Millennium I
Secrets of the Past
Chapter 8
By Hikari Tsuki Chi
Disclaimer- I do not own any of the shows from which these characters come from. I DO, however, own this story, so please, ask should you decide to copy or mimic it.
Note- I am having another burst of artistic thought here, also I'm kind of bored here and I'm kind of hoping I get some more reviews, but maybe that's just wishful thinking sigh. Also, about the whole thing with why Yama looked different when she took over Serena's body was because with the dye in her hair made it so it only became darker when Yama was in control. And if Serena had the contacts in then her eyes when Yama would be in control you really couldn't tell the difference. Just wanted to clear that up if you were curious. And since I've seen at least three different names for Yami and can't find a site with translations of the Japanese manga and have only heard through word of author's notes that his real name is Atemu, so I'm just going to split the difference and use all three.
Chapter 8
Everything was going fine when they woke up the morning of the finals. Serena had more on her plate to worry about with the discovery that The Sun Dragon God of Ra was missing from her deck. I'm not surprised he stole it back, with the dawn of the finals, but why before? Why not just duel me for it? Dumb question. He's gonna duel Yugi for The Saint Dragon God of Osiris and the power of the Pharaoh, and is counting on Yugi beating Seto-kun in the finals so The God of the Obelisk will be in Yugi's deck. And if he beats Yugi I'll have no choice but to reveal my power and wraith… Meeting Yugi in the hall, she said, "Ra's missing from my deck."
"Nani yo!"
"Yup, he must've swiped it last night while we were asleep. It's not like I could use it any way." /Yeah right, but they can't know that. /
"But you kept it out of his hands and now he has his greatest weapon back," said Yugi, his voice deeper than normal.
Serena was NOT in the mood for this. "Look, if whatever or whoever that is in the puzzle wants to eavesdrop, fine. But no interfering! Even you were a pharaoh." She said, brushing by him, heading for the elevator to the upper levels.
Yami Yugi watched her leave, shocked. /./Yugi? /./
/…Yeah? /
/./Did she just tell the difference between the two of us… something no one else we've met has ever been able to tell? /./
/…yeah… /
/./And did she just confirm that she knows about me being Pharaoh? /./
/… yeah… /
/./ Who the hell is she? /./
/…I'm not sure how she could tell, or how she found out, or who she is any more. But I'm not entirely sure that she's the girl I always thought she was. /
Up in the place where they steer the blimp, they ran into a few… problems. Some kid named Noah had hacked into the blimp's computer as they were in sight of the island that they were going to have the finals on. The resulting turbulence left several of them on the ground in a pile, with Serena on the bottom. /Why do I get the feeling I'm gonna end up on the bottom from now on? /
/./You're imagining things. /./
As they picked themselves up, (Kaiba and Yugi privately gloating over the fact that they didn't fall) Joey 'accidentally' brushed Serena's butt. "HENTAI!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Koinu met metal." The mutt likes metal just as much as the other mutt likes dirt.
"Urusai Kaiba!"
The blimp was forced to land on a metal island thing by the hacked computers. Only Kaiba and his 'friends' as Noah put it were allowed to leave the blimp. Kaiba responded with that they weren't his friends and earned a discreet yet hard elbow in the gut for it form Serena. They were 'led' to a huge metal room where they encountered the Big 5, leading to an explanation of who they were from those who had faced them before. They went into this long-winged talk about how they were going to get revenge when Serena said, "Alright! We get it! You want revenge! You want to get out of the Virtual World! Y'know, the idea of revenge is that it's served cold and it hits the other person when you least expect it!"
"Insolate child."
"Greedy adult!" she shot back, glaring at the screen.
They started up a demo of the Virtual World, to explain the rules of this thing. A virtual version Kaiba appeared, leading the real one to explain how he would create virtual copies of himself to duel against to give himself a challenge. "You have too much free time on your hands." Complained Serena.
The rules having been explained by the Big Five, and the concept of Deck Masters being introduced, they began to be thrust into the Virtual World. Serena wound up with Seto and Mokuba. They found themselves watching images of the Kaiba brothers' past. A younger Mokuba was sitting on a swing in a park. A younger Seto came up to him and told him that they had to go back. Serena was there as well, looking as she did when she was ten, with black hair streaked with crimson and gold bangs. It looked just like Yugi's hair, but less spikey, since it was up in a high ponytail. "Oi… I remember this. It was soon after we met right?"
