Damn. You have no idea how tough it was to type this chapter. I lost my flash drive which had all of the songs I created for this chapter. I was so pissed so I had to create new ones. Well, enjoy!
Act III
"Singing?" Kaiba asked. "Now this is way out there even for you."
Kaiba was furious. He knew instinctively that there was something wrong when his brother didn't answer the phone. Imagine his surprise when he saw that his brother was participating in some sort of arcane ritual. He expected to hear something along the lines of 'past lives, shadow games and junk'. But everyone bursting into song, well that was a new one.
"It's true, Nii-sama." Mokuba answered. "Yuugi-san was singing. There were harmonies and everything started to rhyme and stuff."
"He's right, Kaiba." Jounouchi spat, looking at the visage of the last person he wanted to see that day. "I saw Otogi singing to Honda, a lady singing about her parking ticket and I even broke into song."
After Jou mentioned that Otogi broke into song, Honda instantly remembered what happened. It was some sort of love ballad that ended with the dice guy kissing him. And it was disturbing to say the least. The yakuza teen was pushing the thought to the back of his mind when Jou brought up the song. He didn't want to deal with this now. Perhaps it was a mistake…. Yeah that's the ticket, a mistake.
Otogi looked at Honda during the conversation. He didn't even try to make a show of hiding it. After the spell was casted, Otogi remembered the song. He knew how he felt about the other teen and his heart spilled out, like an overflowing dam. And when the floodgates opened, he couldn't stop singing. It was the last way he wanted to reveal his feelings. In fact, he was content just keeping them inside so that he wouldn't look like a fool. How shameful
"Are you touched in the head, mutt?" Kaiba asked him. "No one just breaks into song."
Jounouchi snorted. "I wonder what kind of song Moneybags would sing. Something like 'I like to work all day long.'" The gang tried not to bring attention to that fact but they were snickering at the thought of Kaiba singing. Even Mokuba could help but grin at the notion of his brother breaking into song.
"I would never do something so asinine." And that's when Kaiba remembered. He did break into song. He was singing about Mokuba and his relationship with his little brother. That he didn't remember it until this moment disturbed him. It had to be a dream or something. There was no way that he would do it willingly. "Mokuba, come with me." He ordered. "We're going home."
"But Nii-sama, we were just about to watch another movie." He whined. Actually, he wanted to see where this song-thing was going. The ebony-haired imp wanted to break into song like everyone else. He wondered what kind of song he would sing. It sounded like fun.
"Yeah, Kaiba-san." Shizuka stood with her boyfriend. "I promise. No more songs." She wondered if puppy-dog eyes would work on the CEO.
Kaiba glanced angrily the group. The last thing that he wanted was his brother being corrupted by this magic nonsense. But, Mokuba seemed adamant on staying. He didn't want to see him sad and it was sort of a frivolous notion to take Mokuba away from his girlfriend because they believe they were breaking into songs. Besides, he wanted to contemplate his own singing. Kaiba threw a cell phone battery at Mokuba, who caught it instantly. "Call me tomorrow."
With that, Kaiba exited the Game Shop. "I'll see you to the door." Jounouchi told him
Kaiba walked to his car while Jounouchi stood on the stoop of the Game Shop. "You know, there are some things in this world that can't be explained with logic and science, Kaiba." The blond called out to him.
"Your stupidity would be one of them." Kaiba smirked.
"You arrogant…." Jou shook his head. "When are you going to get it through your thick head that we are not your enemies?"
Kaiba turned. "Are you going to serenade me about the joys of friendship, mutt?"
"You know, you'd be a lot more fun to hang around if you didn't have that stick up your ass." Jou glared.
"And that's the point. I don't want to hang around you." Kaiba retorted as he climbed into his car and drove away from the blond and the Game Shop.
Jounouchi sighed. That didn't end the way he wanted. The blond stared at the road that Kaiba took to go home.
The Boy I Like
A soft music box-like song
/Katsuya/
There's the boy that I like
Now more than ever, he gives me butterflies
As he stands there all aloof
He still thinks I'm a goof
I wonder if he thinks of me like I think of him
How I like to imagine
That I would be always standing by his side
To see him smile at me
To know that he loves me
That's all I really want from you
As Jounouchi was about to go into his third verse, the door to the Game Shop opened and Anzu appeared.
"Jou-kun, the next movie was about to start." Then she gasped. "Were you just singing now?"
Jou scratched his head in embarrassment. "You heard?"
"You were just singing about Kaiba."
And Jounouchi couldn't deny it. He was singing about him. He couldn't help it. It was like a compulsion. "I thought we got rid of the songs." He tried to change the subject. "How come I am still singing?"
"I think a better question was why are singing about Kaiba like that? It sounded like a love song." Anzu asked.
Jounouchi didn't like lying to his friends but this was a subject upon which he was uncomfortable. There were times that he didn't like that he felt this way about the other teen. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't feel as bad as he did with Kaiba. If Kaiba's attitude were different,…. But he treats everyone else like they are beneath him. And yet, there was something that the blond found attractive; perhaps the svelte form or those stunning Prussians that stared back at him. Who knows?
"Do we have to talk about this now?" Jounouchi asked.
Anzu could see how this was tearing apart Jounouchi and decided that she wouldn't press the issue. Better to allow the blond to discuss whatever feelings he had on Kaiba at another time.
But, considering that the spirit of the millennium puzzle did say that they would be free from the songs, Anzu did wonder why Jounouchi broke into song. Perhaps it was time to break into investigative mode.
As Jounouchi and Anzu walked back into the Game Shop, they were greeted with a strange sight. Yuugi and the gang were singing about what movie they were going to watch next.
As Honda was going into a crescendo about the new spy thriller that he wanted to watch, Anzu shouted at him. "Honda-kun."
It was like a phonograph needle scratched across a record. The song stopped immediately. Everyone looked at Anzu and she blushed, not used to the attention. "Um…" She stuttered. "I thought that we got rid of the singing."
The Spirit who called himself Yami spoke to Yuugi through his mind. "I never said the songs would be broken. The spell that was cast allows use to see what magics were afflicting us."
Yuugi relayed the information to the group. "He said that if we don't find the source of the songs, we will keep singing forever."
Shizuka's face scrunched in confusion. "I don't see the problem." She said. "So we sing instead of talk. What is so wrong with that?"
Yami answered back, using his aibou as a conduit. "It's unnatural to sing without reason. And all things unnatural have a price. If we don't find the source, he says that it could end up worse."
"How worse can it get?" Otogi asked. After that song, in which he revealed his feelings to his longtime crush, he couldn't fathom what could possibly be worse than that.
"Well, he says that the songs are designed to reveal what's in your heart." The tri-color haired teen told the group. "These closely guarded secrets could change relationships. Imagine that you hate your boss but always kept that inside or say you liked someone but were too afraid to tell that person. The songs are devised to destroy those barriers and blurt out what you feel, without any regard of the consequences."
The group nodded. That would be sort of bad. "But even if you blurt out your secrets, how is that bad?" Mokuba asked, trying to attack this problem from a logical standpoint.
And that question was answered when they heard singing coming from outside the Game Shop. The group investigated and saw a group of teenagers singing about a new episode of their favorite show. As they were singing, Yami, through Yuugi's eyes, could see green orbs coming out of the teens' bodies. When all of the orbs came out of their bodies, the teens collapsed in a crumpled heap. Their bodies were devoid of all color and looked like empty shells
Anzu gasped as the teens fell down. She had never seen anything like it. Honda and Jounouchi tried to shake them awake. Shizuka ran to the phone to call an ambulance.
"Their souls were stolen." Yuugi told the group.
"You're kidding." Mokuba whispered, unable to contemplate something of this magnitude.
"The heart is the keeper of the soul." Yami told Yuugi who told the rest of the gang. "The songs are designed to destroy the heart and lay bare the soul. In moderate amounts with someone you trust, this is a good thing as it creates a strong bond with that person. However, if just anyone can hear your inner thoughts, it destroys the bond between the heart and the soul, causing the soul leaves the body."
"But if that's true," Anzu asked. "Who would want the souls?"
And for once, the spirit was unable to answer.
Viewing the events from high on Domino Tower, Kinnac smiled. Souls were coming. The Pharaoh could run interference all he wanted but in the end, Kinnac would claim the Pharaoh's throne for his own, taking his rightful place as King. The spirit was a pretender to the throne. Kinnac was the rightful heir, having been ousted long ago in the time of Egypt by the royal family of that time. But, he came back as a lowly musician, charming all by his song. However, the Pharaoh of that time had employed the use of monsters to protect his newly obtained kingdom. Unfortunately for Kinnac, the monsters were not entranced by his music and he was banished to the shadow realm. Now, 5,000 years later, he could have his revenge on the heir of the Pharaoh who banished him.
