Starlight Luster: Heck yes I brought back Joan! And I'm glad to hear that I made your day too. I liked that little graph you made in your last review; that was pretty nifty of you to make. I didn't go into much detail with entertaining issues, but I will soon enough, don't you worry. Thanks for the review!

MythCreatorWriter: Yeah man, Joan is back and better then ever! I feel like it was a bit early to bring her back, but oh well. I think it works in the long run for what I have planned. Yeah, I feel like both my first chapters were awkward, but I think I really got a handle on that in this chapter. But anyhow, this is me rambling, and this is you wanting to read the chapter. Am I right or am I right? Thanks for the review!

InTheShadowOfSignificance: Hey! There's my favorite constructive reviewer! I was hoping you'd come back to me. How've you been? As you can see, I went and took your advice, so I thank you for the brilliant story title you gave me. That was great of you to do(I especially love it because it starts with a 'C' and ends rhyming with 'Captivity' so as you can see, my OCD-ness is very thankful) I felt a little odd about the air blowing/running part when I was writing it, but I think I did a much better job in this chapter. Oh, and now to respond to your second review, I'm really glad/surprised you liked how I did Mokuba's reactions. Cause seriously… I had no idea why I was writing him that way, and I didn't feel like I justified it. But I suppose I did in a way, so that's good. And it is true that Joan really won't be as great of a character in this story(cause I really don't think I'm putting much effort into her) But it'll all come together in the end, don't you worry. Kari never throws in useless characters just for the heck of it!(actually, I do… a lot. But not this time, I swear!) I incredibly disliked the first two chapters, but I think I finally got the first person stuff down for this chapter, so hopefully it shows. Thanks again for your reviews and good to have you back with us!

AmePiper: Okay, so right now I should be doing my AP Psychology extra credit work, because God knows I need it… but I can't help but reply to your review at 1 in the morning:] And I never really thought about that(Seto meeting people in the Shadow Realm and such) But at the same time, it's not something I feel like making up either, cause I feel like it just won't seem very plausible considering we don't have the back ground from the first story like we do with Joan. And you're crazy! My first two chapters were crap! Or at least my last one… the beginning of this one isn't great either… actually, I get pretty repetitive towards the end… but I'm going to stop playing writer's own self-critic and just going to let you read the story. Thanks for the review and enjoy!

Chapter 3: A True Blue

-M-

It was weird. I mean, seeing Joan again that is. I didn't think I'd ever see her again. At the same time… I didn't even think she really existed. The day I lost my soul, being sent to the Shadow Realm; all that stuff… it all just seemed pretty unbelievable. Not to mention having my brother shut me up every time I mentioned it. I wasn't sure that was the denial talking or just my brother's skepticism. Both were hard to tell apart.

"So short stuff, how ya been?" Joan asked, as we walked together side by side. I smiled.

"I've been good, er, well, aside from this whole being trapped in the virtual world thing. But you learn to get use to this kind of stuff, especially when you're me." Joan eyed me.

"What do you mean by that? What about being you?"

"Oh, well," I began, "You get used to being trapped after a while. I've been kidnapped probably… twice since I last saw you." Joan nearly fell over.

"Jeez! Twice already!? Someone needs to get a beeper for this kid or something!" Joan turned to Seto, and my smile disappeared. "And how many times has this kid nearly died? Do you even make an effort to keep him safe?" I feared the worse when I saw how mad Seto's face looked.

"Who says I have to explain myself to you? Mind your own business, woman. I don't know you and I don't trust you either. As far as I'm concerned, you're not even close to being a friend of mine." Joan crossed her arms.

"You're a charmer, aren't you? You seem like the kind of guy who needs some sense knocked into him."

"Is that a threat?" Joan stopped walking and turned around. She brought up her hands and began cracking her knuckles.

"Do you want it to be, blue eyes?" I quickly ran in between the two just as they were beginning to come together for battle. I held out my arms and tried to keep them a reasonable distance from one another.

"Guys! Wait! Come on, we're on the same side here!" Seto looked down on me with much doubt.

"Would you mind telling me again where exactly you know this person from?"

"I could tell you, we met in-" My eyes widened and I knew I had to do something too. Of course, this thoughts came to my mind all too quickly. For by the time I had even processed them, I had already tackled Joan to the ground. I looked up to find her glaring at me. Seto was standing behind me, already awaiting an excuse for my sudden outburst.

"Now what was that about? Is there something I should know about Mokuba?" Seto asked with his hands on his hips. Ug, I hated it when he started talking down to me like a little kid. Especially when he had those stern eyes, like he was my father or something. I rushed to get off Joan as quickly as possible and brushed myself off. When I looked back, Seto was still standing by and waiting for an answer.

"Well?" I had to think quickly. Knowing Seto, he would keep this up for hours, possibly even days. It reminded me of how long he had tried to find out about… I shook my head away from those thoughts and faced Seto. An excuse quickly came to mind.

