Master Of PuppetZ

Veins that pump with fear,

Sucking darkest clear

Feeding on your deaths' construction

FAB: Sorry for not updating for so long. I know there's no excuse for that, so sorry once again.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN YGO! Nor Master Of Puppets which belongs to Metallica…Still same here.

Reviews: I want to thank very much those who reviewed me!

I want to remind you to REVIEW again, this is really important…And now let's just go on!

Master Of Puppets – Chapter 3 – FlEsH Eating

"Look at the wall, please," said the doctor as he tried to pull the needle out of her vein. Crystal silently obeyed, knowing she wouldn't like the view of blood drops streaming on her pale arm along with the needle hanging loosely in the doctor's experienced fingers. She winced in pain as she felt the stabbing of the object pulled out of her body, and something wet and burning pressed to the pained spot. Her left arm was numb, and she couldn't move it. She tried to flex her fingers softly, looking a little bit worried when they moved slowly, not really doing what she wanted them to do.

The doctor looked at her and said "It is going to pass, don't worry. You just hadn't moved the arm for a long time, but I assure you it would pass." he wrapped the needle in a piece of nylon, and threw it away. Then he shot her a little glance before taking her right palm into his hand "I want to check your pulse again, just to make sure you are better now," he said, and a minute of silence fell between the two as he looked at the clock on his wrist and counted her beatings. She tried to breathe calmly, not wanting him to worry about her anymore.

"Well, it is quiet steady, it is ok," he said, letting go of her arm "Now listen to me, dear, I'm going to state a menu for you, so listen up." she nodded, looking at him, her grey eyes full of light. "Today and tomorrow eat just minced food, you can not eat rough pieces. The day after tomorrow start eating normally. It's all I can suggest you for now, but you have to consult with a dietitian. It will help you to build yourself a normal everyday menu, and you will eat properly." he said "Try to not eat meat today and tomorrow…What?" he asked, as he saw her expression.

"I do not…Eat meat at all." she said quietly, looking at him. "You are a vegetarian, aren't you?" he said "If it is the case, I really suggest you to see a dietitian. It is extremely important for you, since you don't eat meat, and you need a professional help." these words remind Crystal about a joke of her teacher's (Soon I need a professional help! I just don't understand what exactly you don't understand!) her teacher always said that when he tried to explain the difficult material to his students. Yet Crystal knew him too well to take his words seriously. It was his special humor.

She thanked the doctor for saving her, and he nodded shortly and got out of the room, leaving her alone to gaze into the horizon of the morning sun. The numbness of her arm was slowly fading, and she could move it once again, although the spot where the needle was stuck in hurt so much that it was surely turning into a bruise. Crystal didn't care about this, however, because that needle saved her life.

The room around her was really beautiful, she was too sleepy to notice this last night. There was a carpet on the floor, and the walls were painted with light blue color. Her bed was right near the window so she could see the sky and the sun. Yet she couldn't see any other buildings, indicating the city's skyscrapers were left somewhere behind the mansion. Or maybe they weren't visible from this wing. /I wonder how big this place is. I mean…I was unconscious when Kaiba brought me here…I don't even know where I am and where is my apartment…I don't even know how we got here…Well, I just have to wait. All these mysteries are going to reveal soon. And I need to go home soon – it is not appropriate to be a burden on Kaiba, he did quiet enough for me./

A knock was heard, and then the door was opened. Crystal looked at the boy standing on the doorstep. He was about twelve years old, and his eyes were two blinking sapphires. He had long dark blue hair, falling freely on his shoulders and an interested expression on his face, his cheeks a little flushed. "May I come in?" he asked shyly, eyeing Crystal. She smiled at him and nodded "Sure." she said feeling surprised.

The boy closed the door behind him, and got closer to her, eyeing her. She moved a little in her bed, and he approached her and sat down near, his eyes locked on hers. "Well…I'm Mokuba." he said and looked at her firmly. "You must be Seto's brother, right?" she asked "Nice to meet you. I am Crystal." she said, looking at him, stretching her right arm to shake his. He smiled now, his smile kind and welcoming.

"My brother has some problems with business this morning, so he sent me here to take care of you. I heard about what happened to you, and I'm curious…" he said, his eyes suddenly falling to look at the covers of the bed "What was the reason you tried to…Why wouldn't you…Well, you know." he said, his voice growing weak so the end of the sentence was whispered out. She looked at him, hesitating. Then she said "I know. Well it is a long story. Are you sure you want to know?" she asked, looking at him. His eyes finally looked at her again as he let a low "Yes". He sounded sincere.

