Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh!. Only Terry and Aaron are mine. This takes place after the series’ finale.
Chapter One- Bitten
“Kaiba,” Atem sighed over the phone. “I appreciate that you acknowledge my existence, but Yugi is the one-,”
“No!” Kaiba snapped. “I thought about it and realized that it was you I was dueling the entire time.”
“Actually, you were dueling both of us but Yugi was the true duelist.”
“No, it was your appearance I saw.”
“Kaiba, listen,” Atem said in exasperation. “When Yugi freed me, I had no name and no memories of my own. Everything about this world came from Yugi. As I watched Yugi duel and learned how to play, I was able to formulate strategies for us to use, even though Yugi wasn’t aware of me, not until Duelist Kingdom shortly before you got there.”
“That would explain why you responded to Yugi’s name when people spoke to you. But now that you have a name and memory, I insist we duel.”
“Fine then and afterwards, we’ll have nice long talk. When and where?”
“Kaibadome in two days at noon.”
“Very well. Until then, Kaiba.”
Kaiba smirked. “Until then.” He hung up with satisfaction. He would soon have the duel he deserved. He promptly cleared his calendar so that the day in question was clear. He did not want anything to interfere with his duel. Despite what Atem said, Kaiba was certain that Atem was the one who defeated him every time. He was just making excuses to avoid dueling me. Well, it didn’t work. After two days, we will duel and I will win.
Atem hung up and shook his head a little. I don’t think Kaiba believed me; he was humoring me. He went up to his room, laid on the bed, and stared at the ceiling. Thanks to a strong bond between Yugi and him, Atem was given a second chance at life and his own body. This caused a bit of a problem as Atem had no identification or papers and thus couldn’t do much except help run the game shop.
Ah, but an ID card is coming, he thought. Any day now. Until then, I need Grandpa to drive me around so people won’t wonder why a teenager isn’t in school. He got up and went down to the game shop. “Grandpa?” he ventured.
Solomon smiled warmly at him. When Atem and Yugi returned from Egypt, the former doing so on Kaiba’s jet, Solomon wasted almost no time in claiming Atem as a grandson which flattered the pharaoh.
“Kaiba challenged me to a duel in two days.”
“Where?”
“The Kaibadome at noon.”
Solomon nodded. “I can take my lunch hour then and drive you over.”
“I’ll have Kaiba take care of the drive home as we’ll be having a talk afterwards.”
“Oh? Usually, you duel, he loses, and he stalks off after you speak of having friends and the Heart of the Cards that helped you win.”
Atem gave a short laugh. “Yes, well I’m having trouble getting him to believe that it’s Yugi who’s his true rival, not me. Duel Monsters may have originated in Egypt, but the cards, rules, and strategies came from you and Yugi.”
“Well when I think back on the duels I’ve seen, it was your looks that was used as well as your voice.”
“I think everyone noticed that and since I had no name and only my title, I was content to be called Yugi.”
“And Yugi did not mind sharing his name.” Solomon smiled. “Yugi is such a sweet, thoughtful boy.”
“Yes, while Kaiba is a stubborn man.”
“Consider his upbringing, my boy. He didn’t have time to indulge in fantasies or fairytales. He deals with hard reality and dismisses magic or the supernatural even when it is so obvious.”
“Our adventure in recovering my memories made Kaiba grudgingly accept that I was a pharaoh but that seems to be it.”
“I don’t know. His acceptance of you may open the door to other supernatural experiences and give Kaiba a new perspective on life.”
Atem highly doubted that would happen. Kaiba accepted he had been a pharaoh long ago, but he was convinced that Atem had been the duelist who had beaten him time and again and it seemed that nothing Atem said could change his mind. Nonetheless, Atem said, “In any case, we’ll duel and then talk in two days.”
&&&&
Kaiba snapped his briefcase closed and picked it up. It had been a satisfying day. The various projects and products were proceeding on schedule or selling well, all the proper paperwork had been filled out, and all his charts and books were up to date. Most people didn’t realize how hard it was to run a business and he was convinced that only he and Mokuba could handle Kaiba Corp’s management. He had spent time teaching Mokuba here and there ever since the Duelist Kingdom tournament, but now he was thinking of teaching Mokuba the finer points of the company. He’s certainly old enough and smart enough to grasp the concepts. He is the vice-president after all.
It was late as Kaiba called for the limo. Night had already fallen and the sky was illuminated by the full moon. The last one for the month, he thought, though why he found this important, he couldn’t say. Astronomy was not part of his daily life or necessary to run a company, so he never gave it any thought.
His boot heels clicked as he strode toward the elevator and the again as he entered the lobby. All was silent, which made the multiple clicks he heard hall the more evident. He paused and listened to determine which direction they were coming from so he could deal with the source. A low growl replaced the clicks and it was behind him. He turned and was tackled to the floor before he got a look at his attacker.
It was a wolf as black as night with gold eyes that glowed. He bared his teeth and Kaiba saw a collar and leash around his neck. Maybe it’s not a wolf, but rather a large dog, he thought even as a leg coiled up to push the animal off, but before he could, it lunged forward, seized Kaiba’s shoulder, and bit down. Kaiba cried out before swinging his left fish out and hitting the animal’s head instead of kicking at it. His attacker released with a yelp and the Kaiba thrusted out with his leg to send the wolf flying.
