Spirit Caller
Chapter Sixteen
16
The Story Within The Story
-

Jaden and Connar were now cuddled up together on her bottom bunk.
No romantic intent there-
The beds of the Slifer Dorm were just that small.
The brunette held the faded card in his hand watching the girl intently.
Like a little boy waiting for a bed time story.
She gave him an awkward chuckle and sighed.
"Brace yourself, Jaden..." she said in a soft warning, "It's not like this is a happy story..." she sighed, and began with a deep breath. "...When I was a little girl...I lived in an orphanage for a little while."
As the girl mentioned this, Jaden's expression slowly changed.
"You were...adopted?" he asked softly.
She exchanged a glance with his and gave him a sad smile as she nodded.
"I was." she stated, "But before that part of the story... I spent time time growing up, alone." she said, "The other children stayed away from me for some reason, so I didn't really have any friends." she sighed," I had to make them up...I would play with some donated cards we got from time to time...and...a special toy." She gave a soft smile as she sat up and reached over into her imported night stand.
In the drawer, there was a small closed box that she pulled out carefully and removed the lid.
Inside rested a worn out old action figure.
"A Kaibaman figure?" Jaden stated softly as he pulled the toy out carefully and held it. It was worn out. Damaged in some areas...and even seemed to be melted and burned in others. but even with this, he could tell as he held it in his hands, that it was well-loved, and it brought a gentle smile to his face.
Still he did wonder about the burns and damage...
"Hehe, yeah it is." Connar giggled softly," I brought that toy with me everywhere." she said softly, "As you can see, I still do...and I sleep with it too sometimes."
"Okay, that's adorable~!" Jaden poked her teasingly and she playfully pushed him back.
"Oh shut up!" she huffed chuckling.
"Where did you even get it anyway?" he asked, " Was it one of the donated toys at the orphanage or something? It looks damaged, so I'm curious."
Yet...the girl slowly shook her head.
"Oddly enough...no." she said softly, " Apparently I had this item with me even when I arrived there." she said softly, "I don't remember exactly where it came from or how I got it...it's all kind of hazy...but I do know that I had it all along." she blinked, "So apparently- it's mine...perhaps it was given to me...who's to really say?" she sighed before continuing her story," Kaibaman is a Super Hero." She explained," A hero to children, and he protects them and saves them from feeling...lonely."
Jaden bowed his head in a soft moment of silence.
Even he knew what it felt like to be lonely...
"...You know how you told me that I should embrace my gift?" she asked him softly.
"Yeah?"
"Well...can you tell me something, Jaden?"
"Sure, what's up?"
"...How can you yourself feel it's okay to brace your gift, if everyone around you, fears you for it?"
"Huh?" Jaden blinked and looked toward her,"...What do you mean?"
She gave him another sad smile and leaned back, gazing at the bottom of the bunk above her.
"During my years in the Orphanage...a lot of parents did want me...for a little bit." she explained, "But then, once I told them things about me, like how sometimes Kaibaman would talk to me...or that I had an invisible brother I would play with...they would suddenly...not want me anymore."
Jaden's eyes widened and he would feel his heart shake as he imagined this small lonely little girl being rejected that way.
"That's...messed up." he sighed softly, "I'm so sorry you went through something like that, Connie."
"Well...it's not like it was all bad, really." she sighed softly, "After all...eventually...someone wanted me in the end." She gave a small smile carefully taking the doll from him and holding it in her hands as she closed her eyes in memory of the day they brought her home...
xxx

