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Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh!
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Author's Notes: Another SetoxIsis fic. This one isn't going to be confusing. I hope. Not like Innocence. Anyway, set just after Battle City. Everything is…ok…but something very unexpected happens. Anyway, read, review and enjoy. No flames please. And please, if you are not a Trustshipper (a SetoxIsis fan) don't bother reading and flaming. To read it is one but to flame too, is just darn right shallow. And I know you people are not that shallow.
Shades Of Blue
Chapter One: What if I Spend My Whole Life Wondering, 'What If'?
"What are you doing back here…Rashid?" Asked Ishizu, the tone of her voice calm. She wasn't especially surprised to see him waiting for her by the door to the museum although she didn't have the power of her Millennium Tauk anymore. It was really beginning to change the way she lived her life now. Now, she felt a little more in control of what she did and what she wanted. And she was quite content with it. It felt better, she had to admit, than knowing what was going to happen, and having no power to change it.
Rashid watched as she put the keys in the lock of the double doors, and turn the key. She didn't open the door and turned her head to him.
"If it isn't too much trouble, I would like to…talk." He said. His voice had wavered a little when he said the word 'talk'. And Ishizu guessed whatever he wanted to 'talk' about wasn't good news or was a bit awkward to talk about.
"…Alright then, but I am rather busy." She said, opening the doors and stepping inside.
"Oh it won't take that long."
As she leaded him to her office, she could feel his eyes observing the artefacts around her. She may not have had her Tauk but she still had the mysterious sense that she always knew she had. It was like she always knew when nobody was there and when somebody was. There was a presence, it didn't feel odd…it felt rather compelling and she didn't understand why. Compelling that she wasn't alone perhaps?
Rashid walked into her office and she shut the door. She turned around to him and waited for him to 'talk'.
"…Marik would like the Obelisk the Tormentor." He stated rather slowly, as if he thought he was treading on thin ice with her although he wasn't.
"I'm not the person to be asking, Rashid." Ishizu replied, walking over to her deck chair and sitting down in it. She sighed and looked up at him for a while. He hadn't changed at all. Rashid still had the hieroglyphics etched onto his face which held immense great power. His eyes were so soft and she just wanted to tell him to stop being such a doormat to Marik. But he loved Marik so much; she knew that all too well. It wouldn't do much good. "Why didn't he come?"
Rashid gulped and looked down deep in thought. He was choosing his words carefully. "Master Marik is in no fit state to be visiting anyone." He answered after a few moments.
Ishizu looked at him and wondered what had just happened to her brother. What could have happened to him that had made him unable to come directly to her? She pushed her ebony hair back and shook her head. Rashid wasn't going to tell her what, Marik would have forbid it. He trusted Rashid and knew he would be loyal.
"Tell my brother," she said a little softly, "he must see Seto Kaiba for Obelisk."
"Oh he knows that, Miss Ishizu."
Ishizu leaned forwards in her chair and stared at him in confusion. Then why had Rashid just asked her for it? Rashid noticed the confusion and cleared his throat to explain a little better, "He was hoping you could get it back from Mr Kaiba since you were the one that discarded it to him."
"What?" Ishizu laughed a little. Her little brother really was growing up. Now he was old enough to know how to really piss her off. "Seto…would not give that card to me, no matter what." She said flatly.
Rashid closed his eyes in that manner she knew so well. Every word he was saying was a painful dagger shooting through his head and heart. He punished himself too much for anyone's liking. Maybe even too much for Marik's liking too…
"I am sorry Miss Ishizu."
"Rashid how many times have I told you to call me Ishizu? Not 'Miss' Ishizu." She gazed at his face which was lost in some other world. Her eyes softened and she smiled a little. He always was that way. She knew what he wanted. He wanted to be an Ishtar; he wanted to be able to have his say. He never did and she was curious as to what he was really like. He was told what to do and say by Marik. What would he be like if Marik wasn't so precious to him?
