Author's note: Wow, thanks guys for the reviews! Robin, your fic is wonderful! I haven't finished reading it yet, but I plan to soon! And thanks so much to Schala for helping me with my many questions. She's even let me borrow Valon to do my disclaimers! Speaking of him...where is he?
Valon: Ryou, give that back, right now!
Ryou: Over my dead body!
Shelly: Whoa, what's going on here? What are you both fighting about?
Valon: Whatever this is in this bag, it's delicious! Of course, Ryou had to poke his nose in it, and he took it away from me!
Shelly: Ryou, give it here. *looks inside bag* I can't believe you both were fighting over my Honey Nut Chex Mix! I thought you both were more mature than that!
Ryou: But it's so good...
Valon: Very!
Shelly: *looks back inside bag again* O_O And you both ate it all?! That's it! You both are going to get me another bag! Now march!
Valon: But--
Shelly: No buts!
Ryou: There's still the disclaimer to do.
Shelly: *thinks a moment* Alright, Ryou can go get the Chex Mix. Valon can stay and do the disclaimer.
Ryou: *leaves with a big grin on his face*
Valon: Ryou Bakura, you'd better come back with an unopened bag! *clears throat* All right then. Shelly doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Chex Mix for that matter. But as soon as Ryou gets back, the bag is mine!
Shelly: *pushes Valon over* Not if I have anything to say about it! Thanks again for reviewing, everyone!
The Heart of Eternity by Shelly
CHAPTER TWO
The next morning, she awoke tired, stiff, and hurting from the night before. True to her word, she had bore the brunt of her mother's anger, and now after a restless night of sleeping she felt like she had been used as a punching bag. Standing under the shower, she let the warm water ease some of her body aches, although it could do nothing for the bruises that raised in colored splotches along her skin. Her scalp was tender from where her hair had been nearly yanked from her head, but that was all she usually suffered from above the shoulders. Her parents were very careful not to leave any visible bruises as any of the school teachers might see them and know that she was being abused.
She knew she should talk to the teachers about her problems, maybe even contact the police as well, but what good would it do her? Sure, her parents would be arrested but then she would only be moved into another foster home until she was of age, which was only three years away. Three years. If she could hold on that long, she would be free of them. Her grandmother had seen to it that she could take care of herself, leaving her a sizeable inheritance. A small part of it she set aside for her to use now; the rest would be available whenever she turned eighteen. And when she did, it was adios to Japan, and hello to America since that was where her grandmother had lived.
She was soon finished showering, and she quickly dried herself off before either of her parents demanded their share of the bathroom time, although they were more than likely still in the bed since she was up early getting ready for school. Wrapping her hair in a towel, she brushed her teeth then walked into her bedroom to pick out what she would wear today. She picked out a black long-sleeved shirt that said, "If I close my eyes real hard, will you disappear?" It was by far one of her favorites, and generally assured her that she wouldn't be bothered at school, which was the way she liked it. Together with a pair of jeans and black shoes, she was ready to face the day, except for combing out her wet hair and tying it back into a ponytail at the base of her neck.
Her hair was probably the most striking feature about her since it started out a deep black at the roots and changed to a deep crimson color right about shoulder-length, the colors appearing as a layered effect rather than an outright line of color. Many people thought she had it colored that way, but it had been that way ever since she was born, and she had grown used to the attention it brought. Whenever anyone tried to speak to her about it. She had gained the reputation of being aloof from everyone else, and some would even say snotty, but she managed just fine on her own without the help of others. She had experienced too much loss in her life to feel the need to reach out to anyone else in her life.
Gathering her bookbag, she slung it over her shoulder and walked down the hall, not bothering to eat anything as she usually grabbed something at school. Her parents never bought anything edible enough for her to eat anyway since they lived on nothing else except coffee, beer, and cigarettes. Stepping outside, the cold morning air hit her in the face, but instead of complaining she found it exhilarating and started off towards school with something near to a spring in her step. She wondered if she would see Joey today, but quickly squashed that thought before it began. It would do him no good to get involved in her troubles, and would only bring more trouble upon her in the end.
