Fine. 'Caitlin doesn't own us or the show. Just this fic.' Can I go eat now?

Malik: If she did own it all she'd be so rich by now!

Caitlin: Don't remind me.

Pairs: Yugi/Yami, Ryou/Bakura, Marik/Malik, Joey/Mai, Tristan/Serenity, Kaiba/OC?, Ishizu/Isis

Chapter 3

Happy Birthday! We hope.

At three o'clock the next afternoon, a sleek, black, stretch limo bearing Kaiba Corp. license plates pulled up in front of the game shop.

"Wow!" Yugi exclaimed, staring down at the car from the living room window. "I guess we won't be walking to Kaiba's!

"Hand me the scissors, please, aibou." Yami was wrapping their gift to Mokuba.

"Here. Oh, there's the door!" Yugi dashed down the stairs to the game shop's front doors.

His best friend, Joey, was waiting there, a wide smile of greeting on his face as Yugi let him in.

"Hey, Yug! Quite the set of wheels, huh?"

"Yeah! I wasn't expecting Kaiba to send a limo for us-or anything else for that matter."

"I bet Mokuba talked him into it." Joey shrugged. "But hey! The car's nearly as spiffy as you! You know Yugi, I think your dark-half is beginning to rub off on you."

Yugi blushed and stared at his feet. "He really likes leather clothes."

"Especially on you, aibou." Yami's voice said from behind Yugi. He stood leaning against the counter, a slightly wicked smile on his face. They were both wearing tight leather pants-black-and sleeveless shirts-also leather, but Yami's was crimson and Yugi's was dark blue. And of course, the Millennium Puzzle hung around both their necks. Also, they each wore dueling belts, fully loaded, as it were, with their decks. Yami also wore his gold wristbands.

"Well, I'd say ya both look dangerous." Joey laughed when Yugi blushed harder. "Dangerous or not, we'd better get a move on."

Yugi locked up behind them and they got into the limo. Mai, Tristan, Serenity, Duke Devlin, and a strange girl Yugi had never met before greeted him and Yami.

"Hello!" Yugi greeted her, holding out his hand.

She smiled shyly and took his hand. "Hello."

"Yugi, Yami, this is my cousin, Kala." (A/N: the O/C who could be a love interest for Kaiba ;) ) Mai introduced them. "Kala, this is Yami, and Yugi."

"Are you visiting?" Yugi asked. He didn't know Mai had any relatives. (A/N: neither did I so I made it up)

Kala shook her head. "I've come to live with Mai while I'm in University."

"Really? Hey, great! We'll be going to Domino University, too!"

"Except me." Serenity added. "I've still got a couple years of high school left."

"So, have you picked out your courses yet, Yugi?" Duke wanted to know. "I'm going for business."

"I've decided on archeology." Yugi glanced at Yami. "Egyptology of course."

Everyone laughed, except Kala who couldn't know what was so funny.

Mai, grinning, patted her cousin's knee. "It's a long story, Kala. I'll tell you about it sometime."

"Are we picking up the others?" Yami inquired. There was still plenty of room in the limo.

"Nope." Tristan shook his head, his arm around Serenity's shoulders. "The driver said he'd already picked up and dropped off everyone else."

Yugi and Yami both winced.

"Oh Ra! What was Kaiba thinking?" Yugi groaned. "He knows Marik and Bakura would rather kill each other than breathe the same air."

Yami was frowning. "I hope Ryou and Malik can keep the peace. At least until we get there."

"Do they have some sort of grudge?" Kala asked, clueless.

Mai sighed. "Unfortunately. Some people can't forgive and forget." She looked at her cousin's confused face. "It's part of that long story I mentioned."

"Oh."

"Looks like we're here." Serenity said as the car slid to a halt in front of Kaiba's mansion.

"Let's go!" Yugi slid out first, Yami right behind, followed by the others.

Walking up the steps, Kala leaned over and whispered to Joey, "Are those two brothers, Joey?"

The blond boy miss-stepped at her question and went down hard on his knees. "Oh no. Not at all."

"But they're nearly identical." She said, disbelievingly.

"You think they look alike? Wait until you meet the others." Before Joey could explain about Millennium Items, their possessors, Lights and Yamis, and everything else, the doors opened and there stood the young CEO of Kaiba Corporation.

"Good puppy." Seto Kaiba's cold blue gaze smirked down at Joey, who had yet to get up off the stairs. "Kneeling before your Master in greeting?"

Joey leaped to his feet, turning an angry red. Yugi shook his head and stepped between them.