The wolf slid back on its side before popping back onto its feet. He growled, teeth bared, until a muzzle was slipped on the snout as a man appeared and picked up the leash.
“Who the hell are you and why have your dog attack me?” Kaiba spat as he stood up, his left hand applying pressure to the wound.
“I am Terry and this is not my dog. He is Aaron, my younger brother and a werewolf.”
Kaiba smirked before giving a derisive laugh. “A werewolf? You expect me to believe that?”
“I do. Aaron bit you on a full moon night. That means, the werewolf virus is now in you. You will transform into a talking self-aware wolf every night except for the full moon when you will be a vicious simple wolf who will desire to turn others.” Terry held up a silver cross on a necklace. “Silver protects one from being attacked. Aaron’s been wanting to turn someone and I had heard that you are dismissive of magic and the supernatural. We both agreed that you would be the perfect target.” Terry reached into his jacket, pulled out a manila envelope, and slid it across the floor to Kaiba before leaving with Aaron.
Chapter Two- Ill
Kaiba snatched up the envelope before running after the brothers. However, they had chosen a cross-corridor and Kaiba had no idea which way they went. There’s no way I’ll catch up with them. He headed back to the lobby, saw the limo pull up, exited, and got inside.
He lifted his hand from his shoulder and craned his neck to look at it. He saw torn cloth but no mark or blood! What? But, it did bite me. I felt the teeth pierce my skin and bite down hard. He frowned as he realized that he had no proof of an attack as the security cameras had been turned off once everyone else had left and he bore no mark of an attack. So, I can’t really sue Terry for assault as I have no proof or address of where he lives. He then looked at the envelope next to him before opening it and pulling a couple of pieces of paper covered in writing back and front. He began to read.
The writer was Aaron who confirmed that he was a werewolf and Terry’s brother. He had received the bite in high school when he fell in with a werewolf gang. He had no inkling of their true nature when he started hanging out with them, albeit, only in daylight. He was bitten when the gang deemed him worthy of being a full member, in other words, a werewolf.
It had not been easy hiding it as he changed every night and he restrained himself to keep from biting every full moon. Terry, who was nineteen at the time and had his own place, took in Aaron who was three years younger than him and had told Terry what had happened. That had been eight years ago. Now, Terry was twenty-seven and Aaron was twenty-four.
“I had always resisted the urge to bit, but lately it became harder to resist. Now, I can’t fight it and must turn someone. Terry made it clear that he won’t let me turn him and wears silver to deter me as it is painful to touch. He spoke of you and your dismissal of the supernatural and I then knew that you were the one I would turn into a werewolf.
“I know you’ll read this after the bite, so allow me to say what you need to know. You will feel quite ill in the morning as the virus races through your body. It will pass just before sunset. You will then painfully transform as it will be your first one. The rest of the changes will be painless.
“You’ll crave meat from this point on, especially at night. Silver is painful to touch as I said and it protects the wearer from being bitten. You may resist from biting ever as I understand that you have a strong will. I should add that you will transform should you become angry. You’ll growl and snarl but not attack and be self-aware. Once your anger is spent, you’ll be able to change back. You will discover more about being a werewolf on your own and perhaps like it.”
Kaiba rolled his eyes as he put the papers back in the envelope and put it in his case. That is absurd, he thought as the car pulled up to his house. I am not a werewolf. This is all a hoax. I will not believe any of this nonsense. He entered and the staff greeted him with nods and one said that Mokuba was in bed but awake and that his dinner was in the microwave to keep it warm. Kaiba gave his thanks before heading to the kitchen, briefcase still in hand.
He opened the microwave, looked in, and saw his dinner with the entrée being a top quality steak. He couldn’t believe it; of all the dinner choices in the world, it had to be a steak and on a night when he had been attacked by a dog. Yes, it had to be a dog. Most wolves had gray fur and both wolves and dogs could have gold eyes.
At least, it’s well-done, he thought as he took out the plate, grabbed the utensils, and a glass of water before sitting at the table to enjoy his dinner. He smugly noted that the steak knife and his fork were silver and he felt no pain. I knew it was a lame trick.
After dinner, he went upstairs and for Mokuba’s room, knocking before entering. “Hi, Mokuba.”
“Hi, Seto. You’re home late tonight,” Mokuba commented, closing the book he was reading.
“I was buried in paperwork.”
“Oh. Seto, I could help you with that. I think I’m old enough.”
Kaiba couldn’t help smiling at this. “I was just thinking of teaching you the finer points of management.”
“Really!?”
“Really. Let’s start the day after tomorrow. Oh and I have a duel with Atem the day after that at noon.”
“So, you’ll teach me one day, duel the next day, and then resume teaching me?”
“That’s the plan. Good night, little brother.”
“Night, Seto.” Kaiba closed the door and both went to bed.
Kaiba awoke the next morning feeling nauseous and hot. He put the back of his hand to his forehead and jerked it away with a moan. It was hot to the touch; a serious fever. He struggled to sit up but fell back onto his pillow with another moan. He was too ill to sit up and knew he would have to stay home.
“Seto?” called Mokuba through the door.
“Come in,” he said weakly.
