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Chapter 29
The Test of the Heart
Kisty walked out of the gym feeling extremely better then she did an hour ago. Seto stood at the top of the stair he was done toying with his decision, he was ready to hand it to her. Kisty walked up to the stairs, "Hi Dad, something wrong?" she asked looking at his emotionless face.
"We need to talk!" he said in a cold and emotionless tone. Kisty nodded, "Ok," she said following him to the office. Kisara came out of Kisty's bedroom and bark at Seto, as if he were not himself, but an imposter. Kisty glared at her dog, but she should have taken that bark as a warning for what was about to come next.
Seto leaned back in his chair, "Well, you have a choice to make here in the next few hours a permit one," he said looking at Kisty. Kisty looked at him with worry in her eyes, "What are my choices?" she asked, not really understanding what was happening. Seto turned his head, "Well," he said letting out a breath, "Since you are the only heir to the Pegasus fortune being a member of the Pegasus family blood line," he said, "You're the only living member that shares blood with Pegasus that is still alive."
Kisty nodded at this she already knew this information, "Ok, what are the choices you speak of?" she asked again. Seto sighed, "Kisty, I am under a lot of pressure to do this but I don't see any other way, I am giving you a test," he said coldly. Kisty looked at the papers that he was fingering while they were talking.
"Gosaburo gave it to me a test once to see how strong I could be for some day running his empire; sadly I passed it at a deep price. Kisty, I have to make sure that you make the right decision because either way you are going to get hurt, this is not a game, and no one said it would be one either. However, there are three choices so pick one of them for they are, run Industrial Illusions as CEO and possibly fall on your face leaving me to clean it up which would probably make Pegasus roll in his grave but he does not have one, so he cannot. You could merge the companies and have both of us up at the top of the chain as the head CEOs, but the boards would probably deny it, and finally you turn it all down that includes Kaiba Corp meaning that your future cousins or Mokuba would get it if I am gone," he said coldly. "Your final choice is that I send you away and you will, no longer a member of neither this family nor anything at all," Seto added hoping to make Kisty choose one to the other two.
Kisty sat there looking at the floor all that frustration and angry came flying back at her, even though she thought she pushed it away. "I am pulling you out of school and putting you with some of the best tutors in the world you will study almost all the time, and you are only allowed to run the company from here, not at the main office," he said.
Kisty shook her head, "So, I have to either run a company or basically get nothing and live as a teenager," she said crossing her arms. Seto nodded, "Even if you decide to not work at Industrial Illusions I am still going to work you just as hard," he added.
The girl looked at her father's eyes, they were a deep blue, deeper then she had ever seen them, as if someone had taken his soul and locked it away into darkness again. Kisty nodded her head, "If I don't pass what happens?" she asked. Seto shook his head, "I rather not think about it but since we're on that subject. I would have to be forced to send you away forever from me, and everyone else," he said. Kisty closed her eyes, that thought was as if some one took a knife and cut her open, "You're not serious are you?" she asked.
Seto nodded without a hint of emotion, "Do I look like am joking?" he asked. Kisty shook her head, "Why now are you doing this?" she asked now worried about her father, seeing that he was returning to his cold ways. Seto leaned on his elbow, "Your fifteen now it time that you learn how to run a business, be happy Kisty that I let off for so long by your age I had ran Kaiba Corp for one full year, and raised Mokuba," he said.
Kisty felt tears pulling at the bottom of her eyes, she did not want to hear this not from her father, not the man that she had grown to accept over the past few months. Not the same person she risked her health for when he lay dying giving him her blood that was originally his, to save him.
"Kisty Kaiba, I am going to make you earn that last name," he said cold heartily. Kisty opened her eyes to see her father, but that was not what she saw anymore, it was that viscous snake, which she thought was gone for good from the work her mother did.
"How do you expect me to pass?" she asked. Seto smirked and leaned back in his chair, "Read this contract," he said, "the rules and everything are there, just read it I must have it back by midnight or you forfeit everything and I would have to send you away Kisty," he said turning away from her and facing the spring day outside which looked dark and gray.
