Chapter 29
'I suppose I should thank you Catilin.'
'For what Tristan?'
'For not putting me on the same team as the Slut and the Prophet. One more second with them and I think I would have been about ready to blow my brains out.'
'Yeah, well I know from experience they can be a bit of a trip, but at least they don't mess me up like some of the others do.'
'Just how bad are they?' Joey frowned.
'You don't want to know.' Tristan sounded less than enthusiastic.
'They're not all bad you know,' Catilin giggled. 'I mean I know the Prophet thinks she knows it all and the Slut has some serious personal space issues but... well the more you get to know them the more you realise they're strangely perfect.'
'I'm not sure perfect is the right word.'
'No, but I don't think there is a better word for them,' Catilin tilted her head in thought. 'They were made to be together, whether they realise it or not, because they are each other.'
'What's that supposed to mean?'
'It doesn't matter.'
'Does anything when it comes to you?'
'You know you've got a lot to say for an invisible boy Tristan.' Joey shot a look into the space his friend was supposed to occupy. 'I thought the expression was seen but not heard, not heard but not seen.'
'That's not funny!'
'I know I just felt like saying it.'
'You know you could act with a bit more dignity Joey,' Catilin teased, 'you've got a good name to uphold.'
'What Joey Wheeler's a good name all of a sudden?' Tristan gave a strange half laugh.
'Not Joey Wheeler you nimrod.' Joey pulled himself up and tried to make himself appear more important than he felt. 'She means Veronie Lutoni.'
'Not quiet,' Catilin shook her head, 'I just meant Lutoni.'
'Same difference.'
'Not really.' Catilin's face filled with a sad smile as she examined him for a moment. 'In some ways you're so like Simüte was at your age and in other ways you're just worlds apart. Maybe it's a generational thing, a reflection of the world's you've both come from but... Simüte was something special, even amongst the Lutoni. You're not him, but you're not so different.'
'If you don't mind me asking, how do you know what Simüte was like?' Joey frowned. 'I mean, he died thousands of years ago, right?'
'When someone is Khined they retain certain memories from their previous incarnation. What those memories are depends on what the first incarnation thinks their descendent will need.'
'I see, so why don't I have any memories from my Khine. I mean, I was Khined from this Simüte guy, right?'
'What does Khine mean anyway?' Tristan sounded almost bored.
'Genetically identical incarnation.' Joey frowned at his own sudden burst of knowledge. 'Well technically it's just identical incarnation; the genetic part has been added as a later correction. It's basically the bringing back or repetition of the body.
'I see... I think...'
'So why don't I have any of Simüte's memories?' Joey repeated his question.
'You've only just woken up,' Catilin sounded wistful, 'and you've been a sleep for a long time so it'll take a while for everything to come back to you. In time you'll remember whatever it was Simüte wanted to pass on to you. I'm sure it'll be wicked cool; Simüte really was something extraordinary. They all were, Lillyannu, Simüte and Yoam. A history that time forgot.' She lowered her gaze. 'Mercy me, sa santero sacactone.'
'Huh, what does that mean?'
'What the sa santero sacactone?'
'Yeah.'
'It kind of sounds like the strange language the Prophet and the Slut were speaking.' Tristan jumped in before Catilin could answer. 'I think they called it Etean.'
'And you understood it?' Joey cocked an eyebrow.
'No they speak English too,' Catilin gave an amused half laugh, 'and I suppose what I said would sound very similar. I'm not too sure what it means if I'm being honest. I've been trying to learn, but it's hard to teach yourself Etean on your own. I understand maybe half a dozen words in all three versions.'
'There's more than one version?'
'Well yes and no. The languages are all basically the same, but there are little colloquialisms and stuff which makes them unique. It's kind of like the difference between American English and English English. Or someone speaking the Queens English and someone speaking Cockney.'
'So that is actually an English accent you have then?' Tristan sounded curious. 'I mean, you really are from England?'
'You thought my accent was fake?'
'We know so little about you, I wasn't sure if there was more to it than that.'
'Well I really am from England.' Catilin tilted her head to one side. 'Our people got more than a little spread out after the Disconnection... So much was lost. It's almost a pity our generation won't be the one.'
'The one for what?'
'To bring it all back Tristan,' Joey lowered his gaze. 'Our generation won't be the one to bring it all back.'
