Seven Deadly Sins
Chapter One: Inclinations
Author: Illuminescence
Summary: Seto takes a visit to Japan after some visions from the Millennium Eye. But it he gets more than be bargained for. Ischizu and Seto try and answer questions of their own fate, and their misplaced roles in society.
CHAPTER ONE – THE BEGINNING
Ischizu had crawled into bed, throwing her cream colored blankets over her head. She sighed; it would be another cool night. A fresh breeze had blown in, parting the maroon drapery. Unable to sleep, she adjusted the window. It never snowed in Egypt, but it did in Japan. How she remembered Japan so well, she was unsure. Knowing she would be unable to sleep until she checked on Marik, she strolled over to his room.
Marik was sprawled carelessly over his cot. Odion opposite from him was still awake. Ischizu swiftly moved to Marik's side and pulled the blankets over him that had been previously strewn aside.
"Is something troubling you, Ischizu?" Odion questioned with an emotionless expression. As of late, Ischizu had been depressed, wandering aimlessly into the kitchen, and often she would induce her crying. Marik had noticed as well, but it proved futile to squeeze anything out of his older sister. She was just as emotionless as someone that they had met on their adventures in Japan.
"Without the tauk, life seems unpredictable." Ischizu chuckled at her own choice of words. She really was helpless without the tauk. She had to continuously wonder whether her brother would be okay, whether things would turn out for the better. Before, she knew, and she knew so well that she didn't need to worry. Ischizu thought for a moment how everyone else on the planet seemed to do it.
"I see. I won't question you unless you willingly speak with us about it." Odion glanced over at Marik, who had tossed over on his side, softly murmuring in his sleep. Ischizu lingered at her door momentarily, wondering whether her depression was from her lack of external emotions or whether as of late, life was cruel.
She clumsily walked back to her room and flicked the switch off. Sitting on the foot of her bed, she thought. Japan, how she longed to be there. Egypt was her home, and she loved it here, but Japan was a distanced vacation. A vacation from all her work and her meaningless skirmishes. Slowly, her tanned fingers parted through her hair and unaffixed her jewelry, one by one. Laying her gold pieces on her dresser, she slipped underneath the dark covers. Ischizu imagined strong arms encircling her. None came, and Ischizu's gaze became downcast.
Love was foreign to her, in that sense. She had not found a man whom she trusted and let her thoughts escape with. She found relationships difficult and time-consuming. She nearly laughed at her thought there. It reminded her of a certain stoic someone in Japan. How she longed to be there again. Japan, her dreams, all of them! It seemed so far off. She sighed.
She tried not to cry. The breeze failed to come through the windows, and she was glad. It was cold enough in this world as it was. She knew not what plagued her unhappiness or why it prolonged as this. She had hoped the Pharaoh had found his way. Hoped.
She wished as well for the Priest. A shuddered sob escaped her as she envisaged a tall, lanky figure retreating. The figure turned its' head and stared at her through piercing, icy eyes. Running a hand through it's dark, chocolate hair, it turned, and it's trenchcoat flapped behind him. Gasping she induced her cries by crushing the pillow of her mouth. The pillow would often get wet, but she didn't mind. She wouldn't mind washing it over and over; what did it matter? She had done it so many times before.
The phone rang and she scrambled out of bed. Pressing the receiver near her ear, she felt destiny. Destiny, couldn't be explained, but she felt it sometimes.
"Hello, Ischizu?" At the sound of the deep, dark voice, she ground her bottom lip with her teeth. Not him. She wondered, often, whether his purpose was to destroy her spirit or her beliefs. He destroyed neither. She was as emotionless as he was. It was difficult to explain; their relationship worked one way. He would ask her for something, she would give it to him, and then she would sink into a light, blissful depression. How she wished for release.
"Hello, Seto." Pressing her fingers over the end where she would speak, she let out soft cry and crumpled to the floor. After her emotional outbreak, she lifted her finger from her end and cradled the phone near her shoulder.
"I'm coming to Egypt, immediately. I need to speak with you. Be at the airport at 3, your time." Seto managed to boss her around even when he wasn't here. It was simply amazing. She wondered, why she had chosen Seto to hold Obelisk back when the Battle City tournament raged on. Ischizu had chosen the World Champion to hold that card, but it was beyond that. Before she knew of his nature, she had believed him to be of a trusting persona. It was true that he was not, but it confused her to no extent. How could he be so cruel, and yet so kind, in the way that Mokuba would describe and defend him as? But it was true, she had given him hope.
