Hey everyone! I'm back!
Yugi: YAY! Now we get to learn what kind of evil things she's written about us!
Tristan: This is a good thing?
Tea: I'm scared of her....
Faiirie: GOOD! BE SCARED. I'M OUT TO GET ALL OF YOU.
Seto: I believe you.
Faiirie: whatever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere:
Yugi, Tea, Joey, Tristan, Seto and Bakura walked through a warm, humid night, heading for what appeared to be a temple of some sort. Nothing moved in the sand, there was no wind, the moon was dark. A night full of mystery, and no answers.
"look," Yugi whispered, gazing down.
The others gathered around him, Joey reached down and helped pull a trapdoor out of the sand. An eerie sound came from the depths of the tunnel below. It was like nothing they had ever heard. Tea shivered.
"Creepy," she thought.
"can you guys hear something?" Joey asked.
"how deaf do you think we are?" Bakura whispered.
"it sounds like people fighting, yelling," Yugi whispered as he stepped onto the first of the steps leading down into the earth.
Tea grabbed his arm. "you're not...going down are you?" she whispered fearfully.
Yugi shook her off quietly. "of course," he replied softly. "how else will we ever know what happened?"
"Maybe it's best if we never know," Seto offered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fyre's place
It was near midnight. The town was dark and quiet, save the few late- night strollers and night shift workers. The stars gleamed through a gap in the curtains. Fyre sat back, looking at the crystal she had been gazing into. Her magic allowed her to see into people's dreams. She had been watching Yami. So he knew. And was afraid Yugi would find out, and then the others would find out, and it was still, even after millenniums, a hard topic for Yami to talk about. She supposed that loosing a friend who was like a sister was hard, she'd lost many people in her life, but she was such a closed off, hidden girl that it didn't matter, no one would be able to get close to her to learn the pain she'd gone through. Fyre rubbed her eyes. She'd deal with this later. Isis had warned her that life wouldn't be easy, but this was insane.
"I'm going to bed," she thought.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ School:
Fyre walked onto the near-silent school grounds. It was still early, and most people would just be waking up, or eating breakfast. Fyre was used to getting up early, when she was at home she would get up around five am, and go to a dance practice, or just practice in her room. Now she didn't have that option. Walking around the grounds would serve no point, and there was no way that she could get to the edge of the city and back before school started. She sighed, then decided to head to the park. Maybe she could talk to her aunt.
She perched on a root that was exposed by erosion. Being a bit of nature herself, she pitied the tree. She gazed into the stream on whose banks she sat.
"Aunt Cylina?" she called softly.
A young women's face appeared in the water. She had soft, loosely flowing gold hair and soft grey eyes. Her skin was pale, with a light tan. "Lillian!" she exclaimed softly. "how are you my dear?"
Fyre shrugged. Her aunt was the only one who called her by her true name. It was a nice change, really. Though Lillian Brightwater wasn't what you'd call a common name. And there was no point in stirring up unwanted attention. "It's ok, I guess. Humans are crazy. I realize why we separate ourselves from them. They just don't understand."
"Not leaving you alone?" Cylina asked.
Fyre nodded. "and my work partner is really good at taking almost no information and getting the entire truth in a matter of minutes."
"Your partner is Seto Kaiba, true?" Cylina asked.
Fyre nodded.
"He's going to understand things that most others won't, his blood mother was the same way. She could see through lies, spells, all kinds of trickery."
"He has power then?" Fyre asked.
"Probably not yet, or else it just hasn't really reacted," Cylina told her. "You'll notice if something happens."
Fyre sighed. "I'm so bored here," she whispered. "just so bored. This town has nothing to do, and since I don't duel anymore..."she let the thought hang.
Cylina nodded. "I'm sorry dear. I think Isis expected you to be bored when she sent you there. I think the idea is that you're more likely to see things if you've nothing to distract you."