Once More, with Feeling (part 3)
Oh Atemu, so you see my ruse
But, in the end, you will be paying your dues
I will finally take my revenge
And all of my pain I will avenge
Get ready, Pharaoh. You will be singing the blues
Kinnac continued to watch the souls being stolen from bodies. It was all falling into place nicely.
As the night was waning into day, the group in the Game Shop was just about ready to finish the evening with well deserved rest. Honda, however, was unable to sleep. He was still thinking about that kiss and that song. It was disturbing to think that a guy that he considered a friend had a crush on him. He would have never guessed for the life of him. Honda and Otogi's relationship wasn't going to be the same again. It bothered him that they were unable to go back to what used to be. Now that the feelings were out in the open, Honda could ignore what happened and probably try to return to a sense of normality. However, most likely, that would cause a bigger rift between the two. He could reject him outright but then again, he didn't want to cause pain to a friend. He could try to like Otogi as something more than a friend but that would require that he lie to himself and of all things, he couldn't do that.
Honda got up and put on some sneakers and his coat. Perhaps walking outside would help him relax.
Anzu was the first to fall asleep and as she did, she had a dream. She saw the two Yuugis in her dreams, each beckoning her to come to him and him only. The brunette was confused. Which Yuugi was the real Yuugi? Was it that sweet, almost boyish Yuugi? Or was it the confident and King of Games Yuugi?
Who are you?
/Anzu/
Whenever I see you, I always wondered
Who you really are
Why must there be two sides to you?
Please tell me. I must know
I've known you for a long time.
I thought I had you figured out
Then you show me something I've never seen
And I am so confused
Who are you?
Who is the one staring back at me?
Tell me please. That's all I ask.
Who is the boy that I love?
Whenever I hear you, I always think
Which of you is the real you?
The two of you are like night and day
And I don't know what to do?
Why must I feel this way?
Why can't I just choose?
Is it that I'm afraid…
To make the wrong choice
Who are you?
Who is the one staring back at me?
Tell me please. That's all I ask.
Who is the boy that I love?
She felt that her song was touching both of the Yuugis and it felt like the two of them were both heading towards her. And in her heart she felt that the one who came to her first was the real Yuugi.
In that instant, she woke up, disappointed in the fact that the dream ended before she could figure out who was the real Yuugi. It really wasn't fair. She looked around for the time. Taking out cell phone revealed that the time was 6:12. Still feeling sleepy, Anzu closed her eyes, soon drifting back into slumber.
Seto was getting ready for work in his room. As he was putting on his pants, the CEO remembered his song. He was perturbed by the fact that he sang a song. Not only that, it was unbidden by the teen. It didn't make sense. Of all people, Kaiba Seto was not one to sing. He never sang in the shower or along with the radio. In fact, if Seto had not broken into song that one time, he would have thought that he couldn't sing. The song was like there were harmonies and everything was rhyming and stuff. It made him feel like there were only three walls around him, like there was a wall missing, a fourth wall. No, that was ridiculous. He wouldn't allow himself to be bothered by this. It was a one-time thing. That's it.
As he put on his blazer and tie, he thought he heard something coming from downstairs. When Seto went to investigate, he saw his staff doing, in what could only be described as dance-cleaning. Which is to say that they were cleaning but it looked like a dance. There was no response to the scene before him. Seto thought it was best just to walk out of his house right now and go to work. Yes, for the sake of his sanity, perhaps that would be best.
As Seto was driving to work, he mused on what had transpired last night. Mokuba was taking part of some sort of ritual. It bothered him. He didn't want his brother believing in that nonsense. And yet, he didn't want to take him away from the group because Mokuba had made some friends there. Seto hated the magic talks. It was always "Millennium items" this and "Shadow Games" that. For Seto, magic was the unintelligent mind's way of contemplating the universe. For people such as himself, there was a logical explanation for everything. At this point, he didn't know what would compel people to sing but there had to be a cause. This he knew. There is no such thing as magic.
It was unusual for Jounouchi to be the first one up but to have it happen a second day was just weird. The blond didn't know why he was the first one to wake up. Usually, he would sleep in till noon, especially if there was no school or responsibilities that required him to awaken at this hour. The sun was still creeping across the horizon.