"All right, Seto. Have a nice trip. I wish you well." Ischizu stated, and it was easy for her to believe she felt this way. Truly, she did have a heart. She often let it slip, every so often, that love was incapable of her. Marik would enter and reenter, asking whether she was all right, and she would claim that she was. Marik, ever doubtful, would leave her in peace, and she would continue mourning the day she was born.
"See you, then." He clipped, and she heard the dial tone soon after. No goodbye, no nothing. She wondered how this man got along with society as it was. Man? She meant boy. Being nearly four years younger than her, Seto was still a boy. A childish one, at that, arrogant and ruthless. But he never ceased to amaze her – a trip to Egypt? He never believed any of her truths regarding his ancient history that took place nearly 5,000 years ago.
She wondered, but she would await his arrival. Hurriedly rushing out of the room, she alerted Marik and Odion and they quickly packed up and headed straight to the Airport. Ischizu needed to know what was up, on such short notice, that Seto would come to Egypt.
Seto settled back into his chair, to ease his back. Mokuba's head was cradled in his lap, and a worried hand swept through his younger brother's strands. Mumbling, Mokuba buried deeper into his brother's lap and Seto rested his eyes. A gentle alertness always had become a trait of the Kaibas, and Seto did not leave his alertness as his eyelids began to slide over his eyes. He had left the Millenium Eye in his desk at work. Alerting Roland of this, he assigned his guard the duty of assuring its safety.
"Mm..Brother?" Mokuba's sugary voice floated towards Seto. Scooping him up, Seto placed Mokuba's body into his arms. The air hostess found this strange, but the elder Kaiba gave her a dirty look and sent her packing. Seto's cool sapphire eyes met caramel ones.
"Hn?" It was strange for Seto to be at a loss for words. Well, to Mokuba, it didn't seem so unusual. His brother liked quiet, and peace. It was the way the world should've worked. A world where Kaibas would fit right in. Mokuba's face was edged with tension.
"Can I get some souvenirs, when we get there? Or are we going to leave as soon as we can, like last time?" Mokuba evaded his Brother's gaze by clinging to his shirt and burying his face into it. Seto's body emanated heat, a heat which Mokuba had gone accustomed to in times of crisis. His last question seemed more like a disappointed statement than a question.
"It's not a vacation, Mokuba." He could feel his older brother's long, gentle fingers caress his cheek. The younger sibling shivered; the plane was unusually cold this time. Then, after a long time, he felt his older brother bend down and give him a dry kiss on his forehead. His brother's kisses were soft, and dry. Devoid of love, Seto had reconciled.
"You never let me do anything." He whined, and it was apparent that he was being childish. Seto's hands did not cease to caress his brother lovingly.
"What do you want me to do?" Kaiba's arm fastened under his younger sibling's knees and readjusted them to fit as Mokuba arose from his position. Several other passengers found the conversation interesting enough and listened in. Seto gave an old woman sitting across the aisle a glare. She turned away sheepishly.
"Let me take pictures, at least." Mokuba compromised. The older Kaiba was never interested in memories or the past. He didn't like keepsakes, photos, or scrapbooks. He found them useless, and unnecessary. Mokuba sighed faintly as he remembered his brother's words on a gloomy afternoon in the mansion.
"I live in the present, Mokuba. And nothing, not pictures, nor words or memories are of any interest to me. I build my future and don't dwell on the past." Kaiba had swiftly sat across from Mokuba, as they ate breakfast.
And Mokuba remembered, his defiant reply, to his elder's words. Mokuba remembered what Yugi had told his brother at the Battle City Tournament. His brother could never defeat Yugi as long as he had demons of the past in his heart. He had to accept the past. He had to move on.
"But brother, we can never move forward if we do not accept our pasts. Our past is what helps us make the present. If we can't learn from our mistakes in the past, how can we stop from repeating them in the future?"
He sighed, remembering how angry Seto had become. He had slammed down his hand on the table and requested no further discussion on the matter. Mokuba's cereal bowl had jumped nearly a foot after this action, and Seto continued to glare. The older sibling had used a businesslike tone and manner. Whenever Seto used that tone, Mokuba knew he meant what he said. The younger sibling refused to divulge in the subject again.
"Fine, but remember, it's not a vacation." After this, Mokuba settled back into his brother's arms. His older brother was soft and warm, even though most called him incapable of kindness. This was false; Seto was incapable of love to anyone but his younger brother. Seto, had compromised Yugi with respect, but it was only to a certain extent.
"Okay," the younger sibling murmured as he fell gently into sleep. Seto's hand traveled from its original position under Mokuba's knees to his younger brother's chest. It was a gentle, rhythmic heartbeat. Bump. Bump. Seto's mind eased its tensed state to the lulling sound of his brother's vital signs.
