Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or anything to do with the franchise. This fan fiction is merely for entertainment purposes and not my own profit.
Author's Note: I am back! Sorry this is yet another ultra late update, but work, work, work again. I am so happy for a day I can get off every now and again. I don't even get weekends off unless I ask for them. But I will never give up on my writing, I have just been too tired. Long hours are killer! But I will endure. I hope. Okay, I will try my best. On with the show!
Chapter 25: Once Friends...Part 2
The crowd were on the edge of their seats. They were totally enthralled by the duel below them. All the others had finished already, the pros making it to the next round, and even they stayed behind and watch in amazement as Alice went against this new duelist, Fabian. They could see their skills were on par with the highest duelists, like Yugi. It would be both an honor, and a frightening experience, for them to duel those two.
"Such a big boast you're making," Stephan sneered. "You really think little Alice can win? I hope she's smarter than you, because underestimating Fabian is a huge mistake. That boy has real power, and a lot of it."
Michael only smiled, "You keep telling yourself that. But I know you're only doing so because you hope Alice will lose. We both know this duel was already decided from the moment you entered the tournament."
Stephan said nothing, his expression agitated a bit. Yugi and his friends felt like they were missing something. The whole time, it was like Michael and Stephan had this deep inside conversation Yugi felt they should know about it. But he didn't push it. There would be a better time for that, after the duel was done. Kaiba, on the other hand, didn't share in his sentiments.
"Alright! I want to know what the hell is going on, and I want to know now," he demanded.
Stephan just ignored him.
"My apologies, Seto, but I am afraid that is not for me to discuss, especially without my sister's consent," Michael said monotone.
Kaiba growled low, hating how Michael was keeping the truth from him. He looked down at the duel, seeing Alice being leered at by a monster he had once called his own.
"Well, Alice, I would say the tide has turned in my favor, but I know better than to celebrate before actual victory," Fabian gave her a cocky smile.
"I'm happy to hear that," Alice smiled back, not worried. "I would hate to see you become the kind of person you dislike the most. Then again, a change in personality never hurt anyone."
"Tell that to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," Fabian said matter-of-factly.
"One of your favorite books," Alice recalled. "A tale that speaks of the inner savage nature of humans...not many 13-years-old boys would find that interesting."
"What can I say? I was always ahead of the curb," Fabian gloated.
"Right," Alice sighed. "If you don't mind, I'm going to continue with my turn, that is unless you feel like interrupting me again."
Fabian just bowed, waving grandly as though allowing her to move on.
"I play my facedown, Fountain in the Garden," Alice revealed her card. "With this, I can heal my monsters after each battle, meaning they can't be destroyed as long as this remains on the field."
A beautiful fountain of perfectly marble appeared behind Alice. It stood at 12 feet, with hand-carved designs of flowers and fairies edged onto it. The water began to flow as soon as Alice was done, sparking in the light as though made of crystals. It overflowed, a soft rain falling on St. Joan and Demise. They sighed in relief as their wounds healed. After the rain stopped, they both glowed a sunshine-yellow, afterward standing completely healed and ready to fight.
"I don't remember you playing that card when we were children," Fabian noted.
"I didn't have it then. It was a gift," Alice said, staring at him right in the eye, "from Dr. Tetsuya."
Fabian's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but she saw it. At the same time, her friends sat back, heaving out their anxiety.
"Awesome, now Alice's monsters are safe," Tristan said.
"Yeah, but they're weaker than that dragon," Tea reminded him.
Chaos Emperor Dragon, Envoy of the End LV8 [Dark, ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500]
St. Joan LV7 [Light, ATK: 2800, DEF: 2000]
Demise, King of Armageddon LV8 [Dark, ATK: 2400, DEF: 2000]
"Even so, Alice will find a way out of it," Bakura said, sure she would win. "Alice is special. I believe in her."
"We all do," Yugi added, the others nodded.
As they tried to rally behind her as much as they could, Kaiba glanced over at Bakura. From the way he spoke, it was like Bakura seemed more emotional about Alice. It was like...he liked her...as more than a friend. That didn't sit right with Kaiba. He didn't mind Alice being around Yugi and his friends because that was all they were, friends. But he got the impression Bakura may have been different. Maybe he was over-thinking it. He was only just getting to know Alice, and she was his first real friend, could be he was being overprotective. Whatever the case, this was not the time nor place to be trying to figure it out. He would have plenty of time after the duel.
"I end my turn with another facedown," Alice said.
Alice [LP: 4900]
"Wonderful, my turn then," Fabian said as he drew. "Unfortunately, since I sacrificed my Belial, my Faustus Contract also loses it effect. A sad loss, but a manageable one. I will start my turn by playing a little something called Pot of Greed. I'm sure you're fairly familiar with it."
Fabian [LP: 1100]
"Obviously," Alice drolled.
"Now, I play the spell card, Deviant Chance," Fabian said as he placed the card. "With this in play, I can summon a Deviant token each time I play a magic card. Its LV and power increase 100 for every card I removed from play."
Giggling childishly, a monster appeared on the field. It looked like a thin child of 12-years-old, a boy, wearing a jester's outfit of black and white. The only color he had were his red lips and a star painted over one eye. He twirled around without a care in the world, bouncing on the dragon like a balloon, it's menacing appearance having no effect on him.
