And the Sun Shall Set Once More
By: Hyacinthus
Rating: R
A/N: WHEEEEEEEEE!!! HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! Tis THE YEAR OF THE MOOOOOOONKEY! W00t!
Much thanks to our reviewers!
Adrie: SQUEE! ^______^ We try!
rain-streaked: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Crimson! Hehe We hopes it was betttttter Hehehe
Chimmoku: YupsYups YAY! Getting better! Here's more ^____^
Impish Pixie: hahah Lemon.. hmm.. we'll think bout it ^_^ Do you wanna lemon? Hehehe
*gives a cookie to all reviewers*
OMG It's here! THE RYOUxBAKURA Is here! YAY! *cheers* *cheers*
Chapter Couplings: RyouxBakura, EspaxSeto
Episode Three: Ad Astra Per Aspera
Silence filled the air complementing the tense atmosphere about the green haired beauty. The only sounds on the bus as it rocked from side to side were the occasional taps of the leather shoes that belonged to the man sitting opposite the boy. The man glanced around in impatience and began to mutter under his breath, "Oh God. I'm gonna be late."
Without opening an eye, the boy flashed a grin, replying "I don't think you need to worry about that sir, because your stop is next. Good luck at your meeting." The man turned pale at the mention of the meeting before looking at the bus schedule and realizing that the boy was indeed right about the stop. "See, what did I tell you?" a voice rang from behind the man, and he turned to come face to face with a thin lipped smile, hauntingly sad as the boy's eyes began to crack open, revealing shimmering pools of violet.
"T-thank You." Stammered the man, clearly in shock. His hands twisted around the handle of his suitcase nervously, and as his grip strengthened his knuckles began to pale.
The intercom broke the tension with a metallic voice; "We are arriving at Domino Station. Please make your way to the exits located on both sides of the bus."
The man anxiously made his way to the outlets, keenly aware of the boys stare boring into his back. As he left he heard the soft voice of the boy call out "It was nice meeting you. The name is Espa Roba."
Espa closed his eyes again, as the bus began to move, lulling back into its gentle rocking. The seat was hard and unfamiliar beneath his bottom and he shifted uncomfortably several times, before finally giving up and turning onto his side. When the bus jumped in response to a bump in the road Espa's hand flew to the deck in his pocket. He pulled it out, tossing his hair out of his eyes with a casual flick. 'Long hair is such a pain' he thought as he began to flip through the deck. His hand faltered when he reached a card near the end of the deck. "The Judgeman" he whispered as tears began to form at the corner of his eyes. Shaking them loose, he took the Judgeman out of the deck, before placing the deck back into his pocket.
Espa giggled slightly before tilting his head back and letting out soft chuckles as he held The Judgeman. It had been a bright spring day several years ago…
"C'mon 'Kuba-chan!" yelled Espa as he ran, a Blue Eyes clutched between thin fingers. In the distance, a roar could be heard, as Mokuba struggled to keep up with the taller youth.
"WHERE THE FUCK IS MY BLUE EYES?!?!?"
"C'mon Mokuba, let's hide in here." Whispered Espa when Mokuba caught up. Sweat had plastered Mokuba's long black hair to his face causing him to look like a recent marathon winner. Espa gently brushed them out of the way, before pulling Mokuba into a nearby bush. Minutes later, Seto Kaiba came running into the garden looking very irritated and disheveled.
"I know you're in here!" Shouted Kaiba, oblivious to the snickers in the bush behind him.
"Do you think he'll find us?" whispered Mokuba to the green haired adolescent crouching to his right.
"I'm not sure. He's never found us before." Replied Espa.
"Heehehe" Giggled Mokuba, before realizing his mistake.
Seto turned his head toward the sound, causing the sunlight to catch the beads of sweat running down the side of a tanned face. Like his brother, his hair was also plastered onto the side of his face, but instead of making it look like he was hot and uncomfortable, the hair made it look like the older Kaiba was caught doing something inappropriate and didn't have time to straighten himself up. "Mokuba! I know you're there!" Cerulean eyes glanced at the scene before him as Seto gave his infamous death glare to all the nearby bushes, hoping that he could scare his brother and lover into giving up, and coming out.
When Seto turned his back. Mokuba whispered quietly to Espa, "Will you stay with us forever?"
"I hope so, 'Kuba-chan. I hope so." Minutes later, the top of the bushes parted and the boys found themselves staring down the richest man in Japan.
"Eheh heh oops?" remarked Mokuba as he gave up the Blue Eyes card.
Seto sighed as Mokuba and Espa crawled out of the bushes. Ushering Mokuba back into the house, he turned to Espa and told him seriously "If you want any card, all you have to do is ask." Espa shook his head before hugging Seto tightly, causing Seto to smile lightly. Moments later, Seto gently kissed Espa's forehead before bringing grabbing Espa's hand with his own and placing a card within. "I'll let you be the judge." He remarked before throwing Espa a wink and walking back into the mansion, leaving a completely bewildered Espa. Opening his hand he found the Judgeman card along with a small silver ring, and a small note:
"Will you be mine?"
A jolt from the bus threw Espa forward, and launched him from his thoughts. "Now arriving at Domino Plaza." Muttered the intercom in the same metallic monotonous voice. "Please make your way to the exits located on both sides of the bus." Getting up, Espa made his way to the left exit, and as he hopped off the bus, he stuffed the Judgeman back into his pocket and muttered "I'm coming back Seto. I'm coming back."
As Espa crawled out of the crowd leaving the metro, his eyes caught sight of a familiar limousine. The effulgent black exterior reflected the bright glare of the sun as the car sat there, the very epitome of money and power. The tinted windows smirked at the crowd, daring them to attempt to uncover what lay hidden behind. Espa was edging his way towards the limo when he saw a familiar face standing beside the forbidding vehicle. "Riff!" he shouted, as a tall man with light blonder hair turned at the sound coming from the ecstatic youth. As Riff turned the sun caught onto his hair creating the illusion of a bright halo swaying through golden wisps.
"Master Roba!" exclaimed Riff as he shot Espa a grin. "I was afraid I was going to have to enter that turmoil to find you."
"I take it you are here for me then?" asked Espa, arching a slender eyebrow.
"But, of course. Who else would Master Kaiba trust to pick you up?" Espa giggled as Riff opened the back door and ushered him in. The interior of the limo was, if possible, better than the exterior, velvet cushions lined the walls of the cars and a small entertainment unit was propped up against the back. As soon as Espa was safely in the car, Riff slammed the door behind him and made his way to the driver's seat. Getting in, he stuck the key into the ignition and was about to start the car when he heard a sharp rap on the window behind his seat.
When Riff rolled it down, Espa rested his head against the top as he peered out of the windshield at the passing cars. "So, how's Count Hargreaves?" Espa asked Riff throwing him a suggestive wink, causing the blonde bodyguard to blush madly.
"He is doing very well." Stammered Riff.
"Would this be before or after the uhhh.. you know.?" Questioned the green haired boy with a playful smirk adorned on his face. Espa socked Riff's arm playfully, narrowly missing causing a destructive four-lane car accident. Riff'' face was beet red as he muttered to himself ignoring the question as Espa settled down to nap. Closing his eyes he called out "Love ya too Riff, gonna take a nap now."
"Of course Master Roba." Came the stony reply.
Espa sighed. "How many times do I gotta tell ya Riff, just Esp or Espa is fine. You make me feel like a stuffy old man."
Riff snorted in the driver's seat causing Espa to laugh. Giving up his nap, Espa sat up in the seat and asked, "Hey Riff, do you remember when we had that ice cream party in this limo?"
"The one where Master Kaiba chewed me out and almost fired me for?" replied Riff dryly.
"Umm Oops?" Espa looked through the open window separating the driver and passengers, eyes sparkling with laughter. "I've missed the feel of this limo Riff."
Riff laughed, "You mean you miss the feel of Master Kaiba fucking you into the velvet seats."
"Well.. that too."
***
Ryou paced relentlessly across the tiled floors, hair cascading behind his back. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you so much 'Kura," he whispered, clutching fistfuls of his loose shirt. Looking up at the wall Ryou glanced at the window and watched as Bakura trimmed the rosebushes outside the Ishtar residence. Feeling someone else's stare, Yami no Bakura looked up and gave Ryou a small smile and mouthed the words 'I love you' before going back to his work. "B-Bakura?" stuttered Ryou. Ryou watched as a small bird landed on Bakura's hair and began to peck at his unruly hair. Walking closer to the windowpane Ryou slid it open and crawled out as Bakura waved his hands through the air, fighting off the large avian.
"RYOU!" yelled Bakura, "GET YOUR SKINNY ASS OVER HERE AND HELP ME GET RID OF THIS RA-DAMNED PEST!"
