Authoress' Notes: Yes, I lied. I didn't update over the last two weekends. I can't help it. I'm busy and lazy at the same time. Not a very good combo, I assure you.
Akina Tori: Thank you for your kind compliments. Surprisingly I didn't find this a tearjerker, mainly because I am not one who cries over fictional characters no matter how subtle the similarities are to our real world. Grammar is my biggest weakness when it came to writing. It seems to hate me. -_-
Snipe: If anyone, I wouldn't compare Rebecca to Mai. Mai grew up with no parents and no one to support her, while Rebecca had her grandfather. At least Rebecca knew the meaning of having support and being cared for. If Rebecca woke up all cheery and 'Oh my god, I'm alive!' it'll certainly destroy my plot.
Chrysanthemum3: Long time no see on fanfiction.net, Jenn. Glad you dropped by and left a review.
Disclaimer: I believe we have been through this before. It's the same line. I don't own Yu-gi-oh.
Chapter 6: Under The October Sky
As she sat thinking in the dim light of the library, a pen in hand, a stack of paper on the Royal Oak table, she stared hard into space. How was she going to do this? It wasn't as if she was hoping for a miracle…her idea was just nearly impossible. But Rebecca Hawkins didn't go to university at the age of twelve for nothing. Scattered plans and sketches were sprawled across the table, her green eyes glancing over at them with little interest as she started a new sketch on a blank piece of paper.
Damn it. Rebecca thought. This isn't as easy as I thought.
"Rebecca?"
Rebecca jerked up from her seat as she heard Tea's voice through the door. Reacting quickly, she shoved the sketches and paper in a messy pile and slid it behind the bookshelf. Then she snatched a book and flipped it to some random page.
"Yes, Tea."
"It's getting late. Don't you want to sleep?"
"Not yet. This is interesting. I would like to finish reading first." Rebecca replied as her eyes covered the boring passage that lay before her.
"Can I come in?"
"If you want."
Tea turned the cold brassy doorknob to find the twelve-year-old Rebecca Hawkins sprawled carelessly on a comfortable armed chair, a book flipped open on the table.
"Do you know what time is it?" Rebecca asked, looking up from the dull reading.
"Past midnight." Tea answered.
"Then why are you up?" Rebecca asked, shutting the book. She glanced at the title and noted that it was a book about the law. No wonder it was tedious.
"I was just taking a trip to the bathroom." Tea responded. "You weren't in bed, so I decided to investigate."
Two weeks after Rebecca was released from the hospital, she agreed to leave with Yugi and the others and live in Japan. She now lived with Tea and her parents, in a spare room. The only thing she was glad about was that she had the privacy and time to plan what she wanted to do.
"Don't worry about me." Rebecca told her. "I'm just going to stay up a bit longer and read."
"Read about laws? No one would sit down and stay up reading about it, Rebecca." Tea said in disbelief as she shook her head.
Rebecca flipped open a page and countered, "Actually, I disagree. I find it quite interesting. See here." She pointed to a paragraph and began reading.
"Law: All alcoholic beverages are banned.
(Repealed)
Country: USA
Citation: AMENDMENT XVIII
Passed by Congress December 18, 1917. Ratified January 16, 1919. Repealed by amendment 21.
Section 1.
After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
Section 2.
The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Section 3.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress."
Tea shook her head and chuckled. "Really, I don't find it interesting, but if it interests you, I won't stop you. But, you shouldn't stay up so late reading it. There are plenty of days to read."
"Before they decide what to do with me." Rebecca put in coldly. "I can't live with you legally…."
"Don't worry, Rebecca. I'm sure that they'll arrange something." Tea reassured the girl.
"Yeah, me too." Rebecca said, forcing on a smile. It was the first time she realized how hard it was to smile and how much it hurt to strain her cheek muscle just to create the simple motion of upturning her lips.
"I'll leave you to read a little while longer." Tea finally said. "But don't stay up too late."
"Don't worry." Rebecca assured. "I won't."
"I hope so."
As soon as Tea was gone, Rebecca made sure that she heard the click of the bedroom door to Tea's room before retrieving the papers she had hid previously. She scanned over the failures that she had created and dumped them on the table. This was hopeless. Reaching for a sheet of paper, she looked over several other sheets that might work. It's not going to be easy, Rebecca grimaced, reminding herself of the ordeal she was putting herself through.