"So she actually expects me to be looking for something here on this desolate planet, in the most boring town ever?" Fyre asked, shocked that the Goddess would ask that. Then it hit her. Of course. She was supposed to be looking for others like herself, those who, like her, had been brought forward in time. Those who still had a destiny, a life, something they had to do before the Goddess would let them rest. They would wander, wander until their task was complete, and that might take a while. It would be a lonely journey, but Fyre knew the paths well. Perhaps she could help whomever she found.
Cylina shook her head. "No on can help each other on the journeys, unless they start out together," she said.
Fyre merely sighed. "I hate rules," she muttered.
"They're a pain, but they do help sometimes," Cylina reminded her.
Fyre nodded. "I know. I just hate to admit it. I've got to get going, school's starting soon."
"Good-bye dearest," Cylina said softly. "Complete this task She has set before you, and come home. We miss you."
"I miss all of you as well," Fyre murmured. "Until next time, and peace to all."
She rose slowly. She knew without looking at her reflection that her eyes were grey, speckled with amber. Sorrow and wishful. She wanted, more than anything, she admitted to herself, to be home, back with people who cared, and understood. Hearing her name being called, she turned.
"FYRE!" yelled Duke, waving from near the steps.
Fyre sighed. She was getting sick of these people. They tried to include her in everything. She slowly walked over.
"Hey there," said Serenity cheerfully.
Fyre smiled inwardly. Serenity at least wasn't really annoyingly persistent. She was quiet, polite, and overall rather nice.
"Hello, all," she said. She stepped around them, intending to head into school.
Yami stopped her. "Fyre. Stop."
It was a royal command. Ruler's age didn't matter, a command was command, and being part Egyptian herself, Fyre knew she had to obey.
"What?" she asked.
"You're not who you seem, or claim to be, are you?" Yami asked.
Fyre pretended to be confused. "What do you mean? You're saying I'm lying about my identity?"
"Yes," Marrik said.
"Now you lost me," Joey said.
"It's a Egyptian thing," said Kaiba.
"You are all crazy," Fyre told them, coolly walking into the building.
"No, we're not," Marrik said softly. "We are nowhere near as crazy as you. You're the one walking around like you never died. You're the one pretending, the one who was always the actress, the performer, the one who could lead anyone to believe anything"
"She was," agreed Yami. "Always the trickster, the girl who could fool even the most learned person."
"She was also the God-touched," said Ishizu lightly from Marrik's rod.
"What do you know or think of her, sister?" Marrik asked.
"I think that she is the lost, long-dead Pharaoh Princess Starrya."
"No way on Earth and in the Heavens and Afterlife is she her," Marrik said. "She committed suicide thousands of years ago, when she failed to save her friend."
"Was there ever proof of that?" Ishizu asked.
"Did anyone ever find her?" agreed Yami.
"WILL SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Joey yelled.
The bell rang. "No, because school's starting," Serenity teased, racing off.
All day, Joey was out of it, totally unable to concentrate, and landed himself with detention for the next three days.
"Man, what did I do to deserve that?" he asked as he flopped down by the others in the park.
"Probably spaced class again," said Fyre's tart voice from the path. "I've noticed that in you, you never pay enough attention to take in what's going on. I'm surprised that you get any points on your homework. No," she held up her hand, stopping Joey's protest. "I was serious when I said that academics had priority in life. It's not just for me, it's for everyone. Having fun and goofing off is all very well, if you know everything there is to know about life. The stuff you learn in school is the stuff that's going to get you through life."
Kaiba looked up from helping his brother. "She's hit the nail dead on you know Joey," he said. "If, and take it from someone who had to grow up when he was about 12, if you want to survive, you need to learn all that junk they force down your throat, or into your head, however you like to see it, at school."
"Believe me," fyre added, "you don't have to take it from him to take it from someone who had to grow up before their time." She turned, walking down the path.
"Fyre, wait!" Tristan called.
Fyre turned. "What?"
