Hope you all enjoy the chapter! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! *Edited 7/24*
Jounouchi was crazy... Did he really expect no one to react to what he had in his hand? I blinked at him a number of times, hoping he would see my reaction, but there was still nothing.
"Miracle yo-yo?" Anzu and Miho asked.
I sighed. It's a simple yo-yo. Nothing to get excited about.
"The finest street item right now is this yo-yo." Jounouchi explained, flipping the yo yo up and down in his hand.
"Is something that old really popular?" Anzu asked skeptically.
"Thank you!" I exclaimed.
"They've been really cheap lately." Yugi commented on Jounouchi's behalf.
"All right! Now I'll show off my yo-yo techs!" Jounouchi exclaimed.
He lifted the yo-yo. "First is sleeping, which is the basic technique..." He swung the yo-yo down and it spun in midair. "Long Sleeper!"
"The yo-yo stopped in midair and is still spinning!" Miho exclaimed.
"And if you touch the floor while in sleep mode..." Jounouchi did so. "Walk the dog!"
"How cute!"
"What?" Anzu had her eyebrows raised. "It's just the old walk the dog."
"Apparently it's getting revamped because of the new interest in yo-yo's." I offered, leaning in so that I could give a stage whisper.
Jounouchi definitely heard and still looked offended.
"Then I'll show you an even more amazing technique!" He prepared himself. "Loop to loop!" He began spinning the yo-yo wildly. I had to duck numerous times to not get hit in the head.
"That's dangerous!" I growled at the blond.
The yo-yo came to an abrupt stop when it Honda caught it. I was amazed he did it with a straight face.
"Hey, Jounouchi! Don't bring toys to this sacred learning institution!" Honda tried to say calmly.
"An old man like you wouldn't understand the appeal of yo-yos." Jounouchi chuckled.
I held back a laugh at Honda's face. It was a mixture of annoyance and disdain.
"Old Man?!"
I turned to see if Anzu had noticed the face. I only saw that Miho's eyes were swimming for some reason and Anzu was giving her a strange look.
"But it's so cool." She tried to reach for the yo-yo. "Miho wants to try the yo-yo too!"
Honda got in her way with a sad look on his face. It was complete with near tears streaming down his face.
"What are you saying, Miho-chan?! If anything were to happen while you were playing with a yo-yo..."
He went off into a fantasy that seemed completely irrelevant. I wanted to laugh at how his brain put two and two together. "If anything happened... Miho-chan... Please... Just don't do the yo-yo. It's dangerous!"
Jounouchi was giving the two a bored look and I had to laugh at it.
"You're the dangerous one." Jounouchi said bluntly.
"But..." Anzu interrupted. "Honda-kun is partially right. Did you hear that story? About the vagrant group with the yo-yos. Not only do they take money, they also use yo-yos as weapons to attack people. Many of our school's students have fallen victim it seems."
"What?! Is that true?!"
"A yo-yo isn't a tool for hurting people..." Yugi near whispered.
"Yugi is right. All right! I will properly punish those idiots!"
"Are you sure, Jounouchi?" I asked leaning onto my desk, a nervous expression on my face. "Is it safe?"
"Don't worry!" He gave me one of his confident grins. "I'll be back with a trophy of honor! I promise!"
"I'll hold you to that."
Next day:
"Unbelievable!" Honda was exclaiming when I walked into the classroom with Yugi. "This is a big incident!"
"What is a big incident?" I asked. "It isn't big unless I know about it!"
Honda pointed at Jounouchi's empty desk.
"Jounouchi-kun being absent from school... His health is supposed to be one of his good points..."
"This is the first time Jounouchi-kun has been absent." Miho suddenly brought to light.
"Yeah, you're right Miho." I gazed amazingly at the desk.
"I kind of miss him when he's gone." Anzu joked.
Yugi didn't take the joke. He actually looked even more nervous.
"Honda-kun, you haven't heard anything?" He asked.
Honda nodded. "And he hasn't contacted the school either it seems."
"Could it be... Something happened with him and the vagrant group mentioned yesterday?"
"I'm sure he's fine, Yugi." I tried to soothe him along with myself. "He's probably looking through all the loot they had trying to pick out a good victory trophy."
Yugi didn't smile.
"Anyway, after school let's go check his house." Honda spoke seriously.
After school:
"Honda-kun." Yugi began speaking as we walked. "You've known Jounouchi-kun since middle school?"
"Yeah. I also visited his home once before." Honda replied.
"Only once?" I asked.
Honda didn't answer the question. He pointedly looked the other way from me. I figured it was something he couldn't talk about. We eventually came to a large apartment building. It seemed normal, nothing out of the ordinary. But even so… Something seemed really odd about it.
"Isn't this it?" Miho asked.
"Creepy place." I muttered.
"If I recall, he's the first one on the third floor." Honda spoke to himself.
We walked up the stairs and saw the 'Jounouchi' name plate at the door. "This is it."
Honda knocked on the door politely. We waited a minute or so but no one answered the door.
"Seems like no one's home." Anzu pointed out.
Miho simply opened the door. I tried not to shout but it came out like a squeak.
"But it's not locked." Miho gave a smile.
"Miho-chan! Don't enter people's homes without permission!" Honda quietly shouted.
"It's okay! We're just taking a peek."
We all looked inside. It seemed like a normal apartment till a beer bottle came at us.
"You shitty kid!" The man inside hiccupped. "Why've you been gone since yesterday?!"
We all ran for it, Honda apologizing as he ran. We didn't stop running till we got to the park.
"What a surprise." Yugi gasped.
"You can say that again." I gasped from my position next to a tree.
"Hey, that was..." Yugi turned to Honda.
"It's his dad." Honda answered ashen faced. "He's always been that way from what I've heard. That is the reason why he doesn't invite his friends to his home."
"Poor guy." I muttered sadly. This must have been what he was keeping quiet. Yugi nodded at my statement.
"But where did Jounouchi go? Seems he didn't return home yesterday."
"At any rate, let's all search for him." Yugi chimed.
The group and I searched street after street. I was popping in stores to see if anyone had seen him but no dice. After hours of walking, we all sat down.
"No good." Honda breathed. "He's not anywhere. We've been to all the places that I could think of."
Yugi looked down in despair so I patted his shoulder. Something had happened to the blond, he wouldn't just abandon us without a word. "Man.. that guy never changes. I thought he got better when he entered high school..."
Anzu exclaimed. "If that's better... then that means he was even worse in middle school?"
Honda was about to explain when we heard somebody crash to the floor. We all turned and saw a street gang, high schoolers from the looks of them. A yo-yo spun from one of their hands.
"I'm sorry.." The man on the ground spoke earnestly.
"What?" One of the guys asked. "You think you can just apologize for stepping on someone's foot?"
My fist clenched. The jerks...
"S-sorry!" The man apologized again.
"Those are Rintama school uniforms. As usual, the bad ones always gather together." Honda breathed.
"They're cruel." I hissed. "Sorry should cut out for stepping on someone's foot, so long that it was accidental."
One of the guys moved and Yugi gasped. Jounouchi was standing with the gang!
"Jounouchi-kun!" Yugi exclaimed.
The rest of us gasped. Why was he with them?
"Why is he with those people?!" Anzu exclaimed.
The man was hit to the ground again with his wallet in one of the goon's hands.
"Just give all you got." The goon said with a laugh. He pocketed the money and threw the wallet back. "Jounouchi." The goon turned to the blonde. "We'll show you where our gathering spot is." They started to walk off. "It's a nice shop called J'z."
Yugi suddenly bolted. I had hoped that I was planning for it but he slid out of my grasp.
