Ieyre: *singing to the tune 'I Will Survive'* Ieyre's back! From outer space! You just got on your computer to find her with that writing look upon her face!
Yami Ieyre: *shoves textbook into her hikari's mouth to prevent more singing* You should have never read this fic! You should have stayed away! But you'll read! You'll read anyway!
Ieyre: *with textbook in mouth* Mmmmp! Mmm mhhhh mhhhh! (Translation: You'll read today! You'll read today! Etc.)
Yami Ieyre: What she's trying to say-I mean, sing...is that she's going to discontinue this story and that she hates you all but apologizes for all the horrible torture she put you through by writing it.
Ieyre: *glares*
CYI: *pulls textbook out of Ieyre's mouth* Hehehe! Mamie Ieyre look funny!
Ieyre: *sighs* Thank you, CYI. Now, Yami...*fixes Yami Ieyre with evil eye* You were saying? What's this about me hating my reviewers? I'm waiting...
Yami Ieyre: *shifty eyes* Terribly sorry folks, but I just remembered I have an orthodontia appointment! Later! *runs away*
Ieyre: Hey! Where do you think you're going??? Come back here!
CYI: *frowns* Yami mommy leave! I want my Yami Mommy!!!
Ieyre: *pauses from shaking fist at Yami Ieyre* Hey, CYI, that was almost a coherent sentence. You sure are learning fast...
CYI: Hehehe...^_^ *takes out plastic mallet and starts hitting random objects*
Ieyre: -_- Unfortunately, most of what you're learning comes from Yami...
CYI: ^_^
Ieyre:...Right. Well, now, readers, today's the day where we find out what's on the tape. Did any of you get it right? I guess we'll have to read on to find out...oh, I better start talking to you reviewers, too...
pruningshears: Hmmm...very good guess. Was it right? Well, I don't think I'll tell you that right now...but you'll find out soon enough.
Blue Lagoon Loon:...You're totally insane, you know that?
Wingleader Sora Jade: Hey, there! My fellow member of the elite three ^_^. So, you have no idea what's on the tape? Well, that works for me. Read on, friend ^_^
Jar of Pills: *sweatdrop* Um...very interesting answers, Jar of Pills...you have a...great imagination...^_^;;;
Angel-Belle: -_- Yeah, Yami's [Ieyre, not Yami Yugi, of course] an idiot...I like Joey too!! He's my second favorite character, after Seto-kun. He's so sweet and cutely dumb ^_^
Kelly Noel: Wow, a Ryou plushie!! I'm so loved!!! Well, I'm glad you like the story, I can see you ALSO have a Yami to deal with, don't you -_-? Pains, aren't they?
Rinaidran Warrior: ^_^;; Um...I'm continuing, please don't kill me...
Mistress Fluffy and DMG: Your commandment hath caused me to update, friend! And
I hope you're satisfied with what happens this chapter!
Lady of the Thread: Well, first off, I LOVED your latest chappy, great stuff. You are very observant, friend. The answer in this chapter will surprise many people, I think.
HarpieLady456: Harpie: Hmmmmmm...dress up? I hope that was a sugar-induced answer. Mia: I've updated, sorry for the delay ^_^
Ieyre: Thanks for all the reviews, guys! This is the most I think I've ever got for a story after two chapters! Okay, and now...the disclaimer!
DISCLAIMER: Tape: Ieyre does not own YGO, or 'I Will Survive'. But she does own me, and the mysterious stuff on me!!! In your face, 4Kids!!! You don't own me!!! BWAHAHAHAHA!!! Victory is mine!!!! I've won! I'VE WON!!!!!!!!!!! *starts laughing like a freak of nature*
Ieyre: ^_^;;; Okay, Tape...I think that's enough...so...let's go to the fic, shall we? All will be reveled!
*************************************************
"Does anyone want some popcorn?"
"Oh, Joey, you know that's not funny."
