!!!~*~*~*Disclaimer*~*~*~*!!! You know the drill already, I'll jus' continue from here......
*~*Present*~*
"Come on Tea! It's four o'clock already!" rang Mei's melodious voice. The tall, honey blonde ran her hand through her long gold hair, twisting it through two slender fingers. Impatiently, she smoothed out her red, spaghetti strapped top, running her hands over the lower half to get rid of the wrinkles. *I want to look good... for Joey,* she thought, and blushed a light pink. No one knew about her crush on him, and it was something she wished she didn't have to share at one point in time. Still, Mei's head filled with fantasies of moonlit dancing, and dinner with the cutest and kindest person she'd ever known. *So watch out Wheeler!* She grinned with the thought, *Because Mei Valentine ALWAYS gets her man!*
"Hey Mei," said a voice to the right of her, on one of the beds in their hotel room. "Could you help me please? I can't get that last tie in the back."
Turning, Mei smiled at her friend. "Sure Serenity. I'd be happy to."
Serenity grinned, her red hair framing her face as her chocolate brown eyes sparkled. "Thanks so much Mei! Now I'll be able to look nice when we get to the party!"
*I'm sure glad Yugi was able to win against Pegasus,* thought Mei, walking over to her friend and tying the last tie on the back of Serenity's shirt. *Otherwise, Joey wouldn't have been able to save his little sister from going blind...*
Suddenly, the door of the bathroom popped open, and a dazzling sight flustered in the room. "MEI!" screamed Tea, her eyes narrowed into slits with anger, "You expect me to go out LOOKING like THIS!?" She pointed at the ensemble she was wearing. Dressed in tight black slacks and sunny yellow high heels, Tea looked stunning, especially because of the gold, shimmering midriff top that showed off more of her pale skin than she liked. Held up only by straps located on the back of her neck, in the middle of her back and at the bottom of the top, the top itself was a gorgeous, partying-type top, one that Tea would never, EVER in her right mind would wear, that's for sure.
For a moment after Tea's outburst, Mei just stared, amazed at how that top, a part of her clothes, could make one person look like a cow, and another person the next Cameron Diaz. In fact, she was going to throw it away until Tea bustled about in the hotel room, wondering what she could wear to the dance and dinner.
It was neither Mei nor Tea that broke the icy silence. In fact, it was usually the quietest of the three. "Tea!" Serenity beamed at her friend, admiring how beautiful Tea looked. "You look gorgeous!"
"What? I DO?" Tea said, frantically searching for a mirror, uncertain herself.
"Yeah! That top fits you just perfectly!" replied a cool and calm Serenity.
With a last tug, Mei interrupted, "There you go Serenity! All set!" She smiled, "You look just perfect, and Tristan is going to DIE when he sees you!"
Her shy friend blushed a hot pink shade, laughing at the compliment. "I know, but even though he will be drooling over me, he knows to treat me right, or else Joey will kick his butt!" beaming, she opened her velvet jewelry box, and began to clasp an opal necklace around her white, creamy skin. Grinning, she added, "and I'll bet my brother would love to dance with you Mea!"
Now it was Mei's turn to blush; turning crimson, ruby red, she tried to busy herself with trying to find her shoes, trying not to say anything.
It was hard to tell that these three ladies hardly ever knew each other a couple months ago. Because of Yugi Motou's determination, Joey's ambition to win and both of their loyalties and compassion for their friends, they unintentionally created lasting friendships, loving memories, and bitter disputes were left behind. Yugi, Tea, Tristan, Joey, Serenity, Mei, and even Duke had grown closer together, and became the greatest of friends.
Curious and sneaky, Serenity turned her attention to Tea. "So Tea? Who are you hoping is going to dance with you?"
*Oh no, not THIS AGAIN!!!* The brown haired girl moaned in her mind. *I just got through this with Tristan!*
"Um... no one probably."
Her honey blonde haired friend looked up from her shoe searching, confusion and concern flashing across her features. "What? Tea, you have to dance! You love dancing!"
"Yeah I know, it's just... the thought of dancing WITH someone, in the middle of a crowded room... a room full of other couples..."
"Wait, won't Yugi be there?" piped up Serenity, trying to be hopeful. "You can dance with Yugi."
Tea frowned, the idea of dancing with her best friend making her feel awkward. "Well, I asked him about that... and I could tell he wasn't thrilled with the idea..."
