A/N: Hellooooooo! Sorry for the incredibly late update. I've been playing Duel Monsters online, and honestly its addicting. Not to mention, a great way to learn the ways of the game. It doesn't seem to be like a complicated children's card game anymore. XD Thank you for those who have read, followed, favorited, and reviewed A Manga to Reality! Support really invigorates me, so make sure to keep it coming! Anyway, let's get on with the reviews and chapter!
neryssaguest: Hey first I want to thank you for putting my review in the A/N this chapter it made me feel sorta speacil cause no-one' s done that before. Anyway I promised you a review and your gonna get one.
Wow can't wait to see if Dena will beat Seto and if she does, oh he's face would be priceless. I wonder what Brooke's gonna do about the letter and maybe some chapter soon the sisters might meet the rest of the Yugioh gang, if so I can't wait.
I don't keep an eye out for spelling mistakes (to busy enjoying the story to take any notice of them) but I didn't see any. I love this plot and I hope you write another chapter soon because I can't wait (sorry for saying wait so many times) to R&R the next one. See yah!
Hehe, thank you for the long and detailed review! I always make sure to address my reviewers in A/N in the beginning of every chapter. It helps me for friendships with them! :) Sorry for the long wait - here's your next chapter!
XxHeartMenderxX: OMG this is so good. Mainly because you put a twist on the cliche (but lovable) Self/OC inserts. I can't wait to see how this develops. Ryou and Bakura are my favorites in this series. It makes me really happy that they didn't land in Kame Games. That's just too easy. Also thank you for keeping it in third person. You are correct in assuming it is easier to read though the different POV changes. But seriously, this is amazing. I'm really looking forward to what comes!
Thank you so very much! I wanted to put a twist on 'girls land into their favorite anime/movie/TV show/book' kinda thing. I wanted to write this type of fic so badly, but I had to keep on making re-writes because I kept on creating Mary-Sues and flat characters. So I came up with THIS! I feel so original! X) Ryou and Bakura are my favorite characters too! I so badly want to read and write more fics about them. I'm glad that third person is more convenient for you. Thank you reviewing this chapter once again, and I hope you can review more in the future!
~Chapter 3~
Dena learned a few new things today:
1. Seto Kaiba can be beaten in chess
2. Seto Kaiba is indeed rich and has a huge freaking mansion
3. Seto Kaiba has chefs that can serve great chocolate chip cookies
I may have hit jackpot. This guy's place is HUGE. Dena thought, munching a cookie through a grin. She kicks her legs up on the fancy velvet red couch in the rich, fancy looking guest room. Kaiba just left her on this floor, one of the many floors of his fancy-pancy mansion. Well, not left, more likely stormed off and disappeared off the face of the earth. But thats fine by Dena. She smirks to herself, as she stuffs another cookie in her mouth, thinking back to earlier as to how she beat the oh-so great Seto Kaiba in his little chess game.
That guy's ego is his ultimate downfall. Dena snickers. It was simple really, when you look at it in Dena's perspective. Any normal person probably would've been intimidated by the Seto Kaiba playing chess against them with high stakes of possibly being sent to jail - but not to Dena. She's damn good at chess, and she's not a fool to let herself be intimidated by some hot-shot guy.
The strategy is simple, really. She straightens her heavy red glasses up the ridge of her nose, then takes a huge sip of milk accompanying the plate of cookies, the chocolate taste washing away from her mouth. Wiping her mouth, she flips on the TV to some random program, and lets herself get lost in the blaring sounds emitting from it. Just make myself a non-intimidated threat, a fool, a simple beginner at chess, and it throws guys with huge egos like Seto Kaiba off their guard. Haha, sucker!
All Dena had to do was recklessly sacrifice a few pieces, make herself seem like a beginner to Seto Kaiba - then before the last eight minutes of the game passed, Dena managed to take place three pawns in the back row, converting them to queens. Like a boss! Boy oh boy, did Dena wish she had her polaroid with her - she would've payed a hundreds just to see that face of humiliation on Kaiba's face! So quickly did she surprised him.
Not like I used this strategy a couple of times before. Dena crosses her leg on the comfortable couch, leaning back. Through random thoughts floating around in her mind, Dena recalled a time when she was at a chess tournament. She was in the top six, the youngest at the tournament. She was only eleven years old at the time. Her opponent was some suave teenager. He looked like a rich, pampered, sissy boy. Probably taught by tutors ever since he could lift a chess piece. No real skill. Dena thought, frowning.
'How can a little girlie like you be in a tournament like this?' He said to her, with a sleazy smirk. 'Little kids can't play chess. Especially girls.'