"Listen," Serenity jumped in. "I'm sorry if these guys have tried overly hard to include you in stuff. I understand, at least, that you would rather do things your way, if you can. It's fine if you don't want to hang out with us, and if you'd rather not come to parties, and whatnot. Since these folks here are mostly thickheaded guys, this will take a while to sink in, but if they really bug you, you can always tell me and I'll make them leave you alone."
Fyre nearly smiled. "Thank you, Serenity," she said.
"What'd you do that for?" Duke yelled.
Serenity merely walked away. Breaking into a jog, she caught up with Fyre as the other girl reached the gates to Uptown. "Fyre?" she asked.
Fyre turned. "Yes?" she asked, far more polite than she was with the rest of the group. She told the guard where she was going, then motioned for Serenity to follow her. "It's fine, they know you're with me, they can't do anything," she told her.
Serenity followed happily, gazing around Uptown in awe. "It's so – different here," she said, awed.
Fyre nodded. "It throws most people off. They suddenly don't have any idea of where they are, or anything else."
Serenity grinned.
"You know," Fyre continued as she led the way to her house, "you're friends...they, erm, need to be a little less inclusive of others. I'm being blunt here, I don't bother softening my words."
Serenity sighed. "They are over-inclusive sometimes. I'll see if I can get them to leave you alone, but I doubt I can do anything. I know that at least two of them are—um, in love with you, so I doubt that they'll behave."
Fyre bit back an angry retort. She'd been afraid of that that someone would fall for her. Some poor soul who hardly knew her would take the fall. She ran a hand over her hair, and then pulled the gate key out of her pocket. Opening the gate, she beckoned Serenity inside. As they walked up to the door, Fyre debated how to tell Serenity about her views, and how she could ask the other girl to tell her friends.
"Serenity, forgive me for being so blunt, but this needs saying. You need to be the one to tell your friends. If I say it won't do any good, they'll not listen."
"Sure, I can tell them," Serenity said.
"If you need someone to back you up on this one, ask Seto. He knows how I feel about this."
Serenity nodded.
"This is just how I feel about life, and everything. Nothing should be able to get in the way of what you like to do, unless the thing that's getting in the way is a necessity to living a life of success and happiness for you. It shouldn't hurt enough that you need to be annoying if someone says no to something you ask. You should be the one who decides how your life is lived; you can be the one who chooses the path you will follow. Others around shouldn't have influence on which path you take. Does that make sense?"
Serenity nodded. "Basically what you believe is that you should be able to choose who you are and what you do with your life."
Fyre nodded. "Nice nutshell of what I believe."
Serenity grinned. "Sorry to get off topic, but I have to ask. Please don't blow up at me either."
Fyre gave her a half smile. "Alright, I won't. What's the question?"
"Do you live alone?" Serenity asked, tentatively.
Fyre simply nodded.
"Why?" Serenity asked. "You're in high school, which seems to be where teens need their parents and other family members the most."
Fyre's eyes turned grey. "My parents haven't been seen for nearly three years," she murmured. "Not that that's anything different for me, they weren't there when they were around anyway."
"why? You're so," Serenity faltered, unsure of the word she searched for.
"different?" Fyre suggested.
Serenity shook her head. "I don't know, um, I don't really know what word works. Do you get what I'm trying to say?"
Fyre nodded. "I think so."
"ok, yeah, I'll tell them, but I don't know how they'll take it, they might be a bit mad at me."
"hey, they give you anything about it, tell them to talk to me. Or you tell me what they said and I'll talk to them," Fyre offered.
"thanks," Serenity told her.
The girls' conversation turned to hobbies, chatting with Fyre, Serenity realized where the girl's basis of belief came from. With her past as cold, harsh, and blood-filled as it was, it stood reason that she felt it was everyone for themselves, don't get attached to anyone one person, they'll die someday, most likely before you will.
"I should be heading back," Serenity told Fyre regretfully. "it's been nice to talk to you."
Fyre led the way downstairs. "it was nice to talk to you too," she agreed. "see you at school."
Serenity nodded. "I'll pass on your message."
"Thanks," Fyre told her, turning and vanishing into the house.
