Chapter 40: Whispers Of The Past...
"I wonder if everyone's here yet..." Yugi murmured as he made his way down the stairs. He paused as he heard odd noises before he got closer only to see Joey raiding the fridge. "Uh...Joey?" Yugi questioned before he made a face as Joey jumped startled bashing his head against the top tray. "G-AOW!" the blonde cried as tears rimmed as his eyes shuttering in pain for but a brief moment. "AW man! Yug ya gotta stop sneakin up on me like dat!" Joey exclaimed as he slowly removed himself from inside the fridge.
"My bad dude. I didn't mean to honestly. It was just so quiet I didn't know if I was the only one here or not." Yugi apologized before Joey walked over to Yugi and looked him over thoroughly. "Uh...Joey what are you...?" the scarlet-eyed male questioned before he felt the blonde's cold hand press against his forehead. "...Ya's a little warm...but ya seem ok..." Joey murmured. Yugi offered his best friend a smile. "I'm fine Joey...I'm sorry If I worried you...things last night were just a little rough..." Yugi murmured softly before the blonde exploded.
"A LITTLE!? YA-UGH YA REALLY SCARED ME YUGI! Da Pharoah told meh EVERYTHIN! About da bondage thingamabob..." Joey narrowed his eyes beyond upset. "...He did...?" Yugi almost asked in a whisper. The blonde crossed his arm as he let out a heavy sigh. "Well more like I wasn't given HIM a CHOICE!" Joey confessed. "...Yug you're meh pal and as my best friend I dun like being kept in da dark...don't...don't ya trust me?" the blonde asked softly as he looked into Yugi's eyes. Yugi could just see the hurt lingering in his best friend's hazel eyes. "...Joey...I..." Yugi began before the door opened. In the doorway stood Bloom, Flora, and Layla with smiles on their faces.
"Good morning everyone!" Bloom exclaimed. "Sorry, we're late. The girls were helping me prepare a special herbal tea that I thought might help calm everyone's nerves." Flora smiled. "I brought some of my morning workout videos! We can get revved up with some aerobics to ready ourselves for the adventure ahead!" Layla added as she jumped up in excitement. "...Did you say exercise..." Joey cringed. "Oh look a dat...I tink I left da casserole in da oven..." Yugi sweatdropped. "Joey and exercising...how do you say don't mix Layla..." Yugi spoke up before Marik arrived behind them with a tray of yogurt parfaits.
"You girls certainly seem energetics this morning," Marik commented. "Good morning Marik! And what do you have there? They look delicious!" Layla exclaimed as she walked over to get a better look. "I thought that since it's going to be a big day that we should start out with proper nutrition. You can't run on hot air alone..." the tomb keeper teased as Joey stuck his tongue out at the blonde. The girls giggled. "By the way are Roxy and Kaiba not here yet?" Bloom questioned. Yugi shook his head. "No, not yet." Yugi murmured. "Well while we're waiting for them i'll put my dvd in and we get work up a sweat! That way we'll be plenty hungry, get a good workout and have plenty of room for breakfast!" Layla beamed as she went to put in the DVD. The faerie of water paused as she gasped seeing Roxy on the screen.
"GAH! IS DAT ROXY ON DA NEWS!?" Joey cried out loud voicing everyone's thoughts. "Turn it up!" Bloom cried before Yugi grabbed the remote and turned up the volume as a reporter stood outside the construction site with her camera crew.
"I'm here L.I.V.E outside of the construction site here in Domino City, The builders began their work at approximately 5:00 am in the morning when a strange feline began wreaking havoc by jumping around the site. Workers have been unable to catch the cat though that has not stopped them from trying. It is suspected that this might be a distraction launched by The Kaiba Corporation in order to slow down progression. Wait! There appears to be a young woman trying to get to the feline in question! Could the cat simply be a Domino City's resident's pet? Whatever the answer the CEO of Kaiba Corp just arrived on the scene! He appears to know the girl...we'll stand by for any further updates!"
