Author's note: thanks for reviewing, Serafinamoon! Yes, now that I know what's going on I will FINALLY be able to update more than once a month! -_____-''' Yeah, I know it's getting confusing, but explanations ARE coming--they just aren't here yet. And of course the Lost haven't got a clue what's going on either--right now, nobody does (except me). Soon a few people may be figuring things out...hope you like this chapter!
Chapter 10--Dissection
See? I told you it wasn't hard.
Well, it's hard for me....
.........................me too...............
This time you have to go. You haven't done anything yet, you have to!
But.......
You're going!
.................................
I'm not very good at this....
Just GO!
Right now?
Wait--not yet. Soon, though.
..............soon...........
When?
I'll tell you when. Just wait.
Okay.............
.........soon................................................
"Now, people, you all have your diagrams of the frog's anatomy, so let's take them out..."
Yugi's biology teacher was explaining the dissection process for the frog, but he didn't hear a word of it. Yugi was a teacher's worst nightmare: his notes were full of what looked like gibberish (it was actually Darkling), he never paid attention in class, and he disagreed with half of what was in the textbook. Consequently, most teachers chose to pretend they didn't see him ignoring them; they knew better than to ask him what he was doing, because they usually got responses that made no sense. Yugi's history teacher, having a sarcastic streak, had once made the mistake of asking what all the odd symbols in the margins of his notes were: "Practicing your Sanskrit, Yugi?" Yugi, not even looking up, had said, "Something like that." Henceforth his teacher stopped speaking to him, and he happily ignored everything that went on in the class, since he thought most of it conflicted with what he knew about World formation. His biology class was much the same: it dealt only with corporeal beings found in his World, so he didn't think it was that useful when what he needed to know was how to kill demons and fight Darklings. This problem was only compounded by having a talkative (and frequently annoying) incorporeal being in his head.
I just don't see what's so educational about chopping up dead stuff. You can do that anytime.
Yugi wrote at the corner of his notebook, 'It's not chopping, it's dissecting.'
Same difference. What can you possibly learn by cutting up frogs? What idiot made this a part of the educational system?
'Frogs are good for medicine. Or something like that.'
Come on--what will you learn about medicine by cutting up a dead frog?
'If I could hear what we're supposed to be taking notes on I might know.'
Just ask Benjamin sometime--he's probably chopped up a frog or two.
'He only hunted squirrels.'
If cutting up dead frogs is educational, squirrels must be even better.
'I don't think so.'
Imagine having to buy dead frogs. Where can you get them? What do you do, go to a grocery store and say, 'Hello, I'm looking for a pound of dead frogs.' Or are they preserved frogs? Imagine selling dead frogs. That must not be a popular job...
'How is any of that important?'
If cutting up dead frogs is important, anything is.
'I am TRYING to listen here.'
Why?
'Because I need to know how to dissect frogs so I don't fail this class.'
Somehow, I doubt 'cut up a dead frog' really improves a resume.
"Now, let's head to the lab...dissection instruments are on the tables. And be CAREFUL, people, they're DANGEROUS, I don't wanna see anybody fooling around in here!"
Yugi sat staring out the window while everyone else got up and started getting their coats.
"Hey--Yugi, wake up!"
Yugi looked up.
"I'm not ASLEEP, I'm just not paying attention..."
You should--all those chopping up tools are DANGEROUS, people!
"Oh, be quiet."
Soon?
Very soon.
................when.............
When all those other ones are busy so they won't notice.
I don't want to go Outside again....
You don't have to--he can come here now!
..........here.............
Yes, here.
Where is...........here................
Here is here. Here isn't Outside.
Is it almost time?
Just a little longer--almost.
.................almost.........
"These scalpels are really dull..."
Yugi was poking himself with one of the scalpels to see whether or not it was sharp.
"Ow--these scissors are pretty sharp, though."
Joey had ended up being Yugi's lab partner because no one else would agree to partner someone who was so bad at biology.
"Uh, Yug? Are you sure that's a good way to check if something's sharp or not?"
Yugi looked mystified. "Why wouldn't it be?"
Because you could cut yourself?
"Oh right...."
"Okay, people, here's the frogs...every pair come get one....remember to look for the organs we talked about!"
"We talked out about the organs?"
"Yeah, two minutes ago."
"Oh. That would explain why I don't remember it."
Okay, so maybe you did need to pay attention.
......soon?
WAIT! I'll tell you when!
.........but.......how soon?
..............how soon......................
Soon. It's almost time now--all those other ones are busy.
So, almost?
Almost.
...............almost............
"I wish I didn't have to cut this up...."
It's already dead. It's not like you're hurting it.
"Yeah, I know."
"Yug? Who are you talking to?"
"Uh--nobody......"
I can't believe people buy that.
"Well, they just think I'm crazy...."
I guess that's a pretty good explanation too.
Now?
Not YET, wait!
............soon...........?
Soon. Just not yet.
HOW soon?
VERY soon.
Well, when?
............
WHEN?
.....................