The five friends were all gathered at Yugi's Game shop, about to watch the mysterious tape Seto Kaiba had tried to get rid of.
"Aw, come ON! You know I'm just fooling!" Joey waved Tea's disapproval away with one hand. Bakura and Tristan were sitting side-by-side on the couch, Tristan loudly finishing off a bag of potato chips and Bakura staring curiously at Yugi. Yugi was holding the tape, but something about it made him feel like he had been caught trespassing. As if he was meddling.
"Guys, are you absolutely, positively, sure about this?" He asked for what seemed the hundredth time today.
"Yeah, yeah, Yug'! Just roll the tape!" Joey said impatiently.
"Okay..."
Yugi pushed the black cassette into the VCR and asked Tea if she would turn off the lights. He then pressed the play button and sat back down next to Joey.
The screen was black for a moment. When it finally lit up, Yugi-tachi collectively gasped.
Instead of a security tape or embarrassing home movie as Joey had predicted, a middle-aged woman appeared on screen, staring at the camera fixedly with a small and worried smile.
At a first glance her features appeared to be flawless, a long and curved cheek and slender face. But upon closer inspection, one could see that her face was tired and worn with worry lines. Her dark black hair had a few gray streaks in it, and hung down onto her shoulders, slightly unkempt, and her large, gray, crystalline eyes were wide with a kind of...fragile expectation. Time and life had hit this woman, apparently, very hard.
After staring distantly at the camera for a moment, the woman spoke.
"Hello...Seto..."
Her voice cracked on his name. It was hoarse, and Tea's trained female eye alarmed her when it observed large, apparent red marks around her eyes.
"This lady...she's been crying..." The dancer whispered, half to herself. Joey bit down on his lip, having heard her.
"I suppose...I suppose you're probably wondering...how I was able to...to contact you this way..." The woman continued, choking out every word. "Well...rest assured. It wasn't easy. A...a close friend of mine...was able to gather enough information...to get this video message to you."
"So THAT's what this is...a video message." Tristan whispered.
"But it wasn't enough..." She continued shakily. "Even though I got this to you, I wasn't able to get any information myself. I don't know where you are, how to send you anything...even what your last name is..." She paused again, sniffling slightly. "You can imagine how much this worries me..."
Bakura narrowed his eyes at the screen thoughtfully, trying to completely decipher it's meaning. Yugi was too absorbed in the woman's lonely face to concentrate on anything else.
"In any case, I think you know what it is I want. I want...I NEED you to visit me. You and Mokuba...oh, Seto, you know how very young he was...he must not remember a thing."
Joey raised his eyebrows in surprise. This was the first time Mokuba had been mentioned, reaffirming that the woman was definitely speaking to the Seto Kaiba they knew and had not made some tragic error.
"I'm the only one left, you see. Sano...he was a weak child from the start, died of pneumonia 5 years ago...and Koru...well, he...disappeared. Up and left me, the horrid-" She was fighting back a fresh onslaught off tears very hard. "-You knew how he was, even at only 7, didn't you? It doesn't matter...I only want to see the two of you now. It's been awhile, Seto..." She stared distantly for a moment, again, before continuing. "Now, Seto...don't think I'm just expecting you to...to want to see me...
"I know you must be confused as to why I never tried to contact you before...maybe angry. But the truth was...it was too painful for me-to even THINK about. But now that I'm alone...I need something of familiarity...
"You can contact me in Kyoto, I'm listed under MARIKO ODA. You'll know where to find me, I think..."
With a deeply pained look, the woman clasped her two fragile hands together in a pleading manner.
"And please, Seto..." She practically begged. "Don't disregard my message to you. You know I care about you and your brother, I just want to get close to you...please don't push me away."
Mariko Oda let it all go at those words. She began to cry, identical tears tearing from the crinkly edges of her eyes. "Come and see me..." She breather out slowly and lifted her head, controlled once again.
"You ARE my sister's son, Seto...never forget that."
The screen went blank.
