"Aw screw that window!" he muttered in annoyance and stormed away from it, leaving it unlatched but tightly sealed.
"Yea, you do that..." Yoko said sarcastically, Zane ignored her comment and proceeded through the room, Yoko tripped and bumped carelessly on the various chairs that were pulled out in awkward angles almost strategically planted in her way as Zane weaved between them effortlessly, "Hey don't your Dorm have maids or something to tidy up all your – oof!" Yoko groaned as she face planted onto the floor, with a great sigh she lifted her head up,
"Well aren't you a natural night owl." Zane commented dryly as he observed her with a bemused expression, and nudged her head with his foot, "Come on, get up already." He ordered impatiently,
"I would, if you weren't holding my foot." Yoko mumbled carelessly, as she started to pick herself up but there was definate, the feeling a hand clasped around her ankle.
"I'm not holding your foot." Zane tutted with a snicker, his hands in plain view, Yoko's forehead creased in concern as she tilted her head sideways to see what was causing the pressure on her, a flicker of movement and a flash of fingers disappeared from view,
"So err yeah, explain to me why there was a hand holding my foot?" Yoko breathed out nervously as she scuttled to her feet rapidly, a hand ready to grab Zane's arm, should she feel the need to bolt.
"I dunno, must just be Lethys." Zane stretched and his broadening smirk was hidden by the dark, as the hairs on Yoko's arms and neck tingled with fear, they prickled against her skin apprehensively as the memory of the solid hand on her ankle replayed.
"Huh, some half dead story of a ghost isn't going to put me off..." she stated blandly, tightening her fists in an effort to feign bravery, her eyes warily watched the inky darkness of beneath the dining chairs and tables, "Let's go already." She said suddenly pulling Zane quicker than necessary to the door.
"What's the rush kid?" he snickered as she slammed the door closed behind them, feeling the smooth paint on the door, on her hands, she found this world incredibly eerie, back in her own...the place was a graveyard of furniture a desolate building of mystery. Yet here it was adorned with lavish materials and clearly of great wealth.
"I'm not a kid, I'll have you know." She hissed, Zane just gave a shrug and started to walk away, she gave a quick glance around her, the walls were furnished with photographs of duelists and duel monsters, each looking equally successful and smug.
"If you're done dawdling..." he drawled out, turning back to look at her, "And just for the record, one day I'll be up there." He said proudly following her gaze, "That's right, my spot will be higher than all of them and of course I'll have bested them by then."
"Yea, I'm sure you will." She agreed with disbelief, as she followed him obediently, "There's a place I want to go by the way."
"Tough, we're going MY way." He snorted stubbornly, and turned away from her,
"But I wanna go somewhere." She demanded sternly at his back,
"Deal with it..." he muttered without a second glance. She gave a hard frown and trailed him for a while, hoping for a turn of corners, as soon enough as Zane was occupied with describing the enormity of the area, she lightly stepped away and down a dark adjacent corridor, "If he took a job as a tour guide he's do it fantastic...Rambles on for about forever...and about nothing." she thought.On her tip toes she squinted at the golden numbers on each door, "Damnit...I just noticed, I never knew the room number when that mirror "attacked" me...come to think of it...should I even go back to it, I might get eaten..." giving a small shiver. As a form of comfort she found herseld unknowingly imagining her friends, whom she depended on for a good part of her life,
"You've already been eaten stupid girl." Seto said in a monotone giving her a good thumbs up with a beaming smile,
"Good point." With a sigh she trudged down the corridor, a hand trailing on the smooth walls, devoid of any strange etched markings that were in her time, "So many things unexplained...to start with what touched my forehead, then how did I end up inside that mirror of a portal...and what the cards was that thing pretending to be me?"
Feeling quite low, she gave a sigh and tottered off aimlessly, by sheer unluckiness as she walked, a door opened in front of her, a boy walked out, shutting it behind him quietly, he stretched lazily and began walking away quite oblivious to her. Holding her breath, she could feel the tingles on her skin of fear, if she was found out there'd be quite a load of trouble, something she could do without. The boy walked painfully slow away, his feet scraped the floor noisily as he shuffled along, when all of a sudden he stopped,
"Who's there?" he murmured blearily, his head snapping in her direction.
