Chapter Ten: I Have To Obey My Consciences
(Part Two)
TO THOSE OF YOU THAT DID REVIEW, THANK YOU.
Moonlite Goddess: ............
FizzWife: Thank you! All of your wonderful reviews were so thoughtful! lol ^.^ It's not often that a reviewer like you comes along, especially for this story....
neo_elite: Thank you, and you should know: One of the consciences is not really a conscience *hint (//)*
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hating: Thanks for reviewing! LOL! Thanks for liking my fic!
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Let me create a key for you readers:
Speaking:
//We all should know by now who speaks when the two slashes are displayed.//
"Speaking parts completely written in bolded ink is Serenity's real conscience."
"Something speaking in italics usually indicates Serenity's mind (not conscience) telling her something, or vice versa."
Scenes:
Scenes written in complete italics are usually scenes that occur in Serenity's mind, or a dream-like state real scene.
Now, scenes written in italics AND bolded are usually indicating a real not-occurring-in-mind scenes, but are usually confused as dreams, or vice versa.
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You idiot! Have I taught you nothing? "Not as cute as Kaiba"?!
Even if you do tend to think that the guy is "cute", you don't go around and flatter him.
And what was worse than complimenting the guy? Agreeing to like, as in l-i-k-e the man!
"Well I do"?! What, tell me please, could've possibly told you to say such reckless nonsense? Not I, of course, because I am able to restrict myself from saying rubbish like that of which you recently spoke! I thought that I had taught you to limit what you say in the same manner, but obviously, I was wrong!!!
And the blushing?!!! You could've made a tomato look pale..... And you had your eyes closed half-way, like you were daydreaming about him..... And I will NOT even begin with your voice! Quaky, ever so furtively quaky, yet still so quiveringly quaky at the same time....
Since when does your voice quake when you talk about the man? Hmmmmm....
You have been a real disappointment to me, Serenity Wheeler...
Our dear Serenity Wheeler continued rushing up those agonizing flights of steps. Faster and faster, she darted with incredible speed---quickening with every movement of her foot that she made.
True, it had been at least a good three minutes since Serenity last saw Marie, but to get rid of the humiliation she had inside ¾well, that would take more than just a good three minutes to get rid of.
But we mustn't blame the poor girl for fleeing at that unfortunate moment. First of all, she admitted to thinking that her boss was cute. Though that may be true, she was trying to make a point of her not liking her boss, and a point that would state 'If I could find another job that'd pay more than this one, I'd quit in a heartbeat!'
But we all know that that point wasn't sufficiently demonstrated when she admitted to thinking that the man she was trying to prove she hated was cute.
And true as it may be that girls tend to think that many men are "cute" or "hot", and it doesn't necessarily mean that they like him, Serenity did say that Kaiba was cute with her eyes half-closed like a loveisck fangirl. Another thing, the way she spoke with her voice flowing dreamily didn't help the situation too much either.
How many flights did she race through? How long had it been since she humiliated herself? What about that stupid file that she was supposed to get but never found?
Her mind simply found those questions to be futile....
All that mattered was the fact that Serenity had to get away from everything. She had to get away from Marie, what she did to embarrass herself, she had to get away from her mind and her Kaiba-loving conscience....but most of all....she had to get away from Kaiba.
Her boss, it had seemed, was somehow involved, in sometimes the stupidest and most unbelievable ways, in every little thing that had gone wrong with the girl that day.
She really couldn't blame the car accident with Joey on Kaiba, for she was the one who was desperately trying to leave the car. However, she did want to get out of the car so she could continue her duties of being a secretary to him.
And the Bolidaman thing that screwed her career. That dreaded, evil, wrong Bolidaman factor that jeopardized the future of her boss's company. Although she wasn't aware of the whole story, (seeing as how she got the 411 from Mokuba, and knowing that she wasn't really herself that moment) she knew that seh was the sole reason of Calista whatver her middle initial is Bolidaman left the affiliation. And no matter how much Mokuba tried to convince Serenity that it was a good thing---it still had Serenity screwed.
Then, if all else couldn't possibly seem to get much worse, he gives her his sinister death glare/demented evil eye and sends her on a simple mission to get a file. While in the course of searching for that file, Serenity had several confused emotions, people started staring at her.... whatever, that's not half as important as what she did next: No, she didn't find the file, but she did admit to having a crush on her boss, which led to mental guilt and humiliation.
With her hands still clasped over her mouth like a lock, she continued pounding her way up the stairs.
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"Keep running, it's not like it's gonna erase what you did...."
Serenity had rushed up at least a hundred of the robin egg-speckled steps. Trying to ignore her mind as best as she could, but she couldn't blame the mind for all of its criticism, she did do something rather wrong....or at least in her mind's opinion she did.
But how far and for how long can a girl run in an enclosed building?
Serenity knew that soon she'd have to risk her life and walk into her boss's office.
She could hear the thudding of her feet against the steps. She could feel the steam around her lips from clasping her mouth so unboundlessly.
It all started when Serenity was still thundering up the steps, a bit dizzy from all the running, yet still scurrying nevertheless. She wasn't quite sure how far or how close she was to her boss's office, until she heard voices coming from an abondoned elevator.
She grabbed the nearest stairway railing, and tried to unglue the clasp of her hands from her mouth.
She looked behind her, sniffing that nasty tobacco smell, only to find that broken-down elevator lowered from its usual resting spot.
She stopped just to hear these voices, these echoing voices. Obviously belonging to men that were fixing the elevator, for the voices were rough, and the elevator was not in its usual snug compartment. It was lowered, giving the impression that the wires were somewhat messed up.
But what was wrong with the elevator had nothing to do with why she had stopped. In fact, the sole reason she had stopped was because of the elevator's position.
This certain elevator that Serenity had chosen to stop by was located directly beside a potted banana tree, and was in the hallway that smelled of tobacco smoke from the janitors' closet two doors away.
This elevator was only two floors away from Kaiba's office. Not too far to run now, Serenity.
//I'm not like your mind, so I won't criticize you in ways that will only lower your self-confidence even more. But since you have just realized the distance betwen you and your destination, might I recommend unlocking you hands from your mouth and straightening yourself up? You really don't want to go into his office looking like that, do you? Fix your posture, look lady-like for Ra's sake.//
Serenity looked around herself for a second.
No one was behind her, nor was there anyone in front of her. There was no one at any of her sides (she was on a stairway, a very narrow one).
She started by taking away her sealed hands from her mouth, bringing forth fresh, cool air. A few seconds later, she released her sweaty-palmed hands from the strictly-shiny railing which caused a perspiration bond between her hand and the rail. She acted as if she were yawning, though in reality she was simply cracking her back to get her nerves running again. She ran her fingers through her hair that was still as silky as milk. She would run her fingers through her hair at least ten thorough times. She wouldn't be satisfied until she eliminated any sort of bumps that would've caused her auburn locks to look imcompetent.
Once satisfied with her hair, Serenity ran her hands down her dress, trying to destroy wrinkles or unwanted hem ruffles.
She glanced down herself; her guava-pink and brown peasant dress seemed fine.
Now then, all that remained was how Serenity held herself.
Image was, is, and forever will be everything that will aid in regaining a reputation. And Serenity's main goal here was to quit her slouching and walk like a professional....
Serenity put her hands on her hips, and thought about how she would try to uphold her image. With her legs crossed fashionably on the stairs, she looked into the bordering hallway, and tried to observe some of the girls.
It's not often that you look into an empty hallway and see a girl walking the very moment you're expecting one. So, obviously Serenity had to wait a few minutes to actually hear any click-clacks of heels, or any sort of gossiping giggles from feminine human beings.
