Authoress' Note
Khaki: Hiya!
Miku·Zaro: -_-; Oh Lord.
Khaki: Shut up, you! Anyways, here's the second chapter for anyone who's reading it.if ANYONE besides Kaehimi is reading this! T_T I'm so happy! I got one review! I didn't even expect THAT much!
Miku·Zaro: Get over it. Anyways, Khaki the kirby minion of doom does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!.she just owns me.T_T Why me? *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 2: Mommy's Scrap Book
"So, this is Mokuba?" Téa whispered. Seto nodded. He looked at his little sleeping brother from the doorway. "He's adorable. I wish I had a sibling. I'm an only child, and my dad made me leave home because my mom died and he didn't have enough money to take care of me." Seto looked painfully at Mokuba. Parents. That word struck him in the heart. He hated that word, loathed it.
"Seto?" came a voice from the room, "are you alright, big brother?" Seto looked down and saw his brother coming towards him. Seto's eyes softened.
"Hey, kid," said the older Kaiba, kneeling down so he could hug his little brother. Mokuba rushed to Seto and wrapped his arms around him. Seto embraced him and kissed the top of his head. "How are you, Mokuba?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Seto. Where did you go?" Seto looked at Téa. She stooped down to their level and looked at Mokuba.
"Hi there, Mokuba. I'm Téa Gardner, nice to meet you," she said. She held out her hand for him to shake and he took it.
"Are you going to be my new nanny?" asked the small child. Seto and Téa looked at each other, then Téa looked back.
"Yes I am," she said with a smile.
"Okay. You won't leave, will you?"
"Iie, of course not."
"That's what the others said, but they left anyways."
"Well, I can assure you that I won't leave. Besides, I owe your brother my life." At this, Mokuba was confused. He looked back and forth between Seto and Téa, before his gaze rested on Seto.
"What does she mean, Oniisan?" Seto laughed and shrugged.
"Long story, kid. Now, do you want some lunch?" asked Seto. immediately trying to change the subject. Mokuba nodded and the two teens stood. "Go ahead, Mokuba, we'll be right there," said Seto. Mokuba looked confused.
"But, Seto, what about the light?"
"Don't worry, we closed all the blinds before we came up."
"Okay!" And with that, the little ball of hair dashed down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. Téa looked up at Seto.
"Thank you, again, for saving me, Seto," she said. Seto smiled down at her.
"You don't have to thank me, Téa."
"Well, I want to."
"You're already showing your gratitude by looking after Mokuba for me. You don't have to do anymore. Oh, and I see that your ankle is much better."
"Yeah." She stomped her foot on the ground to show how sturdy it was. "Ya know, I think I'm really gonna like working here. And since you need 24 hour assistance, I guess that makes this my new home, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess it does.
"Well, I'm gonna go ahead downstairs and find Mokuba." Seto nodded and watched Téa skip down the stairs.
'She's even got the heart like my mother,' Seto thought to himself. 'I think I know her from somewhere. But where? Hm, I wonder...' His mind trailed to other thoughts as he walked to the library.
He stayed there the whole day, looking through family albums and picture cases, when at last, he found what he was looking for. He had found his mother's scrap book. She was an artist; she had put all of her favorite pictures in there, along with her children's. He was about to put it up, when a letter fell out from the binding. it was stained yellow from aging and the edges were torn. It was addressed to him.
Seto looked in awe at the paper and unfolded it. He took a deep breath and began to read:
Dear Seto, How is my little one? Ha, well, I guess if you're reading this then you're not so little then, are you? I know that I wasn't always around for you and your brother, but I'd still like to make up for it. I don't know how, but I do. There is something you must know about Téa Gardner. Yes, I know that you hired her to help you with James. I saw it in my visions. That young woman, Seto, is your stepsister, and my daughter. Yes, I adopted you. But I didn't have the heart to tell you, I loved you so much and I always will. I never knew your real mother. I'm sorry. Your shrine will always have its ups and downs, but if you remember this, you will always prosper- -Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.