"We met at a party." Seto raised one eyebrow. Joan was about to fall over once again from embarrassment.

"A party?"

"Yes."

"Mokuba, you look like you're half her age." Joan let out a laugh. I glared at her. "Not to mention she's dressed up like some sort of…"

"Duel monster?" Joan added.

"Joan!" I yelled. Seto stared at her, rubbing his chin as he examined her. The light bulb in his head must've gone off because then he turned to me with satisfaction.

"Yes… I do believe she is a duel monster, isn't she? So… how is it you met a duel monster at a party?" I turned away quickly and began walking.

"You know what? Forget it. Let's just keep moving." I knew Seto was angry, but there was nothing more that could be done. After all, how was I supposed to explain to him that I went to the Shadow Realm? Whatever, it couldn't be my biggest concern right now. We were stuck here for the time being, and it was probably good that Joan was coming along. After all, we were going to need all the help we could… I felt a hand grab my arm and pull me back. "Hey!"

"Mokuba, can I speak with you privately?" I looked up at Seto and glared. He had nearly scared me right there. I sighed.

"Fine, what is it?" I was randomly being dragged away once more by Seto, a couple feet away from Joan. I had somewhat of an idea of what this was going to be about.

"I don't think she should be coming with us. I don't trust her."

"You don't trust a lot of people Nii-sama, and I don't see the harm in her coming along. After all, she is my friend. Can't you take my word for it?" Seto didn't look convinced. Of course, what else would I have expected? Sometimes it was easier to not even try to explain the situation to him. In fact, that strategy was starting to sound pretty nice right about now.

"I don't want her coming along, and that's final." I shrugged and crossed my arms. I was about to protest when I heard Joan call us over from afar. She was yelling about some kind of floating door. The minute she had said the word, Seto and I had glanced at one another before running over. We stopped when we saw Joan standing in front of the door; her sword was drawn and was pointed out in front of her.

"Just… one… more…" Joan swiped her sword away and held it in the air, "Done." Seto and I walked over to find that she had carved the letter "J" on the wooden door. It also was drawn backwards. "I have left my mark," She chuckled, "Political activists are so funny."

"Well, I guess we should go in, right?" I moved closer to the door, when I was stopped by Seto's hand on my shoulder. I stopped and looked up.

"Let me open it," Seto stated. I nodded and backed away. He held out his hand and gripped the door knob within his hand. He actually looked… tense. I looked into his face to see if it was for real. And it was. But… what was he so nervous about? We weren't in any real danger; after all, this was just a virtual world. Right?

Then again, I have been wrong before. And by the way the light burst through the door just from a simple crack, I knew something was up. An expected thing happened next. A force from behind us threw us in, and we had been transported, it seemed, to another world. As I looked closer it started to look more like…

-S-

I gasped at the site in front of me. A wooden stairway curving at the side, a grand red carpet spread out across the floor, and the smell from the old mahogany wood that the house was mostly made out of. I couldn't believe it. "This is our step father's old house," I gasped. Mokuba was standing beside me, just as surprised as I was, but less shocked and… fearful.

"Wow, I didn't think I'd see this place again either. It's just one blast from the past after another." I was about to say something, when I saw two familiar boys, walking across the hall in front of us. Once again, it was younger versions of Mokuba and I. Hobson was walking in front of us, leading the way through the mysterious new home. I was looking just as determined as I had the day I had decided to challenge Gozaburo, while the younger Mokuba was trailing behind me, looking around with fear as he clung to the back of my shirt.

"That's right… this was the day we arrived at our step father's home." Mokuba wrapped his arms across his chest and shivered a bit.

"The thought still gives me a chill down my spine." The scene flashed once more, and we were in my old schooling room. My younger self was seated at the large desk, surrounding by all kinds of text books. A notebook was in front of my, and I was trying as hard as I could to take all the notes that I could, and stay awake at the same time. I found myself dozing off nearly every time; it was how most lessons went for me.

The schooling was always intense, and it seemed Hobson was always nearby to make my life hell and keep me in check. I despised that man with such a passion. He would always carry around a small pointer to whip me with whenever I was doing anything that didn't involve work. He would always look down upon me, projecting my step father's unkind words and unobtainable expectations he had for me.

Then we were standing in the dining room. Gozaburo, my step father, the demon of my life, was sitting at one end, while my younger self and Mokuba sitting at the other end. This was the only part of the day where I was ever really allowed to see Mokuba, and in a way, the only part I ever had time for. If I wasn't in my room studying, I was being put through a lesson, and if I wasn't doing that, I would be doing homework. And it was all Gozaburo's fault.

I was gritting my teeth so hard; I felt I could've cracked my own teeth if I had continued. Just seeing the man's face, living through the illusion that he was really there, it was almost unbearable. For the most part, I was strong, and had been able to cut off all real harm that the outside world could ever cause me. But here… in this cursed house, in the room with my step father, I felt feelings I had shut away a long time ago.