Standing up, Serenity walked over to Tea, her velvet green top and sequined pants shimmering and glistening. Putting her arms around her friend, she gave a slight, comforting hug. She looked Tea straight in the eye, and replied, "I'm sure you'll find someone to dance with. It's alright if Yugi doesn't dance with you; he's just missing the chance to dance with a special person, as well as a friend."
Touched and deeply moved, Tea was thankful she had such good friends; she hugged Serenity back, saying, "Thanks Serenity, I'm glad I have a friend like you!"
However, when she moved towards Mei, the golden haired woman scampered away. "OK! OK! Enough with this mushy stuff it's getting on my NERVES!" She sighed, "We have less than an hour to get ready, and you BOTH still need make-up!"
The other two girls groaned loudly, and then laughed at their own bravado. Laughing with them, Mei began her work as the make-up specialist.
*This is going to be the best party we've been to in a long time.* she mused, applying concealer to Serenity's face. *I bet it will end in a bang...*
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*The Kaiba Corp Building, in Battle City*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
WHOMP! WHOMP! WHOMP! WHOMP!
*The sounds of the helicopter taking off sounded a lot louder in person than watching one in movies,* Marita thought, her midnight black hair whipping around her face. Standing on top of the Kaiba Corp building in Battle City, she smoothed out her blue, flower designed tank top with the navy blue half sleeves, and shook the wrinkles out of her athletic black pants with the white and grey stripes running up the sides.
"Well, Kaiba wasn't kidding when he said the arrival and departure were going to be fast," she mused, laughing. "It took two hours to get from Konichi Island to here."
"Excuse me," a small voice from behind intoned, interrupting Marita from her conversation with herself. "Are you Marita Shindou?"
"Turning, she replied, "Yep, that's me" to the boy standing behind her. Almost as tall as she was, although she was on the short side, the younger boy looked to be about ten years old, his ebony black hair falling down his back like a lion's mane. He was dressed in a blue and white striped shirt, and a yellow tech vest, which included black zippers on the pockets. He was wearing jeans to complete his outfit, and he had a slight air of professionalism despite his young age.
The young boy smiled warmly, and said, "Hi! I'm Mokuba! My big brother's been waiting for you."
"Oh really," murmured Marita, suspicious. "Since when does Seto Kaiba wait for anyone?"
Not hearing her comment, the Vice president of Kaiba Corp ran ahead, and shouted over his shoulder, "This way please!"
After leading her from room to room, hallway to hallway and office to office, they reached two large, brass plated doors, with a small buzz box to the right.
"This is Seto's office. He's inside, I think," stated Mokuba, pressing the button on the box on the wall, and saying a few quiet and quick sentences the listener beyond the doors. Smiling, satisfied, Seto's younger brother gestured towards the door, pulling back the handle to let Marita in. "Seto's giving you his ok to be let in. So go on ahead."
"Thanks Mokuba!" she replied, smiling and grateful that there was ONE Kaiba brother with manners. Passing him by, she ventured into the office, with Seto awaiting her arrival.
The office was sparsely decorated, only a few plants, a movie screen to the far right side, a desk and a couple chairs in the center; the office itself, although not alive, looked like it was dead and still, the air smelling stale. The desk itself was like the figure behind the desk, facing the wall of windows: cold, rigid, and seemingly devoid of life. His eyes closed, the figure was facing towards the upcoming dawn, his brown hair in his eyes. His trenchcoat, although gray and worn for wear, was spotless, and covered the top of his black boots.
Marita walked closer, shivering more from talking to this man than for fear of him. She was halfway across the room when an icy, hard voice said, "Ah, Marita. I've been expecting you."
The figure whirled around slow; his deep blue eyes complemented his rigid stance. His eyes were cold and held no life.
Shivering again, Marita frowned, "Hello Seto."
"You're looking well Marita."
"Yeah, so do you, for a dead man, as I recall."
Kaiba winced slightly, but otherwise was unfazed by her words. A coy smile played across his lips, closer to a sneer than anything else. "Sarcastic as always, I see. You should really see someone about that, then maybe you wouldn't seem to get yourself caught up in these messes that you're in to. You must have had a few, with THAT temperament."
"Don't patronize me, Seto Kaiba!" she snapped, irritated. "You're just as cold as ever."
Smirking, the corporate owner just shook his head. "I'm not the one carrying on some little grudge that happened over the stupidest of misunderstandings."