Kisty closed her eyes, "I will read it in my room," she spoke softly and turned to leave. Seto closed his eyes slowly, as he heard Kisty shut the door to his office and the rain began to pour outside. "I am sorry, Alex but it's the only way forgive me for doing this to our child," he whispered to the sky as if speaking to her as if the sky, thinking of the rain as Alex's tears from heaven for Kisty.
The girl stood in her room with the contract on her bed she looked out side as she heard the rain falling on her balcony out side her window doors. "Mom, what's happening, I wish you were here," she spoke softly.
Kisara jumped from her doggie bed and walked next to Kisty holding a pen in her mouth. Kisty took the pen and looked at her dog, "You saying I should sign?" she asked. Kisara licked Kisty's hand, telling her to read it first. Kisty looked at the contract, then sat on the bed with it in her hand, and began to read it slowly noting every single line as if it were she would she was signing her soul away. "I would have to take over Kaiba Corp in order to win, and I have to work my ass off to do it, well it was my life," she sighed.
A few hours later
Kisty walked down the stairs with a small smile on her face, as she heard her friends enter the mansion. "Kisty!" yelled Samantha throwing her arms around the birthday girl. "Happy birthday Kisty," Samantha said letting Kisty go. Kisty smiled, "Thanks Sam," she said with small smile. Mana stood there with her arms crossed standing next to Josh, "You ready to party?" she asked. Kisty smirked, "You bet," she said and looked over at Josh who looked worried at Kisty.
"You sure you're up for a party?" Josh asked her. Kisty smiled, "When I have those I care about around me, of course I am," she said hugging Mana and Samantha around the shoulders. The doorbell rang Kisty opened; Atem, Tea, Yugi, Tristan, Serenity, Tea, Joey, and a very pregnant Mai in fact she was in her 8th month already, were standing there with smiles and wrapped presents in their hands for the young Kaiba teenager. "Happy birthday Kisty," they said stepping into the mansion. Kisty smiled and lead everyone into the dinning room.
Lisa and Mokuba were standing there with all the presents from the morning, "Kisty you didn't open your presents from Kaiba, Mokuba or Lisa yet?" asked Tea. Kisty shook her head, "I figured that this year I open everything at once, since after today things will be changing," she said looking over at Mokuba and Lisa. "Will Kaiba be coming?" asked Atem and Yugi at the same time. Kisty nodded, "He should be down soon," she said, then quickly added, "I hope," quietly.
Mokuba and Lisa looked at each other, and then at Kisty they knew something was up. Something happened between Kisty and Seto after they screamed their heads off to vent their frustrations. Seto finally came down just as they were about to cut the cake, Kisty gave him a mean glare as he walked in the room. Mokuba and Lisa watched this with great concern they knew it had begun, Seto had given Kisty the contract.
Kisty got some duel monster gifts and other fun items mostly clothes that were her laid back style but the big joke was a business suit from Joey that were made for women. Kisty laughed as she pulled the black skirt and jacket out of the box, "Wow, Joey how did you know," she said, "I would need a thing like this?" Joey shrugged and pointed over at Yugi and Atem, "Those two," he said. Kisty smiled at them, "Well then since you all want to know my decision. I am taking over Industrial Illusions, and I sat on Monday," she said with a hint of pride. The one present she did not receive however, was Seto's old deck, for he gave her the contract test instead and now she had to fine a way to break it.
Samantha, Josh and Mana's jaws dropped they told her to try it out but not to actually keep the job. "Are you serious, Kisty?" asked Samantha. Kisty looked at the 13 year old girl, "What, do I look like I wouldn't be, it a serious situation, and…" she looked over at Seto now, "I have to earn something, besides it's not like I am going anywhere I will still be around."
"Hey isn't this suppose to be a party?" asked Tristan, "So lets get it started," he turned up the radio and everyone started to talk and goof off Mokuba and Lisa walked over to Kisty, and Lisa asking her to join them in the kitchen. She nodded and quietly escaped out of site of the guests.
