YUGIOH

Blast in the Past

Chapter 13.

"Good-bye, honey....we'll be back later. We might go and see a movie, too.", Kaiba's Mom said, trying to give him as much time as possible to get the house cleaned.

"Good-bye, Mom." Kaiba said, hugging his mother.

"Now, are you sure you're okay with this?" She asked.

"Yes Mom, I'll be fine." He said.

"Seto....why can't you come with us?" Mokuba said sadly.

Kaiba squatted down to his brother's height, saying, "Because I got work to do. You go have fun, you deserve it."

He then stood back up as his father approached him. He placed a hand on Seto's shoulder, and said, "Son....I'm proud of you." And hugged his son. As he pulled away, the father seemed a bit confused, though. The look on Seto's face after saying that to him....it almost looked like there was a tear in his eye he was fighting back.

Kaiba quickly turned away, saying, "Well I got work to do, so you guys get out of here." Fighting back the emotions that were overwhelming him. To be able to hear his parents tell him they're proud of him was more than he could ever imagine happen to him. Just being able to see them again was incredible for him.

"All right, good-bye honey!" The mother called back, as they left.

Kaiba struggled with himself, but managed to fight back his emotions, so he could turn back and watch them leave. He whispered, "Good-bye." As they drove away. Kaiba then leaned heavily against the wall of the house, contemplating all this for a moment. "It's real....this is all real." He said. He was sure of it now. The way they spoke, the emotions in their eyes....no virtual world could ever be 'that' real. It wasn't a dream. He was also able to read without problems, and it was said that in a dream, a person can't define words....it becomes scrambled and confusing. So, this couldn't be a dream.

Kaiba did not believe in magic, but he believed in what he was seeing around him. At this point, he didn't want to believe in anything else, anyway. Somehow, the magic of this stone really did change all of reality around him, and brought back his parents. In so doing, it changed the rest of reality to offset what would happen if they had lived. Yet, a small voice in his head did catch something strange about it. If this was his world that had changed because of his parents being alive, then why would that affect if Yugi ended up with the Millennium Puzzle, or not? Yugi didn't have it....why? But Kaiba ignored that small voice. For the first time in his life, he was truly happy. He didn't care if he didn't own Kaiba Corp., he didn't care that he was just some poor slob like everyone else. His parents were alive again....the stone gave him a second chance. He was not going to be stupid and blow it. This time around, he would make things right.

So Kaiba went to his room, changing out of his clothes into a basic T-shirt and blue jeans, since he didn't care what happened to these clothes, and prepared to do something he'd never done in his life: house-cleaning. This was something that he normally hired maids for, so he never did this kind of work, before. This was going to be as much as a first for him, as it was doing the laundry earlier. And despite doing 'common' work, it didn't bother him. His mother's theory on why he was doing it was farther than she could imagine. He was hardly doing this for Mai, and especially not for his so-called friends. He was doing this for his parents. Disgraced to think he was almost failing in school, and slacking off at home, only adding more burden to his parents....no, he would make them proud, as proud as his father was towards him today. He would prove to them that he could be responsible, and was worthy of being Mokuba's big brother, and worthy of having them in his life once again.

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It was a few hours later, when there was a knock on the door. Joey knocked again, and again, but no answer....all he could hear in the distance was a vacuum cleaner. So he then pounded on the door, but still no answer. Finally, he walked in, and slowly came inside, hoping not to piss off the parents who thought of him and Tristan as 'bad influences'. Joey froze, shocked to see his pal Seto....cleaning the house. Brooms were out, a mop was in a dirty water bucket, and Seto who had his shirt off from the heat, after the work he'd been doing, was vacuuming the floor.

"Hey, Seto!!" Joey finally yelled, causing him to look up with a start. He finally stood, turning off the vacuum cleaner. Kaiba leaned heavily on the vacuum, catching his breath. He never realized what hard work a little house-cleaning could be. After a few breaths, he gasped out, "What is it, Wheeler?" In a more easy general tone of voice, too tired to be snapping at him at the moment.

Joey laughed, saying, "I didn't know it was mother's day, yet. What the hell are you doing? This is woman's work."

"Well I don't know about you, but the only woman in my house is my mother....and she can use a break. What's going on with the tickets?" He asked.