"We've landed." A voice boomed over the PA intercom. Unbuckling his restrictive seatbelt, Seto rose with his brother still asleep in his arms. Walking out of the plane, he didn't bother with his luggage. There wasn't really anything he needed besides the things in his briefcase. Nudging doors open with his nose, Seto stepped out into the waiting lobby. He faintly saw a person approach him, an arm on one hip, and a mohagany colored dress floating swiftly behind. It was almost translucent, like net. He rose.
"This is no place to talk, Kaiba. We'll discuss whatever it is that you need to at my home." Ischizu gently said, and then nudged her brother's arm. Marik murmured a soft hello and shied behind Ischizu. Odion was nowhere to be seen.
"Whatever." Was the icy reply, and he side-stepped her to exit the airport. Ischizu managed a glare while Marik let out a breath of anxiety. The pair walked behind Seto as he neared the front gates.
The walked all the way to their beige family car, and Seto nearly snorted at the sight of it. He bet that this car was worth less than his doormat. Shrugging, he stepped into the passenger side, earning him a glare from Marik. Sulking, Marik sunk into the backseat as Ischizu readied the car. Mokuba had rearranged himself from his previous sleeping form to one that curled around his elder's body. Putting one hand behind Mokuba's head, Seto sat rigid in the seat.
"How far?" He asked, not wanting to go long distances in their pathetic excuse for a car. Ischizu started the engine and checked the rearview mirror to see her brother brushing a sheaf of blond hair away from his eyes.
"Not too far," she said vaguely, not wanting to anger him. Seto threw her an uninterested look and resigned himself to watching the window for the rest of the ride. Marik shifted uncomfortably in the back, feeling as if Kaiba had stolen his Sister's affections.
The ride was largely silent, and the only sound was the occasional murmur of Mokuba or the shuffle of Marik's jacket. Ischizu's eyes remained transfixed on the road save for one glance that she stole at Kaiba. He had leaned one arm on the edge of the car window, and the other wrapped protectively around his brother's waist. His eyes seemed alert, almost as if they were scanning the area. He didn't speak, but let out a gentle sigh that was nearly unheard. Licking her dry lips, Ischizu quickly returned her gaze to the road as she saw Kaiba's eyes begin to grow uninterested. She knew he'd turn his attention back to the front or to his left, so she didn't want to take the risk.
Kaiba rested his head against his brother's. He had felt as if someone was watching him, but refused to be paranoid. As he felt the car slow down, he recollected Mokuba in his arms. Marik's gaze wandered to the large difference between his and Kaiba's heights. Kaiba didn't notice. Ischizu turned the engine off and stepped out of the car. A breeze whipped violently past her, tossing some sand near her ankles. Smoothing out her dress, she slipped out her keys from her purse and walked swiftly to her home. Kaiba followed suit, and Marik trailed disappointedly behind.
Stepping inside, she let out a sigh of relief. Removing her shawl, she placed it in the closet. Marik laboriously treaded into his room, and a faint flopping sound was heard as he got some shut-eye. Ischizu glanced furtively at Kaiba, who was now taking off his trenchcoat. Laying his younger brother down onto the couch in the living room, Kaiba draped his trenchcoat as a makeshift blanket. Mokuba let out a contented sigh, and with this Kaiba bent over his brother, brushing aside his dark locks.
"Kaiba," Ischizu's voice slid from the kitchen to the livingroom like silk. Kaiba was nobody's dog, but he turned around to go to the kitchen anyway. It was a small squarish room with a square table in the middle. Warm dark orange and tan colors decorated the walls. Ischizu's slender frame stood near the stove, warming fresh coffee. He settled on the refrigerator as a rest, so he leaned against it, arms folded. He looked sideways at Ischizu, who tucked a rebellious strand of hair behind her ear.
"So what did you need to discuss?" Ischizu asked plainly as she stirred the coffee with a stirring stick. Running a hand through his hair, Kaiba directed his eyesight to the window in front of him.
"Did the necklace ever voluntarily give you images or visions?" It was an absurd question coming from Kaiba, who refused to believe that he was the reincarnation of the priest Seth 5,000 years ago.
"What are you saying? Do you believe?" Ischizu found this rather intriguing. Pouring the coffee into two mugs, she placed them on coasters. She relocated them to the table, and gestured for him to sit down.
"Just answer the question." It was a simple command, really. Pouring milk into her coffee, she sighed, blowing a strand of her previously rebellious strand out of her eyes. Kaiba was not amused and refused to sit down. Picking up the mug, he took a sip.
