Title: Phoenix Ashes
Author: AkizukiSakura
Series: Yuugi-ou
Genre: Romance/Mystery/Fantasy
Rating: M/R
Pairing(s): Yuugi/Seto
Warnings: Violence, sexual content between any gender I bloody well like, occult mentioning, and possibly graphic depictions of content that people who do not have twisted minds should not think of. Do have a pleasant day.
Disclaimer: Yuugi-ou! is owned by the esteemed Takahashi Kazuki-san and all subsequent copyrights. I claim no ownership of this series, nor do I make monetary profit from the writing of this story.
Summary: A special youth who loves games, a cop known for his bad mouth but loyal status, a cop who refuses to believe in anything slightly resembling the paranormal, and a ghost who has been lingering for millennia. When a strange series of murders crops up in the city of Domino, what could these four have to do with it?
Spoilers: As far as I know only the Pharaoh's true name, but when I write anything nothing is ever assured.
Notes: Even though I'm leaving soon I wanted to go ahead and post the start of this story. The plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone.

I'll also note that, in this story, Jounouchi has that annoying accent he has in the English dub. As much as I dislike it, his mannerisms in Japanese don't translate easily into English except to give him that accent. I hate it, but, c'est la vie.

Trial 1: No Such Thing as Coincidence

The summer's eve waxed heatedly on the plains of Kanto, barely a wind shifting to stir the otherwise stifling air. It was a night that should have kept all of the honest people stretched out upon their beds, windows thrown open in the vain hopes of tempting in a stray breeze and, despite the heat, all should have been asleep.

Out on the plains, though, where the sun had dried the grass to fragile, yellowed stalks that crunched vaguely underfoot there were several people who were not at rest. Sleep was actually the farthest thing from the minds of most of those grouped in the large barn.

At first glance the building resembled any other that might have been found on a farm, albeit much more haggard and dilapidated than any that was still in use. Red paint, faded from the elements after years of neglect, chipped in splinters; the pigment was rapidly followed by slivers of wood. Rust colored and weakened the metal of the simple pulley that had been rigged just above the loft and the rope that still hung from the age-caked device was twisted and rotting. Even the gate that surrounded the barn was rickety, barely standing, with termite-ridden posts and decaying planks. To the casual observer there was nothing about this place that suggested anyone inhabited it and certainly nothing that even hinted of the events currently unfolding in the moldy woodwork.

High above Domino City the stars twinkled and the planets shone with the reflected light of the sun. Of course, as in any big city, the jewels of the velvet heavens were not readily visible. Domino City never truly slept; there were always lights on in the heart of the city. Neon signs beckoned to those who were awake at this time, luring people into dens of sin and lustful promise.

From the greetings and amused remarks it was clear that Jounouchi Katsuya was not a foreigner to the intrinsic night life of Domino, but from his uniform, cap, and the unmistakable form of a gun strapped to his hip it was equally obvious that he was not here to enjoy the presumed festivities. Though he carried a gun Jounouchi rarely used it; he favored his fists when he could and, that failing, the trusty, lead-weighted buzz baton dangling from its leather cord around his wrist was always a simple way to diffuse the occasional tense situation.

Jounouchi loved his job, usually. Where else could he beat up people who were making asses of themselves and be praised for it? The fact that he came from the lower class of the city and that he knew how and where to find many of the elusive criminals of downtown Domino made him a valuable asset to the police force. Many of those same criminals were Jounouchi's friends, though, and he and his superiors had an understanding in that respect: Jounouchi would not rat out anyone he knew unless that person was dealing in something that could endanger an innocent. So long as the drug dealers were covert and the petty crimes not committed in front of him or on his watch everyone knew that Jounouchi would not arrest anyone he knew was a criminal from his upbringing.

Like most big cities the police and higher officials understood that there was no feasible way to purify the downtown area at night, or the slums at any time of the day, and they let cases that were not endangering others slide. If Jounouchi actually witnessed something like a common pickpocket he would toss the offender into jail for a night to cool off, though repeat offenders he was not nearly so lenient to. Besides, he had once been one of those punk teens and before that he was a misguided youth who rarely had enough to eat. Hunger drove people to unpleasant extremes.