"Damnit..." Alarm bells rang noisily in her head as she said in a deeper voice, "It's just me Kenny, night." And she hurriedly paced past the sleepy boy, who she swore had his eyes closed and was busy sleep walking.
"Kenny? Isn't your room the other way?" With a horrible lurch at the awareness in his voice, Yoko muttered,
"Does it matter?" in annoyance, and sped up her walk until it was practically a silent sprint, she stopped as she reached the floor's banister overlooking the stair cases and entrance. Leaning over it she surveyed the surroundings, she was on the first floor, everyone was asleep, and she had no clue of where to go, it was a lost hope...
"So there you are."
Yoko heart gave an almighty jolt and broke out in a clammy sweat, "It's all over" as the fine voice spoke, "They'll lock me up for trespassing – and then they'll do strange tests on me because I don't belong here!" spinning around and squinting she found the small boy she'd met earlier on, Joel.
"By the cards!...You gave me the BIGGEST heart attack ever!" she complained in annoyance as he looked sheepishly about, "What are you doing out here?" she questioned suspiciously after a moment,
"Well I was just taking a wander, I like it like now." he said dolefully indicating around them,
"Like what?" Yoko asked in confusion, glancing left and right, clearly nothing was happening of interest.
"The quiet, the noise of silence, it's really relaxing." He replied quietly, and inhaled deeply as if taking in the scents around him and relishing it.
"Right..." Yoko replied a crease of concern on her face as she suddenly found herself gaining an instant sliver of wariness about him, "It's not every day I hear that kind of speak."
"You know I've always liked this atmosphere," he told her looking fondly all around him, he put a hand on the smooth walls and seemingly ran his hand down it, almost lovingly and tender.
"You like...the quiet and dark?" Yoko said with a hint of surprise, herself being a lover of sunshine, and noise, the hustle bustle of life seemed a far cry from the night's silence.
"Yeah," he admitted mysteriously, "Well...whatever floats your boats I assume, strange character I suppose, no wonder Zane picks on him..." Yoko thought with a pang of pity and guilt as she recognised this was the kid that nobody hung around with, holding her chin, she crossed her arms thoughtfully and nodded to herself with understanding as she put the pieces together.
"So what are you doing here?" he asked after a while of silence,
"Hm? Well I was with Zane, but he bored me so I'm on my own little mission." She said with a snide grin,
"Zane? Being boring? Wow, I never expected that..." the boy replied in mild surprise,
"Well why not? Anyone can be boring to be honest." She said casually,
"Yes... but it's ZANE, Zane is like the King of all Obelisks, the teachers worship him, the duel monsters are all under his command, girls want him, everyone in this school fears and adores-"
"Err...you sure this is the same Zane we're talking about, the Zane I know, is a reclusive, a lone wolf, speaks three words per sentence, and is an ignorant man who is stuck up his own backside." She reeled off easily from the top of her head and gave a chuckle as she thought about what Jaden would have had to add.
"Pardon me Yoko, but Zane is the party of the century essentially. He's the greatest student in this entire school, it's no lie. But he's also one of the greatest bullies, everyone turns a blind eye to it, because he's regarded so highly." Joel said eagerly to Yoko who was rather taken aback.
"Boy does Zane grow into a moody poo later on..." she thought with a raised eyebrow, "It's funny 'cause he actually sounds like a fun person." She said with a small laugh, "You have quite the fact file on Zane to be honest, how'd you know so much?" she asked,
"It's hard not to, he's a talk of the school most days. He doesn't do much else than duel, no sports, no art, no-" He said with a shrug. Yoko suddenly had an idea rushing into her head,
"Say Joel...does anyone here like ballet?" she asked sweetly and smiled,
"There's actually a ballet class through the school." He replied instantly, and she pressed on eagerly,
"Anyone from Obelisk Blue attend?"
"Sure, there's a few of us from Obelisk blue, it's really interesting you know, and it's taught very well." He told her with a small smile,
"Say...do you attend this ballet class?"
"Sure, why do you ask?" he said suspiciously, Yoko stammered slightly and muttered quickly,
"I'm only interested." She hurriedly began to fiddle with her hair as Joel stared blatantly at her direction. "What?" she snapped at him as nothing changed for a minute,
"You're from Slifer Red, what made you come here?" he squeaked looking avidly at her clothes, "And you're not wearing the uniform..."