Ryou giggled as his eyes shone with happiness, "Comin 'KURA!". Ryou ran across the lawn and threw his arms around his Yami, causing Bakura to give an uncharacteristic squawk and the bird to fly away. "I've missed you so much. Don't ever ever leave me again." He whispered into Bakura's ear.
"HaiHai!" replied Bakura, "I will never leave you again hikari."
"Hey 'Kura?"
"Yea tenshi?"
"Can we have a pillow fight? Just like last time?"
"HaiHai Ryou. We can have a pillow fight. Just like last time."
"What in Ra's name is this thing?" growled Bakura, poking at Ryou's pillow.
"It's just a pillow Bakura." The object in question was soft with bright pink frills decorating the edges, and a huge white lily embroidered on the center.
"That is no pillow… that is…an object of extreme evil." Bakura poked at the pillow nervously with a finger. "How…do you sleep on that thing?"
"Easy! I put my head down and close my eyes." Replied Ryou, eliciting a scowl from Bakura. "That scowl is so unbecoming 'Kura." Ryou smacked Bakura over the head with the frilly pillow causing him to yelp and cover his head.
"Don't let that ..that THING touch me" Bakura shuddered as Ryou grinned before whacking him again with the soft fluffy cushion.
Ryou giggled before whacking him again. "Pillow fight! Pillow fight!" he squeaked.
Bakura snarled, "I'll give you a pillow fight!" Grabbing the nearest pillow he proceeded to bonk Ryou over the head with it as hard as he could. Ryou giggled as the soft pillow flopped around his head.
"Nyah Nyah. The great tomb robber ain't so great now is he?" teased Ryou.
"Why you little!" roared Bakura, grabbing multiple pillows and attempting to club Ryou to death with them, with no damage done at all. Ryou laughed at Bakura's antics before crawling up close and kissing him gently, catching Bakura off guard. Bakura moaned softly into the kiss as his arms went around to hold his hikari. Ryou grinned and as Bakura was distracted swung the frilly pink pillow around and clubbed Bakura on the side of the head causing him to lose balance and fall off the queen sized bed.
"Tsk Tsk. So easily distracted," he admonished softly , "I'm surprised you made it through all those tombs unscathed."
Bakura grumbled, "Well, back in Egypt we didn't have random pretty boys wandering around in the crypts now did we?" Ryou laughed as he helped Bakura back atop the bed, but quickly regretted it as Bakura spun around and began to tickle Ryou sliding his hands up Ryou's shirt.
Ryou giggled before smacking Bakura over the head with the pink pillow. "Pervert."
Bakura growled and armed himself with the remaining pillows on the bed, as he leapt from one end of the bed to the other, intent on tackling Ryou. Unfortunately, he didn't foresee Ryou ducking at the last second and he found himself holding on to empty air and flying over the side of the bed.
Ryou laughed so hard that he began to hiccup. "With skills like that, how are you supposed to protect me?" he hiccuped.
Bakura groaned before wrapping the pillow around his head and flouncing back atop the bed. "You're impossible. I want to go to sleep so stop your bouncing."
Ryou grinned and leaned down and kissed Bakura on the forehead. "G'night Yami."
He was met with silence and his eyes glanced down at the huddled figure forlornly before he got off the bed to go turn off the light. As he flipped the switch off, and got back into the bed, he heard a soft whisper hang in the room. "G'night Ryou."
Sighing with happiness he wrapped his arms around his unresponsive Yami and pressed his face into Bakura's soft locks. "I love you Bakura…"
"Ryou?"
Gently opening his eyes, the white haired boy glanced about him in confusion. Everything was very hazy and he struggled to speak, "'Kura? Kura, is that you?"
"Ryou…"
As Ryou's visions swam into focus he saw the concerned face of Malik and he squinted hard. "Where's Bakura?"
"Ryou, it was dream." Malik whispered softly, placing a hand on Ryou's trembling shoulder.
"B-But…he was just outside!" shouted Ryou, pointing frantically to the nearest window.
Malik was glancing at Ryou worriedly when Isis turned around and replied, "Ryou. Look outside the window, we're flying in the air back to Japan. Remember?"
Ryou glanced at the unfamiliar gray surroundings of the airplane cabin before glancing at the window that he was pointing at earlier. "I-I'm sorry." He muttered.
Isis sighed. Turning to Shadi she asked, "When are we arriving in Japan."
"In about two hours." The stony faced man replied. Isis shrugged and sank into her seat, headphones over her ears.
Ryou glanced over at Malik who was currently asking the nearby flight attendant for a drink, while the attendant raked her eyes over Malik's toned body hungrily. Ryou sighed and turned over, sleep overtaking his weary body.
***
Bright sunlight reflected off green hair to form a slight halo. Unfortunately, that halo did not quite belong on the head of Insector Haga. The bright green hair of the 21 year old bounced as he laughed, already playing out the scenes of his victory within his own mind. After the disappearance of the majority of his greatest rivals, save Yugi Motou and Seto Kaiba, Haga had become one of the elite duelists of the world and thus, enjoyed traveling like one. His sleek white limousine cruised through the seats of Domino City as he drove towards the arranged meeting arena. Supposedly they would all crash at the Kaiba mansion, according to the letter. Then Haga, could experience the life as one of the top three duelists in the world. Ahh yes, life was sweet.
"Master Haga?" A voice from the front interrupted Haga's thoughts.
"Damnit, Croquet, how many times have I told you about interrupting me when I am gloating?" sneered Insector, shuffling his deck in annoyance.
"Many pardons, Master Haga, I am informing you of our arrival at the front gate of the Kaiba Mansion."
Haga scowled before replying, "Well why the hell are you not opening the door? You don't honestly expect ME to do it…"
Moments later the door swung open and Haga squinted at the glare of the bright light flooding the interior of the limo. Hopping out, he glanced about. Behind the Kaiba mansion, he could see the tips of a dueling arena that Kaiba had recently constructed.
"Sugoi…" he breathed, "This mansion is huge. It's fucking awesome."
In front of the door stood a muscled man, sneering defiantly over the limo. "Master Kaiba has been expecting you." As he spoke the large iron gates began to slowly creak open, revealing a long narrow path that led up to the side of the Kaiba mansion.
Haga stooped back into the car, glaring at the bold guard. After he was safely inside, he pressed the intercom and asked, "Who is that man standing outside of the Kaiba Mansion gates?"
"Shuuhei sir. His name is Shuuhei."
"Shuuhei eh? Well as soon as I finish talking with Kaiba Shuuhei will be on the streets, let's see how disobedient he'll be then! Ignorant fools should learn their places in the world, right, Croquet?"
"Indeed, Master Haga."
"Good." The white limousine slowly drove up the gravel path toward the Kaiba mansion.
***
"American Airlines Flight 996 for Tokyo departing now."
A young white haired man glanced up from the newspaper he was reading and checked his shirt pocket for the plane tickets. After securing their location he got up, and walked solemnly toward the gate, leaving the newspaper folded atop the seat.
"My..My… if it isn't the infamous Pegasus." A voice drawled, causing Pegasus to turn around abruptly.
"Keith." He spat, face twisting in disgust. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question." Retorted Keith.
A shade of Pegasus' former self surfaced as he noticed Keith's nervous energy. "TskTsk. I'm here because I was invited to some competition which Yugi-boy will be attending."
"The shrimp. Heh. I would have thought you were done with your short fetish by now Pegasus, you were obsessed with him back in Duelist Kingdom, have you not changed over the years?"
Pegasus raised a silver eyebrow in amusement. "Now Now Keith, don't speak about matters that you don't understand, let us try to be civil with each other until we reach the dueling arena, shall we?"
Keith snarled and stalked off in the direction of the plane, leaving a smiling Pegasus standing in the middle of the airport terminal, a maniacal glint in his eye.
***
Mai Kujaku shrugged off her coat and dropped it neatly upon the side of the couch. Hooking her fingers into the backs of her shoes, she pulled off her heels and placed them in her closet. The tick of the clock and distant bark of her neighbor's dog echoed hollowly in her small flat. The one story house had a kitchen, single bathroom, living room, an office, and bedroom. I guess I did pretty well for myself, getting a little place like this, she thought as she walked back to her front step to gather the mail she had forgotten in her front entryway.
On her porch, if one could call the three-by-four block of cement with a step half its height in front by that title, there was a small black box with a metal-hinged lid. The lid creaked in an awful, pain-inducing manner, but she couldn't quite place what it was that it reminded her of. Carefully pulling up the lid, she slowly peeked over the rim to see what contents lay in wait, silently wishing for anything other than junk mail. Slipping the bundle of mail out of the nondescript box, she held it tightly in her left hand, quickly returning to her abode. Dull. Life was nothing more than a routine, scheduled so predictably that it wasn't even funny.