After the party
Josh stayed behind after Kisty's birthday party while Mokuba and Lisa cleaned everything up then went back to their small house to finish packing up to leave. Kisty sat out upon the damp porch wearing a light jacket and jeans. Josh sat next to her, "You been quiet for a while, something wrong?" he asked her. Kisty shook her head, "Nothing that doesn't involve you," she giggled. Josh smiled, and took Kisty's hand, "Call it a sixth sense but I can tell when something is bothering you?" he said.
"Everything is fine," she said without worry in her voice. Josh did not believe it, "Kisty! I know when you're lying to me," he said, "You're doing it right now. This is about that application I sent in isn't it or your dad?"
Kisty stood up and moved away from Josh, "Look it doesn't concern you ok, just don't worry about it," she said. Josh looked at the ground, "You sure, because Kisty if you want, I could help," he said. Kisty turned, "Look, this is something I have to do on my own, Josh. I appreciate your concern, but I am fine really. Tomorrow I start work at the CEO of Industrial Illusions, I guess I am a little nervous that's all," she said.
Josh smiled he knew she was hiding but gave up knowing that she would not tell him anymore. "Ok, I will accept that answer for now," he said. Kisty smiled, "Thanks I guess," she said leaning against the handrail then sitting on it. "Kisty, umm, there is something I need to tell you, well I should have told you a few months ago, back when your Uncle died," he said.
Kisty looked at Josh, "What?" she said with concern. "I am not going to be working at the graveyard anymore," he said. Kisty shook her head, "WHAT! Josh, why are you quitting?" she asked "Are Bakura and Ryou to blame for this because if so I will buy them out."
Josh pulled out the letter from his pocket stopping Kisty from saying more threats, "I was accepted into one of the academies that I applied to the one in New York sent me this letter the day before you went to your Uncle's reading. I can't be digging and never get out of the city at the same time," he said. Kisty sat down next to him, and looked at the acceptance letter, "You made it? Your really going to do it go and be an actor?" she asked.
Josh nodded, "Yes," he said, with a small smiled. Kisty smiled at her best friend, "That's great Josh," she said pulling him into a hug knowing that someday soon she would not see him anymore because he would be in New York. Josh blushed at Kisty as he hugged her close to him. "Yeah, so I guess things are looking up finally," he said.
Kisty nodded, "For you, YES! For me well I don't know yet, but let's not worry about that, you're following your dream," she said. Josh put his hand on Kisty shoulder, "But are you're not following yours," he said. Kisty shook her head and looked at the ground, "You know that I want to be a singer," she said, "however owning my own company can be just as good, I would have celebrity status," she smiled, then frowned.
"It will work out, Kisty call it an instinct," Josh smirked. Kisty nodded "Yeah, hopefully," she said and the two stood there on the porch for a while.
Meanwhile in Seto's office, upstairs, he looked at the contract in front of him, "What have I just made her do?" he asked himself putting it into a locked drawer and locking it shut. He picked up the phone and started to call the school for Kisty's transfer to home schooling with the best tutors possible, thinking how he was now back to what he was before Alexandra and everything that happened.
Ok note that the next chapter is about 2-3 years later this will turn in to a Kisty story but it's still Seto's story, also just to let you all know now that I will mainly focus on Kisty but will be inter cutting between them. Keep an eye out on Josh and Kisty because there relationship has to do with our soon to be seen villain.
Twilight Memories: Yes, I have Kisty nightmare as a warning, of what will happen if she is not careful with her choices, later you will see how she fixes it and changes the future. Yes, much more is coming, I can tell you that for sure. snickers at the chapter which Kisty gets hurt badly that is not for another seven chapters though, so wait and see.
Darkstar71: Well as you can see, Kaiba went back on his word AGAIN, and he I put a twist on it in the next chapter he starts dating and you would probably guess who and it is not Molly that's for sure but someone at Industrial Illusions.