Unconsciously, Yugi stood up and turned off the television. In a similar fashion, Tea turned the lights back on. No one said anything.
Everyone turned to Joey.
And stared at him.
In turn, Joey stared at the blank TV screen, completely dumbfounded and lost for words.
***************************
"You know, if I didn't know better I'd say something was bothering you." Seto Kaiba's computer commented dryly. The young billionaire was working in his underground computer lab, trying to get some stock evaluations done, but it would be apparent to anyone that he was distracted.
"You're just a computer, what do you know?" He snapped back at her irritably.
She remained silent for a moment, not because he had hurt her 'feelings', but because she was thinking. Why, she knew her creator practically better than anyone and it was very unlike him to lash out at her in such a way.
"Quite a few things, actually." She answered his inquiry, finally. "And according to my censors, your work efficiency has dropped 47% in the last hour."
"Screw your censors." He replied, flatly. Undaunted, she continued.
"This is obviously a very HUMAN matter. You'll be able to get very little done at this rate."
He gritted his teeth angrily.
"I'll be able to get 'VERY LITTLE DONE' with your constant interruptions!" He spat at her, loosing his normally cool nature within a manner of seconds.
"Within the last minute you have dropped another 4%."
"I've been speaking to you, FACTOR THAT." He pointed out.
"You have always been able to work and carry on a conversation. This is clearly not the issue."
"Stop unnecessarily worrying yourself." He continued with his work. "I don't need you or anyone else to BABY me."
"Seto...you know this deeply distresses me. And being a machine, insults, snide remarks and mind tricks will not throw me off."
"Show me Kaiba Corp.'s current stock evaluation." He chose to ignore her. Silently, his request popped up on screen.
"You should go to bed, you know. You work too much."
He closed his eyes angrily. She knew he hated it when she brought that particular subject up.
"For the last time-"
"Why are you so preoccupied, Seto?" She threw at him. He was caught by surprise and momentarily off-balance, giving her a slight edge.
It nearly worked.
He opened his mouth as if to yell something at her, but then paused, and stared down at the keyboard distractedly. The CEO rubbed his temples wearily.
"Computer, shut down the stock evaluation. I don't think I'm going to work on it tonight."
Wordlessly the large green graph on screen closed with a small 'blip'.
"...Shut the whole thing down."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not going to work on anything tonight! I don't need you to interrogate me."
"Are you going to talk to me, then, finally?"
"What of, dare I ask?"
"You know very well! What's bothering you!"
"There's absolutely nothing bothering me. At all. Whatsoever." He stood up with a great sense of finality. "I just..." He paused, racking his brain for a good answer. "...Have decided I'm not going to work tonight."
"Fine." She half-sighed.
His hand lingered on the door's 'open' button. He was about to open it himself, when-
"Allow me."
The metallic doors slide open. He turned around and glared at her monitor. She was annoying him to no end. She was glad.
"You need to open up. If not to me, then someone else. Relying on others is not such a horrible thing, is it? You rely on me to help you work, do you not?"
He grunted. "It's different. You are a machine and tool. I use you. You were designed to help me. It's as simple as that. There is no emotional attachment involved."
"Nonetheless..." She pressed on. "You can't simply ignore your problems...or your past. Eventually they will catch up to you."
He turned away, again. He was walking...
"You can't run away forever."
***************************
Damn her. Damn her damn her damn her damn her damn her damn her DAMN HER! And damn HIM for making her. Damn him for making her and damn HER for being so right. Damn him for making her so right. Damn.
Yes...he knew she was right. He always knew she was right. She was ALWAYS right. At matters of the mathematical, the logical...even the emotional level. Damn it ALL, she was a MACHINE *HE* had designed and STILL she knew more about emotion than he.
So she was right. What else was knew? He knew that he ran away. Sure, for a long time he had fooled himself into believing that he always faced things head-on. In fact, most things he DID face head-on. Immediate things. Things that involved brains. Aggression. Power and force.
