**** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh****
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"Hey Duke, I betcha I can fit more breadsticks into my mouth than you can!" Joey challenged, pointing a breadstick at Duke Devlin, who had been in deep conversation with Tristan on the other side of the table. But when Joey spoke up, duke looked at him and grinned.
"You're on, Wheeler!" Duke said, and then grabbed for the breadstick bowl and snatched a handful of breadsticks.
Roux, Yugi, Bakura, Tea, Serenity, and Tristan witnessed with grimacing looks on their faces as Joey and Duke stuffed breadsticks into their mouths, counting as they went along.
"Ah ha!" Duke muffled. "I got thirteen! Beat that Joey!"
Joey tried to fit in a new breadstick, and by this time no one was really watching anymore. Yugi noticed that Roux wasn't watching them. She was looking towards the bar where the little television was on.
Yugi looked at Roux. Her eyes were filled with concern, interest and worry. Yugi wondered what she was so intent about.
Roux stared at the TV, playing a football game, but she wondered when it would cut to commercials. She was eager to see the news. If Kaiba were meeting with the press today, she wouldn't want to miss what he had to say.
Yugi gave her a smile. "Are you waiting for someone, Roux?" he asked.
Roux looked over at Yugi, smiled and shook her head. "No, just interested in the game, that's all." She said, even as it was a big lie. She didn't much care for football.
"Hey, did you guys hear about the attack at the square yesterday?" Tea asked suddenly.
The table went silent, and Joey and Roux exchanged glances of nervousness. Roux was glad they had discussed that earlier in the day. They decided not to tell the gang about what happened. Not yet at least. Joey knew sooner of later he should tell Yugi, since he knew about it all too.
"I heard there was some sort of attack that happened," Bakura commented softly. "And that the tournament might be canceled because of it."
"Nah!" Joey exclaimed and waved his hand. "They wouldn't cancel the tournament just because of one attack."
"Don't be so sure, Joey!" Yugi squeaked softly and looked at Joey and Roux. "Unless Kaiba is able to persuade the press that it's not a concern, I'd say the tournament is as good as canceled."
Roux tried not to think about that. She couldn't imagine what that would do to Kaiba. It would hurt him far too much. She shook her head. What was she thinking? She didn't care if Kaiba got hurt, she thought maybe it would help his attitude a bit. Somehow she doubted it would, but any attempt would help.
At that moment, the football game went to a commercial. Roux looked over in the direction of the television. There was a news report on at that moment. Roux got up from her seat quickly and went to the bar to hear the sound better. A woman newscaster sitting in a news room had the story.
"Good afternoon. Our top story today, the conclusions that follow the events of yesterday's attacks at town square regarding the upcoming Battle City Tournament will be decided today. We go live to the office of CEO Seto Kaiba, president of Kaiba Corp and the host of the Battle City Tournament."
Roux watched intently with her full attention as the picture switched over to Kaiba, sitting behind his desk, looking sour enough. Apparently he didn't like a microphone being shoved in his face, and asked silly questions when he had obvious work to do.
"Everything that has to do with the incident yesterday is resolved." Kaiba said scornfully, his eyes a mixture of anger and hate. "This 'attack' was nothing more than a glitch in the mainframe of the practice duel arena, causing one of the monsters to attack the square fountain. This was not an attack in any way."
Roux smiled. She admired his ability to stay cool during such a hard situation.
"May I assure you the men responsible for this accident have been severely prosecuted." Kaiba added coolly.
"Mr. Kaiba, what about the men who were injured in this accident?" the reporter asked.
Kaiba snorted. "They had left the hospital, their injuries were not serious. And as for the square, Kaiba Corp is making sure all damages are paid for and are being worked on as we speak."
The interview was over. The woman in the news room gave a satisfied nod. "Proposal goes out tomorrow as to whether or not the Battle City Tournament will continue as planned or not." The report was over.
Roux breathed out a sigh of relief. She was glad Kaiba was able to cover up the situation as nicely as he did. With such an impressive performance, she was certain the Battle City Tournament would still be on.
When Roux returned to the table everyone was laughing about Kaiba's interview.
"Did you see the look on his face?" Duke laughed. "He had a dill pickle up his ass I'll bet!" Almost everyone at the table laughed.
