It was three hours past midnight. Rain was showering powerfully outside the
Kaiba Mansion. Lightening flashed and faint thunders were heard through the
clouds. Kaiba was shifting through his office work half-heartedly. Mokuba's
deep breathing was comforting to hear, knowing that he hadn't mess up
everyone's life yet. He flipped through the papers swiftly, landing
signatures here and there, checking his consent in the others, and marking
appointments and conferences in his laptop planner through the whole thing.
He was in the middle of a signature before the startling screech of the phone sliced through the silence of the night, scaring him so bad that the application he was signing was ruined from his despicable signature. He snatched up the phone, looking back to make sure it didn't wake Mokuba, before biting the head off the person who dared to call so late. "What the he--" He began before listening intently. "Yes. Very well. We'll be there." He ended the conversation curtly. He sat still, waiting and listening to his own heart beat for precisely thirty seconds before opening the door of his room and headed down the hallway. He hesitated outside her door, wondering if he shouldn't be doing this in the middle of the night. His honor and esteem told him it wouldn't be proper and would probably invade the privacy of the young dancer. But his heart told him to go on. He opened the door quickly and slipped in. He closed the door and faced it. "Téa?" A stir was heard as the deep and throaty whispering of the CEO tangled in the room along with her docile feminine fragrance. "Kaiba?" A shuffle was heard as her delicate voice whispered back. "What's wrong?" He turned around, hoping that wouldn't be a mistake. He walked toward the bed as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. "The technician called," he said quietly, facing the wall adjacent to her bed. "He has the helicopter ready. But if we can wait until noon, then it's possible that the plane would be ready as well, that way, all of us could go." He paused. "What do you think?" He could hear Téa push back the comforter and slid out of the bed. He pushed his wondering of what she looks like out of his mind and focused on their main dilemma. But he couldn't help wondering. No females have ever stayed in the same house he had ever since his mom died. "Then we should leave right away." She said firmly. "Wait for me to get dressed and I'll help you wake up the others." She stopped for a vague moment. "Don't turn around, okay?" He heard her order uncertainly before "Uh," Kaiba shifted uncomfortably. "That won't be necessary. I can wake them by myself." "But that'll take too long." He heard her struggle on her clothes while protesting. "You have assigned people throughout this whole floor. And this floor is huge! It won't take me long to get dressed." He smirked with enjoyment at her unconcealed naivete. "You don't really think I'd have to walk through the entire mansion just to wake them up, do you?" He asked innocently. Without waiting for an answer nor turning around, he reached for the wall beside the bed and flicked on a few buttons, then disconnected the microphone from the wall and boomed, "ALRIGHT, RISE AND SHINE ALL YOU PATHETIC PUPPIES OUT THERE! GET MOVING!" Téa giggled as thuds and a few yells were heard as people were startled from their bed. From along the long hallway, they could hear doors being opened and they heard Joey's Brooklyn inflection groan, "That wasn't an enjoyable way to wake up. I bet that Kaiba did it on purpose." Kaiba smirked. He had done it on purpose. Anything to annoy the dog. "You didn't wake up Mokuba, did you?" he heard Téa ask from behind him. "Nope. Didn't set the microphone to his intercom. Not Ryou's either. Are you done?" "Yep." Kaiba turned around. They walked to the door and Kaiba flung it open. "Get dressed, all of you, and come down to the living room. We need to discuss something." He announced, accompanying it was a few groans from Joey and Tristan's side. But everyone did as they were told and met downstairs just as Téa came in with mugs of steaming coffee. They settled down and took long sips of the soothing drink. "The technician called," Kaiba finally said. "He said the helicopter's ready. But if all of us were to go, we'd need to wait for the plane. I want to hear your opinions." "You woke us up at three-thirty in the morning just to hear our opinions?" Joey complained. "Forget it. I'm going back to sleep." With that, the blonde leaned back and prepared to snooze. "So we've got one opinion." Kaiba raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Somebody doesn't care." "Whoa! Hold it!" The New York boy opened his eyes and sat back up. "I never said I didn't care." "Oh, really?" Kaiba