Everything
By: ChocolateEclar
Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or anything that has to do with the anime/manga.
Claimer: I fully own Ichidou Yachitose and her family, Mrs. Suteki Iyashii, Suteki's deceased father and mother, Ryougi, Karei, Sumizome, Komayaka Mada-Tafunesu, Ke-ki and her gang, Miss Jishi, Nenriki "Riki," Tomobito, Kurisutaru "Kuri" Susume, Nekura Kyouran, Neferetiabet, Miw-sher, Hasha, and Great Wife Netikerty. Please don't use any of them in any form without my permission.
To Artemis*Obscure: What's the chance of Ichidou having the five Exodia cards in her deck though? Maybe in her time it's more common since dueling isn't as popular. *laughs* I'm working on the whole Yami materializing thing still. I'll get it. It's my eventual goal somewhere down the line. ^_- Thanks for reviewing!
To Yami's-Girl: *laughs* Ah, another infected person. ^_^ Good idea about the Yami story telling bit. I'll think about it. ^__- Thanks again for the review!
To Blank: I love the fortune cookie part too. It sent me giggling and coughing for quite awhile yesterday. I didn't even think about it as something a fortune cookie would say until later, and then I added Yugi's "A fortune cookie" line. *laughs*
You know that fight wasn't supposed to be there? ^_^ I had planned a kissing scene but it ran away from me and became this huge quarrel. ^__-
Ah, you caught Ichidou's little lying moment in chapter 16. I see what you mean about that. I was thinking of her just being nervous and not so used to having complete faith in Yami like Yugi almost always did. (Remember, Yugi lost faith in Yami for awhile when Yami was willing to let Seto Kaiba jump off Pegasus's castle to win the duel in Duelist Kingdom.) You have a strong point there though. I think Ichidou just needs more time to adjust to Yami. I mean, she's always known he's been inside the Millennium Puzzle while Yugi didn't know about Yami for quite awhile.
Thank you for the review! As always, it sent me thinking of more little plot twists to add. ^__^
A/N: Still bored, still sick, so here I am again. Here's chapter 18!
Duel Eighteen: Drowning'Déjà vu,' grunted Ichidou as she lied in bed. 'Once again, here I am fuming over a guy! Argh!' She hopped off her bed, kicking her black cylinder-shaped garbage can across her floor. Trash went flying and Ichidou screamed, "AHHHHH!!!"
"Ichi? Is everything alright up there?" called Kyouko from downstairs.
"Hai, 'Kaasan! Everything's just fine!" yelled Ichidou, tossing garbage back into her righted wastebasket venomously. "Except men are dirt," she added in an undertone.
'Come on, Ichi. You know you don't mean that,' Ichidou thought. Ichidou muttered an expletive and grabbed her backpack roughly. She dumped its contents onto her bed and leafed through her papers. Snatching her mathematics notebook, she reached a new page and flipped open her math book to her homework page. Numbering the sheet, she began to work out the problems in her head.
Needless to say, she got little done with her mind so far elsewhere.
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"She did try to apologize," Yugi pointed out cheerfully.
Yami gave him a dark glower, and Yugi laughed. "Aww. Come on. You know she didn't mean that stuff about you taking her body." He grinned and added in a whisper, "What would you do with a teenage girl's body anyway, Mou Hitori No Boku?"
"I have half a mind to banish you from my soul, aibou," threatened the Pharaoh, in mid-pace.
Yugi smirked cockily stating quite clearly he doubted it.
Yami grumbled and turned away, resuming his pacing. "Well, what was I supposed to do?!" yelled Yami without warning.
Yugi jumped and blinked at the other. "Nani?"
"I couldn't just let her off for going after Yami Malik alone!" Yami continued.
"Oh," muttered Yugi. "Well, you could've been nicer about it. She wasn't even born when Yami Malik did things like murdering Malik's otousan and hurting Mai and the others."
Yami mumbled something and Yugi added, "It's not the same generation, Yami. She's sixteen. What did you expect her to do? She's not me. She's independent. I was reliant on you. She's always had to rely on herself."
Yami sighed and eyed Yugi. "Arigatou, aibou," he said.
Yugi smiled genuinely and replied, "You're welcome."
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"It's been awhile, Yachitose."
"You don't take a hint, do you, Ke-ki?" riposted Ichidou. 'I wasn't in a good mood to begin with, and this just tops the cake,' she thought.
"Now, Yachitose, I'm hurt. Where have I ever steered you wrong?" Ke-ki queried as her and her gang cornered the short ti-n'e-ja. Her whole stance transforming, Ke-ki continued darkly, "This time you can't pull that light trick. Especially without this." She yanked on the Millennium Puzzle causing Ichidou to gasp and try to clench the item to her chest. It was useless though for another thug grabbed her arms from behind, allowing Ke-ki to slip the chain attached to the Puzzle over Ichidou's neck.
