Something Light Hearted (Part 2)

DIMENSION: MANGA (The One That Saves the Day)

"Seto is . . ." Shizuka trailed off. "He's unique. He's not a terribly nice person, but he's not a . . . a terrible person either. Even now, I can't really blame him. Just playing this trick instead of telling Jounouchi about what happened is nicer." Blushing. She was blushing. "He pretends to be a brute. It's more for . . . I don't want to say show, because he can be. It's just, I just." She moved her fingers awkwardly. "He's Seto. Are we done now?"

///Atem: By the son of Ra, these two are pretending to like each other, when they actually like each other?/// No wonder things got so twisted. Kaiba cared for her. Shizuka cared for him. The trick they were using was only a trick to them. In truth, they did like each other.

Forget a one-night stand, Jounouchi did have something bigger to worry about. Kaiba and his sister loved each other. "You should stop pretending, and tell Jounouchi the truth," Atem recommended.

"No, Kaiba doesn't want to," Shizuka said. "I can't."

"You can because there is no pretend. You and Kaiba have feelings for each other, without pretending," Atem said. "After this is over, you should talk about your real feelings more with him."

"Hm?" Yes, she looked clueless. "No, it's a trick." She pointed back at him. "We care for each other as friends."

"Kaiba does not treat friends well. He doesn't care easily." Atem crossed his arms. "He cares about you and he gives you preferably better treatment than he does others. You have touched something inside of him no one else could."

"Stop." Shizuka was full red in the face. "I'm going back now. Don't tell Jounouchi, you promised. You can tell Yuugi because he doesn't deserve to worry, but-"

Atem watched as Shizuka ran into a maid coming from a room. It wasn't a bump due to her blindness, it was just an accident. However, she took enough steps back that she also passed Atem and ran into the side cable Kaiba had warned her about. She slipped and involuntarily yelled.

Atem went to grab her before she fell to the ground. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry." She clung to him as she regained her balance.

"Shizuka!" It came from two different voices, with one closer than the other.

The first was Kaiba to arrive on the scene. As he stared at Atem next to Shizuka, and the cable, he glared. He didn't say anything, he just glared.

He was glaring at his Pharoah.

"Shizuka, I heard a yell." Jounouchi was the second. It probably took a minute longer to get there due to being careful with Mana. He couldn't simply sprint. "You okay?"

"Just fine, I'm fine."

"But you're all red?" Jounouchi questioned.

"Fine, I'm fine," she insisted. "Don't worry. Your friend caught me, Katsuya."

"Good." It was the first and only thing Kaiba said. "Are you two ready to come back?"

"I am." Shizuka started to walk away with Kaiba at her side.

"I still feel like he's a vulture. Way too close to her," Jounouchi said to Atem as they left. "You get anything from her?"

"We should return," Atem said instead and walked away.

———————

At the lobby

///Yuugi: Holy smoke, Kaiba and Shizuka like each other? Are you sure, Atem?/// Yuugi laid down a card. ///Yuugi: Are you really positive?///

///Atem: I had enough proof before, but there was simply no doubt when Kaiba came back because of her yell./// Atem put down his own card. ///Atem: He glared at his Pharoah, Yuugi. He would not dare to go up against me, and without even a card in his hand to challenge, he glared at me. In my time, punishment of death could have been dealt. It was involuntary, Yuugi.///

///Yuugi: Poor Honda when he comes back. Poor Jounouchi too. This sounds worse than a one-night stand.///

///Atem: That also happened too.///

///Yuugi: I don't even want to know the details to that one. So? They are pretending to like each other to confuse Jounouchi, but in truth, they do like each other and don't know it? Well. At least that's one mystery solved.///

///Atem: She will give her life to save Mokuba, for Kaiba.///

///Yuugi: It's her life. She has to live it the way she thinks is best./// Yuugi put down another card. ///Yuugi: When we save Honda, his heart will be crushed.///

///Atem: If she tells Kaiba. If they keep their feelings secret, I don't think anything will change between them.///

Yuugi smiled. ///Yuugi: I know that feeling. That uncertainty of feelings. I had it a lot with Anzu. Shizuka will follow her heart, I am sure of it. I'm just glad the secret wasn't Earth shattering.///

///Atem: Kaiba falling for anyone isn't Earth shattering?/// Atem laughed.

"I meant physically." Yuugi smiled. It was nice to have something light hearted to deal with for once.

The sun was gone. The day was waning. Battle after battle with only snacks between.

The day went faster than any of them wished. Yet, it also meant that the final showdown was closer.

—————————

Final day

Bastet joined with Sekhmet and Isis. They all stared toward the hotel.

Bastet looked back toward Isis. "There is no way to warn them directly."

"To tell them their wives as they knew them could never be back would only make the game harder to win," Isis insisted. "Part of Atem was close enough to part of Masika to create a child. The other part of Atem, while not as close, did bond with the other part of Masika. Both would only be made weaker by the truth."

"Zorc might be saving it himself to use to weaken them," Sekhmet warned Isis. "Bastet wants to warn Ryou Bakura. He can then talk to Bakura and the communication line would be open."

Isis paused. "It is interference. No."

"It shouldn't count," Bastet insisted. "Please."

"No. If the Earth is to be saved, then the parts of Atem will have to be strong enough to deal with anything in their way. Including the truth of the wives," Isis insisted.

"Humans care so much for each other. They are delicate beings," Bastet warned Isis.

"Yes, they are, but they must prove that they can survive through anything to save mankind." Isis shook her head. "Horakhty knows what it wants."

Oh. Bastet lowered her furry head as she waved her tail back and forth. "Anzu and Satiah were meant to be brought back together as their challenge. That is their sacrifice they made to save everyone. They don't even know it."

"Isis, I insist to move Bastet away," Sekhmet said to Isis. "When she is on the surface too long, she gets too emotional and close to humans."

Isis nodded. "Nothing can be done now."

"But something later?" Bastet asked her. "When we can communicate with them, what can we do? Taking time backward does not effect a split soul. The best we could do is make them forget."

"I will take care of it. If the humans win, I will take care of everything. You know what that means. Go with Sekhmet, Bastet. Fulfill my last command."

Sekhmet turned into a tiger and picked up a sadly meowing Bastet on her back. "Come on. It must be done."

———————————

Yuugi looked at the time, and back at Hikaru. It was almost the time of the day where his life turned into hell. Would it be after the rest of the day and a good night's sleep? Or would it start in exactly a three day countdown?

Each of them practiced hard, each facing everyone. There wasn't a combination of people there that hadn't fought against each other. Even Shizuka, though not as solid a player, had played with them too.

They ate some, but the last day went much like the second. Constant playing and a feeling like there wasn't enough time. There wasn't enough they could do.

"Hey, how's it goin' again?" A familiar voice, along with a familiar tune played from behind them. "Ready to defend the Earth or lose it forever?