Chapter Four-Final Farewells
The next morning, Victoria awakened with a start. She looked around, shivering. Her eyes fell on Christien Roba, and she gasped, wondering what was going on. She gently shook Chris. "Christien?"
"Oh.....Victoria..." The middle Roba sat up, rubbing his eyes. He'd kept a vigil by Victoria's side all night, making sure she was sleeping comfortably, and holding her when she would awaken crying. "How are you?"
"I'm all right, I guess. How did I get home?"
"Jonathan went and got Marik and everyone. You passed out in exhaustion." Christien smiled lightly. "I got you something." He rummaged in his pockets, and pulled out a flower made of plastic. "Here you go."
Victoria gazed at the flower for a minute, then smiled at the Roba weakly. "Thank you, Chris.." She took it from him.
"Tori, I want to...well....." Now's probably not the time to ask! But if I don't do it now....what if she says no later?
"Yes?" Victoria studied him curiously. "What's the matter?"
"Well....I want to ask you....something..." Christien smiled now, taking her hand in his. "Y' know how we were going to go the pool fiesta as friends? Well, I'd ....be honored if.....you went with me as my girlfriend."
"Really?" Victoria swallowed hard. With everything that'd happened the morning before, she'd been certain her insanity would've turned Christien to other girls. "I....I'd be honored,Chris..." She replied softly,feeling a single tear stream down her face. Christien reached out,and brushed her tears away.
"Don't cry....I wouldn't have gone with anyone else other than you." Christien said softly. He held her gently, stroking her hair,as she buried her face in his chest.
"How is she?" It was his brother Jonathan that spoke up. Espa and Mokuba were also in the doorway when Christien turned his head to look.
"She's....a little sensitive right now." Christien held Tori away from him now. "My brothers and Mokuba are here...."
"H-hey, Espa...Jon,Mokuba." Victoria nodded to each of them in turn, wiping her eyes.
"Are you okay?" Mokuba sat down on the bed beside her. "Marik wasn't sure if you were ready for visitors, but I told him you probably wouldn't mind if Espa and Jonathan came up to see you."
"I don't mind....." Victoria replied, looking up at Espa. "I had dream the night Jo was killed...."
"Oh?" Espa walked over, standing by the bed. "What was it about?"
"We were dueling." She sighed sheepishly. "I won."
"Oh." Espa smiled. "Well.....we could duel, once all of this is behind you." He looked around.
"Oh yeah. Marik wanted me to ask if you'd like to visit Bakura..."
"I better..." Victoria stood up now, shakily. "I don't....I don't think I can stay long though..." And I probably won't see much of them once Johanna is laid to rest. I won't be able to handle it.
Christien looked up at Espa. "I'm going with her."
"But I have plans with Nikki..." Jon began, but Espa shook his head. "This is the second time I've had to cancel with her because of Chris! It's not fair, Espa!"
"I'll arrange for Joey or Rex to come get Andrew and EJ." Espa told him. "But this is really the last time for a while, Christien,okay?" Espa gave his younger brother one of his I Mean it looks.
"I'm really sorry, Big Brother. Just so much has been going on..." Chris began, but Victoria put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"You need to be with your brothers, and help them out...I'll be okay." Victoria wasn't sure how true her statement was. She was still shaken up pretty badly, but she knew she should go and see Bakura and visit Jo's lifeless form before the burial.
"No you won't!" Christien insisted, looking to Mokuba for help. "Mokuba, would you be willing to stay with the littles for at least twenty minutes?"
"No sweat!" Mokuba gave him a thumbs up. "Anyway, Tori, Rishid said he'd take you over there whenever you were ready."
"I am ready." The youngest Ishtar replied too calmly,as she walked downstairs. Christien followed quickly, worried because she still seemed so shaky.
"Are you sure you can handle this?" Christien asked a few minutes later, as they approached Bakura's door. Rishid, whom had wound up driving them since Marik was hurt, had agreed to await a call before picking them up. He went back to attend to Marik. Victoria hadn't asked what had happened. She had a sneaking suspicion of what had to begin with.
"No, Chris, I'm not sure. But I am....was...her best friend,and I need to see her."
