A/N: I own nothing and this story was originally posted on older fanfiction username firefairy032003 but this is edited and hope to upload to it on a regular basis. Enjoy!
Chapter 1-
As I lonely walk through the empty streets of Domino, Japan, all I see is death and destruction circling all around me, almost as if it was suffocating me, poisoning my lungs with its toxic fumes. I try to run or scream out for help, but words fail me, for my voice goes hoarse with fear as an icy cold hand clamps across my mouth, trapping the scream in my lungs, making them ache in desperation.
As I frantically try to look into the eyes of my captive, all I see is a pair of icy blue piercing eyes. He seems to smile sadly at me as though he is being forced against his will to keep me here. As I try to reach for the black hood that hides his face from me, I'm abruptly ripped away from him, awakening in a cold sweat.
Serenity's eyes frantically searched her surroundings wondering if anything she had just seen was real. The familiarity of cherry blossom wallpaper painted on the walls of her small bedroom, calmed her as she realized it was in fact only a dream.
"It felt so real, as though it really happened, though I wonder who that guy was, he seemed so familiar." she thought to herself as a loud annoying ringing went off beside her snapping her out of her thoughts.
Looking around for the source of the sound, which turned out to be the red alarm clock that was on her nightstand beside her bed. The small red digits on the small device read that it was almost seven o'clock giving her another hour before she would start her first day at school at Domino University.
She yawned, pulling herself out of bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. After the third attempt, she seemed awake enough to head towards the bathroom that she shared with her older brother Joey.
"I guess he's not up yet, though why am I not surprised, I should be used to this by now?" she thought to herself in amusement as she turned the hot water on in the shower before stepping inside it, trying to wash away her sweat slicked body.
After a few minutes in the shower, Serenity started to feel a lot better as she draped a towel around her petite waist before going into her room to find something to wear. She decided on a pair of black denim jeans and a dark blue long sleeved shirt with long bell like sleeves. She brushed out her long red auburn hair over her right shoulder, deciding to wear it down, before she grabbed her bag and headed into the kitchen to start making breakfast for her and Joey.
Once Serenity had set two plates of food out on the dining room table, she could hear her brother finally starting to get up and slowly made his way towards the kitchen. "Mornin' sis." he muttered as he attacked the coffee machine pouring a cup of coffee before sitting beside her at the table.
"Good morning, I'm glad to see you're finally up." Serenity muttered in amusement, taking a small bite of her eggs otherwise quite as she stared out the window lost in thought.
"You're in a quiet mood this morning, are ya nervous 'bout your first big day at college?" he asked her curiously noticing how quiet she was being.
"No, I'm actually looking forward to it, why should I be it's not as though I'll be the only one there" Serenity said offering him a weak smile before carrying their plates to the sink as she waited for him to get finish getting ready so he could give her a ride to school.
Serenity sat outside on the front porch still unable to forget the vivid dream. "Why does he seem so familiar, is he one of Joey's friends? I don't think so, none of his friends have a cold demeanor, except for Yami and that definitely wasn't him." Serenity thought to herself not hearing Joey close the door behind him.
"You ready to go sis?" he asked placing his hand on her shoulder snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Huh, oh yeah I'm surprised you're actually ready on time for once." Serenity muttered smiling as she followed Joey as they started to walk the few blocks that lead to the University.
"Why do I get the feeling dat she's tryin to hide somethin from me? Oh well I'm sure whatever it is Yugi can get her to tell me what it is." Joey thought to himself as Serenity walked silently beside him.
"So do you wanna have lunch with me and the gang later?" Joey asked her curiously trying to break the awkward silence that had fallen over them.
"Sure, why not." Serenity muttered not even looking up in his direction.
"Why so quiet sis, I thought you were excited 'bout your first day at school?" Joey asked her curiously not being able to stand the eerie silence any longer, even though they were only a few blocks away from the school.
"I am… I guess I'm just nervous is all." Serenity lied as she continued to stare at the ground in front of her.