Still awaiting sounds, Serenity started tapping her feet anxiously upon the step.
"I'd hate to admit it..."
"But you do want to walk like someone who has confidence within herself...."
//And the person you are acquainted with best that is full of confidence-in fact, too much of it- is....//
"Calista Bolidaman," Serenity sighed to herself as she toyed with a bang of her hair that was carelessly hanging down. She knew she was severely wasting time, but she kind of was stalling.
"You're on a time limit too."
"Yes, do not waste time trying to see girls walking---that's stupid if you ask me."
//To walk like Bolidaman, simply straighten your back, sway you arms to your side like a--I don't know, just sway your arms smoothly. But you mustn't forget that very annoying yet crucial Bolidaman feature: Press your feet stubbornly as you walk to stress that click-clacking sound.//
"Walk like Bolidaman? Interesting enough...." Serenity trailed off.
She released her strand of hair and looked at the step ahead of her. She uncrossed her legs, and swayed her arms smoothly---well, close enough. (You can't really master Bolidaman's walk in a few minutes.) She slowly put one leg in front of the other, and repeated this as she dug her feet into the step.
She continued this pattern, one step (literally) at a time. There were only about seven more steps until the next small landing came, which would lead her to the set of flights, and then she'd only be a flight away from her destination.
One step down, six to go...
"She resembles a goat that's choking and desperately trying to climb the stairs at the same time."
"That's not nice...to the goat!"
//Leave her alone, and could you try to be a little more motivational? Constructive criticism is welcomed, but this is mean!//
Serenity ignored her mind, again, and tried to conquer these steps, Bolidaman style.
Five steps to go.
//If you wish to stop, then by all means, stop. But what will that prove? I completely understand if you can't keep your posture straight and can't look dignified.....I assure you that Mr. Kaiba will realize that he made just a small little mistake in hiring you, when he's searching for a new secretary.//
"Are you kidding me? Does she honestly think that Serenity's gonna fall for that?"
"Keep your temper down, Conscience. Serenity's not stupid enough to give-in so easily. Serenity's not one to weakly fall for reverse-psychology...."
"Say what you wish," Serenity interrupted her mind, "but I can walk up these steps gracefully. I don't have to prove anything to you, I'm simply doing this to---never mind."
//Well then, continue doing what you're doing and stop wasting time talking to me.//
Serenity looked around herself once again just to make sure that no one was watching her talk to herself for like the third time that day. Once she scanned the portion around her and clearly saw that no one was watching her, she continued with her promenade.
"And if Bolidaman can do it," Serenity started to say as she perfectly click-clacked her foot onto the next step, "so can I."
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"So it seems Serenity is obedient to our new 'friend', don't you agree?"
"I know it all too well that Serenity is not obedient to the parasite as much as she is forced."
"Forced? Really, Conscience, Serenity couldn't be forced by the 'parasite'."
"What makes you think that?"
"Why, the simple fact that I am Serenity's subconscience mind, and you her subconscience.... uhh...conscience."
"SO?"
"The parasite's not nearly strong enough to defeat the two strongest figments in the body. She doesn't have that type of power."
"You are mistaken, mind. The being--whatever she is--has a great force that can even take over our host's body at will."
"I am aware of that: I have seen it done."
"And still you are confident that you will be victorious over the being? You are losing IQ points."
"Conscience, everything and everybody has a weakness within themselves. Though powerful, our new playmate has to have something that causes her to break down.....We just have to find the right button."
"Ahhhh...so you are planning something?"
"Not so much planning 'something' rather than planning a destruction. But that button is a vital key if this destruction is to be successful."
"And when we find that right button..."
"Let's just say that the parasite will have to find a new host to infect."
"You are evil."
"I know; it's a gift."
"And what does this 'plan of destruction' consist of?"
"Let's just focus on the fact that this destruction involves a lot of teamwork. All other questions will be answered in good time."
"You sound like the parasite."
"I'm trying to preserve her while we can. She will be going bye-bye soon. *cackles evilly*"
"*smirks*"
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//Do they think I can't hear them? *sigh*// the voice asked as she continued supervising Serenity.
Only four steps until the next landing.
Serenity continued perfectly as she click-clacked and smoothy swung her arms. Her posture was perfect, her movement was perfect, and the sounds her heels were making cloned those of Bolidaman.
Again, she lifted her left foot, excellently clacked it onto the stair, and she repeated this with the right leg.
Three steps remaining....
//Not that I like Bolidaman or anything, but you're pulling off her look quite well. It was a good choice to try to imitate her.//
Serenity ignored this. Her main focus was to uphold her image. She had no time to waste.
She stepped elegantly onto the next step. Soon, she'd have to do the same with the next flight of steps, and then she'd have to face her boss.
"No negative thoughts," she mumbled to herself as she tediously made it to the next step.
Two steps to go.
This careful walking reminded Serenity about the day she climbed Kaiba's wall. It was a bit of a flashback for her.
She remembered how she had to jump nearly twenty-five times to get to the top of the wall. She also recalled how the instant she touched the wall's tip, she fell down.
When she fell down, she decided to climb the tree (that was conveniently located on the sidewalk she had just fallen on) not even three feet away from the wall. It had a branch, not too strong, but still a branch, hanging over a teeny-tiny part of the wall.
She remembered climbing that tree like this: Serenity put her right foot onto the next step. She had never been much of a climber, but she climbed that tree perfectly anyway. Serenity put her next foot onto the step.
Only one step left to go...
Quickly, trying to get the climbing of stairs over with, she pressed her foot forcefully onto the next step.
//Wonderful, Serenity! There's not too far to go now.//
"Wonderful?"
"I don't know....I'm still sticking with my choking goat criticism, wouldn't you agree?."
Silence...
"Are you there?!"
"I think we were wrong about that."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean it was wrong of us to call her a choking goat."
"*thinking* Yeah, you're right."
Silence....
"She resembles a hacking donkey!"
"We were made to be best friends."
//Ignore them. You made it this far without listening to those pigs that are *suposed to be* running your body. If anybody's to blame for any flaws-//
"Any? We're talking MANY!"
//Anyway, the mind and conscience should be blamed for not running you properly!//
"But, you are my conscience," Serenity replied to the voice, a foot in midair ready to claim the landing.
She finally put her foot down on the next landing. She could almost hear Mokuba's Game Boy from the floor above.
//You made it! Only one flight to go!// the voice said happily, changing the subject.
"But-"
//Don't fritter away time. Hurry up and get to your boss's office!//
"Wait, at least tell me-"
//Remember what I told you: All questions in good time?//
"Please, I wanna know-"
//Hurry before he calls the paper for an add that reads "NEW SECRETARY WANTED!"//
"Fine, but I haven't forgotten about this," she muttered as she started on heading for the next flight of steps.
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"Oooohhhhh......Somebody just caught themselves in their own web of white lies."
"Then I believe we have just found somebody's weakness!"
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//I can seriously hear you guys....// the voice warned as she continued supervising Serenity.
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Mokuba, who was intently involved in his Konami Arcade-Advanced Game Boy Advanced SP game, looked up from his place on the extremely cushy black couch. His face showed distress as he carelessly threw his game to the side of the couch.
He jumped up, showing acute signs of anxiousness.
"Is Bolidaman back?!" Mokuba asked in sheer horror as he heard click-clacks coming from down the hallway.
With his pace quickening, he hastenend to the etched doors of Serenity's office, trying to see the Gargoyle's face when she was far enough into the hallway.
He saw a silhouette of a figure! She's coming!