"The one thing I regret."
That remark earned him a hard elbow in the stomach. The screen soon turned to the orphanage, to the chess game where if Seto beat Gozabaru, then he and Mokuba would became his adopted sons. "Why did you go through with it? I had thought I had talked you out of it."
"I wanted a better life for Mokuba then what we would have had at the orphanage." Seto said, not meeting Serena's gaze.
"But things didn't turn out the way you wanted, did they?"
Seto looked at her with that. "I got Mokuba to tell me what happened to you guys after I last saw you. It seems to me that you would have been happier at the orphanage."
"No we wouldn't have."
"How do you know that? If my parents could have afforded it, they would have taken you guys in and give you a family. They told me! But with three kids they didn't have the money then. And you were adopted before it happened."
"What happened? I would have thought your imouto would be here as well."
"…She was kidnapped, about a month after I last talked to you guys. They never found who did it."
Seto didn't have time to respond, for Mokuba was going to try and stop the events that led to them being adopted by Gozabaru, since Seto was never happy after that day. "Mokuba! This is just Noa trying to mess with your head!" Serena said as she and Seto ran towards him as he opened the door.
It leads not to the room, but a big hole. Thankfully, Seto grabs Mokuba before he falls and saves him. He then calls out to Noa, asking him what he is after. They then head back into the forest, to try and find an exit. The whole way, something kept bugging Serena. I know I've heard that name before… but where? She gasped, realizing something. "What's the matter?" asked Mokuba, since she had drawn their attention.
"I just realized something."
"Another first."
Glaring at Seto, Serena continued. "Six years ago, shortly before I met you Gozabaru Kaiba came to my dojo, the one where I'm assistant master. He was looking for a bodyguard for his son. His son was there too. He was talking with Koshijiro-sensei while I was showing the class a new technique. I had set them up to practice that technique and was walking around correcting them when Koshijiro-sensei called me over. He introduced me to him, and explained why he was there. Gozabaru was looking for someone from our dojo to be a bodyguard to his son, and teach him a few defense techniques, since his last sensei hadn't been up to his standards."
"Does this have a point?"
"If you would shut up, then I'll get to the point." She said, glaring at Seto again. He crossed his arms and did his rich guy thing.
"Anyway, even if I was assistant master, I was still a student, and close to his son's age so Koshijiro-sensei suggested me. Since the class was over, I asked to see how good he was before I agreed to be his bodyguard."
"From even before the match started he was getting on my nerves. He refused to bow as a sign of respect at the beginning of the match, saying that only I should bow to him. And while we were sparring, I was pointing out flaws in his stance, he insisted that I was the one who was wrong. He thought that because he was rich and Gozabaru's heir, that he should be treated better than everyone else, especially me. As assistant master, I was entitled to a small salary and didn't have to pay tuition fees, and he played on that, saying that my family was so poor that I needed to work just to help with the bills."
"Knowing me, I wasn't going to let a rich gaki like him treat me like I was dirt. So I beat him, and he threw a hissy fit 'cause he said I had hurt him. He didn't even have a bruise on him or any major wounds and he was acting like he was dying. I told Gozabaru right then and there that I wasn't about to be a lackey to a spoiled gaki who treats me like I was dirt on his shoe. I told him that I had bigger dreams than that, and that I didn't care if he attacked my family, because at least I had family who treats me like I was something. They treated me like I was one of their servants, and that wasn't the life I wanted. They left in a huff. I later learned that Koshijiro-sensei set me with him on purpose, saying that the dojo didn't cater to people like that."
"But how does that apply to now?" asked Mokuba.
"His son's name was Noa Kaiba."
"Are you sure we're talking about the same Noa?" questioned Kaiba.
"I'm positive. He looks exactly the same as that day six years ago."
"Impossible. He would have to be our age by now."
"Believe me when I say that anything is possible. I heard that Noa was in an accident shortly before I lost touch with you two. I also heard that that accident left him in a coma."
"So?"
"I wouldn't put it past Gozabaru to change his son's brainwaves into computer data, if he had the technology. That would explain why he hasn't aged. Data doesn't age."
