BEHIND THE CAGE

By Nadia Blackrose

Disclaimer

All Yu Gi Oh characters belong to their respective owners. I only own the plot and my band consisting of the following OC s :

Leona Steffenson,

William Underwood (Bill),

Keith Adam and Minerva Brande.

Summary :

From the minute she saw his eyes, she wondered how could the vast sky be compressed and shaped into those two enchanting topazes. From the second his gaze met hers, she fell in love. From the day he left forever, she realised all along she was living in a cage. She had to break free, just to stare at those eyes one more time...

Author Notes

This is a detailed, in-depth fic that follows the story of Leona Steffenson, an ordinary girl who lived at the orphanage for a long time.

There comes a day, when Seto Kaiba arrives and alters her life forever, till he leaves and she stays behind, mourning for his loss. Then, out of the blue, a lost relative of the past adopts her...

Two parallel lives, who seem to be meant to meet again... or not? Read to find out.

No further disclaimers and big author notes will be put, as they ruin the pace of the story.

Hope to get reviews for that, as they guarantee updates.

Intro

Inside the Cage

A. Preface

If there was a perfect word to describe a place like an orphanage that would be simply one : a cage, a cell, and maybe something worse. For it is not just an ordinary cage storing rare animals or wild beasts, it is something deeper than that. Like a jail without criminals, an orphanage is meant to store tortured souls, slain hard by the merciless hand of destiny.

Unlike a cage, there are no bars to contain the spirits and bodies of the little kids, and the space is big enough to fit them all, without them feeling so restricted. Like a cage, you are trapped in there, for only the parents who are to adopt you hold the key to your freedom. And you are chosen by them, if you are lucky enough, they come and visit you and observe you like an exhibit, admire and play with you like you are a puppy inside a pet shop. They like you, they buy you, though in fact you are for free- they don't like you, you just remain there, in your cage, and you are offered food and toys and many usable things.

And the worst part of all is that this cage actually exists in the small and innocent minds of the orphans, for there is always the option to escape somehow, no matter how much luck and guts this requires. But even so, the concept of escaping was fearsome enough- where would the orphans go with no one left waiting for them? And how dangerous and vast the outside world seemed to their eyes when they had not seen the slightest bit of it? Then, they could not just abandon the orphanage and get away with it, as soon they would be found by the police, and be taken back there by force- if not for being transferred to another detention center, where things were much more frightening and the living conditions far worse than that of an orphanage.

So you stay inside the cage, you make some temporary friends, you play with them and have some fun. You share common places and have to obey the rules of this small community, work as a team and make disciplines for an uncertain amount of time.

And I know that better than anyone else, for I have lived in that cage for more than I can remember myself…

B. Thunderstruck

She must have been around 2 years old or less, when she was first brought to the orphanage, a young baby with no vision of the outside world, and it is common knowledge that all children barely contain full memories of their own before the age of four.

She had no actual memories from her parents, then. She could only recollect some feelings deep within her subconsciousness. Intangible emotions and some blurring thoughts haunted her dreams, weren't they a lie, a trick played by her mind, since pictures were not to be brought to the surface of her memory.

Reona Steffenson, -who bore the last name of her unmarried mother- was just an ordinary orphan whose parents were reported to have been killed during a car crash. And pretty ironically, the accident took place while her father was trying to take her unconscious mother to the hospital. Luckily enough for the small baby, she had been left to a friendly family that day, and miraculously avoided meeting the same end.