The click-clacks were getting louder! Poor Mokuba...We all know how much he despises Bolidaman.
Being a brave little kid, Mokuba looked through the etched glass doors again. No face was able to be seen since the figure was still too far away. Yet the sounds of the figure were quite distinguishable....
"Doesn't she ever go away? Can't she just die?!" he asked himself, full of tears. "What if she did something to Serenity!"
$*
Knowing that he had no time to waste, Mokuba opened the glass doors, and he ran down the hallway.
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The beautifully engraved doors that led to Serenity's office were opened with Serenity Wheeler coming a bit angrily inside, with Mokuba following very closely behind.
"You know," Serenity said as she yanked Mokuba by the ear into her office, "charging into people screaming 'I HATE YOU BOLIDAMAN!' is not a good idea-especially when it's not Bolidaman you're attacking. It's not such a good idea to scream it when it's Bolidaman also."
"Owwww! I said I was sorry!" Mokuba complained as his voice started squeaking. It wasn't Mokuba's fault that he started ramming into Serenity, without even a good look at her. And I'm sure that you can't blame Mokuba for causing Serenity to trip terribly so that she would collapse on her legs on the very spot Bolidaman jabbed her with the shoe... Poor, poor Mokuba....He wasn't at all fast enough to escape Serenity's long legs chasing him (his legs are pretty tiny, and his guilty conscience made him drag a little).
Serenity, still grasping Mokuba's ear, walked in front of Mokuba, but Mokuba refused to look at her. (He shifted his head every way he could so he could ignore her.)
Serenity smiled sweetly at Mokuba as she released his ear. Mokuba scowled in her direction as he sat down on the couch in a huff of anger, pressing his back powefully into the couch.
"I could report you to Seto," he alerted as he kept his head away from Serenity's direction. "He could have you fired for child abuse."
Serenity, who was gently tapping her foot into the room's rug, looked down at Mokuba. "Are you honestly gonna report me? He will probably fire me, if you do, and then you'll have to deal with a new fangirl/secretary pinching your cheeks all the time."
"You know I'd never report you," he mumbled in an extremely low hertz as he crossed his arms and continued to avoid Serenity's face.
Serenity put her hands on her legs and lowered herself down to Mokuba's level. Mokuba simply shifted his head some more to brush his bushy black hair into Serenity's face.
"You're so sweet," she said happily as she ruffled his black hair softly. "Thank you." She playfully disheveled his hair a bit more before extracting her hand from the raven forest.
Mokuba, in return, blushed a little. But being a Kaiba, he was unhappy with Serenity at the moment. He just tried to give the cold shoulder like his older brother would, but he needed a bit more practice with that.
Serenity giggled as she highered herself to her full posture.
"You're on a mission, Serenity."
Serenity sighed as she remembered what she had to do. She turned herself around to look behind her. A large sigh escaped her mouth when she saw the dreaded doors that led to her boss's office. She was so close...is that why she wanted to get away from there so badly? He was probably in there right now, listening to every word she spoke because that was the kind of man Serenity donned him as.
"Did you get the file?" interrupted Serenity's thoughts.
Serenity turned back around to actually find Mokuba staring at his feet nervously. Did he know something she didn't know? What she didn't know was the fact that Mokuba had his eyes menacingly shaded, but she couldn't see that due to the fact that his head was drooped so low.
Serenity lowered her voice to a whisper she hoped Seto Kaiba couldn't hear. "You know about that? Mokuba please--tell me where that file is: I couldn't find it!" Serenity anxiously came closer to Mokuba.
"Then you should see Seto about that," Mokuba barely whispered back as he dug one foot of his into the carpet.
"Please, Mokuba...."
Mokuba tried to ignore Serenity as he fidgeted with his feet. He urgently wished that she would just go and see her brother because that was the thing most necessary at the moment. "That file was important....You--if you lost it, then you should talk to Seto about it."
"But he'll fire me!" Serenity reminded with upset showing in her eyes as she came closer to Mokuba.
Serenity looked at Mokuba desperately as she stopped about two feet away from him. Now that the moment of truth had arrived, Serenity knew what she had to do, but also she knew what kind of fear was inside of her. Nevertheless, she awaited Mokuba's answer with anxiety building like a tower of blocks inside of her.
Like her brother, and like his brother, Mokuba remained silent and continued with his stare at the shoelace that was slowly unraveling from his shoe.
If silence could kill, Serenity Wheeler would've been pronounced dead a while ago, but she had stamina within herself. No matter how much the men in her life tried to toy with her and tried to psyche her out, she could withstand them. Mokuba being the easiest so far to withstand, despite the knots her stomach had laced.
"Fine, Mokuba, if this is your way of getting me into the office then I will go. But remember this: I am not going to prove anything to anybody 'cause I am better than that!" And that's the last 35 words Mokuba heard from Serenity in a looooonnnnnng time.
The next time Mokuba saw Serenity, she wouldn't be herself at all, literally.
Serenity gave a (final) sharp glare to Mokuba as she finally stomped off into her boss's office. I give her credit for she did have extreme determination within herself, but soon she'd learn that confidence was not the biggest issue here.
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Mokuba jumped from the black couch as he heard the cursed bell ring.
The four o'clock bell rang sooner than Mokuba had expected, and he knew that with the four o'clock bell, Serenity would leave, and most likely she'd leave...forever.
Kaiba's office doors quickly swung open, and the poor dear called Serenity came rushing out with not so much as tears but "Why did this happen to me?!" in her eyes.
After spending only about five to ten minutes in the office, Serenity quickly sped out, never looking back.
"Bye, Serenity," he said softly to her as he held his face down, not allowing her to see his tear-filled eyes. He started to pretend that he was in love with his feet again.
Serenity, who was just in front of her etched office doors, stopped. Probably for a split-second, but she stopped. Now, most people would've classified the sound as being from a small rat nibbling a piece of cheese from a corner somewhere, but Mokuba still sticks with the fact that he heard Serenity mumble:
"Goodbye, Mokuba...."
And as these sounds were heard, the Blue Eyes White Dragon door opened slowly, as if it was hesitating Serenity's departure. Like curtains parting, the doors gave way for Serenity.
As Mokuba saw her rush out of the room, he hung her head low for he knew what she had just gone through.
She didn't bother to say goodbye to her boss, or her friends, and she didn't bother to even mutter another word in the presence of Mokuba. She did nothing but quickly walk away forgetting the company, forgetting Mokuba, forgetting Marie....and of course, forgetting Kaiba. But Mokuba wasn't sure whether or not that was Serenity's goal.
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And she walked out of the office pretending like it was an average day, but she knew all too well that it wasn't. So nobody's sure if or when they would ever see her again.
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As she entered the main lobby, her direction went towards the side with the main secretary perched at a large, semi-circle shaped desk.
The secretary was just penciling in a few appointments when she saw Serenity's silhouette head not for the main exit, but for the deak.
The secretary looked up at Serenity with an irritated expression on. Although Serenity's face was much silhoutetted by her sadistically-shaded bangs, the secretary recognized Serenity. She did not enjoy being bothered from her work, especially by the main secretary of the whole company. (Which was a title that the secretary very much envied.)
"May I help you?" she asked Serenity's drooped face with a gritted smile as she twirled her fingers around a pencil.
"Yes, I need some papers and I was wondering if this was the place to get them," Serenity replied in a voice that wasn't hers but that of a depressed patient.
"Depends," replied the secretary in a bitter/annoyed tone, "what kind of papers are you looking for?"
The secretary's eyes squinted with jealousy and expectation, and Serenity simply took a deep breath as she got ready to reply the secretary.