By that time they had reached a cabin on a hill. They walked towards it carefully, the events at the orphanage illusion fresh in their minds. Opening the door, it changes to their house, but years younger. It was the day they came from the orphanage after being adopted. It showed how Seto was forced to have non-stop lessons if he was to inherit from Gozabaru. "You had it tough. I'm surprised that you didn't go crazy." Commented Serena. Why'd he do that to his heir though?
The image ending, Seto yells out to Noa, asking him what he was doing. Noa responded with that he wants the scene fresh in their minds, for reasons unknown. It sounds like the Noa I remember. The same tone of voice, like we're just dirt on his shoes and we cater to him. Thought Serena as the illusion changes to a beach. "Might as well start walking."
While walking Serena felt like someone was watching them, probably Noa.
(Notice how I'm not adding dialogue from the episodes? I figure people will know what I'm talking about and I'm too lazy to dig through my tapes find the right ones, or to go through them all to find the material I'm looking for. It IS summer break after all, and I don't think I'll get that much once school starts, with the challenges of public school…)
Reaching a point where there was no more desert, the illusion changed to a highway in the middle of the ocean. (That right?) Mokuba got kidnapped by 'things' working for Noa, and Seto and Serena try to rescue him. This, however, fails, and Seto has to duel the last Big Five member, Leichter.
The duel ended when Seto was able to bet Leichter. At least, that's what Serena thought. She left to go on ahead to find Mokuba. Trying her brooch, she was disappointed to find out that it doesn't work at all. I guess that for me to be Sailor Moon in here I have to be Sailor Moon in the real one, since this is just a virtual world. Walking along, Serena begins to work a few things out. When we were in the demo virtual world we were shown to explain the rules in here, Tea couldn't touch the flower. But here, everything feels real. Why is that? I remember Yugi and the guys talking at school about the virtual reality pods they had to go into to save Kaiba the last time the Big Five pulled something like this. Yugi said that it felt real there too. They were in the pods that projected the world into their brains, which made it seem real. When Mokuba and I fell through that hole, the last thing I remember before waking up in the forest with Seto-kun and Mokuba was the feeling of dread, and darkness. But was that referring to the upcoming finals and Marik's threat? Or was it about the threat that Noa poses? There has to be some other reason as to why he dragged all of us here. There is something I could try. But it's dangerous and I could be stuck here forever. But the benefits outweigh the risks.
With that thought, Serena decided to shift into Shikai. It was an ability she had discovered where she actually enter Shikai, body and spirit, and pass as a normal ghost. Closing her eyes, she willed herself into the world of the dead who weren't ready to move on to the afterlife. Opening them, she was pleased to discover that it had worked. Serena could now access all of Noa's data without being noticed. She had often shifted into Shikai when she wanted to get away from the people in Jinseikai. Surprisingly, the ghosts of Shikai were far easier to talk to and open up to than the people in Jinseikai. Maybe it was because of the fact that they had nothing but time on their hands.
Going through the data, she learned that Noa had been in a fatal car accident. She had known about the accident, but not that he had died. She supposed that saying he was in a coma was a better cover than saying he had died. Serena also learned that Gozabaru had downloaded Noa's memories into a computer and created the virtual world for him to live in. She learned that Noa had made plans for expanding and improving the quality of the virtual world he lived in, but his father wasn't interested. It was around that time that Gozabaru adopted Seto and Mokuba.
As Serena prepared to leave and shift back into the virtual world and catch up with Seto, she finds something interesting. After Gozabaru had fallen out of the Kaiba Corp building when Seto took over, he had his mind and memories downloaded into the virtual world as well, but he was more obscure and was more like a program than a person in the world he had created for his son. Unable to resist, she enters his programming.
Serena comes away shocked. Gozabaru had planned after he had adopted Seto and Mokuba for Seto to be the one to hold Noa's mind when it was transferred out of the virtual world and into the real world for him to lead Kaiba Corp. He was also planning to trap the whole world into the virtual world and make himself ruler. Leaving the data streams she catches something on the surveillance cameras. Marik. And he was p.o.'ed because he couldn't find them.
Serena left the data streams and found herself with Seto. "When did you get here?"