The rest was history, and her fate seemed more than clear. Reona was taken to the orphanage, as there were no relatives from the side of her father to gain her custody, and to make matters worse her mother's papers proved to be fake, ( thus Steffenson was fake, too) like she wanted to get away from someone. Rumour had she once belonged to one of the richest families of America, and decided to abandon that lifestyle due to her love for Reona's father. It was also said she got pregnant at the tender age of 14 , and her family was about to send her faraway so to have an abortion, while informing the high society circles she was to attend studies in Europe. In the end, it seems the father of the unborn child took her away, and they lived happily ever after in Japan, till the accident took place…

She was about seventeen when she closed her eyes forever, and her loved one just twenty years old…

Yet no one could prove that Reona's mother bore a striking resemblance to the eldest daughter of the Pegasus family, it was just reported as a mere coincidence. And even if the rumours were true, most presumably the family itself wanted to prevent the outbreak of such a tremendous scandal to be revealed by adopting Reona, thus having the family's name disgraced.

They have also been a step ahead of the events, reporting the authorities that Marie Ann Pegasus was dead long ago before that young mother was found.

Maybe something would come out of it, if a skillful detective made a thorough research and tried to match the dates of the events between those two females. Such a result would be quite beneficial for the little baby, as she would be granted with a family, would grow with some real relatives around her and find her real name… Yet it was impossible, the Pegasus had long before rejected the unwelcome presence of such a kid, hence Reona's destiny was already set on stone.

No matter what really happened, and what her real backround was, young Reona had an overall good life inside the orphanage. She was clueless about her possible relationship to the Pegasus family, and the least thing she cared was to learn. She was content with the few toys that belonged to her, and greed was just a word unspoken.

Circumstances had found her before she could realise the tragedy her story beheld, and little did she know about the other side, so having no parents seemed almost normal to her . She was ignorant of sadness and pain for the loss of her beloved family during the first years of her life. For she hadn't still felt the scorching rays of the sun or the coldness of the outside world, neither did she feel the constant war surrounding the universe. And whenever she tried to imagine her parents, she pictured them as happy angels ascending to the skies, looking at her from so high above, taking care of their precious daughter.

She had lost a family, yet she was awarded with a new family, the one belonging to the orphanage. The matron was the big mother and the kids her brother and sisters. She was always kind and openhearted to everyone, willing to take care of other kids and play with them for long hours.

Barely ever did she ran out of energy, and kept on going till the end of the day, then repeat the whole process over. She had no problem doing the same things, again and again, for every day looked different to her chocolate brown eyes , and every night she could see a new star in the sky.

All those years passed so harmonic and nice it felt blissful infinity to her soul. She loved all the world around her, though she wasn't in love at that point, she hated all the kids that gave her a hard time but it wasn't truly hatred. And all that because she adored life more than anyone else, and appreciated everything she was offered.

Every night, she sneaked into the balcony of the girls' room and gazed at the moonlit sky for long hours of loneliness. The sky at night felt magic to her, made her wanna sing, and dream of the life awaiting for her. She was only sure that things would only get better as she grew up, and every new day would bring her closer to achieving her goals and ambitions.

But as she was growing up, while her innocence was still intact and her mind pure, she would taste the hard nature of other kids who changed their attitude towards her. For Reona's Japanese-American genes began to make her look slightly different than the rest of the kids, and she would pay the price of a choice she did not make of her own.

''I am Japanese! I was born here and my mother tongue is Japanese, so you can't say I'm a foreign girl only because I look different!'' she complained many times when the visiting families showed their objection to adopt her, or when she was being made fun of by other orphans.

And as the years were flying higher than the birds in the skies, and more and more kids were getting out of the orphanage, she was wondering if she was a freak or something. Why were they all leaving with new parents while she was left behind? Was it really so terrible to look a bit different?

It was pointless to try and change the way she looked. It was against mother nature. Nonetheless, there had to be something good in her, something worthy of admiration and respect.

Reona had to rely on her soul, since she was like a book with a poor cover. She had to adorn the pages and fill them with the richest of lines, make the content look attractive and impressive, so to enchant people around her without them noticing her foreign looks.

Her paintings were pretty nice and decent for a kid of her age, and the essays she wrote were amusing and full of imagination. She had some artistic skills to be discovered, and she would use them to their full potential, just to become equal to the other kids, if not for making a difference.