"Dats nuts! Wat is she thinkin!?" Joey cried. "I don't know but Roxy might hurt herself being up high like that..." Yugi frowned. "Well, Roxy IS the faerie of animals. It's not surprising that she's trying to help it. But saying that Kaiba has something to do with it. That's just ridiculous!" the redhead fumed. "Girls I think we should get down there. After all, Roxy needs our help." Flora added. "Then let's not waste any time! Move it, girls!" Layla cried before all three girls took off. "Yug let's follow um!" Joey urged. "Yeah." Yugi nodded before he followed after them along with Marik. {That cat...} Atem's voice echoed in Yugi's head. "Atem?" Yugi questioned but he was only answered with silence. That only worried him all the more. Duke paused stuck in traffic himself as he watched Yugi nearby.
"HEY! YUGI!" Duke called out before Yugi ceased movement. "Duke? Is that you?" Yugi questioned before he made his way over to the dice master whom was on his motorcycle. "Hey! Hope you're not planning on traveling cuz you're not going anywhere in THIS traffic." Duke muttered. Yugi shook his head. "No, but Roxy's in trouble! Apparently, this mess is because there's a blockade ahead from construction for a new building and a cat came upon the site. They're trying to catch it but Roxy somehow got up there and is trying to get it herself. The others are on their way to the construction site now!" Yugi cried. Duke's eyes widened. "Seriously!? Dude that is NOT cool! Those guys working on that project are thugs! They'll get rid of anyone who tries to get in their way! " Yugi gasped hearing such horrible news. "Come on! I'm coming with you!" Duke exclaimed and got off his bike and followed Yugi all the way to the construction site.
Carefully Roxy made her way up higher onto the metal structure until she got into clear view of the black cat. "Almost there..." the pink haired faerie murmured as she tried to get closer with one step at a time. The workers in orange jumpsuits continued to try and catch the feline as it jumped from bar to bar playing a game literally of cat and mouse. "I've had enough of this! We got a job to do...let's knock it off its just one measly cat!" one of the workers muttered. Suddenly the men began to chuck rocks at the cat as hard as they could throw them at it. Roxy gasped as she saw the horrible act and narrowed her eyes.
"HEY! YOU LEAVE THAT CAT ALONE! IT'S DONE NOTHING TO YOU!" Roxy yelled at the top of her lungs before they started throwing rocks at the faerie of animals as well. "GO HOME, LITTLE GIRL!" the worker yelled back at her as she tried to dodge the rocks being tossed her way. "THAT'S GOING TOO FAR!" Kaiba yelled before the black cat hissed at the workers as its hair stood up on its back making growling sounds. Two could play at that game. The cat twitched its tail with the green silk ribbon at its tip. In a matter of moments, the cement blocks nearby began to glow and launched themselves at the workers. "WHAT THE-" the workers cried as the tables began to turn. Now they were running around dodging in every direction. "Heh...serves them right..." Kaiba smirked before he saw beneath him the others arrive. "Well Well it seems the gangs all here..." the CEO observed.
"I SEE HER!" Joey exclaimed as Yugi and Duke finally came up behind them out of breath. {So it IS her...} Atem's voice echoed through the silence again. "Her Atem?" Yugi questioned confused. {That's Lorelei...} the Pharoah pointed out as he appeared beside Yugi. "Lorelei...?" his other half questioned before he looked upwards higher up to where Roxy was. "Here kitty Kitty..." the pink haired faerie called out to the black cat. "Come to me...I won't hurt you..." Roxy coaxed softly before she used her power as she reached out towards the kitten to try to calm it down. Her powers extended towards the black cat enveloping it in a calming warmth. {Hmm...I sense a warm energy coming from this girl...diffrent than these other humans...} the feline thought to itself before a man stormed onto the construction site.
The man was tall wearing a brown suit. His hair was a dark down and his eyes were green wearing glasses. He wore a red tie as almost all men do in business. The scowl on his face was only matched by Kaiba's own as their eyes met. "Chris Goldenwater..." the CEO hissed not taking his eyes off the rival for a moment. Just what was HE doing here? The workers all turned their attention towards the polished individual as he let them have it. "What's with all of this nonsense!?" the male spat as he turned his gaze towards Roxy and the feline. "A cat and a girl? I demand you remove HER and get rid of this furball! I'm a busy man and I have no time for these distractions!" Chris muttered as Roxy narrowed her deep purple eyes.
"You're disgusting! Picking on this poor little kitty!" Roxy fired back at the CEO before Kaiba leaped down from the building and landed in front of Chris staring him down. "Listen here you snake...you're not going to touch a hair on HER head...unless of course, you want it all over the news..." Kaiba muttered as he revealed his phone had been recording the whole time. "Well? Your move..." the CEO smirked. "...Touche Seto Kaiba...as cunning and underhanded as ever I see...very well you win this round." Chris snapped his fingers calling off his workers from their assault. The CEO said nothing else as he left the scene only looking back with but a glance as Bloom came up from behind Kaiba.