Except for Roux and Yugi. Roux was a bit annoyed. If only they knew the truth about what had happened at the square. Then they wouldn't laugh! Roux wanted to chew them all out. He wasn't a monster, even if his heart was so cold and empty. He was doing okay job in protecting Roux from Marik afterall.
He had risked the tournament to summon the Blue Eyes White Dragon to attack Marik's men, he had sacrificed his self-esteem to protect her from the water balloon attack, and his pride when he apologized to her about bruising her arm.
He may have had a heart of stone, but at least he had it in all the right places. If only they knew, they'd never laugh.
~*~
When Kaiba picked Roux up later that day, he was sitting in the back pouting. He was still fairly sore with Roux after what had happened earlier that day, when she asked about his past.
The very thought made him angry. Who was she to interfere with his privacy? Who was she to have the business to ask him such personal things? But he had seen in her expression when she left the limo that morning that she was sorry she had asked.
~ You had better be sorry! ~ He snarled at her in his mind. ~ And if you dare to ask anything like that again you'll be more than sorry! ~
Within a moment, Kaiba peered out the window and he saw her coming down the steps carefully, watching where to step. He looked away from her, and stared out the window on the opposite side. He didn't look over when the door opened and Roux got in.
Kaiba didn't look at her as the limo started to drive. There was an eerie calmness and silence in the limo, but Kaiba could feel Roux's smile on him, like a sugary feeling, haunting him.
"I saw your interview today on the news," she mentioned.
Kaiba couldn't help himself; he looked over at her with a confused eye. She was smiling at him. Why, was she laughing at him, at his interview? No, it was a smile of sweetness, of pleasantness. Kaiba felt the need to reply.
"And?" he asked sourly, raising an eyebrow questionably.
Roux shrugged. "Well, I was rather impressed with how you covered up everything that happened at the square." She was done her point, she sat back and wasn't expecting a reply from him as to what she had said.
Kaiba pulled his eyes from her in an instant, not replying to her comment. He stared out the window. Apparently what tension that had been there before was gone now. She seemed to have forgotten his outburst that morning. He was a little disappointed, but paid no further mind to it.
The mansion appeared momentarily while they were both lost in deep thought. The limo pulled up and stopped, and they were both called to attention when it stopped.
The driver opened the door and Roux and Kaiba got out. They said not a word to each other as they made their short journey to the house.
Roux came inside and greeted the maid at the door, and hung up her jacket on the nearby coat hook, then she began down the hallway. When Kaiba came in, he noticed her going down the hall.
"Where are you going?" he sneered detestfully at her as she walked.
Roux looked at him over her shoulder. "To find a television, I wanna know about the tournament. Is that okay?" she asked.
Kaiba stared and then tossed his head. "Do whatever you want." He said.
Roux smiled and then with a wave of her hair she was gone down the hallway.
All the servants and maids took off in separate directions throughout the mansion, and Kaiba was left alone in the foyer. He looked around the foyer, finding the house was quiet, and that he was alone in the large room.
~ Well, there's work to be done. ~ He thought to himself, bending down to pick up his briefcase to go into his office.
Then he noticed something black lying on top if his briefcase. Burring his eyebrow he lifted it. It was a jacket. Roux's jacket. It had fallen from the nearby coat hook.
Kaiba held it, studying it intensely. Why was Roux so concerned about the Battle City Tournament? For all he knew she was worried it would be canceled, but what if she was worried about something else?
Was it possible she was worried about Kaiba, and how the Battle City Tournament would effect him if it were canceled? Was it possible? After all the times he had yelled at her, after everything that had happened between them within the past week, was it possible for her to care about him and his feelings?
Kaiba shook his head. No, there was no way she would worry about him. Was there?
Kaiba turned to hang her coat back up on the coat hook. He lifted her jacket, and then stopped. He looked at her jacket.
Then he brought her jacket to his face, feeling the softness graze his skin. He breathed in deeply, Roux's romantic scent flooded his senses. The smell made him limp. He held her jacket to him, leaned against the wall and let out a deep sigh of satisfaction.
~ Why, why does she have to smell so good? ~ He asked himself in agony, but then breathed in her scent again, finding it irresistible. He couldn't escape her romantic scent; he was drawn to it.
"Seto, what are you doing?"