"Why didn't you studied at the orphanage?" asked Crystal "We had to study. We never had other choice." Mokuba thought for a little and said "I don't know. Seto studied because he had nothing better to do, and as for me…Well, I don't think I was in the mood for it. Everything I had known fell apart so fast and I…" he thought about the words before he let them out "I think I couldn't be myself then. But Seto was right there with me, and he helped me to put myself up again. We played together, and I felt I can't let him go. Other children were often cruel to me because I was younger, but Seto never let them insult me. It did great at first, because the children stopped beating me up. But then…There weren't any children who wanted to play with me, because they were scared." the story about Crystal's past led them to speak about life in orphanage.

Crystal eyed him as he talked, his so innocent eyes held so much pain the memories made him feel, she immediately remembered her orphanage years. "I know what you are talking about. There was a boy from another group in my orphanage who always teased me and insulted me. Once he even spilled sticky compote into my back-bag. I beat him up after that." she said, and a bitter smiled appeared on her face "I didn't intend to hurt him badly…Yet somehow I managed to break his ribs. He was much taller than me so I don't quiet understand how I did it. He was hospitalized for two weeks or so," Crystal said.

Mokuba looked at her "Weren't you sorry for what had you done?" he asked quietly. Crystal looked at him "No, because I knew the minute he stood up on his feet, he would surely want to spill compote into my back-bag once again."

"I bet many other kids were afraid of you after that. You were really alone there, right?" he said, sitting even closer to her. "I think you are right. In some way, the orphanage can really part the children. Despite they are growing together, sleeping in the same rooms and studying together, the orphanage can either cause some brave friendships grow or isolate a child in the middle of the crowd. I see you know this feeling." Crystal smiled another bitter smile, and Mokuba looked at her, mentally castigating himself /Why am I causing her to remember her past once again? She has told me enough, and besides, I was sent here to help her. And she isn't eating again…Well, this is the time for breakfast…/

"Ok, Crystal, now I want to invite you to have some romantic breakfast with me, may I?" he asked hopefully and she laughed, the gloomy atmosphere fading rapidly. "I agree," she said and laughed again, trying to move her left arm /It still hurts. Well I hope it passes soon enough so I can be more independent. I need to be well enough to get dressed by myself since I am invited to that breakfast…/

"So, what would you like? Fried chicken? Some steak with potatoes, and a chocolate cake after that? Maybe a meat sandwich?" blabbed out Mokuba, when he saw the expression on her face. His smile dropped into the floor like petal of withering flower. He felt he said something wrong, terribly wrong "Wh-what is it?" he asked, blinks of guilt in his voice. Crystal looked at him sadly.

"I…I do not eat meat. At all." she said, looking at the embarrassment creeping over to his cheeks, "Don't be sorry Mokuba, you just didn't know. It is Ok, the doctor didn't know either. It is Ok." he looked at her, and silently apologized.

"Well, it doesn't make sense anyway. I can eat only minced food today, so I guess you can eat my portion too." she let out a laugh, and soon Mokuba smiled "How come you don't eat meat?" he asked. She thought for a moment. "I don't know. I never ate meat, it was always like this. I…I just feel I can't. But it doesn't mean I am right or something. You can do whatever you want and eat whatever you feel like…" she stopped, glaring at his sly grin spreading on his face and sweatdropped lightly "…Well, not all the cakes and chocolate reflecting in your hungry little eyes right now, but quiet all…" Mokuba laughed and put his hand on hers "So would you mind hurry up? I'll go and get us some food, and when I'm back we are going out!"

He ran out of the room, winking at her once before he closed the door. Crystal closed her eyes and sighed, feeling much better. /He is a good little soul./ she thought to herself /He had rough times also, as I see. But he is so strong for his brother, so brave for him./ She threw the covers off her, and reached the clothes on the little table near her bed. Her hands shook as the cold air reached her pale arms and legs, slowly pulling on her clothes. She wore her sweater that was taken off, and then her jeans. She had to stand to wear them, and her legs weren't really carrying her, she weakly stood on them, almost falling. She quickly took her millennium ankh and wrapped it around her neck, hiding it under the sweater.

/I guess that's the price I have to pay for being so stupid and stubborn./ she thought as she probed her left arm with her right one /I absolutely deserve everything that happens to me because I didn't eat. Now I wonder how I am going to make it downstairs…Or upstairs…I hope I don't have to climb up…I don't think I can do this right now…/ A knock on the door was heard, and she waited for Mokuba to get in.

