Chapter 1: Some Things Never Change
Moi-Moi: Thank you everyone who bothered to click the "Next" button at the bottom of the page. I know that it's hard sometimes to keep some reader's interests. You may get 5,000 views on your first chapter but only like 2,500 on the second. :-/ So I want all of you reading this to know how grateful I am that you stuck it out with me. :D
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It was Saturday.
Since she didn't have to work today, Kikyou took her free morning time to meditate and calm her spirit. She had been feeling down lately. No, not down. Dissatisfied was a better word. When she had been alive, the idea of being a normal woman had always appealed to her. But now that she was no longer required to practice her spiritual duties, she found herself missing them. She missed her life.
But Kagome had been right. She had been returned to the land of the living once again. This was her chance to start over- a chance to reinvent herself. But could she? Kagome seemed to thrive in this modern time, being able to adapt quickly to her surroundings. Yet, Kikyou had spent her last three months stumbling through her new life, slowly learning the skills she would need to survive in this era. Maybe-
"Kikyou-sama! Get up! We're going out!"
Kikyou's brown eyes cracked open slowly as she frowned. Seconds later, Kagome poked her head into the bedroom with a bright smile. "Good. You're already up. Hurry up and get dressed. We're going to Kaiba Land."
"What?" Kikyou questioned, her irritation slowly dissipating.
"Atem just called. He and Yugi-kun received some invitations for some event that Kaiba-sama is hosting. Kaiba-sama must want them to try out one of his inventions. Get dressed. We have to leave soon," Kagome said with a smile before disappearing once again.
Kikyou sighed lowly before rising up off her futon. "I suppose this is my first chance to reinvent myself," she muttered as she stowed away the futon.
One shower later and Kikyou was ready to get dressed for the day. She opened the closet that she and Kagome shared before frowning. Her side of the closet was limited- a few blouses and pants- whereas Kagome's side was filled with dresses, tops, and bottoms of all different sizes, styles, and colors. Kagome had offered to share her stash of goodies with Kikyou, but the priestess had refused. She wasn't sure if she could pull off Kagome's style.
"Kikyou-sama, are you ready yet?" Kagome said as she poked her head into the room again. "Oh! You're still getting dressed. Let me help you." Kikyou let out a choked sound as her jaw opened and closed. She held her towel closer to her body and shot Kagome a look (which the girl missed). "Here. Why don't you try this? I think it's your style."
Kikyou stared at the red dress for several seconds before grabbing one of her loose, white tops and a pair of slacks.
"Oh come on, Kikyou-sama! Don't you want to try something new? I think this dress would look cute on you. You have the legs to pull it off," Kagome said and wiggled the dress in front of Kikyou's face for emphasis.
Kikyou looked at Kagome for several seconds. The shorter girl was smiling brightly up at her in innocent hopefulness. Upon closer inspection, Kikyou could see hints of makeup on Kagome's face- a bit of eyeliner and something shiny and pink on her lips. She was wearing a light pink top that hung off one shoulder (and revealed her bra strap) and a white, short skirt (too short in Kikyou's opinion) with wide pleats. Kikyou rolled her eyes at her roommate before pushing away the dress. "I think it's more your style, Kagome. I'll be fine," Kikyou said.
Kagome pouted for a few seconds before huffing. She returned the dress to their closet while speaking, "Alright. But when you want it, it'll be right here."
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Despite working in retail, Kikyou had yet to become acclimated to the large crowds that tended to gather in Domino City. The crowd that had gathered at Kaiba Land was no different- families, couples, people with those Duel Disks strapped to their arms, and people like her and Kagome who were just here to observe. Kikyou felt surrounded by the various smells, sights, and sounds around her. Externally, she was calm and collected. Internally, her eyes roamed over the crowd warily. When two, small boys suddenly ran in front of her and Kagome while giggling loudly, she halted with a surprised expression.
"Do you see them anywhere?" Kagome questioned while standing on her toes to peer over the many heads around them. Kikyou looked around her for a familiar head of star-shaped, tri-colored hair. "Wait. There they are! Come on!" Kagome shouted with a giggle before taking off.
"Kagome!" Kikyou called out after her before sighing. While avoiding the many people around her, Kikyou tried to follow the path Kagome had blazed through the crowd. When she had finally caught up to Kagome, Kikyou spotted her embracing Atem tightly. Yugi was standing next to them with a slightly embarrassed look on his face. "Hello, Yugi, Atem. It's good to see you both again," Kikyou said with a small nod.
"It's nice to see you too, Kikyou-san. How are you?" Yugi questioned.
"I'm well. Thank you for asking," Kikyou replied with a small smile. Yugi nodded once, pleased at her answer. "If you don't mind me asking, just what is it are we here for? Kagome didn't explain it too well."
"Kaiba is revealing a new attraction here at Kaiba Land. He wanted Atem to test out. I think it's some new dueling technology that he's come up with," Yugi explained with a shrug.
