After the spirit of the pharaoh Atem had finally returned to the realm of spirit to continue his journey, Ishizu and her brother Marak, freed of their duties as guardians of the pharaoh's tomb, begin a new life in America as University students. The beautiful and mysterious Ishizu has thrown Seto Kaiba the ultimate challenge, but this duel is not a deadly shadow game, it is a battle of hearts. Will the hardheaded, arrogant Seto Kaiba fall? (Part of the A Haven for Lovers of Sailor Moon website’s challenge)
Moonlight
Roses
Computers
Teddy Bear
College
An alarm clock
And a secret of some kind
Fate had rolled the dice once more. Marak too had joined me on campus. It seemed -- we needed to get with the program -- as Joey Wheeler so eloquently put it! What else could I do? My life as priestess and guardian of the Pharaoh was complete. Atem was free to follow his new and exciting journey beyond this world. Now I had a new life to explore. My destiny was in my own hands.
~*~
After qualifying for a scholarship in the United States, we made ready for our flight. Having taken care of affairs at home, we said our goodbyes to family and friends and journeyed across the Atlantic with a brief stopover on the East Coast before arriving in Los Angeles. Passports, visas, luggage and all else we needed was at the ready as we prepared to start our new lives in America. After spending a week orienting ourselves to the city and suburbs, we finally arrived on campus the following week.
Once assigned our accommodations, we unpacked and oriented ourselves to the dorm and the overall layout of the first floor. Marak's room was on the west wing, while mine was on the east. I introduced myself to my roommate, a girl by the name of Magenta Dawn, and after unpacking, we joined Marak and his roommate, Troy Idée, and went on a tour of the campus.
It was hot. I had changed into a sleeveless, bright-yellow cotton shirt, a pair of white Bermuda shorts, tied my hair in a ponytail and applied lip-gloss, sunscreen and shades. As an added touch, I sprayed a little spicy-sweet perfume I had made myself, as I was adept in the ancient art of beauty craft and herbalist. It was a simple and relaxing process.
We attended a student debriefing session, held within a large lecture theatre that rivaled the King's Chamber within the Great Pyramid for grandeur; the massive red granite and sandstone panels were most impressive. The seating and overall décor was aesthetically pleasing, comfortable and awe inspiring.
It was a most enjoyable orientation session.
~*~
I was offered a place within the Ancient History department where I specialized in forensic archaeology and ancient Egyptian history in which I was well versed. In no time at all, I had charmed the faculty staff and impressed the Dean. I soon started writing a book on my vast knowledge of Ancient Egypt, and before long, was flooded with offers of help and support to get it published. In addition, as fate would have it, this goal I achieved in the fall of that same year. My experience as priestess and guardian of Atem's tomb had served me as well now as it had in the past.
My friendship with Yuugi and his friends gave me the confidence I needed to fit in with the students on campus and cope with the rigors of the intense study regime at UCLA. It was good to see Tea, Yuugi, and Joey. Tristan and Serenity delighted me when they told me of their engagement and I marveled at Serenity's ring. It was beautiful, a large pink diamond with ice-blue sapphires encircling it set into a silver band, truly romantic. They were to be married at the end of the summer. It had been five years since we had seen them, and they had achieved so much. Yuugi was now working for Kaiba Corp. Who would have thought this possible before Atem's final rite of passage across the Rubicon? But there it was, Yuugi Muto and his former archrival, Seto Kaiba, now working together as if it had always been so. But the truth was, they had become close friends after all that had come to pass in those days when the spirit of the pharaoh was finally set free.
Marak was granted a position as assistant curator within a prestigious Californian museum. His interest in computers influenced his choice of subject and he was doing computer and business studies. I was both overjoyed and surprised to learn he was dating. I was so pleased to see my brother so happy. He was seeing a girl from the Caribbean. Her name was Lydia Gravitas. She was a wide-eyed, exotic, mocha-skinned beauty, who reminded Marak of an Egyptian princess. She was perfect for him in every way: gentle, smart and fascinated by the ancient world and, of course, a truly dedicated computer nerd, and she played the flute beautifully. I thought all this a refreshing change from our former lives in Egypt, but I was in for a few surprises yet; firstly,
I was required to join the University's marching band, and this would prove to be a most fortuitous event.
I was highly skilled in the arts, especially when it came to playing any musical instruments I could get my hands on. I had also joined a college rock-dance fusion band as its harpist, the band called itself Lady Nile -- a fusion between hybridized Ancient Egyptian music and contemporary electronic forms with a punchy rock influence running through it. I loved it.