In fact, had it not been for the intervention of his sister Shizuka the blonde might never have gotten this job. Worried for her older brother and ignoring her mother's snide remarks – their mother and father had been divorced for some time now – Shizuka had convinced her brother to go straight and to give the police task force a chance. The check he received every two weeks helped pay for his necessities and the tiny flat he rented; his job got him a decent discount on rent, too, leaving him with enough left over that he could indulge in occasional trips to the movies or strip clubs with little guilt. It also helped that his sister had remarked once upon how much safer she felt knowing that her big brother was out there working to protect her and all of the people who could not defend themselves.

Jounouchi was comfortable in his job. The people knew him and respected him. They knew of his upbringing and of his morals; even when he'd lead a gang Jounouchi had always enforced a code of honor among the thugs he commanded, impressing upon them that there was no glory gained from beating an opponent from behind.

So it happened that when, one night, he bumped into someone and sent them sprawling on the concrete he did not grumble about careless people but instead offered a hand to the youth.

"Sorry," he muttered tersely, even though it wasn't entirely his fault. Besides the fact that a few of the streetlights were out in this section of the street the youth was dressed in dark clothes and, as he got to his feet without taking the offered hand, Jounouchi realized that he was looking down almost half a foot to even catch the violet tips of spiked black hair. "Didn't mean to bump you there, kid," he added absently, already moving to step around the boy.

"No, you're not sorry at all… But that's all right. Nobody ever really means those words anymore anyway. It's just the polite thing to say, even for an officer." Jounouchi paused, scowling, and turned back to the youth, drawing himself up a little. Granted, this kid was just a kid, but that kind of disrespect was completely uncalled for!

"Now wait just a minute. Dat's really no way to be treatin'…a…" Jounouchi trailed off, his honeyed stare widening a little as the kid looked up. The flickering light of the overhead street lamp was dim but it was enough to stop the angered words from spilling out of his mouth when he got a good look at this kid. The round, pale face was boyish in appearance and almost ghastly in its pearly hue – did the kid never go out into the sun? – but it was the large eyes that truly drew Jounouchi's attention.

Certainly he had seen small children, girls usually, with such large eyes, but this youth did not seem to be quite that young. Blonde bangs fell into those eyes, obscuring their hue, and Jounouchi found himself reaching out and pushing the golden strands away curiously. Getting a good look into those eyes made him feel as though someone had sucker-punched him in the gut for, not only were they the oddest shade of violet that he had ever seen but he could easily see the dark shadows that clung to this boy's pure soul through his large, sad eyes.

Before Jounouchi could speak the other laughed, making the cop shiver a little. There was no mirth in that laugh, only cold disdain and self-loathing.

"A cop?" the youth finished when it became clear that Jounouchi wasn't about to complete his statement. "Yes, I suppose it wasn't very respectful of me, but I don't make it a point to offer my deference to people that knock me over." He shook his head, plunging his hands into his pockets and walking past the flabbergasted officer. "Especially not people who don't realize their own worth, Jounouchi Katsuya," he added as he slid between man and pole, clearly unperturbed by the danger of walking alone at night in this part of town. Jounouchi spun to stare after the youth; it was a moment before he could speak again.

"How did you-?" he began but the kid seemed to have expected that question for he had stopped when Jounouchi turned and now he spoke without even letting the blonde finish.

"I know a lot of things." One small hand lifted to brush lightly over his eyes and for a moment Jounouchi thought the kid looked much too old for his tiny frame. "I find that what I see often outstrips what anyone else sees. Isn't it amazing how people tend to notice very little that's right under their noses?" A pause as the kid knelt to tie one of his shoes – Jounouchi stared for a moment. How could someone he'd just met know his name? His thoughts were interrupted when the kid straightened and turned to keep walking. "And for the record, I'm not a kid. I'll be nineteen in less than a month."

This time when he walked away Jounouchi could not make his throat work to demand that the kid – young man – come back and explain himself. He was too shocked to do much more than stare after the youth. It wasn't helping matters that, if what the kid said was true, he was actually only a little younger than Jounouchi was – the cop being a glorious adult at twenty-one – despite the inches that separated him from Jounouchi's height of five and a half feet.

"…da hell?" he managed finally after several moments, scratching his head irately before snorting and turning away to resume his route. Usually Jounouchi reveled in being on the prowl but tonight he was happy to just make it back to the base to report in before heading home, that strange kid still lingering in his thoughts.