"Knowing Kaiba, he'll use his new invention as an excuse to challenge Atem to another duel. He's very persistent," Kikyou mused.
"I'm sure he could challenge the Pharaoh any time he wanted," Yugi argued.
"Not without an audience this big," Kikyou said with a smirk as her eyes glanced around the crowded park.
Yugi chuckled sheepishly while scratching at his cheek with a finger. "You got me there," he replied.
"We should head over to the building now. Kaiba was very specific about the time he wanted to start," Atem advised the group. With Kagome's arm looped through his, Atem lead his friends to the Kaiba Land stadium.
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Upon their arrival, they were met by Mokuba who had been waiting outside the stadium for them. The fourteen-year-old boy quickly approached the group once he had spotted them- a bright smile on his face. "Kagome-chan! You guys made it," Mokuba said with a happy grin.
"I hope we're not too late," Yugi said.
"Nope. You're right on time. Nii-sama is waiting for you Atem-san. Just follow me," Mokuba said. He led them into the windowless stadium where a large crowd had already gathered and filled up the seats. In the center of the chilly stadium was a larger than life dueling field with the customary dueling platforms several stories above the ground. Kagome gazed around her in excited wonder while Kikyou only looked on warily.
"I like your new look Mokuba-kun," Kagome complimented the younger boy.
At once, Mokuba's cheeks flamed and his hand got lost in his shorter, now violet hair. "Y-you think so, Kagome-chan?"
Kagome nodded with a smile. "You look very mature for your age," she complimented.
At Kagome's high praise, Mokuba seemed to inflate slightly. Standing a bit taller, he casually slipped his hands into the pockets of his new violet slacks. "Thanks. I just wanted to try something new…" he trailed off.
The conversation was cut short by Seto Kaiba's sudden appearance before the group. His usual frown in place, Kaiba only had eyes for Atem. The former Pharaoh could easily see the determination and fire in Kaiba's eyes. Atem returned Kaiba's stare with an even stare of his own. "Kaiba," Atem greeted.
"About time you showed up. Here," Kaiba said before shoving a silver briefcase towards Atem.
The shorter man took the briefcase into his hands with a curious expression. "What's in it?" Kagome questioned while already working on opening it up. When she had finally gotten it open, they all stared at the device within it.
"What's this supposed to be?" Kagome questioned while turning the white and blue device over in her hands. She looked through the hole along it in curiosity.
"It's Nii-sama's newest Duel Disk model. Right now, it only works in here, but soon he'll be able to make it work anywhere," Mokuba interjected excitedly.
"What does it do?" Yugi questioned.
"It lets you summon solid holograms of the monsters you think of. You have to use the headpiece that goes with it," Mokuba explained.
"Sounds cool!" Kagome exclaimed before taking up the white headset and slipping it on over Atem's ear. "Looks good," Kagome approved with a single nod.
"Let's get this thing started already. I don't have all day," Kaiba practically growled before leaving to take up his platform above the field.
"Good luck," Kagome told Atem before kissing his cheek and ushering him away towards his own platform. Mokuba stubbornly refused to watch the affectionate display and instead focused on remembering his speech. Kikyou gazed around her at the thousands of people that were gathered. So many people came out to see a card game take place? Maybe it was her unwillingness to adapt to modern fads, but she couldn't see the appeal of the game. To each his own, she supposed.
"I'll show you guys to your seats. You've got the best seats in the house. You can see everything!" Mokuba tried to say cheerfully. He led the three teens up a flight of steps and into an isolated VIP box near the top of the stadium. Inside the box were two rows of black, plush chairs from which you could easily see all the action happening down on the field.
"This is amazing, Mokuba," Yugi complimented.
"You guys relax. I have to go give the kickoff speech, but then I'll be right back," Mokuba said with a grin before leaving them alone.
Kikyou stared down at the field curiously from her seat next to Yugi. She'd only seen duels played out a few times. Once, while passing a jumbo-tron television downtown that was displaying a duel happening in America. All the other times had been simple duels between Atem, Yugi, and Kagome with just cards. Kikyou couldn't say whether she liked the highly advanced dueling better.
"Good afternoon and let me be the first to welcome you all to Kaiba Land!" Mokuba started from where he stood at the center of the dueling arena with a microphone in his hand. The crowd responded with loud cheers of excitement. Mokuba waited for them to settle down before continuing. "My brother has developed all new dueling technology that we're going to show you today. We hope you enjoy what you are about to see- a head-to-head duel between the current King of Games, Atem Motou and the current President of Kaiba Corp, Seto Kaiba!"
Kagome joined in on the crowd's cheering while gazing down at the field excitedly. Kikyou's arms folded over her chest as she relaxed in her seat. She could see Yugi gazing down at the field with a small smile on his face, but an eager expression in his eyes. Her eyes glanced back downwards.
"Do you ever miss being the King of Games, Yugi-kun?" Kagome questioned the boy next to her. Kikyou tuned into the conversation, but didn't show any outward interest.
