A/N- Sorry for being gone for so long again, guys! I really didn't mean to. First week I got grounded, second week I went on a mission trip to Costa Rica (SO COOL!), third week I got horribly sick, fourth week I went to Awana Camp, and the fifth week was spent in Florida on another vacation!! It was a lot of fun, but this is getting ridiculous! I haven't slept in my own bed more than four times in the past three and a half weeks!
Well, I'm back (and once again trying to catch up on things...as always) I'm sorry if my writing is not as good as it was before in my last chapter, but after being gone so long, I'm afraid I might have lost my touch, but I will definitely try my best!
Thank you all so much for your reviews and your patience with me!
DBZ Warrior1: I'm glad you're glad that I got it out! Please don't kill me for not updating soon like you asked. I've already explained why though so I hope you understand.
hobbit13: Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me coming from you. After all, you're practically my beta! I thank you for reviewing and for helping me write better by pointing out my mistakes with constructive criticism! You're the best! Yay! Sugar! (bounces around the room) I'm actually basing Serafina (kind of) off me and I'd know I'd be naïve/dumb enough to actually take something a stranger was giving me...I'm an idiot, I know. The only differences are in personality, I'm splitting it between Serafina and Selina and I'm adding and subtracting a few mannerisms of mine to/from them. Thank you so much and here's a brand new chapter for you to critique. Enjoy!
Sorceress Vanessa: SV!!! Yeah, I know, I've been SO BUSY lately! The days and hours and weeks are just going by so fast and I can't keep up! Thanks a lot and here's the new chapter you've been waiting so anxiously for!
Subieko: No, Selina doesn't have an Ancient Egyptian past. You are going to learn of her past in this story (hopefully, if I can convey it right anyways) and how she knows Bakura from before she was put into the Shadow Realm from my last story. Actually that new style for mindlink wasn't right. I was trying to do it the regular way, but with the changes that were made to FF.N it wouldn't let me do it the old way...I'm trying it again and hopefully it will work for this chap, but if not you know what went wrong. Yeah, I miss those beautiful little stars too that have disappeared thanks to QuickEdit. We can't make faces hardly Nemore like we used to either.
Hazel-Beka: Schoolwork, track, Finals, Gateways, ACT test, and just my life got in the way and made me take so long to put up the first chapter...not to mention I had to work out the plot so it didn't have too many holes in it. As for what took me so long this time, look at my A/N. Thanks Hazel! Your stories are great and now I have to go read them and catch up again! ACK! Everyone is going to hate me for just leaving them again! And the rest of my summer is going to busy also!
Nicky: Well, it should remind you of that cuz that's where I got it from! (smiles) Yeah, I'm have a good BUSY summer so far as you will see if you read my A/N! Yes, I am VERY glad you don't have a yami. I would hate to see how she acted with all the sugar she would get around you...you can be pretty evil, you know. (mumbles: scarring me for life all the time...)
Una: Hey, so good to talk to you again! I've missed you and all of my other cyber buddies while I've been busy! Yup! That's what I look like! Thanks! Talk to ya lata!
Chapter 2- Meetings and Suspicions
The morning dawned bright and early with birds chirping to each other, merrily singing their songs, the blue sky blushing with radiance as the sun rose to greet the clouds over Domino City.
As Serafina passed through the park on her way to school in the early morning, she watched the beautiful flowers waving a welcome to her in the wind, swaying together in mixtures of color.
A fountain trickled tranquilly nearby in the idyllic scenery of the extravagant park, conflicting with the complex swirl of thoughts swirling within Serafina's mind.
Her contradictory feelings were beginning to give her a headache. On the one hand Serafina was happy to be staying with her grandparents, finally seeing the place where she had been born, being able to be away from her home for a little while.
On the other hand of course, Serafina desperately missed her mother. They had always been close (after all, they were all each other had!) and now she was gone and Serafina felt there was no longer anyone she could confide in.
There was also the matter of the inhabitants of Domino, especially at the high school as she saw them the most. The majority of students just ignored her for the most part, already formed into clicks and small social groups.