"Yeaaa...This is getting complicated." Yoko mumbled with a heavy sigh, she ran a hand through her hair as she looked down at the navy blue carpet.
"How complicated? Even more complicated than this?"A voice said behind her. Feeling that immense sinking of her stomach, the air was trapped in her lungs as she turned round in the gloom. She could make out a slim boy, he approached her slowly,
"So what's with the midnight wanderings then kids?" his voice was unfamiliar, and she knew the dark would work to her advantage.
"N-Niro is that you?" Joel stammered out to him fearfully,
"That's right." The boy replied confidently, "So how about it...shall me and your friend take a little walk?" he said indicating to Yoko who half hid from view behind Joel,
"Hang on a minute...you knew I was here?" Yoko asked stepping towards him.
"Of course. I grew bored following you, so I decided to come out." He said with a shrug and leaned onto the white banister overlooking the entrance.
"Woah, woah woah. Following me?" Yoko echoed incredulously, "Whatever the hell possessed you?"
"Not a lot, it was Zane's idea of a prank, apologies for the ankle grabbing." He said and winked at her. Yoko stared blankly back at him,
"That's it? You're not going to drag me to Zane? Or to a teacher?" She said suspiciously, the teen gave a small chuckle.
"Zane's best friend or not, I have my own free will thank you very much." He said with a snicker, "But in all sensibility, you'll be in a lot of trouble for being here at this time. I'd suggest you leave." He recommended her sincerely and gave her a small bow.
Yoko found herself warming up to him, he was different from Zane, friendlier and no air of Obelisk ego. "I'll leave when I'm ready to, I'll be gone by next morning guaranteed." Yoko said giving him a nod. "But thanks."
"Suit yourself I guess." Niro replied lazily,
"But err yeah tell me what you were actually following me for?" Yoko replied with a slight edge to her tone, "It's sorta creepy."
"Tell me about me." The boy said with a large yawn, "Zane told me to follow you to spook you as he gave a tour, but you slipped away from him. He's not going to be pleased I'll tell you that." Niro gave a long stretch.
"Hey Joel, could you please show me your ballet classroom?" Yoko asked the boy behind her, as her main mission came flooding back to her.
"Sure!" Was the excited reply, Niro gave a small laugh.
"I don't know what you're looking for, but I'll be sure to remember you. I'll graduate one day and I'll think back, a Slifer girl challenged Zane. Hysterical!" He said lightly, giving her a large smile.
"Sure, you're not bad yourself, good luck duelling!" Yoko said kindly,
"To you to." Niro replied, and yawned again, "Well I'm off to bed now, in a bit Slifers." he walked away into a corridor and out of sight as they mumbled "Goodbye". Yoko thought to herself, "Zane's best friend ey? Funny...I've not seen him or heard of him in my time line. Something must have happened..." She made a mental note to ask Zane if she ever got the chance.
"You coming now?" Joel called out to her from the dark.
"Right." She said feeling a cold chill down her back. She put her hand on the white banister and followed it to Joel, where they walked in silence down the stairs and round corners.
Eventually they reached a grand door, it was a magnificent piece of work, fairly new and polished. It was a pure white, milky coloured in the dark but the golden swirls of leaves and vines on it were as prominent as anything.
"Through here." Joel whispered and pushed against the door, it swung open slowly. Inside was a large room, it had glazed floors and large windows. Letting the moonlight in beautifully, on the pure white walls were glossy posters of the monster card, Cyber Tutu. For a monster she too was stunning, clearly defined muscles, a sweet pretty face and slim.
"She's my favourite." Joel admitted fondly looking up at the poster.
"I see." Yoko replied vaguely, she looked around the rest of the room, it was empty. Turning back around to Joel, she gave a small jump. There was the duel spirit of the Cyber Tutu, she stood besides Joel looking at him kindly, Yoko's knees almost caved in with surprise, Joel oblivious to all stared lovingly at the poster with a smile Yoko couldn't see.
Her eyes were fixated on the spirit, Cyber Tutu raised a finger to his lips and motioned Yoko to stay silent. But she needn't have done that. Yoko was rooted to the floor in a mixture of emotions. She could feel fear, apprehension and confusion, "Is this it? Is this the core of everything? She must be the one causing it all..." She felt as if her heart was working double time just to stem the fear creeping all over her, she'd seen a few duel spirits before, not a lot but a few times yes. They still scared her slightly, their intentions unknown, their values and community a mystery to the living.
