NOTE: SO SORRY for the late update! I know my promise of "an update a month" but December was a REALLY BUSY MONTH! Let me recap: Exams…Christmas shopping…writing one heck of a Christmas one-shot (just felt I had to)…and vacation (where I was working on other stuff that HAD to come before fanfiction, capice?) Okies? I'm SO SORRY, as I've said, so please forgive, forget and read! (PS: I was trying to wrap everything up here and I had hardly any inspiration or motive to write this fic for a while…and a bunch of other excuses. Just enjoy the ALMOST end! Thanks!)
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!.
Chapter 28: I Have a Thought….
Tea cried, hugging her knees on her bed. Everything was going wrong…. Seto wasn't supposed to have given up on her like that! She was supposed to have given her grand apology and be accepted back into his open arms!
Another string of tears rolled down her cheeks. She could never have it her way! After Seto had shooed her away those many years ago, she just had to go and forget about him! And then he just decides to come back and try to warm up to her again. But would she let him? Oh no! And finally, when she decides to let him back into her life, she sees that he has gone back to hating her again!
My life is so SCREWED UP!
Yes. At this point, Tea didn't think things could get any worse. And she had blocked out Teana from talking to her for the time being.
I have to tell him sooner or later that I really do love him…but will he listen?
Seto Kaiba was thoroughly confused. He sat in his office chair, staring at the blue screen of his computer. His gaze seemed to bore a whole right through it.
What on Earth did she mean?
"Oh Seto! I'm-I'm so SORRY!" suddenly, she put her head in her hands and dashed away from him, leaving the boy slightly taken aback and quite confused.
What is she sorry for? I should be the one apologizing….
Then why don't you? Kaiba rolled his eyes. Oh great…. It's you. I'm just trying to help.
Then go help where you're wanted. What do you know about these kinds of situations anyway?
Plenty. Teana changed her mind many a time back in Egypt. The trait must have been passed through to Tea.
How did she change her mind? About what?
Well…first, she was Osiris-bent on being…in love with…my brother…but in what would have been his final hours, she didn't look to sure anymore. Seto straightened himself in his soul-room, In fact…I think she was deciding between me and Yami.
Well, that's all fine and dandy for you, but I'm in a real jam. Here, I thought I was going to give her up, but seeing her like that-
Still tugs at your heart strings because you haven't fully stopped loving her.
Well, I'm getting there. She'll never love me…so I'll return the favor.
Mokuba was out on a walk currently. He wanted to get some fresh air. Seto had been pretty moody lately, and Noa wasn't helping the matter either. Something was bugging the both of them.
As it was, Mokuba decided to take a stroll to Domino Park. He was walking along the sidewalk, when he suddenly noticed a familiar figure sitting on a bench facing the lake. He knew that person!
Mokuba ran to the bench and sat next to the familiar face, "Hey, Tea."
Tea Gardner looked up at him, "Oh, hey Mokuba. What are you doing here?"
"Came to get some fresh air. It's been pretty moody around the mansion lately." Upon mentioning this, Mokuba noticed that Tea looked back down in her lap; quite silent. Mokuba supposed he had hit a soft spot, mentioning Seto.
Something suddenly hit him. What if that was the problem! What if Seto was miserable because of her? Maybe he could fix this all….
"Tea? Why don't you like Seto anymore?" he asked, in the most innocent and child-like way possible, so that she wouldn't think him too rude for prying into matters that didn't concern him. It was only natural that smaller children asked questions all the time about things that were not their business.
Tea sighed, "I really don't know. I'm not even sure if…oh, never mind," she replied, still gazing emptily into the lake.
Mokuba cocked his head, "…You know he cares a lot for you."
"No he doesn't," Tea replied back rather quickly. Mokuba's eyebrows furrowed.
"Why not?"
"It was all in his eyes. I went to go tell him…something…and he stared back at me with anger and hate, I'm sure. No…he doesn't care anymore."