After Sheila Lana, the keyboard player, heard me singing in the dorm one day, she invited me to become the band's lead singer. After much gentle persuasion and several rehearsals later, I stood up front, dressed like an Egyptian Goddess. I wore the skimpiest of outfits, my hair falling in a tumble down my back with a tiara of gold upon my head. A bright pink, or gold, top left little to the imagination, as did the skirts, which were so short they made me blush. I sat, singing to the pulsing rhythms of two electric guitars, a synthesizer, and sequencer and base, playing my harp in elaborate sequences, and often playing solo during a lighter moment in a set and blending it with the layers of sounds that complemented my instrument. It worked extremely well. The harp, fashioned from beautifully polished red granite, was carved with a falcon – with its wings unfurled as if it were about to take flight – on the bow of the instrument.
We were considered hot, and we had produced a CD and DVD music-disk. We plan to record another. We were quite popular and gaining a reputation off-campus too. This grounded me immensely.
~*~
Not long after our first performance, I had been sent a bunch of roses and a card. I ruffled the soft, curling, raven-black hair of the little boy who had delivered these to me. "Thank you…young sir," I told him, handing him a gold Egyptian coin worth thousands. "Use this when you enter college and may the Gods of Ancient Egypt always protect you." He beamed, and bowed. I then slipped my hand in his, led him to where my shoulder bag was hanging suspended on a coat hook, rummaged for what destiny in that moment instructed me to do, and pulled out a card. "Wow! An Egyptian God card!" he cried as I handed it to him, his eyes wide with awe.
"Your destiny affords you her protection, and Hathaw shall always protect you. Live well, Ômi-san." I smiled. He blinked and, with a final bow, departed, skipping as he went.
I sighed with delight as I read the message on the card. "‘I long to claim your sweet lips, I long to hold the Goddess of love and wisdom to my heart… Signed, your secret admirer'."
That night, I had a telling dream. Mana appeared before me, free from the stone tablet where she had been imprisoned for thousands of years. Mana, otherwise known as the Dark Magician Girl, told me, much to my consternation and disbelief, of my deeper feelings for Seto Kaiba. I naturally was taken aback by this and stunned by her revelation.
**Flashback**
"What? Seto Kaiba!" I sputtered, twisting the fabric of my white robes tightly in my fingers. I could hear my voice reverberate off the aquamarine marble walls within the Central chamber, where the two great beings sat upon their high thrones.
"Yes, Ishizu, you love him. If you look within your heart, it is so. Your heart keeps a fire burning for him."
In that moment, I distracted myself by staring at the floor at my feet examining the colorful murals upon the pink marble floor and lifted my eyes. I was spellbound, my eyes taking in more of my surroundings. I breathed in the sweet and spicy incense, watching the wispy blue smoke rising from braziers creating an enchanting atmosphere. I could hear the sound of a flute, singing, it was beautiful. Then I detected the delicious aromatic fragrance of cooking meats and other delights wafting in from a kitchen somewhere within the building. My eyes moved to Mana, (Dark Magician Girl) and Mahad (Dark Magician) — looking more like a king and queen of ancient Egypt. They smiled and joined hands; a gesture precursor to a brilliant fiery flash, I stood atop a balcony, tears in my eyes as Seto, dressed in purple robes and a silver headdress that resembled a bird of prey, with Millennium Rod in hand, stormed out of the courtyard, refusing to listen to reason. Not much had changed, I thought wryly. He was determined to challenge Zork on his own. I told him he was wasting his time, and we should stand by the Pharaohs' side. Then I told him I loved him.
He smiled and touched my cheek ever so gently, and I leaned into his strong and warm hand, holding it against my cheek as if never wishing to surrender it. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me passionately. I slipped my arms around his neck and felt joy overwhelm my trembling body as he stroked my hair and whispered endearments into my ear, before gently settling me down and stepping back a pace.
Then a look of fierce determination swept across his handsome features, and I knew at that moment that he was beyond my reach. As he told me he loved me more than life and all its riches, I feared so for my love.
Then another blinding flash of silvery light found me nursing a beautiful child, feeding eagerly at my breast. I looked up into the face of my husband, dressed as Pharaoh, and as proud as any father might be at such a tender moment. I knew this was a memory from the time when Seto had succeeded Atem to the throne.
**End Flashback**
Why the dreams, I pondered, pushing down on the alarm clock Yuugi and Tea had given me as a gift for my twenty-first birthday.
I sat up in bed, threw back the bedclothes and swung my long, amber legs out of bed. I palmed the sleep from my eyes, made myself breakfast, and ran a scented bath.
After dressing, I pulled the brush through my abundance of raven-black hair, careful to comb out any tangles. The action was soothing. I sighed as thoughts of my first day on campus as a student came flooding back, and I smiled to myself at the memory. I had been so nervous that day. I had walked to class along the concourse connecting the Falcon Dawn science club to the central lecture theatre, looking like any typical college student in my pink velvet top, knee-length denim skirt, matching jacket and white leather shoulder bag.