looked at him with tired eyes and said dryly. "Could have fooled me with your actions." "Hey, guys," Yugi interrupted before Joey could retort. "I think." he stopped, appearing to be thinking. "I think you guys should leave now. I do want to go with you, I'm sure we all do, but Arielle might be in danger right now. Our friendship is strong enough even if some of us stay here. We don't need to be there to be supporting you. We'll support you from here." "Yugi's right." Tristan added, suppressing a yawn. "We'll be here for you. It'll be like we're right there." "I think they're right." Yami looked serious. His violet eyes looked steadily from one member to the other. "Arielle's life may be in danger right now. If we wait any longer, it may be too late. After all, we don't know what Pegasus had planned." "Yeah, besides, we've wasted enough time." Téa looked anxious. "Téa," Yami focused on her. "You sure you want to do this? This isn't going to be a tea party, you know." Téa swallowed hard and nodded. Certainty glint in her eyes. "I could never be more sure about something." She said, twisting the napkin in her hands. "Arielle needs me." Everyone was silent during the trip to Kaiba's private heliport. A bolt of lightening flashed above the limo and a tremendous thunder rumbled, making everyone in the limo jump. Téa bit her lips and Joey swallowed hard. "Sorry to ask you this, Kaiba." Téa finally mumbled. "But is this car safe from thunderstorms?" She got no answer, for the silence was taking over in the limo. She looked up. "Kaiba?" "Thunderstorm..." Kaiba said softly, his eyes raised to the storm clouds above. "What did you say, Kaiba?" Yami's deep voice questioned. "Arielle is scared of thunderstorms." Kaiba couldn't control the slight tremor in his voice. "She can't stand them." "Oh, Kaiba." Téa scoot closer to the tall CEO, trying to comfort him, but Kaiba continued, "She came over to my bed during every thunderstorm." He swallowed hard. "But this time, I'm not with her."
Meanwhile... "I want Seto!!" Arielle wailed in Pegasus castle. Men and security flooded in and out of the room, wanting to do all they could to quiet down this little angel so they can all get some sleep. But Arielle would not be comforted. She wanted Seto Kaiba and Seto Kaiba only. No one can convince her otherwise. "For Christ's sake, child!" Pegasus was exasperated as the little girl pounded against his chest. He had lowered his dignity and tried cuddling the little creature, but that little creature apparently would not take anyone for substitute except for the one and only Seto Kaiba. Everyone in the castle merely wanted to get a goodnight's sleep, but unless they can calm Arielle down, that dream will go down the drain. "Let me take a whack at it," A dark voice said suddenly behind the whole group of men. Everybody turned around. The teen behind them smiled dangerously. "I thought I might take a chance at quieting the child." Yami Bakura smirked. He walked into the room. Men parted for this eerily glowing spirit. "If you think you could." Pegasus nodded his permission as he set Arielle down and stood up. Arielle didn't seize her crying when she saw the Albino thief. In fact, if there was anything that did increase, it was her crying. She jumped up from the bed and flung herself into Bakura's arms. "Bakura," she sobbed. "Take me home. Please take me home." The simple sound of her crying was heartbreaking and the clearing of throats were heard all around the room. She seldom spoke of her loss, but Bakura often heard a stifled sobbing in the little bed at night, even during their stay in the cabin. And when he went to comfort her, all her cry was, "I want Seto! Oh, I want my big brother!" For the tie between the two had been very tender one and the child's heart bled when it was broken. "Shhh," He soothed, stroking her back, trying to calm this hysterical creature. "Why don't you get back to bed and I'll tell you a story?" He covered her in the comforters and brushed a stand of her silky copper colored hair away from her teary face. "5,000 years ago, back in ancient Egypt, there was an almighty pharaoh." As the former tomb robber continued with the enchanting tale, sighs and relaxed breathing were heard at the achievement of what seems like the impossible. Bakura felt himself being calmed as the story went on. However, in the middle of describing the engaging maiden, a voice interrupted, "You're not going to take me home, are you, Bakura?" Arielle's eyes had turned hard, something Bakura didn't even know she was capable of, and her voice was deadly cold. "Now, Arielle." He began. But Arielle ignored the soothing tone and hurled the comforter off. "You're not going to help!" She accused, her voice incredulous as if just realizing