THE DESCENT OF LOST SOULS
Chapter Two: Silent Cries for Help
To the Reader
This Chapter has references about death, drinking, and child abuse. Some spoilers included.
Flashback - One week before the present – the following morning after Jonouchi and Emrys' conversation.
The Other Yugi's Point of View
This past week had been a much-needed change.
Scenic landmarks replaced hospital rooms. A quiet manor took the place of the Shadow Realm. Good friends replaced the hooded men.
However, the more that I tried to forget about what happened in the United States, the more I became puzzled. Why were these hooded men pursuing us? What did they really want from us?
If the choice were mine to make, I would not let Emrys go on this archeological trip.
Since we have been spending time together, we now knew more about each other. I discovered that Emrys was at her truest level of self whenever music or archeology was involved...thorough, intimate, passionate, vulnerable, authentic, and loving.
As to dueling, I saw another side of Emrys. She was intense, shrewd, and driven. Her passion for song and the past also transferred to the dueling arena. Whenever she dueled, she had that drive and fire in her eyes. She gave her all in order to win.
Yes, Emrys might have lost every duel to me but that was beside the point. Every time that she lost, she increased the intensity of her next game. I, on the other hand, matched the level of skill that she brought to our duel. I may have won every time, but each victory I gained was becoming harder to earn. I picked up new techniques since I had to think of ways to counter her strategies.
During our duels, Aibou watched and had a great time along with us. As to my nightly walks and talks with her, he gave us the privacy that he thought we needed.
What bothered me, though, was this morning. Jonouchi told Aibou that Emrys sat and drank brandy alone in the parlor. Aibou could not believe what he just heard from him.
I was floored to hear that Emrys was drinking again.
I relived Emrys' past through the Millennium Items. It was dark, dismal, depressing, and hopeless. No human being should ever live through such misery. I knew that there was something in her mind and part of it had something to do with Yoshiko's death. She told me that the only detail that she remembered was that her friend stood by her bedside and tried to kill her.
As much as I believed Emrys, Yoshiko's death was too mysterious to simply dismiss. Kaiba put this episode behind him, but I could not.
Speaking of Jonouchi, I was also worried about him. The gang rushed over to Honda's house after Jonouchi asked if he could stay over for the night. During our sleepover, he confided that his Dad had been drinking more often lately. Everyone could tell that he was bothered as much as he already knew that he had a negligent father.
Oh, I almost forgot one major detail...
May told me that today was Emrys' parents' birthday. It was interesting to know that a husband and wife shared the same birthday. Fate worked her spell, left telltale signs, and destined two different people to fall in love with each other.
The unfortunate part, though, was that the couple died together at such a young age. They left a daughter behind to fend for her own.
Even though Emrys life had been tough, Jonouchi's life was a much more difficult living hell. What was worse than losing a parent through death was losing a parent through hard liquor? At least with the first one, a child's good memory of the parent remained intact. With the latter, a child might be tempted to think that life would be better off if he - or the parent - were dead.
Although I was worried about them, I know that they could handle their personal demons. Emrys would face one of hers today at the gravesite. Jonouchi, on the other hand, would deal with his demons at Domino City.
General Point-of-View
Yugi, Jonouchi, and Emrys were having breakfast at the patio. After explaining her itinerary, the young men's eyes widened as they fell silent.
Breaking the long pause of silence, Jonouchi said, "If you're going to see these people, then that means..."
Her hazel eyes momentarily met chestnut brown, and then focused on the amethyst gaze. "Yes, I'm going to see Pegasus. I need to know what ties he had with my parents. He seems pretty harmless."
The blond-haired teen shook his head, still not believing what he just heard. "I haven't even begun talking about that prima-donna. I'm talking about Malik."
"Malik?" she asked, as her forehead crinkled.
Yugi cleared his throat. "He had the Millennium Rod. He also brainwashed Jonouchi and Anzu with it."
Carefully leaning back on the chair, she pointed out to Yugi, "You said that he doesn't have the Rod anymore..."