"Yes. I had no control over the visions." Ischizu said, parting her lips to take a sip. Seto looked at her with feigned disinterest. She rested her slim frame against the back of the chair, placing her elbows on the table.
"Hn. Understood." Kaiba closed his eyes for a moment, putting a hand near his forehead. A sharp, dull ache had grown ever since he had been in his office. He remembered the Millenium Eye rolling out from the drawer. He had picked it up slowly, and an image of two Egyptian men talking had intruded his mind. One looked faintly like himself, the other was an exact replica of Yugi.
"We'll talk in the morning," she said concernedly, "besides, little ears are listening." Ischizu rose from the table, turning to the sink and letting the faucet run. She scrubbed the mug clean and placed it on a cup rack. Not knowing what to do with his mug, Kaiba extended his hand out and handed it to her awkwardly. Pressing her palms around the mug, she washed the mug and scrubbed her hands. Wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, she sighed.
"Whatever." He opened the kitchen door, exposing Mokuba, who fell flat as soon as the door had opened. Mokuba smiled sheepishly up at his older brother. A smile tugged at the corner of Ischizu's lips. Kaiba gave his younger brother a stern look.
"Get to bed. Now." Was the reply to his younger brother's peeking. Ischizu watched as Kaiba herded the younger out, a scowl present on Mokuba's face.
Ischizu followed the two out of the kitchen, stifling a yawn with her arm. Kaiba readjusted the trenchcoat out of a sulking Mokuba.
"My brother's room is available for you, Kaiba." Ischizu compromised, hoping he would not erupt at her not having an extra guest bed or room for him. Instead, he gave her a look over his shoulder.
"It's fine. I don't plan on sleeping." She wondered if icicles formed on his very speech. With awe she was mesmerized as he slid his briefcase on to the table, away from Mokuba so that he would not awake. He clicked it open to let out his laptop onto the table. The screen flashed white momentarily, the KC logo present on the sticker that lined the laptop. He gave her an icy look.
"Get some sleep." Was all he said, as he began to type furiously on the laptop. Perhaps he was working on important documents. Ischizu left him to his work as she padded her way to her room. Clicking the light off on her way in, she plopped onto the bed. Her hair framed her face, skewing in all directions as she loosened her hair holders. In a few minutes, she was asleep. The faint sound of typing could be heard throughout the night.
CHAPTER TWO – WEAKNESS
Emerging from the shower, Ischizu held the towel tightly to her chest as she walked timidly to her bed. Walking over to her closet, she pulled out a sunny white summer dress. It was the same dress that her and Marik had fought over when she had bought it. She remembered it as if it had been yesterday.
Marik stood around in the store, his hands dug deep into his pockets. Ischizu looked around in awe at the clothing; Japanese stores had such pretty dresses. Marik had decided to tag along, and he wasn't enjoying it at all. His sister eyed a plain white summer dress. He sighed; it was a little above the ankles. Ischizu picked it up and placed it on her body; it fit perfectly. Marik disagreed.
"It's too short." Was all he could muster before Ischizu gave a sad look.
"I believe you're right." They had left the store that day without the dress, but his sister's eyes seemed a little downcast the entire day. At nightfall, he had snuck out and bought the dress. Placing it in her closet, she was surprised to find it the next morning. Marik managed a half-smile as she held it up to herself that morning and smiled.
Shrugging away the memory, she slipped into the white dress and sat on the bed, affixing her jewelry. Marik walked in as she was combing her hair.
"Good morning, sister. Kaiba is in the kitchen, and he looks a little annoyed." Marik reported, and yawned by stretching out his hands. Ischizu nodded, and arose from her bed and stepped out into the hallway where she heard an exchange of remarks.
"But Seto, we just came! You promised you wouldn't do it again. Last time we didn't even stay for a whole day!" A small voice piped up.
"We don't have time to be playing around." Was the cold, older voice. Ischizu shook her head in the hallway and stumbled clumsily into the kitchen.
"Good morning," she said, rubbing her eyes. Kaiba, who was positioned at the table scribbling something down on paper did not look up. Mokuba beamed at her.
"You look pretty, Ischizu." A soft rose-colored blush appeared on her cheeks as she ruffled the hair of the younger Kaiba.
"That's very kind of you," she murmured, as she edged around Seto. He didn't look up once.
"So what do you want, kid? Pancakes or waffles?" Marik flipped the frying pan, using his wrist more so than his hand. He smiled radiantly and Ischizu chuckled at his marvelous cooking. Mokuba's mouth watered while Kaiba remained glued to his laptop.