The Boy was filled with excitement as he stared down at the world from the top of the airship. It was an infectious kind of excitement and one which made Duke feel as though he were seeing it all for the first time again himself. Every second he spent with the Boy made him feel more and more alive. It was an unbelievable strength and energy which he couldn't let go of, not now, not ever. But it was more than that. Because the more time he spent with the Boy the less he thought of him as just a part person. How could anyone think of him as a part person? This child might not have a name, but he was just as real and just as alive as anyone else Duke had ever met.
Not that anyone else mattered; his whole world was just him and the Boy now. And the Boy needed a name...
The Boy studied Duke as he darted from one side to the other. His excitement was genuine, but his motives were not. A slim and satisfied smile pulled at the corner of his lips. He knew exactly what Duke was thinking; just like he knew exactly what all of them had been thinking. It was strange how quickly it had all come back to him. The thoughts. The feelings. Every minor detail shone like liquid gold inside his mind. This was his true self. This was what he was. Maybe it wasn't what he was made to be, but it was what he was none the less.
Mischief stirred within him as he stared down towards the ocean below. The drop was like no other he'd ever seen before; so what would happen if someone were to fall over it. He giggled as very uninnocent thoughts began to dart about his head. It had been a long time since his true nature had stirred within him. Too long. This was going to be fun.
They had just been walking along the corridor adjacent to the one the Kaibas' rooms were in, when Mokuba darted past them. There was a panic stricken look on his face and Téa felt a strange sense of urgency run through her stomach. Without checking with Serenity she took off after him. It might be nothing, but if there was even the slightest chance it had something to do with Duke...
Téa couldn't afford to take any chances. It didn't matter if all her actions did was cause the Kaibas to become annoyed, it's not like they weren't always annoyed anyway. The only thing which mattered to her was the fact several of her friends were in trouble. If there was anything she could do to help even one of them then... then to hell with all the consequences. Her friends were the most important thing in the world to her and nothing would ever change that.
The Slut and the Prophet weren't having any luck in their search. Although they were both more than aware of what the Boy was capable of, the Slut found herself uncharacteristically the more concerned of the two. The Prophet had become almost too fond of the Boy in the time he'd been under her care. The Slut had no doubt it was the way he emulated her which appealed so much. After all, there was very little in the whole multiverse the Prophet loved more than someone or something which stroked her ego.
Well that wasn't totally true. The Slut would have done just about anything for the Prophet, but all she ever got from her was rejection. They were made to be together. That was supposed to mean something, but the Prophet just couldn't see past their differences.
'We're not going to be the ones to find him you know.' The Slut gave a heavy sigh. 'You sense it too, right?'
'Ca pa Slut, you don't know.'
'You're wrong; the problem is I do know.' The Slut turned her gaze away. 'Just like I know you'll never see me the way I see you.'
'Ca pa Slut.'
'You don't even listen to what I'm saying, do you?'
'I said Ca pa Slut, we need to keep looking for him.'
'But we're not going to be the ones to find him.'
'I don't care. This is our mission and...'
'You were made to always stay focused on the mission.' The Slut sighed again. 'And I was made to be with you.'
Mai had wanted to help the others with their search, but her body was still weak and tired from her fight against the shadows. Every movement she made took a huge amount of effort and left her feeling almost completely drained. Her eyes turned towards Yugi, it was her self-appointed mission to keep an eye on him until the others came back. If he woke up from his trance before they returned she would be able to explain most of what was going on to him. If he remained as he was till they got back at least he wouldn't be alone.
Alone. There was something scary about the word; something which made Mai's insides knot. She closed her eyes and tried to think back to her rescue. A lot of information had been flowing around her even whilst she'd been trapped in the evil Marik's hourglass. She knew she heard Joey and the mysterious Catilin talking, but the details were little more than a hazy fog in her mind. A small amount of envy seeped through Mai's being as she wondered how Catilin had managed to work herself into the group with so little effort. How could she command Joey's attention so totally when they barely even knew each other? Mai gave a heavy and resentful sigh before opening her eyes.
'Veronie,' she formed the word carefully in her mouth. 'Veronie. What does that even mean anyway?' She sighed. 'Joey... how can you be so close and feel like a million miles away...?'
Mai shook the thoughts from her head and refocused her attention on Yugi. There was dullness to his eyes as he appeared to stare off into some far distance place. A part of Mai wished she could see what he was seeing. Whatever memories or events were playing out before him must be truly fascinating to keep him away for so long. Keep him away. A shudder crept along Mai's spine at her own mental choice of words. It didn't matter how important the things Yugi was seeing were, right now he was far away from them and that didn't sit right with her.
'Yugi...' the word came out of her mouth like a breath, 'I don't know what it is you're going through, but we really need you to come back.'