"I don't see why, the gang will be there so it's not like ya won't know anyone." Joey explained trying to reassure his sister as they had finally reached the school.
"I know, but other than Yugi and Mai the rest are your friends." Serenity pointed out angrily as she had walked off in her own separate direction.
"Hey man, where's your sister at, I was hoping on seeing her today?" Tristan asked, once Joey approached them by himself, as they had found the gang sitting near an empty flight of stairs.
"I guess she felt like being by herself, though she did agree to meet up with us at lunch." Joey explained making Tristan happy as he sat on the steps beside Duke.
"Where's Yugi?" Joey asked the gang disappointed to see that his other friend wasn't there.
"He went to the library, said something about wanting to be left alone to look up research for one of his classes." Tea explained as she had continued whatever conversation she was having with Tristan.
Yugi had wondered off to the library wanting to be left alone. Even though he had lied, telling the gang he was going there to do research. He was actually planning on meeting up with Serenity there.
"Hey Yugi." Serenity said cheerfully glad to see him as she sat down at the table next to him.
"Hey Serenity are you excited about your first day at college?" he asked her curiously.
"Yeah sort of… I just didn't get that much sleep last night is all, so I'm a little tired." Serenity said softly massaging her temples trying to ease away the headache that she had gotten while on her walk towards the library.
"Here let me help you." Yugi offered as he sat both their bags on the ground as he stepped inches in front of her.
"Yugi what are you doing-" Serenity tried to ask but was cut off as she closed her eyes feeling relief, as Yugi had placed his hands over hers, helping her massage the headache away.
Serenity blushed deeply as she realized how close they were standing to one another. "Thanks Yugi." Serenity muttered as she took a step back away from him picking her bag up off the ground in the process.
"No problem I'm glad I could help… I should go before I'm late for class, though I'll see you later." Yugi blurted suddenly, as he bolted out of the room, a slight blush had crept on his face as well.
Serenity just laughed at this as she watched Yugi bolt out of the room and disappear down the hallway. "That was so awkward, though it could have been worse." she thought to herself quietly as she found a few books to check out. Setting the books in her bag, she exited the library and headed towards her first class.
Unaware of where she was going, she slammed into a tall dark figure, sending her tumbling to the ground. She felt a familiar pair of icy blue eyes piercing menacingly down at her.
"Next time watch where you're going, or else I won't be so forgiving." the tall CEO snapped as he glared down at the girl that had slammed into him.
"I-I'm so sorry… I-I wasn't paying attention to where I was going are you alright?" Serenity managed to get out softly as she had stood to her feet still not able to look up at him.
"Obviously or else you would of thought twice about bumping into me." he growled at her in anger as he arrogantly walked past her. Embarrassed by the confrontation, she kept her head bent and resumed walking towards her destination. She could hear those nearby pointing in her direction, whispering in awe over what had just happened.
"Move out of my way mutt, I'm not in the mood to play with you right now, so why don't you try asking Yugi to play with you instead, since you're master is busy." Seto said coldly as he passed Joey.
"Shut up moneybags and for your information I'm not a dog. You are for knockin' into my lil sista like that." Joey snapped, having seen what had happened, shaking his fist in his face.
"So that explains it, I figured someone that naïve must be related to you." Seto shot back at him as he stepped around Joey and disappeared down the hallway in the same direction Serenity had went in.
"Hey! Come back here, I'm not through with ya yet!" Joey screamed after him as Tristan caught up to him gripping his arm preventing him from chasing after Kaiba.
"Come on man, give it a rest already? When will you ever learn, you can't beat that jerk and probably never will." Tristan said smirking at this as Joey sighed in defeat.
"Yeah I guess so, though I still think he deserved it, though did ya see my sista yet?" Joey asked Tristan since he knew that he liked Serenity.
"No I guess she already went to her first class, oh well I'll see her at lunch if she's not in my next class." Tristan said enthusiastically as they had headed towards their first class as well…
Seto smirked to himself amused by the mutt's pathetic attempt at trying to put him in his place. "It's as though the mutt actually thought he had a chance against me." Seto thought to himself as he took his usual seat in the back of the classroom already bored.
