Yuki
By: Rogue Fox
Part Ten. The Beginning of Genesis
You get used to seeing the world through someone else's eyes. You get used to letting them do all the hard stuff for you. You get used to being inactive most of the time. I certainly did. I got used to it fast. I had been in Yuki's head for no more than two weeks. But already, I was used to her and the situation. But today was different. I was pumped. I was ready. I had waited a whole millennium for this day. I had waited, remembering the entire while, even while I slept in the darkness, my father's lifeless face as they sealed his coffin, Nen leaping to protect me and then lying equally lifeless. I remembered all the crimes that had been committed against me and the people I loved. And I rejoiced. I rejoiced that today, those crimes would be paid for, paid in full. Today I would get my revenge. Today would be the realization of all my hopes and dreams and anger and hatred. Today, I would join my loved ones in the eternal bliss of the afterlife. Today, my brother and I would get what was so sorely owed to us.
Yuki was a buzzing ball of energy herself. She seemed to have dropped away that tired shell she had been the day before overnight. She enacted the emotions that I could not enact. Mai and Anzu were understanding to an extent, but how could they know? Yuki was ready for it to end, as was I. But I was looking for an ending different from hers. I would leave behind the girl I had become so attached to today. Today, I would set her free, and in the process, become free myself. I would finally shed the shackles of the curse that bound me to this world and soar away.
" What's going to happen today?" Anzu asked Yuki. Yuki waited patiently for me to answer, since she had no clue herself.
Nothing, I thought blissfully. And everything, all at once. I added. Yuki relayed my confusing answer and Mai told her in no uncertain terms that that was not a good answer. I just laughed. Life has no meaning to a dead person. So what did I have to lose?
*+*+*
I watched through Yugi's eyes as Honda and Jou wrestled. Kaiba stepped over them to the connected bathroom, which just happened to be what the two were fighting over. Kaiba had already slammed the door and locked it before the two realized that he had taken it.
" Hey! That's not fair!" Honda cried. Jou pounded on the door.
" Too bad. Should've thought of that before you started fighting." Kaiba called back. Jou called him a few names I'd had half a mind to call Kaiba before. " Oh, come on. Surely you can do better than that?" Kaiba asked from inside the bathroom. Jou fumed at him.
" Why you little." he growled.
They're just blowing off steam. Yugi told me, after noticing that I was watching them. I chuckled in our head.
I'd probably be over there with them if I was in control. I thought. You're the only one with any sense. I told him. I could feel a bit of heat coming up Yugi's neck. He always did this whenever anyone complimented him.
I don't have any more sense than anyone else here. he told me. And I'm just as nervous. he added. Are you leaving today? I mean, really leaving? Forever? Yugi asked me finally. I had been dreading that question, yet I knew it would come. And yet, as painful as it was, I had to answer him honestly. Or, as close as I could come.
Yes. No. I sighed mentally. Probably, my little friend. I'm afraid that I can't do any better than that. I told him. Yugi was silent for a few moments. I was unable to read his thoughts. Thoughts that aren't directed at someone are like the expressions you see on someone's face. Sometimes, especially when you know the person behind the expression as well as I know Yugi, you can read it immediately. Sometimes, it takes a minute to figure it out. And sometimes, it's impossible.
If you do go, I want you to know that living all alone in this head is going to be weird. I don't know what I'll do with myself without you always with me. Yugi thought. Although, a little more privacy would be a definite plus. he added with a mental laugh. I laughed as well, all though I was touched. It's kind of funny. No matter how hard you try to get rid of all those emotions, they just keep coming back. I figured I was probably sentimental because I was so close to the finish line.
It's been hard for you. I thought. I know it has.
What's been hard? Yugi asked.
Everything. The last. what? Over a year? The last year has been tough for you. I told him bluntly. Yugi cringed a little.
Well, yeah. It's a little hard to face up to the fact that there's an ancient spirit in your head, spending every waking moment with you, without dialing up the local asylum. But, it would have been a lot harder without you. he told me.
Then let's give you back your head. I said. I sensed a wave of helplessness from him. No, you can't help me. This is my fight, and I won't have you suffer for a mistake I made a millennia ago. I told him before he could ask. Again, a wave of helplessness. I had always been blunt and to the point with Yugi, because I had always felt he deserved that much, having this whole situation shoved on him like it was. He didn't ask for me to live in his head, hear his every thought, and know almost everything about him. So I felt like he deserved to know whatever I knew. Little friend, this is what I've always wanted, ever since you solved the Puzzle. To go home. You know I'll miss you, but it's not the end of the world. This is a chance for you as much as it for me. You can be a normal teenage guy again. I told him.
What if I don't want to be? Yugi asked me softly. As much as I thought I knew about him, he still managed to surprise me.
I thought. I mumbled mentally.
You thought that I still believe all those things I used to say when I first figured you out. Sure, it wasn't easy. It still isn't easy. But I'd trade being "normal" for having all my friends safe and near me any day. Yugi said.
You'd never be able to see that shrink Grandfather keeps suggesting. I cracked. I'm not very good at the whole humor thing. I used to be. I used to make Isis and Mariah laugh endlessly, make everyone I loved roll on the floor. But a millennia locked away in a shattered puzzle can do that to you. Soon, I'll be able to make them all laugh again. I thought, mostly to myself. If Yugi heard, he didn't comment on it. But this time, Yugi laughed, and his laughter soothed my nervousness. He was like Isis used to be to me. Calming.
Yeah. He'd say I have schizophrenia or DID, or something. he told me. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. The process of beating each other up while waiting for the bathroom to open up was halted. Kaiba, who had gotten out and was nearest to the door, opened it. It was one of the goons in black.
