Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh!
Okay this is my update! Thanks to my six reviewers who said that it had enough potential to continue! Now…I just have to see where my plotline is going…hmm…^^
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They say that pain and anguish fades through the passing of time. How true that is. For right now I can vividly picture him…but for how long? Inevitably my heart will forget and that is what I am afraid of.
-Tea Gardener, Diary entry
"C'mon Tea," pleaded Mai, making a puppy-dog face, "It'll be fun! You need to get out more often."
"No, no," Tea protested, gently disengaging her hand from Mai's grip. "You go to the club, bring Serenity with you. I'll go another day."
Mai gave the brunette a speculative look. "Promise?" the blonde girl asked suspiciously.
Tea smiled, "I always keep my promises," she said mockingly, wagging a finger at Mai's laughing form.
"Fine," Mai said with a warm smile as she turned and walked away. "But remember your promise!" she called out, her voice fading with her footsteps. Hooking a few strands of hair behind her ear, Tea tossed her head back, smiling as she started to walk home. Around her, students of Domino High School shouted to their friends. A couple of underclassmen on their bikes whistled to a group of girls who flirted back, flipping their hair or bending over to pick up something, giving the hooting boys an excellent view of their blouse.
Ah yes, everyone was so happy that it was Winter Break. There was a wild sense of abandon and joy throughout the school, finally the long awaited break!
Hmm, no one's here to walk with me, Tea thought wryly.
The rest of the boys in the 'gang,' which was what Tea called her group of friends, had stayed after school for a project, something to do with physics.
As her path lead her past the park, she slowed down and stopped. Her gaze shifted directly to a snow covered bench. She felt a wave of loneliness. She could almost see Yami's form beckoning to her, hearing his soothing voice, comforting her.
It had been, what, three weeks? Three weeks since Yami had left on that plane heading toward Egypt. Her friends had done their best to keep her mind busy even though she ended up turning down their offers like she did today with Mai.
"Get a grip on yourself, Tea," she warned herself out loud, "I refuse to let you become one of those moping women who can't do anything without their man."
For a long moment, she stood still, staring at the empty bench. Then she quickly turned away, her footsteps rapid on the icy pavement. Perhaps she would join Mai today at that new dance club. Just because Yami was gone didn't mean that she could not have fun with her friends.
*****
The snow had finally stopped, a few scattering of flakes floated in the air. Tea hugged her winter coat to herself, shivering.
Mai's blue Jetta rolled up as her bedecked friend waved from the driver's seat with Serenity seating beside her.
"Tea! Glad you changed your mind!" grinned Mai, fully pleased at Tea's choice. Tea did a double-take when she saw Mai's outfit.
"Mai, Serenity, did Joey see what you guys are wearing?" Underneath their winter coats, Mai was wearing a sheer red tank with black flares while Serenity wore a silk white gown that had a slit riding dangerously high.
The two other girls gave a look at each other and burst out laughing.
"Yes, and Joey had a fit, too bad that he couldn't catch us fast enough," said Mai, elbowing Serenity. "But hey, you're looking good as well," Joey's sister said admiringly.
"Oh this," Tea blushed, looking down at herself. Under her own heavy knee length coat, she wasn't wearing anything risqué, just an off the shoulder shirt in velvet blue, the collar barely showing her chest while a modest full length black lace skirt that tightened a bit on her hips, a slit cut to the knee.
"C'mon, get in," motioned Mai, "It's a girl's night out…let's have some fun!"
"Look at us," said Serenity, laughing, "We're wearing summer clothing in the dead of winter! Whew, turn up the heater!"
Slinging their arms around Tea, the two other girls lightly chattered with each other, bolstering Tea's spirits up with their jokes and gossip.
*****
Whew, thought Tea, I'm tired. She had danced with her friends for a full two hours until her feet could take no more and she had retired to a table while the girls continued dancing.
Just then a young man about twenty-five approached her, "Can I sit her for a breather?" he asked with a genial smile.
Tea smiled back, "Sure." He certainly dresses differently than most people I've seen, Tea thought. He wore all black, a simple T-shirt whose sleeves were cut off, leaving frays at the edges, and sleek black pants. A gleaming gold ankh hung from a silver chain around his neck.
"Are you into Egypt?" Tea asked, pointing at his chain.