"Hey Tea!" Yugi called to his long-time friend as he made his way out of the double entry doors of his school. "Aren't you going to hang out with us at my grandpa's game shop?"
Tea turned to see her short, childhood friend Yugi Moto. Joey Wheeler and Tristan Taylor were with him, as usual. "I'm really sorry guys." Tea apologized. "I have to go home."
"It's about Rebecca, isn't it?" Yugi asked with concern.
Tea nodded. "I don't like to have her home alone when we're all hanging out and having fun."
"You could take the little squirt with us." Joey suggested, shrugging.
"I mean, I'm sure Rebecca would like to check out the new shipment of cards my grandpa has just gotten. It has a lot of new cards and since she's America's dueling champion, I'm sure she might like to enhance her deck." Yugi put in.
"That's a good idea Yugi." Tea smiled. "I'm sure it'll cheer her up. She isn't looking well for the last few days. I think it's due to the lack of sleep."
"So Tristan, Joey and I will go to my grandpa's game shop and you go home to check if Rebecca will come, alright?" Yugi asked.
"Sure guys. I'll give you a call if we won't be coming."
The gang exchanged 'see you later' as they headed towards two different direction.
Rebecca saw Tea coming even before she rang the doorbell. Peering out from the window of the library, she could see the single figure strolling down the block. A smile on her face-, there was nothing wrong in her life, Rebecca thought. She glanced at the completed sketch in her hands. It'll work, she thought. All I need is the materials and the time.
Picking up the failed sketches, she was sure to tore them into paper shreds before dumping them in the garbage can and taking it outside so no one suspects anything. No one needs to know what she was going to do. No one.
"Hey Tea!" Rebecca greeted as the sixteen year old brunette entered from the front door.
"Hello, Rebecca." Tea said distractedly as she struggled out of her backpack. Dropping it carelessly on the couch, she turned to the blonde girl standing at the doorway of the library. "Yugi invited you to his grandfather's game shop. You want to come?"
"Why?"
"Yugi said that his grandpa just got a new shipment of cards. He said that you might like some, considering you're a pretty decent duelist yourself and you're America's dueling champion." Tea explained.
Rebecca considered. The card game that had been her passion for so long had seemed to be pushed from her mind ever since she had made the decision. Now, she wasn't sure she wanted to play the card game anymore.
"I don't need more cards." Rebecca started. "I inherited my deck from a dueling master, my own grandfather, so I don't want to alter anything that's been put into it."
Grandfather. The name of her remaining dead relative brought a chill down her back. Unwanted memories resurfaced from the most abandoned part of her mind. Trembling slightly, she held onto the doorframe of the library door to steady herself.
"Is something wrong?" Tea asked in concern.
"Nothing."
"So are you coming or not?"
Is she going to? Does she want to meet the best friend of her dead grandfather? Her mind immediately went back to her plan. She needed materials, but none of the materials in Yugi's grandfather's game shop are what she needed. How was she going to get what she wanted?
"Rebecca?"
"Huh?"
"Do you have an answer?"
"Tea, I want to go back to America for a few days." Rebecca suddenly stated.
"What!?"
Tea nearly fell over in shock.
"Just kidding." She laughed. Another forced laugh. It hurt. Like hell.
"Don't scare me like that!" Tea chided. "You nearly have me a heart attack."
"Oh please." Rebecca groaned. "You're not going to die of heart attack at this age, Tea."
"So are you coming?"
"What?"
"Well?"
"No."
"Then I'm not going either." Tea said.
Rebecca shook her head. "You go ahead and go. I want to go out to get some things."
Tea asked, "Do you have money with you?"
"I took some money that I have before I came here to Domino." Rebecca replied. "Being an American champion helps, because you could win prize money. Don't worry about me. Go have fun with your friends." The last few words were spat out bitterly. So bitter that it stung Tea, even though they were merely words.
Tea swallowed before answering. "If I'm not home by six, you could go ahead and grab something from the fridge to eat. And be careful when you're going out."
"I'll be seeing you Tea." Rebecca muttered as she turned to her spare room.
Upon entering the guest room, Rebecca felt a strange presence. It was the fact that this wasn't her room. It was a stranger's. It wasn't hers. This isn't her household. This wasn't her home. This wasn't where she had belonged. Not at all.