But emotions? He thought he had none. None but hatred, revenge, over-zealous, power-hungry passion.
Love?
Hardly.
Mercy? Compassion? Forgiveness?
Not a bone in his body contained them.
He had no need for such paltry emotions. Those emotions were a distraction for the weak. The weak feed off of emotions like trust and love and hope, but in the end they turn into deceit and anger and jealousy.
He was stronger.
He fed off of nothing.
He stood by himself.
He had no emotion.
Or so he had once believed.
He had long since discovered, however, that his hard shell, icy, cold, and brittle shell...was not serving it's purpose of extinguishing his unwanted emotion and feeling. Rather, it was bottling it up.
All his feelings, his problems, the things he had tried to put behind himself were mounting up and pressurizing like soda in a shaken can. Sooner or later it was bound to pop, something in his delicate world would be tossed off balance, and when it did...
Everything would come crashing down.
His career, his life...he would even drag his brother down.
SHE meant the difference between his life...or it's destruction.
He turned out the light, hoping that sleep would distract him, however momentarily. He hadn't slept a full night in weeks. The bed had remained cold for weeks.
It felt cold now.
The shadows of trees were dancing on the ceiling he was staring at. He absently wondered what a shadow really was.
/ Partial darkness or obscurity within a part of space from which rays from a source of light are cut off by an interposed opaque body./
Yes, he thought with a hint of melancholy, Yes, that's what it IS, but what is it, truly? What is it's substance?
His subconscious berated him for being so uncharacteristically poetic.
Undaunted, he continued his train of thought. A shadow, he realized, was like the reflection in a mirror. Only...instead of showing a clear image of one's self...the image was simpler and distorted...more abstract.
Looking at the shadow of something was like looking at the object's inner-self...it's soul. Itself...without the frills...
Or perhaps a shadow was more like...something's dark and mysterious side. What it had become after years of mistreatment and disuse. A shadow could be...a sort of...message from the future.
His aunt was now a shadow of what she had once been.
He sat up immediately. His nonsensical train of thought had led to her, as would anything else he tried to think of. His suppressed feeling of what had happened that day could only be constrained for so long.
So he thought of her.
His aunt Mariko...after all these years she had finally tried to contact him. When he had first seen the video, her face alone caused more shock then he had in years. Why did she have to resurface in his already overly complicated life? Why NOW?
He had pushed her and every memory involving her to the back of his mind. He had a new life now, and her presence would only further complicate matters.
He unconsciously shuddered.
She brought back such painful memories...most especially of his mother.
Mariko remembered how close he had been to her sister. Perhaps she thought that a mention of his mother would touch his heart.
She was amazingly ignorant.
Long ago he had decided not to talk to Mokuba about the past. That was all it was-in the past. Of very little importance. What was really important was the future. Mokuba would only be hurt by the past. The less he knew about Mariko and their parents, the better.
Ignorance was bliss.
Seto closed his eyes on the thought.
**********************************************
Ieyre:...That was different.
Yami Ieyre: That was weird.
CYI: O_O...
Ieyre: As you can see, even we are weirded out by this chapter. But as you can also see...NO ONE WON THE CONTEST!!!!!!! You all GUESSED INCORRECTLY!!!!! I knew from the moment I started this it would be really original, and I rightly guessed that you all would be taken by surprise! And if I'm not mistaken...YOU WERE!!!!!!!
Yami Ieyre: *I* could have guessed correctly.
Ieyre: -_- I told you the idea before the fic started.
Yami Ieyre: ^_^;; Oh, yeah.
CYI: O_O...
Ieyre: *glances at CYI* I think someone's been watching a little too much Transformers...now, off to bed with you. OUT! Yami, take her to bed!
Yami Ieyre: *grumbles and walks off with her chibi in tow*
Ieyre: Well, gotta go! I'm kinda insane from all the Bulma/Vegeta fics I've been reading, so I must go and do something normal, for once! Be sure to R&R, I love you all!!! JA NE!!!