The transparent monster faded away from Joel and came back into view besides Yoko. Who gave an almighty shudder, her breathing rate increasing as she twisted her head to the side, the Cyber Tutu's lips never moved from her kind and sweet smile, but her voice rang clear inside Yoko's head.
"Do you see now? The way everybody treats him?...Such a talent he possesses but no one cares to harvest..." The duel spirit said sadly, her voice was surprisingly fine, it was so young sounding.
"Are you the one causing all this?" Yoko said aloud, her forehead beading with cold sweat. She took a wary step away from the spirit.
"Huh?" Joel turned round to her confused, but Yoko did not hear him. The Cyber Tutu looked across at Joel, causing Yoko to follow her line of sight,
"Erm, sorry mumbling to my self...hahaha..." Yoko said feigning her cheeriness and scratched her head nervously. Her hands were all sweaty and she wiped them hurriedly on her pants, and looked back at the duel spirit. Whose expression had switched to one of pity,
"I did not do anything this is the will of that poor boy...I merely helped him." She said quietly,
"So you did do all this..." Yoko thought to herself, "I don't understand Cyber Tutu...Why did you do this?" She whispered to the spirit, who now floated back to Joel's side. Who had sat himself down in front of the poster, staring at it in childish awe.
"He asked me to." She replied simply,
"I'll need more than that for an explanation!" Yoko shouted with anger at a surprised Joel, Cyber Tutustroked his head motherly with a faded hand and said to her calmly "I'll show you the night of his death, now that you understand his surroundings."
"But I –" Yoko began with a lurching feeling inside her stomach, "I don't want to see a death thank you very much!"
With a sickening emotion she felt herself being dragged backwards, yet her feet never left the ground.
The area around here seemed to be swabbed with water, as if it were a painting, the colours mixed together and swirled insanely. Yoko looked all around her the colours were gradually separating, this world of colours mashed together messily was giving her a head ache, she had no sense of gravity...no sense of direction – she had no idea where the floor was. Feeling so sick she clamped her eyes closed, and slapped her hands over her ears from the complete silence surrounding her. The blood rushing through her ears, the noise of the "sea" was better than no noise at all...
"We're here."
Opening her eyes slowly cautiously. Yoko found herself squinting at Joel, who was sat cross legged on the floor. Looking up at the poster, it seemed as if nothing had changed from her perspective.
"What's changed?" Yoko asked the duel spirit in confusion, but the Cyber Tutu had gone, feeling immensely apprehensive, she tapped Joel's shoulder. Or rather intended to, but instead her hand floated through him, with a yelp of horror, she jumped back a few feet her mouth agape in fear.
Looking at her hand, it looked normal, solid as anything as she felt it with her other, "Cyber Tutu what's going on! – JOEL? Can you hear me?" Yoko yelled at the boy down his ear, but he merely sighed longingly at the poster, stamping her foot in frustration she looked all around the room.
"Obsessed..." Yoko muttered and shook her head, she then turned around swiftly. She had heard noises, and so had Joel apparently, he rose to his feet hurriedly, and she scuttled to one side of the room though she was clearly unseen and couldn't be touched,
"This is insane! – I assume I was in another time line but now this is the real timeline, which means it's my one..." Yoko quickly thought to herself, "It's not worth getting myself confused over this..." she sighed...
At that moment, the door of the ballet room opened, a few tall boys entered, they stood by the door respectfully until the last figure entered. With a sinking feeling, Yoko already knew who it was before the figure even spoke...
"What a surprise...how did I know you were going to be here Joel?" The boy with dark blue hair said with an exasperated sigh, and tutted.
"W-what do you want?" Joel stammered nervously and flattened himself against the wall beneath the poster almost wishing it would swallow him whole, he did not bother to hide the fear etched on his face, that had the little colour drained from it.
"Me? I'm just here for a bit of entertainment." Zane said coolly, and ran a hand through his hair, the blue locks sweeping over his face,
"W-what entertainment?" The smaller boy squeaked out,
"Nothing much." Zane replied, and walked towards Joel, he stood in front of the poor boy, his shadow falling on the boy's pale face, that was beaded with sweat. The other few boys stood around them, forming a threatening semi circle.