"HA! He won't be forgetting that anytime soon!" Bloom smiled as she hugged her fiance from behind planting a kiss on his cheek. The CEO felt his cheeks redden before the others gathered around. "It looks like they're backing down. But how do we get poor Roxy and the cat down without transforming?" Flora questioned. "...Yes, there's a bit too many eyes watching..." Marik muttered as he crossed his arms. "And it's a LONG way down..." Joey made a face. "Fall from dare and you'd go SPLAT!" Duke took a moment to think. "If only we had something we could catch her in...then she could just jump..." the dice master surmised. "Leave it to me!" Layla winked before she held out her hands. "MORPHIX NET!" the darkly skinned faerie cried before she used the water molecules to conjure a huge pink rescue net. "Woah..." Duke murmured as his eyes widened. What kind of magic trick was THAT?! The crowd too was also in awe.
"ROXY! JUMP!" Duke called up to her before Roxy looked down and saw the net. "JUST A MINUTE!" she called back before she looked towards the black kitty. "You don't have to worry sweetie those bad men won't hurt you anymore! Come on let's go together." Roxy coaxed as she held out her arms towards the black cat. The kitten paused as she looked at the faerie. In but a moment the black cat leaped into Roxy's arms deciding to trust her. "Down we go! Hold on tight!" Roxy exclaimed before she held the black cat tightly in her arms and jumped from the structure landing safely on the Morphix net. The crowd cheered everyone sighing relief that Roxy was safe and sound. Bloom, Layla, and Flora all hurried over and hugged her happily as the black cat squeezed its way out from in between the cluster of faeries.
"PHEW! I was sweaten buckets!" Joey cried before Yugi laughed. "So was I, I think even Kaiba was unsure what was going to happen," he admitted. "We're just so glad you're ok!" Flora smiled. "Yeah, that was WAY scary! Try not to do that again ok?" Bloom sighed relief. "Yeah really!" Layla followed. "Sorry guys and thank you for helping." Roxy smiled. "My pleasure. I was happy to put that prick in his place..." Kaiba smirked. "Even so, that was pretty incredible Roxy. Fricken scary but awesome at the same time. Not many people I know could climb like that." Duke admitted. Roxy blushed softly. "Well...you could just say it was...animal instinct..." the pink haired faerie confessed. The girls paused before they all giggled.
"HA! If only he knew..." Joey snickered before he paused as he noticed the black cat was staring at him."...Uh...Yug...dat cats starin at me..." the blonde shivered. Yugi looked back at the cat as it tilted its head as Yugi moved sideway slightly. "Actually...I think it's looking at me..." Yugi murmured before he switched places with Atem. Atem winced as his physical body felt a sharp pain shoot through it. Yugi frowned worriedly but before he could open his mouth Atem spoke first his scarlet eyes meeting with the cats. "...Lorelei is that you...?" the Pharaoh asked softly. The black cat smiled in response before it launched itself at Atem and landed upon his shoulder. Lovingly the black kitten began to nuzzle Atem's face with a great affection. The Pharoah only smiled as he reached up and softly stroked the black cat in return upon its head. "It is you, isn't it?...I'm so happy to see you once more my old friend..." Atem smiled warmly.
{Atem you mention the cat's name but not who it is} Yugi reminded Atem. "She is my pe-" the Pharoah began before the black cat bit slightly on his ear. "Ack! I was merely joking...Yugi this is Lorelei...she is my Familiar..." Atem introduced his other half. {Familar?} The Pharoah nodded. "In ancient Egypt cats we often held in high regard...many kings of Egypt had them as companions..." {But what is SHE doing here Atem? I mean that was a LONG time ago...} Yugi murmured. "...That I do not know myself..." Atem confessed as Lorelei looked at Yugi. "She does, however, see you..." Yeah, I see that." Yugi murmured before the other came over as Roxy came to check on the cat she had rescued. Joey kept his distance. Last time he got near a cat it scratched the hell out of him.
