A woman with short brown shoulder length hair and big blue eyes nearly spits out her water after hearing about her friend's shenanigans the previous night. She gulps a few times and coughs as she attempts to keep herself from choking. Her husband pats her on the back.
"Easy Téa," he says. His hair is identical to his twin brother's, but his eyes are softer and less narrowed.
"No, let her keep at it," Mana says with her arms folded and a pout on her lips as she sits across from her in the limo. "Serves you right for laughing." They are headed to a banquet the following night to celebrate Kaiba Corporation's expansion into a theme park. As always, he requested the top duelists to be there, which always seems to attract a huge crowd of fans. Not to mention Atem and Yugi are related to him, therefore always making them guests on the list.
Téa finally regains her composure and sighs, meeting Mana's annoyed gaze. She holds back a burst of laughter and giggles instead. "I'm sorry. But who told you it would be any fun at The Hub? That place hasn't been hot since we were teens!"
"We wouldn't have been there had you not skipped out on us," Mana points out. "Next time don't ditch us for the 'spa.'"
Téa raises her eyebrow. "Why are you saying 'spa' with finger quotations?"
Mana grins mischievously and edges forward, her eyes going back and forth from her to Yugi who blinks in confusion.
"Why are you staring at us like that?" Yugi asks.
"Yeah, what's the big idea?" Téa chimes in.
Atem sighs, looking out the window with his arms folded. "She's alluding to the fact that Téa skipped out to get one on one time with Yugi," he says bluntly, causing Téa and Yugi's faces to go red.
"Because what spa is open that late?" Mana says, her grin growing bigger like an immature kid who has just cracked the code to a huge secret.
The limo stops and the door opens before Téa and Yugi can protest any further. Immediately they are greeted by a wave of cheering fans, paparazzi and blinding flashing lights coming from their cameras. Yugi gulps and tugs nervously at his collar. Even though he has gone through this numerous times, he still isn't used to all of the attention that comes with being a top duelist. He looks at the red carpet leading to the inside that would be his finish line. All he has to do is get through that long carpet and he is free.
Atem doesn't care much about all of the attention either, though he has his own way of getting through it. He is the first to step out of the limo and he takes Mana's hand, helping her out. He wears a black tuxedo and Mana wears an off the shoulder black dress that reaches just above the knee. A worker wearing a headset leads them over to a mark on the red carpet against a white backdrop that is covered in blue Kaiba Corp. logos. Mana gives off a smile while Atem's expression remains stoic as the cameras from the paparazzi flash every second.
It isn't long before they move on, ignoring the calls of his name as reporters attempt to interview him. Right before the entrance there are a group of fans holding up signs and autograph books for him to sign. He looks over at them, seeing their enthusiastic expressions and their excitement to see him up close in person. Mana can feel herself being led over to the fans and she smiles. If there's one thing he will stop for, it is his fans.
"Thanks Atem!" one boy says as he signs his autograph. "I wanna be a great duelist like you someday!"
Atem smiles. "And you will. Just keep practicing."
"I sure will!"
"She's so pretty. Just like the Dark Magician Girl," a small girl says in awe. Mana happens to overhear her and turns to the girl with red hair and pigtails who is holding her mother's hand. Mana crouches down to her. "Are you a real magician?"
Mana giggles, dangling her hand over the girl's head, causing sparkles of light to cascade down on the child to her excitement. The red headed girl looks up at her mother excitedly. "See! I told you she was!" She has never kept it a secret and has always flaunted her abilities proudly.
Mana finally stands up straight, meeting the woman's gaze who seems very appreciative of the interaction. "Thank you so much. This is the happiest I've seen her in awhile," the mother says and Mana nods before looking back down at the girl. She motions her hand once again and the next thing the girl knows, she is holding her own replica of a toy wand.
"Thanks Dark Magician Girl!" the girl exclaims, jumping up and down.
After the small exchange between fans, Atem and Mana finally walk to the entrance of the banquet hall. "That was nice of you," Atem says.
Mana chuckles. "I'm beginning to realize you really work well with kids too." She feels Atem give her hand a soft squeeze and she smiles inwardly.
Yugi hesitantly gets out of the limo at last, taking Téa's hand and breathing a heavy sigh. His wife nudges him on the arm encouragingly. "You got this Yugi. You already saw how the paparazzi didn't rush at Atem. They'll probably do the same for you," she says and he nods.
"Yeah. Yeah, you're right." He feels himself gaining more confidence as they walk toward the start of the red carpet. Maybe this won't be so bad after all. All they have to do is walk through, take some pictures and go about their way. He can totally do this. They take one step onto the red carpet and as if a switch has been turned on, they are suddenly surrounded by paparazzi asking never-ending questions to his dismay.
'Why do they always let my brother off the hook?!' he whines in his head.
Inside the hall, which is located across the street from the amusement park, there is continuous chatter from various groups of people wearing black tie attire. Nearby there is a live band playing soft music to set the mood. Most are getting to their seats while others opt to stand until the official start of the celebration. Round tables with blue tablecloths are spaced out evenly in the area and in the front of the room is a platform with a podium engraved with a Blue Eyes White Dragon.
Atem pulls out Mana's chair and she sits down. After getting her situated, he sits down next to her, taking in the atmosphere. Seto is known for being over the top and there's no doubt that a lot of the decorations has his influence on it.
"Where's Yugi and Téa?" Mana asks. "Weren't they right behind us?"
"Hey Mana!"
Mana looks over to see Kisara walking over wearing a long white ballroom gown that is strapless and hugs her slender frame. "You look stunning!" Mana compliments with a smile as Kisara gives her and Atem partial hugs, then taking her seat next to Mana.
"Long time no see Kisara," Atem says with a friendly smile. "Congratulations on the engagement."
"Thank you! And thanks for coming. It means a lot to Seto for you two to be here," she says before scanning the room. "But where are Téa and Yugi?"
Just as Atem is about to respond, Yugi comes flying in and he plops down in his chair, holding his chest and breathing heavily. "What's wrong?" Atem asks, raising an eyebrow at his brother's behavior.
"You totally ditched us back there! You know I hate answering interview questions!" he exclaims while Téa joins him at his side with a light chuckle. "How do you always manage to get away, Atem?"
"I keep it moving," he says plainly with a shrug.
"You are a bit on the intimidating side," Téa points out. "I don't think anyone would dare piss you off." Mana blinks and looks at Atem's face, searching for the intimidating aspect of her husband, but she comes up empty handed.
"Well next time, I'm keeping up with you so they'll leave me alone," Yugi says.
Téa giggles. "Aw, it wasn't that bad. And besides, you did great!" If there's one thing Yugi loves Téa for, it's her ability to remain positive.
Yugi sighs before smiling. "Thanks Téa."
"Hey Kisara! You are looking fab!" Téa says, her eyes finally landing on her Kisara.
Kisara chuckles. "You too, Téa."
"So where's the man in charge?" Mana asks, glancing at her phone to check the time. "He's gonna start this thing la—"
"Ladies and gentlemen, could you please take your seats," a man with dark hair and sunglasses says, standing near the podium and the guests promptly go their respective tables. "It is my pleasure to introduce the CEO himself, SETO KAIBA!" The lights dim and a blast of smoke shoots up as colorful lights shine sporadically throughout the hall.
Téa dims her eyes and mutters to Atem, "Why does he always have to be so dramatic?"
"He's been like that since we were kids and I don't think that'll be changing anytime soon," Atem mutters back. He looks over to Mana who seems to be overanalyzing Kaiba's use of smoke and mirrors to make it seem like he's appeared out of thin air. It is a thing that she always does whenever special effects like these are used.
"A mirror there, and over there and the lights are a nice distraction," she mumbles and a drop of sweat goes down Atem's temple and he wraps an arm around her shoulder.
"You're doing it again," he whispers with a smirk, causing her to snap out of it and she chuckles, placing a hand behind her head.
Kisara looks on, seeing the man that will soon become her husband command such authority in the room. He wears a white suite, a blue tie and glossy white dress shoes. He takes the mic off of the podium and holds it up to his mouth.
"Thank you all for coming to celebrate the opening of my brand new amusement park, KaibaLand!" A round of applause sounds through the room. Kaiba smirks, letting it all sink in and then he raises his hand for the clapping to stop so he can continue.
"Everyone in this room will be granted with VIP passes tomorrow with free food and access to all our attractions. Know this. This is only the beginning! There is so much more in store and I will work tirelessly to make sure all of our plans are met."
There are more claps as he places the mic down and walks away from the podium, shaking hands with other businessmen and women. Kisara sighs and lowers her head a little. Without question, she is very happy for him and all of his success. And she knows that him being such a hard worker is who he is and that will never change. But more and more, she feels herself being tossed to the side. They haven't even discussed their engagement party and they haven't finalized wedding plans either.
Scooting back in her seat, she stands up as the applause continues and she briskly walks away, her blue hair hiding her face. Mana watches as she leaves, then turns and makes contact with Téa who also notices Kisara's abrupt departure. Téa nods slightly and they both get up to leave.
"Where are you two going?" Yugi asks.
"To do girl stuff," Téa responds. The two women leave before any other questions can be asked, leaving a question mark on Yugi and Atem's faces.
In the restroom, Kisara wipes away a few tears that have made their way down her cheeks. Her watery eyes slowly gaze up to view herself in the mirror. She is tall, beautiful and quite the catch herself. In every room she walks in, the guys always stop and stare. But she never pays them any mind. The only man that she gives her attention to is Seto. But lately, it seems like he hasn't been doing the same. His business is his baby and she doesn't want to come between him and his aspirations. But what about her and her needs?
The door to the restroom swings open and she quickly blinks away the tears. Fortunately for her, it is her two closest friends who have come to check up on her. "Hey, are you alright?" Téa asks with concern.
"Yeah you ran out pretty fast," Mana says with a frown. "Is it about…?"
Kisara nods her head slowly. "What if he'll never have time for me? Am I making a mistake?"
"Of course not Kisara," Téa assures her, walking up to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Seto loves you and he would do anything for you. I think it's just a busy time in his business because he just opened up a whole amusement park."
"But once this is all secure, then what?" Kisara asks, looking down to the floor. "You heard him up there. This is only the beginning and he's not gonna stop til he reaches every single goal. I just wish he knew how to relax sometimes."
"You want me to talk to him?" Mana asks with a smirk, causing her wand to appear and she twiddles it on one finger. "I'm really good at convincing you know."
Téa rolls her eyes and nudges Mana away. "If it's placing one of your crazy spells, then no. Besides, he needs to do this on his own. He needs to realize that he has a good woman and pay attention to her."
Mana pouts and folds her arms, beginning to mutter under her breath. "Wasn't gonna cast a spell. A good wack on the head would've done nicely."
"Look Kisara, I'm sure he'll come around. Things will calm down and you guys will be in honeymoon mode," Téa assures her. Kisara nods slowly, looking down to the floor.
Back in the banquet hall, Yugi looks worriedly at the door that the three women left out of. They have been gone for quite some time and he is starting to become concerned. "You think everything's alright?" Yugi asks. "Why do you think they left so suddenly?"
Atem places his glass of water down and looks up to see Kaiba working the room and greeting various guests. Then his eyes land on the empty seat that Kisara was occupying. "I don't want to make any assumptions." But if he could take a wild guess, then he suspects that there might be some sort of quarrel going on between Kaiba and Kisara.
Suddenly, a glass shatters, bringing everyone's attention to the source. A waitress drops everything she is carrying and one of Kaiba's security is knocked out cold by a person in all black, wearing dark sunglasses and a ski mask. Then more figures wearing the same attire seem to pop up around the room and a panic ensues.
Kaiba growls inwardly and takes out his phone. "I need more security to the ballroom, now!" he yells. As he makes more commands, a marked intruder sneaks up from behind, attempting to cause harm. Feeling the presence of someone behind him, Kaiba quickly whips around and a lands a punch dead in the face, shattering their sunglasses. They fall to the ground and Kaiba rolls his wrists, narrowing his eyes. "What is the meaning of this…"
Atem and Yugi stand from their seats, exchanging glances before running off in separate directions. Yugi sees a door that isn't guarded by the masked men. "This way!" he yells, gaining the attention of the guests who then make their way over to the exit. But on their heels are the men who carry various weapons from pipes, chains and baseball bats.
Atem calmly walks over with his arms folded and his eyes closed, standing in between the guests that are escaping and the group of men.
"Looks like we got a tough guy," one snickers. "Let's get 'em!"
They all charge at Atem at once, but he makes no movement at all. He opens his eyes and a purple aura surrounds him as the figure of a certain magician appears, holding a green wand.
"What the—?!
"DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" Atem commands, and the magician wearing all purple blasts them across the room with ease. The magician whips his wand before floating next to Atem.
"It has been quite some time since you've had to summon me for an actual battle," the magician with brown hair says.
"Indeed it has, Mahad," Atem agrees, looking over at Kaiba who loosens up his tie as he walks past him. "Any idea who's behind this?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," he says, his eyes showing nothing but pure rage. Atem decides to follow him to the main area where they see Yugi pointing out the exits to the panicked guests. "Where's Kisara?"
"I'd like to know the same of Mana. I assume they're together."
"This way!" Yugi yells as he directs the guests outside near an exit door.
"Yugi!" Téa exclaims, running toward him and he embraces her.
"Are you alright?"
"I am! But Kisara and Mana—"
A bathroom door gets blasted to the opposite wall and they all shield their faces from the amount of smoke. As it begins to disappear, they see one of the many men in black get tossed out. Then another one. And then two more. Mana comes out twirling her wand before hanging it over her shoulder and Kisara wipes the hair out of her face as her glowing blue eyes return back to normal.
She side eyes Mana who is beaming and she places a hand on her forehead. "You're enjoying this aren't you?"
"What? No!" Mana says, trying to act appalled that her friend would even ask such a thing. But the truth is, she is enjoying it. Back then, these sorts of occurrences happened often. She, Kisara, Atem and Yugi would fight thugs like this all the time. In some instances, the fate of the whole world depended on their victory.
"Kisara!" Kaiba runs over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking at her with concern. "Are you alright?"
She smiles. "Yes, I'm fine."
Mana trots over to Atem and she looks over to Mahad in surprise. "Oh hey Mahad! Long time, no see!"
"And same to you my dear friend," he replies.
She then looks over to her husband suspiciously with a grin. How is it possible that he was able to summon Mahad so easily? Especially since he was allegedly tired of all of the crazy fighting. Atem avoids her gaze and looks elsewhere.
"Tired of the fights, huh? We're not teens anymore?" Mana reminds him of his words, hovering over his shoulder.
"Doesn't mean I still don't practice for moments like these," he replies. "But my statement still stands."
"Who could've done this Seto?" Kisara asks. He looks away at all of the destruction this all has caused. His event has been ruined and he is sure the media will have a field day about this. In the midst of the dirt, glass and debris, he looks down to see one single rose laying on top and he narrows his eyes.
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Leave a review if you like this before? Still wondering if I should really continue on with this.