The door opened and Mokuba entered. “Seto, aren’t you…Big brother!” Mokuba rushed over, alarmed. “You don’t look so good. You look pale.”
“I’ve also got a fever and I can’t even sit up,” Kaiba admitted.
Mokuba felt the forehead, ran into Kaiba’s bathroom, and returned with a wet washcloth that he folded and put on the forehead. A soft sigh escaped from Kaiba and Mokuba smiled at this. “Just rest, Seto. You need to stay in bed.”
“But,” Kaiba began.
“I can handle any work on your laptop with you here to assist me as long as you stay in bed.”
“All right. Mokuba, have some breakfast and come back when you’re ready.”
“Okay. Do you want anything?”
“No. I don’t feel up to any food. Maybe later.”
Mokuba nodded and, once in the hall, bit his lip. Seto almost never gets sick. I hope this is just a twenty-four hour bug. He’s got a duel the day after tomorrow and he can’t miss it. He padded downstairs to get some breakfast and chose to wait until lunch before going back to his brother. He needs to sleep. It’s the best thing for him and some soup for lunch may help him. Mokuba nodded to himself as he fixed a simple meal of cereal and toast and after that, informed the staff to not disturb Seto. He was going to tend to his brother himself. He’s taken care of me all our lives, so it’s my turn to take care of him.
Kaiba had shut his eyes as Mokuba left, but he wasn’t trying to sleep. His mind was running Aaron’s letter through it. The letter had said that he would feel ill in the morning due to the werewolf virus running through him. It certainly explained why he felt so sick, but he didn’t want to seize onto that explanation.
It’s just the stomach flu or a twenty-four hour bug. Something I ate is bothering me. That’s all it is.
Ah, another voice in him said. But, what if the illness is because of the bite? Your DNA is altering and your body reacts by being ill. You’ll recover before your first change.
“I am not a werewolf,” he muttered to himself before he fell back asleep.
Chapter Three- Transformation
Kaiba awoke to the smell of soup and determined that it was coming from the kitchen. He frowned a little. How could he smell food from the kitchen while he was in his room? He knew of one explanation but dismissed it: A sensitive nose like a wolf would have. He would not accept that.
The smell grew stronger and another scent accompanied it but Kaiba didn’t bother to figure out what it was; even if he did, the knock and Mokuba’s voice would simply confirm it. “Seto? You awake?”
“Yes,” he said, his voice sounding normal as he managed to sit up. The door opened and Mokuba entered with a tray bearing a bowl, a pitcher, a glass, and napkin, and a spoon.
Mokuba beamed at him. “You look better, Seto. You’re not pale anymore and you’re sitting up.”
“I do feel better, but still warm.”
“Think you’ll be able to eat?” Mokuba slid the tray onto the desk and retrieved the washcloth from Kaiba’s lap. “You can eat at the desk.”
“I believe I’ll be able to eat.” He got out of bed, and sat at the desk. The bowl held chicken brother, noodles, chicken, and carrots. Chicken noodle soup. The perfect thing when one is sick. He reached over and picked up the spoon.
His palm and fingers burned and he gave a howl of pain as he dropped it and raced to the bathroom sink where he ran cold water over his hand and fingers. He stared at the redness and his mind reeled and sagged with the realization that he had been foolish to deny the truth: He was a werewolf. He was allergic to silver and it was painful to touch just as Aaron had said.
“Seto?” Mokuba asked, standing beside him and staring at his hand. “What happened?”
Kaiba sighed as he turned off the tap and sat on the edge of the bathtub. He watched as his hand returned to its normal shade before answering. “I was…bitten by werewolf last night,” he said quickly.
“Really?”
Kaiba nodded. “I didn’t want to believe it, but the silver finally convinced me. I can’t touch it. Mokuba, in my case is a manila envelope and in it are two pages written by the one who bit me. I want you to read them while I eat, once I get a different spoon, of course.”
“I’ll get it,” Mokuba said. He left with the spoon and came back a few minutes later to find Kaiba at the desk. He put down the new spoon. “It’s stainless steel.”
“All the silver will need to be removed, but we will not say why.”
“Okay.” Mokuba opened the case and found the envelope. He opened it and removed the papers. He sat on the bed to ready while Kaiba ate his soup and drank some orange juice. “Oh, Seto,” he said softly after he finished. “You’ll change every night and whenever you get angry? You’re ill right now because your body’s preparing for tonight which will hurt?”
“Yes and I will have to keep myself from biting others every full moon. I…hate that this curse was inflicted on me, just because I don’t believe in magic or the supernatural.”
“Yeah, it’s not fair but there’s nothing we can do about it, right?”
“Right. My only option is to deal with it and not tell anyone else what I am now.”
Mokuba nodded and perused the papers again. “It says you’ll crave meat, especially at night.”
“I have no reason to doubt that, but I insist that it be cooked.”
“Of course.”
“And I’ll have it after dark. I suspect I’ll burn a lot of energy and calories when I change.” Kaiba took a moment to reflect on what he had said. I’ve accepted that I will transform into a wolf tonight and every night for life. I don’t want to, but I have no choice.
“Seto? Can I watch?”
“Yes. I confess I would like some company.”
Now that Kaiba had accepted the truth, he began to feel better as the afternoon wore on. All signs of illness fell away, leaving Kaiba healthy and a bit nervous. The idea of becoming an animal in body was insane and yet that was what was going to happen.
