Stormygio: It's . . . someone. Haha- you'll be finding out who in a few moments. And this new-comer doesn't have to be seriously strong to talk down to Krin, after all, the Magician calls him "Krinny." And yes, the flashback was kind of a filler, but I thought it was time for you all to see just what exactly happened. I've had that scene written for a while. Thank you for the cupcake!
Havelock Vetinari: The cliff hanger was literally the entire point of the chapter. Haha. The chapter was written just for the purpose of leading up to that line. I think pretty much every chapter from here on out is plot-driven.
Aqua-Princess: I hope this update is soon enough for you. And I would tell you who is at the door, but you are literally about to find out. So . . . . go on.
Twilight PhoenixFyre: I feel very honored. Chapter Sixteen . . . that is the one where the Slaver kidnaps Seto and Mokuba, right? I liked that chapter. That's a sad one to stop reading on. And I'm glad you found it again! I enjoy having readers. Way to feel bad for the Slaver. I don't think anyone else really did. . . . Do you need a bandaid for that trip? The exit was creepy up until then.
Jared2492: Cliffhangers! My favourite plot device!
TeresaShiho: You could always go back and review it . . . Just saying. I am very pleased that you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you'll like this one too. Much more happens in this one. More to love?
Sycoandcrazy: I like your reasoning for having a toon BEWD. "Seto hates it." I think you've got me figured out. I just throw things into the story for the sake of tormenting Seto (and occasionally Mokuba).
Lace Kyoko: I'm pretty sure Seto is done kissing up to Kisara for a while. He is attempting to be his regular old self, and that doesn't leave room for a crazed dragon. And I am loving the Mokuba and Kuriboh parts of the story. There will be more of them!
AyaseFanGirl: What? That was a great cliffhanger. One of my best to date. And UGH. I hate computer viruses. My computer keeps trying to get them, but I just go around them and activate my security stuff. Did I ever say that the person at the door was a guy? I think everyone is assuming that. . . . not that it is wrong. I just don't recall mentioning it.
TrebleTwenty: Then read! Read away!
Kazo the Hedgehog: It takes me forever to read through this whole thing, so I understand. No one likes Kuriboh. I may make him a bit better at some point. And all of your comments/questions will be answered here in the next few chapters. No worries, I explain them all. Thanks for the review!
Dmitri Stormblood: Welcome back. And yes, quite the amusing image. And Kara isn't obsessed with Seto like Kisara is, so no? The whole family won't "be bothered" for him. And no beta reader, actually. I'm just trying harder to proof read.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: NEW POLL! This one has been waiting for posting for like, four months now. It's about time it got to see the light of our computer screens. Thank you to everyone who voted in the last one!
. . . Also. I doubt most any of you are aware of this, but I'm a closet Yugioh fan. Meaning, very few people know that I like this series, and even less know about this whole fanfiction thing. One of the guys who does knows just gave me a present. I'm freaking out. But I can't tell anyone without them finding it weird! This guy just gave me a Blue-Eyes White Dragon card, signed by Eric Stuart. (For anyone who doesn't know, that's Seto Kaiba.) I have a card signed by Seto Kaiba. My year has just been made. It's one of the best gifts ever, by my reckoning.
Seto
"Kray!" Kisara shouted. She ran over to the door and opened it wider, revealing whoever stood at the entrance.
"Little sister!"
Kisara threw her arms around the tall figure. While he returned the hug, I examined him. Like Kara and Kisara, Kray and Krin were nearly identical. The only true difference I noticed was Kray's hair. It was white, but it looked as though he had dipped his fingers into black ink and run them back across his head. The effect had black streaks messily striping his white hair. He had a bag thrown across his shoulder.
The siblings broke apart, but grabbed each other's hands. "What are you doing here?" Kisara asked. She had a large smile covering her features. I glanced over at Kara and Krin, and found that they seemed much less enthused.
"I wanted to check in on my favorite little sister," Kray said. When he did so, he shifted his gaze to Kara and smirked. She only snarled in response.
Kray's eyes left Kara and traveled around the room. He pressed his lips together as though to hold back a smile. Nodding a few times, he said, "Quaint."
"What are you really doing here, Kray?" Krin asked.
Kray didn't answer, but looked to the couch. "You're living with a Kuriboh? How very modern."