The only students at the school that paid any sort of attention to her were the older kids and a group of four friends in her homeroom class. The older kids, mainly Seniors and Juniors only heeded Serafina when they could catch her alone and bully her since she was the new student. She mostly avoided their notice, but there had been a few close calls when she had caught their attention and the results had nearly been disastrous.
This reminded Serafina about the other group of students that had noticed her. A group of four, Yugi Mutou, Tea Gardener, Tristan Taylor, and Joey Wheeler. This group seemed to be divided on their decisions about her. Yugi and Tea were willing enough to offer their friendship to Serafina, obviously, but Tristan and Joey only spoke to her when they had to and whenever they looked at her, it was with a fierce glare ingrained in their expression.
Serafina wonder what she had done, or maybe said that could warrant this reaction from people she had never even met before. It was simply odd, just like the strange blackouts Serafina had been having lately.
One minute she would be putting her books away in her locker, ready to return to her grandparents' house, and the next she would be standing, shrouded in the shadows of an unfamiliar alleyway, completely and hopelessly lost.
Serafina sighed deeply and returned to the present as she approached the school courtyard. It was no use dwelling on something that simply could not be explained.
As she made her way towards the school, Serafina looked around for familiar faces in the small groups that had collected outside, waiting for the bell to ring. Deciding to make her way over to a somewhat secluded spot instead of staying in the middle of the swarm, Serafina cut her way through the students over to a small picnic area under a tree.
Sighing with relief, Serafina sat down on the small bench and looked around. She sniffed in amusement when she saw who just happened to be heading towards her—Yugi and company.
'Of course, I was thinking about them so they just happen to arrive...' were the ironic thoughts of Serafina as she waited on the group to come over.
"...See, she was spying on us! How else would she know where we meet in the mornings-" the accompanying blond told his two brunette friends.
"Shut up, or she'll hear you!" cut in the brown-headed female.
Serafina raised her eyebrows before her expression became neutral once more.
"Hey, Serafina!" Yugi called cheerfully, "I was just wondering if you wanted to come with us after school and hang out...I mean, we could show you around some, if you wanted."
Serafina looked over at Joey, Tristan, and Tea. Joey and Tristan were looking murderously at Yugi until Tea, whose expression was unreadable, whispered something to them and they became positively giddy with glee.
'Those three are up to something...and I doubt that whatever it is will do me any good.'
"That's ok, Yugi. I've still got some unpacking to do at my grandparents' house, maybe later."
Yugi's features fell and his companions seemed a little put out and Serafina doubted it was disappointment that she could not come and spend some time with them. On the contrary, this action simply proved her theories correct—only Yugi was innocent out of this group.
'Well, maybe Tea was trustworthy,' Serafina thought, 'but she does seem to be the one with all the plans and I do not intend to be involved in any machinations they happen to come up with.'
Mind made up and resolve strengthened, Serafina stood resolute.
Joey and the others looked like they were about to argue the point and try to talk Serafina into coming, but just then the bell rang and without further adu, Serafina picked up her backpack and marched into the school.
"Well, that went well," said Joey despondently.
Serafina stepped into her first period classroom, followed by the rest of the students in the class. Taking her seat, Serafina looked up at the board behind the teacher's desk to see what schoolwork the students were being allotted that day.
After taking out the mandatory utensils—pencil and paper—Serafina felt the small hairs on the back of her neck prick up and an odd tingling feeling encompassing her body...somebody was watching her.
Carefully looking around the room, Serafina spotted the figure. Joey Wheeler, from two desks over, was starring at her unabashed. Serafina's eyebrows rose in a questioning manner as she starred back at the blond. (Living in America had taught her that if someone was starring at you and you starred back, they would usually look away...)
This appeared not to be the case this time. Even with Serafina looking at Joey head on, his gaze was still point blank, stuck on her. When she figured out that Joey was not going to redirect his focus, Serafina asked, "Is there something you want?"
"No," replied Joey, finally looking away.
