LazerWulf: Ok, time for the 10th chapter! I never thought this fic would make it this far.
Joey: Me, neitha!
LazerWulf: Yes, well, you also thought Malik was Seth.
Joey: You did, too!
LazerWulf: Well, I know better now. Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers! This chapter would not exist if not for you. Special shout out to Minor Arcana, who helped me through a bit of writer's block. Now, ((Strikes heroic pose)) to the Review Board!
Joey: ((Shakes head in disbelief))
ThefutureMrs.Kaiba - Nah, I didn't think you were rambling, but then again, I tend to ramble on, myself, so I don't really mind when others do it. I'm glad I was able to help you understand how Atem(u) was defeated 5000 (or is it 3000? Whatever, it's 5000 in this fic) years ago. I'm glad you think this is worthy of more reviews, but I'm still just a rookie, so I don't really expect much. Although, if you count the reviews I had before this was deleted the first time, I'd have over 50! Oh, and if you wanna see GX, browse Janime's forums, especially Mai's Download Highway. It has links to places that have the first episode online. I watched it, but I warn you, it won't make sense unless either a) you're fluent in Japanese, or b) you've read Janime's summary for that episode. I used the latter. Finally, The sequel WILL come, but not until this is over, and that could take a while.
Amme Moto - From what I understand, that was your cousin who left that last review. We really need to get her another e-mail account...
KatrinaKaiba - No, Abukom won't come into play until the sequel. As for the mall... well, just read this chapter
Nefie - Correction: Isis died in the ANIME. Not the Manga. Besides, it suits my story better to have her alive, so I'll be using the Manga sequence of events in this respect.
Lady Shinigami - Yes, you got it. You have a devious mind, but don't expect Mokuba to be blackmailing him anytime soon. After all, he'll have his own problems soon. Oh, and I said that there was no need to apologize. I missed the warning, too. I read that part in the beginning A'N of chapter 3, but I dismissed it, so it was MY fault, not yours.
AllDayIDreamAboutFics - Thank you, I knew you were one of the ones who had put me on your AA, and that comment was directed toward everyone else. How do you tell them apart? I hadn't thought of that. Maybe there is no way... I think I talked to you about the difference between R and GX. In all honesty, the GX cast seems like it has potential. Don't dismiss it just because you like the old cast better. In fact, I predict that it will not be long before FFnet is flooded with JuddaiAsuka fics.
Minor Arcana - Thanks for your info about Isis, and your help with my writer's block. I'm glad to see that your fic is finally complete, and I anxiously await the sequel.
Evil StormSister - I'm glad you understood the necessity of that chapter. I was going to try to make it up, by adding the mall scene at the end, but I got hit by the block. I thought about your suggestion, but I don't think Seth will be taking over anytime soon. I could be wrong though. Oh, and as for your "Last Words" review, I'd tell you, but FFnet cut off the domain name of your e-mail. Try putting it in the spot that is designed for e-mail addresses. (Where you usually put "Too lazy to sign in")
Red Rose Yuki - A new reviewer! Yay! Is your name, by any chance, related to Yuki Juddai? You realize that calling him Yuki is the same as calling Kaiba, "Kaiba". It's written in traditional Japanese format, meaning Yuki is the surname and Juddai is his given name.
allison lightning - Another new reviewer! Double Yay! Here's your update. Enjoy! By the way, what did you mean by "these stories"?
LazerWulf: Now that that's done, let's get this fic started.
Joey: Hey! Whaddabout me?
LazerWulf: Don't worry, we still have the Epilogue A'Ns to do.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kisara, but I own Lyn. I don't own Mokuba, but I own Abukom. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own this AU. I also own Max and Sam.
'Yami to Hikari'
'Hikari to Yami'
The Return of the Priest
Chapter 10: Confessions
Lyn's POV
We pulled into a parking space at Domino Mall, where my brothers were supposed to meet their new friend, Mokuba. It was nice that they were making friends.
We made our way through the mall and found the arcade, where we were supposed to meet Mokuba. Once there, I noticed a few familiar faces from school. Tristan and Joey were battling each other on Tekken 3, while Anzu seemed to be dragging Yugi to the DanceDanceRevolution station.
