Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. Nor do I own the characters in this
story.
Author's Notes:
Well, the last chapter didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted, but it is close enough that I can work with it. Since I'm on a much looser schedule, being summer and all, so I thought I could get ahead for once and post two chapters this week.
I also did some updates to the first two chapters. Nothing major. Just fixing spelling errors and clarifying a bit.
Oh, and Erckie? Tiffany says "Thank you."
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Chapter 14: Alone
"Mom? Dad? There's this really big Yu-gi-oh tournament in Europe, and I've been invited to participate." Tiffany said bravely. "If I compete, I'll be gone for a couple of weeks. Everything is paid for, so you don't have to pay anything for my food or plane tickets or anything. I know you're worried about school, but this trip is excused, and all of my teachers have given me make-up work to do on the trip. I've gotten all the details taken care of except your signatures. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I just can't pass it up. I promise I'll make you proud of me. You can even watch me on the TV. So will you please let me go?"
"Sounds good," I approved. "I'm sure your parents will let you go when they hear your speech."
"If I can actually say it to them," Tiffany replied. "Yami, I don't know why, but I'm really nervous."
"You'll be fine," I said comfortingly. "I'm right here with you."
"You sure you don't want to do it for me?" she asked.
"Trust me. It's better if you do it," I replied.
Tiffany took a deep breath and marched down the stairs.
Her parents were in their usual spot on the couch, watching television. She walked up next to them, took another deep breath, and started her speech.
"Mom? Dad? There's this really big Yu-gi-oh tournament in Europe, and I've been invited to-"she began.
"Are you going?" her dad interrupted.
"Well...I...uh" Tiffany stammered. "...I need your signatures before-"
"Just forge them, honey," her mother replied. "I'm sure it will be fine."
"...um...okay" Tiffany said, a little taken aback. "I'll be gone for a couple of weeks, so..."
"Be sure to take a house key with you," her father replied.
"...okay," she said meekly. "Thank you."
Neither parent responded. They seemed to be very absorbed in their television show.
Tiffany walked back to her room wordlessly. Her emotions were too hard for me to read, so I waited till she had shut the door behind her.
"Well that went very well-"I began.
Tiffany burst into tears. "They let me go."
I was shocked. I'd never really been around a crying girl before. "What's wrong Tiffany? I thought you wanted to go?"
"But they didn't ask me anything," she sobbed. "They didn't care about school or money or anything. They didn't even care how long I was going to be gone."
"...but they care about you, right?" I said gently.
She fell onto her bed and buried her face in the pillow. "I don't know anymore, Yami? Mom and Dad seem to barely notice when I'm around. It's like I don't even exist."
I let her cry for a bit while I tried to come up with something to say. It wasn't easy. I couldn't understand what she was going through any more then she could understand my pains.
Finally, as her sobs grew quieter, I said, "I don't know everything you're going through right now Tiffany, but I do know what its like to feel alone. That's how I felt before you got the puzzle. Remember that you're not alone anymore. You have me, too."
"...Yami," she said after a pause, "could you use your powers to change my parents?"
"You mean take over their free will?" I asked. "Would you really want me to do that?"
"...no, I guess not," she replied.
From the depths of my soul, I wanted to end this suffering that she felt, but I didn't know what to do.
After this tournament is over, I promised myself, I will fix this problem.
The day arrived when we were going to fly to Europe. Tiffany got a taxi ride to the airport and made her way through the gates.
I made sure the puzzle didn't set off the metal detector since I didn't want her to take it off and break our connection. I could feel a sort of ominous presence somewhere close by.
I didn't tell Tiffany. She was already a little upset because no one had come to see her off.
We had just arrived at our gate when someone called out. "Tiffany? Over here."
She turned to see Stephen running over. "Stephen? What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see you before you left for the tournament," he replied. "This is for you."
He placed a Yu-gi-oh card in her hand. It was Mage Power, an equip card that increases a monster's attack and defense by 500 for each magic/trap card you have on the field.
"I know you use the Dark Magician," he explained, "and I thought it would go well with your deck's theme."
"Thank you so much Stephen," Tiffany said gratefully, "but why are you giving me such a powerful card?"
Stephen looked embarrassed. "Well, I couldn't make it to the tournament, but this way at least one of my cards will. You can think of me whenever you play this card, and it will be just like I'm there, too."
Tiffany grinned. "I promise I'll use it well."
Stephen smiled back. "Just don't tell them 'Bakura' gave it to you, or they might freak out," he joked. "Especially if you pull of any more of those VR games."
When he mentioned his nickname, I felt just the faintest glimmer of...something, but it was gone before I could figure out what it was.
"Well, I hope you have a good trip," he said cheerfully. "I'll be watching you."
"Thanks," Tiffany said gratefully.
She didn't mean the card. Stephen had given her an even better gift, one that she had needed. He really was a good person...
------------------------------------
I'm sure that a lot of you can guess what's going to happen, but I'll save it for later.
Up next, Tiffany arrives at Rome and prepares for the tournament. The host of the tournament will be revealed (I'm sure you can guess that one, too), and Yami sees a familiar face.