"Are you scared of the cat? Go figure. The puppy dog is scared of a widdle kitty cat." Duke teased. "Really?" Roxy questioned as she walked right over to Lorelei. "How can you be scared of such a sweet little girl." the pink haired girl murmured as she scratched under the black cat's chin evoking a pleasured purr from Lorelei. "...How da ya know it's a girl?" Joey questioned. "Easy." Flora smiled and pointed to the green bow. "Oh...I knew dat!" the blonde quickly followed up. "Either way she seems to really like Atem!"Bloom giggled. "Yeah, no kidding." Layla smiled. "But what is she doing here?" "The poor thing was probably chased up there!" Roxy exclaimed. "Good luck finding that out...it's not like animals can talk..." Kaiba muttered.
"Oh no? Come on little one! Let's hear YOUR side of the story!" Roxy exclaimed before used her vocalization powers extending her hand towards the black cat. Everyone paused as the cat's voice finally emerged. "M-MEOW! My name is not CAT or LITTLE ONE it's Loore L-O-O-R-E! As a matter of factly!" the Familiar exclaimed as Kaiba, Joey, and Duke just started. "...Is that cat actually talking...?" Kaiba questioned as his brain tried to process this whole event. "It's Loore!" Loore hissed. "Or is your brain too tiny to grasp THAT!" she muttered with a smart-aleck tone. Joey snickered in response. "...The cats talking..." Duke muttered. "I can't be the only one hearing it right?" the dice master looked around.
"Well...she certainly has a way with words..." Layla laughed nervously. "She's probably been through a lot. Right now she just needs lots of love and special cuddles." Flora spoke up as she went to go pick up Loore. "Touch me and I'll shread that frilly pink skirt leaving nothing but your undies exposed to the breeze..." the Familiar warned. Flora squeaked as her cheeks reddened just at the thought. Slowly she backed up not wanting to chance it. "I'm thinking this whole talking thing was a BAD idea.." Layla followed up. "Hmph! what was a BAD idea was those men chasing me around like a common house pet!" Loore hissed. "They're only lucky I didn't knock them off the building one by one!" Yugi paused as he looked at Atem.
"Loore has a rather unique personality..." Atem told Yugi. "...And why is the cat talking...?" Kaiba asked again. "I think...we've heard enough..." Bloom spoke up. "Alright, Bloom." Roxy murmured and retracted the spell. Loore no longer able to speak nibbled on Atem's ear. "I don't think SHE agrees with your choice Bloom..." Marik pointed out. {Maybe she's trying to tell us something...} Yugi suggested. "Perhaps..." Atem murmured. "Roxy please use your magic once more if you would." Atem requested before Roxy did as he asked. "Thank you!" Loore cried. "Now before I was so RUDELY cut off! I came to warn you all. The Wizards Of The Black Circle are in Covenant. Unfortunately, they've been very elusive. I suggest you tread VERY carefully..." Loore warned. Atem smiled and nodded.
"Thank you Loore..." the Pharoah thanked his Familiar. Loore only smiled. "You can thank me later with a nice big sundae!" she beamed. Atem turned towards Yugi before he nodded. "It's time to go to Tir-Nan-Og..." Bloom muttered. "Yeah! Watch out Ogron here we come!" Roxy spat before she used the White Circle to open the portal to The Sealed Worlds. "Is anyone going to explain to me what's going on!?" Duke cried. "It's a LONG story," Joey assured him before they all vanished from sight. The party manifested into a world of pure white. Snow fell gently upon them as soft lights glowed in the distance. Kaiba slowly moved forward as he stared up at the falling snow. With a single breath, the air chilled his lungs unable to look away with his deep blue eyes.
"It can't be...this is..." Kaiba uttered softly. Just beyond the entrance an image transfigured before him as he saw a young woman with a child upon her shoulders. Her hair was an amber color like the flames on a cold winters night. The child had chestnut hair with blue eyes trying to catch the snow. "One day Seto I'm going to find it...the magical object even father couldn't find...and then...we're gonna bring him back...until then...I'll never leave you little brother..." the woman murmured softly. Though Kaiba didn't understand why tears began to swell in his eyes before they trickled down his cheeks. "...Kaiba?" Bloom questioned as she reached out towards the CEO. With a mere touch, Kaiba was shocked back to reality. "...I'm fine...let's get going..." Kaiba muttered before everyone followed behind him. The further they walked the colder it seemed to get. It was hard to see anything in all of this snow.
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