Wagh! I'm really, really sorry about not updating! But life has just been so incredibly busy…
Things to keep in mind:
There is heavy meditation and light meditation. Heavy meditation was what Ryou was doing in the first chapter: You get so involved in the shapes that the strength of the magic needed allows an instant transfer to Spiritheart. Should only be attempted after lots of rest, and when your magic is at full strength. In short, if you are bored. Heavy meditation actually gives magic a boost if you do it properly, but if you try when you're tired, it drains you.
Light meditation is simply fiddling around with a few shapes, paying attention to the overall shapes and forgetting about detail.
There are 20 different levels of magic. From the day they are born, magi are at level one, when you can basically do nothing. The power is there, but it isn't used. Level 20 is when the magi has perfected his or her abilities to the fullest, and can master all kinds of different spells.
HOWEVER! There are, as in everything, stronger and weaker people. People with weaker magic can make it to level 20! Levels are based off of personal magical strength, not comparison to other people. So, a level 20 magi could still beat a, say, level 10 magi with stronger power, because the level 20 magi has mastered more spells. However, when the level 10 magi has become a level 20 one, then the more powerful one will win. Unless, of course, the stronger one is a complete idiot and doesn't use his brain in a magical fight.
Mariku, to put it lightly, hates people who are cold, refined, and altogether icy. Li-sensei has managed to be all three, although his temper is just as bad as any other Pyromancer's.
Kurama-sensei wants people with low magical strength to stay at their desks because their magic won't be strong enough to shield them from the plant's effects. He says that no one's reserves should be low, because it's their first class, and if they are, they must have been up to some kind of mischief.
Bakura respects Kurama so much in this story because… Kurama is a thief as well, in YYH. And also because I wanted it that way…. Heh!
And yes! I grabbed names from other series! I will be very impressed if you can tell me where they're from!!!
And now…. Enjoy!
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As soon as Yugi settled down in his seat, Mai and Shizuka surrounded his desk. He sighed resignedly to himself: he'd known this was going to happen. He prayed to any God that was listening for them to refrain from smothering him this time…
"Yugi, sweetie," Mai started out in a slow drawl, leaning… or rather, looming over him, "Would you like to tell us what happened, darling?"
Yugi looked up, and gave a small squeak. Shizuka frowned reprovingly at Mai.
"Now look," she scolded gently. "You scared him, and we don't know anything." She kneeled until she was about eye-level with the petite boy, locking his eyes with hers. "First of all," she said, her voice subtly layered with a truth spell, "Are you all right?"
Yugi hadn't missed the delicate change in her voice. "I feel a lot better than I did before," he answered truthfully. Shizuka's brows knit slightly with frustration: they knew that he was feeling better, but how did he feel?
"Honey," Mai scowled, "This isn't working. Let's try my way: Yugi, what the fuck happened, and how the hell are you feeling?"
The corners of Yugi's mouth twitched upwards at Mai's beautiful language. "Something happened," he said evasively, "And I feel… empty." He looked up, meeting her mauve eyes squarely with his own. He saw her involuntary shudder at the emotionless look on his face, and looked down again, lashes shielding his eyes from their worried looks.
A soft hand grasped his shoulder, but he didn't look up, knowing who it was. "Yugi," Shizuka sighed, the sadness in her voice obvious, "We only want to help. You know that, don't you?"
He did know, and he loved them for it, but… "I'm not ready, yet," he said firmly, eyes fixed to his desk. "I'll tell you sometime, I really will, but not now?" His anxiety turned his statement into a question.
Shizuka's large eyes softened. "We would never force you, sweetie…"
Yugi made a face; he wanted to lighten the mood. "Don't call me 'sweetie'," he muttered, mouth twisting mock-angrily.
Mai laughed again, sultry tones mixing with her naturally warm voice. "But Yugi, darling… you're just too marvelous!"
"Mai, you seem to have mistaken me for one who is not immune to your charms," Yugi said dryly. It was true: hordes upon hordes of lovesick boys, and a few girls as well, chased after Mai… not that she did anything to stop them.
"People! Sit down!"
The Aeromancer who taught this division of Sectionals was not a particularly patient person. Fuuko-sensei did not tolerate talking, and if you weren't in your seat by the time she started role call…
"Good morning, class!" Fuuko-sensei chirped.
My, someone's in a good mood today, Yugi thought wryly. Mm… wonder what happened?
"Now, as you all probably noticed at breakfast, we have a few new students today. As Aeromancers, we will strive to make the best impression, as none of them are in our Section. It is our goal, no, our duty to make them see that we are supreme! Aeromancers will dominate!"
