"The Rose Duelist"
A Yu-gi-oh Fanfic
By: Seto's Princess
Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh… However, I do own Maki, Mr. (Morosou) Kaichi, and Mrs. (Yakima) Kaichi.
'Words in italics and single quotation marks' are thoughts.
"Words with double" or no quotation marks are dreams.
Thanks for the reviews! They are great ego-boosters, especially the long ones with great ideas and silly compliments.
Well, I will now be using my xanga to post up music videos of the songs I pick for these chapters. Right now, I have Chapter 20's song up because I can't find the music video for this chapter. Anyway, let us just move on with this chapter. There is more fluff in this one. Yay for fluff!
By the way… I highly suggest you all read "The Rose Duelist: War Stories"; otherwise this story will become confusing later on, especially the beginning of this chapter. I posted the third chapter of "The Rose Duelist: War Stories." Thank you.
The song I picked for this chapter is "Things I'll Never Say" by "Avril Lavigne."
Chapter 21 – Plans and Feelings…
"Seto? You've been gone for an hour. Did something happen to Maki? Is she okay?" Mokuba asked. His worry for the older girl was obvious. He had eventually come to like Maki, especially after she tried to help him in his little plan of "Keep-Seto's-Disk-Away" the day before. Of course, Maki had not gone as far as saving his life like Tea Gardner had back in Battle City, but she was still nice to him. For the past few days that she had been working at Kaiba Corp., he would occasionally wander into her office and enjoy her company when he had nothing better to do.
Seto sighed and ruffled his younger brother's hair. "She's fine kiddo. I'm just a little late because I had to wait until her parents arrived home."
"Wait...? You mean you stayed with Maki until her parents got home?" Mokuba asked, a slight grin gracing his mouth.
Seto hesitated in answering as he looked down at the small grin and the twinkle in his brother's eyes, which usually meant that he was just about to hatch some insane mischievous plan. Seto remembered the time Mokuba "accidentally" spilled some laundry detergent all over him, when it was actually meant for Roland. "...Yes."
Mokuba's grin widened tenfold. "So were at her house and the two of you were... alone?" Mokuba asked suggestively.
Seto's eyes widened for a second as he realized what Mokuba was hinting at. "Mokuba, if you're suggesting that I have some sort of feelings for her, then I'll tell you right now that I don't. Yes, I stayed with her, but she was asleep the whole time and I'd rather she not know about my being there." He headed back towards his office with Mokuba in tow.
"She was asleep the whole time?" Mokuba inquired.
Seto made a slight growl, signaling that his brother's inane questions were beginning to annoy him. "Yes, Mokuba."
Mokuba noticed the irritation in his brother's voice, so he quit his little interrogation and did not mention the whole incident all night.
…
The next morning, Maki woke up huddled under a silk white sheet that contrasted with the darkness of her shiny black bed. The bright summer rays of the sun poured in though the half-open window and glimmered off the silver lines, curves, and handles that decorated her bedroom set.
Maki sat up with a yawn and stretched. She felt much better that morning. All she really needed was some rest. She was still slightly tired, but it was nothing a little break from working at Kaiba Corp. could not fix.
'I can't wait to see him again... to thank him.' she thought to herself as a certain young CEO popped into her head.
She pushed the covers off herself and paddled her way into the bathroom to make herself ready for the day, even if she was just going to rest throughout most of it. She then traveled downstairs to the kitchen to make herself some late breakfast. It was only a few hours before noon and her mother was notorious for wandering around the town between breakfast and lunch. Maki was just about to wander into the kitchen when she heard the clacking of computer keys in the living room.
'What's that? It can't be mom, I'm sure she's out exploring the city like she always used to do and dad should be at work by now.' Maki thought as she walked back into the living room.
"Dad? What are you doing here?" Maki asked as she recognized the familiar figure of her father sitting at his desk in the corner of the living room. Mr. Kaichi had his own private study back in their old home in Omihachiman City, but this house did not have enough rooms. Fortunately, the living room was quite large and so Morosou Kaichi made a small study out of the corner of the living room. He really did not need that much space anyway, so it worked out perfectly. He just needed his computer and a filing cabinet.
