Seperation
Chapter 3 Tracking...
~Joey~
"NYASSAAAAAA!" Seto bellowed.
I heard somebody sniffling nearby. "She...she's not here." Said a familiar voice. "She gave up... they all did."
I turned around. Rex was curled up, sobbing pathetically under the wings of a Red Eyes statue. "Rex Raptor!" Yugi bristled. "What are you doing here?"
"I worked here, along with my sister and Weevil. Nyassa couldn't get enough business, so they... they're shutting the place down... but I can't just leave the place! Not after all the work we did!"
I did a double take. Rex Raptor, crying? Whatever happened must be terrible.
"But Rex, isn't there anything you can do?" Tea asked.
He shook his head. "Look up Masaki, how much do you think it took to make that!"
I looked up, sure enough, Rex was indicating the model of the Blue Eyes that was hanging from the scaffolding above. "Woah! I'm guessing more than we'll ever make!"
"Very BRIGHT Wheeler." Rex snapped, wiping his eyes. "I... I can't just LEAVE all this stuff here!" He said desperately. Rex put his face in his hands.
"Do you know where she went?" Yami asked, trying to be helpful.
"No idea... wait! They had a concert that they had to practice for. I think they're down at Domino Convention Center getting ready." Rex sighed. "I can't sing, or play a single note, so I generally just come to watch or help them set things up. But Nyassa's record sales haven't picked up, if they did, she'd be able to keep this place open." Tears filled Rex's eyes again. "Look Kaiba, is there something that you wanted from her?"
"Nothing." Seto sighed. "Come on you guys. Rex, do you know when it is, or where I can get tickets?"
Rex thought for a moment. "I think you can buy them at the box office and its this Saturday at seven p.m."
"My treat." Seto sighed. "I was hoping that we could ask her about it." He admitted when Mokuba was out of earshot. "I'll see if I can find a babysitter for Mokuba."
"It's not fair." Yami sighed. "If she could work like this, she deserves more than having to abandon her work."
Rex shook his head. "Weevil said that 'Those who deserve do not always succeed.'" Rex sniffed.
"Weevil said THAT?" I demanded. "I'd never expect something like that to come out of HIS mouth."
It's not fair. I thought. Come on Seto, do SOMETHING! "Rex, It'll be okay." I said awkwardly.
"It will never be okay." Rex said bitterly.
~Weevil~
I waited until Yugi and company left, and then I slipped in. I was silently glad that Yugi hadn't tried to comfort Rex. Had it been me, I would have been embarrassed to be caught crying by my enemy, even more so if they tried to comfort me. Yugi needs to learn a few lessons about dignity, especially since he's the world champion.
I gently tapped Rex on the shoulder. "Its me."
Rex jumped, then turned around. "What do you want?" He asked sourly.
"To comfort you." I said softly. "I just didn't want to do it in front of Yugi. I have more dignity than to be caught crying by a rival."
It felt awkward to wrap my arms around his shoulders. Guys don't usually do that sort of thing, you know?
Rex buried his head in my shoulder and just let go. There are times when I want to do that, but I don't. I'm a duelist. I entered the sport, not for the fame, or for the money, but for the prestige, for the honor, and especially, to make me stronger, to test my limits. The talented hawk keeps his claws hidden after all.
Finally, Rex lifted his head and looked at me. His expression, and mine, were soft. Damnit, I have tears in my eyes too. There was a skeleton of an Ultimate Great Moth that we never got to complete. Its what happens when you put all of yourself into something.
Our faces were an inch away from each other. The air suddenly felt heavy. I got the strangest compulsion to kiss him. KISS Rex Raptor?
Rex moved first. Next second, I felt his lips to mine. Oh gods. I felt a jolt, almost like electricity, pass between us. Then my body seemed to move on its own. Our tongues battled it out for dominance.
I found my back to the statues' chest. Panting, I looked up at Rex. He looked about as surprised as I was. He thumbed the tears away from my cheeks. "You shouldn't keep your feelings inside like that." He said tenderly, "Its unhealthy." Another, tender kiss. "Where do you want to go with this?" Rex asked, gently.
"All the way." I whispered up at him. "All the way."
~Nyassa~
I brought the basket of goodies to Pegasus at the hospital. When I came into the room, he had his hands behind his head, remaining eye closed. I thought he was asleep for a moment, until he said. "Hello Nyassa, I thought you'd be practicing today."
"Pegs, you know very well that at least one of us will come to visit you every day and bring you goodies every Saturday." I grinned, setting the basket down on the bedside table. "Charla sent you some of her pastries, and she says go light on the grape juice, they're down to their last case. Fera sent the latest Funny Bunny graphic novel. And I've got our latest album for you." I set them out on the table. "But you've got to get well. Shelly and Stev are at their wits end managing Duelists Kingdom without you."