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She sat watching all of Domino rush home from their days. Blinking lights and sounds of men calling cabs were heard as Serenity pressed her back against the weathered, green plastic beack seat of the bus. Today, the sky seemed to have grown darker than it would at around 4:30 p.m......It seemed so mean with all of the purple gloom it seemed to carry today.
Tomorrow's just another day...
The people of Japan moved everyday in a uniformed fashion. They got up, they got ready for work, they went to work, they came home. That's the way it would always be for them, and Sereniy had that fashion set for her for at least as long as she would need money for tuition and her mother, of course.
Another way to spend my day..all by myself...
If everyone in Japan had this schedule in their lives, who was Serenity to disrupt hers? She was sure that every working person couldn't have enjoyed working everyday. They worked to support a family, to pay bills, for health reasons etc..... But why couldn't she* handle her schedule? She had reasons for working other than herself, so why did* she break down to quit* helping?
"I guess it wasn't in me..." she said to herself as she flicked a corner of a file she was holding. It wasn't actually a file, more of a document within that file that lighted the main lobby's secretary's face when Serenity asked for this document. It was a document she was sure her brother would be pleased with. So then, why did she feel so bad again?
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It seems so wrong when you feel so confused, yet the whole world continues their lives as if nothing happened. During these certain moments, you tend to ask yourself "How can they look so happy?" You seem to forget that your problems, despite how large they may first appear, might not be the problems that the rest of the world is faced with...
And that's exactly how Serenity felt when she was leaving the bus. When she had to walk the whole length of the bus to reach the exit. As she walked, she felt nothing but confusion within when she saw the children in the front row laughing, or the old women in the rows just ahead of her gossiping about who their grandsons would marry. It didn't feel right when she saw the teenage girls just about her age listening to music and lipsinging along with the song on their MP3 players. With all those people hanging onto bus hooks with just simple expressions on their faces....it left Serenity just a bot dazed.
She quickened her pace steadily as she went to her destination. When she did reach the front of the jammed bus, she said a quick thank you to the bus driver, as was her custom, and slowly walked down the four steps that the bus had.
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The bus stop was never near Serenity's house; it was about a block away actually. So everyday, Serenity would have to do some walking to get safely home. This path usually frightened Serenity, especially on dark days like these. But as days come and days switch colors, feelings take their turn revolving as well.
Today, Serenity wasn't sure whether or not the distance from her bus stop and home was a good thing, or just another obstacle prolonging her doom. Remember, she hadn't forgotten about her brother and what she did to him...
$*$*
She could see her house from the narrow sidewalk she was walking on. She could just see her house's very tip from the at least five houses in between.
She perked up her ears for she knew that today, she would be able to hear her brother today, despite her still large distance from her house.
$*
There was this large, at least seven-feet tall bush that was like a marker that Serenity was only about five yards from her house....Litttle did she know that she would never get past that bush, at least tonight she wouldn't.....
It all started when she was but a bush's blocking from her house. A mere turn from the large shrub in front of her would allow her to view her house clearly. Serenity felt tight knots weaving themselves tighter in her stomach.
But Serenity was trying to be a strong girl that day, so she increased the clutch around her file, and she walked steadily in her house's direction.....But not before brushing past the bush first...
The very nanosecond that Serenity was rounding around the bush to get home, a pair of black-gloved hands reached from the bush only a few inches behind Serenity, and they quickly grabbed Serenity's mouth.
Serenity turned around somewhat the instant she heard something from the shrub behind her, but apparently, she was too slow...
This person, whomever they were, was extremely fast for withing a few more seconds, they had Serenity's mouth covered and her waist in a tight grip.
"MMMMMMMM!!!!!"
Startled, Serenity started to scream in a panicky tone, but that voice was of little use, for the gloves muffled every little sound she made.
She started moving like a fish that was just taken out of its water. She wobbled and fidgeted terribly--anything to get away. She kcked her legs frantically, and she waved her arms (to her best ability) as if she was trying to fly.
She tried kicking whoever this was, but this person was taller than her, and very much stronger, for their grip around Serenity's mouth did not waver.
This is bad! Get off of me! I wanna go home! Wait-what's he gonna do with me? What does he want with me? Is he gonna kidnap me? What if he has a weapon right now, and if I make the wrong move..........
Serenity's mind kept hurrying wth fears like fish racing in a river. These thoughts wanted her to continue her kicking and attempts at screaming, but they also cautioned her to stop becoming so panicky.
"MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!" Serenity desperately called out for attention, but the gloves' muffling made it sound like no more than a simple, inaudible grunt.
Her file! She had to protect that file! Quickly, Serenity focused her hands' grip on the file, making sure that it was caused no harm during this ordeal. She tried rolling the file into a telescope-shaped tube. Perhaps it would serve as a good weapon?
Where is the over-crowded population of Domino when you need them?-- Was the small thought pacing in the back of Serenity's mind.
She desperately tried to look up at whomever it was doing this to her, but this "villain" was holding Serenity's mouth down so that it would bend her head down in a very uncomfortable manner, and that she would cause a sprain in her neck whenever she tried to move it.
Use the damn file already! Serenity's mind ordered. Serenity, being very obedient at the moment tried to do exactly that. With the file like a tube in her hands, she started waving her arms again in that trying-to-fly manner, but the person--it said something.
"Now then, Serenity, don't make a sound, and everything will go by much more easily...."
The person was talking! Advising her to stay still, and Serenity listened to that part. But the voice...though unpredictable with all of its coarse rhythms and hoarse connotations, it definitely sounded familiar. Was someone trying to kidnap Serenity? Was this Bolidaman's cruel, cruel way of getting revenge?
There's no time to waste! Quickly try to escape...
"Wad oo you wantav ithm ee?" Serenity's mumbles asked loudly, her arms still trying to hit the person's head.
"Quiet! Tea told you to be quiet!" came a very recognizable voice from somewhere near. Wait-did it just say Tea?
"Yeah, Serenity, you could at least try to stop squirming," the voice said as it released Serenity's mouth and her waist.
Serenity, being recently liberated, immediately jumped away from the person, and she turned around just to see who it was.
Serenity's face went white as a ghost as soon as she saw who did this to her.
"TEA?!" she asked in an utter state of bafflement. She was confused, to say the least...Her arms simply dropped to her sides, and her eyes went big like dinner plates. "TEA?!" Serenity asked again, with her mouth's hinges hanging opened.
Tea gave Serenity a simply expression, and she simply asked, "Who were you expecting?"
Serenity stared again in confusion. "N-not you," she stuttered, "I w-was expecting someone evil...Not like you at all. I was expecting a man that was trying to hurt me-not you-TEA?!" Serenity started backing up a bit, but just a bit for she knew that there was a street behind her, and she didn't wanna take any chances.
"Yes, now that we've got Tea's name down," came Yugi's voice from behind the shrub, "Let's focus on why Tea did this to you." Yugi appeared from behind the large bush with a simple expression on.
"Well, this show just seemed to have gotten better."
"Yes, I do wish I had some popcorn at this moment."
//Now, Serenity, keep your temper down and give them a chance to explain themselves. I'm sure that what they did was some sort of-//
"YUGI?!" Serenity asked as her eyes went bigger, "DID JOEY TELL YOU TO DO THIS? WAS THIS HIS SORT OF PUNISHMENT? DID HE ASK YOU TO SCARE THE LIVING DAYLIGHT OUT OF ME? WAS IT HIS PLAN TO MAKE ME FEEL SO DEFENSELESS AND SCARED, AND MAKE ME FEEL SO VULNERABLE? 'CAUSE IF HE DID... HIS SICK PLAN WORKED!" Serenity shrieked angrily. "I'M SURPRISED TRISTAN AND DUKE AREN'T OUT HERE HOLDING A GUN TO MY BACK!"
