Soft tapping on the tile floor echoed throughout the hospital room, keeping in perfect rhythm with the ticking of the old, out-of-place wall clock. The room was filled with the latest in medical technology and equipment, all perfectly hand-picked from the most technologically advanced hospitals across the globe. Seto Kaiba wouldn't have it any other way. But the clock, with its second hand spinning round and round, made the room feel off-balance.
The minutes passed slowly, only heightening the pace of Kaiba's foot tapping. Waiting in the cold colored room was making Kaiba's anxiety worse. He had forced himself to sit instead of stand. Standing would only encourage pacing, and pacing would cause even more anxiety.
The television was in perfect view of his seat next to the hospital bed, and Kaiba tried to tell himself to look up and focus on whatever was playing on mute. Following a few failed attempts at looking up from the white floor, Kaiba forced himself to fix his eyes upon the television screen. It only took him a moment or so to recognize Seinfeld, yet even as his eyes concentrated on the characters, he felt as though his mind had been transported to another planet. Kaiba couldn't focus on the show, or the floor, or anything. All he could do was stare in anticipation as he counted the number of rapid heartbeats he swore were going to burst from his chest at any moment.
There was a light rapping at the door and Kaiba shot up like a lightning bolt. The doctor who had tried to stop him from uploading his mind to the virtual world on that fateful day over two years ago walked into the room.
"Greetings, Mr. Kaiba," he said curtly, giving a polite bow with his head, "I didn't mean to startle you." He gestured toward the examination bed, "Please, take a seat here so I can check your vitals."
With a stethoscope, the doctor placed the cold metal against different areas on Kaiba's chest, instructing him to breathe at the correct increments. "Are you sure you don't want to take off your shirt, Mr. Kaiba? It might help me get a better look at—"
"I'm fine."
Ignoring the terse interruption, the doctor took hold of one of Kaiba's wrists and began taking his pulse, staring at the old, ticking clock on the opposite end of the wall. "Your resting heart rate is alarmingly high. How many cups of coffee have you had this morning?"
Kaiba shook his head, refusing to look his doctor in the eye, "I don't remember."
"Have you started smoking cigarettes again?"
"No."
"Really?" The doctor probed, "Then why do you smell like an ashtray? Did you visit a bar to grab a cup of coffee on your way into work this morning?"
When Kaiba refused to answer, the doctor continued, "Does Mokuba know?"
"That's enough!" Kaiba roared, his gaze searing into the questioning medical professional, "I may not be your boss anymore, but I'm still paying you for your medical services, so enough with the shaming!"
"My apologies, Mr. Kaiba, I'm just trying to consider all aspects of your health."
Seething, Kaiba's jawline tensed as he clenched the sterile paper on the examination table, "Then consider time as an aspect and hurry this damn appointment up! You've already wasted too much of my time as it is!"
The doctor nodded, "Yes, sir," and quickly took Kaiba's blood pressure, temperature, and other important vitals. The rest of the examination didn't take long, and Kaiba assumed it was due to the threatening looks he was giving the doctor. He didn't care, he'd had enough of waiting around.
"So?" Kaiba's tone mimicked that of a demanding teenager, waiting for his parents' permission.
The doctor sighed, taking his stethoscope and wrapping it around his neck, "Personally, I don't think you're fit enough to go. Your heart rate and blood pressure are elevated, probably due to your nagging anxiety, and you've lost weight since the last time I saw you, however…" He reached for his tablet, using the touchscreen to scroll through documents. He stopped on a particular page and used a digital pen to sign on the tablet. Flipping over the device, he handed it over to Kaiba, pointing to the patient signature portion. "Those symptoms aren't enough to properly diagnose you with any underlying condition."
Kaiba held the tablet in one and used the touchscreen pen to sign with the other. He handed the device back over to the doctor once he was finished.
"Congratulations, Mr. Kaiba. You're now officially authorized to test out your new virtual world system."