Then came that day when she realised she was not that different, as another American boy was brought to the orphanage. It was the son of a military man who had just transferred to Japan, and he had gotten shot during a classified mission, while his wife went insane and committed suicide upon hearing the news of his death. Heartbreaking it was, and unfortunately such stories had become a typical phenomenon…

No one went to the orphanage without carrying a sad tale behind, and the American boy could not escape this rule.

From the first time Reona set her eyes on him, she wanted those two to become friends right away. Maybe it was the common genes they shared, maybe it was what they say ''chemistry'' but definitely, Reona forgot everything about her timid character. She then decided to approach him as soon as she found him alone, sitting next to the sandpit, head lowered to the level of his knees, while his light blue eyes betrayed his anger and fury.

''Why the long face?'' she made a rhetorical question to break the ice, though in reality he gave an extraneous reply.

'' Being here means my parents are gone…I am all alone now.'' His voice was heard for the first time, as he spoke in shaky Japanese. Yet he was understandable to her.

''Come on, fool, you're not alone! Your parents have become angels in the sky and will take care of you. You should be happy for them.'' She retorted full of innocence, without knowing she just triggered the boy's anxiety.

''No.'' the boy answered back in frustration.

''My parents died, they don't exist anymore. And I am all alone in this damned place.'' He almost cried with invisible tears of silence. And that was the first time Reona was overshadowed by gray clouds of negative energy.

Die…not to exist anymore… the boy was surely sad to come out with such hard things, was all she could think.

''Die…? They don't exist anymore?'' she repeated her thoughts loudly, took a troubled look and began to question the fate of her own parents,,,

Was it really what happened to them? How is this possible? She made an attempt to counter the negative thoughts, and send them away, ''No That's what grown-ups say because they are oblivious to greater powers ruling the world.'' she managed to win the darkness, only for a short time, for the boy had already planted the roots of evil inside her heart.

''No, they don't exist anymore, and that's what really happened to all of our families. That's why we are forced to come here.'' He insisted thoroughly, and she believed him.

She lowered her head in confusion, and did not try to hide her feelings, but she was stubborn and didn't want to think that way. The boy just relied on his eyes, not to the rest of his senses, so he had to get one more lesson.

''My dear friend, let me tell you something: The wind cannot be seen, but it is there, whispering for us. You can feel it when it blows on you, caressing your hair, and you can hear it whistling when it is fierce and strong, beating on your chest so hard you think it's gonna carry you away. All I want to say is that our parents are still alive, Their bodies may be gone, but their souls are free and they look after us. Let's pray for our families, my friend. God keeps them safe. You believe in your god, right? That's all what matters, no matter how your God is named.''

''No, I don't believe in god, whoever it is. He took away my family and I should thank him for that?''

''You're in pain, that's why you're saying such things. You know, God has a plan for everyone, and we are all here for a reason. I know it's difficult for you to understand, but it'll be ok. You'll get used to it and maybe we can become friends and have fun. I promise, you won't be alone.''

Bill, the American boy looked at her in disbelief, almost shocked by her calm expression when referring to their lost families like nothing happened. The brown eyed girl seemed to possess some spiritual power, a strength rising from deep within, or she was just a plain idiot. Yeah, it was obvious: she was clueless and pure like the winter's snow, yet warm, bright and clean like the rays of the sun. That ignorance could make his blood boil. On the other hand, he envied that naïve and childish attitude of her.

The boy simply could not take it to have someone so unaffected before him. He felt jealous of that peaceful state of mind. He wanted to rob that innocence, strip it, tear it apart, break it and twist it, for he was not like this.

''How long ago is it since you lost your parents?'' he asked her in curiosity.

''A long long time ago… I can't even remember them.'' she bit her lower lip, and nearly got into speculation for the memories she never had.

''That's why you refer to them as strangers. You never really got to know them. You don't know how it feels to have a real family.'' he insulted her, and put her into thoughts, then she asked.

''So, mister know-it-all, how it feels like to have a family?''