Tea and Yugi exchanged nervous glances, "Keep your voice down," Yugi shushed as he lowered his hand. "Joey doesn't know we're doing this."
"And neither do Tristan and Duke," Tea explained as she reached her hands out to Serenity who was on the street, "But they'll find out soon enough if you continue to scream like that."
"Find out what?" Serenity asked bitterly as she declined Tea's hands and came closer to Yugi and Tea. "Find out that you two were trying to scare me to death? Hmmm? I don't think I should be the one keeping my voice down after you two did this to me!"
Tea and Yugi rolled their eyes and exchanged glances again. Both of them getting rather annoyed, they thought that they should finally explain to the raging Serenity why they did what they did. They were good friends and they thought that they had a right to explain to Serenity what just happened, and they also wanted to shut her up 'cause her persistent yelling was getting annoying.
"Serenity," Tea started to say as she started to from a smile upon her face, "how would you like to sleepover at my place tonight?"
Serenity looked at Tea suspiciously. Her eyes somewhat scanned Tea as if trying to uncover a deep secret. "Why?" Serenity asked in a hoarse whisper, her eyes squinted viciously.
"What do you men 'why'?" Tea asked angrily as her arms went to her hips, "Can't a girl try to invite her friend to a slumber party? Of course, it'll probably be only the two of us, but we'll be able to catch-up on old times and stuff..." Tea trailed off as she put on a face that was trying to portray happiness while trying to hide a large sweatdrop.
"I'm not asking why you're inviting me, Tea," Serenity started to explain as she darted her eyes between Yugi and Tea, "I'm asking why should I go? Think of it more as a question concerning why you two won't let me go home, and where's Joey?"
Yugi opened his mouth to try and answer, but Tea quickly cut in:
"Joey's not home right now, and he's not sure what time he'll get back, so he asked me to take you in for the night," Tea explained as her eyes went nervous. "Nobody's home right now," She quickly added as a massive sweatdrop appeared behind her head.
Yugi smacked his hand on his forehead, and Serenity immediately realized this as a sign that Tea must've told the wrong tale.
"Nice excuse, Tea," Yugi mumbled as he turned around, to embarrassed to look at Serenity when she replied.
"Is that so, Tea?" Serenity asked sweetly as she smiled, "Then why be so worried that Joey, and Tristan, and Duke will hear me? If he's not in the house then he couldn't be able to hear me, right? I thought that there was nobody in the house." Serenity crossed her hands in front of herself, and she smiled so confidently at Tea that Tea started getting nervous. All the while tapping her foot, ad twirling the rolled file in one of her hand's grip.
Tea took in a large breath as she decided to tell Serenity the truth, "Serenity, you're coming home with me tonight," Tea explained as she grabbed Serenity's hand.
Serenity looked down at Tea's hand holding hers "What the-Let go of me, Tea," she warned cautiously. "I am just about two seconds away from screaming my lungs off, and Joey won't be too pleased if he hears me and comes out here only to find you forcing me to go with you."
"Serenity," Yugi said in such a reassuring voice, "Would I ever do anything to hurt you or harm you in any type of way?"
Serenity looked at Tea's grasping hand, and then she darted her eyes toward Yugi, "I'd normally say No," she muttered as she slowly shook her head. "But I can't be so sure about that answer anymore." She recalled the near-kidnapping incident that took place only about five minutes ago.
"But you know how important friends are to me, Serenity. You're my friend too, and you should know that I could never hurt you." He gave her a confident look, "Please go with Tea: She'll explain everything." Yugi gave a strict look in Tea's direction.
"Serenity," Tea said as she sighed, "We're doing this for your own safety. Please listen to us. If you don't approve of what we're doing, then you can leave. But at least give us a chance to explain ourselves first. Please?"
"Fine, I'll listen to you but only because Yugi said so," Serenity explained, "You've got two mnutes." Serenity relaxed her arm and awaited her answer patiently.
"Two minutes?" Yugi asked, staring at his watch, "That's just the amount of time you'll need." Yugi jerked his head in the direction beyond Serenity.
Serenity followed Yugi's stare and she gasped at what she saw. "Oh-oh no...You are going to explain everything right here!" She said to Tea and Yugi as she jammed her foot into the concrete sidewalk. "I am not going with you on THAT!"
She gave an extremely sharp and angry look in Tea and Yugi's direction. Well, it wasn't Yugi she was actually talking to anymore....
She saw Tea simply smirking, and she saw Yami looking into Serenity's eyes fixedly.
Serenity turned her stare, to avoid Yami's stare, towards the bus behind her again. "I am NOT going with the two of you on that! I am staying right here, and you will explain this to me right now!" she exclaimed as she tried to draw her arm back from Tea, but Tea had it in her own little zealous grasp.
"Serenity," Yami said as he grabbed Serenity's hand, trying to calm her down a bit, "Listen to me: Go on that bus with Tea, and everything will be explained to you."
"No way-" Serenity started saying but was cut off by her own little voice.
//Listen to Yami, he knows what is best for you...//
And after that little voice spoke, a phenomenon occurred that Tea and Yami still keep in extreme detail to this very day. Serenity's eyes, though hazel in color naturally, turned a somewhat pale, blue color. Not a rich and sapphire-shaded blue like it would turn if her eyes ever did change color, but a pale and obtuse blue that resembled a foggy afternoon's sky. Though a subtle change, Tea and Yami still remember seeing hazel turn lighter and lighter, until it had no color, and then seeing a bluish color appear. It wasn't a complete change in her eyes, but it seemed like Serenity was only ½ herself that moment.
Yami immediately released Serenity's hand. He knew that restraining Serenity would be of no more use.
"Fine, Yami," Serenity robotically responded in a voice that seemed to quaver slightly, "I'll go with Tea." Serenity grabbed Tea's hands harder, and awaited for Tea to take her to the bus stop behind her.
Tea looked skeptically at Serenity, then shifted her focus to Yami. "Well, that was convenient," Tea simply said as she smiled at Yami.
"One of the many benefits of having a spirit within yourself," Yami answered, bragging a bit, "But you must hurry. The bus will be departing soon."
Tea smiled back at Yami, "Yeah, I have to admit, you have many gifts-you being a spirit and everything." She started to pull the robot called Serenity behind her as she said a quick goodbye to the pharoah.
"Oh, but I wasn't talking about myself," Yami said with his eyes closed, as he stroked his chin.
"Hmm?" Tea asked as she turned around to see him standing there smugly. He was almost teasing her like he had a secret that she didn't know, nor could she ever know.
"Never mind," Yami answered, "I'll go get Joey. You go get Serenity onto the bus."
"Ok," Tea answered as she started pulling Serenity again towards the bus stop.
$*
And that's exactly what Tea did. She got Serenity to the bus stop, and she got onto the bus with Serenity, ready to go home.
$*$*$*$*$*
The very instant that Serenity felt the cold leather of the seat underneath her, her eyes returned to their full hazel beauty, and she looked around herself extremely confused.
The bus: It was moving according to the flashes of people passing by before her.
"Huh?" she asked as she stared around herself.
She was sitting on the back seat, again...right next to the window...
"The bus?" she asked, "I was just on the bus..." she trailed off to look around her. This wasn't a stop she would usually pass: This is the stop she would normally get off at. And that wasn't the bus driver who would drive the Monday afternoon bus home.
