*sob* I'm so happy! *sob*  You all make me so happy!

Do you know why?  Do you care why?  Heh heh, I'll tell you anyway.

I've written 4 chapters of In A Blink of An Eye, and gotten 17 reviews.

I wrote one chapter of My Only Hope, and I get many more reviews. 

Now guess.  Which one makes me happier?

Heh heh.  Thank you guys sooooo much!

By the way, MoshiMoshiQueen, the Joey/Mai stuff won't come for around 4 chapters, because the story is only at the pre-anime state right now, and Mai and Joey only become good friends before her senior year.  She's a freshman right now!   I hope you'll stick around for the conflicts though!

To the rest, who are undoubtedly devoted Mai/Seto fans, heh heh.  These chapters are for you (and so are later ones!).

            By the way, your review make me feel guilty and make me write more, faster!  Thanks!  Keep it up!

By the way, this story starts pre-Yu-Gi-Oh, way before Duelist Kingdom.  Seto is a sophomore, and Mai is a freshman.  Both go to Parochia Preparatory School (a private school).  Duelist Kingdom and Battle City happen during Mai's summer before senior year.  Both will transfer to Domino High School during senior year. 

CHECK BACK TOMORROW!  I WILL UPDATE!  THIS CHAPTER IS NOT FINISHED!

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Mai's eyes opened wide at the sound of Seto's voice.  But she was as skilled of an actress as she was popular, and she quickly recovered.  She pulled her white hooded sweater more tightly around herself and defiantly turned her head away from Kaiba's gaze, quickly blinking away her unformed tears.  She stared at the glass surface of the water, jaw clenched tightly in a defensive gesture. 

Seto, tired of being ignored and having to stare at the defiant golden waves on the back of Mai's head, was reverting to his old, icicle self.  Impatient, yet unexplainably curious, Seto scowled and stared at the dark sky above their heads. 

"What are you doing here, Kujaku?"  he said with a light sneer, "Shouldn't  Ms. Popular be out partying with all her little preppy friends and flirting with the jocks?"  This struck a chord in Mai, and she whipped towards Seto, maroon eyes blazing reddish in the moonlight.

"Why are you out here, Kaiba?"  Mai spoke contemptuously, flipping her golden hair over her shoulder.  Then she paused sarcastically, in mock surprise, "Oh.  I forgot.  You're a cold loner who thinks only of himself."  Something flickered in Seto's eyes, but was quickly replaced by steel-cold anger, coiled tightly and barely restrained.  A tense moment of silence passed between the two as they glared at each other.  Mai finally turned her eyes away, repulsed by the blizzard that whirled in his eyes.   

They must have stood there forever.  Or maybe only a minute.  But the tension was thick, unbearable.  Mai drew her knees more closely in, as if to shield herself from another blow.  Seto mentally braced himself against another verbal shot, while trying to sort out the fog of numbness in his brain; the famously cold, never ruffled Kaiba was unusually flustered and irritated…and curious. But why?

Resentfully, and angrily, Seto kicked the ground.  He hated not being in control of every situation and every feeling, and right now, he was not in control of either.  He clenched and unclenched his jaw; with other people, he could assert his superiority.  He was untouchable, impenetrable, too far above them.  They could not reach him, evoke his feelings, make him feel, make him human.  But now, she was higher, the golden girl in the ivory tower, far out of his peasant-like ability to reach or hurt.  But now, this little girl….

He gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing, and spat out his next words like poisoned darts.

"Why don't you get off my rock and get back to the real world, Barbie doll."

Seto winced as the words came out of his mouth.  It sounded so petty, so childish, something Mokuba's classmates would say.  But it was too late to take them back, too late for his pride to withdraw the darts, too late for the barbs headed straight for the blank of the target. 

Seto half-expected Mai to toss her golden hair scornfully, turn her back on him, and scoff at the pathetic attempt to hurt her.  But as he stared incredulously, the usually invulnerable girl perceptibly trembled at the cruel words.  Though they were far from physical arrows, the words visibly hit Mai.  A red tint diffused through her violet eye, as though the taunts had wounded her in her eyes, her very soul.  They were filled with blood, anger, tears of indescribable pain. 

"How dare you…how could you!  How could you judge me?  You don't know anything about me.  You've never lived life in my shoes.  I don't know the real world?  Are you saying my life is fake?  How do you know who I really am?  You see me at school.  You've seen only one facet of my life, and perhaps the only good facet.  You've never had to go home to face…"  Mai stopped suddenly, slowly unclenched the muscles that she had tensed during her rage, blinked away the angry, distressed tears that formed in her eyes, trembled in the moonlight.  She turned her head away from Seto, with quiet rage, "You of all people have no right to judge me."

Seto heard her words, as silent as they were, and as they slowly absorbed into his blood, his eyes grew dangerously dark…and mortally wounded. 

"Why is that?"  he spoke softly, dangerously low.  Unaware of his pained anger, Mai acted on her own. 

"Because you're selfish and cold-hearted.  You're the one who needs to come back to the real world.  You're always provided for, always the center of attention.  You avoid life by acting like you're better than everyone else and don't have to experience everyday problems.  You could care less if anyone else is hurt or in trouble.  All that matters is that you're not hurt or troubled or bothered. 

You've never had to hide yourself.  You've never had to stay in hiding all of your life!  You've never felt what it's like to be scared and to have to act confident, to be hurt and wounded and have to act perfect.  And you know what?  You don't have to worry about those very real everyday problems, because you're Seto Kaiba, and you don't have to do anything you don't want to do.

You think everyone is dirt, and you think I'm dirt.  How can you possibly understand me if you don't even believe that I'm human?  You have nothing in common with me, so don't try to judge me!" 

She sobbed, her throat closing in furious passion.  She covered her face with her hands, and her hair fell over her face like a golden nun's veil.    

Seto Kaiba stood straight, shoulders trembling.  His jaw tensed.  His fists clenched.  His throat stopped.  The storms in his eye whirled, grew, spun, exploded and suddenly, the thunder flashed.  Seto could contain himself no longer.

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            What will happen?  Why is Seto so angry?  Could something in Mai's words have struck a chord in Seto?  Through their anger, Mai and Seto will find that they are more alike than they think.  So tune in TOMORROW!  I WILL UPDATE TOMORROW!  THIS CHAPTER IS NOT FINISHED!  I love you all, so keep reviewing!

            ~Tru