"So, tell us, how exactly do you know Mahala?", Yugi asked.
Kaiba sighed. "Well, around twelve years ago, a virus developed on one of the computers. I found out it was the computer that controlled the section of the virtual world Noah lived in. I was going to wipe out the virus, do him a favor, but he said that he wanted to deal with it. It was the least I could do, just leave it alone if he wanted it left alone. So, I did.
"After that, I came back every day to check on him, because that virus was continually, just somehow, getting smaller. I saw that Noah was taming it, treating it like a pet. After he had done that, he never paid attention to me unless I pressed that button, the one that would send up a beeping noise that would tell him I was there. But, he loved that virus-pet, because it was the only love he had received in the last twenty years.
"Then, when I came to visit, one day, that virus was no longer a pet. It was a real human being, just about Noah's height, walking next to him. A girl. And, God, she was stunning. She had long, straight hair, that shade of turquoise that Noah's hair was in the front, with dark green streaks throughout. Noah's hair was dark green in the back, you see.
"She was wearing a dress that covered her feet and her arms, bright white, like Noah's uniform. She was wearing black dress shoes, and white silk gloves that covered her hands. Her eyes were dark blue, like Noah's. She looked like a female version of him, really, she did.
"He called her one thing that I could hear. 'Mahala, my sweet daughter', he called her. He had formed this virus into a human being, and taken her as his daughter. She looked like him because he had programmed her to be that way. She wasn't real. She was a virus, reprogrammed into a human being- Noah's daughter.
"Well, I decided to look up her name. 'Mahala' is a Hebrew word that means 'sickness'. He named her for what she is: a virus that rapidly grows. She was scary for being what she was, but there were parts about her that were even more terrifying. One day, I was in my office. I heard her voice. 'Hello, Seto Kaiba,' she was saying to me. I knew I was hearing things. That was, until I looked next to me, and saw her there.
"She was somewhat transparent, and she was floating off the ground. That's when I figured out Mahala was able to come out of the Virtual World without a body; she just came back as a ghost. That was because she was 'born' in the Virtual World; she didn't need a body to travel between the two worlds.
"Everyone else, including Noah, did. That was because we already had bodies of our own and had come into the Virtual World upon will. Mahala hadn't, because she had started her life there. So, I overheard conversations between Noah and Mahala. It was a plan of some sort, but I couldn't figure it out.
"Then, one day, Mahala was missing from the Virtual World. Noah was laying on his bed the whole day; I supposed Mahala had finally lived her life as a virus and been wiped from the system. Then, just this morning, I discovered Noah had gone missing, too. I figured out Noah's and Mahala's plan. They're going to try and give Noah my body, so Noah can have KaibaCorp. It's more likely than anything that Mahala will stay in Taren's body and become his successor.
"I'm determined to get Noah back home, and destroy Mahala before they can go any farther with their plan. I just need to figure out where Mahala is, and who's body Noah has taken over. If I can do that, then KaibaCorp will be safe... and Taren, too."
Yugi smiled. "Why do you care about her? I expected you to care about your company, but a teenage girl? She's gotta be, what, 17? We're in our thirties, Kaiba. You should find a girl your age...!"
Kaiba had put a hand to Yugi's forehead. "It's not your job to tell me who I'm supposed to care about."
There was a ding, and the elevator doors opened. Kaiba, Mokuba, Yugi and Yami ran out. In front of them was a giant screen in front of them, with a teenage girl on it.
"We're back, Taren. And, we brought some friends. They'll be able to help you," Kaiba said to her.
The girl smiled. "Thank you, Seto," she said, bowing. "And, Sir Mokuba. What are the names of your friends? I should like to refer to them by name; to be polite."
Yugi got onto one knee. "Yugi Muto, ma'am. Just call me Yugi."
"And, I, young lady, am...!", Yami froze.
Taren put her hands over her mouth in shock. Kaiba and Mokuba stared at Yami like he had lost his mind. Yami was lying on the ground, moaning, clutching his stomach. Yugi ran over to him.
"Yami!", Yugi yelled, concerned.
Yami kept moaning. "The baby..."
Yugi kissed his forehead. "It'll be okay."
"Is it Rotation Year?", Taren asked him.
"Rotation Year?!", all four boys asked in unison.
"Once every 10,000 years, there is a six-month period of time where men are the only member of their species that have the ability to become pregnant. For that six-month period, females are immune to pregnancy, unless they were already pregnant before the cycle of Rotation Year. Of course, this only happens once every 10,000 years, so this is truly amazing."
Yami groaned. "I wish it... wasn't Rotation Year. This baby... it feels like that it really wants to come, now."
"It can't. You're only about two or three months pregnant; it's way too early for the baby to come," Yugi said to him.
Kaiba and Mokuba looked at the scene like it was from a movie that had failed completely- with their jaws dropped and their arms dropped to their sides. "So, you're trying to tell me that men can get pregnant at any given moment in time, right now?!", Kaiba shouted.
Taren nodded. Kaiba ran and unsuccessfully hid behind Mokuba. "Keep me away from any and every girl, except Taren!"
Yugi looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "She's virtual, until we find Mahala.", Kaiba told him.
Yugi nodded in realization, and helped Yami to his feet. Yami merely bowed to Taren. "And, I am Yami Yugi, but you may call me Yami."
"Good, we're on the first name policy," Taren said. "Well, now that we're introduced, I think we should start with the story."
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Atem was running down the streets, as far away from the hospital as possible. He wanted to stop, he running out of breath, but he didn't want the police to get him. Then, he managed to hide away. He heard the sirens and the footsteps pass right by him.
The sun was pouring it's light down on him, and Atem could barely breathe due to the humidity. He thought for a second, and put his right arm over his stomach. He stood up, and went to find shade. Instead, he found something that was probably his only chance at survival, right now: the KaibaCorp building.
He ran inside.
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"And, that's the tale," Taren said, sitting down.
Yugi and Yami did a light applause. Taren's way of storytelling was amazing and beyond belief. Just then, sirens.
"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER IN THE WEST WING OF THE FOURTH FLOOR!"
Kaiba pressed a red button on the side of the wall. "Description of intruder," he requested.
"Gender: Male; Hair color(s): Black, blond, magenta; Eye color: Violet; Skin tone: tan; was last seen wearing a white hospital gown," a voice responded.
Yugi and Yami looked at each other with wary eyes. "Atem," they both said.
Without telling Kaiba, Mokuba, or Taren anything, they ran out of the room.
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Atem was surrounded. Why did he have to run into the KaibaCorp building? He just could've gone back to the house and waited for Yugi to get back. But, he didn't, and now he was going to be arrested.
"STOP!"
Those voices... they were so familiar. It couldn't have been. Not in the KaibaCorp building. But, he was wrong. In front of him were two boys around his age with bright violet colored eyes like his, and the same hair colors and hairstyle.
"Atem!", Yugi and Yami shouted with glee.
Atem stood up, and ran into them, knocking all three down, right onto the floor. All three of them were hugging and kissing one another and crying, and not a single one of them could keep themselves from doing so.
Suddenly Atem sat up, causing Yugi and Yami to do the same. "Okay, guys," he said to them. "I found out two things. One, I'm... pregnant."
Yugi and Yami looked at him with anger and joy.
"Oh, Ra," Atem groaned, "you are not happy for anyone, this week. Second, there's this thing called Rotation Year, it's...!"
Yugi smiled. "Taren told us about that already."
Atem raised an eyebrow. "Taren?"
Yami chuckled. "We'll explain on the way there," Yugi said.
All three stood up, and headed for the elevator.