"You can't say that!" Mokuba stood up indignantly, "What do you know about Seto? Have you even talked to him recently? I remember you guys used to talk all the time! You two were best friends! Something happened when we were adopted. Something happened to you two and I wish I could know what it was. But I won't allow myself to, because I know that it must have been pointless! I know you two are friends deep down – possibly even more than that! Just…Just give him another chance! Give yourself another chance!" Mokuba heaved, almost ending his speech. Tea stared at him, her mouth open slightly. To think: she had gotten some of the wisest words she had ever heard from a child six years her junior!
Mokuba backed up slightly, and turned around, ready to leave. He was just about through.
"Give your love another chance."
And with that, the young Kaiba walked off, back towards the manor.
Tea stared at where he had just stood. Perhaps Mokuba was right….
She looked out over the water. Could she really patch things up with Seto?
"Seto?" Seto Kaiba looked up from his desk in the study.
"Oh, hey Mokie," he beckoned his brother over. Mokuba went over and sat on his brother's lap.
"Seto? What's wrong? And don't say 'nothing' because something is definitely wrong." He had an inkling about what the problem was. Tea, of course. He was starting to get worried though. He had talked to Tea days ago, and she still had not come forth to Seto, as far as he knew.
"You know me too well, kiddo," Seto ruffled the boy's hair. Truth way, he had been about to say 'nothing.'
"Is it…Tea, by any chance?"
Seto narrowed his eyes, "No."
"Really? Then, what is it?"
Seto didn't answer him immediately. He searched for an answer in his mind. In truth, it partially was Tea. Although he had vowed to give her up, he still could not get her off his mind. Something was telling him that giving her up was not the right way to go.
"It is about Tea, isn't it?" Mokuba pressed on. Seto looked down at his younger brother.
He started to smile ever so slightly, "I can't put anything past you, can I?"
"Nope!" Mokuba smiled.
Seto sighed, "Well, Mokuba, to tell you the truth…I've decided to give up on Tea."
"What!" Mokuba jumped, "WHY!"
Seto cocked an eyebrow in slight puzzlement, "Well, Mokuba, it simply was useless. No matter…how much I tried…or apologized, she would never give me another chance. So…I'm just going to stop and get on with my life before the Battle City Party occurred. She won't haunt me anymore. No more guilt-" he stopped suddenly.
Mokuba peered at him, "Guilt for what?"
Seto panicked ever so slightly. He had never told Mokuba why Tea had left in the first place. Why she had rushed out of the mansion crying those six years ago. Could Seto possibly tell his brother now, that it was all his own fault? Yes. Yes he could. After all, hadn't he tried to make up for it?
So he explained to his brother what had happened. Mokuba blinked at the end of the narrative.
"You yelled at her to get out of your room? For just trying to talk to you?" Mokuba inquired.
"Yes," Seto looked away, ashamed. "But I have tried to make up for it. You know that as well as I do."
"And now you're giving up!" Mokuba jumped off his brother indignantly, "You can't just give up like that!" Whoa! De ja vu. Mokuba rambled on into somewhat of the same speech he had given Tea.
Noa sighed longingly as he peered through the doorway. Mokuba was sitting happily on Seto's lap, talking with him. Talking with his brother. Noa didn't have that right. He had the right, however, to talk with his stepbrother. But never his brother. No matter how much Seto and Mokuba welcomed him into the family once more, or told him that there were no differences: they were all family: all brothers, Noa still felt like an alien around them.
He could see how happy they were together. He didn't want to intrude upon them. And they had every right to be happy together. They had suffered terrible things as family. And then, one day, he just had to come in and intrude upon this happy couple. Noa felt awful at times for that.
Sure, he got along great with the two, but he did feel like the outcast a lot. Never could he run into Seto's arms as he came home from work, like Mokuba did. Noa would just stand close to him and wave and smile. Seto of course, would hug him too, but not in that way that he hugged Mokuba.
They were all still getting used to each other, yes, but he couldn't help but feel that he was the outsider. He would never fit in, no matter what.
Noa hated these thoughts. They came around frequently: about every other week. It was like a cycle: a depression cycle. It would come and leave; come and leave; on and on and on.
Noa usually did something to help these depression stages: take a walk; bike ride; swim: anything. Today, he felt like taking a walk.
