If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day that nobody died
And I'm singing
Amen I, Amen I, I am alive
Amen I, Amen I, I am alive
--'If Everyone Cared' by Nickelback
§
"So do you have any enemies?" Kestrel asked ever so casually over their next Sunday dinner.
"What does that mean?" Kaiba replied, careful to keep his voice low and controlled as the two children chatted across from them.
It was hard to get mad at her, the CEO was finding. A damn shame really, since usually Amun was so vexing. But when look at his younger brother, already two weeks into rehab and happy as ever, and he couldn't help but feel a grudging gratitude.
"Seto," The copper-haired woman began, fiddling with her chopsticks rather than touching the food. "Someone shot your brother."
"So I remember, thanks." The brunette snarled back, an inner nerve stretched. She's said my name since that night.
Golden eyes blinked for patience and the eating utensils went down. "People don't just shoot kids in the broad daylight with no good reason."
The doctor's voice never got curt now, instead it was a level patience that came from dealing with people in all kinds of distress.
"Mokuba is too smart a child to get involved in something that might have gotten him and trouble, and since the attacker did nothing but hit Talla... We have to assume your brother was being targeted. So I'll ask you again." Those bird-like eyes fixated on him again, a little agitated.
"Do you have any enemies who would do this?"
That's none of your business! The phrase tickled the tip of the game company owner's tongue. But the image of the woman, leaning against the wall, sweaty and exhausted, came into view.
Damn guilt! He thought savagely. But it was true, there was no way around it. Kestrel had saved Mokuba where his elder had failed.
"None I can think of. But I swear..." The duelist hissed, clenching the chopsticks so hard in his fist, they snapped in two. Blue eyes held that dangerous intensity of Duelist Kingdom.
"...I will find out, and when I do—that person will wish they were dead!"
A dark shadow checkered the female CEO's features.
"You should be thinking of your brother, not your revenge." Her tone had that subtle streak of anger he had come to associate with her.
Behind all the pleasantries, Talla's adoptive mother had quite a temper. It was a task to get her truly riled up, but once done the antagonist would be so utterly bitten off that he or she would mentally huddle in a corner for days. However, the banter between the two older siblings usually consisted of friendly irritation, challenges. That tone was a warning, a subtle separation between their play and a real issue. However, the man ignored it. He suddenly felt as though Sylvester Stallone had just punched his gut. Amun had all but flat out said that he cared more about himself that Mokuba.
"Shut up! You don't know anything about it." Hard cerulean eyes dared her to contradict him.
The pretty businesswoman let it slide however, trying her best to control the rising desire to throttle some sense into the stubborn teen before her.
"Looking for Mokuba's attacker is important; but it should be for the sake of protecting him and not revenge. Remember that Seto... even good ideas go astray with the wrong intention."
His name again. There was a way she said it... some message she was trying to convey that he could not read. Or would not. One of the two.
"Are you saying that I don't care about Mokuba you—" The blue-eyed businessman began with a frighteningly detached voice.
"—Those words did not issue from my mouth and never will they. Ever! Damn it, you're too thick-headed! It was you who said you wanted revenge." Kess hissed in response.
"Hm," What the hell is she getting at anyways?
"Oh, just..." The blond woman began irate, her voice loosening by the word.
"...be careful, Seto."
Masked eyed turned to stare at Kestrel in surprise. This was a tangent the careful teen had not predicted. And so the unprepared response came with slight lack of bitterness.
"Of course."
§
Mr. Mouto finished wiping off the glass counters, wiping the sweat of his brow and resting for a moment.
I'm getting too old for this. He acknowledged with a sigh, considering calling down the much younger resident of the house to help out. But a smile formed on his lips and he didn't.
Yugi's probably asleep in his room. After picking up Joey late last night, its not surprising.
The old man's thoughts led him to think about his grandson's last late night excursion two weeks or so ago. He had been worried sick, of course, when the boy didn't come home. But as he finally walked through the door and explained everything about Mokuba and Kestrel, the anxiety dissipated into pride.
He's such a hero. Even if he won't admit it. However the boastful grin slid off his face as another wonderment came across his mind.
I hope Mokuba is doing alright. While being the grandfather of the elder Kaiba's rival he felt no concern for him, but the black-haired child managed to install a sense of attachment in everyone he seemed to come into contact with. The tinkling bell of an opening door brought the game shop owner back to reality.
A pretty, albeit, discomforted woman had walked in, eyes surveying the small store.
"May I help you?" The former duelist asked, blinking at the new arrival.
Golden eyes fixated on him and an apologetic smile graced her features.
"Hello. I am sorry to bother you but I am looking for Yugi Mouto. I'm Kestrel Amun."