"Yugi!" I gasped.
He ran after the gang and called for Jounouchi.
"Jounouchi-kun!" The blond turned around but his eyes remained glazed. "Why did you miss school?! Why are you with these people?"
The goon from earlier, wearing a green cap, walked in from of Jounouchi.
" 'These people'? You mean us?" He asked. "Jounouchi, do you know that brat?"
"No," Jounouchi answered swiftly, "I don't know them. Let's go."
My heart shattered slightly. Was this some cruel joke. Yugi called for him again but he didn't answer.
"Jounouchi." A tall high school student called to him. His hair was blue and in a small ponytail. "You've really calmed down."
Honda froze when he saw the guy. Must be someone he's met. "Ever since you started going to Domino High, you've been hanging out with that kid. You should have come to Rintama with us. With me."
He made it sound so creepy... I had to shiver. Yugi stepped forward again.
"No, Jounouchi-kun!" He cried. "Let's go back together!"
"Please, Jounouchi!" I called alongside him.
"I'm tired of your whining!" The green caped guy called. "You brat!"
He came over and punched Yugi across the face. Yugi hit the ground and Jounouchi didn't even flinch. I was at Yugi's side first and I shouted to Jounouchi.
"You promised!" I shouted. "You promised that you'd be back and look at you! Kissing the feet of the people you despise most! I can't even say I'm disgusted!"
"She has some fight in her!" Another gang member called. "I call her!"
I hissed angrily so nobody came any closer. Anzu, Miho and Honda came to Yugi's side.
"Bastard!" Honda hissed at the green caped guy.
He only laughed. "Don't be all friendly with my friend, Jounouchi-kun."
"Don't show your face again!" Another called.
"Are you okay, Yugi?" Anzu asked as I helped him sit up.
"Yugi-kun!" Miho cried.
"Jounouchi-kun..." Yugi managed, reaching out towards his friend, and Anzu stood in outrage.
"Jounouchi! You're scum!" Anzu growled at him.
"Open your eyes, Jounouchi!" Honda called.
Without any words, the gang walked off leaving us behind. Yugi couldn't stand up without quickly collapsing so Honda carried Yugi to the nearby park and we settled him on a park bench. I luckily had one of my elixirs and poured some on a cloth. Yugi flinched when I touched his cheek.
"Hold still, Yugi. It'll go away after a second." I continued to dab his skin till the wound began to close.
"But that still was surprising." Miho cried sadly.
"I still don't believe it." Yugi added. "Jounouchi-kun becoming friends with those guys..."
"Those are his old friends." We all looked to Honda. His back was turned to us and I saw that his fist was clenched. "In middle school, Jounouchi was pretty bad. Every day he'd fight. And the one leading him back then was Hirotani, the guy who we just met. When he entered high school, I thought he cut it off... Why did he return to them now?!"
The girls and I sighed while Yugi kept his gaze on Honda for a second longer. Then he smiled and looked to the puzzle. It was because of the puzzle that Jounouchi became friends with Yugi. The puzzle glowed with a friendly light and I felt some hope return.
"Jounouchi-kun hasn't changed."
Anzu and I smiled at him but Honda was a no good stick in the mud.
"I wonder about that." He muttered. "He's always been rotten. Better to not deal with Jounouchi anymore. I think he's just an idiot. At any rate, I'm out."
He started to walk away. I turned back to Yugi and saw that the heartened expression hadn't left his face. If Yugi hadn't lost hope, then neither will I.
Later:
We had found their gathering place stuck in a small alleyway and had met Honda there. He hadn't given up on Jounouchi after all and was ready to bring him back using a track band they had used in middle school.
"Rintama guys?" The bartender asked when we went inside. "I'm sure they're in a fight somewhere. Or else they'd be in the warehouses out of town. That's their base it seems."
We all made gasps and were about to leave when the bartender started talking again. "You guys are from Domino High, right?"
"Yes." Honda replied.
The bartender turned around. "Don't blame me for saying it, but you better avoid those guys. Earlier a Domino school student was coerced here."
"Our student?"
"They forced him to join it seems."
Honda turned to us. A serious look in his eyes.
"It was Jounouchi!"
"I knew it!" Yugi exclaimed. "Jounouchi-kun was coerced. He's doing it against his will."
Time skip:
Jounouchi continued the charade... He said that he joined the gang of his own free will, which tore Yugi apart. Jounouchi even had to hit Honda after he disgraced the item that brought them together to get the point across.
Yugi and Honda went after Hirotani the next day as well but…. Yugi didn't come back. I couldn't help but fall to the ground. No matter what Anzu or Miho said, no matter the comforting words anyone had to say, I couldn't hear a word of it. My heart was pounding so loudly I couldn't hear a thing. What were they going to do to the poor boy?!
I had to leave the room so I went to the entrance of the shop. I realized now that I was trying to be a mother figure to everyone, especially Yugi. Yugi's mother was never around so I guess I wanted to be that kind of figure for him. I babied him. I made a chuckle, I really did. I treated him like a child, always soothing him when there was trouble. I was used to the idea that Yugi could be hurt, but the moment I heard that Yugi had been taken, my heart seemed to break into a million pieces. I walked out the door of the shop where, surprisingly, Jounouchi suddenly ran up to me.
"I know where Yugi is." He gasped.
Without a word, I slapped him clean across the face. It was a clear sound that obviously caught some people's attentions as their heads lifted from their own business. "Ow!"
"Why do you suddenly care about him now?" I asked, voice choked. "You didn't seem so forthcoming a few days ago."
Jounouchi didn't answer. "Well?" He lowered his head in shame.
"I know... I didn't want to see any of you guys hurt so I did as they asked. But please! I want to make it up to Yugi now."
I wanted to remain mad at him but… He looked so close to tears himself that I couldn't find it in myself to stay angry. I eventually smiled at my friend. I released my pent up aggression though by tugging on his ear till he called uncle.
"There's the Jounouchi I like to hear! Let's go!"
I was allowed to gather myself before we bolted. We ran to an outlying warehouse where Yugi was strung up like a piece of meat. Bruises covered his body and I gasped. Jounouchi was quick to get me to hide behind a few boxes so that I was out of sight.
Hirotani turned to my friend once he stepped out of the shadows.
"Jounouchi." He simply said.
"Yugi." Jounouchi went back into his act to convince the gang he was still on their side. "Didn't I say quite clearly to ignore me? You don't leave me a choice. I will finish it."
"Jounouchi-kun!" Yugi called.
He pulled out his yo-yo and swung. I saw Yugi brace for the impact but it hit another goon across the face.
"Jounouchi!" Hirotani growled. "What are you doing?!"
"That's my line." Jounouchi huffed back. "If I joined you, you said you'd keep your hands off my buddies."
Yugi gave a dazzling smile. "I knew it... Jounouchi did it for us!"
"Give me back my bud." Jounouchi growled. "No.. That's not enough. For laying a hand on my buddies, I'm bringing you down!"
Hirotani only laughed. "So, finally that look in your eyes is back. I'm so happy, Jounouchi."
My eyes were so intent on the showdown I didn't see people come up behind me. I was suddenly pulled out of my hiding spot and into the gathering. I fought, trying to loosen the grip around my waist. I tried not gag at the smell of alcohol that hung over him like a cloud.
"She still has a bit of fight in her." The goon muttered with a chuckle.
I continued to fight back, refusing to use magic against mortals and the fact that Jounouchi and Yugi were there only added to the decision. The goon tried to force me into submission by holding onto me with a tight grip. Well, I was not submitting to him. I turned to try to get a good whack at his face but apparently that was what he wanted. I froze when he pulled my mouth onto his. I was stuck in place. What the….! It didn't even last another second before I pushed the goon away and watched as he quickly collapsed into a heap.
