bijoukaiba: Hey there! My computer is on the way to being fixed… I'm currently using one without Frontpage, so if my formatting seems off, it's because I had to use Word instead. Everything breaks, story of my life, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, on to Chapter 5! Finally!
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Fire Emblem, or Rurouni Kenshin, mmkay?
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Chapter 5: Mokuba Enters The Fray!
Speaking of breaks, when we last left Seto Kaiba, he rescued Marth and defeated Kisara, but now his arm is broken! Can he fight against this next enemy? We'll see!
Kenshin sighed one last time.
"Seto, are you absolutely SURE you'll be all right even with your arm broken."
"Kenshin, he'll be fine!" Marth said, "Trust me, I'd know, I taught him some of my moves. With my Dancing Blade and Counter strikes being dealt by your sword, there's no way you can lose, Seto!"
"Um… thanks, Marth…"
Megumi ran up to the three.
"Oh, and if you should get hurt worse, I'll spend my every waking moment with you until you feel better… same thing goes for Kenshin and Marth, too!"
"Um… thanks, Megumi… but anyway, Kenshin, where am I heading today?"
"Actually, Marth has this information for you."
"Well then, Marth, where am I heading?"
"You'll be heading west, for Mossyfern Jungle."
I had no idea there were so many weird places in Japan… oh well, this IS a fanFIC.
"Okay."
"There, you will find another artifact and letter. Another thing that might be of interest is that while I was being captured by Kisara, I heard about another prisoner. Whoever he, or she, is, I'm sure they'd be willing to help…"
"Okay, then rescue him, she, it, whatever, I will."
"Then may the winds of good fortune be at your back, your sails full, and your socks dry."
Seto left the Kamiya Dojo with his right arm in a sling, and began to head west to Mossyfern Jungle.
He had been walking for a few miles when he saw…
"Hiya!"
"Oh no, not this again…"
"I'll gladly give you a guide to poisonous plants around here, cause you never know what might be good or bad…"
"Fine! How much?"
"Um… twenty pieces of gold."
"Greedy little cretin… here! All over a stupid book…"
The shopkeeper handed him the book as Seto gave him some gold coins. Marth, he had found, was a prince, so there was obviously plenty of gold, but still, it wasn't nice to keep asking for more and more of the stuff!
Seto stared at the shopkeeper curiously.
"Say, how come you never take off that cloak draped around yourself… and why does your voice sound so familiar?…"
"I get that a lot. Besides, it's probably because you've met my cousins who work at Icymoon Cavern and Mellow Pine Forest."
"Um… right…"
Seto continued on when he suddenly ran into a woman crying.
"What's wrong?"
"My baby…" she sobbed, "he is so sick…"
"Look, I don't have the time for this…"
She continued weeping.
"Please, please, you must…"
"I will not help you, I'm sorry! I'm too busy to-"
Her husband came over carrying a little bundle wrapped in burlap sacks for warmth. These people looked to be peasants from their rugged clothes of brown and pale tan. He was dressed in some of Marth's clothes, a handsome red outfit.
"His fever is getting worse, my dear… his face is bright red from that infectious rash, but he shivers constantly… I don't know what to do…"
The woman turned back to Kaiba.
"Please, you MUST help my baby!"
"I can't! I am too busy to help! Now-"
The baby moaned and began to cry. The man slowly rocked the child back and forth, trying to soothe the poor child.
It seemed to trigger something deep down inside Seto. What if this was how the African children were feeling right at this moment, suffering?
He had to admit, he did pity the child.
"Okay, I'll go help the baby, what's he sick with?"
"A mysterious virus… people basically call it pepper fever… it makes you itchy and cold, but you have a high fever. You often have a bad cough with it, too. It can be fatal if left untreated… we've tried everything…"
"Pepper fever? Hold on for a second…"
Kaiba pulled out his communicator.
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General Espa sat back, sipping on cherry pop. It seemed sort of… offensive to be doing that while the other IDA agents were out working, but he always said to himself, "Well, I AM the General…"
Suddenly, he heard a ringing sound coming from the communications wall. He scanned it quickly and realized there was a call from agent SK.
"Hello? SK?"
"Yeah, this is Kaiba…"
"You found Serenity already? I must say, I'm impress-"
"No."