The morning flew by quickly, and soon it was time for lunch. She grabbed a few fruits from the cafeteria and went outside to sit against the side of the school to get a headstart on some of her homework. She was so engrossed in it that she didn't see the small group of friends that stood nearby, watching her silently as they spoke quietly amongst themselves.
They usually spent their lunch period playing a quick game of Duel Monsters, but today they decided to play outside as the temperatures had turned out mild for a change and they wanted to enjoy the weather. Joey had sat down and started shuffling his deck when he saw her sitting alone, and all thoughts of playing disappeared as he remembered their conversation from the evening before.
Tristan and Yugi noticed him space out all of sudden, and Tristan waved a hand in front of his face to try and get his attention. "Hey, Joey! Anyone in there? Hel-lo?"
Yugi looked to see where his friend's attention was, and his eyes widened when he saw the object of Joey's eye. "Tristan, hold on. I think I see what he's looking at," he said as he pointed in Shari's direction. He noticed that she looked about the same age as them, and knew from watching her that she was a loner and preferred to be alone. But why would she catch Joey's interest so completely all of a sudden?
A wide grin appeared on Tristan's face, and he slapped his best friend solidly on the back, jarring the blond from his trance. "Hey, you guys, Joey's got himself a crush on some girl!" he exclaimed, catching the attention of Tea and Ryou, who had started a game of their own.
Joey nearly fell to the ground. "I do not! I was jus' tryin' ta figga out what her shirt said, dat's all."
Tristan elbowed him. "Yeah, whatever. I know you can't see that far."
Yugi laughed silently at them, then he noticed a familiar glow from the corner of his eye. When he looked, he saw that one of Ryou's Millennium Ring pointers was glowing and aiming straight at the girl. "Ryou, look. Your Ring's glowing again like it did when we were at Duelist Kingdom. And it's pointing towards her. I wonder what it means?" He knew very well what it meant as the Millennium Ring was able to find other Millennium items, but as far as he could see she wasn't wearing anything that resembled an item.
His curiosity aroused, he started walking towards her. Joey noticed and quickly stepped in front of him. "Where ya goin', Yug?" he asked. Yugi explained what had happened, and Joey glanced over at her with a sigh. "I admit I know her, guys," he explained. "I ran inta her last night, literally ran inta her. She seemed troubled, an' we talked a little. I get da sense dat's she doesn't like people ta pry inta her personal business, so take it easy on her, 'kay?"
"What better person to talk to her than you, right Joey?" Tea offered. "Go on over there and we'll stay here until you think it's safe for us to come over."
Joey hung his head. "Ahh, why is it always me?" he moaned. Then he straightened up and squared his shoulders, beginning to walk over there and wondering why he was so nervous all of a sudden. Last night they had gotten along well, but that was last night. He knew enough about the female gender to know that they suffered from extreme mood swings sometimes, and wasn't sure how she would greet him this time.
He was halfway there when she glanced up and saw him coming towards her. He tried to act nonchalant about it, playing that he was just walking by and hadn't noticed her, but all that earned him was a sudden fall flat on his face when he tripped on the edge of the walkway. He lay there groaning as his friends had all passed out as well from embarrassment.
Shari had seen him and couldn't help the smile that spread across her face, as well as the giggle that rose up from within her. She knew he was trying to come over and talk to her, and she felt bad that he had tripped and fell all because of her. "Joey, are you all right?" she asked as she ran over to him and knelt at his side.
He sat up on his own and rubbed at his forehead, his cheeks flaming from embarrassment. "Ah, I'm okay," he assured her.
"Let me take a look at that," she said as she batted his hand away and sifted her fingers through his bangs to push them out the way. He was lucky that he didn't cut himself, but there was going to be one heck of a bruise there in a few hours. "You'll be okay. It's just bruised." She couldn't help but think that he looked cute sitting there blushing, and she quickly wiped the smile from her face. For one thing it was causing him further embarrassment as he probably figured she was laughing at him, and another was that she didn't want to seem too friendly around him and give him the wrong idea.
Then she heard the sound of footsteps drawing near, and she rose to her feet to see a group of what appeared to be his friends coming his way. She started to leave, but Joey had gotten to his feet and stopped her with a touch to her hand. "Shari, wait," he said. "I wanted ya ta meet some friends a' mine."