"Oh, good morning Maki. Feeling better?" her father asked as he turned away from his computer.
"Much better, thanks dad, but why are you here? Shouldn't you be at work?"
"Well, you were sick and your mother has been itching to take a tour of the city all week so I told my boss that I had a family emergency and he let me stay home as long as I do any work that I can at home."
"Oh, you didn't have to do that dad. I really can take care of myself."
"Of course you can," her father said sarcastically. "Now what was that about remembering your umbrella the next time you go out rushing into the rain?"
Maki sweat dropped. "It was one of my stupid moments, dad."
"Yes, you used to have plenty of those back at our old home. Even though you always passed yourself off as some cold unfeeling duelist who didn't want friends, you were never afraid to show who you really were in front of your mother, me, and the Shukas. It's nice to know that despite whatever it is you've been through, you haven't completely changed. Though I do wish you'd tell us soon," her father said sternly.
"I will dad. I promised I would. I'm just waiting for the right moment. I still need time... to adjust and get my life back on track."
"Well, alright, as long as you don't get sick over it," her father replied, turning back to face the computer.
The ends of Maki's lips curved into a slight smile and she wandered into the kitchen to make her late breakfast.
…
"Seto?" Mokuba asked as he walked into his older brother's office.
"Yes, Mokuba?"
"Those duelist invitations are all set to go. Do you want them delivered now?" the younger Kaiba asked as he peered up at his brother through a smiling face.
"Of course. The announcement is tomorrow night and I don't want a single one of them to be late. I checked the rules that Ma-Kaichi was working on and she's nearly finished - just a bit more to go," Seto replied and mentally hit himself for his little slip of the tongue. She was "Kaichi" to him, not "Maki," despite the feeling that had surfaced in the pit of his stomach the previous night at her house. "I want this tournament to be as successful as Battle City, even without the god cards. That is, unless Yugi decides to use them. It wouldn't surprise me if he manages to get his hands on that fifth Blue Eyes White Dragon. That will just give me another chance to duel him and reclaim my title."
Mokuba rolled his eyes. 'Boy is my brother ever determined to defeat Yugi. I'm hoping Yugi doesn't enter this tournament. Especially not with the special prize Seto is planning for the final match. It's not that I don't believe in my brother... I do, but Yugi is one tough opponent and with the three Egyptian god cards, Seto has a slim chance of winning.' Mokuba shook his head of the thought and remembered why he originally went into the older Kaiba's office. "Okay. Um... Are you sure you don't want Joey on the list?" Mokuba asked sheepishly. The subject of Yugi-tachi was always a difficult one to discuss with his older brother. ('Tachi' means group, so in this case, Yugi-tachi means Yugi and his group.)
"Wheeler... in my tournament?" Seto scoffed.
Mokuba sighed. "But Seto, Joey made it into the top four in Battle City. You can't deny him another chance to compete just because you don't like him."
"Mokuba, the list has already been finalized and the invitations are ready to go. It's too late to invite Wheeler even if you could change my mind. Besides, how he managed to sneak himself into Battle City is beyond me."
"I could invite him personally," Mokuba suggested.
"No, Mokuba and that's final."
Mokuba shook his head and turned around to leave. "If you say so, big brother."
…
After Maki finished eating breakfast, she walked back into the living room and peered at what her father was doing over his shoulder. The Rose Tournament suddenly came to her mind.
'Oh that's right. I forgot about that. I haven't thought of a plan yet. I have to figure this out in a way that no one can find out. I wonder if dad can help me...'
"Hey dad," Maki called.
"Yes Maki?" he asked and turned around to look at his daughter.
"I need a favor... and I think we'll need mom too. See, I have a plan," she began as she sat in the nearby armchair and explained her idea to her father.
…
It was nearing midnight as a woman in a white cloak hid up in a tree near the Kaichi house.
'I though Bonz said she went to Kaiba Corp. every day. She hasn't left the house all day. Hmm… Looks like I'll have to use my secret weapon,' she thought as she took out a transparent card with black trimming out from her pocket.
'Tomorrow, I will follow her no matter where she goes.'