"No?! Then shut up and keep searching!"
"I need to ask you something, though. What's the virus that the African children are sick with?"
"I dunno… everybody just calls it pepper fever… why?"
"Just curious…"
"Whatever you say, SK."
"Seto out."
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Kaiba was now very interested in helping.
"I guess it couldn't hurt to help out after all…"
He flipped through the pages in his book until he came across a picture of a beautiful flower with blue petals of a daisy and had thorns.
"It says this plant will cure pepper fever…"
"Then that's exactly what my baby needs!"
"You know, it turns out I have to rescue a girl who's trying to save a tribe of Africans who are sick from pepper fever."
"Oh! Did she have auburn hair, brown eyes, and was wearing a pink kimono?"
"Well… maybe… why, was she gathering something like this flower?"
"Yes she was!"
"Then that's Serenity! Please, can you tell me where she is?"
"I'm sorry, that's all I ever saw of her. Now, go get some of that plant before it's too late!"
"Oh! Right!"
Seto quickly ran off deeper into the jungle.
There was a big rock wall, he noted, by the back of the woman's house, that was very suspicious. Maybe the artifacts and prisoner were back there! If he helped the woman, maybe she could help him get past that giant wall…
But he hadn't really headed for the rock wall, he was traveling from it, trying to scope out some of the flowers he had read about, the "Serendipity Blossom".
He suddenly noticed a tall metal gate poking up around some of those Serendipity Blossoms he needed, and he said:
"Well, that's very awkward for someone to protect the flowers… what's their problem? Aha!"
Seto had caught eye of a vent. Taking the blowtorch from his backpack, he fired into it, and like he had suspected, the gates went down.
He plucked some of the flowers from the ground quickly, after all, he didn't want somebody to see the famous Seto Kaiba picking flowers.
He headed back to the village and prepared the antidote for the child by mashing some of the petals and adding some nectar from an Eagle Lily, which the parents had growing around their house.
He mixed this up in the wooden bowl they gave him, then he helped the child to swallow it down. The baby accepted it almost hungrily, as if it were sweet. After the medicine was gone, Seto ran his finger through the bowl, just for a lick. It tasted a bit like a tangy citrus syrup.
"Mmm! That stuff would be good on pancakes!"
"Oh my god! My child! Look!"
The infant's sweating had gone down, and his face wasn't nearly as red as before.
"It feels like his fever's gone down and he's stopped shivering!"
Seto gave a laugh to see the little one sleeping peacefully. If the medicine had done that… the African children would definitely be saved if he rescued Serenity and got that medicine in time!
The woman hugged Seto.
"Oh thank you! My baby will live to be a great hunter like his father because of you, child!"
"You're welcome, but please stop hugging me! You're hurting my arm!"
She stopped suddenly.
"Sorry bout that, child! Tell me: I don't have much to offer, but is there anyway I can repay you?"
"Well… I'm very curious about that rock wall in the back of your house… is there anyway to go by it?"
"Yes there is, honey, I'll open it for you!"
With that, she stepped outside and said a password:
"Eagle Lily!"
With that, the stone wall slid down into the earth, almost magically.
"Cool. How DO you people do that?"
"It's our secret. But anyways, be careful from here on out if you're gonna explore back there. Our village was once full of brave warriors, but now they're all gone after being killed by that enemy up ahead. Sonny, be careful now!"
"Yes, I'll be careful, miss! Later!"
Seto walked onward past all the lush greenery until he finally entered a dark cave. Remembering his lantern and flowers, he took them out of his pack and used the lantern to light his way. He found a door, and opened it.
He walked inside and noticed a cage across the room.
"Hello?" Seto yelled. His voice echoed around the room.
"Who dares bother my sleep?!"
A man flew down to the cave floor. That's right, he flew. He possessed four butterfly wings of spectacular color.
"Just who are you anyway?"
"My name is Morpho!"
"Morpho, huh? You must be the one who killed all the warriors in the village not too far from here!"
"Yes, I got a lovely photo album of them all!"
"Well Morpho, I'm not going to join that stupid photo collection of dead victims!"
"Oh, I believe you shall! It's one arm and two legs to two arms, two legs, and four wings! You will learn your lesson at the wrath of Morpho! Better known as…"
Morpho gave an evil grin.