"Come on, Seto. Don't start that again."

"Down, Joey. Ignore him." Mai slapped a manicured hand on her boyfriend's chest in warning. "You don't want to ruin Mokuba's party."

Kaiba shrugged and waved everyone inside. "Come on in. Everyone is that way." He gestured at two huge doors that were wide open. "The party's in the grand ballroom."

Kala, who had never been inside a house this big, stared in awe at her surroundings. Kaiba noticed her looking around and frowned.

"Who are you?"

She turned to look at him and was struck by the icy blue glare he directed at her. He was really handsome, in a cold-as-a-glacier-type of way.

"I…my name is Kala. I'm Mai's cousin." She swallowed and introduced herself.

He studied her for a moment. She was pretty. Not an in-your-face beauty like Mai, and not as subdued as Serenity. Certainly not exotic like Ishizu and Isis. But a normal-pretty. Her hair was a silky, wavy mass of chestnut brown and her eyes were a soft green. She wasn't tall; she only came up to Kaiba's shoulders. And she had a willowy figure. She wore a simple green and flowered sundress, and her feet were bare. (A/N: shoes came off at the door, of course. Oh, and in case you were wondering, no this doesn't describe me. Kala is totally made up.)

He shrugged off his train of thought and motioned her to the ballroom. "Whatever."

Yami and Yugi were speaking to Isis and Ishizu by the table that was heaped with gifts. Tristan, Duke, Joey, and Mai were not far away, laughing at something Malik was saying to Ryou, who was blushing furiously. Mokuba was showing Serenity something, and Marik and Bakura were glaring at each other from across the room.

Kala and Kaiba walked over to Mokuba and Serenity.

After several minutes of conversation, one in particular grabbed everyone's attention.

"I challenge you!" Marik had crossed the room and was met halfway by Bakura.

Mokuba, Serenity, Kaiba and Kala had just joined the group by the table when that yell resounded in the room.

Kaiba scowled. "Aren't they over that yet?"

Ishizu closed her eyes. "I wish."

Malik and Ryou, who could hear their respective Yami's thoughts through their links, were both sheet white and beginning to panic.

"You want to go, asshole? Alright. Name the game." Bakura went nose to nose with his rival.

"A Shadow Game." Marik grinned evilly and his Millennium Rod, sticking out of his belt at his back, began to glow.

The Millennium Ring suddenly appeared around Bakura's neck and it, too, began to glow.

Joey groaned. "Here we go. They couldn't be that stupid."

Even Kaiba began to look worried when an eerie black fog began to fill the room.

Kala, not really paying attention to whom she was getting close to, stepped up closer to him. "What's going on?" She asked. "What's a Shadow Game?"

Kaiba blinked and looked down at her. "Hasn't anyone told you what you've gotten messed up in?"

"I don't understand."

He sighed. "No time to explain." He turned his gaze to Yugi and Yami, who was frowning. Their gazes met, held, then broke as Yami sighed and muttered, "Why me?"

"We can't let them do it, Yami." Yugi pointed out. "Besides that, they're breaking your rules."

"I know, aibou. You know, you and Ishizu should have let me banish those two to the Shadow Realm when I had the chance." He scowled at Marik and Bakura.

Ryou, Malik, and Ishizu were giving him pleading looks now. Ryou was clinging to Yugi, who tried to reassure his friend, and Malik and Ishizu had gone down on one knee before Yami.

"Oh, stop that." He said, irritably. "Alright! Alright!" Yami walked up to the two furious spirits.

Marik was just reaching for the Rod when Yami's voice stopped him.

"Touch that and you'll never use that hand again."

"Stay out of it, Yami! This is between me and him." Marik growled.

Ishizu groaned. Malik passed out, crashing to the floor. Kaiba shook his head. "Stupid Marik."

Very stupid, because it was enough to piss Yami off. The Puzzle began to glow, its light swallowing up the invading Shadows.

Yugi winced. It was bad enough when Yami was annoyed, but Marik had forgotten to whom he was speaking. Even Bakura had known better than to say anything.

"Well, Tombrobber? Are we dueling or do you concede?"

"Is he insane?" Joey asked, wide-eyed.

Before Bakura could answer, however, Yami had stepped between them. His eyes flashed from ruby to crimson and his own power was a silent wind, ruffling his hair and clothes. And on his forehead, the eye of Ra, the symbol of Millennium magic and Yami's own Power, glowed like a captive star.

Those crimson eyes narrowed and Marik was suddenly thrown back by an unseen force. He slammed up against the far wall and hung there, feet dangling.