Serenity was already seated in class as she stared down at the desk still upset by what had happened in the hallway. "Joey might know who he is, maybe I should try asking him about it later." she thought to herself as she looked up at the seat in front of her barely paying any attention to what the teacher was saying.
Her headache had yet to go away, and now her lower back ached from when she had fell. Trying to distract herself from the pain, she flipped open her sketchbook and started to draw a picture from the night's previous dream. Lost in the sketch she had failed to hear the bell ring. A hand landed on her shoulder making her jump, as she closed the sketchbook nervously. Glancing up she relaxed realizing that it was her friend Mai.
"Hey girlie, how's your first day going so far?" Mai asked as she watched Serenity throw her stuff back in her bag hastily and stand up following Mai out of the classroom. Mai could tell that there was something troubling the younger girl. "What's wrong sugar, you feeling alright?" Mai asked her in concern since Serenity had yet to answer her.
"I'm fine, I'm just tired is all, everything seems to be going fine for right now." Serenity said quietly offering Mai a fake smile.
"Don't even try lying to me sweetheart, unlike your brother I can see right through that charade of yours, so you might as well tell me what's going on." Mai demanded as she took Serenity's arm leading her outside finding a small deserted table out in the courtyard to sit down at.
"Well… I guess I have a lot on my mind…" Serenity replied thinking over the last phone call she had with Yugi, as well as the incident in the library, as Mai sat down at the table across from her.
"Sugar, I'm your friend. You can tell me anything and I won't hold it against you, you know that." Mai reassured her sensing that Serenity wanted her advice on something.
"Yeah I know… so how do you know whether or not you like someone more than just a friend?" Serenity whispered before fidgeting with her hair. Mai
"Why do you ask sugar, is there someone you think you might like? The best advice I can offer you hon, is just continue to stay friends and let him make the first move. Trust me the guy will give you a sign if he's interested. No use in making the situation awkward for the both of you." Mai said smirking at this.
"And if they do… than what do you do next?" Serenity pushed as she stared down at the table blushing deeply.
"What do you mean sugar, it would be easier for me to help you if you told me what's bothering you because so far you're not making much sense. Don't worry you should know by now that whatever you tell me will stay between us girls." Mai reassured her wondering if Serenity was going to tell her or not.
"I know that's not what I'm worried about… it's just last night I had some sort of nightmare… and than this morning when I ran into Yugi we started talking and I thought he was going to kiss me." Serenity confessed as she stared down at the table blushing brightly at this.
"So than what do you need my help for sugar, it seems like you have it all figured out?" Mai asked her smiling at this before she stood up about to leave.
"What do you mean, I don't even know if I like Yugi in that type of way." Serenity admitted quietly as she stayed where she was not getting up.
"Well than just stay friends for now sugar and it'll come clear to you how you feel about him soon enough." Mai said smiling at this.
"Okay but what if I find out I like someone else?" Serenity asked thinking back to the strange nightmare wondering if her brain was trying to get her to see she liked someone else.
"Just tell Yugi that you want to be friends, I'm sure he'll understand just be honest with him sugar and nobody will get hurt." Mai she stood up from the table embracing Serenity in a tight hug. Serenity returned the embrace before waving to Mai watching her head off towards her next class.
Serenity thought over what Mai had said. "If I tell him the truth no one will get hurt. I know it'll still upset him if he tries asking me out and I reject him." Serenity thought to herself as she had finally stood up to head towards her next class, as she reentered the nearest building and rounded the corner she slammed into someone yet again.
Seto had just come from yet another boring class that he felt he didn't need. He was about to head outside to the limo awaiting him to take him to Kaiba Corp, when he noticed the girl from earlier slam into him yet again.
Seto towered over her glaring down at her in anger. "I thought I told you to watch where you're going, though I see that it's too difficult for you to comprehend, do you need me to put it in into simpler words, or will that still be too difficult for you?" Seto spat at her angrily.