"Tea?!" she asked as she saw Tea sitting quietly down next to her. "Tea....how-d you-why am I---How did I agree to come on the bus with you?" she asked as her eyebrows went down. "The last time I checked, you and Yugi were trying to scare the hell out of with me by pulling off some sort of kidnapping scene!" Serenity gave Tea another vicious look. "So why am I here?"
"Feeling better, Serenity?" Tea asked as she started to yawn. "You agreed to come with me, remember?" Tea asked knowing that Serenity wasn't in her right mind when she agreed.
"I want to know why am I here? Why did I agree to come with you?" Serenity asked impatiently as she started to fidget with her rolled-up file.
"You agreed to come with me 'cause I'm your friend, remember? Yugi asked you to go with me, and you said 'Fine, I'll go with Tea' or something like that," Tea explained.
Serenity scanned her mind for a moment. Yes, she did remember Yami--not Yugi-- asking her again to go with Tea...and she surprisingly agreed. But why? She didn't wanna go with Tea, so why was she here, sitting on a bus to Tea's house.
Yugi probably used some of his magic on me...Serenity thought angrily. "Well, Tea," she snapped, "I hope you know that I am not staying. I'm getting off at the next stop and I'll walk home for all I care!" Serenity explained knowing that the bus was in motion and she couldn't get off at the moment.
"I'm getting off at the next stop, too," Tea explained with a smile too perky for Serenity's liking on her face. "I guess we'll get off together."
"Wait-" Serenity started to say, "If you're getting off at the next stop then..."
"NEXT STOP: KOUJI** AVENUE!" the bus driver exclaimed, as if on cue the instant that Serenity started to speak.
"Home sweet home," Tea said smugly as she relaxed onto the seat. "I suppose you wanna know why I brought you here, huh Serenity?"
"Actually," Serenity said bitterly, "I don't wanna hear another word out of you. I'm too angry to listen. I've been through a lot today, and this doesn't make me feel too much better. Hmmph!" Serenity exclaimed as she jerked her neck nobly away from Tea, and shifted the rest of her body towards the window so that she wouldn't have to see Tea.
"Fine," Tea answered, "but it's a long bus ride home..."
"I can wait," Serenity muttered as she started tapping her fingers on her tube-shaped rolled-up file.
"Whatcha got in there, anyway?" Tea asked, recalling the file that Serenity was so anxiously holding.
A small "Hmmph!" was all that Tea got in reply to her question. But Tea didn't care. She had done her part, and she would explain everything to Serenity later...
$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$
"LAST STOP: EVERYBODY OFF!" The bus driver exclaimed as the Kouji Avenue bus station came into view.
"Come on, Serenity! It's time to leave!" Tea said as she got up. Serenity did nothing but continue with her stanch stare at the window and the outside world.
"I refuse to go anywhere with you, hmmph!" Serenity clarified as she started tapping her cylinder file against her knee. All the while, she was still staring outside.
"It's either get off with me, or you can ride to the bus depot with the bus driver and spend the night sleeping in a cold bus, if you're lucky," Tea explained, outstretching her hands yet again.
"I'd rather take my chances sleeping in the bus," Serenity mumbled.
"Oh come on! You're being such a baby. Just hurry up, and come home with me. The bus driver's not gonna stay here forever. He's gonna have to move sooner or later with or without you and me on it!" Tea declared as she grabbed Serenity's elbow.
Serenity altered her window-facing focus to Tea with anger gleaming in her eyes like a bull's anger steaming from his snout. "Let go of me, Tea. I told you before that I refuse to go with you. Any attempts to change my mind would be futile, so I recommend that you let go of my elbow right now."
"You ladies getting off?" the bus driver called from his position at the very front of the bus, as he scanned the last two passengers that remained. "This's the last stop," he reminded.
"I'm aware of that," Tea said as irritation rose in her voice, "And could you give my friend and me a moment, please?" she asked, trying to calm herself as she looked up the aisle.
"No," Serenity answered forcefully, "I'm not getting off. I'm staying right here, and I completely, absolutely, certainly, no question about it refuse to move!" she cried out as she compellingly wrenched her elbow from Tea.
Tea gave a nasty scowl in Serenity's direction. "Come, on!" she ordered as she tried to lower her voice so that the bus driver wouldn't hear her yell.
"I said 'no', and that's the end of it!" Serenity repeated, not caring whether or not the bus driver heard. "Like I said: Any attempts to change my mind would be futile."
"Fine then," the bus driver sighed as he started the bus's engine, "Then I'll have to drop you ladies off at the nearest shelter."
"Shelter?" Tea asked as she started walking up the aisle with an angered face on. "What do you mean shelter?"
"Yeah!" Serenity asked as she finally stood up. "You have to drop us off at the shelter? Why?" she asked as she mimicked Tea by walking towards the bus driver with an angered look on. "I refuse to go to the shelter!"
"I'm with her," Tea said as she saw Serenity appear next to her, "I'm not getting off without her, but I have more than enough dignity than to go to a local shelter."
"But you have to," the driver explained as he pushed a button which caused the bus's doors to shut, "The local law requires me to drop any passengers that won't get off at the last stop at the nearest shelter. So unless you want to get off right now, you will be dropped off at the nearest shelter."
"Well," Serenity stammered, "I am definitely not going to any shelter."
Tea opened her mouth to say something, but Serenity was much faster this time, so she cut-in.
"And I refuse to go with you, Tea," she explained as she clarified that she refused to humor Tea.
"But, Miss," the driver tried to explain, "It's either you get off here, or I have to drop you off at the nearest shelter. You've got only about two options there."
Tea gave a victorious smirk in Serenity's direction. "Well then, Serenity....it's either come with me, or spend the night with hobos and alcoholics that are capable of doing who knows what. What's it gonna be?" Tea asked as she put her hands on her hips.
Serenity gave an infuriated look to Tea. She bit her lip nervously.
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$
"I'm ordering take-out. Do you want any?" Tea asked as she extended her hands to lay out a pair of pajamas for Serenity on the top bunk of her bunk bed.
Tea looked up at Serenity who was currently hunched on the top bunk. Serenity paid no attention to Tea, and she continued writing something down in the document that she recently has rolled up like a tube.
After waiting for an answer for about a minute, Tea gave Serenity a scowl. She wasn't appreciating the attitiude that Serenity had seemed to develop today.
Tea, Tea, Tea....If only you had any idea of what Serenity had gone through today then maybe you wouldn't blame Serenity for having such an attitude. In one day, Serenity practically lost her brother's trust, ruined a multi-billion dollar affiliation, told one of her friends that she had a crush on SETO KAIBA, and had an encounter with her boss that----anyway, she had a bad day.
"Did you hear me, Serenity? I asked if you wanted-"
"No, and I'm not wearing your pajamas either. They're probably too big for me anyway," Serenity explained as she started to scribble something down in whatever document was in the file that Serenity was clutching so tightly. "And do I have to sleep on the top bunk tonight? The ceiling's so close that I have to hunch myself to sit comfortably on it, and the mattress----It's so umcomfortable!" she complained as she felt the mattress around her, still avoiding to look at Tea.
"First of all, it's fine that you don't want dinner, and that you don't want to wear the pajamas. And yes, you're sleeping on the top bunk tonight despite its flaws, but I do have one complaint..."
"Hmmm? What's that?" Serenity asked, not really caring as she continued filling out the papers she had gotten from the secretary at the main desk at KaibaCorp.
"You are giving me a real crappy attitude today, and I don't appreciate it! In fact, right now you're ignoring me, aren't you?"