Funny, life use to be so 'funny' that she would never seem to know where her 'friends' would whisk her off to next. One moment she would be wandering around Domino City campus after school with nothing to do, when suddenly that tricolor-haired midget would race by, followed by Jou, who would promptly pull her in pursuit of the said midget, and next thing she knew they were on a train to the latest duelist's tournament, or convention, etcetera, etcetera.
Moving over to her dresser, she pulled open a drawer, extracting from it a small red box. Going back to the living room, she sat at the dining room table, setting the mail down before her, and the red box to her right. Allowing herself a reprieve from her thoughts, she turned her attention to the mail.
"'Domino City High School Alumni Program.' God, how many times do I have to tell them I'm not interested? " She muttered, tearing the envelope in half. "It's not like I'm rich beyond excess like that Kaiba." Looking at the pile of probable garbage, she got up and dragged the small, wire wastebasket over next to her chair. Settling back into place, she brushed back a few stray hairs, and resumed the task at hand. She had barely begun to pick up the next envelope when the doorbell rang. "Who the-," she began, standing, and heading to the door. She opened her door, flipping on the porch light as well. "Oh god no."
Outside her home, on the front porch was her god sent friend, Jenny. More specifically, a small, shriveled, geriatric, whom felt that it was her duty to come bang on her neighbor's door at odd hours of the night, then proceed to ramble about the "good lord" and all of his "blessings" he bestowed upon his followers. That's right, her own, personal Jehovah's Witness.
"Why hello there May," the elderly woman creaked from her throat. Mai grimaced, suddenly realizing the voice had reminded her of the creak of her mailbox.
"Eh, hello Jenny, what can I do for you today?" Mai asked politely. "Is something the matter?"
"Oh, no, no," cackled the creaking voice, "I just wanted to come by and chat a little. You see I have some lovely literature, and it just suits a young woman like you." She said, beaming up at Mai.
"Oh, well thanks, but now's not the most ideal time, and, well," she fumbled for a good excuse, though at nine at night one shouldn't be necessary. "I'm kind of in the middle of making dinner," she explained. It was a long shot, microwave meals taking five minutes to make. The best she could do was hope Jenny was gone before she heard the telltale beep.
A look of disappointment crossed Jenny's face. "Oh, that's really too bad," she said, eyes beginning to turn downward.
"But, I mean, maybe another day we could have lunch together," Mai burst.
The disappointment quickly turned to bright, happy joy. "Oh dearie, that would be absolutely lovely! We must do that sometime." The old woman beamed once more. Dear lord, why did I say that, Mai thought. "Oh, but before I go, remember to take a look at that literature, it really does suit a young lady like yourself," she piped up, pointing excitedly at the pamphlets and mini-magazines she was holding toward Mai, who accepted them, and assured her she would do so.
After the retirement home escapee had left the vicinity, Mai headed back into her dining room, and returned to her seat. Why had she said such a thing? Though she didn't want to admit it, she knew deep inside herself, that maybe that old lady came, not because the church pressured her to, but because she wanted to talk, and there was no one else. Maybe it was because that old woman had no family, and she was all alone, as she had once been. Man, would Honda and Katsuya laugh if they saw her in that pathetic scene.
Turning her attention back to the mail, Mai briefly looked over the pamphlets, noting they were basically high school health class materials. The reading material mainly discussed the dangers of pre-marital sex, as though explaining it to virgins, and how god advised against such actions. It was as though they were making it sound like the guy would force themselves on them. Mai snickered before dumping it in the wastebasket. If anyone were going to instigate such actions in her relationship, it would be her. Jounochi was far from the aggressive type, a decent, polite guy, contrary to his attempts to look tough. She smiled at the memory of his tomato-red blush when she first kissed him, on the cheek no less. He'd obviously gotten better, kissing her on occasion, but going no further. And she thinks he's going to make a move on me, she thought, half wanting to laugh, the other half merely happy.
Setting away such idle, useless mental prattle, she quickly sorted from the stack her bills and anything that appeared to be personal. Torn squares of paper fluttered into the can, as she swept them neatly off the table into the trash. Considering she wasn't home most of the time, the gas, water, and electricity were rather low she noted. The remainder of the stuff was relatively useless junk, save for two other items which caught her interest. One was a letter from an old acquaintance, and the other a scarlet envelope, closed with a silver wax seal.
Feeling she should get the former over with, she quickly tore open the first envelope and pulled from it a folded letter, hoping its contents were merely business. In the process of her hasty unfolding of the letter, out fell two glossy, wallet-sized photos. She quickly picked them up off the floor, and placed them facedown on the table. Having read the contents of the letter, Mai couldn't decide whether to be irritated, sick, or laugh her head off. The letter was from a certain celebrity by the name of Magnum, whom she had met years ago. Well, as the story goes, the guy proposed to her, having only just met, and Mai joked she would marry him if he could beat her in a duel. Magnum took it seriously and whipped out his deck, but Mai beat him sorely. While it didn't end there, the basic gist of things was Magnum was a loser movie star who wanted to marry Mai, but was flat out rejected.
"Ra be damned how he got my godforsaken address," she grumbled wearily, glancing at the photos, both sighed. "Well, hell, at least I can make some money off of these," she muttered, stashing the two prints carefully into a side-pocket of her purse, both in a zip-lock bag. Looking back at the letter, she re-read one troubling line.
"'I'll check in on ya soon, so stay sharp and be ready for a surprise'? What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Her eyes wandered to the sickeningly cheesy xox's before his signature. Once more she couldn't decide whether to laugh or barf. "Well, whatever." She dropped the letter back into the envelope a placed it in a kitchen drawer, as far as she knew she might be able to make some cash off of that as well.
Picking up the second letter she saw no return address nor stamp, merely her name printed neatly in handwriting on one side, and a silver wax seal with the Kaiba Corp emblem stamped into the wax. Turning it over, she hesitantly broke the wax seal and drew from it a single piece of printed computer-paper. Carefully reading each word, she held the page lightly, taking in the meaning of the words, savoring them as connoisseur does wine. A duelist's tournament. Mai Kujaku could not be more thankful for a break in the monotony of her life, for the new challenge, for a chance to see how old acquaintances had grown over time's passage. However, as she skimmed the contents of the letter again, a sense of weariness made her hold back a bit, as the tournament seemed rather exclusive, and few details were released. Ah, hang it, she thought. If Seto Kaiba and his mega-corporation want to be secretive about things, it was nothing new. It also could be nothing Mai and her friends couldn't handle, well, at least according to Yugi Motou.
***
The wind whipped the hair of Kajiki Ryouta about as he peered out at the endless sea from his place on the furthest protrusion of the pier. The azure waves crashed relentlessly against its supports. Gulls squawked incessantly as he rose, then turned around to face his reality. The thud of his waterproof boots as he strode upon the beaten, weather-worn pier caused it to creak, as if out of pain and protest. This is what I get for what I've become, he thought, as he stepped onto the concrete sidewalk, heading for the port's tavern.
Shoving open the door, he was greeted by the familiar scent of burning cigarettes, sea salted air, and various mixed forms of alcohol. The Cardiff's Inn was a well known gathering place for smugglers, thieves, and pretty much anyone else whom one might hire to do their dirty work for very little or a pretty penny, depending on how skilled they were.
"Scallywags," Kajiki muttered to himself, passing by a few longshoremen picking up a job from some junior executive who wanted them to break his boss's legs. Of course a job like that was simple enough, and hiring some amateurs wouldn't hurt. Anyone who had a serious job however, would come specifically to see Kajiki. Many men came in and bought drinks merely to have a chance to talk with him, discussing his fees for various 'hypothetical' situations. From experience, Ryouta knew that ninety percent of those offers were serious, but withdrawn out of either cowardice or due to their greedy, penny-pinching habits. Many times he had found that either his price or his personality turned out to be the turnoff at the end of a few of his consultations. Just last month a man had approached him, sober as all hell, and offered him a couple hundred to off his wife, on account of a affair he was having. Kajiki had turned down the offer, stating plainly that the cost would have to be at least eight-hundred higher, as clean-up and setting up a good a great deal of skill, planning, and some costly supplies. The man was so angered by the difference in price that he left in disgust, after buying a beer he didn't drink. Dumb oaf went home, figured it couldn't be that hard, and next Kajiki saw him was on the front page of the Sea Breeze Daily Paper three days later. Regardless of these frequent flakes, he kept a steady, almost flooded business schedule in constant motion, allowing himself time for a break when he felt it was necessary. Eight months ago the barkeep had allowed him permanently buy one of the rooms off of him, just because he brought in so much business. Sure he had a few straighter jobs, but he found himself depending more and more on his "dirty" jobs to get him the cash he needed. Having found a ship for sale that caught his eye, he was only two thousand dollars shy of having the amount on its price tag. Four good jobs and he could get it, of course not legal jobs by any means.