Serafina rolled her eyes and turned back to her work, thus starting her morning. The tall, blond's behavior seemed to be applied to the rest of the day as well; every time Serafina got that prickly feeling of being watched, she would look over and see Joey Wheeler gawking brazenly back (Doesn't he ever take notes?) in every class he shared with her. The only relief came in her computer class, which none of Yugi's gang seemed to be enrolled in.
But then it was off to the last class of the day...Geometry. After, once again, unpacking paper and pencil, she felt it...the prickle. Looking over, Serafina saw that the gaze was back.
Irritation rising, Serafina glared back at him and forced out with barely suppressed anger, "Would you quit staring at me already?! Look, I can't concentrate with you doing that and it's getting on my nerves, now stop it!"
He looked taken aback by this display and quickly diverted his gaze, only glancing back once or twice in Serafina's direction to her chagrin.
Joey could not wait for the end of the school day to be over so he could spy on the Selina look-alike, Serafina, properly without her knowledge of him doing it. The best he could do during school was watch her do her class work and watch him watch her.
Tristan did not seem to see the need to spy on Serafina during the school day the way Joey felt it was needed.
"Look, man, it's school! What could she possibly do during school with all the teachers and other students watching?"
"It's not like she hasn't tried stuff in public before. You remember the first time, don't you? Before we ever got rid of her, when she was trying to kill Yugi she had those two big thugs snatch him up in a helicopter in the middle of a crowded street. I wouldn't put anything past her; she's clearly dangerous and I'm going to make sure she doesn't get to Yugi no matter what!"
"Joey, man, I know how you feel, trust me, but we can't be so conspicuous of our suspicious or it will set her off and she'll know we're on to her. We have to keep a low profile and watch her from a safe distance, not glare at her openly and practically dare her to try something, alright?"
Joey hesitated momentarily before nodding to show his agreement and Tristan continued.
"Ok, good. Now, we need to get back to Yugi and Tea, they're waiting on us, so stop acting like such a baka and act casual."
Tristan led the way over to Yugi and Tea where they were waiting by their lockers after having put all their school things away.
"Ready to go, Joey, Tristan?" Yugi asked jovially, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet and swinging his arms around eagerly.
"Yeah, I'm ready to leave school," Joey informed them, "but not to go home, not yet..."
He trailed off into silence as he watched Serafina snap her locker shut and head out the door, down the steps, and off towards the school gates, not leaving any doubt to the others' minds of what he would rather be doing instead.
Yugi followed his friend's gaze and turned serious, "Joey, look, I know you don't trust her, but could you please stop spying on her? I'm trying to be friends with her, but you guys are driving her away. She keeps avoiding me just because you guys are around. If it's information you want, you could try being nice to her and just ask her once she starts to trust you."
"I'm not leaving you alone with her, Yugi. Besides, if it really is Selina going incognito then she'd just lie to you anyway. Actions speak truth, however, and I intend to find out what is going on with her. Until she proves herself trustworthy, I'm not going to put any belief in her."
"By the time you come to that conclusion, you'll have driven her so far away that she won't want to be friends with us anymore."
"So, then that's her problem, not ours. Look, there she goes! Her grandparents' live in the other direction. She's up to something; let's follow her."
Joey sauntered off in a discreet manner, leaving the others to catch up.
Yugi did not want to spy on Serafina, but he was genuinely curious as to what she was up to if she was not going to her grandparents' house to finish unpacking like she said.
"How do you know where she lives, Joey?" Yugi asked his friend as he came up behind him.
"I looked it up in the residence book and checked it out. You can never be too careful, you know?"
The foursome followed the dirty-blonde headed girl around several corners and past several alleys, making sure to keep a reasonable distance between them the entire time and never letting her out of their sights.
Once they came into the more congested areas of the city, they had to stay closer to her so they would not loose her. If it had not been for their tailing position, they would never have noticed the signs.
Upon reaching the middle of the city, the darker parts of town, the group noticed that Serafina had picked up another tail. A group of stocky, teenage boys were following her at a much speedier rate and much closer distance.
