Sarah: I actually have no comments for today… On with the fic!
Seto saw the note lying on the table when he walked into the dining room. Who could it be from? Mokuba was in the living room playing video games and Saya…
"Oh God damn it." Seto rushed over to the note and picked it up, his eyes scanning it quickly.
"Dear Sonkei," it read in a five-year-olds' penmanship. "I had to go do something today and I had to borrow 3000 yen (A.N: If my figures are right, that's about 24 dollars, give or take) from your pocket…"
"I was wondering where that went," Seto muttered.
"I promise to be home before dark," the letter continued. "See you when I get back, at which time I do expect to be grounded…"
"Smart ass." The letter ended there. Seto dropped the letter and ran to the living room. "Mokuba, come on- we have to go find Saya." Mokuba looked up at him, then let out an annoyed groan. "What?"
"Don't worry," Mokuba replied. "I know where she is." Seto stared at him.
"Huh?"
Yami was heading home from a duel with Joey and did a double take as he walked down the street. Was he really seeing what he thought he was seeing?
Aibou, he said. Is that Saya Kaiba? Yugi retook control of his body and looked. Sure enough, Saya was walking down the street, a bouquet of pink and yellow tipped white roses and a small baby monkey plushie in her hands.
Yeah…said Yami. What's she doing out here alone? Yami regained control of his body and headed after Saya.
That's what I'm going to find out.
Saya walked slowly down the street, holding her items tight. As she walked Seto's change, five one hundred yen coins clinked together in her pocket. Yami followed close behind, not wanting to scare her by coming up suddenly. Actually, he didn't want to scare her, period. Sure, he had seen her since the whole Mind Crushing incident. Granted, he didn't talk to her when Kaiba was around, but she had come into the game shop with Mokuba a few times since then. And she acted like nothing had ever happened.
"Why am I doing this...?" he asked himself. Suddenly, Yami saw a good reason for him to be doing this- an arm reached out of an alleyway and grabbed Saya's arm, dragging her into it. Yami's eyes widened as he raced after them.
Saya tried to call for help, only to have a hand clapped over her mouth. She struggled to get free only to have the grip on her arm tighten. She was slammed into the wall, her attacker glaring down at her.
"Give me your money!" he demanded. Saya glared right back at him.
"No!" She received a slap to the face.
"Give it to me now!" Saya winced slightly, but still glared at him
"N-no!" Koujo was about to come out and beat the living daylights out of this guy… until she heard something that made her stay put.
"Leave her alone!" Saya looked down towards the end of the alley, her eyes widening happily.
"Yami-san!" Yami smiled back. Saya had been calling him "Yami-san" since the Mind Crushing incident, as if using this term of respect would ease then tensions between Yami and Seto. Saya's captor tightened his grip on her arm, causing her to cry out. "Yami-san, he's hurting me!" The grip tightened, and Saya cried out again.
"Back away, man!" the bad guy cried, nervously. Yami's eyes flashed, coldly.
"Let her go."
"Soon as she gives me her cash"
I'm getting hassled for 500 yen?! Koujo chuckled slightly.
No one said he was smart, Asayake. Koujo had decided to let Yami handle this- she was too ashamed to talk to him anyway. Yami walked over to Saya and her captor, a cold glare on his face.
"I said let her go." The bad guy backed away, dragging Saya with him.
"I said back away!"
"And I said he's hurting me!" cried Saya. "Mind Crush him or something!" Yami shook his head. That was not his style - and besides, he was worried that he might hit Saya… again.
"You see this?" he asked, touching the Puzzle. "Solid gold- worth far more then 500 yen." The man smirked.
"So is this brat," he replied. "I know who she is. Seto Kaiba will pay a small fortune for her." Yami's eyes narrowed.
"Seto Kaiba is a far harder man to take down then I am. I would try getting this before you try going after him." He paused. "He'll slaughter you. I won't."
Yami took note of how Saya's eyes narrowed when he said that. It was obvious that she wasn't sure if she liked Yami talking about Seto like that. He gave her a little wink, letting her know that it was meant to be a compliment. Saya smiled and winked back.
"So do you want to take on me first?" Yami continued. "All you need to do is play a little game with me. You win, I let you go… with the necklace and the girl." Saya's eyes widened.
WHAT THE FUCK?!
SAYA! cried Koujo.
Seto says it!
Seto's older! The bad guy smirked.
"All right."
"Sweet Ra," thought Yami. "He believed all of that? What an idiot."