It was a stormy day outside. most of the younger children played with each other inside, and young 5 year old Connar sat alone in her cot with her Kaibaman toy, hugging her knees, speaking soft mutterings to a being unseen by the public eye...
The nurse walked in clapping her hands together, inviting all of the children to join her in the den for finger painting.
"Connar...Wouldn't you like to play with your friends one more time before you go away...?"
"No..."she whimpered softly in a little squeak,"That's okay..."she sniffed.
Mokuba and Seto Kaiba had come to visit again but thanks to the storm they had to wait out the weather for a little bit before they could leave.
Mokuba sighed at the depressing weather, but with the rain it also meant he could have a little more time to play with Connar. However, when he went to see her he noticed that the small child wasn't the usual light of joy she normally was. Not even her favorite tv show brought a smile to her face. It concerned him.
"Hey...Tobi?"Mokuba blinked as he reached out for his old friend. A younger brother to his older brother's classmate Shizuka. Both of which volunteered to help at the Orphanage as thanks to Seto for helping to pay for his treatments,"What's wrong with Connie today?"he asked,"Why does she look so sad?"
"Oh, Mokuba...you haven't heard?"the boy with wine colored hair coughed softly, he was a sickly boy with pale blue eyes, but he didn't let his weakness stop him from doing volunteer work when he wasn't partaking in his treatments,"There have been requests to have Connar transferred to...another facility."
"What!?"Mokuba gasped," But Why? Connar is such a sweet girl! There's no way she did anything wrong!?"he stated,"How can she be causing trouble to the facility?"
"I'm afraid I don't know all the details."Tobi sighed softly shaking his head,"My older sister might know more, I think she's talking to your big brother in the other room."
Without pressing further, Mokuba took off in the direction his friend pointed and burst inside.
"Seto, it's awful!"he exclaimed.
"Mokuba!? Calm down."Seto said as he tried to comfort his brother,"What are you talking about?"
"It's Connar..."Mokuba said softly,"Tobi said they are on the verge of transferring her to another facility!"
"What!?"
"I've been trying to talk them out of it, the poor thing has been transferred so many times now already..."Tobi's older sister Shizuka, a monotone girl with a gentle soul spoke up softly, her long hair matched her brother's in color and draped over half of her face, revealing one bright blue eye,"Connar is a sweet girl and she helps with the younger children, as an adoption canidate, a lot of parents really liked her."
"Not surprising."Kaiba huffed and crossed his arms,"So then why is she not adopted?"he asked,"She's been under foster care for a while now right...? What is this I am hearing about a transfer? The Orphanage wants to get rid of her...?"he grumped,"What? Is she getting too old now to draw interests?"
"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that..."Shizuka said softly,"You see it goes well for the most part...but then Connar will start...saying things...and it tends to weird out the parents into no longer wanting her."She explained.
"What sort of things?"Seto Kaiba hissed in a low tone.
This was a typical story he heard over again with multiple children.
Selfish wannabe parents give children false hope of a forever home, only to either bring them back or change their mind. It made him sick.
"She would say things like...duel monsters talking to her."Shizuka explained," That Kaibaman often spoke to her through the doll. More than that...she also says a blue haired boy visits her a lot in her dreams and tells her all sorts of stories"
"And how is that threatening?"Seto stated,"It just sounds like a child's dreams, to me. Pathetic."
"So what if she talks to her duel monsters? Or sees kids in her dreams!?"Mokuba snapped.
"I'm afraid it's more than just simply that, Mokuba."Shizuka stated softly,"This boy...she calls him her brother-"
Mokuba paused.
He did remember the girl sometimes mentioning an imaginary brother...
Could he be visiting her in her dreams now?
Needless to say he was starting to get a little more concerned about that issue...

"Though it's not stated in her records of her having one...and if she did, why did he not arrive with her?"
"She's 5!"Seto hissed,"It's completely normal for a 5 year old to make up imaginary friends or manifest some kind of family if they don't have one of their own..."he said with a grump in his tone. Of course Seto would say something about it...
" Kids need a hero like Kaibaman to talk to. So why not let her?"Mokuba stated," Kids like Connie, who have been stuck in places like this for so long, hoping for a forever home, need something to believe in..."he sighed,"They need hope. A Hero. Like Kaibaman...That's what Kaibaman means to Connar..."
"Mokuba..."
"I'm just saying it's messed up, Seto!"he sighed sadly,"It's not fair..."
"I agree with you Mokuba."Shizuka said softly,"But I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do...only keep doing the best I can."she sighed,"But The complaints are piling up, and I don't know what else I can do about it."
"Seto...isn't there something WE can do about it?"Mokuba gazed upon his older brother with desperate eyes.
Kaiba sat quietly with his arms crossed.
His blue eyes glancing out the window, lost in thought as the rain slowly began to stop.
"For now, Mokuba...You should go spend some time with Connar."Seto stated as he slowly rose to his feet and headed toward the exit.
"But Seto...where are you going?"
"I need to go take care of something."Was all he said before he left.
xxx

