Hey fanficcers! It's my first story. Hope you enjoy. I will try to update at regular intervals and don't worry, romance shows up later :)

Sorry this first chapter is a bit short, but it's more of an introduction.

DISCLAIMER: DO NOT OWN YGO! If I did, I'd make Kaiba actually have an outfit that doesn't involve a cape/buckles.

Chapter One:

First Sight

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Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;

-As You Like It-

-William Shakespeare-

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I looked around. There was no one. To myself, knowing the dark concealed, I smiled. Not a happy smile, but venomous. I never had a happy smile. I could leave that task to the optimists. I don't have time for them. Like anyone would ever be worth my time.

I stepped out from the darkened office. No one had seen me and even if they had, they wouldn't say anything. I peered down the hall. Empty. I kept walking until I came to room one sixty-five. I strolled to my desk and ignored the spluttering of the teacher at the front of the room.

After a moment, she said, "Seto, we've already done attendance. You must go to the office immediately to get a late slip!"

I glared at her and realized that I was at least a foot taller than her. "My name is Kaiba to you. And I don't have time to get a late slip. Unlike the rest of these children, I actually have work to do."

I went to my seat and she sat in silence for a minute before she got on with the lesson. People were staring at me. Except one person… who were they?

I snorted and looked away. I had been away on business for a few days and they could be anyone. To be honest, I couldn't care less. I unfolded a small book and read it. Compulsory credits were the most boring. My teacher glanced awkwardly at me, so I opened the textbook with a slight glare. I might be commanding, but I knew to have respect for my elders. This man didn't really deserve it, but I had better things to do with my time than argue about trivial, time consuming matters. I had a company to run and I knew how to keep priorities ordered.

The bell rang after some time was needlessly wasted. I walked out of class and down the hall. I passed many people, many faces I knew. Their names were taking up space in my mind, and that space was limited and valuable. I didn't care what any of their names were and could I forget them, I would.

But that one girl. In class. Who was she?

He walked outside and saw someone move in the shadows.

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

Roland stepped out of the limo and saw young Mokuba leaning against the side of the building. He was pouting.

"You're late." The pout increased, until it looked almost comical.

Roland bowed. "Sorry master Mokuba, I was asked to bring your elder brother home first I was waiting for a call from him to come pich him up, but he never called. Please accept my apology."

Mokuba thought it over for a moment and decided it was important and not simply done out of carelessness.

What happened to Seto? He never missed a call...

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

Sakura Takashi was trudging through the cold February slush in Japan. The snow was truly beautiful, 'a crystalline delight' as she called it, but then it melted in your shoes.

Sakura was walking through the field that lay just beyond her house. A path down the centre of the lot led almost directly to her home. Anything was better than staying longer than necessary in the snow. All short cuts were welcome.

School had let out and Sakura's last class at Domino High School had been Year Ten English. She had fallen asleep sometime after the introduction to Julius Caesar, a book she had already read twice. Sakura was prodded awake by the teacher in the middle of a dreamless sleep. The first thing she saw when her eyes opened were multiple students gawking at her and many more laughing. Sakura had flushed a deep crimson as the teacher lectured her about the importance of paying attention during class for a good future and other trivial things that wasted everyone's time.

All the other classes had been things of uncomplicated matter too. There was nothing to interest her, only the curriculum's repetition in varying grade levels.

Her classmates were merely…there. Sakura, though a natural beauty, was ignored and dubbed "the listener." She rarely spoke and didn't relate well to people her own age. Or maybe just people in general. In all honesty, Sakura's only companion was herself.

She reached her front door and fished the key out of her purse. The door swung open with a click. All was dark inside.

Sakura sighed. She was even solitary at home. Her mother and father were usually pleasant people, but were currently on a two-week business trip to Brazil. Apparently, they trusted Sakura enough to not burn the house down, or invite the friends she didn't have over and have some kind of lunatic party. Any other teen's parents probably would have to hire a babysitter or buy surveillance cameras to keep their kids out of trouble. But not Sakura. She was just naturally good. Sakura saw no point in causing trouble; it was just a waste of time for the authority and the culprit.