"A job's a job," Kajiki grumbled, half wishing he believed it, only because a part of him did. When did I fall into this stinking pit, he mused, leaning back in a stretch, hands behind his head. The barkeep, Ed, swam into view, portly, bearded round face with its accompanying pot-bellied body. He gave Kajiki a slight grin, then picked a polished glass off the rack be hind the bar and slid it to Kajiki. Knowing the ritual, Kajiki tore off a piece of a napkin, scribbled his preferred drink on the said slip of paper, then folded it and tossed it in the glass, sending it back to Ed. He caught sight of Ed stopping the glass and pouring the piece of paper into his hand, before slipping back into his brooding reverie.
"Hey there handsome," a slightly slurred voice sang from behind him. God, I hate that cliché line, he thought to himself at the sound of it. Feeling the breath of another against his neck, he turned to face the nuisance. "Buy me a drink?" Asked the slim, pale redhead who stared into his eyes.
Kajiki hesitated, then turned completely around on his barstool, leaning forward and staring into the girl's brown eyes. "And why should I do that?" He stated it plainly, undecided as to whether he had wanted it to be smooth and seductive or an angry snarl. Face slightly flushed by alcohol, she gave a slight frown, as she saw no free seats near Kajiki, then happily plopped herself on his lap. "And what the hell are you doing?" He asked, voice edged with irritation.
She obviously didn't catch the irritation, asking again, "Buy me a drink," as she slid an arm around Ryouta. What she also didn't catch was the large, burly blonde approaching the two.
The scent of cheap gin and peanuts blasted into Kajiki's face, as the words "Git yur han's off-uh my fuckin bitch" boomed in his ears above the buzz of the crowd. Isn't that a bit redundant, Kajiki thought, as he shoved the girl into her presumed boyfriend.
"Whatever man, she was the one trying to pick up on me," he stated casually, feeling the odd need to keep up his persona for the time being. He stood up, glaring a warning at the drunkard. Grabbing the redhead's wrist, the guy lumbered off and out of the bar. Good, Kajiki thought, the shit-head knows what's good for him. Settling back in to his seat at the bar, he rubbed his head. Ed appeared soon after with his drink.
"Maybe if you ignore them, they'll leave you alone," Ed chuckled, referring to Ryouta's problem with females in general. Whether he said it to cheer Ryouta or for his own enjoyment, however, was unclear. Hearing no reaction from his best source of publicity, Ed passed over the drink, then paused. "Some guy came over and gave me this to give you," he said casually, though curiosity was easily read from his voice. He handed over a scarlet envelope. Kajiki beheld it with weariness, then ripped off the top, reading the letter.
"Dear Kajiki, we have information pertaining to the whereabouts of your father. If you wish for us to disclose such information to you, come to the duelist's tournament being held at....." His voice trailed off, whispering the words to himself. Ed appeared nonplussed, though his number one attraction had, unbeknownst to him, already decided he must reach wherever it was the letter said, be the location hell itself.
***
Katsuya Jounochi dashed into the open front door of his sister's home, only partially comprehending the ransacked rooms he passed by. This can't be happening, he thought, as he passed by a row of pictures laying on the floor, an overturned chair, and halted quickly before his sister's room.
"Shizuka!" He yelled as he looked about, dumbstruck by her disappearance, and feeling it was his own personal failure. Shoving open her slightly ajar door, he looked madly about in a last ditch effort to find his lost sister. However, the action afforded him no comfort, for she was obviously nowhere to be seen. Instead he found himself staring at sheet of ordinary paper, laying as an alien object upon Shizuka's bed. Slowly walking, as if in a daze, his vision restricted to only the paper. Slowly grasping the foreign item, he lifted it to his eyes. A note? I'll never be able to pay the ransom, he thought when the lines on the sheet registered as writing. His mouth went dry, as he read the computer-printed letter. Shizuka's kidnapper had promised not to harm her, if he came to and participated in a duelists' tournament. Eyes darting further down the paper, his only clue as to when he should arrive was a Domino City address and the words "come as you please." "Like hell I'm going to wait," he growled, fist clenching the offending letter.
***
Slumped over his barstool, not an hour after reading the letter from Kaiba Corp, Kajiki was ready to let himself drown in drinks and frustration. Here he was, the largest business in Japan having information about his father, and he was stuck in some sea-side community on an island community, isolated from most of the world, reached mainly by the occasional private planes and yachts that came and went. Staring into the glass of brandy Ed had set before him, he hardly noticed the form of a man sitting at the now empty stool by his side.
"Hey, buddy, you the guy everyone's talkin' about?" Kajiki turned to his right, sitting up straight and facing the newcomer. His trained eyes noted the man was well dressed, hair combed neatly back with several stray hairs hanging off at odd angles.
"Depends on which people we're talking about," he replied, not really in the mood to take on any low-paying, straight and narrow jobs at the moment. The man's eyes, a tired faded blue, glanced down for a moment, then looked back up at him, but they were no longer the faded color. They were intense, still tired, but those of a man possessed.
"You are Kajiki Ryouta, are you not?" Ryouta gave a slight nod. "I want you to deal with a certain person." He said suddenly, staring directly into Ryouta's eyes. Sensing the desperation behind the man's tone of voice, Kajiki quickly motioned for him to be silent, before he loudly said anything incriminating.
"Let's discuss this topic back in my room," He said, standing and sipping down the last of his drink. Swallowing to quickly, he felt the familiar burn of his throat being scorched raw by alcohol. The other man stood, and Kajiki indicated the stairs. "I'll head up, and you go talk to Ed in fifteen minutes. Tell him you got some business with me, and he'll let you up and tell you the room." The words were whispered so only his potential client could hear him, then he said more loudly, "I don't know what you're talking about. Leave me alone." As he headed for the stairs he gave Ed a look, motioned to the man, then quickly told him to let him upstairs. Ed nodded, and returned to his customers as Kajiki headed up the flight of stairs and prepared to meet with his.
"I want you to kill a man." The elderly client looked seriously at Kajiki from his seat. Kajiki rose from his chair and grabbed a glass from the cooler, filled it with vodka, and handed it to the man.
"I gathered that much back when we were downstairs. What's your name?" The man accepted the vodka, sipping it with all the class of any educated, scholarly businessman.
"If you must know, in the business world I go by the name Hugh Cliffner." The words came out with no emotion. "May we discuss the details of the case?" Kajiki nodded. "This is the man I wish dead." He continued, producing from his pocket a picture of another corporate mogul. Peppered hair covered his head, and large thick glasses reflected the sea, hiding his eyes. He was standing on a large sailboat, one might consider it a small tall-ship.
"The ship," Kajiki interrupted. "Is it his?"
"That is correct, but let me return to that matter later." Hugh produced a handgun. "This gun is registered as that of the target," he stated, holding it for Kajiki to examine. Grasping it with a cloth, he turned it over, and saw engraved in the butt of the gun a faded first initial and the letter "R". "You are to murder him with that gun. I don't care if it looks like a suicide or not."
"You don't care how he dies?"
"No, as long as it leaves no clues as to who the killer was. I shall be dining with him that night, but when you kill him I will not be in his company. I need to keep up appearances after all."
"Look, this all sounds good, and well planned out for once, but I gotta name my price." Ryouta cut in, not worried he was wasting time, just checking to see if he might need to give the guy a reality check as to how much this would cost him. "I also need the conditions under which the said payment will be received."
"I am willing to pay you a sum of two thousand dollars, no more." The man was looking away to Kajiki's good fortune, as his eyes momentarily bulged in reaction to the man's, generosity. "However, I will only pay the full amount under the circumstances that you kill the target, dispose of the corpse, and sail from this harbor in his ship."
Kajiki raised a brow. "Sail away in the ship?"
"Yes, the ship is yours to keep, so long as you sail away for a few months, or at least until the whole business blows over. Such a task will surely cost you a deal of business, thus the large payment is meant as compensation"
"Sounds good," he replied cooly, nodding as he said it.
"Good." They discussed the method of payment. and smoothed out the details of the plan. Four hours later, Hugh Cliffner left with a substantially more springy step. Kajiki sighed, then leaned back in bed. Only thing to do now is wait for the date, then head off and get the job done. When Cliffner had asked his destination, he merely smiled and said, "don't worry, you won't see me for quite some time."
~tbc~
A/N: There's the third! Are you guys liking it so far? ^_^ Leave a review! Reviews are much inspiration! We like to know what you think about our crazy wacko storyline so far TeeHee.
Ahhh yes, for clarification the PILLOW FIGHT DID HAPPEN ^___^ It was a flashback within a dream, if that makes any sense Heehhe
Btw. Just wondering, Can anyone name the meaning of this chapter? Or the hidden meaning behind the last chapter? Teheehehehe ^___^ It's a little challenge, and if you get both of em, we'll think of something ta award ya with! Heheeh
Psst. Support RyouxBakura ^____^ Join the fanlisting in our profile. Heheeheeh.
Till next time!