Mokuba sighed in the door way, watching the little girl slowly wave around her Kaibaman doll, though her face had no life in it.
It broke his heart.
He took in a long, deep breath, and gave their special knock against the wall.
"Connie-Kins...Won't you come out and play~?"
"Mokey..."She sniffled softly and wiggled her way down off the cot to the boy's open arms for a warm hug as he lifted her up and carried her back to sit with her,"It's okay Connie..."he said softly,"I know it can be scary to go to a new a new place...but maybe it will be an adventure."he said to her,"I'm sure you will make new friends who will come and play with you too."
"Yeah...maybe..."she sniffed,"But it won't be you."
As the girls eyes welled up with tears, it was more than Mokuba could take.

But it won't be you...

Those words broke him...and he pulled her in against his chest, softly shooshing her tears away.
"It looks like the rain stopped."Mokuba said softly still cradling the girl in his arms,"How about we go outside...and I push you in the swing, hm? You like that right?"
Before the little girl could answer, a commotion started in the courtyard, which caught Mokuba's attention. He looked out the window and gasped softly.
"Connie look...it's Kaibaman!"he said excitedly,"Kaibaman is in the courtyard!"
This got the girl's attention. She turned and took a peek outside, rubbing her eyes to ensudre her eyes weren't deceiving her.

"Kaibaman! Kaibaman!"the children chanted and gathered excitedly around the masked man in the courtyard.
"Hello to you all."he smiled and knelt down to their level, greeting each one,"Tell me children, does anyone here know ?"
The children blinked and looked to each other, they would whisper and mutter before Mokuba's rose above the crowd.
"She's over here, Kaibaman!"the boy smiled, patting the head of the girl who stood clinging to his leg, shyly looking to the hero who stood before her.
"I see...so it is you."Kaibaman smiled and approached the teary eyed child.
"K-Kaibaman..."She sniffled and tried to rub away her tears.
"Hush now child, why do yo cry so?"he carefully caught her tears onto his fingers and gently swiped them away before lifting the child into his arms and sitting him on her knee. The other children squealed and ahhed happily gathering around them,"Talk to me child. Tell kaibaman your worries."

"...Seto- I can't believe this-"
Mokuba snickered trying to keep his brother's 'secret identity' in silence, though it didn't change that he found it very amusing. At the same time, he was touched, that his brother cared enough about the hope of children to go this far...
"You care about Connar too...don't you Seto?...You sucker."he chuckled and continued to watch.

"Kaibaman..."the girl sniffled,"I'm sad because...I'm about to be sent away..."she whimpered softly.
"Sent away you say?"he tilted his head,"Why is that?"
"B-because..."she sniffled," I guess...no one wants me..."
"Nonsense, I find that hard to believe"he said softly patting her pink head.
"I'm scared, Kaibaman..."she sniffled and gripped tightly at the clothing of the costumed warrior,"Help me, Kaibaman..."
The Costumed hero held the girl to his chest while she gripped at his jacket and waited for her to calm herself.
"Listen to me closely my dear."he whispered to her,"I want you to snuggle tightly into your little bed tonight, and dream your big dreams."he said to her,"When you wake up tomorrow...Everything will be better, I promise."

