Chapter 14 – Nightmare Ends Part II
Author's Note: Before we begin, I would just like to say a massive, massive thank you to everyone who has favourited and reviewed this story! You really don't know how much it means to me, as a writer and fellow Yu-Gi-Oh! fan. It's the support from you guys that drivers me through writer's block and reminds me why I love this story so much – because I get to tell a story that people want to hear. So, thank you again from the bottom of my heart, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Mina and Kaiba walked together out into the courtyard, it was a strange thing, to experience what it truly felt like to have your freedom torn from you, to be a prisoner, then to taste the free air once more. The trails of his coat kicked against Kaiba's heels, he felt exhausted, drained and dirty, but ultimately triumphant … even if the victory was not really his. No, this was a different kind of feeling. He was walking to meet his brother, walking to his jet, walking back into his rightful place as CEO of KaibaCorp and heir of the Kaiba fortunes. The wrongs had been righted, well, almost. Walking beside him was someone who Seto had finally accepted that he had to make a part of his life, in some way or another, there was no simply getting rid of Mina De Noir. If she was friend or foe, he couldn't say. What he did know that neither bothered him, because there was very little difference of how she treated enemies and friends; with dignity and respect. Mina on the other hand, she didn't know what to think. What she felt was more than one person walking beside her, and she saw that in the four shadows that she projected onto the ground. In her mind's eye, she saw multiple versions of herself, ones she hadn't known existed before. Behind her were the two girls that she had once been, her original-self – the self-assured and unquestioning home bird under the wing of a family, and beside her the lost girl – chapped lipped, teary-eyed and wandering aimlessly like a ship blown of course. On either side of her, were the versions that she had become at her time in Duellist Kingdom. The frightened girl in a frilly pink dress, and the picture of Rose De Noir. What lay ahead, she couldn't say, what she did know was that she had been fleshed out into multiple pieces, in the space of two weeks she had dealt with trauma, grief, fear, anger and a power she had never known. And then, then there was him. A boy she had so hated and yet had been so terrified to lose. Her first kiss and first experience of passion had been with him, as well as frustration, anger and everything in-between. She walked shoulder to shoulder with a boy who had changed her more in a week than she had herself in her whole life. There was no going back to what use to be, Mina finally had come to terms with that. There was no home for her in William's Burrow. Her house was sold, and her parents are dead. Her old life was behind her, and although she could carry its memory in her heart, she had to move forward.
Mina could see ahead of her the silhouettes of her friends flickering in the autumn sun. She could see the golden glow in Sarah's hair blowing, and the tall standing Blaze. She saw Teá, Joey, Tristan and Yugi. Ahead of her she saw the possibility of a fresh start, the chance at making a home. It was time to let go of what she had lost. Mina stopped and smiled as she saw a small figure running towards them, wild black hair and a striped shirt. Kaiba's pace picked up as his heart lurched in
relief. "Big brother!" Mokuba cried and threw himself forward. Seto caught him in the way that a father does, and hugged him tightly into his chest, "You're here!"
"Its alright", Kaiba comforted him.
"Ah, jeez, come on, let's not get all mushy and gooey, you know, I can't take it", Joey began to choke, despite his hatred of Kaiba, even something so pure and innocent of brotherly love could make that melt away.
"Mina!" Blake cried and ran, he scooped his friend up and whirled her around in a hug that almost crushed her. Mina laughed and hugged him tightly. Sarah joined them, the three laughing with tears catching in the corners of their eyes. "We thought you were dead", Blake spluttered, refusing to let her go.
"Of course, I'm not dead", she answered in a shaky breath, "I'm harder to kill than a cockroach".
Seto knelt down to meet his little brother's gaze, who was still shaking immensely in pure relief. "Oh Seto, I didn't know what happened to you, but I never stopped thinking of you, big brother". Mokuba reached forward and presented the Duel Monster's amulet which always hung around his neck, clicking it, Mina saw it for what it was, a locket.
"I know", Kaiba smiled, and reached for his own locket fastened securely beneath his shirt "I would've risked anything to save you Mokuba".
"Yugi told me you risked a lot", Mokuba explained, "And Mina too". Mina's heart warmed as the little boy stared up at her with his large brown eyes. "And now we're all together again". Kaiba chuckled, "So what do you say little brother, are you ready for me to take you home?"
"You bet!" The young boy exclaimed as Kaiba rose to his feet. His eyes scanned over Yugi's group, resting on the deep brown ones he'd come to know so well. Mina stared back at him, still in the embrace of her friend Blake, she gave him a small smirk and a wink, full of happiness to see the two siblings reunited once more.
"Thank you Yugi, Thanks for saving my brother's soul. He means everything to me", Kaiba spoke to him with great humility in his voice.
"How could I do anything else?" Yugi smiled, and Mina couldn't help but glance down at him, how could a boy be so innocent and kind? She thought to herself, especially with everything that he has had to deal with.
"And I am grateful", Kaiba continued, "But because of our circumstances our last duel was not really conclusive".
Mina laughed aloud, shaking her head in disbelief, "Boy you sure know how to ruin the moment". Kaiba ignored her comment, but Yugi agreed, "Yes, it wasn't".
"One day we will meet in the arena again to decide who is the better duelist, and one of us will walk away with pride". Mina rolled her eyes, bloody narcissist. "Come on Mokuba, let's go, my jet is waiting".
"Alright! We're going home!" Mokuba laughed, and the two brothers began to walk away.
"Wait a moment", the whole group – the Kaiba brothers included, froze on the spot. Croquet walked briskly towards them, alongside him carrying a large box, was Ruth!