"Pancakes!" Mokuba decided, and Ischizu nodded agreeably. Marik whacked the pan onto the stove and began to cook in a hurry.
Kaiba finally closed his laptop and rubbed his temples. Ischizu glanced at him worriedly once in a while as she drank her orange juice. Mokuba ate extraneously, causing a chuckle from Marik who had whipped up delicious blueberry pancakes. Kaiba didn't touch his pancakes at all.
"It is only reasonable for a human being to be hungry." Ischizu said, gently looking in Kaiba's direction. He finally glanced at her for the first time since last night.
Without a word he rose from the table and resigned into the living room. Mokuba sipped his orange juice a little sadly and Marik stood awkwardly near the stove, frying more pancakes.
"He just hasn't been so well since last night. Big brother didn't sleep at all." Mokuba muttered, as he pushed his cup to the middle of the table. Ischizu looked at him, her eyes softening.
"Perhaps he's just tired. I should leave him alone, then." She rose from the table, and retired to the living room. Taking notice of his change of appearance, Ischizu sorted through some books in the bookshelf.
Lean-legged, Seto sat on the couch rigidly, one leg propped on top of the other. His dark black shirt that he wore usually under his trenchcoat was traded in for a crisp white collared shirt. Seto's leather pants were still the same. Mokuba trotted in and plopped his head down on his brother's lap.
"Please don't be mad at me," he muffled into his brother's starched shirt. Seto's gaze remained transfixed on the wall that happened to be very exciting to him.
"Say something." Mokuba begged, tugging at his brother's sleeve. Ischizu watched the scene painfully, wondering what had caused Seto to clam up suddenly.
"Something." Seto rose from the couch and clutched his forehead. Mokuba looked up worriedly at him.
"Seto, I think you should lie down. You didn't sleep last night." Mokuba said, holding his brother's arm now. Ischizu walked up to him, and made eye contact with him as she spoke.
"You will only be discrediting your health if you choose not to rest. Your body is only telling you that it needs sleep." Ischizu said, calmly. Seto looked up at her with cloudy eyes.
"I'm fine." He muttered, and nearly immediately, he collapsed into her arms. Ischizu grasped his head, pressing it to her chest. She sat on the floor now, one arm looped around his head and embedded in his hair, and the other clutching his arm.
"Big brother!" Mokuba whimpered, pressing his older brother's hand onto his chest. Marik appeared at the doorway, slightly shocked.
"He will be fine, Mokuba. He needs some sleep, that's all," Ischizu penetrated the silence that followed, "Marik, please help me get him to bed." Marik nodded, and helped Ischizu carry him into his room. The younger Kaiba walked concernedly behind.
Ischizu fluffed the pillow while holding Seto's head above it. Finally, she rested his head onto the soft pillow, and he let out soft sigh. His eyebrows had creased dangerously into angry ones, but she smoothed them out with her fingers. Mokuba sat near his side, clasping his brother's hand to his cheek now.
"Kid, he'll be fine. Sister will take care of him. Come on, there's work to be done." Marik nudged Mokuba to the door, but Mokuba gave one last look at his brother before he left. Ischizu swept away the bangs that hung before his eyes and secretively caressed his cheek.
"Seto." She murmured, softly. It was a gentle name, one that slipped off her tongue easily. She pressed her nose gently to his cheek, nuzzling it slightly. The very sight of him made her crumple inside; a weakness that spread from her stomach and contagiously leaked into the rest of her body. She could do away with her weakness if she let herself break the rules once in a while.
Her soft, vulnerable tender spot, inside of her, excited slightly as she whispered into his ear. Something blazed in her eyes, and her temptation pressed her to brush her tender lip against his cheek.
Disgusted with herself, she jerked her head back and reprimanded her self-control.
"So weak," she muttered, as she rose and flicked off the light to the room. She pulled the blankets around his near anorexic frame and left the room angrier at herself than she had been in a long time.
CHAPTER THREE – EGYPT'S LOTUS
He awoke abruptly, immediately putting a hand to his forehead. How long had he been out? It was his primary concern of the moment, and the second was where Mokuba was. He heard a faint melody coming from outside his room, and so he rose from the bed. His face was slightly flushed from jolting out of bed, so he went to the sink in the bathroom and scrubbed at it. Appearing out of the room, he put one hand to the wall and walked slowly forward. He heard voices from the other room and listened in.
"No, not like that, Mokuba! Like this! Move to the right, then to the left." Was a boyish voice. Seto strained to listen. A faint chuckle reached his ears.