Tea bounced up and down in her airplane seat and tapped her foot to let out some of her anxious energy. After being delayed in New York for over twelve hours due to a minor hurricane, the aircraft had finally landed in Domino City. Now, she was just restlessly waiting to be discharged from the airplane's cabin.
Passengers shuffled through the thin walkway, grabbing their items from the crammed overhead bins. Tea knew that even if she did rise to collect her things, she'd still have to wait for the people in front of her to exit the plane and walk down the airway. Plus, she'd have to walk all the way down to baggage claim to gather her other belongings.
She sighed and looked out the window. In the distance, she could see the dark red hues of the beautiful leaves on the trees, their color standing out against the low-hanging clouds forming on the horizon. The leaves were beginning to fall since it was already late October, but their gorgeous descend toward the ground from the tippy tops of the trees made the scene all the more picturesque. It was moments like this where Tea had truly missed the beauty of Japan. After being away for almost two years, it was time she came home.
Her dancing career had progressed, but not at the rate she had hoped. Instead, Tea made the decision to come home. Her future plans were yet to be determined.
Grabbing her phone and switching it off of airplane mode, she waited a minute or so for her phone to reconnect to cellular service and change time zones. Once the change happened, she noticed there was a new voicemail notification. It had been sent during her overnight flight. She didn't recognize the number but clicked the notification and played the message anyway.
"Hey, it's me."
Tea's world came to a crashing halt. She almost dropped the phone from her ear at the sound of that voice… His voice….
"I know it's been awhile since we last spoke, and from the lack of contact, I assume you no longer want anything to do with me." His voice dropped to a lower region, "I understand… I just wanted to let you know that today's the day… I'm leaving."
Tea's thoughts were quick and jumbled until she realized what he meant. He was going back to the virtual world.
"I don't know how long I'll be gone. If you happen to be on your way home, well…. I was hoping to see you." Tea held her breath during the uncomfortably long pause he had managed to place into the message. "I'm hoping to make it through the virtual world simulation…" His voice kept trailing off as if he couldn't come to terms with his own thoughts during the duration of the message. "I just hope the last time we saw each other wasn't truly goodbye."
The line cut off, and Tea assumed he ran out of time to record his voicemail. She scrolled through her messages to see if there were any others he'd sent. None. Just the single voicemail.
Looking at the timestamp of when the message had been sent, she suddenly panicked, noticing that it was already ten-thirty in the morning. Would she have enough time? Would he already be gone?
She jumped up and out of her seat, pushing past people to reach for her belongings. As she barged her way through the line to exit the aircraft, she heard a few passengers curse at her as she cut past them. Once she was off the aircraft, she bolted, not caring if it raised any suspicion with airport security. She needed to be somewhere, and fast!
The rollers on her carry-on made a disruptive vibrating noise as she sped down the moving walkway toward baggage claim. Once she arrived, she was stopped by someone suddenly grabbing her upper arm. At first, she thought it was just a security guard about to tell her to slow down, or maybe a traveler looking for directions, but her whole world flipped when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.
"Tea?"
She spun around to face the speaker, knowing full well who it was. After all those years, she could never forget a voice like that.
"Yugi!"
Mokuba leaned up against the cold metal door that led to the virtual reality room. He was waiting for his brother to come out of the control room, making sure to block his brother's only entrance. Even though it had been well over two years since Seto had gone into the virtual world to rescue Tea, it still felt too soon for Mokuba. The last thing he was going to do was let his brother waltz right into the virtual world without a fight.
Granted, things were different. The virtual world technology was now exclusively located within the basement of Kaiba Corp. in an effort to prevent any major damages from repeating themselves. This was a requirement assigned by the board of directors, but Mokuba was easily willing to comply, as long as it meant Seto could continue pursuing his passion.
Deep down, Mokuba knew this was what his brother wanted. Technology was his life, and there was no way Mokuba would be able to stop him from testing out his new creation. But still, Mokuba knew there was someone hidden deep within his brother's heart that he desired more than testing out his newly revamped technology, and he wanted her to be with him right now more than ever.
Seto emerged from the control room, his infamous white trench coat billowing behind him, followed by a group of employees all dressed in white lab coats. Even though Seto was no longer CEO, people still seemed to bend to his will despite his step down from power. Was it his stance? His intimating presence? Mokuba would never know. He'd never feared his brother's wrath like everyone else.
Except for right now.
Out of courteously to Mokuba's newly acquired position, Seto slightly bowed his head and spoke his younger brother's name with brisk sharpness. Mokuba didn't reply, he chose to stare down his older brother instead.
Catching onto Mokuba's queue, Seto lifted a hand to his posse, "Leave us," he ordered. Within seconds they scattered, and the hallway was empty except for the two brothers.
Only a few silent seconds slipped by before Mokuba spoke, "Seto, you can't go through with this."
Seto responded curtly, "The prototype is complete. This is the last step before the product goes to market."
Gritting his teeth, Mokuba began to raise his voice, "Quit talking business with me, Seto, this is serious! What if you get hurt? What if you don't come back?"
"Everything's been cleared, Mokuba. I have to do this."
"What about Tea?"
Seto visibly sulked, looking more irritated than usual, if that was even possible. "What about her?"
"What if she comes and it's too late?'
He made a move for the door behind Mokuba, grasping the cold, metal handle before saying, "Then it's too late."
Quickly, Mokuba placed his hand over his brother's, stopping him from opening the door, "But what about Yugi?" Seto's eyes narrowed at the name, "Do you think he'll stop her?"
Seto had filled in Mokuba on his relationship with Tea right after coming back from New York City. He told his younger brother about the note he left for her with the option she had on helping Seto test out the new and improved virtual technology. As time went on and the deadline for the project approached, Seto worried about the choice he gave her, afraid she might make a mistake and choose to test the virtual world without fully thinking it through. After everything they had gone through the first time, Seto wanted to be sure that this was what she wanted. More importantly, he wanted her to be sure that he was who she wanted.
And that's where Yugi came in.
Subsequently hearing that she was coming home, Seto reached out to Yugi, asking him to try to stop Tea before she made a rash decision.
Seto just glared at his brother. A few moments ticked by before the elder Kaiba let out a disheartened sigh, "I'm hoping he does stop her."
Mokuba objected, "But I thought you wanted Tea to come with you?"
Seto's eyes sunk low toward the floor, "I do… But I don't want her to come for the same reason you don't want me to go."
Mokuba's eyes sank as well, "I see…" Even though Seto's technology had vastly improved from two years ago, there was always a risk of complications, and after what happened last time, Mokuba was still very weary of it all.
"I wouldn't have asked Yugi to stop her if I didn't think it would work."
Letting his hand fall slowly to his side, Mokuba gave his brother a sympathetic look, "You're giving her one last chance, aren't you? The free will she never got the first time around…" Mokuba was all too familiar with the entire ordeal of Tea's parents signing her life away to Kaiba Corp. so the company could essentially use her as their Guinea pig. He had helped initiate the process in the hope that she'd wake up out of her coma quicker. Even though Tea was now alive and well, the journey wasn't without consequence.
Seto closed his eyes, taking in a tinge of guilt. "Yes..."
Mokuba tried protesting, "Even after everything you two have been through?"
"What other choice do I have but to give her one last option?" Seto opened his eyes, turning the handle, but not yet opening the door. "If she shows up today before I leave for the virtual world, I won't be able to let her go. This is her last shot at freedom."
Mokuba chuckled lightly, "You make it sound like dating you is a prison sentence."
"I just want her to make the right choice."
The younger Kaiba shook his head, his neatly groomed raven hair falling slightly out of place, "No, there isn't a right or wrong choice. You just want to be sure she's picking you because she loves you."
Seto smirked, "I already know she does," he inched toward the brink between the hallway and the room, "I just want her to choose what's best for herself."
Seto's words resonated with Mokuba to the point where he finally understood. Seto wanted Tea, there was no doubting that, but he wanted to be sure that Tea was using her head and not her heart. Yugi was the perfect buffer because for a second time Tea would have to rethink all of her decisions. If she showed up today it would be purely out of her own deliberate thinking, not just because she was wearing her heart on her sleeve.