Yami Ieyre: *shoves textbook into her hikari's mouth to prevent more singing* You should have never read this fic! You should have stayed away! But you'll read! You'll read anyway!
Ieyre: *with textbook in mouth* Mmmmp! Mmm mhhhh mhhhh! (Translation: You'll read today! You'll read today! Etc.)
Yami Ieyre: What she's trying to say-I mean, sing...is that she's going to discontinue this story and that she hates you all but apologizes for all the horrible torture she put you through by writing it.
Ieyre: *glares*
CYI: *pulls textbook out of Ieyre's mouth* Hehehe! Mamie Ieyre look funny!
Ieyre: *sighs* Thank you, CYI. Now, Yami...*fixes Yami Ieyre with evil eye* You were saying? What's this about me hating my reviewers? I'm waiting...
Yami Ieyre: *shifty eyes* Terribly sorry folks, but I just remembered I have an orthodontia appointment! Later! *runs away*
Ieyre: Hey! Where do you think you're going??? Come back here!
CYI: *frowns* Yami mommy leave! I want my Yami Mommy!!!
Ieyre: *pauses from shaking fist at Yami Ieyre* Hey, CYI, that was almost a coherent sentence. You sure are learning fast...
CYI: Hehehe...^_^ *takes out plastic mallet and starts hitting random objects*
Ieyre: -_- Unfortunately, most of what you're learning comes from Yami...
CYI: ^_^
Ieyre:...Right. Well, now, readers, today's the day where we find out what's on the tape. Did any of you get it right? I guess we'll have to read on to find out...oh, I better start talking to you reviewers, too...
pruningshears: Hmmm...very good guess. Was it right? Well, I don't think I'll tell you that right now...but you'll find out soon enough.
Blue Lagoon Loon:...You're totally insane, you know that?
Wingleader Sora Jade: Hey, there! My fellow member of the elite three ^_^. So, you have no idea what's on the tape? Well, that works for me. Read on, friend ^_^
Jar of Pills: *sweatdrop* Um...very interesting answers, Jar of Pills...you have a...great imagination...^_^;;;
Angel-Belle: -_- Yeah, Yami's [Ieyre, not Yami Yugi, of course] an idiot...I like Joey too!! He's my second favorite character, after Seto-kun. He's so sweet and cutely dumb ^_^
Kelly Noel: Wow, a Ryou plushie!! I'm so loved!!! Well, I'm glad you like the story, I can see you ALSO have a Yami to deal with, don't you -_-? Pains, aren't they?
Rinaidran Warrior: ^_^;; Um...I'm continuing, please don't kill me...
Mistress Fluffy and DMG: Your commandment hath caused me to update, friend! And
I hope you're satisfied with what happens this chapter!
Lady of the Thread: Well, first off, I LOVED your latest chappy, great stuff. You are very observant, friend. The answer in this chapter will surprise many people, I think.
HarpieLady456: Harpie: Hmmmmmm...dress up? I hope that was a sugar-induced answer. Mia: I've updated, sorry for the delay ^_^
Ieyre: Thanks for all the reviews, guys! This is the most I think I've ever got for a story after two chapters! Okay, and now...the disclaimer!
DISCLAIMER: Tape: Ieyre does not own YGO, or 'I Will Survive'. But she does own me, and the mysterious stuff on me!!! In your face, 4Kids!!! You don't own me!!! BWAHAHAHAHA!!! Victory is mine!!!! I've won! I'VE WON!!!!!!!!!!! *starts laughing like a freak of nature*
Ieyre: ^_^;;; Okay, Tape...I think that's enough...so...let's go to the fic, shall we? All will be reveled!
*************************************************
"Does anyone want some popcorn?"
"Oh, Joey, you know that's not funny."
The five friends were all gathered at Yugi's Game shop, about to watch the mysterious tape Seto Kaiba had tried to get rid of.