Digging through her belongings, she found what she needed. Several checks that she was presented with back then when she had won several tournaments. They were never brought to the bank to be cashed. Several crisps bills were found lying in one of the drawers that held her items. Throwing on a thin jacket, she placed the money and checks in a secure location in inside pocket of her jacket where a pocket was hidden. A set of keys was on the surface of the drawer.
Grabbing the keys, she stepped outside to take in the crisp clean air of autumn. She knew her way around Domino by studying a map that she had found in the library. And she knew what she was doing. She hoped.
It hasn't been easy to get everything she needed. Storeowners were suspicious of a twelve-year-old who needed such materials. Of course, Rebecca didn't blame them. It was hard to take what she needed to Tea's home, and much more hard to hide them. Stowing the heavy equipment had been quite a challenge. After a long time, she had decided to hide them in the library, the blessed little haven that she was given that she could have the privacy she needed.
Having great difficulty, she finally managed to push the bookcase enough for her to place some materials in the narrowed gape in the back. But that wasn't enough. Lifting up several lose floorboards she had discovered while her time in the library, she place everything else in there. Just as she placed the last floorboard back in place, she heard the click of the front door as a pair of footsteps entered. Just in time, Rebecca thought as she stood up and brushed her pants with her hands.
She was going to stay up tonight. Again.
So…tired…. Rebecca tried to focus on the equipment in front of her. This was the second time in a row that she had begun to feel tired on her task. Why…can't…she…just stay awake!? She almost done...almost….
She felt so tired. Her mind refused to cooperate with her though…she couldn't leave the equipment lying around….
Come on…wake up….
Feeling ever so worn, she managed to drag what she had created so far and bury it beneath the floorboards, hiding it from the view of a passerby. Just as she placed the last floorboard in place, her mind failed her. Her legs crumbled beneath her as she sprawled across the library floor, sound asleep.
"Rebecca…Rebecca!"
Chants. No, murmurs. Or were they mumbles? It took a while for the voices to register her tired mind.
"Te…Tea?" Rebecca started as her eyes opened.
"Oh thank goodness." Tea sighed in relief. "You really scared me."
'Wha…What happened?" Rebecca asked as she looked around.
Tea gave her a strange look. "I found you asleep on the floor this morning. What were you doing? You shouldn't be up so late!"
"You're not my mother." Rebecca told her grouchily.
"That may be so." Tea agreed. "But I'm concerned about you. Why don't you go to the bathroom and wash up and have a proper rest in bed? I don't remember when you even slept in a proper bed ever since that day when Yugi invited me to go to his game shop."
"Alright."
She was too tired to put up a fight. Her mind was heavy with exhaustion and the lack of sleep was no helping matter. She didn't bother to take the trip to the bathroom as Tea had suggested and hit the bed and fell asleep.
As Tea proceeded out the door, she suddenly remembered something. Grabbing a piece of paper, she quickly scribbled on a note.
Rebecca,
I don't know if you remember, but today's Halloween. If you think you're coming, with Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Serenity and I to hang out, feel free to meet us at Domino Pier.
Tea
Leaving the note, she left for school with a troubled heart.
"Miss. Gardner. Could you please tell us which page we are on?"
The voice of her geography teacher suddenly pierced her mind, waking her up from her deep slumber of thoughts.
"Um…page seventy, sensei." Tea quickly answered as she took a glance at her page.
"Ah, I didn't know that you are paying attention, Miss. Gardner." Her sensei stated. "In the future, even if you are not interested, please at least act like you do."
"Yes, sensei." Tea murmured.
Behind her Yugi wrote a note and passed it to her.
What's wrong? The note asked.
Glancing to see if sensei was watching, Tea quickly scribbled the answer.
I was just thinking about Rebecca, she said. There's something going on, that I don't seem to know. She's engaged in something that she was doing ever since she came back to Japan. She stays up late reading in my household's library.
Folding the note into a tiny slip, she flicked it carefully, and the note landed on Yugi's lap.
Yugi quickly took the note and slid it underneath his desk and smoothed out the wrinkles. After reading the note, he sat thoughtfully for a few minutes and wrote a reply.
Tea, maybe we should go see her after school. You know, to make sure everything's all right.
Tea looked up quickly as she saw sensei approaching. She slid the note onto the floor and kicked it under Tristan's chair just as sensei came in front of her desk for the second time today. "Read paragraph three, Miss. Gardner." Sensei instructed. Tea nodded and started.
"Rebecca?" Tea asked as she knocked on the bedroom door.
No reply.
Reaching forward, she turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.