…Flashback…
"Ishizu!" a commanding voice called out.
"What is it master Rosenkreuz?" Ishizu asked as she turned around.
"Take this; it may help on your quest."
"What is it?"
"It's a new magical card, courtesy of Pegasus."
Pegasus was a powerful sorcerer in England and he was the one who created all of the dueling cards, except for the sixteen red and white rose cards, which had already existed for centuries. However, he also created special cards to use for special purposes.
"What does this one do?" Ishizu asked, glancing at the transparent card with a black trim around it.
"Isn't it obvious? It's a cloaking card. With this card, you can become invisible. This is the spell to use it," he answered as he handed a slip of paper to Ishizu.
"Is that so? You're right; this will help me keep a close watch on her," Ishizu said as she slipped the card and the piece of paper into her pocket. "Couldn't Pegasus have made the card a little easier to see? Sometimes he becomes a little carried away with his creative side."
Rosenkreuz laughed. "Yes, well. Just be sure not to lose it. It was very difficult to make and Pegasus will most likely need an entire week of rest to regain his magic."
Ishizu nodded. "Thank you. I promise I will return with as much information as I can gather."
…End Flashback…
'Tomorrow…' Ishizu thought.
…
The next day, Maki woke up refreshed and ready to go back to Kaiba Corp.
"How are you feeling, dear?" Mrs. Kaichi asked as Maki walked into the kitchen.
"I feel great mom. That rest yesterday really did me well," Maki replied with a smile.
"That's nice to hear. So, are you going to Kaiba Corp. today then?" Mr. Kaichi asked and took a sip from his coffee, a pair of glasses perched on his nose as he read the morning newspaper.
"Yes. I have to finish up my work for the tournament. We're going to announce it soon."
"So, when are you putting your plan into motion?" her mother asked. Maki and Mr. Kaichi had informed Mrs. Kaichi of the plan that Maki had in mind when she returned from her little walk around the city the day before.
"As soon as the tournament begins," Maki replied and sat down to eat the scrambled eggs her mother made that morning.
…
"Yugi! A letter came for you in the mail," Solomon Motou called out to his grandson, who was chatting with Yami up in his room.
"Coming, grandpa!" Yugi shouted as he ran down the stairs.
Yugi ran into the living room and came to halt in front of his smiling grandfather.
"Here you go, Yugi. It looks pretty official," Solomon said and handed Yugi an envelope with his name on it.
"What is it, aibou?" Yami asked as he hovered next to Yugi in his spirit form.
Yugi opened up the envelope and read the letter inside. "It seems to be an invitation. It says all duelists are to go to Clock Tower Square tonight at 7:00 PM for a special announcement."
"Do you think it's another tournament?" Yami asked, interest dripping in his voice.
"Who knows? Why don't we find out tonight?" Yugi suggested. Yami nodded.
"Hey, let's see if Joey and Mai got these invitations too! Besides, we still haven't told them about our trip to Egypt. We're leaving tomorrow after all," Yugi said and sprinted to the phone to call the gang over.
…
"Thanks mom!" Maki exclaimed as she climbed out of the car and ran up the stairs leading to the main entrance of Kaiba Corp. She entered the building and smiled as she saw the bustling workers rushing around with stacks of papers or parts of machines.
"Ah! Welcome back Miss Kaichi. I noticed your absence yesterday," the secretary at the main lobby greeted.
"Oh, hello. Yes, I was sick. Is Kaiba in his office?" Maki asked.
"Well, actually, Mokuba asked me to let him know when you'd be back."
"Thank you!" Maki exclaimed as she ran towards the elevator, leaving the blinking secretary in her wake.
Maki did not realize, though, as she stepped into the elevator, that someone was following her. She ignored the strange feeling that snaked its way up her spine as the elevator doors closed.
…
"You're going to Egypt?" Tea asked. Yugi nodded. Tea, Tristan, Joey, Serenity, Mai, Ryou and Duke had gathered around Yugi's living room to hear Yugi's announcement.
"Tomorrow night? Why didn't you tell us before, Yugi?" Tristan asked.
"I guess I was so excited about the trip that I forgot," Yugi replied sheepishly.
