Yami: You're getting away from the development of me and Amy?
Y.A.R.: I can't concentrate on your relationship all the time! We need to know how you found out the answer to bring Ayame back!
Yami: That is true...say, where's Amy anyway?
Y.A.R.: Oh, I sent her on an errand.
Yami: -shivers in fear- I'm afraid to ask about what the errand is...
Y.A.R.: Hmm...maybe I should do some research for later in the story. After all, you two are going to another country.
Yami: Is it Egypt? –glowing eyes in anticipation-
Y.A.R.: Great, now you just spoiled it. Plus, we got three more chapters left until the dueling chapter!
Yami: I must prepare for the occasion, then.
Y.A.R.: You got plenty of time, relax! Oh, and this chapter's gonna be shorter than what I have been writing recently
Chapter 14-Exposures of Dark Hope
To find the answers of bring back the love that you cherished from the dead, are you willing to trust the darkest of foes for the cost of your future?
~Monday morning, at Kame Game Shop: three weeks before Christmas- 9:33 a.m.~
"You boys enjoying your breakfast this morning? I can't believe it's been almost four months since things went back to being normal around here." Grandpa said.
"Indeed, but the best thing about winter is that I can finally get Yami outside and adjust him to the weather. Not to mention Christmas shopping for all of my friends!" Yugi cheered.
"Yami, you have to wear something longer and warmer than that sleeveless shirt. Guess we're going to have to go shopping for your new clothes for the next six months." Grandpa chastised.
"Can I still wear my leather?" Yami asked.
"No." Yugi answered.
"Then, I'm not getting anything new until I get my damn leather back." Yami revolted, folding his arms in rebellion.
"Yami, you'll freeze to death if you wear your leather." Yugi stated. "Grandpa, maybe we should get him some thermals if Yami continues to refuse the new clothes idea."
"Hmm...I suppose so, but he's still getting some long-sleeve shirts and a couple of boots." Grandpa concluded.
"Thank Ra." Yami muttered.
"I just hope we can handle the holiday rush this year. Last year, the whole store was packed to the core and we could barely fill up every order." Grandpa said.
"We got a couple more hands to help us." Yugi smirked.
'Why me? I can't believe Amy told me that she'll be overseas for Christmas; I could've used her as an excuse to get out of this!' Yami thought.
"And don't think that Amy's gonna save you this time, Yami. We all heard about her going overseas with the Kaiba brothers for Christmas." Yugi affirmed with amusement.
Yami placed his left palm under his chin and leaned close to the wall in discontentment. After winter break started and everyone was having their plans announced, Amy told the group that she'll be over in Tahiti with Seto and Mokuba until two days before the new year begins. Joey, although very happy about his most hated enemy gone for the holidays, was absolutely stressed out by the fact that Serenity arranged Mai to spend the holidays with them, making him shop for whatever the blonde woman liked. The boys laughed at the situation, knowing the outcome of what would happened when they returned to school following New Year's Day.
The past several weeks with Amy as their teacher was back-breaking to them, especially the ones that rarely dueled before the short-tempered girl joined their group. Amy literally gave the ones that screwed up extra dueling assignments and chore duty for every week that they failed to produce results. However, she was even tougher on the veterans, giving them more drills and making them run full laps around the school track. Yami was kind of glad it wasn't too serious, but he and Yugi came home exhausted from the class, cramming every minute to deal with homework from other classes for several nights. Though Amy tells them that they were doing good in her class, the punishments she dishes out were lessons on reinforcing their teaching of the beginners.
Yugi was glad Amy and Yami were spending great time with each other as friends, but he was also worried about Yami's emotional stability whenever Ayame came up into the conversation. It's been almost an entire year since Yami came back from the afterlife, but the older of the two hasn't said anything regarding the former Pharaoh's lover. Yugi wanted his other self to be happy, but unless he was willing to let go of Ayame, Yami will never have the chance of having the life he never had before sealing himself inside the Millennium Puzzle. Also, what would Amy think of Yami's decision? Yugi knew that the girl had love troubles before, so the small boy can tell that she's been heartbroken several times by now. How would the two react to each other's decision when they say want they wanted to say to the other?