"I'm trying Nya, I really am, but my memory is... well... its almost like a huge hole in a fishing net, the fish escapes every time." Pegasus sighed.
Dr. Taylor came in. "Ah, Nyassa, right on time. Tristan, bring that cart in here, then run along and visit Serenity."
"Yes mom." The boy who wheeled in the food cart stood at about six feet. He had brown hair styled forward to a point and dark brown eyes. A deck pouch hung at his belt. I nervously fidgeted with the remote dueling system carried by a Battle City Duelist.
The boy's eyes widened, then a guarded expression appeared on his face. "Pegasus." He growled.
"Do I know you?" Pegasus asked.
"You're one of Yugi's cronies aren't you?" I asked guardedly.
"So what if I am?" Tristan asked. "What's it to you?"
"Well then, keep your nose out of what isn't your business!" I snarled, neatly pouring a glass of juice for Pegasus. "Here you go." I handed it to him.
"Nyassa, I can pour my own juice, really!" Pegasus blushed. "You don't need to fuss! I'm not made of glass!"
I forced a smile. "I'm sorry Pegs, I had to shut down the workshop today. We ran out of funds. So I'm kind of in a bad mood."
Pegasus chuckled. "I'd be in a bad mood too, if I ran out of paints for a picture."
Tristan's cellphone rang. "Yeah?" Tristan asked. "Oh hi Yugi! Yeah, my mom managed to wrangle me into helping her feed the patients, so I'll say hi to Serenity and meet you later. Sure, I'll tell her Joey says hi. Oh, and guess who I ran into at the hospital," Pause. "Pegasus! And that girl who was going to sell sculptures to Kaiba, she's babying him!"
"I DO NOT BABY PEOPLE!" I shouted loud enough for him to hear.
~Tristan~
I plugged my other ear with a flourish, then slipped outside. "I think she's the girl that you've been looking for Yugi. She was wearing her Millenium Item out in plain sight. If you hurry up you can corner her."
"Okay Tristan, Marik says that he's got a motorcycle that can get me, Bakura, and him there inside of five minutes!" Yugi answered. "Keep an eye on her, Serenity can wait."
That was a first, Serenity waiting for us? "Okay." I answered. This was going to be interesting. They might even be dueling later. Man I wish I were in on Battle City!
Chapter 3 Tracking...
~Joey~
"NYASSAAAAAA!" Seto bellowed.
I heard somebody sniffling nearby. "She...she's not here." Said a familiar voice. "She gave up... they all did."
I turned around. Rex was curled up, sobbing pathetically under the wings of a Red Eyes statue. "Rex Raptor!" Yugi bristled. "What are you doing here?"
"I worked here, along with my sister and Weevil. Nyassa couldn't get enough business, so they... they're shutting the place down... but I can't just leave the place! Not after all the work we did!"
I did a double take. Rex Raptor, crying? Whatever happened must be terrible.
"But Rex, isn't there anything you can do?" Tea asked.
He shook his head. "Look up Masaki, how much do you think it took to make that!"
I looked up, sure enough, Rex was indicating the model of the Blue Eyes that was hanging from the scaffolding above. "Woah! I'm guessing more than we'll ever make!"
"Very BRIGHT Wheeler." Rex snapped, wiping his eyes. "I... I can't just LEAVE all this stuff here!" He said desperately. Rex put his face in his hands.
"Do you know where she went?" Yami asked, trying to be helpful.
"No idea... wait! They had a concert that they had to practice for. I think they're down at Domino Convention Center getting ready." Rex sighed. "I can't sing, or play a single note, so I generally just come to watch or help them set things up. But Nyassa's record sales haven't picked up, if they did, she'd be able to keep this place open." Tears filled Rex's eyes again. "Look Kaiba, is there something that you wanted from her?"
"Nothing." Seto sighed. "Come on you guys. Rex, do you know when it is, or where I can get tickets?"
Rex thought for a moment. "I think you can buy them at the box office and its this Saturday at seven p.m."
"My treat." Seto sighed. "I was hoping that we could ask her about it." He admitted when Mokuba was out of earshot. "I'll see if I can find a babysitter for Mokuba."
"It's not fair." Yami sighed. "If she could work like this, she deserves more than having to abandon her work."
Rex shook his head. "Weevil said that 'Those who deserve do not always succeed.'" Rex sniffed.
"Weevil said THAT?" I demanded. "I'd never expect something like that to come out of HIS mouth."
It's not fair. I thought. Come on Seto, do SOMETHING! "Rex, It'll be okay." I said awkwardly.
"It will never be okay." Rex said bitterly.