I wasn't a slave to fashion, but chose what looked and felt good on my body. I wasn't going to be held captive by fashion trends if they felt uncomfortable. But I surprised myself with the tight fitting jeans, shorts and the skirts I wore, and these I found most liberating compared to my priestess robes. I refused to compromise when it came to my amulet, though, and wore it every day. Besides, students wore all kinds of exotic jewelry. I laughed, remembering my attempts to adjust to the new high heels I had purchased to wear that first day. Tea and Serenity helped me build my wardrobe. And though I felt a little strange wearing these contemporary western clothes, I must admit, I didn't look all that bad in them.
I turned my thoughts back to Seto. Since my encounter with the Magicians in my dream or vision, I knew it was so. I loved Seto. But did he love me? I was determined to find out!
~*~
As fate would have it, Seto was due to give a presentation on his latest duel disk and entertainment interface in the central auditorium later that morning and I had no classes at that time, although I would have skipped them if I had. I sent him an email, and much to my delight, he answered it.
I sat in the front row, eyes fixed on the tall, impressive figure of a man who had the world at his command. Though he had given up any aspirations to defeat Yuugi Motou, he nonetheless remained focused on being the best he could be in all other ways. I listened as he gave his address. My heart raced every time his eyes met mine, lingering on me a little longer than was necessary. I was pleased; I felt a sugary fountainhead of emotion overpower me as I gazed into his deep, yet warm ocean-blue eyes. He smiled, and then looked away, blushing. I had caught his attention.
~*~
He stopped me outside the auditorium and asked me to lunch. I accepted and we sat in a little café on the promenade. "Well, it's Ishizu, I believe. Perhaps you'll spend less time rummaging through ancient texts and more on contemporary matters," he said with a jaunty grin and a questioning tilt of the head, slightly ruffling my feathers. But this little bird wasn't going to budge. I never had, even at those moments when I could have so easily throttled him.
I remembered our first duel and thought that this time I would gain the upper hand in this battle, not for a tournament, but for the heart. "Seto, I am pleased to see you're doing well. It has been a long time. It is good to see you once again," I told him sincerely, not taking my eyes off his stunningly beautiful ones. His warm smile and the way his bangs fell across his forehead held me spellbound. He nodded and smiled once more, causing my heart to skip.
"My brother and I are enjoying life in America. I am studying history, archaeology and shall be working with Professor Arthur Hawkins, whom you obviously know quite well."
"Yes, I do, and Ishizu…good for you! Look, I have to go now. Perhaps we can discuss your situation regarding career direction over dinner. I could use a woman of your expertise within Kaiba-Corp." I couldn't help but smile at him as we laughed at the same time.
"I will accept your challenge, Seto Kaiba," I replied, extending my hand. I felt wavelets of pleasure wash over my body as he held it for what seemed an eternity. He bowed, and then continued, "Are you free tomorrow evening?"
Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather – as the saying goes – and it was my turn to look like a stunned goldfish. "No, I have no plans."
He coughed, his face a little flushed, and I smiled gently at him. "Well, I was just thinking that it's Valentines' Day tomorrow, and I thought we might have dinner…that is, if you don't mind."
"I would be delighted, Seto," I heard myself reply.
"You mean… er, all right, then. Tomorrow then, I will meet you on the bench in front of your dorm and we will head for the amazing Dalasi Café. You know…I don't usually go in for all that Valentines Day crap, but hey, it's a nice restaurant and we'll enjoy the fine wine and good food. Trust me. You'll love it. See you at six? I'll meet you here."
"Yes, I look forward to it, Seto," I replied dreamily as he stood, flanked by his security staff who had appeared out of nowhere. He grabbed his briefcase, and with a grin, he bowed and was soon climbing into the back of his Blue-eyes limacine. I chuckled; he loved that dragon and, if the truth be known, the monster, too, held him in high regard.
~*~
Later, after classes were over for another day, I was a nervous wreck. Tea sat on the end of my bed, shuffling through the pages of a magazine, searching for a look that would have Seto drooling. "I have it! Look at this, Ishizu."
I arched an eyebrow, tucking my elbow into the palm of my hand and considered the somewhat daring and sexy outfit before me. "Yes, I think… Tea, this will definitely get his attention," I replied, giggling.
"Yeah, the halter neck and diamond cut will show off just the right amount of cleavage, not to mention that stunning sexy slit. He will think you have the longest legs in the world. You will have him at your mercy, girl." Tea winked. "Trust me. I wore a similar number to the Halloween party and Yuugi…well, you know." She blushed, looking down at the eternity ring on her finger. "If it worked for me, it will work for you, too, Ishizu!"
"All right, I'll do it! I think that a little afternoon shopping is in order, don't you?"