Fingering the chain, Ke-ki grinned. "I know just what to do with this," she purred.
Ichidou's eyes widened, and she tried to pull away from her captor. "Let go!" she hollered, stomping on the gangster's foot. He didn't let go though, and the others laughed.
"It ain't gonna work on those shoes," said Ke-ki, tapping Ichidou's subjugator's foot. "Steel-toed boots."
Ichidou grunted and aimed a kick a little higher when Ke-ki wasn't looking. The guy behind her yelped as her foot made contact with his crotch. She managed to pull away this time and snatched the Puzzle from Ke-ki. Ke-ki reached a foot out, sending Ichidou flying and landing hard on the pavement. Ichidou attempted to scramble to her feet to no avail. Her lip was bleeding from were she'd hit the ground. Two goons snatched Ichidou this time while Ke-ki took back the Puzzle.
Ke-ki didn't look pleased this time as she veered down at Ichidou. "Now you're gonna get it, Yachitose," she growled.
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Yami's eyes widened. "The link to Ichidou is gone," he whispered.
"Maybe she just took the Puzzle off to take a bath or something," suggested Yugi.
"No," muttered Yami.
"Then what?" Yugi asked.
"Something's happened to her."
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'You'd think someone would notice a girl being abducted by two dozen gangsters!' Ichidou thought, panicking.
"Now, Yachitose, we'll let this whole thing blow over if you make it," sneered Ke-ki, leaning over the side of a swimming pool. Ichidou was being held over it by her elbows by one of Ke-ki's hooligans. Ichidou's wrists had been tied behind her with cord after another failed escape.
Ke-ki came towards her, the Millennium Puzzle in her hands, and wrapped the chain around Ichidou's neck. It was tight enough to cut off Ichidou air supply, and she sputtered.
And with that, she was dropped into the pool.
Ichidou struggled to release the chain from around her neck with her chin for a moment before giving up and working on her wrists.
The Millennium Puzzle let off a faint pulse of light. The link was faint but still there. After all, the Puzzle was still attached albeit uncomfortably so. "Yami!" Ichidou let out, scrambling out of her soul room and into the hallway. "Atem, you baka, I need help!" she gasped.
Outside, she was quickly running out of time.
The door to Yami's room was thrown open and Yami himself rushed out. "Ichidou!" he yelled. Even Ichidou's soul looked a little blue in the face.
"No time!" screamed Ichidou. "I'll swim to surface you get the damn chain off my neck!"
Yami nodded and partly took control of Ichidou's body. As Ichidou floundered to dry land, he tore at the ties on her wrists. When Ichidou's wrists were free, he gasped the Puzzle and unwound it around her throat. By then, Ichidou was had reached the surface. When the Puzzle was in a safe position on her neck, Ichidou heaved in a deep breath, coughing violently.
Ichidou noticed Ke-ki and her group were gone as she hauled herself out of the swimming pool. She lay on the ground for a few moments, panting. "Arigatou, Yami," she said.
The King of Games was sitting cross-legged beside her, his arms folded, in Ichidou's soul room. "What was that about, aibou?" he queried.
Ichidou propped herself up on her elbows and eyed him. Finally, she sighed and replied, "I just had a run-in with Ke-ki is all."
"Ichidou, she could've killed you that way," growled Yami.
Ichidou moaned and said, "I know. I know." She plopped back flat on her back and shut her eyes. Her neck felt raw and tears clung to the corners of her eyes.
"Ichidou, are you all right?" Yami asked after awhile.
"Yea," croaked Ichidou without opening her eyes. "I'll be okay."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you sooner."
"How could you help?" demanded Ichidou. "They took the Puzzle away from me!"
"The link is faded but if we are close we can still communicate, remember?" replied Yami.
"Ah, how could I forget?" muttered Ichidou, thinking about the time she had set the Puzzle too close to herself when she was getting dressed. She flushed a little at the thought. "Now, do you except my apology?" she asked.
Smiling, Yami answered, "I suppose so, aibou."
"Good," Ichidou said, sitting up. She lightly swiped at Yami's arm.
"What was that for?" questioned Yami.
"For not accepting my apology sooner," teased Ichidou.
"You're incorrigible," Yami whispered in her ear.
"I know," Ichidou murmured joyfully back. She gave him an eloquent smirk and leaned in closer. She didn't even have to do anything more for in the next instant Yami had pulled her tightly to him, his lips pressed against hers.
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A/N: Well, that's a happier ending than the last one, no? *laughs*
A/N 2: Here's the preview for chapter 19:
Ichidou and Yami are on good terms again as the Friday basketball game approaches. Yami's a bit leery about another confrontation between them and Yami Malik and Hasha. Ichidou is sure they're ready though and rushes head on into that very confrontation. Too bad this time Yami won't be able to save her. He has enough problems of his own…
Stay tuned for "Duel Nineteen!"
A/N 3: R-E-V-I-E-W. ^_^ Bye!