Kaiba jumped and threw Roux's jacket on the coat hook quickly at the sound of the voice. He looked over in the direction of the door leading off to the living room. Mokuba was standing in the side doorway, looking up at his big brother with a confused look in his big eyes.
"Nothing, Mokuba!" Kaiba exclaimed, staring at his little brother, and then bending down again he picked up his briefcase. "Nothing at all!" and he moved from the foyer without another word. Mokuba watched him, still confused, but with a little smile creeping on his lips.
~*~
Marik was furious.
He paced in his dark room all night long, angry, frustrated, and asking himself stupid questions to which he held no answer. The sweat in his hand made the millennium rod slippery, but anger held his sanity.
The failed attempt the other day at the square was unnerving. Marik couldn't stand knowing that one of his great plans had failed misery, and why? Because of his guards? No, because of that stupid Seto Kaiba, who just had to bring in his Blue Eyes White Dragon to fight off the guards.
Marik had seen the news reports. There was discussion of canceling the Battle City Tournament because of Kaiba's foolish attempt. But if the Battle City Tournament was canceled, so were Marik's plans.
He had entered the tournament not just to win Seto Kaiba and Yugi Moto's Egyptian god cards, but also to obtain all the millennium items he possibly could. Aside from Roux Matuko's Millennium stone, he also needed to obtain the Millennium Ring from Bakura, and the Millennium puzzle from Yugi.
But now everything was going wrong. All his precious and carefully planned details and plots were messed up. What would he do if the tournament were canceled? How would he obtain all the items and the cards then?
Marik flopped down on to his bed and left out a deep sigh and anger and frustration. He hadn't thought capturing a girl to obtain her millennium item would be so difficult, and would cost him almost everything.
But then again she would have been easy to capture, had Seto Kaiba not been the one assigned to protect her. This was the one thing Marik was sure of.
That gave him an idea. He sat up and stared into the darkness of the room. Maybe, instead of obtaining both Roux Matuko's millennium stone and Seto Kaiba's Egyptian god card at the tournament, if indeed it was canceled, there could have been another way to obtain them both at once.
Marik grinned to himself in the darkness. He would have to give it a little time, this he knew. But that was all right. He could deal with that. He had seen the way they had fought through his millennium rod. There was no doubt in his mind that something would happen between them soon. Very soon.
~*~
Kaiba mumbled in his sleep, twitching and tossing. The sheets were dismayed; he was having a nightmare. He seemed to try to bat them away with his arms. He was tossing and turning frantically, as if trying to free himself from a sort of restraint.
In his mind he could see nothing, nothing but the darkness which had plagued the world. He was standing there alone in the darkness looking around, finding nothing and hearing only the worst things that could come to his mind.
The sounds of Marik's laughing, Roux's screaming. Then the crashing and cackling sounds of erupting flame as it devoured the world. Thousands of voices screaming out in terror, Marik's laughing, Roux's screaming, Ishizu chanting, pleading.
Where was he, what was he doing? Kaiba, do something! But he found himself unable to do anything, staring at the darkness, frozen to move, while the sounds, the voices, the screams, the terror, the laughter, the pleasure filled his mind and he tried to scream out in agony. Nothing came. The sound of the flames. The sound of Marik's conquering laugh. He had gotten the items and the three Egyptian god cards. But how could that be? He was the pharaoh now.
The world was in agony, being swallowed in flames of hatred, those who begged were slaves. Marik's laughing, Roux's screaming. Why was Roux screaming? Was she dying, was she in pain? Where was she? Kaiba screamed out her name, but only heard Marik laughing at him in spite of himself.
Then Ishizu, she appeared in front of him, standing, holding her necklace. Her lips mumbled in a soft prayer, and Kaiba tried to go to her, tried to ask her what was happening, trying to discover what had happened to Roux, why Marik was pharaoh. What had happened?
He heard nothing from Ishizu. She was frozen, chanting, mumbling, holding her necklace, as though she had seen this all coming.
Through the voices, the screaming, the laughing, the flames, Kaiba could hear Ishizu's voice speaking to him.
"Welcome Seto Kaiba," she whispered to him hoarsely, and he stared at her. "One who has seen the eye!"
Ishizu's eyes opened wide, her eyes were covered with a slimy white film. She was frozen, her mouth hanging open, her eyes blank. She was dead. They were all dead. The millennium necklace fell from her fingers. The Eye. The Millennium Eye.