Deviant Token [Dark, ATK: 800, DEF: 800]
"And that's not all," Fabian continued. "I now activate yet another card I removed, a magic card called All The Merrier. This activates when I remove it from play and have Deviant Chance in play. The former enhances the latter's ability, meaning I can double my token's power. And he gets a friend."
Another token appeared on the field, laughing with glee with his twin.
Deviant Token x2 [ATK: 1600, DEF: 1600]
"Is it just me, or does it seem that this guy's strategy relies a lot on removing his cards from play?" Tristan commented.
"You're right, Tristan," Yugi said. "Fabian's strategy and entire way of dueling hinges on removing cards in order to activate them or play other cards with the removal of the cards. It seems even though he sacrifices cards, he stills finds uses for them when they're removed from the entire duel altogether. He knows how to take advantage of every chance he gets and never wastes his resources. That is the definition of efficient."
"What a sharp mind you have, King of Games," Stephan mused. "You look weak, but there's more to you than meets the eye, huh? I guess that's why you managed to save this world so many times, but this isn't like your other battles. Remember that."
"Stephan, are you actually giving advice to your enemy's friend?" Madeline asked in careful disbelief.
"Of course! I wouldn't want him to die without putting up a fight. That's just boring," he said with a huff.
They grimaced at the cruel tone in his voice.
"Now, how about we take some action here?" Fabian smiled. "My dragon will incinerate you monsters to nothing!"
The dragon prepared to attack, spreading its wings as it gained power. The tokes jumped out of the way, landing on either side and standing at the ready for the attack. Demise and St. Joan immediately jumped in front of Alice, more than willing to give their lives for her. Though they wouldn't really die, they would still feel the intense pain of the attack, as though they were dying. This was the part Alice hated the most, but her monsters were loyal to her till the very end. They loved her as she loved them. The dragon swung its head as it finally released the blast from its mouth. Yugi and the others could feel the heat of the blast from where they sat. It was so hot, like an oven maxed to 100 times its normal function, the warmth touching their faces as it closed in on their friend. This was going to be bad.
Alice just stood there, no sign of fear in her eyes. Her hair blew as the blast drew closer and closer, Tea looking away in her panic, "I can't watch!"
"Alice!" Joey stood up from his seat, hating how useless he felt.
There was a huge explosion, wind blowing wildly. Everyone tried to see what had happened. Yugi looked up at her screen which displayed the duelists' lifepoints.
"It's okay!" he announced, the others wondering what he meant.
Looking up, they gasped as they too saw Alice's points remained untouched. A light shone on the field, St. Joan's sword glowing with power, the very power of the attack. She had actually absorbed it.
"Now how did that happen?" Fabian asked curiously.
"My magic card, Symphony," Alice explained. "It's still in play. Did you actually forget its effect is continuous?"
"Yes, I'm afraid I did," Fabian said a tad annoyed, realizing his mistake. "How did I let that happen?"
St. Joan smirked at his annoyance, holding her sword close to her.
St. Joan [ATK: 5200]
"Now then, I believe I will redirect that attack right back you. St. Joan, if you please," Alice motioned for her monster, who swung the sword with all her might, sending the blast right back at the dragon.
"Yes, game over!" Mokuba cheered.
"Not quite," Stephan chuckled wryly, the young boy confused.
"I activate the quick-play spell known as Shrink," Fabian placed the card on his disk with a smile. "This halves your monster's ATK. It also means St. Joan is destroyed as a result. I bid you adieu, la Pucelle."
St. Joan [ATK: 2600]
This time, the attack was absorbed by the Chaos Dragon, who threw it back at Alice and her monsters.
"Activate Waboku!" the facedown in front of Alice flipped up, a group of mages in blue robes appearance in front of the other monsters. "This prevents my monsters from being destroyed and ends your battle phase."
"Quick on the draw, are we?" Fabian teased.
"I gotta say, that girl is extremely lucky, huh?" Stephan said, waiting for a response and getting none. "Hey, I'm talking to you. Hey! Wha?"
The gang were barely hanging in there, holding their heads in anxiety.
"This is getting to be a little too much," Mai said, her hand over her chest.
"They kept going, and going, and I don't know whose going to win anymore!" Tristan yelled.
Joey just agreed with a nod as he held his head.
"I think I just had a heart attack," Bakura gasped.
"Me too," Tea moaned, her nerves frayed. "Um, Yugi? What do you think? Yugi?"
Tea was surprised to see him completely focused on the duel, unaffected no less, "That was good. Alice knew to anticipate his counter. He may have countered first, but now he has one less card to use against her later on. He's falling for it. But he's aware of it and trying not to."
"But Alice knows that," Kaiba added, wearing the same expression of focus as Yugi. "She has read his strategy well so far, she can adapt to his moves effortlessly. She just needs to keep a level head as she has been and the win will be hers."
"Let's hope so," Madeline sighed sadly.
"Maddie," Michael placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
The others wondered what was going on.
"You guys, what is it?" Joey asked.
Madeline just looked at the duel with sad eyes, Michael holding a strong expression.
"I think it would be best for me to end my turn now," Fabian said in a gloating tone.
Alice didn't like it. Despite taking his time, he acted like he was going to win no matter what she did. But the truth was, whether she won this duel or not, it didn't matter anymore. Even if he beat her, it would do nothing.