Ja NE!
R/R
By: Hyacinthus
Rating: R
A/N: WHEEEEEEEEE!!! HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! Tis THE YEAR OF THE MOOOOOOONKEY! W00t!
Much thanks to our reviewers!
Adrie: SQUEE! ^______^ We try!
rain-streaked: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Crimson! Hehe We hopes it was betttttter Hehehe
Chimmoku: YupsYups YAY! Getting better! Here's more ^____^
Impish Pixie: hahah Lemon.. hmm.. we'll think bout it ^_^ Do you wanna lemon? Hehehe
*gives a cookie to all reviewers*
OMG It's here! THE RYOUxBAKURA Is here! YAY! *cheers* *cheers*
Chapter Couplings: RyouxBakura, EspaxSeto
Episode Three: Ad Astra Per Aspera
Silence filled the air complementing the tense atmosphere about the green haired beauty. The only sounds on the bus as it rocked from side to side were the occasional taps of the leather shoes that belonged to the man sitting opposite the boy. The man glanced around in impatience and began to mutter under his breath, "Oh God. I'm gonna be late."
Without opening an eye, the boy flashed a grin, replying "I don't think you need to worry about that sir, because your stop is next. Good luck at your meeting." The man turned pale at the mention of the meeting before looking at the bus schedule and realizing that the boy was indeed right about the stop. "See, what did I tell you?" a voice rang from behind the man, and he turned to come face to face with a thin lipped smile, hauntingly sad as the boy's eyes began to crack open, revealing shimmering pools of violet.
"T-thank You." Stammered the man, clearly in shock. His hands twisted around the handle of his suitcase nervously, and as his grip strengthened his knuckles began to pale.
The intercom broke the tension with a metallic voice; "We are arriving at Domino Station. Please make your way to the exits located on both sides of the bus."
The man anxiously made his way to the outlets, keenly aware of the boys stare boring into his back. As he left he heard the soft voice of the boy call out "It was nice meeting you. The name is Espa Roba."
Espa closed his eyes again, as the bus began to move, lulling back into its gentle rocking. The seat was hard and unfamiliar beneath his bottom and he shifted uncomfortably several times, before finally giving up and turning onto his side. When the bus jumped in response to a bump in the road Espa's hand flew to the deck in his pocket. He pulled it out, tossing his hair out of his eyes with a casual flick. 'Long hair is such a pain' he thought as he began to flip through the deck. His hand faltered when he reached a card near the end of the deck. "The Judgeman" he whispered as tears began to form at the corner of his eyes. Shaking them loose, he took the Judgeman out of the deck, before placing the deck back into his pocket.
Espa giggled slightly before tilting his head back and letting out soft chuckles as he held The Judgeman. It had been a bright spring day several years ago…
"C'mon 'Kuba-chan!" yelled Espa as he ran, a Blue Eyes clutched between thin fingers. In the distance, a roar could be heard, as Mokuba struggled to keep up with the taller youth.
"WHERE THE FUCK IS MY BLUE EYES?!?!?"
"C'mon Mokuba, let's hide in here." Whispered Espa when Mokuba caught up. Sweat had plastered Mokuba's long black hair to his face causing him to look like a recent marathon winner. Espa gently brushed them out of the way, before pulling Mokuba into a nearby bush. Minutes later, Seto Kaiba came running into the garden looking very irritated and disheveled.
"I know you're in here!" Shouted Kaiba, oblivious to the snickers in the bush behind him.
"Do you think he'll find us?" whispered Mokuba to the green haired adolescent crouching to his right.
"I'm not sure. He's never found us before." Replied Espa.
"Heehehe" Giggled Mokuba, before realizing his mistake.
Seto turned his head toward the sound, causing the sunlight to catch the beads of sweat running down the side of a tanned face. Like his brother, his hair was also plastered onto the side of his face, but instead of making it look like he was hot and uncomfortable, the hair made it look like the older Kaiba was caught doing something inappropriate and didn't have time to straighten himself up. "Mokuba! I know you're there!" Cerulean eyes glanced at the scene before him as Seto gave his infamous death glare to all the nearby bushes, hoping that he could scare his brother and lover into giving up, and coming out.
When Seto turned his back. Mokuba whispered quietly to Espa, "Will you stay with us forever?"
"I hope so, 'Kuba-chan. I hope so." Minutes later, the top of the bushes parted and the boys found themselves staring down the richest man in Japan.
"Eheh heh oops?" remarked Mokuba as he gave up the Blue Eyes card.
Seto sighed as Mokuba and Espa crawled out of the bushes. Ushering Mokuba back into the house, he turned to Espa and told him seriously "If you want any card, all you have to do is ask." Espa shook his head before hugging Seto tightly, causing Seto to smile lightly. Moments later, Seto gently kissed Espa's forehead before bringing grabbing Espa's hand with his own and placing a card within. "I'll let you be the judge." He remarked before throwing Espa a wink and walking back into the mansion, leaving a completely bewildered Espa. Opening his hand he found the Judgeman card along with a small silver ring, and a small note:
"Will you be mine?"
A jolt from the bus threw Espa forward, and launched him from his thoughts. "Now arriving at Domino Plaza." Muttered the intercom in the same metallic monotonous voice. "Please make your way to the exits located on both sides of the bus." Getting up, Espa made his way to the left exit, and as he hopped off the bus, he stuffed the Judgeman back into his pocket and muttered "I'm coming back Seto. I'm coming back."
As Espa crawled out of the crowd leaving the metro, his eyes caught sight of a familiar limousine. The effulgent black exterior reflected the bright glare of the sun as the car sat there, the very epitome of money and power. The tinted windows smirked at the crowd, daring them to attempt to uncover what lay hidden behind. Espa was edging his way towards the limo when he saw a familiar face standing beside the forbidding vehicle. "Riff!" he shouted, as a tall man with light blonder hair turned at the sound coming from the ecstatic youth. As Riff turned the sun caught onto his hair creating the illusion of a bright halo swaying through golden wisps.
"Master Roba!" exclaimed Riff as he shot Espa a grin. "I was afraid I was going to have to enter that turmoil to find you."
"I take it you are here for me then?" asked Espa, arching a slender eyebrow.
"But, of course. Who else would Master Kaiba trust to pick you up?" Espa giggled as Riff opened the back door and ushered him in. The interior of the limo was, if possible, better than the exterior, velvet cushions lined the walls of the cars and a small entertainment unit was propped up against the back. As soon as Espa was safely in the car, Riff slammed the door behind him and made his way to the driver's seat. Getting in, he stuck the key into the ignition and was about to start the car when he heard a sharp rap on the window behind his seat.
When Riff rolled it down, Espa rested his head against the top as he peered out of the windshield at the passing cars. "So, how's Count Hargreaves?" Espa asked Riff throwing him a suggestive wink, causing the blonde bodyguard to blush madly.
"He is doing very well." Stammered Riff.
"Would this be before or after the uhhh.. you know.?" Questioned the green haired boy with a playful smirk adorned on his face. Espa socked Riff's arm playfully, narrowly missing causing a destructive four-lane car accident. Riff'' face was beet red as he muttered to himself ignoring the question as Espa settled down to nap. Closing his eyes he called out "Love ya too Riff, gonna take a nap now."
"Of course Master Roba." Came the stony reply.
Espa sighed. "How many times do I gotta tell ya Riff, just Esp or Espa is fine. You make me feel like a stuffy old man."
Riff snorted in the driver's seat causing Espa to laugh. Giving up his nap, Espa sat up in the seat and asked, "Hey Riff, do you remember when we had that ice cream party in this limo?"
"The one where Master Kaiba chewed me out and almost fired me for?" replied Riff dryly.
"Umm Oops?" Espa looked through the open window separating the driver and passengers, eyes sparkling with laughter. "I've missed the feel of this limo Riff."
Riff laughed, "You mean you miss the feel of Master Kaiba fucking you into the velvet seats."
"Well.. that too."
***
Ryou paced relentlessly across the tiled floors, hair cascading behind his back. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you so much 'Kura," he whispered, clutching fistfuls of his loose shirt. Looking up at the wall Ryou glanced at the window and watched as Bakura trimmed the rosebushes outside the Ishtar residence. Feeling someone else's stare, Yami no Bakura looked up and gave Ryou a small smile and mouthed the words 'I love you' before going back to his work. "B-Bakura?" stuttered Ryou. Ryou watched as a small bird landed on Bakura's hair and began to peck at his unruly hair. Walking closer to the windowpane Ryou slid it open and crawled out as Bakura waved his hands through the air, fighting off the large avian.
"RYOU!" yelled Bakura, "GET YOUR SKINNY ASS OVER HERE AND HELP ME GET RID OF THIS RA-DAMNED PEST!"