Dena beat him in twenty minutes flat. The jackass.
Oh, how the mighty always fall. She thought, giggling. Her field of vision is blocked, when a butler appears in front of her.
"Are you done with that, miss?" He asks, in his polite butler voice.
Dena glances up, nodding. "Ah yeah," She says, as he picks up the empty dish where the cookies used to be and the pitcher of milk. "Do you have a phone around here? One that can make international calls?"
"Yes, miss."
The butler disappears and comes back with a phone in no time. "Tell me miss, where do you wish to make a phone call?"
"America, Los Angelos. 1001, thats the city code. The number is 646-111-3456." My dad's number. Dena thought, watching the butler dial this. He holds the phone next to his ear for a few moments. He puts it down, shaking his head.
"Sorry miss, this phone number does not seem to exist."
"Eh?!" Did dad change his number or something? Oh well, there's mom. "917-874-3112." Dena recites to the butler.
Once again he dials. He gives her a strange look. "Miss, this number does not exist as well."
"W-what?" Dena bites her bottom lip. She licks it, and goes on reciting few more numbers to the butler. From her parent's work numbers to her little brother's nanny's number, the butler gives her the same answer and report: this number does not exist. "You gotta be kidding me…" Dena mutters, wringing her hands. The butler stands there, looking impatient at this point. Though Dena doesn't notice. This can't be possible…!
"Uhm, may I please use a computer, if you have one?" Dena asks, jumping to her feet.
The butler sighs. "In the next room,, the study. Please make it quick miss."
Dena nods, running to the next room. She goes to Yahoo!, gmail, hotmail, all of those email sites where her parents have accounts for - "How can these sites not exist?!" Dena yells, stumbling backwards. The butler pops into the study, looking confused.
"Excuse me, miss?"
Dena looks wildly over to him. "This has to be a joke, right? I mean, this isn't possible. I land somehow in Japan, I don't remember anything after my fight with my sister, my parents' phone numbers don't exist, but now Yahoo doesn't exist?! Just what is happening here?"
The butler looks worriedly over to her. "Miss, I have no idea what you speak of. Do you need to lie down?"
Dena doesn't reply, and sits down on a nearby chair.
The butler lingers for a couple of minutes. Then leaves, seeing Dena unresponsive.
She puts a hand to her forehead, staring at the ceiling. For the first time in forever, I have no idea what to do. I have no explanation. I have no logic.
A loud breath escapes her. "Oh gee, what am I going to do…?"
"Hey, there you are!"
Dena raises her head, and sees Mokuba enter the room. "Oh...hey."
"Finally found you! Here's dinner!" Coming after Mokuba, a different butler rolls in a cart of steaming food.
"Oh...thanks Mokuba-kid."
He nods at the butler to leave, in which he does. Mokuba turns back to Dena, pointing out the food. "I wasn't really sure what to get you, so I ordered the chefs to make a buffet!"
Dena nods, as she listens to Mokuba point out each dish excitedly. "What, you don't eat in a dining hall or something?"
Mokuba shakes his head, picking up a plate of steaming macoroni and cheese with bacon bits. "Nope. We hardly use it anyway - not unless if Seto has to have dinner with some business friends or something."
"Geez louise." Dena laughs weakly, worry looming over the back of her head. "Doesn't your brother live?"
The little boys glares indignantly at Dena, through a mouthful of food. "He has to work! His job is pretty cool, you know."
Dena rolls her eyes. "I don't think my dream is to become a CEO."
"Really? Someone who seems pretty smart like you must want to become something great."
"Meh." Dena stares at the many plates of food.
"Meh? Watcha mean by 'meh'?"
"I dunno." She shrugs, swinging her arms behind her head. "Everything just seems so pointless and boring to me. Like, way too boring for someone of my intellect."
Mokuba raises an eyebrow, scraping up a last spoonful of macoroni. "Pfft and you think my brother is full of himself. I believe he has met his match!" He points his spoon to Dena's direction. She jumps in her seat, frowning at the little boy.
"Scuse' me? That jerk is way outta my league!"
He rolls his eyes in answer, moving on to a plate of french fries and a hamburger. "Please. You may have beaten my big brother at chess - but you'll never beat him at Duel Monsters!" He proclaims the last part proudly, quickly stuffing a french fry in his mouth after.
Dena stares at Mokuba for a second. Duel Monsters? The heck is that? However, before Dena can ask what this so called game was, somebody else walks into the room. And its none other than Dena's favorite guy - Seto Kaiba. Not.
His steely blue eyes fixate on Mokuba, barely glancing over to Dena. She snorts to herself. Probably still sore after our lil' game. Hehe.