"Come inside and we'll tell you," Kisara said. She used her grip on Kray's hands to pull him in. He pushed the door closed with a foot and let her drag him to the center of the room.
Kisara pointed to the couch. "That is Seto and that is Mokuba. Seto belongs to us. Mokuba is his little brother."
"All three of you chose one human?" Kray asked.
For the first time, it struck me that there were four Blue-Eyes. With the arrival of the fourth, I wondered if it was possible for more of them to be out there. But only three of them chose me. Kisara had once mentioned that she just knew where I was, as if drawn to me. If Kray had any interest in me, then he would have shown up before now. Why hadn't he been with them all the while?
"We did. Why are you here?" Krin repeated.
"How does that work, exactly? There doesn't seem to be much of him to go around," Kray said, very clearly avoiding Krin's question.
"Kray. Why are you in town?" Kara pressed.
"Seto," Mokuba whispered. I leaned down to him so he wouldn't have to speak any louder. "Why are they so nervous?"
I glanced over at Krin and Kara, who, like Mokuba had pointed out, did appear tense. Krin was grinding his teeth together. His arms were crossed, but his fingers were squeezing his arms tightly enough to turn them white. Kara had her hands at her sides. One formed a fist while the other was open with her fingers drawn back. From experience I knew that was what the dragons did when preparing for an attack.
But Kisara looked overjoyed to have her brother standing next to her. The smile had never left her face and their hands still connected. She actually looked more happy than the time I had kissed her.
"I'm not sure," I whispered back.
Then I noticed that Kuriboh hadn't made a sound since Kray's arrival. He sat as near to Mokuba as he could manage and watched Kray intently.
Something was wrong with the scenario, I just couldn't decide what exactly that was.
When Kray stepped closer to the couch, Kisara slid around him so that she blocked his path. She did so with a smile, but the action only enforced my idea that Kray was a very unwelcome guest. Though Kisara seemed happy to see him, she didn't want him near Mokuba and me.
"You don't want me near your human?" Kray asked. He must also have noticed Kisara's interference.
"Nowhere near," Kara answered.
"Tell us why you are in town or leave," Krin demanded.
Kray sighed and dropped Kisara's hands. "I'm here for the reason you think," he said.
A low rumble emerged from Krin's throat. "Get out."
"Oh no, that wasn't the agreement. I told you why I'm here, so now I don't have to leave."
Kara's hand, which had yet to relax from its attack ready position, shot out a bolt of lightning. It sped towards Kray, almost too quickly to follow. But Kray kept a straight expression and raised his own hand to meet the lightning. Kara's attack dissolved into his hand.
"Come now, Kara. This is the first time you've seen me since the portal opened and here you are trying to hurt me."
"Go," Krin said. From his tone, I could tell that he was growing more irritated at his brother's refusal to leave.
"You're good at leaving," Kara added.
Kray laughed at her comment. "Are you still bitter over that? I asked you all to join me," Kray said. After speaking, he leaned down to whisper something in Kisara's ear. Her reaction was to lean away and shake her head.
"You are a traitor and not welcome in this city," Krin said.
"So now you are trying to kick me out of the city? You don't have the forces to do that," Kray said. He paused there and smirked. "Even with your new allies."
"You heard?" Kisara asked. I assumed that she meant the compromise.
"Trust me, little sister, everyone has heard. An entire city neutered by the humans. You seem to have created quite the scandal."
As the time passed, I began to side more and more with Krin and Kara. Kray's presence made me uncomfortable for reasons I didn't understand. There was something about him that didn't feel right and I wished I was able to figure out what that was.
"It isn't permanent," Kara said.
"And I'm here to help with that," Kray said, shifting the bag he carried.
"We don't want your kind of help," Krin said. He pointed to the door. "Now get out of our house."
Kray frowned and looked over at me. His eyes traveled down the couch and then looked back to me. "Do you really believe I would try something here?" he said, then glanced at Krin and raised his eyebrow. "You do, don't you?"
"It isn't like that," Kisara began. Krin cut her off.
"That is exact what this is like. Leave."
"Come see me, little sister," Kray said. "We have a great deal to catch up on."
Kisara gave Kray a sad smile and hugged him once more. They held the position until Krin cleared his throat, a clear signal for his brother to leave. Kray pulled back and smiled at Kisara.