Stomping closer to the desk, Marita slammed her fist on his desk, furious at his indifference. The glass of water on the right hand corner teetered and fell, shattering into a million pieces and slashing water all over Seto's boots.
"MISUNDERSTANDING my foot!" she roared, her eyes narrowing in rage. "You pushed Dawn off that swing in that backyard, and you LIKED it. You liked it because in your sick and twisted little mind, you're king, and can do anything you ever wanted!"
"You never got the truth, did you Marita?" he questioned icily. "Yes, when I was four, Dawn was three and you were just two years old, I did push Dawn off the swing. That was probably all you saw."
Marita yawned, "You're boring me Seto, with facts that I already know. That was all I NEEDED to see. I saw the look on your face, Seto Kaiba; you make me sick! That day, you didn't show me some funny little parlor trick, but you showed me the kind of person you really are!!!"
"I pushed her to SAVE her!" Seto insisted, his patience readily running thin. "Why can't you see that? I didn't hurt her, I SAVED her!!!"
"LIAR!!!!" Before she knew it, her hand was in motion, putting all the strength she could muster to deliver a hard and critical blow. SMACK!!!!!!!!! Marita whipped her hand across Seto's face, hatred and contempt raging in her eyes.
Reeling slightly, his ears ringing, Seto leaned with the blow, his face whipping to the left as a blotchy, red mark began to spread across his right cheek.
A slight gasp had the volume of a train whistle in the following silence. Whirling around, the ebony-haired younger woman stared, frozen in front of Seto's desk. Surprised, she found that she couldn't say a word, not a single syllable as she faced the one person who she cared about as a friend, and hadn't seen in over fourteen years.
Even after all this time, she hadn't seemed to change a bit. She still had those ocean blue eyes the color of sapphires; still had her longish, brown sugar colored hair. Her magenta colored midriff top came up to the top of her ribcage, the sleeves detachable from the rest of her shirt. Her black, velvet pants flared out at the bottoms, covering her white tennis shoes. Even after all these years, her eyes were still the same, and looking at those deep blue eyes, Marita instantly knew who exactly she faced. As history repeated itself, she was face to face with her long time best friend.
Dawn Grayson stood there, her hand in front of her mouth, horrified and shocked at what Marita had done. It took her awhile to regain her composure, but eventually, the words she wanted to say came out. "Mar-Marita how... could you?"
Seto's voice was heard from behind Marita, the younger woman never taking her eyes off her old friend. "It's alright Dawn... I probably deserved that anyway. Who knows how much she has tormented herself over what happened all those years ago...from all the pain I've caused her." He closed his eyes, and stared out the window yet again, losing himself in his thoughts and offering the girls a chance to talk quietly amongst themselves; a chance Marita gladly took.
"Hey Dawn, it's been awhile."
"Yeah it has. It's been way TOO long if you ask me." The older of the two ladies shook her brown hair from side to side, "but you still haven't answered my question."
Marita sighed, and hung her head, anger flooding out of her system. Her midnight hair cascaded across her face. "I was just... so mad at him..."
"For what Marita? Something that happened over fourteen years ago? I thought you were better than that!"
"No, it wasn't about what had happened fourteen years ago... not exactly."
"The WHAT?!" Dawn's voice rose, a sign of her growing impatience.
For a few minutes, silence filled the atmosphere, not even breathing sounds could be heard. Finally, Marita answered. "It's not just that. If anything, what happened that day was just the ground floor of a hundred story building. I mean--"
"WHAT, wait a minute, what do you mean by that, Marita?" interrupted that icy monotone belonging to Seto Kaiba. Slowly turning, he fixed his stare, hard and cold, on Marita, eyes narrowing.
"I meant NOTHING by it Seto," she retorted, frustrated. "I don't even know why you called me here in the first place. You just note me, out of the blue, and decide to 'catch up' with old friends? It doesn't add up Seto."
"That may be so, but what did I say in the letter? 'My reasons were my own'? Besides, it was about time for you to take out your dueling deck again. What, did Pegasus refuse to teach you any more parlor tricks?"
For a moment, Marita thought of everywhere else she'd rather be than here. Finally, she made her choice.
"You know Seto Kaiba, I walked in here with the opinion of hatred for you in my mind." She sauntered away from Seto, brushing past dawn in a heartbeat. Calling over her shoulder, her last words as she went out the door were these: "And my opinion of you didn't change. Enjoy your time with Dawn, Seto. It might be your last with YOUR attitude."