"Right." Christien replied, as he rang the doorbell. He slipped his hand into hers, to let her know that he was there for her.
"Oh..Victoria, do come in..." Bakura opened the door looking horribly like his yami. His hair was just a messy as the tomb raider kept his.
"I'm so very sorry, Ryou.." Victoria hugged him tightly. "I'm really sorry."
"It's not your fault, Tori." The British boy returned the hug tightly, then smiled at her in sympathy. "I'm sorry she had to go in this way.."
"I'm not surprised, really." There was another, very familiar voice in the room.
"Jennifer?!" Victoria stared in amazement at the third member of their "club". "What are you doing here?! How?!"
"Yami Bakura brought me late last night. He thought you might need a hand dealing with this." Jenny shrugged. "I can't believe she let that.....thing beat her."
"Thing?" Tori raised an eyebrow. "If you mean Yami Marik, he's not a thing. He's an It." She scowled. "Anyway, I didn't come to see you. I came to see Rakura and Johanna."
"Rakura......you two never stopped calling him that! Even after I told you his real name!"
"Stop it! This isn't the time for arguing. She's grieving!" It was Christien who broke up the soon to be squabble. "It doesn't matter what they called him. If he allowed it, then it was obviously okay." He almost missed Victoria going up the stairs to Jo's room. "Tori, wait!"
Victoria found the room occupied by not just Jo's corpse, but by Yami Bakura as well. "I'm......sorry, Bakare....." She crept over slowly, staring at Jo's motionless form.
"Apologizing doesn't help. She's gone." Yami Bakura replied without emotion. "What a dolt, going up against Yami Marik as if she could win!"
"S-she saved my life...." Victoria spoke softly, but inside, she was screaming. Without warning, she lunged at the corpse, beating on it. "HOW COULD YOU! IT SHOULD BE ME LYING HERE, NOT YOU!!!"
"Get off of her, you fool!!" Yami Bakura yanked her away, throwing her into a wall with the impact. "She's dead and gone. She couldn't feel that anyway." He glared at the corpse. "She was a foolish child." But there was a sob in his throat, even if it wasn't noticeable.
Before either of the mourners could lash out in an all out screaming match, there was calm wind, and Yami Bakura found the spirit of his former apprentice in his lap, as if she was five instead of fourteen. "Rakura....I hurt you. I'm s-so sorry.." The girl was crying too. "I...I think you w-were wrong about me....."
"Wrong?" Yami Bakura stared at the girl's apparition in awe.
"I...I wasn't meant to be your apprentice...I mean...I always messed up, and I really don't know why you put up with me. I-I should've been banished to the S-shadow R-realm when I was f-four!"
Damn it all to hell! I can't even comfort her now! I can't believe I came off sounding so cruel and hateful all these years with her. Well, now I suppose I'd better come clean. There was no other excuse for keeping her around and defending her except for the truth. Yami Bakura cleared his throat. "I...put up with you....because ....somewhere, I loved you. A lot." He saw her break down even more, and wished to hold her close to him, as if she was four again, and needed a parent's love. He shifted into his spirit form, and put her into his lap now.
"I f-failed you, Bakare....I tried my best, but it wasn't enough...." Johanna's spirit form held on the tomb raider tightly. "I'm so sorry."
"I know you did..."The thief paused, to keep from choking up. "Even I couldn't defeat him. I swear, I will always remember you as my apprentice...." I pushed her too much. I guess I didn't want her betray me the way my sister Sagira did. I shouldn't have forced stealing on her. I might still have her here in the mortal form. He sneaked a glance at Victoria and her male friend. He recognized him as one of the Roba boys. Victoria was sobbing hysterically, while Christien held on to her tightly, whispering softly into her hair.
"I...I got you one last thing....for your b-birthday. I was going to give it to you, but now....." Jo let her words fall short,as she glanced in Victoria's direction. "She hates me.."
"She's feeling guilty." Yami Bakura explained softly. "Perhaps Victoria will give it to me...where is it?" He didn't want the girls to get into a fight, since one was already dead.
"It's...it's in S-seth's temple." Jo replied.
"I'll treasure it, always." The thief replied softly, hugging her close to him, before she stood up, and glanced over at Victoria.