"Drunk..." I muttered, wiping away the spit and taste of alcohol. "Disgusting."
I turned to see Jounouchi surrounded by goons wielding yo-yo's, spinning them near his face. That had to have been terrifying!
"Well?" Hirotani asked, an annoying smirk on his face. "Take one step and all that awaits is hell. You never had the power to save your buddies."
Jounouchi sneered. "How about this?"
"Jounouchi-kun!" Yugi screamed as the blond began to walk through the flurry of yo-yos.
I flinched as one whacked him across the shoulder, near his head. 'Oh, please be ok, Jounouchi.'
"The final blow!" Hirotani flung his yo-yo but Jounouchi was able to deflect it, causing it to cut Yugi's bonds. Did that thing have spikes?!
Yugi fell to the ground with a thud and I ran over to him. I tried to gather him up quickly so we could be prepared to make a run for it.
Jounouchi made a laugh. "Looks like your brutish strength has a use."
I didn't miss the goons moving this time. They meandered around my friend until one raced up behind the blond.
"Jounouchi!" I called when a goon came up behind him.
He was about to turn around when a fist came down upon Jounouchi's head. He fell to his knees, clutching his head. I considered trying to go and help him up but the shiver down my spine stopped me immediately. A bright yellow glow encased the room and I was pulled by my waist again. The grip was gentler, which I was thankful for. I knew who it was so I didn't fight back.
Yami and I used the claw to go up to the second story to where we looked down on the gang members.
"Thank you." Yami muttered to Jounouchi.
"You!" Hirotani shouted and we both made a run for it, Yami pulling on my hand to guide me. "Chase him! Don't let him leave alive!"
We ran to where a window was broken and Yami climbed out first.
"This is not safe..." I muttered and Yami gave me a smile.
"Is anything I do safe?" I gave a giggle, shook my head, and climbed out the window.
We waited for a minute on the rooftop till gang members appeared.
"There he is! He's on the roof!" One of the goons cried.
They came out to the roof with us and gave us creepy smiles.
"Fool. There's nowhere to run on the roof." The green caped one gave a chuckle.
Yami smirked and pulled out a yo-yo. He began to spin it quickly, doing strange tricks that the gang people probably have never seen.
"Show off." I muttered.
Yami caught the yo-yo with the same smirk.
"Now... It's game time." Yami began with a smile. "The rule is simple. The last ones standing on this roof is the winner." As he spoke, Yami handed me a yo-yo. I smiled and prepared. He must have figured I knew what he was planning or he didn't want me just standing around.
"Sounds good." A goon replied. "Corner them!"
Yami and I split directions and separated the goons. I ran on one side of the roof, creating holes in the brittle metal, while Yami ran on the other. We crossed paths once and he gave me a smirk that set my cheeks ablaze.
"Not the time!" I shouted as I ran off again.
Yami and I crossed again when we met at a corner of the roof. The goon laughed.
"This is it." He laughed. "Will it be our yo-yos or falling? Choose."
Yami straightened so that he could turn towards the goons.
"I wonder about that." Yami smirked. "This roof is pretty decrepit. It's easy to put holes in it with a yo-yo. I wonder how long this hole filled roof will hold the weight of you four."
"You brat! You used the yo-yo to make holes?!"
The roof began to collapse. The brittle metal have a loud crack as it gave way.
"You do not aim yo-yos at people." I growled. "They should face the ground."
The goons fell to the ground and I laughed when I heard the thud. I was careful around the edge of the hole so that I didn't fall in and saw the goons piled on top of each other. "That should teach them."
Yami gave a chuckle and took my hand to pull me away from the hole should it give way any more. I gave a light blush. I could still faintly smell the alcohol from that goon earlier. A sense of stupidity fell over me. Why was I dumb enough to let that happen? Yami had been my first kiss, albeit slightly unwilling, but... I pulled my hand away from Yami's quickly. The spirit turned to me, a confused look crossing his features.
"What's the matter, Christine?" He asked and the blush and shame came back harder.
"It's nothing." I whispered and I could tell that he reluctantly dropped the conversation.
We entered the warehouse to see Hirotani hanging from the side with Jounouchi standing tall.
"Hirotani." Jounouchi growled. "In the end, see my yo-yo tech. Walk the dog."
The yo-yo came down and hit Hirotani's hand causing him to fall. I saw the pink band Honda carried fall and Honda himself catch it. The two must have made up.
Before I could try to walk out to catch up with them, Yami got my attention with a slight brush to my arm. I did stop, turning around to see what he wanted. My face exploded into a bright blush when he leaned in to kiss my cheek gently. He quickly changed back to Yugi, who ran off to talk to Honda and Jounouchi.
I remained in place for a few moments. I could only blink. What the heck just happened?
Later:
I was sitting in my room that night, watching the moon and the stars stroll by. Even with the lights of Domino City so close, the stars were very pretty through the window. I must have been so distracted I didn't feel the light shiver down my spine before my door opened suddenly. I turned and smiled to Yami.
"Hey." I greeted. "What're you doing here?"
He didn't reply. He closed the door, crossed my room before sitting next to me on my bed. I adjusted so that I was no longer facing the window but regretted it soon after. He took a gentle grip on my chin, turning my face to where he could easily see the blush that covered my cheeks.
"You were awfully quiet when we were coming back." Yami stated. "What's wrong?"
I had been feeling stupid for letting that guy kiss me. I was also confused about Yami's actions but that seemed less relevant at the moment. I made an embarrassed chuckle and fidgeted with my hands.
"I told you earlier." I smiled. "It's nothing."
His eyes narrowed and I knew that he wasn't going to give up. Grandpa had already gone to sleep and nobody would be around to jump in on us. I couldn't think of an excuse either so I was cornered. "Fine.." I muttered. "You caught me."
Yami smirked and finally released my chin. He gestured with his hand for me to speak and I had to take a deep breath. "One of the goons at the warehouse kissed me..." That was as far as I got before I saw Yami's fist clench.
"What?!" He growled.
"I pushed him off after a second." I continued to speak and his fist relaxed. "With how drunk he was, it was extremely easy to." I paused, taking a breath. "It's just… I..." I breathed again. I was now rambling. "Can I ask you to do something for me?"
Yami raised his eyebrow at me. My brain was running at a million miles an hour. I couldn't catch up with it; it was like someone had hit the auto pilot.
"What is it?"
I blushed again. 'Hecate, this was embarrassing!'
"Remember after you won Shadi's game... when I wouldn't wake up?"
It was Yami's turn to blush. He just realized that I was somewhat awake for that whole thing and that he said that he'd do anything for me to wake up.
"Yeah..."
"Can I call it now?"
Yami gave a breath and I was suddenly worried that he would say no. I held my breath for what seemed like ages. I was surprised by his next sentence.
"I'm a man of my word." He gave me a calm look. "What do you need?"
The sentence I wanted to say wouldn't come out. My brain launched into auto pilot once more "Christine..." He was interrupted when I suddenly leaned in and touched my lips to his. Hecate smite me now! He gasped slightly and I quickly pulled away. Stupid brain! Why do you go and do this on me?!
"That was it." I made up the excuse automatically so, even if Yami did find out what happened, I would be thought as the mastermind. Even so, my face was the color of a red crayon. I silently prepared for anything: anger, rebuttal and everything in between. Yami had kissed me in fear I would die and I...