"The Butterfly Man."
Kaiba stared at the guy and gave a scoff.
"The Butterfly man?"
"Many have feared Morpho the Butterfly Man!"
Kaiba's cold ego kicked in… and apparently, so did some stupidity as he mocked the flying warrior.
"The butterfly man? Ooh, I quiver in fear! What's next, Flower Boy?"
Morpho scowled and flapped his wings forward.
Kaiba laughed, but then suddenly began to choke.
"What's going on? I… can't… breathe…"
"Hahahahaha! I see you've had an encounter with my poisonous scales! Lovely, aren't they?"
"Grr… *cough* let's fight!"
"As you wish! You're my one-hundredth victim!"
"We'll see!"
Morpho flapped up into the air with his powerful wings, and dove at Kaiba.
He performed something similar to a flip and roll combo to dodge.
As he stood up, Morpho seized the opportunity to attack, and lunged at Kaiba from the left.
The force sent the CEO stumbling backwards. Morpho laughed again and attacked from the right, sending Kaiba flying against the wall. He grinned to hear Kaiba's cries of pain.
"Victim 1-0-0!"
There's no way to counter his attacks! Wait a sec… that's it! Counter!
As Morpho flew in ready for what he hoped would be a kill, Seto held his sword the way Marth taught him, then as Morpho came near, Seto whipped out his blade.
"Mitsura!" (((bijoukaiba: Weird word? I don't know what it is, but when I play SSBM, I hear Marth say something like this when he uses Counter.)))
Morpho spun down to the ground, taken aback by a blow.
"Like a moth drawn to a flame!" Seto cried, and with that, he fired his blowtorch and seared a hole through one of Morpho's wings. And boy, did he scream! Unfazed however, he climbed back into the air to attempt to attack Seto again.
As he lunged in, Seto used the Counter technique again.
"Mitsura!"
Morpho fell again, and Seto tore out one of his wings with a shot from the blowtorch.
Morpho flapped up slowly to the ceiling of the cave, then swooped down at Seto, only to have another Counter technique awaiting.
"Mitsura!"
Morpho fell again and Seto tore out his third of four wings with a shot from the blowtorch.
Surprisingly, Morpho had the strength to flap back up and resummon his strength one last time in an attempt to thwart Seto.
Seto unleashed one final Counter technique, and this one hit with explicit force, tearing off Morpho's last wing.
Morpho staggered to the ground and stood up. Seto charged forth at him with the Dancing Blade, delivering an upward thrust to Morpho's chin.
Morpho gave a cry and collapsed to the ground.
"It's not fair…" Morpho said, "not fair at all! I was so close to victim 100… and it all slipped away because of… because of…"
"Seto Kaiba."
And with that, Kaiba kicked Morpho in the stomach, and with a cry of agony, Morpho vanished in a puff of rainbow smoke, leaving behind a golden goblet, a yellow "R", and a key.
Seto gathered up the clues with both hands… both hands? His arm had been cut free from his sling during the fighting, and he was moving it without any trouble or pain… he had been cured! Maybe that medicine had other healing properties as well as curing pepper fever…
He put these clues into his backpack, then held up the key, wondering about its use. Then he recalled the cage across the room.
Running over, he unlocked the door, and the prisoner, with a head of messy black hair and dressed in a red T-shirt and blue jeans, hugged Seto.
"Seto! Big brother, you've saved me!"
"WHAT THE- MOKUBA?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Mokuba looked up with teary eyes.
"I had to help you, Seto!"
"You're too young for this mission!"
Lying, Mokuba said,
"But Seto! General Espa said you're acting foolish and you need someone to give you orders!"
"Yeah right! Kenshin and Marth already do that!"
"Oh, Kenshin! I forgot! But he said you might need another agent to help you out!"
"Another agent? Haha, very funny, but you're not an agent… are you?"
"Actually bro, I am. And by teasing me, you have violated a serious code of the IDA: Never insult a more experienced agent!"
"MORE EXPERIENCED AGENT?!"
"Yep! Because I'm helping you now, this is my third mission. This is only your first."
"AGH! I'M WORKING FOR MY LITTLE BROTHER!"
"Better believe it! Now then, why don't we go back to your base?"
"You mean the Kamiya Dojo?"