Settling down easily, the youth sighed as he burrowed more comfortably into the cushions of the dingy couch and drew the thin scrap of what had once been curtains over his form. Though this place had once been a decently sized apartment for people who wanted to be close to their downtown jobs, eventually the place fell out of business. Since there were nearly always more pressing matters to contend with the city had decided not to bother with demolishing the building.

Openly it was simply because no one had pressed the issue and the plot of land was fairly worthless, but covertly the officials knew that there were several homeless people who resided in the dilapidated building. Though they harbored no feelings for the wretched souls that had no home, it kept them off the streets at least and gave the city a cleaner image.

Like Jounouchi, the youth could not forget his meeting with the officer but, unlike the cop, this youth was not trying.

"Everything is inevitable," he remarked aloud, startling a rat scrounging on the floor into flight. With a mental shrug he shifted onto his side. "And who am I to fight it?" he questioned, an amused smile drifting over his lips as he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to lull him into her cool embrace.

"This makes the fourteenth missing person case that has cropped up in the past two weeks. One person has gone from their homes every single night and we are no closer to solving this mystery now than we had been at the beginning!"

Jounouchi had already been drifting a little, his honeyed gaze resting elsewhere. Now he completely tuned out the words of the police chief, his chin propped idly on one hand and his gaze unfocused as he stared idly at his desk.

I'm just a night guard. Why am I here? Sure da people go missing at night, but none o' dem has even been from my district. I dun really get why I hafta be here, too.

Jounouchi knew better than to voice his opinions out loud again, though, because he did not really want to stand there at attention and listen to the chief give him a thorough dressing down in front of the whole room of cops. Even though Jounouchi had argued that his position in all of this was hardly ideal for a cop to be in since he dealt only with downtown the chief was quick to remind him in turn that there could never be too many eyes open.

There was also the fact that the downtown night crowd was not composed of people who tended to stay on the right side of the law and Jounouchi stiffened as the chief reminded him that those same people were the people that Jounouchi knew best. If anyone knew anything at all, Jounouchi would be able to get it out of them.

Jounouchi knew all of that already. In fact, every night he listened to conversations between people unaware of his presence. He subtly questioned the people he knew he could trust, those that would steal for their survival but did not have the stomach for murder. It was slow going – he had to be sure his questions and comments aroused no suspicion or he might find himself floating face down in the river one day.

"Hey, mutt, class is dismissed." No matter the circumstance, no matter where he was or what time it was, Jounouchi would never, ever be able to ignore that cold, mocking voice. His head snapped up, teeth bared in a growl that showed he was not amused as his amber eyes clashed with a cobalt pair that made ice look warm in comparison.

To see them interact, or to hear them talk, no one would ever believe that Jounouchi Katsuya and Kaiba Seto were actually very close friends. That didn't mean that Kaiba didn't insult Jounouchi, often, usually with comments referring to dogs. Those typically prompted the blonde to throw a punch at his taller friend but he was never surprised when Kaiba caught the fist and shifted, throwing Jounouchi over his hip. Jounouchi was nearly always bruised everywhere his body made contact with the floor but he knew he was getting off lightly. Kaiba had been taking martial arts courses almost since he'd been able to walk.

Kaiba Seto was from a wealthy family. His father owned a weapons company that made a killing trading with such powers as the United States and Great Britain, but Kaiba let the man know in no uncertain terms that he wanted no part of such a company. Jounouchi knew what Kaiba really wanted: the brown-haired youth was dead set on becoming the commissioner as soon as possible for reasons known only to him. Jounouchi could only shrug. Kaiba's relationship with his father was strained to the point that his younger brother Noa had been named the heir of the company but at least Kaiba still had a more than a decent living place – Kaiba was wealthy individually, though he'd never told Jounouchi how he'd amassed that wealth. Jounouchi wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Jounouchi's father was dead by now, but when he'd been alive he hadn't been the best role model; for his part Jounouchi usually refrained from speaking about his family at all, the exception being his sister Shizuka.

Seeing that blue stare flash in cruel amusement nearly brought Jounouchi to his feet with his fists clenched and a fight on his agenda but he knew that not only would he be outmatched – Kaiba was beyond belts in any martial arts he could think of and a brilliant marksman with any weapon to boot – but he would also attract the chief's gaze and likely earn another long talk about controlling his temper. The chief seemed to be under the impression that long talks could solve anything if the words were shouted loud enough and his face turned purple enough.