"You won't be gone for long, will ya?" Joey asked.
"Just a week; maybe a little less," Yugi answered.
"So you're going to miss the big announcement then?" Mai asked.
"What announcement, Mai?" Serenity inquired.
"What do you mean what announcement? Joey, didn't you get a letter?" Mai asked, turning to face Joey.
"Letter? I didn't get any letter," Joey replied with a raised eyebrow.
"You didn't? I thought all the duelists received them. Perhaps yours was lost in the mail," Yugi suggested.
"You got one too, Yuge?"
Yugi nodded to answer Joey's question.
"What are you guys talking about?" Duke asked.
"Well, apparently, a bunch of duelists received these letters today. All they say is to go to Clock Tower Square for some big announcement," Mai explained.
"Big announcement? Could it be another tournament?" Ryou wondered aloud.
"That's what the Pharaoh and I were thinking," Yugi said.
"When is it?" Serenity asked.
"Tonight at 7," Mai answered.
"I guess we'll just have to wait and find out," Tea said.
…
"According to Roland, all the duelists received their invitations right on time," Mokuba stated.
"Thank you, Mokuba," Seto replied when a knock came at the door.
"Enter," Seto said in a gruff voice. The door opened slightly and a flow of long black hair and a pair of sapphire blue eyes poked into the room.
"Hi Maki!" Mokuba exclaimed, bounding to the door and pulling the girl inside. None of the three occupants in the room realized that someone else had entered the room and watched them from the farthest corner in the office.
"It's nice to see you too Mokuba," Maki replied, smiling at Mokuba's cute and friendly antics.
"How are you feeling, Maki?"
"A lot better, thanks. All I needed was some good rest."
"Okay. Well, I'll leave you two alone," Mokuba said with a suggestive wink, which made Maki blink in confusion, and headed for the door. "I'll see you later, Maki." With that, he left the office and closed the door behind him. Maki stared at the now closed door with a befuddled expression until a husky voice brought her out of her daze.
"What do you want Kaichi? Shouldn't you be in your office, finalizing those rules? I'm announcing the tournament tonight, with or without you."
"Oh, yes of course," Maki said, turning around and looking at the figure before her. Seto was sitting at his desk, diligently working on something on his computer, not looking up at her. She bit her lip as she waited for him to acknowledge her.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Kaichi?" he asked, still refusing to look up at the girl standing a few feet in front of him.
Maki looked at him sadly. She desperately wanted him to thank him for the other night, but she did not want to say anything if he was no looking up at her. Therefore, she did the only thing she could do and walked around to his side of the desk and waited for him to turn around and look up at her.
"Kaichi, what the hell do you want? Stop trying my patience and spit it out!" Seto exclaimed, finally giving up and turning in his seat to regard her. Maki's face lit up as she looked into his eyes. Despite the irritation in his voice, his eyes showed a bit of nervousness which heightened her want to thank him.
"W-well I," Maki began and mentally cursed herself for stuttering. She had been anticipating this moment, so why was it that she could not find the right words to say? The room suddenly felt hotter. Perhaps it had something to do with the fluttering in her stomach. "I-I wanted to say… t-thanks," she stuttered and looked away. Staring at his deep blue orbs was doing a number on her nerves and it certainly was not helping.
"What are you talking about?" he asked and quirked an eyebrow.
Maki's eyes traveled back up to stare at his. She fought the bile that threatened to rise up her throat. "The other night… Thank you for-for taking care of me while I was sick."
Seto's eyes narrowed. He had not wanted her to know about that. The last thing he needed was to have her feel the need to thank him and be uncomfortable doing it. He did not want her thanks. He had only stayed with her because it would not have been right to leave her there alone in her condition.
"…and I'm sorry for thinking you were my mom," Maki added with a small chuckle and a slight blush of embarrassment.
"Is that all?" Seto asked dismissively. Having her there was bothering him and he was not quite sure why. He stood up, about to push her out of the room, but what she did next surprised him to no end.