Joey sighed, "Well, Tristan got his money from his parents. Unless you decide to go back to our original plan, we aint gonna go."

As he said this, Kaiba walked over to a broom and grabbed it, saying, "Well, I got another idea." And tossed the broom over at Joey, who caught it to prevent being hit by it. "I still need to get the family room cleaned up. So while you're here, get to it."

"What?? I aint doing your chores!" Joey laughed. He quickly backed up though, as Seto grabbed the broom and pinned him against the wall with it.

Kaiba snapped, "Listen, Wheeler….I've been busting my ass here for a reason. For the work I'm doing, I'm getting the tickets that's needed for all three of us. The least you can do is pull your share. Now quit your whining, and start working. That was NOT a request!"

He let go of Joey, and walked over to the kitchen fridge, pulling out a gallon water, to pour himself a quick drink. Joey paused a long time, looking over the broom, and back up at Kaiba, then finally approached. "You mean....you've been doing all this, busting hump for the tickets? And not just for you, but for me, too? You'd do that for me? I....I thought after earlier, you didn't think we were friends anymore, or something."

"I didn't ask for the money for Tristan....I assumed he wouldn't have a problem getting money from his parents. But the way your parents are, I figured if I didn't, you wouldn't be able to go." Kaiba said. He drank down some of the water, then added, "And since I was the one that came up with the idea to go steal something, then that meant I probably owed you....'this' time. Next time though, you're getting a job, and doing it yourself. But I'm not going to have you stealing crap on the streets because of me." Kaiba told him.

Joey smiled, "Man....you really care."

Kaiba winced, horrified at the thought. Why the hell was he doing this to help pay for Joey, of all people? Since when 'did' he care?? Maybe this new world really was making him go soft. But he just couldn't leave Joey hung out to dry like that....no one was 'that' heartless. And strangely enough, the thought of Joey getting in trouble out there, when he could do something about it....that really bothered him. He really felt he wanted to help this guy. Kaiba rubbed his head, thinking aloud, "Maybe I am coming down with something...."

"So, where did you want me to clean?" Joey asked, taking the broom.

"Over in the family room." Kaiba said, and began his work again.

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By nighttime, the family came home. They all stared in shock at just how clean the place was. Not one spot of dirt was missed. The floor, furniture, dishes, counters....everything had been cleaned.

The first to speak was Mokuba, who said, "Wow!!" Never seeing this place so clean, even when his parents were cleaning up.

"This is....amazing." The mother said.

The father came in to see two people on the couch watching TV, and said, "Hello?"

Both Kaiba and Joey got up. Joey cleared his throat, and waved, saying, "Uh....hey!"

Kaiba said, "I finished the house. Well, I did get a little help....I hope that's not a problem." And smiled.

"Who's your friend, Seto?" The father asked.

Kaiba nodded his head in Joey's direction, saying, "This is Whe...." And stopped. Joey really did come through for him today, and he began to realize being here....living where he was, and being with his family, he wasn't the same person he used to be. He was no longer Seto Kaiba, and it was time he accepted that fact, and started accepting that he was now Seto Rykuma. So looking at Joey, he gave a smile, and placed a hand on Joey's shoulder, saying, "This is my friend Joey." Admitting that openly, without disgrace. "He's the other person I was working for, to go to the concert with us."

"The concert? Can I go, pleeeease??" Mokuba asked.

"No." The mother answered him, before Seto even said anything, "You're too young. Now go on, it's your bedtime!"

"Awwww!!" Mokuba said, running into his room with his brother's walkman.

"Hey, isn't that your walkman?" Joey asked, but Seto just smiled.

The dad looked around, and said, "You did a fine job today, son. And thanks Joey, for helping my son out. I'm glad to see he has good friends that would be willing to help him out, like that."

"Hey, you know....I do what I can for my friends." Joey said.

Joey was actually a bit surprised that Seto finally seemed to lighten up with him, for a change. He'd been calling him by his last name for awhile now, being very cold and very obnoxious. Joey was hoping it was just a phase. But now it seemed like Seto was finally starting to calm down. Perhaps hanging out with him a while, and just chilling on the couch when they were done, helped snap him out of it or something.