"Listen, Roba. You better take care of her, or I'm coming back to haunt you."
"I always will." Christien looked up at the spirit. "I guarantee it."
Victoria turned a tear-stained face to the apparition. "I s-swear. I'm going to watch the finals and find how to defeat him, then I'll deliver the blow myself! He will pay for this!!"
"Marik has already gotten revenge for you. That's why he's so weak right now. He's extremely lucky I saw it coming. I used something to keep him from dying on you as well. Don't let revenge drive you, Victoria. It only leads to hate, and we all know where that gets people. Keep on living, Victoria. I'm always going to be with you." The apparition looked at Christien again. "Don't let her do anything stupid."
"I promis e. I'll keep her in line." Christien told her, tightening his grip on Victoria. Becoming her best friend and boyfriend couldn't have come at a more appropriate time! She's really going to need m e for a long time.
Jo's spirit turned to look at Yami Bakura again, troubled. "I....think Oreo's going to be really mad at me.."
"Why's that?" The yami was talking softly, as if they were back to the beginning before he became so harsh with her.
"I never got to the store. I was on my way there to get catnip, but...." She choked up again. "I'm s -so sorry, Oreo...." This she said t o the black and white kitty which was sitting at Yami Bakura's knee. The cat pricked up her ears, and looked up at the spirit, before letting out a sad meow. Jo fell to her knees, attempting to pet her. "I'm so sorry, Oreo..."
"I will get her the catnip in your name." Yami Bakura said softly, reaching out to stroke Jo's soft blonde hair.
Jo stood now, hearing movement in the doorway. It was Bakura. She stared at the British boy for a long minute, then gasped, turning quickly to Victoria. "Hey....Tori....remember th e only time when I was really upset with Yami Bakura?"
"I remember.....it was during Battle City." She sniffed. "I remember it because it was the first time you ever cried over an episode."
"Which time during Battle City?" Yami Bakura wanted to know. He can remember more than one time when he'd been unfair to his softer half. Even though many years had passed since those horrible times, he still felt a little guilt for the trouble he'd caused Ryou. And the idea that he'd actually made Johanna cry over the British boy hurt him now.
"It was when you made him bleed, a lot." Jo told him, softly,feeling ready to cry at j ust at the memory of it all.
"Oh my....." Bakura was amazed at the amount of emotion coming from the apparition. He himself had forgotten all about that time, conveniently.
"I never intended for him to feel the pain. His body couldn 't handle it, and he passed out. I was sent back into the Ring." He paused, then he looked at Jo again. "Where is your Ring?"
"I...guess Yami Marik took it...." Johanna choked out. "It wouldn't do me any good to have it anyway now."
"I'll get it back." Victoria spoke up now, having been silent for a while. "I promise."
"Don't be stupid. It's just an object of no importance now." Jo told her, as she made her way over to Bakura. "Please don't look so sad, Bakura. I'm okay. I need you to take care of Yami for me. I can't do it anymore." She heard the yami snort in amusement, but didn 't turn from Bakura.
"I promise. I will look after him." Bakura smiled a little.
"You should know....I've been a fan of yours for a very long time. Even if it was the Yami I wound up with." Jo informed him now. "Tori and I used to fight over you all the time,until she found Marik."
"I still saw him first." Victoria joked. "You walked in in the middle of Yami Bakura's duel with Yugi and his friends. That doesn't count."
"Oh shut up!" Jo muttered, but she was grinning a little now. "Well...if you wanna play that way....I saw Marik before you did!"
"Okay. I'll let you win that one." Victoria agreed with a slight smirk. Then the two girls got serious again.
"Tori...was that Jenny I sensed downstairs?" Jo's eyes were narrowed. "What's she doin ' here?"
"Ask your best friend." Victoria replied, turning to Yami Bakura. "Why did you bring her?"
"You're going to need help coping with this loss, and I brought her because she came fro m your world, and might be able to relate better." Yami Bakura replied with a grunt. "If I'm wrong, I'll send her back."
"No. I am going to need her, for what I have in mind." Victoria stood up now, and Christien followed suit.
"I have to go now...." Jo said at the same time. "Please, none of you let my passing ruin your life." With that, Johanna was gone again.