Ryou giggled as his eyes shone with happiness, "Comin 'KURA!". Ryou ran across the lawn and threw his arms around his Yami, causing Bakura to give an uncharacteristic squawk and the bird to fly away. "I've missed you so much. Don't ever ever leave me again." He whispered into Bakura's ear.
"HaiHai!" replied Bakura, "I will never leave you again hikari."
"Hey 'Kura?"
"Yea tenshi?"
"Can we have a pillow fight? Just like last time?"
"HaiHai Ryou. We can have a pillow fight. Just like last time."
"What in Ra's name is this thing?" growled Bakura, poking at Ryou's pillow.
"It's just a pillow Bakura." The object in question was soft with bright pink frills decorating the edges, and a huge white lily embroidered on the center.
"That is no pillow… that is…an object of extreme evil." Bakura poked at the pillow nervously with a finger. "How…do you sleep on that thing?"
"Easy! I put my head down and close my eyes." Replied Ryou, eliciting a scowl from Bakura. "That scowl is so unbecoming 'Kura." Ryou smacked Bakura over the head with the frilly pillow causing him to yelp and cover his head.
"Don't let that ..that THING touch me" Bakura shuddered as Ryou grinned before whacking him again with the soft fluffy cushion.
Ryou giggled before whacking him again. "Pillow fight! Pillow fight!" he squeaked.
Bakura snarled, "I'll give you a pillow fight!" Grabbing the nearest pillow he proceeded to bonk Ryou over the head with it as hard as he could. Ryou giggled as the soft pillow flopped around his head.
"Nyah Nyah. The great tomb robber ain't so great now is he?" teased Ryou.
"Why you little!" roared Bakura, grabbing multiple pillows and attempting to club Ryou to death with them, with no damage done at all. Ryou laughed at Bakura's antics before crawling up close and kissing him gently, catching Bakura off guard. Bakura moaned softly into the kiss as his arms went around to hold his hikari. Ryou grinned and as Bakura was distracted swung the frilly pink pillow around and clubbed Bakura on the side of the head causing him to lose balance and fall off the queen sized bed.
"Tsk Tsk. So easily distracted," he admonished softly , "I'm surprised you made it through all those tombs unscathed."
Bakura grumbled, "Well, back in Egypt we didn't have random pretty boys wandering around in the crypts now did we?" Ryou laughed as he helped Bakura back atop the bed, but quickly regretted it as Bakura spun around and began to tickle Ryou sliding his hands up Ryou's shirt.
Ryou giggled before smacking Bakura over the head with the pink pillow. "Pervert."
Bakura growled and armed himself with the remaining pillows on the bed, as he leapt from one end of the bed to the other, intent on tackling Ryou. Unfortunately, he didn't foresee Ryou ducking at the last second and he found himself holding on to empty air and flying over the side of the bed.
Ryou laughed so hard that he began to hiccup. "With skills like that, how are you supposed to protect me?" he hiccuped.
Bakura groaned before wrapping the pillow around his head and flouncing back atop the bed. "You're impossible. I want to go to sleep so stop your bouncing."
Ryou grinned and leaned down and kissed Bakura on the forehead. "G'night Yami."
He was met with silence and his eyes glanced down at the huddled figure forlornly before he got off the bed to go turn off the light. As he flipped the switch off, and got back into the bed, he heard a soft whisper hang in the room. "G'night Ryou."
Sighing with happiness he wrapped his arms around his unresponsive Yami and pressed his face into Bakura's soft locks. "I love you Bakura…"
"Ryou?"
Gently opening his eyes, the white haired boy glanced about him in confusion. Everything was very hazy and he struggled to speak, "'Kura? Kura, is that you?"
"Ryou…"
As Ryou's visions swam into focus he saw the concerned face of Malik and he squinted hard. "Where's Bakura?"
"Ryou, it was dream." Malik whispered softly, placing a hand on Ryou's trembling shoulder.
"B-But…he was just outside!" shouted Ryou, pointing frantically to the nearest window.
Malik was glancing at Ryou worriedly when Isis turned around and replied, "Ryou. Look outside the window, we're flying in the air back to Japan. Remember?"
Ryou glanced at the unfamiliar gray surroundings of the airplane cabin before glancing at the window that he was pointing at earlier. "I-I'm sorry." He muttered.
Isis sighed. Turning to Shadi she asked, "When are we arriving in Japan."
"In about two hours." The stony faced man replied. Isis shrugged and sank into her seat, headphones over her ears.
Ryou glanced over at Malik who was currently asking the nearby flight attendant for a drink, while the attendant raked her eyes over Malik's toned body hungrily. Ryou sighed and turned over, sleep overtaking his weary body.
***
Bright sunlight reflected off green hair to form a slight halo. Unfortunately, that halo did not quite belong on the head of Insector Haga. The bright green hair of the 21 year old bounced as he laughed, already playing out the scenes of his victory within his own mind. After the disappearance of the majority of his greatest rivals, save Yugi Motou and Seto Kaiba, Haga had become one of the elite duelists of the world and thus, enjoyed traveling like one. His sleek white limousine cruised through the seats of Domino City as he drove towards the arranged meeting arena. Supposedly they would all crash at the Kaiba mansion, according to the letter. Then Haga, could experience the life as one of the top three duelists in the world. Ahh yes, life was sweet.
"Master Haga?" A voice from the front interrupted Haga's thoughts.
"Damnit, Croquet, how many times have I told you about interrupting me when I am gloating?" sneered Insector, shuffling his deck in annoyance.
"Many pardons, Master Haga, I am informing you of our arrival at the front gate of the Kaiba Mansion."
Haga scowled before replying, "Well why the hell are you not opening the door? You don't honestly expect ME to do it…"
Moments later the door swung open and Haga squinted at the glare of the bright light flooding the interior of the limo. Hopping out, he glanced about. Behind the Kaiba mansion, he could see the tips of a dueling arena that Kaiba had recently constructed.
"Sugoi…" he breathed, "This mansion is huge. It's fucking awesome."
In front of the door stood a muscled man, sneering defiantly over the limo. "Master Kaiba has been expecting you." As he spoke the large iron gates began to slowly creak open, revealing a long narrow path that led up to the side of the Kaiba mansion.
Haga stooped back into the car, glaring at the bold guard. After he was safely inside, he pressed the intercom and asked, "Who is that man standing outside of the Kaiba Mansion gates?"
"Shuuhei sir. His name is Shuuhei."
"Shuuhei eh? Well as soon as I finish talking with Kaiba Shuuhei will be on the streets, let's see how disobedient he'll be then! Ignorant fools should learn their places in the world, right, Croquet?"
"Indeed, Master Haga."
"Good." The white limousine slowly drove up the gravel path toward the Kaiba mansion.
***
"American Airlines Flight 996 for Tokyo departing now."
A young white haired man glanced up from the newspaper he was reading and checked his shirt pocket for the plane tickets. After securing their location he got up, and walked solemnly toward the gate, leaving the newspaper folded atop the seat.
"My..My… if it isn't the infamous Pegasus." A voice drawled, causing Pegasus to turn around abruptly.
"Keith." He spat, face twisting in disgust. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question." Retorted Keith.
A shade of Pegasus' former self surfaced as he noticed Keith's nervous energy. "TskTsk. I'm here because I was invited to some competition which Yugi-boy will be attending."
"The shrimp. Heh. I would have thought you were done with your short fetish by now Pegasus, you were obsessed with him back in Duelist Kingdom, have you not changed over the years?"
Pegasus raised a silver eyebrow in amusement. "Now Now Keith, don't speak about matters that you don't understand, let us try to be civil with each other until we reach the dueling arena, shall we?"
Keith snarled and stalked off in the direction of the plane, leaving a smiling Pegasus standing in the middle of the airport terminal, a maniacal glint in his eye.
***
Mai Kujaku shrugged off her coat and dropped it neatly upon the side of the couch. Hooking her fingers into the backs of her shoes, she pulled off her heels and placed them in her closet. The tick of the clock and distant bark of her neighbor's dog echoed hollowly in her small flat. The one story house had a kitchen, single bathroom, living room, an office, and bedroom. I guess I did pretty well for myself, getting a little place like this, she thought as she walked back to her front step to gather the mail she had forgotten in her front entryway.
On her porch, if one could call the three-by-four block of cement with a step half its height in front by that title, there was a small black box with a metal-hinged lid. The lid creaked in an awful, pain-inducing manner, but she couldn't quite place what it was that it reminded her of. Carefully pulling up the lid, she slowly peeked over the rim to see what contents lay in wait, silently wishing for anything other than junk mail. Slipping the bundle of mail out of the nondescript box, she held it tightly in her left hand, quickly returning to her abode. Dull. Life was nothing more than a routine, scheduled so predictably that it wasn't even funny.
