Wow, I must say, this fic is really successful for a first timer! Well, some people might have gotten way more reviews that I'll ever have, but still, thanks to all those people who reviewed. However, I learned one thing. Never post up the next chapter at really obscure times, otherwise everyone'll miss the update.
Background information… The history of this fic!: Just for the people who wondered how I got such an 'original idea' (is it really that original?). (I've put this in my profile) One day, my friend Gin Ryu-chan brought up a conversation, wondering what we (Gingko-chan was there too) thought was the weirdest couple (in general). Well, I just so happened to be gawking out the window, staring at a tree, so I came up with the coupling Yugi and a tree! Yes well.
I know, I like bringing up my friends in my notes, but hey, I'm like that!
Anyways, this chapter is /probably/ going to be the last. Most likely. I hope to make it over the 50 point mark in terms of reviews… I need at /least/ 4 more reviews.
Disclaimer: Unless I suddenly won the lottery or something and bought it, uh, no. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, nor will I ever.
Summary: Yami is currently facing the facts: whether or not to tell Yugi and live forever with his light obsessing over a tree, or override his guilty conscience and not tell Yugi Sakura's whereabouts.
The Final Chapter of the Tree Ordeal
~~//~~
Short Recap:
"Th – ther – there was a forest fire in the park! The park is on fire! Sakura's there!"
***
I didn't know what to say. To immediately tell Yugi that I accidentally wiped his memory, and that Sakura was safely situated in private property, or to just keep my mouth shut for a few moments.
"Yugi… I'm so sorry. I offer my condolences…" I said slowly.
He looked up, eyes still wet with tears. "We have to go NOW! We need to see if she's still there!"
Sighing, I got up, accompanying Yugi to the park.
Once we were there, we finally got to see how the park was an utter mess. All it was now was a blackened dump, with charred stumps, playgrounds and benches. Yugi pushed past all the firemen and officials, running to the place Sakura was supposedly.
After a few quick surveys, Yugi dropped to his knees, wailing.
"There's absolutely no trace of her! Not even her stump is here! Oh Gods, why did you have to take her away from me?!"
I rolled my eyes, despite the situation Yugi was in. Now don't get me wrong – I don't think he's the stupidest creature on the planet Earth – but he just acts so naïve and innocent sometimes it's sickening.
Pulling Yugi up to his feet, I nudged him gently in the direction to where all his friends were standing – Joey, Tristan, Tea, Bakura, Mai, Seto and Mokuba. Taking one good look at Yugi, they obviously figured something was wrong (oh, how observant) and immediately began trying to comfort him (you people aren't helping, actually).
"Whas' the matter, Yug? I know the park was set on fire and everything, and I know you love nature, but is it /that/ big of a deal?" Joey said, placing his hands on Yugi's shoulders.
"Y – You don't understand…" He stuttered, voice and body racking with sobs. "Sakura was there… She's gone…"
Joey was as sympathetic as any best friend would be. Despite the fact he barely got the fact Yugi fell in love with a tree, he did eventually find out. "It's ok Yug. Maybe… she's in a better place! Yeah!"
Tristan looked confused. "Mind filling me in on what happened here?"
Joey quickly pulled him aside and gave him a brief version of the story, while Tea walked up (GAH!) and did her routine of comforting a friend…
"Yugi… I'm so sorry. I understand you loved her… I know – " Tea was distracted by Mai, who quickly stopped her from beginning a friendship rant. Oh, thank the Lord. Yugi doesn't need one of those right now.
Bakura was cowering behind Seto, much to his annoyance, hanging on for dear life. "People! What if this park sets back on fire?! It could kill us all! It's dangerous!"
I pulled Bakura from behind the teenage CEO and gave him a little push towards Yugi. "Now is not the time to be paranoid, Bakura. Try giving us a little hand in helping Yugi out here?"
Bakura's expression instantly changed to a compassionate one and gave a sad smile. "It's ok Yugi. I know exactly how you feel…"
Hoping he would feel better from the comfort of his multiple friends, I stepped back, knowing that my definition of comforting someone is chaos. After what happened with that 'sensitive' psychiatrist, I'm not so sure I'd ever want to try it… again…
Seto shot me a puzzled look over his shoulder. "I thought Sakura was at my place…?"
Pushing him aside, I said in a monotone, "It's a long story… I accidentally wiped Yugi's mind and he has no idea to Sakura's whereabouts. I don't know whether or not I should tell him…"
He looked thoughtful. "So, basically, if you tell him, everything'll be all nice and fine for Yugi and company, but, you would suffer the fact that your other half loves a tree. But, if you don't tell him, he'll wallow in misery for God knows how long, and you won't have to put up with his love life… What /are/ you going to do?"
Making sure everyone was out of hearing range, I muttered. "I don't know… I don't really want Yugi to be unhappy, but then again, I don't want him to spend the rest of his life obsessing over a tree… And to add to that, I don't really want him doing so either… He shouldn't throw his life away for a /tree/."
He shrugged. "Your decision. Right now, all we can do is feel sorry for Yugi."
I didn't know what to say.
***
So, it's been a full two weeks, and Yugi still hasn't gotten over the fact the Sakura was – supposedly gone. He'd been moping around the house, getting occasional visits from his friends, trying to get him to snap out of it. Well, they, as expected, didn't do a thing, and there was Yugi, still moping about his loss. Well, let's say one day in Sunday, his eyes suddenly lit up from his trance and he claimed he had a 'good idea'.
I looked up from the novel I was reading. "Oh? How so?"
"There has to be a way to revive Sakura! I'm going to get all the help possible and resurrect her!" Yugi said, totally determined.
"You can't resurrect a tree…" I said, disturbed by his childish concepts.
"I'll see if I can't! Right now, I'm going over to Seto's house… er, mansion, and I'm going to get him to help me! I'm sure that with all the technology he possesses, there's bound to be /something/ he can do!"
I smiled at his determination. "Well Yugi, I must say that isn't a very logical plan, but since you're so sure of it, go right ahead. I'll see you later then."
Finally happy for the first time in a while, he skipped out the door and away into the streets of our hometown.
Deciding I had better warn Seto about Yugi's sudden visit, I picked up the phone and dialed his number.
***
After a few rings, the other line picked up and a male voice spoke.
"Seto?"
"Oh, Yami. Yes?"
"Just to let you know, Yugi's coming over to see what you can do to help um… revive Sakura. Try not to be too harsh on him, ok? And try not to faint…"
"Of course… But he does realize that you can't bring back a tree, even though it isn't really gone." He added. "You can't practice necromancy on trees…"
I sighed. "But that fact isn't stopping him from doing so."
"…"
***
Yugi rushed over to the Kaiba mansion as quickly as he could possibly go. Granted entrance immediately, Yugi navigated the many floors of the building (and ran into Mokuba ten different times along the way, God knows how he could always run into Yugi) and finally found Seto's office. Bursting in, he confronted a stoic teen with a hidden expression of amusement.
Yugi smiled. "Uh, can I ask you a favour?"
Seto gave a half smile, and got up. "Sure. I was about to take a break anyways."
Yugi grinned, bouncing alongside him out the room. "Is there any way you can help me get Sakura back? I mean, with all your technology, I'm sure there's something you can do…"
He gave the shorter boy a strange look. "You can't resurrect a tree… Sorry, I can't help you on that one."
Much to his surprise, Yugi actually shrugged casually and continued talking. "I know… I knew what your answer was going to be anyways… I'm not really as stupid as I act."
Seto raised an eyebrow.
Yugi, sensing his confusion, smiled and resumed. "Well, you don't honestly think that I'd think you can bring a tree back to life, do you? I know I'm delusional at times, but hey. It's only /sometimes/." Smiling, he walked out to the front hall. "Do you mind if I just hang out a while longer here? I want to explore your gardens."
Seto smiled as the tri-coloured hair teen ran off cheerfully. Yugi /wasn't/ as stupid as he acted.
***
I quickly ran over to the residence, considering Yugi hadn't returned for quite a while now. What was he doing? Annoying the hell out of the plants? Yes, well, I knew Yugi had a thing for nature, but does he have to spend that long in the gardens? Wondering how I knew? Well, he told me beforehand through our mental link that he was investigating the gardens, but he has to take that long?!
Making my way there (without getting lost), I hastily burst into the house before entering the gardens.
Seto just happened to be in that particular room I ran into (thank goodness, I didn't want to slowly navigate the halls. I have trouble going back to the Game Shop already). He looked up from his laptop absentmindedly and spoke. "Oh hi. Didn't Yugi come back yet?"
I raised an eyebrow. "No."
Giving me a look that clearly read 'What?' he got up, walking to a room where the walls were decked with windows. I followed him, and imitating his lead, looked out, searching the lawns.
And there was Yugi. Playing around in the bushes.
Seto and I made our way outside posthaste. And well, there was Yugi, enjoying every minute of his time surrounded by nature. But what I failed to notice was, the area he was in contained one significant thing – in the center of the field stood one solitary Sakura tree…
Oh God no.
Yugi saw me approaching, and gave me one wide grin. "Yami, I'm having the time of my life! This is so great! And guess what?"
"What?" I said heavily, knowing very well what he was going to say.
He walked over to the Sakura tree, and hugged it. "Even though Sakura's gone, I know she doesn't want me to be unhappy. Guess who I met? Cherry."
This time, I'm not holding back.
One exasperated teenage male voice rang through the afternoon sun. "For the love of nature, Yugi, it's a tree!"
***
This is the end… or is it?
No, don't worry. As much as I like semi-cliffhanger endings, there will be a short epilogue right after. It's probably going to be posted together with this last chapter. A full author's note will be in there.
Background information… The history of this fic!: Just for the people who wondered how I got such an 'original idea' (is it really that original?). (I've put this in my profile) One day, my friend Gin Ryu-chan brought up a conversation, wondering what we (Gingko-chan was there too) thought was the weirdest couple (in general). Well, I just so happened to be gawking out the window, staring at a tree, so I came up with the coupling Yugi and a tree! Yes well.
I know, I like bringing up my friends in my notes, but hey, I'm like that!
Anyways, this chapter is /probably/ going to be the last. Most likely. I hope to make it over the 50 point mark in terms of reviews… I need at /least/ 4 more reviews.
Disclaimer: Unless I suddenly won the lottery or something and bought it, uh, no. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, nor will I ever.
Summary: Yami is currently facing the facts: whether or not to tell Yugi and live forever with his light obsessing over a tree, or override his guilty conscience and not tell Yugi Sakura's whereabouts.
The Final Chapter of the Tree Ordeal
~~//~~
Short Recap:
"Th – ther – there was a forest fire in the park! The park is on fire! Sakura's there!"
***
I didn't know what to say. To immediately tell Yugi that I accidentally wiped his memory, and that Sakura was safely situated in private property, or to just keep my mouth shut for a few moments.
"Yugi… I'm so sorry. I offer my condolences…" I said slowly.
He looked up, eyes still wet with tears. "We have to go NOW! We need to see if she's still there!"
Sighing, I got up, accompanying Yugi to the park.
Once we were there, we finally got to see how the park was an utter mess. All it was now was a blackened dump, with charred stumps, playgrounds and benches. Yugi pushed past all the firemen and officials, running to the place Sakura was supposedly.
After a few quick surveys, Yugi dropped to his knees, wailing.
"There's absolutely no trace of her! Not even her stump is here! Oh Gods, why did you have to take her away from me?!"
I rolled my eyes, despite the situation Yugi was in. Now don't get me wrong – I don't think he's the stupidest creature on the planet Earth – but he just acts so naïve and innocent sometimes it's sickening.
Pulling Yugi up to his feet, I nudged him gently in the direction to where all his friends were standing – Joey, Tristan, Tea, Bakura, Mai, Seto and Mokuba. Taking one good look at Yugi, they obviously figured something was wrong (oh, how observant) and immediately began trying to comfort him (you people aren't helping, actually).
"Whas' the matter, Yug? I know the park was set on fire and everything, and I know you love nature, but is it /that/ big of a deal?" Joey said, placing his hands on Yugi's shoulders.
"Y – You don't understand…" He stuttered, voice and body racking with sobs. "Sakura was there… She's gone…"
Joey was as sympathetic as any best friend would be. Despite the fact he barely got the fact Yugi fell in love with a tree, he did eventually find out. "It's ok Yug. Maybe… she's in a better place! Yeah!"
Tristan looked confused. "Mind filling me in on what happened here?"
Joey quickly pulled him aside and gave him a brief version of the story, while Tea walked up (GAH!) and did her routine of comforting a friend…
"Yugi… I'm so sorry. I understand you loved her… I know – " Tea was distracted by Mai, who quickly stopped her from beginning a friendship rant. Oh, thank the Lord. Yugi doesn't need one of those right now.
Bakura was cowering behind Seto, much to his annoyance, hanging on for dear life. "People! What if this park sets back on fire?! It could kill us all! It's dangerous!"
I pulled Bakura from behind the teenage CEO and gave him a little push towards Yugi. "Now is not the time to be paranoid, Bakura. Try giving us a little hand in helping Yugi out here?"
Bakura's expression instantly changed to a compassionate one and gave a sad smile. "It's ok Yugi. I know exactly how you feel…"
Hoping he would feel better from the comfort of his multiple friends, I stepped back, knowing that my definition of comforting someone is chaos. After what happened with that 'sensitive' psychiatrist, I'm not so sure I'd ever want to try it… again…
Seto shot me a puzzled look over his shoulder. "I thought Sakura was at my place…?"
Pushing him aside, I said in a monotone, "It's a long story… I accidentally wiped Yugi's mind and he has no idea to Sakura's whereabouts. I don't know whether or not I should tell him…"
He looked thoughtful. "So, basically, if you tell him, everything'll be all nice and fine for Yugi and company, but, you would suffer the fact that your other half loves a tree. But, if you don't tell him, he'll wallow in misery for God knows how long, and you won't have to put up with his love life… What /are/ you going to do?"
Making sure everyone was out of hearing range, I muttered. "I don't know… I don't really want Yugi to be unhappy, but then again, I don't want him to spend the rest of his life obsessing over a tree… And to add to that, I don't really want him doing so either… He shouldn't throw his life away for a /tree/."
He shrugged. "Your decision. Right now, all we can do is feel sorry for Yugi."
I didn't know what to say.
***
So, it's been a full two weeks, and Yugi still hasn't gotten over the fact the Sakura was – supposedly gone. He'd been moping around the house, getting occasional visits from his friends, trying to get him to snap out of it. Well, they, as expected, didn't do a thing, and there was Yugi, still moping about his loss. Well, let's say one day in Sunday, his eyes suddenly lit up from his trance and he claimed he had a 'good idea'.
I looked up from the novel I was reading. "Oh? How so?"
"There has to be a way to revive Sakura! I'm going to get all the help possible and resurrect her!" Yugi said, totally determined.
"You can't resurrect a tree…" I said, disturbed by his childish concepts.
"I'll see if I can't! Right now, I'm going over to Seto's house… er, mansion, and I'm going to get him to help me! I'm sure that with all the technology he possesses, there's bound to be /something/ he can do!"
I smiled at his determination. "Well Yugi, I must say that isn't a very logical plan, but since you're so sure of it, go right ahead. I'll see you later then."
Finally happy for the first time in a while, he skipped out the door and away into the streets of our hometown.
Deciding I had better warn Seto about Yugi's sudden visit, I picked up the phone and dialed his number.
***
After a few rings, the other line picked up and a male voice spoke.
"Seto?"
"Oh, Yami. Yes?"
"Just to let you know, Yugi's coming over to see what you can do to help um… revive Sakura. Try not to be too harsh on him, ok? And try not to faint…"
"Of course… But he does realize that you can't bring back a tree, even though it isn't really gone." He added. "You can't practice necromancy on trees…"
I sighed. "But that fact isn't stopping him from doing so."
"…"
***
Yugi rushed over to the Kaiba mansion as quickly as he could possibly go. Granted entrance immediately, Yugi navigated the many floors of the building (and ran into Mokuba ten different times along the way, God knows how he could always run into Yugi) and finally found Seto's office. Bursting in, he confronted a stoic teen with a hidden expression of amusement.
Yugi smiled. "Uh, can I ask you a favour?"
Seto gave a half smile, and got up. "Sure. I was about to take a break anyways."
Yugi grinned, bouncing alongside him out the room. "Is there any way you can help me get Sakura back? I mean, with all your technology, I'm sure there's something you can do…"
He gave the shorter boy a strange look. "You can't resurrect a tree… Sorry, I can't help you on that one."
Much to his surprise, Yugi actually shrugged casually and continued talking. "I know… I knew what your answer was going to be anyways… I'm not really as stupid as I act."
Seto raised an eyebrow.
Yugi, sensing his confusion, smiled and resumed. "Well, you don't honestly think that I'd think you can bring a tree back to life, do you? I know I'm delusional at times, but hey. It's only /sometimes/." Smiling, he walked out to the front hall. "Do you mind if I just hang out a while longer here? I want to explore your gardens."
Seto smiled as the tri-coloured hair teen ran off cheerfully. Yugi /wasn't/ as stupid as he acted.
***
I quickly ran over to the residence, considering Yugi hadn't returned for quite a while now. What was he doing? Annoying the hell out of the plants? Yes, well, I knew Yugi had a thing for nature, but does he have to spend that long in the gardens? Wondering how I knew? Well, he told me beforehand through our mental link that he was investigating the gardens, but he has to take that long?!
Making my way there (without getting lost), I hastily burst into the house before entering the gardens.
Seto just happened to be in that particular room I ran into (thank goodness, I didn't want to slowly navigate the halls. I have trouble going back to the Game Shop already). He looked up from his laptop absentmindedly and spoke. "Oh hi. Didn't Yugi come back yet?"
I raised an eyebrow. "No."
Giving me a look that clearly read 'What?' he got up, walking to a room where the walls were decked with windows. I followed him, and imitating his lead, looked out, searching the lawns.
And there was Yugi. Playing around in the bushes.
Seto and I made our way outside posthaste. And well, there was Yugi, enjoying every minute of his time surrounded by nature. But what I failed to notice was, the area he was in contained one significant thing – in the center of the field stood one solitary Sakura tree…
Oh God no.
Yugi saw me approaching, and gave me one wide grin. "Yami, I'm having the time of my life! This is so great! And guess what?"
"What?" I said heavily, knowing very well what he was going to say.
He walked over to the Sakura tree, and hugged it. "Even though Sakura's gone, I know she doesn't want me to be unhappy. Guess who I met? Cherry."
This time, I'm not holding back.
One exasperated teenage male voice rang through the afternoon sun. "For the love of nature, Yugi, it's a tree!"
***
This is the end… or is it?
No, don't worry. As much as I like semi-cliffhanger endings, there will be a short epilogue right after. It's probably going to be posted together with this last chapter. A full author's note will be in there.