"Just a few minutes ago. I was trying to find Mokuba and just now catch up with you." If I tell him what I think, he'll think I'm crazy. If I tell him what I discovered, then he wouldn't believe me and still wouldn't believe me after I told him my secret…
The two found Kaibaland, and headed inside. They found a railroad track, and a Blue Eyes White Dragon train comes. "Is this his idea of a welcome?" questioned Serena, as they board.
The train took them to a lava-like world. It was what you would expect if the world was still like it was when it was first formed, a world of lava and newly formed rock. They saw Noa standing on one of the rocks in the middle of the lava flows.
"I know the truth Noa. You're dead."
Noa ignored him. He had noticed Serena. "Who are you?"
"I would have thought that you'd right remember me. After all, I was the assistant master of the Kazegakkou (Wind School) Dojo whom you said had a family so poor that she had to work just to help pay the bills. But of course, you're too much of a gaki to remember someone like me, who could pass a poor little church mouse."
"There was only one person who ever annoyed me this much, so that would have to be you."
"So nice to be able to be remembered."
It seems that Noa missed all of her sarcasm. Thought Seto, watching the exchange. Noa then explained how he came to be in the Virtual World. This was all stuff that Serena had learned when she had entered the data streams, but she couldn't let them know that, or how she came across that information. It seems like Seto-kun's in denial about the fact that all he's done was for someone else. Demo, if he hadn't taken over Kaiba Corp and if Gozabaru hadn't fallen from the building, he would be in the Virtual World instead of Noa…
Watching the duel, Serena could tell that Noa had something up his sleeve, but she wasn't sure what. She knew it probably had something to do with why he kidnapped Mokuba. Masaka! "Seto-kun! Noa took Mokuba to use as a distraction! He wants to use him against you to throw you off!"
"Are you proud that you were able to figure out that much? You are a GIRL after all." Taunted Noa.
"Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean that I'm dumb! You kidnapped Mokuba so you could use him against Seto-kun! You know that he wouldn't attack his own otouto, so you probably brainwashed him into thinking that you were his onii-san so he would protect you and cause Seto-kun grieve!"
"What makes you think that I would do something like that?"
The look on Serena's face was one that Seto would never forget. "People like you, who have never known the bonds of family, would do something like that to cause your opponent grief. It's people like you who would use family bonds to get what they want, and if you think I'm going to let that happen, then you're wrong. To use family bonds like that for your own twisted reasons makes me sick." The way she said that, and the look in her eyes, spoke far more than Noa noticed.
That's happened to her. Her own family has been turned against her in the past, and she can't stand for it to happen again with someone else. But how and when it happened, I don't know. Thought Seto as he watched Serena as she gave her speech. Seto wasn't a good businessman for nothing. He had learned how to read body language, and how they react in situations. Serena clearly knew what she was talking about, otherwise she wouldn't have said anything. He got the impression that she had been betrayed in the past by people close to her, either her friends, family, or both, and had learned from the experience.
How right Seto-kun is… thought Serena as she caught his thoughts. It didn't surprise her that he could pick up on these things, but it surprised her with how close to the truth that he was.
The duel continued. Serena had realized Noa's plan with only the first turn, so it didn't surprise her all that much when the brainwashed Mokuba did appear. But it still hit home with how willing he was to die for Noa. Rini-chan… "Shiseiji…" she almost snarled. Some of her enemies in the past had been bad, but Noa was on a level of his own.
It shocked everyone present when Mokuba said that any enemy of his brother's was his enemy as well. Yugi told Seto to keep fighting, and it was only then that Serena noticed that the Yugi-gumi was there. "Huh? When you'd get here?"
"You didn't notice?!"
"Iya."
Seto-kun can't beat Noa with Mokuba there, so… Serena ran out onto the field, ignoring the cries and shouts of protest. She grabs Mokuba, flipping before she landed with him off the field. "Beat this shiseiji, Kaiba!"
Mokuba struggled against her grasp, nearly biting her. "Let me go!"
"So you can protect a fake brother? I don't think so!"
"He's not my fake brother! As his enemy, you're my enemy too!"
Serena slapped him, hard, in the face. "Snap out of it! Noa's not your brother! Your real onii-chan is fighting out there for you, because he cares about you! Does Noa care for you in the way that brothers care for each other? Seto-kun is fighting out there for your sake! Can't you see that?"