Forever and always, Sakura Gardner
And that was it. Seto stared, unbelieving what he had just read. Was it true? Was Téa really his adopted sister? Was she really his stepsister? If so, was Mokuba his real brother? Or had he just thought so? As soon as he finds one answer, a hundred more questions reveal themselves. He buried his head in his hands and did the unthinkable. He began to cry. Yes, even Seto Kaiba, the emotionless jerk everyone amounts him to, can cry. He didn't know why he was crying, it was just so frustrating that he couldn't take it. Soft footsteps came towards him and a gentle hand rested on his shoulder.
"Seto?" came a familiar feminine voice. Seto looked up, not daring to wipe the tears that stained his face. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Yes, there is. Something's bothering you and I'd like to know what."
"...I can't tell you."
"You can't? Or you won't?"
"Neither."
"Well," said Téa, standing and heading to the door, "If you won't tell me what's wrong, then I guess I'll just have to wait. But if you ever need to talk, I'm available." Seto watched Téa walk out of the door and down the hall, closing the curtains as she went.
'That's right,' he thought to himself. 'I don't remember much after my mom died, but I do remember a sister...a sister named Téa Gardner. How can I tell her? Besides, even if I do, she either won't believe me, or she won't remember it. But hey, she seems to be picking up how to take care of Mokuba pretty fast.' Seto up and left from his chair to down the hall and stopped at his brother's door. He peered inside to see Téa, tucking him in bed.
"G'night, Téa," mumbled the half-asleep child from his sheets. Téa smiled and brushed Mokuba's bangs from his eyes.
"Good night, Mokuba," Téa whispered. "Remember, do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." Seto's eyes went wide. His mother's letter was true. Téa was his adopted sister. But what did she mean by "stepsister"? That must mean that Sakura was with his real father. But, if she wasn't his real mother, then she had to have been his stepmother and that Téa was in fact, his stepsister. It all added up. It all made sense. But, how did fate find them and bring them together once again?
"Seto?" said Téa, now infront of Seto. "I put Mokuba to bed. Do you want to talk now?" Seto nodded. "Okay." Téa took his hand and pulled him downstairs to the living room infront of the fireplace. She sat down, pulling him with her. "Now," she said, "what do you wanna talk about?"
"I don't know," Seto said in a flat tone. "I mean, I want to talk, but I don't know how. No, I mean, I don't know how to put what I want to talk about in words."
"Okay...so, what do you want to do? It's only about 8:30 and I'm kind of bored."
"Yeah, so am I. I usually just spend my time in the library or taking care of the shrine, not much fun, huh?" They both thought for a minute until Téa's eyes lit up.
"Hey! I got an idea! It's probably no good, but I'd like to show you some of what I learned at dance."
"Sure, why not?" So Seto led her upstairs and into a large room; not any room in particular, just a room. He looked at a few statues, then pulled a ring out of a dragon statue's mouth. The wall behind it began to rise. Téa's eyes lit up again and she absently began to walk into the massive room now displayed before the two teenagers.
It was a magnificent ballroom. The floors were of gray-marble and the walls of silver. The ceiling was painted dark blue, almost black, with millions of stars and a full moon. There were little trees in the corners with benches on either side of them. All of this made it look like a big outdoors dancing arena.
"Thought you might like this," Seto said to Téa, who was still gaping at the room. Téa laughed and shot into the ballroom like a bullet. She closed her eyes as she got to the middle of the room, spread her arms out and began to twirl around.
"How did you afford this?" she asked after she stopped. Seto shrugged.
"Show me your moves, I want to see them," he said. Téa nodded and began to dance. Not too fast and not too slow, just ballet.
Seto was mesmerized by her graceful movements. Suddenly, he felt the urge to just go out there and dance with her. But the only problem was, he didn't know how to dance. Well, ballroom dancing he could do but she was a ballerina, and he doubted that she knew how. All of a sudden, Seto's conscious came out to play.