"Hmmmm....." Serenity murmured as she started glancing over the paper again. She seemed confused by what she had just read, whatever it was.
Tea looked extremely crossly at Serenity. Ready to squeeze her little head off her little body, Tea had quite difficulty restraining herself from atttacking Serenity.
"Serenity?" Tea asked sweetly like Serenity did when she was trying to make her anger for someone seem sarcastic, "Did you hear me?"
Serenity scrunched her eyebrows as she came to one question on the paper she was filling out. It was a rather peculiar question, but Serenity had just the right answer for it.
"No, no, and NO!" Serenity hissed as she wrote something down francitcally on the piece of paper. "I hated it! I hated it! I hated it! And....I HATED HIM!"
Tea's face started glowing red. Not red with blush, and it wasn't red from hanging upside-down for too long, but alas, a red that made angry flames look weak in color. Tea's eyes started squinting, her hands went into fists at her sides, and she practically started to exhale steam.
"Serenity....." Tea warned as she tapped her foot edgily upon the floor. "Are you even listening to me?" Tea hissed with an added emphasis on the S in listening.
Serenity, who was doing a marvelous job in not cracking-up, continued to ignore Tea, and she continued reading the piece of paper that was obviously so important.
"And what? May I ask, is so important that you're giving me the cold shoulder for? Huh? What the hell
are you working on? Another love letter to your boss?!" Tea asked heatedly as she tried to release some
of her anger. 'Love letter....' Tea thought to herself, 'That oughta get her attention....'
And Tea had no idea how right she was. The very instant that the words "your boss" and "love letter" were
used in the same sentence Serenity's ears perked up with a very curious/angry implication to them. Her
eyes went flaming with fury, and Tea definitely had Serenity's attention jidging by the way Serenity looked
up at Tea and started giving her the look of death.
"Love letter?!" Serenity asked as she immediately jerked her head up. "I assure you, Tea Gardner, that I am writing a love letter to no one especially SETO KAIBA! And no, I am not giving you an attitude, it's just that you happen to be the first person I'm actually having a conversation with ever since I had the worst day of my freakin' life. So I apologize if I come off rude to you at first, but I'm not having a good day, and your 'kidnapping' of me and bringing me here didn't help! And I haven't the slightest idea of where that vile thought originated from, but I assure you that I HATE, I REPEAT: HATE SETO KAIBA!!! SO GET THAT THOUGHT OUT OF YOUR MIND AND BURN IT OR SOMETHING!"
Serenity started leaning against the top bunk's railing, her eyes threatening and almost daring Tea to make another move like that, or to say another word like that.
"Well then," Tea said as she lowered her head, "My goal was to get your attention, and I did that. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to enjoy my dinner, so I'm leaving," she said as she started moping herself out of the room.
"I didn't know you had it in you, Serenity."
"Well why was Tea being so pesky? She should've left Serenity alone. I think Tea got exactly what she deserved."
"Drama Queen..." Serenity mumbled as Tea finally slammed the door and left. "I finally get some peace and quiet around here."
Serenity put away the paper she was working on, and she jammed it under her pillow. As if her day wasn't bad enough already, this paper, which was supposed to relieve her of her stress, just caused her more stress and got her into more trouble.
//I think that you really hurt Tea, Serenity. Perhaps it'd be best if you apologized?//
Serenity sighed as she thought of what she just did...she wish she could've apologized at that moment. She really and truly didn't know what had gotten into her. Tea was only asking about the attitude that Serenity was unfairly giving Tea. She would've said sorry, but she felt too embarrassed.
Serenity fell down on the pillow that Tea generously provided for her. She felt terribly about yelling at Tea like that, and giving her the anger that she had bottled up within herself all day.
'Maybe I should go apologize now...' she thoguht to herself as she closed her eyes.
"What are you thinking, girl? Tea rudely cut into your business, and you even tried to tell her that you were trying to work in peace but-"
//That's a lie! You know very well that Tea asked Serenity about herself out of care for her friend! And Serenity did not try to explain to Tea why she was acting so strangely, in fact, she just pushed her anger more onto Tea! Serenity should apologize!//
"Quiet you parasite! You are a rude little bug that has no right speaking in these matters. You are actually one of the causes of the problems Serenity had to go through today! You make Serenity feel so feeble, and I say Tea deserved to be yelled at, and Serenity should not apologize! That's that!"
Serenity opened her eyes all too quickly. There were three voices speaking and arguing in her mind at the moment, and not one of them were her own thoughts. This afternoon, she had tried to ignore them, perhaps that's why she didn't notice them, but three voices....that wasn't right!
'Who-what are all of you? What are you doing in my mind? Get out! Get out! Get out!'
"It seems that now she is giving us the attitude."
"She's a very ungrateful child....tsk..tsk...tsk...."
//Relax, Serenity, I think it's time I tell you the truth-//
'Who are you?' Serenity interrupted.
"She's a parasite! What more do you need to know?"
"Listen to your conscience. It knows what is best for you..."
'No, I wanna know who all of you are, right now!' Serenity persisted.
//It's time to answer your questions, I suppose, but first you need to fall into a deep slumber.// the soothing voice said as Serenity's eyelids got heavier and heavier and heavier....
$*
~"What's she doing?"~
~"I think she's--well I believe that she is causing Serenity to fall asleep."~
~"Impossible! I haven't sent the signal for sleep yet."~
~"You haven't, but the parasite has...."~
$*$*$*$*$*
Serenity found herself waking up to a puff of purple smoke in her face. Actually, not just a puff of smoke, but a whole room full of it was where Serenity awoke.
"*cough*cough* Where am I?" Serenity asked as she tried to lift herself up. When she did manage to hoist up her upperbody, her elbows were bent on something that felt hard.
"Stone? Why am I on stone?" Serenity asked herself as she depicted, through the smoke, what exactly she was laying on.
"It's not just a piece of stone, Serenity. You're laying on a stone bed. Courtesy of the parasite...." Said a silhouette in the smoke that came closer and closer until it revealed itself.
A perfect carbon copy of Serenity appeared with the same hairstyle and the same outfit on as Serenity that day, through the smoke.
"Who are you?" Serenity asked as she lifted herself up completely. With her knees hanging off the side of the stone bed, Serenity looked skeptically at this replica of herself.
"I am called The Subconscience Mind. The supervisor of all your inner thoughts and feelings. You can't keep a secret from me because I'm the one who holds that secret...."
"What the----I'm in my mind?" Serenity asked as she stared around herself.
"You're in a part of it: The Subconscience Part." Serenity's mind seemed to smile at her as it looked to its side, waiting for something to hasten and appear already.
"Yes, it was the parasite who brought you here, and it was that very parasite who had you laid like that onto the bed."
"She's finally here...." The mind mumbled.
"And who are you?" Serenity asked the voice that had just arrived. "What are you?"
Then, on cue, an imitation of Serenity with her perfect and wrinkle-free school uniform on appeared through the smoke. She had her hair tied with a neat blue ribbon in the perfect ponytail.
"This," said The Mind, "is your conscience. The very overseer of all that you do. She tells you to do anything and everything that she believes is right."
"Uh-huh....I'm the second most powerful being in your whole body. The Subconscience Mind being the most powerful, of course."
The Mind seemed to beam at this praise.
"But...you're not my conscience," Serenity said as she jumped off the bed to get a good look at the two Subconscience beings. "My conscience is...erm....different. She's not you, and she doesn't have that voice."
//You are mistaken, conscience, you are now the third most powerful being in the body. The second being The Subconscience Mind, of course.//
"That's my conscience!" Serenity exclaimed as she jumped up-and-down in front of the two flabbergasted beings.