Kaiba let out a scream as he burst from his sleep. He was panting heavily, he found himself sweating at the forehead, the room was dark and the window was open. He looked around frantically, touching his forehead, touching his chest to try and calm himself.
That was no ordinary dream. He knew it for himself. There was something about the dream that made him feel scared, scared and timid. The Eye, the Millennium Eye, he who had seen the Eye, which in the end would kill them all. The world, Ishizu, Roux, himself. It would destroy the world they once knew.
Kaiba threw his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed his eyes. He was startled and felt relief to be back in his room after such a terrible dream, after such a terrible realization. It still seemed to ring in his ears. Marik's laughter, Ishizu's words, Roux's screaming-
Roux! Kaiba got up out of bed and threw on his housecoat, and then he went to the door, opened it, and hurried down the hallway.
Roux, he had to make sure she was okay. After such a terrible dream, who was to say that she was okay? He had to make sure.
Then Kaiba slowed down a bit. He wasn't rushing to make sure she was okay, he was just casually going to check up on her. Nothing big, he was just going to make sure she was okay. He didn't want to make sure she was okay. He went slowly, walking slowly, his breath in his chest.
He stopped in front of her door, closed tightly. Again he took in the deep breath. He reached for the knob, and wondered if this was a mistake. He shook his head; he opened the door softly. Again he could hear it, Marik's laughing, Roux's screaming.
The first thing Kaiba could hear was the peaceful sound of Roux's breathing.
He peered inside. She was lying in the bed, the covers drawn up over her chest, the moonlight cascading from the window onto her hair and face. She slept so soundly, a little smile on her lips. She was dreaming of sweet things.
Kaiba stared at her asleep for a long time it seemed, leaning against the doorway, staring at her, recognizing her scent that filled the room. She was okay, and he was glad to see it. Wait! No he wasn't. He shook his head and tried to look away, but she memorized him. He stared at her beauty; he never wanted to pull away.
Her ring, the Millennium Stone. For her life and his, Kaiba couldn't let Marik have it. Now he respected it.
~*~
**** ^_^ ****
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"Hey Duke, I betcha I can fit more breadsticks into my mouth than you can!" Joey challenged, pointing a breadstick at Duke Devlin, who had been in deep conversation with Tristan on the other side of the table. But when Joey spoke up, duke looked at him and grinned.
"You're on, Wheeler!" Duke said, and then grabbed for the breadstick bowl and snatched a handful of breadsticks.
Roux, Yugi, Bakura, Tea, Serenity, and Tristan witnessed with grimacing looks on their faces as Joey and Duke stuffed breadsticks into their mouths, counting as they went along.
"Ah ha!" Duke muffled. "I got thirteen! Beat that Joey!"
Joey tried to fit in a new breadstick, and by this time no one was really watching anymore. Yugi noticed that Roux wasn't watching them. She was looking towards the bar where the little television was on.
Yugi looked at Roux. Her eyes were filled with concern, interest and worry. Yugi wondered what she was so intent about.
Roux stared at the TV, playing a football game, but she wondered when it would cut to commercials. She was eager to see the news. If Kaiba were meeting with the press today, she wouldn't want to miss what he had to say.
Yugi gave her a smile. "Are you waiting for someone, Roux?" he asked.
Roux looked over at Yugi, smiled and shook her head. "No, just interested in the game, that's all." She said, even as it was a big lie. She didn't much care for football.
"Hey, did you guys hear about the attack at the square yesterday?" Tea asked suddenly.
The table went silent, and Joey and Roux exchanged glances of nervousness. Roux was glad they had discussed that earlier in the day. They decided not to tell the gang about what happened. Not yet at least. Joey knew sooner of later he should tell Yugi, since he knew about it all too.
"I heard there was some sort of attack that happened," Bakura commented softly. "And that the tournament might be canceled because of it."
"Nah!" Joey exclaimed and waved his hand. "They wouldn't cancel the tournament just because of one attack."
"Don't be so sure, Joey!" Yugi squeaked softly and looked at Joey and Roux. "Unless Kaiba is able to persuade the press that it's not a concern, I'd say the tournament is as good as canceled."