Yugi: YAY! Now we get to learn what kind of evil things she's written about us!
Tristan: This is a good thing?
Tea: I'm scared of her....
Faiirie: GOOD! BE SCARED. I'M OUT TO GET ALL OF YOU.
Seto: I believe you.
Faiirie: whatever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere:
Yugi, Tea, Joey, Tristan, Seto and Bakura walked through a warm, humid night, heading for what appeared to be a temple of some sort. Nothing moved in the sand, there was no wind, the moon was dark. A night full of mystery, and no answers.
"look," Yugi whispered, gazing down.
The others gathered around him, Joey reached down and helped pull a trapdoor out of the sand. An eerie sound came from the depths of the tunnel below. It was like nothing they had ever heard. Tea shivered.
"Creepy," she thought.
"can you guys hear something?" Joey asked.
"how deaf do you think we are?" Bakura whispered.
"it sounds like people fighting, yelling," Yugi whispered as he stepped onto the first of the steps leading down into the earth.
Tea grabbed his arm. "you're not...going down are you?" she whispered fearfully.
Yugi shook her off quietly. "of course," he replied softly. "how else will we ever know what happened?"
"Maybe it's best if we never know," Seto offered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fyre's place
It was near midnight. The town was dark and quiet, save the few late- night strollers and night shift workers. The stars gleamed through a gap in the curtains. Fyre sat back, looking at the crystal she had been gazing into. Her magic allowed her to see into people's dreams. She had been watching Yami. So he knew. And was afraid Yugi would find out, and then the others would find out, and it was still, even after millenniums, a hard topic for Yami to talk about. She supposed that loosing a friend who was like a sister was hard, she'd lost many people in her life, but she was such a closed off, hidden girl that it didn't matter, no one would be able to get close to her to learn the pain she'd gone through. Fyre rubbed her eyes. She'd deal with this later. Isis had warned her that life wouldn't be easy, but this was insane.
"I'm going to bed," she thought.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ School:
Fyre walked onto the near-silent school grounds. It was still early, and most people would just be waking up, or eating breakfast. Fyre was used to getting up early, when she was at home she would get up around five am, and go to a dance practice, or just practice in her room. Now she didn't have that option. Walking around the grounds would serve no point, and there was no way that she could get to the edge of the city and back before school started. She sighed, then decided to head to the park. Maybe she could talk to her aunt.
She perched on a root that was exposed by erosion. Being a bit of nature herself, she pitied the tree. She gazed into the stream on whose banks she sat.
"Aunt Cylina?" she called softly.
A young women's face appeared in the water. She had soft, loosely flowing gold hair and soft grey eyes. Her skin was pale, with a light tan. "Lillian!" she exclaimed softly. "how are you my dear?"
Fyre shrugged. Her aunt was the only one who called her by her true name. It was a nice change, really. Though Lillian Brightwater wasn't what you'd call a common name. And there was no point in stirring up unwanted attention. "It's ok, I guess. Humans are crazy. I realize why we separate ourselves from them. They just don't understand."
"Not leaving you alone?" Cylina asked.
Fyre nodded. "and my work partner is really good at taking almost no information and getting the entire truth in a matter of minutes."
"Your partner is Seto Kaiba, true?" Cylina asked.
Fyre nodded.
"He's going to understand things that most others won't, his blood mother was the same way. She could see through lies, spells, all kinds of trickery."
"He has power then?" Fyre asked.
"Probably not yet, or else it just hasn't really reacted," Cylina told her. "You'll notice if something happens."
Fyre sighed. "I'm so bored here," she whispered. "just so bored. This town has nothing to do, and since I don't duel anymore..."she let the thought hang.
Cylina nodded. "I'm sorry dear. I think Isis expected you to be bored when she sent you there. I think the idea is that you're more likely to see things if you've nothing to distract you."