"Rebecca?"
"Hey squirt!" Joey greeted as he entered the room. It was empty. Everything was packed away neatly, as if no one had ever lived in the room before.
"Rebecca?" Yugi called.
"I think she may be in the library." Tea said. Leaving the room with her friends trailing after her, she turned and strode down the hallway and made a sharp turn. The library door, as she found, was closed as usual.
"Rebecca? Are you in there?" Tea asked as she knocked softly. Like before, she turned the doorknob, but this time, she found that it was locked. "Guys, the door is locked."
"No prob, Tea." Joey assured. "Me and Tristan, ol' buddy here will break the door down."
"You're not breaking the door down, Joey." Tea told him crossly.
"Don't worry, we'll replace it." Tristan said.
"You better." Tea said in return.
"Okay, Tris, on three!" Joey commanded. "Three!"
The two, teenagers threw themselves against the door, but no avail. The door shook slightly, but it held firm, simply refusing to budge.
"On three again!" Joey called. "Three!"
Again, the two slammed against the door. Just as they were about to touch the door, the door swung open and the two teens fell in.
"Oh man!" Joey moaned as he struggled to untangle himself from Tristan. He stopped struggling when he saw someone took a step towards him.
"What are you doing here?" A monotone voice demanded.
"Rebecca!" Yugi cried as he came inside the library.
Tea came in as well, and she covered her mouth in shock.
"Oh man squirt…." Joey started. "What did you do!?"
"Nothing." Rebecca replied. "Only become non-human. I can't feel."
The Rebecca that stood before them looked exactly the same as she always did. But her voice held no emotion. Several wires were attached onto her, and sitting on an empty seat is what seemed to be an unconscious Rebecca.
"What do you mean, become, non-human." Yami demanded.
"Another Yugi." Rebecca said dully. "I just merely transferred my soul from my real body to a metallic one. One that's devoid of all feelings. I can't feel, I don't have to remember my memories and feel those pain."
"Bring her back!" Tea cried. "Stop this! If it was that hard, we could help you get through your past, Rebecca. You didn't have to do this! If feeling no emotions if better than feeling them, then why did we all humans were made to feel in the first place!?"
"Because none of us decide to do something." Rebecca replied.
"Rebecca! Just stop it! Remove your soul from this body of metal." Yami commanded.
"It can't be undone." Rebecca responded. "I like what I am. When I said that I wanted to start over, I meant it. This is a new beginning, another Yugi….Yugi, Tea, Joey and Tristan. I don't need your help anymore. And I am not allowing you to preserve my body somehow. I will not linger in my past."
"What are you going to do!?" Tristan yelled.
"I already did it."
So she did. It wasn't before long, that everyone understood what she did. The books caught on fire so easily, being flammable materials. The whole library was soon consumed in a wildfire.
"You planned this from the begging, didn't you?" Yami demanded.
"Yes."
"I can't forgive you for doing this." Yami snarled as he clenched his fists.
"I didn't beg you for your forgiveness."
"Come on!" Joey cried. "Let's get out of here!"
"Tristan! Take Rebecca's body!" Tea cried.
"I got it!" Tristan said as he stumbled over the chairs.
The fire licked the wooden floorboard hungrily. It easily spread and the group of friends struggled to leave.
"Leave my body here." Rebecca said, blocking their way.
"No way!" Yami said.
"Then let's all perish in the fire." Rebecca said.
"Come on! There's another way out!" Joey cried. Picking up a chair, he smashed the window. The loud shatter of glass told him that he had scored. "Lets' go!" He urged his friends.
"Rebecca!" Yami called. "Come with us. We could help you."
"No…." Rebecca said slowly. "You can't."
"We don't have much time!" Tristan cried. The smoke hung heavily and everyone struggled to breathe-, but Rebecca. She watched the incident with uncaring green eyes. She couldn't feel. She didn't care. She didn't value their lives. She didn't value her own.
"Rebecca!"
She could hear them calling their names. They were filled with worry. But she couldn't regret. It was too late now. She was just a fragment of what she made herself, standing in the midst of a burning fire. But she didn't die. At least not yet.
End Notes: I'm sorry if the chapter was really boring. I can't help it. I think I might get hiatus, again. Hopefully, this story will be finished by the time this Winter Vacation is over. Hopefully. Before I end this, I must add that the passage about the laws wasn't written by me. It was taken from here: , so I take absolutely not claim on writing it.