''A family is a handful of love. A warm table full of candies and nice melodies, a house filled with joy and happiness. You wake up and have your mother prepare your breakfast, while father is about to leave at work so to bring money at home, and you go to school. Then, mother comes to get you back and bring you home. She helps with your homework, makes your food and when dad returns you eat supper altogether. And when it is too late for you to stay awake, mother reads you a magical fairy tale so you get to sleep.''

''Really?'' she broke, thinking of the things she could never have…but then again, wasn't this routine almost the same like the place she already been? The difference is that parents focus only on their children, while the matron had many kids to look around. So yeah, she had no one to read a fairy tale to her...

''You know something? You are lucky. I never had those things… I want mom and dad! '' she whimpered and thereafter began to cry out loud for learning her first truth.

The boy was nasty and meant harm to her. Having uttered just a few words, Bill managed to ruin her mood and make her cry, while she was so friendly to him and was struggling to make him feel better.

Regret took over the American boy's mind for trying to hurt her. The girl was benevolent like a sheep, with no sins or malicious deeds in her back, like an angel who came to the world to bless it with it's alluring light of hope. And that light was stronger than his darkness. He could now see that. He had to take his words back, and apologise to her in his own way so to return the smile on her face.

''Hey, come on, don't act like that. You remember what you said to me at first, right?''

''Yeah…I think.'' She turned her back and blew her nose to stop the cries. The sound was pretty funny and somehow lit up the heavy atmosphere he had created.

Bill chuckled, thereafter said :

''You are right in everything. Nothing ever dies. And since you're living here for so long, I guess your routine is not very different from the one I mentioned.''

''Yes, it's just that… the matron doesn't have plenty of time with so many kids to look after…I'm jealous of you who had lived with your parents, forgive me for saying that.''

''You don't have to be jealous. Besides, we're on the same boat now, so let's get aboard!'' he had a change of mood, which in turn affected her own. ''Say, then, what is your name?'' he continued.

''Oh yeah, we've talked about so many things and we still haven't introduced ourselves. I am Reona, age 7, you?''

The American boy stood silent for a second, and instantly thought her English name had to be Leona, since the Japanese people usually avoid pronouncing the letter ''L'' and replace it with an ''R''.

''William, call me Bill, age 9. May I call you Leona? That's your English name, you know, and sounds much better than Reona. It makes you seem like a brave person.''

Bill piqued Reona's curiosity, who instantly tried to pronounce the first letter of her English name, and –oops- it seemed slightly difficult.

'' First say ''L''. he tried to give her a hand.

''Eru.'' She sounded funny, and made Bill laugh. ''Eru-e-ona.'' She made an attempt to spell her English name slowly, to no avail.

''Hey, Birru. Your accent is funny, too!'' she teased the boy, who took no offense and made his day.

''I guess it can't be helped. By the way, are you American, too? You seem like one.''

'' Sort of. My father was Japanese, my mom American. But I was born here, and don't know English. I think it is taught in later classes. Will you teach me some, please?''

''Yes. And you will help me with Japanese, ok?''

''Yeah… Sure.''

There was a moment of silence, when both kids were trying to think of something to discuss. They had so many topics they failed to know where to start. Their emotions of happiness were so intense they could hardly control their excitement.

For the first time in her life, Reona felt brave, like her English name implied, and speculated she would be taught lots of beneficial things by her new friend. Already, Bill made her feel comfortable, like she had known him for whole years, like she had gained a brother for life. Therefore, she was the one to go on, and that was beneath her character.

''So, now we are friends, I'm happy for that. Say, my new friend, what things do you like?''

''Playing football, drawing, and practicing the guitar.''

''Really? So small and you can play the guitar?'' she gave him a weird look and rubbed her head.

''Yeah, my parents sent me to get some lessons three years ago. They said I had to channel my energy into something useful instead of messing around. I guess playing is over now…'' he raised his shoulders.

''Why? If you want to, you can continue playing by yourself. I love the sound of the guitar.''