The blush deepened, spreading to my chest, when Yami finally moved. His hands went to the sides of my head, his fingers brushing against my skin, and he put our lips together again. My eyes widened with surprise; he would pull away after a second, I reasoned but he didn't. He was gentle, just softly caressing his lips against mine. I finally kissed back, my mind growing too hazy to do anything else. My hands went to circle Yami's neck while his slid down to my waist, pulling me closer. His pulse was soothing, a constant drumming against my palm.
The kiss was deepened somehow and his tongue began to ask for entrance. I didn't object so his tongue slid across the tips of my teeth and began a battle of dominance with mine. It felt like I was about to be pushed over onto my back but I had no qualms about it. I'd be ok if it happened.
Something else did not want it though.
"Virgin Alert! Virgin Alert!"
We both jumped and the kiss was broken.
"What was that?" Yami asked breathlessly.
I fought to catch my breath. What was… Oh. I knew what it was. I had Yami release me then slid off the bed. I searched through the bag that had come with me here and came across the item that my mother had always made me carry, the brown talisman decorated with small charms and other runes. It was a protection charm; I had laughed when she gave it to me since the protection it offered was protection from boys. She must have snuck it into my bag before I left for school that day.
"Crazy old trinket." I gave a laugh and tossed it back into the bag.
I sat back on my bed and gave an exasperated expression to Yami. "Parents get you the weirdest things."
Yami chuckled and, with a touch of hesitance, touched our lips one last time before standing up.
"It's late; I should go. You and Yugi have school tomorrow."
I smiled and nodded. Yami left silently, leaving me to smile to myself and revel in the prickling of my lips from the contact.
Next day:
"You developed a new yo-yo tech?" Anzu asked.
Jounouchi gave a smirk. "It's a great one that I haven't shown anyone yet."
"I'm so excited!" Miho squeaked.
"I look forward to seeing it." Yugi gave a smile.
I smiled as well. It was nice having Jounouchi back at school. It was so weird not having him here. In my happiness, the previous night came to mind again. I hid it underneath my hand but I was sure my blush was still visible. I was still surprised Yami wasn't mad after that first little peck - I was still embarrassed for having instigated it - but was I really upset about what happened…..? I fought off an even deeper blush when the answer quickly became no.
"I have a bad feeling." Anzu muttered to me, knocking me out of my reverie, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Get ready for anything." I muttered back.
"Look!" Jounouchi took a stance. "Special loop! In the sky!"
He began to spin the yo-yo madly over his head. The force the yo-yo had managed to lift Anzu and Miho's skirts causing all of the boys to gasp. I, luckily, was sitting down and able to hold the top of my skirt down.
"Hey! Quit that!"
Anzu agreed with me as she quickly retaliated. The blond tried to run out of the room since Anzu picked up a chair, attempting to whack him with it.
"Jounouchi!" Anzu shrieked. "You scum!"
"I didn't do it on purpose!" Jounouchi shouted back.
Anzu didn't give up and continued her chase, leaving me laughing like a fool.
Before I went to bed, I got a call from the owner of the supply store that I frequented. The owner was talented in reading stones of the future and she had made it a habit to check on my future every once in a while since I constantly pestered her questions whenever I was there. She seemed slightly panicked.
"I'm not sure what I'm reading, dear." She had said. "But… your future is starting to cloud up. I will not be able to read it forever."
"What do you mean?" I had asked, working to keep my voice soft because Yugi was in the room with me and glancing in my direction curiously.
"'From the last remnants I can see, it has something to do with 'the truth'? I am not sure what it means."
A smattering of panic raced through my veins. The truth? That could mean any number of things but I wasn't stupid.
One of my friends was going to figure out what I was.
I thanked the owner anyway, telling her that I understood and would be careful of anything coming my way. It put her at ease and I could feel the relief through the phone. I did not feel the same amount of ease even though I had play it off to Yugi.
"Wow!" Yugi exclaimed after we arrived home from school the next day. "You got some Duel Monsters cards!"
Grandpa gave a chuckle at his grandson's excitement. Anzu and I gave each other a look that meant 'Oh Brother.'
"This card game is rapidly gaining in popularity." Grandpa explained. "Everywhere you go, the cards are sold out."
Anzu leaned into the conversation.
"Actually, I'm also learning Duel Monsters." She gave a bright smile. "Christine has been explaining the basics to me!"
"Really?!" Yugi exclaimed and gave me a bright smile.
I smiled back and rolled my eyes.
"I had to; you're too persistent for your own good."
Anzu gave a laugh at my snip.
"Well then!" Grandpa interjected. "Even though it's a sales product, as a favor, I'll give you three a present."
"Really?!" All three of us near shouted excitedly.
Grandpa gave us each a pack of cards and we all ripped them open quickly. I heard the door open and Grandpa greeted the customer appropriately. I was so entranced on searching through my cards, I barely noticed what the customer looked like.
"Ah, too bad." Yugi gave a sigh as he flipped through the cards. "I own all of them."
"Me too, Yugi." Anzu sighed.
I gave a giggle and continued shuffling my cards. A name stuck out at me. 'Violet Hecate.' I tried not to roll my eyes at the irony. How appropriate that the witch gets the card with Hecate on it. The witch in the image wore a dark purple dress and carried a green staff playfully in her hands.
"Hey, Yugi." I called to the boy. "Look at this one!"
I held out the card to him and Yugi's eyes widened.
"This is! Violet Hecate!"
"What?!" Grandpa exclaimed.
"Is it rare?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"It's not just rare!" Yugi exclaimed. "This card is one of the three witch sisters. It's a rare card that you won't see just anywhere."
I gave a bright smile and looked at the card again. Despite it only being a card, I could feel the faint power coming off the card because of the Millennium Puzzle's presence.
"It's also the first time I've seen it." Grandpa mused.
My smile grew a centimeter. I handed the card over to Yugi.
"You have it, Yugi."
Yugi's eyes widened in surprise.
"You're really giving this to me?" He asked.
I nodded. "I already have a deck; I wouldn't know how to arrange it in. I'm sure it would be more useful to you."
Yugi took the card so gently, I was sure he thought that it would break. His smile grew to the infectious length and he began to jump up and down.
"All right! Wow!"
I rolled my eyes. It was hard to believe that Yugi, who was so childish, could have the strong alter ego that Yami was. I shook my head. Yugi and Yami are completely different people. I shouldn't compare them like that. "Thank you, Christine! I'll cherish it!"
I gave a smile. I was so intent on my friend's excitement that I didn't hear the customer leave.
Next day:
"Good morning!" Everybody was calling out as Yugi and I went to the lockers that had our shoes. Yugi was explaining Violet Hecate to Jounouchi and Honda.
"That card is really that rare?" Jounouchi asked.
"Nice!" Miho exclaimed. "Miho also wants one!"
Anzu gave a small laugh. "I bet you don't know the rules."
"I guess I'd also like to try!" Honda exclaimed.
"Oh, boy." I sighed. "More beginners.."
Anzu and I both laughed and had to cling to each other at my comment since Jounouchi also agreed that it'd be fun to try.
"Let's play together." Yugi offered. "I'll teach you the rules."
"Better you than me." I called and I heard Yugi pout.
"You're a good rule teacher so why don't you help?!"
Yugi spun around to grouch at me so fast that an envelope fell out of his locker. Jounouchi and Honda both pounced at it.
"Love Letter!"
Anzu's eyebrow twitched at the boys. I understood her annoyance all too well.
"Hey..." She growled. "I didn't really see; whose shoe locker did it fall from?"
"Mine, of course!" Both boys shouted as they fought for the envelope.