" The Boss wishes your presence. He said it is time for the dawn of a new age." The goon told us. Yugi peered over his shoulders to see three girls waiting for us. Anzu, looking concerned and too much like Mariah for my personal comfort, or for Yugi's. Mai, wearing a scowl and determined to look as threatening as possible. And Yuki, looking as cool as anyone could ever hope to be. I saw the cold twinkle in her eye that told me Isis was wide awake and ready for today. I reached with my soul across the distance and felt the meshing of souls that could only be described as twins.
Ready? I asked Isis, while Yugi asked Yuki the same question physically. Both girls grinned, or in Isis's case, gave off a mental signal that suggested a grin.
" Bring it on." They both said, laughing.
*+*+*
Once, a long time ago, my father told me that I was something special in the world. I was something that would make a difference. He said someday the world would be proud that I was born into it. I never really believed him. How could I be so special? I was just me, Yuki. I wasn't anyone special. I didn't have any special talents. I wasn't a great leader, I wasn't brave, I wasn't going to win the Noble Peace Prize, and I wasn't even all that pretty. As a matter of fact, I thought I was down right plain.
I was thinking a lot about my father and mother as the goons led us down another concrete corridor, just like all the others. I felt like I was smothering. I was buried alive. Edgar Allan Poe wrote a story about that once. About a man who buried his boss alive. The story raced through my head and I tried to chase it away. That was certainly the last thing I needed.
My mother was the brave and beautiful one. I didn't really look that much like her. She had wavy, beautiful, bright blonde hair and a smile like the world's best cheerleader. She was a cheerleader once, before she had me. She was going to compete on the college level, but I came along and she never got that far. She acted like a really good cheerleader, too, except not so perky. She was always happy, always smiling, always showing off those perfect teeth. When Papa died, she smiled a smile I had never seen before. I grew up really fast when I saw that terrible, heart-broken smile. But even though I knew she was hurting, she still held her head high and did everything to make her kids' life just as good as it had been, despite the fact that it was all slowly dwindling away. She kept that brave face up to her last breath, despite all the pain I knew she went though. I wanted so much to make my mom's pain just go away. If I had know that her pain was going to go away sooner than I had thought, maybe I wouldn't have been such a rebellious teenager. I was just being stupid, and I knew it. She didn't deserve to die. She was a great woman who loved her family and children and friends, who loved life and living. Out of all the evil, twisted people in the world like Pegasus, why do the truly good people have to die? I didn't realize I had tears running down my face until Seto wiped them away for me.
" Are you okay?" he asked.
" Yeah. I'm fine." I told him. He didn't believe me, but he left me alone. Himeko was silent, letting me reflect in my own rights.
When you realize that you've lost almost everyone you ever loved, you sort of start to get angry with them. And as much as I didn't want to admit it, I was angry with my parents. I was furious. How could they do this to me? Did they have any idea what kind of pain and trauma I was facing because they just up and died? I knew it wasn't fair of me. But I needed something to direct all my anger at. My head started to throb. I knew something big would happen today. Something that would change my life forever. This was the day that, in my father's eyes, the world would finally discover special little me. Excuse me for not leaping for joy. I didn't want to be a hero, or special. I just wanted what was left of my family back home, safe and sound. I wanted to go home with them and pick up the shattered pieces of my life and try to put it all back together. I wanted to cuddle up with Seto on the couch and not feel that strange feeling that had been plaguing me since I had seen him try to come to my aid when I was playing chess against Pegasus. I wanted my ignorance back. I wanted to forget all about the Millennium Items and Pegasus and all his goons. But it didn't look like that was going to happen. This first, I told myself as we were led into an utterly huge room, this first and then you get your wish.
So this is where he wants to hold the battle of the ages. Himeko muttered. I walked past the rest of the group, relieved to sense Yugi at my side. It felt right for me to be next to him, ready to fight by his side.
" We're here, Pegasus. And we're ready." Yugi called into the seemingly infinite darkness ahead of us.
" Oh, are you?" Pegasus answered, stepping from the shadows. " I'm afraid I have a little surprise for you. Your catalysts will fight with you." He said. I knew he was talking to Himeko and Yugi's dark side, but still, I felt the shock. This was their fight. Yugi and I were simply supposed to wait patiently inside our own heads until they were done. That was the deal.
" What are you talking about?" I asked. The question was mostly from Himeko.
" I'm talking about a separation spell." Pegasus said, raising his hand to us. The blast that hit me was astounding.
The most blinding pain I would ever know slammed over me. I could feel my bones twisting, breaking, and then resetting themselves as they formed from their own structure another set of bones. Then I could feel those new bones jab out from my skin, hear my skin rip and then make a strange "shlip" sound as it pieced itself together. My muscles and organs began the same breaking, twisting, ripping thing my bones had done, each part of my body forming a replica to serve another. It was like giving birth, I later decided, to an adult child without going through any term at all. My brain rattled and shook as Himeko echoed my cries of pain. Vaguely, I could hear Yugi as well. Then, instead of two physical voices and one mental, I heard four physical voices. Two men, one considerably deeper than the first, and another woman aside from me. Unable to stand anymore, I collapsed onto something soft and fleshy. My hands fell against bare skin and I forced myself up. Whoever I had landed on did the same. It was the strangest thing I had ever had happen to me. It was like looking in a mirror and knowing I really wasn't. I knew it was Himeko. I just knew it was. Suddenly, she reached out with her own hand and touched my hair.
" I never realized how much like me you look." She said. I sat there and stared dumbly. My mother's face flashed before my eyes. She looked like my mother! She had the same vibrant hair and slim, curvaceous form. There were differences, sure. My mom didn't have crimson and black bangs or red violet eyes. My mom certainly would never dream of wearing Himeko's outfit, which was the white skirt and top I had seen her wearing in our visions of the past. And my mom would never look so cold, uncaring. and dangerous. Swallowing the urge to call her something between "Mom," "Sister," and "Himeko," I pulled my head away from her and stood. She stood with me. I was undoubtedly taller, if only by a few inches. My head swung to Yugi, his safety prominent in my mind. I swear, I thought for a second I was seeing double. The first Yugi was the one I was most familiar with, the one who people said I resembled strongly. Short, always with a sweet expression. The one beside him, staring at him like he was a ghost, was taller, and his expression matched Himeko's better than mine, all though the resemblance was clear between all four of us. I was tallest, but the bigger Yugi was definitely the strongest. That much was clear to me, because he was wearing his Egyptian Pharaoh stuff and was thus shirtless.
" Hi, Yami." Yugi said, addressing his bigger self. Yami, I thought. Now I know his name. Himeko and Yami locked eyes and in a few seconds, they embraced each other ferociously. It must have been terrible for them both, the long separation. I glanced down at myself. I had magically donned the outfit what Himeko usually wore when she was in control. My outfit was similar to Yugi's, but I noted jealously that he had pants, while my legs were left bare. I glanced to Pegasus, noticing something crumpled at the floor beside him.
" That's not Pegasus. The real Pegasus is on the floor next to him. This is Nepano." Himeko muttered warningly. I wondered if she could still read my thoughts. " The separation spell goes both ways. It affects everyone harboring a spirit within a certain distance which is determined by the power of the user." She continued. I winced.
" You can stop sounding like a textbook now." I said. Despite the bravado I was putting on, I was very shaken. The pain left behind hollow echoes of itself in my head that I was not eager to dwell on. Plus, not having Himeko in my head was definitely odd. It felt so weird to be alone in my own head.
" I would like you to have a moment to greet an old friend, little Yugi." Nepano said, as two people stepped from the shadows. One was being dragged, the other walking confidently. I saw two young men, my age or so, with long, wild white hair. The one being dragged looked younger than the other.
" Ryou!" Yugi cried. The one being dragged looked up sharply, yanked his arm from the grasp of a goon in black and ran to us.
" Hello. Imagine running into you here." He said dryly.
" Couldn't you leave the extra baggage in the Shadow Realm where it belonged?" Yami asked crossly. The white-haired guy glanced back and forth between the two of them.
" Trust me, he'd still be there if I had a say about it." He said. Himeko and I stared on in puzzlement.
" Oh, Yuki, Himeko, this is Ryou Bakura. The guy up there is Yami Bakura. Ryou, the tall one is Yuki and the one in the scanty clothes is Himeko." Yugi said suddenly. I felt suddenly odd, like introductions were a little out of place.
" Hello." I said politely. Himeko barely glanced at him, turning all her attention to Nepano.
" Alright, enough games. Time to do this." She announced. " Dark Eternity!" she cried, hurling her ball of energy at Nepano, who cast it aside. " That was just a warning shot." Himeko called, but I didn't believe her and I don't think Nepano did either. Nepano ignored her.
" Do you know that I have almost all of the Millennium Items? My friend here," Nepano said, gesturing to Yami Bakura, who smiled maliciously. His smile sent shivers up my spine. " Was happy to donate his fair share to the cause. We only lack two. The Millennium Puzzle, and your little mystery, Yuki." Nepano said, smiling at me. Again, shivers up the spine. My hand instinctively went to my orb.
" I won't let you have it! You'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands!" I yelled, surprised at the anger pumping into my blood. Himeko gave me an appreciative look. I knew her very existence depended on that little orb. Yugi gripped his Puzzle similarly.
" That can be arranged for you, my dear." Nepano told me. I gave him a feral snarl. I didn't recognize this part of me. This was the angry, dark side of me that Himeko dragged out with her when she took control.
" Just try it. You made a mistake. Now, we outnumber you!" I told him. I could feel all my friends smile. So what if Pegasus had brought in Yami Bakura? There were four of us, five counting Ryou, and two of them.
" Three novices and two kids who never even got to complete their training versus two experts? That doesn't match up well at all." Yami Bakura said, his first words. I didn't like his voice. It was even creepier than his smile. I smiled at him. I thought maybe I was losing it.
" You remind me of the boogey man. You're creepy and scary to the sight and touch, but there's nothing real about you." I told him, imitating Himeko's voice as best I could.
" You'd do well not to make me mad, little girl." He told me. " You will learn fear today, little girl. Learn fear and tremble at the might which will be ours." He said.
" Not if we take it from you!" Yami shouted suddenly. He surprised me. I didn't think he would try to use my talk with Yami Bakura as an advantage. I should have. Himeko and Yami were prepared to do anything to get their revenge and prevent Nepano from using whatever sick plot he had. Yami didn't spare his breath on shouting an incantation. He just attacked. The air billowed around him and blew past Yugi, who dove out of the way. The force behind Yami's attack was devastating, and Nepano didn't stay to see how much so. He headed after Himeko and I, leaving his partner to take care of Yami and Yugi. I dove away, not eager to be caught in the middle of an exchange of energy blows. Instead, Yugi and I fell back, near to our group of friends. My thoughts were that if Nepano or Yami Bakura tried for them, I would defend them. Somehow. I was actually hoping that the knowledge would just come to me like it did before. I knew I was stronger now, Himeko had said so herself. So maybe.
I didn't see Nepano coming at me. All I knew was that he was there. At first, I thought he was going for my throat to choke me. But instead, he grabbed my orb, and pulled. Hard. I thrashed madly.
" Help!" I cried. The leather strap that bound the orb to my neck was digging into the back of my neck, pressing painfully against nerves and muscles. Why wasn't anyone coming to help me? It's so hot, I thought in a panic, it's stifling! I'm being roasted to death! I flailed again. My feet found Nepano's gut and I planted them firmly there, then pushed with all my might. The strain against my spinal cord was unbearable. I screamed in pain. Fortune was with me, for at that moment, Nepano lost his grip. I gasped on the ground where I had fallen, raising my head. Ryou lay on the ground with Anzu, Seto, and all my other friends. Yugi was in front of them, trying to differ stray energy waves. Yami and Yami Bakura were locked in a battle to the death, and it didn't look like the young man I had somehow labeled as "brother" was going to live. Himeko was pounding futilely at an invisible wall that separated her from Nepano and I. So that's why no one was coming. I stared. They all looked so helpless. So pale and scared. Even Yami, whose face was emotionless, had despair in his features. Everything was soundless to me because of the energy shield, but I could see their lips forming encouraging cries meant for Yugi and Yami, mostly. But Seto was watching me. I never learned how to read lips, but I knew he was trying to tell me something urgent. He was telling me to get up. Get up now. I pushed myself into a sitting position. Yami was tossed like a rag doll against Yugi. My breath was caught in my throat as Yami Bakura closed in for the kill. Utterly helpless. Yugi struggled up from under Yami's weight, but it was pointless. He didn't have the strength. Yami's lifeless body was pinning him down. Yami Bakura smiled and said something, but Yugi refused to respond. Helpless. The word kept ringing in my head. Helpless. Yami Bakura plucked the Millennium Puzzle off Yugi's neck. Instantly, Yami began to fade. Helpless. Yami awoke and cried out in terror. Even I could understand that for the first time, he knew fear. He didn't want to die yet. Not yet. Of course he desired death, but not before his work was finished. Helpless. Yugi was saying something to Yami, who I knew was dying. Yugi was helpless. They were all helpless. Even Himeko, as she ran to her brother's side, held his head in her lap, weeping. Helpless. Helpless as I watched my mom's eyes roll back in her head, her body convulsing in one final attempt at life as she died in my arms. Utterly helpless to stop her from leaving. Unable to save Yami. Helpless as I watched them haul my father's broken, bloody body from the twisted remains of his car. Helpless as Yami brushed away Himeko's tears. I knew he was telling her not to be afraid, even as the body Yugi had created for him faded away. Everyone was crying. Yami was a part of them as important as my brothers were to me. Helpless. Helpless. Helpless. No! NO! I won't be helpless anymore! I screamed in my head.
" NOOOOO! I WON'T!" I screamed, echoing my thoughts verbally. Then, Nepano grabbed the orb again. This time, the cord pressed against my airways, since he had grabbed it from behind me. " No." I managed to choke out. Yami couldn't die. The cord snapped and I was helpless. Helpless. Now Himeko too. She began to fade. Mom's eyes focused, unfocused, focused on me. Himeko looked at me sadly. Helpless. Dad's skull was bashed in. I could see his brain. Helpless. Yami gave Yugi and I a weak smile. No, I wasn't. Not this time. " Not this time. I won't let you take them away!" I cried. Then that feeling again. I had felt it before. Like I was floating. The power was incredible. It was uncontrollable, but I knew I had to control it. aim it at him. he caused it all. all the pain. all the helplessness. no more. Then I let it all fly, all that energy. Right at Nepano. And grabbed the orb. Then, the glow came. This warm, golden glow. All the Millennium Items came to me. Why me, I wondered. They circled around me, as though waiting for instructions. " What's your secret?" I wondered out loud. They began to circle faster, my own orb pulling from my grasp to join them. The Scales, the Eye, the Ring, and all the others. Whirling round and round. A bright light flashed. Something hard appeared in my hands. I looked down. A small, golden ornately decorated key was in my hands. I felt my feet touch ground and I looked around myself. Yami and Himeko were gone. I sank to my knees, the tears already beginning to flow. Helpless. I had been helpless after all.
" Yuki." someone breathed. It sounded like Yugi, but I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure of anything anymore.
" The Key of Ra. The little girl has the Key of Ra." Yami Bakura muttered. I sat there, silent and still, save for the tiny "plop" as my tears fell to the ground. A hand grabbed my shoulder.
" Yuki? Are you okay?" Seto said. I stared at the spot I had last seen them. Just like that, they were gone. Snuffed out like a candle in a storm.
" Yeah." I muttered. It was an automatic reaction, and I immediately corrected it. " No." I said. " No." I repeated. They must have felt so helpless. Helpless. just like me. " Himeko. Yami. I'm sorry. So sorry." I whispered. I had lost.
" She's got the Key of Ra! We have to get it!" Yami Bakura yelled. I didn't pay any attention to him. Instead I gripped the key in my hands and held it to my chest. This was all I had left. I heard the struggle behind me ensue, but I didn't care. How could I betray them like this?
" Yuki! Help!" Anzu screamed. They were fighting frantically to save their lives from the onslaught of Yami Bakura and Nepano.
" No." I murmured. I would not lose them too. The light returned, this time from the key. " I won't let you take them too!" I screamed. The rage, the sorrow, the fear, everything I had felt boiled over into one last, ferocious assault. I heard Nepano's dying screams, and those of Yami Bakura. My friends and I surrendered to the power of the light quietly. What was the point of fighting the inevitable? Past, present, even the future swirled together in my head. And then. I died.
Death is a marvelous and hideous thing. I felt like I was omnipresent. I was the walls, the floor, the ground beneath the floor. I was the very air. I was time itself. Then, I felt like I was being hurled through a great tunnel at terrible speeds. And then, I felt nothing. Blackness crept over me, and I knew only one word. One single word echoed across the barren, shattered reaches of my mind, uttered by my mother's voice.
" Helpless."
A/N: How was that? I think it was pretty good, if I do say so myself. The next part will be the last official part of Yuki. Then I'll probably do a epilogue, it all depends on how things turn out. After that, it's sequel time! Anyway, moral support is much appreciated, and if you don't have something nice to say, or constructive advice to give, keep your mouth shut! That's my mom's saying. ^_^ Well, thanks for reading!
By: Rogue Fox
Part Ten. The Beginning of Genesis
You get used to seeing the world through someone else's eyes. You get used to letting them do all the hard stuff for you. You get used to being inactive most of the time. I certainly did. I got used to it fast. I had been in Yuki's head for no more than two weeks. But already, I was used to her and the situation. But today was different. I was pumped. I was ready. I had waited a whole millennium for this day. I had waited, remembering the entire while, even while I slept in the darkness, my father's lifeless face as they sealed his coffin, Nen leaping to protect me and then lying equally lifeless. I remembered all the crimes that had been committed against me and the people I loved. And I rejoiced. I rejoiced that today, those crimes would be paid for, paid in full. Today I would get my revenge. Today would be the realization of all my hopes and dreams and anger and hatred. Today, I would join my loved ones in the eternal bliss of the afterlife. Today, my brother and I would get what was so sorely owed to us.
Yuki was a buzzing ball of energy herself. She seemed to have dropped away that tired shell she had been the day before overnight. She enacted the emotions that I could not enact. Mai and Anzu were understanding to an extent, but how could they know? Yuki was ready for it to end, as was I. But I was looking for an ending different from hers. I would leave behind the girl I had become so attached to today. Today, I would set her free, and in the process, become free myself. I would finally shed the shackles of the curse that bound me to this world and soar away.
" What's going to happen today?" Anzu asked Yuki. Yuki waited patiently for me to answer, since she had no clue herself.
Nothing, I thought blissfully. And everything, all at once. I added. Yuki relayed my confusing answer and Mai told her in no uncertain terms that that was not a good answer. I just laughed. Life has no meaning to a dead person. So what did I have to lose?
*+*+*
I watched through Yugi's eyes as Honda and Jou wrestled. Kaiba stepped over them to the connected bathroom, which just happened to be what the two were fighting over. Kaiba had already slammed the door and locked it before the two realized that he had taken it.
" Hey! That's not fair!" Honda cried. Jou pounded on the door.
" Too bad. Should've thought of that before you started fighting." Kaiba called back. Jou called him a few names I'd had half a mind to call Kaiba before. " Oh, come on. Surely you can do better than that?" Kaiba asked from inside the bathroom. Jou fumed at him.
" Why you little." he growled.
They're just blowing off steam. Yugi told me, after noticing that I was watching them. I chuckled in our head.
I'd probably be over there with them if I was in control. I thought. You're the only one with any sense. I told him. I could feel a bit of heat coming up Yugi's neck. He always did this whenever anyone complimented him.
I don't have any more sense than anyone else here. he told me. And I'm just as nervous. he added. Are you leaving today? I mean, really leaving? Forever? Yugi asked me finally. I had been dreading that question, yet I knew it would come. And yet, as painful as it was, I had to answer him honestly. Or, as close as I could come.
Yes. No. I sighed mentally. Probably, my little friend. I'm afraid that I can't do any better than that. I told him. Yugi was silent for a few moments. I was unable to read his thoughts. Thoughts that aren't directed at someone are like the expressions you see on someone's face. Sometimes, especially when you know the person behind the expression as well as I know Yugi, you can read it immediately. Sometimes, it takes a minute to figure it out. And sometimes, it's impossible.
If you do go, I want you to know that living all alone in this head is going to be weird. I don't know what I'll do with myself without you always with me. Yugi thought. Although, a little more privacy would be a definite plus. he added with a mental laugh. I laughed as well, all though I was touched. It's kind of funny. No matter how hard you try to get rid of all those emotions, they just keep coming back. I figured I was probably sentimental because I was so close to the finish line.
It's been hard for you. I thought. I know it has.
What's been hard? Yugi asked.
Everything. The last. what? Over a year? The last year has been tough for you. I told him bluntly. Yugi cringed a little.
Well, yeah. It's a little hard to face up to the fact that there's an ancient spirit in your head, spending every waking moment with you, without dialing up the local asylum. But, it would have been a lot harder without you. he told me.
Then let's give you back your head. I said. I sensed a wave of helplessness from him. No, you can't help me. This is my fight, and I won't have you suffer for a mistake I made a millennia ago. I told him before he could ask. Again, a wave of helplessness. I had always been blunt and to the point with Yugi, because I had always felt he deserved that much, having this whole situation shoved on him like it was. He didn't ask for me to live in his head, hear his every thought, and know almost everything about him. So I felt like he deserved to know whatever I knew. Little friend, this is what I've always wanted, ever since you solved the Puzzle. To go home. You know I'll miss you, but it's not the end of the world. This is a chance for you as much as it for me. You can be a normal teenage guy again. I told him.
What if I don't want to be? Yugi asked me softly. As much as I thought I knew about him, he still managed to surprise me.
I thought. I mumbled mentally.
You thought that I still believe all those things I used to say when I first figured you out. Sure, it wasn't easy. It still isn't easy. But I'd trade being "normal" for having all my friends safe and near me any day. Yugi said.
You'd never be able to see that shrink Grandfather keeps suggesting. I cracked. I'm not very good at the whole humor thing. I used to be. I used to make Isis and Mariah laugh endlessly, make everyone I loved roll on the floor. But a millennia locked away in a shattered puzzle can do that to you. Soon, I'll be able to make them all laugh again. I thought, mostly to myself. If Yugi heard, he didn't comment on it. But this time, Yugi laughed, and his laughter soothed my nervousness. He was like Isis used to be to me. Calming.
Yeah. He'd say I have schizophrenia or DID, or something. he told me. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. The process of beating each other up while waiting for the bathroom to open up was halted. Kaiba, who had gotten out and was nearest to the door, opened it. It was one of the goons in black.
" The Boss wishes your presence. He said it is time for the dawn of a new age." The goon told us. Yugi peered over his shoulders to see three girls waiting for us. Anzu, looking concerned and too much like Mariah for my personal comfort, or for Yugi's. Mai, wearing a scowl and determined to look as threatening as possible. And Yuki, looking as cool as anyone could ever hope to be. I saw the cold twinkle in her eye that told me Isis was wide awake and ready for today. I reached with my soul across the distance and felt the meshing of souls that could only be described as twins.
Ready? I asked Isis, while Yugi asked Yuki the same question physically. Both girls grinned, or in Isis's case, gave off a mental signal that suggested a grin.
" Bring it on." They both said, laughing.
*+*+*
Once, a long time ago, my father told me that I was something special in the world. I was something that would make a difference. He said someday the world would be proud that I was born into it. I never really believed him. How could I be so special? I was just me, Yuki. I wasn't anyone special. I didn't have any special talents. I wasn't a great leader, I wasn't brave, I wasn't going to win the Noble Peace Prize, and I wasn't even all that pretty. As a matter of fact, I thought I was down right plain.
I was thinking a lot about my father and mother as the goons led us down another concrete corridor, just like all the others. I felt like I was smothering. I was buried alive. Edgar Allan Poe wrote a story about that once. About a man who buried his boss alive. The story raced through my head and I tried to chase it away. That was certainly the last thing I needed.
My mother was the brave and beautiful one. I didn't really look that much like her. She had wavy, beautiful, bright blonde hair and a smile like the world's best cheerleader. She was a cheerleader once, before she had me. She was going to compete on the college level, but I came along and she never got that far. She acted like a really good cheerleader, too, except not so perky. She was always happy, always smiling, always showing off those perfect teeth. When Papa died, she smiled a smile I had never seen before. I grew up really fast when I saw that terrible, heart-broken smile. But even though I knew she was hurting, she still held her head high and did everything to make her kids' life just as good as it had been, despite the fact that it was all slowly dwindling away. She kept that brave face up to her last breath, despite all the pain I knew she went though. I wanted so much to make my mom's pain just go away. If I had know that her pain was going to go away sooner than I had thought, maybe I wouldn't have been such a rebellious teenager. I was just being stupid, and I knew it. She didn't deserve to die. She was a great woman who loved her family and children and friends, who loved life and living. Out of all the evil, twisted people in the world like Pegasus, why do the truly good people have to die? I didn't realize I had tears running down my face until Seto wiped them away for me.
" Are you okay?" he asked.
" Yeah. I'm fine." I told him. He didn't believe me, but he left me alone. Himeko was silent, letting me reflect in my own rights.
When you realize that you've lost almost everyone you ever loved, you sort of start to get angry with them. And as much as I didn't want to admit it, I was angry with my parents. I was furious. How could they do this to me? Did they have any idea what kind of pain and trauma I was facing because they just up and died? I knew it wasn't fair of me. But I needed something to direct all my anger at. My head started to throb. I knew something big would happen today. Something that would change my life forever. This was the day that, in my father's eyes, the world would finally discover special little me. Excuse me for not leaping for joy. I didn't want to be a hero, or special. I just wanted what was left of my family back home, safe and sound. I wanted to go home with them and pick up the shattered pieces of my life and try to put it all back together. I wanted to cuddle up with Seto on the couch and not feel that strange feeling that had been plaguing me since I had seen him try to come to my aid when I was playing chess against Pegasus. I wanted my ignorance back. I wanted to forget all about the Millennium Items and Pegasus and all his goons. But it didn't look like that was going to happen. This first, I told myself as we were led into an utterly huge room, this first and then you get your wish.
So this is where he wants to hold the battle of the ages. Himeko muttered. I walked past the rest of the group, relieved to sense Yugi at my side. It felt right for me to be next to him, ready to fight by his side.
" We're here, Pegasus. And we're ready." Yugi called into the seemingly infinite darkness ahead of us.
" Oh, are you?" Pegasus answered, stepping from the shadows. " I'm afraid I have a little surprise for you. Your catalysts will fight with you." He said. I knew he was talking to Himeko and Yugi's dark side, but still, I felt the shock. This was their fight. Yugi and I were simply supposed to wait patiently inside our own heads until they were done. That was the deal.
" What are you talking about?" I asked. The question was mostly from Himeko.
" I'm talking about a separation spell." Pegasus said, raising his hand to us. The blast that hit me was astounding.
The most blinding pain I would ever know slammed over me. I could feel my bones twisting, breaking, and then resetting themselves as they formed from their own structure another set of bones. Then I could feel those new bones jab out from my skin, hear my skin rip and then make a strange "shlip" sound as it pieced itself together. My muscles and organs began the same breaking, twisting, ripping thing my bones had done, each part of my body forming a replica to serve another. It was like giving birth, I later decided, to an adult child without going through any term at all. My brain rattled and shook as Himeko echoed my cries of pain. Vaguely, I could hear Yugi as well. Then, instead of two physical voices and one mental, I heard four physical voices. Two men, one considerably deeper than the first, and another woman aside from me. Unable to stand anymore, I collapsed onto something soft and fleshy. My hands fell against bare skin and I forced myself up. Whoever I had landed on did the same. It was the strangest thing I had ever had happen to me. It was like looking in a mirror and knowing I really wasn't. I knew it was Himeko. I just knew it was. Suddenly, she reached out with her own hand and touched my hair.
" I never realized how much like me you look." She said. I sat there and stared dumbly. My mother's face flashed before my eyes. She looked like my mother! She had the same vibrant hair and slim, curvaceous form. There were differences, sure. My mom didn't have crimson and black bangs or red violet eyes. My mom certainly would never dream of wearing Himeko's outfit, which was the white skirt and top I had seen her wearing in our visions of the past. And my mom would never look so cold, uncaring. and dangerous. Swallowing the urge to call her something between "Mom," "Sister," and "Himeko," I pulled my head away from her and stood. She stood with me. I was undoubtedly taller, if only by a few inches. My head swung to Yugi, his safety prominent in my mind. I swear, I thought for a second I was seeing double. The first Yugi was the one I was most familiar with, the one who people said I resembled strongly. Short, always with a sweet expression. The one beside him, staring at him like he was a ghost, was taller, and his expression matched Himeko's better than mine, all though the resemblance was clear between all four of us. I was tallest, but the bigger Yugi was definitely the strongest. That much was clear to me, because he was wearing his Egyptian Pharaoh stuff and was thus shirtless.
" Hi, Yami." Yugi said, addressing his bigger self. Yami, I thought. Now I know his name. Himeko and Yami locked eyes and in a few seconds, they embraced each other ferociously. It must have been terrible for them both, the long separation. I glanced down at myself. I had magically donned the outfit what Himeko usually wore when she was in control. My outfit was similar to Yugi's, but I noted jealously that he had pants, while my legs were left bare. I glanced to Pegasus, noticing something crumpled at the floor beside him.
" That's not Pegasus. The real Pegasus is on the floor next to him. This is Nepano." Himeko muttered warningly. I wondered if she could still read my thoughts. " The separation spell goes both ways. It affects everyone harboring a spirit within a certain distance which is determined by the power of the user." She continued. I winced.
" You can stop sounding like a textbook now." I said. Despite the bravado I was putting on, I was very shaken. The pain left behind hollow echoes of itself in my head that I was not eager to dwell on. Plus, not having Himeko in my head was definitely odd. It felt so weird to be alone in my own head.
" I would like you to have a moment to greet an old friend, little Yugi." Nepano said, as two people stepped from the shadows. One was being dragged, the other walking confidently. I saw two young men, my age or so, with long, wild white hair. The one being dragged looked younger than the other.
" Ryou!" Yugi cried. The one being dragged looked up sharply, yanked his arm from the grasp of a goon in black and ran to us.
" Hello. Imagine running into you here." He said dryly.
" Couldn't you leave the extra baggage in the Shadow Realm where it belonged?" Yami asked crossly. The white-haired guy glanced back and forth between the two of them.
" Trust me, he'd still be there if I had a say about it." He said. Himeko and I stared on in puzzlement.
" Oh, Yuki, Himeko, this is Ryou Bakura. The guy up there is Yami Bakura. Ryou, the tall one is Yuki and the one in the scanty clothes is Himeko." Yugi said suddenly. I felt suddenly odd, like introductions were a little out of place.
" Hello." I said politely. Himeko barely glanced at him, turning all her attention to Nepano.
" Alright, enough games. Time to do this." She announced. " Dark Eternity!" she cried, hurling her ball of energy at Nepano, who cast it aside. " That was just a warning shot." Himeko called, but I didn't believe her and I don't think Nepano did either. Nepano ignored her.
" Do you know that I have almost all of the Millennium Items? My friend here," Nepano said, gesturing to Yami Bakura, who smiled maliciously. His smile sent shivers up my spine. " Was happy to donate his fair share to the cause. We only lack two. The Millennium Puzzle, and your little mystery, Yuki." Nepano said, smiling at me. Again, shivers up the spine. My hand instinctively went to my orb.
" I won't let you have it! You'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands!" I yelled, surprised at the anger pumping into my blood. Himeko gave me an appreciative look. I knew her very existence depended on that little orb. Yugi gripped his Puzzle similarly.
" That can be arranged for you, my dear." Nepano told me. I gave him a feral snarl. I didn't recognize this part of me. This was the angry, dark side of me that Himeko dragged out with her when she took control.
" Just try it. You made a mistake. Now, we outnumber you!" I told him. I could feel all my friends smile. So what if Pegasus had brought in Yami Bakura? There were four of us, five counting Ryou, and two of them.
" Three novices and two kids who never even got to complete their training versus two experts? That doesn't match up well at all." Yami Bakura said, his first words. I didn't like his voice. It was even creepier than his smile. I smiled at him. I thought maybe I was losing it.
" You remind me of the boogey man. You're creepy and scary to the sight and touch, but there's nothing real about you." I told him, imitating Himeko's voice as best I could.
" You'd do well not to make me mad, little girl." He told me. " You will learn fear today, little girl. Learn fear and tremble at the might which will be ours." He said.
" Not if we take it from you!" Yami shouted suddenly. He surprised me. I didn't think he would try to use my talk with Yami Bakura as an advantage. I should have. Himeko and Yami were prepared to do anything to get their revenge and prevent Nepano from using whatever sick plot he had. Yami didn't spare his breath on shouting an incantation. He just attacked. The air billowed around him and blew past Yugi, who dove out of the way. The force behind Yami's attack was devastating, and Nepano didn't stay to see how much so. He headed after Himeko and I, leaving his partner to take care of Yami and Yugi. I dove away, not eager to be caught in the middle of an exchange of energy blows. Instead, Yugi and I fell back, near to our group of friends. My thoughts were that if Nepano or Yami Bakura tried for them, I would defend them. Somehow. I was actually hoping that the knowledge would just come to me like it did before. I knew I was stronger now, Himeko had said so herself. So maybe.
I didn't see Nepano coming at me. All I knew was that he was there. At first, I thought he was going for my throat to choke me. But instead, he grabbed my orb, and pulled. Hard. I thrashed madly.