"Why yes," the man said, his amber eyes lighting up. "I'm actually a collector," he said, "Are you interested in Egypt as well? I'm actually a friend of Domino's museum curator, I sometimes help him with the artifacts."
It had seemed like such a simple question.
The dancing lights flickered over the pair while the music boomed out of the speakers, making the tiny table jostle and jump.
"Well…actually yes. My boyfriend is from Egypt."
The man lifted his eyebrows. "From Egypt? Is his name perchance, Yami?"
"Yes!" exclaimed Tea, "He went to Egypt a few weeks ago. Do you know him?" She eagerly leaned forward.
"I have heard of a man called Yami who is a wonder with Dueling cards, and that he lived in this city. Since you live here, I just assumed that your friend was this man."
"Oh," said Tea, crestfallen, she had hoped that somehow, he had news of Yami.
"Well, it seems that I'm going to go back to the dance floor," the man said smoothly, "My name is Idahs by the way. Perhaps I'll see you around town." With a good-bye nod, Idahs mingled back into the crowd.
When he sensed the Tea-girl had stopped watching him, Idahs shouldered his way out of the reveling crowd and out into the cold. His golden eyes burned coldly as he tightly clenched the gold ankh with a fist.
"Yami," he whispered, his eyes filled with hate, "You stupid fool, you're at Egypt while your girlfriend is perfect prey here in Japan."
**********
It seemed like the weeks flashed by as Tea renewed herself with vigor. With the help of her friends, she seemed to go back in to the normal cycle of her life. Before she knew it, it was back to school.
As Tea got ready for school, a few miles away, Malik Ishtar left the house. Kicking a rock out of his path, Malik angrily stormed away from the house. He had gotten into another argument with his spirit Yami and to get even, this morning he took Marik's Millenium Rod.
"Stupid baka," he snarled. As he turned a corner, a hand shot out and grabbed his shoulder.
Malik immediately twisted out of the unknown person's grasp, holding the Item in front of him, ready to use it.
"Calm down, calm down!" the man said in a placating voice, "I just want to ask you something."
"Well you asked the wrong person," Malik spat, turning away.
"I don't think so," the yellow-eyed man drawled in a lazy voice. "I need your Millennium Item that you have there."
Malik smirked evilly, well this stranger would learn the hard way in trying to mess with him. Raising the staff in front of him with an outstretched arm, Malik smiled, "Into the shadow real for you!"
Idahs watched calmly as light flared from the staff and shot toward him. "Nice try," he said calmly as a barrier of blue light sprung up, absorbing the attack, the ankh on his chest glowing.
"Who are you," Malik said sharply, backing a few steps.
"Hmm..that's the same thing that Shadi said," Idahs said with a cold smile, "It's too bad that he couldn't stop me. This ankh that I'm wearing is his. But don't worry, he's just in the Shadow Realm. Lucky for you, I have use for you." Idah's eyes flared a white color as his body melted and slammed into Malik's.
Malik grunted as cold seeped into his body and a black abyss opened beneath his feet. He's taking over my mind, he thought in horror as he the hole swallowed him up.
Idahs opened his eyes. He was now a in Malik's body. Being a spirit was useful, he thought musingly, especially when he had the power to take over other people's bodies. And now with the millennium rod in his possession, it was time to play cat and mouse with a girl called Tea Gardener.
Tea trudged down the road, her breath steaming into little puffs of white air. Lost in thought, Tea didn't notice the figure standing in her path. Slam!
Oof, Tea said, grimacing as she fell to the asphalt. Her eyes met the eyes of Malik Ishtar.
"Sorry," she said, brushing the dirt off of her knees. "Where's Marik?" She looked side to side. That was odd, the two of them always walked to school together.
Malik's eyes gleamed oddly, and his hand slowly reached out to touch Tea's face, trailing a finger around the curve of her jaw.
"So smooth, Tea Gardener," he whispered softly.
Tea froze under the caress. Then she violently sprang herself backwards.
"What the hell are you doing!" Tea said, more furious than scared.
"Why nothing, Tea my dear," Malik said, eyes brimming with amusement. "I just wanted to say that you have such beautiful skin," laughing, Malik turned away, leaving Tea trembling in anger and confusion.
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Oooh…what's gonna happen next? Hehe, review and then u'll find out!