It was practically a full out cat fight between the two boys. They were so caught up in it, they didn't even see that it flew out of their hands. The escaped letter flew toward Miho, who caught it, and she glanced at the name written on the front.
"It has 'Motou Yugi-sama' written on it." She chirped.
My heart froze. What? But…. I shook off the dread that shot through my nerves. There goes the mother instincts again. I pushed to keep my expression calm, unwilling to allow any semblance of annoyance show.
"For me?" Yugi asked, hesitantly taking the envelope from Miho.
Yugi clammed up for the beginning of classes. He barely said a word even in the minute breaks between classes. I was becoming slightly concerned. As soon as a break started, Jounouchi and Honda were at it again.
"What's written there?!" Jounouchi pounded on Yugi's desk.
Yugi's face was nearly the color of a tomato and I couldn't help but feel bad for the boy. Jounouchi and Honda should learn not to pry.
"I'm so frustrated!" Honda shouted when Yugi still didn't say anything.
In a quick tussle of Yugi, the letter fell out of Yugi's pocket. The mere sight of the white envelope brought about the cat fight again. Both boys once more tried to get a firm grip on the letter, squabbling loudly in the process. After a few seconds, I gave up trying to look calm. My patience had finally run out. I snatched the letter and pulled it open.
"Give me that!" I growled and all eyes turned to me as I read aloud.
'Hello,
I'm sure you're surprised to suddenly receive a letter like this. But I just wanted you to know these feelings in my heart. Could we meet just once? I'll be waiting after school at Domino Park.
From Kageyama Risa.'
"Yugi-kun is popular with the girls!" Miho teased.
Yugi's face brightened in a blush.
"No way. I don't know this Kageyama Risa person." He replied modestly.
"A girl has been watching you from afar!"
Miho was a hopeless romantic... "Right, Anzu, Christine?"
"Yeah." Anzu responded half heartedly while I said nothing at all; I was tired from these shenanigans.
"They say a name matches the body." Honda suddenly began haughtily. "Kageyama Risa... This is the name of an unattractive girl!"
"I think so too!" Jounouchi agreed.
"For the first time we get along!" Both boys exclaimed then laughed stupidly.
"I'm sure it's a Frankenstein-like girl! Kageyama Risa, eh? That goes for all girls with kana in their name."
(For those that don't know. Kana is a form of Japanese writing that is used for small sounds like 'Ri' and 'Mi'. Which is why Miho gets offended at Honda's statement. If I get something wrong, please don't hesitate to correct me.)
"Mi-Ho..." Miho was muttering while she counted on her fingers. "Miho!"
Tears entered the girl's eyes and she walked away with her head down. Nice going, Honda….
"Agh!" Honda exclaimed. "Miho-chan!"
Both Jounouchi and Honda went after the girl, blubbering apologies as they raced after her, while Anzu and I stayed with Yugi.
"Yugi..." Anzu began softly. "So... What are you going to do?"
Yugi turned toward her and his face turned pink once again. I almost felt Anzu flinch next to me in response.
"If you don't feel like it, you don't have to go." I added on and the boy gave me one of his puppy dog looks.
"What are you saying?" Honda and Jounouchi were suddenly back. "He's dealing with a female Franken. Be kind to her, Yugi."
"We're getting along unusually well today, Honda." Jounouchi exclaimed.
"Yeah, Jounouchi!"
Both boys laughed stupidly again and I fought with my temper not to simply freeze them. It was strange that actually I nearly lost. I took a deep breath and said nothing more.
I spent the rest of the day fuming in my chair.
Time skip:
I couldn't believe that those two idiots dragged me here. I had to work with Grandpa but no… Jounouchi and Honda just had to drag me along in their little quest to see what Risa looked like. Nitwits….
"You bad mouthed the girl so much," I muttered, "yet you came anyway?!"
"I want to just see her just once." Honda whispered and I gave an imploring look to Anzu and Mino, who followed behind us. Both girls simply shrugged, leaving me to sigh alone.
"A female Franken." Jounouchi gave a chuckle.
My patience was wearing thin once more. I was tired of being here and I wanted to go back home to the shop. My thoughts were interrupted when footsteps approached.
"Here she comes! That's her!"
"How could you possibly know that?!" I hissed.
"Sshh!"
"Move!" Jounouchi pushed Honda's head into the bush. "I can't see!"
I popped up as well, curiosity finally overtaking me, to see who the boys were excitedly whispering about. The girl had short lilac hair and simple blue eyes. Her school uniform was a dark purple with a turquoise bow. In one hand, she held her bag while in the other, she carried a package. By the time she reached Yugi, her back was to me so I couldn't see her face anymore.
"That uniform..." Anzu breathed. "Black Rose Girl's Academy."
"That rich girl school?"
She reached Yugi and her nervous disposition seemed too prevalent. She was shaking like a leaf. To me, though, it looked scripted. Like she was acting a part in a play.
"You read the letter, didn't you?" I could her the girl's bell voice ask.
"Y-yes.." Yugi stuttered to answer.
"Ummm... Here." She handed over the package. "I knitted this."
Yugi took it gently, his face near cherry red.
"Thank you.."
"I... Just had to talk with you, Yugi-kun." He eyes widened. "What a pretty pendant."
Risa tried to touch the Millennium Puzzle and the shock echoed through the air but no one else seemed to notice. It sheer force sent a blast down my spine, just like when Yugi and Yami switched. Yikes… The Puzzle didn't seem to like her.
"What's wrong?" Yugi asked when she turned away quickly. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, it's nothing." She tried to make an excuse. "I just feel excited. I'm going home. I'm sorry."
Risa ran off, Yugi calling after her. When it looked like Yugi was about to follow her, my temper finally snapped. I had had enough. I stood up sharply and stalked off. The suddenness of my movement knocked everyone else over. The inner me berated me for the sudden thought that had made my temper snap: I thought that Yugi was going to go after her, I thought that I was going to lose him. Not willing to make concessions on behalf of my temper, I kept my anger flowing. I eventually made it to the game shop where Grandpa noticed my angry expression.
"Christine?" He asked as I plopped unladylike in a chair.
"It's nothing, Grandpa." I huffed. "Don't worry about it."
Grandpa didn't respond, most likely not believing me at all, before he went back to work. I huffed once more. Regret finally washed over me. It was Yugi's life. Who was I to impose myself on it? I lowered my face into my hands, digging my fingers into my scalp as a kind of punishment. 'Stupid, stupid...'
Yugi eventually came home and asked if I was all right. I looked up to my friend's face, seeing the worry and concern, before smiling. I had nodded, ruffling his hair fondly. I couldn't stay mad at Yugi forever.
I didn't watch Yugi and Grandpa's normal game of Duel Monsters since I had to prepare for a small ceremony that was supposed to happen on the night of the lunar eclipse, only two days away. I needed to prepare the petals of the Lotus flower that Grandpa had graciously gotten for me and let them dry out for the rest of the time.
The phone rang but I couldn't reach it with potion over my hands. I heard Yugi answer it and the feeling of annoyance once more spread through me at the name he gasped. I sighed, forcing it once more away. I would say nothing about it.
Next day:
Yugi and I were just about to head to school when the boy raced out before me. Yugi quickly said that he'd meet me at school before he running off… in the direction of the park. I sighed.
"I hope you know what you're doing." I spoke aloud and walked to school.
Yugi arrived minutes after me and his face wore a light blush.
"What?!" Jounouchi exclaimed. "You haven't seen the girl since then?!"
"Nope." Yugi was a terrible liar. "Guess I've been dumped."
"Too bad." Miho sighs.
"Well, that happens." Honda began.
"Miho was cheering for you too."
