Time Skip: Eight Years ago: Location: Unknown Regions: Unknown Planet: Domino City: Kame Game Shop:
A small brunette girl with bright brown eyes was laughing happily. It was her seventh birthday and her whole family was spending the day with her. Her Godfathers, the poor girl had four, were arguing, just like normal. Her godmother was talking to her mother and her father was talking to her great grandpa. She giggled when she turned her attention to her godfathers in time to see Kaiba bash Joey in the back of his head while Marik and Ryo tried to separate them. Yup, things never changed, she ginned as she ran up to them and tugged on her Uncle Seto's coat making him look down. When he saw her, he gave one of his rare smiles as he picked her up.
"Hey, Jay, do you want your present?" He asked gently as the small girl nodded excitedly. With that, Seto pulled out a small box and handed it to her. She grinned as she opened it slowly to reveal a small locket in the shape of a Duel monster card. It was similar to the one Kaiba was wearing, but smaller. She opened it slowly and beamed when she saw a picture of her in her daddy's arms laughing happily with her godfathers, Mokuba, her godmother, great-grandpa, and mother all around her, smiling at the camera. It was a picture of her entire family that had been taken on her fifth birthday.
On the other side of the miniature frame was Koyo Hibiki, the girl's first Duelist mentor, before he had been admitted to the hospital with his signature on it that said 'Remember to always have fun in a duel, Jay'.
Jaden beamed as she shut the locket and handed it to Seto, "Put it on me," She gasped out excitedly, "Please," She begged. Seto chuckled and put her down, slowly fastening the chain around her neck. Everyone had turned to look at the excited girl as she hugged Seto again and he smiled as he nodded over to Mokuba.
"Mokuba chose the pictures," He told her, making her nod and run over the Mokuba as well as she hugged the tall boy she thought of as a big brother.
"Thank you both," She cried out. "I love it," She continued as she grinned as her family crowed around to give her more presents. She loved them all and was constantly hugging people, although the atmosphere of the party changed when the spirit of the Millennium Ring, Bakura, and Odion Ishtar gave her a beautiful dagger with jewels on the hilt.
"Odion," Ishizu Ishtar yelled in shock but then quickly turned to her brother when he said,
"In our customs sister, it isn't that of a shocking present and one that she might need if she does turn out like the Pharaoh and wants to fight her own battles. Also you can't really say anything with your present of self-defense lessons two years ago," Jaden just giggled at that.
However, even if he agreed with what Marik said, he still wasn't happy with the present and Atem made that obvious when he took over Yugi long enough to hit the tomb robber and tomb guardian in the back of their heads. Of course that just amused the young girl more so it didn't affect the day that much.
"Jay, since your father has the God cards, Kaiba has the Blue-eyes and I have the Red-eyes, Tristan and I want to give you a copy of Lava and Swamp Battleguards. Hopefully, like it worked for me and Tristan, it'll serve you just as well" Joey said as he and Tristan gave the two cards to the smiling Jaden who, after taking them, immediately hugged the two boys who was ruffling her hair in response.
"Joey," Serenity said nudging her brother in the ribs.
"Oh, right, and Serenity got you this," He said after reaching into his coat pocketing and removing the card within.
"Here you go, just in case you want to create a Red-eyes deck like mine in the future," He said as Tristan face-palmed. However, Jaden smiled at that 'Red-eyes B. Chick' card in her hands as Kaiba rolled his eyes, but then arched an eye-brow when Joey continued,
"You should be getting something from that overdressed prima donna, but he hasn't shown up," Jaden laughed at the nickname that Pegasus had.
"Mutt," Kaiba frowned holding the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
"What did you say?" Joey yelled stomping over to Kaiba as Odion and Bakura moved to separate them if they started to fight again.
"Oh, I nearly forgot. This came for you, Jaden, from Industrial Illusions. Pegasus's signature is on it." Jaden's great-grandpa said as he picked up a box from behind him and handed it to the smiling girl who immediately, after receiving it, tore it open. This revealed a video tape and single card that Jaden immediately looked at and smiled at what it did.
Eventually, night came to the city of Domino and everyone had already left for their own homes, leaving the Mutous alone with their daughter. Said daughter was curled up in her Daddy's arms. Her great-grandfather had gone to bed since he would be opening the shop early the next morning.
"Don't stay out too long," Jaden's mother said as her father carried her out of Kame Game saying that he wouldn't.
He carried his daughter through the streets, taking her up to one of his old favorite hangouts, the roof of the old high school. They stood there in silence, watching the sunset and the stars coming out. Jaden loved the night sky and her dad knew it so he'd probably planned this. She smiled at the thought before blinding in confusion as she was brought out of her thoughts as her Daddy handed her two cards.
"These are your final presents, honey," He said smiling as she looked at the cards and grinned,
"Yubel and Winged Kuriboh. Thank you, Daddy," She gasped out hugging him tightly as well as making him chuckle.
"It's nothing, honey. Everyone needs a cute monster" He said and gently patted Jaden on the head who was chuckling as she smiled and looked at her new cards and then adding them to her deck that was strapped on her belt. After a few more hours of looking at the stars and pointing out some of the constellations, her father finally said
"Let's get home," as he smiled down at her. He carried her down from the roof as they headed back home.
However, halfway to their home, Yugi suddenly frowned as he sensed something. Atem was already prepared to take over at the time having sensed that burst of darkness as well. Yugi stopped so suddenly that it caused his daughter to look up at him confused about why he had stopped. Gently he put Jaden, who had a confused look on her face when she also sensed what her father sensed, down as he ordered.
"Wait here a second, honey," but then he added a smile to his face, despite what he had sensed, and a gentle tone as he finished "I'll just be a moment," Jaden nodded, looking up at her father, as Yugi nodded back down. With that he ran into an alleyway. Jaden stood there, shivering slightly, for what felt like hours as she waited for her father to come back and for them to head back home.
For some reason she could hear her Yami in the back of his voice saying that something was wrong and her duel spirits were saying the same, but she was ignoring them because it was her father, the best Duelist and he would be back soon. Then there was a loud scream and her eyes widened in shock recognizing that voice.
It was her father's voice! Immediately, she ran into the alleyway. She was, unfortunately, just in time to see a man running out of the alley with someone slung over their shoulder. Jaden screamed desperately as she ran after them, but the faster she tried to run the further the man seemed to be getting away. She was crying desperately as she tripped and went flying towards the ground.