"I draw," she said, her tone serious, eyes cold.
Yugi felt the goosebumps form on his skin, an iciness in the air. Looking at Alice, he could practically see it, the power seeping out of her very skin. She was done being nice, done with old times' sake, done with the fake smiles and considerate gestures, just done. Kaiba felt it to his very core, her power lifting into the air, touching everything and everyone. Most thought it was nothing more than the tension between the duelists. It wasn't warm, or gentle like Alice. It was a cold burn, shocking to the senses. He had never felt anything like it, and coming from sweet Alice, it would be a lie if he said he didn't feel significantly intimidated by it.
"Fine, have it your way!" Alice finally let go. "I honestly don't give a fuck what you do or want. If you think I'm going to hold back because we were friends once, you are so wrong! I get sick of games like this very easily, and I am not in the mood to put up with your bullshit! At least drop the act, because it's getting on my nerves."
They all stared at her aghast, Fabian's eyes widening. Where did that foul language come from?
"She's getting mad," Michael said calmly.
"Getting? She already is! No, she's pissed!" Madeline yelled, her arms motioning at the field. "I knew this would happen."
"It's better that it does. She needs to let it out, it's healthy," Michael pointed out.
"So this is normal?" Joey asked in disbelief.
Both nodded.
"This is tame considering how worse she can really be," Madeline said, her chin on her hand.
"How bad can it be?" Mai inquired.
"One day you'll see," Michael replied instead, his voice holding a touch of somberness.
At that, Mokuba looked up at his brother, who kept his eyes on Alice. Looking at her himself, Mokuba didn't know what else to say. He could be supportive, he could be nice, but no matter what he said, only Alice could answer the questions Kaiba had. Mokuba just hoped she would come out of this duel fine.
"I summon The Agent of Wisdom, Mercury!" Alice set her card.
A blue light fell on the field as the angel descended. He was lanky, but toned, with turquoise skin, thin black patterns along his arms and face. He wore blue robes, much like Jupiter, only his chest was covered. There were metal bands on his wrists and just below his shoulders. He appeared to be bald, with a strange blue cap on top, metal outlining it. His blue wings fanned as he landed, holding a large, yellow spell-book close to him.
The Agent of Wisdom, Mercury LV4 [Light, ATK: 0, DEF: 1700]
"I play Devil's Fiddle," she sharply placed the card on the disk. "Let me explain how this works. For every Light-Attribute I have placed thus far, Demise gains 500 ATK points."
Demise, King of Armageddon [ATK: 4400]
Fabian just watched as she went on with her turn, knowing what was coming next.
"Demise," the monster readied to attack, all too happy as it grinned wider than before. "Rid the field of his dragon! For good!"
Demise lifted his ax with both hands, intending on letting the attack be stronger than it needed to be. He was getting payback for his queen, and his mistress. The ax was engulfed in shadows, tints of yellow shining. He roared as he released the immense attack. The Deviant tokens jumped out of the way as the attack neared.
"Wait! Why is she going after the dragon? Those tokens are weakest and would take more damage than he would," Joey asked confused.
"It has nothing to do with damage," Michael said. "It's about sending a message...to a certain few watching."
"A message?" Mokuba quirked his eyebrow, not sure what was going on.
"Subtle, isn't she?" Stephan scoffed.
Fabian created a barrier as the blast hit his dragon. The dragon roared in pain as the dark flames surrounded it. Fabian's lifepoints began to fall. As her friends smiled for her victory, Alice kept a blank stare on Fabian. His barrier began to break, like glass under great pressure.
"No more games, huh?" Fabian smirked. "Very well, as you wish, Alice."
The flames started to carry the dragon to the pits of the graveyard when it extended its claw and grabbed a hold of Demise.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Joey jumped in his seat, Tristan doing the same.
"It's about damn time!" Stephan laughed arrogantly.
"What's going on?" Mai said, watching as Demise was dragged down.
"You wanted no more games, Alice, and I will grant you your wish," Fabian spoke confidently, arms spread dramatically. "You can win the duel, but you will lose so much more still!"
Demise struggled to free himself, St. Joan and Mercury trying to reach him but held back by the fire. Alice just stood still, just watching. How far he had fallen...life was insignificant to him, how sad it was that she had always known that but didn't want to admit it.
"You always...underestimated everyone," Alice said softly. "Always looking down on everyone, especially your friends. They all thought you were joking around, nothing more. But some of use saw different. You always have to be the best, don't you, Fabian?"
He blinked, her words taking him by aback. Not a few moments ago, she was fired up, ready to beat him down. Now, she seemed so fragile and weak.
"You'll never see it," Alice sighed, a small light sparking from the fire. "You'll never understand it, how weak you are, in comparison to everyone else."
Fabian looked in shock as the light burst from the fire, Demise free, pulled up by none other than Ruin herself.
"Ruin? How?" Yugi gasped.
Ruin was glowing, looking kindly at her king. His face changed, cracking, revealing it to be a mask. Underneath, he had long, flowing black hair and the most dazzling brown eyes. His skin was pale, and he held a small smile of relief as he looked upon his bride.
"This is what we meant," Madeline cried out in joy. "How when we play, things are different, for both the bad and the good."