Lilac eyes widened at the name recognition. "The doctor Yugi told me about? Well, hang on for just a moment and I'll go get him."
The visitor's eyes followed the short frame up the stairs. When he was gone, she ran a hand through her hair. The medic felt bad. She really did. Here this boy she was evaluating for mental diseases had ended up helping her out.
I have to at least apologize. It was nice of him to lend me his car.
"Hello?" A bleary voice sounded from the top of the steps.
The duelist champion was standing at the top of his stairs in a rumpled outfit, dangling puzzle, wild hair flat, and rubbing his violet eyes.
"I'm sorry to wake you up." The CEO admitted even though it was past ten in the morning.
However at the sound of her voice, the teen seemed to snap awake.
"Kestrel... this is a surprise." A blush was rapidly rising to his fair cheeks at the state of himself.
The elder Amun laughed behind her hand. "I wanted to thank you for your car the other night. It was really kind of you to let me drive, as I'm sure it was at the cost of your own personal safety."
The tri-color haired boy laughed in return at the memory of her frightening driving. "Don't worry about it... How is Mokuba anyways?"
He really does have a big heart. He's so... sincere. The blond admitted to herself with a soft smile. "He's doing great. Another few weeks of rehabilitation and that kid will be as healthy as ever."
"That's great!" The host exclaimed before thinking things through a little; with a little prodding from Yami of course. "Say, why don't you wait here for a moment. I'll go get dressed and then you can come meet some people. Okay with you?"
The hawk-like irises shut themselves as she nodded. "I'll wait."
"Don't worry, I won't take long!" The younger Mouto yelled back as he quickly climbed the stairs back up to his bedroom.
Seto should probably meet him. Then Yugi could rub off a little on him.
§
The CEO of KaibaCorp clenched his fists, turning the knuckles white. Distant blue eyes were wide and dilated with shock. The entire frame of lean muscle was trembling. Of anger.
Whatever sick bastard thought of this joke is going to pay!
The cause of this extreme show of emotion in the dubbed rich boy was a simple email. A short, black and white email. From a dead man.
Seto,
I hear that some doctor managed to save the brat, but I'm sure you got the message. I made you kid, and I will break you from your throne. It's payback time.
--CEO of KaibaCorp, Gozobora Kaiba
Someone with a twisted sense of humor was going to be shredded to pieces as soon as the enraged man found him. Deft fingers played along the keyboard. A smirk appeared on his lips again.
This idiot has no idea who he is dealing with. An email? Is there anything more traceable?
However it soon fell from his face as the computer ID was found.
109HKJ695—KaibaCorp Mainframe.
Gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyes to keep from shouting the brunette seethed.
Someone is trying to mess with my head. But I won't let them win!
The adoptive son stood abruptly up. He strode out of the office, catching the first black-suited man his glowering eyes spotted.
"Hey, get a tea down to the mainframe now! Check for any intrusions! Have someone scan the videos for anyone suspicious!"
The unfortunate man blinked twice at the rapt bark of orders.
"Move if you want to have a job for another day."
That got him going. Quickly shaking off his confusion, the businessman walked rapidly down to page Rolland, pausing to whip out his cellphone.
I have to get Mokuba away from her in case this bastard tries anything else, but where?
A few months ago, his skilled fingers would grudgingly punch the numbers to the Mouto's house. But now...
"Hello?" A mildly distracted, albeit free, voice sounded.
"Kestrel," It never even registered that he too had begun to address her by the first name.
"Seto, what is it?" Her curious tone asked, not yet worried.
Note to self: Poke eyes out with toothpick for saying this. "You have to take Mokuba for a while."
It was a biting, dominative, cruel voice he used to hide vulnerability. But concern only met it from the other line.
"What happened?" There was no ifs. It was definite, and harsh.
"Nothing." He replied gaining control over his vocals again.
"Don't lie to me Seto." The Scorpio was emerging from her again.
The teenage genius debated hanging up on her. But he was, in his own way, asking her for a favor.
Damn.
This is why he hated dependency. You couldn't scare the living shit out of the person you needed. You had to be nice.
"Hm, it is just something I am checking into."
"And so you send your brother away?"
"That is just precaution."
"...Do you want me to tell him?" She didn't even bother putting her compliance in words. The man realized that there had never really been a question of whether or not Amun would shelter his brother. She was asking something else he couldn't quite grasp.
"He'd be worried." Seto settled on saying flatly.
There was a long silence until the handsome bachelor cleared his throat and struggled on his tongue.
"Amun..."
"Yes?"
"Thank you." He admitted quickly, before clasping the phone shut after hearing the faint reply.
"Stay safe."