" Help!" I cried. The leather strap that bound the orb to my neck was digging into the back of my neck, pressing painfully against nerves and muscles. Why wasn't anyone coming to help me? It's so hot, I thought in a panic, it's stifling! I'm being roasted to death! I flailed again. My feet found Nepano's gut and I planted them firmly there, then pushed with all my might. The strain against my spinal cord was unbearable. I screamed in pain. Fortune was with me, for at that moment, Nepano lost his grip. I gasped on the ground where I had fallen, raising my head. Ryou lay on the ground with Anzu, Seto, and all my other friends. Yugi was in front of them, trying to differ stray energy waves. Yami and Yami Bakura were locked in a battle to the death, and it didn't look like the young man I had somehow labeled as "brother" was going to live. Himeko was pounding futilely at an invisible wall that separated her from Nepano and I. So that's why no one was coming. I stared. They all looked so helpless. So pale and scared. Even Yami, whose face was emotionless, had despair in his features. Everything was soundless to me because of the energy shield, but I could see their lips forming encouraging cries meant for Yugi and Yami, mostly. But Seto was watching me. I never learned how to read lips, but I knew he was trying to tell me something urgent. He was telling me to get up. Get up now. I pushed myself into a sitting position. Yami was tossed like a rag doll against Yugi. My breath was caught in my throat as Yami Bakura closed in for the kill. Utterly helpless. Yugi struggled up from under Yami's weight, but it was pointless. He didn't have the strength. Yami's lifeless body was pinning him down. Yami Bakura smiled and said something, but Yugi refused to respond. Helpless. The word kept ringing in my head. Helpless. Yami Bakura plucked the Millennium Puzzle off Yugi's neck. Instantly, Yami began to fade. Helpless. Yami awoke and cried out in terror. Even I could understand that for the first time, he knew fear. He didn't want to die yet. Not yet. Of course he desired death, but not before his work was finished. Helpless. Yugi was saying something to Yami, who I knew was dying. Yugi was helpless. They were all helpless. Even Himeko, as she ran to her brother's side, held his head in her lap, weeping. Helpless. Helpless as I watched my mom's eyes roll back in her head, her body convulsing in one final attempt at life as she died in my arms. Utterly helpless to stop her from leaving. Unable to save Yami. Helpless as I watched them haul my father's broken, bloody body from the twisted remains of his car. Helpless as Yami brushed away Himeko's tears. I knew he was telling her not to be afraid, even as the body Yugi had created for him faded away. Everyone was crying. Yami was a part of them as important as my brothers were to me. Helpless. Helpless. Helpless. No! NO! I won't be helpless anymore! I screamed in my head.
" NOOOOO! I WON'T!" I screamed, echoing my thoughts verbally. Then, Nepano grabbed the orb again. This time, the cord pressed against my airways, since he had grabbed it from behind me. " No." I managed to choke out. Yami couldn't die. The cord snapped and I was helpless. Helpless. Now Himeko too. She began to fade. Mom's eyes focused, unfocused, focused on me. Himeko looked at me sadly. Helpless. Dad's skull was bashed in. I could see his brain. Helpless. Yami gave Yugi and I a weak smile. No, I wasn't. Not this time. " Not this time. I won't let you take them away!" I cried. Then that feeling again. I had felt it before. Like I was floating. The power was incredible. It was uncontrollable, but I knew I had to control it. aim it at him. he caused it all. all the pain. all the helplessness. no more. Then I let it all fly, all that energy. Right at Nepano. And grabbed the orb. Then, the glow came. This warm, golden glow. All the Millennium Items came to me. Why me, I wondered. They circled around me, as though waiting for instructions. " What's your secret?" I wondered out loud. They began to circle faster, my own orb pulling from my grasp to join them. The Scales, the Eye, the Ring, and all the others. Whirling round and round. A bright light flashed. Something hard appeared in my hands. I looked down. A small, golden ornately decorated key was in my hands. I felt my feet touch ground and I looked around myself. Yami and Himeko were gone. I sank to my knees, the tears already beginning to flow. Helpless. I had been helpless after all.
" Yuki." someone breathed. It sounded like Yugi, but I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure of anything anymore.
" The Key of Ra. The little girl has the Key of Ra." Yami Bakura muttered. I sat there, silent and still, save for the tiny "plop" as my tears fell to the ground. A hand grabbed my shoulder.
" Yuki? Are you okay?" Seto said. I stared at the spot I had last seen them. Just like that, they were gone. Snuffed out like a candle in a storm.
" Yeah." I muttered. It was an automatic reaction, and I immediately corrected it. " No." I said. " No." I repeated. They must have felt so helpless. Helpless. just like me. " Himeko. Yami. I'm sorry. So sorry." I whispered. I had lost.
" She's got the Key of Ra! We have to get it!" Yami Bakura yelled. I didn't pay any attention to him. Instead I gripped the key in my hands and held it to my chest. This was all I had left. I heard the struggle behind me ensue, but I didn't care. How could I betray them like this?
" Yuki! Help!" Anzu screamed. They were fighting frantically to save their lives from the onslaught of Yami Bakura and Nepano.
" No." I murmured. I would not lose them too. The light returned, this time from the key. " I won't let you take them too!" I screamed. The rage, the sorrow, the fear, everything I had felt boiled over into one last, ferocious assault. I heard Nepano's dying screams, and those of Yami Bakura. My friends and I surrendered to the power of the light quietly. What was the point of fighting the inevitable? Past, present, even the future swirled together in my head. And then. I died.
Death is a marvelous and hideous thing. I felt like I was omnipresent. I was the walls, the floor, the ground beneath the floor. I was the very air. I was time itself. Then, I felt like I was being hurled through a great tunnel at terrible speeds. And then, I felt nothing. Blackness crept over me, and I knew only one word. One single word echoed across the barren, shattered reaches of my mind, uttered by my mother's voice.
" Helpless."
A/N: How was that? I think it was pretty good, if I do say so myself. The next part will be the last official part of Yuki. Then I'll probably do a epilogue, it all depends on how things turn out. After that, it's sequel time! Anyway, moral support is much appreciated, and if you don't have something nice to say, or constructive advice to give, keep your mouth shut! That's my mom's saying. ^_^ Well, thanks for reading!