A bowl of cooked and chopped hamburger had been set out with a bowl of water and the curtains had been pulled back to show a fiery sunset. Kaiba felt his heart pounding as the sun got lower and lower. Neither brother spoke as any questions they had were answered by the papers they had read.
The sky flared as the sun vanished and night fell. Kaiba staggered back and fell to his knees, groaning and gasping in pain. He planted his hands on the floor and looked down to see brown fur sprouting on the backs while his fingers shrank away and his nails grew out and hardened into claws and pads developed on his newly- formed paws. His back ached and he sensed that he couldn’t stand up now.
He groaned as his fur continued to spread over his body. His lean frame enlarged as his muscles grew and he became the size of an adult wolf.
He grimaced as his legs cracked and popped as they shaped into back legs while his arms stiffened into forelegs. I must look like a monster, he thought. I have a tail-less wolf body with a human head. His neck shortened forcing his head to lift and face forward. He felt pain in his spine and he actually yelped until he felt his tail against his back legs.
He watched his nose turn large and black before joining with his upper jaw as it and the lower one pushed out to form a muzzle of sharp teeth with more teeth growing in the gaps in his mouth. His ears gained points and moved up to sit atop his head. His eyes turned gold and he felt an urge to howl which he indulged in before shaking himself out.
“Seto? Are you okay?” Mokuba asked.
“Yes, but that was painful.”
“I could tell from what I heard and saw. It was awful.”
“Well, it won’t happen like that again. It won’t hurt anymore.”
“That’s great, Seto.”
Kaiba turned to give a grin and his tail swished. “How do I look?”
“You look good, but I don’t think I would like it.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t bite and besides it has to be the full moon in order to turn someone.” He padded over to the full-length mirror and looked into it. His muzzle parted as he stared.
“Mokuba, I don’t just look good. I look impressive.” He turned and admired his strong body and legs. His tail was long and bushy and he flipped it around and through the air. He looked at his paws and spread one to look at the sharp white claws within. “These will need to be clipped,” he said and realized that his teeth clicked as he spoke.
“Yeah, they will,” Mokuba said as he came over to look at them. “Don’t need them snagging on the carpet.”
“I was thinking of making sure I don’t hurt you.”
“Well, that too.”
“Mokuba, I’m thinking that the staff should know about this.” A gurgle was heard and Kaiba added, “But not until tomorrow. Right now, I’m hungry.” He went to the bowl and started to eat while Mokuba yawned and went to bed, glad that Kaiba liked his wolf form. Now that he’s changed, he probably likes being a werewolf.
Chapter Four- Perks and Weaknesses
Kaiba awoke to sunlight poring through the window, the curtains still drawn back. He blinked at the light and used a hand to shade his eyes as he got out of bed and closed the curtains. Well, last night wasn’t so bad once the pain was done, he thought as he padded into the bathroom. He mused about breakfast and thought about sausages and maybe a steak. On second thought, sausages, eggs, and toast. I may be a werewolf, but I do need to eat more than just meat. He turned on the tap, splashed water on his face, groped for the hand towel, and patted his face dry. He lowered it, blinked at his reflection, and dropped the towel as his hands went to his ears.
They were pointed! The tips barely poked through his hair, but they were clearly pointed. He seized his comb and used it to style his hair so the tips were concealed. He nodded to himself. I’ll grow the sides out a little more to cover them. He checked his reflection carefully but saw nothing else unusual. He then got dressed before getting his case and heading downstairs. He met Mokuba at the bottom and couldn’t believe how grown up his brother looked in his own business suit. He is ready for more responsibility, that much is clear now.
Mokuba had smiled but then frowned a little as Kaiba had been adjusting his hair a little. “Seto? Is something wrong with your hair?”
“No, but I’ve got pointed ears,” he blurted out.
“What?” Mokuba gasped.
Kaiba exposed an ear. “This is clearly a sign of my curse while human. I will need to grow the sides of my hair to cover them.” He re-adjusted his hair. “Now, let’s gather the staff before breakfast.” He reached up and pulled a rope that rang a bell through the entire house and waited as everyone gathered before them.
Once they had, Kaiba affected his usual expression thought his heart was pounding at what he was going to say. “I have a very important announcement and before I say it, I want it understood that it does not leave this house.” Everyone nodded and Kaiba licked his lips. “The other night as I left the office, I was attacked and bitten by a werewolf.
“Yes, sir,” was the reply from everyone.
Kaiba nodded, dismissed them, gave his breakfast order to the kitchen staff as well as Mokuba’s, ate their breakfast once it was presented, and were soon out the door with Mokuba to climb into the limo.
Kaiba said, “I don’t know if everyone believed me, Mokuba.”
“Showing your ear gave them physical proof,” Mokuba said as the limo drove down the road. “If you come down after dark that will convince them.”
“You’re right. It will and I will need to learn to climb the stairs with four legs.”
Kaiba pushed all thoughts and concerns about his curse aside as he instructed Mokuba about the work he did every day, explaining the paperwork and how it fill it out. He then showed the files he used on a daily basis. Mokuba left shortly before lunchtime and returned with bags and drinks. Kaiba looked in the bag he was given to see a lot of hamburgers, plain. He gave Mokuba a quizzical look.