"Z-zane?" Joel squeaked apprehensively into the silence. Zane grew a malicious smirk,
"Would you like me to tell you what I'm here for?" he said slyly, and paced left and right in front of him,
"Yes s-sir." Was the minute reply with a small nod.
"I just wanted a little fun..." The Obelisk drawled aloud, and stretched,
"What do you plan to do..." Joel muttered and bit his lip as words faltered him.
"I'm here to wreck your ballet room! – PARTY ON LADS!" Zane shouted raising his arms in the air triumphantly. Instantly the tranquil atmosphere was shattered by a number of Obelisk teenagers shouting loudly, each holding a few tins of jet black paint. They ran amok, into every direction, sloshing the paint carelessly onto the pale walls, shrieking with laughter as the oily substance streaked across the building.
Joel cried out in dismay as the various posters of Cyber Tutu became unrecognisable, the pretty face doused in slick paint. The walls had large stripes of black across them, everything once pristine and ivory white was now a charcoal pitch black. Joel dashed helplessly a few metres in one direction, then dashed in the other way, he was at a complete loss for actions, his mouth agape wailing distress as he surveyed the destruction of his sacred retreat.
He ran at an obelisk blue bravely grabbing their arm to plead, but they threw him off easily to the floor with a shout of laughter as his petite form slid a good distance. Yoko watched in horror as Zane stood there laughing hysterically at the cruelty, enjoying every moment of it, he was almost doubled up tears forming at his eyes as he savoured the scene. She ran towards one of the Obelisk' determine to bar his way, out stretching her arms with a yell as he stormed to her, but he just passed through... "There's nothing I can do...Oh Joel..." Yoko thought, immense pity and sadness building up inside her. "This is insanity! – Oh Zane how could you be such a bully..." She sighed deeply turning to face her future friend.
He was a completely different person.
"Please Zane!" Joel cried aloud. He had stopped chasing the Obelisks and had stopped to catch his breath, his chest fluttering quickly. "And what if I don't?" was the amused reply. Joel dropped down onto his knees by Zane's feet, sobbing to the floor pitifully, Zane stopped laughing for a minute, and looked down at him.
"Stop did you say?" He said with the false air of surprise.
"YES! PLEASE ZANE – MAKE IT STOP!" Joel pleaded and looked up at Zane with his with red tearful face, which only served to amuse the bully further.
"Let me consider that...No...I don't think I will – serves you right for taking my Cyber Phoenix card!" Zane snarled down at him with a flash of anger and struck at him, sending the boy crashing to the floor,
"I never – no – please stop!" Joel babbled pitifully as he lay on the floor holding his cheek in pain. Zane posed in a thinking position, his face straight and unmoving,
"NAH! - I'm enjoying it too much!" The Obelisk cackled his face breaking into a malicious smile, and Joel's form visibly sank down in dejection. It was such a state of chaos that Yoko considered throttling Zane the next time they met. "Hey throw us a tin!" he ordered to someone. A moment later he caught a tin of paint that was sent in his direction. He threw the lid of it to the floor, where Joel saw it, looking up in horror Zane looked positively maniacal in the pale moonlight. The cruel smirk complimenting the darkness in his heart greatly.
"NO!" Joel shouted leaping towards the tin of paint in Zane's hands. But Zane kicked him in the stomach as he leapt, where Joel fell crashing to the floor. His jump only served to knock the tin slightly, some of it splashed messily onto Zane's sleeve staining it instantly.
"Argh! Look what you've done!" Zane thundered angrily with hiss, without a second thought he whipped around and threw the paint violently across Joel's beloved poster, in fact it was the only one that wasn't touched yet.
Joel was on his feet, his mouth agape in horror, he was frozen to the spot, his hands shook as he raised them to touch the poster, the young boy's eyes widened in shock as he absorbed the situation. The poster was clearly ruined and beyond repair, all that was not smeared in greasy black paint was a section of the monster's hand and almost a quarter of her face.