"That's true, but Malik's an asshole," Jonouchi deadpanned, as he recalled what Malik had put everyone through at Battle City.
She then asked, "Was it the Item that made him evil?"
"Yes and no," the blonde teen replied. "The real spooky one was Malik's other self. Normal Malik had no control over him, until Yugi defeated him."
"Oh... Just like Yugi has another self," she mumbled.
Yugi nodded his head, and then said, "Shadi is another Millennium Item holder. He has the Millennium Ankh."
This time, it was Jonouchi who frowned. "Shadi?"
The young man with the tri-colored mane replied, "He's the one who turned Professor Yoshimori into a zombie, and Anzu into a puppet. Do you remember him now?"
"Oh, him," Jonouchi muttered as he shuddered.
"You'll have trouble getting in touch with Shadi," remarked the younger Mutou.
Drumming her fingers on the table as she leaned forward, she asked Yugi, "Why?"
"He appears whenever he wants to..."
A half-enlightened and puzzled-looking Emrys asked Yugi, "What do you mean? Is he a ghost?"
Yugi gave her an equally baffled glance. "I don't know. Although he seems like one with the way he shows up anywhere."
While she gazed at the grassy field, she said, "We need to know more about the Millennium Items. Once I find out more about them, I'll be following the clues that my parents left."
The other Yugi was startled once he heard her last statement, and thus sent a mental image to the young spirit vessel.
Yugi frowned. "Thera? You're going back to Thera? Are you ready for that?"
"I have to," she responded with quiet firmness.
The amethyst-eyed teenager protested, "You're still recovering from that accident of yours."
She sighed. "I'll be fine. The first part of my travel will just be pure research. I wouldn't be surprised if that will take months. By the time I get to Thera, my bones will fully mend by then."
Jonouchi ruefully remarked, "If we didn't have school in a week's time, we'll be going with you."
After a moment of silence, she then stared at Yugi. "Would you do me a favor?"
"Sure."
"I have a package for Jii-san. Would you make sure that he gets it?"
Yugi smiled and then said, "I will."
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Flashback - One week before the present. Mid-afternoon, the following day.
General Point-of-View
Yugi, Jonouchi, and Emrys stood by the tree-shaded spot where her parents were buried. After she laid a bouquet of white lilies to the shared gravesite, each offered a prayer for the dearly departed.
The servants, especially May, watched through the glass windows with mixed emotions – feeling relieved that their mistress seemed to be coping better with her grief.
Minutes later, Jonouchi faced Emrys. After gently patting her arm, he quietly returned to the manor.
Yugi then switched into his other self.
Immediately thereafter, an empathetic other Yugi rested his hand on her back and kissed her forehead. Quietly standing besides her, he gave her all the time that she needed.
She, in turn, cuddled him as the two kept their transfixed gazes at the gravestone. Eventually looking up into his amethyst eyes, she then whispered with a half-smile, "I'm ready..."
As the lovers passed by an oak bench on their way back to the manor, they quietly agreed to rest at that tree-shaded spot. Sitting closer to each other, she then laid her head on his shoulder and gazed at the lush scenery before them.
After a few silent moments of enjoying the serene view and the gentle breeze, the other Yugi asked, "Are you going to be all right?"
With misty eyes and a light smile, she replied as she lifted her head and faced him, "Yes. It really means a lot to me that you, Yugi, and Jonouchi are here…."
He then clasped her right hand. "You have friends who care about you and I love you. You're not alone anymore…."
After their lingering kiss and consoling embrace, they leaned against the oak bench. They spent their remaining hours together in silence as he cuddled her in one arm while she rested her head on his shoulder.
Comforting and peaceful this moment might be in her lover's arms, little did Emrys know that she was slipping back into that dark hole of despair she once came from.
End of Chapter Two
Normal Disclaimer
Yu-Gi-Oh is the copyrighted property of Kazuki Takahashi. Alexandra Emrys, Yoshiko, Detective Garson, other original characters, and this fan fiction are the properties of the author. This fan fiction is written for entertainment purposes only, thereby releasing the author from any and all liabilities.