“I…thought you would want a lot of meat for lunch so I ordered plain hamburgers,” he said meekly, not sure how his brother would react.
“I appreciate the thought, thanks.” He then flashed a sly smile. “Is there any chance I could steal some of your fries?”
Mokuba laughed as Kaiba spread a wrapper out and Mokuba put some fries on it. The two brothers ate, talked, and laughed and Kaiba felt rather relaxed, a first for him when at work. The burgers satisfied a craving he hadn’t realized was there until he didn’t feel the way he did earlier: It was a hunger he couldn’t identify before.
Kaiba was supervising Mokuba as he practiced a monthly budget when the door opened and a man with black hair and deep green eyes entered and closed the door. Kaiba narrowed his eyes at him. “Who are you? You have a lot of nerve to burst in here without an appointment.”
The man smiled. “My name’s Aaron and I came to speak with you.” Aaron brushed aside some hair to reveal a pointed ear.
Kaiba rose from his seat. “You,” he said. “You’re the one who cursed me the other night.”
“And I had hoped you would see it differently now that you’ve changed.” Aaron said, sounding hurt.
“Differently!?” Kaiba exclaimed, anger seeping into his voice. “You’ve made me a…a freak!”
“Seto!” Mokuba cried. “Calm down, please!”
Kaiba shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. He slowly opened his eyes and resumed his seat. “You made me a freak,” he repeated calmly.
“How do you figure that?” Aaron said.
“People do not transform into animals. They remain in one shape thought their entire lives.”
“Yes. That is a pity as you and I are a superior form of human, Kaiba.”
“I fail to see that. You and I become wolves every night and ones who desire to turn others on the full moon. Can we talk on the full moon?”
Aaron shook his head. “We’re self-aware, but the desire to bite is hard to resist and that is what reduces us to speaking only as wolves.”
“At least I would be self-aware on those nights, too.”
“Oh, yes.” Aaron gestured at the chair before the desk. “May I?”
Kaiba nodded and Aaron sat. “Now, as you know, I was told you are dismissive of magic and the supernatural. It’s clear that you are accepting of it now.”
“You chose Seto just because he doesn’t believe in magic,” Mokuba said, looking disapproving. “He did not deserve it.”
“Be that as it may, the damage is already done. I am curious, Mr. Kaiba, what convinced you to accept the truth?”
“When I grabbed a silver spoon yesterday. It also prompted me to tell Mokuba what happened as he witnessed my red hand.”
“I thought you would. I assume you’ve also told your staff.”
“This morning. Aaron…tell me if there are any advantages of being a werewolf. I have no interest in discovering them on my own.”
“Oh, there are. The burns from silver eventually fades but other injuries heal in seconds. Once you reach physical maturity, your aging will slow and when reached the age of 100, he or she becomes immortal but can die by silver impalement or silver bullets.”
“She? Women can be turned?”
“Yes. They are called wifewolves. Anyway, you have the speed, strength, and senses of a wolf all the time and can control them during the day. I learned that a werewolf’s saliva can heal minor injuries on a human and can be done day or night.”
“I see.” Kaiba lapsed into thoughtful silence but did see Aaron leave. He had learned of the perks of being a werewolf and felt a bit better about being one.
Chapter Five- Senses Test
“That’s interesting. I mean, the advantages of being a werewolf,” Mokuba said as they rode home.
“Yes and I feel a little better about being on though I still don’t like it. I can’t conduct any business matters at night anymore.”
“That’s why you’re teaching me the finer points, Seto: In case you’re unable to and nighttime qualifies as such.”
“You’re right, Mokuba but I will try to schedule meetings in daylight which isn’t real hard as business hours are only in daylight. Most of them, anyway.” The rest of the trip occurred in silence and both exited the limo and entered the house.
A maid approached them and said, “Welcome home. All silver has been removed as you instructed and the head chef picked up a large amount of meat.”
The removal of the silver did not surprise him, but the shopping did. He had not asked for anyone to buy meat and yet he would have asked real soon. He nodded and said, “Very good. Give the head chef my thanks and I will have stew meat, but if not, steak will do.”
“Yes, Mr. Kaiba.” The maid scurried off and both brothers headed upstairs to the home office.
“I’m surprised the head chef went shopping, but it would have become necessary.”
“Yeah. Seto, I’ve been thinking. Do you think you can change in daylight?”
“Why would I think of doing that if I could?”
“In order to protect me.”
Kaiba blinked at the ready response. His resentment over being chosen as a target and having to change had blocked out one personal advantage of being a werewolf. If I can change in daylight, I would be able to protect Mokuba more so than I have in the past. “That’s a good point.” He stood, closed his eyes, and focused on his reflection from last night. He willed himself to shift to his wolf form. A pleasant tingle was felt down his whole body and he heard Mokuba gasp in delight. “It worked, didn’t it?” he asked as he opened his eyes and looked down at two forepaws.
“It was quick too,” Mokuba said. “One moment you’re human and the next, you’re a wolf.”
“I felt a tingle and I surmised that I had changed.”
“Heh, no one’s gonna pick on me anymore.”
“Mokuba, I will change to protect you, but not in front of people. I don’t need a mob outside Kaiba Corp, trying to kill me.”
