The Sky Sage: Guys, I'm back!
-Dodges the rotten fruit and vegetable thrown at her-
... I deserve that.
I'm sorry I went missing. Story is long and, if I can be totally honest, I haven't been feeling too good. Couple this with the fact that I know that Battle City is going to be an absolute clusterfuck because things NEVER go as planned and this is as close to war as you can get with this series – I'm not going to lie, if I liked Battle City before, this made me terrified of it – and it's definitely not looking good. So please, be patient. These chapters are tough to write and hit me right in the gut.
The Butterfly Effect
Chapter LI: The Amends
Lucid dreaming.
Lucid. Dreaming.
Lucid. Fucking. Dreaming.
I gave myself a headache trying to do the exercises that Shadi gave me and the little sleep I got from it. My brother, my accepting big brother who was super kind and caring looked at me like I'd grown a second head overnight after asking him if I could go to the library to do some research on the subject. My mother, my gentle and caring mother looked worried as we left for the library, telling her we'd be back before sunset with our homework for Monday done.
All of this before the librarian had the audacity of asking me if I was simply looking for dream meanings and, if so, I should go look at a bookstore for such eccentricities.
I wanted to strangle Shadi. I wanted to write lucid dream on a goddamn rope and choke him and his idea of it being the next step of meditation with it. He said it would be easy. He said that I would have no problem moving onto lucid dreaming because part of me was already set to meet the monsters that invaded my dreams and talk to them.
He said nothing about the boogeyman equivalent that woke me up with a scream every time I tried.
Yep. I was now having night terrors. Every time I'd go to sleep trying to have a lucid dream, I'd actually fall asleep and wake up without remembering a thing because I was too goddamn exhausted, or something, something had decided it was more fun to freak me out than actually give me access to the dreams I wanted to get to.
And as if that wasn't enough, Yuugi decided to spring one on me Wednesday afternoon, asking if we could talk because my brother was worried about me. So I not only had to deal with terrors at night but the real possible threat of dealing with an irate Yami because I was now playing in his field along with unwillingly hiding information because, if I didn't, Kaiba would probably skin me alive.
...
... If you can't tell that I wasn't getting the best sleep, what planet are you from?
And if Yuugi couldn't tell, it certainly didn't explain why one, he chose the exact same cafe we talked at the first time – I was having deja-vu moments the entire time, even to the moment I took my seat to wait for him – and two, why, when he arrived, he went straight to the counter, bought two hot drinks, and set one in front of me without a word, probably hoping for me to take a sip.
... Hot chocolate. If Yuugi didn't know something was up, he was doing a poor show of it.
"Sorry, it's not coffee. I doubt your stomach could handle it, right now."
... A really, really poor show of it.
"What did big brother tell you?"
"Told me you were making even less sense than during Duelist Kingdom. He looked upset. Is there something you're not telling him?"
So I was glad he was honest, and let me simply shake my head before I went for another sip. I had had some tea before he arrived – green, hot – but turning down a drink from Yuugi would be the equivalent of kicking a puppy. I was not the one who'd make him cry, irritated or not.
... And maybe it was time to talk to the group about the insanity. I couldn't solve this, not on my own. I needed help.
"You know we're here for you, right? Jonouchi asked Honda if you were okay, and Anzu's worried."
But with everything coming up on Yuugi's plate...
Deflect and absorb? Or just lay everything on the table?
"And not only that, but Yami's been badgering at me for this. I'm pretty sure he thinks this might help make things even between the both of you."
... Lay it. Lay it all.
"Shadi didn't leave."
"... Huh?"
"Shadi's still around. He's been around since I woke up and he's... been helping me meditate. He saw something when he went to save my life, and he – he thinks it wants me or something I have, most likely me. It was confirmed only recently which is why I didn't share before. Didn't help that you were always in the center of everything that goes bad. I honestly didn't want to drag you into my problems more than I already have. I've – I've made a mess of things already and I – with the tournament on its way and you having to prepare for it, I didn't think – I didn't want... I'm sorry..." I blurted out, covering my face. Way to go, Megumi. That was very comprehensive.
"... What?"
See what did I tell you? Talk slowly, you nitwit. From the top.
... This was uncomfortable.
I took a breath, released it, and spoke while reaching into my purse I had put on the back of the chair, pulling out the notebook that I still hadn't put away. That I probably wouldn't put away until this entire story was done, "When Shadi saved my life, he saw something in my soul. He won't say what, but I'm pretty sure it's something that connects to the dreams I had while I was... recovering, for lack of a better word. At the time, I thought about it and hoped to find an answer because the dreams were vivid and always took place in the same place, just a different area of it, but I set it aside went the fire happened, along with my research for the truth. You were hurt, and I couldn't handle the idea that, every time I said something along the lines of "I have a bad feeling", something happened to you. So I decided to concentrate on helping you, on making sure you were safe.
"Unfortunately, you threw that idea out the window without even knowing. You asked me to talk to Yami and reassure him, leading me to show him what I remembered of a past that's half erased from my mind. That took us to the Museum where we met Miss Isthar and took me a whole lot further than I think any of us would have intended that Friday after, when Kaiba saw the fact that I was taking notes."
"... Megumi... I'm so sorry."
I shook my head at the look of discomfiture on Yuugi's face, continuing, "It's fine. I don't think Mokuba or I could have prepared for the fact that he snatched my notes and the things he showed me after. He learned something then baited me into working with him. You know how he is. I learned a lot of useful things, though, and I think I got no choice but to share if I want my current situation to make sense."
"Go ahead, then. I'm listening."
"Mind if I set up something, first?"
I watched him smile.
"Sure."
And opened up the notebook, taking out two of the three fillers before opening them, the first opened on Miss Ishtar's page and the second set on the dreams and the monsters inside it. This was it. The explanation.
... I could only feel glad for the sudden confidence as I pointed to the notes of Miss Isthar.
"This is what Kaiba saw."