Kaiba didn't know how to react. Alice was basically breaking every rule of the game, and he didn't care! It was amazing, how sure of herself she was, how she maintained her cool. Was she really real? Could someone like this really exist? Apparently so.
"Do you want to continue, or submit now with grace? It's your choice. You decide, 'old friend'," the way she emphasized the last of it stung.
It had been only a few years, but Alice had become stronger. Fabian had hoped their friendship counted for something, apparently, he was wrong. Very wrong. As smart as he was, that was one subject of his life that he did very poorly at. Letting his guard down, the broken barrier shattered, and with it, his lifepoints.
Fabian [LP: 0]
"The winner...Alice Nightingale!" the commissioner announced, the crowd roaring with excitement.
"See you around, Fabian," Alice waved as she turned around and walked away, her monsters bowing before her as they disappeared from the field.
"She won!" Bakura cheered.
"Yeah, that's right! She kicked his ass!" Joey laughed.
"He went down! Hard!" Tristan added.
"Yeah he did!" Mokuba high-fived him.
As the audience cheered her victory, and her fellow duelists, Alice kept her strong face on, but inside, her heart ached more than ever. Fabian walked away in the opposite direction, and she didn't look back at him. She couldn't anymore. He was part of all of this, he knew where Dr. Tetsuya was, he knew who was behind it. But more than anything, whatever chance there had been for their friendship to be saved, it died the moment he left Exia, and joined the man who had wanted all who she loved dead. Johan.
Drake looked at the screen heavy with worry. He would give anything to be there for her, but he had returned to Exia for a reason. Watching as the commissioner went over the details of the different duels that went on, Drake let out a deep sigh. How could it have come to this? Fabian had always had a bright future, but instead of looking for a better life, the young man fell back into the same darkness that had taken his family.
"It's like the past repeating itself, isn't it?" Odette said as she stepped into his office.
"I fear it is," Drake said melancholy. "I should have done something before."
"But you didn't," she set down her work on the desk. "Drake, you know better than anyone how fate loves to toy with people's lives. Fabian is one to fight it, not knowing he is more a puppet to it than anyone of us."
He said nothing, knowing she was right.
"Drake, will she really be alright?" Odette glanced at the screen with concern. "Shouldn't you go?"
Drake gasped in shock, a look of terror on his face, "What?! You actually want me to go?! Seriously?!"
"Ah, shut up!" Odette frowned annoyed. "Even I can see how much she needs you. You're one of the few Alice will listen to. And right now, she needs to hear your reassuring voice."
Drake contemplated her words. He knew Odette was right. As open as she was with her emotions, there were some matters Alice rather keep to herself, and rarely shared with anyone else outside her parents, brother and Drake. It was rare, but he knew when that happened, it was something truly serious.
"I can do more good here," Drake finally said, Odette blinking in surprise.
"Are you serious now?" she questioned cautiously. "You never turn down a chance to leave work, especially when it's to help your 'children'. Why would you leave her alone when she needs you so?"
"Because she isn't alone," Drake gave her clever smile. "In fact, she has never been more safe than now. Her new friends are very special to her."
"Yes, I know," Odette dropped her arms with an exasperated breath. "They saved the world many times, they are allies of the Nameless Pharaoh, and have allies in the Spirit World...but she has only known them for a few months. How is that enough time to get to know someone, really know them? They cannot have had that much of an impact on Alice like you say."
"I recall you only knew Alice for less time and willingly risked your life for hers without a second thought," Drake reminded her.
Odette stuttered, not sure how to retort, "That was different! W-we were at war, and-and people were dying l-left and right! She was a child! Was I supposed to just leave her there?"
"No, but you were not so grown-up yourself. You're only a few years older then her, remember?"
Odette's words fumbled as she tried to argue back, but soon enough, she knew there was no point to it. He was right, as much as she disliked to admit it. She had known Alice for little time, but in that short span, had grown so attached to her. It was like from the moment Alice entered her life, Odette could see there something about the young girl, the way she smiled, how brightened her cloudy world. Odette had not been in the best of shape when she had met the Nightingales, and was apprenhensive when first meeting them, after all, these were the same Nightingales everyone feared. But meeting the young heiress...she could see her previous thoughts were wrong.
"I suppose you're right," she sighed.
"I know you don't believe she will be alright. You don't know her friends as she does, but believe me, she is in good hands," Drake chuckled.
"What...the...hell...was...that?" Stephan glared at his partner.
They were currently hiding out in the closed-off section of the park, a perfect place to be left alone.
"What do you mean?" Fabian said, too busy with his tablet to look up.
"You were primed for a victory, you had her exactly where you needed," the older man started. "I know you had more moves to make. Why didn't you activate your tokens' special ability?"
Fabian didn't answer. Truth was, he could have turned the duel around as his tokens' ability enabled him to deal damage to his opponent directly equal to their combined ATK.
"Plus, I know for certain you had another All The Merrier card in hand. You could have removed it from play all that time but didn't. Why? Why would you not when you were so close?"
"It has never been about winning duels or this tournament," Fabian replied strangely distant. "I have only been playing the part I was assigned. Nothing more."
"Bullshit," Stephan snapped. "I know more about you than anyone else in our little group, more than I am comfortable with, but I do. So, I know you were acting like you were more than willing to lose that duel. She saw it too, the girl. I don't like her, but that doesn't mean I don't see how smart she is. Maybe you forgot that after all this time."