After watching what happened to those teens last night, Jounouchi was wary about singing. Sure, at first it was fun but seeing the consequences for such action was downright frightening. He didn't want that happening to him or his friends. But he still felt like he had to sing.
Thinking about singing reminded him of the song he sang about Kaiba last night. He didn't expect Anzu to be around when he did. It was alarming that she could hear his heart through song. And though the blond knew that the dancer would clandestine about his feelings, it still did not feel good to have it in the open. What if it were Kaiba who heard his longing? From what he could glean in their relationship, if one could call it that, there was no fertile ground for the seeds of love to blossom. It was all quicksand… scratch that, it was a black hole. And Jounouchi knew that, in reality, Kaiba would never feel the same way about him like the blond felt about him.
That's why it was necessary to get rid of the songs so he could keep his feelings a secret. Better to believe and hope for that one day then to have it revealed and destroy that hope.
Yami, who had no need for sleep, was busy working on how to counter the singing spell. Most likely, it would require having to find the one who was the source of the songs. Jounouchi may have summoned it to this world but, for it to maintain its hold on reality, there had to be a source where the spell originated. Finding that may be the key to saving everyone, including those souls who were already lost. A tracking spell may be the best way to go about this.
The entire gang got up at about 10 o'clock and they were in no mood to sing. That was good considering what occurred to those teenagers last night. No one wanted that to happen to them. But they had no way to stop it. Unless the spirit in the Millennium Puzzle had any clue as to how to find the source, they were essentially stuck.
Yuugi felt the weight of everyone's eyes on him and he felt nervous. He knew why they were looking at him. He was the only one who could communicate with the Spirit and they figured that he would be the one to tell them what to do. The amethyst-eyed teenager felt as if his body was not his own but it belonged to that nameless Pharaoh. To say that didn't hurt would be a lie. He didn't like that but there was nothing he could do. His thoughts turned to Anzu. Did she think of him as Yuugi or the spirit?
As he was musing, the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle called to him inside his head. "Aibou, I think I have a tracking spell working." The spirit told him.
"Really? Is there anything we can do?" Yuugi asked.
"Well, there seems to be multiple pools of magical activity around the city of Domino. If we can find out which one is the source, then we can probably stop it."
Yuugi conveyed that to the group, his heart prickling as he did so.
"And what happens when we find the source?" Jounouchi asked. He felt as if the singing was all his fault. After all, he was the one who wished that life was like a musical and now look what was happening. People are getting hurt by it. Feelings that should have remained hidden are coming out at the worst possible time. It wasn't right. Therefore, the blond swore that he would stop whatever is causing the singing, no matter what.
"Well, it depends on what it is." Yami relayed through Yuugi. "There are many things that could cause singing on this level. It could be witches' magic, demons from the Shadow Realm and anything along that gamut. However, the worst possible cause of this unnatural singing would be the travelling minstrel from the days of Egypt. If he were causing this, then there could be trouble."
"So how do we find the source?" Honda asked. He was a man of action. He didn't want to wait around till some magic spell revealed his innermost secrets. There were so many things that he didn't want to burden the gang with, especially secrets from his yakuza days. Those memories needed to stay hidden in his heart where they belonged.
"Do we have maps around here?" The Spirit asked through Yuugi.
Yuugi responded by going into a storage closet. He looked for the old phone books that he knew were there. Because of his diminutive stature, whenever he helped out behind the register of his grandfather, he would use the phone books to 'grow' a couple of inches to reach the counter. He looked through the pages and found maps of Domino, showing important places of interest. Ripping them out of the books, he put them on the table.
Using Yuugi's body, Yami waved his hands across the maps, transfusing magic onto the papers. The magic caused certain areas of the maps to glow blue. "The blue spots are where we can find the highest concentrations of magic. If we split up in groups of two, we can find out if the source is in one of these areas."
"I'll go with Shizuka-chan." Mokuba called out before anyone else could lay claim to his girlfriend. Shizuka's response was a smile. Of course, he would try to be her partner first.
"Who didn't see that coming?" Honda smirked.
Jounouchi was very quiet during Yami's explanation of the source of the singing. Since he was the one who summoned it to this world, he would be the one to find it. Without even looking at his friends, he took one of the maps and headed out the door.
"Jou-kun" Anzu shouted at his retreating figure. But, by that time, he was already gone.
"I think Jou-kun feels guilty about whatever is happening." Yuugi told her. "He told me that he was the one who noticed the singing."
"But for him to run off like that…" Shizuka muttered, worried about her big brother.
