Two of a Kind:

Tarnished Soul Kitsune and Cold hearted Kaiba

Chapter 4

The Unveiling of Discussion

When Kaiba woke up, he was lying in a warm bed without a shirt, and bandages wrapped around his chest and stomach. He was in a room he had never seen before, and in a place he guessed he had never been before either. The bed he was on had a thick black comforter, the bed itself consisting of three mattresses stacked on top of one another. The room seemed to be that of a one person apartment although, a little bigger than some he had seen, and had no kitchen, not to mention was mostly bare aside the desk he had spotted in a corner with a laptop computer on it and a coat stand near the door. This particular room seemed to be a living room, and was 23x12 square feet. Big but was apparently used as a bedroom as the bed was in the middle of it, with the headboard up against the south wall. A sky loft was straight across from the bed with a ledge on the inside wide enough for someone to sit on, with a ledge approximately 2 feet above the floor. To the right of the rooms was a doorway that led to a long hallway, with doors on opposing sides of it, and all on the right side. One of the rooms -when standing in the middle of the hallway facing right- was down the left side of the hallway on the right side of the western wall. It was an office room. Down the other side of the hallway on the right side of the western wall as well was the bathroom, with a shower- with no bathtub- and a small sink, and a toilet.

"Where am I?" Kaiba questioned aloud not aware of anyone else in the room.

"You are in the Lady Kitsune's room," Replied a low dark voice with an accent sounding much like a vampire.

Kaiba turned quickly in the direction he heard the voice and found a black wolf at full size sitting next to him on his left side. A silver chain dangled around the wolf's neck with a silver symbol of the wadjet eye hanging from it. The eyes of the beast were steadied on Kaiba, which for one, weirded him out. Kaiba stared back at the beast, though just to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him. But there was something more important than what his eyes could see, but more so what his ears could hear. He didn't believe after all, that a beast such as this had the brain capacity to know how to speak, so after a minute or two he looked away finally studying the room for answers of where he was and who was here with him. So far everything was the same and it was still raining outside.

"If you are looking for the Lady Kitsune… she is not here." Replied the low voice again. Kaiba turned instantly as he had before to look in the direction of where the voice had come from, and once more he was looking into the sharp green eyes of the black wolf. He was about to turn away again until he actually saw it with his own eyes… the dog spoke. "She went to go get more bandages."

Kaiba's eyes widened and he scooted backwards hastily. "Who or what are you!"

The wolf seemed to smile as it saw Kaiba's reaction and replied "I am Anubis. I am a Shadow Guardian."

Kaiba stared in great surprise at the talking wolf if that is what he really was. "You're joking right?" Kaiba touched a hand to his forehead. "My head must be fucking with me."

"Don't be too sure it's your head that's fucking with you and not the wolf," Replied an amused woman's voice.

"Kitsune!" Kaiba jerked to the side to see the door that lay to the far left of the room spotting Kitsune standing in front of it. As he was about to question her actions he was seized instantly by a wave of pain from his injuries, closing his eyes tightly and grinding his teeth to keep from yelling any more.

She smirked as she walked by the cringing Kaiba and stood by the wolf at the foot of her bed, she had nothing in hand, making Anubis guess she only made a quick run to make sure that the Royals of Death were out of her territory. She kept her eyes on Kaiba until he was fully capable of sitting up to look at her. "Sleep well?"

Kaiba sat up suddenly as he looked at her. She was still wearing her cloak with the hood up, shrouding her face, and despite the storm raging outside, she wasn't wet. "Why did you bring me here?" he asked.

"To avoid endangering myself by bringing you to a hospital." Kitsune answered.

"Danger of bringing me to a hospital?" Kaiba looked down to his bandaged chest and touched his stomach, which also had bandages on it. He then looked back up to the mysterious woman who was still standing over him. "You did this?"

"I did. I had to if I didn't want your blood all over the place." She answered placing a hand on Anubis' head and scratching his ears.

Then Kaiba remembered something, something that was shouted out in the rain when he had received these wounds. Graverobber, as he called himself, shouted out to Kitsune… he had called her Tarnished. This made him wonder a bit… "Why did you help me?"

"Because a dear friend of mine would have kicked my ass if I hadn't." She stated simply.

"And who is this dear friend of yours?" Kaiba interrogated as he watched Kitsune walk over to the door she came in not to long ago.

"A little girl named Aleena. She is a good friend of your little brother. But if you had spent enough time with him, then you would know that by now." As she answered she pulled down the hood of her cloak revealing her pale blondish-brown colored hair that was slicked back on the sides and down the back with a Faux hawk type hairstyle atop her head, only loose and messy with some strands of hair pulled out, hanging in her eyes.