It seemed as if the American girl would never notice she was being marked, until she unexpectedly sprinted off down the street, dodging obstacles in her path and skiving into an alley.
Yugi groaned. Having been picked on by this exact same group of bullies before he became friends with Joey, Tristan, and Tea and becoming World Champion at Duel Monsters, he knew exactly which alleys to avoid and which to use in a tight spot.
Serafina, having just moved to Domino, could not know that she had just run into an alley with a dead end.
"Come on, guys, we've got to help her."
Yugi did not leave any room for argument before taking off after the group of thugs.
Serafina walked through the streets of Domino City at a leisurely pace as she viewed her surroundings in awe. Everything was so different here than compared with American culture. Serafina had always loved sightseeing when she was a little girl going on small vacations with her mother and she was no different now.
As Serafina strolled down the road with pleasure, she glanced inside a store at the window display and noticed a gang of tough-looking boys following her and coming up behind her fast.
It could just be a coincidence her mind tried to calm her body as adrenaline coursed through it. Walking just a little further down she saw in another window that they were indeed after her and if she hesitated a second longer they would be upon her before she knew it.
Giving no indication of having noticed her stalkers, Serafina took off running in an unknown direction. It did not really matter as long as she could get away from her pursuers.
Her heart hammering wildly in her chest, Serafina darted down an alleyway between two buildings of business. So intent on loosing the gang of bullies behind her she did not pay close attention to where she was going until it was too late.
Serafina skidded to a stop in front of a solid, brick wall. Her breathing was short and erratic, coming in sharp, ragged gasps as she panted. Realizing her mistake and hoping for enough time to go back, Serafina turned around and took one step forward in the opposite direction back towards the opening to the alley.
There, standing at the entrance were her pursuers. Their silhouettes were framed in the mouth of the alleyway as the sunlight streamed in, making them look like big, blocky shadows converging on her.
"What do you want?" Serafina asked, trying to keep her voice steady to hide the panic she was feeling inside as the goons encircled her.
"Whatever you have to give..." one of them said, leaving the threat hanging over her.
'Uh oh, that doesn't sound good. How do you manage to get yourself into these messes?' Serafina asked herself mentally.
One of the boys lunged at her and before she had a chance to react, she blacked out and in her place stood Selina, Spirit of the Millennium Bracelet.
'This baka of a girl is going to get herself killed before I can even use her, or reveal my secret one.'
Using the telekinetic powers of the Millennium Bracelet, Selina picked up all five boys and slammed them hard into the walls and each other without even moving, knocking them all out.
Knowing that Yugi's group was following her, Selina called upon the Shadow Realm and transported her and Serafina away from the area, back towards the school, leaving the bodies of the unconscious forms around her without a backward glance.
Yugi, Tea, Joey, and Tristan came to a stop in front of an unexpected scene where they had seen Serafina run off to a few short moments ago.
The unconscious forms of the five teenage boys were strewn over the ground, some having slid down the alley wall while others lay near each other as if they had been knocked together.
"Well, there can be no doubt now that we are definitely working with Selina, even if she is Serafina's yami. It's obvious that Selina is just hiding behind Serafina for now. Whatever plans she has she'll be implementing them soon. Everyone needs to stay alert and watch out. Stay away from anything suspicious," Tristan informed his friends who were all looking at the destruction with varying degrees of shock.
Everyone turned to look at Yugi as his Millennium Puzzle glowed and the hues of his eyes darkened from brilliant amethyst to shadowed ruby signifying that Yugi had let Yami take over their body.
Yami approached an area in the direct center of the bodies and began working with the Millennium Puzzle.
Yugi, I'm afraid to say that it was definitely Selina who did this
/Well, there can't really be any doubt now can there?/
No, there cannot. She used the Millennium Bracelet one these bullies and then some form of Shadow Magic that I am unfamiliar with to transport away from this site. We have to watch out for this Serafina character whenever we are around her. She could relinquish control to Selina at any time and come after you.