Seto opened the door to the virtual reality room and crossed the threshold. Mokuba held his breath as he watched his brother through the window. In no time at all, Seto began to prep for his new journey, whether he was going solo or not.
And judging by Seto's urgency, Tea was running out of time.
"Yugi!? What are you doing here?"
"I came to pick you up." His voice was low and strangely disconnected. Tea instantly knew something was up.
"What's the matter?"
He faked a smile, "Nothing! It's great to see you, Tea." Seeing Yugi after all these years was a shock to Tea's system. Reluctantly, he leaned into her, giving her a soft hug before pulling away and reaching for her carry on. "Are you ready to go?"
Time stood still as Tea watched Yugi grab her things and walk away. Was she dreaming? The last time they spoke was roughly two years ago when she'd broken up with him. Could Yugi actually be this forgiving? To that, Tea didn't know, but she guessed that there was something else going on here.
For a moment, she forgot where she was, and noticed Yugi was already about thirty yards away from her. "Why are you here?" She yelled down the hall. A few people gave her sideways glances, but nothing that disrupted the normal ebb and flow of a crowd in an airport.
Yugi halted, turning on his heel like a smooth spinning top. Tea noticed he was much taller than the last time she'd seen him. "I already told you, didn't I?" He cocked his head to the side, sending her a look of confusion. But for the briefest moment, Tea saw the seriousness in his eyes; that little something that hadn't been there before. Tea quickly recognized he had something to hide.
She met him halfway, glaring at him. His taller stature made it a bit more difficult for her to intimidate him now. Throughout the years she'd been the one looking down upon him. This new stature felt alien and awkward. Even still, she allowed her eyes to rip into his, searching for an answer. The deep violet tones of his eyes were kind, yet stern. And that's when Tea knew…. His eyes were never stern.
A deafening crack ripped through the atmosphere and almost everyone in the airport responded with a startled jump. Tea looked around for a moment until her ears were met with another soul-shattering sound.
Gripping her hand, Yugi began to pull her along. "We're under a typhoon warning. Didn't you see the clouds rolling in from the plane?" His tone and movements felt rushed, "Let's go get your stuff, quickly."
Tea stood still and ripped her hand from his. "Stop! Where's my mother? She's supposed to be here to pick me up."
"She called me to do it."
The blandness of his voice was beginning to drive her nuts. This wasn't the peppy Yugi she knew. Maybe he hadn't forgiven her? She couldn't blame him if that were so.
"So, you're doing her a favor?" He nodded. Nevertheless, Tea jumped on his pitiful gesture, folding her arms over her chest and addressing him condescendingly, "Then where's my father? I suppose he couldn't pick me up either?"
Yugi refused to speak. The once friendly and bright eyes of Tea's former best friend became disturbingly hollow. It seemed so unnatural for Yugi, and in a way not all that unfamiliar. In fact, he was beginning to remind Tea of Atem. Their resemblance had always been uncanny, and one could always tell them apart. But now it seemed as if the stern, strong pharaoh was standing before her and not the Yugi she'd come to know so well.
"You show up here after all this time… after I break your heart… I don't understand… What's going on, Yugi?"
The violet hues of his eyes were contemplative, staring back at her in deep conviction. He was holding back the truth. Letting his gaze fall from hers, he turned his back to her and said, "I need to bring you home."
She shook her head, "No, I can't go home just yet. I need to get to Kaiba right away!" Suddenly, she realized she hadn't even called him! She'd gotten his message and ran with it, not even knowing where he was. The virtual world technology couldn't be in the same warehouse it was kept in before since Kaiba had burned it down. She was left with a mission and nowhere to go.
Reaching for her purse she dug around until she located her cell phone. She was about to dial Kaiba's number but Yugi's words stunned her. "He's gone, Tea."
Her mouth dropped open and her voice broke, "Gone… What do… What do you mean he's gone?"