"Oh, come on Yugi! It'll be fun!" Anzu said.
"But I don't dance!" Yugi complained.
I decided to be merciful and rescue Yugi from this situation.
"Hey! Anzu! Yugi!" I cried out.
Yugi's eyes seemed to brighten at the welcome distraction.
"Hey, Lyn!" He replied. "Who are these two?"
"These are my brothers, Max and Sam."
"Nice to meet you," Yugi replied. "I'm Yugi Muto."
My brothers' jaws just about dropped to the floor. "You're Yugi Muto!" They both said, at the same time.
"You know the Duelist Kingdom champion," Sam turned to me, "and didn't bother to tell us!"
I shrugged. "I didn't think it was important at the time."
"But still," Max jumped in, "HE'S YUGI MUTO!"
"Now, guys," Yugi said, trying to calm them down, "I'm still just a normal teenager, not just the Duelist Kingdom champ."
"He's right, ya know." Joey said, appearing right next to Yugi. Apparently he and Tristan had finished their game. "He's also da Battle City champ!"
This seemed to have the opposite effect of what we were going for. Instead of calming down, Max and Sam went wild at the sight of another famous duelist.
"OH MY GOSH! You're Joey Wheeler! Serenity told us all about you!"
"You won second place in Duelist Kingdom, and third in Battle City!"
Unlike Yugi, Joey seemed to be basking in the light of fame. For a minute, I thought I smelt bacon frying.
While Max and Sam where off with Joey, talking about duel strategies and such, I took Yugi's place and joined Anzu in playing DDR. She was flying, but I wasn't too shabby, either. While I was nowhere close to her score, I made it into the top 10, where most of the spots were dominated by Anzu's previous scores.
While I was entering my initials, I heard a slow clap. I turned to see none other than Seto Kaiba.
Seto's POV
"Come on, Nii-sama! Max and Sam are probably waiting in the arcade by now!"
"Hey, it's not my fault that Domino has such stupid drivers!"
It had taken us a full 30 minutes to get to the mall, twice as long as it usually took. I had planned to just drop Mokuba off at the arcade and leave, but when we got there, I saw Lyn with that Mazaki girl, playing DDR, her light blue hair glowing in the blacklights of the arcade. Her dancing was as graceful as her singing was. When I noticed that she had made the top 10, I couldn't help but applaud. This seemed to startle her. As she turned around she looked surprised to see me.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Taking my brother to meet some friends." I replied, nonchalantly.
Just then, she seemed to notice that Mokuba was standing next to me.
"Mokuba's your brother!"
I cocked an eyebrow.
"You know him?"
"I saw him briefly. He was playing Duel Monsters with my brothers when I picked them up after school today."
"Ah, so Max and Sam are your brothers."
"Hey," Mokuba piped in, "I'm gonna go play games with Max and Sam, now. I'll leave you two to have some 'alone time'." He ran off before I could interject.
'I swear, that kid is too mature to be 12.'
'I know, Abukom was the same way.'
Ugh, I'm going to have to watch what I think aloud.
"So, you want to get a cup of coffee?" Lyn asked, breaking the awkward silence.
What have I got to lose? I sigh, and let a half-smile slip out.
"Sure. There's a Starbucks around here somewhere."
We walked toward the Food Court in silence. Well, for her it was probably silent, but she didn't have a Yami trying to interfere with her personal life.
'I sense that you are struggling about whether or not to tell her about your past.'
'What's that to you?' I snap back.
'She seems to want to get to know you. Why is that so wrong?'
'I don't like people knowing about my past. It's bad enough that Yugi and his friends know what they do, thanks to our trip to Noah's virtual world.'
'Still, you are attracted to this girl, are you not? Wouldn't you like to get to know her better, too?'
'I have no time for petty relationships. I have a company to run.'
'And, yet, you're going to have coffee with her, when you could be working.'
For once, I had no response. He was right. I hate having to admit that others are right.
Lyn's POV
After what seemed like an eternity of walking, he finally spoke.
"What do you want?" He asked.
"I just want to get to know you better," I said, offhandedly. "Ever since I saw you at the Karaoke bar, I knew you were suppressing some deep pain, and I just want to help you release it."
"No... I mean what do you want?" He gestured to the counter. Apparently, I hadn't noticed that we had arrived at our destination.
"Oh, umm... a tall Arabian Mocha Sanani, black."
"Interesting..."
"What?"
"Well, they say you can tell a lot about a person by the type of coffee they drink. Arabian Mocha Sanani is a wild and exotic blend."
"Oh, and what's your flavor?"
"Gold Coast. Rich and Sophisticated," He smirked.
I rolled my eyes. "Like I didn't see that one coming."
He had offered to pay for my drink, an offer which I gladly accepted, so I went to find us a table while he ordered.
"Ok, here's the deal:" he said, setting the drinks on the table and sitting across from me, "when we met, you said that you had things you didn't want to talk about. If I'm going to talk about my past, you have to talk about yours, and you get to go first."
Well, if that's what it takes to get him to open up...
"Okay, let's start at the beginning. My father was Swedish, but my mother was Japanese. They met while my father was going to school here in Japan. They quickly fell in love, and when it was time for my father to go back home, he asked my mother to marry him, and live with him in Sweden, where my brothers and I were raised. I had been to Japan a few times before, to visit my grandparents, but I always felt at home in Sweden." My tone became sadder as memories started to flood. "That is, up until the accident."
"Accident?"
"Yes, 3 months ago, my father was in a car accident that claimed his life."
"I'm sorry." I know it's something people say, like they have to, but he seemed to genuinely mean it, like he knew what it was like to lose family.
"Thank you. For a while, we tried going on like normal, but behind every corner, there was a memory of him. In the end, my mother decided the best thing for us would be to make a fresh start. We made the arrangements to move to Japan, to be closer to our grandparents. We just arrived yesterday."
"I... I didn't know your wound was so recent. You seem so cheerful."
"I like to make the best out of each situation. You can't change your past, but you can change the way you see it. Sure, I miss my father, but I try to focus on all the new opportunities I have here in Japan."
"Courage... I admire that."
"Ok, Mr. Big Shot," my tone a bit more resolute, "it's your turn."
"You really want to know about my past?" He looked around, searching for anyone who could be eavesdropping. He leaned in toward me, which led me to do the same. "I'll tell you later," I heard him whisper.
ARGH! This guy is so frustrating! He started chuckling, so I threw a crumpled-up napkin at him, making him laugh even harder.
"You tricked me! You said you were going to tell me about your past!"
"If... I said, 'IF I was going to talk about my past.'"
"You... you... you scoundrel! I spill my guts out to you, and you're having a laugh at my expense."
"I'm sorry, it's just that you look so cute when you're angry."
"Did you just call me cute?"
This got him to stop laughing. He must not have noticed his slip of the tongue, because he quickly changed the subject.
"This place is a bit too crowded. How about I tell you over dinner some time, say, Friday night?"
Whoa, is he asking me on a date? First cute, now this...
"I... I..."
"I'll pick you up at 8. Wear something nice."
Joey: Kaiba's goin' out on a date?
LazerWulf: Well, I was going to have him talk this chapter, but I know how he likes his secrecy.
Joey: Dat, and he likes ta be manipulative. Did ya see how he got Lyn ta talk?
LazerWulf: I prefer to think of it as "having full control over the situation".
Joey: Well, I tink it's Kaiba being Kaiba.
LazerWulf: My point exactly. I didn't want to get him too far OOC.
Joey: And what's dis about smellin' bacon?
LazerWulf: Simple. It's because you're such a ham.
Joey: Hey!
LazerWulf: It's true! Anyway, this'll be my last update for a while.
Joey: What! Why?
LazerWulf: I leave for Canada on Tuesday night. I'm going to help out at the Acquire the Fire convention in Hamilton, ON, and I won't be able to get to a comp to write for at least a week. That, and my other beta-reading responsibilities.
Joey: You're leavin' me here, all alone?
LazerWulf: Oh, don't be so melodramatic. Until next time, people, review! Oh, and if you haven't already, please add me to your Author Alerts list, so you'll know when I DO update.
P.S. Props to anyone who can guess where the "What do you want?" gag is from.