Kaiba ignored her reference to his brother though didn't fail to give her a glare before he had done so. As much as he wanted to refute her statement, something else started to bother him… where was his shirt? The fact that a woman he barely knew had taken off his jacket and shirt and bandaged him up didn't sit very well with him. The being treated alone was fine but still… he had been undressed to a certain degree by a stranger. "Where is my shirt?" he finally came to ask, the thoughts of it missing burning a whole in his mind.

"It's being washed… your jacket too." She sounded somewhat amused at the question as she faced away from him. "Just be happy you weren't hit any lower or else your pants would have to be washed also."

Kaiba didn't let the thought phase him, instead just being grateful it hadn't happened, as he turned his head to face the giant window that was directly in front of him. He stared mildly out at the pouring rain, thinking idly without even noticing the woman in her full attire to his side. A simple attire, of leather V cut vest, ripped at the seems, leather shorts that only made it to mid thigh. Thigh high red leather leggings belted on the sides, black knee-high lace-up leather boots, and black leather riders gloves. The only thing of any real detail however, was the silver locket shaped very similarly to a card hanging about her neck by a thin silver chain. Kitsune ran her fingertips over the lockets face delicately, feeling the dragon that was embossed into it, before making her way casually over to the ledge on the window sill to sit upon.

Kaiba blinked sitting down still on Kitsune's bed as he saw her take a seat on the window ledge to look out the window. He just now saw what she wore and was quite astonished by her choice in clothing. Not because of how badass it all looked but because of how expensive it looked. That entire outfit had to cost an awful lot of money -not too much that he would never be able to afford it- but for someone who lives in the slums, which brought him to another point. This entire room was too clean for a slum. Some money had to be administered to make it this clean… but where did she get it all? This struck up a good question and good purpose to break the silence. "Precisely how long have you been here?"

Kitsune was a little surprised that another voice spoke as she had almost forgotten that Kaiba was even here. Consequently she turned from the window and looked to Kaiba on her bed in bandages and answered in an unsure voice "About say three years."

~Three years… she's been hiding for three years! ~ Kaiba thought. ~How is it she has even survived here? ~ "Where do you get food?" He questioned with limitless confusion and amount of questions.

At this point Anubis answered "I go into the city since my master cannot, and I do work to earn money, so that she and I may eat."

Kaiba eyed the wolf suspiciously, again still unbelieving such a creature can talk before turning his attentions back to Kitsune. She looked relatively at ease with the situation, and thus with a reluctant inner sigh, he turned back to the wolf again. "How is it possible for you to do that? Get a job at a circus?" The sudden impulse to mock a creature he didn't understand wasn't really an alien thing to him, however the uncomfortable feeling that resonated in the room afterwards was, as Kitsune was glaring at him. He'd never met a woman before that could make his blood feel cold with a simple gaze.

"I am a shape shifter." Replied Anubis in a simple manner, then a snap was heard. Kitsune had snapped her fingers, and Anubis began to glow. Within seconds the entire room was illuminated with light, and when the light went away, Kaiba was no longer looking at a black wolf but a teenager around the age of 17 with black messy hair, sharp green eyes, a leather biker jacket, black pants, and a white shirt standing in front of him.

Kaiba widened his eyes in great surprise looking at the new guy in front of him. He was speechless, never having seen anything such as this in his entire life. All means of composure had seemingly left him thanks to this most unusual pair. There was no end to the surprises in this part of the city and it was kind of a change in pace for him, an abrupt one at that.

Kitsune, who was watching Kaiba the whole time, had a look of distant amusement. A mere twinkle in her eye showed she was enjoying the spectacle of watching a mans reactions to a world he'd never known existed. The look on Kaiba's face was priceless and even Anubis found this sort of comical, but he too wasn't laughing.

"Does that work for you Kaiba?" replied Kitsune in mocking amusement.

Kaiba looked abruptly to Kitsune and narrowed his eyes hearing the laughter within her voice, finding none of it funny. He saw her snap her fingers again and the room once more filled with light. When he looked back there was the wolf again sitting with laughter and joy within those sharp green eyes of his.

"How long can you stay like that" Kaiba questioned.

"A day at least… I am truly unaware of my time limits as I have never stayed in such form for more than that." Anubis answered happily.

Some part of Kaiba would have liked to stay speechless, but as he realized he was here for business, he decided to act upon this opportunity to get what he came for, done. However he had too many questions, and wasn't sure which one to start with. ~Kitsune had mentioned something about this being Shadow Duelist Domain. A society of duelists he had heard of but never knew much about. Was it possible that all these so called Shadow Duelists had the ability to turn animals into real humans? What about the animals themselves? Did all of them talk? Did all shadow duelists even have animals? The ones that ganged up on him earlier didn't have any, but then again he couldn't see any of them either, so he guessed that didn't really count. What exactly was a shadow duelist anyways? What made them so special as to have special abilities to those of him or any other duelist, and who in the hell came up with the idea to divide the duelists up into Millennium and Shadow? Why were they called Millennium duelists anyways? What the hell is going on around here? ~

Absolutely none of this made any sense to him whatsoever and at that moment he would have asked all that was on his mind if it hadn't been for a sudden word from Kitsune to stop him.

