Mokuba's Plan
By Pearl of the Dark Age
Disclaimer: I do not not not own Yu-Gi-Oh. triple negatives one negative
Chapter 16
A majestic snow-capped mountain stood tall and stately among a lordly line of its brethren. This king among giants kept vigil over the luscious green terrain below. The long grasses of the Mongolian steppes swayed in unison with the slightest breeze - to all the world and crystal sky above appearing as a jewel colored sea. A quiet softer than the falling snow whispered no secrets of violent orogenies long ago.
The sun at the peak of its ecliptic illuminated the earth below, bathing all in its brilliant splendor. The low angle of the sun's rays inhibited heat to warm this frozen serenity. Snow was falling lightly from a cloudless sky. The crisp chill and the heavy quiet was enough to steal your breath away. Even the snowflakes were shushed.
Sitting atop the crown of the king was a teeny-weeny snowball. It whispered to the snowflakes and quivered in the slightest breeze. Suddenly, as if the sun were not shining, a light of revelation dawned upon the little snowball. Before it lay a sloping blanket of the purest white. A path was realized! The little snowball quivered again. Excitement! The possibilities were endless!
With the next helpful little breeze the little snowball crept a smidgeon forward. Stuck! Not to worry… another little push will come.
Another push did, and the snowball moved a little further. And a little further… Again and again the little snowball waited patiently for the next breeze; eager to be on its way, but relishing every moment of joy.
Finally! The point of no return…
The little snowball tumbled in ecstasy. Down and down and down the slope it went - gathering momentum with its increasing mass. The joy swelled inside the little snowball to the point of pain. Indescribable happiness filled the enlarging snowball as the world rushed by in all its dazzling glory.
Once it reached the grassy field below and the ground leveled out, the snow boulder came to a slow and peaceful rest. The very large snowball was grateful it survived the trek. It had been worth it!
"This looks like a good home for me," a voice broke the laden silence. A tall lithe figure approached the snowball. Where he came from no one saw, but all knew he had been there all along. "I shall build my home in it and grow unto old age," he stated. This made perfect sense to the snowball, and it became even happier as it tried to make itself look important. "What's your name?" the man asked.
"I do not have a name," the snowball said. "What is your name, sir?"
"Amelda," the man replied casually. The snowball was saddened to see lines of weariness upon the beautiful porcelain face. When Amelda smiled at the snowball it burst with exquisite pain and turned into a ger. (11) Heavy white fabric with intricate blue border patterns flapped in the wind. Amelda stepped inside where he was sheltered from the icy wind. Beautiful fabrics of every color of the rainbow littered the floor and made up the bed.
"Amelda," the ger said, "I am so pleased to meet you. I shall be honored if you were to stay and live inside of me. I shall shelter you, protect you, and you shall grow inside of me."
"Before that can happen," Amelda replied, "you need a name. I shall call you Heart, because home is where the heart is."
A fire lit in the stone pit that was in the center of the ger. Heart was thrilled beyond celestial joy. Warmth spread throughout Heart, and Amelda smiled. He removed some of his heavy furs, bundled some of the gorgeous silks from the bed, and laid upon them next to the hearth. Amelda's raspberry colored hair splayed upon a midnight blue embroidered with silver moons and stars. He continued to smile contentedly as he closed his eyes and went to sleep.
It seemed to Heart that Amelda had not slept in a thousand years. The lines of weariness began to fade. Warm golden light splashed across his pale features and he looked as if the weight of the world were lifted from upon his shoulders. Heart was overjoyed just to watch its companion rest in peace. So, it did its best not to make a sound.
In the æther above the ger, the sun sank crimson into a black horizon. Stars were unveiled and twinkled merrily at the earth below. A silver crescent followed the sun shortly after sunset. All was dark with only starlight to guide the weary traveler. He was a short being, hunched over as he was from pain and illness. He stumbled every few steps, shook his head at random moments, and muttered dark nothings under his breath nonstop. His furs slipped with every lost footing. He readjusted his cowl and saw before him a ger in the middle of a black sea.
The man wobbled slowly towards the ger. "What can this be?" he wondered aloud. "My love, what can this be? A ger in the middle of nowhere? This cannot be! My love…" He lifted the entrance flap, and admitted himself without invitation. Heart kept quiet but observed the intruder with acute attention. "My love, this cannot be!" the man cried when he saw Amelda.
The redhead did not wake from the noise. Heart was anxious to do something to prevent Amelda from waking. Quietly, it spoke to the intruder, "What is your name? What is your intention?"
"Name?" the man exclaimed in wonderment. "Name? Do we know my name, love? No… I do not have a name." The nameless man sounded delirious to Heart, who was further deepened with anxiety.
"And your intention?" Heart persisted, with baited breath.
"My love, you know my intention…" the nameless man cackled. He walked over to Amelda and kicked him! Amelda's ribs shattered like glass. Amelda lamented in agony. He opened his silvery eyes, looking at the traveler with the face of innocence who could not comprehend violence. Amelda noticed the man's skin was thin and crinkled like calligraphy paper, his eyes burning with an demonic orange light, and a lolling purple tongue dripping saliva down his neck.
