Folgen Sie Ihrem Traum Chapter 19 (Seto/Téa, #11)
Title: Folgen Sie Ihrem Traum (Follow Your Dream); Chapter 19: The Illusionist's Trap
Author: Crystal Rose of Pollux (rose_of_pollux)
Claim: Seto Kaiba/Téa Gardner (non-Kingdom Hearts claim)
Prompt: 11; Late [missed the best part]
Warnings: PG13; villainy
Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine (except for the OC dancers) and the story is
This chapter will be cross-posted to 20_cities, 30_nights, and http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4336463/19/
Upon his arrival to Boston, Seto was dismayed to discover that Téa had changed her mind. She had sent him another email while he had been in flight.
“Slight change of plans; Kayser’s practically pleading with me to stay for a couple days in Salem. I’ll be heading back to Domino after they leave for Europe. I guess I’ll see you when I get back home.”
“Wonderful… just wonderful…” Seto muttered, sarcastically, as he redirected the jet to Salem. “You’re playing right into their hands. At this rate, you’ll be lucky if you ever see Domino again.”
It was frustrating. Even after all of the warnings he had given her, telling her that she was in danger, she had chosen to ignore him, insisting on one last dance. What would the Rare Hunters do to her?
“Gardner, I know you don’t take anything I say into consideration, but for the first time in your life, listen to me!” he said, in his reply message. “You cannot go to Salem. Go back to Domino; you’ll be in great danger if you stay with them for a moment longer.”
“Listen to me; I sound like I came out of a movie…” he said to no one in particular.
“But I’m already on the bus; we’re already on our way there,” she replied. “What do I do?”
Well, that complicated things…
“Did they tell you what you’re going to be doing while you’re there?” he asked.
“We’re checking into the hotel, and then we’re sightseeing as a group,” she said. “I think we’re going to be looking at some of the historic sites all afternoon. Then, after dinner, we’re going to see some sort of show, and we’re heading back to the hotel after that.”
“Alright,” he replied. “After things quiet down, and everyone’s asleep, come and find me; I’ll tell you later where I’ll be. I’ll take you to Domino, and we can finally put this mess behind us.”
Seto would not be sorry to see this mystery come to a close. He had all the evidence he needed. Kayser would pay for trying to ruin Kaiba Corporation. Seto’s name would be cleared. And Téa would be safe, back with the friends she adored so much, with being able to say that she had danced on Broadway. Perhaps a legitimate dance troupe would someday pick her up, and she would live happily ever after, dancing upon the stage.
…But there was that slight complication of her feelings for him. He had carefully avoided the subject, in spite of her confession, but he knew that he would have to say something about it sooner or later.
But that could wait; if Téa didn’t get away from Kayser, there was every chance in the world that it would no longer matter how she felt about Seto. And whether he returned those feelings or not, Seto knew that he did not want to see her gone; his brother would be too upset…
And he would be too upset.
**********************************
Téa had to admit that she was concerned about Seto’s warning. But there was the knowledge that nothing could happen to her while she was in full view of the other dancers; not even the Rare Hunters were foolish enough to try anything in broad daylight, with witnesses. No; she would have to keep an eye out for trouble after the sun went down. Fortunately, though, Seto would help her escape and get back home before anything could happen.
“I can’t believe how he’s going out of his way to help me,” she thought. “He never would have done this before…” She halted her thoughts; there was no point in getting her hopes up, in case he wasn’t ready to return her feelings. And yet, she couldn’t help but see the significance of his willingness to aid her. Seto Kaiba wasn’t exactly Mr. Dash-Gallantly-to-the-Rescue, though the image of it made her smile. “They’ll never believe this back home…”
Her mind was elsewhere as they visited the historic houses and sites of Salem, and the others noticed.
“Y’know, I’m glad you’re with us before you have to head back home,” said Aurus. “But your mind hasn’t decided to join you. Are you thinking about going home?”
“I have to admit that I am,” she replied. “I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces.”
“Anyone particularly special?” asked Caerii, reminding Téa of Mai. “You’ve been having a dreamy look in your eyes all morning.”
Téa blushed. Had it been that obvious!?
“Yeah, I knew it…” said Aurus, with a sad little smile. “You’ve clearly had someone on your mind for a while now. I noticed it from the start, actually… that was why I never asked…”
Téa turned to him, unsure of what to say.
“He’s a lucky guy,” Aurus went on.
“Can you please tell him that?” Téa replied, almost immediately, causing Aurus and the Tessurcas to laugh. And in the back of her mind was the welcoming thought that she would soon be laughing with her friends back home once again; she had already informed them that she would be on her way back that night. They had all sent their replies, all reflecting on how it was great that she was coming back home, right after her successful Broadway performance.
These were the thoughts that filled her head as they headed to dinner, and then to the after-meal entertainment.
“What are we going to see, anyway?” asked Caerii, glancing over her brother’s shoulder to read the program he was holding.
Aurus also tried reading over Hesper’s shoulder and announced, “It looks like some sort of amateur magician’s act in a local performing arts center; sounds interesting enough. But it’s ironic, isn’t it? A couple hundred years ago, magic was absolutely forbidden…”
The warning bells began to ring in Téa’s head. Something didn’t seem right about this. Unobtrusively, she sent Seto another message, sending him the details of the show as she, too, began to read over an annoyed Hesper’s shoulder.
She was certainly on her guard as the show began, but her fears began to alleviate as she noticed that the man upon the stage was not wearing a mask.
“Wait a second… didn’t Kaiba say that Arkana was wearing stage makeup when he tried to infiltrate the business meeting?” she reminded herself. “It could still be him… and if it is, I’ll have to keep a close eye on him; I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s using a similar stage version of Morse code to communicate with Kayser… I wonder what he could be saying…”
But, to her surprise, the magician didn’t make a false move throughout the entire show. In any other situation, Téa would’ve ignored it, but her intuition was incessantly signaling to her that something was wrong. She resolved to find an opportunity to investigate.
And she got her wish; during intermission, the person in charge of the lighting “accidentally” (for it remained to be seen if it was truly an accident, or if it was the doing of a Rare Hunter) hit the wrong switch, resulting in a loss of lighting. As the people around them began to panic and move in a crowd, Téa chose the opportunity to escape from the group.
“Téa?” asked Aurus, as she was separated from the dancers. “Téa where’d you go!?”
She had to pretend not to hear him, making a mental note to send him an email later, apologizing for her brief exit.
Because of her previous experiences with the world of the stage, finding the way to backstage in the midst of the dark and the crowd wasn’t a difficult task. Instinct took her to a staircase which lead to the top of the stage. She heard a quiet roar and felt a faint breeze as the curtain closed.
She took the time to send another quick email to Seto, detailing her whereabouts.
“This magician, whoever he is, wasn’t acting suspicious at all, but I think I’ll have a look around; this blackout makes for the perfect cover. I’ll let you know if I find out anything.”
Quietly, she ascended the short flight of stairs and stepped behind the curtain as the dim backup lights finally activated. All of the magician’s props were strewn upon the stage, and she carefully made her way, inspecting them as she walked. Drawing back the garish tablecloth, her heart skipped a beat as large, white doves stared at her from a cage, their heads tilted inquisitively as they regarded the new arrival.
The doves cooed slightly, and Téa retreated, afraid that they might betray her presence. She looked around at the other objects: wands and silk hats, a levitating table, and the infamous “volunteer” cabinets. Everything seemed to be in order as she inspected them, the doves cooing in the background. Her search led her to the cabinet, and she opened the door. Again, there was nothing.
The doves’ cooing became louder and more frantic, as though something was disturbing them. Téa turned, and beheld the sunken eyes of Strings, whose face still sported a bruise from when she had hit him with the door during their last encounter in Pennsylvania.
She didn’t even have time to scream as the blow descended upon her.
**********************************
Seto, in the meantime, was patiently biding his time by sitting in the lobby of the hotel, reading the latest financial news. His eyes scanned the small crowd of dancers as the entered.
“They’re early…” he thought, recalling that Téa had told him about them attending a show. But as he watched them enter, he noticed that Téa was not among them.
His fingers clenched the newspaper; something was wrong. But now the elder Kayser had noticed him, and greeted him.
“Small world, isn’t it, Mr. Kaiba?” he asked. “I don’t believe that I’ve seen you since Chicago?”
“I’d have to agree,” the young CEO replied. It was impossible to tell that something was worrying him; his voice and expression were as calm and unemotional as ever. Only the pounding of his heart (which had once been stone cold) could have betrayed his concern. “I’m here on a business meeting; I suppose you’re here for another performance?”
“No; we’re here on a short break, until I find a new dancer of fire,” he replied. “One of my dancers had a family emergency and left us a couple days ago.”
Seto caught the lie right there, though he refused to allow himself to react to it. He continued to glance at his paper, as though he was only half-interested in what the devious man had to say.
“It was that talented young lady I introduced you to in Chicago,” Kayser went on. “She was from Domino, apparently; did you know her?”
“If she’s not a duelist, and if she’s not a businesswoman, then I seriously doubt it,” he replied.
A slightly perplexed Kayser excused himself to usher the dancers to their rooms. Aurus’ inquiries as to Téa’s whereabouts could be heard across the lobby until a stony glare from his cousin forced him to be quiet.
Seto checked his email, finding the messages that Téa had sent a couple hours ago. He, too, felt a sense of foreboding at the mention of the magician, and he was not pleased to see that she had taken the investigation into her own hands yet again.
“You need to get out of there now,” he said in his reply, as he headed to the performing arts center himself. “Where exactly in that theater are you?”
She didn’t send back a reply. A quick message to Mokuba gave him a tracking signal for her handheld computer.
Upon his arrival at the theater, he saw a bunch of workers moving the magic equipment to a rental van.
“What’s all this?” Seto inquired, casually.
“The guy who performs this act is going on the road-to London, I think,” said one of the movers, as he and his assistant moved a large cabinet into the truck. “He said he needed all of this to be at some private airfield in time for his flight; we’ll be cutting it close, though-it leaves in about an hour. But it’s only about twenty miles, so we should be alright…”
Seto wasn’t interested in any of that. He entered the darkened public theater as the truck drove away; apparently, after seeing everyone leave, the lazy lighting operator decided to work everything out the next day. Guided by the dim backup lights and the tracking signal, Seto went off in search of Téa.
The signal led him to the stage, but there was no one in sight. Perhaps she was hiding, thinking him to be an enemy.
“Gardner?” he asked.
She did not reply, and he proceeded to follow the signal. And that was when he noticed Téa’s handheld computer, smashed upon the floor; someone had deliberately broken it.
The CEO gathered the broken electronic equipment in his hand. The entire blackout must have been set up by the Rare Hunters; they knew that Téa would not have been able to resist taking a look around. But where was she now?
“They’d never leave her here; she’d be able to find a way out on her own,” he thought. “Chances are that they’d take her to wherever the dance troupe is headed next… But how would they get her there without anyone noticing…?”
Checking the itinerary that Téa had sent him a few weeks ago, it seemed as though they were heading for London. And then the image of the magician’s cabinet returned to his mind.
“No…” he thought, his eyes widening in horror. How could he have been so blind!? She had been carried out right under his nose!
Researching as to where this twenty-mile-away airfield was, he found his own transportation there. He arrived in time to see the private plane take off. Teeth gritted, he clenched his fist, forcing himself not to strike out in his rage. He hadn’t expected to arrive in time, but he could see Arkana’s leering face, taunting him for being a mere sixty seconds too late.
Author: Crystal Rose of Pollux (rose_of_pollux)
Claim: Seto Kaiba/Téa Gardner (non-Kingdom Hearts claim)
Prompt: 11; Late [missed the best part]
Warnings: PG13; villainy
Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine (except for the OC dancers) and the story is
This chapter will be cross-posted to 20_cities, 30_nights, and http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4336463/19/
Upon his arrival to Boston, Seto was dismayed to discover that Téa had changed her mind. She had sent him another email while he had been in flight.
“Slight change of plans; Kayser’s practically pleading with me to stay for a couple days in Salem. I’ll be heading back to Domino after they leave for Europe. I guess I’ll see you when I get back home.”
“Wonderful… just wonderful…” Seto muttered, sarcastically, as he redirected the jet to Salem. “You’re playing right into their hands. At this rate, you’ll be lucky if you ever see Domino again.”
It was frustrating. Even after all of the warnings he had given her, telling her that she was in danger, she had chosen to ignore him, insisting on one last dance. What would the Rare Hunters do to her?
“Gardner, I know you don’t take anything I say into consideration, but for the first time in your life, listen to me!” he said, in his reply message. “You cannot go to Salem. Go back to Domino; you’ll be in great danger if you stay with them for a moment longer.”
“Listen to me; I sound like I came out of a movie…” he said to no one in particular.
“But I’m already on the bus; we’re already on our way there,” she replied. “What do I do?”
Well, that complicated things…
“Did they tell you what you’re going to be doing while you’re there?” he asked.
“We’re checking into the hotel, and then we’re sightseeing as a group,” she said. “I think we’re going to be looking at some of the historic sites all afternoon. Then, after dinner, we’re going to see some sort of show, and we’re heading back to the hotel after that.”
“Alright,” he replied. “After things quiet down, and everyone’s asleep, come and find me; I’ll tell you later where I’ll be. I’ll take you to Domino, and we can finally put this mess behind us.”
Seto would not be sorry to see this mystery come to a close. He had all the evidence he needed. Kayser would pay for trying to ruin Kaiba Corporation. Seto’s name would be cleared. And Téa would be safe, back with the friends she adored so much, with being able to say that she had danced on Broadway. Perhaps a legitimate dance troupe would someday pick her up, and she would live happily ever after, dancing upon the stage.
…But there was that slight complication of her feelings for him. He had carefully avoided the subject, in spite of her confession, but he knew that he would have to say something about it sooner or later.
But that could wait; if Téa didn’t get away from Kayser, there was every chance in the world that it would no longer matter how she felt about Seto. And whether he returned those feelings or not, Seto knew that he did not want to see her gone; his brother would be too upset…
And he would be too upset.
**********************************
Téa had to admit that she was concerned about Seto’s warning. But there was the knowledge that nothing could happen to her while she was in full view of the other dancers; not even the Rare Hunters were foolish enough to try anything in broad daylight, with witnesses. No; she would have to keep an eye out for trouble after the sun went down. Fortunately, though, Seto would help her escape and get back home before anything could happen.
“I can’t believe how he’s going out of his way to help me,” she thought. “He never would have done this before…” She halted her thoughts; there was no point in getting her hopes up, in case he wasn’t ready to return her feelings. And yet, she couldn’t help but see the significance of his willingness to aid her. Seto Kaiba wasn’t exactly Mr. Dash-Gallantly-to-the-Rescue, though the image of it made her smile. “They’ll never believe this back home…”
Her mind was elsewhere as they visited the historic houses and sites of Salem, and the others noticed.
“Y’know, I’m glad you’re with us before you have to head back home,” said Aurus. “But your mind hasn’t decided to join you. Are you thinking about going home?”
“I have to admit that I am,” she replied. “I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces.”
“Anyone particularly special?” asked Caerii, reminding Téa of Mai. “You’ve been having a dreamy look in your eyes all morning.”
Téa blushed. Had it been that obvious!?
“Yeah, I knew it…” said Aurus, with a sad little smile. “You’ve clearly had someone on your mind for a while now. I noticed it from the start, actually… that was why I never asked…”
Téa turned to him, unsure of what to say.
“He’s a lucky guy,” Aurus went on.
“Can you please tell him that?” Téa replied, almost immediately, causing Aurus and the Tessurcas to laugh. And in the back of her mind was the welcoming thought that she would soon be laughing with her friends back home once again; she had already informed them that she would be on her way back that night. They had all sent their replies, all reflecting on how it was great that she was coming back home, right after her successful Broadway performance.
These were the thoughts that filled her head as they headed to dinner, and then to the after-meal entertainment.
“What are we going to see, anyway?” asked Caerii, glancing over her brother’s shoulder to read the program he was holding.
Aurus also tried reading over Hesper’s shoulder and announced, “It looks like some sort of amateur magician’s act in a local performing arts center; sounds interesting enough. But it’s ironic, isn’t it? A couple hundred years ago, magic was absolutely forbidden…”
The warning bells began to ring in Téa’s head. Something didn’t seem right about this. Unobtrusively, she sent Seto another message, sending him the details of the show as she, too, began to read over an annoyed Hesper’s shoulder.
She was certainly on her guard as the show began, but her fears began to alleviate as she noticed that the man upon the stage was not wearing a mask.
“Wait a second… didn’t Kaiba say that Arkana was wearing stage makeup when he tried to infiltrate the business meeting?” she reminded herself. “It could still be him… and if it is, I’ll have to keep a close eye on him; I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s using a similar stage version of Morse code to communicate with Kayser… I wonder what he could be saying…”
But, to her surprise, the magician didn’t make a false move throughout the entire show. In any other situation, Téa would’ve ignored it, but her intuition was incessantly signaling to her that something was wrong. She resolved to find an opportunity to investigate.
And she got her wish; during intermission, the person in charge of the lighting “accidentally” (for it remained to be seen if it was truly an accident, or if it was the doing of a Rare Hunter) hit the wrong switch, resulting in a loss of lighting. As the people around them began to panic and move in a crowd, Téa chose the opportunity to escape from the group.
“Téa?” asked Aurus, as she was separated from the dancers. “Téa where’d you go!?”
She had to pretend not to hear him, making a mental note to send him an email later, apologizing for her brief exit.
Because of her previous experiences with the world of the stage, finding the way to backstage in the midst of the dark and the crowd wasn’t a difficult task. Instinct took her to a staircase which lead to the top of the stage. She heard a quiet roar and felt a faint breeze as the curtain closed.
She took the time to send another quick email to Seto, detailing her whereabouts.
“This magician, whoever he is, wasn’t acting suspicious at all, but I think I’ll have a look around; this blackout makes for the perfect cover. I’ll let you know if I find out anything.”
Quietly, she ascended the short flight of stairs and stepped behind the curtain as the dim backup lights finally activated. All of the magician’s props were strewn upon the stage, and she carefully made her way, inspecting them as she walked. Drawing back the garish tablecloth, her heart skipped a beat as large, white doves stared at her from a cage, their heads tilted inquisitively as they regarded the new arrival.
The doves cooed slightly, and Téa retreated, afraid that they might betray her presence. She looked around at the other objects: wands and silk hats, a levitating table, and the infamous “volunteer” cabinets. Everything seemed to be in order as she inspected them, the doves cooing in the background. Her search led her to the cabinet, and she opened the door. Again, there was nothing.
The doves’ cooing became louder and more frantic, as though something was disturbing them. Téa turned, and beheld the sunken eyes of Strings, whose face still sported a bruise from when she had hit him with the door during their last encounter in Pennsylvania.
She didn’t even have time to scream as the blow descended upon her.
**********************************
Seto, in the meantime, was patiently biding his time by sitting in the lobby of the hotel, reading the latest financial news. His eyes scanned the small crowd of dancers as the entered.
“They’re early…” he thought, recalling that Téa had told him about them attending a show. But as he watched them enter, he noticed that Téa was not among them.
His fingers clenched the newspaper; something was wrong. But now the elder Kayser had noticed him, and greeted him.
“Small world, isn’t it, Mr. Kaiba?” he asked. “I don’t believe that I’ve seen you since Chicago?”
“I’d have to agree,” the young CEO replied. It was impossible to tell that something was worrying him; his voice and expression were as calm and unemotional as ever. Only the pounding of his heart (which had once been stone cold) could have betrayed his concern. “I’m here on a business meeting; I suppose you’re here for another performance?”
“No; we’re here on a short break, until I find a new dancer of fire,” he replied. “One of my dancers had a family emergency and left us a couple days ago.”
Seto caught the lie right there, though he refused to allow himself to react to it. He continued to glance at his paper, as though he was only half-interested in what the devious man had to say.
“It was that talented young lady I introduced you to in Chicago,” Kayser went on. “She was from Domino, apparently; did you know her?”
“If she’s not a duelist, and if she’s not a businesswoman, then I seriously doubt it,” he replied.
A slightly perplexed Kayser excused himself to usher the dancers to their rooms. Aurus’ inquiries as to Téa’s whereabouts could be heard across the lobby until a stony glare from his cousin forced him to be quiet.
Seto checked his email, finding the messages that Téa had sent a couple hours ago. He, too, felt a sense of foreboding at the mention of the magician, and he was not pleased to see that she had taken the investigation into her own hands yet again.
“You need to get out of there now,” he said in his reply, as he headed to the performing arts center himself. “Where exactly in that theater are you?”
She didn’t send back a reply. A quick message to Mokuba gave him a tracking signal for her handheld computer.
Upon his arrival at the theater, he saw a bunch of workers moving the magic equipment to a rental van.
“What’s all this?” Seto inquired, casually.
“The guy who performs this act is going on the road-to London, I think,” said one of the movers, as he and his assistant moved a large cabinet into the truck. “He said he needed all of this to be at some private airfield in time for his flight; we’ll be cutting it close, though-it leaves in about an hour. But it’s only about twenty miles, so we should be alright…”
Seto wasn’t interested in any of that. He entered the darkened public theater as the truck drove away; apparently, after seeing everyone leave, the lazy lighting operator decided to work everything out the next day. Guided by the dim backup lights and the tracking signal, Seto went off in search of Téa.
The signal led him to the stage, but there was no one in sight. Perhaps she was hiding, thinking him to be an enemy.
“Gardner?” he asked.
She did not reply, and he proceeded to follow the signal. And that was when he noticed Téa’s handheld computer, smashed upon the floor; someone had deliberately broken it.
The CEO gathered the broken electronic equipment in his hand. The entire blackout must have been set up by the Rare Hunters; they knew that Téa would not have been able to resist taking a look around. But where was she now?
“They’d never leave her here; she’d be able to find a way out on her own,” he thought. “Chances are that they’d take her to wherever the dance troupe is headed next… But how would they get her there without anyone noticing…?”
Checking the itinerary that Téa had sent him a few weeks ago, it seemed as though they were heading for London. And then the image of the magician’s cabinet returned to his mind.
“No…” he thought, his eyes widening in horror. How could he have been so blind!? She had been carried out right under his nose!
Researching as to where this twenty-mile-away airfield was, he found his own transportation there. He arrived in time to see the private plane take off. Teeth gritted, he clenched his fist, forcing himself not to strike out in his rage. He hadn’t expected to arrive in time, but he could see Arkana’s leering face, taunting him for being a mere sixty seconds too late.