"Aw, come ON! You know I'm just fooling!" Joey waved Tea's disapproval away with one hand. Bakura and Tristan were sitting side-by-side on the couch, Tristan loudly finishing off a bag of potato chips and Bakura staring curiously at Yugi. Yugi was holding the tape, but something about it made him feel like he had been caught trespassing. As if he was meddling.
"Guys, are you absolutely, positively, sure about this?" He asked for what seemed the hundredth time today.
"Yeah, yeah, Yug'! Just roll the tape!" Joey said impatiently.
"Okay..."
Yugi pushed the black cassette into the VCR and asked Tea if she would turn off the lights. He then pressed the play button and sat back down next to Joey.
The screen was black for a moment. When it finally lit up, Yugi-tachi collectively gasped.
Instead of a security tape or embarrassing home movie as Joey had predicted, a middle-aged woman appeared on screen, staring at the camera fixedly with a small and worried smile.
At a first glance her features appeared to be flawless, a long and curved cheek and slender face. But upon closer inspection, one could see that her face was tired and worn with worry lines. Her dark black hair had a few gray streaks in it, and hung down onto her shoulders, slightly unkempt, and her large, gray, crystalline eyes were wide with a kind of...fragile expectation. Time and life had hit this woman, apparently, very hard.
After staring distantly at the camera for a moment, the woman spoke.
"Hello...Seto..."
Her voice cracked on his name. It was hoarse, and Tea's trained female eye alarmed her when it observed large, apparent red marks around her eyes.
"This lady...she's been crying..." The dancer whispered, half to herself. Joey bit down on his lip, having heard her.
"I suppose...I suppose you're probably wondering...how I was able to...to contact you this way..." The woman continued, choking out every word. "Well...rest assured. It wasn't easy. A...a close friend of mine...was able to gather enough information...to get this video message to you."
"So THAT's what this is...a video message." Tristan whispered.
"But it wasn't enough..." She continued shakily. "Even though I got this to you, I wasn't able to get any information myself. I don't know where you are, how to send you anything...even what your last name is..." She paused again, sniffling slightly. "You can imagine how much this worries me..."
Bakura narrowed his eyes at the screen thoughtfully, trying to completely decipher it's meaning. Yugi was too absorbed in the woman's lonely face to concentrate on anything else.
"In any case, I think you know what it is I want. I want...I NEED you to visit me. You and Mokuba...oh, Seto, you know how very young he was...he must not remember a thing."
Joey raised his eyebrows in surprise. This was the first time Mokuba had been mentioned, reaffirming that the woman was definitely speaking to the Seto Kaiba they knew and had not made some tragic error.
"I'm the only one left, you see. Sano...he was a weak child from the start, died of pneumonia 5 years ago...and Koru...well, he...disappeared. Up and left me, the horrid-" She was fighting back a fresh onslaught off tears very hard. "-You knew how he was, even at only 7, didn't you? It doesn't matter...I only want to see the two of you now. It's been awhile, Seto..." She stared distantly for a moment, again, before continuing. "Now, Seto...don't think I'm just expecting you to...to want to see me...
"I know you must be confused as to why I never tried to contact you before...maybe angry. But the truth was...it was too painful for me-to even THINK about. But now that I'm alone...I need something of familiarity...
"You can contact me in Kyoto, I'm listed under MARIKO ODA. You'll know where to find me, I think..."
With a deeply pained look, the woman clasped her two fragile hands together in a pleading manner.
"And please, Seto..." She practically begged. "Don't disregard my message to you. You know I care about you and your brother, I just want to get close to you...please don't push me away."
Mariko Oda let it all go at those words. She began to cry, identical tears tearing from the crinkly edges of her eyes. "Come and see me..." She breather out slowly and lifted her head, controlled once again.
"You ARE my sister's son, Seto...never forget that."
The screen went blank.
Unconsciously, Yugi stood up and turned off the television. In a similar fashion, Tea turned the lights back on. No one said anything.