Yugi sighed, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. Fuuko-sensei was very competitive, and could get slightly carried away…
After she got herself back under control, Fuuko-sensei smiled brightly at her class. "We're going to learn something new to do with wind, today," she said, excitement in her voice. "I don't expect any of you to master it; it's really quite difficult. But we're going to attempt, anyways.
"Most of you have already worked with small puffs of air, and breezes.. correct?"
Her students nodded, or murmured a quiet, "Yes, Fuuko-sensei."
"Good. What we're going to try today is a good deal more difficult. We are going to try to get the wind to a very manageable level. Today you will refine your control. Lack of finesse, and not paying attention to detail, can get you killed in a magi battle, do you understand me?"
They all nodded.
"When we get outside, you will each summon a small breeze to you. A breeze, understand? Not a wind. Now scat. Find one, and find a secluded spot and sit down."
They all obeyed. Yugi breathed in a gulp of fresh air as he stepped outside. The rain had gone, but the ground was still soppy, and his shoes sank into the mud.
Find a breeze.
Find a breeze, eh? He could do that. He closed his eyes, reaching out magically for the innumerable winds that wove themselves through the air. He paused, before snagging a particularly mild one, blowing warm air from the southeast.
He opened his eyes, his hand slightly curved as the air twined around his fingers affectionately. Now, to find a good spot to sit down… his eyes lit on a willow tree, it's weeping branches trailing along the ground. He walked over, and sighed a little. The pants he was wearing would be useless, now. The grime of the mud would ruin them.
Fuuko-sensei found him there a few minutes later. "Wonderful, Yugi," she said, voice soft, and soothing. "Now, hold onto your breeze" he obeyed, "and feel yourself slowly, slowly, falling into that. It never stops going… you never touch the same part of the wind twice. It is constantly moving. Do you understand, so far?"
Yugi nodded, his eyes half-lidded.
"Fantastic. Now, feel the magic inside…"
Yugi reached, and grabbed at his magic. Child's play.
"And weave it into your breeze."
What?
He nearly dropped both magic and wind in his surprise. He opened his eyes fully, tightening his grip lest both things fall from his grasp. "That's not possible!" he gasped.
Fuuko-sensei's eyes laughed at him. "No, Yugi," she soothed. "It's not possible for a magi to become physically connected to the wind: no. But if you twist your magic around the wind, you will see what the wind sees. You will hear the conversations that the wind picks up. Go on, try." She sighed, suddenly, her brows drawing together. "At least you're not just blindly accepting answers like everyone else does," she huffed. "That trust will get you all killed some day. Never trust anyone who hasn't proven themselves, understand me?"
Yugi nodded absently, his mind fumbling with this new trick. Weave his magic around the breeze…
From the circle of shifting violet inside him, he called out a slender thread. Directing it slowly, cautiously, he twisted it around the ever-flowing air trapped in his other hand. They began to merge, and Yugi relaxed slightly, barely noticing Fuuko-sensei's departure to find her other students in their various hiding places.
All at once, everything snapped into focus. He saw so many things at once… he was glad he had chosen a calmer wind, because even this pace was nearly too fast for his eyes and ears.
As the wind blew past things, he saw whatever it saw. Images flashed past too quickly, but somehow he knew what he saw. There was Ryou, sitting on a pond – wait, on a pond? There was no time to ponder this, however, as more images assaulted his eyes.
The sounds that reached his sensitive ears were also confusing.
"No, no, Anzu! We're doing poison ivy today, not daisies…"
"Jounochi, put that flame away at once. Mr. Kaiba, what exactly is it that you need in the Pyromancer section?"
Yugi grimaced at that last image. Jou had looked furious… what had Kaiba done this time?
Hello, my darlings.
Fuuko-sensei's voice rang through Yugi's head and he jumped slightly. What in all the Gods' name is she…
I'm contacting you all this way because it takes far too much time to get to each of you individually. Oh, come now, she frowned at them mentally, You couldn't have thought that the weaving was it? Much too easy. We're learning to focus today, remember?
Everyone, concentrate on your breeze. Learn to control its flow. Mai, yours for example: it's coming down from the North. See if you can turn it around, and make it go North, instead. Don't try to force it, though! It won't work. Air can be very temperamental sometimes. Don't wear yourselves out, either… it'll drain your magic, and we don't want that happening, do we?
Change the wind's direction? Ah. Now Yugi understood why she had said most of them wouldn't understand it. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself for this new task.
