Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! King of Games and do not receive profit
from it. Also, one of the events present in the storyline was derived from
the wonderful CLAMP's Clover, and I should add that I don't own that
either. However, the basic storyline is mine, as are all added characters.
A/N: My inspiration for this chapter is some guy droning about how to hold your golf club. So beware.
There was an odd mountain chain near the shore. It wrapped around itself, so from an aerial view it was a circle comprised of five dots. Each mountain was a different height, from what could have passed as a very large hill to a monster rivaling Mt. Everest. Inside the circle it all fell down to a very deep valley, more of a pit than anything else. Its twinkling depths faded down to a point where all light vanished and a menacing darkness existed. If that same aerial view zoomed closer a commotion could be seen around the valley. Dark vans coming from every direction were pulling up to the smattering of buildings around the edge, checking through the guarded perimeter before emptying their contents and going out again. The commotion was by no means hurried. It went along as fast as it could, but no mistakes were made. Each group was separated and herded into the black depths. The boy stood fiddling with his long black hair, intense blue eyes searching as though trying to see something beyond the mass of people around him. Nothing was shown, however, and he quietly allowed himself to be led to the largest throng in the area. He stopped twisting his hair and softly brought his hand up to the back of neck, rubbing the black tattoo engraved upon it. I
~*~
9 MORE PEOPLE DISAPPEAR
He stared at the headline, willing it to go away, but as usual it didn't work. First that orphan boy, now this, and he knew if he checked more papers he would find more people gone seemingly without a trace. Unconsciously he began to chew his lip raw. It was beginning. BRING! Seto Kaiba started and stared uncomprehendingly at the phone behind him. It hardly seemed real that there were people in the world who still cared about commission. He was sure it was a salesman; who else would call? He grasped the ringing instrument and brought it to his ear. "Hello?" "Hello, sir. Would you be willing to switch your phone plan to-?" Seto sucked in his breath. "Oh, sorry, but now's not really a good time. Could I have your home number and I can call you back?" There was a slight pause. Then, "Um, sir, I can't do that." "Why? Oh, you don't want people to call you at home?" "Well no, sir, not really." "Well now you know how I feel," Seto replied, and promptly hung up.
~*~
Yukari wrapped her arm around the shivering girl nest to her. Minami smiled at her, albeit weakly, and said, "I'm fine, Yukari." Her tone turned slightly bitter. "I know why he went." The ebony-haired girl frowned viciously. "He's not worth your time, Minami. I don't see why you haven't gone out and found someone else." I know you don't, Minami said silently. How could you? BOOM! Both girls gasped as the entire room suddenly shook. Books fell from the desk and the vanity mirror shattered. In a moment the tremors ceased. Screams issued forth from outside. Minami regained herself rather quickly and sped toward the doorway. She threw open the door and raced out. Yukari stared dumbly after her. In a moment she came back, looking scared. "Yukari!" she cried. "A kid down the hall is hurt. Come with me-help him- I I've got to get Miss Sasaki!" Her friend shook her head, trying to rearrange her thoughts so that they made sense again. Suddenly she stood up and followed her friend resolutely toward the door. "Just show me where, Minami-chan," she said. Minami smiled only a little-but it was a real smile, and that would have gratified anyone who knew her. "I knew you'd do it. C'mon!" The girls raced down the hall. Minami pointed her down the hall before running away. Yukari hurried as fast as she could, but before she'd even touched the door it flew open, nearly smacking her in the face. She was relieved at the near miss before the person rushing out finished the job. "Oof!" she grunted as a boy a few years older than she rammed into her, knocking her flat on her backside. Something hard slammed into the back of her head, and for a moment everything winked out. She looked up and found curly read hair tickling her face. Worried blue eyes gazed at her, and vaguely she heard a concerned inquiry. "Crap! Are you hurt? Did I kill you? I'm so sorry! I didn't kill you. What am I talking about? Crap!" "I'm fine," she murmured weakly, not quite able to tear herself away from the cute face before her. She held out her hand and allowed herself to be pulled up. As she still looked wobbly, the boy grabbed her shoulders to make sure she didn't fall down again. Cute. He was cute. Like a teddy bear. "Are you hurt?" she heard herself ask. "What? Me? No. You are. AAAH! You're bleeding! Crap, I DID kill you!" "What?" she asked, feeling the back of her head tenderly. The pain nearly made her swoon. She pulled her hand away and saw it dripped with something red. Blood. "Let me take you to the nurse," he cried, and guided her gently down the hall. It seemed vaguely ironic. She'd come here. Why? It hurt to think. The nurse tended to her briefly. Everyone chatted about that funny earthquake. It was a very innocent scene, and despite the pain in her head, Yukari enjoyed it. Later she would learn the boy's name, Taichi. Later she would discover the earthquake had been so concentrated that it was artificial. Later she would find her best friend gone without a trace.
~*~
Minami sped along the hall. Her feet barely touched the ground, as though she slid rather than ran. Miss Sasaki's office was at the very end of the hall. She went straight out the door. She hated lying. She hated that the last thing she had said to her best friend was a lie. She hated the black van waiting for her. The buzzing pain at the back of her neck erased her hate altogether. "Number Two, Rank Four, Seaka C.E. Four. Your arrival was delayed. Move out." A beautiful pink light briefly glowed around her. Then she moved and almost instantly was inside the truck.