'All the more reason to do it,' it said. 'What? Why? So you could teach her. With the point being? You'd get to hold her. You're really out to get me, aren't you? I'm you, remember? No you're not. I'm not that- how can I put this formally?- persistent. Yes you are. You wanted her from the minute you saw her. Okay, now you've just gone overboard. And knowing that she's partially family doesn't stop you either, does it? LEAVE ME ALONE! Pftch, you're no fun. See ya later, Seto.' Seto's mind submerged into the deep, dark depths of.well, his mind, and Seto focused on Téa...who was now sitting beside him on one of the benches and had been calling his name for the tenth time.
"Seto," she yelled kind of worriedly, "answer me! Are you okay? Seto!"
"It's alright, I'm fine...I was just...thinking," he replied. Téa's voice softened.
"Ya wanna talk about it?"
"...yes."
"Would it be better if I asked questions, instead of you starting from scratch?"
"...yes."
"Okay. Is it about you?"
"...yes."
"Is it about me?
"...yes."
"Is it about something that happed a long time ago?"
"...yes." Téa sighed. She thought so. She now remembered where she had seen this boy before. Her childhood. This was her stepbrother...the one that everyone said had died. He wasn't dead. Oh no, this boy was very much alive and well. This boy was Seto Kaiba.
"I know," she whispered. Seto looked up at her. She had her head in her hands and was sobbing quietly. "I know where I remember you from, now. You were my stepbrother, my adopted brother. Everyone said you were dead. So I gave up looking. I didn't know. Oh, Seto..." She flung herself on Seto and cried on his shoulder.
Seto couldn't help it any longer. He wrapped his arms around Téa and buried his face into her hair and cried with her. They sat there in the ballroom, on a bench, in the dark, crying on each other, with a single candle to light the room. And all the while, Mokuba stood watching from the doorway.
"Téa?" he whispered to himself. "Our adopted sister?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Khaki: Okay, yeah, it IS a little original.
Miku·Zaro: A little?
Khaki: Okay, so I changed everything except the characters! You'll live! Oh, and please review! I'm sorry it's so boring!
Khaki: Hiya!
Miku·Zaro: -_-; Oh Lord.
Khaki: Shut up, you! Anyways, here's the second chapter for anyone who's reading it.if ANYONE besides Kaehimi is reading this! T_T I'm so happy! I got one review! I didn't even expect THAT much!
Miku·Zaro: Get over it. Anyways, Khaki the kirby minion of doom does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!.she just owns me.T_T Why me? *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 2: Mommy's Scrap Book
"So, this is Mokuba?" Téa whispered. Seto nodded. He looked at his little sleeping brother from the doorway. "He's adorable. I wish I had a sibling. I'm an only child, and my dad made me leave home because my mom died and he didn't have enough money to take care of me." Seto looked painfully at Mokuba. Parents. That word struck him in the heart. He hated that word, loathed it.
"Seto?" came a voice from the room, "are you alright, big brother?" Seto looked down and saw his brother coming towards him. Seto's eyes softened.
"Hey, kid," said the older Kaiba, kneeling down so he could hug his little brother. Mokuba rushed to Seto and wrapped his arms around him. Seto embraced him and kissed the top of his head. "How are you, Mokuba?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Seto. Where did you go?" Seto looked at Téa. She stooped down to their level and looked at Mokuba.
"Hi there, Mokuba. I'm Téa Gardner, nice to meet you," she said. She held out her hand for him to shake and he took it.
"Are you going to be my new nanny?" asked the small child. Seto and Téa looked at each other, then Téa looked back.
"Yes I am," she said with a smile.
"Okay. You won't leave, will you?"
"Iie, of course not."
"That's what the others said, but they left anyways."
"Well, I can assure you that I won't leave. Besides, I owe your brother my life." At this, Mokuba was confused. He looked back and forth between Seto and Téa, before his gaze rested on Seto.
"What does she mean, Oniisan?" Seto laughed and shrugged.
"Long story, kid. Now, do you want some lunch?" asked Seto. immediately trying to change the subject. Mokuba nodded and the two teens stood. "Go ahead, Mokuba, we'll be right there," said Seto. Mokuba looked confused.