her situation. "You want me to stay here! You weren't planning to help me at all. You are helping Pegasus! You're.you're just like him!!" "Hey, now wait a second--" The white haired teen protested, but didn't get his chance before hard objects were launched at him. "I HATE YOU!" The six-year-old screamed, throwing everything she could get her hands on at him. "I hate you, Bakura! You and all your worth! You were never my friend in the beginning! You are just as mean and bad as they told me you were." Her sobs echoed around the tower once again. "I thought you were my friend. I thought you cared! You're just like Pegasus, even down to your very last hair! It turned out that you're nothing but a-- " The girl was too out of control to be worrying about her language. Bakura ducked repeatedly at the objects she got her hands on, while protesting on his part. "Arielle, wait! I didn't--" A wooden box was thrown at him. "I don't even--" "GET OUT!" Arielle was exhausted. Her spirits were broken and torn. All she wanted was to be alone. "Get out, Bakura! I hate you! I hate all of you! Leave me alone!!" Her aiming was too precise and furious to be confronted, so the men did the next best thing--they ran for their lives out of the room. "Would you like us to proceed with the procedure, Mr. Pegasus, sir?" One of the hefty securities asked once they were all in the safety outside the door. "We might as well." Pegasus looked out of breath. His hand was clasped at his heart. "No point in waiting till morning, the sun will be up soon. I have no more use for her." With a flick of his wrist, another bulky guard carrying a dark briefcase walked up. "Shall I just.walk in, sir?" "Do you dare?" Pegasus scowled, "Or should I put it this way, do you dare to disobey my orders?" His voice was deadly and the guard didn't ponder over his decision. "Right away, sir." Bakura watched from the side. The man looked nervous and beads of moisture formed on his forehead as he put his hand on the door handle. "Get to it!" Pegasus barked from the side. The man flung the door open and walked in. He walked out a moment later, an empty syringe in his hand. "All done?" "All done, sir." The security nodded. "She wouldn't last very long." That's when Bakura noticed the oddness of all of this. "Hold on a second, you mortal." He halted him. "What do you mean she wouldn't last very long? Don't you mean 'it' wouldn't last very long?" "No, I meant exactly what I said." The guard looked upon him steadfastly. "What did you mean?" Bakura's lowered his voice dangerously. "I thought you gave her a shot of tranquilizer to calm her down." "Then you have mistaken this whole operation." Pegasus said airily. "What our security had just given Arielle was a shot of anti-ancestral for her body system." "Which means?" "It's a shot that would give her a rare defect in ultraviolet radiation induced DNA repair mechanisms characterized by severe sensitivity to all sources of UV radiation, especially to sunlight." "I still don't get it." "It's really easy if you think about it. We do this so we would leave no evidence in foul play." Pegasus smirked proudly. "In fact, this is another way of using Xeroderma Pigmentosum as our weapon. The only difference is that XP is a real genetic defect, we merely used an imitation. And that real XP would cause blisters ad welts as well as blindness and disability, in our imitation, we spare you the looks. She would simply.well.let me make it easy for you, immortal. If sunlight lights on any part of her body, she will die. The sun's ultraviolet radiation would no doubt kill her." "You've got to be kidding me!" Bakura lunged forward and caught hold of Pegasus's collar. "Believe me, I'm not. There is no cure for what we've already done to her. The DNA damage is cumulative and irreversible."
"You guys be careful, you hear me?" Tristan said as their friend aboard the helicopter. "We will." Téa assured as she struggled to fasten her seatbelt. She gave a frustrated exclamation as the buckle caught hold of her hair in her rush. "Here, I've got it." Joey climbed up after her and assisted her with the uncooperative belt. He climbed back down and shuffled his feet. "Bring her home." He mumbled. Then he perked up, "Yo, Yami, I don't have to remind you to take care of my girl for me, do I?" "Nope." Yami looked over Kaiba' shoulder and gave them a thumbs-up sign. "We'll bring her home. Both of them. Don't you worry." "We'll be waiting right here for you when you return!" Yugi called as the helicopter roared to life. Everyone took a step back and stared up at the helicopter as its rotating propellers caused angry gust to swirl around them. "Good luck!!" They yelled as the helicopter lifted high into the air, then disappeared into the clouds.
