The next evening, Tatiana sat down on her couch, cell phone in hand, with Kim and Julie each sitting next to her.
"OK, go ahead. We need to get this over with now." Kim prodded Tatiana on.
"Alright, alright. Here goes nothing." She dialed a number on the cell phone and held it to her ear.
"Yes, KaibaCorp?" She gave Julie a thumbs-up, provoking a laugh from Julie. "Can I talk with Mr. Kaiba please? It's important…yes, I'll hold."
"What'd they say?" Julie asked.
"Turns out he's busy on another line." Tatiana was quick to reply, "But you know, I don't see why this- oh, hold that thought."
She held the phone closely.
"Oh hi there Kaiba. Listen, sorry about my little mishap the other day…no, it was an accident, no matter how you look at it." She gave Kim a disgusted look, then continued. "Anyways, you got some time tonight? Maybe you could stop by."
Kim and Julie held their breath.
"You can? Oh, that'd be great. 11;30?" Tatiana winked to the girls, "Well a few girls from the neighborhood are staying over tonight. Is that OK? Great. My house, 11:30 tonight. Don't be late!" She hung up.
"So?" Kim shrugged.
"He's on the way right as we speak." Tatiana nodded, "But are you sure we should go through with this? We could scar Kaiba for life with this."
"Oh relax Tatiana." Julie laughed, "It's just a temporary deal. By the end of it, Kaiba will be back on his merry way."
"I don't know." Tatiana shrugged, "Let's just get this over with, before I change my mind."
"Great." Kim stood up. "Come on. We have a lot to prepare before 11:30."
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Before long, Kaiba had arrived. 11:30, right on time. Tatiana opened the door, Kim and Julie close behind.
"Hi Kaiba. Glad you could make it."
The three politely backed away to let Kaiba in. On the other hand, Kaiba not-so-politely pushed Julie aside.
"Hmph…just make sure none of the mutt's fleas got in here."
Irritated, Julie leaned toward Kim.
"Should we…?" She whispered.
"Hang on. All things come to those who wait, after all." Kim responded.
Tatiana groaned. She didn't like this at all.
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"No!" Kaiba screamed, "Get away from me!"
He rushed down the hall as fast as could be done. These girls were absolutely bloodthirsty! Kaiba searched desperately for some hope of escape, but came upon a dead end.
"Oh come on." Kim laughed. "Don't tell me you're scared!"
"Get that thing away from me!" He shrieked, turning away as the girls closed in on him.
Tatiana held a dog costume over one arm, flashing it playfully toward Kaiba.
"Sorry Kaiba. The dare was that you give Joey a kiss while wearing this outfit."
They laughed, while Kaiba narrowed his eyes.
"I am not putting on that thing!"
Tatiana looked to Kim, who smiled somewhat, pointing her eyes toward Kaiba.
"OK Tell you what: you'll be exempt from the dare, but on one condition."
"You have to stay in the attic until we call you back." Julie finished. "Problem is, they say it's haunted!"
"Wo-o-o-o-o!" Kim laughed. Kaiba straightened up.
"Well anything's better than making a fool of myself in front of the mutt. So where is this attic?"
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Kaiba took a moment to look around the dust-ridden darkness that was Tatiana's attic. His attention was almost immediately drawn to a dusty old book.
"'Dancing with Dragons'? Huh, no wonder she took to the dweeb squad."
He opened the book, just out of curiosity, and began to read. But no sooner had he finished with the first page than a flash of light made itself known out of the corner of his eye. Shocked, he turned toward where it came from.
In place of the flash of light were three cloaked figures. These figures approached Kaiba slowly. But instead of backing away, Kaiba was holding in a laugh.
"Very funny, girls. This doesn't fool me one bit."
But none of the figures responded. Instead, they began to circle Kaiba.
"Who's trying to fool who?" Said one figure.
"No tricks up my sleeve." Another laughed.
"Or mine." The third figure pushed Kaiba to the first, who pushed him to the second, who pushed him back to the third, on and on in a repeating pattern.
Kaiba barely managed to stop before making a run for it, but the three blocked him.
"No!" He cried, "This has to be some sort of trick!"
Two of them seized him and practically dragged him toward the third, who pointed something or other at him.
"Sorry Kaiba. There's no buying your way out of this one. Ready girls?"
Both gave a sharp nod, and the third opened "Dancing with Dragons". Lights began to form a five-pointed star around Kaiba. One of them nodded to the third figure.
"We're all set, Archmage."
"Good." The Archmage nodded, pointing a dagger directly at Kaiba's hand, carving a five pointed star into his palm and a waning crescent moon in the center, chanting:
"No more lies!
No more deception!
Show him for that which he is!"
The other two figures soon followed:
"Show his darkness!
Expose his sin!
Reveal the monster locked within!"
The Archmage pulled open the window, revealing the full moon in the background.
Kaiba screamed, falling to his knees as a searing heat rushed from his palm to the rest of him. In desperation, he fled, the laughter of the three fading in the distance as he ran.
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Kaiba made his way to his house, opening the door and walking up to Mokuba's room. Mokuba was quick to open the door for his brother.
But something was very wrong with this picture. Mokuba did not have the joyous expression Kaiba had come to expect from his little brother. Instead, Mokuba screamed and backed away from him.
"Calm down Mokuba. It's just me."
Well, that's what Kaiba was trying to say, but what really came out was a loud, shrieking growl.
"Mr. Kaiba! Sir, I-." Roland stopped in his tracks at the sight of Kaiba. Without a moment's warning, he swung a briefcase at Kaiba, until Kaiba was forced out of his own home.
Bewildered, Kaiba took a look at the house before running away.
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Before long, Kaiba had wandered toward the lake, wrapping his bleeding palm in a piece of his shirt. It was just too much to take in. First three mystery people attack him, then nobody, not even his own brother, seemed to recognize him. What was happening to him?
It was when he looked into the water that he got his answer. That wasn't his old reflection staring back at him.
In its place was the head of a wolf, atop a body with black fur from head to toe. Claws had protruded from his hands and even poked through his shoes.
Kaiba was aghast. So that encounter with the three was no trick. The fledgeling werewolf howled in despair, retreating into the woods.