"Mi--Ishizu he needs that card. Without it and Slypher the Sky Dragon, he will not be able to…I can tell you he is not using the cards for some destructive motives of his. He will only be using it to benefit him…he needs it. I know you care deeply for Marik, so please help him."
"You do too Rashid." Ishizu said standing up.
There was a silence and tension which could be cut with a knife. As Rashid awaited her answer, he balled his hands into fists and stress lines appeared on his face. Ishizu began to wonder what he was thinking. Maybe he was thinking of what would happen if he were to fail Marik? Not so much as Marik harming him, as the unbearable guilt of not being able to a job for him. He couldn't handle that. Or maybe he was fighting off an invasion in his mind. Something or someone was trying to control his mind or someone was telling him what to do…
Ishizu sighed and put one of her hands on her forehead and touched her fingertips on her delicate sun kissed skin. For a moment she was about to say no, but she just had to know what was wrong with her dear brother. She didn't know if it was life threatening, or just a trick but she loved him. She loved him too much to say no. And she did not want Rashid getting hurt for her decision.
"I'll see what I can do, Rashid. But that's all." She said finally, breaking the immense silence the tension had built up.
Rashid nodded and turned around, "Thank you…" he opened the door and stopped, waiting a little while. "…Ishizu."
Ishizu let out a sigh when the door closed. She had work to do. She couldn't see Seto until her work at the museum was done. And she was curious to know how he was doing after the Battle City tournament.
***
Seto groaned as his phone began to ring. He had, had numerous phone calls from employees who couldn't make it, mergers who he couldn't refuse, and Minako at the reception desk, who had come in late and had been bombarded with messages to Seto. She delivered them all at once. That didn't help.
Sighing he picked up the phone waiting for her to tell him what she had to.
"Mr Kaiba there's an Ishizu Ishtar, asking for you." She said, making Seto frown and wonder what exactly that fairy and magic believer wanted with him now.
To spread more ancient crap to me. No, I won't have it from her. He thought angrily.
"Tell her I have no time to waste on her." He said before hanging up. He tried to continue with his work, but now since her name had been mentioned he couldn't.
It was Battle City. He didn't know what to believe anymore. It was thanks to her, he was confused now. He didn't know why he was having these strange dreams every night and they were of shadows, of come sort of familiar place he just couldn't remember the name of. But he didn't care about dreams. All they were to him was a nuisance. And she was becoming one too, trying to make him believe in the ancient past. Why was she so determined to make him believe? Why him? Why not Yugi, he believed in that ancient stuff didn't he?
The night was fading in quickly and he decided to end it there with his work. He left the building, having the job of making sure all his security was tight and lights were shut. No one ever bothered to stay late so there was no point in just leaving. And if someone was left behind it was tough. They would set off the security alarms and be accused of breaking in regardless of whether they were an employee or not. After he'd finished, he stepped outside and found his limo waiting for him outside.
He walked straight to it, and opened the door.
"What the hell are you doing here Ishtar?" He spat as soon as he saw her in the backseat of his limo.
She just shook her head and resumed her calm composure. She was leaning against the back of the seat, and he could swear she was almost falling asleep.
"I've been waiting for you since I came here which was five hours." She said simply, not bothering to hear his response. "I do need to talk to you Seto."
Seto just stared at her before considering her for a moment. Damn, he hated her blue ocean like eyes. When she looked at him with that gently yet harsh glare and remaining cool and confident, it made him wonder just how she managed to pull it off. But he wasn't bothered not at the moment. He knew he was going to hate himself for this next action, but he was tired and knew he would not be able to budge this woman. She was a strong person, he knew that. Keeping his glare on her he sat in the backseat next to her.
"Make this quick." Seto spat, shutting the door furiously.
Ishizu's lips curved upwards a little but she refrained from laughing. She looked at the ground of the limo and talked with a passionate voice.
