Destiny and the Dragon
Author's note: OK, this is the chapter where things really start moving. One thing I want to address is a review by Selena Style. I really appreciate your opinion, and simply wish to point out something. The reason the Seto/Kisara interactions may seem a little two-dimensional is that, even though they don't realize it, they're already in a relationship. I'd say more, but that'd spoil the rest of the story. Suffice it to say, bear with me. It'll all make sense in the end…I hope.
Copyright info: I do not own Yu-gi-oh! If I did, though , you can bet we'd see a lot more Seto Kaiba(and, considering he already appears a lot, they'd probably have to rename the show "The Seto Kaiba saga", or some other, less crappy, title.).
Continuity info: First, I'm using all Japanese names, as well as personalities (in short, Jounouchi isn't going to have that heavy New York accent, and Bakura won't be British). Thus, Joey is Jounouchi, the Millennium items are sennen items, and so on. Finally, the actual continuity is kind of a mixture of the manga and anime. This takes place after Battle City, but the Noa saga did not occur. However, in the manga, Yugi immediately uses the God cards to open up the doors to Yami's memory world. In this, like in the anime, he must wait until the appropriate time. Also, this is going to act as an alternative to the Memories arc in the manga so I can add my own little spin on the ancient past. Enjoy.
I want to run away,
I want to know the truth
I want to know the answers,
I want to shut the door and open up my mind.
-"Runaway Reanimation", Linkin' Park
Chapter 3: From the Past
By Blue Eyes Shining Dragon
Kisara looked over the cloaked man warily. He was tall, wearing a tan robe with a white cape around his neck. He was Egyptian, she could tell by his skin color, and wore a white turban. Around his neck was a golden ankh, another clue that he was from Egypt. In his left hand, he held a golden balance scale. The most disturbing detail about him, however, was his eyes. They were a completely blank, soulless, black. "Who…who are you? Why are you in my house?" She asked, nervously.
The man responded flatly, "I am Shadi. I am here to warn you that you are in great danger."
Kisara looked at him confusedly. "Danger? What kind of danger?"
Shadi's expression did not change in the slightest. "The tomb robber Bakura seeks your death."
"Why would a person I don't even know want to kill me?"
"You do know Bakura; you simply do not remember it."
"I don't understand."
"You will…in time."
With that, Shadi turned his back to Kisara and walked off, vanishing into the very shadows he had come from.
Kisara could only stare blankly, in shock of the bizarre encounter she had just had. Wondering what to do, a thought struck her. "That eye symbol on Shadi's scale…I've seen it before…"
She pondered as to where when she remembered her encounter at school shortly before joining Seto for the tour. "That kid Yugi…he had a weird puzzle on his neck with the same symbol."
With that, she ran out the door to the Kame Game shop, located next to her house. She prayed that Yugi would be there. "And hopefully, he'll have some answers."
She opened the door to the shop to find, to her relief, Yugi and Jounouchi, as well as two others, sitting at a table near the counter. Yugi and Jounouchi were both playing Duel Monsters against each other, the other two watching. "And judging by what Yugi and Jounouchi told me back at school, those two are probably Anzu and Honda." Kisara reasoned.
Kisara's entrance did not go unnoticed. Yugi looked up from his duel with Jounouchi to greet her. "Oh, hi, Kisara."
Anzu, a relatively tall girl with brown hair and similarly brown eyes looked at Yugi confusedly. "You know this girl, Yugi? I've never seen her before." She said.
Jounouchi answered for his friend. "This is Kisara, Anzu. She's new to Domino, and she met up with me and Yugi earlier today."
Honda simply stared blankly, blushing intensely. "…pretty…" he managed to mumble, earning him a hard knock on the head from Anzu.
Kisara sighed in frustration. "Look, I really don't have time for small talk. I need to speak to you, Yugi!" She said.
Yugi stood up and walked over to her. "OK, Kisara, no need to shout." He said, a slight hint of defensiveness in his voice.
"Some weird Egyptian guy named Shadi was at my house, with a weird scale that looks a lot like your puzzle, Yugi. Care to explain?" Kisara asked, making no attempt to hide her suspicions.
"Shadi? Why would he be at Kisara's house?" Yugi asked Yami.
"It must have something to do with that strange energy I've been sensing from her." The ancient spirit replied.
"What do we do now?"
"The only thing we can do: Tell her the truth."
Ending his mental conversation, Yugi looked to Kisara solemnly. "I know you want answers, Kisara, and I can give them to you, but it's going to take a while. You might want to sit down."
With that, Yugi started telling Kisara all about the sennen items…
As Seto Kaiba exited his limousine and began walking toward the Domino museum it had parked in front of, a thousand thoughts rushed through his mind. Chief among them was "What the Hell am I doing here?"