Serenity sighed to herself in annoyance as she realized who she had bumped into. "I didn't do this intentionally, trust me if I can avoid running into you I will. Now I can see why people think badly of you, you're being cruel to me as though I hurt you in some way, yet all I did was accidentally bump into you, it's not that big a deal." Serenity snapped back at him dusting herself off as she tried to turn her back to him and walk away.
Seto grabbed her wrist tightly and spun her around forcing her to turn back to face him as he locked eyes with her. "Let this be a lesson to you to not let this happen again." Seto growled out pulling her wrist downward, as she fell to her knees in pain before he released her wrist.
Seto was about to walk away when she stood up grabbing his arm, stopping him from walking away from her. He was about to say something to this, but she had cut him off. "You're right I was obvious to those around me and sincerely apologize, though how may I apologize to you properly if I don't know your name?" Serenity asked him softly locking eyes with him.
Seto let out a bitter laugh in disbelief. "Is that some kind of joke, how can she not know who I am?" Seto thought to himself puzzled as he searched her eyes to see if this was some kind of trick.
He rudely brushed her hand not even stopping to look back at her, as though he was disgusted by the mere sight of her. "I will enlighten you so you don't repeat this incident for a third time. I am Seto Kaiba CEO of Kaiba Corps, now if you don't excuse I have more important things to attend to." he spat before quickly walking away from her.
Serenity's eyes widened at this as realization hit her. "So that's the guy my brother hates so much, I can see why, but I'm sure there's a reason behind that cold demeanor of his and I'm determined to find out one way or another." Serenity thought to herself as she headed outside watching Seto step into the black stretch limo that was awaiting him.
"Hey Serenity, I hope your day is going better than it was this morning." Yugi said softly as he walked up to her.
"Oh hey Yugi, yeah I guess so, can I ask you something?" Serenity said quietly being snapped out of her thoughts.
"Yeah what's up?" Yugi asked her curiously noticing that something was plaguing her thoughts.
"What do you know about Seto Kaiba?" Serenity asked as she stared down at the ground.
Yugi looked at Serenity wondering where this was coming from but decided to answer her anyway. "Kaiba is the one that held both the duels me and your brother were in and is the owner of Kaiba Corporations, they design the duel disks that we use when we duel. Why do you ask, did you run into him?" Yugi asked her curiously.
Serenity nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah I think so, I noticed him earlier and he seemed kind of familiar is all." Serenity muttered quickly as she continued to stare down at the ground.
"Well I won't worry too much about it, though we'll just keep it between us, we both know how Joey reacts with just the mere mention of him." Yugi explained softly as he rested his finger on her chin, lifting her face up towards him gently.
"Thanks Yugi, I don't want Joey to get upset over nothing." Serenity said brushing a strand of her long auburn hair out of her face failing to notice the blush that was forming on her face.
"Serenity about this morning… I don't want to do anything that will make you feel uncomfortable." he finished quickly though Serenity could tell that he wanted to say something else.
"What would make you think that, you were just trying to make me feel better?" Serenity asked innocently smiling at him.
"I know, but the way you were acting… it made me feel as though I had done something to upset you." Yugi explained sadly.
"It wasn't anything you said or did Yugi it was me and I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise." Serenity started to explain, she was about to say more when Joey and Tristan had approached them.
"Hey guys, Tristan you remember my little sister Serenity." Joey exclaimed proudly, as Yugi pulled his hand away from Serenity. Serenity offered Tristan a fake smile, as he seemed to buy it as he smiled back at her happily.
"Why is that whenever I'm around Joey he always tries to hook me up with Tristan, it's sad that he hasn't picked up on the hint by now that I only like Tristan as a friend." Serenity thought to herself bitterly.
"Yeah hey Serenity how are you, I haven't seen you in awhile." Tristan said nervously as Serenity offered him a fake smile just nodding in his direction.