She turned and fixed him with a pleading glare. "Joey," she warned him softly.
"Look, jus' do dis for me, 'kay," he persuaded her. "You'll be glad ya met 'em."
She sighed and nodded once, facing his friends with her best friendly smile plastered on her face. "If you think so," she replied.
Yugi was the first to arrive, noticing with a little chagrin that she was taller than him. Was he destined to remain vertically challenged forever? "Joey, are you all right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "Guys, dis is Shari. Shari, dese are my friends." He introduced each of them to her, keeping a watch on Ryou's Ring and noticing that it was still pointing towards her. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he knew it was strange.
She said hello to each of them as they were introduced, and she also noticed that the strange item the one called Ryou wore was acting strange. She knew enough of Egyptian mythology to know that his pendant was made during that time period, and that of Yugi's as well, which interested her. "Might I ask how you got your...um...what is it?"
Yugi brightened at the mention of his Puzzle. "Oh, it's my Millennium Puzzle. My grandfather brought it back from when he went to Egypt."
"What is your grandfather's name?" she asked. "Perhaps I know him as I grew up there." He told her his name, and she thought a moment before she remembered. "Yes, I remember someone by that name. It's been a few years, though."
"Great! I'll mention your name to him and maybe he'll remember you!" he said, clearly excited that his grandfather might know of her. Now that he was closer to her, he understood where Joey's perception of her came in as it appeared that she held a great sadness deep within her. As well as a great deal of pain, and he wondered if Yami had anything to do with his perceptions of her since he was able to do such a thing.
She beheld the Puzzle with a keen interest that baffled her, and it was then that she asked a very unusual question. "Do you mind if I look at it for a moment?"
"No, of course not," he replied, wondering at the request himself. He looked to Joey, who shrugged.
Shari crouched down in front of him and gently took the Puzzle into her hands, turning it so that she saw every facet of it before looking at the Eye on the front of it, running her thumb over it slowly and feeling its smoothness. It seemed then that a stray shaft of sunlight hit it and reflected off its surface, or maybe she was crazy and the Eye began to glow. Whatever it did, she was suddenly rocked back on her heels as she felt an ancient presence within it, answered by a stirring within her own pendant which she wore hidden behind her shirt.
Her shock must've shown on her face as she saw five pairs of concerned eyes directed her way, Yugi's especially as he felt it also, but even more keenly since his soul was bonded so closely to Yami's. He knew immediately that whatever she carried wasn't evil. Instead it had evoked a strange feeling from the spirit within the Puzzle, one of sadness and heartache.
This time it was Joey's turn to be concerned as he knelt down beside her. "Shari? Are you okay?"
She shook her head to try and clear her head of the strange feeling, but she knew that she would never forget what happened today. In fact she meant to find out once she arrived at home when she would have time to check it out. "I'm okay, Joey," she said, accepting his proffered hand and slowly getting to her feet.
"Are ya goin' ta need help gettin' ta your other classes?" he asked, wondering what had happened. He knew that if anyone knew it would be Yugi, and he planned to find out soon enough.
She shook her head in reply. "No, thank you anyway. I need to be going. Lunch is almost up." She walked back over to get her books, and Joey couldn't help but notice that she walked with a slight limp.
Concerned, he walked over to her. "Would ya like me ta walk ya home aftah school?"
She pushed dark bangs out of her eyes as she looked up at him. "Joey, I appreciate the help. But it would only mean more trouble for me. The best thing you can do to help is just to stay away from me." Then she quickly disappeared inside the school before he had any time to respond.
He stood there staring after her, wondering what she meant. Then he remembered last night and the way her mother had spoken to her. Surely she wouldn't...not her own daughter! Was that what she meant by trouble?
Yugi stepped near him with his hand resting on his Puzzle. "I must say, Joey, that she's strange. What happened was strange. I wonder what it all meant?"
Joey sighed heavily as the more he saw her, the more worried he became for her. "I don' know, Yug. But one ting's for sure. I'm worried 'bout her...'bout her safety."