*~*Present*~*
"Come on Tea! It's four o'clock already!" rang Mei's melodious voice. The tall, honey blonde ran her hand through her long gold hair, twisting it through two slender fingers. Impatiently, she smoothed out her red, spaghetti strapped top, running her hands over the lower half to get rid of the wrinkles. *I want to look good... for Joey,* she thought, and blushed a light pink. No one knew about her crush on him, and it was something she wished she didn't have to share at one point in time. Still, Mei's head filled with fantasies of moonlit dancing, and dinner with the cutest and kindest person she'd ever known. *So watch out Wheeler!* She grinned with the thought, *Because Mei Valentine ALWAYS gets her man!*
"Hey Mei," said a voice to the right of her, on one of the beds in their hotel room. "Could you help me please? I can't get that last tie in the back."
Turning, Mei smiled at her friend. "Sure Serenity. I'd be happy to."
Serenity grinned, her red hair framing her face as her chocolate brown eyes sparkled. "Thanks so much Mei! Now I'll be able to look nice when we get to the party!"
*I'm sure glad Yugi was able to win against Pegasus,* thought Mei, walking over to her friend and tying the last tie on the back of Serenity's shirt. *Otherwise, Joey wouldn't have been able to save his little sister from going blind...*
Suddenly, the door of the bathroom popped open, and a dazzling sight flustered in the room. "MEI!" screamed Tea, her eyes narrowed into slits with anger, "You expect me to go out LOOKING like THIS!?" She pointed at the ensemble she was wearing. Dressed in tight black slacks and sunny yellow high heels, Tea looked stunning, especially because of the gold, shimmering midriff top that showed off more of her pale skin than she liked. Held up only by straps located on the back of her neck, in the middle of her back and at the bottom of the top, the top itself was a gorgeous, partying-type top, one that Tea would never, EVER in her right mind would wear, that's for sure.
For a moment after Tea's outburst, Mei just stared, amazed at how that top, a part of her clothes, could make one person look like a cow, and another person the next Cameron Diaz. In fact, she was going to throw it away until Tea bustled about in the hotel room, wondering what she could wear to the dance and dinner.
It was neither Mei nor Tea that broke the icy silence. In fact, it was usually the quietest of the three. "Tea!" Serenity beamed at her friend, admiring how beautiful Tea looked. "You look gorgeous!"
"What? I DO?" Tea said, frantically searching for a mirror, uncertain herself.
"Yeah! That top fits you just perfectly!" replied a cool and calm Serenity.
With a last tug, Mei interrupted, "There you go Serenity! All set!" She smiled, "You look just perfect, and Tristan is going to DIE when he sees you!"
Her shy friend blushed a hot pink shade, laughing at the compliment. "I know, but even though he will be drooling over me, he knows to treat me right, or else Joey will kick his butt!" beaming, she opened her velvet jewelry box, and began to clasp an opal necklace around her white, creamy skin. Grinning, she added, "and I'll bet my brother would love to dance with you Mea!"
Now it was Mei's turn to blush; turning crimson, ruby red, she tried to busy herself with trying to find her shoes, trying not to say anything.
It was hard to tell that these three ladies hardly ever knew each other a couple months ago. Because of Yugi Motou's determination, Joey's ambition to win and both of their loyalties and compassion for their friends, they unintentionally created lasting friendships, loving memories, and bitter disputes were left behind. Yugi, Tea, Tristan, Joey, Serenity, Mei, and even Duke had grown closer together, and became the greatest of friends.
Curious and sneaky, Serenity turned her attention to Tea. "So Tea? Who are you hoping is going to dance with you?"
*Oh no, not THIS AGAIN!!!* The brown haired girl moaned in her mind. *I just got through this with Tristan!*
"Um... no one probably."
Her honey blonde haired friend looked up from her shoe searching, confusion and concern flashing across her features. "What? Tea, you have to dance! You love dancing!"
"Yeah I know, it's just... the thought of dancing WITH someone, in the middle of a crowded room... a room full of other couples..."
"Wait, won't Yugi be there?" piped up Serenity, trying to be hopeful. "You can dance with Yugi."
Tea frowned, the idea of dancing with her best friend making her feel awkward. "Well, I asked him about that... and I could tell he wasn't thrilled with the idea..."