Funny, life use to be so 'funny' that she would never seem to know where her 'friends' would whisk her off to next. One moment she would be wandering around Domino City campus after school with nothing to do, when suddenly that tricolor-haired midget would race by, followed by Jou, who would promptly pull her in pursuit of the said midget, and next thing she knew they were on a train to the latest duelist's tournament, or convention, etcetera, etcetera.
Moving over to her dresser, she pulled open a drawer, extracting from it a small red box. Going back to the living room, she sat at the dining room table, setting the mail down before her, and the red box to her right. Allowing herself a reprieve from her thoughts, she turned her attention to the mail.
"'Domino City High School Alumni Program.' God, how many times do I have to tell them I'm not interested? " She muttered, tearing the envelope in half. "It's not like I'm rich beyond excess like that Kaiba." Looking at the pile of probable garbage, she got up and dragged the small, wire wastebasket over next to her chair. Settling back into place, she brushed back a few stray hairs, and resumed the task at hand. She had barely begun to pick up the next envelope when the doorbell rang. "Who the-," she began, standing, and heading to the door. She opened her door, flipping on the porch light as well. "Oh god no."
Outside her home, on the front porch was her god sent friend, Jenny. More specifically, a small, shriveled, geriatric, whom felt that it was her duty to come bang on her neighbor's door at odd hours of the night, then proceed to ramble about the "good lord" and all of his "blessings" he bestowed upon his followers. That's right, her own, personal Jehovah's Witness.
"Why hello there May," the elderly woman creaked from her throat. Mai grimaced, suddenly realizing the voice had reminded her of the creak of her mailbox.
"Eh, hello Jenny, what can I do for you today?" Mai asked politely. "Is something the matter?"
"Oh, no, no," cackled the creaking voice, "I just wanted to come by and chat a little. You see I have some lovely literature, and it just suits a young woman like you." She said, beaming up at Mai.
"Oh, well thanks, but now's not the most ideal time, and, well," she fumbled for a good excuse, though at nine at night one shouldn't be necessary. "I'm kind of in the middle of making dinner," she explained. It was a long shot, microwave meals taking five minutes to make. The best she could do was hope Jenny was gone before she heard the telltale beep.
A look of disappointment crossed Jenny's face. "Oh, that's really too bad," she said, eyes beginning to turn downward.
"But, I mean, maybe another day we could have lunch together," Mai burst.
The disappointment quickly turned to bright, happy joy. "Oh dearie, that would be absolutely lovely! We must do that sometime." The old woman beamed once more. Dear lord, why did I say that, Mai thought. "Oh, but before I go, remember to take a look at that literature, it really does suit a young lady like yourself," she piped up, pointing excitedly at the pamphlets and mini-magazines she was holding toward Mai, who accepted them, and assured her she would do so.
After the retirement home escapee had left the vicinity, Mai headed back into her dining room, and returned to her seat. Why had she said such a thing? Though she didn't want to admit it, she knew deep inside herself, that maybe that old lady came, not because the church pressured her to, but because she wanted to talk, and there was no one else. Maybe it was because that old woman had no family, and she was all alone, as she had once been. Man, would Honda and Katsuya laugh if they saw her in that pathetic scene.
Turning her attention back to the mail, Mai briefly looked over the pamphlets, noting they were basically high school health class materials. The reading material mainly discussed the dangers of pre-marital sex, as though explaining it to virgins, and how god advised against such actions. It was as though they were making it sound like the guy would force themselves on them. Mai snickered before dumping it in the wastebasket. If anyone were going to instigate such actions in her relationship, it would be her. Jounochi was far from the aggressive type, a decent, polite guy, contrary to his attempts to look tough. She smiled at the memory of his tomato-red blush when she first kissed him, on the cheek no less. He'd obviously gotten better, kissing her on occasion, but going no further. And she thinks he's going to make a move on me, she thought, half wanting to laugh, the other half merely happy.
Setting away such idle, useless mental prattle, she quickly sorted from the stack her bills and anything that appeared to be personal. Torn squares of paper fluttered into the can, as she swept them neatly off the table into the trash. Considering she wasn't home most of the time, the gas, water, and electricity were rather low she noted. The remainder of the stuff was relatively useless junk, save for two other items which caught her interest. One was a letter from an old acquaintance, and the other a scarlet envelope, closed with a silver wax seal.
Feeling she should get the former over with, she quickly tore open the first envelope and pulled from it a folded letter, hoping its contents were merely business. In the process of her hasty unfolding of the letter, out fell two glossy, wallet-sized photos. She quickly picked them up off the floor, and placed them facedown on the table. Having read the contents of the letter, Mai couldn't decide whether to be irritated, sick, or laugh her head off. The letter was from a certain celebrity by the name of Magnum, whom she had met years ago. Well, as the story goes, the guy proposed to her, having only just met, and Mai joked she would marry him if he could beat her in a duel. Magnum took it seriously and whipped out his deck, but Mai beat him sorely. While it didn't end there, the basic gist of things was Magnum was a loser movie star who wanted to marry Mai, but was flat out rejected.
"Ra be damned how he got my godforsaken address," she grumbled wearily, glancing at the photos, both sighed. "Well, hell, at least I can make some money off of these," she muttered, stashing the two prints carefully into a side-pocket of her purse, both in a zip-lock bag. Looking back at the letter, she re-read one troubling line.
"'I'll check in on ya soon, so stay sharp and be ready for a surprise'? What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Her eyes wandered to the sickeningly cheesy xox's before his signature. Once more she couldn't decide whether to laugh or barf. "Well, whatever." She dropped the letter back into the envelope a placed it in a kitchen drawer, as far as she knew she might be able to make some cash off of that as well.
Picking up the second letter she saw no return address nor stamp, merely her name printed neatly in handwriting on one side, and a silver wax seal with the Kaiba Corp emblem stamped into the wax. Turning it over, she hesitantly broke the wax seal and drew from it a single piece of printed computer-paper. Carefully reading each word, she held the page lightly, taking in the meaning of the words, savoring them as connoisseur does wine. A duelist's tournament. Mai Kujaku could not be more thankful for a break in the monotony of her life, for the new challenge, for a chance to see how old acquaintances had grown over time's passage. However, as she skimmed the contents of the letter again, a sense of weariness made her hold back a bit, as the tournament seemed rather exclusive, and few details were released. Ah, hang it, she thought. If Seto Kaiba and his mega-corporation want to be secretive about things, it was nothing new. It also could be nothing Mai and her friends couldn't handle, well, at least according to Yugi Motou.
***
The wind whipped the hair of Kajiki Ryouta about as he peered out at the endless sea from his place on the furthest protrusion of the pier. The azure waves crashed relentlessly against its supports. Gulls squawked incessantly as he rose, then turned around to face his reality. The thud of his waterproof boots as he strode upon the beaten, weather-worn pier caused it to creak, as if out of pain and protest. This is what I get for what I've become, he thought, as he stepped onto the concrete sidewalk, heading for the port's tavern.
Shoving open the door, he was greeted by the familiar scent of burning cigarettes, sea salted air, and various mixed forms of alcohol. The Cardiff's Inn was a well known gathering place for smugglers, thieves, and pretty much anyone else whom one might hire to do their dirty work for very little or a pretty penny, depending on how skilled they were.
"Scallywags," Kajiki muttered to himself, passing by a few longshoremen picking up a job from some junior executive who wanted them to break his boss's legs. Of course a job like that was simple enough, and hiring some amateurs wouldn't hurt. Anyone who had a serious job however, would come specifically to see Kajiki. Many men came in and bought drinks merely to have a chance to talk with him, discussing his fees for various 'hypothetical' situations. From experience, Ryouta knew that ninety percent of those offers were serious, but withdrawn out of either cowardice or due to their greedy, penny-pinching habits. Many times he had found that either his price or his personality turned out to be the turnoff at the end of a few of his consultations. Just last month a man had approached him, sober as all hell, and offered him a couple hundred to off his wife, on account of a affair he was having. Kajiki had turned down the offer, stating plainly that the cost would have to be at least eight-hundred higher, as clean-up and setting up a good a great deal of skill, planning, and some costly supplies. The man was so angered by the difference in price that he left in disgust, after buying a beer he didn't drink. Dumb oaf went home, figured it couldn't be that hard, and next Kajiki saw him was on the front page of the Sea Breeze Daily Paper three days later. Regardless of these frequent flakes, he kept a steady, almost flooded business schedule in constant motion, allowing himself time for a break when he felt it was necessary. Eight months ago the barkeep had allowed him permanently buy one of the rooms off of him, just because he brought in so much business. Sure he had a few straighter jobs, but he found himself depending more and more on his "dirty" jobs to get him the cash he needed. Having found a ship for sale that caught his eye, he was only two thousand dollars shy of having the amount on its price tag. Four good jobs and he could get it, of course not legal jobs by any means.