“A mob, Seto? I doubt that but I see your point of keeping your curse a secret.”
“I’m glad you understand that.”
“So, are you going to change back?”
Kaiba shook his head. “It’s getting close to dark so there’s no point in changing back.” He then lifted his nose and sniffed before licking his chops. “That smells good.”
“What does?”
“Dinner. Seems there was stew meat available.” He blinked as night fell outside and his eyes adjusted to the subtle change in lighting. He turned to the window and his eyes adjusted again. “I didn’t really noticed how clear the dark is with these eyes,” he said, impressed.
“Well, not that you feel better about it, you get to explore your senses,” Mokuba suggested.
“I suppose so. Let’s see…I tested my nose and eyes. So, it’s my ears’ turn.” He closed his eyes and stood still, concentrating on his hearing. He sensed them turning one way and then the other before facing forward. He heard distant voices and identified the owners but not the words. He opened his eyes, laid flat on the floor, and pressed one ear to the floor before closing his eyes again. The time he could hear words. That’s the chef discussing Mokuba’s dinner as mine is already decided.
“Seto, what do you hear?”
Kaiba opened his eyes and lifted his head. “I heard the chef talking to himself as he thinks about your dinner. Before that, I heard voices and recognized them but couldn’t make out the words. I’ll have to work on that.”
“I’m impressed, though. I didn’t hear any of that.”
Kaiba’s tail swished proudly. He was becoming familiar with his body, its movements, and its senses. I’ll need to test my senses, speed, and strength once I’m human again. I’ll have time before my duel tomorrow and speaking of which, Atem is sure to bring his friends as tomorrow is Saturday. That’s fine with me. It’ll be a pleasure to defeat him in front of his friends.
&&&&
Atem sat at his desk, his arms folded as he regarded the cards spread out before him. It was the same deck he had used against Yugi, sans the God cards. It was a strong deck and it could have beaten Yugi if Yugi hadn’t anticipated some of his moves and played the counter that resulted in Atem’s defeat.
Atem frowned thoughtfully and with a touch of frustration. Kaiba saw me lose. One would think after seeing that that they would think of Yugi being their true rival. But, Kaiba refused to accept that. He claims he wants to duel me now that I’m a separate person with my own name and memory. Once the duel is over, I will convince him that Yugi is the true duelist.
“Atem?”
The pharaoh turned around in his seat and smiled. “Yugi.”
“You seemed lost in thought,” Yugi commented standing next to him and looking at the desk. “Oh, you’re working on your deck.”
“Not really. I was thinking about Kaiba.”
Yugi nodded in understanding. He had been told of the duel when he had gotten home that day and he agreed that Kaiba was being stubborn in insisting that Atem was the one who had beaten him every time. Both of them knew that while it was Atem’s looks and voice that was seen and heard, it was Yugi driving the moves and the strategies, though Yugi thought Atem was not giving himself enough credit for their victories.
“You’re a good duelist and you know it,” Yugi said. “That was only you in that duel with Dartz.”
Atem’s confident smile came to his face. “You’re correct. I can defeat Kaiba and I will try again to convince him that you are his true rival.”
Yugi nodded; as far as Atem was concerned, he had no right to be anyone’s rival as he should have died a long time ago. “That gang is allowed to come, right?”
“Well, Kaiba didn’t say you could come, but he didn’t say you couldn’t come. I, for one, would be glad if you and the others came to support me.”
“We’ll be there,” Yugi assured him.
“Good. Yugi, is that for me?” He pointed at the envelope in Yugi’s hand that bore his name and his new last name.
“What? Oh, yeah.” Yugi handed it over sheepishly and Atem opened it to see an official-looking letter and attached at the bottom was his ID card.
“Yes!” he said as he removed the card and happily examined it, his duel momentarily forgotten.
Chapter Six- Exposed
Kaiba smiled smugly as he prepped for his duel. It was finally the day. The day he would duel and defeat the pharaoh. He was certain Yugi and the others would come and decided to have Mokuba come as well. Mokuba was thrilled at the invite and Kaiba was amused at the reaction. He combed his hair over his ears, using clips to keep it in place and concealed the clips themselves. He examined the effect in his mirror. Perfect, he thought. The breezes caused by the duel won’t expose my ears now that the hair is clipped into place.
“Ready, Seto?” Mokuba asked as his brother came down with his dueling case.
“Ready,” Kaiba replied. They headed out to the limo, got in, and were soon heading to the Kaibadome. Kaiba ran his deck through his mind and the various combos they could be used in. He felt good and confident in his cards and was sure that, this time, victory would be his.
&&&&
Kaiba grimaced as he drew a card. The duel was not as easy as he had believed. Atem was just as good as Yugi which did not surprise Kaiba. I knew it. He is the one I’ve dueled all this time. He heard Atem’s friends shouting encouraging words, but he also heard Mokuba doing the same for him.
He examined his hand and then the field. The situation seemed to support him but the two face-down cards on Atem’s side could turn the tables. Ah, but if one of those is the card I think it is, I have a counter already on the field. He selected a card. “I activate the card Polymerization to fuse all three Blue-Eyes to form Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!” Kaiba grinned as his monster appeared and loomed over Atem’s monster. “This is it!” he boasted.
“”Not so fast,” Atem said. “I play my face-down De-Fusion.”