Fabian kept his eyes on the bright screen, stopping as he flipped through the files he had gathered. He wasn't really reading the information, he didn't really care for it at the moment. As much as he hated how Stephan knew so much about him, it did help him get things in perspective. Stephan was better at handling emotions than Fabian was.
"I have never seen you act like this," Stephan eyed him carefully, "behaving so...human-like. It's kind of weird."
"I am human," Fabian stated monotone.
"Yeah right! Biology-wise, yeah, but I act more human than you do, and that's saying something," Stephan said as he made comfortable on a discarded chair. "Look, Master Johan is going to find out sooner or later, and better it be sooner from you than later from someone else, like Claudia. I would call her a bitch, but that would be insulting to my kind."
"She's an insult to humanity too if it makes you feel any better," Fabian smiled lightly. "I have never met someone so selfish. And that is coming from someone who has been around some pretty selfish people."
"Good thing she isn't going to make it through this," Stephan said cruelly. "You and I both know she won't last long if she keeps acting that way. As loyal as she is to Master Johan, there is someone else she is far more loyal to: herself."
"Everyone knows her death is inevitable," Fabian added, sitting opposite Stephan on a piece of slab. "People like her don't last long after their use is less of a use. Which is why you and I are on better standing than her. I believe deep down, even she knows it but blindly, and naively, refuses to accept it. She is such a fool."
"Master Johan believes so too," Nyles said as he walked up to them from out of nowhere.
"Ah, man! Nyles, use a new cologne! That one is killing my nose!" Stephan whined as he ran to the far end of the room, holding his nose as tight as he could.
"I will do so after the mission is done," Nyles nodded with blank eyes.
"Nyles, what happened to you?" Fabian laughed heartily. "You're a mess!"
Nyles looked down at his person, noting how dirty his clothes were, "I was on assignment, retrieving Ms. Valentine, when I was thwarted by one of the Nightingales' allies."
"We figured as much when we saw her being dragged along by the Featherstone girl," Stephan said nasally.
"I can finish my assignment with no problem now with this new information," Nyles brought up.
"No, no, the Nightingales will surely be expecting you," Fabian waved the idea away. "For the time being, scout out our new prey. I want everything to be in place."
"Yes, Lord Fabian," Nyles bowed before disappearing again.
"Damn, even after he's gone, it still smells," Stephan said, still holding his nose.
"Let's it call a day," Fabian said as he put away his tablet. "We've done enough."
Stephan glanced unsure at his partner, "Again, you go making assumptions you've got no real backing to. Seriously, kid, and you're supposed to be this great genius, but you have no real grasp in matters of the heart. In that department, you are way behind."
Fabian pondered what he meant as they walked away.
She stared at her drink, gently swirling the straw. Her mind closed off to everything but her thoughts, she failed to see the obvious worry her friends wore. After her duel, they had decided to rest for the time being, the time between duels longer as less and less competitors were still in the game. They had all come up to her with big smiles and open arms, but Alice had not returned their jubilation. She had tried, giving them an appreciative smile, but her mind was clearly elsewhere. They wondered what they could do to cheer her up, but nothing came to mind. They couldn't ask Michael, as he had left to speak with Drake in private. Kaiba had returned to his office, trying to process what had happened, Mokuba in tow, trying to keep his brother calm.
"We need to do something." Mai whispered. "Now."
"And what do you suggest?" Tea said, leaning in as everyone else did. "I've never seen Alice depressed before, not like this. None of us have."
"Well, we can't just do nothing. This is Alice, she would be thinking up something if it were anyone of us," Joey pointed out.
"I wish it were that simple," Madeline joined in. "There's a lot more behind this than you know."
They looked at her with intrigue.
Madeline sighed, giving her cousin a side-look, seeing her in her own little world, "I know I shouldn't be telling you guys any of this, but in order for you understand why Alice is so affected by this, you need to know about her past with Fabian, and his past with Exia."
"What do you mean, Madeline?" Yugi asked, sensing the dread in her voice. "What happened? You make it sound like it was something grave."
"It is more than that," Madeline looked down at her lap, too filled with shame to look at them.
Not that long ago, she had been so full of energy and joy. The way her aura just dampened told them how serious this was.
"The truth is..." but she stopped, feeling it instantly.
"What? What happened? Don't just tease us like that! I hate it!" Tristan complained.
"Madeline?" Bakura asked as she stood up and looked at Alice.
Only thing was... "She's gone."
"What?" they looked over, Alice nowhere to be seen. "WHAT?!"
"How did she leave without us noticing?" Mai said, looking around for any sign of the young girl.
"This is Alice we're talking about," Yugi reminded them. "Remember how well Michael sneaks up on us?"
They sweat-dropped as they recalled said-incident.
"We should go find her!" Bakura said, getting ready to dash away at any minute.
"No, there's no need for that," Madeline sighed.
"What are you talking about?" Joey almost yelled. "Alice needs us. We gotta find her."
"You can try, but I doubt you will," Madeline scoffed. "When Alice doesn't want to be found, no one can find her. The only ones who can find her are Michael and their parents. And I don't see any of them around."
They took in what she said. They weren't used to Alice being so distant and sad, but then again, they had only known her for a short time. Wondering what to do next, they were surprised to see Yugi suddenly walking away.