"A job's a job," Kajiki grumbled, half wishing he believed it, only because a part of him did. When did I fall into this stinking pit, he mused, leaning back in a stretch, hands behind his head. The barkeep, Ed, swam into view, portly, bearded round face with its accompanying pot-bellied body. He gave Kajiki a slight grin, then picked a polished glass off the rack be hind the bar and slid it to Kajiki. Knowing the ritual, Kajiki tore off a piece of a napkin, scribbled his preferred drink on the said slip of paper, then folded it and tossed it in the glass, sending it back to Ed. He caught sight of Ed stopping the glass and pouring the piece of paper into his hand, before slipping back into his brooding reverie.
"Hey there handsome," a slightly slurred voice sang from behind him. God, I hate that cliché line, he thought to himself at the sound of it. Feeling the breath of another against his neck, he turned to face the nuisance. "Buy me a drink?" Asked the slim, pale redhead who stared into his eyes.
Kajiki hesitated, then turned completely around on his barstool, leaning forward and staring into the girl's brown eyes. "And why should I do that?" He stated it plainly, undecided as to whether he had wanted it to be smooth and seductive or an angry snarl. Face slightly flushed by alcohol, she gave a slight frown, as she saw no free seats near Kajiki, then happily plopped herself on his lap. "And what the hell are you doing?" He asked, voice edged with irritation.
She obviously didn't catch the irritation, asking again, "Buy me a drink," as she slid an arm around Ryouta. What she also didn't catch was the large, burly blonde approaching the two.
The scent of cheap gin and peanuts blasted into Kajiki's face, as the words "Git yur han's off-uh my fuckin bitch" boomed in his ears above the buzz of the crowd. Isn't that a bit redundant, Kajiki thought, as he shoved the girl into her presumed boyfriend.
"Whatever man, she was the one trying to pick up on me," he stated casually, feeling the odd need to keep up his persona for the time being. He stood up, glaring a warning at the drunkard. Grabbing the redhead's wrist, the guy lumbered off and out of the bar. Good, Kajiki thought, the shit-head knows what's good for him. Settling back in to his seat at the bar, he rubbed his head. Ed appeared soon after with his drink.
"Maybe if you ignore them, they'll leave you alone," Ed chuckled, referring to Ryouta's problem with females in general. Whether he said it to cheer Ryouta or for his own enjoyment, however, was unclear. Hearing no reaction from his best source of publicity, Ed passed over the drink, then paused. "Some guy came over and gave me this to give you," he said casually, though curiosity was easily read from his voice. He handed over a scarlet envelope. Kajiki beheld it with weariness, then ripped off the top, reading the letter.
"Dear Kajiki, we have information pertaining to the whereabouts of your father. If you wish for us to disclose such information to you, come to the duelist's tournament being held at....." His voice trailed off, whispering the words to himself. Ed appeared nonplussed, though his number one attraction had, unbeknownst to him, already decided he must reach wherever it was the letter said, be the location hell itself.
***
Katsuya Jounochi dashed into the open front door of his sister's home, only partially comprehending the ransacked rooms he passed by. This can't be happening, he thought, as he passed by a row of pictures laying on the floor, an overturned chair, and halted quickly before his sister's room.
"Shizuka!" He yelled as he looked about, dumbstruck by her disappearance, and feeling it was his own personal failure. Shoving open her slightly ajar door, he looked madly about in a last ditch effort to find his lost sister. However, the action afforded him no comfort, for she was obviously nowhere to be seen. Instead he found himself staring at sheet of ordinary paper, laying as an alien object upon Shizuka's bed. Slowly walking, as if in a daze, his vision restricted to only the paper. Slowly grasping the foreign item, he lifted it to his eyes. A note? I'll never be able to pay the ransom, he thought when the lines on the sheet registered as writing. His mouth went dry, as he read the computer-printed letter. Shizuka's kidnapper had promised not to harm her, if he came to and participated in a duelists' tournament. Eyes darting further down the paper, his only clue as to when he should arrive was a Domino City address and the words "come as you please." "Like hell I'm going to wait," he growled, fist clenching the offending letter.
***
Slumped over his barstool, not an hour after reading the letter from Kaiba Corp, Kajiki was ready to let himself drown in drinks and frustration. Here he was, the largest business in Japan having information about his father, and he was stuck in some sea-side community on an island community, isolated from most of the world, reached mainly by the occasional private planes and yachts that came and went. Staring into the glass of brandy Ed had set before him, he hardly noticed the form of a man sitting at the now empty stool by his side.
"Hey, buddy, you the guy everyone's talkin' about?" Kajiki turned to his right, sitting up straight and facing the newcomer. His trained eyes noted the man was well dressed, hair combed neatly back with several stray hairs hanging off at odd angles.
"Depends on which people we're talking about," he replied, not really in the mood to take on any low-paying, straight and narrow jobs at the moment. The man's eyes, a tired faded blue, glanced down for a moment, then looked back up at him, but they were no longer the faded color. They were intense, still tired, but those of a man possessed.
"You are Kajiki Ryouta, are you not?" Ryouta gave a slight nod. "I want you to deal with a certain person." He said suddenly, staring directly into Ryouta's eyes. Sensing the desperation behind the man's tone of voice, Kajiki quickly motioned for him to be silent, before he loudly said anything incriminating.
"Let's discuss this topic back in my room," He said, standing and sipping down the last of his drink. Swallowing to quickly, he felt the familiar burn of his throat being scorched raw by alcohol. The other man stood, and Kajiki indicated the stairs. "I'll head up, and you go talk to Ed in fifteen minutes. Tell him you got some business with me, and he'll let you up and tell you the room." The words were whispered so only his potential client could hear him, then he said more loudly, "I don't know what you're talking about. Leave me alone." As he headed for the stairs he gave Ed a look, motioned to the man, then quickly told him to let him upstairs. Ed nodded, and returned to his customers as Kajiki headed up the flight of stairs and prepared to meet with his.
"I want you to kill a man." The elderly client looked seriously at Kajiki from his seat. Kajiki rose from his chair and grabbed a glass from the cooler, filled it with vodka, and handed it to the man.
"I gathered that much back when we were downstairs. What's your name?" The man accepted the vodka, sipping it with all the class of any educated, scholarly businessman.
"If you must know, in the business world I go by the name Hugh Cliffner." The words came out with no emotion. "May we discuss the details of the case?" Kajiki nodded. "This is the man I wish dead." He continued, producing from his pocket a picture of another corporate mogul. Peppered hair covered his head, and large thick glasses reflected the sea, hiding his eyes. He was standing on a large sailboat, one might consider it a small tall-ship.
"The ship," Kajiki interrupted. "Is it his?"
"That is correct, but let me return to that matter later." Hugh produced a handgun. "This gun is registered as that of the target," he stated, holding it for Kajiki to examine. Grasping it with a cloth, he turned it over, and saw engraved in the butt of the gun a faded first initial and the letter "R". "You are to murder him with that gun. I don't care if it looks like a suicide or not."
"You don't care how he dies?"
"No, as long as it leaves no clues as to who the killer was. I shall be dining with him that night, but when you kill him I will not be in his company. I need to keep up appearances after all."
"Look, this all sounds good, and well planned out for once, but I gotta name my price." Ryouta cut in, not worried he was wasting time, just checking to see if he might need to give the guy a reality check as to how much this would cost him. "I also need the conditions under which the said payment will be received."
"I am willing to pay you a sum of two thousand dollars, no more." The man was looking away to Kajiki's good fortune, as his eyes momentarily bulged in reaction to the man's, generosity. "However, I will only pay the full amount under the circumstances that you kill the target, dispose of the corpse, and sail from this harbor in his ship."
Kajiki raised a brow. "Sail away in the ship?"
"Yes, the ship is yours to keep, so long as you sail away for a few months, or at least until the whole business blows over. Such a task will surely cost you a deal of business, thus the large payment is meant as compensation"
"Sounds good," he replied cooly, nodding as he said it.
"Good." They discussed the method of payment. and smoothed out the details of the plan. Four hours later, Hugh Cliffner left with a substantially more springy step. Kajiki sighed, then leaned back in bed. Only thing to do now is wait for the date, then head off and get the job done. When Cliffner had asked his destination, he merely smiled and said, "don't worry, you won't see me for quite some time."
~tbc~
A/N: There's the third! Are you guys liking it so far? ^_^ Leave a review! Reviews are much inspiration! We like to know what you think about our crazy wacko storyline so far TeeHee.
Ahhh yes, for clarification the PILLOW FIGHT DID HAPPEN ^___^ It was a flashback within a dream, if that makes any sense Heehhe
Btw. Just wondering, Can anyone name the meaning of this chapter? Or the hidden meaning behind the last chapter? Teheehehehe ^___^ It's a little challenge, and if you get both of em, we'll think of something ta award ya with! Heheeh
Psst. Support RyouxBakura ^____^ Join the fanlisting in our profile. Heheeheeh.
Till next time!
Ja NE!
R/R