''I don't have a guitar anymore. If I had one, I would like to play for you some day. Would you like to see it?''

''Oh yes, absolutely. I love music, too! You know, I can sing. I'm just shy to do in front of an audience. Perhaps we should try combining our talents. And I'll tell the matron to get you a guitar right away.''

'' Really? Can you ask her for that?''

''Yeah, she's kind and listens to me. Besides, I haven't asked her many times to do me favors. She owes me that, he he he. ''

''That's a good thing. I think we'll become the best of friends.''

''Sure.'' She replied in such an enthusiasm like she had gotten a new gift.

And that was just the beginning of one of the strongest friendships in the whole orphanage.

The attraction between those two kids was irresistible, and really soon they began hanging around like brothers. Every time a lesson was over, each one was waiting for the other to show up in their classroom, and spent the rest of their days together, bound and attached like paper stuck on glue. As they grew up and gained more and more intimacy, they were deeply misunderstood by the cunning kids, who considered them a couple. Yet Bill paid no attention to that, because he would find a way to settle the score, and teach the nasty brats a lesson or two.

For as a matter of fact, Bill happened to be exactly the opposite of Reona. He was bold and tameless like a ferocious beast. He would not allow himself to be taken offense and soon he would strike back with swift revenge upon the ones who criticised him.

He was also non hesitant to get involved into fights when deemed necessary, and he seemed to fail constantly to adhere to the rules of peace.

If challenged to a fight, he would try his best to end it. If hurt, he would cause double harm, and that was his way of treating the others. But close to Reona, Bill could find tranquility, as he spent his energy to more useful things like practicing their music in her room. Art made him as calm as a lamb, otherwise he would be as disastrous and threatening as a fearsome bear.

Reona was there, next to his side, holding his bridles, and managed to restrict a minor part of his naughty character.

Reona on the other hand, so shy and clumsy, prudent and clueless she was easy to manipulate, and Bill opened her mind, allowed another aspect of herself to emanate from the depths of the unknown.

Thanks to him, Reona finally became accepted and admired inside the orphanage, due to her notable talent. She had also found a bodyguard who protected her from any possible bullies, so they tampered with her no more. And though Bill had made quite a bad reputation among the students, they feared him and let those two be.

All in all, those two were total opposites, and that's why opposites attract each other so hard.

It was no sooner than that when the two friends began playing their music in the main hall, where most of the kids used to gather. Bill made Reona sing for the first time in front of the others, and let go of her anxiety and stress. He cheered her up, lifted her spirits, and molded her to a young amateur performer, while he was full of confidence, performing like a full-fledged rock star.

The matron was impressed by their cute small performances, and soon it became a traditional habit to listen those two. The cage obtained some sort of interactive entertainment, apart from the toys and the children's games. It had music to appease the souls of the tortured kids, and raise their hopes. It had harmony and melody to guide them on, a beating heart to follow it's rhythm and even teach kindness to the most rude children.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

''Come on, will you and Bill get married when you grow up?'' a classmate of Reona asked her when they were working together on a project for school, otherwise she would not dare to make the question before Bill.

''I don't know. Bill is my bigger brother.'' was all she could say when questioned like this, and the thought itself sounded pretty amusing.

''But you love each other, right?''

''What we have is different.''

''Even when you sit on his knees?''

''The matron used to have me like this, too, when we were smaller. Does it mean a thing?''

''When a boy has a girl sitting on his knees, yes.''

''Can't see why. We're like brothers, and it's normal for siblings to behave like that.''

''Oh, Reona, grow up. Haven't you ever thought you two may be in love?''

''Well, no. I doubt I feel like this. '' she ended the conversation before they went on with their homework.

Yet Reona kept on thinking about the things her classmate told her, and began to wonder why the rest of the kids misinterpreted so bad their relationship. Could they be right after all, when so many shared the same thought, while she adamantly denied the fact she had a boyfriend?