"Well, we gotta get ready to head to the mall for shopping!" Yugi said. "C'mon, Yami. I'll teach you everything about snow!"
"Riiight..." Yami mumbled. "Anyways, you think our friends will come to our Christmas party this year?"
"Of course they will! We have never skipped a holiday party...Well, maybe that time about three years ago with the summer party we were supposed to have." Yugi said.
"Heh, heh..." Yami chuckled. "I think I'll take the chance to finish up that history project the stupid teacher gave me before winter break."
"Please tell me you didn't Mind Crush him! I don't want to explain to the principal that my closest friend, who is playing as my long-lost brother, is a psychopath!" Yugi pleaded.
"Oh, thanks for the support." Yami said sarcastically. "Maybe I should send every bully to the Shadow Realm if they piss me off."
"You know that Joey used to be a bully. You sent him there months ago!" Yugi reminded Yami.
"Stop bringing it up, dammit!" Yami shouted.
~Three hours later, at Domino Plaza...-12:33 p.m.~
"Fancy meeting you guys here!" Joey said. "You have no idea how much this means to me, having your guys' opinion on what I'm getting for Christmas this year!"
"You're only saying that, is because Serenity forced you to buy Mai a present this year." Yami said.
"You're not staying up all night with Tristan just so you guys can get photos of Santa Claus this year again, are you?" Yugi asked.
"We do this every year, Yug'! That red-suited, fat bastard is not getting away from us this time! I will get physical evidence that he exists!" Joey complained.
"Anyways, hopefully we get along like always; there's been some tension between the group ever since Amy joined us." Yugi said.
"Too bad she's gone with Richboy; that girl knows how to party!" Joey said.
"That reminds me...Yami, are you going to get Amy a Christmas present?" Yugi asked.
"I'm pretty sure that Amy doesn't need anything; I mean, the girl's practically rich." Yami said.
"Just get her something she'll like!" Yugi groaned.
It was a lively shopping day for many city-goers, and it became very hard to find all the items on their list as Yami and Yugi, joined by Joey, were searching for everything on their lists for the Christmas party as well as their presents for their friends. After going through some nasty mothers shopping for their little ones, caffeinated-crazed security guards chasing after them when Joey accidentally took a boxed toy out of a store, and having obnoxious clerks deny their gift cards, the three were sitting inside the food court weary from their errands.
While Joey was scarfing down his meals from the all-you-can-eat buffet, Yugi was trying to figure out which gifts to get for his friends. But, the small multi-colored haired boy wanted to reconnect with Tèa since the brunette woman has been very testy with Amy being with the group. Yugi didn't know why she was so against having the pink-haired girl inside their circle of friendship; they also had friends that they didn't know much about and they got along pretty fine. Though, why was it only Amy that was given the cold shoulder more than anyone else that they didn't like? Maybe he could ask Tèa why she hates Amy, and then try to get them back into friendly terms.
Yami was thinking so much about Ayame; he hasn't been able to do research for the answers to her resurrection since coming back into the living world. He had to lie about the history project that the teacher gave to him, and the former Pharaoh needed to uncover a way to get his lover back. The feelings for Amy were truly conflicting in his soul, and yet Yami didn't want to hurt the pink beauty since the girl already had too many heartbreaks in her life. What was he going to do about telling Amy his feelings when the time comes for him to accept the fact if he couldn't drift from the love he had for Ayame?
"Yami, you being silent isn't like you at all, pal." Joey said. "Whatcha' thinking about this time?"
"Nothing special." Yami said. "Just about that history project..."
"That's still bugging you?" Yugi asked, confusingly. "You got like two-three weeks to finish it; you should relax and start planning on what your resolutions are for New Year's."
"Uhh, I think Yami should start on that project, Yug'. Trust me, I do my project at the last minute before we get back to school, and I always have to blame my laziness on Tristan's dog." Joey said. "That reminds me...that library's got some new books from all over the world."