The brown-haired CEO sighed angrily. The dreams he had been having, Kisara, and the ancient past Ishizu was always rambling about; they were all linked, somehow. Seto Kaiba did not believe in the fairytales Ishizu and Yugi constantly tried to convince him were real. However, there were simply too many facts in their favor to deny that story completely any longer. "I'll just ask her about what part Kisara has in all this and leave." Seto thought as he opened the doors to the museum.
"Even if she gives me another cock-and-bull story about Egypt, any kind of information Ishizu can give me will give me something to work with in figuring this all out." As he thought this, he was already walking down the stairs to the Ancient Egypt exhibit, where Ishizu could almost always be found.
Seto entered the room, but it was devoid of other people besides himself. However, directly in front of him was the artifact Ishizu had obsessed over so much the last time he had been here: The large stone tablet depicting an ancient battle between a priest identical to Seto and a pharaoh identical to Yugi. Seto had learned at Alcatraz tower that the tablet was in fact a lithograph, a memorial to the Priest's trusted friend, the pharaoh. This made little sense to Seto, even by Ishizu's bizarre logic: If the priest and the pharaoh were such close friends, why would they be fighting each other? "I'm glad to see you have returned, Seto Kaiba." A familiar voice spoke.
Seto turned around to face Ishizu, who had just walked in to the room. He wasn't surprised at her sudden appearance; it took far more than that to scare Seto Kaiba. Seto looked at her for a moment and opened his mouth to speak. Ishizu cut him off. "I am already aware of why you are here, Kaiba. You have met a girl, Kisara, who you have seen several times in your dreams. You realize these dreams have some connection to the ancient past I've told you so much about. Thus, you believe I can at least partially answer your questions." She said, flatly.
Seto snarled in frustration. "Look, I'm not here to be lectured. I just want to know why she's part of these dreams!"
"Even if I told you, you would not believe me."
"Maybe not, but I'd have something to work with."
"I'm afraid, Kaiba, that unless you embrace the truth fully, you will have no answers at all."
Seto's hand clutched into a fist and shook with anger. "I don't care! Just tell me what you know!"
Ishizu couldn't help but grin. This, however, only served to anger Seto further. "What is so funny?" He snarled, barely able to control the fury building up inside of him.
"You still do not understand, Kaiba. This is all destined to occur, and until you accept that, no answer I give will suffice." She said, a sardonic tone to her voice.
Suddenly, another figure entered. Seto instantly recognized the bright-haired boy as Ishizu's younger brother, Malik. In his right hand, he carried with him a short, golden staff, the sennen rod. "Stop teasing him, sister." Malik said calmly.
Seto was beginning to lose his patience. "Save the trivialities for later. I want answers…NOW!" He said, raising his voice with each word.
Malik walked in front of Ishizu, and held out his sennen rod to Seto. "Take it." He said.
Seto stood there, confused. "Take it." Malik repeated.
Seto was hesitant to react, unsure of what to do. "If you want answers, the only way to get them is to take the rod." Malik said, steadily.
Seto reached to touch it, but doubt was still evident in his motions. "The only way to protect Kisara is in this rod, High priest Seth." Malik said.
Something deep within Seto's very soul stirred at this. Suddenly, the rod glowed, and a vision flashed before him…
Kisara lay on the silk-covered bed, tired. Cuts and bruises were all over her body. High Priest Seth kneeled down to the bed, applying a damp tissue to the girl's cut cheek. "How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Better." Kisara said, weakly.
"Good." Seth replied curtly.
He stood up to go grab a roll of bandages nearby, but was stopped when Kisara grabbed his arm. Seth was surprised. "Wait." Kisara said.
Seth stared at her for a few moments, then attempted to rise again. "Please, wait." Kisara pleaded. Seth sighed.
"What?" He asked, flatly.
"I never got to thank you." Kisara said.
"It is my duty as High Priest of the pharaoh to protect the innocent. There is no need to thank me." Seth said.
"Yes, there is. You saved my life from those villagers." She said.
Seth kept his face stern. "Thank you…" Kisara said, shakily, "…for everything."
The rod's glow died, and Seto returned to reality. The vision had been so real.
Seto opened the door for her. "Goodbye, Seto. I'll…I'll see you tomorrow at school. Thank you…" Kisara said, shakily, "for everything."
That vision…the Kisara in that vision had said the exact same thing as the real Kisara, in the same tone. Seto now knew that if he was ever going to get his answers, he really would have to take the rod. Without a second thought, he clutched the golden staff. It glowed brighter than ever before, engulfing the room. The next thing Seto knew, his world was spinning like a tornado…
To be continued…