"There you are. What are you doing here? I don't want you near this...girl."
"Excuussse me?" Dena says, getting up to her feet. "Way to be polite to a guest."
Kaiba scoffs. Truth be told, he is kinda towering over Dena… So freaking tall! Then again, who isn't… Dena thought, her teeth grinding at the fact of her short height. "Guest? More like an unwelcomed one."
"MMmmmph!"
His long trenchcoat flaps dramatically, when he turns back to Mokuba. "Go back to my office. We hardly know this girl."
"Well, we do now." Mokuba answers, frowning slightly.
"No, we don't." Dena can practically hear ice shooting out of Kaiba's mouth when he says this. "What were you doing here, anyway?"
"I just wanted to bring dinner to Dena." Mokuba wolfs down his last bite of burger. Seeing the dozens of other plates of foods in the cart, Dena feels her stomach rumble. That baked potato and roasted ham sure looks heavenly… She thought, mouth watering. "...Plus I was telling her how she'd never beat you at Duel Monsters!" She hears Mokuba quickly add on, probably in an attempt to appease Kaiba's annoyance.
"Heh. That, for sure, is true."
Dena's gaze on the baked potato and ham, instantly breaks when she hears the smirk in Kaiba's voice. Her head snaps to the direction of Kaiba, who is looking down on her once again. She frowns, her neck slightly aching from looking up so much. "The heck is Duel Monsters anyway?"
The last french fry in Mokuba's hand drops melodramatically. Kaiba simply raises an eyebrow. On cue, the brothers both glance at each other, this time with smirks. A bad feeling creeps back to Dena. "Uhm...care to explain?"
"Ah...there we go!" Brooke says proudly, heaving the last box of who-even-knows-what, into Ryou's bedroom. She glances over to her bedroom that Ryou insisted upon her taking, across the other side of the room. It looks completely bare, empty of anything except a bed and a desk. Brooke meekly tried to fight Ryou's offer of giving her the bigger bedroom - but he insisted, so Brooke relented.
She watches Ryou as he counts yen on the kitchen counter. He's just that nice. Kind to someone he doesn't even know. I bet he's the type of guy that would give the shirt off his back to another guy, and wouldn't ask for anything in return. Brooke leans against the wall, clutching her purse. The thoughts of the mysterious letter, flashes in her mind like a foreboding reminder. She clenches it tighter.
She sees the Millenium Ring dangling from Ryou's neck, watching him. The eye seemed to stare at her. Shuddering, Brooke's glances away, fixating her stare at Ryou's face. How, how can someone like him commit suicide? He's one of the strongest characters in the Yu-Gi-Oh series, even if it isn't obvious. Her eyes trail back to the Ring. Strong in his own quiet way. The things he had to deal with alone. Even when it seemed all the burden of the world was placed upon him, he pulled through.
He wouldn't commit suicide. That's not the Ryou Bakura I know. Her nails dig into her palms. Brooke fixes the red scarf around her neck, loosening it up. Then again...the letter knew that I'm in the Yu-Gi-Oh world. And it knows that today is September 23rd. This is surely no prank. But should I believe it, that's the question?
Another possibility flashes in her mind.
Could it be...Ryou committed suicide because I'm here? Disturbing the presence of the Yu-Gi-Oh world? A gasp escapes her, her hands flying to her mouth.
Ryou's head snaps up, looking over to her. "You said something, Brooke?"
"A-ah, n-no…."
"Oh, alright then. Oh yes, how do you feel about going shopping for school supplies tomorrow? I start school on Tuesday."
"Yeah, that's no problem with me…"
Ryou smiles and nods. "Alright, good. We'll probably go out at noon. Now if you please, I'm going to take a shower. Excuse me." He takes off his Ring, and places in on the counter. Then, he picks up a change of clothes lying on the couch, and shuts himself in the bathroom. Brooke breathes out, sinking to the floor. She shakingly takes out the letter, and stares at the envelope with her too-similar hand-writing.
Taking a deep breath, she opens the letter. Maybe the letter can tell me how he committed suicide. She skips to the last few pages, skimming over the dates neatly labeled in each section. Brooke always was so organized...Her eyes finally catch the word 'suicide' under the date of September 23rd, 2011. Brooke feels goosebumps rising. The same date when she entered Yu-Gi-Oh, four years from today…Bracing herself, Brooke forces herself to read the words.