She knew that she loved Bill with all her heart, yet she didn't really know if that kind of love is the one that makes people getting married.
Therefore, she wanted to consult Bill about her emotions, and try to clear them up. Bill would definitely lead her to the truth, as he was always honest and frank about her.

''Bill, when will I learn about love?'' she asked him that following evening, when homework was over, and they were sitting in the place where they first became friends.

''You do love me, right?'' he answered with an intriguing question.

''Of course I do, you fool. I just wanna know the difference between loving someone and being in love with someone.''

''He he, interesting of you to ask that. Well...they say falling in love with someone is like having butterflies in your stomach. Your heart pounds so fast you think it'll get out of your chest, and sometimes you may lose your words when interacting with that person.''

''Really?'' she smiled with an innocent heart.

''But you know. After a while, it passes, and you don't feel like this under the presence of that person. You get used to it.''

''So you stop loving that person?''

''No, if your love is strong enough it never wears off completely. You just continue being in love, without those nasty symptoms.''

''And how do you know all this stuff, Bill? Have you fallen in love with someone without me knowing it?'' she teased him.

''That's why I am the older brother, you silly You will know you are in love from the moment someone makes you feel that way.''

''Oh! I will figure that out on my own, then, right?''

''Yeah, unless you are already in love with someone, and you don't know, probably because it's such a long time and you cannot feel those butterflies anymore.''

''You mean I… I may be in love with you, like they all believe?''

''Maybe. You will tell me once you think you feel that way.'' he smiled, and Reona bet he was trying to make fun of the situation.

Bill was not always to be taken seriously, as his main priority was to make her laugh, but maybe he sometimes overdid things that now seemed less innocent to her perception.

''Well, I don't think so. I didn't feel butterflies from the moment I saw you.'' she said with full honesty.

''Hold on. Leona. This is another case. It is called love at first sight, and isn't really true.''

''Why?''

''Use your mind, sweetheart. Such loves only exist in fairy tales or TV shows. They never happen, or they are extremely rare to be found in the real world. Falling for someone at first sight is just like getting thunderstruck.''

''Oh yeah. Funny... Thunderstruck, such a nice word, he he he Strange thing love is, I think. Well... I prefer to skip the love part for some time later.'' she exclaimed in a childish way, and Bill followed in the laugh.

For one moment, it crossed her mind, she might be in love with Bill, for he was the person who was the closest to her, and she hoped they would be together for the rest of their lives.

Yet, something crucial was missing. There was nothing of the magic stuff Bill had mentioned, everything was so simple and clean between them. He was the brother, the protector, and she was the small sister, who obeyed and was offered protection.

No butterflies were flying in her stomach once she saw him, neither did her heart pound so fiercely she would go out of her chest. She was just happy to be with him, for she felt she had found her soul mate, the one person in the world who could communicate with her perfectly, and unlock her hidden capabilities, smother her fears and make her feel like she could conquer the world.

She was under his wings, so safe and warm, and she owed him a lot, but no… that wasn't the kind of love she wanted to experience one day.

Neither of them had known back then how much they would be hurt by those confusing feelings in the future…

For that fateful day, when Reona's innocence would begin to fade away was not really far from that point…

XxxxxxxxxxxX

''Wake up, Leona, or you'll miss the fun!'' Bill teased her one morning, and she was unwilling to get up from bed due to the fact she had gone too late for sleep.

At that time, Reona had grown to a 12-year-old girl, and began to take some additional responsibilities within the orphanage. Being one of the eldest kids made her capable of taking care of younger ones, specifically toddlers and infants. She had volunteered for that task, as it was the perfect chance for her to lose some lessons at school, when her grades were getting from bad to worse, especially at maths. As a result, one of the kids had kept her up all night, and she could hardly now blink an eyelash.

Therefore, she tried to ignore Bill and changed side of the bed, only to be teased again.