"Is that where Kenshin and that guy Marth are?"
"Yes."
"Okay then, let's go!"
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"Oro? Seto! Why isn't your arm in the cast?"
"Long story, but I'm better!"
"Hey, who's the kid?"
"Hey! I'm no kid!"
"This is my little brother, Mokuba. Mokuba, this is Kenshin, who you already know thanks to my communicator, Sanosuke, Kaoru, Megumi, Yahiko, and Marth."
"Hi!"
"Aw… he's just about the cutest thing I've ever seen!"
"Agh! Don't hug me so tight, Megumi!"
Ignoring the humorous riot between Megumi and Mokuba, Kenshin said:
"So Seto, I presume you have collected the artifacts?"
"Yes! Here you go!"
He handed the "R" to Marth, and the golden goblet to Kenshin.
"Well, if this is made of gold… he must be very rich, that he must."
Marth added:
"Yes, and because it is a goblet, perhaps it means this person enjoys drinking… preferably wine…"
"So… I have six artifacts: three letters and three clues. I have eight left. And based on what we've learned, the enemy-"
"Is artistic, deals with mythology, and is a drunken rich pervert!"
"YAHIKO!"
"Heh… pretty funny, though… this guy is one hell of an interesting person…"
Kenshin looked from Seto's now unrestrained right arm, to the sword on his belt.
"Seto…"
"Yeah Kenshin?"
"Will you please see me in the Kamiya Dojo training room? I'm going to give you some training now that your arm is better."
"Okay, sure!"
Seto left the others pondering about his "training".
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"Seto, I presume you remembered hearing from Yahiko (of course) that I am a talented swordsman."
"Yeah…"
"Well, I am going to teach you some of the moves I know."
"You mean there's more than just battou jittsu?"
"Oh yes, there most certainly is. I'm going to teach you the fighting style I specialize in."
"Which is…?"
Kenshin smiled.
"The Hitan Mitsurugi style."
"Sure! Whatever…"
"It is a powerful style of fighting; when I used the ultimate attack against my master, I almost killed him. Accidentally, of course."
"The ultimate attack? What's that?"
"It's not important, not at the moment. For starters, I will teach you the Do-Ryu-Sen."
"All right, let me see you perform it."
Kenshin set up a target in front of himself, then released his attack.
"Hitan Mitsurugi Style… Do-Ryu-Sen!"
A flash came from the blade, appearing in something like the form of a dragon, and it ripped through the target.
"Whoa. Impressive!"
"Now you try, Seto!"
"All right then!"
Seto took a deep breath.
"Hitan Mitsurugi Style… Do-Ryu-Sen!"
Just like Kenshin, the form of a dragon seemed to come off of the sword and rip right through the target.
"Awesome!"
"Congratulations Seto, you have taken your first step into learning the Hitan Mitsurugi Style, that you have! Oro?"
Kenshin heard the growling of a stomach. He smiled and laughed.
"Haha, somebody seems to be hungry! I'll just have to prepare some fish for you and your brother then, okay?"
"I'M all right with that!"
"Very well then, I shall prepare a delicacy of smoked fish for you!"
"Yeah, fish!"
Mokuba and Seto enjoyed their meal, and Mokuba was given a room with Yahiko.
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The next morning, Seto had awaken early for preparation. He folded two ends of his pillow over his ears.
He was DESPERATE to finally be unable to hear the annoying cry from Yahiko of "Kenshin and Marth wanna see you!"
"Oof!" Seto said as he felt a kick to his stomach.
He rolled onto his back to see Yahiko AND Mokuba standing over him grinning.
"On three!" Yahiko said to Mokuba.
"One… two… three!"
The two were apparently starting to become good friend s as they screamed at Seto with his eyes bulging from annoyance.
"SETO!!!!!!! KENSHIN AND MARTH NEED TO SEE YOU NOW! GET UP, STUPID LAZY BUM!!!!!!"
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bijoukaiba: (^_^) I couldn't help but throw in that added insult there!
Seto: *murmuring* Stupid author…
Yahiko: Nuh-uh! I like this story! (^o^)
Seto: (-_-;;;) Life sucks.
bijoukaiba: Please review! Oh, and I need a boss for the next Chapter! So please, people… your reviews are greatly appreciated!