"You...go to the library...to study?" Yugi and Yami asked, bewildered.
"Hey, I go there for the free computer usage!" Joey argued.
"Suuuuure..." Yugi and Yami echoed.
"You don't fucking believe me?" Joey barked.
"So, what about those new books?" Yami asked.
"They're coming from Egypt, your homeland, pal." Joey said. "All the translations done through a lot of research for years, and man do they have the stuff! History, language, cultural, rituals..."
Yami must have misheard something coming out of Joey's mouth; did the blonde say something about ritual books being placed within the library? Could it be the answer he was looking for? A chance to find a way to bring Ayame back from the dead? Getting up from his chair, Yami started to head towards the exit, making Yugi sort of upset.
"Hey, you ain't leaving me with all these bags to carry back home!" Yugi shouted.
"I need to start on that project early. I don't need another speech on 'punishing' the teachers ringing through my ears." Yami said.
"Use it as a last resort, man!" Joey shouted. "It'll help you in the long run!"
"Don't encourage him to do it, Joey!" Yugi chided.
"Aww, c'mon!" Joey groaned.
~At Domino Library- 2:37 p.m.~
With barely anyone around within the sections of the library since Christmas was coming about, the books stayed silent and piling up dust as the former Pharaoh entered into the new hall with the newly delivered paperbacks from his homeland. Yami felt back home within his palace, but there was no time to reminisce about his past life as he started to look thoroughly for the volume that will help him discover the answer to bringing back Ayame from the dead. He wanted so badly to uncover the best chances to ensure both his past and future were intact, but every path became a dead end and lead him into believing that there wasn't really anything in the world that could rebuild his shattered heart.
Finally reaching the section of ritual books, Yami scanned carefully through each one. Most of them were minor rituals only to render one defenseless or dispel tainted spirits from the bodies of the unstable. Nothing within every text describe the details of what he needed to do to revive his beloved. His hands ran through his hair in frustration; how on earth could so many people working on an ancient culture for so many years overlook the most important of scriptures written by the forgotten? Yami's eyes wandered to another book, but however, this book emitted a mysterious, dark aura that only he could see and it meant that this book contained rituals only to please the dark deities of the undead.
The former Pharaoh hesitated; could he this desperate enough to trust the enemies that he had taken down in the past in order to save the woman he loved so deeply? His true name was that of the embodiment of light, and to even take one step into the darkness would mean absolute betrayal of the vows he made to his people, when he stepped forward to take his father's place as ruler of the kingdom that which he created from the very ground. But, this also meant risking his future within the boundaries of the modern world. Yami didn't want to take away the life of someone he had feelings for as well, but there had to be a decision made right here. Should he pick up the book, it would mean throwing away his entire future and staying behind in the past with the gentle princess Ayame. But, should Yami stray away from the ritual book, it would mean he was willing to let go of the past and rebuild from scratch with the beautiful Amy filling his mind to the brim.
Every thought was clashing within his psyche, chaos was erupting in his soul and he couldn't bare it anymore. Yami wanted to be with Ayame so much that his hand unconsciously picked up the book and he began to scan the book, until his fingers stopped on a certain ritual pertaining to that of Anubis. In order to bring back Ayame's soul from the dead, a sacrifice was needed. The conditions for the very ritual was already met when Yami first became friends with Amy. Writing down every specific detail for the ritual to commence, Yami left the library with the answer he sought out for.
However, this certain step has taken him down into the road of darkness.
'I finally found it. I finally found the answer for which I was seeking for: the revival of my eternal lover, Ayame. Amy...I'm sorry, but no matter what, I cannot let go of Ayame. So, I'll risk my future with you for the sake of my heart.' Yami thought. 'I just hope that if this ritual works, I can have both my future and past in tact. Ayame...wait for me. I'll bring you back so that the both of us can be together again.'
Little did Yami realize was that there will always consequences for every action taken. And when that action happens, it will alter his path forever.
Finally done! It makes me so proud that we got less than three chapters away before my first ever dueling chapter! That reminds me...I need to sharpen up my intel.
R&R, people!