But they tear away quickly, when she slams the letter on the floor. I don't want to read it...I don't want to know the future… She huddles herself against the wall, squeezing her eyes shut. If...If I'm really in the Yu-Gi-Oh world...I want to enjoy it...I want to interact with the characters...I want to be their friends, I want to have fun, I want to go on adventures with them, I want to escape from reality and what was my former life. Tears build up behind Brooke's eyes. I no longer want to be Brooke Kemp… She sees the image of a crying little girl in her bedroom, all alone in an empty house, Yu-Gi-Oh manga scattered around her.
I don't want to be pathetic Brooke Kemp anymore...I want to be a new person in this world.
A tear releases from one of Brooke's eyes.
Her gaze drops over the letter, lying on the floor, as if waiting to be read.
"I'm scared…" She whispers. She looks at the letter. "I don't want you to be real. I don't want to believe you." Another tear. More follow. Brooke buries her face into her knees. Because if you're real...you're asking something big from someone like me. I'm not a hero. I'm not those type of people that can solve a problem so easily, someone who can save the day, someone who can let alone save someone from suicide. Unlike Dena...She remembers her younger sister, smiling her confident strong smile.
If she were here, she would know what to do. She won't be afraid. Brooke looks back to the letter, sniffling. If this letter is real and really asking me to save Ryou...how can my older self expect me to not repeat her same mistakes? I'll… Brooke lies over, closing her eyes.
I'll only screw things up.
"...and that's how you play Duel Monsters!" Mokuba grins to Dena. "Any questions?"
Dena blinks. She just finished her dinner. And she was more likely concentrating on her potato rather than Mokuba, who was explaining the concept of Duel Monsters. For a good ten minutes. All the while, Kaiba sits behind the desk, eating a fancy looking plate of beef fillet. Through his whole meal, his eyes look over to Dena time to time, a small smile of smugness curled onto his lips. She grits her teeth, thinking of that smugness.
She turns back to Mokuba. "Uhm...I don't think so."
The smile disappears from his face, replaced with a frown. "...Were you paying attention at all, Dena?"
"Ahaha, yeah!" She can feel the eyes of Kaiba trained on her. Dena pretends to not notice him. She smiles cheekily at Mokuba. "Soooo...we can play now, I guess."
Mokuba raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Do you even have a deck, Dena?"
"...A deck?"
Light chuckling is heard from Kaiba. Dena spins to him, eyes narrowed. Cheeky rich boy… "That's alright, Mokuba. She may make up her own deck, right now." He pulls open a drawer, and pulls out a small briefcase, slamming it on the table, oh-so-dramatically. He clicks it open, revealing a packed briefcase of trading cards. Dena uncertainly peers into it. Kaiba rests his chin of his hands. "Take your pick, Kemp." He cocks his head, his famous trademark smirks ever so apparent. "You need to pick forty cards to make up your deck - of course you would know that, if you were listening, right?"
"Pfft! Yeah, of course I was listening!" Not.
"Alright then. You have ten minutes to assemble your deck. I already have mine."
"Okay then." Dena skims over the cards. Why does this seem so familiar? Hmm...Duel Monsters. One card catches her eye. She picks up, squinting closer at it, reading the description. Dark Magician. "Hmmm…" Dena snaps her fingers, eyes widening. I recognize this! I saw this card in Brooke's weird comic books. Dena recalled the time she toddled into Brooke's room. She saw Brooke drawing the card, out of some comic book or something. Yu-Gi-Oh, was it?
Weird! Never thought this game would exist in real life! Dena thought, bewildered. She grins, looking at the attack points of the Dark Magician. Aww yeah, look at this sucka! She glances back up to Kaiba, who is watching her closely with an amused smile on his face. I'm gonna beat you again, Kaiba-bum! For the next ten minutes, Dena carefully assembles her deck.
"Done." She states aloud.
"Good." Kaiba takes out a board, designed with rectangles here and there. "This is our field. Shuffle and place your deck there." He points at a rectangle to the side. Dena gathers up her cards, and slowly shuffles it. She enviously eyes Kaiba, who shuffles his deck at the speed of light. How many times has this guy played this game anyway? Dena thought, absent mindedly placing the deck to the side. Mokuba drags a seat to the side, plopping on it. A bowl of popcorn sits in his lap. Dena gives the kid a stink eye. He's really taking his ol' entertainment in this.
"Draw five cards." Kaiba orders.
Dena does so. Seeing the cards in her hands, she smiles. Man, she drew good cards!
Kaiba observes her, an eyebrow raised. "Just to remind you, both of us have 2000 life points." He nods to Mokuba. "Mokuba here will keep track of the score. Now...How about you go first, Kemp? Ladies first, as they always say.
"Let's duel!"
"Alright!"
Dena and Kaiba yell this at the same time. They look at each other weirdly.