~Weevil~
I waited until Yugi and company left, and then I slipped in. I was silently glad that Yugi hadn't tried to comfort Rex. Had it been me, I would have been embarrassed to be caught crying by my enemy, even more so if they tried to comfort me. Yugi needs to learn a few lessons about dignity, especially since he's the world champion.
I gently tapped Rex on the shoulder. "Its me."
Rex jumped, then turned around. "What do you want?" He asked sourly.
"To comfort you." I said softly. "I just didn't want to do it in front of Yugi. I have more dignity than to be caught crying by a rival."
It felt awkward to wrap my arms around his shoulders. Guys don't usually do that sort of thing, you know?
Rex buried his head in my shoulder and just let go. There are times when I want to do that, but I don't. I'm a duelist. I entered the sport, not for the fame, or for the money, but for the prestige, for the honor, and especially, to make me stronger, to test my limits. The talented hawk keeps his claws hidden after all.
Finally, Rex lifted his head and looked at me. His expression, and mine, were soft. Damnit, I have tears in my eyes too. There was a skeleton of an Ultimate Great Moth that we never got to complete. Its what happens when you put all of yourself into something.
Our faces were an inch away from each other. The air suddenly felt heavy. I got the strangest compulsion to kiss him. KISS Rex Raptor?
Rex moved first. Next second, I felt his lips to mine. Oh gods. I felt a jolt, almost like electricity, pass between us. Then my body seemed to move on its own. Our tongues battled it out for dominance.
I found my back to the statues' chest. Panting, I looked up at Rex. He looked about as surprised as I was. He thumbed the tears away from my cheeks. "You shouldn't keep your feelings inside like that." He said tenderly, "Its unhealthy." Another, tender kiss. "Where do you want to go with this?" Rex asked, gently.
"All the way." I whispered up at him. "All the way."
~Nyassa~
I brought the basket of goodies to Pegasus at the hospital. When I came into the room, he had his hands behind his head, remaining eye closed. I thought he was asleep for a moment, until he said. "Hello Nyassa, I thought you'd be practicing today."
"Pegs, you know very well that at least one of us will come to visit you every day and bring you goodies every Saturday." I grinned, setting the basket down on the bedside table. "Charla sent you some of her pastries, and she says go light on the grape juice, they're down to their last case. Fera sent the latest Funny Bunny graphic novel. And I've got our latest album for you." I set them out on the table. "But you've got to get well. Shelly and Stev are at their wits end managing Duelists Kingdom without you."
"I'm trying Nya, I really am, but my memory is... well... its almost like a huge hole in a fishing net, the fish escapes every time." Pegasus sighed.
Dr. Taylor came in. "Ah, Nyassa, right on time. Tristan, bring that cart in here, then run along and visit Serenity."
"Yes mom." The boy who wheeled in the food cart stood at about six feet. He had brown hair styled forward to a point and dark brown eyes. A deck pouch hung at his belt. I nervously fidgeted with the remote dueling system carried by a Battle City Duelist.
The boy's eyes widened, then a guarded expression appeared on his face. "Pegasus." He growled.
"Do I know you?" Pegasus asked.
"You're one of Yugi's cronies aren't you?" I asked guardedly.
"So what if I am?" Tristan asked. "What's it to you?"
"Well then, keep your nose out of what isn't your business!" I snarled, neatly pouring a glass of juice for Pegasus. "Here you go." I handed it to him.
"Nyassa, I can pour my own juice, really!" Pegasus blushed. "You don't need to fuss! I'm not made of glass!"
I forced a smile. "I'm sorry Pegs, I had to shut down the workshop today. We ran out of funds. So I'm kind of in a bad mood."
Pegasus chuckled. "I'd be in a bad mood too, if I ran out of paints for a picture."
Tristan's cellphone rang. "Yeah?" Tristan asked. "Oh hi Yugi! Yeah, my mom managed to wrangle me into helping her feed the patients, so I'll say hi to Serenity and meet you later. Sure, I'll tell her Joey says hi. Oh, and guess who I ran into at the hospital," Pause. "Pegasus! And that girl who was going to sell sculptures to Kaiba, she's babying him!"
"I DO NOT BABY PEOPLE!" I shouted loud enough for him to hear.
~Tristan~
I plugged my other ear with a flourish, then slipped outside. "I think she's the girl that you've been looking for Yugi. She was wearing her Millenium Item out in plain sight. If you hurry up you can corner her."
"Okay Tristan, Marik says that he's got a motorcycle that can get me, Bakura, and him there inside of five minutes!" Yugi answered. "Keep an eye on her, Serenity can wait."
That was a first, Serenity waiting for us? "Okay." I answered. This was going to be interesting. They might even be dueling later. Man I wish I were in on Battle City!