You're alright", Mina exclaimed as she broke free from Blake and made her way towards the old woman, "I thought Pegasus might have done something to you".
Ruth smiled at the young girl, "I've been around for a long time Missy, it would take more than old bossy boots to get a rise out of me".
"Wilhelmina De Noir", Croquet announced, "Before you leave Duelist Kingdom, Master Pegasus has requested me to present this to you". Mina stepped forward anxiously, feeling all eyes hone in on her. Kaiba had stopped in his tracks, ready for any tricks that Pegasus might be trying to pull. He'd be lying if he did not admit that from the moment he had Mokuba in his sights he had completely forgotten about her, but now his original anxieties ignited back into life as he watched Croquet approach her – would Pegasus attempt to make one last attempt to make her stay? He wouldn't say it openly, but he'd be damned before he'd allow Mina to fall into Pegasus' clutches again.
Croquet removed the first smaller box from Ruth, handing it to Mina, who in turn raised an eyebrow, "A duel monster's deck?" she asked, it was bizarre, and Mina gazed at it with uncertainty, still expecting it to be a trap.
"This was the duel deck of Rose De noir", Croquet explained, and turned over the first card in the deck "However, this is a new edition".
"Mina that looks like you!" Téa gasped. It was another beautifully hand painted card, a spell card named Dragon's Attraction. Depicted was a girl in billowing blue robes with long white hair and blue eyes with the glowing symbol of the ankh on her forehead – despite this it was distinctively Mina. "Master Pegasus also requested that you be given this". Ruth stepped forward with what Mina now recognised as her mother's box. Téa took her mother's duelling deck so that Mina could claim her second token. It was heavier than before and weighed down against her arms. "I, I don't understand", she stuttered, "Why is Pegasus giving me all this?"
"Master Pegasus wishes to make amends for his treatment of you", Croquet began, "He said that you are a smart, strong and capable person, Miss De Noir. And that he was wrong, to ever attempt to cage you. It could never be done to your mother, it was stupid to think that it could be done to you. He hopes that in the bestowment of these gifts, it might begin the long journey towards forgiveness".
Mina held the box tightly against her chest, not knowing what to think, "Thank you", she managed to croak. Croquet simply nodded and began making his way back to the castle. Ruth stepped forward once more, pulling Mina's backpack from behind her, "I thought you might want this back dearie", she smiled handing it to her, "All your wee clothes are tucked in there, freshly washed and pressed". She reached forward and laid a gentle hand on Mina's blackened cheek, "I may not have known you long, but I am going to miss you my dear".
"I'll miss you too Ruth", Mina laughed to mask her sadness, surprised on how much that was true. Ruth did a little curtsy and began to follow Croquet back towards the castle.
"What the hell was all that about?" Joey exclaimed, utterly confused in the whole situation.
Mina gave him a small tired smile over her shoulder, "Honestly, I have no idea". All of the sudden, Joey's eyes went as wide as hen's eggs. "I just thought of somethin' All the boats have left, so how are we suppose' ta get off this island!"
Tristan gasped in response, "We got ta hitch a ride, come on!"
The group began to scramble forward, laughing as they did so, "Wait for us Kaiba!"
They ran as fast as their legs could carry, thankfully Kaiba's jet was still firmly rooted to the ground. "I told you Seto, I told you we needed to wait!" Mina heard Mokuba cy out happily, tugging on his big brother's sleeve. They approached the flight hanger, were Kaiba and Mokuba were both waiting at the top of the steel stairs.
"Hey Kaiba!" Yugi called out, "Room for eight?"
Seto in turn rolled his eyes, and began walking back inside the jet, "Come on then", he answered begrudgingly.
The teenagers all cheered, delighted to finally be going home. They all clambered inside, Mina began the last. Made her way slower than the others up the stairs, stopping just begore she was about to enter. She turned around to get a view of the castle, she didn't know why, frankly she was happy to see the back of it. But something made her look. It looked beautiful against the setting sun, and Mina felt a chill run down her spine. She wavered a moment, thinking hard. As much as she loathed herself to admit it, her time at Duelist Kingdom had been like an almost transitory period between her old and new life. It was time to close a chapter on that now, time to finally begin to move forward. For a second, she set down her mother's box, and pulled her backpack off her shoulder. She delved inside and retrieved her cigarettes, holding them in her hand. She pushed off the lid and removed her father's cherished Harley Davidson lighter, stuffing it into her jacket pocket. She then looked down at the packet once more and smiled lightly to herself. She raised her arm high, and tossed the packet has hard as she could. It travelled swiftly through the air, landing on the far side of the flight hanger.
"Mina you coming or what?" Sarah called out to her.
Mina picked up her mother's box, "What, you think I'm sticking around here?" she called back and went inside to join her friends. The door of the jet closed shut behind her, and she laughed as she joined Téa and Sarah on a large white sofa, "So what are we talking about?" she grinned as she joined in with the huddled teens.
"How much pizza we are going to order when we get home!" Joey shouted happily, "And donuts, and chocolate cake, and French fries, and a triple strawberry scope shake, and fully loaded potato skins –
"Is that for all of us or just you?" Mina quipped, and everyone began laughing. Sarah hugged her friend tightly, resting her head against her shoulder. They all began to talk rapidly about visiting Yugi's grandfather, what food they were going to eat, Joey's sister, and how much homework they were going to have to catch up on when they got back. It felt normal, it felt safe, it felt like home. Mina looked around at all their faces, unable to restrain the warm bubbly feeling that was rising in her chest, she breathed a long sigh of relief, it was done, the nightmare was finally over.