"You'll be seeing me around, I'm sure," Kray said. He stepped towards the door and stopped. Looking back over his shoulder, he added, "Great to meet you, Seto, Mokuba."
No one spoke until he had exited the house. Then, Kara walked to the door and locked it. Even with her back turned to me, I could see the tension easing away from her. She breathed a heavy sigh and spun to face Kisara.
"What are you thinking?"
"I haven't seen him in ages," Kisara said.
"Neither have we, yet we didn't fawn over him," Krin said sharply.
"No, you tried to close a door in his face. Why give him a reason to be angry with us?" Kisara asked.
"Whether or not we are kind to him isn't going to change anything. You know what he is here for," Kara said. Unlike Krin, she spoke in a calm tone.
"So? We won't let him try anything. His group isn't that strong."
Krin actually laughed. It wasn't an amused laugh, but more of a scoff. "Kisara. They are strong. They have numbers. They cannot be taken lightly."
Mokuba's stomach growled and he quickly pressed his arm against it in an attempt to silence it. I didn't think that it was loud enough to disturb the dragons' argument, but I looked down at him.
"I'm going to get you something to eat. Anything in particular?"
"You aren't scared they will hit you if you move?" Mokuba asked.
"What?"
Mokuba shrugged. "They are scary like that." Kuriboh began rubbing his small body against Mokuba's arm as he spoke.
"Scary enough that you don't want to eat?"
Biting his lip, Mokuba stared up at the ceiling as he debated. "No," he said, "I guess I still want food."
"What kind of food?"
"Doesn't matter."
I smirked. "Oh really? So, you wouldn't mind if I got you one of those granola bars that you hate?"
Mokuba rolled his eyes. "I'd prefer cereal."
I stood up, keeping eye contact with my brother. "Now was that so hard?"
"Torture."
As I began to walk to the kitchen, the dragons stopped fighting. Kisara ran over and clutched my arm.
"Where are you going?"
I pointed to the kitchen. "Mokuba hasn't eaten."
"Oh," Kisara mumbled and reluctantly released my arm. She stared down at her feet. I had no idea why, but she suddenly appeared to be crestfallen. I knew for a fact that I hadn't said anything that would upset her in such a way. I quickly looked between Krin and Kara, and to my relief, they didn't seem angry with me.
"Would you like to accompany me?" I asked slowly.
Kisara lifted her head. "Do you really want me to come with you?"
'No,' I thought. But since I didn't want to make her more angry by lying, I gave her my best attempt at a smile and offered her my hand. I didn't do it out of pity, but out of interest in her brother. Kisara would be the most likely to tell me why it was that he was a traitor. If we were away from her siblings, the odds would be more in my favor.
Kisara smiled, but it wasn't as bright as usual. She accepted my hand and we entered the kitchen. I dropped her hand so I could open up the cabinet with the cereal.
Kisara didn't mention the loss of contact, but moved to sit on the counter top next to me. She watched while I pulled out two bowls and began to pour the cereal.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
Kisara scratched the back of her neck. "I'm fine."
I tilted my chin over so I met her gaze. "No, you're not." I took a deep breath after speaking. Being considerate was not my strong suit.
"I love Kray," she said. She paused momentarily to glance towards the living room. "But I love Krin and Kara too. They don't think I should do both."
"Why not?"
Footsteps came up from behind me. I turned to look and met Krin's gaze.
"Get out," he said, glancing over to Kisara.
She nodded, reaching out a hand and running her fingers across my cheek. With a final touch, she did as her brother ordered, leaving me alone with Krin.
"You can't leave."
I put the box back into the cabinet. "I have to go."
Krin moved to stand beside me. He adjusted so that he was leaning against the counter. "Then let one of us go with you."
"I'm pretty sure that I've explained this to-"
"Seto," Krin interrupted with a dark glare. "Don't go."
"Why? If you can give me a good reason for staying, then I will."
Krin continued to stare at me. His face was harder to read than Kisara or Kara's. I tried to determine whether or not he was actually concerned for my safety or if it was purely Kray related. Perhaps there was some feud between the siblings that he didn't want me caught in the middle of. But his face told me nothing. For all I knew, he just wanted to keep me locked inside for his own amusement.