"So she actually expects me to be looking for something here on this desolate planet, in the most boring town ever?" Fyre asked, shocked that the Goddess would ask that. Then it hit her. Of course. She was supposed to be looking for others like herself, those who, like her, had been brought forward in time. Those who still had a destiny, a life, something they had to do before the Goddess would let them rest. They would wander, wander until their task was complete, and that might take a while. It would be a lonely journey, but Fyre knew the paths well. Perhaps she could help whomever she found.
Cylina shook her head. "No on can help each other on the journeys, unless they start out together," she said.
Fyre merely sighed. "I hate rules," she muttered.
"They're a pain, but they do help sometimes," Cylina reminded her.
Fyre nodded. "I know. I just hate to admit it. I've got to get going, school's starting soon."
"Good-bye dearest," Cylina said softly. "Complete this task She has set before you, and come home. We miss you."
"I miss all of you as well," Fyre murmured. "Until next time, and peace to all."
She rose slowly. She knew without looking at her reflection that her eyes were grey, speckled with amber. Sorrow and wishful. She wanted, more than anything, she admitted to herself, to be home, back with people who cared, and understood. Hearing her name being called, she turned.
"FYRE!" yelled Duke, waving from near the steps.
Fyre sighed. She was getting sick of these people. They tried to include her in everything. She slowly walked over.
"Hey there," said Serenity cheerfully.
Fyre smiled inwardly. Serenity at least wasn't really annoyingly persistent. She was quiet, polite, and overall rather nice.
"Hello, all," she said. She stepped around them, intending to head into school.
Yami stopped her. "Fyre. Stop."
It was a royal command. Ruler's age didn't matter, a command was command, and being part Egyptian herself, Fyre knew she had to obey.
"What?" she asked.
"You're not who you seem, or claim to be, are you?" Yami asked.
Fyre pretended to be confused. "What do you mean? You're saying I'm lying about my identity?"
"Yes," Marrik said.
"Now you lost me," Joey said.
"It's a Egyptian thing," said Kaiba.
"You are all crazy," Fyre told them, coolly walking into the building.
"No, we're not," Marrik said softly. "We are nowhere near as crazy as you. You're the one walking around like you never died. You're the one pretending, the one who was always the actress, the performer, the one who could lead anyone to believe anything"
"She was," agreed Yami. "Always the trickster, the girl who could fool even the most learned person."
"She was also the God-touched," said Ishizu lightly from Marrik's rod.
"What do you know or think of her, sister?" Marrik asked.
"I think that she is the lost, long-dead Pharaoh Princess Starrya."
"No way on Earth and in the Heavens and Afterlife is she her," Marrik said. "She committed suicide thousands of years ago, when she failed to save her friend."
"Was there ever proof of that?" Ishizu asked.
"Did anyone ever find her?" agreed Yami.
"WILL SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Joey yelled.
The bell rang. "No, because school's starting," Serenity teased, racing off.
All day, Joey was out of it, totally unable to concentrate, and landed himself with detention for the next three days.
"Man, what did I do to deserve that?" he asked as he flopped down by the others in the park.
"Probably spaced class again," said Fyre's tart voice from the path. "I've noticed that in you, you never pay enough attention to take in what's going on. I'm surprised that you get any points on your homework. No," she held up her hand, stopping Joey's protest. "I was serious when I said that academics had priority in life. It's not just for me, it's for everyone. Having fun and goofing off is all very well, if you know everything there is to know about life. The stuff you learn in school is the stuff that's going to get you through life."
Kaiba looked up from helping his brother. "She's hit the nail dead on you know Joey," he said. "If, and take it from someone who had to grow up when he was about 12, if you want to survive, you need to learn all that junk they force down your throat, or into your head, however you like to see it, at school."
"Believe me," fyre added, "you don't have to take it from him to take it from someone who had to grow up before their time." She turned, walking down the path.
"Fyre, wait!" Tristan called.
Fyre turned. "What?"