Standing up, Serenity walked over to Tea, her velvet green top and sequined pants shimmering and glistening. Putting her arms around her friend, she gave a slight, comforting hug. She looked Tea straight in the eye, and replied, "I'm sure you'll find someone to dance with. It's alright if Yugi doesn't dance with you; he's just missing the chance to dance with a special person, as well as a friend."
Touched and deeply moved, Tea was thankful she had such good friends; she hugged Serenity back, saying, "Thanks Serenity, I'm glad I have a friend like you!"
However, when she moved towards Mei, the golden haired woman scampered away. "OK! OK! Enough with this mushy stuff it's getting on my NERVES!" She sighed, "We have less than an hour to get ready, and you BOTH still need make-up!"
The other two girls groaned loudly, and then laughed at their own bravado. Laughing with them, Mei began her work as the make-up specialist.
*This is going to be the best party we've been to in a long time.* she mused, applying concealer to Serenity's face. *I bet it will end in a bang...*
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*The Kaiba Corp Building, in Battle City*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
WHOMP! WHOMP! WHOMP! WHOMP!
*The sounds of the helicopter taking off sounded a lot louder in person than watching one in movies,* Marita thought, her midnight black hair whipping around her face. Standing on top of the Kaiba Corp building in Battle City, she smoothed out her blue, flower designed tank top with the navy blue half sleeves, and shook the wrinkles out of her athletic black pants with the white and grey stripes running up the sides.
"Well, Kaiba wasn't kidding when he said the arrival and departure were going to be fast," she mused, laughing. "It took two hours to get from Konichi Island to here."
"Excuse me," a small voice from behind intoned, interrupting Marita from her conversation with herself. "Are you Marita Shindou?"
"Turning, she replied, "Yep, that's me" to the boy standing behind her. Almost as tall as she was, although she was on the short side, the younger boy looked to be about ten years old, his ebony black hair falling down his back like a lion's mane. He was dressed in a blue and white striped shirt, and a yellow tech vest, which included black zippers on the pockets. He was wearing jeans to complete his outfit, and he had a slight air of professionalism despite his young age.
The young boy smiled warmly, and said, "Hi! I'm Mokuba! My big brother's been waiting for you."
"Oh really," murmured Marita, suspicious. "Since when does Seto Kaiba wait for anyone?"
Not hearing her comment, the Vice president of Kaiba Corp ran ahead, and shouted over his shoulder, "This way please!"
After leading her from room to room, hallway to hallway and office to office, they reached two large, brass plated doors, with a small buzz box to the right.
"This is Seto's office. He's inside, I think," stated Mokuba, pressing the button on the box on the wall, and saying a few quiet and quick sentences the listener beyond the doors. Smiling, satisfied, Seto's younger brother gestured towards the door, pulling back the handle to let Marita in. "Seto's giving you his ok to be let in. So go on ahead."
"Thanks Mokuba!" she replied, smiling and grateful that there was ONE Kaiba brother with manners. Passing him by, she ventured into the office, with Seto awaiting her arrival.
The office was sparsely decorated, only a few plants, a movie screen to the far right side, a desk and a couple chairs in the center; the office itself, although not alive, looked like it was dead and still, the air smelling stale. The desk itself was like the figure behind the desk, facing the wall of windows: cold, rigid, and seemingly devoid of life. His eyes closed, the figure was facing towards the upcoming dawn, his brown hair in his eyes. His trenchcoat, although gray and worn for wear, was spotless, and covered the top of his black boots.
Marita walked closer, shivering more from talking to this man than for fear of him. She was halfway across the room when an icy, hard voice said, "Ah, Marita. I've been expecting you."
The figure whirled around slow; his deep blue eyes complemented his rigid stance. His eyes were cold and held no life.
Shivering again, Marita frowned, "Hello Seto."
"You're looking well Marita."
"Yeah, so do you, for a dead man, as I recall."
Kaiba winced slightly, but otherwise was unfazed by her words. A coy smile played across his lips, closer to a sneer than anything else. "Sarcastic as always, I see. You should really see someone about that, then maybe you wouldn't seem to get yourself caught up in these messes that you're in to. You must have had a few, with THAT temperament."
"Don't patronize me, Seto Kaiba!" she snapped, irritated. "You're just as cold as ever."
Smirking, the corporate owner just shook his head. "I'm not the one carrying on some little grudge that happened over the stupidest of misunderstandings."