The haze over Mokuba's eyes faded some, so Serena knew that she had gotten through some, but that it would be up to Seto to do the rest. Seto asked Mokuba if he was worthy of the Blue Eyes White Dragon… and of being his brother. Having drawn that card, he played it, and Serena saw that the haze over Mokuba's eyes had lifted completely. Yes…
It was at the seventh turn that Noa's true Deck Master appeared, a huge ark, called Shinato. God, you sure have a weird sense of irony… This destroyed the Blue Eyes White Dragon on the field, and Noa said that Kaiba lost. Just as Mokuba was running towards his brother, Noa cursed them, turning them both to stone. Serena let out a string of highly offensive oaths in a mix of English and Japanese, her eyes showing all the power that she would have glowed in the real world, and here as well if she wasn't careful. Yami Yugi stepped up to take Seto's place and finish the duel for him, despite the protests of the Yugi-gumi.
Serena hardly paid attention to the duel, her thoughts on other things. If only I could use my brooch, then I could get us out of here. But if I do that, then they'll know that I'm Sailor Moon…
Her attention returned to the duel when she noticed that the Yugi-gumi was getting turned to stone one by one. Quickly, she was the only one not turned to stone. This isn't good…
Another turn passes, and it's Serena's turn to get turned to stone. Yet just as she was, a bright light erupted from the Millennium Crystal, throwing her down and back slightly. "Nani…" She whispered, looking down at the Crystal, which was glowing. /./I can't let anything happen to my hikari. /./
Yami looks on shocked. /./How was she able to avoid the fate of the other? /./
/It must have been the Crystal. It must protect her just like the Puzzle protects me. /
/./But she would have to have a yami for the Crystal to react in such a way… /./
Their conversation was cut off when Noa said, "How were you able to avoid turning to stone?"
Serena chuckled as she stood and answered, "You of all people should know… that people aren't always what they seem. Just because we're in your World… doesn't mean that we have to play by your rules."
Turning to Yami Yugi she said, "Beat this guy."
The duel ended with Yami as the winner, and everyone returning to their proper states. Then things turned on their head. Gozabaru made himself known at last. It was then that he outlined his plan, shocking everyone save Serena. She had already known of the plan when she had entered the data streams and found his program. The Yugi-gumi tries to convince Noa to let them out of the virtual world, while Serena eyes Noa in suspicion. She knew that he had something up his sleeve as usual. He leads the others through memories of their Battle City duels, while she wound up staying with Mokuba and Noa. Noa directs him to an arcade, which he says contains the exit to the real world. Mokuba plays one of the games while she stays on alert, waiting for Noa to try something. He finally does as he directs Mokuba over to the Dance Revolution look alike platform. As Mokuba asks where the exit is, Noa makes his move, but Serena stops him, pulling him back. "I won't let you use Mokuba again!"
"Then I'll take your body instead!" he yells, moving towards her.
She smirks, and pulls out her brooch. "Do you think that a piece of jewelry will protect you from me?"
Serena doesn't respond the way he thought she would. Raising the brooch into the air, she calls out, "Silver Moon Millennium… Make… UP!"
She was pleased to find that this time it worked as a silver light surrounds her. When it dies down, Sailor Moon stands in her place. "This makes your body a better bet than ever!" he exclaimed.
"I can't stand by and watch you do this. But as Sailor Moon, soldier of the moon and an agent of Cosmos, I have to help." She said as she walked towards where Noa had fallen.
Banishing her glaive, and pulling out with a flick of her wrist her Crescent Moon Wand, pondering briefly where it had come from, since it had been lost for two years, a new phrase enters her mind. "Silver…Moon…Healing…Wave…!"
Silver light, similar to her transformation, filled the room, blinding Mokuba and Noa. Noa closed his eyes against the light, and opened them to find himself floating the same light. It wasn't blinding, but warm, loving. "What happens now, is your choice."
He turned to find Serena behind him, still dressed as Sailor Moon. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you can either choose to stay here and let everyone else leave, or you can let me move your soul on, which will automatically destroy the Virtual World and your father, while allowing those trapped here to be freed. The choice is yours."
"Why are you so willing to help me? I thought that you hated me."
"It is my duty, and curse, to protect the innocent. Strange as it may sound, you are an innocent in this whole thing."