Roux tried not to think about that. She couldn't imagine what that would do to Kaiba. It would hurt him far too much. She shook her head. What was she thinking? She didn't care if Kaiba got hurt, she thought maybe it would help his attitude a bit. Somehow she doubted it would, but any attempt would help.
At that moment, the football game went to a commercial. Roux looked over in the direction of the television. There was a news report on at that moment. Roux got up from her seat quickly and went to the bar to hear the sound better. A woman newscaster sitting in a news room had the story.
"Good afternoon. Our top story today, the conclusions that follow the events of yesterday's attacks at town square regarding the upcoming Battle City Tournament will be decided today. We go live to the office of CEO Seto Kaiba, president of Kaiba Corp and the host of the Battle City Tournament."
Roux watched intently with her full attention as the picture switched over to Kaiba, sitting behind his desk, looking sour enough. Apparently he didn't like a microphone being shoved in his face, and asked silly questions when he had obvious work to do.
"Everything that has to do with the incident yesterday is resolved." Kaiba said scornfully, his eyes a mixture of anger and hate. "This 'attack' was nothing more than a glitch in the mainframe of the practice duel arena, causing one of the monsters to attack the square fountain. This was not an attack in any way."
Roux smiled. She admired his ability to stay cool during such a hard situation.
"May I assure you the men responsible for this accident have been severely prosecuted." Kaiba added coolly.
"Mr. Kaiba, what about the men who were injured in this accident?" the reporter asked.
Kaiba snorted. "They had left the hospital, their injuries were not serious. And as for the square, Kaiba Corp is making sure all damages are paid for and are being worked on as we speak."
The interview was over. The woman in the news room gave a satisfied nod. "Proposal goes out tomorrow as to whether or not the Battle City Tournament will continue as planned or not." The report was over.
Roux breathed out a sigh of relief. She was glad Kaiba was able to cover up the situation as nicely as he did. With such an impressive performance, she was certain the Battle City Tournament would still be on.
When Roux returned to the table everyone was laughing about Kaiba's interview.
"Did you see the look on his face?" Duke laughed. "He had a dill pickle up his ass I'll bet!" Almost everyone at the table laughed.
Except for Roux and Yugi. Roux was a bit annoyed. If only they knew the truth about what had happened at the square. Then they wouldn't laugh! Roux wanted to chew them all out. He wasn't a monster, even if his heart was so cold and empty. He was doing okay job in protecting Roux from Marik afterall.
He had risked the tournament to summon the Blue Eyes White Dragon to attack Marik's men, he had sacrificed his self-esteem to protect her from the water balloon attack, and his pride when he apologized to her about bruising her arm.
He may have had a heart of stone, but at least he had it in all the right places. If only they knew, they'd never laugh.
~*~
When Kaiba picked Roux up later that day, he was sitting in the back pouting. He was still fairly sore with Roux after what had happened earlier that day, when she asked about his past.
The very thought made him angry. Who was she to interfere with his privacy? Who was she to have the business to ask him such personal things? But he had seen in her expression when she left the limo that morning that she was sorry she had asked.
~ You had better be sorry! ~ He snarled at her in his mind. ~ And if you dare to ask anything like that again you'll be more than sorry! ~
Within a moment, Kaiba peered out the window and he saw her coming down the steps carefully, watching where to step. He looked away from her, and stared out the window on the opposite side. He didn't look over when the door opened and Roux got in.
Kaiba didn't look at her as the limo started to drive. There was an eerie calmness and silence in the limo, but Kaiba could feel Roux's smile on him, like a sugary feeling, haunting him.
"I saw your interview today on the news," she mentioned.
Kaiba couldn't help himself; he looked over at her with a confused eye. She was smiling at him. Why, was she laughing at him, at his interview? No, it was a smile of sweetness, of pleasantness. Kaiba felt the need to reply.
"And?" he asked sourly, raising an eyebrow questionably.
Roux shrugged. "Well, I was rather impressed with how you covered up everything that happened at the square." She was done her point, she sat back and wasn't expecting a reply from him as to what she had said.
Kaiba pulled his eyes from her in an instant, not replying to her comment. He stared out the window. Apparently what tension that had been there before was gone now. She seemed to have forgotten his outburst that morning. He was a little disappointed, but paid no further mind to it.