"It's just-" Krin stopped to clench his teeth together for a moment. "I want you to stay here for a while."
I shook my head. "That isn't a reason."
I reached for the drawer where I kept the silverware, but Krin was blocking it. I gave it a small tug. Krin didn't move.
"You're really going out there?"
"Just like every other day."
Krin stopped looking at me and shifted his attention to the door. "If you are going to do, then you are going to do something for me."
"What is that?"
"Tell the Magician that Kray and his group are in town," Krin said.
"You want me to warn the Magician?"
"Just tell him," Krin said. He walked out of the room.
I pulled open the drawer and grabbed two spoons. I dropped them in the bowls and went back into the living room.
Mokuba reached out for it and as soon as it was close enough for him to grab, he did. I reclaimed my seat on the couch.
Mokuba huffed as he pushed the dry cereal around in the bowl. "Remember milk?" he asked. "I miss milk."
I took a bite of the crunchy cereal and nodded. When I finished chewing I added, "It happens when all the cows are eaten." I tried not to look the dragons' way when I spoke.
"Poor cows," Mokuba said, still staring dejectedly at the bowl.
"And goats," I added.
"Just poor animals all around."
"We went through all the trouble to get you two in the same house and you spend your time talking about animals?" Kara asked.
"Do you have a topic you'd prefer?" Mokuba responded. He received no answer.
I kicked around the blankets that covered the floor, looking for my wallet. It was a rare occasion for me to carry it with me when I left the house, but since I needed to get groceries, it had to come along. Since I used it so infrequently, I had a tendency to forget where I left it the previous time. Usually, I could find it somewhere along the walls in the bedroom, but for some reason, it wasn't turning up.
Arms wrapped around my waist from behind. I cast a sideways glance at Kisara. She wasn't looking at me, however, but at the wall across from us. The expression in her eyes was distant, as though she was in deep concentration.
"Don't go," she whispered.
"Then give me a reason to stay," I answered.
She shook her head before letting it come to rest on my shoulder. She opened her mouth as though to speak, but closed it again. She took a moment to compose herself before finally forcing out, "You'll be safer here."
"That isn't a good enough reason. Have you seen my wallet?"
Kisara shoved me forward a step. "You aren't taking this seriously!" she shouted.
I took a heavy breath before moving to face her. There was little room for me to be clearer than I had been already. "Kisara," I began. "You have given me nothing to be afraid of or to worry about. Until you do, my plans remain the same. Now, have you seen my wallet?"
She pointed to a corner. "I threw it over there."
Walking over, I debated as to whether or not I should Kisara her reasoning. But by the time I got to the corner, I realized that her answer would likely be that the lump bothered her while she slept. I didn't need to hear that from her.
I picked it up and put it into my pocket. Making to leave, I was stopped by Kisara. She stood in the doorway with her hands on each side of the frame. Her gaze had been on the floor, but when I approached, she lifted her head.
"Please don't go."
"Move."
She opened her eyes wider and parted her lips. A frantic expression took over her face. "You don't understand-"
"Then explain it."
"I can't," she said.
"Then if it makes you feel better, come with Krin to KaibaCorp. I have to go."
She didn't fight as I pushed her aside. I chose not to look back at her while I walked towards the living room. When I passed Mokuba's room, I said goodbye. He and Kuriboh had gone back to their shared room after breakfast and Mokuba was reading one of my books. Kuriboh rested underneath one of Mokuba's arms contentedly.
Krin and Kara were still in the living room. They watched while I grabbed my coat from the hook next to the door, never speaking a word.
"I'll be at KaibaCorp in about an hour," I told Krin before leaving.
Once outside, I took a second to glance up and down the road. Stationed at one of the corners was a solider whose gaze I caught. He nodded in my direction while shifting his gun around in his grip. He kept it ready for use.
He was the only soldier I could see, something which I found odd. Typically there were two or three on this street, keeping an eye on the dragons. Others were stationed periodically throughout the city. For the most part, I kept out of their way. Although it had been part of my agreement to have them come in, their presence always left me feeling uneasy. A part of their job was to report back to the capitol on my activities. In the weekly town meetings, I had to take time out to talk them through any progress I had made in closing the portal. So far, Yami and I had gotten nowhere.
