Tea looked down at her feet in silence.
Today was the day, today was doomsday.
And the sad part was, she had chosen her doomsday. She could have avoided it, she could have escaped with everyone else back to Earth. But she knew better, she couldn't have run away if she had wanted to. She looked up into the mirror, and saw the reflection of a rich prisoner looking back at her. Her hair had been brushed and pulled back, a beautiful white veil covering her head and hair and reaching down to the middle of her back. A dazzling sky blue dress decorated her thin body, and glass white shoes ended the ensemble. Tea brushed the veil from her eyes with a sigh. Noah had chosen the outfit, he was going to be her master in a few hours, and because he was about to become her captor Tea knew she had to obey. Noah had explained the ceremony earlier, just so she would know what was going to be the last life altering decision as Tea Gardner. First Noah would tell her all the rules, basically did she swear loyalty for all of time, never try to run away, ever, and the last part...that was what scared her the most. Staring at the mirror, a single tear slipped down her cheek. Memories of the boys passed through her head with love and amusement, memories of past duels decorated her thoughts, going shopping with Mai and Serenity...
All the memories of her loved ones, her family, all her school buddies, and her teachers swept her up in remembrance, and she smiled sadly, wiping the tear off her face. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was Tea Gardner, wether she remembered after today or not.
"Miss Tea, it's time." A virtual maid said, entering her room with a smile. Noah had gone back to a virtual population, one debugged and on perfect programs. If she went outside she would find people everywhere, only they weren't real. Noah and her were the only 'real' things here. Tea looked herself over in the mirror again.
It was time.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." She whispered sadly, fingering the veil with sorrow.
"Wonderful, Miss Tea! Noah is waiting, he found a beautiful alcove for the oaths to be exchanged. It's on the beach, view of both sand and surf for miles. It should be beautiful."
"I'm coming." Tea repeated, and let the maid lead her out to a waiting carriage. Two sets of beautiful white horses led the coach, and Tea knew this was what she had wanted for her wedding, if she ever had the chance. The maid bustled her in the coach and with a slight jolt Tea was off toward the sea. She smiled as she saw people wave to her, and then her thoughts drifted away to a different time, on a different world. She shifted back to dancing, the simple movements that chased all her fears away. She had wanted to go to Julliard's, she wanted to dance. She wasn't going to be able to dance again, not as she knew how to or why she loved it. Time stopped as another tear slipped down her cheek, and then another. She never let out a sob, the pain never racked her body. It was simply tears of submission, tears of sorrow, tears of acceptance.
She had decided her fate.
The coach slowed to a stop, and the door was thrown open.
"We're here Miss Tea!" The maid said cheerfully, shading her eyes from the warm sunlight. "Isn't it beautiful out today?" Tea had to smile as the maid helped her out, and showed her to a long black carpet that led to the alter of her doom. "Oh, isn't this exciting?" The maid asked as she led Tea down the aisle. Tea didn't reply, just looked toward the man who stood on the left side of the wooden alter.
"Tea." He said simply as the maid took center stage as the minister of the oath.
"Noah." She whispered in return. The maid coughed lightly, calling the two into silence.
"Dearies, today you make a solemn oath of loyalty, of obedience, of respect." She began, and Tea turned to look at her feet. "Today, in the great virtual realm that belongs to Noah Kaiba, Tea Gardner take Noah Kaiba as her master, as her captor. Noah Kaiba do you take Tea Gardner as your servant, to treat her kindly and honor her? To you promise to be a fair man if she runs, not to punish with the weapons you have in your closet?" Tea snapped her eyes to Noah when the maid said that. Noah simply smirked.
"I doubt that will become a problem after the ceremony is concluded." Noah told the minister maid.
"Noah Kaiba, you take Tea Gardner as your servant for all time. As your servant, she will no longer be Tea Gardner, what has your decision been on her new name?"
"She will become Chorine Kaiba, she will belong to me as this name." Noah replied.
"Quite beautiful, and fitting. Chorine, French meaning 'maiden' and 'dancer', wonderful choice. Tea Gardner, do you accept this name?"
"I do." She whispered.
"Then as Chorine Kaiba, do you agree to become Noah Kaiba's servant for all time? Do you agree to swear loyalty to him, to bow to decisions, to never run away from him, and to agree to have all previous memories sucked away from you?" A sob stuck itself in Tea's throat. This was what she shied from the most. She was never going to remember Yugi, or The Pharaoh Atem, Joey and his hot hotheadedness, Tristan and his friendship and his overwhelming loyalty and laughter, Mai and her unusualness, Serenity and her sweetness, Grandpa Muto's kindness, her parents love, she would forget all things from Earth. All people of Earth, everything.
"Chorine?" Noah asked quietly.