"So tell me Seto…" My step father began, taking up his fork and bringing it to his mouth, "What are your plans for the future? What is your vision when you inherit Kaiba Corp.?" My younger self already knew the answer to that. Mokuba and I had planned it long ago, back in the orphanage, when we had absolutely nothing except our dreams and desires. I knew exactly what I had wanted to say to my step father that night.

"I want to build Kaiba Land." Gozaburo nearly choked on the food in his mouth. His eyes shot up and back at me with such fury.

"Nii-sama wants to build a theme park with all kinds of games for all the orphans around the world," The younger Mokuba added with pride. If only he had picked up on Gozaburo's reaction, maybe he would've realized that wasn't the best thing to say. Gozaburo was the last person that would find games meaningful. And he certainly didn't see the pleasure in them like I did.

"That's stupid." My younger self got up from my sit and put my fist in the air, already willing to fight. I was such a defensive child back then. Willing to defend anything I believed in. "Games? I have never heard anything so absurd."

"It isn't stupid. Games purify the soul!" I stated.

"So what?" Gozaburo answered with such shame, "Can games make the world turn?" Gozaburo rose from his seat. My younger self had remained standing, glaring the older fool down. As I peered at myself, I was almost shocked to see the expression in my eyes. I was staring at my step father like I could beat him, like a challenge had been made, and I had the edge. I pondered how it was that made me appear so strong in his presence, when it was so obvious at other times that he was the reason I couldn't sleep at night; that the nightmares never seemed to stop when his face was in my mind.

"I want you to take over this company because I want you to be a ruler, I won't have my heir wasting his time playing games," Gozaburo called Hobson over to where he was standing, "Hobson, please confiscate all of the Seto's toys." Gozaburo turned back towards the younger me, "I won't let you touch your toys until you learn how to rule like a real leader. Like a true CEO of Kaiba Corp." Gozaburo didn't know what it meant to be a real leader, much less a true CEO, or even a decent man.

But the following night, even when it seemed all hope was lost, the virtual world revealed to me another defining moment in my life. One that would be almost as ground breaking in my heart as was the day I first met and beat Gozaburo. The scene switched, and showed my younger self collapsing onto the couch from total exhaustion. I don't remember any other time in my life when I was more tired. Gozaburo was willing to do whatever it took to train me to what he expected to be. And I suffered every second of the way.

Then there came a point where I felt it was too much to handle. I remember it all so clearly, that simply seeing me lying out on that red couch made the tiredness almost return to my body automatically upon seeing the image. I became very tense as I heard the door open. I felt relief sweep over me when it was Hobson who returned with a text book in hand. My eyes remained closed as he came over to where I was laying.

"Seto, I believe you left this book out. You should be more careful with it." The boy opened his eyes slightly and looked up at Hobson with little to no concern for the text book he had placed beside him on the couch.

"Okay Hobson…" The young boy mumbled, slowly sitting up. Hobson turned and began to leave.

"Remember, your next lesson starts in one hour. Don't be late." I growled with anger. All they ever cared about was work, and lessons, and studying. No one ever even concerned themselves with how I was feeling. Looking back, I was on the brink of destruction. There came a point where I felt I simply couldn't do it anymore… that maybe it was time to throw in the towel.

The younger version of me picked up the book and glared at it, tossing it to the side with anger. The last thing I had wanted to see was a text book, I was surrounded by text books all day long, and so the sight of one was just infuriating to see. But the boy turned back towards the book, finding that a couple of cards had fallen out of the book, along with a small folded up note.

"Dear Nii-sama, I thought this might be the pick me up you've been in need of. Remember, they can't take away everything, so please don't let them steal the most important treasure." I watched the small boy as he began flipping through the duel monster cards in his hands, watching the younger Seto's face light up with the quick glances at each one. But my hand stopped when I reached the last one, a drawn picture of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Mokuba and I stood completely still in the room, even as we watched my younger self walk out onto the balcony in front of us and look towards the stars. He was holding the small card in his hand so intently, as if it were some life line. In a way, it was. It had given me the purpose I needed to move forward.

"Some day I'll have the real Blue-Eyes…" That was the day I pledged to myself to collect all three Blue-Eyes, to work hard enough to own them all. But then things became dark all around us. The scene disappeared, and there was nothing surrounding us, except a small spotlight that seemed to glow from beneath us.

It was enough to make you wonder what more we were going to have to suffer through before we got out of this miserable place.

A/N: Hey guys! It's Kari here with some consequences of my own! Like the very generic chapter title for this chapter… yeah, sorry about that. And the beginning of the chapter felt a little weak. But that might just be my opinion. Hopefully you guys don't feel like this story is moving way too fast, cause I kind of do. But I have some other plot elements I'm planning to add to the picture, not to mention all the epic scenes I'm going to have to add in here. Yeah, never mind about what I said earlier, there's no chance that this story is going to be too short. Hahaha, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading!