A/N: Thank you for your patience, Chapter 13 is up :) My lovely reader giacbk made a really lovely fanart for this fic. Check it out on her instagram giacbk (scroll down until you see it cuz it's been awhile). Thank you so much for the drawing! I'm literally so happy 3

Also, some of you seem to think I'm a guy haha, just to clear things up, I'm a girl :)

Chapter 14: Making Amends

Kira's stomach churned, she had been trying to avoid going out in public for the past two days, preferring to watch the live broadcast of the duels from the safety of her room. Ever since the news about her past made the headlines, she was sure the public was going to tear her to shreds.

The screen flashed and Kira found herself staring into a pair of scorn-filled purple eyes. Rex Raptor. She couldn't delay this confrontation any longer. With a sigh, she smoothed down the creases of her shirt and headed out of the door. Her hands flew instinctively to the back pocket of her jeans.

Good, she thought with a faint smile. She had to do this for herself.

Kira sucked in her breath as she made her way down the hallway, keeping her head down to avoid recognition. But it was to no avail.

"Hey, it's Kira Weiss!" someone shouted, their voice dripping with hostility.

"Finally decided to show her face in public eh?" someone sneered.

"Leave me alone…" Kira mumbled, trying to block out the gawking stares. Her stomach lurched.

"I was rooting for you in the beginning, but you're just a big fraud, like your father!"

"Leave my father out of this!" Kira gritted her teeth, her blood beginning to boil.

"Please, he's a crook. Many people invested in your father's company before it went bust, he cheated people of their life savings! And he's psycho, just like I'm sure you probably are!"

"That's not true!" Kira all but shouted, her cheeks flushing red. They didn't understand. Her whole life she had been trying to do the right thing, what right did these people have to judge her?"

She tried to tell herself to stay strong, to maintain her composure to convince herself these people were all just bullies but their hateful stares bore into her all the same.

"Kaiba should kick you out of this competition!"

"Yeah! You don't deserve to duel alongside the greats like Kaiba and Yugi!"

"Yeah, you probably cheated in that duel with Weevil. There's no way someone like you can win in this tournament!"

Whatever you do, don't cry, she chastised herself internally as she felt hot tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. Don't give them the satisfaction.

"That's enough! Don't you people have better things to do?" boomed a powerful voice. The jeering crowd immediately turned silent.

Kira looked up and felt a wave of relief wash over her.

"Thanks, Kaiba," she mumbled, grateful for the CEO's intervention. He shrugged and turned his gaze to the crowd.

"Just to be clear, I have no intention of ever kicking Miss Weiss out of this competition. She got in through her own merit. If you have any issue with that, you are welcome to stop viewing my tournament," he added in an acerbic tone for good measure.

The coldness in his eyes was enough to make the crowd blanch and they dispersed almost immediately.

"Jerk," someone mumbled but such comments no lingered bothered Kaiba. He would not allow himself to sink to their level. Besides, it was despicable for them to pick on Kira for something she didn't do. It brought back memories of when people would blame him for Gozaburo's actions. His blood boiled.

"Walk with us Kira, they won't bother you when we're around!" Mokuba chirped. His heart went out to the girl. It was awful what had happened to Kira's family, not to mention the shock she must have suffered after that Shadow Game with Weevil.

"Let me know if you face any other trouble, I'll get my security team to deal with it," Kaiba added gruffly, folding his arms across his chest.

Kira nodded mutely. Kaiba could immediately sense the distraught in her expression.

"Hey…" he began, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"People hate me…" Kira sniffed. "I mean it shouldn't bother me, I'm better than this. But goddamnit it hurts so much!"

"It's alright…" he said in what he hoped was a kindly tone. He had never been any good at comforting others.

She hung her head. He sighed, he hated to see her so dejected. It didn't suit her well. Where was the feisty girl who had barged into his office and challenged him to a duel? He missed that side of her sorely.

"You're not responsible for your father's mistakes – just your own. Whatever happened, it was in the past. Hold your head high Kira, don't let the world beat you down."

"Yeah, you're an awesome duelist Kira! You should be really proud of yourself!" Mokuba chimed in.

"Thanks…" she murmured.

"Kira, both of our fathers made terrible mistakes but we don't have to be defined by them. We can carve our own destiny. So stop feeling sorry for yourself, this doesn't suit you at all." Kaiba's voice was firm yet encouraging. It seemed to snap Kira out of her daze.

"Thanks, Kaiba, you're right. It's up to me to carve my own destiny!"

"Call me Seto, Kaiba reminds me of my father." He was surprised that those words had flown out of his mouth. He remembered how she had called him by his first name once, probably by a slip of the tongue, when they were trapped together. Seto. It somehow felt right when she said it, as though she could see a part of him that nobody else did.

Mokuba shot him a look to which he replied with a scowl.

"Thanks, Mokuba and Kai-I mean Seto, but there's something I have to do," Kira smiled, spying a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. "I'll catch up with you guys later!"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow as the girl sped down the hallway, her long silver hair flying behind her.

"You know Big Bro, I'm starting to understand why you have a soft spot for her," Mokuba teased. Save for himself, he was certain his bad-tempered older brother would not have gone to such extents to protect any other human being. And he had even asked her to call him Seto! This was a first…

"I do not," Kaiba growled, feeling a hot flush creeping up his neck. "You're delusional Mokuba, you should probably stop spending so much time with Yugi and the dorks, they're rotting your brain from the inside out."

"Sure, whatever you say Big Bro," Mokuba smirked, his brother's denial was all the proof he needed.

"Hey, Rex! Wait up!" Kira panted as she tried to keep up with the sulking duelist.

"What do you want from me? Haven't you done enough damage already Kira?" Rex retorted bitterly. the hatred in his tone taking Kira back.

She was half tempted to come up with a snarky comeback but bit her tongue.

You're turning over a new leaf Kira, remember what Yugi said about finding your light.

Rex had made some mistakes in the past, but so had she. Holding on to grudges wasn't going to solve anything and with Weevil already lost to the shadows, she didn't want Rex to head down the same path…

So she forced a smile onto her face instead.

"I just wanted to give this to you Rex," she reached for her back pocket and handed the card to Rex.

Rex's eyes narrowed at her but he accepted it all the same.

"No way, it's Tyrant Dragon! I've missed you so much!" his eyes shone. Then realizing she was still watching, he quickly cleared his throat.

"I mean, why are you giving this back to me?" he snapped, eyeing her in shock.

"Well, I've been thinking about what Weevil said about each card containing the soul of the duelist who owns it. Tyrant Dragon is your favorite card, right? I guess that means a part of your soul is in it so no other duelist has the right to use it. I can't keep it."

Kira couldn't help feeling a sense of pride. Tyrant Dragon was an incredibly powerful card, the old Kira would have relished in using it to destroy her opponents in a duel. She could see how damaging that way of thinking was now.

"Hmph I don't buy this act Weiss," Rex's tone was filled with suspicion. "This isn't like you at all."

"Well I'm trying this thing of making amends for my mistakes," Kira smiled softly. "I'm sorry for the way I acted in the past Rex." This seemed to make Rex's tense shoulders relax.

"Thank you," Rex said, his lips almost forming a smile. "I'll remember what you said."

"Good luck Rex."

Yugi's heart raced. Rex was dueling today and he was sure things were about to get pretty ugly. If Weevil had been given a Feather of Ma'at card by Scorpios, then he was certain Rex had one as well.

"Do you really think he'll use it?" Tea gasped. She shuddered, thinking back to the horror of Weevil's Shadow Game with Kira.

"Of course. Rex and Weevil have resorted to pretty dirty strategies before. Those two twerps will do anything to win!" Joey retorted. "What are we going to do Yuge?"

"Nothing we can do," Yugi sighed.

"We have to put a stop to this Scorpios before they hurt more people!" Tristan clenched his fists into a tight ball.

"But how can we fight an enemy we don't even know the face of?" Bakura wondered aloud.

The gang exchanged a look and sighed collectively.

"It's hopeless…" Joey kicked at the seat in front of him in irritation. Yugi hated to be the negative one but he had to agree with Joey. The enemies they had to deal with in the past had been pretty open about their motives and were thus easy to track down but this Scorpios organization seemed to be shrouded in mystery. He had a hunch that the only way to crack this mystery was to get Kaiba to own up to his ancient past. But how was he going to convince the crabby CEO to cooperate? Kaiba had witnessed the powers of the Millennium Items and experienced the horrors of the Shadow Games himself. He had even shared visions of their ancient past with the Pharaoh! But even after all of that, Kaiba still denied the existence of magic. How else could he convince him?

Kira, Kira is the key.

But Kira wasn't even aware she carried the White Dragon within her! Yugi wasn't sure if it was a good idea to reveal it to the girl. He sighed again, feeling the beginning of a throbbing headache.

Oh how I wish you were here Atem!

Silence.

That's right, Yugi thought. The Pharaoh's passed on to the Next World, he can't hear me now.

I'm always with you Yugi, a voice seemed to say. Right now I need you to believe in yourself.

"Don't look so glum. I've got some good news guys!" Professor van Allen smiled as he made his way towards the group, holding out an iPad.

"Eh, what's dat Professor?" Joey reached for the iPad.

"Well let's say we've made some headway in deciphering the hieroglyphs on the tablet!" the Professor beamed, swiping through the images on the iPad.

"What does it say?" Serenity's eyes widened.

"It says Tragedy in the Royal Family," the Professor gestured towards the image. "So I guess it's say something really terrible must have happened during the reign of Pharaoh Seto and I'm sure this Scorpion beast was involved somehow."

"No way! I can't wait to find out more about the dirty secrets about Kaiba's past!" Joey chuckled. "I bet he must have been a really bad Pharaoh!"

"Excuse me, you're in my seat Wheeler," Kaiba hissed as he nudged Joey out of the way. He had heard didn't appreciate them talking about his supposed Egyptian past behind his back, not to mention Joey had low-key insulted him.

"Ow, what was that for Money Bags?!" Joey rubbed at his sore arm.

Kaiba ignored him and turned his gaze to the rest of the group.

"Duelists only," he gestured towards Tristan, Tea, Duke, and Serenity. "I have been generous enough to offer you guys front row seats, I suggest you guys make your way over before I change my mind."

Yugi eyed Kaiba nervously. Whenever talk of Egypt came up, the CEO was always in a crabbier than usual mood.

"See you guys later!" Yugi hugged his friends goodbye. "Let's hope for the best."

"Hey," Kira said softly as she slid into the empty seat next to Kaiba.

"What took you so long?" he asked grouchily.

"Something I had to take care of, but don't worry it's done now. What were you guys talking about?"

"Well, the Professor made some breakthrough on translating the tablet. We think it's linked to Kaiba's past life, that's why Scorpios is after him." Yugi said carefully. They had shared with Kira about the Millennium Items and she had seemed open enough to them.

"Really?" Kira's eyes widened.

"Don't believe a word he says Kira, magic doesn't exist. Science proves it's all just some hocus-pocus mind trick."

"Hmmm…science may not have proven magic doesn't exist, but perhaps that's just cuz science hasn't yet found the proof magic exists. It's best not to question things we don't know about," Kira replied thoughtfully. After her Shadow Duel with Weevil, anything could be possible. She shuddered at the thought of how real that duel had felt.

"I can't believe you believe in that bullcrap," Kaiba growled, cocking his chin to the side. Kira, Yugi, and Joey exchanged a knowing look, Kaiba could be infuriatingly stubborn at times.

"Is something up Yugi?" Kira asked, spying the worried expression on Yugi's face.

"It's Rex…" Yugi admitted. "I'm worried he's gonna use the Feather of Ma'at card in his duel."

"Hmm…I don't think so!" Yugi frowned, Kira, looked oddly happy today.

"Of course he will use it!" Joey huffed. "You don't know Rex and Weevil like we do Kira. Those two will resort to any kind of underhanded strategies to win!"

"Joey's right," Mai replied. "Rex and Weevil have no honor as duelists!"

"Well…let's have a little faith in Rex today," Kira smiled. Kaiba raised an eyebrow at her.

Whatever, Raptor is a second-rate duelist anyway.

Besides, he and his team had worked tirelessly to reinforce the KaibaCorp system. If Rex tried to use that card in his duel, the system would outright reject it. He smiled to himself. Nobody tried to mess with his company and got away with it.

"The duel is starting!" Yugi gestured to the stage where Rex and his opponent were getting ready to duel. There was something in Rex's usually hard expression that seemed kinder than usual. Was Kira right? He held his breath.

Do the right thing Rex, Kira thought, her chest pounding.

The two duelists were evenly matched and traded blow for blow much to the resounding applause from the crowd.

Good, still no Feather of Ma'at, she thought, relief washing over her.

"Alright! I'll sacrifice my Giant Rex and Trakodon to summon my Tyrant Dragon! Attack his White Dragon Ninja" Rex called out.

"You gave it back to him!" Yugi beamed, turning to Kira. He hadn't expected this of her.

"Well after what happened with Weevil, I didn't want Rex to make the same mistake too," she smiled sheepishly. "I've been doing some soul-searching, Tyrant Dragon really wasn't mine to take."

"I'm proud of you Kira," Yugi smiled. Let's hope it's enough for Rex to overcome his darkness.

"Kira is a fool for giving that card back to Raptor," Kaiba muttered, folding his arms across his chest. "It's one of the more powerful cards in Duel Monsters not to mention it works well with a Dragon-type deck like yours. Besides, you took that card fairly from Rex, you didn't have to give it back."

"Power isn't everything Kaiba," Kira smiled.

"Ah ha, you've walked into my trap!" Rex's opponent, a pallid-face boy named Keith chortled. Activate my trap card Magic Cylinder! It is you who takes the damage Raptor!"

"No!" Rex cried as his life points counter hit zero.

"And the winner of this match is Keith Summers! Great showmanship from both our duelists today!" Mokuba announced.

"Hmph I guess even with his most powerful card Rex wasn't able to win this duel," Kaiba commented.

"Doesn't matter, he dueled well today, I'm proud of him," Kira grinned as she raced towards the stage towards Rex.

"Hey, Rex!"

Kaiba shook his head. He didn't understand her sometimes.

"Good duel today Rex," Kira smiled as Rex descended from the dueling podium.

"I lost…" Rex murmured.

"Yeah, but what matters is you dueled fairly!"

"Thanks, Kira," Rex replied and to her shock, he burst into tears.

"What's wrong?" Kira asked, alarmed. Her breath caught in her throat. Did she say something wrong?

"It's Weevil," Rex sobbed. "I can't believe he's gone! It's all thanks to those jerks Scorpios. Please, Kira, promise me you'll find a way to bring Weevil back! He's my best friend, I…I…I don't know what to do without him."

"It's a promise, Rex," Kira gritted her teeth and placed a reassuring arm around Rex's trembling shoulders. Scorpios had done enough damage, she was going to take them down.

MEANWHILE…

"Looks like our plans got foiled by Miss Weiss again," the Master chuckled, taking in the duel from the TV monitor. "Such a touching scene don't you think Francine?"

"Please, Raptor was weak. He was not fit to wield such a powerful card." Francine spat. "And we should do something about the girl. I suggest we get rid of her once and for all."

Her heart burned with hatred for Kira. Did she have to always act like she was such as saint? It was disgusting to watch. And it was no thanks to Kira that her brother was in a coma right now. Tears stung the corner of Francine's eyes but she wiped them away before the Master could see them. He had no tolerance for weakness.

The Master chuckled to himself again. He could sense Francine's rage. Rage was a powerful weapon but if not properly controlled would all but consume its bearer. He had been waiting far too long for his vengeance for it to be ruined by one careless move.

"The girl Kira still has her use. It would be pointless to kill her now," he remarked, tapping his chin thoughtfully with his fingers. "She's the key to bringing Kaiba to me."

"I don't see your point Master," Francine frowned.

Foolish girl! He thought but he turned to her and smiled coldly.

"Don't you see, she's the only one Kaiba truly trusts. I'm going to turn her against Kaiba, then he will feel the pain of being betrayed by the one he loves like I had. Only then will he understand the pain I have suffered through!" The Master clutched at the gold pendant around his tanned neck, chanting an ancient Egyptian incantation so powerful it made Francine's blood run cold. The air became thick with an evil aura – the essence of ultimate dread and hatred. The Master rose from his throne, his transformation now complete.

"You will get your revenge for your brother dear child," he turned to Francine. His dark eyes glinted dangerously. "You and Pierre have served me faithfully, I promise you that much. But the girl stays alive until she has fulfilled her purpose."

"And what is your plan for her Master?" Francine sneered. "The White Dragon's loyalty to her master is millennia-old. It will not be so easy to convince Kira to betray Kaiba.

The Master smiled and the hatred in his eyes was so intense it seemed to suck all the light from the room.

"Tell me, what is it the girl Kira loves the most?"

Francine smirked knowingly. She liked this plan very much indeed.

End of Chapter 13

A/N: As always your reviews are greatly appreciated! It lets me know whether I am on the right track with this story. Much love and until next update!