§
The man fell to the ground again, blood spurting from his mouth. Two dark shadows loomed over him in the artificial lighting of the underground room.
"You failed. Failure is not tolerated." The rich, vicarious voice of the background figure echoed in the place.
"How was I supposed to know that he was friends with that doctor bitch?" The bleeding man demanded, earning himself another acquittance with the hard metal pistol. Grunting, he fell to the hard floor again. Crimson dripped from the new gash across his nose. The victim ground his teeth to keep from crying out in pain as the fore fronting man lowered his weapon again.
"Excuses are futile. You were hired to kill the Kaiba brat and you didn't."
"He was shot in the chest. Master Gozobora I really thought..." However a wave of the savvy businessman's hand brought the metal fist of his subordinate back down on the failed assassin.
"You were not paid to think. You were paid to kill. Too bad you'll never have time to rectify that mistake." The shadowy figure raised his hand to make the final motion to his guard.
"Master, Lord, Boss...please don't! Have mer—" His final words of cowardice faded out into a gurgle.
The gunshot still crackled in the air, smelling it of smoke and blood.
"Perhaps you should listen to your own advice, Gozobora."
The living henchmen instinctively raised his gun toward the new presence.
"You!" The reborn man uttered, a frown raising on his face. It's not good if he came in person.
"Do you intend to shoot me?" The new presence seemed amused at the insignificant piece of metal now.
His mad smirk fell across the dark face as the adoptive father waved for his employee to pocket the gun.
Leave us." The former CEO of KaibaCorp commanded, sending his silent killer out of the room.
A faint breeze of silence passed between the two males. One looked agitated and impatient, while the other had disdain and boredom.
"You were supposed to have your company by now." His voice was still slick, a haunting melody.
The Kaiba father refused to allow his body to take a step away and instead settled for gritting his new teeth.
"I am almost done." He was thankful for the lack of sweat.
This man was not one to piss off by screwing up a given task.
"Ah, but it is time now." Gray eyes gleamed with crazed light. "You have failed, and so should I punish you?"
"Tabat, just give me some more time. I did not account for that stupid doctor to get involved.
Muddy gray eyes fixated on his form abruptly.
"Doctor?"
The reincarnated man scoffed, secretly glad of this tangent.
"Yes, some woman by the name of Kestrel Amun. She is supposed to be a pretty famous doctor. I was not aware of her bond with my adoptive children."
"Bond?" In stark contrast, his frame was more mad then usual.
"It seems that her and Seto have become chums." The business dealer continued to rant.
"Kestrel... dear Kestrel..." Tabat's entire lean frame shook and a chilling laughter issued from his thin mouth.
"To think that both our prey have joined together..." Gozobora had to make an effort not to flinch at his cynical tone.
"What do you have planned Tabat?" As much as the man was deranged, he was a genius.
The gray-eyed male stopped his laughter, but was half muttering to himself.
"Attached to which brother I wonder? Silly, foolish girl. Haven't I taught her what happens to those she gets close to? Perhaps she needs another lesson..."
§
Love. Romanticism is such a natural part of our lives that we imagine it has been around forever. But it was the medieval knights who first started the idea of romantic love. Of course, they were later murdered by the Pope who feared their rise to power. But perhaps that best shows us how love works. I wish this story was only and all about love.
People like to hear a heart-warming tale of a child saved from a fire or high school sweethearts reuniting to marry happily ever after. But even more than that, people are attracted to tragedy. The darker shades of society are hidden and so humankind searches for them. I wish this story was only and all about love. But it isn't.
What started with a magazine and two kids will become a struggle for their lives. I am writing this now because this was the turning point, and I feel the need to commemorate it. Though I am in this tale, this is not mine. This chronicle is theirs, and I can only record it for something between hope, friendship, and respect. Looking back there are times I wish I knew the result. I could have made their battle so much easier then, stopped so much pain. But other times I am glad I didn't know what was to come. Because as horrible as it was, it ended in something beautiful.
This is the volume of a curse, and two vicious men. The song of two children and separate companies. But above all it is the revelation of two equally battered hearts finding each other, two broken pieces mending each other. Irony, when I realized the healer held deeper scars then the ones she saved. Heart-wrenching that the CEO had given up more than he got in the end. I tried to save them and failed because only they could save each other. But that is the end of this long road.
For now things got a lot more complicated then children and magazines.
§
A/N: Any guesses on who the 1st person narrative was done by at the end? Oh, and as a warning, I use a lot of symbolics in my writing. So if you have any questions just drop me a line and I'll answer within the week. If you have no idea what I mean by symbolics I'll give you a few examples of ones I've used so far.
The name Kestrel
Color of the eyes—gray and golden
Houses—art vs technology
Luv ya all and don't forget to review!