I'm coming, love.
A/N: My inspiration for this chapter is some guy droning about how to hold your golf club. So beware.
There was an odd mountain chain near the shore. It wrapped around itself, so from an aerial view it was a circle comprised of five dots. Each mountain was a different height, from what could have passed as a very large hill to a monster rivaling Mt. Everest. Inside the circle it all fell down to a very deep valley, more of a pit than anything else. Its twinkling depths faded down to a point where all light vanished and a menacing darkness existed. If that same aerial view zoomed closer a commotion could be seen around the valley. Dark vans coming from every direction were pulling up to the smattering of buildings around the edge, checking through the guarded perimeter before emptying their contents and going out again. The commotion was by no means hurried. It went along as fast as it could, but no mistakes were made. Each group was separated and herded into the black depths. The boy stood fiddling with his long black hair, intense blue eyes searching as though trying to see something beyond the mass of people around him. Nothing was shown, however, and he quietly allowed himself to be led to the largest throng in the area. He stopped twisting his hair and softly brought his hand up to the back of neck, rubbing the black tattoo engraved upon it. I
~*~
9 MORE PEOPLE DISAPPEAR
He stared at the headline, willing it to go away, but as usual it didn't work. First that orphan boy, now this, and he knew if he checked more papers he would find more people gone seemingly without a trace. Unconsciously he began to chew his lip raw. It was beginning. BRING! Seto Kaiba started and stared uncomprehendingly at the phone behind him. It hardly seemed real that there were people in the world who still cared about commission. He was sure it was a salesman; who else would call? He grasped the ringing instrument and brought it to his ear. "Hello?" "Hello, sir. Would you be willing to switch your phone plan to-?" Seto sucked in his breath. "Oh, sorry, but now's not really a good time. Could I have your home number and I can call you back?" There was a slight pause. Then, "Um, sir, I can't do that." "Why? Oh, you don't want people to call you at home?" "Well no, sir, not really." "Well now you know how I feel," Seto replied, and promptly hung up.
~*~
Yukari wrapped her arm around the shivering girl nest to her. Minami smiled at her, albeit weakly, and said, "I'm fine, Yukari." Her tone turned slightly bitter. "I know why he went." The ebony-haired girl frowned viciously. "He's not worth your time, Minami. I don't see why you haven't gone out and found someone else." I know you don't, Minami said silently. How could you? BOOM! Both girls gasped as the entire room suddenly shook. Books fell from the desk and the vanity mirror shattered. In a moment the tremors ceased. Screams issued forth from outside. Minami regained herself rather quickly and sped toward the doorway. She threw open the door and raced out. Yukari stared dumbly after her. In a moment she came back, looking scared. "Yukari!" she cried. "A kid down the hall is hurt. Come with me-help him- I I've got to get Miss Sasaki!" Her friend shook her head, trying to rearrange her thoughts so that they made sense again. Suddenly she stood up and followed her friend resolutely toward the door. "Just show me where, Minami-chan," she said. Minami smiled only a little-but it was a real smile, and that would have gratified anyone who knew her. "I knew you'd do it. C'mon!" The girls raced down the hall. Minami pointed her down the hall before running away. Yukari hurried as fast as she could, but before she'd even touched the door it flew open, nearly smacking her in the face. She was relieved at the near miss before the person rushing out finished the job. "Oof!" she grunted as a boy a few years older than she rammed into her, knocking her flat on her backside. Something hard slammed into the back of her head, and for a moment everything winked out. She looked up and found curly read hair tickling her face. Worried blue eyes gazed at her, and vaguely she heard a concerned inquiry. "Crap! Are you hurt? Did I kill you? I'm so sorry! I didn't kill you. What am I talking about? Crap!" "I'm fine," she murmured weakly, not quite able to tear herself away from the cute face before her. She held out her hand and allowed herself to be pulled up. As she still looked wobbly, the boy grabbed her shoulders to make sure she didn't fall down again. Cute. He was cute. Like a teddy bear. "Are you hurt?" she heard herself ask. "What? Me? No. You are. AAAH! You're bleeding! Crap, I DID kill you!" "What?" she asked, feeling the back of her head tenderly. The pain nearly made her swoon. She pulled her hand away and saw it dripped with something red. Blood. "Let me take you to the nurse," he cried, and guided her gently down the hall. It seemed vaguely ironic. She'd come here. Why? It hurt to think. The nurse tended to her briefly. Everyone chatted about that funny earthquake. It was a very innocent scene, and despite the pain in her head, Yukari enjoyed it. Later she would learn the boy's name, Taichi. Later she would discover the earthquake had been so concentrated that it was artificial. Later she would find her best friend gone without a trace.
~*~
Minami sped along the hall. Her feet barely touched the ground, as though she slid rather than ran. Miss Sasaki's office was at the very end of the hall. She went straight out the door. She hated lying. She hated that the last thing she had said to her best friend was a lie. She hated the black van waiting for her. The buzzing pain at the back of her neck erased her hate altogether. "Number Two, Rank Four, Seaka C.E. Four. Your arrival was delayed. Move out." A beautiful pink light briefly glowed around her. Then she moved and almost instantly was inside the truck.
I'm coming, love.