"Wow, I think this is the first time we've been in your mansion not under tragic circumstances." Joey remarked as Kaiba led them through the mansion to the large dining hall. "Yeah, now everything looks a lot nicer." Téa added, looked around the intricate keepsakes. Paintings and portraits looked livelier and happy. They reached the dinner hall and Kaiba dramatically pushed the double golden door open. "Wow!" Tristan said in a hushed voice. Joey nodded, agreeing to his best buddy. "I don't believe this?" Ryou murmured, staring around him with astonishment. "Is this possible?" "It's.so beautiful." Téa smiled, her eyes brightening. The large room was decorated with flowers everywhere. From the thick carpet to creeping up the walls to hanging on the crystal chandelier. Crown of flowers and wreathes decorated the chairs and tables. Wild flowers came up to their knees while the garlands of roses adorned the long table. It wasn't one or two bouquets of flowers. It had to be counted by the hundred of pounds. Arielle and Mokuba were wrestling in the flower petals like children rolling in autumn's leaf piles. Their footsteps crushed the delicate velvety petals under their feet, causing more flower fragrance to linger in the air around them. "It was the kids' idea." Kaiba beamed, looking pleased. Téa stooped down and picked up a blossom, holding the fragrant blossom to her nose. All of a sudden, she stopped. "That's why everything always looked so.peculiar whenever I'm over." She looked up at the tall teen beside her. "Kaiba, I've seen every and any kind of valuable pieces in your mansion. But never, ever have I seen flowers or anything alive inside the building, besides you and Mokuba." Kaiba smiled knowingly.smugly. Téa saw this and accused, "I'm right, aren't I? This was the first time fresh flowers had entered this house!" "Lookee, Yami, lookee, Joey!" Arielle came running over, her fingers clutched something around her neck. "Lookee at what Seto gave me." Immediately, to Téa's amusement, all the guys dropped to their knees fussing fondly at the young girl. "And what have you got their, sweetheart?" Yami crooned, ruffling Arielle's dark auburn hair. "Yeah, ya gonna show ya're best buddy Joey here?" Joey's familiar Brooklyn twang snitched in the air. "My, don't you look charming in that dress today." Ryou smiled warmly at the doll-sized figure. "Here, Arielle, let me put this flower in your hair," Yugi offered, holding out a pink bud that he had plucked from the bank of flowers. Right after the tri-colored hair boy tucked the flower behind her ear, Tristan came from behind and picked Arielle up, swinging here around and around. Both of them laughed as he finally stopped and clutched her tightly toward him. "Aren't you going to pay any attention to me?" He teased. "After all, who's your favorite, huh?" "You." She giggled. Everyone smile at the warm sight. Somehow, without knowing how, this little orphan had worked her way into the deepest part of their hearts. Like the sunshine that warms everyone's day without knowing. "Bakura would have loved to see this." Ryou's whisper reached all of their ears. The merriment stopped and Téa stood up, the white rosebud still held between her fingers. Tristan sat Arielle down. Everyone was silent, until Arielle walked over to the most luscious and fresh flower pile in the room, where the sun was streaming through the window. She delicately took the flower in her hair off and held it in her hand, staring at it. Then, she gently laid it on the top of the pile of flowers. Téa was second after her hesitant to go near the grieving girl. But she laid her white rose blossom beside Arielle's pink blossom. The guys watched in silence as Téa and Arielle stood in front of the pile. "Good-bye, Bakura." Téa whispered. The younger girl's lips were murmuring a silent prayer as well. When they finally looked back, their eyes filled with unshed tears. "Hey, Kaiba," Joey broke the silence. "Does all this fresh flower mean--" Kaiba smiled. "No more shadows, Joey, no more scars. Only the light of the day and the coming of tomorrow. I've got a life to live, after all," he looked at Arielle and Mokuba, who were now tossing flowers at each other. "Who would set a good example for them besides me? They're my responsibility now and I've got to go on for them. You can't change your past.but, you can change your future." He gave them a sad, but confident smile. "That's what Bakura taught me, and that's what he learned from Arielle. He may not have changed his past, but he changed his future into something worthwhile. That's what he taught me through his last act of devotion." "Oh, yeah!" Arielle's voice piped up behind them. She ran up to them once again and dangled something in front of their eyes. It was a locket. A rectangular locket that both Kaiba brothers have around their neck. "See!" She crowed. She snapped it open and a picture of Mokuba and Kaiba smiled down at them. "Officially part of the family now, I see." Tristan chuckled. "Gee, Kaiba," Joey poked for fun. "What's on your face there? What's on your lips? Is that a smile I see?" He burst into gales of laughter. The rest of the group leaned forward for a closer inspection. Kaiba turned dark crimson, and lurched to snap the locker shut. "Shut up, you stupid Chihuahua!" He snapped. "Arielle's going to stay here for ever and I get to be her big brother." Mokuba proudly told Yugi, presenting him his ward. He also showed him inside his locket, where a picture of Arielle stood out on the other side. "But I still love you, big brother." He added. "I love you, too!" Arielle echoed. Everyone watched Kaiba's reaction. Was he going to brush them off like every time someone was there? Or had he really changed? Is he going to keep his word and let the sprays of flower seal his words? They held their breath. "I love you guys, too." Kaiba finally said softly, his eyes reflecting tenderness and love. "With all of my heart." The sun seemed to have brightened as Mokuba Kaiba and Arielle Kaiba surrounded the oldest Kaiba. From the audience, they knew at least one flower had rooted and blossomed correctly and beautifully among the whole room of flowers. And like Louisa May Alcott had declared in one of her books: For love is a flower that grows in any soil, works its sweet miracles undaunted by autumn frost or winter snow, blooming fair and fragrant all the year, and blessing those who give and those who receive.