Anzu and I were sitting in our seats, she pointedly looking away from Yugi while I was more subtle about it by reading a book.
Time skip:
"On the next day off, let's all go somewhere if the weather is good." Jounouchi said with a smile as we walked out of school.
"Miho wants to go to Hawaii!"
I sighed. That would cost more than what a day could provide… But still, that seemed like fun!
Yugi muttered something and ran off into the trees. I watched until he faded into the distance before giving a sigh. I really was losing him… With a heavy heart, I began the trek alone to the game shop to help out Grandpa.
After a few hours of racing around the small shop, the door opened and I turned.
"Welco..." I trailed away at the sight that greeted me.
My heart dropped into my stomach. Risa was holding Yugi up, his face was a bright red and his breathing was too shallow. Oh god… "Yugi!"
I ran over, not caring about the annoyance that thrummed through my being, and looked over Yugi. The fever seemed to be the worst of his troubles but his gasping for air worried me. "What happened?!"
"Yugi doesn't feel well." Risa spoke calmly; almost too calmly. "I want to take care of him."
I stood abruptly and carefully took the boy from Risa's grip. The annoyance was happy at the almost affronted look on her face so I was happy with that.
"Thank you for the thought." I replied sharply. "But as Yugi's friend, I have to refuse."
I fixed my grip on the boy, holding him bridal style, before turning on my heel to walk up the stairs to his room. It was fun orienting him in the door but I managed to not hit his head. I tucked him in and turned to get him some cool water. The doorway wasn't empty. "Good grief!" I nearly screamed from the surprise. Risa was standing in the doorway. "What in the hells are you doing?!"
"I want to care for Yugi."
I sighed. This girl was too persistent and the annoyance was gnawing at me, begging to be let free. With a harsh breath, I responded.
"Fine!" I snapped, only letting some of it free. "Get some cool water."
With not even a thank you, Risa ran off to do as I asked. My temper chafed at the leash I had placed on it. I took a breath, calming myself and returning my mind to the problem at hand. I turned back to Yugi and gave a sigh when I saw the near pained expression on his face. Poor kid… I ruffled Yugi's hair and his eyes opened.
"Christine..." He tried to speak more but I stopped him.
"It's ok, Yugi." I smiled. "Let's get you into something comfortable."
The boy nodded heavily. I closed my eyes - as well as turning towards the nearby wall - as the small boy changed into his blue sweats. I had just settled him back into bed when Risa finally came back with the water.
"Yugi!" She cried and Yugi gave a small smile which my heart cringed at.
Risa sat uncomfortably close to me as I continuously dipped a cloth in the cooled water. Anzu arrived not long after. She saw my face and knew that Risa was barging in.
She sat with us for a while, which helped my temper settle ever so slightly. Yugi was definitely happy at her presence. It was nice to see that his crush on the brunette hadn't faded in all this.
"Hey, Anzu?" I called to her. "Could you go get some cold medicine for me? Grandpa ran out last week when I had my cold."
"Sure!" Anzu cried and ran out the door.
Not long after Anzu left, Risa also excused herself for a moment. I was grateful for the moment alone. When she returned, though, I heard the crumpling of a bag. I looked and Risa handed me a cup of cold medicine.
"Where did you get that?" I asked, eyeing it warily.
"I just bought it!" Risa gave a smile and handed it out to me. "Your friend was taking too long."
'She just left though…' I took it hesitantly; it was cold medicine, I could smell the chemicals it contained. How could she go out and get it faster than Anzu could? I played it off as Risa running really fast there and back. Jounouchi had arrived in the few minutes after Risa returned and I was thankful with him keeping Yugi and I company. Anzu came back in minutes later, gasping, holding the bag of cold medicine.
"Ah! We're out of ice!" Risa exclaimed not long later and Anzu ran out again.
I love Anzu to death right now. She was so caring to Yugi and I was happy to see that Yugi was thankful for the girl's presence.
Risa had excused herself once more and this next time I questioned how she beat Anzu back. The ice was still slightly misting, freshly frozen. I made an inaudible groan; how come Jounouchi wasn't even noticing this! Honda had arrived not long after that and I was beginning to get annoyed with all the voices above me...
Anzu left not long after getting ice to get some oranges and when she came back, her face had numerous cuts on it. One had a fresh line of blood oozing from it. I jumped up and quickly covered them up with cleaning solution that I had carried into the room with the rest of my supplies. The girl was claiming that Risa had pushed Anzu down the escalator at the store.
"I don't know how that's possible." I tried to be the mediator even though I hated Risa. "Risa was here the whole time."
"I'm going home now." Risa suddenly stood up, making sure that all eyes were on her.
"Already?" Jounouchi asked.
"Can't you stay a bit more?" Honda asked.
She hasn't even been doing anything! I forced back the snap when I saw Yugi glance over at me.
Risa ignored them both. "Yugi-kun, I have a favor to ask... Ummm... This may be brazen of me, but can I have something of yours to always have on me?"
"Ah, but..." Yugi tried to intervene, snapping his head over to her, but Risa interrupted.
"What's that?!" She pointed to his Duel Monsters deck. That set a warning bell off in my head. Why his deck?
"It's the cards used in the game Duel Monsters."
"There are so many types!"
Risa searched through each card, like she was looking for one in particular, till she reached the one she wanted. She flipped Violet Hecate over so that Yugi could see it. "This is pretty. Can I have this to remember you?"
She said it as if Yugi were about to die! Yugi probably didn't notice, or even care, about the choice of words when he gently took the card. He stared at it for a second before he smiled.
"I'm sorry." He said softly after nearly a minute of silence. "This one's off limits. It's something I received this from someone very important to me." Yugi looked up and smiled at me.
My heart lifted. He really hadn't left… Tears appeared at my eyes and I had to be quick to brush them away. To save face, I had to smile back but I was sure Yugi knew how happy he had made me. "But... You can have any of the others."
Risa settled the deck back onto his desk. I couldn't see her face very well but I had a faint inkling that she was angry. "No. Never mind."
She walked out silently. Though, she made sure to purposely bump into me just as she was leaving. She made a soft apology but kept walking.
"You made Risa-chan angry." Jounouchi told Yugi while I shrugged.
"I think she got a taste of her own medicine." I huffed. "She needs to learn that some things can't be easily handed over."
Yugi and I shared another smile. After another few hours, Yugi was well enough to see Jounouchi, Honda and Anzu off. I did have to keep a hand at the top of his back to make sure he didn't sway.
"Thanks for today." Yugi smiled.
"See you in school tomorrow." Honda waved. "But... Don't overdo it, okay?"
"Don't worry, Honda." I ruffled Yugi's hair as I spoke. "I'll be here to keep an eye on him."
"Though, who will keep an eye on you?" Jounouchi teased.
"That is the question… I guess you'll find out later." I wiggled my fingers and made a slight scratching noise.
Jounouchi and Honda both got my reference. The two were absolutely terrified of Freddy Krueger so I used it to my advantage sometimes. It always made me laugh.
They both shuddered, quickly turning to walk away. Anzu gave laugh.
"Make sure he gets some sleep, Christine." Anzu winked and I gave a laugh as well.
"On it!"
Anzu waved as she walked off and I managed to drag Yugi back inside the house. I glanced over to his annoyed expression once we reached the stairs. "What's wrong?"
"Why are you always embarrassing me, Christine?" Yugi's face was a cherry red again.
I giggled and continued dragging Yugi up the stairs.
"Because I can." That only made Yugi groan.
I opened the door to Yugi's room and we both froze. Risa, who had somehow gotten back into the house without us noticing, was shuffling through Yugi's desk.