She snapped on the kitchen light and made herself a cup of hot cocoa, digging some vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and adding a generous spoonful to the top of her beverage. She had a very delicate palate and needed the extra cold so she wouldn't burn her mouth.

Sakura sipped her foamy drink and relaxed as the heat pulsed through her and warmed her hands. She walked over to the living room and flopped down into a green recliner. Sakura allowed her damp black hair to softly billow around her head.

Her eyes, almost the exact colour of jade, scanned the familiar room before her. Family photographs lined the mantelpiece. Something in Sakura's eyes gave off the fact that her smiles were only skin-deep.

She was externally happy. Sakura had all the earthly things she desired, mostly because she was an only child and her parents owned a large advertising agency. The only thing Sakura lacked was a way to escape from her loneliness.

Pets were out of the question. Sakura had always secretly wanted a rat, but her parents had no wish for "vermin" in the house. Other pets were not allowed either. Her father was allergic to most large animals and many smaller ones as well. Sakura had once hid a gerbil she bought at the pet shop under her bed when she was about six. The next day, the gerbil went back to the confused store owner after her father's sneezing fit alerted him to the tiny animal's presence.

As for human friends, they were impossible.

So Sakura had only her books for company. They lined the walls of her bedroom, from top to bottom, rows upon rows of her precious books lay dormant, waiting for a wandering hand to reach out and read of their stories. Books of classic literature, mystery, suspense, and especially poetry.

Sakura herself had written some of the poetry books. One of her favourites was entitled "Poems for the Soul." It was her first poetry collection and she treasured it dearly. Sakura would pore over the words for hours, feeling the emotions rush over her and remember the story behind each group of words.

Sakura left the living room, easing out of the recliner and draining the last of the cocoa from her cup. She then placed it in the dishwasher rack.

Sakura went to her room that was up the first flight of stairs and down the main hallway. She took out that first volume of poetry. She flipped through the worn pages until she reached the text she desired, written in liquid black ink with her favourite calligraphy pen.

The page read:

Poison Scars

I have a quiet, burdened soul

That no one else can see.

It faintly bears upon its surface

The poison scars of humanity.

Time cannot heal all of our wounds

Though memories fade and slip away.

Fingers probe for hidden sorrows

After the tears fall as I pray.

I hide the pain inside my heart

And throw away the well-worn key.

Some will search my eyes for sadness

In the emptiness inside of me.

I cannot love the things I fear

Nor embrace the things I used to love.

Now my soul is ragged tatters

But holds the feather of the dove.

The feather has the dreams inside

That I had hoped and locked away.

It is the thing that I am sure

The surface scars will never slay.

But still I hold a broken heart

That has been sewn too many times

With threads of distraught desperation

Which a child's solemn thinking mimes.

I have a quiet, burdened soul

That no one else can see.

It faintly bears upon its surface

The poison scars of humanity.

Sakura traced her fingers over the words. It was only two years ago she had written this poem and the first volume. Sakura was indeed scarred, and the truth hid in the words. She was lonely.

Somehow, though, Sakura felt something inside her. And that something told her that she didn't need anyone.

Some other poems in the book had just been words before Sakura put them to music. She had a talent for that sort of thing and also sang quite well, but refused take vocal lessons. Sakura knew she wouldn't enjoy them even half as much as singing by herself.

She refused to sing in front of any audience too. She wasn't afraid, but didn't want the pressure of trying to please everyone with one type of music.

And Sakura's favourite was classical, which was unusual for a fifteen year old. Few people seemed to appreciate it for what it was. Beauty in words. Most teens would laugh at it. But then again, Sakura was not exactly your regular teenager.

Sakura had been reading the words for a long time and decided she was hungry. If another adolescent had been left alone for any extended period of time, they probably would have eaten order-in pizza. Sakura was, once again, different. She enjoyed baking and had free rein of the kitchen at her home. She took off her school uniform and put on a pair of jeans and a blue fuzzy sweater. It was too cold to be wearing a skirt. Sakura hated the school outfits.