The mansion appeared momentarily while they were both lost in deep thought. The limo pulled up and stopped, and they were both called to attention when it stopped.
The driver opened the door and Roux and Kaiba got out. They said not a word to each other as they made their short journey to the house.
Roux came inside and greeted the maid at the door, and hung up her jacket on the nearby coat hook, then she began down the hallway. When Kaiba came in, he noticed her going down the hall.
"Where are you going?" he sneered detestfully at her as she walked.
Roux looked at him over her shoulder. "To find a television, I wanna know about the tournament. Is that okay?" she asked.
Kaiba stared and then tossed his head. "Do whatever you want." He said.
Roux smiled and then with a wave of her hair she was gone down the hallway.
All the servants and maids took off in separate directions throughout the mansion, and Kaiba was left alone in the foyer. He looked around the foyer, finding the house was quiet, and that he was alone in the large room.
~ Well, there's work to be done. ~ He thought to himself, bending down to pick up his briefcase to go into his office.
Then he noticed something black lying on top if his briefcase. Burring his eyebrow he lifted it. It was a jacket. Roux's jacket. It had fallen from the nearby coat hook.
Kaiba held it, studying it intensely. Why was Roux so concerned about the Battle City Tournament? For all he knew she was worried it would be canceled, but what if she was worried about something else?
Was it possible she was worried about Kaiba, and how the Battle City Tournament would effect him if it were canceled? Was it possible? After all the times he had yelled at her, after everything that had happened between them within the past week, was it possible for her to care about him and his feelings?
Kaiba shook his head. No, there was no way she would worry about him. Was there?
Kaiba turned to hang her coat back up on the coat hook. He lifted her jacket, and then stopped. He looked at her jacket.
Then he brought her jacket to his face, feeling the softness graze his skin. He breathed in deeply, Roux's romantic scent flooded his senses. The smell made him limp. He held her jacket to him, leaned against the wall and let out a deep sigh of satisfaction.
~ Why, why does she have to smell so good? ~ He asked himself in agony, but then breathed in her scent again, finding it irresistible. He couldn't escape her romantic scent; he was drawn to it.
"Seto, what are you doing?"
Kaiba jumped and threw Roux's jacket on the coat hook quickly at the sound of the voice. He looked over in the direction of the door leading off to the living room. Mokuba was standing in the side doorway, looking up at his big brother with a confused look in his big eyes.
"Nothing, Mokuba!" Kaiba exclaimed, staring at his little brother, and then bending down again he picked up his briefcase. "Nothing at all!" and he moved from the foyer without another word. Mokuba watched him, still confused, but with a little smile creeping on his lips.
~*~
Marik was furious.
He paced in his dark room all night long, angry, frustrated, and asking himself stupid questions to which he held no answer. The sweat in his hand made the millennium rod slippery, but anger held his sanity.
The failed attempt the other day at the square was unnerving. Marik couldn't stand knowing that one of his great plans had failed misery, and why? Because of his guards? No, because of that stupid Seto Kaiba, who just had to bring in his Blue Eyes White Dragon to fight off the guards.
Marik had seen the news reports. There was discussion of canceling the Battle City Tournament because of Kaiba's foolish attempt. But if the Battle City Tournament was canceled, so were Marik's plans.
He had entered the tournament not just to win Seto Kaiba and Yugi Moto's Egyptian god cards, but also to obtain all the millennium items he possibly could. Aside from Roux Matuko's Millennium stone, he also needed to obtain the Millennium Ring from Bakura, and the Millennium puzzle from Yugi.
But now everything was going wrong. All his precious and carefully planned details and plots were messed up. What would he do if the tournament were canceled? How would he obtain all the items and the cards then?
Marik flopped down on to his bed and left out a deep sigh and anger and frustration. He hadn't thought capturing a girl to obtain her millennium item would be so difficult, and would cost him almost everything.
But then again she would have been easy to capture, had Seto Kaiba not been the one assigned to protect her. This was the one thing Marik was sure of.
That gave him an idea. He sat up and stared into the darkness of the room. Maybe, instead of obtaining both Roux Matuko's millennium stone and Seto Kaiba's Egyptian god card at the tournament, if indeed it was canceled, there could have been another way to obtain them both at once.
Marik grinned to himself in the darkness. He would have to give it a little time, this he knew. But that was all right. He could deal with that. He had seen the way they had fought through his millennium rod. There was no doubt in his mind that something would happen between them soon. Very soon.
