I'm back guys. I'm just rewriting stories right now because I feel like it went too fast. I'm going to try to update more.
Disclaimer: I don't own shit!
Iphigenia awoke the next morning to soft sunlight filtering into the room, stretching languidly and yawning widely. She buried her face into her pillow, hoping to get another hour of sleep, but she remembered just where she was and what was happening.
She was on Earth, in Domino City, in Seto Kaiba's house. A quick look at the digital clock on the bedside table read May 18, 1997 and the time was 8:14 AM. She had died June 26 of 1996, so it had been almost a year. She jumped to her feet and walked to the window, feeling a pang of guilt within her at the thought of being such a burden on Kaiba. After all, he had been generous enough to let her stay in his home until the results came back. Iphigenia found herself desperately hoping for them to come back soon so that she could go home to her loving grandfather and brother. She crossed her arms over her chest and hugged herself tightly, wishing to be anywhere but here. The sound of the door opening went unnoticed by her until the soft notes of Noriaki Sugiyama's "Melody" began to play. A smile tugged at her lips as she turned and saw Mokuba standing there holding a small portable stereo with a big smile on his face.
"I never forgot that this was your favorite song, Iphi. I listened to it a lot when you died and cried because I thought about you," he admitted, studying his feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. Iphigenia's soft laugh reached his ears as she made her way to him and drew him into the cradle of her arms, setting the stereo on the ground and hugging her back.
"I understand how you must have felt Mokie, but there was nothing you could have done. The good thing is that I'm back and I'll always be here for you," she said, but once those words left her, she regretted saying them. She didn't want to implant false hope into Mokuba when there was a chance that she would have to go back to heaven after her mission was completed, but she couldn't take her words back now. Seeing the bright smile that lit up the child's face, she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. 'At least I've made him happy…'
"So do you want to spend the day with me? Seto left for KaibaCorp at five and he won't be back til late tonight, so we have the whole day to ourselves."
Thankful that her first day back on Earth would be spent with such a sweet boy, Iphigenia smiled down at him and nodded. "I'll take you to the park today and we can get some ice cream." Mokuba whooped and ran out of the room to change out of his pajamas, leaving the stereo on the floor. "Melody" had ended and now Flow's "Sign" was playing. The song gave her a sense of sadness…this exact song had been playing on her walkman when she had been hit by that car. A feeling of nostalgia surged through her, but she quickly crushed it, not wanting anything to ruin this special day with Mokuba. Nothing would keep her from making that child's day one of the best in his life, not even the big burly guard who decided to accompany them to their destination.
Kaiba's boots made his steps heavier than they really sounded, so everyone within twenty feet of him knew he was coming. Even though it was Sunday, many of the KaibaCorp employees were there working as if it were a normal weekday. Kaiba had them working every day with hardly a day off and he would only accept the most ambitious candidates for his company, but not too ambitious. He didn't want them overthrowing him like he did Gozaburo.
Takeuchi walked briskly beside him, shuffling through various files. "The press are hounding us for some answers about Miss Motou. The tabloids are requesting exclusive interviews as well as the newspapers. What should I tell them?"
"Tell them to go fuck themselves sideways with a pole," Kaiba snarled, his irritation evident. Takeuchi faltered a bit in his walk, staring at Kaiba's back with disbelief.
"I have to say that I've never seen you like this before, Seto. First you hold that stupid magic competition and now this? Normally you'd answer a few questions of theirs before storming up to your throne. There's something more going on, isn't there?"
Kaiba stepped through the doors of his office after barking at the secretary that he was not to be disturbed for anything and slammed them shut with Takeuchi following close behind him. He made his way to his desk and sank down into the plush leather chair, giving Takeuchi a particularly venomous glare. The older man smirked though, seeing right through the young CEO.
"There is something going on, isn't there!? You're afraid to admit that she may actually be Iphigenia Motou because then everything that you've built up will come crashing down!"
"Wrong. Unless I have solid proof, I don't see any reason to let those bloodsuckers know anything because if I do, they will rip us apart. You know how ravenous the press can be, Takeuchi. Remember when that woman tried to file a paternity suit against me a few months ago? The bloodsuckers were all over that like flies on shit." Kaiba smirked at the memory of that pathetic woman who had tried to weasel him out of a few million dollars. Takeuchi scrubbed a hand over his face, sighing heavily.
"It amazes me what some people will do to get money. Just because you shook her hand over a business deal doesn't mean you two ripped each other's clothes off and fucked like dogs. The woman was thirty-six years old! Even I could see what utter bullshit it was, but the media doesn't care. They report about the most pointless things other than events that need to be reported. Nowadays, it's all about sex, money and scandal."