“I counter with Magic Jammer.” Kaiba discarded a card and Atem’s card was destroyed. Kaiba laughed in triumph. “I knew you would try that so I had a way to stop it. Your Dark Paladin won’t conquer my dragon this time!”
Several intense turns later, Kaiba went to one knee, in shock. He…had…lost! He could hear Joey speaking of Atem’s victory and how Kaiba was foolish to challenge the pharaoh. I was not foolish, he thought. I wanted to see if he was the one I’ve been dueling and now I know.
“Seto! You okay?” Mokuba asked as he rushed over.
“I’m fine,” he answered as he stood and approached the gang. “You are the one, Pharaoh,” he said as he looked at Atem. “I knew it.”
Atem sighed. “No, I’m not. Kaiba, my skills come from Yugi and, by extension, Grandpa as well.”
“But I saw you duel and heard you when announcing your moves.”
“That may be, but without Yugi, I was nothing but a spirit. Through the Puzzle, our spirits merge and while it is my appearance and voice, it is really Yugi who is dueling.” Yugi nodded in agreement.
Once upon a time, Kaiba would have dismissed Atem’s claim of magic, but the last two days have altered his perceptions. “So,” he said slowly. “You were never a good duelist without Yugi.”
“No, I am a good duelist. It was me when we dueled Dartz.”
Kaiba smirked. “Ah, but by that time you had learned a good deal of the game.”
“Indeed.”
“Aw, don’t say that,” Joey jumped in. “Don’t let Kaiba make you doubt yourself.”
“I’m not-,” Atem began but Joey didn’t hear him as he rounded on Kaiba.
“Don’t go messin’ with my buddy’s mind just because you lost…again.”
“I’m not. I’m just trying to understand my opponent.”
“Sure ya are. You’re just tryin’ some kind of mental game to throw him off his game when you duel him again.”
“That’s not my intention,” said Kaiba though he thought the idea was clever. But Atem wouldn’t fall for that. He’s too smart to fall for a ploy like that.
Joey grabbed Kaiba’s coat. “Don’t lie. That is your intention.”
“Hands off, Wheeler,” Kaiba snapped.
“Scared, Kaiba?” Joey jibed.
“Of you? Of course not.”
“Prove it then. Duel me, right here, right now.”
Kaiba gave a derisive laugh. “Duel you? That would be a waste of time and I really can’t spare the time, either.” Kaiba glanced up at the windows and saw a sunset in progress. He found it hard to believe that hours had passed since starting the duel. Then again, a lot of verbal back and forth did go on during each of our turns. “Let go, Wheeler,” Kaiba said, bringing himself back to the situation at hand. Since Joey seemed disinclined to let go, Kaiba pried the hands off himself. He then turned to the arena exit. “Let’s go Mokuba.” The two started to walk away.
“Hey, get back here! I’m serious about duelin’ ya!” Joey yelled, heading toward them.
“I told you, I don’t have the time,” Kaiba said turning around. "Perhaps another day.”
“Let him leave, Joey,” Atem called.
“Yeah, okay.” Joey was about to turn when Kaiba suddenly changed to his wolf form. Joey gave a squeak of fear as he quickly backed away amidst his friends’ gasps of shock. “Oh, geez! Kaiba!?”
“Now you see why I said I had no time,” Kaiba snapped.
“When did you become a…werewolf?” Atem asked as he came closer.
“Two days ago. It was a full moon night when I left the office and a black wolf attacked and bit me. He had a brother to restrain him after the attack and he gave me an envelope with a letter written by the werewolf earlier. I didn’t believe it until the morning after. I burned my palm when I grabbed a silver spoon. I was completely convinced when I changed.”
“But, why?” Yugi asked.
“Because of my disbelief of magic and the supernatural. I will change every night and whenever I become angry. I will need to restrain myself on the full moon to keep myself from biting anyone.’ His intense eyes pierced the group. “You think I’m a freak, don’t you? That I deserved this.”
“No way,” Yugi said. “No one deserves to be bitten against their will.”
“You won’t tell anyone will you?” Mokuba pleaded. “Seto doesn’t need people knowing he’s a werewolf.”
“Of course we won’t tell,” Atem said. “It’ll stay between us.”
“Good,” Kaiba said. “But I’m warning you. If one of you tells, I will bite the one responsible.” He bared his teeth before leaving with Mokuba.
Atem watched him go and then thought back to his conversation with Solomon two days ago. Grandpa spoke of Kaiba’s view of magic and the supernatural altering and that’s exactly what happened. He turned and led the gang out the other exit, knowing he would tell no one what occurred this night. And I’m sure no one else will tell, either, he thought.
Chapter Seven- Closure
Kaiba hovered over Mokuba’s shoulder as he mentored him in his home office the next day. Kaiba felt a bit distracted and irritated that his curse had been exposed to Yugi and his friends and was grateful that Mokuba was a bright kid as he could barely focus.
“Seto, let’s take a break and have some lunch.” Mokuba suggested some time later.
“We can order our lunch and work some more while we wait,” Kaiba said as he picked up the phone, called the kitchen, and ordered juice, coffee, soup for Mokuba, and smoked sausages for himself.
Mokuba did work for several more minutes before stopping and saying, “Actually, I want to talk about yesterday.”