~*~
Kaiba mumbled in his sleep, twitching and tossing. The sheets were dismayed; he was having a nightmare. He seemed to try to bat them away with his arms. He was tossing and turning frantically, as if trying to free himself from a sort of restraint.
In his mind he could see nothing, nothing but the darkness which had plagued the world. He was standing there alone in the darkness looking around, finding nothing and hearing only the worst things that could come to his mind.
The sounds of Marik's laughing, Roux's screaming. Then the crashing and cackling sounds of erupting flame as it devoured the world. Thousands of voices screaming out in terror, Marik's laughing, Roux's screaming, Ishizu chanting, pleading.
Where was he, what was he doing? Kaiba, do something! But he found himself unable to do anything, staring at the darkness, frozen to move, while the sounds, the voices, the screams, the terror, the laughter, the pleasure filled his mind and he tried to scream out in agony. Nothing came. The sound of the flames. The sound of Marik's conquering laugh. He had gotten the items and the three Egyptian god cards. But how could that be? He was the pharaoh now.
The world was in agony, being swallowed in flames of hatred, those who begged were slaves. Marik's laughing, Roux's screaming. Why was Roux screaming? Was she dying, was she in pain? Where was she? Kaiba screamed out her name, but only heard Marik laughing at him in spite of himself.
Then Ishizu, she appeared in front of him, standing, holding her necklace. Her lips mumbled in a soft prayer, and Kaiba tried to go to her, tried to ask her what was happening, trying to discover what had happened to Roux, why Marik was pharaoh. What had happened?
He heard nothing from Ishizu. She was frozen, chanting, mumbling, holding her necklace, as though she had seen this all coming.
Through the voices, the screaming, the laughing, the flames, Kaiba could hear Ishizu's voice speaking to him.
"Welcome Seto Kaiba," she whispered to him hoarsely, and he stared at her. "One who has seen the eye!"
Ishizu's eyes opened wide, her eyes were covered with a slimy white film. She was frozen, her mouth hanging open, her eyes blank. She was dead. They were all dead. The millennium necklace fell from her fingers. The Eye. The Millennium Eye.
Kaiba let out a scream as he burst from his sleep. He was panting heavily, he found himself sweating at the forehead, the room was dark and the window was open. He looked around frantically, touching his forehead, touching his chest to try and calm himself.
That was no ordinary dream. He knew it for himself. There was something about the dream that made him feel scared, scared and timid. The Eye, the Millennium Eye, he who had seen the Eye, which in the end would kill them all. The world, Ishizu, Roux, himself. It would destroy the world they once knew.
Kaiba threw his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed his eyes. He was startled and felt relief to be back in his room after such a terrible dream, after such a terrible realization. It still seemed to ring in his ears. Marik's laughter, Ishizu's words, Roux's screaming-
Roux! Kaiba got up out of bed and threw on his housecoat, and then he went to the door, opened it, and hurried down the hallway.
Roux, he had to make sure she was okay. After such a terrible dream, who was to say that she was okay? He had to make sure.
Then Kaiba slowed down a bit. He wasn't rushing to make sure she was okay, he was just casually going to check up on her. Nothing big, he was just going to make sure she was okay. He didn't want to make sure she was okay. He went slowly, walking slowly, his breath in his chest.
He stopped in front of her door, closed tightly. Again he took in the deep breath. He reached for the knob, and wondered if this was a mistake. He shook his head; he opened the door softly. Again he could hear it, Marik's laughing, Roux's screaming.
The first thing Kaiba could hear was the peaceful sound of Roux's breathing.
He peered inside. She was lying in the bed, the covers drawn up over her chest, the moonlight cascading from the window onto her hair and face. She slept so soundly, a little smile on her lips. She was dreaming of sweet things.
Kaiba stared at her asleep for a long time it seemed, leaning against the doorway, staring at her, recognizing her scent that filled the room. She was okay, and he was glad to see it. Wait! No he wasn't. He shook his head and tried to look away, but she memorized him. He stared at her beauty; he never wanted to pull away.
Her ring, the Millennium Stone. For her life and his, Kaiba couldn't let Marik have it. Now he respected it.
~*~
**** ^_^ ****