Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

*Rated T for Teen (Unless Otherwise Noted)


Author's Note – We are continuing with the genre challenge.

The seventh genre challenge Reizbar-Ookami has given me is…SPIRITUAL!


Spiritual (Rated T)

"Come on, where are ya?" Joey muttered under his breath as he crossed the vacant schoolyard. Soon enough, however, he spotted a familiar form sitting underneath the large oak tree that rested on a hill near the side of the school. Steeling himself, the blond wandered over to Kaiba, hands in his pockets as he observed the brunet's livid expression.

Kaiba, noticing that he'd been found, inwardly groaned as he tried to focus his attention on anything else other than Joey. But he knew that would be far from possible.

"Are ya okay?" Joey asked as he rocked on his heels.

"No."

The blond sighed and sat down next to Kaiba, settling on the grass with a soft thump. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No."

Joey sighed again. "Ya should."

"And why should I?" Kaiba snapped.

"Because I think that's the first time I've ever seen ya get so worked up over somethin'."

The brunet leaned against the oak tree, letting his head rest on the scraggly trunk. "That's because people are idiots."

"Just because they don't think the same way you do?"

"When it comes to religion, yes. People are idiots."

Joey paused, thinking before he asked his next question. "So ya really don't believe in God?"

"No."

"…how come?"

"I don't believe there is some all powerful creator who rules the universe and is the source of all moral authority. And even such a being did exist, I would say him or her or whatever is a total asshole."

"That's kinda harsh, isn't it?"

"Raping a ten-year-old is harsh. A mother murdering her young children is harsh. Apparently everything happens for a reason. Why would a god let that happen?"

"That has to do with free will, right?"

"If we were given free will by an all powerful being, then why do people say that God doesn't give you anything you can't handle? So God sends out people to murder and rape and harm people? If he does, then free will doesn't really exist since God sends people out there to test you."

"…"

"No one has a fair or equal life, Joey. How can anyone be judged equally if no one goes through the same thing?"

"I don't know," Joey answered quietly. "But people do pray and stuff. Good things come out of it."

"Are you sure about that?" questioned Kaiba. "Let's just say, for example, your sister needed a heart transplant. Would you pray for her to get a new heart?"

"Of course I would."

"So you're praying for someone else to die?"

"What?"

"In order for your sister to get a new heart, someone else would have to die. Therefore, you're actually praying someone will die so that your sister can live."

"I…never thought of it that way," Joey replied softly.

Kaiba sighed, casting his gaze up to the sky. "Religion causes a multitude of problems. I'm not saying that people shouldn't believe in something. If they think having faith in something like that helps them, then by all means, do so. I just don't appreciate the fact that so many people preach that their way is the only true way."

"Do ya believe in anythin'?"

"I believe in science, reason, and logic," stated Kaiba firmly. "And I believe in myself and the people who are close to me. I think most people put faith in some supernatural entity because they don't have enough faith to put into themselves."

"I guess I can understand that. So what does that make ya?"

"Spiritual, I suppose. I feel the connection between myself, the world, and the people who reside within it. I see the amazement in everything in the world. How we're able to communicate with people all over the world through use of the internet, how we're able to experience sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste, how something like a seed can grow into something as monstrous as a tree. How anyone can not take these things in and view them as great achievements astounds me. There is so much on this world. How can anyone be bored with it?"

Joey leaned back against the tree and just stared at Kaiba. This was probably the most he'd ever hear him talk. "The world is amazin'. Even the people who are in it," he said with a smile.

"Don't get sappy on me."

"Okay. Ya wanna just sit here for a bit then?"

"Yes."

Smiling once more, Joey scooted a tad bit closer to Kaiba as he looked up at the sky with him. They did live in an amazing world, but it took Kaiba to show him just how amazing. But it also took Kaiba to make him think a bit more about life and everything that went on in it. He supposed everyone was spiritual to some degree; everyone just had a different way of expressing it.


End