"Well, our breakfast is almost ready…Are you ready, Crystal?" he asked, smiling warmly at her. She nodded "Yes, Mokuba, I'm ready…" she supported herself, pulling up her body. He looked at her worriedly, approaching her and taking her hand "Let me help you," he said, and she looked at him, thanking him with her glance. They passed the room, and Mokuba closed the door behind them. Soon they trudged through the corridor, Mokuba leading Crystal to a nice terrace, where cool morning chill played among the leaves of the green plants, and a table was set for them. He moved the chair for her, and she laughed softly at this gesture "Where'd you taken this one?" she asked when he sat in front of her, smiling at her amusement.

"Don't you like it?" he asked slyly "I bet you do." she nodded shortly and asked "Well, if it is going to be like this, maybe I should behave formally also."

Mokuba smiled "This isn't a date, Crystal. It is just friendly breakfast, and you have to eat or Seto is going to kill us both when he comes back." Mokuba smiled as the dishes were served to them by a young maid, Crystal felt somehow uneasy to be served this way. She sat there quietly, and watched Mokuba sitting on his knees for the table was too long for him to reach the plates. "Well, Will we start with the salad? I asked the cook to make it really minced so you can eat it. I think it will be just fine for you," he said as he gave her the salad bowl. Crystal took some of it to her plate, and then Mokuba did the same. She looked at him, and asked "Are you going to eat this too?"

Mokuba smiled at her "Yes, since you are eating this – I'm eating the same. Now let me propose you some of these noodles; they are really soft so I think you can eat them too." They ate silently for some time, Crystal felt she hardly can open her mouth and swallow the food, but she did the effort to eat again for the sake of Mokuba, who was eyeing her as he ate his portion. /Why is he doing this for me? He can eat normal food and enjoy his breakfast…What makes him so kind to me? He doesn't even know me, so why? Why is he acting this way?.../

"That's better," said Mokuba when he finished his, and sat on his knees again to pour some raspberry juice into their cups "Like raspberries?" he asked when he emptied his cup in one gulp "It is really good. It is natural, you know, and natural is the best. But I think Seto can't tell the difference between natural and chemical. I'm not sure if he even knows what he eats, because he is never interested in it." Mokuba smiled "I think he could eat plastic food while he was trying to work and eat at the same time."

"It seems he is quiet busy, running this successful company like this," said Crystal in wonder. "I never asked you," said Mokuba suddenly "What are you doing in my brother's company?" Crystal looked at him, and said "I'm a program engineer, and I'm building some of your brother's systems."

"Is my brother too demanding?" asked Mokuba "Because I know how he is. But you tell me if he bugs you too much, and I will rebuke him. He doesn't dare to fight me because I can win over easily, you know," boasted Mokuba.

"Is that so?" said a voice from behind, and Crystal turned her head to see Kaiba Seto standing there, an amusement expression over his face as he looked at his brother "I see you two are just fine here, outside, and I see you wasted no time to take Crystal on a date, Mokuba." the younger one blushed and lowered his head. Seto continued, approaching them "And what about winning over me? Shall I remind you about your embarrassing loss against me last week? And what about the…" but Mokuba raised a hand and said "I'm much stronger this week! Just fight me and you will see!"

Seto nodded "Ok, since I have a break. But don't wail when you lose!" he took a seat near Crystal, and Mokuba changed his place to be in front of him. The brothers stretched hands and prepared to the challenge, each one grabbing its opponent's palm, elbows on the table. "I'll count us down," volunteered Mokuba "Three, two…One!" he said, and the game began.

Mokuba pushed his brother's hand as hard as he could, but Seto didn't move "Is that all?" he asked "Come on, Mokuba, you are stronger than that!" Mokuba tried some more, now moving his brother's hand a little to the side. In the end, with one fluid motion, Seto moved his one to bend Mokuba's, and won the game.

Crystal laughed when they argued.

"Come on, Seto, you know I could win! I lost because it was my left arm, and it is weaker than my right!"

"That was your excuse last time, Mokuba. And let me tell you one thing: it doesn't work anymore! I won and that's it."

"Well, that's enough," Crystal said "That was really funny indeed. Are you always playing this game?" she asked, trying to get them from fighting once again.

"Well, yes, but I never won," said Mokuba quietly eyeing his brother "But I will, eventually. I swear I will…"

"You can wish, Mokuba," said Seto teasingly "And about this little ordeal, let me ask you, Crystal, how was the breakfast?"