Stomping closer to the desk, Marita slammed her fist on his desk, furious at his indifference. The glass of water on the right hand corner teetered and fell, shattering into a million pieces and slashing water all over Seto's boots.
"MISUNDERSTANDING my foot!" she roared, her eyes narrowing in rage. "You pushed Dawn off that swing in that backyard, and you LIKED it. You liked it because in your sick and twisted little mind, you're king, and can do anything you ever wanted!"
"You never got the truth, did you Marita?" he questioned icily. "Yes, when I was four, Dawn was three and you were just two years old, I did push Dawn off the swing. That was probably all you saw."
Marita yawned, "You're boring me Seto, with facts that I already know. That was all I NEEDED to see. I saw the look on your face, Seto Kaiba; you make me sick! That day, you didn't show me some funny little parlor trick, but you showed me the kind of person you really are!!!"
"I pushed her to SAVE her!" Seto insisted, his patience readily running thin. "Why can't you see that? I didn't hurt her, I SAVED her!!!"
"LIAR!!!!" Before she knew it, her hand was in motion, putting all the strength she could muster to deliver a hard and critical blow. SMACK!!!!!!!!! Marita whipped her hand across Seto's face, hatred and contempt raging in her eyes.
Reeling slightly, his ears ringing, Seto leaned with the blow, his face whipping to the left as a blotchy, red mark began to spread across his right cheek.
A slight gasp had the volume of a train whistle in the following silence. Whirling around, the ebony-haired younger woman stared, frozen in front of Seto's desk. Surprised, she found that she couldn't say a word, not a single syllable as she faced the one person who she cared about as a friend, and hadn't seen in over fourteen years.
Even after all this time, she hadn't seemed to change a bit. She still had those ocean blue eyes the color of sapphires; still had her longish, brown sugar colored hair. Her magenta colored midriff top came up to the top of her ribcage, the sleeves detachable from the rest of her shirt. Her black, velvet pants flared out at the bottoms, covering her white tennis shoes. Even after all these years, her eyes were still the same, and looking at those deep blue eyes, Marita instantly knew who exactly she faced. As history repeated itself, she was face to face with her long time best friend.
Dawn Grayson stood there, her hand in front of her mouth, horrified and shocked at what Marita had done. It took her awhile to regain her composure, but eventually, the words she wanted to say came out. "Mar-Marita how... could you?"
Seto's voice was heard from behind Marita, the younger woman never taking her eyes off her old friend. "It's alright Dawn... I probably deserved that anyway. Who knows how much she has tormented herself over what happened all those years ago...from all the pain I've caused her." He closed his eyes, and stared out the window yet again, losing himself in his thoughts and offering the girls a chance to talk quietly amongst themselves; a chance Marita gladly took.
"Hey Dawn, it's been awhile."
"Yeah it has. It's been way TOO long if you ask me." The older of the two ladies shook her brown hair from side to side, "but you still haven't answered my question."
Marita sighed, and hung her head, anger flooding out of her system. Her midnight hair cascaded across her face. "I was just... so mad at him..."
"For what Marita? Something that happened over fourteen years ago? I thought you were better than that!"
"No, it wasn't about what had happened fourteen years ago... not exactly."
"The WHAT?!" Dawn's voice rose, a sign of her growing impatience.
For a few minutes, silence filled the atmosphere, not even breathing sounds could be heard. Finally, Marita answered. "It's not just that. If anything, what happened that day was just the ground floor of a hundred story building. I mean--"
"WHAT, wait a minute, what do you mean by that, Marita?" interrupted that icy monotone belonging to Seto Kaiba. Slowly turning, he fixed his stare, hard and cold, on Marita, eyes narrowing.
"I meant NOTHING by it Seto," she retorted, frustrated. "I don't even know why you called me here in the first place. You just note me, out of the blue, and decide to 'catch up' with old friends? It doesn't add up Seto."
"That may be so, but what did I say in the letter? 'My reasons were my own'? Besides, it was about time for you to take out your dueling deck again. What, did Pegasus refuse to teach you any more parlor tricks?"
For a moment, Marita thought of everywhere else she'd rather be than here. Finally, she made her choice.
"You know Seto Kaiba, I walked in here with the opinion of hatred for you in my mind." She sauntered away from Seto, brushing past dawn in a heartbeat. Calling over her shoulder, her last words as she went out the door were these: "And my opinion of you didn't change. Enjoy your time with Dawn, Seto. It might be your last with YOUR attitude."