Yugi sighed mentally before replying, /Alright, I'll be careful/
Good, I'll leave you control again
/Ok/
The others noticed the subtle change in their friend to notice he was back to being Yugi.
"What's up, Yug?" inquired Joey anxiously.
"Well, Yami confirmed that it was Selina so we need to be careful when we're around Serafina. The sad thing is, I don't even think she knows what's going on yet. I know it took me a while."
"Don't worry, Yug. We'll get to the bottom of this and we won't let anything happen to you in the meantime. Here, let's go get a burger. That will cheer you up. I doubt Serafina or Selina or whoever went to Burger World, do you?"
Yugi perked up and giggled, "Sure, Joey, we'll go to Burger World and get you some food."
The friends left the alley, joking around with each other. Things were back to normal between them for the moment and they wanted to enjoy it.
'That was too close,' Selina thought to herself as she relented control of the body back over to Serafina. 'If they weren't before, those nitwits are certainly on to me now, especially that blond boy, Joey. I'm going to have to put my plan into action soon or it's never going to work. I'll never gain their trust now so I'd better get things started right away. Good thing I only have a few things left to prepare. It will all be ready by tonight.'
And with that last thought Selina retreated to the back of Serafina's mind, leaving the poor girl lost and confused in the middle of the sidewalk.
Looking around, Serafina noticed she was standing back at the entrance to the school courtyard.
"How in the world did I end up back here?" Serafina asked out loud. "This is getting so confusing! I know this wasn't where I was a moment ago. Where did those bullies go? What is going on!?!"
Receiving no answers from the birds that were twittering away above her head, Serafina decided to go home before she blacked out again and ended up somewhere dangerous.
Heading down the street, caught up in her thoughts, Serafina accidentally ran into someone.
"Oh! I'm so sorry! I should have paid attention to where I was going! Please forgive me."
The person she had bumped into turned around slowly, glaring daggers in her direction. He looked odd, she thought idly. He was very pale and had white hair. The only color left to him at all was his eyes, which were a dark, chocolate brown.
"Well, well, well. You must be the new student. I see you're wearing the Millennium Bracelet, Selina."
Serafina looked surprised. Here was a complete stranger calling her by some strange name. "I'm sorry, you must have the wrong person, my name is Serafina. I have no idea who this Selina person is that you're talking about."
The albino boy snorted, "Of course you don't. You wouldn't have realized it yet. I bet you haven't revealed your presence to her yet; have you Selina? Don't think I don't know what you are trying to do and I can tell you now that it won't work. Everyone knows you're here and no one is going to be falling for any of your tricks. Stay away from Ryou; I won't let you get to him or the other Millennium Items. You just keep the powers of your Millennium Bracelet to yourself."
With that, the boy walked off, not once looking back as he disappeared into the nearby shadows of the buildings.
Serafina was more confused than she had ever been before. It seemed that she looked like someone all these people around her hated and that she was in possession of some weird bracelet they feared. Serafina had no idea what was going on, but she promised herself she would figure it out if it was the last thing she did.
In the back of her mind, dormant, Selina brooded to herself. 'Don't think you can scare me away that easily, Bakura. I've known you since we were young; we used to be friends. Don't think I don't know what you're up to. You want the Millennium Items just as much as I do and for the same reason...to rule the world...to be powerful and strong so that you can never be looked down upon again.
'Of course, we each have different goals in mind once that is accomplished...You plan to take down the Pharaoh because of something that happened millenniums ago, while I want revenge for those who mocked me...bullied me, made my life miserable just because I was different...because I didn't have a mother and because I was smarter than all of them. The only way I'll earn the respect I deserve is to gather all the Millennium Items together and rule the world. Then no one will be able to look down on my again.
'Before I do that, however, I need to take care of Yugi and his friends and get his Millennium Puzzle.'
A/N- Wow, that took forever to write! 3,687 words. I hope I didn't bore you guys, but after my long absence you guys needed a long chapter to make up for it. Did you like it? Did you hate it? What do I need to improve on? Comments please!