As Zane had threw the paint high, it had oozed down greasily enveloping the rest of its colourful picture. Zane raised an eyebrow to this reaction, he looked from the boy to the wrecked poster and grew a sneer with a proud chuckle,
"And to think, to completely satisfy me for the loss of my card...I just need to do one...more...thing." The slender boy said lowly. Zane slipped his hand under the poster's centre and gripped it. In a flash Joel had seized his arm tightly with slim fingers and was snarling viciously,
"GET OFF MY POSTER – DON'T YOU DARE – DON'T YOU DARE!" He roared his eyes wide with fear, his expression beyond one of comprehension.
"Ha! For a small runt you've got A LOT of nerve." Zane snarled not showing the slightest hint of fear or regret. Joel did not move a muscle, his face was stony, glaring deep hatred for teen. "But I'll tell you this Joel." He said quietly, and leaned down to the boy's ear and whispered, "I. Don't. Care." Each syllable was laden with cruelty as Zane rolled his eyes away from him.
Joel's fingers dug into the sleeve as his anger increased, his teeth were bared as the bully continued,
"Oh and another thing – Don't, do not touch me." Zane said almost casually and snatched his arm away, his eyes were so dark and relaxed, pools of cruelty and ego grew in them. Yoko practically felt he was the bringer of evil and all sins on the world. He knocked the small, frail boy to the floor effortlessly with a deliberate elbow to his face,
"ZANE!" Joel cried from the floor, his hand out stretched, his other nursing a bruised eye.
"What?" Zane replied loftily, his hand still gripped onto the poster.
"Don't!" He cried aloud, he was on the floor surrounded by sneering teenagers all led by one.
"What? Oh – you mean don't do this?" Zane questioned with a small grunt of effort, he tore the poster from the bottom. Because the poster was so tightly pinned at the edges, the tear became a long strip of poster running all the way to the top where it separated completely. Zane threw the torn piece of poster to the floor where it crumpled gracefully, Joel's breathing turned shallow as he watched it fall. He knew, he knew there was a spirit living there...and now she had no home.
"Dude that was class!"
"Haha who's the man Zane?"
"You're such a woman kid – stay down there and cry! Hahaha"
"Go back home kid – you don't belong on this planet!"
"So Joel, have we learnt not to steal from me again?" Zane asked coldly, walking up to the curled up form on the smudged floor, and he nudged it with snicker.
"I-I- never...never s-stole, from y-you." Joel choked out amidst his tears.
"Yeah, yeah...heard it all before." Zane said tiredly putting his hands in his pockets.
"B-but I never!" Joel screamed at him, looking up at the tall teenager.
"Look I don't care what the hell you say! Thought I made it clear – and I don't even care if you exist! Just stop embarrassing Obelisks – I have a reputation and you're a great fat dirty smudge on it." Zane told him with disgust, his hands out stretched as he spoke,
"Haha ruining us you are Joel!"
"Silly wuss!"
"Y-you-you-" Joel stammered angrily, he spoke directly to Zane, who maintained constant eye contact, the sharp grey boring into the soft brown.
"Look Joel, do us ALL a favour and just disappear from view. You are a real eyesore." The teenager said without a hint of humour and shook his head disapprovingly.
"Yeah eyesore!"
"Ey- pack it in!" Zane barked sharply growing tired of the repetition , "Eurgh, I've had enough of this place – catch you later Joel! And I mean literally!" And he laughed deeply as he slid his hands into his pockets.
"Yeah- yeah! See you tomorrow you dweeb!"
"Pfft crawl back to your rock ya toad!"
"Hahaha Or maybe, you should avoid us catching you Joel, only for your best interests," Zane finished with a large smirk as he gave the utterly trashed room one last final glance.
He led the way out of the ballet classroom, the door held open for him by his followers, who chanted Zane's name continuously. Joel had his head on the floor, crying bitterly, his wails echoing loud and clear, Yoko made to walk towards him to give him a form of comfort. But she saw and heard this image for only a second longer, before the colours of the place bled once again, into one another to form a new image.
Feeling so tearful and slightly nauseous, Yoko rubbed at her eyes with her arms to stem the onslaught from her eyes. For ahead of her now was the small boy, inside the wrecked ballet room but in his hands he held a frightful item.
Yoko gave a sharp intake of breath as the pale moonlight cast the thick rope into an ominous black snake boding ill, it twisted and turned in his hands maliciously. She clasped her hands to her mouth as Joel artfully threw the rope towards the ceiling, it arced over gracefully to drop down to the bottom.