"Yugi, where are you going?" Tea asked.
"Looking for Alice," he responded.
"I already told you, you won't find her," Madeline said.
"That doesn't mean I shouldn't try," Yugi looked back her, taking her aback by his strong stance. "I know there are things about Alice I have yet to know, we all do, but the things I do know make me think that even though she may want to be alone, she really doesn't. People run to escape their problems, no matter how powerful they are. Eveyone deals with it. For Alice, whenever we needed her, she always found the time to help us. We should at least try to do the same. And even if she does turn us down, at the very least, she will still know we care enough to try. That is all anyone really needs to know."
Madeline looked at him astonished. How could someone he barely knew mean that much to him? How could he have that much faith? She thought there were only a few who could be so selfless, yet now...
"Will you please help us find her?" Yugi said. "You know her better than we do. Together we could really do it."
Madeline thought about it, looking around at them. They seemed to ask her with their eyes the same thing. And they held that same fire Yugi did. She could say she knew one thing for certain about him...he was one hell of a motivator.
She relented, "Fine, I can give it a shot."
"YES!" they smiled.
"Let's get to it!" Tristan cheered.
"Right, Madeline, can you think of anything that could help us?" Bakura inquired.
"My best guess would be..." Madeline closed her eyes as she thought, "...Alice would go somewhere secluded, where no one would bother. It would be hard to get into, and with her skills, a cinch for her to hide in. A place overlooked by most...that's what I think."
"It's a start," Yugi nodded. "I'll give Mokuba a call and see if he can help us out."
As they headed out in their own teams, Madeline thought of something else, "Oh! There's something else. You know how Alice loves anything fun and crazy? Look for anything that may fall into the same category as what I told you. It will narrow down the places we can look for her."
They nodded thanks and went their separate ways. Yugi and Madeline led the way with Tea, while Joey, Tristan, and Bakura headed in the opposite direction. Madeline pulled out her phone on the way, hoping Michael could help out. Even though he was busy with Exia business, he would never be too busy to help his little sister, even if she refused him.
Mokuba looked through the video in front of him with sharp eyes, taking in every move, every card played. He grimaced as Fabian made a fatal attack, his opponent none the wiser to his true intentions. But looking through the duels, the young boy could see how different Fabian had been from his duels with strangers as he had been with Alice. Maybe it had to do with their childhood together that made him act that way. Still, even Mokuba could see there something very wrong about him. Looking up from his computer, Mokuba gave his brother a sympathetic look, who was currently pouring through great amounts of work. It always amazed Mokuba how much Kaiba could do in so little time. It was an advantage to being a workaholic.
"Seto?" he asked with as much courage as he could, knowing Kaiba wasn't in the mood to talk.
"What, Mokuba?" Kaiba said distracted.
Mokuba wanted to get it out, but knowing what it would scared him, but still, "You should go talk to her."
That got his attention.
"Excuse me?" Kaiba asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You know what," Mokuba said. "Go talk with Alice, in person, not on the phone."
"I don't have time for that," Kaiba said coldly. "She won, she should be happy. Everyone else is."
"Was she?" Mokuba questioned, placing his laptop to the side and walking over to his brother. "She wasn't smiling, not really. You've seen how big and warm her smile is, Seto. Alice isn't happy. She's really sad."
"And what do you suggest I do about it? Leave all this work undone, head out there and be her Knight-in-Shining Armor? Because she doesn't one, and she certainly doesn't need me," Kaiba snapped. "She's a Nightingale. What can I do, anyway? Go ask Yugi and his friends to help her, she actually cares about them. I can't do anything for her."
"You know that's not true!" Mokuba stomped angrily, catching Kaiba a bit off guard. "Alice does care about you, A LOT! And she does need you, she needs all of us, but I think...I think she needs you a little more."
Mokuba heaved out a heavy sigh. It was a lot of emotion coming out all of a sudden, but Mokuba knew it was good to let it out. He knew Alice would agree with him.
"Seto," he looked at his brother with doe eyes, "you need her too."
"What?" Kaiba stared at him incredulously. "No, I don't. I don't anyone but you, Mokuba. I was fine before I met her, and I am fine now."
"No, you're not," the boy shook his head, his wild, black-blue mane fluttering a bit. "Seto...she makes you smile."
Kaiba couldn't say anything more. He couldn't. As much as he wanted to disagree, he couldn't, because he knew his little brother was right. After finding out who Alice really was, Kaiba would find it hard not to admit how distant he felt from her. She belonged to a whole different world than his. Where he had risen to gain power, she had been born into it. Where he had to prove his worth, she had inherited something far worse: her family's legacy. The Nightingales were powerful, feared, respected, intimidating...theirs was a life not many could live through. Add the secrecy to said lives...what could Seto Kaiba, an orphan boy who had no one but his brother, have to offer to the daughter of one of the most powerful nobles in the world?
"What can I do, Mokie?" Kaiba asked, not certain he would get an answer. "She's beyond me."
Mokuba was surprised by how...weak his brother sounded. This wasn't easy for Kaiba, and he knew it.
"Just go," Mokuba said what came to mind. "Now. Right now. Don't think, just do it."
Kaiba was touched by Mokuba's belief in him. When no one else could get him to do something, Mokuba could. Besides, if he didn't do it, Mokuba would be on him about it for who knew how long.