Please R&R!
Author's Notes:
Well, the last chapter didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted, but it is close enough that I can work with it. Since I'm on a much looser schedule, being summer and all, so I thought I could get ahead for once and post two chapters this week.
I also did some updates to the first two chapters. Nothing major. Just fixing spelling errors and clarifying a bit.
Oh, and Erckie? Tiffany says "Thank you."
------------------------------------
Chapter 14: Alone
"Mom? Dad? There's this really big Yu-gi-oh tournament in Europe, and I've been invited to participate." Tiffany said bravely. "If I compete, I'll be gone for a couple of weeks. Everything is paid for, so you don't have to pay anything for my food or plane tickets or anything. I know you're worried about school, but this trip is excused, and all of my teachers have given me make-up work to do on the trip. I've gotten all the details taken care of except your signatures. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I just can't pass it up. I promise I'll make you proud of me. You can even watch me on the TV. So will you please let me go?"
"Sounds good," I approved. "I'm sure your parents will let you go when they hear your speech."
"If I can actually say it to them," Tiffany replied. "Yami, I don't know why, but I'm really nervous."
"You'll be fine," I said comfortingly. "I'm right here with you."
"You sure you don't want to do it for me?" she asked.
"Trust me. It's better if you do it," I replied.
Tiffany took a deep breath and marched down the stairs.
Her parents were in their usual spot on the couch, watching television. She walked up next to them, took another deep breath, and started her speech.
"Mom? Dad? There's this really big Yu-gi-oh tournament in Europe, and I've been invited to-"she began.
"Are you going?" her dad interrupted.
"Well...I...uh" Tiffany stammered. "...I need your signatures before-"
"Just forge them, honey," her mother replied. "I'm sure it will be fine."
"...um...okay" Tiffany said, a little taken aback. "I'll be gone for a couple of weeks, so..."
"Be sure to take a house key with you," her father replied.
"...okay," she said meekly. "Thank you."
Neither parent responded. They seemed to be very absorbed in their television show.
Tiffany walked back to her room wordlessly. Her emotions were too hard for me to read, so I waited till she had shut the door behind her.
"Well that went very well-"I began.
Tiffany burst into tears. "They let me go."
I was shocked. I'd never really been around a crying girl before. "What's wrong Tiffany? I thought you wanted to go?"
"But they didn't ask me anything," she sobbed. "They didn't care about school or money or anything. They didn't even care how long I was going to be gone."
"...but they care about you, right?" I said gently.
She fell onto her bed and buried her face in the pillow. "I don't know anymore, Yami? Mom and Dad seem to barely notice when I'm around. It's like I don't even exist."
I let her cry for a bit while I tried to come up with something to say. It wasn't easy. I couldn't understand what she was going through any more then she could understand my pains.
Finally, as her sobs grew quieter, I said, "I don't know everything you're going through right now Tiffany, but I do know what its like to feel alone. That's how I felt before you got the puzzle. Remember that you're not alone anymore. You have me, too."
"...Yami," she said after a pause, "could you use your powers to change my parents?"
"You mean take over their free will?" I asked. "Would you really want me to do that?"
"...no, I guess not," she replied.
From the depths of my soul, I wanted to end this suffering that she felt, but I didn't know what to do.
After this tournament is over, I promised myself, I will fix this problem.
The day arrived when we were going to fly to Europe. Tiffany got a taxi ride to the airport and made her way through the gates.
I made sure the puzzle didn't set off the metal detector since I didn't want her to take it off and break our connection. I could feel a sort of ominous presence somewhere close by.
I didn't tell Tiffany. She was already a little upset because no one had come to see her off.
We had just arrived at our gate when someone called out. "Tiffany? Over here."
She turned to see Stephen running over. "Stephen? What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see you before you left for the tournament," he replied. "This is for you."
He placed a Yu-gi-oh card in her hand. It was Mage Power, an equip card that increases a monster's attack and defense by 500 for each magic/trap card you have on the field.
"I know you use the Dark Magician," he explained, "and I thought it would go well with your deck's theme."
"Thank you so much Stephen," Tiffany said gratefully, "but why are you giving me such a powerful card?"
Stephen looked embarrassed. "Well, I couldn't make it to the tournament, but this way at least one of my cards will. You can think of me whenever you play this card, and it will be just like I'm there, too."
Tiffany grinned. "I promise I'll use it well."
Stephen smiled back. "Just don't tell them 'Bakura' gave it to you, or they might freak out," he joked. "Especially if you pull of any more of those VR games."
When he mentioned his nickname, I felt just the faintest glimmer of...something, but it was gone before I could figure out what it was.
"Well, I hope you have a good trip," he said cheerfully. "I'll be watching you."
"Thanks," Tiffany said gratefully.
She didn't mean the card. Stephen had given her an even better gift, one that she had needed. He really was a good person...
------------------------------------
I'm sure that a lot of you can guess what's going to happen, but I'll save it for later.
Up next, Tiffany arrives at Rome and prepares for the tournament. The host of the tournament will be revealed (I'm sure you can guess that one, too), and Yami sees a familiar face.
Please R&R!