"I guess he really wants to stop this." Yuugi smiled at the strawberry-haired teen, trying to alleviate her worries. She smiled back, still not convinced but feeling a bit better.
"Yuugi" Anzu turned to him. "Do you mind if we pair up?" Yuugi turned to face her. There was something about the way that she was looking at him that made him… well different. The feeling wasn't unpleasant and that was curious. Could it be that she liked him? Or did she like the spirit? All of this was confusing.
"Okay" He responded.
Honda blanched inwardly. If Mokuba and Shizuka were paired up and so were Yuugi and Anzu, that left him and Otogi. He looked at the dice master and noticed that his head was down, perhaps in shame or embarrassment. Maybe he was thinking about yesterday. And that was the last thing that he wanted to remember.
"I suppose you and me are partners." Honda grunted.
"I suppose so." Otogi responded in an even inflection. Such a tone made it impossible to determine what the teen was feeling.
After each group took a map, they split up to find the highest concentration, even though they didn't know for what they were looking.
Jounouchi's feet took him to a park which happened to be across the street from KaibaCorp's main offices. The blond looked at that ivory tower and thought about him. Of course he would have to choose the magical source that was closest to that guy.
Why did his heart have to like that guy? Sure he was attractive but there was just something about his personality that made Kaiba Seto unapproachable. Jounouchi knew that the blue-eyed teen was capable of the kinder emotions. He saw him playing with Mokuba in the snow. There was a smile on his face. It may have been small but that smile brightened his entire face and made the blond feel all floaty.
But, that was him as a brother. Kaiba Seto's other personality, the one where he was not with his brother, was that of a general asshole. That personality was at odds with everyone in general and Jounouchi Katsuya in specific. For some reason, the blond noticed, Kaiba really went out of his way to make him miserable.
Jounouchi shook his head. It was pointless to think about it. Better to look for that source of magical concentration. He just wished that he knew for what it was that he was looking.
Kaiba Seto was done with his board meetings and walked out of the building that bore his name. That is to say, it was hard to concentrate when your employees were singing about figures and deals and game ideas when it was starts to rhyme. And it's very disgusting when an overweight fifty-year old sweaty man decides that he wanted to be a belly dancer and shows his stuff, in more ways than one, to the group. Perhaps it would be a good thing to cancel work until whatever is causing this singing finally stops.
The young CEO was actually contemplating that when he saw a familiar tuft of blond hair. It's the mutt. Of course, as if his day couldn't get any stranger. He was truly beginning to hate this cosmic author.
However it was strange. The mutt was alone. Where were his friends and, more importantly, where was his brother? Observing Jounouchi a bit more, he noticed that he had a piece of paper in his hand and he seemed intent on finding something. That was strange to say the least. It was kind of amusing.
He stopped himself there. He was starting to think about those feelings. Jounouchi may be cute but the only thing he wanted from him where things of a carnal nature. There was nothing deeper than that.
As the elder Kaiba thought on that longer, he could feel a tickling in the back of his throat. It was as if there was something that wanted to come out and make itself known. Oh no, he so wasn't singing.
Honda and Otogi decided to check the downtown suburban section. It was quiet, uncomfortably so. Neither boy had the courage to say anything to each other. However, both were thinking about the event last night after Honda helped Otogi with the boxes in his store.
That damn kiss… each thought. It changed everything. Their friendship wasn't as solidly built as the one Honda Hirito had built with Jounouchi or even like the one he had built with Yuugi. Their friendship was based on amicable coexistence. They were comfortable in each other company. But now, one couldn't call this comfortable. Honda was noticeably stiffer around Otogi and the dice master didn't like it.
"Can we talk?" Otogi asked.
"Wouldn't you rather sing?" Honda retorted, a bit of venom lashing out at the question. It made the dice master bow his head in shame. "Sorry" the yakuza teen apologized curtly.
"I just want to explain what happened yesterday."
"What's there to explain? You confessed your feelings about me through song and then you kissed me. I'm pretty sure that there is very little that needs to be explained."
"What's with the attitude, Honda?"
"How long?" the brunet asked.
"How long have I felt this way? Probably after that incident when you lost your body in that virtual world of Kaiba's."
It was in that moment that Honda grabbed him roughly by his arm. The yakuza teen stared at him with intense eyes that held Otogi's gaze even as he wanted to look away from such eyes. "What is it that you want from me?"
