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Erika Jade was amused. Beyond amused, actually. "Do close your mouth, Ravyn. You're going to swallow a bug." She flipped flame-red hair over her shoulder, a smirk firmly in place on her face. "Did you miss me?"
She was hardly surprised when the other girl hugged her tightly. "But… I thought you were dead!"
"I was. It was boring." Erika shrugged slim shoulders and leaned back in her chair. "What are you doing here, Ravyn?"
"I'm going to school." Erika could tell that she wasn't too happy with the situation. "What about you?"
"The same." Erika stretched, yawning delicately. "It's horribly dull, though. Nothing ever happens around here." Her expression grew haunted. "In school, anyway…"
Ravyn frowned and hugged her friend tightly. "What's wrong? Talk to me."
"Not here." Erika shook her head. "This isn't a good place."
"Why not?" Ravyn's frown deepened. "What's wrong? What's going on? Why aren't you dead?"
"Nice to know you care," Erika said, a touch dryly. "Well, as for why I'm not dead… well, that's a long story."
!&# (Flashback!)!(#&)!)
I'd always thought I was normal. Totally normal, without any doubt about it. But it turns out that that's not the case at all. I remember when I found out just how abnormal I was.
I knew Daddy was some kind of special guy. But he wouldn't tell me anything more than that. Something about ancient evils and that sort of stuff. Anyway, that day that you said I died, the day of the fire… that wasn't an accident, Ravyn. I caused that fire.
I didn't mean to. I was just… playing around. And… it happened. It just exploded in my face. I don't even know what I did. One minute I was just trying to get out, the next minute, everything was on fire. I'm sure it wasn't the car crash. Even the policeman said that it shouldn't have been the crash.
It was me… and everyone thought I was dead, nothing but ash, they said.
They were wrong, Ravyn, so wrong! The next day, I woke up, and I was so beautiful… It was like I'd dyed my hair all flame-colored, and those ugly freckles I'd had were gone!
It was wonderful. And I had memories of flying; I think I was a bird, Ravyn. Isn't that funny? You're the one with the name like a bird, but I am a bird, Ravyn, isn't that odd?
Remember? Remember the time we were playing with Barbies, and I melted that one? That's like this. I'm magic, Ravyn. That's why I didn't die in the fire… that's why I lived.
I'm a pheonix.
)#&(#()End flashback!()#(&
Erika looked tired now, more tired than she'd felt like in a long time. "That's why I'm still alive. I don't know what to do now, though."
"But you're alive!" Ravyn took her hands. "We can be best friends again!"
"No, no we can't…" Erika pulled her hands back. "Don't touch me, Ravyn… or he'll know, he'll get upset…"
"Who will?" Ravyn asked, her expression one of utmost concern. "Who? Erika, that's not like you, you're not afraid of anyone, ever! Especially not some guy!"
"This guy's different, Ravyn," Erika told her, shivering. "This guy's really different, and really scary."
"How can he be scarier than someone who could burn him to a crisp?" Ravyn snorted.
"He's rich… he's powerful… no one can escape him." Erika whispered, her eyes on the floor.
"Who?" Ravyn was disturbed to see her friend this way. "Who is it, Erika?"
"Seto Kaiba." Erika murmured, shivering. "He's… he's… he's decided that I'm the best thing since sliced bread, and he wants me forever and ever… and I don't know why, and nothing I do works. I try to tell him I'm not interested… and when he doesn't take no for an answer, I try to get to be gentle and kind and it never works… never… he always hurts me…"
Ravyn couldn't believe it. Her friend, her best friend, was not only alive, but in a relationship with the hottest and richest man in Japan? "Wow, I can't decide if I want to be jealous or really scared."
"Be really scared." Erika said quietly. "Be really, really scared. Seto… he's so scary, and he's… he's so strong… I can't stop him."
"So fry him." Ravyn, ever practical, shrugged. "He deserves it."
"I can't do that!" Erika looks horrified at the very thought. "I could never! I refuse to use my powers against someone, unless they tried to kill me!"
"And he doesn't try to kill you?" Ravyn raised an eyebrow.
"Just… just once." Erika rubbed her throat a bit. "I… it was the first time he decided he wanted me…"
Ravyn shivered. "Does… does he…"
"Yeah." Erika just nodded. "Yeah… It's… not fun. Every night… he… he says it's his right…"
"Well it isn't." Ravyn said firmly. "I'm telling you. We're going to stop it here and now."
"You can't." Erika said, the light dying from her eyes. "No one can. I'm sorry, Ravyn… but… we can see each other when he's not around in school." She tried to smile, and it almost worked. "I promise."
Ravyn wasn't at all happy. This wasn't what she'd expected when she saw her best friend, who wasn't dead. "Come on, Erika, I want to help you!"