"Listen," Serenity jumped in. "I'm sorry if these guys have tried overly hard to include you in stuff. I understand, at least, that you would rather do things your way, if you can. It's fine if you don't want to hang out with us, and if you'd rather not come to parties, and whatnot. Since these folks here are mostly thickheaded guys, this will take a while to sink in, but if they really bug you, you can always tell me and I'll make them leave you alone."
Fyre nearly smiled. "Thank you, Serenity," she said.
"What'd you do that for?" Duke yelled.
Serenity merely walked away. Breaking into a jog, she caught up with Fyre as the other girl reached the gates to Uptown. "Fyre?" she asked.
Fyre turned. "Yes?" she asked, far more polite than she was with the rest of the group. She told the guard where she was going, then motioned for Serenity to follow her. "It's fine, they know you're with me, they can't do anything," she told her.
Serenity followed happily, gazing around Uptown in awe. "It's so – different here," she said, awed.
Fyre nodded. "It throws most people off. They suddenly don't have any idea of where they are, or anything else."
Serenity grinned.
"You know," Fyre continued as she led the way to her house, "you're friends...they, erm, need to be a little less inclusive of others. I'm being blunt here, I don't bother softening my words."
Serenity sighed. "They are over-inclusive sometimes. I'll see if I can get them to leave you alone, but I doubt I can do anything. I know that at least two of them are—um, in love with you, so I doubt that they'll behave."
Fyre bit back an angry retort. She'd been afraid of that that someone would fall for her. Some poor soul who hardly knew her would take the fall. She ran a hand over her hair, and then pulled the gate key out of her pocket. Opening the gate, she beckoned Serenity inside. As they walked up to the door, Fyre debated how to tell Serenity about her views, and how she could ask the other girl to tell her friends.
"Serenity, forgive me for being so blunt, but this needs saying. You need to be the one to tell your friends. If I say it won't do any good, they'll not listen."
"Sure, I can tell them," Serenity said.
"If you need someone to back you up on this one, ask Seto. He knows how I feel about this."
Serenity nodded.
"This is just how I feel about life, and everything. Nothing should be able to get in the way of what you like to do, unless the thing that's getting in the way is a necessity to living a life of success and happiness for you. It shouldn't hurt enough that you need to be annoying if someone says no to something you ask. You should be the one who decides how your life is lived; you can be the one who chooses the path you will follow. Others around shouldn't have influence on which path you take. Does that make sense?"
Serenity nodded. "Basically what you believe is that you should be able to choose who you are and what you do with your life."
Fyre nodded. "Nice nutshell of what I believe."
Serenity grinned. "Sorry to get off topic, but I have to ask. Please don't blow up at me either."
Fyre gave her a half smile. "Alright, I won't. What's the question?"
"Do you live alone?" Serenity asked, tentatively.
Fyre simply nodded.
"Why?" Serenity asked. "You're in high school, which seems to be where teens need their parents and other family members the most."
Fyre's eyes turned grey. "My parents haven't been seen for nearly three years," she murmured. "Not that that's anything different for me, they weren't there when they were around anyway."
"why? You're so," Serenity faltered, unsure of the word she searched for.
"different?" Fyre suggested.
Serenity shook her head. "I don't know, um, I don't really know what word works. Do you get what I'm trying to say?"
Fyre nodded. "I think so."
"ok, yeah, I'll tell them, but I don't know how they'll take it, they might be a bit mad at me."
"hey, they give you anything about it, tell them to talk to me. Or you tell me what they said and I'll talk to them," Fyre offered.
"thanks," Serenity told her.
The girls' conversation turned to hobbies, chatting with Fyre, Serenity realized where the girl's basis of belief came from. With her past as cold, harsh, and blood-filled as it was, it stood reason that she felt it was everyone for themselves, don't get attached to anyone one person, they'll die someday, most likely before you will.
"I should be heading back," Serenity told Fyre regretfully. "it's been nice to talk to you."
Fyre led the way downstairs. "it was nice to talk to you too," she agreed. "see you at school."
Serenity nodded. "I'll pass on your message."
"Thanks," Fyre told her, turning and vanishing into the house.