"Where is it?!" Risa shrieked, not noticing us in the room.
"Risa-chan?!" Yugi shrieked back.
The girl spun around, quick as a whip. The sweet features were gone; a pinched nose and wild eyes replaced them. What the heck?!
"The Violet Hecate card!"
Yugi clutched his shirt and Risa smiled evilly. "There?" She charged Yugi and I was quick to push her back.
"Back off!" I shouted, my voice strained from the force.
I had to be careful now. My temper was stretched to the limit after these past two days and if I didn't think clearly, I would accidentally hurt Yugi. Risa slammed into Yugi's desk from my push and one of the books flew out the window, creating a loud crashing sound. I could hear Anzu, Jounouchi and Honda all running back toward the house.
"Hand it over!" Risa choked out when she finally stood.
She was quick! Risa was able to jump around me to grab Yugi and push him down onto his bed. My temper flared at the actions. The snap caused the warmth to begin leaving the room as my powers began to spiral out of control. I tried to pull the girl off of Yugi but she remained as still as a piece of steel. Anzu, Jounouchi and Honda all burst into the room and I could tell they were astounded by Risa holding Yugi down and by the impossible chill in the warm house. Yugi managed to swing his Millennium Puzzle at Risa and the crazed girl pulled away. I was quick to dodge out of the way; getting hit by the Puzzle would definitely hurt!
"It was the card you were after, wasn't it?"
Yugi gave me a surprised look and turned to Risa.
"Tell me it isn't true, Risa-chan!"
Risa hissed, pulling out a whip from behind her back. Where the heck was she hiding that?! All of us bolted out the door and the crack echoed behind us made me jump. We ran down the stairs and caught our breath at the bottom.
"What a surprise!" Jounouchi gasped. "Was that Risa-chan?!"
"I think so!" Anzu gasped a reply. "They had the same clothes and hair!"
"At any rate, get outside!" Honda opened the door and Risa(?) jumped in the way. "When did she...?!"
She lunged at us and, quick as lightning, Honda slammed the door in her face. He leaned against it with all his weight. "Now!"
We ran toward the other door, my arm around Yugi as he had begun to sway once more.
"Hurry!" Anzu called.
We opened the other door and Risa was there as well. How the heck did she get here so fast?! Jounouchi and Anzu both jumped to try and hold her down.
"Christine! Take Yugi and go!" Jounouchi called and I nodded without hesitation.
Yugi and I both ran for our lives. We bolted out of the shop where we would find some kind bystanders to call for help. I kept a tight grip on Yugi's hand, making sure that he didn't fall behind. I wasn't losing him now. I gasped for air as we raced down the streets. I cursed in my head about the lack of pedestrians around. It wasn't that late! Where was everyone?! Yugi and I were all alone as we raced through the streets.
Well, not really alone.
Everywhere I turned, there was a Risa. One from each side. Triplets?! I pulled Yugi so that we jumped out of the alley and into the main road; surely someone would be there. When we reached the intersection, a loud crack echoed in the air. We both turned at the sound. A whip tail came towards us with Yugi as its intended target. Acting on instinct and hardly caring about my audience, I thrust out my hand to create a wall of ice. The barbed tip bounced off, making a thud, before it was called back by its master. Yugi stared at it, his amethyst eyes wide in surprise. He looked up at me just as I waved a hand to remove it. I didn't look back; my eyes were on the approaching triplets.
"Well well." One of the triplets, the one in the middle, said with a chuckle. "A little white witch."
"Eh?" Yugi had snapped his head between the triplets and myself. "Christine?"
I didn't respond. I couldn't. I released Yugi's hand so that I could step in front of him. In my anger, I gave a flick of my wrist. The warm air suddenly chilled over; any moisture that lingered in the air immediately froze and fell down to the ground as snow.
"If you even touch a single hair on Yugi's head, I swear to the queen of all witches that you won't live through this night." My voice nothing more than a hiss.
The triplets narrowed their eyes for a moment before their smirk all moved around so that there was one of the sisters on each side of us.
"Oh really?" Another one of them laughed. "What about your little charge? What if you freeze him to death?"
My glare intensified. I flicked my wrist again, quietly muttering an incantation to protect my friend. It only took a portion of my energy but I managed to create light golden shield around Yugi. It couldn't be penetrated from any side while I was still conscious. The boy gasped at the sudden appearance of the shield. Not even a second later, I heard as the boy began to pound on it, desperate to be freed.
"Christine!" He cried. "What's going on?!"
I turned to him and gave a smile. Yugi's expression was terrified, though I couldn't tell if he was scared of the situation… or of me.
"Don't worry, Yugi. I'll handle this."
Yugi only pounded harder on the shield. I turned back to the triplets without another word. 'I'm sorry, Yugi.' With a calming breath, I leveled a renewed glare at the three. "Now… where were we? Ah, yes..." I held out my hand and the intricate snowflake that had been with me since I was a child appeared, levitating on my palm.
Everything moved all at once. I couldn't allow them the chance to try and knock me unconscious. If one of them got too close, I blasted them back, watching as they flew nearly into the the empty sidewalks behind them. I would allow them no…
I suddenly froze. They knew what I was but they had no powers… All they were using were whips… They were mortal… Every time I hit them, it was me breaking my own word. I tried to brush it off. It was self-defense! I was protecting Yugi! But the thought still nagged at me. I had promised to never use my powers to harm a mortal and here I was…
A crack of a whip woke me from my thoughts. I jumped away fast enough to dodge but the triplets must have seen an opening. They all tried to flick their whips all at once but I slammed a foot down to freeze the three in place; their surprise causing the whips to fly off course. It gave me another moment to think.
They have had no hesitation in hurting me, Anzu or Yugi. I should use my full strength but… Yugi's terrified expression caught my eye once more. I could faintly see tears streaming down his cheeks. The owner's vision came to mind; someone was going to find out about my powers. It just had to be Yugi…
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear my ice crack. Neither did I hear the crack of the whip. The last thing I felt was when it bashed me in the head and everything went black.
Time skip:
I woke up hanging by my wrists on the wall. The shackles were tightly bound around them, pinching my skin if I even moved a muscle. Voices were screaming from the next room; they were feminine and that was all I could tell. I thought I also heard the roar of the Blue Eyes White Dragon. How long have I been out?
Where was Yugi? He wasn't in the room with me. Oh god… Where was he?
In my panic, I ignored any pain from my wrists as I forced my power into the exploded loudly, shrapnel flying everywhere. Rubbing at the raw skin, I jumped out of the small room.
I had jumped around the corner to see Kaiba leaving. He looked the same as the last time I saw him. His smirk was definitely the same. The man looked to me and I glared sharply. Kaiba simply laughed and walked out the door. I watched him leave for a second before I bolted into the room he had walked out of. I barely got my bearings when I was barrelled into tight hug.
"Christine!" Yugi cried, tightening his grip on me. "You're ok!"
I quickly returned the hug. The panic that had flooded me melted away. Tears nearly escaped my eyes at the relief.
"I'm glad you're safe." I managed to say.
"I almost wasn't! I'm grateful Kaiba-kun arrived when he did."
I may not have liked Kaiba but I was definitely grateful for him coming to Yugi's rescue. I tightened my hug around my friend. Yugi didn't say anything and my brain thought that he wasn't going to confront me about what happened earlier.
There was a snap down my spine just as Yugi pulled away. I guess I really wasn't getting away from this… Yami moved his hands to my shoulders, keeping my attention on him.
"How did you do all that, Christine?" Yami asked, his voice stiff. "All that stuff with the ice?"