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The Aquamancer Section had gone outside as well, but they were on the other side of the building. The North end of the gigantic lawn was filled with small lakes and ponds, a few of them containing goldfish, and a few containing more dangerous creatures. Those with such beasts were spelled to keep curious or ignorant students away, and creatures inside.
Ryou's favorite pond was tucked away in a corner, with white water lilies floating inside. They bloomed all year, impervious to weather, courtesy of Malik.
Today's lesson was simple, light meditation. And I need it, too, Ryou thought wryly as he stepped lightly onto the water's surface. He had not forgotten how his magic had broken free of his control. He allowed himself to close his eyes for a blessed moment; balancing on water had a calming, soothing effect. It was… indescribable.
Padding gently to the pond's center, he sat down cross-legged, getting comfortable before opening his eyes wide and focusing on nothing and everything all at once. Some people liked to meditate with their eyes closed, but Ryou liked his open. It was so beautiful to see the world slowly fade, until all he could see was seen only by his mind, while his physical eyes stayed wide open.
Ryou started to sink into his core, approaching the familiar aquamarine hue of his magic that was edged with a soft feathery white. Was it just him, or did it seem a little more purple, today…?
Putting it out of his mind – now was not the time for questions – he slowly sank into the magic, feeling it close around him. He was encased in a lovely bubble of water-colored magic, and now the fun began.
Somehow, the non-magi had gotten it into their minds that meditation was just sitting and doing nothing. And Ryou supposed that of course, that was what it looked like to them, but…
Meditation was so much more. Ryou gently guided the bubble of magic around him into a lotus petal form, and then into a waterfall pattern. His magical self slid down the waterfall delightedly, before turning the waterfall into a teardrop.
Meditation was used to teach discipline. By mastering different shapes, magi would be able to judge their level of magic. By the time you were able to form a perfect, detailed animal, you would be allowed to graduate.
Ryou was far from it, but still much farther ahead than his classmates, with the exception of Kaiba. He could manage a fairly decent starfish, but its lack of detail and finesse told him that he still had a ways to go.
A small puff of air gently brushed against his physical neck, and Ryou's wide-open eyes blinked as he returned to the waking world.
Checking his watch, he found that it was time to head back to the big lake, where Fanta-sensei was. Just thinking of her, Ryou shook his head with awe. She had projected her aura for them, once, to show them what her animal had been. It had been quite simple: a mere goldfish, but each and every scale could be accounted for. The flowing tail and fins accentuated the creature's natural beauty.
As Ryou reached the lake, he saw the usually unruffled teacher frowning in displeasure. "Have you seen Seto anywhere?" she asked him.
Ryou shook his head, and she growled. "You go on and change," she told him. "Your clothes are soaked. Well, you could just ask the water to get out, too, of course, but I'm afraid it'll wrinkle…"
Her voice trailed off distractedly as she craned her neck in other directions. Ryou hid a smile. The teacher was rather short…
"I'm off, then," he said, bowing to her politely. "Good day, Fanta-sensei."
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The Pyromancers weren't having much success. Tempers were running high because of the rain, and the strain of having to be polite for the 2 new students was wearing patience thin.
Finally, Li-sensei slammed his hand down on his table, hard. The resulting boom echoed through the room. As his liquid amber eyes looked at his students, they saw flames dancing in their depths, and sulkily quieted down.
"I would have expected more from Pyromancers," Li-sensei said, voice cold, and chilling. "The rain has affected your temperaments: I know this. However, that is no excuse. You will each practice light meditation for at least an hour tonight before bed. I will know if you have not."
Unlike Aeromancers and Aquamancers, the other two Sections of magic did not find meditation nearly as enjoyable. Unlike them, Pyromancers and Geomancers wanted to move around, not sit and fiddle with shapes. Thus, meditation was a just punishment, indeed.
"Now, our new students. Welcome to our Section." Li-sensei nodded curtly at Yami and Mariku. "You will stand up and recite your names, ages, and levels."
It was not a question. It was a command.
Yami was filled with respect for this teacher. He draped an air of power around him like a cloak, demanding respect and attention. A quick glance at Mariku, however, proved to him that his brother thought the teacher was, to put it mildly, a little stiff.
Yami stood up as directed, Mariku following his example huffily a second later. "My name is Yami," he said, noting the teacher's nod of approval at not using his last name. He could tell that Li-sensei liked being mysterious, even though one's last name had nothing to do with magic.
"I am 17, and I am at level 12."
A few whispers circulated the room. Magic was judged on a scale of 1-20, and the average level for a 17-year-old was level 10. Magi were supposed to reach level 20 by age 24: at this rate, this newcomer might finish at age 20.