It was no longer necessary to sneak down the streets. The monsters did their best to stay away from the soldiers. Many of them had moved out of the central portion of the city.
I pushed my fingers into my pockets and started to walk in the direction of Yami's house. After the compromise, he and the Magician moved out of the Dark headquarters. We met over there more often than not, as my house was too crowded to speak privately.
I took the dragons' words to heart and moved quickly down the streets. It was clear that Kray's arrival meant something bad, but Krin and Kisara's refusal to answer my questions made me worry that the situation was far worse than I was picturing. Yet, I wouldn't let that keep me from upholding my half of the compromise. I doubted that Kray could be any worse than the still-looming bomb threat.
Upon reaching Yami's door, I knocked and moved back. Tapping my foot, I waited for the door to open. Krin's request for me to stay at the house had put me on edge. It wasn't in Krin's nature to make such a request. Perhaps he was genuinely worried, but if the threat was so severe, he wouldn't have let me leave.
The door opened. The Magician huffed, saying, "Is it the first of the week already?"
I didn't answer, as it was rhetorical. I stood motionless, knowing he had to let me in eventually. For a moment, he actually appeared to be debating letting me enter. But Yami appeared behind him. "Would you rather we went for a walk?" Yami suggested.
"No, you should stay here," the Magician said. He moved so I could walk by. I entered the living room, which was the only room in Yami and the Magician's house I had ever been allowed inside. I had seen inside other rooms because, like in the old Dark headquarters, the Magician had removed all the doors. For that reason, there was nowhere in the house that was truly private. Yami and I had to be careful as to what we said since the Magician, if he wanted to, could hear our conversation.
"Stay in the living room," the Magician ordered.
Before the Magician left the room, I decided it would be as good a time as any to give him Krin's message. I was interested to see his reaction, and it was my hope that he would give me some other information about Kray.
"Krin asked me to tell you that Kray and his group are in town."
The Magician didn't answer at first. He turned slowly around to meet my eyes and asked in a calm tone, "Say that again?"
"Kray and his group are in town," I repeated.
"How do you know?"
"He was at our house this morning."
"But he isn't anymore?" the Magician pressed.
"Krin and Kara kicked him out. Would you mind telling me why Krin wanted me to warn you?"
The Magician smirked, but the expression came across as being forced. "If your owners chose not to tell you, then I certainly won't." He paused to bite his lip. "I will let everyone know."
He left the room.
"Who is Kray?" Yami asked.
I walked to the armchair next to the couch and sat down. Yami took the seat across from me, facing the doorway the Magician had just gone through.
"He is another sibling of the dragons."
"There are four of them?" Yami said. His tone required no answer. "Could there be more?" he added.
"I was considering that. I will have to see what more I can find out from Krin. They were very vague concerning him."
"But he wasn't with them before. He never chose you."
"Something isn't right with their relationship," I said. I leaned forward and clasped my hands together, putting my elbows on my knees before answering. "Krin called him a traitor. He doesn't fit with the other three."
"A traitor against whom? The Light monsters?" Yami spoke the last word more softly than the rest, in case the Magician was listening.
"That wouldn't explain why the Magician needed to be told."
Yami shook his head. "Speculation will get us nowhere."
"Have you made any progress?" I asked, changing the topic to the point of our meeting.
"I tried to go back to the Game Shop and find the Items, but the building has been destroyed. If they haven't been taken, then they are hidden somewhere beneath the debris."
"We will still have to find them, though?"
Yami nodded. "If Yugi used the Items to open," Yami hesitated and glanced to the door, "the portal, then I assume the opposite to be true."
"Next Sunday we can go clear some of it up," I suggested. "If I can find some time this week, I will get a head-start on it."
"Busy week?" Yami asked.
"No more than any other. But after the way the dragons acted this morning, I don't know if they will let me leave as often as I typically do."
"Is this all because of Kray?"
"Yes. They were acting normal until he showed up this morning."
"Then we will need to find out what he is here for."
"No, really?" I said. I got to my feet. This was pointless to continue. If Yami had gotten nowhere in finding a way to close the portal, then there was no reason for me to stay any longer.
"Do you want to meet at the Game Shop next week instead of here?" I asked.
"That will be fine."