And in that moment, Otogi laughed. What was said wasn't even funny but he couldn't stop laughing. The tension that was building inside of him seeped away with every laugh. "Don't you remember the song at all? I just want your love." He smiled in a way that betrayed the torrent of emotion that he was feeling.
Honda released him quickly and turned away from this strange boy. Taking the map in his hands, he continued looking for this source or whatever. Otogi followed behind him, somewhat relieved that he got his feelings out in the open.
Yuugi and Anzu chose the shopping district. There were many people around in their own songs and dances. If the situation for removing such a spell wasn't so dire, the two would have enjoyed the sight. There were synchronized sweeping, cops chasing bad guys singing in full baritone, and a host of other strange musical related song and dance.
Anzu looked at Yuugi who was looking at the map. She was trying to remember her dream. The two Yuugis were each running towards her in her dream but which one was the one who she wanted? It confused her so utterly.
Yuugi, on the other hand, was talking to the spirit with whom he shared a body.
"You do realize" the Spirit told him "that this is the perfect time to tell her how you feel."
Yuugi smiled to himself. It wasn't often that the Spirit who called himself Yami gave him advice in something unrelated to Duel Monsters or magics. "But which me is the real me, you or me?" And Yuugi completely confused himself with that question.
"You and I are not the same people. Your heart is not my heart and vice versa." Yami responded. "I can see it. She has feelings for you."
"But what if it is you that she has these feelings for? I couldn't stand it if it was that way." And then Yuugi recanted. "But not that I wouldn't be happy for you guys. That's not it at all." And he started to babble.
Yami smiled sagely. "There is a saying that I heard somewhere. 'Believe in a miracle and they will know your feelings.'" When he said that, Yuugi felt like he had been hugged. It was a comfort that he reveled in and it made him feel better.
"Believe in a miracle, huh?" The young duelist smiled.
Yuugi turned towards Anzu with bubbling confidence. The girl looked at the boy with confusion in her blue eyes. "What is it, Yuugi-kun?"
Believe in a miracle... believe in a miracle... believe in a miracle
"I like you, Anzu." Yuugi told with certainty.
That threw the girl for a loop. As she was trying to sort out her own feelings, here was Yuugi, or whom she thought was Yuugi (it was hard to tell sometimes), confessing that he liked her. Well, that answered one question. But now the bigger question was which Yuugi did she like most. She really didn't know what to think.
"Yuugi." Anzu said softly and that made Yuugi worry. "I don't know what to think or say."
Yuugi's hopes for a miracle were deflated. "Oh" was all he could say.
"Don't get me wrong." Anzu tried to correct herself. "I like you but..."
"But?"
"It's like you are two people sometimes. I don't know..." And the girl felt bad. She really did make things complicated.
"I understand." And Yuugi went back to searching for the source. Anzu ran after him.
"Please give me time, Yuugi. Please let me sort my own feelings." She tried to smile to make everything better but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
"I'll wait for your answer." Yuugi told her. However, that bubbling confidence that Yami gave him slowly dissipated.
Kaiba Seto was observing Jounouchi Katsuya from afar and was confused. It looked like the blond was on some sort of scavenger hunt. Every once in a while, he looked at that piece of paper and then he checked his surroundings. How strange. But then again, the blond was prone to doing some weird things. He guessed that this was because his parents probably dropped him on his head a couple times too many.
Kaiba's phone rang and he answered. It was Mokuba's bodyguard, Izuro. He told the CEO that his brother went out of the store with his girlfriend, holding a piece of paper in his hand. From what the bodyguard could tell, there was no pattern to Mokuba's movement that could determine where he might be going. However, he told the CEO that he was going to follow him.
Kaiba hung up the phone and was now curious. The mutt has a paper in his hand as well. Could they be related? Only one way to find out.... Kaiba strangely thought of something from Henry V at that moment "Once more into the breach, my friends".
Jounouchi looked at the map. It told him that he was in the right place but the area was quite large so tracking the source of the singing was tough. Plus, he didn't want to be here. If it wasn't for the fact that he felt guilty for unleashing, however accidentally it was, this singing beast, he wouldn't be within 100 meters of this place.
Then, what he grudgingly called his Kaiba-senses started tingling. The blond shook his head. Of course the guy has to come over here.
"What's with the paper, mutt?" Kaiba asked.
"My name is not mutt; it is Jounouchi. Get it right."
"This park doesn't allow dogs without a leash." Kaiba sneered. "Where's your leash?"