*****************
Joey's beginning to suspect something's happening. And he'll soon find out when something terrible happens to Shari that could almost kill her! Thanks for reading! C-ya!
Valon: Ryou, give that back, right now!
Ryou: Over my dead body!
Shelly: Whoa, what's going on here? What are you both fighting about?
Valon: Whatever this is in this bag, it's delicious! Of course, Ryou had to poke his nose in it, and he took it away from me!
Shelly: Ryou, give it here. *looks inside bag* I can't believe you both were fighting over my Honey Nut Chex Mix! I thought you both were more mature than that!
Ryou: But it's so good...
Valon: Very!
Shelly: *looks back inside bag again* O_O And you both ate it all?! That's it! You both are going to get me another bag! Now march!
Valon: But--
Shelly: No buts!
Ryou: There's still the disclaimer to do.
Shelly: *thinks a moment* Alright, Ryou can go get the Chex Mix. Valon can stay and do the disclaimer.
Ryou: *leaves with a big grin on his face*
Valon: Ryou Bakura, you'd better come back with an unopened bag! *clears throat* All right then. Shelly doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Chex Mix for that matter. But as soon as Ryou gets back, the bag is mine!
Shelly: *pushes Valon over* Not if I have anything to say about it! Thanks again for reviewing, everyone!
The Heart of Eternity by Shelly
CHAPTER TWO
The next morning, she awoke tired, stiff, and hurting from the night before. True to her word, she had bore the brunt of her mother's anger, and now after a restless night of sleeping she felt like she had been used as a punching bag. Standing under the shower, she let the warm water ease some of her body aches, although it could do nothing for the bruises that raised in colored splotches along her skin. Her scalp was tender from where her hair had been nearly yanked from her head, but that was all she usually suffered from above the shoulders. Her parents were very careful not to leave any visible bruises as any of the school teachers might see them and know that she was being abused.
She knew she should talk to the teachers about her problems, maybe even contact the police as well, but what good would it do her? Sure, her parents would be arrested but then she would only be moved into another foster home until she was of age, which was only three years away. Three years. If she could hold on that long, she would be free of them. Her grandmother had seen to it that she could take care of herself, leaving her a sizeable inheritance. A small part of it she set aside for her to use now; the rest would be available whenever she turned eighteen. And when she did, it was adios to Japan, and hello to America since that was where her grandmother had lived.
She was soon finished showering, and she quickly dried herself off before either of her parents demanded their share of the bathroom time, although they were more than likely still in the bed since she was up early getting ready for school. Wrapping her hair in a towel, she brushed her teeth then walked into her bedroom to pick out what she would wear today. She picked out a black long-sleeved shirt that said, "If I close my eyes real hard, will you disappear?" It was by far one of her favorites, and generally assured her that she wouldn't be bothered at school, which was the way she liked it. Together with a pair of jeans and black shoes, she was ready to face the day, except for combing out her wet hair and tying it back into a ponytail at the base of her neck.
Her hair was probably the most striking feature about her since it started out a deep black at the roots and changed to a deep crimson color right about shoulder-length, the colors appearing as a layered effect rather than an outright line of color. Many people thought she had it colored that way, but it had been that way ever since she was born, and she had grown used to the attention it brought. Whenever anyone tried to speak to her about it. She had gained the reputation of being aloof from everyone else, and some would even say snotty, but she managed just fine on her own without the help of others. She had experienced too much loss in her life to feel the need to reach out to anyone else in her life.
Gathering her bookbag, she slung it over her shoulder and walked down the hall, not bothering to eat anything as she usually grabbed something at school. Her parents never bought anything edible enough for her to eat anyway since they lived on nothing else except coffee, beer, and cigarettes. Stepping outside, the cold morning air hit her in the face, but instead of complaining she found it exhilarating and started off towards school with something near to a spring in her step. She wondered if she would see Joey today, but quickly squashed that thought before it began. It would do him no good to get involved in her troubles, and would only bring more trouble upon her in the end.
The morning flew by quickly, and soon it was time for lunch. She grabbed a few fruits from the cafeteria and went outside to sit against the side of the school to get a headstart on some of her homework. She was so engrossed in it that she didn't see the small group of friends that stood nearby, watching her silently as they spoke quietly amongst themselves.