Kala gasped in shock. 'What was going on?' she wondered, a little afraid.

Kaiba absently took her hand and squeezed reassuringly.

Ishizu and Isis were hovering over Malik and watching Yami with twin expressions of anxiety. Bakura had backed off and was kneeling behind Yami, head bent, reassuring Ryou through their link that he was not going to do anything stupid, having realized the mistake he'd nearly made.

Yugi pulled Ryou over to Bakura and stood there, waiting patiently and calmly for his Darkness to finish Marik's pointed lesson.

Marik was glaring daggers at Yami, struggling to pull himself free.

"I think you need to be reminded of a few things. First, what did I say about Shadow Games?" When Marik just continued to glare, Yami flicked a wrist and Marik's head snapped back. "Answer!"

It was then that sanity returned to Marik and he began to realize what he'd done. (A/N: what sanity there is left, anyway)

"No more Shadow Games." He said, quietly. "Gods, what have I done?"

"Thankfully, nothing too serious." Yami released Marik, slowly lowering him to the floor. "Insulting me wasn't one of your smarter ideas, you know."

Marik sank to his knees in total submission. (A/N: Ok, so it's creative license here!) "Forgive me, my Pharaoh. I let my temper get the best of me. I wasn't thinking."

Kala blinked. "Pharaoh?"

"Uh, yeah. Yami is…was an ancient Egyptian King 5,000 years ago. It has to do with the Millennium Items, you see." Joey tried to explain.

"It's part of that long story." Mai put in.

"Someone's going to have to tell me this 'long story'. And soon."

Yami sighed. "See that it doesn't happen again, Marik. Go to your Light. The poor boy needs you."

"Malik!" Marik got up and hurried over to his Light, scooping him up.

"As for you, Tombrobber," Yami approached Bakura and stared down at him, arms crossed over his chest. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I lost my head for a minute. Sorry." He winced when Ryou smacked him upside the head. "I mean, I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

Yami grunted. "Don't do it again." He let Yugi take his hand and pull him away to go over to Kaiba and Mokuba.

"Nice." Was all Kaiba said.

"It's like having children." Yami sighed. "Once in a while they forget who's in charge."

"Sorry, Mokuba, for almost ruining everything." Came Bakura's reluctant apology. Ryou was nudging him, smiling.

"It's ok. Besides, all good parties need a fight."

"Mokuba!" Kaiba stared down at his little brother.

"Oh, come on Seto! Lighten up."

The party continued without further incident, except for the disagreement that began when Marik and Malik argued over who got to give Mokuba their gift.

After an extravagant feast and a little more conversation, everyone began going their separate ways.

As Joey, Mai, Serenity, and Kala were leaving, Mokuba pulled Kala aside.

"Kala, I think my brother likes you." He said.

She blushed. "Oh, I don't think…"

"No really! He watched you all day. He only does that when something or someone interests him."

"Come on Kala!" Mai yelled from the door.

"Uh, thanks for everything! Happy Birthday Mokuba!" Kala hurried off before the boy could say anything more about Kaiba.

They had been the last to leave. Mokuba turned to gather up his presents and ran straight into his older brother.

"Oof. Sorry Seto! I didn't know you were there."

"I figured that. Tell me, little brother, since when have you played matchmaker?" Kaiba raised an eyebrow.

"Oh. You heard." Mokuba shuffled his feet.

"I can get my own dates, thank-you." Kaiba ruffled the younger boys hair and began climbing the stairs to go to his office.

"She likes you too, Seto!" Mokuba yelled after him, grinning and running off.

**************************************

Marik: Hey! How come I'm described as 'submissive'?

Malik: Creative license, Marik! She's a writer, after all.

Caitlin: Well would you want to seriously piss off Yami?

Marik: No… *said cautiously*

Kali: Then suck it up!

*they glower at each other*

Yami: So what's up next?

Caitlin: I suppose Kala needs a bit of an explanation, wouldn't you say? But don't worry, I'm not going to go through the entire story.

Kali: That'd take too long anyway. *agrees*

Caitlin: I think the next chapter may be somewhat shorter than the last couple. Besides, since I really don't have much else to do until September, I can update and write plenty of stuff.

Bakura: Yikes! Who knows where this is all going?

Ryou: Well good! One-shots tend to bore me after a while. I like continuing stories.

Yugi: Me too!

Kali: Well, I guess the readers had better R/R then, so we can get on with it.

Caitlin: You heard her folks! Hey! Marik, save me some of those gummies! *chases him around the room, after the gummies*