"It was fine," said Crystal "I never ate a salad like this one before. It was heavenly tasty." although the burn down her throat was certainly telling other things. Crystal tried to make the feeling disappear by drinking some more juice, but it wouldn't pass. /Remember Crystal, you did it to yourself and now you pay for it. It is all your fault, and you have to live it through./

"It is good. The doctor said you would get better soon. You are really lucky, because he had already terrorized me by telling me other cases like yours and their awful results. He always tells me things like these, every time Mokuba sneezes. Well, I think you don't wanna know. It is pure luck you can eat with us now." Seto said, remembering what the doctor told him "I wish he wouldn't tell these things to me."

Mokuba's face wore the same unpleasant expression "Yeah, like the time he told me about that spleen thingy…" he said "Now I know that…" but one glance from Seto cut his sentence off "Well, and things like this," he finished quickly.

Seto looked at his watch "I think it is the time to get back to work." Mokuba looked at him "Why won't you bring your lap top and sit here with us some more?" he asked his older brother "The air is better for you in any case."

Seto glanced at him "I've had enough medical explanations this morning Mokuba…" he commented, then looked at Crystal "But you know what? I'll do just as you said and work here. I think Crystal would like to see how her system is running on the computer." he said.

"Is it running already?" she asked in amazement "I thought I needed to write the implementation for the integrate part, and…" but he said "It was written some time ago, so I just copied some files and combined them together. I'll bring the computer and show you. You will like this system, it is really flexible." Seto said as he made his way into the corridor.

"Be careful, or this computers lecture is going to make you fall asleep." advised Mokuba. Crystal looked at him "Don't you love computers? I thought you must like them because of Seto."

"I do, but not as much as he does." said Mokuba sincerely "He insists I study computer science, and I can't say I dislike this subject, it is great…But you know, he sort of made me study it, and I have a little bitter feeling for it is the subject our stepfather made him study." Mokuba said "It was what made his real progress, yet it caused his work mania." Crystal smiled at him and said "I know. That caused me to concentrate only on work when I starved the days ago. It is…Fascinating, it is encouraging, you can't leave it and do other things…You feel you have to try again and again, and each obstacle is just another incentive to solve the problem. I love this subject, I loved it when I studied it, and it is the thing I know how to do."

Seto came back, holding his opened lap top in one hand and typing with the other as he walked "Watch it," said Mokuba "Or you bump into a wall once again!"

Seto sent a glare at his younger brother while placing the lap top in front of Crystal "Look yourself," he said. She immediately stretched her left arm, wincing slightly at the pain throbbing in it. Seto watched her typing some commands into the search form. "Crystal," he asked suddenly "Are you left-handed?" she looked at him and said "Yes, didn't you know? The whole office was amused when I typed with my left hand."

"I was left handed also," remembered Seto "And…I sort of changed it. It isn't very comfortable in this world, you know." Crystal looked at the screen, reading the commands and answered "I don't know, I don't remember it was difficult for me." Her left hand led her typing as she added some commands into the scanning loop the program accepted.

He sat down, looking at what she was doing when he suddenly said "Look, maybe we should add another scanning loop to the array of the linking files." she raised her eyes to meet his "I didn't do an array for the linking files. I made a list for them." he thought for a moment "Well, it is even better if you add a counter for this, and I insist we add this loop."

"Ok, I'll write," she said and started typing, he looked at what she was doing, and argued when she tried to make a different function for the counter. Mokuba looked at them, sweatdropping slightly. Then he left, definitely bored by all the computers stuff /I should leave them alone before they make me program this…/ he thought /And also…They need some time to be alone…/

His legs trampled the thick mists of the forbidden place, as he paced on the furrows of the dead earth. Light rays never abated the eternal darkness, and this place was cold and wintry. The ground below his boots was stiff and smooth like an iceberg, and parts of his body weren't visible through the tangled atmosphere. /Where did I leave this stupid hikari of mine? I need him now, I need the rest of him to live myself…Even if it means he has to die…He deserved to die long ago, it is his pure luck he isn't dead by now…But he will…His time is counted…And I think one or two more times, and he is over blood…He will be useless to me, his dead body will be never found…Poor Malik, disappeared with no evidence…Lonely lost soul…They wouldn't care…This sister of his…Never cared./

He reached a cave, a big black hole in the darkened wilderness, and got inside it. Only his steps echoed in the darkness for the shadows consumed everything. This place was even colder than the black waves of nothing outside, and his hands traced the frozen walls, finding their way toward the place where he hung his young hikari.