"Do you see?" The Cyber Tutu whispered eerily into Yoko's ear. The teenager's throat was parched, her mouth ran dry as she could not bear to watch, yet her eyes were glued to the scene of their own accord.
By now, Joel had formed a tight knot at the bottom with the two ends of rope, he had to stand on tip toes with hands out stretched to finish it. His hands were sweaty, his face paler than usual, the tear stains down his cheeks. "One last dance." He breathed out so quietly, Yoko had almost thought she imagined it, he gave the rope a sad glance. He deftly stepped away from the rope, he unbuttoned his heavy Obelisk uniform and threw it with his shoes to the side. In a vest and his black pants he began to dance.
She was no expert but the arc of his feet, the poise he held himself in while his leg extended behind him in an arc, his arms thrown behind his head. Her mild surprise at his fit physique, he weren't no scrawny reject, he was lean, clearly muscled and beyond talented. She could tell he had extraordinary skill for a young boy. His face showed no strain or pressure, but strangely blissful, as he leapt around the room confidently, creating multiple pirouettes in the air and on the floor.
At the end of his 2 minute performance, he slid to the floor, his legs splayed artistically, his arm's open wide, the angle of the wrist, each detail was to a perfection. "That was amazing." Yoko sighed, she had been enthralled by the performance, unable to tear her eyes away...
"Indeed." Thespirit faded into view beside Joel, who was busy picking up his uniform to dress.
"Am I right, that you're exacting revenge on my time line because of his wasted talents?" Yoko asked bitterly, turning to the attractive duel spirit.
"Close...you're almost there." The spirit replied lightly, and faded away from view without so much as a hint. Yoko shook her head slowly in confusion, "Duel spirits...never say anything straight do they?" She questioned herself inwardly knowing the answer already.
Joel was now fully dressed as an Obelisk, he swept his hair out of his face into a side fringe, the slifer teenager widened her eyes. "He's not bad half looking! – If only for his bruises and that Zane." She spat his name out in venom. "He's not getting forgiven." Yoko snarled aloud lowly.
"Shall I let you hear his thoughts?" Cyber Tutu asked Yoko gently, quelling her initial flare of anger and disgust.
"Huh? Why would you do that?" Yoko asked suspiciously, turning to the spirit. "Rotton draw! – She knows what I think?"
"My apologies...his thoughts are only what I hear...our bond was unique." The monster said sadly, her expression down cast and her eyes averted.
"Are you trying to tell me he can see duel spirits?" Yoko asked briskly. She was determined to get answers before the spirit decided to fade.
"I will explain later..." The spirit whispered mystically, her gaze down towards the floor.
"No - you're staying here!" The teenager snapped at the monster, a furious look of determination etched on her face. Cyber Tutu looked up at her, her aquamarine eyes dull with sadness. Or Yoko assumed aquamarine, her head piece hid the true colour...Feeling a tad embarrassed at her outburst, the teenager remained silent, waiting for the reaction.
"You are still so young Yoko..." She murmured eventually. The Slifer was taken aback by the calm statement, but it was no answer for her question. As she opened her mouth to speak, the spirit faded away much to her annoyance,
"Grr...stupid spirit fading away again! Would it kill you to stop that once in a while?" Yoko thought moodily, looking up around the ceiling, half expecting the monster to return. Returning her gaze towards Joel, who had been staring at the foreboding make shift noose, her eyes felt as if they had been pierced with a blast of air. Blinking a few times hurriedly, she heard a small voice. Mad as it seemed...she span wildly on the spot searching from the source as the voice grew louder,
"Just jump up..." it said hoarsely.
"What?" Yoko exclaimed the hairs on her skin prickling apprehensively. The familiar voice grew louder, the words clear.
"If I just jump and hold it...it'll all be be over...no more Zane, no more taunts, no more pain...I don't have to see you suffer anymore my sweet-"
"My sweet?" Yoko thought hurriedly, "Who's this then?" Steeling herself not to think but to listen she heard more of the doleful thoughts.
"-we won't be bullied anymore. Your gracious beauty and emotions will be with me forever. I know you can hear me...I just wish to see you for one more time...You may weep over my choice, but I won't change it. I'll do something for myself for once...How am I supposed to be happy? Am I supposed to be happy? All I ever wanted... it all came with a price. Your love...my love...my life is the price."