He was in the middle of a signature before the startling screech of the phone sliced through the silence of the night, scaring him so bad that the application he was signing was ruined from his despicable signature. He snatched up the phone, looking back to make sure it didn't wake Mokuba, before biting the head off the person who dared to call so late. "What the he--" He began before listening intently. "Yes. Very well. We'll be there." He ended the conversation curtly. He sat still, waiting and listening to his own heart beat for precisely thirty seconds before opening the door of his room and headed down the hallway. He hesitated outside her door, wondering if he shouldn't be doing this in the middle of the night. His honor and esteem told him it wouldn't be proper and would probably invade the privacy of the young dancer. But his heart told him to go on. He opened the door quickly and slipped in. He closed the door and faced it. "Téa?" A stir was heard as the deep and throaty whispering of the CEO tangled in the room along with her docile feminine fragrance. "Kaiba?" A shuffle was heard as her delicate voice whispered back. "What's wrong?" He turned around, hoping that wouldn't be a mistake. He walked toward the bed as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. "The technician called," he said quietly, facing the wall adjacent to her bed. "He has the helicopter ready. But if we can wait until noon, then it's possible that the plane would be ready as well, that way, all of us could go." He paused. "What do you think?" He could hear Téa push back the comforter and slid out of the bed. He pushed his wondering of what she looks like out of his mind and focused on their main dilemma. But he couldn't help wondering. No females have ever stayed in the same house he had ever since his mom died. "Then we should leave right away." She said firmly. "Wait for me to get dressed and I'll help you wake up the others." She stopped for a vague moment. "Don't turn around, okay?" He heard her order uncertainly before "Uh," Kaiba shifted uncomfortably. "That won't be necessary. I can wake them by myself." "But that'll take too long." He heard her struggle on her clothes while protesting. "You have assigned people throughout this whole floor. And this floor is huge! It won't take me long to get dressed." He smirked with enjoyment at her unconcealed naivete. "You don't really think I'd have to walk through the entire mansion just to wake them up, do you?" He asked innocently. Without waiting for an answer nor turning around, he reached for the wall beside the bed and flicked on a few buttons, then disconnected the microphone from the wall and boomed, "ALRIGHT, RISE AND SHINE ALL YOU PATHETIC PUPPIES OUT THERE! GET MOVING!" Téa giggled as thuds and a few yells were heard as people were startled from their bed. From along the long hallway, they could hear doors being opened and they heard Joey's Brooklyn inflection groan, "That wasn't an enjoyable way to wake up. I bet that Kaiba did it on purpose." Kaiba smirked. He had done it on purpose. Anything to annoy the dog. "You didn't wake up Mokuba, did you?" he heard Téa ask from behind him. "Nope. Didn't set the microphone to his intercom. Not Ryou's either. Are you done?" "Yep." Kaiba turned around. They walked to the door and Kaiba flung it open. "Get dressed, all of you, and come down to the living room. We need to discuss something." He announced, accompanying it was a few groans from Joey and Tristan's side. But everyone did as they were told and met downstairs just as Téa came in with mugs of steaming coffee. They settled down and took long sips of the soothing drink. "The technician called," Kaiba finally said. "He said the helicopter's ready. But if all of us were to go, we'd need to wait for the plane. I want to hear your opinions." "You woke us up at three-thirty in the morning just to hear our opinions?" Joey complained. "Forget it. I'm going back to sleep." With that, the blonde leaned back and prepared to snooze. "So we've got one opinion." Kaiba raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Somebody doesn't care." "Whoa! Hold it!" The New York boy opened his eyes and sat back up. "I never said I didn't care." "Oh, really?" Kaiba looked at him with tired eyes and said dryly. "Could have fooled me with your actions." "Hey, guys," Yugi interrupted before Joey could retort. "I think." he stopped, appearing to be thinking. "I think you guys should leave now. I do want to go with you, I'm sure we all do, but Arielle might be in danger right now. Our friendship is strong