"Uhm...watcha said?"
"...It's a thing you say in this game."
"...That's stupid."
"Just play the damn game."
"Ahahahaha!" Mokuba cackles off to the side, munching on popcorn.
Dena and Kaiba flash the boy a deadly look. He quickly shuts up, mostly from the look that his older brother gave him.
"Looks like you're gonna regret this!" Dena picks a trap card, Bad Reaction to Simonchi. "I play, Bad Reaction to Simonchi!"
Kaiba bursts out laughing. Which creeped Dena out. Lots. She learned yet another few things:
1. Seto Kaiba can laugh
2. He looks pretty damn scary when laughing
3. His laughing isn't even normal in the first place
4. His laughing isn't even the type that is produced when you're happy, it's more like the type of, 'Ha-ha, you're suffering' type of laughing
"Ah, Kemp," A toothy grin on Kaiba's face. Once again, creeping out Dena. "You cannot play a trap card without setting it."
"Oh...so...I can't activate it…?"
"No."
"...I knew that!" Dena sets it face down on the field, cheeks flushing. God I feel like an ignoramus! Ugh...it looks like I can't use Upstart Goblin. At least I can set Marie. She'll give me 200 life points each turn! Haha, yeah! Dena sets down Marie in defense mode. "Uh, finished."
Kaiba draws. He glances down at his hand, and dramatically places a card upon the table. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!"
"Heyyyyyyy, I thought you said that we can't activate trap cards!" Dena interrupts.
Kaiba stares deadpan at Dena. "...Look at the card, Kemp."
Dena leans over, peering in to read the card. "...It's green."
"Read the damn description."
Dena squints closer. "It destroys one Spell or Trap card on the field...hey you can destroy my Bad Reaction, no fair! It's a trap card, isn't it?"
Kaiba gave her a look that can be read by, 'make another silly mistake and I tear you apart.'
"Read it closer, Dena!" Mokuba calls out, struggling to contain laughter.
Dena scowls at him, and leans closer. "...Spell card." She reads aloud.
"Yes." Kaiba says impatiently. "It's a spell card, which means I can play it instantly."
"Ohhhhhh. AW MAN!" Dena exclaims, when Kaiba points at her face down Trap. She sighs heavily, putting it back to the Grave.
Kaiba shakes his head. "I cannot believe your incompetence."
"Well exxcuuuussee me!"
"Tch. I summon Dark Zorla, in attack mode! Attack your face down!"
"Hehe!" Dena happily puts Marie in the Grave.
Kaiba looks closely at it. "...You can't do that."
"Eh? Whaddya mean?"
He rolls his eyes so hard, that it looked like it'll fall out of his head. "That is a level five monster. You need to tribute another monster in order to summon that."
"...Tribute?"
Kaiba threw down his cards, having enough. "Enough of this child's play. Clearly you are too inexperienced to actually play against me." From his face, Dena can read some annoyance and...disappointment? He quickly gathers all of his cards, putting it back in his pocket.
"Funny. I actually thought you were going to be a challenge." Kaiba looks down at Dena. "For someone who could somehow beat me at chess, you are quite incompentent and big headed to learn other games, let alone play them."
Dena opens her mouth, but nothing comes out.
Kaiba clicks his teeth, looking away. "Try to play against me when you're stronger. Of if you'll ever learn the game." He glances at his watch. "I already wasted enough time here." Barely glancing at Dena anymore, he says, "A butler will show you where your room is." He nods to his little brother. "Let's go, Mokuba." With that, he briskly walks out of the room.
"C-coming bro!" Mokuba sets down his bowl of popcorn. He rushes next to Brooke, looking through her deck.
"What are you doing?!" She couldn't help but snap. Boy, does she feel sore. Was she humiliated!
Mokuba quickly skims over her deck. A giggle escapes him. "Take more time to assemble your deck." He says to her. "Play more duels, learn the rules. Oh yeah. Don't put so much trap and spells in your deck with little monsters. The only monsters you have are over-powerful and high leveled. They don't fit in. Try to make up a deck that has a specific way of beating an opponent." Mokuba winks. "Catch ya later, Dena! Maybe I'll help you more later on! See ya!" He hands her deck back, and darts out of the room.
Dena sits there, dumbfolded. She looks back to her deck. "...Mokuba-kid has a point."
A/N: And that's the end! That was Dena's first taste of the Yu-Gi-Oh world! She failed epicly, didn't she? As for Brooke, will she ever have the courage to take upon the responsibility? Find out next chapter! Reviews are welcomed! You think that we can raise it to six reviews for A Manga to Reality? That would be very much appreciated. Thank you!