That promise...was the start of everything ahead for me.

xxx

The child slept soundly, hugging tightly to the doll of Kaibaman she never let go of since his visit the day before.
A gentle caress ran through her hair and woke her from her slumber, as her bright blue eyes blinked open, she noticed a light through the hall.
Looking out the window she could see it was early morning, and she could hear the sound of muffled talking in the office.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she slid herself off the bed and tottled over to the office doorway.
As she peeked in, she saw the nice assistant Shizuka handing Mokey and Seto Kaiba a special document before she got caught.
"Oh, Connar, Good morning."Shizuka greeted her sweetly.
"Good morning..."yawned the child,"Am I going away today?"she asked sadly, holding tightly to her favorite toy.
"Indeed you are."said Shizuka,"But not in the way you think."
"Because no one wants me?"
"On contrary Connie."said Mokuba, he seemed to be holding in something exciting,"Turns out that someone does want you~!"
"Who?"
"We do!"Mokuba beamed and threw his arms around the girl.
"Mokuba!"Seto hissed,"...That was supposed to be a surprise."
"Sorry...I just got excited."he giggled.
The assistant Shizuka chuckled and knelt down to Connar's level.
"Listen closely Connie."she said softly,"As I am sure you know, these are the Kaiba brothers, Mokuba and his older brother Seto."She stated,"They have decided that they wanted you."she smiled sweetly,"Congratulations Connar...you've been adopted!"
"Isn't this exciting Connie-kins!?"Mokuba beamed and picked her up,"You're coming home with us!"

It all happened so fast.
She rode in a long black car that was bigger inside than her cot was.
They pulled into a gated white mansion, so tall that it touched the sky.
That's how it appeared in Connar's eyes.
"This will be your home from now on, Connar."Kaiba said this softly walking in as he held the girl's tiny hand in his fingers,"You will be breathing the air of higher places."
"It's so big..."she said in awe,"Like a castle!"
"Of course."he said softly,"Is there anything more fitting for princess?"
"I'm a princess...?"
"You are in this castle~!"Mokuba beamed excitedly as he led her to her bedroom.
It was decked out in pink and frills.
Filled with toys and pretty dresses.
The small girl gasped in awe at its comely setting, walking into the middle of the plush carpet and twirling, stopping in front of the elegant canopy bed.
Rather large for such a small child...
Much MUCH bigger than her cot!
"Hope you like it."Mokuba said softly,"Seto and I spent all day decorating it yesterday when we came home to get it ready for you...do you...like it?"
The girl smiled wide- giggling twirling in glee.
"I LOVE my princess room!"she giggled.
"We hoped you would."said Mokuba,"It was Seto's idea."
"Se...to..."she smiled and spun on her heels, charging right for the tall brunette and throwing her arms around his legs, nuzzling her face into his knees, since that was all she could reach. It startled him and he stumbled back a bit but quickly caught his balance with a slight surprised flush on his cheeks as he placed a palm on her head.
"I love you, Kaibaman!"She snuggled into him deeply and whispered,"Thank you~"
She could feel the man twitch, taken by surprise by her actions that melted his heart.
"You're...welcome...Princess."he said this in a gentle tone, a warm smile curving his lips while he fitted his palm perfectly onto her tiny little pink head.
xxx
...Wow...my dad was really lame wasn't he?
Connar giggled as she thought to herself.
What a dork!

But...it was each of those small moments that solidated the very reason why she adored her forever family so much...
And would do anything it took in order to stay with them...
Whatever it takes.

"Uhhh...Connar?" Jaden's voice startled her.

Oh I see...
She thought to herself.
I got lost in my memories, again.
she chuckled.

"So, who was it, Connar?"
"Pardon?" she blinked and turned toward the brunette next to her on the bed.
"You know...the person who wanted you?" he asked, "Who adopted you?"
She stared at him blankly for the moment, thinking long and hard about his question and how to answer it.
After her moment of thought she smiled and shook her head softly.
Not yet.
she thought to herself.
Someday...but not yet.
"Who, You ask?" she giggled and carefully took the card he was holding, and held it up above for both of them to see, "Someone...really important to me."
"Hmm." Jaden smiled back at her and chuckled, scooting back a bit to share in her view of the card she held so dearly.
"Well, in that case Connie, then it sounds to me like you will take really good care of'em."
"Yeah...you're right." Connar said warmly, "I Promise, I will."

To Be Continued