''Don't wake me up…'' she snored twice or three times and was mumbling ''bed's so soft'', then she pulled her blankets against her body like hugging a fluffy teddy bear.

''Ok then, I have to use the heavy guns.'' he threatened in a humorous voice, and as soon as he said that he jumped at her and began tickling her.

She was helpless, and her resistance was too late to show up. Gone was her sleep, so was her good mood.

''You idiot! You ruined my sleep. You're gonna pay big time for this!'' she threatened in her high pitch voice, resulting in him laughing harder than ever before, and he kept on tickling her until she had enough.

''Ok, I surrender. So, what's going on?'' she complained to him between yawns.

''There are two newcomers who just arrived. The matron said we should go down there and introduce ourselves.''

''Fine. More work for me, if there's another small kiddo. More lessons to lose, ha!'' she formed a sinister laugh like a tiny devil, and they both run downstairs.

Apart from the fact Reona was kidding, her true feelings for newcomers were entirely different. She always pitied them, especially when they were close to her age, because she considered them less lucky than herself.

Reona had complied with the loss of her family due to her baby state, whereas older kids could realize how and why their lives took such a sudden change. Those kids had parents to get them to school, help them with their homework, play with them, eat altogether at the family table while having fun, give them their love and read them fairy tales just before falling asleep.

Reona had no such experiences, so she didn't know how it felt. Or maybe she was strong to have accepted the facts as they were, and she didn't know.

Whatever the reason might be, Reona felt compassion for all orphans. Losing your parents is just…terrible, especially when you have experienced things with them. One day, you lose it all, and you know you won't see them again. You can ask God why; you curse and cry…and yet crying is pointless, for it won't do the trick and bring them back to life.

So you stay behind, and suddenly you find yourself among strangers. You have to learn to share common places, sleep in the same room with other children, have to obey the matron and make disciplines…Let alone when it comes to bullies, who usually don't miss the chance to pick up the newcomers.

An orphanage is like a jail without criminals…

And that was the destiny that awaited the new kids who came just in…

Once Reona and Bill got downstairs, they found all the kids gathered, and just in the entrance the newcomers were lingering.

They were both boys, most probably brothers, one so small, around 7 years old, with long black hair, and a bigger one with short and thick brown hair that held the tiny kid in his hug; therefore, his face could not be seen.

Such heartbreaking scenes were often witnessed in that place, and no matter how used Reona had gotten into that, it was impossible for her to give up her hypersensitive character and stay immune to watching them, like it was something ordinary and typical.

Reona simply adored to see happy faces and smiles, and that's why she was trying to soothe the hearts of the orphans with her singing, to entertain them. Besides that, it was the only true gift she really had and wanted to use it within every chance. Her art was the only thing she could perform with a hundred percent perfection, and nothing else.

''Don't cry my sweet boy.'' the matron said to the small brother. ''You'll make new friends here and have a good time. Open your eyes, and look how many kids came to meet you.'' she calmed a bit the black-haired boy, then she turned to the direction of Reona and the others before she went on.

''Kids, do you want to tell your names to the newcomers?'' she urged them, and they all shouted ''Yes''.

Thereafter, she turned again to the small boy and said:

''Please, just dry your eyes and look at them, they are all eager to tell you their names.'' she insisted, and the black-haired boy stopped the lament.

And as soon as the infant left his brother's hug and turned his face to the direction of the orphans, so did the bigger brother, who stood on his feet and turned his body to them, revealing his features. Both siblings now were looking at the children surrounding them …

''My children, this is young Mokuba.'' the matron pointed at the younger brother. ''And this is Seto, the big one.''

That was the very first time Reona saw his face, and that was it all...

She was thunderstruck...

I know the intro was rather long due to the fact I wanted to create a solid backround for the OC, and not just to throw her into the story like a Mary Sue. And trust me, she won't be one.

I would really appreciate it if you left me a review of your first impressions. It is the only way of ''payment'' for a fanfiction author, who devotes so much precious time into writing, so... you know what to do! :p