Me: Woo, barely made it past last round (and no wonder… it was a good round. :)) Anywhoosle. Round – eight? – with revengeshipping, also called warshipping (AmeldaxKaiba), that I made a one-line plot for that's the summary. We'll see how it goes.

Disclaimer: Hikari Daeron does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any affiliations. This work was written exclusively for the aforementioned contest.

Potential For Life

With revenge comes obsession.

If Amelda could have wished one thing upon Kaiba Seto's head, it was the absolute suffering of an elder brother. If he could exact his perfect revenge, then it would be Kaiba Seto watching his brother die and be unable to help him. Utterly, totally helpless.

Just like he was that day.

With obsession comes love.

Amelda spent years plotting his revenge on Kaiba. Weeks after weeks after months he researched everything he could on the man. His career, his childhood, his passions, his brother. And there he found Kaiba Seto's greatest strength but what would be his downfall: Kaiba Mokuba.

Amelda's weakness was his brother, too.

With love comes revenge.

Amelda's world came crashing down when Dartz revealed his true colours. Everything he had known had revolved around Kaiba: Kaiba and his dragons, Kaiba and his technology, KaibaKaibaKaiba and those piercing blue eyes that just watched as everything he knew was destroyed.

There were steps to these things, after all.

"I came to tell you something about my brother, Kaiba."

"Save it," said the brunet shortly. He was sitting at his desk at the KaibaCorp Headquarters. "Didn't you and your little group cause enough damage? In case you haven't realized, I'm trying to restock my company's reputation and finances after the takeover. Get out of my office."

Amelda slid into a seat facing the brunet, expressionless. "Come now Kaiba, saying things like that will only hurt my feelings."

"What feelings, you mongrel? The feelings you felt as you threatened to kill my brother? The feelings you felt as you helped destroy my company?"

"We didn't destroy it," corrected Amelda. "We just borrowed it for a – "

"Borrowed?!" snarled Kaiba. "Borrowed?! You call destroying my favourite jet, killing hundreds of innocent people, wreaking havoc upon the world borrowed?!"

Amelda sighed and leaned forward. "Look Kaiba. I loathed you with an unerring passion." And while that hatred is gone, that passion… "But I learned the truth, didn't I?"

"Too little, too late," grumbled the other, turning back to his work. "Look, if you came to relive the whole Dartz fiasco, save it. I don't want to or have the time."

The redhead shifted. "… you really need to get laid, Kaiba," he announced.

Seto did a double-take. That was the last thing he was expecting. "Excuse me?"

"That's it, we're going clubbing tonight," said Amelda, nodding to himself. "And we'll find you someone to lay. I'll swing by your place at oh, eight?"

The brunet stared at him. "You've got to be kidding me. This your idea of a date?"

Amelda snorted. "Date? Whoever said anything about that? All I said was that you need to get laid, so I'm gonna get you there." He stood. "See ya tonight, sweetcheeks." He turned and left.

The office was silent as Kaiba Seto stared after him. Then finally: "My cheeks aren't sweet!"

Amelda wasn't stupid. Kaiba would just as easily "release the hounds" – so to speak – on him as on his worst enemy if he came to the Manor and demanded the clubbing experience. But the being that was Kaiba Seto would not incline his head towards even the Emperor if he didn't want to. So, Amelda decided it was time to call in The Force Known As Kaiba Mokuba.

Kaiba Mokuba.

"Nii-sama!" called his voice from across the hall. "Nii-sama!"

Kaiba sighed, sifting through all of the paperwork he had sprawled across his desk. "What is it, Mokuba?"

"Nii, can I talk to you for a second?"

A slight groan. "Can it wait? I have work to do."

"No, Nii, it can't!"

Another sigh. "Alright. Give me two minutes."

"I'm timing!"

The brunet exhaled as he put down his work and stood. What could possibly be so important that work had to wait? He trekked to the door and opened it, making the walk to his younger brother's room. "What is – what is Motou doing here?"

"Hi there Kaiba-kun," said Yugi cheerfully, standing. "How are you?"

Behind him, Mokuba clicked the door shut and locked it with an evil grin. "Hey Seto. I called Yugi in for some help."