They usually spent their lunch period playing a quick game of Duel Monsters, but today they decided to play outside as the temperatures had turned out mild for a change and they wanted to enjoy the weather. Joey had sat down and started shuffling his deck when he saw her sitting alone, and all thoughts of playing disappeared as he remembered their conversation from the evening before.
Tristan and Yugi noticed him space out all of sudden, and Tristan waved a hand in front of his face to try and get his attention. "Hey, Joey! Anyone in there? Hel-lo?"
Yugi looked to see where his friend's attention was, and his eyes widened when he saw the object of Joey's eye. "Tristan, hold on. I think I see what he's looking at," he said as he pointed in Shari's direction. He noticed that she looked about the same age as them, and knew from watching her that she was a loner and preferred to be alone. But why would she catch Joey's interest so completely all of a sudden?
A wide grin appeared on Tristan's face, and he slapped his best friend solidly on the back, jarring the blond from his trance. "Hey, you guys, Joey's got himself a crush on some girl!" he exclaimed, catching the attention of Tea and Ryou, who had started a game of their own.
Joey nearly fell to the ground. "I do not! I was jus' tryin' ta figga out what her shirt said, dat's all."
Tristan elbowed him. "Yeah, whatever. I know you can't see that far."
Yugi laughed silently at them, then he noticed a familiar glow from the corner of his eye. When he looked, he saw that one of Ryou's Millennium Ring pointers was glowing and aiming straight at the girl. "Ryou, look. Your Ring's glowing again like it did when we were at Duelist Kingdom. And it's pointing towards her. I wonder what it means?" He knew very well what it meant as the Millennium Ring was able to find other Millennium items, but as far as he could see she wasn't wearing anything that resembled an item.
His curiosity aroused, he started walking towards her. Joey noticed and quickly stepped in front of him. "Where ya goin', Yug?" he asked. Yugi explained what had happened, and Joey glanced over at her with a sigh. "I admit I know her, guys," he explained. "I ran inta her last night, literally ran inta her. She seemed troubled, an' we talked a little. I get da sense dat's she doesn't like people ta pry inta her personal business, so take it easy on her, 'kay?"
"What better person to talk to her than you, right Joey?" Tea offered. "Go on over there and we'll stay here until you think it's safe for us to come over."
Joey hung his head. "Ahh, why is it always me?" he moaned. Then he straightened up and squared his shoulders, beginning to walk over there and wondering why he was so nervous all of a sudden. Last night they had gotten along well, but that was last night. He knew enough about the female gender to know that they suffered from extreme mood swings sometimes, and wasn't sure how she would greet him this time.
He was halfway there when she glanced up and saw him coming towards her. He tried to act nonchalant about it, playing that he was just walking by and hadn't noticed her, but all that earned him was a sudden fall flat on his face when he tripped on the edge of the walkway. He lay there groaning as his friends had all passed out as well from embarrassment.
Shari had seen him and couldn't help the smile that spread across her face, as well as the giggle that rose up from within her. She knew he was trying to come over and talk to her, and she felt bad that he had tripped and fell all because of her. "Joey, are you all right?" she asked as she ran over to him and knelt at his side.
He sat up on his own and rubbed at his forehead, his cheeks flaming from embarrassment. "Ah, I'm okay," he assured her.
"Let me take a look at that," she said as she batted his hand away and sifted her fingers through his bangs to push them out the way. He was lucky that he didn't cut himself, but there was going to be one heck of a bruise there in a few hours. "You'll be okay. It's just bruised." She couldn't help but think that he looked cute sitting there blushing, and she quickly wiped the smile from her face. For one thing it was causing him further embarrassment as he probably figured she was laughing at him, and another was that she didn't want to seem too friendly around him and give him the wrong idea.
Then she heard the sound of footsteps drawing near, and she rose to her feet to see a group of what appeared to be his friends coming his way. She started to leave, but Joey had gotten to his feet and stopped her with a touch to her hand. "Shari, wait," he said. "I wanted ya ta meet some friends a' mine."