"But, Seto, what about the light?"
"Don't worry, we closed all the blinds before we came up."
"Okay!" And with that, the little ball of hair dashed down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. Téa looked up at Seto.
"Thank you, again, for saving me, Seto," she said. Seto smiled down at her.
"You don't have to thank me, Téa."
"Well, I want to."
"You're already showing your gratitude by looking after Mokuba for me. You don't have to do anymore. Oh, and I see that your ankle is much better."
"Yeah." She stomped her foot on the ground to show how sturdy it was. "Ya know, I think I'm really gonna like working here. And since you need 24 hour assistance, I guess that makes this my new home, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess it does.
"Well, I'm gonna go ahead downstairs and find Mokuba." Seto nodded and watched Téa skip down the stairs.
'She's even got the heart like my mother,' Seto thought to himself. 'I think I know her from somewhere. But where? Hm, I wonder...' His mind trailed to other thoughts as he walked to the library.
He stayed there the whole day, looking through family albums and picture cases, when at last, he found what he was looking for. He had found his mother's scrap book. She was an artist; she had put all of her favorite pictures in there, along with her children's. He was about to put it up, when a letter fell out from the binding. it was stained yellow from aging and the edges were torn. It was addressed to him.
Seto looked in awe at the paper and unfolded it. He took a deep breath and began to read:
Dear Seto, How is my little one? Ha, well, I guess if you're reading this then you're not so little then, are you? I know that I wasn't always around for you and your brother, but I'd still like to make up for it. I don't know how, but I do. There is something you must know about Téa Gardner. Yes, I know that you hired her to help you with James. I saw it in my visions. That young woman, Seto, is your stepsister, and my daughter. Yes, I adopted you. But I didn't have the heart to tell you, I loved you so much and I always will. I never knew your real mother. I'm sorry. Your shrine will always have its ups and downs, but if you remember this, you will always prosper- -Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.
Forever and always, Sakura Gardner
And that was it. Seto stared, unbelieving what he had just read. Was it true? Was Téa really his adopted sister? Was she really his stepsister? If so, was Mokuba his real brother? Or had he just thought so? As soon as he finds one answer, a hundred more questions reveal themselves. He buried his head in his hands and did the unthinkable. He began to cry. Yes, even Seto Kaiba, the emotionless jerk everyone amounts him to, can cry. He didn't know why he was crying, it was just so frustrating that he couldn't take it. Soft footsteps came towards him and a gentle hand rested on his shoulder.
"Seto?" came a familiar feminine voice. Seto looked up, not daring to wipe the tears that stained his face. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Yes, there is. Something's bothering you and I'd like to know what."
"...I can't tell you."
"You can't? Or you won't?"
"Neither."
"Well," said Téa, standing and heading to the door, "If you won't tell me what's wrong, then I guess I'll just have to wait. But if you ever need to talk, I'm available." Seto watched Téa walk out of the door and down the hall, closing the curtains as she went.
'That's right,' he thought to himself. 'I don't remember much after my mom died, but I do remember a sister...a sister named Téa Gardner. How can I tell her? Besides, even if I do, she either won't believe me, or she won't remember it. But hey, she seems to be picking up how to take care of Mokuba pretty fast.' Seto up and left from his chair to down the hall and stopped at his brother's door. He peered inside to see Téa, tucking him in bed.
"G'night, Téa," mumbled the half-asleep child from his sheets. Téa smiled and brushed Mokuba's bangs from his eyes.
"Good night, Mokuba," Téa whispered. "Remember, do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." Seto's eyes went wide. His mother's letter was true. Téa was his adopted sister. But what did she mean by "stepsister"? That must mean that Sakura was with his real father. But, if she wasn't his real mother, then she had to have been his stepmother and that Téa was in fact, his stepsister. It all added up. It all made sense. But, how did fate find them and bring them together once again?