I took that as my moment to leave. Upon stepping outside, I glanced either direction down the street. Like before, I saw no monsters. The only movements came from the stationed soldiers. The walk to KaibaCorp would be boring.
And it was. By the time I stood underneath the tall building, I had passed over a dozen soldiers. The numbers of them had been increasing steadily over the past month. If it kept up at the current rate, the government would be in breach of their side of the compromise.
The front doors of KaibaCorp were never locked. After several attempts at breaking down the door and many broken windows, I just stop locking the doors. I doubted that I would ever use the building again, at least not any time in the near future, so I stopped caring whether any harm befell it.
Pushing the door open, I stepped inside. The lobby, which used to be pristine, had fallen into a state of disarray. When the slave market was shut down, the Light monsters moved that headquarters to KaibaCorp. A few of them loitered around the entrance. When they saw me, I went mostly ignored. One of the monsters pointed to an office behind them all.
None of the other monsters ever spoke to me. I took that as Krin's doing.
I walked to the room the monster pointed out, assuming that was where Krin was working. Upon entering, I found out that I was right. Krin sat at a desk in the base floor computer lab, but the computer in front of him was off. The monitor beside him showed that the computer to his right was on.
"What do you need me to do?" I asked, putting aside greetings while I sat down beside him.
"Pull up the video you had us show everyone," he answered.
I closed my eyes for a second and tried to remember the steps I had told Mokuba last month. My hand automatically moved to hold the mouse as I thought it over.
I began to go through the motions of opening the folder. It had taken Mokuba a while to find it, so perhaps Krin would believe that it would take me the same amount of time as well. If that was the case, then I could ask him more about Kray.
Staring at the screen, I said, "The Magician said he would tell everyone about Kray."
Krin made a grunting noise. He gave me no signs that he would continue, so I did. "He seemed as surprised as you were. Any reason for that?"
"Unexpected things are a surprise. Have you found it yet?"
"Not yet," I said. I clicked around a bit longer, opening and closing the same folder. "You never mentioned having another sibling."
"I wouldn't see how that relates to you."
"The three of you chose me," I said.
"Kray has no interest in you."
"How can you know that?" I asked. I assumed that the answer would be fairly straight forward. I only hoped for any information Krin might let slip.
"He would have found you by now otherwise." Krin broke each word off sharply, as though it was paining him to speak.
"Why is this such a sensitive subject for you?"
Krin turned to meet my gaze. His glare held every ounce of fury that I had ever seen in his features before. I understood that the subject wasn't sensitive, but far deeper than that. Krin's expression read more of danger than anything else.
"Just find me the video."
I stopped pretending to search the folders. Spinning in the chair to face him, I said, "Tell me what is going on."
A streak of lightning shot out from Krin's hand. It hit the opposite wall, turning the surface black. He curled his fingers into a fist and took a deep breath. Krin had to look away from me for a few seconds in order to calm down enough to speak.
"Do not give me orders."
Like Krin, I took a moment before answering. He and I were too similar to get along well.
"Can you answer a few questions? I'll stop pressuring you if you'll give me some information," I offered.
"One question."
"Three."
"Two."
Krin's nose wrinkled slightly. But then he groaned and muttered, "Agreed."
I thought over which two questions were the most pressing. My earlier question would be a waste. I didn't need Krin's opinions on his brother. I needed facts.
"Are there only the four of you?"
"Yes," Krin answered quickly.
For the moment, I didn't think about the coincidence between the four dragons and the four cards. If I hesitated too long, Krin might change his mind about answering my questions.
Dozens more jumped into my thoughts, but all of them could be shot down or stepped around. If I asked him about his take on Kray, I would likely receive an answer along the lines of Krin not being afraid of his brother. If I asked Kray's reason for being in town, I risked receiving an "I don't know." I needed to chose an answer that would be a simple yes or no.
Eventually, I decided on one.
"Should I be afraid of Kray?"
Krin took longer to answer that question. Not much longer, just enough that I found myself holding my breath while waiting for a response.
"Yes," he said. He didn't give me time to respond before he added, "Where is the video?"
I didn't wait three months to update! Spring break is in two weeks, so hopefully, I'll have time to update again during that break.
What's on the Blog: The usual. My thoughts on this chapter. The link is posted under my contact information on my profile.