Kaiba snorted, turning his chair so that it faced the window. The whole of Domino was visible to him, even the game shop that Yugi and his grandfather owned. It was times like this when he felt like he was a king ruling over his kingdom and the people below were his lowly subjects. Typical of a highly successful business tycoon.
"So what are your plans for your little guest? Are you going to keep her prisoner in that mansion like some princess in a medieval romance?"
Kaiba tapped his pen against his knee, keeping the back of his chair to Takeuchi. "She can leave when those results come back, but until then she is staying there. It wouldn't do to send her out now when those dogs down there will rip her to shreds. She is safe under my protection for now."
"Is it so hard to believe that she is actually her, Seto? I've examined many photos of Iphigenia and she matches her in every aspect. Maybe you really should give her the benefit of the doubt. It wouldn't hurt to actually trust someone once in a while, you know…" Kaiba hated that condescending tone in his friend's voice, but he knew that he was probably right no matter how much he wished he wasn't. "What about Gerard? I know that you assigned him to her to make sure that she doesn't do anything suspicious, but how do you think she would feel knowing that a six foot-eight Scotsman armed with a Smith and Wesson 9mm is following her every step? For God's sake, the poor girl fell from the sky yesterday and you're treating her like a high security prisoner in jail! I know I'd be scared for my life if I were in her position! Just loosen up a little Seto, maybe drink a little or hire a prostitute." At that, Kaiba gave him a bemused look. Takeuchi had never suggested that he hire a prostitute when he was stressed. Takeuchi himself was a single man with one son from a previous dalliance, but he never went as far as to hire a prostitute now because his son was the result of a one-night stand with a prostitute and that was one mistake that Takeuchi did not want to repeat. Takeuchi was probably desperate in getting Kaiba to relax. The young CEO rose from his chair, walking past Takeuchi and making his way out of his office to the boardroom for his meeting with the board of directors. He knew that he probably looked like shit after his restless night, but for once he just didn't care. Seeing Iphigenia during her most vulnerable moments had left him in a state of frustration that no prostitute had been able to instill in him. The sight of her beautiful long legs had aroused him greatly and he had spent that night in his bed violently jerking himself off to that small amount of skin, moaning her name as he came. Kaiba shook his head as his penis began to respond to his lustful thoughts, not wanting to appear before the board of directors with an erection.
He threw the doors to the boardroom open with a bang, startling the small group of people that were sitting in the chairs around the table. Solemn gazes were fixed upon him before they quickly shot down to the table before them, the eight bodies in there wishing fervently to be anywhere but there.
"Good morning everyone," Kaiba said smoothly, lowering himself into the chair at the head of the table with elegance, Takeuchi plopping down into the seat at the right of him. A secretary brought the CEO a steaming cup of coffee and promptly left, leaving the board of directors to their meeting. "I trust you have the results necessary to prove that this woman is a fraud?" He reached for his coffee mug and brought it to his lips, taking a generous swallow of the bitter liquid.
Everyone at the table froze, no one wanting to meet the eyes of their boss. A few moments of silence passed before one board member was brave enough to speak up, a thirty-five year old man by the name of Jiro Nikushimi.
"W-well sir, we have the results of the DNA test back and our scientists confirm that the woman is in fact Iphigenia Motou."
Kaiba's hand turned white as he gripped the coffee mug tightly. His teeth clenched hard almost to the point that he was sure they would crack. Surely she couldn't be her! There was just no possible way! Nikushimi continued, his voice wavering slightly.
"We also had the body dug up and tested its DNA as well…but this is the most confusing thing, sir. Both sets of DNA match perfectly…and there is no confirmation that Iphigenia Motou has a twin. Her grandfather was present for her birth and he said that she was the only one. The doctor who had delivered her also confirmed that there was no twin and there are no documents that say otherwise."
"A clone perhaps?" Kaiba pressed, feeling his face become hot.
Nikushimi shook his head, his nervousness beginning to get the best of him. "Well…sir, there's just no way that she could have been cloned. Technology hasn't come that far. It's possible that…perhaps…supernatural forces are at work here." Now Nikushimi wasn't a strong believer of a higher power, but this phenomena completely baffled him. If this woman was really her and the corpse was her…could she have been resurrected by another power?
Kaiba bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, the coppery liquid assaulting his senses. He was stumped to say the least. The only question he could think of passed through his lips. "Did the ground look like it had been disturbed recently at her grave?" He figured that Nikushimi would say no because that was exactly what the man said. There was only one option left. "I want to see the body."
Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream had never tasted as good as it did now, Iphigenia thought as she watched Mokuba play on the swings. The big guard that stood behind the bench she sat on -Gerard, she learned- had introduced himself to her with a kiss on the hand and a warm Scottish accent, making the young goddess blush lightly. He had a light beard that covered his cheeks, chin and upper lip, giving him a distinguished, yet rugged look. He was a quiet man though and did nothing more than stand behind her with his hands clasped behind his back. It unnerved her a bit, but she knew he was only there for hers and Mokuba's safety. 'And probably to make sure I don't try to make a run for it…'
Her attention was distracted when she watched an elderly couple walking on the path through the park, the woman's arm wrapped around the man's. She watched with a small smile on her lips as the man bent down and placed a kiss on his wife's cheek, the lady blushing like she was a teenager all over again. It was times like this when Iphigenia really appreciated being back on Earth, seeing the good people in the world smile and bring joy to others around them. At the same time it also made her sad that even though she could experience the same joy that these people felt, it wouldn't last with her more than likely.
"Iphigenia, watch this!" Mokuba yelled as he swung high into the air and then jumped from the swing, landing on the ground with his knees bent.
"That's amazing Mokuba, but don't jump from that height again! You could seriously hurt yourself and then your brother will kill me!" she scolded, walking over to him and placing her hands on her hips with a small frown. The younger Kaiba chuckled, a bashful look on his face. "You're starting to sound exactly like you did back then, always scolding me whenever I would do something reckless."
"That's because I care about what happens to you. I realize your brother wants to keep you safe and I do as well, but if you don't experience the world outside of KaibaCorp and your home, then you are going to have a childhood much like your brother's. He had to grow up quickly in order to care for you and that cost him his childhood…and your childhood years make you into who you are as an adolescent and then as an adult. Take me for example, I've been through many things in my lifetime. The deaths of my parents, my grandpa's near death from a heart attack…I had to take care of Yugi many times, but it didn't stop me from living life. And when that accident took my life…" She stopped for a moment as a feeling of sadness welled up in her. "I'm sorry Mokuba, I don't want to talk about it. Another time, okay?" Mokuba nodded sadly, throwing his arms around Iphigenia's waist and hugging her tightly.
"No matter what happens Iphigenia, you'll always have Seto and I," he said into her dress, his voice muffled slightly.
'I wish I could be sure of that Mokuba…'
"Little missy?" Gerard's deep voice came from behind her. She turned her head slightly so that she could see him, his black sunglasses hiding his eyes from her. "Mr. Kaiba wants you and his brother back at the mansion immediately. It seems that he is on his way back and wants to speak with you as soon as he gets home." He grimaced, holding his hand to his head. "And he's not particularly happy…"
Iphigenia and Mokuba straightened, trepidation in Iphigenia's eyes while worry settled in Mokuba's features. "What're we going to do if Seto tries to kick you out? I don't want you to leave!" Mokuba wailed, holding onto her arm with a death grip. Iphigenia could only bite her lip.
'Hopefully God will make this work…I can only pray that he will…'
Kaiba was sitting in his limo, still in shock. After Nikushimi had shown him the somewhat preserved body of Iphigenia Motou, everything he had built up was now crumbling to the ground. If her story was true, then she wouldn't mind giving a demonstration of her holy magic. If she was able to do that, then he would walk up to Yugi Motou and tell him he was right about everythin- Kaiba shook his head violently. There was no way in hell he was going to admit Yugi was right! He would rather gargle liquid nitrogen than admit that!
The limo stopped in front of the mansion and he stepped out when the door was opened, noticing that the doors to the mansion were open. Mokuba and Iphigenia -now he could call her that- were standing there, his little brother waving wildly at him and Iphigenia just standing there clothed in a knee-length sleeveless white summer dress. Even from his position, he could see that she looked a little sad and for one moment there was nothing he wanted more than to hold her in his arms and protect her from the evil in this world. If she truly was a goddess…could it be possible that even a holy deity like her could love someone as evil as him? He shook his head once more, disgusted by the thoughts running through his mind as he made his way up to them. When he was standing before them, he glared down at the petite woman before him. She simply stared him down with her matching blue eyes, neither giving in to the other. Finally he huffed and grabbed her roughly by the wrist, dragging her into the house and up the stairs to his room, ignoring her yells and the fingers trying to claw his hand from her wrist. He could hear Mokuba yelling to her from the entrance hall, but he didn't try to make out what he was saying as he threw open the door to his room and shoved her in, slamming the door behind him and locking it.
Iphigenia glared up at him from her position on the floor, her blue eyes dancing with flames. He smirked inwardly; defiant to the end, much like she had been when she was mortal. The sound of someone clearing their throat distracted both adults as they turned to the sound, seeing Takeuchi sitting in the chair at the glass table. "Now you are both here, let's end the little lovers' quarrel and focus on the matter at hand."
Both Kaiba and Iphigenia continued to glare each other down as they made their way to respective seats; Kaiba sitting in a chaise chair and Iphigenia on the bed. Takeuchi could feel the tension in the room and chuckled inwardly -they looked like a married couple arguing over a petty matter.
"Anyway…let's start. Miss Motou, we have the results back from our scientists and I'm afraid to say this…your DNA does match that of Iphigenia Motou, but the corpse we had dug up also matches that of Iphigenia Motou." A soft sigh escaped her lips, catching Kaiba's attention.
"Sir, if it's too much to ask, I just want to go home," she said, twisting her hands together. "I just want to see my brother."
"You'll see him soon enough my dear. Just be patient," Takeuchi said, giving her a comforting smile. "Now the press have been up our ass about you, but Seto is loath to hand you over to them. He wants to keep you here for at least a week or two before letting you go home."
"A week or two!? Why that long!?" she cried, her eyes becoming misty. Kaiba snorted at her obvious weakness and turned his head away, looking at the wall.
"If we wait that long, the press will back off and search for the next piece of juicy scandal or gossip. I'm sure a story about a girl who was believed dead would not last as long as the next political or sexual scandal," the older man explained, casting a glance over at Kaiba, who continued to look at the wall. "There's only one last thing we want from you."
Iphigenia narrowed her eyes at him, giving her a somewhat sinister look. "And what would that be, good sir?"
Takeuchi shifted nervously, looking to Kaiba once again for reassurance, but the CEO was stubbornly looking away still. "We…need a demonstration of your magic in order to wholeheartedly believe you. We'll believe that you are who you are, but as soon as you give us that demonstration, we will still be leery of you."
Iphigenia knew that there was no arguing with what was said, so she laid back on the bed and sighed heavily. "Alright…but I'm afraid you're going to have to wait until I can unlock more of my magic. Before I was sent down here, my Lord God gave me these earrings." She sat up and moved her hair aside so that the two men could see the golden earrings. "The left one has clamps on my upper ear which keeps my magic in check while the right one can transform into our holy staff. My Lord God informed me that I must keep my magic reined because if mortals were to learn that there was a goddess among them, they might try to use me for their own selfish desires."
"You mentioned that the right one can transform into a staff, correct?" Takeuchi inquired, the girl nodding her head. "Can you do that for us now?"
Kaiba tore his gaze from the wall as Iphigenia reached for the piece of jewelry hanging from her ear, taking it from the cartilage and holding it before her. Her eyes flashed briefly before the earring twinkled and began transforming into a long golden staff topped with a circle. In the middle of the circle was a large sapphire held in place by golden lion claws. Three thin golden rods stuck out from the top and hanging from them were tags with inscriptions on them. Carved into the body of the staff were intricate symbols winding up and down the length. A soft golden light seemed to emanate from the girl and the weapon she held in her hand, stunning the two men sitting before her. After a moment Takeuchi threw the papers he was holding into the air, stood up and walked to the door.
"Fuck this, I believe her. You should too, Seto," he called out as he opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind him and leaving the two in the room. Iphigenia turned the staff back into its original form and placed the earring back in her ear before sinking back into the bed, throwing an arm over her eyes. The room was silent for a few minutes until Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger before looking at her.
"Well now, you have all my subordinates believing your fantastic little story, but I won't be so trusting. Believe me when I say this: I will tear you apart at the tiniest slip up!"
"Go ahead…" she murmured, her voice soft as she moved her arm away from her eyes, tears filling them. "You're already keeping me away from my loved ones, so go ahead. Tear apart what little is left of me and make yourself feel better."
Kaiba merely stared at her for a moment before huffing and leaving the room. She listened as his footsteps walked away and sat up quickly, muttering a spell to teleport her out of there. The last thing she saw was the door opening and hearing Mokuba's surprised shout before he disappeared in a whirlwind of feathers, the surroundings changing from Kaiba's room to the park that she and Mokuba had gone to earlier. The late afternoon sun was about two hours from setting which made the time around 4 PM.
Iphigenia ran her hands through her long locks and breathed deeply, the scent of lilacs and grass reaching her nose. Her mind went back to Kaiba and the events that occurred in the bedroom. She honestly didn't know what to think of the elder Kaiba now. She had thought him a cold and selfish prick, but after what Takeuchi had told her about her melting Kaiba's shield of ice, she wasn't so sure of that. The good thing was that she was away from him now and she was free! She made her way to the Kame Game shop, a smile on her lips.
Now she could begin her mission without any obstacles, namely a cold CEO with an ego the size of the universe.