"Fine, I'm going," Kaiba sighed, not so confident on the inside but looking it on the outside.
"AWESOME! Don't you worry about a thing! I'll let Roland know to take care of this," Mokuba called out as Kaiba strode out of his office.
Beaming proudly, Mokuba jumped into his brother's chair, spinning around, when his phone rang, "Hello? Oh, hey, Yugi! What's up?"
"What can I do now?" Alice asked, no one around to answer her.
Lost in her thoughts, she looked down at the placid, blue pond in front of her. Leaning against a tree, she looked up at the stars, almost real. The pond was in the center of it, a forest surrounding it, almost real. She liked it here, so quiet and peaceful. She wanted to just close her eyes and drift away to sweet sleep. She wished it wasn't so complicated, or rather, that people didn't make it so complicated. She knew Fabian did it all for a good reason, he always did, but this time, even though she understood his nature, it still made no sense. Fabian was all about his work, she had known since they met. But he never went so far for results. It had hit her, hard, that he was responsible for it all, that he had been the one creating those Mischiefs. Those poor people, those children...what had happened to him?
She could do like a normal person and blame it all on Stephan and his horrible influence, but she wasn't that way. As bad as Stephan was, and he was pretty bad, he was not at fault here. Part of her had known from long ago, it was only natural for Fabian to become so pulled into his work, but rather than going the route of her father and her friend Jensen, he had fallen down a darker path. The results mattered more than anything, more than life itself. Would he use her too? Would she become another one of his guinea pigs if she let her guard down? Sadly, Alice knew she probably would. Gazing at the calm pond, her eyes glazing with held in tears, she felt her heart tearing at her.
"Should I do it?" she whispered, her voice hoarse. "Can I do it?"
What she was asking herself made her stomach churn. It was only natural to ask.
"Kill Fabian..." her tears finally broke through, falling along her face.
As she thought about it, she finally broke. Letting out a choked cry, she curled up, letting it out. They had been through so much together, fought together, laughed, lived...and now he was making her decided his fate. Fabian was so thoughtless sometimes...
"I have to!" she sobbed. "I have to! I am a Heartmeister, I am a Nightingale! I have to!"
"Have to what?" her head snapped up, looking at him with wide eyes.
"Seto," she breathed, her tears still falling.
Kaiba was not comfortable seeing her like that, so insecure and torn. She was worse than that time at the park hospital. She immediately looked away.
"How did you find me?" she asked, her voice surprisingly clear.
"Mokuba got a call from Yugi saying you had run off. It wasn't hard to find you when I reminded them you have your duel disk on," Kaiba answered, walking up to her with care.
"I disabled it," she said with her back turned, pointing at her disk as it laid a few feet from her.
"We tracked its last activity and narrowed it a bit from there," Kaiba said as he got closer. "How I found you...your cousin said something about how you like secluded places you feel comfortable in. This place can only be access through a series of automated doors only I can open. Easy enough."
"Aren't you clever?" she sniffled a tad sarcastic.
She wasn't in a good mood. He could tell she was irritable, and this was the first time he had seen her get mad.
"Alice..." Kaiba sighed, just standing by her, not knowing what to do.
"What?" she said a bit angry. "Seto, why are you here? Don't you have a company to run? Not being very responsible here, Mr. Big CEO."
Ouch, that hurt. But he couldn't back down. He had to try, just thinking about what Yugi would say. That didn't make Kaiba want to throw up. He groaned in disgust.
"What's wrong?" Alice asked, seeing the look on his face.
"Just thinking about what Yugi would say right now. He is too bright and happy, makes me gag sometimes," Kaiba admitted. "The power of friendship, you have to believe in the cards, we can do this together, blah, blah, blah...gets on my nerves."
"He's just being nice," Alice told him.
"Yeah, I know, I'm still learning here, remember?" Kaiba said as he sat down.
"Hmm, right," Alice said, wiping her tears. "I'm sorry for my rude behavior. I shouldn't take it out on you."
"You're upset because your psycho friend is hurting people to end the world, rule the world, change the world, whatever one of those," Kaiba listed.
Alice let out a chortled laugh, "Can it be all of the above?"
"Sure, why not? Bad guys do whatever they want."
"Right," she smiled a bit, Kaiba glad she was relaxing. "It really could be any of those. I thought I knew Fabian, that I could tell what his next move would be. I was naïve."
"Alice," Kaiba began.
"I think you of all people would agree," Alice sighed, running a hand through her hair, pulling off the headband and letting her fringe fall over her face. "I should have known better. I was raised better than that. My father always warns me to keep my mind sharp and my heart hard whenever this sort of thing happens...when one of our own turns on us."
"It sounds like he speaks from experience," Kaiba noted.
"In our line of work, it's bound to happen," she looked down at her headband, fiddling with it. "We try our best to prevent, but sometimes, we're just not good enough."
"Hmm, even the mighty Nightingales make mistakes, I am shocked," Kaiba teased her.
She just blanched at him, "I could do without the sarcasm."
"Too bad, two can play that game," he pointed as she had been acting the same just moments before.
"Ugh, fine! I get it, I was rude. I apologized, didn't I?"
"You did, for how you acted just now, not for what you have been keeping from us."