"So where are you planning on sleeping?" She asked going back to looking out the window.

Kaiba instantly became confused at her question, "What do you mean?"

"You're going to be here for three days, so you need a place to sleep," she responded icily.

"I'm what?" Kaiba sounded offended. "What makes you think I'm staying here for the night, let alone for three days?"

A vague smile crossed Kitsune's lips for a moment, then faded as she looked to him once more. "Do you know how long this storm is going to last Seto Kaiba?"

"What does that have to do with me?" he questioned her.

"Answer the question." She replied sternly.

"A day at most," Kaiba returned quickly.

"Try three. You won't be able to leave this place for three days, the time this storm lasts because of those injuries of yours." Kitsune stated.

"What makes you think I can't call for someone to come and get me?" he countered.

"For one this place doesn't get good reception. That counts for all of the slums." She stated.

"So what. I can still send out a signal." Kaiba replied.

"You don't get it do you? No one gets in or out of this place alive unless you're a Shadow Duelist, Beast, or Phantom. This place is ruled by those of shadow, for those of shadow, with those of shadow. So you aren't welcome and thus you aren't getting out."

Kitsune no longer sat down, she was up with a swift motion as she had spoken and made her way over to Kaiba on her bed by the time she was through speaking. She was staring down at him now with greater irritation and anger, and for the first time, Kaiba was able to see her face clearly and above all things, her eyes. Yes those eyes… eyes like ruby orbs of blood glimmering with great pride and independence as she looked down at him. It was in that instant he found a great respect for her, but would never admit it. She was some how able to make him feel so miniscule and so helpless. But his pride wouldn't allow him to roll over and be defeated. Despite the foreign feeling that was coming from within him in waves, he didn't allow the demeanor to surface. He didn't want to give her that satisfaction. Instead, he decided to plow on, baiting for as much information as he could get.

"So you mean to tell me that there are more like you, and those that attacked me out there?"

"Yes." She answered him. "And it is even more dangerous with you injured and it raining. You're lucky Kaiba, you are one of the very few I have been able to save from that group out there."

"So I'm not the first?" he asked looking up to her, a severe expression covering his features.

"I have been running from Pegasus and Damon for three years, do you really think that within that amount of time you are the first to come find me?" Kitsune replied with added annoyance.

~I didn't think so~ Kaiba thought before stating. "I figured there had to be others, all of them died trying to find you I take it."

"That they did. All in the same way you would have today if I hadn't been there to help you. A few of them I managed to bring here, but as most of them were too full of themselves… they went out into the storm trying to make it home, and instead found a quick way to one of the seven hells." The annoyance fell from her face then, changing slowly to that of a reminiscent look. She was picturing every death of those that had been sent for her over the last 3 years, she was swiftly thrown from those thoughts as Kaiba interrupted her.

"What exactly did you steal from Pegasus to make you hide for three years, and have him so angry as to send countless people to their deaths in the hopes of bringing you back?" he interrogated.

"A card," Kitsune answered simply, her hand being drawn to a pouch that lay rest on her main belt on her right hip that Kaiba just now noticed was there. She opened the flap and retrieved one of the cards that the deck in her pouch contained, and held it in front of her own eyes to examine, as she had done so many times before.

Kaiba looked bewildered with the answer he was given, and in response looked to Kitsune as if she were crazy. "A card? You've been hiding for three years over some pathetic duel monsters card?"

Kitsune's eyes shifted sharply to Kaiba, a sudden fire being ignited in them. "You are very bold to call my God Card pathetic." As she spoke her voice seemed overlaid by another woman's voice only deeper, older, and darker.

"God Card?" The others eyes widened with the woman's reply and instantly he was intrigued. "What do you mean?"

The card was instantly handed to him and the cobalt eyes of Kaiba wandered over it drawing into instant surprise at the attack power of such a card. "6000 attack power! That's impossible… this card has to be a fake."

"Do you really think Pegasus would chase me for three years for a fake card? I don't think so… and that attack power is nothing compared to its effects." The overlaid voice was gone and a sense of amusement was back in her voice now, though her expression stayed stern.

"Its effects?" Kaiba questioned not seeing any other text than the name, attack, and defense.

"Yes. That monster card has three very special effects, all of which no other monster in the history of creation will you find together all on one card… save for that one." She answered.

"And they are?" questioned Kaiba waiting to be further impressed.