Sakura pondered over what to eat for a moment, and then got out the ingredients for a cheese omelette. She let herself be soothed by the grating, the flipping and the noises and smells of the kitchen.

Soon her omelette was finished. Sakura poured herself a glass of peach nectar and ate her dinner in silence. The clock ticked annoyingly from the wall all the while.

After Sakura finished her meal and loaded her dishes in the dishwasher, she grabbed Romeo and Juliet, an old favourite, and prepared to settle in for a comfortable evening.

Just then, the phone rang.

Sakura stood up wearilyand crossed the room to the insistent phone.

"Takashi residence, how may I help you?" she answered mechanically.

A high, giggly voice answered.

"Sakura, is that you? It's Yuki."

"Yuki?"

"Yeah, I'm in your English class. I'm sick today and was wondering if you had, like, a copy of today's assignment."

Sakura was not impressed. Yuki was one of the most popular girls in school, but also the least intelligent. How this girl managed to get into any school at all was beyond her. Her very name meant lucky, but she was apparently inept in every academic area possible. But everyone just adores stupid, preppy, blonde girls, right? Why would she call on Sakura? There were twenty-seven other people in that class. Most of them would love the chance to have her call so they could boast to anyone who would listen about how Yuki had picked them. Most of the people were her friends.

Sakura replied with a hint of venom," I could photocopy the homework sheet. It's on Julius Caesar."

As if I have time to help out the dregs of society.

Sakura smiled as she thought about how long it would take Yuki to finish it.

"Where do you live?" continued Sakura incredulously.

"Just down your street. Number six seventy-two. That's why I called you."

Ah. That was the reason.

"Sure. I'll be right over." Sakura replied sarcastically.

"Thank you so much!" replied Yuki cheerfully, not noticing the unkind tone in Sakura's voice.

"Bye." said Sakura as she rolled her eyes.

She hung up the phone quickly and went about photocopying the paper in her office and putting together some cookies she had baked earlier for the sick Yuki. But first, she sprinkled a little pepper on them.

She put on her waterproof boots as opposed to her sneakers and grabbed a black button-down jacket. Sakura seized the cookies and the homework page and headed out the door, pausing to lock it.

She walked briskly down Willow Street, humming the song Ave Verum as she went along.

When she neared Yuki's house, Sakura's feeling of ease from the calming song turned to annoyance. It was funny how Sakura seemed so shy and timid on the outside, but really was not at all.

Sakura rang Yuki's doorbell and Yuki herself soon answered it. It looked like she had a cold.

Yuki gleefully accepted the cookies and grimly glanced over the homework. "This is going to take me forever!" Yuki whined to no one in particular. Sakura had to work hard to suppress a smirk.

Yuki politely asked her to come inside for a while, but Sakura declined, saying she had brownies in the oven, which was a complete lie.

Yuki smiled and waved goodbye whilst Sakura smiled her superficial smile and hurried back up the sidewalk.

But Sakura decided to go through the field. She enjoyed the view, as the ground was elevated and you could look down over the whole town. It had a humbling feeling, the same effect as when you look at the stars, reminding you just how small you are. She started to feel a little guilty about putting pepper on the cookies.

"Now was that really necessary?" Sakura heard her mother's reprimanding tone in her head. It really was quite childish…

She shrugged it off and continued heading home.

Sakura walked slowly through the field; now that the snow had stopped, it wasn't as cold. Also, Sakura was quite uncoordinated and fell often when she ran, another reason to be leisurely.

As she was strolling along, she noticed what looked like a lump of snow a bit off the main path. She remembered seeing a dragon snow sculpture the other day: it had been beautiful. Sakura rushed over to see what it was; she only stumbled once over a rock in her path.

What lay in the snow was not a sculpture.

It was the most beautiful human being Sakura had ever seen.

Please R and R!