"What?" she looked confused.
Then it hit her.
"Oh, that," she glanced down with a tinge of shame. "I should have mentioned it before. I just forgot to."
"Yeah, I figured," Kaiba scoffed.
Now it was his turn to be mad. And she was going to let him. He had taken her crap, after all.
"It's a sorry excuse, I am aware of it," she looked up, her eyes distant as they remained on the docile water. "I can't say anything to make up for it, only I'm sorry."
"You could also answer my questions," Kaiba told her, his gaze cold.
She didn't have to turn around to see the sour expression he wore. She let out a small laugh.
"I will," Alice said, still staring at the water. "Ask away."
He blinked. That was unexpected. Eying her carefully, Kaiba could see Alice meant it: she really was going to answer his questions, whatever they were. Actually getting what he wanted, he was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to ask first. He had expected Alice to deny everything and avoid the subject altogether. But here she was, ready to give him the answers he was looking for. Normally, he had to fight, tooth and nail sometimes, just to get answers. He wasn't used to this.
"Take your time," she said softly, breaking him from his thoughts. "I will wait for you."
His heart skipped a beat, he had to admit it because of how powerful it had felt. The way Alice said that...there was more meaning behind it than there normally would be. She would wait for him. Taking it in, he turned away, if only for Alice not to see how awkward he looked, at least he thought so. After about five minutes of silence, Alice started fidgeting.
"Um, I know I said I would wait, but we don't have all day. Plus, I just realized I really, really got to pee!" she said as she tried not to think about. "Bad idea coming here, all that water."
Kaiba just stared at her in disbelief. Suddenly, he roared with laughter.
"It's not funny! I got to go bad!" Alice whined.
He kept laughing, wiping away the tears that came out from laughing so hard, "Yeah, it is! You're the most random, strange, unbelievable person I have ever met!"
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" she quirked her eyebrow.
"Yes," Kaiba nodded, "very much so. Alice."
They looked at each other, their eyes meeting. He smiled warmly at her, petting her cheek lightly. The touch of his fingers sent goosebumps all over Alice. She knew she blushing, and turned away. But he wouldn't let her.
"Don't," he ordered, only in a kind tone. "Look at me."
It felt unusual for him yet right. Alice timidly looked up. His hand still on her cheek, how soft her skin was, he didn't know what was doing. It was so unlike him, but it felt so natural.
"Seto," she breathed out, her eyes sparkling.
He felt the words form on their own, and gladly let them loose, "You can wait for me, so I can wait for you."
She stared at him with wet eyes, realizing what he meant. The sadness returning, she fell into his arms, letting herself a moment of weakness, yet again in his embrace. Kaiba held her close. It was more than the past now. What he felt for her had started to form then, and now, in the present, it was taking its real shape: love. It had always been love, he had just been too scared to say it. Yes, the great Seto Kaiba afraid of a four-letter word, but it was what it meant, what it held, that scared him.
"Seto," she cried, "...help me."
She really did need him. He buried his face in her silky hair, the subtle scent of flowers filling his nose. He really didn't want to let go.
From a distance, the young boy quietly signaled his friends, "Back, back!"
Yugi nodded at Mokuba as he and Tea walked back the way they had come. Mokuba had led them to the indoor garden, having a thought where Alice might be. He had been right, and could not smile any bigger if he wanted to.
"It's really happening," he looked up with hands clapped together as he prayed. "I'm going to be an uncle. Thank you!"
Outside, Yugi and Tea smiled at each other.
"I'm so happy for them," Tea said.
"Yeah, but we should get back," Yugi said, walking away fast. "The others may get suspicious and find us here. Some of them may not take this very well."
"Right," Tea giggled, imagining the looks that would be on Joey and Tristan if that were to occur.
Though worried of what would come after the duel between Alice and the one named Fabian, and it was sure to be big, Yugi felt his heart lightened a bit. Knowing Kaiba was finally finding that one thing that could make him truly happy, Yugi sensed many good things coming their way, along with the bad. Now, he just had to make Joey and Tristan, along with Bakura, didn't find out yet about Alice and Kaiba. For a long time. This was not going to be easy.
OMG, it is done! Thank goodness, I was killing myself for not updating sooner, but the brain kind of shuts down when you work 12-13 hours a day between two jobs. I know I complain a lot about my work, but many of you understand where I'm coming from. Others, after you graduate, will too. But anyhoo, I am just happy to update when I can, and I am forever grateful to those of you who stay with me through this. You guys make it totally worth it. Thank you.
Cards I Made Up:
Fountain in the Garden [Trap Card]: While this remains on the field, your monsters cannot be destroyed in battle. You can heal your monsters of battle damage at the end of the battle phase.
Deviant Chance [Magic Card]: Summon a token each time you play a magic card. Increase their LV by and ATK by 100 for every card removed from play.
All The Merrier [Magic Card]: This can only be activated when it has been removed from play and Deviant Chance is in play. Double the ATK and DEF of each Deviant Token in play for each token on the field.
Devil's Fiddle [Magic Card]: For every Light-attribute monster played throughout the duel thus far, increase the ATK of one Dark-attribute monster by 500 for each monster.
Please review, because it makes me so happy!
Preview: Alice and Michael share their past with their friends, and reveal who Johan was, just as he readies for his re-entrance into the world once more.