Maki gave in to the urge she had been having ever since she stepped into his office that afternoon. The fact that he was standing up now, a mere foot away, made it that much easier for her. She took a step forward to close the gap between them, wrapped her arms around his neck, and laid her head on his shoulder.
Seto tensed up at the contact. The memory of the other night surfaced in his mind and he was not enjoying it at all. He remembered what it had been like to have her body pressed up against him, and although he may have tried to dismiss it that time, he could not dismiss it now. It was bothering him to no end. Perhaps it did not feel as awkward the last time because she had been unconscious. Now that she was fully awake and aware of what she was doing, it made him uncomfortable. He desperately fought the urge to wrap his arms around her.
She moved her head closer to his neck and she inhaled his scent. She sighed happily. It was like a dream come true for her and she did not want it to end. She had been waiting for this moment the day before, but it felt nothing like she had imagined. Itwas even more spectacular than she had thought.
Seto tensed even more once her head moved closer to his neck and he could have sworn that she had just sniffed him. Then he realized that he could smell her as well. Her hair smelled like coconut and it did a number on his senses. He glanced down at her and noticed that her eyes were closed and her lips were set into a smile, as if she had been dreaming of this moment for so long and was now making the most of it. He gulped as he felt her body heat merge with his. Her form seemed to meld perfectly with his.
'What's wrong with me? Why can't I push her away? What the hell is she doing to me?' he thought as his hands balled into fists. Maki was making him feel something that he was not used to. It was something he had never felt before and he was sure that was not supposed to feel it.
After what felt like hours, he finally found his voice. "Kaichi, I'd suggest you get your hands off me unless you want me to fire you right here and now. I can handle this tournament by myself," he growled and glared at her.
"OH! I-I'm sorry," she said as she let go and turned around immediately to hide her blushing. "I just… I… Thank you!" she exclaimed and ran out of the room, leaving a confused CEO in her wake.
…
'That certainly was awkward,' thought Ishizu as she ran after Maki. What she has just seen was quite an interesting scene indeed and she stored the memory away should she ever need anything from it later on. She swiftly followed Maki into her office, avoiding the door that almost slammed into her.
Maki sat down at her computer and turned it on. She did not have the slightest idea that Ishizu was watching her every move. The room did feel a little off, but Maki guessed it was because she had not been there the day before.
'What is this? Tournament rules? Hmm… This gives me an idea…' Ishizu contemplated as she looked at the computer screen.
…
A few hours later, Maki once again found herself standing in front of the door leading to Seto Kaiba's office. She hesitated before knocking. The memory of what happened in there the last time caused her cheeks to heat up. Luckily, the door opened before she even touched it and a familiar pair of violet-gray eyes peered up at her.
"Maki! I was just about to go to your office," Mokuba commented and smiled widely at the blue-eyed girl.
"Hello, Mokuba. I just came by to give this to your brother. I'm finished with the rules."
"Okay, well, he's right there," Mokuba said and pointed to pointed to the older Kaiba, who was seated at his desk, typing away.
Maki walked up to the desk nervously and held out the disk she had saved with the tournament rules on it.
"I was wondering when you would finish," Seto said as he took the disk and put it into his disk drive. "You can take a break now. Be back here by six o'clock. The announcement is at seven."
Maki nodded and left the office. She decided to take a walk outside since her office felt slightly out of place that day. She could not put her finger on why it felt that way. She stepped into the elevator and quickly looked around as if to see someone there. She could have sworn that someone was following her and was right there in that elevator with her. Once the elevator doors opened on the lobby floor, she stepped off and made a dash for the nearby coffee shop.
TBC…
For those excited duelists out there, the dueling action will begin in the next chapter, so you all have something to look forward to. Special thanks to wormapple who volunteered to write the duels for the tournament finals and sent them to me a few days later. I still have not heard from the other three who volunteered. Anyway, the story is only going to become more interesting from here on out, so keep your eyes open for updates! I am also sorry I have not updated the prequel, War Stories. I have not had the chance to play the game, which I need to do to have some info I need for the next chapter. My midterms are coming up the week after this one, so I have to study. As for fans of Life At My House, you will simply have to wait until I finish the New Years chapters - just two more to go. Well, thanks for reading and have a nice day!