And so, he left the two brothers in the study and meandered off, down the stairs. He walked out the door and onto the sidewalk.
Tea walked down the sidewalk from her house. She was going to talk to him today. She was going to apologize profusely to Seto and really tell him-
-That she loved him.
She knew it. She really did love him. And it had taken her six years to uncover her heart and find that love once more. How stupid she had been! How could she have let one little disagreement cause six years of bitterness? This was all her fault. If only she had forgiven and forgotten! But no! Her mind just had to have a nasty habit of holding strong grudges. But no more. She was going to tell Seto, no matter what he did or said. And she would love him for life.
There was no doubt about that.
After all: their past life's love had lasted for five thousand years, had it not? All it needed was a bit of uncovering from the feminine side.
Then that reminded her of Yami. Teana had said that Yami had loved…and still did love her as well. Tea had asked the spirit how she had had such a quick change of heart. And her answer had been:
'I thought I loved Yami, yes. That was back in Egypt. I was a foolish girl who didn't know what the heck she was doing. That night that Seto had spent with me was wonderful, and I remembered some parts of it, and how he had said he loved me, when Yami was without a soul. I wanted to trade my own soul for his, but as I saw how much he loved me at that moment, I just wasn't sure if my love for Yami was quite as full as I had thought. I still gave up my life, yes, but not without a battling conscience.
It was you, Tea, that helped to resolve that problem. When I became fused with you, I saw what you see. I heard what you hear. I felt what you feel. And so, I immediately recognized my love for Seto over Yami. You've loved him this entire time, Tea: you just were too stubborn and proud to notice it. Pride is a great sin. I advise you never to be so proud again. It could ruin your life…like this love it's tearing your mind apart. And believe me: I know how it's destroying your mind. The evidence is all around me!'
So Tea really did love Seto…. And she had been too stupid to realize it. Tea quickened her pace. She had to get there soon!
Noa sighed. What was him meaning in this reincarnated life? What was his duty? He smirked to himself. He was starting to feel Hindu: talking of dharma, karma and reincarnation. He almost laughed. This was a life problem here: not a religious one. (AN: If anyone wants to know, I am not Hindu! I just started learning about it in S. Studies class, that's all.)
Still, he wondered. Should he have even come back to the real world? Was he just getting in the way of Seto and Mokuba's life? Maybe he was just another burden on top of their already hectic type lives.
Maybe….
Maybe he just wasn't supposed to be alive.
But how could he think of killing himself? Suicide? No! That was just wrong! He couldn't do that! All his life, he had been taught that any sort of murder –suicide being one type- was wrong. He wasn't about to change his mind. Besides: his life wasn't that depressing.
However, the boy was starting to get worried. If he kept having these depression stages, he just might lose it and then kill himself one day! He could not allow that to happen. There had to be some way to stop dumping on himself!
He just let his feet keep walking, as he looked down at the black pavement.
Black pavement…?
A bugled horn sounded not too far away.
"NOA!" someone screamed. The head of green hair popped up at the sudden voice.
He barely registered anything in his mind in the next split seconds:
He was pushed away suddenly from where he was-
He heard the screeching of tires on the road-
He heard a sickening sound – like that of a strong blow into metal: one that would dent the metal.
Noa sat up quickly and stood a bit painfully. He looked around at his surroundings.
He had been walking through the middle of the street without even looking where he was going. There was a red sports car stopped just feet from him. The driver ran out and looked around. Noa looked cautiously around too.
He did not want to see what he thought he might witness.
"Oh my gosh!" the driver yelled on the other side of the car: the side Noa couldn't see.
The boy ran to see his savior. He skidded to a stop and paled: his pupils becoming absorbed by his iris.
It wasn't possible-!
In pure surprise, he shouted the victim's name-
"TEA!"
Y'all are probably gonna kill me, right? I know I said this chapter would be the end…but I couldn't help but to put you in suspense! Hehe! The next chapter/epilogue (don't know which it will be…) WILL BE THE END! I PROMISE THAT! So, only one more update to go! I know it was evil of me to leave this cliffy…but I couldn't resist, no matter how hard I tried to write to the end! Well, PLEASE REVIEW! Until next time!