"Not really. I only like playing for the fun of it. I just want to play and design games. Atem is much better at it than I am anyways. I didn't mind losing to him again," Yugi answered.
It didn't take long for Mokuba to rejoin them and take up the seat next to Kagome. Suddenly, all the lights in the stadium- except those over the dueling arena- were dimming. A hushed silence fell over the crowd. Kaiba made the first move. As he drew his hand, it appeared before him as a virtual projection. At once, the crowd responded with cheers and exclamations of wonder. "This is so exciting," Kagome said, barely able to contain her glee.
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Next Monday found Kikyou standing behind register number three with her green apron tied around her waist and a calm expression on her face. She was currently ringing up an elderly woman who was purchasing an astonishing amount of daikon radishes.
"I have to have my radish juice daily. It helps my skin keep its youthful look," the old woman bragged while patting her wrinkled cheeks.
"I've never heard of radish juice being good for the skin," Kikyou responded, making conversation.
"Yes, dear! It's a miracle tonic! I drink it at least three times a day and use it in my face mask. A young girl like you doesn't need it now, but you may want to invest in it later in life. A woman has to keep her looks," the elderly woman said while smoothing down her hair.
Kikyou offered the woman a small smile before saying, "Your total is 7700 yen."
Once Kikyou had finished bagging the woman's groceries, she turned back to her register with a sigh. She was doing that far too often. How did Kagome keep in such high spirits? Perhaps it was her friends' and Atem's doing? Kagome had several friends in this modern era, but Kikyou had none (other than Kagome). She had interacted with Kagome's friends on occasion, but Kikyou couldn't call any of them her friends.
"Kikyou! I need to speak with you," Kikyou heard her boss's voice call out. She offered the short man a side glance before leaving her post to go over to him.
Kenji Matsuya was the manager at this Maretsu store. He was at least thirty-five and was starting to go bald at the top of his head. (He desperately combed his black hair over the spot to hide this). Kikyou had only ever seen him in button-up shirts and slacks. He had been kind enough to give her a job despite her not having any experience or references.
"You needed to speak with me?" Kikyou questioned as she stepped into her manager's small office. He was smiling at her from behind his desk. He gestured for her to take a seat at the plastic chair in front of his desk. Kikyou sat down before re-adjusting her apron.
"Kikyou, I was a bit wary about hiring an eighteen-year-old with no experience and no high school diploma. But, you proved me wrong. You're an excellent worker and I know it's only been a few months, but I feel it's time that I promoted you," Kenji said while standing and walking around his desk. "It would mean more responsibilities, but it would also mean more pay. I feel that you can handle the job," Kenji said and rested his hand onto her shoulder.
Kikyou stared for a while at the hand without speaking. She could sense it. Despite the smile on his face, she could sense the darkness within him. When his hand squeezed her shoulder once, she glared at it. The hand slowly slid down her arm.
"What do you say?" he asked her with a grin.
His hand was snaking its way towards her thigh. With a quick jerk, Kikyou pulled away from him. "No, thank you," Kikyou responded and stood.
Kenji's jaw dropped. "I-I don't think you understand. I'm offering you twice your normal pay with no extra hours. This is an opportunity you can't afford to let pass you by," he replied. "It's only a bit of extra work for me. Think of it as an Assistant Managerial position."
Kikyou offered him a bored look before turning to leave. It seemed that not even thousands of years could change the darkness in the world. She could hear Kenji's frantic exclamations, but didn't stop. "What you have in mind, theirs is nothing in this world that would make me consider accepting it. You can keep your offer," Kikyou said without facing him.
Her hand reached for the doorknob at the same time that Kenji's hand reached for her. "Wait!" he objected just as his hand gripped her forearm. Feeling revulsion wash over her at the physical contact, Kikyou summoned up her spiritual powers. She heard Kenji curse loudly as he suddenly pulled away from her. Offering him a glance over her shoulder, she saw him staring down at his slightly singed hand in confused pain. She quickly untied her apron and tossed it at his feet without a word.
Kikyou didn't bother listening to his loud promises of "never working here again" and "missing out on her only chance". She grabbed her things from underneath her register with the eyes of everyone in the store on her. With a confident stride, she pushed the doors open and stepped out of the grocery store for the last time.
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Moi-Moi: I know what you're thinking. "YOU GOT THAT FROM THE DARK SIDE OF DIMENSIONS MOVIE!" Well, you're right. I did. Kaiba's new tech and Mokuba's new look came straight from the movie. I tried not to have too many spoilers here. Not that there's much to go off of anyways. Everything I know, I got it from somewhere online (mostly Tumblr). But, can we all just take a moment to fangirl over how CUTE and GROWN UP Mokuba looks now!? SERIOUSLY! He's even cuter than Yugi ever was. …That's just my opinion. Don't get huffy. -_-
Edited: 6/28/16