"That's not your conscience, Serenity," The mind supplied quickly.
"Yes, I am your real conscience!" The conscience explained while trying to settle down Serenity's excitement.
"N-no! You are not my conscience.....that voice we just heard is," Serenity explained nervously as she looked skeptically at her "conscience".
"Oh, but Serenity, this figment you see beside me is YOUR real conscience. The parasite even admitted it when she called her 'conscience'." The Mind looked at Serenity with a reassurring face on. "And who do you think you are," she called out into the purple smoke, "to don yourself as a being with more power than the two of us, hmmm? You are a mere bug using Serenity as a temporary host-"
"A bug?" Serenity interrupted, "But it was her voice I heard when I needed confidence. Recently, it was she that gave me soothing and confident-building thoughts. Not you two...."
The Subconscience Mind and the Conscience were left with their jaws hanging like hinges. They were baffled...to say the least.
"I don't believe it: Serenity's one under the spell of the parasite!" The Mind exclaimed.
"She's been bewitched...the leech is stronger than I had ever imagined," The conscience explained to the Mind with worry upon her face.
"She's not a parasite, alright? I don't know what she is if you're the Subconscience Mind and my conscience. All I know is that I remember her voice talking to me, and reassurring me all day when I wasn't feeling too well." Serenity looked at the two beings with a sympathethic look on her face.
The beings gave her a strange look, almost daring her to do what they feared she was gonna do.
"Where are you?" Serenity called out into the smoke, not caring about the traumatized looks on the vaces of the beings in front of her. All Serenity cared about was finding this being that seemed to be like a beacon of light while the other two beings tried to cause Serenity's downfall for humor.
//Greetings, Serenity// It welcomed with a voice that was far in the distance.
Serenity started smiling with great joy when she heard the reply. Once again ignoring the beings, she continued calling out to the being, whomever she was.
"You? Who are you? Why am I here? Why was I put on that stone bed?" Serenity went further into the smoke, leaving the two beings in the dust.
//I'll tell you everything if you come and find me....//
"She's playing more games with her!" the mind complained as it looked at the conscience with anxiety and worry.
"That's not my main worry. My true concern is that Serenity is foolishly giving-in to the parasite like an obedient dog!" The conscience returned The Mind's worried expression.
"Then why don't you try to tame the dog?" the Mind asked with a sinister smiling forming upon her lips.
"Did you say something?" Serenity asked, turning around to the two and revealing the fact that she was eavesdropping on the conversation.
"We were simply talking about those terrible similes that your boss has concocted for you and your brother," The Mind explained, leaving Serenity suspicious.
"R--i--ght," Serenity replied dubiously, "Do any of you know where I can find the 'Parasite'? I really need to talk to it." Serenity looked at the beings expectantly, hoping for a stragiht answer. But alas, what could she expect from these two double-crossers.
"We don't know where that sponge is hiding," the Mind answered, "but we do know one thing..."
"And what's that?" Serenity asked as she started to back away from the Mind, not trusting the way it was tantalizing her.
"We know that you're not going anywhere!" The conscience explained as a large thunder sound was heard, and golden manacles with chains attached to them started appearing on Serenity's wrists.
"What are these?" Serenity asked angrily as she tried to release herself from the tight grip of the chains. "Where do these chains lead to, 'cause they're not coming off!" she said surprisingly as she tugged the chains, only to find that they were keeping her controlled somewhere in the smoke.
"Why won't these come off of me!" she asked as the chains wouldn't untie, and the manacles seemed to have a glue-tight grasp to them. "These won't come off of me!"
The conscience smiled weakly at Serenity.
"That's exactly what I want them to do. You see, I haven't worked sixteen years just to have you be easily persuaded by some parasite that has over-stayed its welcome. I intend to keep you safe and limited in the world. That's the way it's always been, so why are you complaining now? I've always kept the same discipline with you, and-"
The conscience was cut off....Oooohhhhh, that wasn't such a bright idea to whoever did that....
//And it's become limiting to Serenity. She has to live with yor rules and your restrictions so much so that she's forgotten how to have fun. When I came along and showed her the pleasures that she could have, she finally got a sense of what she was missing, courtesy of you Conscience.//
"Yes! That's it!" Serenity exclaimed as she raised her hands to her mouth, "That must be the reason-"
"Why you're so easily brought under the parasite's control..." The Mind thought out loud angrily as she gave a strict glare at the Conscience.
"Well, the discipline I've used for sixteen years has been fine with me, and my vote counts more than the vote of that screwy parasite!" The Conscience explained as she squinted her eyes and pointed a sharp finger at Serenity.
Automatically, Serenity fell to the floor, feeling her legs weakening and breaking down.
"Owwwwww! What's going on here? Why are you doing this to me?" Serenity barely managed to ask as she forced herself to try and get up.
The Mind and conscience exchanged glances with little smiles playing on their lips. Yup, these two definitely could not be trusted now...
Serenity sighed a depressed sigh when she had finally realized what was going on.
"Please stop," Serenity asked as she looked up at the beings, "Please stop doing this to me. If I'm your host, why do you always try to hurt me?"
"We're not trying to hurt you, Serenity. We're trying to keep you away from any dangers that you can get into. Unfortunately, that's not the goal of the parasite. Her 'fun' is the reason why you work at KaibaCorp, and why you claimed to have a drush on Seto Kaiba in front of your friend." The Mind gave Serenity a pitied look, "I'm so sorry we have to do thi---*sniff*sniff*Sister!" The mind called.
"What is it? You sense something?" The Conscience replied.
"Yes! *Sniff*Sniff*The parasite-it's getting closer!"
"Closer? Whar do you mean?"
"The parasite has gone into a section that she wasn't supposed to go into..."
"You don't mean---it's not possible! She couldn't have..."
"What's going on?" Serenity asked as she nervously darted her eyes between The Mind and her conscience. "Where did the 'parasite' go?"
The Mind Gave Serenity the "I Told You SO!" look, and simply replied:
"The one you claim to be helpful to you, has just gone into your Subconscience Heart....."
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Serenity immediately opened her eyes, and she intently studied the area around her. She was...on a bed? She felt the pillow underneath her head, and she felt the wooliness of the blanket by her feet.
"It was all just a dream," she told herself as she looked down at the nightstand by the lower bunk to read the time.
If the clock's time wasn't highlighted a bright neon green, Serenity would never have been able to depict the faded 7:23 p.m. sign.
Serenity easily fell back onto the pillow. Tommorrow, she'd apologize to Tea for all that she'd done to her, and she's thank her for providing for Serenity a place to sleep at night. Right now, she was tired and she was sure that Tea would still be pretty mad at her.
"Tomorrow's another day...." Serenity mumbled as she closed her eyes. Yes, tomorrow was another day, another chance to live life again, another chance to make-up for any wrongs committed.
Tomorrow...Hmmmm...You'll get to tomorrow, Serenity, but not before you spend the night at Tea's....
Sleep while you can, Serenity, for you have no idea what awaits you in your slumber......
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AN: I'm sooooooooo sorry if this chapter was extremely long and boring. *Begs readers for forgiveness*
Gomen Nasai!
Please forgive me, and please R/R....I promise the next chapter won't be nearly as long and boring, unless, you like LONG chapters....
And also, my spellcheck program wasn't working today so I had to write this whole chapter scanning for mistakes with my own two eyes, and that's extremely tiring work. So I'm sorry if there were too many spelling errors.
Preview:
"She's too young and innocent to get caught up in this mess. For her own safety, I hope she's not....."
Please R/R!
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*Tootles,
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*Celestial Night