"Are you a gambling man, sir?" Yami asked aloud with a smile, taking three white balls from his pocket.
"Yeah, sure," came the reply. Yami placed the three balls in a small sack and smiled at his opponent.
"You see," he said. "These are no ordinary balls. They change with your feelings. Sort of like those mood rings you see." His smile widened. "But these are very special...they change to your soul. If you draw a white, you have a pure soul. Black is a dark soul, but red...if you draw red... You lose. And you'll find out what happens when you lose in a second." The bad guy shrugged.
"Fine... But I want the girl to draw first." Yami looked down at Saya- she didn't seem phased by the request, so he held the sac out to her.
"Go on, Saya." Saya nodded and reached her hand into the sac. A second later, she pulled out a white ball. Yami smiled then drew as well.
"Ah, the black ball," he said, pulling it out of the sack. "Not shocking." His smirk widened, reminding Saya of a psychotic cat she'd read about- the Chasseur cat. (A.N: The one from "Alice in Wonderland.") "Your turn." The bad guy shook his head.
"Forget it! There's only one ball left, there's no way I won't pick the red one!" Yami narrowed his eyes.
"Then you lose," he said plainly. "You don't draw, you forfeit, therefore you lose." The bad guy tightened his grip on Saya.
"OW!" she yelled. "RA DAMN IT, DO SOMETHING!" Yami narrowed his eyes.
"Penalty game...Soul Devour." Suddenly, a huge ugly monster appeared behind Saya's attacker and snatched him, causing him to let go of Saya, who instantly ran over to Yami. "This is your soul monster," Yami told him. "Your Ka, as you would call it. He now holds your fate." The monster closed his jaws on the bad guy, devouring him. Saya's eyes widened.
"COOL!" she cried. "Do it again, do it again!" Yami blinked and looks down at her.
"Do what again?" he asked. "The Shadow Game?" Saya nodded, eagerly.
"Yeah! We could find that Bakura guy Koujo keeps telling me about and do it to him!" Yami chuckled and ruffled her hair.
"I think we should save another game for another day." Saya pouted a bit, but then smiled and nodded.
"Okay Yami-san." She picked up her flowers and her toy. "Thank you for saving me. Bye-bye!" She turned to walk away, but Yami put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
"Hang on a sec, Saya- where are you going?" Saya rubbed the back of her head, nervously, a matching smile on her face.
"I gotta go to Blessed Angel Cemetery," she said softly. Yami raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?" Saya nodded.
"Yup… wanna come, Yami-san?" Yami blinked a couple times, but before he could answer, Saya grabbed his hand and lead him away. "C'mon!"
A few minutes later, Yami found himself in front of a gravestone. He read the words on it: "Yusuke Hiro Tora Jr. 10/17/66- 4/25/99. Marina Kagetsu Tora 1/30/70-5/25/99 Married 5/18/90." Yami watch, puzzled as Saya set the flowers and the plushie in front of the stone. Then… she spoke up.
"Hi Mommy! Hi Daddy!" Yami's eyes widened.
"Mommy?" he wondered. "Daddy?"
"Happy An'versery!" she said, sitting in front of the grave. "I got great news for ya! I'm living with Seto Kaiba now! I told you about him, 'member? He was the Duel Monsters world champion!" She giggled. "He's not anymore, but he still rocks. His little brother Mokuba's really cool." She pointed behind her to Yami. "This is Yami-san. He's cool too!" Yami just stood there, watching her.
"She loses her parents," he thought. "Yet I just lose my memory...? How is...that fair...?"
"I miss you guys a lot," Saya continued. "And I really wish I coulda gone with you." Yami noticed that she wiped her eyes- she was crying. "But… but you know what Sonkei said? He said if I'd come with you, then I wouldn't have met him and Moku! So, I guess it's okay that I didn't get to go with you... we'll see each other again, right?" Saya sighed, getting to her feet. "I better be going... I told Moku where I was going, but... I didn't really tell Sonkei… So I gotta hurry up and get home. I love you both very much! Enjoy your flowers Mommy... I hope you like your monkey, Daddy..." She just stood there for a moment, staring. Yami rested his hand on her shoulder.
"Saya?" he asked. Saya turned to look at him, all smiles and dry-eyed.
"Yup?" Yami was taken aback by this sudden change in demeanor, but he soon smiled as he took her hand.
"Come on, I'll take you back to the Manor." Saya nodded.
"Thanks Yami-san."