"Keep talkin', rich boy. You'll get yers one day an' when dat happens I'll be laughin' my ass off." Part of the reason Kaiba and Jounouchi never truly got into it over the first's mocking remarks and snide comments was because Jounouchi clung to the idea of karma. He didn't know how it would strike but he was certain that eventually Kaiba would be the one to be made a fool of. Kaiba only smirked at him, his belief in anything that was not scientifically accurate pretty much nil. Before he could reply, though, another person spoke up.

"Kaiba, Jounouchi! My office!" The two paused and glanced at each other before changing course. It didn't seem to matter that they were three rooms away from where the shout originated from. When Mr. Tanaka wanted anyone's attention he got it, even if he had to shout for it.

"…a what, sir?" Kaiba was certain he'd misunderstood Chief Tanaka's words. Jounouchi appeared equally uncertain about the task the police chief was assigning them, though Kaiba knew that Jounouchi was more open to such ideas.

"We've received a tip from a source I trust that these disappearances are linked. The manner the victims were found in all match up, as do their surroundings. All are generally young, teenagers mostly, and all were found with markings carved into their skin. My source says that a psychic could be useful." Tanaka snorted, chewing irately on a cigar as he pinned the skeptical Kaiba with a glare.

"Personally, I think it's a load of…well, you know. However, we haven't made any progress in this case since the disappearances began almost a year ago and the higher-ups are starting to feel the pinch from citizens who no longer feel safe." This time it was Jounouchi who made a sound of scorned amusement.

"Ya mean dey ain't gettin' money from da people 'cause dey don't feel safe."

"In any case," Tanaka growled, casting a warning look at Jounouchi, "it happens that we know of the whereabouts of a psychic. The problem is that he lives in the Nest – quit wrinkling your nose, Kaiba – and he isn't known for being sweet to the police." The chief began flipping through the various folders on his desk before he tugged on out and gave it to Kaiba. Wordlessly the blue-eyed man flicked through the contents of the folder. A photograph dropped to the floor; Jounouchi stooped to pick it up, saw who it was, and blinked.

"I know dis kid!" he announced, bringing the picture closer to his eyes. Even in the dimly lit office he recognized the violet eyes and loud hairstyle. "Well, sorta anyway. I bumped inta him on da streets last night on my route. Smartass kid with real sad kinda eyes… Knew my name without askin', tho'," he saw fit to add, glancing over at Kaiba to gauge the man's reaction. Kaiba's expression revealed nothing at all as he continued to read through the file.

"So, assuming we find this psychic," the way Kaiba pronounced the word showed his clear disdain for the idea, "if he isn't so sweet on the police how do we get him to help?" Kaiba closed the folder and propped a hand idly on his hip as he stared at Tanaka. The chief sighed and sat back in his chair. He adopted a thoughtful expression and was silent for several moments.

"Well," he began slowly, "I would suggest you not make it obvious that you are an officer." His gaze flicked over to Jounouchi. "Since he knows you are already, Jounouchi, I suggest you meet him alone first Kaiba. My source mentioned that, though he is not so amiable towards the police, this kid is well known to take care of the neighborhood children and that he has a soft spot for helping people out. Use that."

Kaiba and Jounouchi exchanged glances, the former annoyed and the latter curious.

"It couldn't hurt ta give it a try, Kaiba," Jounouchi said finally, accurately interpreting the expression on his friend's face. "He knew my name. I admit, dere's lotsa people that know my name jus' from when I used ta live around dere but it was real weird the way he said it." Jounouchi shuddered at the memory. "'sides, what else can we try? I got a kid sister just like you got a kid brother. I want to make sure nothin' happens to dem."

Jounouchi wasn't a master negotiator by any means but he knew what would galvanize Kaiba into action. If nothing else any threat, even a subtle one, to Kaiba Mokuba would have Seto ready for action, if not all willing. He knew Kaiba could see through his tactic by the sour expression the taller man leveled at him but he also knew that Kaiba was seriously considering the idea of Mokuba going missing and turning up dead a week later. Finally Kaiba sighed in resignation.

"Fine. When exactly do you want me to go find this kid?"

Plot bunnies multiply faster than regular bunnies, I swear they do. More attempts to spread the Rivalshipping love. This is an old chapter for an even older storyline that I just didn't want to give up on. So sue me.

Word count: 4,032

Kampai!
AkizukiSakura