"What will happen… if I chose to let you move my soul on?"
"You will be reborn, with no memory of your past and life as Noa Kaiba. You will be able to live a life that Gozabaru Kaiba deprived you of."
"What will happen to him?"
"He will go to his judgment."
"I chose… the second one. I want to be able to live in the real world."
"Alright then."
Sailor Moon walked to him, her tiara gone, and a glowing crescent moon pulsed on her forehead. She placed a hand on his forehead, and his vision faded to black.
In a hospital in Kyoto, a woman was in labor, and was finally reaching the end, after 20 hours of hard labor, the last six the active hours. Giving one last push, her son was born, and an angel flashed across her vision, holding the hand of a boy. "Take care of him, Aiko-dono."
As soon as it had had come, the vision ended, and her son was put into her arms. He had light sea-blue hair, and as he yawned, opening his eyes, Aiko saw he that he had dark blue eyes. I will take care of him, Tenshi-sama…
"What do you want to name him, anata?" her husband, Kaiou Umi, asked.
Kaiou Aiko responded with, "Noa…Kaiou Noa…"
Everyone woke up in pods, wondering how the heck they got out, Mokuba, who had ran over to the computers, stated what Serena had been fearing. "This whole place is going to blow in 10 minutes!"
"What?"
"You're joking!"
"This is no joke! Someone damaged the computers and set off the self-destruct program. And the computers are in such bad shape that's there's no way to override it!"
"Then, don't you think that we should be doing a little less talkin' and a little more RUNNING?!?!" shouted Serena, running out the door and down the hallway.
"She has a point."
"I have no complaints."
And various comments similar to that were made as they all followed her example… and ran as if the hounds of hell were behind them. They made it to the blimp with moments to spare. Seto ordered the people in charge of flying the blimp to get them out of there, and told the others to hold on. The blimp turned into a jet-like plane as the island exploded. They had made it off the island, and were back on course to the island where the final round was to be held.
Serena had headed back to the rooms to check on those who had stayed when a voice called, "Serena!"
"Mokuba… hai?"
"Was…was what I saw true…back in the arcade…?"
"…Yes… it's true…I am Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice."
"Cool!"
"Don't tell Seto-kun though. He might have an early heart attack. Also it's dangerous for others to know who I am. If my enemies get even a hint of who I might be out of senshi form, then they'll go after my friends and family. So no slip ups, 'kay?"
"Okay. What happened to Noa and Gozabaru?"
"Noa was re-incarnated as Kaiou Noa, son of Kaiou Umi and Aiko, born in Kyoto as of fifteen minutes ago. Gozabaru has gone on to his judgment."
"I'm glad that Noa got a second chance. I better get back to Seto."
Serena watched Mokuba run back to the cockpit, smiling slightly. /Enjoy the show? /
/./Partly. I was worried when Noa tried to turn you to stone. But everything turned out okay. /./
/Something bothering you? /
/./Just had a weird dream last night. It's nothing. /./
/It sounds like something. /
/./Just confusing memories. I really don't remember most of it. I thought…that I had heard what the name of the Pharaoh was and my real name in the dream, but I can't… /./
/It's okay Yama. Your past doesn't matter, it's the way you live your life now that counts. /
/./You're right. /./
Despite the relief at the end of this detour, Serena still felt a sense of dread. She wasn't foolish enough to disregard her instincts, so she knew that something was going to happen.
The intermission of the play has ended, and the play can continue with its next act. But the next act shall be the most dangerous act of all. Truth and lies shall go hand in hand, and a secret revealed. The past battle shall be seen, end unknown. The fate of the world shall lie in the hands of the Nameless Pharaoh and his Hikari. But the Moon Princess and the Nameless Princess shall be ready, should the Pharaoh and his light fail…
Well… do you like it? Sorry it took so long, but now I'm the proud and happy graduate of Saint insert saint's name School of insert town and state . I got the President's Award for Educational Excellence, which only two other people in my class got. Once I get out of Battle City, as said in the past, the story will come out more often, for I will actually know where I am going. I want to thank SerenityMoon2, the only person who has bothered to review my lowly story more than once! Domo arigatou gozaimasu! (Thank you very much!) If you have any questions, please don't hesitant to ask me. I just have to get to the e-mail box first!