"Okay, okay. Wait, right then left?" His younger brother's voice floated to his ears. Great. Now he could make his way to the living room, collect his brother, and go back to Japan. The heat of Egypt had caused him distress. Seto managed to stumble to the doorframe of the livingroom. Ischizu, who was seated at the table in the corner, looked up surprised. Mokuba and Marik who had been dancing in the middle of the room stopped to look at him.
"Hey, Seto. You feelin' better?" Mokuba piped up, and ran to him, hugging his waist. Seto looked down at him unexpectedly, placing a hand on top of his head.
"How long was I out?" He asked sternly, looking in Ischizu's direction. Ischizu arose, turning off the record player in the corner and facing him.
"Nearly four hours," she murmured, half-hoping he would see this as a good sign. Her gut instinct told her otherwise.
"We're going home." Seto blurted, and Mokuba instantly protested as he said this.
"We just came here! You promised!" Mokuba backed out of his arms angrily. Seto's gaze hardened at his brother's rebellious nature. He was tired. Dead tired, almost. He felt an incredible weight pushing him down and he could barely walk on his own.
"You and I haven't discussed what we needed to," Ischizu added matter-of-factly. Seto gazed towards her, finally giving her an understanding look. Her sunny white dress had been radiating an almost childish appearance to her. He'd been trying to avoid looking at her while she wore it.
"It doesn't need to be discussed. Nothing you tell me will be something I don't already know." He said, supporting his weight with the wall.
"Then why'd you come at all?" Ischizu asked, almost logically. He should've seen that one coming, he thought. Marik glanced at Mokuba who had stormed out of the room.
After a few moments of silence, Ischizu broke it once again.
"Fine, we'll talk now and get it over with." Ischizu rose from her position and side-stepped him; a near imitation of what he had done to her at the airport. Marik watched in amusement. Leading him to her room, she told him to sit down.
"All right, what was it that you wanted to say?" Her slim arms rested on her hips. She gazed at him coldly as he sat on the foot of her bed.
"I saw an image, when I held that eyepiece that Pegasus wore in Duelist Kingdom," he said tiredly, "It was an image of two men talking. One of them looked like Yuugi."
"That was the Pharaoh himself, 5,000 years ago. Was there something else? Did the other man look like you? I wouldn't be surprised." Ischizu deduced, her gaze softening at the mention of the Pharaoh. Seto remained wordless for a while. Her weakness grew as she felt guilty suddenly. She could feel it spreading to her hands, and she fidgeted nervously.
"You're getting married, aren't you?" He looked up at her, with a renewed interest.
"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" She murmured wistfully. She silently wished that before her marriage that he'd steal her away forever.
"No, I just saw that lotus flower on your desk the other day. I knew it held some significance, so I was researching it last night." He said, a little weakly. His hand shook as he raised it to his forehead; the dull, sporadic ache had returned. She sighed gently.
"Seto, I apologize for your headache. Would you like some medicine?" She leaned forward slightly.
"No, but come here." He motioned for her to come in front of him. She nodded, and stepped closer to him. His head leveled with her chest, and so he arose. It was then that she gasped as he held her tightly to him, his head buried into the soft recess of her neck. Her hands fidgeted nervously around his collar, and then one instinctively went into his hair. Her tender spot fluttered, and spread outwards from her stomach. Her hand trembled.
"Seto," she whimpered, "kiss me." And so he did, lifting her chin and tilting his head sideways to rendezvous with her mouth–
Seto gasped, rising from the bed. He touched his forehead, it was now cool. How long had he been asleep? Kaiba felt the blood rise to his cheeks, flushing slightly from his disgusting dream. He rose to the sink, washing his face when he realized he was in Ischizu's room. Suddenly alert, his eyes wandered to the mahogany desk in the corner. On the upper leftmost corner was a flower. On closer inspection, he found it to be a lotus. Immediately the dull ache in his forehead returned.
Getting up on his feet, he went to the doorframe when he heard small, light footsteps approaching. Making no attempt to go back to bed, he leaned his arm against the wall to support himself. Ischizu emerged from the hall, slightly surprised that he was able to get up. Her wine-colored lips gently parted to speak.
"I assume you are feeling better. Your brother went to the market with Marik an hour ago. He should be back soon." Ischizu said, gently raising a hand to her chest reflexively.
"I didn't say he could go anywhere. This is not a vacation." Seto limped out of the doorframe and headed into the living room. Ischizu gave him a cool gaze.
"He was getting restless here," Ischizu said, putting emphasis on the 'he'.
"Whatever." He sat down on the couch, putting one leg on top of another, vaguely a reminder of his position earlier before he had fainted.