When he reached the stoned room, he pulled out the millennium eye from his pocket, activating it to glow and shine. The light was strong enough to cause the alcove's walls to sparkle. His hikari's body was still there, limp and cold, hanging loosely from the ceiling. He didn't move, didn't wake up and his breathing was just low purring in his chest. /He is almost dead…/ thought the Yami, looking at the poor figure /Well at least he dies in his dreams…Or nightmares, should I say. It won't matter to him, he is not alive even now. He is still breathing so what is left of his blood is still streaming in his veins…I need it for now…/

Marik got closer to his hikari, lifting his left arm to check the pulse. It was really slow, and his FlEsH was cold and covered with some crimson dried liquid from the previous time. The rotten smell filled Marik's stomach with urging feeling of want. /I'm really hungry, and my damned blood is not enough for me. But his…/ Marik pulled a little knife sharply, and slowly dug into his hikari's left arm, reopening the old wounds and making new and fresh ones, waiting for some blood to flood on the surface of the skin. When it appeared, shining and glowing, Marik tilted his head, bringing his hikari's arm closer to his mouth, and lapped the delicacy, licking it slowly, relishing in its wonderful taste /Your blood is still fine with me, dear. You are making me feel proud for choosing you as my hikari…/ Marik watched the poor boy, his eyes shut and his face pale like he was already dead /Or shall I say my ex-hikari/ he laughed coldly as the knife dug into the boy's skin again, slashing, causing the blood flow faster to the opened injures.

Slowly the bleeding stopped as Marik treated the cut open arm, careful not to lose any drop of pure blood. Malik hadn't even moved though he had just lost more blood. He was in deep coma, lying there for a very long time now, trapped in eternal darkness his Yami sent him to. At first he would scream and cry, but with the loss of his blood and life he lost his despair. He was no longer really alive, he forced himself into an eternal slumber. He didn't wake up for the last four times his Yami was fed on his blood, and soon he will be truly dead. And the thought of being finally sort of free, the thought that his tormented soul will finally leave his broken body was the thing that somehow kept him alive. And today he got another step closer to the edge. And as he felt his life draining, he knew his Yami was sucking the rest of the will out of him, he hoped for a second it was the end of ends. Yet it stopped, and more and more died inside of him, his heart shrinking and stiffing to a little cold lump of stone.

The Yami let go, eventually. He took the millennium eye, turning around, and licking his lips several times he made his way out, feeling much stronger. His hikari's blood still carried the taste of hatred and affront, years of neglecting and ignoring left a wonderful bitter flavor. /You are buried down here, light/ thought Marik /You are interred like a Pharaoh without a name, and a stranger's story burned into your FlEsH…I think it is somehow ironic, what you tried to do in your miserable life, those 18 years of wasting time…And your end, my dear…Don't you worry, it is coming. I'll visit you again soon…/

The evening fell on Dartz' little private temple so fast, coloring the walls with dark blue and causing the flames of his candles stir as the cold chill was washing over the room. The Orichalcos painted on the floor glowed lightly, shining for some time then it went silent again. Dartz came inside the room, watching the shadows wearing the forms of his dark soldiers.

"Well, what do we have here?" he asked. Some of them threw the little papers with the names into a bowl in Dartz' hands, and backed away. The last soldier let out some sounds, and Dartz listened to them. "You didn't find this one? You are useless to me." Dartz raised his fist into the air, reopening his hand and pointing to the dark being. Then he made a fist of his hand again, and the being was smashed into pieces. The other backed away even more.

Dartz held the piece with the name of the person who wasn't found, and threw the others in the bowl to the seal of the Orichalcos on the floor. The bowl was set on fire; the names inside it were burned to dust.

/How can this happen? The name of the person was supposed to glow in the fire, the Orichalcos' flame doesn't hurt pure power…It means that…/ Dartz looked at his hand, reading the name of the absent person.

"Saigo, Crystal,"

His laugh echoed through the temple to the clouds and the starz above.

/So here is where my power is…Inside this girl…/ he read the name over and over again, making some plans for the future /Well, no matter who you are, you are going to give your power to me. Prepare to be separated from your life in the process, because your power shall be mine…/

FAB: Ok, that's it for now. Please REVIEW if you have few seconds to waste. Don't forget to enjoy life for we live only once in this specific era…