"1. Negates all m/t cards on the opponent's side of the field except dragon based m/t, including flip effects. 2. All dark and wind monsters on the opposing field are automatically destroyed. And three my all time favorite effect… Add 1000 attack points per every monster on both fields including graveyards and the full attack power of all light monsters on both fields and in both graveyards as well as 1000 defense added to per light monster in both fields and graveyard. I suppose that would count as four but still an effect none the less." Kitsune explained carelessly.

Kaiba stared at the card with an incredulous look. "This has to be a fake. That's obscenely powerful for any Dual Monsters card. God card or not, there's no way it would ever be approved for sanctioned matches, let alone be out for distribution."

Kitsune sharply took the card from his hands, placing it back in the pouch where it had come from, and ignoring his obvious ignorance. To her surprise however, Kaiba then turned to the notion if it were real.

"The power of that card is remarkable… but it seems to exclude fire and water attributed monsters, so it has a great flaw."

"Only when it comes to the opposing deck, who is to say I have no light monsters in my deck? But such a fact is irrelevant, as just it merely being on the field can almost always guarantee a win for me. As you may soon find out, Shadow Duelists compete in a very different way than Millennium Duelists," Kitsune crossed her arms over her chest still standing over Kaiba and looking at him. "So now you understand why Pegasus is pissed at me."

"So why are you hacking into Damon's systems then?" Kaiba questioned.

"To fuck up his coordinates. He could find me simple enough with that damn computer of his, so I hack into it to post pone my inevitable demise." She answered, as she turned and sat grimly on the edge of the bed next to him.

"So… intends on killing you for stealing a card?" He hadn't really expected them to go to quite that length, but in the long run he supposed he didn't care. This woman may have saved his life, and may have his respect, but was a long way from harboring his care.

"For my treachery… I found out a very valuable secret of his, and so he decided to hunt me down. It was around that time that I had stolen that card from Pegasus... Imperial Genesis." Kitsune was beginning to grow tired as it was growing late.

Kaiba wanted to ask more questions, but figured that since he would be here for three days he would find out all that he was seeking in due time.

"So where are you planning on sleeping?" Kit asked pushing herself off her bed to stand.

"Where can I sleep?" Kaiba asked standing as well.

"The floor… the couch… or my bed. Mind you no ideas." Kit answered with little interest in answering said question.

Kaiba thought it over and quickly decided "I'll take the couch." He had no interest in sleeping with another… it was bad enough that he was already missing the top portion of clothing he had worn.

Kitsune nodded and walked to the office room down the hall to the left and Kaiba followed. She pointed out the couch to him, and then left to go to one of the lower floors of the building to retrieve blankets. Kaiba meanwhile sat on the couch waiting for his blankets and a pillow. He wasn't used to this sort of treatment. Having to sleep on an old rickety couch, having a woman run to get him things, having to sleep in another person's house, and even being in the same place as a live animal was different for him.

After about 10 minutes Kitsune returned with a couple blankets for Kaiba to sleep with, and handed him a couple pillows as well. Then she shut the door to the office room and went to her own bed.

Kaiba meanwhile took a moment to inspect his surroundings, the room wasn't that big but was big enough for movement, and it seemed much like a cubicle but bigger. His eyes wandered about every square inch, finding it cleaner than even the front room. There was no dog fur on the floor, or any kind of bug infestation that he could see. He noticed the desk was well-polished red oak wood, and found a working lamp on it that looked new. He was quite impressed with what he saw but it still did not match Kaiba Corp, nothing ever would. After reviewing the standard sized room, he went to the couch and set up his bed for the night. He laid down one blanket and then the two pillows he was given. He despised where he was, and for now had resigned to stay due to his injuries, but he didn't plan on staying here for three days, only long enough to find out the information he was looking for.

Resting the second blanket he was given over the back of the couch, he sat down on a cushion that suddenly sunk down into the couch from the missing springs within it. His eyes widened in great surprise and he tried to get out as fast as possible, unable to do so due to his injuries and was stuck in the seat cushion feeling very uncomfortable and very annoyed.

"God damn it… why did I ever accept that stupid errand? If I knew I would have been in this deep I would have turned it down." Kaiba remarked out loud still struggling to get out of the couch cushion. ~It's not like I fit in here anyways. I don't belong here… hopefully tomorrow will be the last day I have to stay here. I plan on leaving after all the information I need, bad weather and injuries, or not. After that I will be damn sure that this area is completely demolished, so that I may never see this shit hole again. ~ Seto schemed, finally wiggling his way out of the couch cushion.

Before turning in for the night Seto took care in checking all the cushions to make sure the same thing didn't happen again, but all the others seemed firm. He took special care when lying to rest on the couch, pulling the blanket he set on the back of the couch over himself. Despite the discomfort of his bed he fell quickly into the confines of sleep, the warm blankets providing the only comfort he needed to do so. Tomorrow would be the day he found all the information about Kitsune he needed, and quite possibly be out of here and on his way home to tell Mokuba of his adventures.