enough even if some of us stay here. We don't need to be there to be supporting you. We'll support you from here." "Yugi's right." Tristan added, suppressing a yawn. "We'll be here for you. It'll be like we're right there." "I think they're right." Yami looked serious. His violet eyes looked steadily from one member to the other. "Arielle's life may be in danger right now. If we wait any longer, it may be too late. After all, we don't know what Pegasus had planned." "Yeah, besides, we've wasted enough time." Téa looked anxious. "Téa," Yami focused on her. "You sure you want to do this? This isn't going to be a tea party, you know." Téa swallowed hard and nodded. Certainty glint in her eyes. "I could never be more sure about something." She said, twisting the napkin in her hands. "Arielle needs me." Everyone was silent during the trip to Kaiba's private heliport. A bolt of lightening flashed above the limo and a tremendous thunder rumbled, making everyone in the limo jump. Téa bit her lips and Joey swallowed hard. "Sorry to ask you this, Kaiba." Téa finally mumbled. "But is this car safe from thunderstorms?" She got no answer, for the silence was taking over in the limo. She looked up. "Kaiba?" "Thunderstorm..." Kaiba said softly, his eyes raised to the storm clouds above. "What did you say, Kaiba?" Yami's deep voice questioned. "Arielle is scared of thunderstorms." Kaiba couldn't control the slight tremor in his voice. "She can't stand them." "Oh, Kaiba." Téa scoot closer to the tall CEO, trying to comfort him, but Kaiba continued, "She came over to my bed during every thunderstorm." He swallowed hard. "But this time, I'm not with her."
Meanwhile... "I want Seto!!" Arielle wailed in Pegasus castle. Men and security flooded in and out of the room, wanting to do all they could to quiet down this little angel so they can all get some sleep. But Arielle would not be comforted. She wanted Seto Kaiba and Seto Kaiba only. No one can convince her otherwise. "For Christ's sake, child!" Pegasus was exasperated as the little girl pounded against his chest. He had lowered his dignity and tried cuddling the little creature, but that little creature apparently would not take anyone for substitute except for the one and only Seto Kaiba. Everyone in the castle merely wanted to get a goodnight's sleep, but unless they can calm Arielle down, that dream will go down the drain. "Let me take a whack at it," A dark voice said suddenly behind the whole group of men. Everybody turned around. The teen behind them smiled dangerously. "I thought I might take a chance at quieting the child." Yami Bakura smirked. He walked into the room. Men parted for this eerily glowing spirit. "If you think you could." Pegasus nodded his permission as he set Arielle down and stood up. Arielle didn't seize her crying when she saw the Albino thief. In fact, if there was anything that did increase, it was her crying. She jumped up from the bed and flung herself into Bakura's arms. "Bakura," she sobbed. "Take me home. Please take me home." The simple sound of her crying was heartbreaking and the clearing of throats were heard all around the room. She seldom spoke of her loss, but Bakura often heard a stifled sobbing in the little bed at night, even during their stay in the cabin. And when he went to comfort her, all her cry was, "I want Seto! Oh, I want my big brother!" For the tie between the two had been very tender one and the child's heart bled when it was broken. "Shhh," He soothed, stroking her back, trying to calm this hysterical creature. "Why don't you get back to bed and I'll tell you a story?" He covered her in the comforters and brushed a stand of her silky copper colored hair away from her teary face. "5,000 years ago, back in ancient Egypt, there was an almighty pharaoh." As the former tomb robber continued with the enchanting tale, sighs and relaxed breathing were heard at the achievement of what seems like the impossible. Bakura felt himself being calmed as the story went on. However, in the middle of describing the engaging maiden, a voice interrupted, "You're not going to take me home, are you, Bakura?" Arielle's eyes had turned hard, something Bakura didn't even know she was capable of, and her voice was deadly cold. "Now, Arielle." He began. But Arielle ignored the soothing tone and hurled the comforter off. "You're not going to help!" She accused, her voice incredulous as if just realizing her situation. "You want me to stay here! You weren't planning to help me at all. You are helping Pegasus! You're.you're just like him!!" "Hey, now wait a second--" The