"I-"
"Stop it!" A voice rang out, and the trio twirled to find the Saew family standing their ground on the black carpet.
"You can't take Tea." Another voice ground out, and Yugi was taking his stand beside the Saew's.
"She's one of ours." Tristan agreed, coming into view.
"Tea belongs with us." Joey added, crossing his arms as he walked forward.
"She is my friend." MG said firmly glaring at Noah with fury.
"She also agreed to this herself. And there is no Tea Gardner here, there is myself, the maid, and Chorine. Who you seek isn't among us." Noah told the group calmly.
"Stop messin' with us. I can see Tay right there." Joey shouted, pointing toward the blue clad, white veiled girl standing looking at the new arrivals shocked.
"Guys, what are you doing here?" She asked surprised.
"We're here to rescue you." Tristan told her calmly.
"You can't, this is the only way." She told them in a whisper.
"There's a loophole to every contract, and this one being Noah is due punishment." Rek replied, rubbing her hands together with glee. Electricity crackled off her fingertips, and MG pulled a mini wand from her necklace and reverted it to normal size to fight alongside Rek.
"You see Noah, you Took some of our wards. That is not seen by the Powers That Be as something to be proud of." Mr. Saew called out patiently.
"Explain." Noah replied.
"You Took MG, we didn't like that. It is our duty to protect the Battle Monsters, the Duel Monsters, and we have permission to obliterate anyone who tries to harm them."
"Ah, but in that lies your problem." Noah laughed. "I never harmed them, ask young MG there. I never laid a hand on her little head, I only granted her wish. I saw no harm in that, but let's ask the mage herself. MG, did I ever harm you during your stay here?"
"You zapped the lightning." She whispered.
"Not at you, it was an indirect bolt. You were never harmed. You felt fear as I returned you to Earth, but you were never harmed, were you?" MG shook her head no. "See? I have done no harm."
"You kidnapped them!" Wen roared.
"I asked permission before each was placed in bliss. Each agreed if I gave them pure happiness it would not pose a problem. I know of your power, I know of the pact that binds the justice behind your power." Noah replied, facing the unexpected guests with a calm expression. "You hold no weight here."
"You can't do this! Tea can't stay here forever!" Tristan shouted out.
"Tea was a nice girl, but for the thousandth time there is no Tea here." Noah replied.
"Tea, tell him he's crazy." Joey snapped, and Tea could not look him in the eye.
"I agreed to lose my name. He's right, Tea does not exist in this realm anymore." She had to tell them. "Tea doesn't exist here."
"WHAT? You can't be serious." The gang demanded.
"My name is now Chorine." She whispered.
"You can't do this Te-Chorine. You have a choice." Yugi begged her.
"No, I don't." She told them quietly. "This is the only way."
"Not completely." A new voice piped up, and Mrs. Saew entered the debate. She looked like Rek, but had bright blond, impossible blond, hair. "You hold crimes against humanity, Noah. The world will not take that lightly."
"Explain, madame." Noah asked, sighing with practiced patience.
"You have kidnapped scores of humans, each against their will. Holding them captive in golden cages will not be tolerated."
"You hold no power over human populations until they interfere with the duel monsters." Noah interjected with a smile.
"Did you, or did you not, take some of my creatures out from my care without consulting me?"
"Um,..."
"You did take my wards without my permission, and when it comes to my permission, you did not have my say. Taking the creatures' agreement over this captivity holds no value what so ever, Noah. They are minors in every aspect. We are their guardians, and without our say in the matter this was an act of kidnapping and treason against all Battle Creatures, all Duel Monsters, everywhere. And because of this simple act of rebellion we are allowed our vengeance. So Noah, are you willing to let Miss Chorine, ahem, Tea go?" Mrs. Saew asked sweetly.
"This is an outrage!" Noah declared.
"No, this is simple crime and punishment." Wen spoke up.
"We'll be taking our friend now." MG decided.
"Noah?" The maid asked confused.
"This will not be allowed." Noah warned the group rising up before him.
"The punishment will be served." Mr. Saew declared.
"Okay, give it your best shot." Noah sneered, and grabbed Tea and swung her in front of him as a human shield.
"How barbarian!" Mrs. Saew said disgruntled.
"Don't try anything, or she's toast. All she has to do is say 'I do' and I win, and you all have to get out of here." Noah warned.
"She wouldn't." Atem replied.
"Really? What's your name my dear?" Noah asked the girl in front of him. Her mind blanked, and came up with Chorine. Her real name was now completely wiped from her memory, the removal of her memories had begun with the first 'I do'. She couldn't remember, what was her name?
"Chor-Chorine." She whispered.
"Perfect, my dear." He laughed.
"What did you do to her?" Yugi demanded.
"It was her own choice." Noah replied smugly.
"Because you forced her to! She felt she had no choice in the matter." Tristan argued.
"But she did, and her choice is plain for all to she." Noah replied. "Now, Chorine say 'I do' please."
"Um, we're in the middle of something." She replied instead, looking at all the people around her.
"Hm, so we are."
"You kidnapped all people of earth, the environment thanks you actually. Gave it some time to clean up the humans' messes. Global warming isn't as bad, or is the littering. Actually, you're not that bad." Mrs. Saew shook her head at absurdity of her statement. "But you must be punished for your actions. Set the young woman down and face the consequences as a man, Noah."
"I don't think so." He replied, and Chorine tried to wiggle free. "Stand still." Noah hissed, and Chorine froze as Noah's grip tightened into boa like constrictness.
"Stop it! You're hurting her!" Yugi shouted as Tea gasped from the pain.
"Why don't you leave? I will willingly set Chorine down then." Noah bargained. The group knew they had met at an impasse, neither side was budging.
"Mother? Do you remember the villain Achanari?" Rek suddenly spoke up.
"Of course, what are you trying to imply?" Rek's mother asked confused.
"Remember his scheme, and the scheme we used in reply?" Rek asked with a smile.
"The-oh! Oh yes I do." Her mother responded with a secretive smile. "Noah, we'll leave."
The groups on both sides gasped, both for different reasons.
"I'm glad you finally saw the light." Noah replied with a smug grin.
"But let me speak with Tea before we depart, you may hold her if you wish." Mrs. Saew bargained, and after a moment's contemplation and keeping his grip on Tea's middle, he nodded her forward. "Ah, Tea. I will miss you."
"Who's Tea? I'm Chorine." The captive replied confused.
"Of course you are, my dear." Mrs. Saew smiled patronizingly and reached around the captive girl to hug her. "Don't worry, you will be free soon." She whispered to the girl, and then blew a cold gust of air in Noah's suspicious face. The boy automatically started to ice over, until he became a simple little icicle. "Wonderful memory you reminded me off, Rek, quite a smart memory too!" She called as she melted Noah's arms so Tea could burst free. When Noah's arms started trying to grab at things, Mrs. Saew quickly refroze them and smiled at the group. "Well, I do believe punishment can begin now!" She called out cheerfully, and Yugi, Tristan, and Joey burst forward to hug their confused friend.
"Tea!"
"You're okay!"
"Don't ever scare me like that again! Do ya hear me?"
"Tea, we were so worried!"
The voices overlapped, and the brunette looked around confused. Why did they think she was this 'Tea'? She was having a memory blank, but she didn't think her name was Tea, it was Chora, or Chorline, or something like that. Oh yeah, her name was Chorine! She didn't really know why she couldn't remember her name, but she was having serious trouble with it.
"Noah, Noah, Noah." Rek tsked, walking around the icicle with a mischievous smile. "You've caused quite a lot of damage. We don't like that, it wasn't nice."
"You have come before judgment, Noah, there's no way out." Wen grinned.
"You don't go up against a Saew and come away unscathed. Didn't you know that? Weren't you supposed to know everything, Noah?" Mr. Saew added in, joining the other Saew's in a circle around the icicle containing Noah.
"It is time, children? My husband? Are you ready?" Mrs. Saew asked, and the family members nodded. Each bowed their heads for a brief moment, and then shot their hands out onto the frozen ice block. Each hand glowed with unnatural light, and a scream was racketing inside the popsicle of an iceberg. Noah's scream echoed and then Noah was thrown to the ground, smoke floating off his burnt body. "Continue?" Mrs. Saew asked, and a simple nod made each raise their hands above their heads and then point them at Noah's crisp body, and then he screamed in pain again. The Saew's tortured Noah with everything they had, each element at their disposal, each monster able to be called forth.
"This isn't natural." Yugi muttered, shielding his eyes from the next scream.
"The Saews do not have the lightest job." Atem replied.
"Dat's the truth." Joey nodded.
"This is freaky." Tristan nodded, swallowing the nausea coming up.
"I do not know why they torture him so." The girl in the blue dress whispered, and Noah began to laugh. His body was immediately healed, he had not even a scare and he was now wearing an impeccable black suit.
"I win." He laughed.
"How? How are you revived?" Mrs. Saew demanded, making her hands glow in warning.
"Chorine finished the ceremony! She said 'I do'!" He laughed maniacally.
"Yeah, but it wasn't about you!" Yugi yelled at him.
"The ceremony does not care in what form the words are said, just as long as the words 'I do' come first from her lips, and you heard her! She belongs to me now." He laughed, and the world melted from view.
"Tea!" Everyone screamed, but Noah simply laughed, and sped dear Chorine from the ceremony grounds with a laugh of victory.