"I'll make coffee." She said, a little warmly, and headed into the kitchen. Kaiba felt as if the whole scenario was similar to a child playing house. He happened to be the husband, Ischizu was the –
He swallowed hard, shrugging the obtrusive thought out of his mind. Seto put a hand to his forehead, realizing the ache had been relieved since he had come into the livingroom. Perhaps the heat was less invasive in this room. He heard the soft hum of the stove starting, and the gentle clatter of pots. He closed his eyes, annoyed at his younger brother, annoyed at Ischizu, and most of all himself.
Ischizu appeared at the doorway, two mugs in her hand. She sat on the floor as the tea table's height was appropriate when seated there. She pressed the cup to the table, nudging it in his direction. Ischizu sipped it slowly, and wondered why he hadn't touched it yet. Resting her elbows on the table, she closed her eyes. Warm, gentle liquid flooded her.
"I received that eye that Pegasus wore in Duelist Kingdom," Seto began, and she looked up at him unexpectedly. He sat on the floor now, across from her, the tea table representing the miles of emotional borders that weren't meant to be crossed.
"A vision, similar to the one in Battle City?" She had become good at this; she was not mocking him this time. Seto nodded, distantly avoiding her eyes.
"It had this man, who looked like Yuugi." Kaiba stated, and it sounded as if it was all he had to say. Ischizu's chest rose as she inhaled deeply, raising a finger to her claret lips.
"That reminds me- Yuugi and his friends, they came by, before, asking about that stone tablet that was in the museum earlier. They haven't called since and I think-" Suddenly her eyes widened, and she grasped the mug tightly.
"They went missing?" Seto asked, reading her thoughts. He leaned back, crossing his arms. It didn't make sense to him. He didn't care about Yuugi, or the mutt, or the friendship girl-
"I believe so, Kaiba. That vision may have been triggered by their disappearance!" Ischizu's lips ground underneath her teeth. Seto watched the small swirl of milk in his coffee begin to dissipate into nothingness.
"It doesn't have anything to do with the vision. Their disappearance is completely remote from it." Kaiba refused to believe her nonsense.
"I disagree. Kaiba, I think something happened to them when they went to visit that tablet." A worried look befell her heart shaped face.
"I don't care what happened to them," Seto began, his fingers letting go of the mug as it slipped onto the table. "I just want to get to the bottom of that vision."
"The stone tablet was relocated here, in Egypt. Perhaps we should visit it." Ischizu ignored his comment and propped her face up with her hands, looking wistfully at Kaiba, who refused to look at her.
"I was pretty sure it was in Japan." Kaiba said, and then it led him to another thought. "They obviously went to the museum, looking for it."
"I suppose so. But the one in Japan is a copy; reproduced for viewing purposes. The original one is located here, in Egypt." Ischizu said, fingering the neck of her dress.
"I've already seen it," Kaiba said, his hand now rubbing his starched collar.
"It wouldn't hurt to give it another look. But I don't believe we need to worry about it now. I can't come with you, at least not tomorrow." She said, rising to her feet and collecting the mugs.
"And to what reason?" He mused, nearly snorting. Kaiba sometimes wondered about her – so out of place in such a modern world.
"I have to get the car fixed." She said it as delicate as possible to keep Kaiba from laughing at her. With a sigh, she retreated to the kitchen to avoid the entourage of insults he could throw at her.
"I'll go after that, then." He said, trailing behind her. His height proved to be advantageous to him; she looked up at him to speak.
"I don't believe it's that easy. The rent is due tomorrow as well, and I have to ask for an advance on my pay." She smoothed out her dark brown dress from the front as she washed the dishes. A warm, depressing feel extended from her arms up to her shoulders suddenly.
"Financial issues?" He murmured, which was unlike him as he leaned forward over her shoulder to inspect her handiwork. She nodded as gently as she could. She dried the dishes with a clean hand towel and placed it on a neat dowel rod suspended by two appendages of wood. He licked his dry lips, his mind in turning into small knots.
"How much?" He questioned out loud, his body rigidly remaining straight as he stood behind her. She turned to face him, almost defiantly.
"I refuse to ask of your help, Kaiba." Ischizu leaned her elbows on the sink's edge.
"Answer the damn question." He demanded, causing her to flinch slightly backwards. Her eyes remained coolly set on his gaze.
"Two thousand dollars," she said a little weakly. He raised and eyebrow and leaned forward, his arms crossed.
"They won't give you a two thousand dollar advance." He said, sternly, almost as if her request was slightly childish. Ischizu shook her head, her gaze returning to the tiles on the floor.
"They said they'd give me five hundred early if I asked by the end of this week. Marik and Odion should pull in another thousand," she said, her hand trembling a little as she raised a hand to her forehead.