white haired teen protested, but didn't get his chance before hard objects were launched at him. "I HATE YOU!" The six-year-old screamed, throwing everything she could get her hands on at him. "I hate you, Bakura! You and all your worth! You were never my friend in the beginning! You are just as mean and bad as they told me you were." Her sobs echoed around the tower once again. "I thought you were my friend. I thought you cared! You're just like Pegasus, even down to your very last hair! It turned out that you're nothing but a-- " The girl was too out of control to be worrying about her language. Bakura ducked repeatedly at the objects she got her hands on, while protesting on his part. "Arielle, wait! I didn't--" A wooden box was thrown at him. "I don't even--" "GET OUT!" Arielle was exhausted. Her spirits were broken and torn. All she wanted was to be alone. "Get out, Bakura! I hate you! I hate all of you! Leave me alone!!" Her aiming was too precise and furious to be confronted, so the men did the next best thing--they ran for their lives out of the room. "Would you like us to proceed with the procedure, Mr. Pegasus, sir?" One of the hefty securities asked once they were all in the safety outside the door. "We might as well." Pegasus looked out of breath. His hand was clasped at his heart. "No point in waiting till morning, the sun will be up soon. I have no more use for her." With a flick of his wrist, another bulky guard carrying a dark briefcase walked up. "Shall I just.walk in, sir?" "Do you dare?" Pegasus scowled, "Or should I put it this way, do you dare to disobey my orders?" His voice was deadly and the guard didn't ponder over his decision. "Right away, sir." Bakura watched from the side. The man looked nervous and beads of moisture formed on his forehead as he put his hand on the door handle. "Get to it!" Pegasus barked from the side. The man flung the door open and walked in. He walked out a moment later, an empty syringe in his hand. "All done?" "All done, sir." The security nodded. "She wouldn't last very long." That's when Bakura noticed the oddness of all of this. "Hold on a second, you mortal." He halted him. "What do you mean she wouldn't last very long? Don't you mean 'it' wouldn't last very long?" "No, I meant exactly what I said." The guard looked upon him steadfastly. "What did you mean?" Bakura's lowered his voice dangerously. "I thought you gave her a shot of tranquilizer to calm her down." "Then you have mistaken this whole operation." Pegasus said airily. "What our security had just given Arielle was a shot of anti-ancestral for her body system." "Which means?" "It's a shot that would give her a rare defect in ultraviolet radiation induced DNA repair mechanisms characterized by severe sensitivity to all sources of UV radiation, especially to sunlight." "I still don't get it." "It's really easy if you think about it. We do this so we would leave no evidence in foul play." Pegasus smirked proudly. "In fact, this is another way of using Xeroderma Pigmentosum as our weapon. The only difference is that XP is a real genetic defect, we merely used an imitation. And that real XP would cause blisters ad welts as well as blindness and disability, in our imitation, we spare you the looks. She would simply.well.let me make it easy for you, immortal. If sunlight lights on any part of her body, she will die. The sun's ultraviolet radiation would no doubt kill her." "You've got to be kidding me!" Bakura lunged forward and caught hold of Pegasus's collar. "Believe me, I'm not. There is no cure for what we've already done to her. The DNA damage is cumulative and irreversible."
"You guys be careful, you hear me?" Tristan said as their friend aboard the helicopter. "We will." Téa assured as she struggled to fasten her seatbelt. She gave a frustrated exclamation as the buckle caught hold of her hair in her rush. "Here, I've got it." Joey climbed up after her and assisted her with the uncooperative belt. He climbed back down and shuffled his feet. "Bring her home." He mumbled. Then he perked up, "Yo, Yami, I don't have to remind you to take care of my girl for me, do I?" "Nope." Yami looked over Kaiba' shoulder and gave them a thumbs-up sign. "We'll bring her home. Both of them. Don't you worry." "We'll be waiting right here for you when you return!" Yugi called as the helicopter roared to life. Everyone took a step back and stared up at the helicopter as its rotating propellers caused angry gust to swirl around them. "Good luck!!" They yelled as the helicopter lifted high into the air, then disappeared into the clouds.