Jounouchi really didn't have time or the patience for this back and forth. So he ignored him and went back to looking for the source.
"Oh, did I hurt the mutt so badly that he's giving me the silent treatment?" the brunet cooed, pushing all the right buttons for the explosion that he knew was going to happen.
Jounouchi could feel the onsets of a song bubbling in him. And the last thing that he wanted to do was to sing his feelings for his tormentor. "I have better things to do than to screw around with you."
The patented Kaiba-smirk washed across the face of the blue-eyed teen. The blond was going in the direction that he wanted. He leaned in close so that his lips were next to Jounouchi's ears. "Are you sure?" He whispered. "I am sure that you would love to screw."
Jounouchi's face got real hot at that insinuation. He clenched his fist and, in an instant, he took a swing at Kaiba. Kaiba had already anticipated what the blond was going to do and dodged the punch with natural ease and grace.
"What the hell is your problem?" Jounouchi barked. He didn't even bother trying to hide the blush.
Kaiba's smirk grew even wider, if that was even possible. "You're amusing, mutt. All that blushing over one word?" Then it dawned on him. "I see. You have a crush on me."
And that's what pushed Jounouchi over the edge. The song that was building in him exploded from his heart and found its way to his lips.
TRUE MEANING
A techno club beat, very danceable.
/Katsuya/
(Jounouchi could feel the music pumping and that compelled his legs to dance to its beat.)
Everyday, you always come to me
It's like I can set my watch to you
Saying words like mutt to get a rise from me
What the hell is wrong with you?
Sometimes I really don't understand my heart
That it could fall in love with someone like you
It's ridiculous that I can't move on
Because I know that I won't get what I want from you
So tell me, what is this true meaning?
Tell me please because I can't stand the way I feel anymore
Everything that I ever thought about you
It was all a lie... A lie for sure
(Kaiba could feel the song coming out to respond to Jounouchi. Dammit. There was no stopping this one. The CEO couldn't fight it. His hips responded to the beat and he started dancing as well.)
/Seto/
You really think that you are more than you are
Thinking that you belong up on the top with me
Such arrogance disgusts me
You're a mutt so act like one
Someone like you shouldn't even be close to me
And yet I can't leave you alone
Why the hell does my heart try to tell my mind
That I need you beyond what it should
So you want to know this true meaning?
You truly shouldn't mean anything to me
You're just a passing phase, this I'm sure
So dammit, just pass on... pass on
/Katsuya/
(Jounouchi could feel himself getting angrier, tears of frustration flooding his eyes.)
Have you even thought what we could be
Instead of two we could be one
Are you really going to throw away that chance?
To finish before we've even begun
/Seto/
(Kaiba couldn't believe what he was hearing. How insolent of the mutt to think that he would want anything to do with the blond.)
I don't want you for anything
Except what could be beneath the sheets
So if you're looking for something deeper
You'll find yourself incomplete
/Katsuya and Seto/
So why are we looking for true meaning?
Nothing good will come of this
And so, there is no true meaning
....
And as their song hit the final verse, Jounouchi stumbled on something. Kaiba looked in his direction and found something that made even his eyes go wide.
Mokuba and Shizuka were probably doing the least amount of work to find this source. Instead, they were enjoying the songs that people were singing. It was funny to find certain people singing. One of the grocers was singing a lullaby to his produce. An elderly woman was doing back flips, using her cane as support. Even kids were doing high-kicks as in a chorus line. Even though Yuugi had stressed the dangers of what could happen should the songs continue, it was really difficult for the two of them to fathom that something so innocuous could really be that bad.
"You know, Mokuba" Shizuka whispered in his ear "We haven't sung a song yet."
"I know, Shizuka. But how does the singing work?" the black-haired kid wondered
"I don't know. But nii-chan said that he sang and he couldn't control it. And when the Spirit-san was casting that spell, he was singing as well." Shizuka put her index finger on her lip as if in thought.
"I guess. But we never sang yet. It's totally unfair." Mokuba looked around and saw people singing as if it was something natural. "Look at everyone else. They are singing like it's nothing."
"Maybe we are trying too hard."
Their mission was almost forgotten until a wind blew and fluttered the map that they were taking to investigate the source. The two decided to get back to what they should be doing.
The bodyguard known as Izuro was watching the boy whom he was suppose to be guarding. It was tough to watch him and stay hidden all without bringing attention to himself. But it was Kaiba-sama's order. And as long as Kaiba-sama was putting money in his account, he would follow the kid to the ends of the earth.