Yugi stayed silent, his back still facing her. She saw how broad his shoulders had become, and then noticed how they tensed at her words. Yugi was a dreadful liar and he was still concealing the truth.
She went from confused to demanding, "Where is he!?" The whites of her knuckles became paler and paler as she held her phone in a death-grip. Yugi refused to turn back around and Tea gritted her teeth, yelling, "Tell me, Yugi!"
"I assumed you already knew…." Yugi turned around, finally facing her, "He's back in the virtual world."
Disbelief overwhelmed her. She felt her knees growing weaker and weaker by the second. "No, that can't be right. Kaiba just called me. He said he was leaving today."
Suddenly, the sternness in Yugi's eyes lifted, "He called you? When?"
"I got a voicemail from him once I landed."
Yugi brushed her off, "It could've been from the time change. He left already, Tea."
She shook her head violently, "No, no! There's still a chance he hasn't left yet!"
Just then, another roar of thunder came crashing over them. People in the airport started moving quicker in the hope that they'd reach their destination before the storm hit.
"We can reach him before the storm comes!" The urgency in her voice was growing, "Please, Yugi!"
He sighed, "You don't even care that I'm here, do you?"
Tea wasn't quite sure how to answer his question. Thankfully, he continued for her.
There was another heavy sigh, "Kaiba sent me. He told me everything and he sent me here to stop you."
Her eyes widened, "What?" So, this was the truth he'd been trying to hide? Kaiba made him do this? Tea's thoughts ran wild as she tried to think of all the reasons Kaiba would have for sending his rival to pick up his lover.
"He wants you to reconsider his offer." There it was.
Shocked and shaking, Tea almost screamed at Yugi, frustrated with him. He was in her way, but it wasn't his fault… he was doing what Kaiba requested of him. If she was frustrated at anyone, it was Kaiba for playing these games with her. Did he want her or not?
"He wants what is best for you, and so do I, that's why I'm here."
"How would any of you know what's best for me!?"
"Tea," Yugi began in a softer voice, attempting to calm her down, "Kaiba still feels guilty for putting you in the virtual world in the first place. Do you really think he wants you to go back, even if the virtual world is safe to test?"
Another clap of thunder rolled overhead, interrupting nothing. Filling the void between them.
Yugi decided to continue, "I saw what the virtual world did to you. I waited for you. I don't want to wait again."
This took her by surprise, "What are you saying, Yugi?"
He sent her a sympathetic smile, "I don't want to lose a friend."
After all this time, Yugi had forgiven her. Tea wasn't in shock, but rather thankful to know one of her best friends never truly changed after all. Tears struck her unexpectedly, like the rain that began to fall outside, and she lunged into the arms of her friend. "I'm so sorry."
Patting her lightly on the back, he replied, "You don't need to be sorry, Tea."
"But I am, Yugi…" she pulled away from him. There was no mistaking the determination on her tear-stained face. "…Because I have to do this."
There was a moment of mutual understanding that passed between the two. Yugi could no longer delay her of her destiny, "Then don't let me be the one to stop you."
A commanding clap of thunder tore through the sky, signaling that Tea's time was rapidly running out. A quick glance at a nearby television showed the weather's radar, and the graphics of the storm made Tea's heart almost skip a beat. She needed to get to Kaiba before the typhoon hit, because this was about to be the storm of the century…
A/N: Hey everyone, I'm back! I know I haven't posted in a while and I'm really sorry (please don't kill me). I've been training for a huge run coming up and I just got back from Riviera Maya a couple days ago! I need to stop taking all these lavish vacations or else I'll never finish this story. If you want to see some of my vacation pictures, follow me on Instagram (shaybaybaymarie). Or, if you want to hunt me down on there and demand I post a new chapter, you can do that as well.
Get ready for the ending, it's on its way! I figured this would be a good place to stop for now. I wanted to give you guys more, but this chapter was already getting a bit long. Please let me know what you think and if you're excited for the next one! Thanks for reading!