However, he still smiled with a gleam in his eyes acting as though he had accomplished some sad and pathetic fantasy. Serenity sighed at this as she noticed them talking amongst themselves barely realizing she was even there. Serenity just kept her head down as she started to walk away, hoping that they wouldn't notice that she had left, especially Tristan.
Sadly she was mistaken the moment she had tried to head back the way she had came, she could feel Tristan's eyes on her watching her every move. She looked up in his direction, staring up at him as though she felt sorry for him.
"Sooner or later he's going to have to get rid of whatever sick fantasy he has of the two of us and learn to move on." Serenity thought to herself in annoyance as he started to walk alongside her.
"Where are you headed off to?" Tristan asked her innocently noticing that she had started to head away from the group. He had noticed the sad look she had thrown him, but he had dismissed it as nothing.
Serenity stopped and turned around to face him. "Away from you, see Tristan women find it offense when you start stalking them." she thought to herself amused as she tried to think of a gentler way to put it. "I'm headed to the park to think of what to do for a project I have to do in art class and then head home. So I guess I'll see you later, tell Joey if he needs anything to just call me." Serenity said quickly as she continued to walk away.
Once Serenity had left Duke had snuck up behind Tristan snickering at what he had seen unfold before him. "Good job man and to think I didn't picture Serenity as the type that got scared off easily. Then again I shouldn't be surprised you did come on a little strong, I'm surprised she doesn't think that you're trying to be some type of stalker." Duke said smirking at this.
Joey and the rest of the gang had joined them wondering what they were fighting over. "What's wrong guys, are ya fighting over my sista again?" Joey asked them curiously, as they both nodded yes to this.
Yugi just laughed at this not surprised at the idea that they always seemed to be trying to win her affection, yet only Yugi could tell that Serenity only liked them as friends and nothing more than that…
Serenity waited until she had crossed the school gates before glancing back relieved that Tristan hadn't followed after her. "At least I was able to avoid being alone with Tristan for now. If it's not him, it's Duke, damn it why can't they see I don't like either one of them the same way they like me? Still it seemed as though Yugi was trying to tell me something, though if I'm right on what it was I'm glad that he was interrupted because I still don't know what to say in response to that." she thought to herself as she stared up at the sky.
She tucked her hands into her pant pockets and picked up her speed, finally reaching the park's main entrance. It was a block east of the university and littered with wooden benches behind cherry blossom trees. She sat down on the nearest bench and pulled out her sketchbook. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she rested the sketchbook on her knees and flipped it open. "Well I survived my first day at college, though what made me think that if I went to the same school as Joey that I wouldn't still be picked on?" She mused out loud finding a pencil in her bag as she admired the sketch of the nightmare still fresh in her mind's eye.
She started to add in the wasteland of the city she had pictured in her dream, wondering if it would help her recall the details of it more clearly. She drew herself dressed in a blue gossamer gown as the towering figure stood behind her dressed in a hooded black robe. "It's strange that his eyes were the same color as Seto's, though how can I dream of someone I've never met? Besides just because the guy from my dream and Seto have the same blue eyes and silhouettes, doesn't mean anything it's just a coincidence. Besides Seto doesn't seem to care for anyone other than himself and the person in my dream seemed as though he was fighting to change who he was for me." She thought to herself getting lost in the drawing and losing thought of her surroundings.
Seto nodded to the driver that stepped out of the limo holding the door open for him. The door was shut once he sat down on the black leather interior. He fished his laptop from his briefcase setting it on his lap and started it up. He thought over the events that had occurred that day, as the driver sat once more behind the steering wheel pulling away from the curb. "At least the day wasn't a total waste of my time. It seemed I was able to frighten the mutt's sister. I still don't believe her claim that she failed to recognize who I was." He thought to himself still in awe over her remark towards him, as he replied to various emails closing the laptop up once more and stowing it back in the briefcase as he glanced out the window seeing that they were arriving at Kaiba Corps.
End of chapter 1 I hope that you guys liked it and feel free to review and leave your thoughts or suggestions.