Don't Worry
/Izuro/
Don't worry, young Kaiba
As soon as he sang the first line in his song, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach and saw blood seeping out from it. He turned around and saw an old visage staring back at him. From the look of it, the old man came from a humid climate. His skin was bronzed and wrinkled from his life under the sun. Izuro passed out, falling to the floor as a knife popped out of him when he did.
"Now, now." Kinnac smirked. "I can't have you interfering with my plans, now can I?"
Mokuba and Shizuka followed the map to where it was leading but they didn't know for what it was that they were looking. For all they knew, it could be something gigantic or something minuscule. And so, the couple decided to start a conversation about their brothers.
"Shizuka, what do you think about my brother?" He asked. There was something about the tone that he used that indicated to the girl that he was serious.
"Kaiba-san?" Shizuka wanted to tell Mokuba the truth. However, her first opinion about the guy was not good because she knew that his brother never had a kind word to say about him. "Well, my brother says he's a horrible jerk that won't leave him alone. But every time I've seen him, he's been okay. I mean, he let us be together even though he doesn't like my brother."
"Do you think that I'm going to be like him?"
"Mokuba is Mokuba and Kaiba-san is Kaiba-san." Shizuka told him. "I mean, sometimes you are like him but you are different. That's why I like you." She giggled a bit. "I'm not making sense, am I?"
Mokuba smiled back. "Nah, you made perfect sense."
Shizuka blushed when she saw Mokuba's brilliant smile. "Okay." She was speechless. "Since we're on the subject, what do you think of my brother?"
Mokuba knew that his girlfriend told him the truth about Nii-sama so it was only fair that he return the favor. "My brother said he was loud and annoying, but I think that he has a big heart."
"You know, those two are like total opposites." She told him laughingly.
"You know what they say. Opposites attract." Mokuba countered by sticking out his tongue. "It's like those two were made for each other."
The song that they wanted to sing started to bubble within them and it exploded out of their mouths.
Made for Each Other
A vaudeville duet.
/Mokuba/
My brother is cold and stuffy
And gets all kinds of huffy
Whenever a little thing doesn't go like he planned
He tries to stand alone
I think I've always known
That he really just wants someone to stand where he stands
But I think that those two were
Made for each other
It's like an irresistible pull
Jounouchi and my brother
They say they hate the other
But I think that it's just bull
/Shizuka/
My brother's quick to get excited
And he gets into a lot of fights and
He's never one to let even a little thing slide
There are times he can be dense
Always getting really tense
Whenever someone really tries to mess with his pride
But I think that those two were
Made for each other
It's not hard to see the truth
There is Seto and my brother
They say they hate the other
It's like trying to pull out a tooth
/Mokuba & Shizuka/
So what's it going to take
To get them to see
What they have in common
Will it take a big confession?
Or a one on one digression
And maybe, maybe then
They will beeeeeeeee
Just like you and me
Once the song was finished, the two broke into giggles.
"We sang." Shizuka laughed. "We actually started singing. It was amazing."
"It was fun." Mokuba retorted, still laughing about the spontaneous song that the two of them had never practiced but sang like they did. "I don't know what the Spirit-san was talking about. This is great."
Their laughter died instantly when they heard the sound of clapping behind them. The couple turned around and there was a bronzed, wrinkly old man behind them, clapping. "Wonderful song." He smiled. "You two will do nicely."
The old man snapped his fingers and both Mokuba and Shizuka lost consciousness and fell to the ground. He looked at the two carefully. "The boy has the same aura as the priest that followed the Pharaoh and the girl…" Kinnac shook his head. "No matter. This will draw the Pharaoh and his lackeys out." He laughed softly as the machinations of his plans fell into place.
Oh my gosh. That's a long chapter. And there were so many songs. You'll have to forgive me if they sound a bit off. When I was writing this fic, I had a whole other document dedicated to the songs for each act. And I lost the flash drive it was on. What's worse is that I didn't back it up on my computer. I was so mad that I almost took a bat to destroy it. However, I figured that I'll have to make new ones. Hopefully these will suffice.
The next fic that I am updating is going to be Young Hearts, Run Free. From there, it will be Only in My Dreams, Dearly Beloved and then back to this one. There are only two more acts left to finish and then it will be complete. Hopefully it won't take long to do it.