The demon walked over to Amelda and knelt beside him. The demon extended a malnourished liver-spotted hand and cupped the pacifist's face. "Now, my love, you shall be set free."
"I am not your love!" Amelda cried. "I don't even know you!"
"I wasn't talking to you!" the demonic man hissed. He gripped the redhead's face until he cried out in pain. A shadow passed through the inside of the ger and the walls began to ripple as if there were a wind howling inside. All went icy cold and the fire blazed higher still. A white light coalesced from an infinite point in space behind the demon.
Amelda looked at the light and it filled him with hope. Heart was going to protect him as it promised. Flames from the fire licked the top of the ger and lashed about the ceiling. The temperature plummeted so that even the demon noticed his breath formed fog - obscuring his vision. Bewildered, he turned around automatically - looking for an answer.
The coalescing white light, brighter than the fire, looked as if a star had burgeoned upon Earth inside the ger. A delicate figure emerged from the light, her hand clenched in a fist over her heart. The light faded as her form became opaque. Her long blue hair whooshed about in anger as she lifted her chin from her chest and opened her eyes. Icy blue sapphires blazed into the demon's orange ones as he gulped at loss for explanation.
"My love, who the hell is this?" the demon asked. "I demand an explanation!"
"I do not answer to you!" the woman's voice was deeper than any man's. It rumbled like thunder. "You, demon, shall be purged from this soul. I shall not permit you to harm the heir to Heart. You have done enough damage as it is. Your time here has ended!" She lifted her nimble hands and covered her face.
The demon laughed maniacally. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha! What can you do, meek little flower?" Apparently, the thunderous voice did not impress him. What did impress him was when she transformed in a sudden instant. She became large and scaly, and she filled the whole ger. His eyes widened almost as wide as her wings. Her armor glowed with starlight of a bluish hue; and her head - longer than the demon's body - arranged itself so as to have a good look at the pitiful form of the man below. There was no escape. Large jaws studded with long ivory fangs opened, swooped down in a flash, and swallowed the nameless demon whole. One gulp later, she turned back into her humble form again.
She walked swiftly over to Amelda and knelt beside him. Unlike the demon, her embracing hand was soft and warm to the touch. She placed her right hand upon his forsaken body as her left hand stroked his face. The fire returned to normal size and the warmth was welcomed back. Amelda felt the pain ebb away like a rolling tide and disappear completely.
"There, I have healed your body," she said in a soft, sweet voice. "But to heal your soul will take Time." Her liquid blue eyes were tainted bittersweet. "I know your weariness. Rest now. Time changes all things." She smiled encouragingly, and Amelda sat up.
"Thank you…" Amelda breathed. "Forgive me, I do not understand who you are. What is your name?"
"Heart," she smiled serenely.
Then, Seto Kaiba woke up. He was drenched in sweat and utterly bewildered. What the hell was that about? he wondered. He reflected upon his past dreams of the redhead, which were usually more erotic and straightforward. He threw back the covers and nimbly stepped out of bed. Walking over to the window, he noted the rising sun. Seto wiped the cold sweat away from his brow, chalking up the nightmare to a subconscious concoction of his anxiety. As he watched the sunrise, he pondered whether his little brother was perhaps peacefully sound asleep or as wide awake with anticipation as he was. Seto wondered just when during the day today Mokuba would be returning. He had already informed those whom it concerned that he would be taking the day off work and staying at home the whole time today.
Yesterday, some of his employees dared to throw him a surprise party in the office, celebrating the last day of Mokuba's absence and his expected return the next day. Cake and ice-cream had been shoved under Seto's nose and balloons wavered around as he glowered suspiciously at his secretary and Isono. Instead of easing Seto's tension, the party had only increased it. He had ducked out early and went home to work in his study.
Seto looked away from the window, wandering an eye about his bedroom for a distraction. Sunlight streamed in from behind him, casting an oblong shadow of himself across the floor. He figured it was time to start the day. He showered, dressed, and woke his chef up to make him an early breakfast. After he finished his tea and the newspaper, he planted himself by the second floor living room window. The living room on the second floor was next to the staircase that led down to the entrance foyer, and there was a bathroom annexed to the room in case nature called. The large bay window provided him with an excellent view of the front lawn and the parabolic drive up to the house.
On the table beside him sat a second cup of tea, a novel, a telephone in case Mokuba called, and his laptop; beside the table was his suitcase full of Duel Monsters cards. Seto was satisfied that these things would help him pass the time as he watched the window for the expected taxi. He never once touched his novel or the cards, the cup of tea was only halfway drunk, and he was too distracted to pay much attention to the work he tried to accomplish on his laptop. The anxiety surmounted unbearably as his eyes kept darting out the window and surveying the ground below.
A/N: Next chapter: Mokuba returns! Reviews on this chapter please! This is what I call my "gopher chapter." If you've ever read Steinbeck's "Cannery Row," you'd know what I'm talking about.