WHEN WHEN WHEN?
.........now!
Now?
Yes, now!
Oh.....okay.....
Yugi barely even noticed leaving his own World; no one else noticed either. He only realized he had returned to the place where the strangers lived (at least, he thought it was--they never really said that) when he looked up.
"Hello........"
"Hello, Getsu."
".....getsu?"
"Yeah--you guys never told me your names, so I made some up to keep you straight."
".....straight?"
"You know--so I wouldn't get you confused."
"That's.....confusing...."
"Well, never mind. Do you live here?"
"I don't know......it's much nicer than Outside....don't you think?"
"I like Outside--that's where I live."
The creature (he couldn't think of any better word to describe it) looked curiously at Yugi.
"Why do you live there?"
Yugi was completely thrown by this odd question.
"Well--because it's my home. I just...belong there. Like you belong here, I guess."
"......but you DON'T belong there--she told us about that!"
"And what did she tell you?"
"She said--she said that since you can see us and hear us and talk to us and come here--since you can--you're like us!"
"But--I'm not like you! I can't be like you."
".........why not?"
Yugi had to think about this one.
"Well....I'm not nobody, and I don't come from nowhere. I'm somebody--I have a name of my own."
"Now I have one too......you gave me a name....."
"I never thought of it like that.....I guess you're right--I did give you name...."
"........can I keep it?"
"I....guess so....if you really want it...."
Getsu smiled. "Now.....I have a name...."
He looked down suddenly. "But.....I can't keep it....names are bad. Very bad. You shouldn't keep yours either."
"But--names aren't bad. I like my name--I would never give it away."
"You SHOULD. It's BAD. No one here has names. Master doesn't either."
Yugi had a feeling he had hit upon something important.
"What's Master like?"
"...........like?"
"Who is he?"
"Master....he's....he's Master...."
"Is he in charge of you?"
"No.....he's just Master..."
"What is he the master of?"
"Master....of?"
"When you're a master, you have command over something. What does Master command?"
"Master....doesn't command anything...Master is like us....but.....Master is always.....always..."
"Always what?"
"Always......sad................."
"But why?"
"Don't.....know..........Master is Master. Master knows you, too."
"He does? How?"
"You met Master. But, you didn't understand then. Now you do....now you can see us, so you're like us. Master knows you....you're.....you're.......you're......................"
"I'm what?"
"You're Master's......................friend.........."
Yugi couldn't know that Getsu had to remember every single thing Yugi was prompting him to say; he didn't realize that this almost-being had long forgotten words like sad or friend. He did know that he was getting somewhere.
"So, Master lives in this place like you do?"
"..........yes."
"Where is this
place?"
"It's....just here....it's not Outside...there's The Place."
"What is The Place?"
"The Place.....it's.....it's there.....sometimes we go there....we see things.....just things......sometimes there isn't anything to see. We just go there. We meet you there too. We can find you there."
Now Yugi asked the most important question, at least to his mind.
"Why do you want to find me?"
"Because......you're one of us."
"No--I'm not!"
"Yes you are. You're like us. You can see us. You can talk to us. You can come here. You're one of us, and you belong here, not Outside. Come with us!"
".....no!"
At that moment, Yugi unknowingly brought himself back to his own World, and stabbed himself in the palm of the hand with the scalpel he was holding at the same time. He hadn't intended to--the force of his answer to Getsu had caused him to do so.
"Ah!"
Slamming a dull scalpel into your hand is extremely painful, as Yugi had just discovered. Pulling the blade out, he clenched his fist to stop it from bleeding.
I told you not to stab yourself with sharp stuff!
"I didn't mean to....ah!"
"Huh? What's wrong, Yug?"
"Nothing....just stabbed myself by accident..."
"WHAT?"
"It's no big deal.....I'll just bind this up....."
Ripping off part of his coat, which was already falling apart from previous Multiverse travels, he did just that. By this time, however, his teacher had noticed that there was blood all over the table and come over to investigate.
"How did all this blood get here?"
He regretted asking almost immediately.
"Oh, it's nothing...I accidentally stabbed myself, but I bandaged it. See?"
Yugi's coat, covered in stains and dirt, was not the best bandage for a deep puncture wound.
"Go to the nurse and get a BANdage Yugi, don't use your COAT, it's filthy, that cut could get inFECted!"
Even I could've told him that.
Yugi left, his hand still hurting, wondering when the strange, nameless people would strike next. How many more injuries would he receive before they were done?
Author's note: if you think Yugi's biology teacher is unrealistic, I based his speech loosely on my old science teacher, who really did say "people" about every two words and told us stories of his watermelon garden, his hedges, and anything else that came to mind. This science class was also based on mine, although no one got stabbed when I dissected frogs. And of course the Lost weren't around to interfere either. -____-''' And yes, I know Yugi seems really stupid in this chapter because he's stabbing himself with a scissor deliberately, but he's not THAT stupid--he's just not very focused right now. -___________________-''''''''' Hope you liked this chapter and will review now! ^____^