"Just leave it alone, Ravyn. Please." Erika sighed and shook her head, then tried to smile. "So… it's… your birthday soon, right? What're you doing for it?"
Ravyn smiled and opened her mouth to say something, when someone cleared their throat behind her. Jumping slightly, she turned, blinking at the younger boy standing there. "Yes?"
"'Scuse me, but I've got to get Miss Erika home." The boy glanced at Ravyn and thought how pretty she was. "Big brother wants to see her…"
Erika shivered. "Right, Mokuba… I guess we should go."
Ravyn grabbed her arm. "Erika, it's not safe… I don't think you should go."
"If I don't, it's only worse for me." Erika's voice was very soft, very quiet, and she looked away. "I'm sorry, Ravyn. I'm sure I'll be able to come to school tomorrow. I'll talk to you then."
"But Erika…" Ravyn watched, almost horrified as the boy led her best friend off. This can't be real… it can't be! Erika's not like that, she's strong and capable, and I'm sure she'd be able to fry him like she fried the Barbie and the car… Why won't she?
Brooding, she settled back in her desk, ignoring the teacher as she started class, intent on figuring out this puzzle.
-
I thought he worked today, Erika thought as she quietly walked into Kaiba mansion. I thought I was safe for a day. Why aren't I?
She shivered as Mokuba gave her a sympathetic look, and wandered off to go to his tutor. Taking a few deep breaths, she headed up the stairs, squaring her shoulders. I'm not afraid, see? Not afraid. She knocked on the door, then opened it. "You wanted to see me?"
Seto was sitting behind his desk, scowling at his computer. He didn't even look up as she came in. "Sit down, I'll get to you in a moment."
Erika did sit, folding her hands in her lap. She didn't understand how he could be like this, how he could be so mean. She hadn't done anything to him, ever. Just because Gozaburo-sama had liked her more, and thought she was better, didn't mean that once he was dead, Seto could take over and make her his plaything!
She curled up tightly, remembering how he'd pawed her, pinned her down and used her. It hadn't been pleasant, like the girls at school said it would be. He just hadn't seemed to care.
It isn't fair. I'm beautiful, smart, and kind, and he won't see any of that!
She sighed and shivered, glancing at Seto. And he killed Father… I know he did… Someday I'll prove it, and he'll go to jail, and I'll be in the right! I'll be where Father wanted me to be, running the company like he wanted me to.
Seto glanced at her and stood, gesturing for her stand up. He took in her appearance, in the little pink school uniform, the short skirt showing off her long, slender, shapely legs, her flame-colored hair cut short and layered, framing her face. She was pretty, he thought, smirking faintly. Just right to his tastes.
He slipped out of his coat (A/N: the purple one, that's his "work" coat, tee hee) and moved over to her. "So, you finally learned to come when I call, hmm?"
Erika looked at him, pouring every bit of possible attraction she could muster into her gaze. "Of course, Kaiba-sama… I wouldn't dream of doing anything else."
Seto merely snorted, pushing her back to the couch. "Yes, good. Though I doubt you're telling me the truth, I suppose it hardly matters." He trailed a hand through her hair. "Lovely," he murmured, eyes half-closing. "You need to grow it out again. Stupid girl, to cut it just to spite me."
Erika hugged herself tightly and tried not to push him away. "I wanted to cut it. I'm my own person, you know."
"Not anymore." Seto smirked, trailing a finger down her face. "Now you belong to me, the same as this company."
"If Father could see you now," Erika began, anger coloring her cheeks and voice. She got no further, as Seto backhanded her across the face sharply, his own expression becoming wrathful.
"He's dead, and what's more, I'm glad for it." He hissed, pinning her down to the couch. "I was going to be nice today, gentle… but you ruined your chance."
"NO!" Erika struggled, shoving at him. "Leave me alone! Let me go!"
"Shut up." Seto's eyes were cold, hard chips of ice as he smacked her, then started working on getting the top of her school uniform undone. "I'll have to make you wear this more often. It's nice."
"Noooooooooo, stop, let me go!" She didn't want this, she couldn't just lay there quietly anymore, not after seeing Ravyn. She wanted to be like she had been before; strong, independent, capable. Before all this, she'd been the smartest girl in Japan, set to be the richest and most powerful too. But all that has changed, and she can't stop it. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all!
"No one's going to hear you, and even if they do, no one's going to help you." Seto smirked and his trailed bites down her neck. "So do me a favor, and stop screaming. It annoys me."
Erika's eyes filled with tears, and she fell silent, unable to do anything else by lay there and watch him. She tried to become detached, but it didn't work, and it hurt so badly that she couldn't think.
Oh, Ravyn… help me, please…