"Uh-huh!" Tea winked conspiratorially.
~*~
We fluttered about the mall like two butterflies in a meadow of flowers. We found a dressmaker and stepped inside, and after showing the ginger-haired woman behind the counter the design, she smiled. I had suggested the colorful hieroglyphs design that would run the length of the gown, and I had purchased a pair of golden, high-heeled sandals. The woman arranged to have the garments made that night and delivered the following day. My plan to capture Seto Kaiba was one-step closer.
Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough, but the dress was finally in my hands. After much whooping, wolf whistling, and clapping from Joey and Tristan as I put on an impromptu catwalk rendition to "strut my stuff", I knew I had made the right choice. Laughing, I thanked the guys as Tea gave them a good ribbing for continuously ogling me in my hot outfit.
~*~
I sat on the bench, waiting for Seto to arrive, and checked my reflection in the compact mirror before I slipped it into my bag and let out a long sigh. The warm breeze caressed the bare skin of my arms and shoulders, and I looked up, hearing the footfalls that had my heart skip a beat in anticipation. I was giddy. "Hello, Seto," I said, smiling, knowing his eyes were firmly locked upon my sexy countenance. I sat, my legs crossed, with the fabric of the divided ankle-length skirt baring most of their length to his discerning eye. He coughed and struggled to pull his gaze to meet my eyes, and I winked. He grinned and bowed. "Lovely, I must be in heaven, and you must be a goddess," he said boldly, extending his hand. Without a moment's hesitation, I took it and slipped my arm into his. His black tuxedo brought out his charm and highlighted his physical allure to perfection. I was now worshiping him as if he were an Adonis.
"Oh, I have something for you." He smiled and produced a bunch of freshly cut pink roses and I cradled them in my arms. He then pinned a cute pink teddy bear pin, clutching a tiny rose in its little paws, to my top. I shivered at the light touch of his fingertips against my left breast and smiled, blushing profusely.
"Why, Kaiba – I mean, Seto – if I may, I thank you for your sweet and considerate gift. I shall treasure it always," I said, tears of joy brimming in my eyes.
"Yeah, it's nothing…" He coughed and seemed unable to tear his gaze from my eyes. This was fine with me, as I felt much more comfortable with his eyes on mine, as opposed to my bare legs, but even that was a fading memory as I detected something more than just male appreciation of my body.
~*~
We entered the restaurant. Its Italian décor was pleasing, welcoming, and we were ushered to a private table at the back of the restaurant with a beautiful view of a lake and gardens abutting the premises. As we ordered, we actually began to talk. Not about Kaiba Corp, as we had both had enough of that conversation, but rather about each other; our hopes, dreams, and insecurities. I would have never thought he had it in him.
After dinner, we ate a lovely dessert and drank a delicious bottle of red wine. He stood and I took his arm and we walked into the garden under the silvery moonlight. It was then I began to feel at ease. We continued to talk, the sound of my heels clicking in tandem with his shoes as we stepped onto a platform with a telescope that probed the night sky.
Sliding his hand up my forearm and leaning forward, he kissed me. It was chaste, yet it burned my lips with fervor and a fire I had not thought possible set my body, mind, and heart aflame. I blushed, coughed and we both laughed to break the tension. It was a beautiful sight to see him laughing with joy, instead of derision. I went weak at the knees as shudders of pleasure rushed up my spine. He then began to share something more of himself and this touched my heart.
I was telling Seto about my girlhood, and I recalled fragments, significant pieces of my previous existence that I now knew he would be able and willing to appreciate, no longer in denial of his past and its place in his life. He embraced it and I found, as the wine, the laughter, and good food filled my senses, that I wanted him to hold me. I wanted Seto more than I could say, and I knew, the way he looked at me, that he desired me, as well.
I turned to him and he touched my cheek. I stood spellbound. The atmosphere was saturated with the magic of love as he looked into my eyes and took my hands into his. "Ishizu, I have been having strange dreams… you know, about our past, but more than this, I knew that I felt something so profound and I want it so to be real…"
"Oh, Seto… as do I!"
"You what...?"
"Yes, I feel as you do…"
"You mean, you love me," he finished for me.
I grinned, tears now filling my eyes. "Yes, oh yes! Seto, I love you with all my heart. I think I always have." He pulled me to him, and I allowed my body to melt into his strong embrace, our lips moving inexorably towards one another as he whispered, "I love you more than all the magic and the power. I love you because you are who you are. My darling Ishizu, be mine."
With that, I responded in the only way I could and pressed my lips to his, opening to a deep, sensual kiss that became the prelude to a night of loving which neither of us would ever forget, even long after we married and raised our family in the wonderful years to come.
Destiny had seen to that, and we were not complaining.