"Seto?" said Téa, now infront of Seto. "I put Mokuba to bed. Do you want to talk now?" Seto nodded. "Okay." Téa took his hand and pulled him downstairs to the living room infront of the fireplace. She sat down, pulling him with her. "Now," she said, "what do you wanna talk about?"
"I don't know," Seto said in a flat tone. "I mean, I want to talk, but I don't know how. No, I mean, I don't know how to put what I want to talk about in words."
"Okay...so, what do you want to do? It's only about 8:30 and I'm kind of bored."
"Yeah, so am I. I usually just spend my time in the library or taking care of the shrine, not much fun, huh?" They both thought for a minute until Téa's eyes lit up.
"Hey! I got an idea! It's probably no good, but I'd like to show you some of what I learned at dance."
"Sure, why not?" So Seto led her upstairs and into a large room; not any room in particular, just a room. He looked at a few statues, then pulled a ring out of a dragon statue's mouth. The wall behind it began to rise. Téa's eyes lit up again and she absently began to walk into the massive room now displayed before the two teenagers.
It was a magnificent ballroom. The floors were of gray-marble and the walls of silver. The ceiling was painted dark blue, almost black, with millions of stars and a full moon. There were little trees in the corners with benches on either side of them. All of this made it look like a big outdoors dancing arena.
"Thought you might like this," Seto said to Téa, who was still gaping at the room. Téa laughed and shot into the ballroom like a bullet. She closed her eyes as she got to the middle of the room, spread her arms out and began to twirl around.
"How did you afford this?" she asked after she stopped. Seto shrugged.
"Show me your moves, I want to see them," he said. Téa nodded and began to dance. Not too fast and not too slow, just ballet.
Seto was mesmerized by her graceful movements. Suddenly, he felt the urge to just go out there and dance with her. But the only problem was, he didn't know how to dance. Well, ballroom dancing he could do but she was a ballerina, and he doubted that she knew how. All of a sudden, Seto's conscious came out to play.
'All the more reason to do it,' it said. 'What? Why? So you could teach her. With the point being? You'd get to hold her. You're really out to get me, aren't you? I'm you, remember? No you're not. I'm not that- how can I put this formally?- persistent. Yes you are. You wanted her from the minute you saw her. Okay, now you've just gone overboard. And knowing that she's partially family doesn't stop you either, does it? LEAVE ME ALONE! Pftch, you're no fun. See ya later, Seto.' Seto's mind submerged into the deep, dark depths of.well, his mind, and Seto focused on Téa...who was now sitting beside him on one of the benches and had been calling his name for the tenth time.
"Seto," she yelled kind of worriedly, "answer me! Are you okay? Seto!"
"It's alright, I'm fine...I was just...thinking," he replied. Téa's voice softened.
"Ya wanna talk about it?"
"...yes."
"Would it be better if I asked questions, instead of you starting from scratch?"
"...yes."
"Okay. Is it about you?"
"...yes."
"Is it about me?
"...yes."
"Is it about something that happed a long time ago?"
"...yes." Téa sighed. She thought so. She now remembered where she had seen this boy before. Her childhood. This was her stepbrother...the one that everyone said had died. He wasn't dead. Oh no, this boy was very much alive and well. This boy was Seto Kaiba.
"I know," she whispered. Seto looked up at her. She had her head in her hands and was sobbing quietly. "I know where I remember you from, now. You were my stepbrother, my adopted brother. Everyone said you were dead. So I gave up looking. I didn't know. Oh, Seto..." She flung herself on Seto and cried on his shoulder.
Seto couldn't help it any longer. He wrapped his arms around Téa and buried his face into her hair and cried with her. They sat there in the ballroom, on a bench, in the dark, crying on each other, with a single candle to light the room. And all the while, Mokuba stood watching from the doorway.
"Téa?" he whispered to himself. "Our adopted sister?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Khaki: Okay, yeah, it IS a little original.
Miku·Zaro: A little?
Khaki: Okay, so I changed everything except the characters! You'll live! Oh, and please review! I'm sorry it's so boring!