"Seto, I need Obelisk back," She said, noticing his eyes narrow dangerously. She was immune to things like that. She'd been given glares like that since she was born. She could handle it. "I can't tell you why, but it's urgent. And besides, the card was mine when I gave to you."
Seto nodded a little and looked straight into her deep eyes, his voice loud and clear. "You're right Ishizu." He said.
Ishizu looked slightly shocked at him admitting someone was right for once, but she knew it would be followed by a harsh and by any means hurtful comment. She prepared herself for a temper of a CEO to boil up. His eyes didn't move from hers as he gazed at her for a moment. And that reminded her of when they first met. He had looked at her with such an indescribable expression in his eyes. She was unsure of what Seto Kaiba was like and had absolutely no idea of what he would do. She thought he was going a little soft on her but it was nothing of the sort. Damn, she thought. But it was good he wasn't like that. Seto cut through her thoughts with a knife as he replied, "It was yours when you gave it to me. But it isn't now. It's mine; I was the one who used it in my duels. Not you. I am its true owner, not you. You may have discovered it, but I doubt you ever used it like I did."
She closed her eyes and shook her head. "…Please Seto. I must have it back." She bit her lower lip and turned away, struggling not to cry. She didn't know why she was being so damn emotional. Something about not getting the card to Marik made her upset.
Kaiba waited a moment. He was looking at her, he could tell she was about to cry. Somehow…he thought for a moment he should give it back to her, if she really needed it that much. Then he told himself to stop it and not fall under her charm. Charm? What charm? He growled. Ever since she had walked into Domino, he was finding himself lacking the strength to control his thoughts. Drifting in and out were random things he'd never thought of before and it was getting rather annoying. But it wasn't surprising; she'd been toying with his mind since day one.
"Just what are you going to do with it, Ishizu?" He asked huskily and angrily.
Ishizu stayed silent, her brows furrowing and her eyes narrowing. "I need Obelisk because it may prevent something terrible to happen…"
"And would that be the fall of the world again? Is your brother planning to take over the world again?" He laughed shaking his head. They were all so melodramatic and acted like everything wasn't going to be alright unless they dueled to save the world to make everything right. He just thought every single one of them needed their heads checked. What made them so convinced they were in a tournament to save the world? Worse of all, Kaiba wondered why they believed in all this magic. "Oh dear Ishizu, you really must see him to a psychiatrist and also while you are there, maybe you could book an appointment. I'm sure it would help." He added cockily, but he was frowning.
She glared before replying out of pure spite, "No Kaiba, you were the one who was shown the power of the Millennium Items and witnessed it power. And you still refuse to believe it. You are the one who needs to see a psychiatrist."
Well after that statement, she certainly wasn't going to be given the card. She yawned silently and opened the door on her side of his limo. She put her feet on the concrete ground outside and turned back to him, "I know that you'll think this over. After all, you wouldn't want to spend your life wondering 'what if', but it seems I might have to."
Kaiba snorted, "Ishizu, I am actually asking myself something. What if I never see that card again? I certainly don't want that in my mind when I could be getting on with other more important things."
"No Seto, ask yourself this instead…What if I'd have never turned a cold shoulder to those that were only trying to talk to me? It seems more fitting for you." She got out of the limousine and just before she closed the door, she crouched down to the door and looked back at him. "But I know you can't help it, it was the way you were raised. I…sometimes wonder what it would have been like if I still had Marik and Rashid as my true brothers and I hadn't become so solitary…Maybe I wouldn't be so stubborn sometimes." She said before shutting the door.
Seto growled and barked at Rio in the driver's seat that he'd be getting a pay cut and would be fired if anything like that happened again.
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Author's Notes: What a shitty chapter!! I read this over and thought it was actually pretty darn boring. Even the little conversation between Seto and Ishizu. But hey, maybe someone…out there…enjoyed it? If not, I'll make it up to you with the next few chapters coming up. ^-^ Review please.