"That's still five hundred short." He said, matter-of-factly. Her head began to throb painfully, and she induced a whelp of pain.
"I know." She said, and walked past him, clutching her forehead. It hurt painfully, and he somehow saw the situation as linked towards Kaiba's arrival.
"Where are you going?" He demanded, as she slowly walked to her room. It was strange that she had fully avoided his entourage of questions, but more so that she looked like she was about to faint.
"Hn. I guess you need your rest." He said, and a little while afterwards, he left her sitting on her bed. She heard the clicking of the door and the voices of her brother and the younger Kaiba filling the livingroom. Ischizu lay down, her eyes fluttered shut – awaiting a new day.
CHAPTER THREE – ACCEPTANCE
The phone rang early the next morning when she had left her shower. Stumbling as she buttoned her blouse, she toppled onto the bed, clutching the phone.
"Hello?" Ischizu wondered who would be calling this early in the morning. It was unlike someone to be doing that, for all the people she knew.
"Hello. Are you Miss Ishtar?" The raspy voice on the other end questioned her identity.
"Yes, this is her." Ischizu answered bluntly as she buttoned the last few buttons on her crisp white shirt.
"I got the check today for the car, and it's a little much, but-" Ischizu's heart skipped a beat, her fingers fixing her collar froze mid-air.
"I was actually going today to make the payment, so I don't know what you're talking about," she said, a little confused as she hopped into her dark, pleated skirt.
"Miss Ishtar, someone came by earlier today, some guy who gave us your car. Then he bought a new one, under your name. The car was only worth twenty four thousand but..he gave us a check for half a million!" The man, who was Mr. Golds, owner of the car dealership in Cairo was incredulous.
"H-half a m-million? Why didn't you give him the check back?" Ischizu stumbled on her speech, in awe at the sheer amount of money that this someone had. Her fingers twitched as she put on her necklace.
"I tried to talk to him about it, but he was really ticked off. Said he didn't have time to waste. The car should be delivered to your house pretty soon." Ischizu heard a faint click on the other end and clutched her chest.
Half a million dollars? She hadn't seen that much money in her entire life! Only one person could have that vast amount of money – Kaiba. Ischizu bit her lip, half angry and half happy at him. Said he didn't have time to waste. That must mean he was coming back pretty soon. Ischizu stumbled on her own thoughts to the door and heard an engine near the front yard.
Looking out the front window she gasped. A red sports car. She could feel tears begging to be unloaded, but she swallowed them back. A sports car! Ischizu shook her head; she didn't need one.
She saw Kaiba exit the car and slam the door shut. Looking back at the car, he locked it, and Mokuba hopped out of the passenger seat, beaming. They approached the front door and Ischizu raced to open it.
"Gee, that was fun, brother! We should do that more often." Mokuba happily interjected as Ischizu unlocked the door. Kaiba was silent until the door swung open and a pair of arms locked around his neck. Seto looked from behind her shoulder uncomfortably. He wasn't used to physical contact.
"Thank you," she said, happily as she hugged him. His body went rigid and stiff. He quickly removed her off of him and stepped away. Mokuba watched with wide eyes.
"Whatever. Remind me to fire that guy who works at the dealership." Kaiba sourly said, running a hand through his hair.
"Guess what, Ischizu?" Mokuba beamed, as he tugged on her sleeve. She looked down at him, half-hoping they hadn't bought her a private island.
"Brother and I paid off the rent for the next five years! Isn't that cool?" Mokuba said, with a gentle smile. Ischizu's eyes went wide and she clasped him tightly. She looked over Mokuba's forehead to see an annoyed Kaiba lean back into one of the kitchen chairs.
"T-thank you, but..I can't accept this." Ischizu said, her smile tugging into a slightly sadder expression. Kaiba looked at her boredly.
"Too late. Just don't expect Christmas presents for the next fifty years." Kaiba said, looking at her uninterestedly. Her lip began to quiver; the sheer kindness that poured of them –
She turned around immediately, her arm coming up to wipe something from her eyes. Mokuba tried to sneak a glance at her.
"Why are you crying, Ischizu?" He asked innocently, as he tried to grasp her arm. She wiped rigorously at the tears that began to appear near her eyes.
"Women cry for stupid reasons." Kaiba sarcastically commented, ignoring his brother's concern. He made no effort to get up from the table.
"I-I'm f-f-fine," she said, a little quietly, and sprinted to her room. Mokuba looked at Kaiba for guidance. Seto gave a small shrug, not sure of what caused her to behave so irrationally.