Mariku lifted his chin defiantly and met the teacher's eyes squarely. "Mariku, 17, level 12."
"Ah," Li-sensei said mildly. "It seems you are a bit ahead."
Mariku fumed inwardly. This son of a bitch needed to take the stick out of his ass and get laid sometime soon.
Yami placed a hand on Mariku's shoulder after they both sat back down. Leave it, the gesture said.
The door swung open before class could even start, and Kaiba Seto walked in. He stopped at Jounochi's desk, and smirked icily.
"Hello, mutt."
As expected, Jou's already strained temper snapped. "You mother fucking jackass…" he began furiously as balls of fire burst from his fingertips. "You already fucking know that the rain pissed me off, so leave me the hell alone, today, got that?!"
Li-sensei's eyebrows rose delicately. "Jounochi, put that flame away at once. Mr. Kaiba, what exactly is it that you need in the Pyromancer section?"
Kaiba's cold, azure eyes darkened. "I need a reason?" he snapped.
Li-sensei's mouth quirked in a dark smile. "Ah. That means you skipped. You know Fanta-sensei doesn't like that…"
"Do I look like I care?" Kaiba asked.
"Would you just get the hell out of here?" Jou demanded angrily, tired of being ignored.
"Aww, puppy," Kaiba crooned. "You don't want me here?"
Jou's temper ricocheted out of control. His entire desk erupted in flames.
Yami sat back and watched, quite amused. It didn't seem that he would learn much, on his first day, but he could live with that. He might as well enjoy the show.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Malik was still in shock. "Bakura?" he sputtered. "But you… here? What?"
Bakura smirked at his cousin's astounded expression. "Aren't you happy to see me?" he teased, mocha colored eyes narrowing as he smirked.
Malik was immediately defensive. "I never said that," he shot back.
"Whoa, down, little hellcat," Bakura snickered lazily.
"Hmph," Malik growled, although inwardly pleased. Bakura, he knew, was a very good potion maker, and Isis had inadvertently hinted that he specialized in poisons.
"Mm…" a too feminine voice purred. "And who is this?"
Malik rolled his eyes before plastering a wide smile on his face and turning around to face Mazaki Anzu. "My cousin," he told her shortly, voice clipped.
"I see," Anzu smiled slowly, attempting to be seductive. Bakura was about ready to get a knife out. Malik wasn't much better: he had always been slightly more temperamental than Geomancers were supposed to be, and Anzu had been trying to snag him for more than a year. She would annoy Bakura that way, too… over his dead body.
"Mazaki," Malik said, straining his fading smile a little wider, "Could you, ah, talk to us some other time? We're trying to discuss something right now –"
"Ahh!" she squealed.
Uh-oh, said Malik's mind.
"Is that a date, Malik?" she asked, blue eyes wide.
"N-no!" he stuttered, but was interrupted by a quiet, "Sit down, class."
Kurama-sensei radiated a sense of mystery and an air of quiet command. When he gave an order, it was obeyed.
His green eyes swept the classroom and came to rest on Bakura. "It seems we have a new student," he said mildly. "Your name, please?"
Bakura regarded the teacher with a level stare. He was clearly very powerful, and his name was well known throughout the magical world. "Bakura," he answered after a pause, having assessed that this person was worth answering.
"In case you wanted to know, I'm 17 and at level 12."
Kurama-sensei nodded at this information. "Thank you," he said simply.
Bakura's esteem of his teacher was slowly growing. He didn't waste time on unnecessary words, a quality that Bakura valued. As he walked slowly from the back of the classroom to the front, his steps made no sound. Bakura was impressed in spite of himself.
"Today, we learn how to grow poison ivy, as well as its antidote. We'll start with poison ivy: everyone should come here and obtain a leaf from me. If your magical reserves are low, which they shouldn't be, then stay put. I'll deal with you later."
The class slowly stood up. A blue haired boy stayed at his desk, a frown marring his face. Malik didn't care: he didn't know the guy personally, and it wasn't any of his business, anyways.
The class, each with a leaf, regenerated the rest of the plant. Bakura almost yawned… this was too easy. A sigh from Kurama-sensei recaptured his attention.
"Anzu," he was saying exasperatedly. "No, no, no! We're doing poison ivy today, not daisies! You cannot continue to focus only on the beauty of plants, although I know they are very attractive. But it will not help you later."
Anzu pouted. Malik groaned very quietly. Kurama-sensei's eyes flicked at him, amusement reflected in their murky depths.
This is going to take a while….
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All good!