Kaiba knew Mokuba was not referring to the duel. “We would have gotten out of there if Wheeler hadn’t been demanding a duel,” he said after a time.
“I wouldn’t say demanding. How about hounding you for a duel?” came an accented voice and both brothers looked up to see Joey in the door, their lunch on a rolling cart in front of him.
“How did you get in the house and why are you here?” Kaiba asked icily.
“Your staff let me in after I said I was a friend.”
“We are not friends. Leave the cart and get out.”
“Don’t you want to know why I’m here? I mean, you asked and I haven’t answered yet.”
“Fine. Why are you here?”
Joey grinned in a sly manner. “To learn more about you bein’ a werewolf.”
“That is not something I care to discuss, least of all with you.”
Joey eyed the cart. “Those sausages your lunch, Kaiba?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Beat it, Wheeler.”
“It must kill you to admit that magic and the supernatural are real, to being a wolf after calling me a dog. I think of that as perfect revenge.”
Kaiba gave a real wolf growl before saying, “I mean it, Wheeler. Leave. Now.”
“Hey, maybe we could play a game. How about Fetch?” Joey asked before snickering loudly.
Joey’s teases and laughter pushed Kaiba too far. He gave an angry growl before standing and shifting into wolf form. He stalked toward Joey, speaking in growls and snarls as he was incapable of other sounds due to his anger. Joey, seeing the change and hearing the angry sounds, backed up, his eyes wide with fear.
“Seto!” Mokuba cried in alarm. He jumped out of his seat, crouched beside the snarling wolf, and put a hand on a shoulder blade. “Seto, please calm down!”
“Oh, man,” Joey breathed as he stared at Kaiba. “I’m, I’m sorry. I didn’t really mean about playing Fetch. I, I take back all the jokes I said. I get it now! You hate it and I would too. Man, don’t kill me!”
Joey’s fear filled Kaiba’s nose and while it delighted him, it also abated his anger and brought his voice back. “I won’t kill you. I’m not a killer.”
“That’s a relief. Look, I really am sorry about what I said.”
“Did you intend to tease me to get me to change out of anger? If so, you succeeded.”
“No. I was teasing to get back at you for all the insults you threw at me.”
“Yes. I can see that and I would do the same if you were bitten. Actually, I would keeping using the dog references.”
“Yeah, you would.”
“You should feel honored. I haven’t changed out of anger before and I don’t want to again. I can only growl and snarl while I’m angry.” He paused before adding, “Now, I’m hungry.”
Joey and Mokuba gently laughed at this comment before the former put the sausages down while Mokuba left and came back with a bowl of water. Kaiba’s teeth cut into the meat, its juices filling his mouth and he licked his chops from it.
“Good?” Joey asked.
“Delicious,” Kaiba replied. “Nice and juicy. My cook knows how I like my meat to be.” He lapped up some water.
Joey waited until Kaiba had changed back and was seated before saying, “Seriously, I want to hear how it is bein’ a werewolf.”
“I can’t say that changing every night is a good thing, but I have enhanced senses, speed, and strength day and night and can turn them off while I’m human.” His eyes looked softer as he said, “The senses are amazing. Especially the hearing. Heh, I could use them to spy on anyone I want.”
“So, you don’t have any unusual features while human?”
Kaiba glanced at Mokuba before looking away. This quick exchange was not lost on Joey. “There is, isn’t there? What is it? I promise I won’t laugh.”
“My ears are pointed.” Kaiba unclipped one side and brushed it asked to reveal the ear before he concealed it again.
“Actually, I think that’s cool.”
Kaiba gave a slight nod. “I was also told that my saliva can heal minor injuries on a person day or night. Any injuries I sustain heals instantly though a burn from silver does take a little longer to heal.”
Joey made a face. “Your saliva? Uh, wouldn’t that turn someone?”
Kaiba rolled his eyes. “I admit, werewolf saliva entering a human’s bloodstream would turn them but only if it’s the full moon which is the only time that would happen.”
A gasp of pain drew their attention and they looked to see Mokuba clutching a finger. Kaiba said, “Mokuba?”
“Paper cut,” the boy said and Joey flinched.
“Yeah, those are painful,” Joey said as Mokuba took a tissue from a box on the desk and applied pressure to the cut with it.
Kaiba move next to Mokuba and pulled the tissue away. “I can fix this. It will hurt, but I promise it will be worth it.” He leaned over and quickly ran his tongue over the cut. Mokuba gasped in pain again and he stared as did Kaiba and Joey as the cut was sealed and then vanished. “Interesting,” Kaiba commented.
“I’ll say,” Joey added. “That’s cooler than I thought.”
“Yes and I’m thinking that being a werewolf is not as bad as I had believed.”
“Yeah?” Joey asked.
Kaiba nodded. “I still have to restrain myself three nights a month but I can handle that.”
“I don’t doubt that. So…think we could be friends, Kaiba?”
“We could, but we would need to take it slow, given our past.”
“Of course.”
“Good. Let’s start with a duel on Saturday morning at the Kaibadome and the others can come.” Kaiba smirked as Joey beamed and left after promising he’d beat Kaiba. I know I’ll win, but perhaps I’ll gain a new perception of him and a civil relationship could happen. After all, I gained a new perception of the world when I became a werewolf.