She turned and fixed him with a pleading glare. "Joey," she warned him softly.
"Look, jus' do dis for me, 'kay," he persuaded her. "You'll be glad ya met 'em."
She sighed and nodded once, facing his friends with her best friendly smile plastered on her face. "If you think so," she replied.
Yugi was the first to arrive, noticing with a little chagrin that she was taller than him. Was he destined to remain vertically challenged forever? "Joey, are you all right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "Guys, dis is Shari. Shari, dese are my friends." He introduced each of them to her, keeping a watch on Ryou's Ring and noticing that it was still pointing towards her. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he knew it was strange.
She said hello to each of them as they were introduced, and she also noticed that the strange item the one called Ryou wore was acting strange. She knew enough of Egyptian mythology to know that his pendant was made during that time period, and that of Yugi's as well, which interested her. "Might I ask how you got your...um...what is it?"
Yugi brightened at the mention of his Puzzle. "Oh, it's my Millennium Puzzle. My grandfather brought it back from when he went to Egypt."
"What is your grandfather's name?" she asked. "Perhaps I know him as I grew up there." He told her his name, and she thought a moment before she remembered. "Yes, I remember someone by that name. It's been a few years, though."
"Great! I'll mention your name to him and maybe he'll remember you!" he said, clearly excited that his grandfather might know of her. Now that he was closer to her, he understood where Joey's perception of her came in as it appeared that she held a great sadness deep within her. As well as a great deal of pain, and he wondered if Yami had anything to do with his perceptions of her since he was able to do such a thing.
She beheld the Puzzle with a keen interest that baffled her, and it was then that she asked a very unusual question. "Do you mind if I look at it for a moment?"
"No, of course not," he replied, wondering at the request himself. He looked to Joey, who shrugged.
Shari crouched down in front of him and gently took the Puzzle into her hands, turning it so that she saw every facet of it before looking at the Eye on the front of it, running her thumb over it slowly and feeling its smoothness. It seemed then that a stray shaft of sunlight hit it and reflected off its surface, or maybe she was crazy and the Eye began to glow. Whatever it did, she was suddenly rocked back on her heels as she felt an ancient presence within it, answered by a stirring within her own pendant which she wore hidden behind her shirt.
Her shock must've shown on her face as she saw five pairs of concerned eyes directed her way, Yugi's especially as he felt it also, but even more keenly since his soul was bonded so closely to Yami's. He knew immediately that whatever she carried wasn't evil. Instead it had evoked a strange feeling from the spirit within the Puzzle, one of sadness and heartache.
This time it was Joey's turn to be concerned as he knelt down beside her. "Shari? Are you okay?"
She shook her head to try and clear her head of the strange feeling, but she knew that she would never forget what happened today. In fact she meant to find out once she arrived at home when she would have time to check it out. "I'm okay, Joey," she said, accepting his proffered hand and slowly getting to her feet.
"Are ya goin' ta need help gettin' ta your other classes?" he asked, wondering what had happened. He knew that if anyone knew it would be Yugi, and he planned to find out soon enough.
She shook her head in reply. "No, thank you anyway. I need to be going. Lunch is almost up." She walked back over to get her books, and Joey couldn't help but notice that she walked with a slight limp.
Concerned, he walked over to her. "Would ya like me ta walk ya home aftah school?"
She pushed dark bangs out of her eyes as she looked up at him. "Joey, I appreciate the help. But it would only mean more trouble for me. The best thing you can do to help is just to stay away from me." Then she quickly disappeared inside the school before he had any time to respond.
He stood there staring after her, wondering what she meant. Then he remembered last night and the way her mother had spoken to her. Surely she wouldn't...not her own daughter! Was that what she meant by trouble?
Yugi stepped near him with his hand resting on his Puzzle. "I must say, Joey, that she's strange. What happened was strange. I wonder what it all meant?"
Joey sighed heavily as the more he saw her, the more worried he became for her. "I don' know, Yug. But one ting's for sure. I'm worried 'bout her...'bout her safety."
*****************
Joey's beginning to suspect something's happening. And he'll soon find out when something terrible happens to Shari that could almost kill her! Thanks for reading! C-ya!