I didn't respond and that apparently got on Yami's nerves. "I trusted you enough with my own identity yet you can't trust me with yours?"
I still said nothing. There was a stinging at my eyes; I had to blink rapidly to stop anything from escaping. "Christine!" His voice softened and I felt water finally start streaming down my cheeks.
"I was scared…"
Yami's grip lightened and through my tears, I could see his harsh expression falling into a sad frown. "I was scared what you'd think… *hic* I was scared that you would think I was a monster... *hic* I was scared… I was scared that you'd hate me..." I trailed away into light sobs.
Yami said nothing, keeping his hands right on my shoulders. The light grip kept me on my feet and yet was enough to show his comfort.
After a few minutes, I had calmed down enough to feel like myself again. Yami still hadn't moved and my shoulders were starting to hurt from his grip. There was a little finagling to wipe my tears away but I eventually was able to look up at Yami again. "I'm sorry…"
Yami finally replied with a light sigh. It made my heart clench slightly in fear. Did he not like the response?
"I just wish that you'd have told me." Yami finally breathed in response. "Do you not think me trustworthy?"
"No… I… I'm just not allowed to tell people about it. If someone important found out, you guys would be in a lot of danger. I couldn't do that to my friends."
Yami was silent yet again. Did I make him mad? Without any warning, Yami flicked my nose. "Ow! What was that for?!"
"Payback. You did it to me before, it's only fair."
I huffed at him but the spirit only continued to smile down at me. It then faded into a softer smile as he held out his hand toward me. "Do you feel up to telling me the truth?" There was a game of tug-a-war in my head for how I should reply. I wanted to protect my friends but maybe this secret was only going to end up hurting them in the end.
I ended up taking his hand.
We walked out the door of wherever the little witches had taken us. I had no clue about where we were but a few minutes of walking down the lit roads helped guide us back to the shop. It was a silent trip but not an uncomfortable one. Yami's grip on my hand helped me keep control of my still frayed emotions.
We eventually reached the game shop after nearly 30 minutes of walking. Grandpa had been out all afternoon so he didn't know what had happened. I was grateful for that; explaining the damage to Yugi's room wouldn't be fun. The both of us walked up the stairs still silent and Yami pulled me into my own room. Why in here? Right, Yugi's room was messed up… We sat down at the edge of my bed with Yami giving me a concerned expression.
"Ok?"
I nodded my head.
"I'm fine."
"Up for talking?"
I nodded my head again.
"Hold out your hand?"
Yami raised an eyebrow at my question. "It's not the weirdest thing I've asked you for." He eventually did so, albeit hesitantly, like he didn't trust me. "Yami! Do you not trust me?" I teased and Yami gave twitchy kind of smile..
"Well, after seeing how you nearly froze those three this afternoon; I'm exercising a healthy dose of caution."
"You? Caution? Pffft!"
Yami rolled his eyes and it made me laugh. I placed my own hand on top of his outstretched one and took a deep breath. The normal chill centered on my palm and when I pulled away, a perfect snowflake was sitting on Yami's palm. Yami stared at it until it melted into water from the heat of his palm.
"How did you...?!"
"I've been able to do this since I was born." I lifted my hand and made the same large snowflake from earlier. "I can create anything from simple flurries to snowstorms. The stronger the storm the more power it requires. Those brats probably would have frozen to death if they hadn't knocked me unconscious." Yami's face was a mixture shock and amazement. "Any other questions?"
"Yeah… What else have you been hiding from us? Can you like turn yourself invisible?!"
"As cool as that would be, no. I made all of those things though." I pointed up to my potions.
Yami's eyes turned to where I was pointing. They all glinted in the moonlight coming in through the window. "Very handy for when something happens."
"That would explain how nothing would scar after Yugi was attacked..." Yami muttered before grabbing my wrist to look at it. "And when your wrist..."
I made a giggle at the wide eyes on Yami's face.
"I'm surprised you didn't notice then."
Yami's eyes widened even further and I couldn't help but laugh even harder then. "Your face is completely priceless!" Yami snapped his head up to glare at me.
"Stop laughing!" He growled threateningly.
I laughed even harder then; maybe only to spite him. His glare only deepened.
"But Yami, you're so cute!"
The spirit made a light growl. I had to close my eyes from laughing so hard so I didn't see if his face shifted once more. I froze in place though when a hand was pressed to my cheek. I only just opened my eyes when a loud voice echoed through the room.
'Virgin Alert! Virgin Alert!'
The damn talisman went off again. The two of us jumped nearly out of our skins in surprise, Yami's hand leaving my cheek. The spirit then, possibly in pent up annoyance, jumped off the bed and stormed through my room.
"Stupid thing!" Yami growled as he searched the room.
As he searched, I blinked rapidly. What just….? My face was becoming a bright red but I pushed it back with a sharp shake of my head.
I turned my head to see stomping through my room, peering into the open bags in my room and the drawers of the desk in the corner of my room. I remembered where I had stuffed the talisman the last time we were like this.
"In the brown bag." I called softly.
Yami turned towards me at my voice. I pointed to the bag, still sitting innocently at the corner of my room, and he stormed towards it. As he searched the bag, I started thinking again. Since Yami knows about what I am should I tell him about this whole thing being a TV show? It would seem fair since he told me about him without complaint. "Yami?" I called and he looked up. The anger had drained from his face at the sound of his name. "There's something else I need to tell you." Yami's head tilted in confusion. He quickly forgot about his search, walking back across the room to sit next to me again.
"What is it?"
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I opened my eyes again and they immediately connected with Yami's deep crimson.
"I'm not from this dimension." I admitted. "This whole place, Domino City, is a setting in a story I've known since I was a little kid. I've seen your adventures with Yugi and the rest of the gang. Every twist and turn that you guys go through together and the precious memories that you two make."
Yami's eyes narrowed in confusion. "I can prove it too." I stepped off the bed walked back over to the brown bag Yami was looking into earlier, the bag that had come with me the day I had arrived. The first comic book of season zero was hiding in the side pocket, hidden behind its magnetic pop lock. I slid my hand over the cover before standing back up and stepping over to Yami. I waited for a second as he silently looked over the cover before pulling it open to flip to the page where Yami was playing the dice game with the director; a scene from so long ago. "This is where I got the idea of the game against the director. It never was mine to begin with." Yami examined the page with extreme curiosity then turned to me.
"So you've known what would happen in some instances?"
I nodded.
"Most of the time, but since I arrived, some parts have been changed like the whole thing at the restaurant. Anzu was actually supposed to be kidnapped." To prove it, I flipped forward him the page. "Whole thing changed, forgot about that."
"So, all of this is fake?" He said softly and my heart broke. "Everything we both have done is all a lie?"
"No!" I quickly replied. "I know that I am actually here and everything would have happened whether or not I arrived. But I'm happy to be here, happy to be with all of you."
Yami was silent. I was now scared that he would rebuke me, tell me to leave. I was happily surprised when he took me into a hug.
"This must have taken so much courage..." Yami muttered. "I'm honored to be the first to know."
I relaxed into the hold. He wasn't angry with me. Though…
"Well..." I gave a giggle. "Grandpa found out about me being a witch long ago..."
"Damn Grandpa!" Yami growled and I burst into laughter again.
Yami pulled away from the hug and looked at me seriously. " I won't say anything, I promise. But you should tell Yugi about you being a witch. He and the rest of the gang." I nodded reluctantly.
"They deserve to know. I'll tell them tomorrow after school."
Yami nodded and gave me one last comforting smile before he left. I sighed, but it was a relieved one. I wasn't going to be rebuked. Now, came the hard part of telling the rest of the gang.
Thank you so much!