Everyone turned to Joey.
And stared at him.
In turn, Joey stared at the blank TV screen, completely dumbfounded and lost for words.
***************************
"You know, if I didn't know better I'd say something was bothering you." Seto Kaiba's computer commented dryly. The young billionaire was working in his underground computer lab, trying to get some stock evaluations done, but it would be apparent to anyone that he was distracted.
"You're just a computer, what do you know?" He snapped back at her irritably.
She remained silent for a moment, not because he had hurt her 'feelings', but because she was thinking. Why, she knew her creator practically better than anyone and it was very unlike him to lash out at her in such a way.
"Quite a few things, actually." She answered his inquiry, finally. "And according to my censors, your work efficiency has dropped 47% in the last hour."
"Screw your censors." He replied, flatly. Undaunted, she continued.
"This is obviously a very HUMAN matter. You'll be able to get very little done at this rate."
He gritted his teeth angrily.
"I'll be able to get 'VERY LITTLE DONE' with your constant interruptions!" He spat at her, loosing his normally cool nature within a manner of seconds.
"Within the last minute you have dropped another 4%."
"I've been speaking to you, FACTOR THAT." He pointed out.
"You have always been able to work and carry on a conversation. This is clearly not the issue."
"Stop unnecessarily worrying yourself." He continued with his work. "I don't need you or anyone else to BABY me."
"Seto...you know this deeply distresses me. And being a machine, insults, snide remarks and mind tricks will not throw me off."
"Show me Kaiba Corp.'s current stock evaluation." He chose to ignore her. Silently, his request popped up on screen.
"You should go to bed, you know. You work too much."
He closed his eyes angrily. She knew he hated it when she brought that particular subject up.
"For the last time-"
"Why are you so preoccupied, Seto?" She threw at him. He was caught by surprise and momentarily off-balance, giving her a slight edge.
It nearly worked.
He opened his mouth as if to yell something at her, but then paused, and stared down at the keyboard distractedly. The CEO rubbed his temples wearily.
"Computer, shut down the stock evaluation. I don't think I'm going to work on it tonight."
Wordlessly the large green graph on screen closed with a small 'blip'.
"...Shut the whole thing down."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not going to work on anything tonight! I don't need you to interrogate me."
"Are you going to talk to me, then, finally?"
"What of, dare I ask?"
"You know very well! What's bothering you!"
"There's absolutely nothing bothering me. At all. Whatsoever." He stood up with a great sense of finality. "I just..." He paused, racking his brain for a good answer. "...Have decided I'm not going to work tonight."
"Fine." She half-sighed.
His hand lingered on the door's 'open' button. He was about to open it himself, when-
"Allow me."
The metallic doors slide open. He turned around and glared at her monitor. She was annoying him to no end. She was glad.
"You need to open up. If not to me, then someone else. Relying on others is not such a horrible thing, is it? You rely on me to help you work, do you not?"
He grunted. "It's different. You are a machine and tool. I use you. You were designed to help me. It's as simple as that. There is no emotional attachment involved."
"Nonetheless..." She pressed on. "You can't simply ignore your problems...or your past. Eventually they will catch up to you."
He turned away, again. He was walking...
"You can't run away forever."
***************************
Damn her. Damn her damn her damn her damn her damn her damn her DAMN HER! And damn HIM for making her. Damn him for making her and damn HER for being so right. Damn him for making her so right. Damn.
Yes...he knew she was right. He always knew she was right. She was ALWAYS right. At matters of the mathematical, the logical...even the emotional level. Damn it ALL, she was a MACHINE *HE* had designed and STILL she knew more about emotion than he.
So she was right. What else was knew? He knew that he ran away. Sure, for a long time he had fooled himself into believing that he always faced things head-on. In fact, most things he DID face head-on. Immediate things. Things that involved brains. Aggression. Power and force.