"…" Kaiba was instantly suspicious. "What's going on here?"

He didn't like the identical grins that spread across their faces.

Two hours later, Kaiba found himself in Amelda's Volkswagen with an annoyed look and his younger brother's threat ringing in his ears. Blackmailing at his age… honestly, he wasn't even twelve!

"Kaibaaa. You're ignoring me."

"I thought this wasn't supposed to be a date," snapped the brunet.

"Maybe not, but with that attitude it'll be impossible for you to get laid."

"Ha, ha. Hilarity."

"I'm serious! You need to be charming. Like me."

"You're about as charming as a rabid wolf."

"Ooooh, ouch. I'm stung, Kaiba."

"Glad I could be of service."

"I love you too."

Seto pressed his forehead to the window. He didn't think this headache would be going away anytime soon.

He was right about the headache – not that the club's blaring music was any help. Kaiba rubbed his temples, trying to repress the urge to run from the club and crawl into bed. It was so damn loud. Oh well. There was one thing to count his blessings for. Amelda was nowhere to be –

"There you are!"

Curses. Foiled again.

"What do you – " But Kaiba cut himself off when he saw Amelda and his companions. "… okay, just how drunk are you?"

Amelda grinned like an idiot. He had his arms around two drunken girls, both of whom had tight and ripped clothing. "What do you think, eh Kaiba? Bet you can get laid tonighttt!"

The girls giggled. Kaiba refrained from smacking his own face with his palm. "That's it. You're coming with me, now." He grabbed the other and started towards the exit.

Amelda giggled and waved to the girls. "CALL ME!"

"Idiot," muttered the brunet, stalking out.

"I knew you loved me," crooned the redhead, clamping on to the CEO.

Said company head grimaced and tried to shake him off. "Get off me. I don't love you worth a damn."

"You keep saying that, yet here we are!" said the other in a singsong voice, nuzzling him.

Kaiba growled and shoved him off. "What the hell is your problem? First you come to my office to tell me something about your brother, next to drag me off to a club and go get drunk! Make up your damn mind. What do you want, Amelda?"

"What do I…" His voice trailed off. "What do I want?"

It started to rain.

Things are… always oddly reflective, in the rain. Millions of tiny, reflective beads of water hail down and shatter upon the ground, only to multiply into millions of more. Each one of those droplets has the potential of life, the ability to spawn and horde hundreds upon thousands of organisms. Those organisms could fuel a whole ecosystem, thriving and growing and living against the odds.

The miraculous thing about human beings was that when they were hunted, when something or someone else wanted them to die, they fought to survive. They struggled to keep a hold on that which we call life. But when Death came knocking almost accidentally…

"What do I want?" Amelda stepped away from the entrance of the club, facing Kaiba. "Isn't that a curious question…"

"C'mon, Amelda," muttered Kaiba. "I'll drop you home. You're too drunk to drive."

Still facing the brunet, the redhead went closer and closer to the street side. "What do I want…? Well you know, Seto, for the longest time it was revenge…"

"Amelda, stop walking, you're – "

"But before that it was a need to protect…"

"Amelda, for God's sake, get back on – "

"But now…"

"Amelda!"

"Now, I guess, it's just – "

The car came out of nowhere.

"Amelda!" shouted Kaiba, dashing into the street. "Dammit, Amelda, I told you to stop walking!"

The road had been slippery with rain, and the driver had been pushing the speed limit. It was no wonder that…

"Dammit, Amelda! Don't you dare die on me now!"

CPR did nothing. The driver was calling an ambulance but…

Amelda looked up through clouded eyes. He could see the brunet shouting at the driver and vaguely felt pressure on his chest. He opened his mouth but no sound came out as lips descended upon his, desperately trying to pump air back in his lungs. It was still raining…

Did you know about the stars, Seto? About the stars? They shine so bright in your eyes, Seto… so bright…

Droplets of rain had the potential of life. They also had the ability to withhold.

Too bad we could never reach them.

And in Amelda's case, they decided to do that instead.

Me: … uhm. No idea where any of that came from. Um. Yes. Well. (shuffles off to finish watching FMA)