But emotions? He thought he had none. None but hatred, revenge, over-zealous, power-hungry passion.
Love?
Hardly.
Mercy? Compassion? Forgiveness?
Not a bone in his body contained them.
He had no need for such paltry emotions. Those emotions were a distraction for the weak. The weak feed off of emotions like trust and love and hope, but in the end they turn into deceit and anger and jealousy.
He was stronger.
He fed off of nothing.
He stood by himself.
He had no emotion.
Or so he had once believed.
He had long since discovered, however, that his hard shell, icy, cold, and brittle shell...was not serving it's purpose of extinguishing his unwanted emotion and feeling. Rather, it was bottling it up.
All his feelings, his problems, the things he had tried to put behind himself were mounting up and pressurizing like soda in a shaken can. Sooner or later it was bound to pop, something in his delicate world would be tossed off balance, and when it did...
Everything would come crashing down.
His career, his life...he would even drag his brother down.
SHE meant the difference between his life...or it's destruction.
He turned out the light, hoping that sleep would distract him, however momentarily. He hadn't slept a full night in weeks. The bed had remained cold for weeks.
It felt cold now.
The shadows of trees were dancing on the ceiling he was staring at. He absently wondered what a shadow really was.
/ Partial darkness or obscurity within a part of space from which rays from a source of light are cut off by an interposed opaque body./
Yes, he thought with a hint of melancholy, Yes, that's what it IS, but what is it, truly? What is it's substance?
His subconscious berated him for being so uncharacteristically poetic.
Undaunted, he continued his train of thought. A shadow, he realized, was like the reflection in a mirror. Only...instead of showing a clear image of one's self...the image was simpler and distorted...more abstract.
Looking at the shadow of something was like looking at the object's inner-self...it's soul. Itself...without the frills...
Or perhaps a shadow was more like...something's dark and mysterious side. What it had become after years of mistreatment and disuse. A shadow could be...a sort of...message from the future.
His aunt was now a shadow of what she had once been.
He sat up immediately. His nonsensical train of thought had led to her, as would anything else he tried to think of. His suppressed feeling of what had happened that day could only be constrained for so long.
So he thought of her.
His aunt Mariko...after all these years she had finally tried to contact him. When he had first seen the video, her face alone caused more shock then he had in years. Why did she have to resurface in his already overly complicated life? Why NOW?
He had pushed her and every memory involving her to the back of his mind. He had a new life now, and her presence would only further complicate matters.
He unconsciously shuddered.
She brought back such painful memories...most especially of his mother.
Mariko remembered how close he had been to her sister. Perhaps she thought that a mention of his mother would touch his heart.
She was amazingly ignorant.
Long ago he had decided not to talk to Mokuba about the past. That was all it was-in the past. Of very little importance. What was really important was the future. Mokuba would only be hurt by the past. The less he knew about Mariko and their parents, the better.
Ignorance was bliss.
Seto closed his eyes on the thought.
**********************************************
Ieyre:...That was different.
Yami Ieyre: That was weird.
CYI: O_O...
Ieyre: As you can see, even we are weirded out by this chapter. But as you can also see...NO ONE WON THE CONTEST!!!!!!! You all GUESSED INCORRECTLY!!!!! I knew from the moment I started this it would be really original, and I rightly guessed that you all would be taken by surprise! And if I'm not mistaken...YOU WERE!!!!!!!
Yami Ieyre: *I* could have guessed correctly.
Ieyre: -_- I told you the idea before the fic started.
Yami Ieyre: ^_^;; Oh, yeah.
CYI: O_O...
Ieyre: *glances at CYI* I think someone's been watching a little too much Transformers...now, off to bed with you. OUT! Yami, take her to bed!
Yami Ieyre: *grumbles and walks off with her chibi in tow*
Ieyre: Well, gotta go! I'm kinda insane from all the Bulma/Vegeta fics I've been reading, so I must go and do something normal, for once! Be sure to R&R, I love you all!!! JA NE!!!